The Changing Phases - Chapter 19 - Why can't it be delivered

After a long time, a weak voice came from under the table, “Zhao Junyang, it’s time to work. I need to get back to work too.”

Zhao Junyang kissed her on the cheek and whispered tenderly in her ear, “We’ll have dinner together later, no refusals.”

Liu Yuxin touched her burning cheeks and nodded. Zhao Junyang smiled and said, “It’s such an important day; we need a token of our affection.” He thought for a moment, then removed a cufflink from his sleeve and pinned it to Liu Yuxin’s pocket. His eyes sparkled as he smiled, “Now you have one and I have one, making a pair. You can’t give it to anyone else or lose it, and you must wear it every day. It’ll be like I’m always by your side.”

Liu Yuxin pouted, “You’re so overbearing. Is this the legendary declaration of sovereignty?”

Zhao Junyang couldn’t help but laugh. He pinched Liu Yuxin’s face and said, “Yes, you, Liu Yuxin, are now exclusively mine.”

“How did I suddenly become yours?” Liu Yuxin pouted. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Wang Qi’s voice asked, “Is Mr. Zhao back?”

Zhao Junyang sighed, “It’s my fault for laughing too loudly earlier.” He stood up from under the table and gave Liu Yuxin a mischievous smile, “Stay under there for now and don’t move.” He casually straightened his clothes and tie, then sat in his swivel chair and said as if nothing had happened, “Yes, I’m here. Come in.” As he spoke, he playfully nudged Liu Yuxin under the table with his leg.

Liu Yuxin glared at him fiercely. She then heard the door open and suddenly sensed a change in Zhao Junyang’s demeanor. A soft, gentle female voice came from afar, “Junyang, I’m back.”

Who had come? And calling him so intimately? Liu Yuxin couldn’t see who it was; the front of the table blocked her view. But the voice and the intimate tone piqued her curiosity. Her nerves tensed immediately. Women’s intuition is usually very accurate. She sensed danger, even if it was just a seemingly insignificant sentence.

Shortly after, Liu Yuxin saw Zhao Junyang stand up, and she could no longer see his expression. She could only infer their relationship through their voices. She heard Zhao Junyang say, “Xia Wanlu? Why didn’t you notify me before you came back?”

Xia Wanlu’s voice was soft, like cotton candy wrapping around one’s heart, “I wanted to surprise you. How about it? Are you happy?”

Zhao Junyang chuckled lightly, “Happy, oh…”

“Junyang, why is your cuff unraveling?” Xia Wanlu said reproachfully, “You can’t even take care of yourself when I’m not around.”

Under the table, Liu Yuxin’s heart felt as if it had been doused in cold water, leaving her helpless and despondent, as though a massive stone were pressing down on her chest, rendering her motionless. Though Zhao Junyang tried to control his tone, the faint hint of unease in his voice did not escape her. It was clear that Xia Wanlu was a part of his past, and an unforgettable one at that. While he likely had feelings for her, how would he handle the situation with his former lover standing before him now?

“Look, I brought you a new tie. Do you like it?” Liu Yuxin sniffled. Xia Wanlu was treating Zhao Junyang well by gifting him that tie.

Would he tie this one into a bow?

“It’s very nice,” Zhao Junyang responded. There were sounds of clothing rustling-Xia Wanlu was likely putting the tie on him-but Liu Yuxin had never done such an intimate act for him. The thought made her sad. Had their relationship already reached such an intimate level?

“I knew you’d like this style as soon as I saw it.” Xia Wanlu’s tone was confident, as if she knew all of his preferences like the back of her hand.

“Thank you.” Zhao Junyang’s response was brief and somewhat impatient. Liu Yuxin couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. It must be because she was hiding under the table, making him so restrained. Otherwise, they would probably be joyfully embracing by now.

Xia Wanlu curled her lips into a smile and said, “Junyang, I feel like something’s off with you today. Do you have time after work? There’s a dance drama at the Hansheng National Musical Theatre tonight, and I have tickets. Shall we go?”

Zhao Junyang paused for a moment, then began to say, “I have plans tonight…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden voice interrupted, “He definitely has time tonight!” He stared in shock as Liu Yuxin emerged from under the table, her hair disheveled, eyes vacant, her outfit simple-a casual T-shirt and jeans-but her expression was one of stubborn determination. Xia Wanlu was startled as well. She watched as the girl, with her unkempt appearance, stood up from under the table.

At that moment, Liu Yuxin finally saw Xia Wanlu’s appearance: a perfect oval face, charming waves of hair, clear and delicate skin, fashionably elegant clothes, and an exuding femininity. Xia Wanlu looked at her, her initial surprise slowly turning into a faint smile.

