Chapter 85 - He Must be Feeling Ludicrous

The next day Wu Lina had to work from the lounge. She was not allowed to leave the office building without Yang Xinyu by her side. He asked her not to come down to the office as the employees were in frenzy. He didn't want Wu Lina to feel uncomfortable. He had seen them circling around her cube or peeping there every once in a while. In the meetings Yang Xinyu was receiving inquisitive glances.

In the meanwhile Wu Lina had received numerous calls from Zhou Zhili ever since Yang Xinyu had carried her to the lounge.

Zhou Zhili was the most confused person right now. She was the one who had witnessed CEO Yang going ballistic in the past when Wu Lina was absent from the office, and she would make one excuse or the other to save Wu Lina. But now this twist in the story was a bit too much for her to handle! 'CEO Yang and Wu Lina were in a relationship. Since when? How come Wu Lina never mentioned anything about it? I had been foolishly setting her with Bo Xilai. Poor Bo Xilai! He must be feeling ludicrous.' She demanded and deserved an explanation from Wu Lina.

Bo Xilai hadn't come to the office that day. He was shocked! His mind went numb. He always saw Wu Lina as his future wife, and now he would have to see her as his boss's future wife!

He felt out of place like a noodle that had fallen on a pizza by mistake. Going to the office would have been extremely awkward for him. He wanted to avoid Zhou Zhili's glances. He paced around his house uncomfortably. When he couldn't bear the stuffy feeling, he went outside to breathe some fresh air. He mulled at his state and felt that it was better to feel awkward today and bury the past so that he could cope up at the office. 'The real me is vibrant, witty and emotional. Getting emotionally attached to someone is my fault. Maybe going to Zhou Zhili's place in the evening would help me.'

Although Wu Lina didn't have to the courage to face Zhou Zhili, she knew that she owed Zhou Zhili a good explanation, as Zhou Zhili was the only friend she had had in years. So Wu Lina decided to visit her in the evening towards the end of the office hours. That time most of the employees would have left. She didn't inform Yang Xinyu about her decision, else he would have fretted as usual.

In the evening at 6:20pm Wu Lina came down from her lounge and slowly walked in the office hoping not to see people. She walked past a few of them who were all immediately excited and stopped to say 'good evening' to her. She felt awkward. She increased her pace to rush towards Zhou Zhili's cubicle.

Zhou Zhili was looking at some doc.u.ments when she saw Wu Lina entering. Giving her an angered look she continued doing her work. Wu Lina came and stood near her table but Zhou Zhili didn't even acknowledge her. There was an uncomfortable silence between the two friends.

A few curious girls were passing through her cube and they sneered in her direction. "Look, the CEO's girl!" said one of them. She said as if she was the season's flavor.

Wu Lina avoided them and said, "Zhou Zhili, I am sorry, but it was not possible for me to reveal this to anyone…"

No response…

"I can explain you my situation. Please give me some time. We must talk," added Wu Lina.

The girls who were passing by became all ears as they listened to her last sentence and stopped in their tracks. One of them snickered, "What did CEO Yang see in her? She is such an average girl. She is not even an heir to any business house. She dresses so averagely. She has no background. How did she manage to seduce the CEO? Hey, for much did you offer yourself for? What a low woman you are?"

Wu Lina was extremely pissed off by now. She looked at the crowd and identified the most vicious of them. She walked out of Zhou Zhili's cubicle and went to face them.

"So you think I have seduced the CEO? If you are so sure of your capabilities how come you haven't been able to do the same? Does Yang Xinyu even know your name? Let alone your name, does he even know that you exist in this planet? Enough with your stupid comments! If you don't leave right now, I will ensure that you don't come to this office from tomorrow! Scram!"

Wu Lina spoke those words so angrily that Yang Xinyu who was working in the office came out. He was startled when he heard someone shouting outside his office. He got up from his seat to walk out. Realizing that it was Wu Lina who was shouting, he turned the knob of his office door to open it just in time to see the women she was dealing with and managed to hear the last few sentences. He looked at her fondly, his lips curling at her confidence. That's his girl! He walked towards them with his hands on his h.i.p.s.

When the girls saw Yang Xinyu, they ran away. Wu Lina whose back was facing Yang Xinyu was so happy with her performance that she chuckled and turned around excitedly towards Zhou Zhili to ask about it. Instead she saw Yang Xinyu who was grinning from ear to ear. Feeling slightly embarrassed now, she indicated him to leave, as she wanted to talk to Zhou Zhili in private. Yang Xinyu understood and left.

Zhou Zhili had maintained a stoic silence till then. She looked up at Wu Lina and signaled her to pull a chair and sit down. Wu Lina obeyed her like a child.

"Shoot!" said Zhou Zhili.

Wu Lina started. She narrated her story within half an hour after which Zhou Zhili was in tears.

She got up from her chair and hugged Wu Lina. Zhou Zhili thought how her friend had suffered for so long. Wu Lina felt too emotional when Zhou Zhili embraced her and she cried. Both of them stayed like that for some time consoling each other, when they heard someone coughing loudly near them.

Yang Xinyu had come to take Wu Lina back to the lounge. He had to discuss hundreds of things with her. Zhou Zhili smiled through her tears and left Wu Lina. Wu Lina promised to go out on a lunch with her soon, as she left.

Zhou Zhili's initial resentment about Wu Lina washed away and now she wanted only good things to happen to her friend. She had to talk to Bo Xilai though…

In the evening when Zhou Zhili reached her apartment, she saw Bo Xilai pacing in front of her building.

"Hi!" It was awkward facing him.

"Hi. Can I talk to you?" he asked with a gloomy look.

"Sure. Please come in... Would you like to have coffee?"

He followed her in the house and sank in the bean chair, his head supported on the cushion behind. Zhou Zhili could see his sadness.

"I don't know how to confront Wu Lina. I am embarrassed." There was no heat in his voice.

"Please don't feel embarrassed because I think Wu Lina never looked at you as her husband…"

Bo Xilai removed his hand from his eyes to look at her as if he was relieved. Zhou Zhili shrugged and dampened the situation instead of adding to the flame. And soon they started chatting with each other, it was like old friends discussing every other topic while avoiding Wu Lina. They looked like two friends who were catching up with each other after years.

And then there was love all around. Bo Xilai felt peaceful. Not only he stayed for coffee, he went back home after having dinner.