Fierce Deskmate - Novelbike

“Let me share a secret with everyone.” After wrapping up the discussion on the current project, Chen Shu closed his laptop, glanced at the three members of the Thunder Team, and said with a smile, “Ling Chen is my girlfriend.”

“Wow, the flower of Huamei Media has fallen into Leader Chen’s hands,” Xiao Meng exclaimed first, her expressive gestures reflecting her lively personality. As a typical post-90s girl, she loved to react dramatically to everything.

“Oh no, my dream girl,” Hou Xiaolong, nicknamed Monkey, lamented, holding his face in mock despair. “I was planning to make a move on Ling Chen, but it seems this flower has been placed in Leader Chen’s vase.”

“Congratulations, Leader Chen! You wouldn’t be telling us this secret unless you were planning to invite us to your wedding, right?” Zhu Kaimo, known for his logical mind, smiled as he analyzed Chen Shu, waiting for his response.

With Zhu Kaimo’s analysis, all eyes turned to Chen Shu, curiosity burning brightly as they awaited his answer.

“I broke up,” Chen Shu said calmly, as if discussing something trivial and unrelated to himself. “She got together with General Manager Wang Xin.”

“Hiss!” Monkey sucked in a breath.

Xiao Meng glanced around nervously, as if worried Wang Xin might suddenly appear behind her. She asked in a low voice, “Leader Chen, is there some kind of misunderstanding?”

Zhu Kaimo fiddled with a pencil, remaining silent, lost in thought. Such scandalous matters involving the company’s higher-ups were not something the peacemaker would comment on.

“So,” Chen Shu’s gaze swept over the three once more, “it’s been a pleasure knowing you all. I’m here to say goodbye. I hope we’ll meet again.”

“Leader Chen, are you resigning?”

“Leader Chen, don’t leave! Even if you’ve broken up, there are still plenty of other beauties in the company. There are plenty of fish in the sea-many girls secretly admired you before they knew you had a girlfriend and haven’t had the chance to confess yet.”

Chen Shu smiled and said, “Meeting adjourned.”

…

When Chen Shu knocked on the General Manager’s office door, it was Wang Xin himself who opened it, and his girlfriend-no, ex-girlfriend-Ling Chen, who was Wang Xin’s secretary, was nowhere to be seen.

Wang Xin gestured for Chen Shu to enter.

His light gray suit was impeccably tailored, his white shirt crisp, his brown shoes polished to a shine, cufflinks gleaming, and his hair perfectly styled-a quintessential British-educated gentleman.

Moreover, Wang Xin’s father, Wang Yu, was the founder of Huamei, a significant figure in the industry.

Losing to such a rival, Chen Shu had nothing to say, except the urge to hit something-perhaps himself.

Why did he fall for that woman?

“Tea or coffee?” Wang Xin asked, sitting in his executive chair, slightly tilting his head to study Chen Shu.

“No, thank you.” Chen Shu placed his resignation letter on Wang Xin’s desk. “I’m here to resign.”

“I know,” Wang Xin replied.

Chen Shu’s eyes narrowed, his anger growing.

He had just bid farewell to his team members, packed a few parcels, and someone had already run to Wang Xin to report.

The camaraderie of working late nights was so easily dismissed?

They say people forget you once you’re gone, but he wasn’t even gone yet, and they were already throwing stones.

“Have a seat,” Wang Xin gestured to the chair opposite him, smiling. “We do have a connection, don’t you think?”

Chen Shu’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “This connection must have taken me five hundred years of wind, sun, and rain to cultivate.”

“I know you’re angry,” Wang Xin said, “but this changes nothing.”

“I never intended to change others, only myself.”

“You told everyone Ling Chen was your girlfriend?”

“Yes,” Chen Shu replied. “The company had a policy against office romances, so we kept it a secret. Now that I’m leaving, there’s no need to hide it.”

“You’re making things difficult for Ling Chen. And for me.”

“People in love can’t face this little difficulty? Can’t make this small sacrifice?” Chen Shu’s eyes were bloodshot, his sarcasm intensifying. “I reveal the truth, and you say it makes you uncomfortable-you’re a company executive who stole an employee’s girlfriend. Isn’t that shameless?”

“It was mutual. I wouldn’t force anyone. If Ling Chen didn’t agree, could I compel her?”

“Mutual affection, indeed,” Chen Shu sneered. “In that case, by revealing this, I’m just fulfilling your love, right? If you can be mutually affectionate with my ex-girlfriend, how can you guarantee you won’t be mutually affectionate with other women?”

Chen Shu emphasized “other women” heavily, hoping to make him uncomfortable.

But Wang Xin’s expression remained unchanged, leaving Chen Shu feeling slightly awkward.

“Are you protecting Ling Chen? Afraid I’ll abandon her?”

“My power is limited, but thank you for your concern.”

Wang Xin chuckled and asked, “What are your plans now?”

Chen Shu laughed in disbelief. “Is this a show of compassion from the current boyfriend to the ex? Are we going to have a drink together next?”

Wang Xin shook his head. “Do you know how old I am this year?”

