I Quit Being This Female Lead (GL) - Chapter 43

Simultaneously.

At the City Emergency Center, Mang Ke was sitting by the hospital bed, watching the gradually awakening woman.

The woman was not injured. After the elevator doors were opened, the maintenance crew rushed her to the nearest hospital. Since there were no women among the maintenance workers, they brought Mang Ke along, fearing it would be inconvenient to care for the woman otherwise.

When Mang Ke was hauled into the car, she thought she could leave right away, but after busying herself at the emergency center, the crew members disappeared, and only Mang Ke was left.

This was the context for her sitting on the chair and watching the woman now.

The woman with the long, straight black hair slowly opened her eyes. She looked at the stark white ceiling and the saline solution she was being administered, covering her eyes somewhat confusedly.

“You’re awake,” Mang Ke said, clutching her small bag beside the bed. “Are you feeling any better? Are you still uncomfortable?”

The woman carefully scrutinized the person in front of her through the crevices between her fingers, illuminated by the fluorescent light. After a long while, she spoke in a low voice, “I’m much better now, thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” Mang Ke said with a smile. “I’m just glad you’re okay. I was terrified in the elevator.”

The woman, lying on the bed, looked at her and couldn’t help but smile back. “I have claustrophobia. I always resist getting on elevators, and when the power goes out…”

Mang Ke didn’t need her to finish; she knew exactly what kind of scene that would be.

“I’m lucky I ran into you,” the woman chuckled. “I don’t even know your name yet.”

“I’m Mang Ke. The ‘Mang’ from mango, and the ‘Ke’ from Coke.”

“That sounds delicious.”

“Ha, you’re the first person to say that to me.”

Seeing Mang Ke smile happily, the woman sat up in bed. The nurse came over to check her and took away the nearly finished saline bag.

“It looks like you’re fine,” Mang Ke told her. “I’ll be leaving now. I’m probably late, but I still have to get to work.”

The woman nodded and said, “Thank you for helping me. Let’s exchange contact information so I can properly thank you later.”

“Oh, no need, no need, it was just a small favor.”

“But to me, it was a very important matter. Please agree.”

“Alright then…”

Mang Ke took out her phone, looking at the ‘No Signal’ icon with some confusion. She raised it and shook it twice, only to find the status remained the same.

While she was puzzled, the woman tilted her head, looked at the screen, and asked, “Are you… out of credit and disconnected?”

Mang Ke: “…Huh?”

————

Meanwhile, back at the company, everyone was straining their ears, listening to the loud reprimand from the conference room.

The few people standing closest to the conference room door couldn’t help but whisper—

“That person is too pitiful. She probably won’t be able to stay here.”

“Yeah, our company’s assessment is so strict; it wasn’t easy to get in.”

“Sigh, why did she have to provoke Mang Ke of all people? Doesn’t she know our General Manager has a thing for her?”

“Huh? Didn’t they say the General Manager was really fierce toward Mang Ke yesterday? Does our General Manager actually like her or not?”

“Who knows? The General Manager certainly doesn’t like me.”

“Dream on! It wouldn’t be your turn anyway. There’s still Sister Yun between the General Manager and Mang Ke.”

“Speaking of which, why hasn’t Sister Yun come to the company yet? Didn’t they say she just came back from overseas today?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she was delayed by something.”

“What could possibly delay her?”

Before the small group could finish their gossip, the conference room door opened, and the girl who had put the earthworms in Mang Ke’s drawer walked out, wailing hysterically and carrying her belongings.

Everyone watched her, completely devoid of sympathy.

Those who work here either have high academic qualifications or powerful backgrounds. Pulling such childish stunts in front of so many people—and playing the kind of bullying games only children engage in when everyone is an adult—made them genuinely look down on her.

No one offered comfort, and even the receptionist didn’t open the door for her. The girl sobbed, tears and snot running down her face as she hugged her belongings and took the elevator down.

Subsequently, Xun Fangyun walked out of the conference room with a grim expression, followed by the department supervisor, who looked equally crestfallen. It seemed the supervisor was not spared the scolding.

Xun Fangyun ignored the crowd around her—who were all looking down but casting furtive glances—and angrily walked back to her office.

“Deduct all department bonuses and performance pay.”

As soon as she entered the room, Xun Fangyun told the assistant behind her, “The entire department is suspended for reorganization. If this happens again, all of you get out!”

The assistant nodded profusely, sweating heavily, and scurried away with the documents.

Once the people were gone, Xun Fangyun finally reached out and rubbed her chest. Her face was ashen as she pulled open the drawer, found her medication, and without water, tilted her head back and swallowed several pills.

Her heart was racing furiously, and it took a long time to calm down slightly. Even so, Xun Fangyun still felt a metallic taste in her mouth, and only after about ten minutes did she feel slightly better.

