Chapter 31: Zhou Chenyan’s Girlfriend

The group of people turned beet red at my words.

The man, driven by shame and anger, snapped, "You agreed to do it yourself! We only asked for your opinion. Now that you've done it, you're turning around and blaming us? What is wrong with you?"

"That’s a fair point. Which is why I’m saying I don’t want to do it now. So, what are you shouting about in front of me?"

Compared to his flustered state, I remained exceptionally calm from start to finish.

The man was left speechless.

I scanned the room. Everywhere my gaze landed, people hurriedly averted their eyes, the young man included.

I smiled with satisfaction before leaving the office.

Facts have proven that sometimes, one simply must go a little crazy. Blindly enduring is useless.

At the very least, when I arrived at the office the next day, the colleagues' attitudes toward me had changed. They no longer bothered me with menial tasks as they had before. Instead, it was as if they had chosen to ignore my existence entirely.

I was perfectly content with that. After lunch, feeling a bit drowsy, I tapped Cancan on the shoulder. "I’m going to grab a coffee. Would you like one?"

"Would you mind bringing one back for me..."

Cancan was a bit hesitant; I guessed she must have been frightened by my outburst last night.

"Helping each other out between colleagues—I’m okay with that."

Cancan smiled. "Then I’ll trouble you! I’ll have one with milk, the usual—thirty percent sugar!"

There was a wonderful coffee shop downstairs. The aroma was rich and intense; you could smell it from across the street. However, it was popular, so there was usually a line.

I waited patiently for about ten minutes and left with two cups of coffee, feeling quite satisfied.

Then, I spotted an uninvited guest: Zhou Chenyan.

His car was parked by the curb, and he was sitting inside. His driver opened the door and stepped out. "Madam, the President would like you to get in."

I shifted the coffees to my left hand, opened the car door with my right, and sat down.

The weather outside was scorching, but the car was air-conditioned. Even someone like me, who isn't particularly sensitive to heat, couldn't help but take a soft breath. He certainly knew how to enjoy life.

"Do you come to work just to play errand girl?" His opening remark was laced with sarcasm.

I glanced at the coffee in my hand and corrected him, "I’m not running errands for anyone. I’m just helping a colleague."

He scoffed. "Helping? Even delivery drivers earn a monthly salary, and same-city couriers charge fees. No one works for free. Oh, wait—you’re not even cheap labor, you’re free labor. You never refuse anyone who asks you to do something. You’re endlessly stupid."

"Is it necessary to be so vicious?"

It was as if I were worthless.

He sneered, "Vicious is still better than stupid."

I was already simmering with rage because of the trap Zhou Zhizi had set for me, and now, after coming downstairs to grab a coffee, I had to listen to his passive-aggressive remarks. These siblings were toxic!

I suddenly laughed. "Are you saying these things because you’re worried about me?"

Zhou Chenyan jumped like a startled cat, his hackles rising. "I’ve finally discovered one redeeming quality in you."

I looked at him.

He articulated each word clearly: "Your skin is incredibly thick. If a bullet were fired directly at you, I doubt it would even pierce your face."

I wasn't angry; I just looked him up and down. "If you aren't concerned about me, then what is the point of you waiting here specifically for me?"

"You seem to know quite a bit about my situation..."

We hadn't seen each other for days, and other than riding to the office together in the mornings, we hadn't exchanged a single word.

Zhou Chenyan pursed his lips, looking at me coldly. "I have no interest in your situation, but you losing face at the office is the same as the Zhou family losing face. Mu Yan, I told you long ago that the corporate world is tough. If you can't handle it, just pack up and go home."

Hearing this, I felt relieved.

"As long as you don't care, that's fine. I don't want any emotional entanglement with you either. Don't trouble yourself with my situation. Rest assured, no one knows about my relationship with the Zhou family; I won't be shaming your house."

Facing Zhou Chenyan’s dark expression, I smiled quite happily. "Even if I were to die, the police wouldn't be calling your phone."

I was very self-aware of my current status: not yet divorced, but effectively widowed.

"If you don't know how to talk, then don't!" He seemed deeply dissatisfied with my words and glared at me fiercely. "Get out of the car. Seeing you irritates me."

"It’s rare that we share the same sentiment."

I opened the door to leave but stopped, suddenly thinking of something. I turned back to meet his inquisitive gaze.

"Let’s not meet at the office. This car of yours is quite high-profile. From now on, I’ll take a detour if I see you, and I hope you do the same, Mr. Zhou. Let’s make sure no one knows about our connection."

I stepped out and closed the door. I didn't even bother looking at his expression; it wasn't important anyway.

Back at my desk, I gave the coffee to Cancan. Just as I sat down, she handed the cup back to me.

"What's wrong?"

Cancan shook her head. "I don't want it anymore. Take it back. I’ve already transferred the money to you."

The change in attitude was too fast! It felt like a flashback to my first day. "What happened?"

Cancan glanced at me, then glanced at me again, before finally biting her lip and saying, "Did you meet someone downstairs just now?"

My heart skipped a beat. Had someone seen me getting out of Zhou Chenyan’s car?

In a flash of inspiration, I prepared my answer. "Yes, I ran into a friend."

Honesty is the best policy. Cancan kept scrutinizing my face, and now she exhaled in relief. "Are you close with that person?"

"Not close."

"If you aren't close, why did you get into their car?"

Cancan covered her mouth as soon as she said it.

I couldn't help but laugh. I actually quite liked dealing with someone as simple and guileless as her. She said exactly what was on her mind and couldn't keep a secret. It didn't even require me to put in any effort to probe.

"My wallet fell on the ground, and he saw it, so he asked me to get in the car to talk for a moment. I didn't want to get in, but considering who he was, I worried that if we stood there, people might misunderstand, so I got in. I didn't expect..."

Cancan believed me completely.

"Now that you put it that way, I understand. I believe you’re not that kind of person, but others might not think so..."

I nodded.

Cancan added, "After all, President Zhou already has a girlfriend."

I froze. "A girlfriend?"

My intuition told me it definitely wasn't me.

Cancan leaned into my ear and whispered, "It’s the girl who brought the cake that day—your neighbor, that girl. Don't you know her boyfriend?"

I was so angry I laughed. In my previous life, I rarely came to the office, and the few times I did, I was infuriated by the sight of the two of them acting like a couple. So, it turns out that even back then, they weren't just siblings—they were boyfriend and girlfriend.

"What's wrong?"

I looked up, saw Cancan’s worried gaze, and hurriedly shook my head.

Cancan wasn't convinced. "You look terrible."

Of course I looked terrible; I was disgusted.

Not wanting to continue this nauseating topic, I quickly picked up the coffee from the table and handed it to her.

"You can't refuse me now, can you?"

Cancan chuckled, feeling a bit guilty, and hurriedly took the coffee.

Perhaps the warning at noon had been effective; Zhou Chenyan really didn't appear in front of me again.

As evening approached and the workday was drawing to a close, a major event occurred.