After Becoming a Full-Time Employee, I Signed a Romance Contract with My Ice-Cold Boss - Chapter 9

Cancellation of Cooperation

Xu Que followed and sat down directly opposite Jiang Fengyi.

By the time the two returned, some of the dishes had already been served. The red spicy pot in the center was bubbling, sending up plumes of steam thick with the pungent aroma of chili and Sichuan peppercorns that hit the nose instantly. The intense fragrance stirred the hunger in their stomachs.

“The children in the orphanage,” Xu Que answered, her hands not stopping as she used public chopsticks to slide the slower-cooking ingredients into the red broth.

“In an orphanage, the older kids look after the younger ones,” Xu Que recalled from her past. “When I was little, I was looked after by an older sister. Later, it was my turn to take care of the younger sisters.” She sounded proud. “So, when it comes to taking care of people, I’m quite a natural.”

Jiang Fengyi hadn’t expected this reason. She shot an unexpected look at Xu Que, her eyes brimming with complex emotions. Unfortunately, the person opposite her was too busy adding food to the pot to notice the flicker of emotion on her face.

“Then… do you go back? Later on?”

“I do!” Xu Que replied as if it were a given. “After all, it’s where I grew up. I go back to visit whenever I have time.”

Jiang Fengyi fell silent for a long while before suddenly deciding, “Next time you go back, I’ll go with you.”

Xu Que looked up, startled. “B-but that place is very remote.” She didn’t understand why Jiang Fengyi was suddenly interested in the orphanage and warned her again: “And the scenery isn’t great, there are no entertainment facilities nearby. You’ll find it very boring when you get there.”

Jiang Fengyi had already made up her mind. “I just want to see the place where you grew up.” She had a ready-made excuse: “Since we are a couple to the outside world, it’s only normal for a partner of many years to accompany you back to your childhood home.”

“Then… alright. I’ll take you with me next time I’m on holiday.”

Xu Que fished out a piece of cooked fatty beef and placed it in Jiang Fengyi’s small bowl. Her hands didn’t stop, continuing to pile her bowl with hanging tender beef, tripe, shrimp paste, seaweed seedlings… until it formed a small mountain. Only then did she stop.

“It’s at the perfect texture right now.”

Xu Que swallowed a roll of fatty beef. The spiciness of the red soup set a fire in her throat, and the tip of her tongue felt the numbing buzz of the peppercorns. It was addictive; she couldn’t stop. Her appetite was fully awakened as she took bite after bite, letting out “hissing” gasps from the heat. Fine beads of sweat began to break out on the tip of her nose, and the skin around her lips turned a shade of red.

In contrast, Jiang Fengyi suddenly discovered she had quite a few foods she disliked. Quite a lot, actually.

She pointed to the green coriander on a slice of beef and said to Xu Que, “This… the texture is very strange. I don’t want to eat it.”

“I don’t want green onions either.”

“Or garlic.”

“These tiny red chilies are a bit too spicy, and the pot base is a bit spicy too.” She made a request to the server: “I need a bowl of plain water to rinse the food.”

“I don’t eat duck blood either…”

Xu Que looked at the massive spread of food. The items Jiang Fengyi didn’t like made up the majority.

The latter continued, “What is this green vegetable called?”

Xu Que: “Gongcai (Tribute Vegetable).”

Finally, it wasn’t something she disliked. Jiang Fengyi picked up a strand and put it in her mouth. “This one is crunchy and quite good.”

Xu Que mixed a new dipping bowl for Jiang Fengyi—this time without onions, coriander, or millet chilies.

“Thank you.”

She watched as Jiang Fengyi fished food out of the red pot, swirled it in the water bowl to wash away the spice, dipped it lightly into the bland sauce Xu Que had just brought, and finally put it in her mouth.

Was… was that actually tasty?

The person who had been tailing Jiang Fengyi’s car followed them into the hotpot restaurant. She covered her nose and took a few deep breaths, seemingly unaccustomed to the smell of the shop. She chose a seat where she could observe Jiang Fengyi without being easily noticed.

Her eyes were fixed on where Jiang Fengyi sat, but her hands were dialing a number.

“Are you here yet? If you don’t come soon, they’ll be finished eating.”

The voice on the other end was unhurried. “On the way. There’s a bit of traffic.”

“The emperor isn’t worried, but the eunuch is dying of anxiety!” (A Chinese idiom meaning the observer is more anxious than the person involved).

Hanging up hurriedly, she used a flower vase arrangement in the shop as cover and quietly opened her camera to take a stealthy photo.

