Published at 26th of March 2019 12:09 am

Chapter 18

“Why are all men, as long as looking a bit handsome will make life difficult for me ah?!” On the way back to the dormitory, after finishing work, I could not help sharing my heartfelt cry with Jian Rui over the mobile phone.

While playing on the computer, Jiang Rui perfunctorily pacified me: “Aiya, this is still not good ah? If a beautiful woman is prepared to make things difficult for me, I will be very eager and happy.”

“…… Jiang Rui!”

“You did not ask him how he knew?”

“Of course, I asked. But do you think he will answer me accordingly?”

“Oh, you need not be so flustered. He was transferred from Sheng Yuan’s head office over here so knowing that you are here is nothing strange. But his attitude …… Cousin sister, he was a surgeon but started work in Sheng Yuan as a department manager. Have you not thought this is strange?”

“I’ve thought ah.”

Of course, I thought. But I felt it has little to do with me, so I just casually thought about it and put it aside.

Jiang Rui continued to say: “I heard the power struggle in Sheng Yuan in these few years is rather serious. The old man wants to decide on a successor but he has many sons. I don’t know which group your superior belongs to but certainly the inner circle who is now being marginalized. Uncle has a pretty good relationship with Sheng Yuan’s eldest son, so I am guessing you are being treated like this because of that.”

I frowned and intuitively rejected his suggestion: “No, I feel that he doesn’t seem like that sort of people ah.”

Lin Yu Sen has a strong noble and benevolent kind of personality traits, making people feel he has high moral standing and is virtuous. Thus it was really hard to imagine him taking out his anger on me because of power struggle.

“He is that kind of ……” I tried hard to describe to Jiang Rui, “He was formerly a doctor. That kind of doctor who seems unlikely to accept money wrapped in red as a gift.”

Jiang Rui was rather shocked: “Cousin sister, you are too much. People treated you like this, yet you still think people has good character? Aiya, is this the rhythm of love ah?”

“That’s quite another matter…… Jiang Rui, Shanghai is not far from Suzhou, more than ten minutes with high-speed rail ……”

“Okay, Okay, I won’t tease you anymore, heehee. Also, these people are into doing shady things, so if they really want to make things difficult for you, they will not let you feel so relaxed. People’s IQ is unlikely to be so low.”

“……” Why I felt like I had been shot?

“Then I think it is another kind of possibility, which is he disapproves of you. Did you do something bad making people having an unfavourable impression of you?”

Initially, I wanted to righteously and confidently say no, but remembering the incident where I got caught in the act of downloading …….

The first time we met was under the table ……

Suddenly I was dumbstruck and unable to reply.

Jiang Rui is the one who understands me the most. Thus he immediately burst out in laughter over the phone. After questioning me closely, he mercilessly teased me for not telling him earlier. In the end, he lamented, “Cousin sister, ah, you quickly grow up la.”

“…… Okay, I’ve arrived at my dormitory. 888 (Bye-bye).”

I decisively hung up the phone and thought back and forth. Finally I came to a conclusion. After all, Lin Yu Sen treated me like this because of prejudice and poor first impression ……

It is very difficult to alter prejudice, so just let nature take its course …….

Anyway, apart from making me work overtime and run errands, he also cannot do anything to me.

The following week was exceptionally busy, because we have to cooperate with the Finance Department and Production Department staff to conduct a stocktake. Stocktake is really tiring so it is generally carried out during the less busy period. Staff from each department will take turn ……

I felt that in view of Vice President Lin’s ‘deep fondness’ for me, I am certain that I cannot escape from this kind of work. Hence I might as well take the initiative to volunteer to participate on the first day of the stocktake.

At the factory management center, I saw the employee sent by the Finance Department for the stocktake was Ou Qi Qi. I was happy and chatted with Qi Qi for a while. Little Su who was from the Production Department and responsible for the stocktake today, said apologetically to us: “Qi Qi and Xi Guang, I am sorry ah. Our printer broke down in the morning and has just been repaired. Thus the inventory list has not been printed. Can you please take a seat first and wait for a while?”

“Okay la, you print slowly.”

I was very happy to be able to officially goof off like this. While Little Su was setting up the printing material, there was nothing else to do. Thus she poured two glasses of water for us and sat down to chat with us. Soon her computer made some noises. She turned to look and immediately said excitedly: “Wa Qi Qi, you lucky girl. Dan Dan said a super handsome guy came to your department today.”

Qi Qi moved her head closer with interest: “Who ah? Who ah? Where did he come from?”

“I am asking Dan Dan now.”

Dan Dan was also from the Finance Department and in the same dormitory as Little Su. Everyone knew each other rather well, so Little Su dared to use Web-based QQ to chat in front of us. After typing some words, a while later she said: “Dan Dan said he came from A Bank (it was stated in chapter 1 that Zhuang Xu got a job there).”

My hand that was holding the paper cup trembled slightly.

“Do you know his surname?”

