Chapter 5, Gathering

Zhang Rou could no longer endure it; Qian Ruina had not allowed her a moment of peace throughout the entire night: "How are you speaking?"

Qian Ruina did not want to confront Zhang Rou directly, so she pulled Xi Jihuan's arm and said, "Let's go, let's go"

Xi Jihuan stopped in his tracks and glanced at her: "Have you ever killed someone before?" He asked with great seriousness

Jian Si lowered her eyes, and she indeed thought so just now, but when Qian Ruina said it out loud, she felt a bit embarrassed. She knew very well that if she just thickened her skin, she could bring back delicious food for her mother, yet she still heard herself say: "No need."

The restaurant is quite luxurious; if it weren't for being accompanied by Zhang Rou, she would never have dared to enter on her own. The calmness of Jian Si, who used to dine at luxurious restaurants with her parents, has long since perished on that rainy night, extinguished by her mother's incessant curses and the struggles of a hand-to-mouth existence

Jiansi went to the yard to make a phone call on her mobile phone, fearing that her mother would become angry again. Her phone was so loud that it would be inappropriate for her colleagues to hear her mother scolding her. She explained that it was a celebration for her female superior's promotion, and surprisingly, her mother readily agreed, even sensibly stating that not attending would leave a bad impression on her superior. After hanging up the phone, Jiansi couldn't help but smile; she enjoyed this job, as it not only provided her with a relatively stable income but also gradually improved her mother's mood, who no longer erupted in inexplicable anger and complaints as she used to.

Um. Jian Sixin replied in a flustered manner, this was the second time she had been reprimanded by her boss, and she was truly afraid that his threats would come true, that he would fire her

The dining table etiquette was briefly recalled, and she tactfully took a seat lower down. Qian Ruina, however, paid no attention to such formalities; upon seeing Zhang Rou sitting to the right of Xi Jihuan, she unceremoniously plopped down on the left. The few young people, unlike seasoned veterans, could not help but reveal expressions of disdain.

A pair of shiny leather shoes appeared in her line of sight, stopping right in front of her without any intention of moving away. She certainly recognized that they belonged to Mr. Xi, and she looked up in confusion. Xi Jihuan was coldly staring at her, and she stood up inexplicably, suddenly realizing that there were no empty sofas left in the room. Clearly, Mr. Xi wanted to sit at her table. She quickly offered her seat politely, and Xi Jihuan naturally sat down. Just as she was about to find another seat away from him, Manager Lv, who was in charge of the arrangements, called everyone to the table.

The road outside is so bustling, yet the company courtyard is momentarily deserted, resembling a small paradise detached from the world, as Jian Si stares blankly. Has she killed someone? In fact, she has truly killed. She killed her father, her mother, and herself

When she truly speaks out, she also looks down on herself. Does she still have the qualification to consider her dignity? She is always like this, which is why she has continuously made her mother suffer alongside her

Lift your head and smile? She also longs for that. It has been a long time since anyone told her to smile; even Zhengliang only urged her to forget the past and lift her head. No one thinks she should smile, not even she herself.

No one paid attention to her, so Jian Si became less nervous. The only thing that made her feel uncomfortable was that she was sitting next to that clumsy male colleague from earlier. As the banquet began, people like Jian Si, who were merely there to fill the numbers, stood up to clink glasses when the big boss spoke, while others exchanged a few pleasantries with the young people who came with their supervisors. Jian Si did not drink, making her an even more overlooked corner of the gathering. Qian Ruina was sociable, toasting everyone from Xi Jihuan to various supervisors, yet she showed no signs of intoxication, which raised suspicions of overshadowing Zhang Rou, drawing many cold glances from her.

After Xi Jihuan finished speaking, he took it upon himself to walk to the parking lot, drive away, and leave in a hurry

Just as I was about to return to the office, I saw Xi Jihuan coming out of the automatic door. She stepped aside by the door, lowered her head, and greeted, "President Xi."

