Shen Zhihui stormed out of the design company, clutching the file box. When she reached the lobby on the ground floor, she suddenly remembered that Jiang Jingnian had asked her to go to Yunjingtai Residence tomorrow to work on his design.
She’d been worrying about how to refuse him!
Well, quitting today gave her the perfect excuse not to go.
Shen Zhihui set the file box down by her feet, took her phone out of her bag, and was about to text Jiang Jingnian. But when she checked her contacts, she remembered that she hadn’t saved his number.
She’d even lost his expensive business card that night.
Shen Zhihui pulled herself back to the present. With no other option, she called Guoguo. Guoguo was a loyal friend; as soon as she heard that Huihui wanted to contact Jiang Jingnian, she hurried downstairs.
The moment Guoguo reached the lobby, she took Huihui by the hand and said, “Huihui, go home and get some rest. I’ll try asking Old Witch to reconsider in a little while.”
“She should be willing to show the Shen family some respect and let you come back.”
Shen Zhihui didn’t want Guoguo pleading with her. “Guoguo, don’t go either. Even if you got her to agree, I wouldn’t come back. I’d only consider it if she got down on her knees and begged me.”
Of course, Shen Zhihui had said the last part offhand.
Given Old Witch’s nature, she’d never get down on her knees to beg.
“Then… do you really not want to keep designing?” Guoguo hated to see her go.
She was currently an assistant intern, learning the trade at Shen Zhihui’s side.
If Huihui left, Guoguo would be like a weed without roots.
Who knew where they’d toss her next?
Shen Zhihui nodded. “At the very least, I won’t have you begging her for me.”
“Enough about that. You still have Jiang Jingnian’s business card, right?”
Guoguo nodded. “I do. I wouldn’t dare throw away a business card belonging to a Big Shot like him.”
He was the number-one Big Shot in business circles, after all.
Shen Zhihui gave a soft hum. “Could you text him for me? Tell him that since I no longer work for this design company, I’m not in a position to take on his project. He can ask one of the company’s other designers instead.”
“Oh? Is that all?” Guoguo sounded a little unsure.
“Sorry to trouble you. I’m heading home.”
With that, Shen Zhihui picked up the file box again and left.
She needed to explain what had happened at work to Mother Shen, so she wouldn’t be caught off guard when Old Master Shen reprimanded her.
Besides, her older cousin was still at the company. This would definitely reach Old Master Shen’s ears.
Guoguo watched from the lobby as Huihui got into a taxi and drove away. Only then did she nervously take out her phone and the expensive business card, and look up the contact information printed at the bottom.
She sat down on a nearby sofa and texted Jiang Jingnian:
【President Jiang, hello. Sorry to bother you. I’m Guoguo, Shen Zhihui’s assistant. We met last time. I’m texting because Huihui can no longer work on your design. I’m terribly sorry. Please understand.】
After sending the message, Guoguo waited by the sofa, clutching her phone.
She figured that someone as busy as Jiang Jingnian would take at least half an hour to reply.
But she was wrong. Whenever something involved Shen Zhihui, the moment Jiang Jingnian saw it, he would pick up his phone and reply without hesitation—even if he was in the middle of a meeting.
【Miss Guoguo, what’s the reason she can’t come design for me?】
Guoguo was surprised to get a reply just three seconds later. She bit her fingertip, wondering whether she should tell him that Huihui had quit after being mistreated.
While she hesitated, Jiang Jingnian sent another message.
【I want to know why.】
If someone canceled or failed to show up for no reason, he had to get to the bottom of it.
Guoguo was stunned. Was President Jiang really so invested in Huihui’s design work?
All right, then. She’d better tell him the truth, so he wouldn’t hold it against Huihui.
【President Jiang, I’m sorry. It wasn’t Huihui’s fault. The company treated her terribly, so she just quit.】
They’d mistreated her, so she quit?
What had they done to her?
