Chapter 33

Huang Shiyu saw off Tang Yizhou, huffing as she walked back, when she happened to run into Xia Xi coming out of the office, holding the fresh flowers and luxury gifts Tang Yizhou had sent. Huang Shiyu went up to her: "Xia Gong."

"Mm." Xia Xi handed the items to her, "Divide this bouquet among everyone, and have a courier take the rest away."

Huang Shiyu asked: "Where should I send it?"

Lofty Heaven Capital.

After saying that, Xia Xi turned to head back to the office, just as Gao Ge returned from the president's office.

Gao Ge's contempt was undisguised; her gaze swept over the pile of things Huang Shiyu held in her arms—Hermès, Chanel, Dior—no wonder everyone had been discussing it heatedly just before.

"Xia Gong, you're so lucky—just how long have you been hired and a second-generation rich guy is already chasing you?" Gao Ge walked over, and as she brushed past Xia Xi, she chuckled, "I heard you messed up Manager Li's project, without even a word of explanation. What kind of designer are you like this? You'd better accept Manager Tang's pursuit, go home and be a young madam, with eight servants waiting on you— isn't that better than staying here? Have a child to secure your position, and you won't have to worry for the rest of your life. Let us people keep fighting in the workplace."

In the lobby, dozens of people didn't dare to breathe.

This is no longer a veiled jab; it's an overt provocation, thick with the smell of gunpowder.

Put yourself in Xia Xi's shoes—she'd probably be furious to death.

But looking at Xia Xi, she showed no sign of humiliation; her expression was calm, as if the person Gao Ge was talking about weren't her.

Even Huang Shiyu couldn't stand it; she wanted to speak up for Xia Xi, but Xia Xi stopped her with a glance. Huang Shiyu bit her lower lip and mentally labeled Gao Ge as "not to be messed with."

Xia Xi wasn't afraid of being laughed at; she fired back on the spot: "I warned Gao Ge in the tea room last time—spreading rumors without evidence has serious consequences, and Gao Ge seems not to have taken that to heart."

In front of everyone, how could Gao Ge admit defeat? "Everyone saw what happened today..."

"Everyone saw?" Xia Xi interrupted her, giving a faint smile, "Seeing isn't necessarily believing—Gao Ge, you've been in society this long, don't you understand that?"

Gao Ge was momentarily speechless, and Xia Xi then said plainly: "Manager Tang came to see me today because he ruined Manager Li's project last Friday. He brought flowers and gifts to make amends. I kept quiet about why I dropped the project to save Manager Tang's face, but Gao Ge insists on getting to the bottom of it."

Gao Ge stared at her in disbelief: "Impossible! You're talking nonsense!"

"Am I talking nonsense? Manager Tang knows best—should I call him back to confront us?" Xia Xi raised her eyebrows: "How about that?"

What she said wasn't a lie either—Manager Li's project was indeed ruined by Tang Yizhou, and it's true that Tang Yizhou came today to apologize to her. She merely omitted the crucial middle details.

Gao Ge certainly couldn't really call Tang Yizhou back to explain; facing so many doubting eyes, she could hardly maintain her haughty demeanor, her face shifting: "You... you..."

"What? Since I joined the company, Gao Ge has constantly targeted me, not knowing what I've done to displease you; if you really can't stand it—" Xia Xi shifted her tone, "—then quit. That way you'll feel better, and I will too."

The surroundings were so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The onlookers thought Xia Xi had lost this round for sure, but she turned the tide with just a few words; for a moment it was hard to tell whether Gao Ge was harder to deal with or Xia Gong.

"What's going on? The atmosphere feels weird." The silence in the lobby was broken by Lu Mingji, who seemed to appear out of nowhere: "I was going to suggest we have dinner tonight to welcome Xia Gong back into the family, but I see everyone seems a bit off."

Everyone immediately went along with his suggestion, acting as helpers to liven the mood.

"No, no, we're really looking forward to the dinner—Manager Lu, are you treating?"

Lu Mingji replied generously: "Of course."

Tang Yizhou got into the car and settled in; the driver, looking at the fully armed boss through the rearview mirror—who looked like a terrorist—asked, "Manager Tang, where are you headed next? Back to the office?"

