Ordinary Friends - Chapter 5

The downside of office romances is probably that, after breaking up, you can’t just part ways gracefully and forget each other.

No matter what, people still have to go to work.

When the taxi stopped downstairs at the company, I saw Qin Zheng and Li Qingqing.

It wasn’t just the two of them; their whole team was there.

It was lunchtime, so they were probably heading out to eat together. Li Qingqing was lively, with a charming smile on her face. She stood with her back to the street, facing Qin Zheng, gesturing animatedly as she spoke.

Qin Zheng had a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, his gaze gentle as he looked at her. He kept an eye on the people and traffic behind her, and when she was about to bump into someone, he pulled her arm to steer her away.

So familiar, yet so strange.

After we broke up, he seems much happier.

I stayed in the car until their figures disappeared into the Hong Kong-style café downstairs before looking away.

The driver in front glanced at me curiously and asked, “Are you secretly in love with that tall, handsome guy?”

I laughed and explained, “That’s my ex-boyfriend.”

The driver’s expression instantly shifted from gossipy to awkward, as if he wanted to comfort me but didn’t know what to say.

I kindly added, “It’s okay, it doesn’t really affect me.”

When I entered the company, Bella saw me and greeted me happily, “Shiyue, you’re out of the hospital? Honestly, you didn’t even let us visit you.”

I smiled as we walked, “It was nothing serious. See? I’m fine now. How’s the review for the Hong Kong case going?”

She followed me back to my office with a stack of printed documents, handed them to me, then glanced at the outer office.

Seeing there weren’t many people around, she leaned in and whispered, “Shiyue, don’t look at the data yet. There’s something I want to tell you.”

I put down what I was holding and looked up at her. For some reason, her expression was a bit indignant as she said:

“Shiyue, you know Albert is going to take over the Nanjing Branch next month, right? Everyone’s saying that after he leaves, the Director position will probably come down to you or Qin Zheng.”

“You two have had equally strong performances over the years. I’m not trying to gossip, but based on merit, we’d all be convinced if either you or Qin Zheng got the job.”

“But… but…”

She hesitated, biting her lower lip, as if she found it hard to say.

I smiled gently, “It’s fine, it’s just the two of us. You can say it.”

She paused, then whispered, “But a few days ago, I saw Qin Zheng hugging that Li Qingqing from his department in the break room.”

The rumor that Li Qingqing is the daughter of our boss, Li Nie, isn’t much of a secret in our company. That’s probably why Bella was so upset-she must think Qin Zheng is winning unfairly.

I rolled the edge of the documents in my hand, suddenly wanting to laugh. So, while I was in the hospital clutching my phone, wondering why I hadn’t heard from Qin Zheng, he was busy enjoying the embrace of a soft, fragrant beauty.

But then, it was to be expected. I laughed at myself and tried to comfort Bella: “It’s fine. Personnel appointments are made by upper management. Just do your job and let things happen as they will.”

Bella sighed, and I lowered my head to continue reviewing the data.

When Qin Zheng came and knocked on my office’s glass door, I was genuinely surprised.

In my mind, even though our breakup was smooth and without drama, that only meant I was a dignified person. It didn’t mean that Qin Zheng and I could still chat casually and pretend to be normal colleagues.

Unless absolutely necessary, I thought neither of us would want any private communication with the other.

Until I learned why he came.

He stood in front of my desk, tall and poised, his eyes calm as they rested on me. After a pause, he said, “Shiyue, I thought you would resign.”

His tone was half advice, half warning: “Shiyue, we’ve been together for seven years. Don’t say I’m heartless. Albert is going to Nanjing next month, and one of us will be promoted to Director to take his place.”

“If I were you, I’d start planning ahead and find myself a way out.”

I looked at him, understanding what he meant. He was certain he’d get the position and was advising me to resign.

Otherwise, once he became Director and the boss’s ‘daughter’ was his girlfriend, to avoid gossip, he’d probably force me to leave on my own.

This warning was his ‘kind’ advice, urging me to find another job soon.

I can accept a man’s fickleness and change of heart-after all, feelings aren’t meant to be tested. But I didn’t expect that he wouldn’t even maintain the last shred of decency.

I looked at him as if he were a stranger and, for the first time, cursed at him: “Qin Zheng, you’re really trash.”

He took it in silence.