Jiang Jingnian wanted to know. Frowning, he carefully typed back:
【What happened? How did they mistreat her?】
As soon as he sent the message, the dozen or so senior executives seated along both sides of the conference room stared at him curiously.
What was going on with President Jiang today?
He was sitting in a meeting, yet kept playing with his phone and sending messages.
That was completely unlike him!
In all the years he’d worked at the company, he’d never used his phone during a meeting.
Was he dating someone?
The executives speculated among themselves. Jiang Jingnian paid no attention to their astonished looks. He simply kept his eyes on his phone, waiting for Guoguo’s reply.
It came soon enough:
【Our director forced Huihui to curry favor with you. Huihui refused, and they argued… Then the director threatened that she’d never be able to make it in the design world again.】
【Huihui said she wouldn’t come back even if someone begged the director for her. The only way she’d consider it is if the director got down on her knees and begged.】
So that was what had happened.
In the end, he was the one who’d caused her to quit.
Jiang Jingnian understood now.
【I know what happened. Tell her not to be upset. I’ll take care of it.】
Guoguo blinked. Had she read that right?
Jiang Jingnian had said he’d handle it personally?
Why did she get the feeling he was really interested in Huihui?
At the thought, Guoguo’s spirits lifted. If President Jiang really liked Huihui, then she’d have someone to stand up for her and wouldn’t be bullied.
For now, though, Guoguo didn’t want to tell Huihui. She was afraid Huihui would reject President Jiang’s kind intentions again.
*
Meanwhile, back in the old residential complex, Shen Zhihui took a taxi home and carried the file box upstairs. Mother Shen was cleaning when she saw her daughter home so early.
She looked surprised. “Huihui, why are you home so early today?”
Shen Zhihui didn’t want to hide it from her. “Mom, I quit my job. Don’t be upset.”
“Why did you quit?” Mother Shen wasn’t angry; she just wanted to know what had happened.
“I’m thinking of trying another company.” Shen Zhihui smiled, not wanting her mother to worry. “Grandfather arranged this job for me. To be honest, I don’t like it. I still want to make my own way.”
Mother Shen frowned. “Does Grandfather know?”
Shen Zhihui shook her head. “No. I’ll explain when he comes to question me.”
Mother Shen nodded, without blaming her. “All right. Whatever you want to do, Mom supports you.”
“I’ll go look over my designs and start searching for another job.” Shen Zhihui carried the box into her room.
Mother Shen didn’t follow. She understood that her daughter truly didn’t like working at the company Old Master Shen had arranged for her, so she let her have some time alone.
Shen Zhihui went into her bedroom, set the box on the table, and got ready to search for work online.
As soon as she picked up her phone, her stomach lurched.
She felt like she was going to throw up.
She quickly covered her mouth, and the nausea eased a little.
Then she sat down again and continued submitting her résumé online.
*
At the design company, Old Witch Sun Yuzhu was preparing to spread the accusation that Shen Zhihui had plagiarized a design throughout the design world.
Her own assistant, Xiaoyu, rushed in, her face deathly pale and panic-stricken.
“Director Sun, something’s wrong! President Jiang’s assistant, Lu Congbai, has come to the company in person.”
Xiaoyu had barely caught her breath. Assistant Lu had just spoken to them in a very unfriendly tone.
He’d made it clear that he wanted to see Miss Shen—and if she wasn’t there, their company would answer for it.
But Shen Zhihui had quit and left an hour ago!
“What did you say? President Jiang’s assistant? Where is he?” Sun Yuzhu asked. She hadn’t yet managed to send the defamatory material she’d been editing. In an instant, she sprang up from behind her desk, shocked.
“Yes. He wants to see Designer Shen—Shen Zhihui,” Xiaoyu replied, trembling with fear.
Sun Yuzhu frowned. Her face turned pale, too.
It was over. She’d thought Shen Zhihui had only just met Jiang Jingnian. She hadn’t expected them to be so close already.
Had Jiang Jingnian really sent someone all the way to her company to demand that she hand Shen Zhihui over?
What was she going to do now?