The "career woman" who was introducing the job to Wang Yuhan noticed the general manager glance outside and his expression darken. Following his gaze, she saw Zhang Jingzhi's empty seat and immediately understood why he was displeased. Attitude! Attitude! This was definitely an attitude problem! Although she hadn't left early, Zhang Jingzhi's act of leaving get off work immediately clearly showed disrespect for the general manager and for her, the supervisor!
One hundred yuan this afternoon! That's a bit too little of a fine!
Zhang Jingzhi was still fuming by dinnertime, her face long and drawn, as if someone owed her eight hundred yuan. She barely ate anything. The old lady in the house noticed her daughter's unhappiness. She wanted to ask, but was afraid of stirring up trouble and drawing Zhang Jingzhi's anger to her. Not asking, however, left her feeling incredibly stifled. Finally, unable to contain herself any longer, she quietly nudged her husband's elbow, giving him a meaningful look: "Ask him, what's wrong?"
The old man was much less cunning. Since he was young, he had always followed his wife's lead. If she gave him a look, he would do anything, even if it was a cannon!
"Ahem," the old man cleared his throat and asked, "Girl, what's wrong today? Are you feeling unwell?"
"It's nothing!" Zhang Jingzhi replied irritably. Seeing her elderly parents still eagerly awaiting her answer, she could only sigh and say, "What bad luck today, I lost a hundred yuan!"
"Oh! You lost some money? I thought it was something serious!" The old man breathed a sigh of relief and pointed with his big hand, "Don't be angry, Dad will make it up to you, just go get it from your pocket!"
"This isn't about money! This is—" This is a problem I can't explain to you! Zhang Jingzhi thought to herself, suppressing the rest of her sentence, and pushed her rice bowl away, "Mom, I'm full, you guys eat!"
The old lady watched Zhang Jingzhi's retreating figure and said to the old man in a low voice with great certainty, "This is definitely not about money!"
The old man nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, absolutely! — Sigh, honey, could you use less oil next time you cook? Look at this—"
The old lady glared back.
"It's good, it's good," the old man quickly smiled, "It smells so good, I'm just afraid I'll eat too much and gain weight!"
The next day, as soon as Zhang Jingzhi arrived at work, the "career woman" invited her over and subtly discussed with her the issue of girls being self-reliant and strong. She said that girls should spend more time on their work, should have ambitions, should not be complacent, and should not spend their days thinking about how to take shortcuts at work. God is fair, and success will always be given to those who work hard!
Zhang Jingzhi was even more frustrated, thinking to herself, "What did I do to deserve this? Is it wrong for me to finish my work quickly and leave right after get off work? This 'career woman' is clearly making things difficult for me!"
Of course, all of this was blamed on Wang Yuhan, even though he felt wronged.
Unable to contain her anger any longer, she hid in the bathroom and called Xiao Xiao, asking, "If you absolutely hate someone, how can you make them wish they were dead?"
Xiao Xiao smiled and asked, "Man or woman?"
Zhang Jingzhi was taken aback. "What's the difference?"
"Of course!" Xiao Xiao laughed maliciously. "If it's a man, the best way to get revenge is to make him fall in love with you, and then torture him to the point of death!"
"What if it's a woman?" Zhang Jingzhi asked, the image of the "White Bone Demon's" white face flashing before her eyes.
"Then make her man fall in love with you! Haha!"
"What kind of bullshit theory is this?" Zhang Jingzhi cursed. "So, if you want to get revenge on Wang Yuhan, you have to make him fall in love with you?" Zhang Jingzhi couldn't help but shudder at the thought. "Forget it, let her have some mercy!"
We finally made it to the weekend without any trouble.
"Wait for me to leave work together later!" Wang Yuhan said on the phone.
Zhang Jingzhi first glanced cautiously behind her. Fortunately, there was no "White Bone Demon" (a derogatory term for a female assassin), ensuring she wouldn't be punished. Only then did she reply in a smug tone, "Sorry, I have plans to go shopping and have dinner with my boyfriend!"
Wang Yuhan chuckled on the phone, as if he had seen through Zhang Jingzhi's little tricks.
Zhang Jingzhi felt a little embarrassed. "What's so funny?"
Wang Yuhan stopped laughing, ignoring Zhang Jingzhi's reason, and only said, "Wait for me to leave work together later."
"Why should I?" Zhang Jingzhi's tone involuntarily rose. Seeing Xiao Wang looking at her with surprise, she quickly smiled sheepishly and lowered her voice, saying with a hint of fierceness, "No way."
"Alright then, since you're unwilling, then I'll have to force you. Consider it overtime; I suppose I have that right too."
Zhang Jingzhi's fierce determination flared up as well: "Overtime is fine, we can all work overtime together!"
Wang Yuhan laughed, "Who said everyone else worked overtime? I'm only keeping you here to work overtime. Do I need to go out and announce it?"
Zhang Jingzhi was utterly exasperated by Wang Yuhan's shamelessness. She wondered how someone could be so shameless. What would others think if he specifically asked her to work overtime? Zhang Jingzhi took a few deep breaths and finally decided to compromise for the time being. She said weakly, "Fine, don't say anything more. I'll just wait for you."
