Xiaoli found it strange that Huang Lingyu didn’t dare talk back after a single comment from the handsome man.
At their 4S dealership, Huang Lingyu was the prettiest girl, treasured by all their male colleagues. How was her boyfriend so bold as to talk to her like that? And more importantly, why was Huang Lingyu just lowering her head and looking like she was admitting she was wrong?
"Is it time for lunch?"
As salespeople, they had a designated lunch break, but it was usually only half an hour. She and Xiaoli took turns.
Before Huang Lingyu could answer, Xiaoli chimed in. "Lingyu, you and your boyfriend go eat. I’ll watch the floor. Don’t rush back. Take your time and enjoy your meal. I’m not hungry right now anyway."
Yang Hui glanced at Xiaoli. ’Lingyu’s colleague seems like a good person.’ He then said to Huang Lingyu, "Let’s go. Come have lunch with me upstairs."
His words always carried a domineering tone that brooked no refusal. Huang Lingyu had always wanted to see what would happen if she rejected him, but the thought always vanished the moment she saw him.
He took her to a fusion restaurant. Most places in the shopping mall were cookie-cutter and lacked character, so it was pretty much just a working lunch.
Hearing him order several dishes, Huang Lingyu whispered, "That’s enough, that’s enough."
He glanced at her. "What do you mean, ’enough’? I’m getting two dishes packed for your colleague. She seems to treat you well. Think of it as a gesture of goodwill. It’ll make her more likely to help you out at work."
Then he turned back to the menu, added a few more dishes, and told the waiter to pack up one meat and one vegetable dish to go.
She wasn’t the least bit angry at his scolding. In fact, she felt a flutter of joy as she lowered her head and turned her phone back on.
’He just has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He’s getting food for Xiaoli because he wants her to get along with me. He’s nothing like Zheng Lei. He does something nice but acts all domineering, as if he’s up to no good. Zheng Lei, on the other hand, does one little thing and acts terrified I won’t notice. He’ll write a long-winded message explaining his reasoning and how he wants to treat me well, sometimes even ending with a rhyming couplet to show off how "cultured" he is. It’s just sickening.’
The moment her phone powered on, it started ringing. Her brow furrowed instinctively. ’Zheng Lei again.’
Just as she was about to decline the call, she saw it was from Director Wang, the sales director. She glanced at Yang Hui apologetically. "I have to take this call."
He gave a slight nod, gesturing for her to go ahead.
He heard her say, "Director Wang." Then he watched as she listened to the person on the other end before replying, "Director Wang, I really don’t have time tonight. Besides, I can’t drink."
’Can’t drink?’ Yang Hui mused. She’d had plenty to drink at the KTV the other day and seemed perfectly fine. She certainly didn’t look like someone who couldn’t handle her liquor.
But he could also tell her boss was pressuring her to go out for drinks, and she was refusing. ’It’s only natural for a girl as beautiful as her to be targeted at work,’ he thought.
"I’m sorry, Director Wang. I can’t go, even if it means being punished."
’Her boss has no class. Threatening to punish her just because she won’t go to dinner with him? What century is this?’
When she hung up, Yang Hui took a sip of water, feigning nonchalance. "What’s wrong?"
The sales director at Huang Lingyu’s 4S dealership—the man she called Director Wang—had told her about a major client. It was a corporate bulk purchase of over a dozen Lantu Dream Chasers, and the company needed to entertain the client that evening. He wanted her to attend, promising her a cut of the commission if the deal was successful.
She wasn’t an idiot. Asking a beautiful saleswoman to dine with a major client... his intentions were painfully obvious. So, she had refused without a second thought. Seeing her non-compliance, Director Wang had flown into a rage, threatening that if the deal fell through, she could expect to be punished and have him make her life at work difficult.
Huang Lingyu’s mood soured. It wasn’t just because Director Wang was threatening to punish her; she was more worried about how she would pay back Zheng Lei’s money if she lost her job. Finding a job that paid over ten thousand yuan a month wasn’t easy.
If she had one or two years of experience, she could probably find a sales position at another new-energy vehicle company. But she had been there less than a month and lacked sufficient experience in the field. Switching jobs wouldn’t be easy.
"Are you afraid he’ll make things difficult for you?"
She hesitated, obviously worried, but then said, "As long as I can meet my sales quota, I’m not afraid of him. If it gets to a point where I can’t stand it, I’ll just find another job. It’s not like I’ll starve to death if I quit."
Yang Hui teased, "How could you starve? You make 2,200 yuan just for having a few drinks."
He was only trying to tease her and lighten the mood, but her expression changed drastically. Her beautiful, delicate face turned deathly pale, and she lowered her head, saying nothing.
He realized he had said the wrong thing. This was probably the one subject she never wanted to touch upon. And it was true; Huang Lingyu had always felt insecure around him because she had worked at a KTV. She was terrified he looked down on her, and his joke felt like a knife twisting in her heart.
’He really does look down on me. Of course he does. I worked in a place like that. And that night... the way he treated me, I didn’t refuse him. He must think I’m like that with every man. He must despise me.’
Yang Hui noticed she was quietly sobbing. He handed her a tissue and said softly, "Lingyu, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that."
It was rare for him to apologize so gently to a woman. But his apology only made things worse. The moment he spoke, Huang Lingyu’s tears burst forth like a broken dam, flowing uncontrollably as if releasing years of pent-up sorrow.
Her tears streamed down her beautiful face, a picture of silent, mournful sorrow. Everyone around them started looking over, and some even began to point fingers at Yang Hui.
"Look, that guy made the pretty lady cry. She looks heartbroken. I wonder what horrible thing he did?"
"She’s probably pregnant, and he’s refusing to take responsibility."
"Honey, you watch too many soap operas. I bet he got caught cheating."
"You sound a little too experienced with that. Fess up, are you cheating on me?"
"SOB... You’re not saying anything! So you really are seeing someone else! I knew it! WAAAAH..."
The man’s face was a picture of shock. "Holy shit. Now I get why that woman is crying. It’s just to stir up drama for no reason! I swear, that handsome guy is getting a rawer deal than anyone in history."
Yang Hui was completely at a loss. The more he tried to comfort her, the harder she cried. ’Do women only respond to harshness, not kindness?’
"Alright, stop crying. If you don’t, I’ll have to deal with you."
He put on a fierce tone, and Huang Lingyu’s crying immediately ceased. She looked at him apologetically. "I’m sorry. I was wrong."
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