บท 12: 12
When Luo Li returned to her desk, she could feel the constant stares from those around her.
But she didn't have the energy to care about them; she slumped over her desk, staring blankly at the computer screen.
Chen Ting wanted to ask what had happened, but seeing Luo Li so downcast, she decided to leave her alone to think.
Luo Li wasn't sure if she had said something wrong, or maybe it was because her siblings, Luo Shuhe and Luo Zhining, had always protected her too well. Like a sunflower growing in the sunlight, she rarely sensed the malice of the outside world.
Luo Li glanced at the office where Lu Cixue was, stared for a moment, then suddenly got up and headed toward the elevator.
Inside the office break room, Lu Cixue was pinching her own arm, trying to calm her chaotic mind.
Her gaze slowly moved to the clothes lying on the bed.
They belonged to someone else; she had promised to return them after washing, but they still carried Luo Li's scent.
Luo Li had long forgotten that the woman who borrowed her clothes had yet to return them.
The approaching heat cycle had become increasingly erratic, and the emotional upheaval from earlier made it even harder for the cat curled up at the bedside.
Shamefully, she buried herself into the clothes, her expression freezing as her already flushed eyes turned even redder, tears welling up.
There was nothing left…
She couldn't smell Luo Li anymore.
The once cold and elegant woman who had faced off against Zhou Mo now lay there, helpless. Besides the torment of the heat cycle, there was also the suffocating heartache from earlier, all of it threatening to overwhelm her sanity.
Why was she so angry?
Luo Li was too kind. Even if she knew that Zhou Mo was behind it all, she probably wouldn't have confronted her as ruthlessly as Lu Cixue had.
In Luo Li's eyes, she must seem like a strict, unfeeling person. It was fine; it would be better if Luo Li stayed away from her anyway. She herself loathed the way she was now.
Her pale pink fingers dug deeply into her palm.
The pain, anxiety, grievance, and restlessness intertwined like tangled threads, stripping away the last layer of the calm and composed woman's defenses.
She curled up like a cat, trying to ease her discomfort even a little.
The white cat's beautiful eyes closed, a small tear sliding down, dampening the soft fur near her eyes.
Luo Li went down a floor to find Manager Guo Wenzhi's office—the man who had accused her. She was about to open the door when his assistant hurried over to stop her.
"Hey, no, no, no. This has already reached the board's attention. Let's just keep a low profile for now." Guo Wenzhi's assistant wiped the sweat from his brow, panting heavily. He seemed quite busy himself.
"But I need an explanation."
The assistant looked around nervously before pulling Luo Li into the stairwell.
"Everyone knows you've been wronged, but Guo Wenzhi has connections up top, so no one's willing to speak up for you."
Luo Li tried to say something, but the assistant cut her off.
"Don't worry, someone's already handled this for you."
Luo Li blinked in surprise. It had only been an hour since she learned about this. How could it already be resolved?
Could it have been her parents?
"Director Lu is really something. How did she figure out that the intern was involved with Guo Wenzhi and even confront them directly? But Zhou Mo is quite crafty—despite being completely exposed, she still made that pitiful video on purpose."
Luo Li was stunned. The information was overwhelming, and she needed time to process it.
Seeing Luo Li in a daze, the assistant gave her a reassuring look. "Guo Wenzhi has done things like this before. He probably didn't expect Director Lu to stand up for you so directly. But, you know, walk by the river long enough, and your shoes are bound to get wet…"
The man rambled on like he was telling a story, not stopping for a moment. "But your Director's history of being strict with employees just got another entry. She may not care about rumors, but young people should be grateful…"
"Anyway, HR will probably be looking for you soon, so you should head back."
"Why did she frame me?" Luo Li's voice was a bit shaky, thinking about how angry Lu Cixue had been.
She must have really disappointed her.
The assistant gave Luo Li a meaningful look. "You're still young; the workplace is a deep pool. To put it bluntly, she approached you just to learn your habits and then struck when you least expected it."
"Catch you off guard—ever heard of that? You two are competitors, after all."
Whether Luo Li fully understood or not, she mumbled a few responses and turned to head back upstairs.
But as soon as she stepped out of the stairwell, she bumped into the HR team coming out of the elevator, and they immediately took her away.
Luo Li's plan to visit Lu Cixue's office was thwarted.
In HR, Zhou Mo kept her head down, her face pale, not daring to look at Luo Li.
Next to her, Guo Wenzhi, with his beer belly, looked disgruntled but didn't dare act out. Still, there was an air of arrogance about him.
After all, he had someone backing him, so he was naturally confident.
As for Zhou Mo, her fate was sealed.
HR conducted a thorough investigation, with each of the three answering questions from time to time, dragging the process out.
By the time they were done, the workday was over. Guo Wenzhi, looking like he had just shaken off a burden, didn't even glance at Zhou Mo as he hurriedly left.
Zhou Mo wiped her tears and apologized to Luo Li as she followed her out.
But Luo Li had lost all interest in the matter.
"You don't need to apologize to me," Luo Li said, not even turning her head. "If anything, I should thank you for the lesson."
She rushed back to the marketing department, finding it completely empty on a Friday afternoon. Only Ji Qiubai was still there, standing by the window with a cup of coffee, for some reason.
"Is it resolved?" Ji Qiubai was about to ask out of concern, but Luo Li simply nodded and immediately asked, "Has Director Lu already left?"
Ji Qiubai nodded curiously, "She left right after work, seemed to be in a hurry."
