After a busy morning, Xiao Tongyu hadn’t even had time to take a sip of water.
Because of her past extreme dieting, her stomach had never been very good, and since she hadn’t managed to eat breakfast today either, her upper abdomen was now aching dully.
That’s right—this morning at the Imperial Capital Hotel, while Ji Yunze ate breakfast, she had stood to the side watching. He hadn’t asked her to sit down and eat with him.
After all, Xiao Tongyu was merely an object for him to vent his desires on. She had no right to eat at the same table as Ji Yunze.
Seeing that her complexion looked off, Su Rou beside her asked, “Tongtong, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Probably just hungry—my stomach hurts a little.” Xiao Tongyu replied casually, her hands still busy organizing Ji Yunze’s business trip itinerary for the day after tomorrow.
Working like a dog all day, then having to share his bed at night, with no overtime pay—and if she got slept into ruin, it wouldn’t even count as a workplace injury. Was she an idiot? Why on earth did she have to return that two million to Ji Yunze?!
Su Rou quietly passed Xiao Tongyu a pack of biscuits under the desk.
“Want some? These are super delicious—caramel flavor.”
Xiao Tongyu gave her a sweet smile. “Yes, please.”
She reached out and took a biscuit, just about to pop it into her mouth when suddenly—
Knock knock knock.
A slender, fair hand tapped on the desk.
“Xiao Tongyu, caught you sneaking snacks at work, didn’t I?”
Xiao Tongyu looked up to see a stunningly beautiful woman with chestnut curls like seaweed standing in front of her desk.
Her palm-sized face was hidden behind sunglasses, her makeup exquisite, her luscious red lips so vivid they seemed about to drip blood.
Xiao Tongyu shot her a disdainful eye-roll. “What’s it to you?”
The woman, furious, took off her sunglasses. “Oh, so Xiao Tongyu’s gotten bold, huh?!”
In that instant, Su Rou beside them saw who it was and covered her mouth in shock. “Zhuang Shufei?!”
That’s right—the visitor was none other than the hottest rising starlet of the moment, Zhuang Shufei.
Xiao Tongyu smiled and made a shushing gesture toward her. “When did you get back? What are you doing at my company?”
Zhuang Shufei tapped her cheek lightly with her sunglasses. “Over ten hours in the air. Came straight here the moment I landed—specially to see my pretty girl.”
Xiao Tongyu introduced her to Su Rou. “My best friend, Zhuang Shufei.”
Su Rou’s face lit up with delight. “Your best friend is a big star? Then… does she know you got slapped by Qin Mengyan yesterday? She could get revenge for you!”
Zhuang Shufei’s almond eyes flashed with fury as she shouted, “What did you say? That bitch Qin Mengyan hit my woman?!”
It was almost lunch break, so Xiao Tongyu quickly pulled Zhuang Shufei toward the exit. “Keep your voice down. Aren’t you afraid of President Ji?”
“I’m not his employee. Why would I be afraid of him?”
……
The two of them arrived at a Western restaurant near the company.
Zhuang Shufei currently had a TV drama airing that was pulling in high ratings. To avoid being recognized and attracting unwanted trouble, they chose a seat in a corner of the restaurant.
After ordering, Zhuang Shufei asked with concern, “Tongtong, what your colleague said just now—what’s this about that bitch Qin Mengyan hitting you?”
Xiao Tongyu brushed it off lightly. “It was nothing. She came to see President Ji, and I told her he was in a meeting. She insisted I was blocking her on purpose, so she slapped me.”
“That bitch! Seems like I haven’t stolen enough of her resources,” Zhuang Shufei said, pulling out her phone. “Let me call Sister Wang.”
Sister Wang was Zhuang Shufei’s manager and had worked by her side for several years. She always did her utmost for her, granting her every request.
Xiao Tongyu quickly stopped her: “Forget it. I don’t want to fight with her anymore.”
Zhuang Shufei gave her a huge eye-roll, her face practically screaming “How can you just let it go?”
Zhuang Shufei had grown up abroad, and only transferred to Xiao Tongyu’s elite school in her second year of high school after returning to the country. By then, Lin Xiao and Qin Mengyan had already graduated, but because Xiao Tongyu had been bullied for so long before, she had almost no friends at school.
