Fu Jing, even after being sacked, didn’t go quietly.
Crying all the way out of Qin Yi’s office, she was in tears as she gathered her personal belongings from the shop. The manager thought something was wrong, and other staff crowded around to ask what happened.
Fu Jing just shook her head, only mumbling that she was quitting when pressed.
As a student from a prestigious university who got along well with the shop’s staff, everyone found her approachable. The manager, especially close to Fu Jing, had been the one to tell her to see Qin Yi. Seeing her cry so pitifully, the manager comforted her, “You’ve always done well here. Why suddenly quit? Did the boss say something harsh? Did you two argue?”
Fu Jing only shook her head.
The less she said, the more curious the staff became. Customers in the dining area kept glancing over.
The staff had vaguely noticed Fu Jing’s feelings for Qin Yi.
With her qualifications, she could have found a better part-time job, not one in catering. If she didn’t like Qin Yi, why would she come to the shop so often, working whenever she wasn’t in class, doing any task, helping with everything?
Qin Yi, however, always seemed distant with Fu Jing. The staff assumed the boss was keeping work and personal life separate to avoid favouritism.
They thought Fu Jing and Qin Yi were just waiting for the right moment to go public. Though Fu Jing never outright admitted to a relationship with Qin Yi, her words and actions dropped plenty of hints.
No one dared pry too much into the boss’s private life. Now, with Fu Jing crying so hard and saying she wanted to quit, the staff felt awkward. If they didn’t console her and she later reconciled with the boss, they’d be in a tricky spot. After all, she was the “future boss’s wife.” Worried about missing their chance to curry favour, the manager and other staff buzzed around Fu Jing.
At “Shrimp King,” all franchise stores had open kitchens separated from the dining area by glass windows, letting customers see the food preparation and trust the shop’s hygiene.
Yang Xi, from headquarters, was responsible for overseeing ingredients and flavours for the Shanghai branches. After dinner with Qin Yi, she headed to the kitchen.
Having already stirred trouble for Fu Jing, Yang Xi hadn’t planned to get involved further. But when Fu Jing came downstairs crying and saying she was quitting, Yang Xi didn’t buy the “future boss’s wife” narrative. Unlike the shop staff, she saw through it instantly.
The boss fired Fu Jing?
So, the boss, despite seeming mild, made decisions decisively!
Hearing Fu Jing cry in the shop while obscuring the fact she’d been sacked, Yang Xi untied her apron and strode out, “What are you lot doing? Don’t you see customers waiting for their orders? Forgot everything from your training, have you? A part-time worker gets fired by the boss, and he needs your permission? Next time you pity someone, use your brains first. Your brown-nosing’s so off the mark, I’m embarrassed for you.”
Young as she was, Yang Xi had authority and never played nice. From her first inspection in Shanghai, she’d been strict. If Fu Jing was chummy with the staff, they feared Yang Xi.
And rightly so. Whenever Yang Xi showed up, she found fault. They respected her out of fear!
As expected, when Yang Xi spoke, the staff scattered from Fu Jing’s side, getting back to work.
Only the manager lingered, defending herself, “I wasn’t brown-nosing. Fu Jing was doing fine, then suddenly says she’s quitting. As the manager, I had to ask.”
Yang Xi didn’t spare the manager, “Didn’t I just say? She didn’t quit, she was fired! What, the shop can’t run without Fu Jing? Then you, as manager, need to rethink your own competence.”
Yang Xi’s words cut like knives, and the manager, unable to take it, slunk away, leaving Fu Jing behind.
Fu Jing bit her lip, glaring at Yang Xi, her eyes blazing with anger, “It was you. You badmouthed me to Qin Yi!”
Yang Xi sneered, “Oh, please. You know why you were fired. I’m just a worker. You think I can sway the boss? If you’re not convinced, come back and fire me when you’ve climbed your way to being the boss’s wife! For now, pack your things and leave. If I catch you spreading vague nonsense to make people think you’re involved with the boss, ruining his reputation—”
Yang Xi raised her fist, gesturing at Fu Jing.
It wasn’t a big fist, but it could still hurt!
Fu Jing, shocked and furious, stammered, “…You wouldn’t dare!”
Yang Xi’s smile vanished, “Try me. You haven’t even asked around about what I used to do.”
What did Yang Xi used to do?
Fu Jing was rattled, her mind unable to process.
A girl with only a high school education, how could she be so valued? Fu Jing couldn’t fathom it.
But as a university student with a bright future, Fu Jing was outmatched by Yang Xi’s rough, streetwise ways. Her usual tactics—scheming, hinting—didn’t work on Yang Xi.
Yang Xi wasn’t Xu Mei. Xu Mei might listen to Fu Jing’s chatter, but Yang Xi only spoke with her fists!
When a scholar meets a soldier, reason fails, especially when Fu Jing was in the wrong. Under Yang Xi’s watchful, thief-guarding gaze, Fu Jing grudgingly packed her things. Yang Xi escorted her out, calling the manager and two staff to join.
“Listen up, Fu Jing’s no longer an employee. If she comes back, don’t discriminate. Serve her according to how much she spends, got it?”
In other words, she’s welcome to spend money at Shrimp King, but no freebies!
No loitering under the guise of catching up. There was no bond to begin with. Yang Xi would bet her head that Fu Jing looked down on the shop’s staff, manager included.
Fu Jing nearly tripped, glaring back at Yang Xi. Yang Xi waved her fist again, and Fu Jing turned, hailed a taxi, and left.
Yang Xi scolded the manager again, “What are you staring at? She was using you to climb the ladder, acting like the boss’s wife before even getting close. Even if she was his girlfriend, do you think the boss is that unprofessional?”
Not really.
The boss, though young, had opened several stores in Shanghai. Rumour had it he started with franchises and was now a shareholder at “Shrimp King” headquarters.
Working for such a promising young boss, the manager felt motivated.
After Yang Xi’s tongue-lashing, the manager had a moment of clarity.
It was always Fu Jing steering the narrative, dropping hints. Had the boss ever responded?
Forget being a couple—even if they were in the flirting stage, what guy would let a girl he liked do menial work in the shop?
So, Fu Jing’s part-time job at “Shrimp King” was just her one-sided attempt to get close to the boss and block his potential romances?
The manager was left speechless.
When Qin Yi came down from the office and heard about the clash between Fu Jing and Yang Xi, he thanked Yang Xi, who accepted it calmly, “It’s nothing in the shop, but boss, watch out for Fu Jing badmouthing you at school.”
Qin Yi didn’t care.
“Anyone who believes Fu Jing’s side of the story is just like her. Do their opinions of me matter?”
Of course not.
Yang Xi grinned from the heart.
The boss was so clear-headed. “Shrimp King” wouldn’t go under easily, and her job looked secure for a long time!