The physical discomfort made Xun Fangyun feel mentally sluggish. She had never experienced the suffering of illness before, and unexpectedly, this time it was a severe case. It seemed she could easily die from this if she wasn’t careful.

After drinking some warm water and resting for a while, Xun Fangyun finally felt better.

Her stabilized heartbeat made her much more comfortable. She looked up at the time; it was already lunchtime.

The company had a cafeteria, but Xun Fangyun recalled the food wasn’t good. So, she instructed the waiting secretary to go downstairs and buy her some porridge.

“By the way, General Manager Yu,” the secretary stood up and said to Xun Fangyun. “Mang Ke is here, and she’s with Director Jia. Are you still looking for them?”

Xun Fangyun frowned and asked, “With whom?”

“Director Jia.”

“Who is that?”

The secretary looked at her, puzzled. “Your fiancée, the company’s director, Miss Jia Yun (note: the name in the text is 嘉蘊).”

Meanwhile, in the company cafeteria, the woman with the long black hair had ordered a bowl of wontons. After instructing them to go light on the chili, she carried it to a seat opposite Mang Ke and sat down.

Since coming out of the elevator, Mang Ke had been staring at the woman in front of her, feeling increasingly strange.

“You said your name is Jia Yun?” Mang Ke looked at the wontons in front of her and asked somewhat uncertainly, “Then you…”

“I am Yu Xinping’s fiancée, and also a director at this company,” Jia Yun said with a light smile. “I was originally supposed to be introduced to everyone at the morning meeting, but due to the elevator issue, it seems I could only join in silently.”

In front of Mang Ke was a plate of company stir-fried noodles, heavy with seasoning, but she had absolutely no appetite.

She watched Jia Yun pick out the cilantro she didn’t eat from the wontons, add some vinegar, and then gently stir the bowl with a small stainless steel spoon, mixing the sourness and the savory flavor. Finally, she scooped up a spoonful, gently blew on it, and drank it.

Perhaps because she watched her drink it so intently, Mang Ke subconsciously asked, “Do the wontons taste good?”

The woman curved her lips into a slight smile, looked up at Mang Ke, and tilted her head to ask, “Would you like to try some?”

Before Mang Ke could process what that meant, she saw a spoon filled with golden-rich broth brought right to her lips. The aroma smelled incredibly appetizing.

Mang Ke blushed. She pushed the spoon away with her hand, saying shyly, “No, no, thank you. I don’t really feel like having soup right now.”

“But didn’t you just ask me if they tasted good?” the woman said with an amused smile. “Instead of asking me, why don’t you try it yourself and see if they’re good?”

The words sounded odd, as if they carried a hidden meaning.

Seeing that Mang Ke genuinely didn’t want her soup, she withdrew her hand and drank it herself. She then commented, “It’s just water mixed with seasoning, not actually very good. If you want soup, I can take you somewhere else another day.”

Mang Ke pondered for a long time before finally asking, “Um… you said you’re the General Manager’s fiancée, so you two must be very familiar with each other, right?”

Jia Yun seemed to realize the girl in front of her was trying to pump her for information, but she was so tongue-tied that her face was turning red as she spoke.

Jia Yun had never thought someone could be so adorable when embarrassed, and she couldn’t help but want to tease her.

“I actually have a secret to tell you, if you promise me one thing.”

Mang Ke looked at her with confusion.

Jia Yun swung her spoon and said, “Help me call off the wedding.”

Mang Ke: “???”

“Call off the wedding…” Mang Ke had a bad feeling: “Whose wedding do you want to call off?”

“Naturally, the General Manager of this company, your boss,” Jia Yun said. “Yu Xinping’s wedding.”

Yu Xinping…

Wasn’t that Xun Fangyun?

Mang Ke was shocked to realize the woman in front of her was the fiancée from the plot. She wondered if this uncanny coincidence was arranged by the plot or if she simply had terrible luck.

However, before Mang Ke could react, a commotion broke out at the cafeteria entrance.

The two women instinctively turned their heads and saw a figure with big wavy hair, wearing a wine-red shirt and black trousers, standing at the door. Her eyes scanned the room and quickly landed on the corner where Mang Ke and Jia Yun were sitting.

“Yun Yun…?”

Before Mang Ke could speak, the woman sitting opposite her stood up and then reached out and pulled Mang Ke to her feet.

Mang Ke: ???

She had a terrible premonition.

By the time Xun Fangyun approached, Jia Yun had already hoisted Mang Ke up, holding her like a small rabbit.

Mang Ke felt Jia Yun’s hand resting on her waist, while the woman in the wine-red shirt opposite them looked so furious her hair seemed to stand on end!

“What a coincidence,” Jia Yun said, putting her arm around Mang Ke as she spoke to Xun Fangyun. “Let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, little Mang Ke.”

Mang Ke: “…”

Xun Fangyun: “…”

What????