Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 32

A screen over six feet tall displayed half of Xu You’s work review. She hadn’t opened the single image submitted earlier but, just like the last task, presented a detailed version filled with design concepts.

Xu You stepped aside as everyone followed her annotations point by point. Indeed, every aspect of her work had corresponding evidence.

After a few minutes, those in the know understood. Zheng Ran walked over to the table with the computer, curled his index finger, and tapped the desk. The sound of knuckles against wood snapped everyone back to the matter at hand.

“Since Xiao Xu has already presented the evidence,” he said, stumbling slightly over his first use of the informal “Xiao Xu” for Xu You, then turned to Li Rui. “What about you? Do you have anything to add? Think carefully, did you overlook something?”

Li Rui could no longer lounge with her long legs casually crossed. Heels together, she stiffened, shuddering at Zheng Ran’s question.

What evidence did she have?

The moment she picked up the paper with Xu You’s inspirations, she had immediately sought out Ouyang to plan. After repeated persuasion, Ouyang became convinced that Xu You was a greedy, arrogant mistress who didn’t know her place. Li Rui claimed she just wanted to teach Xu You a lesson and proposed this farce. The two had repeatedly discussed and refined their scheme over WeChat.

Provide their chat history? That would be confessing without being accused.

“I don’t have any earlier evidence to prove I created it first,” Li Rui admitted dejectedly, swaying as if she might collapse backward.

“Actually, the plagiarism accusation was just a guess after a quick glance. The two interns are classmates and received the same education, maybe they just coincidentally had similar ideas,” a woman nudged by Ouyang spoke up.

Her friend and clique quickly chimed in: “Yeah, we only looked at a small image and didn’t examine it closely. If we zoom in, we might find completely different designs.”

They were the ones who had insisted it was plagiarism upon seeing the image, and now they were backtracking.

Xu You let out a sigh. The filtered air could leave her body, but the filth and grime remained lodged in her heart.

Department Head Qiu looked embarrassed and lost his temper. The boss’s assistant stepped in to mediate, and the final conclusion was merely that classmates had coincidentally designed similar content through some kind of telepathy.

He had no idea how Zheng Ran would report this or whether he, as Department Head, would be criticized for it.

“Pull up Xiao Li’s design and compare them side by side,” Department Head Qiu instructed the assistant, glancing at Zheng Ran.

Xu You and Li Rui’s designs were placed closely together. At first glance, they still appeared identical, but upon closer inspection, Xu You’s version was more detailed, with patterns that better fit the theme.

Zheng Ran, an outsider, couldn’t grasp the nuances but could tell Xu You’s was more refined. Catching her eye, he discreetly gave her a thumbs-up by his thigh.

“Since everyone agrees there’s no plagiarism, I’ll leave you to it. I’m heading out,” he said coolly to the rest of the design department.

The conference door was pushed open, closed, then shoved open again as Department Head Qiu hurried after him, pleading not to let Zhou Siyu hear about the incident.

“You got lucky this time,” Li Rui said through gritted teeth, her voice icy, as she and Xu You returned to their seats.

Xu You opened her notebook without looking at her. “I’ll return those words to you.”

Department Head Qiu, the perfectionist, returned to continue the selection process. Images switched one after another as he raised his hand repeatedly to comment. In the end, five of Team Leader Qian’s designs were chosen, while Xu You, along with the controversial cheongsam, had two of her ten works liked and selected by the majority of her colleagues.

Li Rui resurrected her old tactic, explaining her design concepts proactively when her other works were displayed. But with Xu You’s meticulous efforts before her and experienced seniors in the department who had years under their belts, she naturally didn’t receive the cheers or admiring gazes she had hoped for.

Once the slideshow ended, the design department’s morning meeting dispersed, and everyone left the office in small groups.

For the first time, colleagues other than Team Leader Qian gathered around Xu You. Clutching her materials tightly, she felt overwhelmed and unsure how to react.

“Xiao Xu, you must have participated in quite a few domestic competitions, right?” asked the round-faced sister.

Xu You thought about the numerous competitions, big and small, she had taken part in both at home and abroad, and nodded blankly.

“Honestly, it’s really impressive for someone your age to produce designs like these. You’ve got talent, you just lack a bit of experience. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll probably surpass some of the employees who’ve been here a year or two.” The last person to join the department was Ouyang, exactly a year and a half ago. Xu You couldn’t tell if the round-faced sister was making a veiled reference or not, but as she tried to read between the lines, the woman continued, “But I heard you’re just here for an internship. After it ends, are you planning to pursue a master’s degree or study abroad?”

“I’ve been recommended for postgraduate studies. I’ll return to campus after the internship,” Xu You replied, growing increasingly uncomfortable with the direct probing and subtly quickening her pace.

The round-faced sister stuck close, unaware that two other persistent colleagues were trailing behind them.

“Hmph.” Li Rui squeezed past them to walk ahead, her tone ambiguous. “Worry about whether you can even complete your internship smoothly first.”

With that, her long, wavy hair swayed as she walked away. Ouyang, beside her, shot a glare back at them before leaving together.

“What deep-seated grudge do you two have?”

Xu You smiled faintly. “None.”

“Then why is she bad-mouthing you everywhere? Just the other day, she was saying you’re a homewrecker and hired someone to take exams for you.” The round-faced sister unintentionally blurted out the gossip she’d heard right in front of Xu You.

“Or maybe I misheard. Don’t take it to heart. Just focus on your work. In our field, it’s all about skill, those rumors will collapse on their own.” Seeing the shadow fall over Xu You’s expression, she quickly backtracked to comfort her.