Xia Wanlu was so captivating that Liu Yuxin felt insignificant in comparison. She became flustered and was afraid to look at Zhao Junyang’s expression, fearing he might show guilt or appear with the new tie Xia Wanlu had given him. Gritting her teeth, she forced a smile at Xia Wanlu and repeated, “Our boss definitely has time tonight.”

Xia Wanlu’s smile deepened. She tilted her head and asked Zhao Junyang, “Junyang, who is this?”

Zhao Junyang had been staring intently at Liu Yuxin, understanding well that she must be feeling terrible inside. He wanted desperately to explain the situation but didn’t know where to start. Realizing that misunderstandings only fester without prompt clarification, he said to Xia Wanlu, “This is Liu Yuxin, she is my…”

“I’m Mr. Zhao’s employee,” Liu Yuxin cut him off, forcing a smile. “Just now, Mr. Zhao lost something, and I was helping him look for it.” She opened her hand, revealing the cufflink Zhao Junyang had taken off earlier. She smiled at Xia Wanlu and said, “This thing was really hard to find; I finally located it under the table.”

Xia Wanlu’s smile grew a touch more, and she gently took the cufflink from Liu Yuxin’s hand. “Miss Liu, not only do you look beautiful, but even your name sounds lovely,” she said softly.

Liu Yuxin responded politely, “Miss Xia, your name is even more beautiful, like the sparkling dew in the early morning.”

“Ha, ha, thank you for the compliment,” Xia Wanlu replied. She then moved to Zhao Junyang’s side, intending to put the cufflink on for him. To her surprise, Zhao Junyang suddenly retracted his hand, his eyes deeply fixed on Liu Yuxin. Xia Wanlu was momentarily stunned by this unexpected reaction and followed Zhao Junyang’s gaze toward Liu Yuxin.

Liu Yuxin tried to suppress the sadness swelling in her heart, but her voice still quivered slightly. She only wanted to escape from there as quickly as possible. “Mr. Zhao, Miss Xia, I’ll head back to work now. I hope you have a wonderful evening.”

“Liu Yuxin!” Zhao Junyang took a big step forward and grabbed Liu Yuxin as she was about to leave. She turned back, forcing a smile at him. “Mr. Zhao, I have a lot of documents to process. I should go now.”

With that, Liu Yuxin quickly rushed back to her seat. Her emotions were in turmoil, and she struggled to collect her thoughts. Her mind was filled with the scene that had just unfolded. For the rest of the afternoon, Liu Yuxin felt off, listlessly listening to Zhang Yue’er and the others gossiping nearby.

“Hey! You all might not know this, but I heard Mr. Zhao’s ex-girlfriend is back. She’s a renowned designer at CA Fashion Group and just returned from studying abroad. She’s not only highly educated and comes from a prominent family but is also stunningly beautiful and exceptionally kind.”

“What? Then we probably don’t stand a chance! A woman like her is like a goddess in a man’s eyes. No wonder Mr. Zhao hasn’t found a girlfriend; he must have been waiting for her to return!”

Liu Yuxin slouched over her desk, feeling a wave of melancholy. Her love rival was an almost perfect woman-a picturesque figure wherever she stood. Not only did she have a good family background, but her personality was also admirable. Liu Yuxin felt like nothing more than a leaf among flowers, a mere passerby in Zhao Junyang’s love life, completely inconsequential. Thinking about this, Liu Yuxin couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly at her own misfortune. Her life seemed so full of hardship.

Liu Yuxin felt as if a massive weight was pressing down on her chest, suffocating her. A wave of sadness surged through her, bringing with it a sense of grievance and a sudden urge to cry. She sensed that Zhao Junyang had been on the verge of revealing their relationship earlier, but what use was it now? She could see the hesitation in his eyes. She didn’t want to put him in a difficult position or make herself a third wheel at this crucial moment. Their brief relationship suddenly seemed so insignificant, didn’t it?

Liu Yuxin forced a smile, thinking that their relationship was nothing more than a dream that ended abruptly. The sweetness had barely begun to emerge when it was blown away without a trace.

“Liu Yuxin, come here for a moment,” Zhang Zhiqiang called out, opening his office door.

She walked into Zhang Zhiqiang’s office, where manager yang was also present. He smiled at her and said, “The company is organizing a training session for employees, which will last for half a month. Mr. Zhao specifically mentioned that you should attend.”

Noticing Liu Yuxin’s face darkening a bit, Zhang Zhiqiang added, “The training will take place at Dynasty Grand hotel, and there will be many employees attending. It starts tomorrow, so you should report to the hotel then.”

Liu Yuxin nodded in response, her heart a mix of emotions. What did this represent? Was he deliberately sending her away to avoid having her interfere with them? Ha… She was the one who didn’t want to be intruded upon, wasn’t she?