Chapter 589: Suppression
Tang Xiu waited for Mu Wanying to sign the house purchase agreement before they immediately left without even informing Chen Bin. Although Tang Xiu looked a bit indifferent toward Chen Bin on the surface, he was actually feeling thankful to him. Therefore, he called Jin Xingkui on the way back to invite him to a drink tomorrow night and told him to invite Chen Bin as well.
“You know, sweetheart, you’ve now become my idol.” While steering the wheel, Mu Wanying’s eyes were full of dazzling lights as she smilingly spoke as Tang Xiu hung up the call.
“Ah, the First Beauty of the Capital and the First Campus Flower of Shanghai University unexpectedly see me as her idol?” Tang Xiu couldn’t help laughing and smilingly said. “That’s a great honor for me.”
“If so, do I have the honor to invite my idol to have lunch together, then?” Asked Mu Wanying.
“Of course.” Tang Xiu nodded. “You saved quite a lot of money today. It’s a must for you treat me to a meal.”
“Anyhow, I’ve been asking around and heard that Shanghai has a recently opened restaurant, the Paradise Manor.” Mu Wanying smilingly said. “I heard that the dishes over there are very unique and, most of all, it has a very good environment. Let’s go have a meal there?”
Paradise Manor?
Tang Xiu dazed for a second before he immediately laughed and said, “Good idea! That Paradise Manor is Lulu’s, maybe she can give us a discount, too.”
“Lulu? That Ouyang Lulu?” Mu Wanying had seen Ouyang Lulu before, thus had her brows slightly raised.
“Yeah, it’s her,” answered Tang Xiu.
Pondering for a moment, Mu Wanying suddenly shook her head and said, “I’ll to take you to lunch elsewhere, then.”
“Huh?” Tang Xiu was surprised. “Why?”
“You and Ouyang Lulu are too close, and I’m kinda afraid that she also won’t accept our money like today.” Said Mu Wanying with a pure expression. “I just invited you to a meal and you agreed, hence the bill will be on me today. Can you at least let me spend some money?”
“…”
Mu Wanying’s faulty reasoning made Tang Xiu at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
Mu Wanying glanced at Tang Xiu again and no longer spoke. As a matter of fact, she was perfectly aware of the fact that Ouyang Lulu was Tang Xiu’s close female friend and hailed from a prominent family in Jingmen Island. For her to move so eagerly to Shanghai and set up a hill resort restaurant here was perhaps just like her idea—stay in Shanghai to get closer to Tang Xiu. In other words, she was highly likely her rival in love.
Eventually, Mu Wanying picked one of the very good restaurants in Shanghai and urged Tang Xiu to have a great feast, and then the duo had an extravagant lunch that cost five figures.
The two had classes in the afternoon, however, so they returned to Shanghai University after finishing the lunch. After agreeing to find an interior design team later, they then parted ways to their respective classrooms.
As always, leisure and carefree time pass fast.
The time zipped by, and it had been nearly half a month since Tang Xiu returned from the capital. In this half a month, he occasionally went out to drink with Jin Xingkui, while some other times also accepting the invitations from Gu Changmin and Zhang Yueming. Even Ouyang Lulu also ran over to find him a few times to pester him. At some other times, he had classes to attend to in the campus and used the rest of his time whenever he had no class to impart his knowledge on Chinese Medical expertise to Dai Xinyue in the Bluestar Villa Complex—so much so that he taught her a lot of Chinese Medical knowledge during this time.
The morning sun was particularly bright and beautiful.
After having breakfast, Tang Xiu received a call from Kuwako Yamamato and learned that she was in Shanghai. He asked her on the phone about her intention to come to Shanghai but was actually kept guessing by her.
“There will no class on from Saturday to Monday. Rather than staying at home for two days, I should better go out and have a stroll.”
While standing on the balcony, Chen Xiaowan’s face appeared inside Tang Xiu’s mind. The two of them hadn’t met again in the past half a month except for having a conversation via phone.
“That’s right. It seems Sis Xiaowan is working in the Brisk Trading Group.”
Tang Xiu wanted to take her to work in the Magnificent Tang Corp, but he hadn’t had the opportunity to mention it to her since the two had only just met.
“I’ll go see her, then.”
After making a decision, he went downstairs and headed straight to the garage. Although the Agera R was not to his liking, he was kind of prepared to pretend to be a swanky young master for the first time, nevertheless.
While driving to the Brisk Trading Group, Tang Xiu suddenly remembered Su Yaning. She was now working in Beijing and even though she had a good position and salary--after all, she was only a senior white-collar worker--he was worried there was some misgivings for living there alone.
Sometimes he may be cruel, but the last time in Beijing made his relationship with her slightly easier. He also had thought to make her leave Beijing to work in the Magnificent Tang Corp. What was more, he wouldn’t have known Chen Xiaowan if it wasn’t for her. Therefore, after hesitating for a while, he put on a Bluetooth earphone and dialed Su Yaning’s cell number.
“What’s up?” A cold voice belonging to Su Yaning came out of the phone. But Tang Xiu knew that she saved his cell number from her words.
“How were things recently? Are you getting treated badly at your work in the capital?” Asked Tang Xiu.
“I’m all right,” answered Su Yaning. “My Boss treats me well now thanks to your blessing.”
