Chapter One Hundred and Forty: Which Time Was It Not For Him?

Outside, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. The departmental meeting had just concluded when the weasel pulled them aside to give a few more instructions, especially singling out Xiaoxiao to hurry up and catch up on her performance. Xiaoxiao replied half-heartedly; if the weasel knew that both Cai Yirou and Bai Yunchuan were just there to fool around, she might think Xiaoxiao was out of her mind.

“Ni Xiaoxiao, when I’m talking to you, don’t always wear that reluctant expression. I’m doing this for your own good. Work isn’t always smooth sailing; it just takes some effort. There’s a word called ‘grip,’ and another called ‘measure.’ Do you know how to apply them?”

“Yes,” Xiaoxiao answered, already anticipating the weasel’s tendency to twist things, so she played along.

The weasel nodded with satisfaction. “Good. You can set aside other words, but these two you must understand thoroughly. If you treat work like a joke, work will treat you the same. Think about that seriously.”

At this point, Xiaoxiao felt wronged. Apart from Bai Yunchuan and Cai Yirou, she had never shirked her duties. She had even made some foolish moves to secure Lin Shuo’s sponsorship, so why was all that ignored today? Others only remembered the good and forgot the reprimands, but with the weasel, it seemed she only remembered the punishments and forgot the merits.

Glancing sideways, she spotted Yu Xin lingering outside the meeting room. Xiaoxiao quickly made an excuse about having an appointment with a client and slipped away.

“Xin Jie, what are you doing here?”

Yu Xin’s furrowed brows betrayed a hint of anxiety as she kept glancing around, as if trying to avoid something. Xiaoxiao took her to the reception area, which seemed to ease her nerves.

“Want something to drink?”

“No, thanks.” Yu Xin waved her off, then leaned in close and whispered, “Yunchuan doesn’t know I’m here, and you mustn’t tell him. I want to stay at your place for a few days. Is that okay?”

Xiaoxiao was puzzled. She had a perfectly good home—why would she want to squeeze in at someone else’s place? Seeing Xiaoxiao remain silent, Yu Xin hesitated before explaining, “I didn’t want to trouble you, but after thinking it over, your place seems the best option. I had a falling out with my family and just want to get away for a bit.”

“Because of Chuan Ge?”

Yu Xin sighed deeply. “Isn’t it always because of him?”

“Does Chuan Ge know?”

“He’s already got enough on his plate. I can’t bother him more.” Yu Xin pleaded, “If Yunchuan asks about me, please say you don’t know. He trusts you a lot. If you’re willing to lie for me this once, I’ll repay you whenever you need help in the future.”

Xiaoxiao truly wanted to agree, but deep down, she sensed something was off. After much thought, she found herself even more troubled than Yu Xin. “It’s not that I don’t want to help, but constantly running away isn’t a solution. Sooner or later, you have to face it. If your family makes a fuss about you missing and Yunchuan is dragged into it, but can’t find you, wouldn’t that just cause anxiety on both sides? Besides, like you said, Chuan Ge is already troubled enough.”

“Just two days, really. After that, I’ll go back on my own.” Yu Xin’s resolve surprised her, especially since she had brought her luggage along, clearly determined to stay. Considering that Yu Xin would find someone else if not Xiaoxiao, it was better she stayed where Xiaoxiao could keep an eye on her and provide some care.

After work, Xiaoxiao took Yu Xin straight to her cozy little place, helped get everything ready, and even asked the landlady to keep an eye on her. When Yu Xin asked where Xiaoxiao was going, she told the truth, prompting Yu Xin’s quiet envy as she softly said, “That’s really nice.”