He checked several places and saw two units with rental notices posted on their doors, so he called them first.
“Hello, I’d like to rent a place. How much is it per month?”
“Two thousand five, one month’s deposit plus three months’ rent up front.”
That came to exactly ten thousand yuan!
And that didn’t even count all the miscellaneous expenses for daily necessities.
In the stairwell where few people passed, Zhong Kaihui’s face quickly darkened, and he hung up the phone directly.
Zhong Kaihui stood there for a moment before walking up to the fourth floor where Chen Man had rented a place, and knocked on the door.
“Who is it?”
Chen Fangchun, without any wariness, pulled the door open.
“Maternal grandmother!” A smile instantly spread across Zhong Kaihui’s face. His eyes swept into the room and landed on the durian sitting on the table, and his smile stiffened a little.
That was the durian Chen Man had bought for Chen Fangchun. She had eaten it once when she was young, and when Chen Man was little, she often heard her tell the neighbors: that fruit smells stinky, but it tastes so good—the first time I ate it, it was the most delicious fruit I’d ever had.
The rented apartment had three rooms, roughly speaking: a living room, a very small partitioned-off kitchen with a tiled counter that had no kitchenware on it at all, and a bedroom that wasn’t big either, with only a corner of a simple wooden bed visible. Chen Man’s suitcase was still sitting in the corner by the wall.
After Zhong Kaihui entered, his eyes quickly scanned the room. “Why rent a place? It’s so inconvenient, and not as comfortable as home. Grandmother, talk to Xiao Man—let’s all go back and live together!”
Chen Fangchun didn’t respond. She just hunched her back and went to sit on the sofa. It was a bare wooden sofa, with only a square cushion placed where she sat.
Sitting on the cushion, Chen Fangchun asked Zhong Kaihui, “Xiaohui, did you and Manman have a fight?”
Zhong Kaihui’s eyes flickered, and he gave an awkward grin. “No, how could I fight with her? Grandmother, my mother went to the market early this morning and bought pork ribs—she said she was going to stew them to help Xiao Man build up her strength.”
Chen Fangchun said nothing.
Zhong Kaihui went on, “All these years Xiao Man has been at home, she hasn’t had to worry about anything—no cooking, no dishwashing. My mother, well, she’s just a chatterbox, but her heart isn’t bad.”
Chen Fangchun nodded.
Zhong Kaihui leaned in a little closer. “Grandmother, on our wedding day, what did you say when you held my hand? You said Xiao Man’s mother passed away early, and told me to treat her well. I remember it all.”
Chen Fangchun nodded again, her tone as mild as ever. “As long as you remember. What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at work?”
Zhong Kaihui was taken aback. “I… I’m going right now. I was just worried about you two, so I came to take a look. Grandmother, with Xiao Man living out here, what will it look like if the neighbors find out…”
Chen Fangchun’s eyes were cloudy, but her mind was sharp. Zhong Kaihui only talked about getting Chen Man to come back, without mentioning what had happened yesterday, as if he didn’t know the reason.
She waved her hand. “Hurry off to work. Don’t be late.”
“Then… Grandmother, I’ll be going.” Zhong Kaihui headed for the door, but after two steps he turned back. “I don’t know what you like to eat, so next time I visit I’ll bring you some fruit. Take good care of your health.”
“Mm.” Chen Fangchun gave a small reply.
All of Zhong Kaihui’s words were stuck in his throat. He stood at the doorway for a while, then turned and left.
Chen Man had just arrived at the company when she saw the cleaner at her workstation, clearing away her things.
Her colleagues all looked up at her, then turned to look at Zhou Liangliang, who was playing on her phone not far away.
Zhou Liangliang glanced at Chen Man, replied to Zhong Kaihui’s message, and spun her chair around. “Is it fun clinging on like this?”
Chen Man walked over. “Put it back. I haven’t left the company yet.”
The cleaner looked awkwardly at Zhou Liangliang and quickly put the things back in their place. “It was that pretty lady who asked me to pack it up…”
Zhou Liangliang said leisurely, “I was just being kind, worried you’d tire yourself out, so I had the cleaner help pack things up. Instead of being grateful, you’re giving me this attitude?”