Xu You still wore a wounded look, her eyes downcast. Feeling awkward, she made an excuse and slipped away.

Back at her desk, Xu You felt an indescribable sense of relief. From her seat, she could see the view outside the window. The snow had stopped, and the tech park was blanketed in a vast expanse of white. Bare tree branches cradled soft layers of snow, swaying in the wind before tumbling gently to the ground.

I really want to build a snowman! I really want to have a snowball fight!

The last time she had recklessly rolled and played in the snow, Yu Yao and her grandfather were by her side. The warm memory surfaced in her mind, and her eyes seemed to melt like snow.

“Ding-ding.” The WeChat icon on her browser tab chimed with a new message.

Xu You sniffled and clicked the flashing icon.

[YAOYAO Sauce: Nailed it.]

The image loaded, a close-up of two hands interlocked. Fighting back a scream of excitement, she replied.

Wow, that’s amazing.]

Joyful endorphins danced through her veins as Xu You propped her chin in her hands, waiting for Yu Yao to share her romance story. Yu Yao seemed to have a lot to say, yet even after a long while, the typing indicator lingered.

Xu You grew impatient.

[YOYO-chan: Writing a novel? Keep it short!]

The contact name above the chat box paused briefly before responding seconds later.

[YAOYAO: Sorry, babe, I might not be coming back for Christmas.]

Her hesitation and guilt were palpable. Soon after, a lengthy message followed.

[YAOYAO Sauce: Really sorry, Mai and I just made it official. Christmas is a big deal for them, and I can’t leave her alone here. I thought about bringing her to meet you, but with less than a week left, there’s no time to get a visa. Have a great Christmas and New Year’s with your parents and Xu Tian! I promise I’ll rush back to see you as soon as summer break starts.]

Xu You froze for a moment. Today truly was a special day.

She’d enjoyed a romantic breeze with Zhou Siyu, only for him to catch a cold from it. Her dad called to cancel their plans, she’d been framed by Li Rui, and now even Yu Yao had bailed on her.

Outside the window, a plump bird zipped past, too fast to tell if it was someone’s beloved pet. She decided it was a pigeon sent by the heavens as a sign, silently chanting “peace and love” to calm herself before hammering out a reply.

[YOYO-chan: Ditching friends for love, how despicable!]

On the other end, Yu Yao breathed a sigh of relief.

[YAOYAO Sauce: Look who’s talking! If you hadn’t been so smitten with Zhou Siyu and came abroad with me, we’d never be apart.]

Xu You rubbed the tip of her nose, unapologetic and even ready to flip the blame.

[YOYO-chan: Go abroad just to third-wheel your romance? How cruel.]

Yu Yao knew she was in the wrong and didn’t press further.

[YAOYAO Sauce: Enough already, don’t overdo the drama. I bought you a Hermès Birkin, a friend who’s returning soon will bring it. It’s not even released domestically yet, so you can go show it off.]

Before Xu You could decide how to respond, her eyes caught the Hermès crossbody bag Li Rui had proudly displayed high up. A childish impulse struck, and she deleted her refusal, replying brightly, “Thanks, boss!”

By lunchtime, people started wanting to join Xu You and Team Leader Qian’s table, but with only two seats, there was no room for a third. They had no choice but to give up.

Watching them leave, Team Leader Qian clicked her tongue.

“What’s wrong?”

Team Leader Qian poked at her neatly packed rice. “Fair-weather friends.”

Xu You hadn’t started eating yet. Using clean chopsticks, she picked up a braised chicken wing, one that Team Leader Qian didn’t have, and placed it in her dish. “I don’t take them too seriously. I’m happy just following you. If you’re willing to guide me, that’s enough.”

When Xu You wasn’t smiling, she resembled an elegant, aloof long-haired cat. But the moment her eyes curved, she transformed into an adorable little white rabbit: red-eyed, long-eared, with a twitching nose as she breathed, utterly endearing.

“Only now do I realize how sweet your words are,” Team Leader Qian remarked, gazing at her. “I’m not particularly skilled myself. Like Sister Li said, you’re talented and hardworking. Keep going, and you’ll surpass us in no time.”

Sister Li was the round-faced senior.

Xu You shook her head. “She’s exaggerating. While I improve, you’re improving too. There will always be something I can learn from you.”

Team Leader Qian didn’t argue further. Among the newcomers, having someone like Xu You who was so diligent was a blessing. Li Rui only provided visual enjoyment and meaningless gossip to everyone. When it came to work, they always preferred colleagues like Xu You: hardworking, enduring, and humble.

After clearing their trays, the two went upstairs to the break room together. Following her usual routine, Xu You entered first, waited for Li Rui to come in, and then left only when she couldn’t hear any movement.

Standing at the door for two minutes, she found it completely quiet outside. Carefully, she pressed the handle and peeked out.

Unexpectedly, she locked eyes with Team Leader Qian from next door.

“Where are you off to?” Team Leader Qian blurted out, watching Xu You’s cautious movements.

Xu You’s heart pounded like a drum at the sight of her. Startled, it took her a few seconds to stammer out a response, “N-nowhere, just… going for a walk to digest my food.”

In the middle of winter, beads of sweat dotted Xu You’s forehead and the tip of her nose. To anyone, it didn’t look like a simple stroll. Team Leader Qian narrowed her eyes, then widened them as she recalled the search history she had seen that morning.

“Your girlfriend isn’t in our company, is she?”