The sound of greetings diminished, and everyone returned to their original state, while the card game continued. Jian Si lowered her head and sat back down; she found it somewhat annoying when men bluntly told her she was beautiful

"Jiansi, are you going tonight?" Zhang Rou asked politely, although Jiansi had never elaborated, it was evident that her family bore quite a heavy burden. Perhaps with the reference of Qian Ruina, the honest and obedient Jiansi became even more to Zhang Rou's liking, especially considering her meticulous attitude towards work, which many young people fail to achieve. Xi Jihuan mentioned that he would allocate a separate office for her as the vice president, and she planned to have Jiansi come over to serve as her secretary

It seems that everyone is bowing their heads in confession! I do not like such employees; seeing them puts me in a bad mood! If you want to have a long-term career in the charting department, you need to lift your head up and put a smile on your face. Xi Jihuan's tone was quite stern, and the boss was full of authority, unlike the light-hearted banter he had with Zhang Rou and Qian Ruina.

Jian Si felt embarrassed and didn't know how to respond. Fortunately, everyone stood up to greet Xi Jihuan, who walked into the room. The ambiguous flirtation from that male colleague finally came to a pause as he squeezed into the crowd to shake hands with President Xi. Jian Si breathed a sigh of relief, hoping he would not return to his seat again.

Tell Zhang Rou that she can go too, and Zhang Rou is very happy, even asking her to ride with her. Coming out of Zhang Rou's office, Qian Ruina has already finished her makeup. Although it is only three in the afternoon, she has tidied her desk completely, looking as if she is ready to leave work. "Are you really going to wear that?" Qian Ruina glanced at Jian Si's outfit. In her eyes, someone who wears the same pair of sandals for a week is a weirdo, and Jian Si is the weirdo among weirdos. She only has three dresses that she keeps wearing, which are said to have been discarded by Zhang Rou. If it were her, she couldn't stand it; she would rather sell her blood than not buy a few decent outfits. She shook her head, looking at Jian Si, who had already returned to her seat: "You, you just don't understand self-improvement."

Jian Si quickly finished eating and looked regretfully at the untouched dishes on the table, wishing that he could take them home for his mother to enjoy

Jian Si hummed in response. She rarely spoke with Qian Ruina, as they were not from the same world. No matter how their conversations began, a few sentences in, they would inevitably turn to discussing her attire

Zhang Rou smiled, wondering how a girl in her twenties could be so strictly controlled. Jian Si's mother is truly a formidable character. It is likely that such a powerful mother raised a daughter with Jian Si's personality. "Well, you can ask her; I hope you can go," she said politely as she walked away. In her impression, Jian Si's family must be quite peculiar, probably without a father, and the mother is excessively strict with her daughter.

Xi Jihuan discreetly pulled her hand away and said, "You all go ahead, I have a few matters to attend to."

Many colleagues have already arrived, some are in the private room playing mahjong, while others are chatting. Upon seeing Zhang Rou, they all stand up to congratulate her. Zhang Rou, feeling exhausted from the interactions, instructs Jian Si to take care of herself.

Xi Jihuan raised his voice to announce the next item. He said he had booked a KTV, and the colleagues cheered, all preparing to move. Jian Si also took the opportunity to go over and tell Zhang Rou that it was getting late and she needed to go home. Zhang Rou was busy attending to everyone, and Jian Si had not found a chance to say goodbye. Qian Ruina wiped her mouth with a napkin and glanced at her: "Isn't your family in quite a difficult situation? Do you want to take some food home? A lot of the dishes haven't been touched."

Jian Si furrowed her brows and said hesitantly, "I need to ask my mom."

There were still quite a few colleagues in the room, and Qian Ruina's words drew some people's attention towards Jian Si

Jian Si felt a bit nervous and chose to sit down on a sofa placed in the corner. A male colleague approached her; Jian Si had seen him before but did not know his name. He poured her a cup of tea and looked at her straightforwardly, saying: "Actually, you are quite beautiful. No one noticed when you first arrived."

Jian Si was taken aback, unsure of why he said that

That male colleague returned after a round of drinks, slightly tipsy, with a flushed face and a thick tongue. He sat down next to Jian Si, fixated on the previous topic: "Assistant Jian..." As he spoke, he let out a burp. Jian Si instinctively shifted away a bit. The male colleague continued, "You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen..."

Qian Ruina returned from the restroom after washing her face and sat down to reapply her makeup, with a haphazard array of cosmetics spread across the table. Zhang Rou came to find Jian Si and did not hide her disdain as she passed by. Today, her colleagues were celebrating her promotion, and Qian Ruina's enthusiasm seemed to harbor ulterior motives. Several young male colleagues would be present tonight, including Xi Jihuan.