Chapter 22

The phone was still ringing, the sound resembling a death knell in Xu Chuanchuan's ears.

Should I pick it up or not?

Xu Chuanchuan dared not ignore the call.

Picking up the receiver in trepidation, Xu Chuanchuan said, "Hello?"

The person on the other end of the call was brief and concise as she said, "Come to my office after work."

Murong Shi had always been decisive. After conveying her instructions, she hung up the call without waiting for a response.

"..." Xu Chuanchuan was in an inexplicable mood.

Murong Shi must've seen the email Xu Chuanchuan sent. She might've read the email already.

However, Xu Chuanchuan couldn't understand why Murong Shi would still call for her even after she had completed her task. Was Murong Shi dissatisfied with her writing, so she was going to have her rewrite everything?

I should've sent it in a few minutes later!

Ring—

The bell signaling the end of office hours rang. While everyone else merrily made their way to the lobby, Xu Chuanchuan walked in the opposite direction with a long face.

The Engineering Department's office was just two rooms away from the general manager's office. When Xu Chuanchuan arrived before the office with a heavy heart, someone opened the door from the inside.

Beaming a friendly smile at Xu Chuanchuan, Linda said, "Miss Murong is waiting for you."

Knowing that she would be facing a storm or a typhoon shortly afterward, Xu Chuanchuan couldn't bring herself to smile. She entered the room after saying a "thank you" to Linda.

Linda did not follow Xu Chuanchuan into the room. Instead, she left the room and closed the door on her way out.

When the door closed, anxiety began building up within Xu Chuanchuan.

The room was quiet, and Xu Chuanchuan could only hear the sound of a clicking keyboard. As Xu Chuanchuan stared at the person seated behind the computer, she wondered to herself, Could she be reading what I wrote?

Xu Chuanchuan wanted nothing more than to run away right now. Unfortunately, she lacked the courage to do so. Hence, she decided to break the silence, "Miss Murong."

Hearing her name being called, Murong Shi shifted her gaze away from the computer and looked at Xu Chuanchuan implicitly.

Xu Chuanchuan's heart thumped erratically. She then began walking forward under Murong Shi's penetrating gaze. When she arrived in front of Murong Shi's desk, a piece of freshly printed paper suddenly appeared in front of her, the fragrance of ink still radiating from the paper.

Although Xu Chuanchuan was confused by this situation, she still accepted the paper without a moment's delay. When her eyes inadvertently caught a glance of the printed text, her body froze.

This was the bootlicking essay she sent to Murong Shi…

But why did she print out this essay?

The next moment, Murong Shi indifferently answered her confusion. "You wrote it, so you read it aloud."

"Read it aloud?" Xu Chuanchuan's eyes widened.

Can't you read it yourself? How can I read such a shameful thing out loud?!

Xu Chuanchuan wanted nothing more than to rip the paper to shreds and gobble everything into her stomach right now. However, it would be useless even if she did so since Murong Shi still had the digital copy in her email.

What should I do?!

Unfortunately, Xu Chuanchuan was only a small-time employee. She didn't have the qualifications to negotiate with Murong Shi. So, her only option was to submit…

Xu Chuanchuan had typed out every word and punctuation in this essay. She had also used the simplest of grammar for the essay. However, when looking at the essay now, she found herself failing to recognize the essay.

She wasn't blind. She just couldn't bear the shame of recognizing it as her own work.

Murong Shi did not rush Xu Chuanchuan. Instead, she adjusted her chair and got into a comfortable seating posture. Her body radiated a sense of comfort and laziness, and her eyes carried a calm and patient gaze.

Xu Chuanchuan grew even more muddle-headed when she saw Murong Shi's posture. What is she trying to do?

Argh, forget it! The sooner I finish, the sooner I get off work!

Holding up the A4 paper, Xu Chuanchuan feigned calmness and began reciting, "Miss Murong, has anyone ever—"

"Stop."

There's even a pause function?

Xu Chuanchuan nearly choked on her saliva after being abruptly interrupted, her face flushing up from lack of oxygen.

Meanwhile, Murong Shi pointed the pen she held at Xu Chuanchuan and said sternly, "Speak louder. I can't hear you."

Xu Chuanchuan: "..." Just end me now!

This is something I wrote. I'll finish reading it even if I have to read it in tears!

After persuading herself in the quickest of speeds, Xu Chuanchuan cleared her throat and resumed reciting, "Miss Murong, has anyone ever praised you for your beauty? I'm sure there must be. I'm also certain that they are innumerable…

"I think you look better without makeup. Your beauty is not at all flashy, and your facial features are exquisite and perfectly matched…

"Your phoenix eyes are capable of seducing the soul of others. Every person you look at will subconsciously lower their heads because they can't bear to look at such a beautiful object…

"You have such a good body; it's a huge shame you didn't become a model…"

Although there were no further interruptions from Murong Shi, Xu Chuanchuan felt increasingly embarrassed as she recited her essay, and the tone of her voice rose and fell in intervals. Her face also became redder and redder, and her head sank lower and lower. She wanted nothing more than to bury her head into the ground right now.

She had pieced the praises from various sources. Afraid that she would give herself up, she dared not show off her writing skills. But this content…

It's so revolting!

How can Murong Shi even bear to listen to this?