For some reason, Zhuang Shufei—beautiful and the famous eldest daughter of Zhuang Group—became friends with the unremarkable Xiao Tongyu.
Maybe she had watched too many martial arts films and was full of chivalrous spirit, or maybe seeing Xiao Tongyu always eating alone in a corner stirred her compassion. One day at lunch, she struck up a conversation with Xiao Tongyu in the cafeteria.
“Hey, classmate. It’s Valentine’s Day today—let me treat you to some chocolate?”
Thanks to Zhuang Shufei, Xiao Tongyu’s life afterward became a happier one.
At the very least, she had made a good friend.
And that friendship lasted for many, many years.
The food arrived, and Zhuang Shufei pounced on it like a ravenous wolf, devouring everything in sight.
Xiao Tongyu found it amusing: “Feifei, exactly how many days have you been starving?”
Zhuang Shufei, cheeks stuffed full of food, mumbled indistinctly: “I’ve starved myself for two whole months for this drama! It’s finally wrapped—shouldn’t I hurry up and eat a big meal?!”
“If the paparazzi catch you like this, you might end up trending again.”
“Let them shoot. My dad has the connections to get it taken down anyway.”
At that, Zhuang Shufei suddenly remembered something. She swallowed her food: “Tongtong, guess who came to see my dad a couple of days ago?”
“Who?”
“Your Uncle Lin, and that scumbag Lin Xiao.”
Xiao Tongyu was curious: “What did they want with Uncle Zhuang?”
“What else? To borrow money.”
Xiao Tongyu was a little surprised. She knew Lin Corporation’s finances had been in bad shape lately, but she hadn’t expected things to reach the point of borrowing from another company.
Although Lin Xiao and Qin Mengyan had already graduated by the time Zhuang Shufei transferred to the school, she knew perfectly well everything they had done, and how the Lin family had treated Xiao Tongyu.
She even fervently wished their family would fall into ruin right now and get banished to the frontier.
“So did Uncle Zhuang lend them the money?”
“Lend my ass. Lin Corporation is a bottomless pit. If my dad dared to lend them money, I’d never marry, and I’d anger him right into his coffin.”
That was Zhuang Shufei for you—always speaking off the cuff, saying whatever came to mind.
But Xiao Tongyu loved her for it.
“You know what, Feifei? A couple of days ago, the Lin family called me back.”
Zhuang Shufei’s head snapped up: “They’ve got their eyes on the inheritance your dad left you?”
Xiao Tongyu nodded. “Lin Xiao even asked me to be with him.”
“Is he out of his mind?! In his dreams! Tongtong, you didn’t agree, did you?”
“How could I? Am I an idiot? Back then they treated me like a dog—am I supposed to grovel back to their family now?”
Seeing how resolute Xiao Tongyu was, Zhuang Shufei let out a long breath of relief. Then again, thinking it over, Xiao Tongyu was so clever and brilliant—there was no way she’d ever be lovesick enough to fall for that.
“Alright, hurry up and eat. Go back to sleep after you’re done—you haven’t gotten over your jet lag yet, have you?”
As Xiao Tongyu spoke, she reached up and tied back her long, loose hair. It was probably too hot in the corner of the room—in the cool autumn weather, she actually felt herself breaking out in a light sweat.
But as soon as she tied up her hair, the red marks along both sides of her neck, near her jawline, became strikingly visible—especially conspicuous against her fair skin.
Clatter. The fork in Zhuang Shufei’s hand dropped onto the table.
“Tongtong, your neck…”
Xiao Tongyu suddenly realized something was wrong. She quickly let her hair fall back down, her face flushing red.
“You… with whom?…”
Xiao Tongyu knew the truth couldn’t be hidden any longer. With great foresight, she moved all the utensils and food out of Zhuang Shufei’s reach.
Then, she said in a low voice, “Feifei, I need to tell you something. Don’t be shocked, and don’t shout it out loud.”
“What is it?”
“Ji Yunze slept with me.”
With a loud crash, Zhuang Shufei lost her balance and fell right off her chair at the dining table.