It was well past the end of the workday. Zhang Jingzhi had never worked overtime before and didn't know what to do if she didn't leave after work. So she just touched this and that, pretending to work overtime. In her heart, she cursed Wang Yuhan a thousand times. Making someone who had clearly finished all the work work overtime was obviously making things difficult for her.
"Hey?" Xiao Wang called to her in a low voice from across the room.
Zhang Jingzhi looked up in confusion.
Xiao Wang grinned slyly, "You're working overtime too?" Seeing Zhang Jingzhi still looking at him with a blank expression, Xiao Wang secretly pointed around. Only then did Zhang Jingzhi suddenly realize that the office, which should have been empty by this time, was still bustling with activity. Big beauties, little beauties, and even a white-collar worker were all there. Everyone was actually "working overtime"!
"Now you understand?" Xiao Wang chuckled, glancing furtively at Wang Yuhan's office, and whispered, "It's all for him. See? That's what attraction is!"
Zhang Jingzhi's department was already a place with more flowers than leaves, and now that the green leaves have finished work, the flowers are even more prominent.
"What's wrong, sister? You have ideas too?"
Thoughts? She just found it ridiculous. She glanced at Wang Yuhan and saw a colleague knocking on his door with a cup of coffee. She couldn't hear their conversation, but she saw Wang Yuhan smile gently at the colleague. The colleague put the coffee on his desk, smiled and said a few more words, a blush creeping onto his face, before turning and leaving.
Not long after that colleague came out, another colleague came in. This time, instead of coffee, he brought snacks or something similar. Wang Yuhan smiled gently as usual, as if he was declining, but he still put the snacks on the table for him.
Zhang Jingzhi was also a little hungry. She lay on the table for a while and suddenly felt that she was incredibly stupid. If she left now, would Wang Yuhan still be able to chase after her?
Just as he was about to slip away with his bag, Wang Yuhan came out.
"Mr. Wang, everyone is working so hard, you should do something to show your appreciation, right?" Someone took the lead, and everyone immediately responded.
Wang Yuhan readily agreed, "Okay! I'll treat everyone to dinner!"
Zhang Jing was taken aback. Before she could figure out what was going on, her colleagues shoved her into the car.
Zhang Jingzhi (revised)
Everyone was shouting that they wanted the boss to bleed them dry, but when it came to ordering food, no one dared to take a bite, especially the white-collar workers. They were all quiet and reserved, and all they ordered were fruit salads and vegetarian dishes. Zhang Jingzhi wondered if she was eating with a group of nuns. What? Were they going to eat vegetarian food?
Apart from the two men, the room was filled with beautiful women. Looking at the flirtatious glances flying around, Zhang Jingzhi whispered to Xiao Wang, "Spring has finally arrived!"
Xiao Wang almost spat out the tea he had just drunk. He looked around and realized that Zhang Jingzhi was right, and he fully affirmed her statement.
Zhang Jingzhi was still thinking about the 100 yuan fine she had been paid a few days ago. She felt that being merciful to the enemy was being cruel to her own people. So she took the menu and ordered the dishes she had been thinking about for a long time but had never been willing to order!
Xiao Wang gasped in astonishment. Under the table, he made a gesture of admiration to Zhang Jingzhi. Seeing that Zhang Jingzhi didn't react, he leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "You are a true hero!"
While waiting for the food, everyone started chatting, and the conversation gradually turned to Wang Yuhan.
"Boss, do you have a girlfriend?" a bold colleague asked, instantly revealing everyone's thoughts. Even Zhang Jingzhi, who had been drinking tea with her head down, couldn't help but look up at Wang Yuhan, perking up her ears to see how he would answer the question.
Wang Yuhan smiled, his eyes darting around, and said with a light laugh, "That's a difficult question to answer."
Everyone egged them on, shouting, "Boss, just say it! Don't be shy!"
Zhang Jingzhi felt a little flustered, and unconsciously gripped the teacup tighter, afraid that Wang Yuhan might suddenly ramble on about something else.
Wang Yuhan laughed, his gaze lingering on Zhang Jingzhi for a moment before shifting away. He then smiled at the white-collar workers who were staring at him expectantly and said, "Well, I have pursued someone before, but she doesn't seem to be interested in me."
"Boss, are you kidding us? What woman could possibly refuse you?" the first person to ask laughed.
“I’m not kidding you, it’s true.” Wang Yuhan said seriously without laughing, “She not only rejected me, but she didn’t even give me a kind look.”
Everyone was taken aback for a moment, then the "White Bone Demon" immediately stepped forward and smiled to smooth things over, "President Wang, that's because she has no taste!"
Wang Yuhan also laughed.
Someone echoed, "She'll regret missing out on such a good man as her boss!"
Someone else laughed and said, "Great, haha, this gives us another chance. We should thank this silly woman!"
Zhang Jingzhi couldn't listen anymore, afraid that if they continued talking about her, she would be accused of heinous crimes deserving of divine punishment! She gave Wang Yuhan a cold look and suddenly felt that he was really boring. What was so fun about this childish game?