However, without receiving Murong Shi's instruction, Xu Chuanchuan dared not stop reading. In the end, she spent nearly ten minutes stumbling through the thousand-word essay. When she finished reading, her face looked like she had just come out of a steaming bath. Wetting her dry lips, Xu Chuanchuan said weakly, "I'm done."

There was no reaction from the other party.

For a moment, Xu Chuanchuan suspected that Murong Shi had fainted from disgust. However, when she snuck a peak, she found that Murong Shi had her head lowered and that she was fiddling with her phone.

Uh, did she not listen to me at all just now?

That's even better!

Wait, why does that image look so familiar? What's she doing?

She's…voice recording?

Startled by her discovery, Xu Chuanchuan blurted out, "You're not recording, are you?"

After naming the file as "Disgusting Beyond Reason," Murong Shi clicked "Save."

Setting down her phone, Murong Shi indifferently glanced at the person in front of her and said, "You may go now."

She's letting me go? Just like that? Xu Chuanchuan blinked in surprise.

Xu Chuanchuan wasn't a masochist. She was just so surprised that she couldn't react properly. After taking a long breath, she turned around while avoiding Murong Shi's face and left the office.

Fortunately, everyone had gone off work already, so nobody saw her haggard look. Xu Chuanchuan dashed through the corridor with her short legs, trying to flee from this place as quickly as possible.

After arriving back home, Xu Chuanchuan threw herself onto the bed without caring that she was covered in sweat. She then pulled out her phone and vented her feelings to Ange: "I've had it! She called me to her office and asked me to read the essay to her! I even saw her recording me! What the hell does she want?!"

Ange: "Your boss's daughter? Tsk, what a ruthless move."

Xu Chuanchuan: "I want to die. I'm so embarrassed! How can I continue staying in this company after this?!"

Ange: "You're not really going to quit, are you?"

Xu Chuanchuan: "I'm thinking about it. I'm afraid she'll screw with me again in the future. Why do you think she's so against me? [Aggrieved]"

Ange: "Maybe she has a crush on you?"

Xu Chuanchuan: "....................."

Ange: "Haha, I'm just joking."

Xu Chuanchuan: "It's not funny at all!"

Xu Chuanchuan felt even more depressed after getting toyed by Ange. When she heard her stomach rumbling, she remembered that she had forgotten to buy dinner in her hurry to return home. She then opened up Meituan's[1] application and ordered herself a bunch of delicious food to comfort her frightened, fragile heart.

…

Unlike Xu Chuanchuan, Murong Shi had lost all her appetite after listening to Xu Chuanchuan's bootlicking essay.

On her way back, Murong Shi received a call from her mother asking when she would be home. Murong Mingshu had also told her that Aunt Lian had made sweet and sour pig's feet and that it was good for maintaining beauty.

Pinching her forehead, Murong Shi said, "I don't think I can eat such greasy food tonight."

Noticing that her daughter's tone wasn't quite right, Murong Mingshu hurriedly asked, "What's wrong? Are you too tired from work?"

Murong Shi paused for a moment before answering, "It's not because of work. I just feel a little nauseous."

"Nausea? Why don't you have Linda send you to the hospital first?"

"Mom, take it easy. I'm fine. It's just…"

How should she explain that she got poisoned by something a certain someone read?

Murong Shi chuckled briefly when she recalled the incident from before. After pondering for a moment, she said, "It's nothing. I'll bring Linda over later, so have Aunt Lian prepare an extra set of chopsticks."

Linda, who was driving, was stunned when she overheard Murong Shi's words. "You're bringing me to your house for dinner?"

Setting her phone aside, Murong Shi responded with a question, "Are you meeting someone tonight?"

"No, it just so happens that my boyfriend is working overtime tonight. I was just wondering how I should solve my dinner."

Murong Shi smiled without saying anything.

Sneaking a glance at Murong Shi through the rearview mirror, Linda asked, "Can I...ask you a question?"

Murong Shi was browsing Weibo. Without lifting her head, she said, "Ask away."

"You seem to be looking for Xu Chuanchuan a lot lately. You wouldn't be recruiting another assistant, right?"

Looking up, Murong Shi sent Linda a neutral smile and said, "What would I need two assistants for?"

Linda breathed out a sigh of relief. After steadying her heart, she said, "You asked me about her phone number last time, and you even called her into your office for a talk this time. I thought… Hehehe, it's good if that's not the case."

"Mhm."

Murong Shi resumed browsing Weibo. When she refreshed the page, she found that a certain someone had made a new post.

I Love Malatang: "Comrades, I learned a bloody lesson today! As an experienced person, I sincerely advise everyone who is about to start their career to never, ever badmouth their superiors! It doesn't matter where you are at! Never do it! Otherwise, you'll face severe consequences!!!"

Shortly after this post was made, a comment appeared under it: "Lord, did you get scolded by your superior?"

I Love Malatang to XXX: "I didn't get scolded, but humiliated! She did nothing at all, yet she still made me wish that I had a hole to crawl into. [Crying]"

After taking a glance at the post, Murong Shi recalled Xu Chuanchuan's blushing face as she read her essay aloud.

Her eyebrows raised slightly, Murong Shi lightly tapped her phone and gave the post a like. She then added a comment: "It is commendable that you know how to correct your mistakes."

TL Notes:

[1]Meituan: a one-stop platform for food, transportation, travel, shopping, and entertainment. Currently, it's one of the two most popular food delivery applications used in China, with the other one being [Ele.me].