Luo Li's excitement instantly deflated, and she quietly packed her things.
She was about to rush out the door when she suddenly realized something was off.
"Why hasn't Assistant Ji left yet?" she asked, noticing it was the weekend and the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time when no one wanted to stay late.
Ji Qiubai stood by the window, looking down at the expensive black car below, clearly exasperated.
What were these wealthy people thinking? Even with an injured foot, they dared to rush out early just to come and wait at the company.
"May I ask, Miss Luo, how well do you know President Jing?"
Luo Li nodded. She and Jing Yao had plenty of blackmail material on each other.
"I have a small request. Could you please ask President Jing when she'll finally lose interest in this game?" Ji Qiubai's face already showed signs of irritation, and her words were equally blunt. "She's seriously disrupting my life."
When Luo Li stepped out of the company and saw the enchanting woman waving at her, she suddenly felt a bit sorry for Ji Qiubai.
"She asked me to find out when you'll get tired of this. You're really starting to scare her," Luo Li said, pointing upstairs. "She's too scared to go home."
Jing Yao leisurely removed her sunglasses, letting out a soft laugh. "Am I really that frightening? I just wanted to thank her for taking care of me at the hospital by treating her to a meal."
Luo Li rolled her eyes in exasperation. "She'll probably just end up hating you more. This isn't how you pursue someone. I'd say you're just too used to being chased. You can't be so overbearing from a suitor's perspective."
Jing Yao raised an eyebrow. "So, what do you suggest?"
Luo Li thought of the much more mature assistant upstairs and frowned, seriously contemplating. "In my opinion, she's not the type who responds to sweet talk. You need to show her your abilities."
She had learned from gossip sessions with Chen Ting and others that Ji Qiubai had always been single. Not only did she have a face that kept people at a distance, but she was also cold when it came to relationships.
She was the type of person who, when others talked about flowers and weddings, would talk about work and studies.
At this thought, Luo Li suddenly pursed her lips.
No wonder Lu Cixue valued her so much. With just one look, Ji Qiubai could understand exactly what the Director needed.
Compared to her, Luo Li really did seem quite lacking.
Was she truly qualified to stand beside someone so outstanding?
At home, the closed door across the hall seemed to separate them into two different worlds.
Luo Li slowly changed her shoes, washed her hands, her mind restless with the same troubling question.
Lu Cixue had originally said she wanted to have dinner with her this weekend. Luo Li had been looking forward to it, but now their relationship felt as cold as ice.
In the bedroom across the hall, the woman soaked in cold water before crawling back into bed. This time, even after turning back into a cat, she didn't allow herself to go to the door and knock.
Self-control taken to the extreme becomes self-torture, and the cold, empty room was silent except for her labored breathing.
On Mid-Autumn Festival, Luo Li followed her mother's advice and returned to her family's home. Her parents knew about the false accusations against her at work. Luo Zhining told her to properly thank Lu Cixue.
Luo Li forced a smile and brushed it off. She wanted to see Lu Cixue, but she hadn't seen her once over the past two days. When she finally mustered the courage to knock on her door, there was no answer. Maybe she wasn't home, or maybe she just didn't want to see her.
She didn't reply to any of Luo Li's messages either.
Luo Li realized that Lu Cixue was truly angry.
Fine, she thought, I'll see her on Monday.
Monday morning, Luo Li woke up early to wait by the elevator, but even when she was late for work, there was no sign of Lu Cixue.
"Director Lu didn't come to work?" Luo Li stood outside the office, waiting for her, but instead, Ji Qiubai informed her that Director Lu had taken the day off.
Ridiculous. Director Lu taking a day off sounded like a joke.
"She's sick. She didn't tell me anything else, but I'm planning to check on her now." Ji Qiubai tried to bypass Luo Li to return to her office, but Luo Li blocked her path.
Ji Qiubai noticed the worry and anxiety on Luo Li's face. She seemed even more concerned than Ji Qiubai herself.
Something… seemed a bit off.
Luo Li, who was both late and absent from work, didn't even bother asking for leave. She rushed back home on her electric scooter, knocking on the door several times, but no one answered.
"Director Lu, it's me. Could you please open the door? I was wrong last time. I misjudged the situation and made a hasty conclusion. Even if you're angry, you shouldn't take it out on your health, right?" Luo Li knocked and called out, unsure if the person inside could hear her, given the door's excellent soundproofing.
Sick—how could Lu Cixue be sick? Ji Qiubai mentioned that she might not have eaten all day while resolving the situation. Of course, she'd get sick.
In the master bedroom, the woman on the bed clutched a piece of clothing in her right hand, but she had no strength left.
Feverish and delirious, she struggled to open her eyes but immediately recognized the person outside.
"If you don't open the door, I'm going to have someone unlock it." Luo Li tried to sound tough, but her tone softened as she pleaded, "Please open the door, okay?"
With a click, the door slowly opened.
The unsteady woman was flushed red, her whole body burning hot, even her breath scorching.
Luo Li couldn't tell if Lu Cixue wanted to see her or not. After all, she naturally collapsed into her arms, wrapping her arms around her neck, burying her face and taking a deep breath.
She must be delirious from the fever. Luo Li had ridden fast, and her body was cool, so maybe it felt comfortable to hug.
"Luo Li…"
As Luo Li tried to rationalize the situation, the woman in her arms called her name, with a nasal tone that made her sound pitiful.
"Can I just hold you for a little while?"
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