She slipped away and called Yang Lei. Yang Lei smiled gently on the other end and asked her how her meal was.
Zhang Jingzhi couldn't help but shake her head, as if Yang Lei were in front of her, and complained softly, "There's nothing good to eat, and with so many people, it's giving me a headache."
Yang Lei smiled and said that they were all colleagues, so she should bear with it and not seem out of place. He told her to hang in there a little longer, and to call him when she was done eating so he could come pick her up.
Hearing this, Zhang Jingzhi's displeasure dissipated considerably, and a smile appeared on her face. She said softly, "You don't need to pick me up. I'll just take a ride back."
"Alright, stop talking so much. Go outside for some fresh air and then go inside. I'll come pick you up in a bit," Yang Lei said softly.
Zhang Jingzhi smiled, said nothing more, hung up the phone, turned around and went into the house, only to find that the house was almost empty. Wang Yuhan was not there, the "white-collar worker" was not there, and even the few white-collar workers who were most active tonight were not there.
"Where is he?" I couldn't help but ask Xiao Wang next to me.
Xiao Wang laughed, "Mr. Wang probably went to pay the bill, and those ladies probably went to try and bump into him."
Zhang Jingzhi couldn't help but gasp. Did she really need to run into him several times to have such skill? Hadn't she been sitting in the house all night? Wasn't that enough?
Seeing Zhang Jingzhi's naive and bewildered expression, Sister Li, who was already married, couldn't help but scoff: "Don't you understand? Haven't you read any novels? In novels, which male and female protagonists don't have to bump into each other on their way to dinner and exchange a few private words?"
"They actually dare to have office romances?" Zhang Jingzhi asked in surprise, thinking to herself, "Do these people really want love over money?"
Sister Li pouted, "What's there to be afraid of?"
"Isn't this a taboo subject?"
"Heh, you can't see it, can you? How much do we earn a month? How much does Boss Wang earn a month? Even if you quit your job, what can you do? He can afford to support you!"
Zhang Jingzhi shook her head, feeling somewhat confused. Did the "White Bone Demon" also have such thoughts? Didn't she just teach her to be self-reliant and independent a few days ago?
After dinner, some people started clamoring to go to a bar. Wang Yuhan glanced at Zhang Jingzhi, smiled, and shook his head: "You guys go ahead. I have things to do tomorrow, so I won't go."
Yang Lei was already waiting outside. When he saw Wang Yuhan, he paused for a moment, then came over to greet her. Aside from Wang Yuhan, who already knew Yang Lei, the others were seeing him for the first time. Several young professionals stared wide-eyed at the handsome Yang Lei. Zhang Jingzhi, seeing this, felt even more smug. After exchanging a few words with her colleagues, she pulled Yang Lei away. Some colleagues teased from behind, "Hey! Beautiful lady, can't you be so heartless when it comes to men?!"
Everyone laughed, Zhang Jingzhi blushed, Yang Lei chuckled and patted her hand, then said to Wang Yuhan, "We're leaving now, let's play together again next time."
Wang Yuhan smiled and said okay, though it was the first time he had smiled so reluctantly.
“Wang Yuhan has switched jobs to our company and is now our leader.” After exiting the subway, Zhang Jingzhi didn’t know why, but she wanted to explain to Yang Lei why Wang Yuhan was also there.
Yang Lei smiled gently, stroked Zhang Jingzhi's hair, and said with a smile, "Silly girl!"
Zhang Jingzhi's face flushed slightly, and she retorted playfully, "What do you mean I'm stupid?"
Yang Lei smiled without saying a word, and slowly strolled forward while holding Zhang Jingzhi's hand.
Zhang Jingzhi felt a sweet warmth in her heart as she let Yang Lei lead her forward. She liked hearing Yang Lei call her "little girl," always feeling that it contained an indescribable sense of doting affection.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Yang Lei stopped and asked Zhang Jingzhi with a light laugh, "What's making you so happy? You've been chuckling to yourself the whole way here."
Zhang Jingzhi realized that Yang Lei had seen her chuckling the whole way, and her face immediately turned red. She lowered her head and said softly, "I wasn't laughing!"
Yang Lei smiled and saw Zhang Jingzhi's head kept lowered, looking like a little girl. He felt a soft spot in his heart and gently called out, "Jingzhi."
Zhang Jingzhi smiled slightly and looked up; under the dim streetlights, her face was alluringly flushed.
Yang Lei looked at her with gentle, warm eyes. Zhang Jingzhi felt that Yang Lei was about to kiss her. She was a little excited and didn't know where to look. Normally, you should close your eyes when kissing, but if she closed her eyes now, wouldn't that make her seem too eager? What would Yang Lei think of her? Would he laugh at her?
Just as she was struggling with this dilemma, Yang Lei's lips gently landed on hers, lingering there for a moment before he looked up.
"Huh? Is that all?" Zhang Jingzhi couldn't help but show a hint of disappointment in her eyes. Yang Lei smiled and said, "Hurry up and go upstairs!"
“Hmm,” Zhang Jingzhi nodded, but didn’t move her feet, her eyes still fixed on Yang Lei.