Due to Ji Xiaobo’s status, Chen Ningxi didn’t make the scene too ugly. However, when the arm blocking her suddenly took the opportunity to enclose her in a hug as the door opened, she, with a strong sense of self-protection, imdiately retreated two steps to put distance between them.
She stared directly into his eyes and said, "Thank you for your care, Manager Ji, but Manager Bai was my ntor when I first joined the company, and he feels that my skills are still lacking and wants to get more practice at the grassroots level. I have to listen to him."
Ji Xiaobo raised his eyebrows subtly, as won rarely refused him.
With a gentle facade, there wasn’t much more Ji Xiaobo could say, but Chen Ningxi’s reaction had already made her stance clear. He released his hand, "I didn’t an anything by it, just thought you were talented. I got it."
Stepping into the elevator, Ji Xiaobo wasn’t quite ready to give up. "Last ti Mrs. Shi ntioned wanting to set us up, didn’t know it was you back then. Only found out later. Are you...by yourself now?"
Chen Ningxi replied, "Mrs. Shi was just joking with my mom. I have soone now."
"Oh... Is that so." Ji Xiaobo nodded, "Think over my proposal... if you regret it, you can call anyti. My phone is always on."
Using promotion to imply things first and then coming up with excuses related to dating, Chen Ningxi had already given the other party face, yet he continued to push and repeatedly offended.
Since you don’t want face, she felt there was no need to leave him any more dignity.
Chen Ningxi smiled with a hidden sting in her words.
"Sure, I’ll relay your cultivation of to Manager Bai, as well as to my parents, especially my mom. If she knew how much you’re looking out for , she’d surely praise you to Mrs. Shi."
Ji Xiaobo’s face changed slightly, "...That won’t be necessary, no need to say." After speaking, he walked out of the elevator with a cold face.
Chen Ningxi had a hunch that his proposition would likely fall through.
Bai Haifeng watched the car drive away, and puzzled, he frowned, "Manager Ji didn’t seem too happy just now, what were you two talking about?"
Chen Ningxi, looking unbothered, said, "Nothing much, I didn’t sense any anger from him."
Bai Haifeng: "Really? Maybe I’m overthinking it."
Sitting in the car, Chen Ningxi held back an urge to lash out, her hand slamd fiercely onto the steering wheel, "Ugh... hiss... that hurts."
Looking at her suddenly red little finger, she endured the pain, holding the steering wheel with one hand.
Real life wasn’t like a novel, where you could curse at an offending boss or slap him hard. She had to maintain the work environnt and her network of relationships. If anything were to happen between the two of them, news would quickly spread throughout the entire system by afternoon.
She didn’t want to endure it, but she had to.
If one were to say it was harassnt, the suddenness gave no opportunity to record it, so what could prove that she was the harassed party?
This was an unavoidable type of workplace harassnt, just verbal offenses out of the blue that made you uncomfortable. But when you told others, most wouldn’t understand and instead use it as gossip to share with others. Thus, verbal offense was also an unbearable burden that no one could comprehend.
After work, Chen Ningxi called Liang Lei, asking about her plans for the evening. It turned out Liang Lei was celebrating a colleague’s birthday, so Chen Ningxi hung up.
She had been thinking of inviting Liang Lei to go for a nice soak, but she wasn’t free.
To lift her mood, Chen Ningxi bought her favorite barbecue and carried a bunch of sparkling water upstairs.
She turned on the TV, picked a recently popular Korean drama, placed the barbecue on the coffee table, and added ice cubes, lemon slices, and strawberries to the sparkling water.
Just as the drama was reaching the critical mont when the male and female leads were about to kiss, Cheng Qiaobei’s call ca through.
"Mr. Chen, what are you doing?"
Chewing sothing, Chen Ningxi replied, "Enjoying so skewers."
Cheng Qiaobei: "Outside?"
"No, packed it up to eat at ho."
Chen Ningxi: "How’s the inspection going?"
Looking at the pile of docunts on the desk, Cheng Qiaobei said, "It’s going okay."
Hearing his voice didn’t suggest it was going smoothly, "Did you find any problems? Is it tricky?"
She was always keenly able to sense when sothing was off with him. Cheng Qiaobei got up and walked to the window, gazing at the nightti scenery, "Not exactly tricky, but it’s a bit difficult."
"What happened?" Chen Ningxi inquired.
Cheng Qiaobei massaged his aching temples, "The store manager at Xiao Zhou Store left with his team; I might have to stay a bit longer, need to arrange staff, and conduct interviews. How about you, how does the first day back at work after the holiday feel? Need my care service?"
Initially full of grievances to vent to Cheng Qiaobei, she swallowed her words after hearing his less-than-hopeful situation.
"I’m doing fine. It’s you who’s going to have a hard ti for a while."
"I’m supposed to work hard, earning a high salary requires matching effort," Cheng Qiaobei said self-deprecatingly, "Otherwise, the boss wouldn’t hire for nothing."
Chen Ningxi said, "If you’re tired, get so rest early."
Cheng Qiaobei said, "Calling you is my rest."
The work he expected to finish in a week got delayed another week to return to Danjiang due to the sudden incident at Xiao Shan Store.
"When I get back, there’s sothing I want to talk to you about in person."
"What is it?" Chen Ningxi asked, biting into a veggie roll and chewing.
Cheng Qiaobei: "It’s about ."
She paused her chewing, "You didn’t dig up so ex-ex-ex-girlfriend, did you?"
"Haha..." Cheng Qiaobei laughed, "Of course not."
"If not, just say it over the phone, we have ti anyway." Chen Ningxi continued with her skewers, but Cheng Qiaobei insisted on explaining in person.
While talking on the phone, there was a knock on his office door. Chen Ningxi heard him respond to the door and said, "You go ahead and get busy."
"Okay, I’ll speed things up and co back early."
"Alright, bye."
After putting down the phone, Chen Ningxi devoured everything in a whirlwind, eating until it was all gone. She had a strong ability to process negative emotions; eating, binging dramas, shopping, seeing movies—any activity that could divert her attention beca an outlet for her release.
She had slept directly on the sofa last night, with a thick blanket covering her. But if it weren’t for Ye Yujun’s call, she might have slept a bit longer.
"Mom, what’s up?" Chen Ningxi answered the call drowsily.
Ye Yujun said, "I made so dumplings and wontons and froze them, co pick them up after work tonight?"
Chen Ningxi yawned again, "Sure, I’ll co after work."
"What ti is it that you’re still not up? Aren’t you going to work?" Ye Yujun looked at the clock, it was already six thirty.
"Mom, did you forget I’m working now, not studying?" Chen Ningxi ruffled her hair, "Work starts at eight thirty, I can wake up at seven and still make it."
"And you won’t have breakfast?" Ye Yujun began to nag again, "Skipping breakfast isn’t good for your health and could easily lead to gallstones."
"Alright, alright, I’ll get up now and go have breakfast, okay?" Chen Ningxi put down her phone and went back to sleep on the sofa.
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