Published at 26th of March 2019 12:09 am

Chapter 5

In the end, my extensive preparation was for naught – I didn’t use any of it in Shanghai.

My interviewer, Manager Li, was even more courteous than I was. It was “Miss Nie this and Miss Nie that” and none of it were questions about my portfolio. The polite conversation carried on for an hour before it concluded with “Welcome to the team Miss Nie.” He even enquired after my accommodation and food and added that the company could help with arrangements if needed.

I was completely baffled by the end of the session. As Manager Li held the door open, he smiled broadly “Miss Nie, please send your father my regards.”

So that was what this was about.

After my parents separated, my father and I rarely communicated. I had almost forgotten my father was Nie Cheng Yuan. If I were to describe him, it would be that of a good-looking, middle-aged man who developed his fortunes later on in life. When he was young, he was so poor only my mom was willing to marry him. Now that he had everything in life, he placed new emphasis on his love life by divorcing my mom and being with the very woman who spurned him in his impoverished years.

Thankfully, my mom took it well. She told me “Your father was mine in his handsome, youthful years. Now he’s some old guy, who cares about him?” However, she strictly forbidded me from getting money from him saying that I belonged to her. I suppose my mom still minded to a certain degree.

A few days previously, my father whom I hadn’t talked to in a long time suddenly rang me up and asked when I was graduating and if I had any plans. After hearing that I had submitted my resume to a few companies, he asked me to list them. Given the circumstances, I couldn’t possibly have remembered all of them but I did know that Zhuang Xu helped me submit a copy to some Sheng Yuan company so I mentioned that. Father didn’t ask more details then but merely enquired about other matters before hanging up.

Now that I thought about it, he must have pulled some strings to get me in.

So it wasn’t because of Zhuang Xu. Knowing this, I was somewhat disappointed.

On the train back to Nanjing, I kept pondering if I should take up Sheng Yuan’s job offer. Based on my promise to mom, I should reject it but I simply couldn’t forget the moment I left the Sheng Yuan complex; I had lifted my gaze and noted the signboard on the building across the road.

In golden letters shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight were words arranged in an arc – A Bank.

Where Zhuang Xu would work in future.

When I returned to the hostel at night, I was bombarded with questions on how it went. I lamented “I haven’t decided if I should take the job or not.”

The second day, as Si Jing and I were having breakfast in the canteen, she rebuked me “Xi Guang, you were too careless with your words yesterday, Rong Rong still hasn’t received an interview invitation. You’re lucky, you’re just deciding if you want to aceept the job offer.”

That was indeed my oversight. I nodded my head “Got it.”

That afternoon, Manager Li phoned again and asked if I was any clearer as to my final decision. I hesitated and asked for more time. Immediately, he raised my starting salary as well as added more employee benefits. Actually, my job scope was not very challenging. Even if my workplace was in Shanghai, it should be around three to four thousand yuan; it was certainly nowhere near the astronomical amount he was offering.

He must have thought I was unimpressed with my pay and was posturing for more.

Upon hanging up, I felt unbearable so I went to the nearby lake to think things through.

I could almost imagine what life would be like at Sheng Yuan. It wouldn’t have differed from my internship at Wu Xi; back then, apart from me, the other interns were made to do all sorts of tasks. Even if someone had a task for me, he would be all smiles and extremely polite when asking me if I could help out.

But how did people feel about this? Although I don’t particularly care for how other’s think, but it seemed rather meaningless to be some parasite, like how Zhuang Xu described my utter dependence on my family.

After pacing around the lakeside for a period, I called mom and told her I wanted to try looking for a job myself. Initially, mom was against it but as she went on and on, she strangely became excited and exclaimed that I was finally making plans for myself. She ended off by stressing that if I couldn’t find one, not to be stubborn and keep it to myself because she could also help ask around if needed.

When I was dialing her number, I was still in a state of uncertainty and it had merely been a spur of the moment call. I didn’t know what I wanted then but mom’s proud and comforting voice made me sure of my decision.

I was going to find a job myself.

As for Sheng Yuan … I stared at the sparkling lake surface in a daze.

I was more inclined towards declining the job. It was not because of my father, but because it was far too near.

The argument for accepting and declining was the same – the place was too proximal to where Zhuang Xu would be.

I made up my mind and after calming my emotions, I continued to rush my thesis. Having spent the past few days worrying over the matter of the job, my thesis had been woefully neglected.

This day, I was copying some material in the library when I received an incoming text. It was from Si Jing, “Xi Guang, come back to the hostel. Something’s happened.”

Hmm? Were we gathering for a meal tonight?

Lately, the seniors constantly held get-together meals so naturally, this was my first guess.

Seeing that it was almost dinner time, I quickly returned my book and rushed back excitedly.

Upon entering the room, I tossed my bag onto my bed “Who’s treating?”

No one replied. It was only then that I realized the mood was rather grim. Apart from Xiao Feng who was in Shanghai, the rest were all present, including Zhuang Xu. I glanced at him curiously, was he treating again?

But why on earth was everyone staring at me?

After some time, Rong Rong was the first to speak and her tone was not in the least bit friendly.

“Nie Xi Guang.”

“What’s up?” I was completely clueless.

“You asking me what’s up, that’s the biggest joke.” Rong Rong laughed coldly “Don’t you feel any shame after what you’ve done?”

“What have I done?” I was incensed by her accusatory tone. All mental images of chicken, duck, fish meat disappeared in an instant.

“Rong Rong, be reasonable. We haven’t come to the bottom of it.” Si Jing stood up from her seat and turned to me solemnly “Xi Guang, were you the one who received Rong Rong’s Sheng Yuan interview call on Monday afternoon?”