Qi Qi said: “She is unlikely to know, right? Dan Dan does taxation. Most foreign banks will look for people in the funding group ……”

Little Su said: “She knows ah and is gossiping with me now. She said his name is also very cool. His surname Zhuang is quite rare. Really rare ah …… Hey Xi Guang, what’s up?”

“I …… I suddenly remembered there is something to settle in the office. I am going back now and will return soon.”

“Ah, very urgent?” Little Su shouted, “The inventory list will be ready soon so we are going to start the stocktake immediately ah ~ ~”

I have already left his voice far behind.

I have already not thought of that person for a long, long time. I thought time can heal everything ……

I thought …….

Probably not enough time had passed.

When I held the door between the factory and office area and gasping for breath, suddenly I felt very grateful to have this stocktake.

If not for this stocktake, I will certainly be in the office just now. Such a short distance, so before I could control my intellect and impulse, I would have already run to the Finance Department.

I must have seen him …….

I must also let him see me. See this unsightly appearance because of my inability to forget an old affection……

Unlike now, I can still go back. Go back and stand on a position where I merely knew him but could not see him.

Was this considered an improvement?

Surely yes.

I’ve already decided to go back to the factory area to take stock. However I could not move my feet and continued to look at the office building not far away, at every windows in the Finance Department.

Until I heard the sound of the opening of the entrance door in the factory area where a group of people were talking and walking through the entrance.

Then I sensed a few of their gazes fell on me.

One of the gaze which she cannot ignore …….

I weakly came into contact with his line of sight.

Lin Yu Sen.

He stood there looking at me and holding a safety helmet in his hand. Several executives from the Production Department followed him from behind. Oh yes, the factory area was being expanded recently so it was not surprising to see him here.

After a few seconds of silence, he started to talk: “If I remembered correctly, you should be taking stock in the factory area at this time.”

I was a little slow in my respond: “I am going back right away.”

Lin Yu Sen did not say anything. He looked at me with that kind of penetrating gaze again. Then he said: “You will be responsible for the stocktake of the whole of this week.”

“Why?” I was surprised. Wasn’t it everyone will take turns?

“Absent With Out Leave.” He said these four words coldly, turned and left. After walking a few steps, he stopped and turned around, “Of course, if Miss Nie is not willing, no one can force you.”

I clenched my fists, “I am more than willing.”

In this way, under Yin Jie and Yu Hua’s sympathetic gaze, as well as the satisfied gaze of some people in the office who took pleasure in my misfortune, I started my one week-long big stocktake.

The stocktake was even more tiring than what was described by the seniors. There were several storage places in the factory area. Each one was large and tall, so I have to take the aerial work platform in a lot of places. The aerial work platform is kind of simple and shabby without even a shelter. It frequently stopped nearly ten meters off the ground. Then I’ve to stretch my body forward to look at the labels and count the quantity.

After sitting there for three days, when I stepped down from the aerial work platform, my legs turned wobbly. Due to my carelessness, I felt down. Both of my hands and knees were dripping with blood. When it was nearly the end of the last day of stocktake, my head was hit by a machine part which fell from the shelf.

I felt that I have never suffered such bitter hardship in my lifetime.

Yin Jie once took the initiative to suggest that she will go in my place for two days but I strongly declined her kind offer. Only one week, no big deal.

I clenched my teeth and endured until the weekend. When the stocktake was finally completely over and I took the thick inventory list out of the factory area, I deeply felt that my youth has passed me by just like the withered flowers and dead willows.

“Mom, I will not be going home this weekend …… ah, I am going out to have fun with my colleagues.”

After work on Friday, I did not return to my dormitory. Instead I lay like a corpse on the bed in Yin Jie’s new dormitory while calling my mom.

After talking to my mother and hanging up the phone, Yin Jie who was making porridge, approached me: “Xi Guang, are you also going out to have fun with us tomorrow?”

“I am not going.” I said that without even thinking about it. I want to lie in bed all day tomorrow. I did not even have the energy to go home so why would I go out to have fun?

“Then why did you tell your mother that you are going out with us?”

“I just said that randomly ah. Otherwise, you expect me to tell her that I had been tortured by my superior until I could not move? Oh, by the way, when you get back from the city tomorrow, please help me to bring back some food as dinner.”

“We are not going to the city tomorrow. Wasn’t you listening to what we said before ah?” Yin Jie patted me once.

Of course, I was not listening. I was too tired until my ears were almost deaf.

“Then where are you going?”

“Shanghai ah, so we might come back very late. You find your own food la.”

“Shanghai?” I stared blankly and sat up.

“Yes ah, you knew I was studying up north. Since I have come to the south to work and it is so near, it is natural that I want to go to Shanghai to look around. Aiya, it is very convenient to go to Shanghai from here. Can easily take a bus in front of the company …… ”

“I am also going.”

“…… Yu Hua said she wants to go to Jing’an Temple to burn incense. I can’t tell she is so pious, ah. But she did not cut down on her meat intake …….” Yin Jie stopped her unceasing chatter, “Xi Guang, what did you just say?”

“Nothing.” I lay down again and tried to use a very ordinary tone to say, “I am also going.”

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