He was currently in the critical phase of competing for the position of regional director at the company. He shouldn’t have chosen this moment to file for divorce, but Qianqian was pregnant, and the baby couldn’t wait, so he had no choice but to lay his cards on the table early.
He hadn’t expected her to agree so readily, only to turn around and send their daughter to the office to cause a scene.
“Daddy, I came here on my own. It has nothing to do with Mom.” Meeting Xu Cong’s gaze, a flicker of fear crossed Xu Yuan’s eyes, but remembering why she’d come today, she mustered her courage and spoke up.
Suddenly, someone took her hand. Jiang Xian stepped forward, placing herself in front of Xu Yuan.
Jiang Xian looked Xu Cong straight in the eye and said, “Uncle, you’ve scared Yuanyuan.”
Qin Sheng cleared his throat and spoke up, “Xu Cong, what are you doing? Can’t you just talk things out? Why take your anger out on a child? Is this how you usually speak to others?”
Xu Cong froze, suddenly remembering that he was in the boss’s office.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Qin. I just got carried away out of concern. This girl is my daughter. She should be in school right now, but she suddenly showed up at the office. I was worried she might get into trouble wandering around alone, so I lost my temper for a moment.”
Qin Sheng remained silent, merely sneering inwardly.
He wasn’t stupid; he could tell the difference between genuine concern and something else.
If it were truly concern, he would have first asked if something had happened to the child, rather than launching into a tirade right off the bat.
Of course, the concern was real—only the object of that concern was himself.
Seeing that Mr. Qin remained silent, Xu Cong felt a strange unease. He looked at Xu Yuan again and softened his tone: “I’m sorry. Daddy was just worried about you; I didn’t mean to be so harsh. “You still haven’t told Dad—how did you end up here all by yourself?”
“Dad, please don’t divorce Mom,” Xu Yuan said, tilting her little face upward, her voice filled with anxiety and helplessness. Tears glistened in her eyes.
“Yuan Yuan, you’re still young; you don’t understand grown-up matters.”
“Daddy promises you, I’ll think this through carefully and respect your mom’s decision.” Xu Cong’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly cut her off before she could say more.
“But it’s work hours now. Shouldn’t I take you home first?”
True to his reputation as a sales manager, he certainly had a way with words.
By saying that, he was clearly trying to shift the blame for the divorce onto his wife, so everyone would think it was her decision.
Anyone unaware of the inside story might very well be misled by his words.
Xu Cong was eager to take Xu Yuan away, but the little girl wriggled free of his hand and looked at Qin Sheng. “Uncle, you’re my dad’s boss. Can you make him not divorce my mom?”
“Xu Yuan!” Xu Cong suddenly raised his voice, his face a mix of disarray and fury.
That woman must have orchestrated this.
She wouldn’t show up herself, so she sent her daughter to cause a scene at his company.
She’s trying to ruin him.
That venomous woman.
He took a deep breath, struggling to control his emotions, and said, “ “YuanYuan, stop this nonsense. Come home with me right now!” With that, he tried to drag her out.
Xu Cong pulled with all his might, causing Xu Yuan’s wrist to ache sharply.
“Waaah!” The little girl burst into tears. “I’m not leaving. Waaah, I don’t want Mom and Dad to get divorced. Daddy, please don’t like Auntie, okay?”
“Shut up.” Xu Cong, having his secret exposed by his daughter right in front of his boss, was overcome with anger and humiliation. He raised his hand to strike her.
“Xu Cong, what are you doing?” General Manager Qin immediately shouted to stop him.
“I’m sorry, General Manager Qin. My child is acting up; I apologize for the embarrassment. I’ll take her home right away.” ” Xu Cong’s mind was in turmoil. His family affairs—especially such unsavory ones—had spilled over into the office. He had no idea how Mr. Qin or his colleagues would view him now.
At that moment, Xu Cong truly wished he hadn’t divorced that woman sooner.
What does a child know? It must have been her mother who taught her that.
President Qin looked at him sternly: “Even a brief marriage brings a hundred days of gratitude. For the sake of the child, at least don’t make a complete spectacle of yourself. While the company doesn’t interfere in employees’ personal affairs, if an employee causes trouble outside and tarnishes the company’s reputation, we certainly won’t stand idly by. You’ve worked diligently these past few years, you’re capable, and you have a bright future ahead of you—don’t let personal matters cloud your judgment.”
“Yes, Mr. Qin, I understand. Rest assured, I’ll handle this properly and won’t bring shame upon the company.”
His stern words struck a chord, sending a chill down Xu Cong’s spine.
In the past, he would never have dared to act recklessly, but now, he had no way out.
At that moment, Xu Cong couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret. He should have been more cautious; he shouldn’t have let Sun Qian get pregnant at this time.
Now that she was pregnant, getting her to have an abortion was out of the question. He could only finalize the divorce as quickly as possible and find a way to stop her from causing any further trouble.
His gaze fell on his daughter’s face, and Xu Cong quickly made up his mind.
“Xianxian, come here.” At that moment, Shen Song’an, who had been sitting on the sofa, suddenly spoke up.
To Xu Cong’s surprise, the little girl who had just been shielding his daughter ran straight toward Shen Song’an, the CEO of Shen Group.
Shen Song’an stood up from the sofa, took Jiang Xian’s hand, and turned to Qin Sheng, saying, “ “Mr. Qin, my little girl is still young and doesn’t know any better. She’s kept you waiting for so long. I’ll take her home now.”
“Mr. Shen, you’re too kind. I really like Xianxian,” Qin Sheng said with a smile, his gaze fixed on Jiang Xian’s face. “She’s bold yet thoughtful, smart and quick-witted. She’s bound to be remarkable when she grows up.”
Xu Cong was secretly startled. Who was this girl? Seeing how close she was to Mr. Shen, could she possibly be a member of the Shen family?
Why would a child from Mr. Shen’s family be at the company with his daughter?
Just as he was pondering this, he heard Jiang Xian speak up: “Uncle Shen, can we take Yuanyuan with us?” She was worried that if they left, Yuanyuan’s father might hit her.
Xu Cong hurriedly protested, “There’s no need to trouble Mr. Shen.”
Shen Song’an replied, “It’s no trouble at all—it’s just on my way. These two kids ran away from school; their teacher must be worried sick right now. I’ll take them back and explain the situation to the teacher while I’m at it.”
Xu Cong’s face instantly went stiff.
Explain what?
Explain that the reason his daughter skipped school was to come to the company to find her father’s boss and persuade him—her own father—not to get a divorce.
Xu Cong felt like he might as well stop living.
He forced a smile: “Really, there’s no need to trouble you, Mr. Shen. I actually have a few things I want to discuss with her myself. I’ll handle the excuse with her teacher.”
“All right, then!” Shen Song’an had no intention of meddling in other people’s family affairs.
“Yuanyuan, don’t be afraid. If your dad dares to hit you, just tell me, and I’ll have the police arrest him.” Jiang Xian walked over to Xu Yuan and whispered words of comfort to her, casting a deliberate glance in Xu Cong’s direction.