I shook my head. What on earth was she talking about?

“Even now you refuse to admit it. Nie Xi Guang, I can’t believe you are capable of this.” Rong Rong’s expression was strange. She appeared to be furious and disdainful of me, yet there was a hint of smugness beneath that exterior.

Ah Fen tentatively added “Could it be that Watermelon forgot? When we left that day, wasn’t she sleeping? Perhaps after answering the call, she went back to sleep and merely forgot to mention it on waking.”

After listening to what Ah Fen had to say, I was able to piece two and two together. Was Rong Rong suspecting me of sabotage? I found it both laughable and infuriating. “I think all of you are mistaken. I never received Rong Rong’s interview call.”

“Why deny it?” Rong Rong was still using that vexing tone. “It’s a pity really, your planning was almost foolproof. If I hadn’t called them, you would have gotten away with this.”

This was turning ugly. I suppressed my rising temper and turned to Si Jing “Si Jing, could you tell me what happened?”

Si Jing nodded. “It’s like this, Rong Rong hadn’t received her call all this time so she rang Sheng Yuan up. Then a Human Resource representative informed her that all eligible applicants had been called up on Monday afternoon and that Rong Rong was in the namelist. She even asked why Rong Rong didn’t turn up for the interview.”

“As you know, Rong Rong’s handphone was stolen during the career fair so the company had no choice but to call the hostel. That afternoon, Rong Rong, Ah Fen, Xiao Feng and I went out together. You were sleeping then. Boss was at home and she only returned to the hostel on Tuesday. So ….”

Si Jing paused “Think carefully, could you have forgotten about it?”

I racked my brain carefully before shaking my head “No. Actually after you guys departed, I went to the library shortly after. I never answered any interview calls.”

“You’ve certainly distanced yourself from this.” Rong Rong said sarcastically.

I ignored her and pondered the matter. I for sure never answered that call. But if what Si Jing said was true, then I truly was the only one who could have answered it. What happened?

I had a flash of brilliance, “Perhaps the Sheng Yuan representatives never made the call! Maybe they missed it by accident or perhaps no one answered and they forgot to call back?”

“Unfortunately, they have calling records. The call lasted a whole two minutes.” Rong Rong’s tone was both confident and mocking. Obviously, she had already deemed me responsible.

I inhaled sharply and tried my best to keep clear-headed. I composed myself “I have no reason to do that.”

“No reason?” Rong Rong sneered “Don’t you still like Zhuang Xu?”

My face drained.

Rong Rong didn’t give me a chance to speak as she continued “Sheng Yuan and A Bank are situated so closely. You don’t want Zhuang Xu and me to be together so you …”

“Rong Rong!”

The one who yelled at her was the one who had been reticent all this while.

What was he doing here anyway? Did Rong Rong call him along? To interrogate me, to expose me for who I am? I clasped my hands together tightly. I could sense my body trembling.

Si Jing tugged at Rong Rong immediately “It could be a misunderstanding. Besides, you’ve your interview opportunity already, let it go. Don’t blow the matter up and make everyone unhappy.”

“The matter can blow over but just look at her. From start to end, she hasn’t displayed any remorse. I can’t take this lying down.”

She couldn’t take this lying down? She?! I scoffed “Ye Rong, don’t belittle me. If I didn’t want you to have this interview opportunity, do you think Sheng Yuan would even make that call?”

Her expression stiffened. She couldn’t find her voice for some time and when she did speak, it felt forced “Who do you think you are? Today’s society looks at results and diligence.”

“Care to try?” I mirrored her cold laughter.

I had carelessly chucked the namecard Manger Li passed to me onto my messy table. After finally digging it out, I picked up the hostel receiver and started dialing.

Everyone seemed shocked at the rapid turn of events and all stood stock-still.

“Hello, is this Manager Li? This is Nie Xi Guang, there’s something I want to speak to you about …”

I hadn’t finished but someone had forcefully snatched away the receiver from my grasp. It was a man’s powerful hand. It was Zhuang Xu.

The moment he wrestled the receiver from my grasp, I had lifted my eyes and looked straight into his.

I was stunned.

His gaze … Was the exact same one he held when I confessed my feelings to him the previous year. Back then, I didn’t understand what it reflected, but I did now.

It was loathing.

It turned out to be loathing.

It was actually loathing.

He hated me.

It was like my soul had been sucked out of my body as he easily whipped the phone away from me. I stood there in shock and my mind was consumed with that one revelation.

He hated me ….

He hated me. Why?

And it wasn’t even because of what had just transpired. He had been hating me way before this. I had even loaned him a sum of money so that his mother could undergo surgery …

“I’m sorry, this is …”

He spoke a few more words before frowning and hanging up. He looked at the anxious Rong Rong and said “It wasn’t connected.”

Yes, I didn’t dial the number. I had intended to but when it came to the last three digits, I lost the will and dialled random numbers in a pique.

Rong Rong breathed a sigh of relief before smirking “I almost believed that money was everything. Turns out you were only pretending.”

Si Jing tugged at her before she quieted unwillingly.

I didn’t have any interest in her scathing comments. I could only stare at Zhuang Xu. I knew people would only find me even more pathetic but I couldn’t control myself. All I could was look at him.

I wanted to ask him why he hated me. Did he suspect me of foul play too? But I couldn’t voice it. Whether he hated me, whether he believed in my innocence, what did it mean to me?

But I felt so wronged, I wanted to cry.

Before my tears spilled, I turned and ran from the room.

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