"Give me your phone," Xiao Yanzhi said in a flat tone, his voice devoid of any discernible emotion.
Xue An was taken aback. His heart suddenly raced, and his words stumbled out: "Mr. Xiao, what do you want to do?"
"Give it to me," he repeated impatiently.
Xue An's heart started pounding. His words clearly betrayed his unease: "Mr. Xiao, I haven't been looking for other jobs recently."
Xiao Yanzhi: "..."
Good.
His face darkened further: "You're planning to change jobs?"
Xue An was so frightened that he stammered: "No, of course not! I just feel that my work quality has declined recently. It's almost the end of the year, and I'm worried about the company laying off employees. I..."
He clasped his hands together and immediately admitted his mistake: "Mr. Xiao, you have to believe me. I have absolutely no intention of resigning. I'm just afraid that you'll fire me, so I wanted to make some preparations in advance!"
Xiao Yanzhi took a deep breath. He hadn't expected Xue An to confess his thoughts without being prompted.
"Forget it," Xiao Yanzhi waved his hand. "I have no intention of firing you. Just keep working hard."
"Okay!" Xue An felt as if he had been granted amnesty. He finally felt at ease.
The job market was so competitive these days. He had been working for Xiao Yanzhi for so many years, and the treatment had always been good. He didn't want to leave.
"Now, give me your phone," he said impatiently, holding out his hand.
Xue An promptly handed over his phone.
Xiao Yanzhi used Xue An's phone to send a message to Jiang Li.
[Are you busy?]
The other party replied quickly: [I'm rehearsing a play. Do you need something?]
It was an instant reply.
Xiao Yanzhi remained expressionless. His eyes were fixed on her avatar as he continued to type: [Rehearsing a play can be tiring. Remember to take a break.]
[Jiang Li: ...What exactly do you want to say?]
Xiao Yanzhi didn't give up: [Mr. Xiao wants to see you. When are you free?]
Xue An had no idea who his boss was messaging on the phone. He could only sense that his boss's face was getting uglier and uglier.
When the phone was finally returned to him, the chat history had been completely deleted.
Xue An was still curious. He asked, "Mr. Xiao, were you messaging someone just now?"
"Jiang Li," Xiao Yanzhi replied casually.
"Oh, are you trying to ask her out?" Xue An ventured to guess. He was also puzzled. Why didn't Mr. Xiao ask the girl out himself? Why did he have to go through the trouble of using his phone?
He asked, "Can't you contact her?"
"I've been blocked by her."
Xue An was shocked.
Xiao Yanzhi added nonchalantly, "Oh, you've been blocked by her too."
Xue An:!
He was even more terrified!
He took out his phone in a panic and sent a cute emoji to Jiang Li. When he saw the huge exclamation mark, he felt like crying.
His boss was being unreasonable, and now he was suffering as well.
On the way back, Xue An had a long face while driving. He was thinking about how to explain things to Sister Jiang Li.
"Stop looking so glum. It's annoying," Xiao Yanzhi said.
"Okay, Mr. Xiao," Xue An replied.
The corners of his mouth immediately forced themselves into a smile.
It was really hard to make a living these days.
...
In the hospital ward, Yu Wan slowly woke up. Her face was still pale, and her voice was hoarse: "Xiao He."
Seeing Yu Wan awake, Bai He immediately walked over and helped her sit up: "Sister Yu Wan, do you feel any discomfort?"
Yu Wan shook her head. Her eyes glanced at the door: "A Yan..."
"He's gone," Bai He said helplessly. Afraid that Yu Wan would be sad, she made up a lie: "He said he had something to do at the company and had to go back first. Maybe he'll come back to see you later."
Yu Wan nodded and forced a pale smile: "Hehe, thank you for taking care of me. I'm fine. I can be discharged from the hospital later."
She added, "Don't blame your cousin. It was my sudden illness that made me lose control of my emotions. I affected him."
The more she said this, the more Bai He felt sorry for her.
Sister Yu Wan was clearly not okay.
Thinking of Xiao Yanzhi's cold attitude, Bai He felt angry. She secretly hoped that his pursuit of his wife would be a long and difficult one.
Let him be so stubborn. He would never be able to win back Sister Yu Wan in this lifetime!
After waking up, Yu Wan drank some water and chatted with Bai He for a while. She had regained some energy. The doctor also said that she didn't need to be hospitalized. She could be discharged after getting some psychiatric medication.
On the way back, Yu Wan suddenly remembered something and asked Bai He, "Have you been able to contact Miss Qin?"
Bai He had already asked in advance: "I couldn't reach her, but I know that she's working as a waitress in a club recently."
Since Yu Wan had asked her to look for Qin Yaoyao, she had been calling her, but no one had answered. She couldn't find her anywhere. This information was what Bai He had found out from her friends in the circle.
She was surprised to learn that Qin Yaoyao had now resorted to working as a waitress in a club.
Yu Wan lowered her eyes and said softly, "Is it convenient for us to go there today?"
She needed to see Qin Yaoyao immediately.
"It's convenient. My friend is a member there," Bai He said. She felt guilty towards Yu Wan and wanted to make it up to her now: "We can go there anytime, but you can't drink."
Yu Wan smiled and hooked her arm: "Xiao He, you're so thoughtful."
Bai He blushed a little.
She really liked Yu Wan from the bottom of her heart. She hoped that Yu Wan would be happy more than anyone else.
When she was in foreign countries, she was just an intern lawyer. No one wanted to hire her as a consultant. She had a lot of knowledge but nowhere to use it. It was Yu Wan who had chosen her.
Later, she had been framed by her opponents again. It was Yu Wan, who had a superior reputation and status at that time, who had stepped in and saved her.
In the turbulent environment abroad, Yu Wan had helped her again and again. She couldn't forget this kindness.
Now that Yu Wan had fallen from grace, she of course had to protect her.
It was almost time for the club to open in the evening. The two of them went back, dressed up simply, and changed their clothes.
Wildberry Club.
The atmosphere in the club was as wild as its name.
The men and women inside were all over each other. Strangers were kissing, and there were even "one-night couples" who would hold each other's waists and leave as soon as they caught each other's eye.
The music was blaring, but the lights were dim, providing the perfect cover for some shady activities.
Bai He held Yu Wan's hand tightly. In the noisy environment, she leaned close to her ear and said, "Sister Yu Wan, I've reserved a private room in advance. The environment inside is quieter."
Yu Wan nodded. Her eyes looked indifferently at the surrounding environment.
She had been to places like this many times in foreign countries.
On countless nights, Shang Zewen had brought her here, dressed her up like a streetwalker, and forced her to stand in the middle of the crowd and dance for countless men who lusted after her body.
After the dance, he would drag her into a hotel and humiliate and hurt her without end.
Those were countless nights of nightmares.
"Sister Yu Wan, we're here," Bai He's sudden voice pulled Yu Wan out of her memories. She smiled and followed her in and sat down.
Soon, a waiter came in and asked what they would like to order.
Bai He sat up straight and asked seriously, "Do you have a waitress named Qin Yaoyao here?"