Tang Yizhou lifted his eyelids, "Can I be seen like this?"

Before the swelling goes down, he absolutely won't go to the company.

"To the Xu Clan Group." He tossed out those three words, then leaned back, exhausted, closing his eyes to rest.

If time could turn back to last week, he wouldn't dare touch a single hair on Xia Xi, not even entertain the thought.

About forty minutes later, the car arrived at the Xu Clan Group headquarters; Tang Yizhou wearily got out, entered the lobby, and was stopped by the front desk: "Sir, who are you looking for? Do you have an appointment?"

Tang Yizhou: "……"

When luck runs out, everything goes wrong.

Tang Yizhou said in a low voice: "Xiao Wei, you don't even recognize me?"

That voice…… the front desk staff changed expression, immediately becoming respectful: "Young Master Tang, sorry, my eyes failed me—I didn't recognize you; please don't take offense."

"Where's the blame? I was just joking." Tang Yizhou didn't give them a hard time, waved his hand, and walked off.

The two front desk girls looked at each other.

"Is that really Young Master Tang? Why does his face look swollen all around?"

"I don't know what's going on."

Tang Yizhou had visited the Xu Clan many times before, always able to pass freely; he stopped outside the president's office, hesitating to knock, worried he might be turned away. Over the weekend he called Xu Yanfeng several times, but got no answer. He went to Xu Yanfeng's residence to find him, only to be told by the nanny that the master had gone out, and Tang Yizhou guessed that was probably Xu Yanfeng's excuse for not wanting to see him.

After a bout of random thoughts, Tang Yizhou slowly raised his hand and lightly tapped the glass door twice.

Hearing the knock, Xu Yanfeng assumed it was an assistant or some manager, and without thinking said, "Come in."

The door was pushed open; Xu Yanfeng saw the visitor was Tang Yizhou, his face slightly cold: "What are you here for?"

"I just went to your ex-girlfriend's and got a snub; if you don't give me a good face, I'll really become depressed." Tang Yizhou plopped onto the sofa.

Xu Yanfeng frowned: "Did you go see Xia Xi?"

"Don't misunderstand—I went to apologize to her, not to cause trouble." After explaining, Tang Yizhou muttered quietly, "Who'd dare cause trouble for her? I've had a few faces slapped by you."

Xu Yanfeng remained silent, lowered his head to work, paying him no mind and not telling him to leave.

This is the company; making a scene too ugly would be a laughingstock.

"Come on, Xu Er, you're still mad at me?" Tang Yizhou wore a dejected expression, lacking energy, his voice weak: "I really know where I went wrong—on Xia Xi's side I not only apologized, I also bought a bunch of bags and jewelry that women like."

Xu Yanfeng: "Has she forgiven you then?"

Tang Yizhou: "……"

Don't bring up the pot that isn't boiling.

Xu Yanfeng let out a soft scoff; he knew Xia Xi wouldn't so easily forgive Tang Yizhou.

He pointed to the door, issuing the order to leave: "Go on, I have a meeting shortly."

"No, wait—I haven't finished." Tang Yizhou didn't beat around the bush, telling him, "I have important information about Xia Xi: her claim of having a boyfriend is a lie to you; her relationship with Lu Mingji is purely a normal superior-subordinate one, not romantic."

Xu Yanfeng's motion flipping through documents stalled, his fingertip pressing against the sharp edge of the paper, a faint sting.

He lifted his head, staring straight at Tang Yizhou.

"I swear I'm not lying to you." Tang Yizhou held up three fingers, "Xia Xi's personal assistant said it—it won't be wrong."

Xu Yanfeng lowered his head; the words on the paper could no longer enter his eyes. He was thinking, if even the matter of Xia Xi having a boyfriend was a lie, then could it be possible that the matter concerning the child was also a fabrication she wove.

That day in the mall, her words to him echoed in his mind now: "These dragon-and-phoenix twins are not your child; you really have no need to be obsessed."

Who knows whether what she said is true or false.

Still, he had to verify it himself before he could reach a conclusion.

Xu Yanfeng did not avoid Tang Yizhou; he picked up the desk phone's handset, dialed the internal line, summoned his assistant, and instructed him to do something, emphasizing that he must be extremely careful and not allow even the slightest mishap.