Chen Man’s voice was flat. “You’re in such a hurry to see me go—I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”
She tidied up the things on her desk and put them back where they belonged.
Zhou Liangliang stood beside her, watching her unhurried movements, the fire in her chest flaring higher and higher.
Every time Chen Man acted like this, it made her furious. Not talking, not arguing, not explaining—just so quietly calm.
That kind of quiet made Zhou Liangliang feel like a clown.
“Director Gao’s words mean nothing to you?” Her voice turned shrill. “I’ve never seen anyone as shameless as you!”
Chen Man lifted her eyes and gave her a look.
That look wasn’t fierce, wasn’t cold—just plain and indifferent, like looking at a stranger she barely knew.
Zhou Liangliang’s words suddenly caught in her throat.
She couldn’t say why…
Footsteps sounded at the door.
Gao Xiangyan walked in on her stiletto heels, a document clutched in her hand, her expression even uglier than it had been that morning.
She glanced at Chen Man. “Why are you still here?”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but the whole office went silent. A few heads poked out from the cubicles, then quickly ducked back in.
Chen Man frowned and was about to speak.
Gao Xiangyan slammed the document down on the desk. “When I tell you to go, you go. Are you waiting for me to escort you out personally?”
Zhou Liangliang’s lips curled up as she picked up her phone and pointed it this way.
Chen Man paused. “A dismissal requires a reason, Director. That report had no problems whatsoever.”
Gao Xiangyan sneered, her gaze sweeping over Chen Man’s calm face. Thinking of the Director’s words, she lost her patience. “Cut the crap. Whether there’s a problem isn’t for you to decide. The Business Development Department is still under my command. Pack up your things right now!”
“Director Gao, why such a temper?”
Everyone looked toward the voice and saw Liang Jinfeng, dressed in a smoky-gray suit, standing in the elevator, his deep-set eyes looking this way.
Yang Jun stood at the elevator door, and after speaking, waved at Chen Man. “Chen Man, come quickly, we’ll ride up together.”
“Mm.” Chen Man glanced at Gao Xiangyan and quickly stepped into the elevator.
The elevator doors closed again.
The heads poking out from the cubicles quickly lowered to look at their computers. Some quietly picked up their phones and messaged the colleagues beside them: Chen Man knows President Liang? Why are they together?
But some people’s attention was elsewhere: [President Liang is so handsome! And so young! This is my first time seeing him come to the Business Development Department!]
Gao Xiangyan stood where she was, her face livid. She looked at Zhou Liangliang, who hastily put away her phone and bent down to sit back in her seat.
The click-click of high heels sounded, step by step. As Gao Xiangyan walked, she messaged the Director: “That Chen Man on my team really is Liang Jinfeng’s person. We have to find a way to get rid of her!”
Inside the elevator, Yang Jun glanced at Liang Jinfeng and asked Chen Man, “Director Gao is firing you? What did you do?”
Chen Man glanced at Liang Jinfeng up ahead. “It’s the Mingxin compilation materials. Director Gao said I got a few figures wrong and wants to dismiss me.”
Yang Jun was about to speak when Liang Jinfeng said, “Reorganize the Mingxin project expenditure details. From now on, report directly to Yang Jun at work.”
“Yes.”
The elevator doors opened, and Liang Jinfeng walked out first.
Chen Man and Yang Jun lagged a few steps behind. She asked quietly, “Assistant Yang, the car insurance still hasn’t contacted me.”
“Maybe President Liang’s been too busy and forgot?” Yang Jun also found it odd. “President Liang hasn’t driven that car these past couple of days. I’ll ask when I have time.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Yang Jun’s office was at the end of the corridor. The door was locked; he unlocked it first and stepped aside to let Chen Man enter.
The moment she stepped inside, Chen Man froze.
Three or four stacks of documents were piled on the desk, leaning crookedly, some about to slide off. Several cardboard boxes sat on the floor, stuffed full of kraft paper file folders, with sticky notes of various colors poking out of the tops. A suit jacket was draped over a chair, its sleeve trailing on the floor. On the windowsill sat a half-drunk cup of coffee, a ring of brown stains clinging to its sides.
Yang Jun reassured her, “Work hard following President Liang, and he won’t treat you unfairly.”