“Striving alone in the capital is not a long-term solution,” said Tang Xiu. “You can work in the Magnificent Tang Corp if you wish! Kang Xia has been prepping to expand the company recently and has decided to set up branches in the major provinces of the country. You can choose one of the provinces’ branch offices as a general manager aside from the Beijing’s and Shanghai’s branches.”
Su Yaning fell into silence.
She did feel that her life was a bit depressing even though she had a decent job in Beijing. She was living alone, after all. Life was passable and not bad in normal times, as she could go out once in a while, but it was quite hard whenever she fell ill as she wished to have a family member at her side. Especially last week, when she caught a bad cold and had to rest in bed, and no one was even there to bring and provide her some water. Back then, she felt that she would feel slightly warm even if the person who was there was Tang Xiu.
After getting the silent treatment from Su Yaning, Tang Xiu lightly continued, “There’s no rush for you to answer me now. Besides, the establishment of the branch offices in the various provinces is not yet officially on schedule. It will probably be scheduled to be in about ten days or so. Just consider it well and call me when you have made a decision.”
“Mmm!” Su Yaning didn’t speak, but only let out a slight hum.
“Anyways, I gotta tell you something. I just met Sis Xiaowan in Shanghai,” said Tang Xiu.
“Chen Xiaowan?” Su Yaning stumped for words for a second before hurriedly asking.
“Yeah, she’s working in a foreign capital company in Shanghai,” affirmed Tang Xiu.
“Can you give me her cell number?” Asked Su Yaning quickly. “We separated after the high school graduation and only had occasional contacts during our time in the university, finally stopping contact due to various reasons later. I’ve always been wanting to look for her after I graduated, but she changed her cell number.”
“Okay, I’ll send it to your phone number later.”
After concluding the call, Tang Xiu then sent her Chen Xiaowan’s phone number.
****
Brisk Trading Group.
Chen Xiaowan was sitting on a chair in the office with an awful mood. She felt downhearted as she saw the irksome expression of the person in front of her who had suddenly become her new superior.
As a Deputy Director of the Human Resources Department, she was greatly appreciated by her previous immediate superior and comfortably enjoyed her daily work normally. But around a week ago, her immediate supervisor resigned from the position of Human Resources Department Director due to an illness and tried to recommend her to the top executives of the company as the new HRD Director.
Unfortunately, a new director suddenly came out of nowhere and snatched her opportunity from being promoted. She could accept it if it was only this, but the most depressing thing was that the new director was her arch-enemy during her time in university—Miao Xinran, who was also the Vice President of the Student Union back then.
“You’re abusing your position to get even with me for a private grudge.” Chen Xiaowan suppressed her anger as she pressed her hands on Miao Xinran’s desk.
“Oh please, don’t be so narrow-minded, Chen Xiaowan,” said Miao Xinran with an annoying tone. “You indeed had quite the ability and resources for being able to become the President of Students Union back then—the cause of our grudges. But that’s all in the past and I’ve already forgotten it. The current me is a Human Resources Department Director of the Brisk Trading Group, whereas you now are only a Deputy Director and my subordinate, so I do have the right to arrange your work.”
As she finished speaking, the scowl on her face subsided for the most part and was instead replaced by a glimpse of self-pride and smugness as she continued, “Ask yourself, who made you not to find yourself a good man to marry, huh? My husband is the Vice Chief Executive Officer of the Brisk Trading Group. He holds great power and influence and has a very deep background in Japan. And you? Didn’t you just get dumped by that scumbag not long ago? You know, I can see that green hat being crowned over your head right now.”
“You… Asshole!” Chen Xiaowan suddenly got up and yelled.
“What’s wrong? You got pissed out of shame?” Miao Xinran mocked. “The West Branch Office is in need of manpower now. The conditions there are quite difficult, I know, but the pay and welfare are more or less the same. So, you will go there—and you still must go even if you don’t want to. Else you can be sure that I’ll pack up your stuff and kick you out of here!”
After saying that, she didn’t give a chance for Chen Xiaowan to speak, lifting her chin and stepping on her high heels leisurely as she walked outside.
Chen Xiaowan gasped for breath. Her expression was one of unwillingness and unreconciled to the situation. Getting a promotion when you worked in the Japanese companies was very difficult, and there was only a slight chance for anyone being promoted unless you could display a stellar performance. She had worked hard and racked up good achievements before she got promoted to the Vice Director position in the Human Resources Department.
But now, she knew that she couldn’t stay here.
She didn’t want to leave Shanghai. She would have considered going to the West if it was half a month ago. But now she was no longer alone in Shanghai, there was also her younger brother… Tang Xiu.
Ring, ring, ring…
Her mobile phone rang and dragged her back from her train of thought.
Chen Xiaowan picked the call and looked at the number displayed on the screen. It was an unfamiliar number from Beijing. She wanted to reject the call but hesitated. She adjusted her emotions before picking it up and saying, “May I know who am I speaking with?”
“Xiaowan?” Su Yaning’s voice came out of the phone.
Chen Xiaowan was startled as the voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t remember whose voice it was immediately. Just as she was about to inquire who the other party was, Su Yaning’s face suddenly appeared in her mind. She suddenly felt a wave of emotions in her heart along with anticipation and excitement, as she probed, “Yaning?”