She clicked her tongue and frowned. “Why is the lens so blurry? I can’t see anything.”

She turned the phone and realized the lens had been speckled with a few drops of flying oil at some point. She quickly pulled out a tissue to wipe it.

Just as she was about to try again, a server, who had been watching her for a long time, silently stepped in front of her lens.

The server thought: You came in holding your nose like you hated the place, you didn’t order anything after sitting down, you wouldn’t say how many people were in your party, and you don’t look like you’re waiting for anyone. Now you’re being so bold as to try and secret-shot my other customers? I absolutely will not allow it!

The woman had no choice but to shift her phone in a different direction, readjusting her position to ensure Jiang Fengyi and the other were in the frame.

To her annoyance, that meddling server moved again.

She moved. The server blocked.

This time, Xu Que ate her fill. After finishing, she leaned back comfortably in her seat, feeling lazy and unwilling to move. She was stuffed; because Jiang Fengyi was so picky, more than half the food on the table had ended up in Xu Que’s stomach. She needed a moment of rest before she could stand up.

Jiang Fengyi explained to her, “I only discovered today that so many foods have bad textures. I’ve never eaten them before.”

“Maybe you never ate them because the chef at your house only makes what you like,” Xu Que accidentally blurted out the truth.

“Hey!”

Xu Que stood up and noticed a nearby table surrounded by several servers. She couldn’t tell what was happening. “What’s going on over there?”

Jiang Fengyi followed her gaze, but she could see nothing but a crowd of people. “Let’s go once you’ve rested.”

She wasn’t one for gossip. She headed for the exit, and seeing this, Xu Que suppressed her curiosity and followed.

As Jiang Fengyi walked out, Zhao Ruofei—who had just arrived at her destination—was striding in. She was scanning the area for Zhao Ruxuan and Jiang Fengyi, failing to look directly in front of her.

“Watch out!”

The two almost collided. Xu Que was quick, grabbing Jiang Fengyi’s arm and pulling her back half a step. “Are you okay?”

Xu Que stood in front of Jiang Fengyi, looking at the other woman guardedly. The entrance was so wide, yet this person almost ran into them; her eyes must be on the top of her head.

“So this is the new girlfriend you found to reject the blind date?” Zhao Ruofei swept a glance over Xu Que, her eyes full of arrogance. “I can’t see what you see in her.”

Xu Que’s fists tightened.

Jiang Fengyi corrected her: “Miss Zhao thinks too highly of herself. She isn’t a ‘new girlfriend’ found to reject a blind date; she is my stable partner of many years. Also, whatever my taste in girlfriends may be, it is not for Miss Zhao to criticize.”

Xu Que’s fists relaxed.

Before leaving, Jiang Fengyi looked back at Zhao Ruofei and asked meaningfully, “Since when did Miss Zhao fall in love with eating hotpot?”

Xu Que gave her a fierce glare before following Jiang Fengyi out.

By the time Zhao Ruofei rescued Zhao Ruxuan—who was nearly sent to the police station by the server—Xu Que had already returned home with Jiang Fengyi.

Xu Que asked blankly, “Aren’t we going back to the company?”

“The person we just ran into was the blind date my mother arranged for me a while ago.”

“Her?” Xu Que’s voice rose involuntarily. “She’s completely unworthy of you!”

Jiang Fengyi noticed that Xu Que missed the point every single time. “That’s not what I’m trying to say.” She rephrased: “Don’t you think it’s too coincidental? She just happened to show up where we were eating, and she recognized you as my girlfriend at a glance. It’s like she was coming specifically for us.”

“You mean… someone tipped her off?”

Jiang Fengyi nodded. “I suspect someone followed us the moment we left the company. It’s better to just come back home; the security here is tight, so we don’t have to worry about anyone sneaking in.”

But Xu Que was still frowning, lost in thought. Finally, she couldn’t help but ask, “Does that Zhao person… have feelings for you?”

“She doesn’t have feelings for me; she has feelings for the Jiang family behind me.”

Xu Que listened quietly.

“After the last blind date, I clearly told her that I only attended because of my elders’ request,” Jiang Fengyi said, frustrated. “But she acts as if she didn’t hear my explanation and comes looking for me every few days. My mother even thinks we are getting along well and even arranged for her sister to join the company’s administrative department.”

“The Zhao family finally latched onto a powerful connection; of course they won’t let go easily,” Xu Que patted her chest and promised. “Well, you have me now. If she dares show her face in front of you again, see if I don’t annoy the life out of her.”

Just as she was making her grand promise, her phone rang.