“Thirty-four,” Chen Shu replied. “Everyone at Huamei knows. The diamond bachelor in the eyes of young women-who would have thought he’d end up with my girlfriend… Sorry, my ex-girlfriend Ling Chen. Should I feel honored?”

“And you?” Wang Xin remained unfazed by Chen Shu’s sharp words, sipping his coffee leisurely. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-four,” Chen Shu replied.

“I’m ten years older than you,” Wang Xin said.

“What’s there to be proud of?” Chen Shu couldn’t help but retort, regretting it immediately.

Before entering, he had mentally prepared himself. Don’t get angry, don’t curse, don’t hit-anger only makes you lose more; the worse your mood, the more pathetic you look.

What’s the motto of a Libra? Grace and composure.

“It is something to be proud of,” Wang Xin said, holding his teacup, smiling at Chen Shu. “Ten years older means I’ve eaten ten more years of meals, seen ten more years of the world. Ten more years of building connections and wealth-especially in my position, what I’ve seen and heard is beyond your current reach. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” Chen Shu nodded. As the heir of one of Flower City’s top three media giants, Huamei Group, Wang Xin had access to things Chen Shu couldn’t afford, people he couldn’t meet, paths he couldn’t take, and possessions he couldn’t even dream of.

“Ling Chen is a good girl-smart, ambitious, understanding, and most importantly, beautiful. I remember you both joined Huamei at the same time. When Ling Chen first became my secretary, she didn’t know how to use design software. Because of a task I assigned, she stayed up two nights straight, learning the software from online tutorials, and completed the task perfectly within my deadline.”

“Once, she accompanied me to a business dinner with French clients. She couldn’t respond to their compliments, so she spent two years learning French and Japanese. Now, she can handle any situation with ease.”

“And business etiquette, fashion sense-no one taught her. She learned it all on her own. As my secretary, she’s a great help. As my woman, she makes me happy.”

“Did she tell you she stayed up two nights learning design software, but not that I stayed up with her? Cooking noodles when she was hungry, making tea when she was thirsty. It was winter, and there was no heating in the apartment, the air conditioner couldn’t heat… I was afraid she’d catch a cold, so I wrapped her in our only blanket and kept changing her hot water bottles.”

“Did she tell you she spent two years learning French and Japanese, but not that I drove her to classes every week, rain or shine? Our salaries only covered one person’s tuition, so while she learned from the teacher, I studied in the library next door.”

“And the fashion and etiquette you praised-who wouldn’t spend money if they had it? To buy her a non-smudging lipstick, I ate five-yuan¹ lunchboxes. To buy her stylish clothes, I wore Uniqlo all year… She worked hard for you. I worked hard to give her a better life. Hearing this, do you feel touched?”

Silence.

A deathly silence.

“My point is, such a girl deserves a better life,” Wang Xin said, breaking the silence. “Besides, after dining on delicacies and staying in luxury hotels with me, it’s hard for her to go back. She can’t go back. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” Chen Shu nodded. How could he not? She no longer wanted street food, disliked the unhealthy takeout he brought home, complained about the lack of a bathtub in the rental apartment…

He had long understood.

“Some distances can’t be covered or shortened in ten or eight years,” Wang Xin continued. “Even if you perform well at Huamei, leading a project in your first year and becoming a team leader-do you know we have dozens of departments, each with several teams? Even if you reach my level in ten or eight years, meeting all her needs… How old will Ling Chen be then? Thirty-three. Would you want her to wait ten years?”

“No,” Chen Shu nodded. “So, take good care of her. Don’t let down that smart, ambitious, understanding girl.”

“You don’t hate her?” Wang Xin asked, intrigued by Chen Shu’s tear-filled eyes, struggling to keep his composure.

“No,” Chen Shu’s heart ached as if pierced by a sharp knife, rendering him speechless.

After a long pause, he shook his head gently. “After all, when she loved me, she truly loved me.”

“I’m starting to like you,” Wang Xin said, observing Chen Shu’s tearful yet determined expression.

“You’re not worthy,” Chen Shu replied.

He stood up, saying, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”

“Wait,” Wang Xin retrieved an envelope from his drawer. “This is your salary for the month-and your severance.”

Chen Shu took the envelope, counted a portion of the money, and said, “I’ll take what I earned-since I resigned voluntarily, the company doesn’t owe me any compensation.”

He tossed the still-full envelope onto the desk, waved at Wang Xin, and strode out.

As he reached for the door, he couldn’t help glancing toward the bathroom.

“Bang!”

The heavy wooden door slammed shut.

After Chen Shu left, Wang Xin looked at the envelope on the desk and sighed softly.

He set down his coffee cup, opened the bathroom door, and saw the uniformed beauty crouching on the floor, silently weeping. He spoke gently, “Do you regret your choice?”

The woman wiped her tears, lifted her head defiantly, and said through gritted teeth, “Some choose love, some choose life-I just chose the latter. Is that wrong?”

“He’s a good young man,” Wang Xin shook his head slightly. “What a pity.”

“Pity what?”

“Pity-he’s too young.”

“What do you intend to do?”

“He doesn’t hate you, so naturally, he hates me,” Wang Xin shook his head, smiling. “The hatred needs an outlet-hate is a beast; it must be caged.”

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