Sister Xi, with her straightforward personality and belief that fists settle all disputes, rarely stirs up trouble. But when she does, the effect is so potent it hits like a storm!
While Yang Xi was questioning her life choices, wondering why she listened to Wen Ying, Qin Yi already had a plan in mind but didn’t share it with Yang Xi.
After lunch, Qin Yi didn’t immediately confront Fu Jing but instead called Wen Ying.
Qin Yi wanted to ask about Xu Mei’s situation.
Asking Li Mengjiao wouldn’t help, as she probably didn’t understand it herself. Wen Ying was the best source.
Could Xu Mei handle the trouble she was in if the company didn’t step in?
This wasn’t just a typical scandal, it was a massive one!
Qin Yi timed the call perfectly. Wen Ying had just received juicy gossip from Yuan Fenghui, practically bursting with the details.
Wen Ying had planned to share the fresh gossip about the “male god,” but Qin Yi’s call came first, so she decided to tell him.
Even if Wen Ying kept quiet, Xu Mei’s engagement to Cao Bo would still make the news.
“Brother Qin Yi, don’t worry too much. Xu Mei’s crisis is resolved. She was pushed to the edge of a cliff, forced to take the blame for someone else. At the critical moment, she fought back brilliantly!”
Xu Mei’s manoeuvre not only impressed Liang Dan and Yuan Fenghui but also Wen Ying.
Wen Ying used to find Xu Mei awkward, much like Yuan Fenghui did, because Xu Mei liked to play the innocent little rabbit.
A few days ago, when Xu Mei was scapegoated by Yu Tianlin, Wen Ying felt no sympathy. They weren’t close, so why should she? Yu Tianlin, a nobody before entering the industry, relied on his good looks to charm countless girls. If Xu Mei couldn’t even outmanoeuvre someone like him, she might as well quit the industry early for her own safety.
But after Xu Mei’s desperate counterattack, Wen Ying’s opinion of her soared.
That’s the way to do it!
Mei Mei, don’t back down. Roll up your sleeves and fight. With that kind of ruthlessness, she could soon teach Mr. Guan and his crew a lesson in how to behave.
Wen Ying’s tone was a bit too excited.
On the other end of the call, Qin Yi’s worries eased. That afternoon, when he spoke with Xu Mei, her mood had seemed off. If she hadn’t mentioned inviting him to her future concert, he wouldn’t have felt comfortable hanging up.
As for how Xu Mei weathered her reputation crisis, Wen Ying’s bombshell left Qin Yi speechless for a long while.
“She’s engaged to that Cao kid?”
Young Master Cao was a notorious playboy, hardly a good match.
Qin Yi worried Xu Mei had dodged one pit only to fall into a bigger one, but Wen Ying laughed, “It’s just an engagement, not a marriage. For Xu Mei, unless Director Duan and his people step forward and expose themselves, there’s no better way to clear her name. Brother Qin Yi, don’t tell me you still haven’t…”
It had been so long since their breakup. Could Qin Yi still not have moved on?
Wen Ying quickly dismissed the thought.
Qin Yi wasn’t the type to cling to the past. The breakup was a decision he made after careful thought.
So, Qin Yi’s concern for Xu Mei wasn’t lingering feelings but a reflection of his solid character!
As the saying goes, a breakup reveals one’s true character. When it’s over, it’s over. There’s no need to badmouth an ex, and if you can help them without losing anything, there’s no need to be stingy, provided it was an amicable split. If the breakup involved cheating or betrayal, seeking help from an ex would be shameless.
Sure enough, Qin Yi dispelled Wen Ying’s guess over the phone.
“We were together once, and I just want her to do well. Who she gets engaged to is her choice, and staying in the industry is her decision too. Of course, I respect that.”
It seemed Xu Mei no longer needed help.
That was good.
The entertainment industry is a complicated place. As long as Xu Mei wanted to stay in it, she’d face more than just this one ordeal. More than anyone’s help, she needed the ability to protect herself.
Anywhere, anytime, a girl’s ability to stand up for herself is the key!
After some small talk, Qin Yi hung up with Wen Ying and had someone call Fu Jing to his office.
The shop was busy, and Fu Jing was run off her feet, sweat on her face.
Though her looks were average, her fair skin glistened with sweat, her cheeks flushed, making her appear a touch more attractive than usual.
When Qin Yi summoned her, Fu Jing guessed it might be about the afternoon call to the office.
Why Xu Mei called Qin Yi, Fu Jing could roughly guess.
Xu Mei was in trouble!
Calling Qin Yi at a time like this was probably to play the victim and ask for help, right?
Or maybe she found the entertainment industry too tough and wanted Qin Yi to pay her contract termination fee… crazy, that’s a huge sum!
Yang Xi thought Fu Jing was working at “Shrimp King” to become the boss’s wife, and she wasn’t entirely wrong. Fu Jing did think like a boss’s wife. Why should a part-time worker care how much the boss spends on his ex-girlfriend? The boss didn’t ask the employee to chip in a penny. It was Qin Yi’s money to do with as he pleased, even if he wanted to toss it into the Huangpu River.
Fu Jing had wanted to pick up that call but feared leaving a trace. Later, she thought about deleting the call log, only to be caught by Yang Xi.
Yang Xi must have said something to Qin Yi!
Fu Jing couldn’t understand why Qin Yi valued Yang Xi, young and underqualified. What made her worthy of being around him?
Fu Jing had prepared a slew of excuses, anticipating all sorts of questions Qin Yi might ask. But in his office, Qin Yi didn’t give her a chance to explain, simply handing her an envelope.
“This is…”
“Your part-time wages for last month. I had accounting add half a month’s extra pay.”
Qin Yi’s tone was neutral, leaving Fu Jing stunned.
“Why, Qin Yi, did I do something wrong?”
“Did someone say something? I can explain!”
“Qin Yi, I thought we were friends…”
Qin Yi cut her off, “You didn’t do anything wrong. This isn’t a school exam. I don’t judge employees by right or wrong. I’m the boss. If I think you’re not suited for this part-time job, I can let you go.”
Fu Jing was speechless, choked by his words.
She had prepared countless defences, but Qin Yi didn’t care to hear them.
One was a part-time employee.
The other was the boss.
Qin Yi had kept Fu Jing on before out of principle.
Now, wanting to fire her, what did it matter how popular she was at the shop?
Even a manager could be replaced. In a city like Shanghai, there’s no shortage of workers, let alone a part-time university student like Fu Jing!
Fu Jing looked at Qin Yi with aggrieved eyes, but he remained unmoved.
On the contrary, his gaze seemed to see through her, as if piercing her hidden, unsavoury thoughts.
As a young woman, being scorned by someone she liked, Fu Jing’s fair face turned bright red.
Flustered and on the verge of tears, Qin Yi drove the knife deeper, “Let me make this clear: we were never friends. You were Xu Mei’s roommate. We met because of her. I’ve been broken up with Xu Mei for a long time. Please don’t call yourself my friend in the future.”
For someone who could end a relationship with such grace and class to say something so harsh showed just how much he disliked Fu Jing.
Her heart pierced through, Fu Jing fled the office in tears.