“Hello, Sangsang? What’s wrong? Don’t rush, speak slowly.”

Ye Sangsang was leaning against her door, her breathing a bit ragged. She paused before continuing: “I was just eating lunch quietly at home when I suddenly heard a commotion upstairs. I thought you had moved back from your boss’s place, so I wanted to go up and find you. But as soon as I stepped out, I saw several unfamiliar faces coming down from upstairs.”

Ye Sangsang had abruptly changed her direction from going up to going down. It was an old residential area with few residents, especially on the top floor. Ye Sangsang remembered clearly that only Xu Que lived up there.

Xu Que’s expression turned serious. “I have no neighbors; they were looking for me.”

Ye Sangsang’s voice was trembling. “If possible, you should stay at your boss’s place for a few more days. In case those people come back, it’s not safe for you to be home alone.” She started packing her things as she spoke. “I think I’ll go hide at the company for a few days too.”

Ye Sangsang asked in a whisper, “Did you offend someone out there?”

“It’s not offending; it’s that I’m standing in someone’s way.”

Jiang Fengyi’s expression was grim. Xu Que had the call on speaker, so she had heard everything clearly. Were the people at Xu Que’s house sent by her mother or the Zhao family?

After Xu Que hung up with Ye Sangsang, Jiang Fengyi spoke: “You should continue staying here…”

Before she could finish, the phone rang again. Xu Que looked at the caller ID and saw another familiar name.

“Hello, Dean Su? What happened? Someone is looking for me? Saying they are my friend?”

Xu Que feigned worry. “They aren’t scammers, are they? Scams are very rampant these days; don’t believe strangers. Yes, don’t believe anyone except me personally. Okay, I’ll be careful. I’ll come back to visit you all during my next break.”

Hanging up, Xu Que looked at Jiang Fengyi.

“Those people didn’t just go to my house; they went to the orphanage where I grew up.” Her expression was no longer calm. “They were trying to pry information about me out of the Dean.”

Dean Su Mei was old, but she wasn’t senile. Having been a dean for decades, she had seen all sorts of people. The group claiming to be Xu Que’s friends had looked ill-intentioned from the moment they arrived, asking questions about Xu Que’s past. After brushing them off, she immediately called to warn Xu Que.

Ever since she was a child, Dean Su had always looked out for her. Xu Que couldn’t help but be moved.

“I don’t want them to get hurt.”

“Don’t worry, I guarantee they will be fine.”

Jiang Fengyi was not one to sit and wait. She immediately made a phone call, and her subordinates began working right away. It didn’t take long to find out who was behind it.

“President Jiang, it’s the Zhao family!”

“The Zhaos again…” Jiang Fengyi said coldly. “The Zhao family’s hands are stretching a bit too far.”

The next day,

Zhao Ruxuan arrived at the company on time for the first time in her life. She had been lectured by Zhao Ruofei for half the day yesterday and didn’t dare cause more trouble.

But today, the company’s gate seemed to be deliberately working against her, refusing to let her through. It was the morning rush hour, and many regular employees were passing by. Faced with the probing glances being cast her way, Zhao Ruxuan couldn’t just ignore them.

Infuriated, she ran to the side and loudly questioned the security guard about what was going on.

The guard was equally defiant, firing back, “You’re asking me? I want to ask you! You aren’t an employee of our company, are you? Are you trying to sneak in to steal company secrets?”

It wasn’t that the guard didn’t recognize her; it was that Zhao Ruxuan hadn’t actually worked a proper day since she started. The second Miss Zhao had never suffered such an insult and immediately got into a shouting match with the guard.

While things were chaotic there, her sister Zhao Ruofei wasn’t faring any better. She had been overwhelmed by a pile of problems since early morning.

Ever since the rumors spread that the Zhao family was about to marry into the Jiang family, the Zhao family’s business had risen accordingly. Not only had they taken several large orders from the Jiangs, but many opportunistic partners had proactively sought them out.

But today, for some reason, as if by a collective agreement, the Jiang family’s cooperation was declared canceled, and other suppliers were also demanding to terminate their partnerships.

“President Song, why—” Beep, beep, beep—

“President He, you—” Beep, beep, beep—

Half of them hung up the moment they heard her voice, and the other half wouldn’t even pick up the phone.

Zhao Ruofei collapsed dejectedly into her office chair, already having guessed whose hand was behind this. The darkened computer screen cast a shadow over her face. Her eyes, bloodshot and filled with malice, were dark.

“Jiang Fengyi, if you won’t let me live, I won’t make things easy for you either!”