My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Qixi Festival. “Qixi”

Although Guan Shuyun’s car had vanished from sight, I still stood rooted to the spot. Her words undoubtedly triggered memories of the explosion years ago: “You Feifan… If you’re lucky enough to survive, then take good care of her and the child for me… But… go to hell…”

I never blamed myself for Jo Ann’s death; he deserved it. But he was Qing Fan’s father. I’d spent all these years loving and protecting Qing Fan, which was perhaps a way of carrying out a wish for the deceased. I felt sorry for failing to die as he intended, but now, a prepared Guan Shuyun suddenly appeared, even invoking Jo Ann’s name. It was both ridiculous and frustrating.

“Why are you spacing out?”

Phoebe’s voice interrupted my contemplation. I turned to look at her and shook my head: “You knew, didn’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“The relationship between Guan Shuyun and Jo Ann.”

My words clearly made Phoebe frown. She walked toward me, a touch of emotion in her tone: “She told you?”

“Why did you hide it from me?”

“Jo Ann is already dead, isn’t he? Why dwell on a past relationship with someone who is no longer here?”

“So? You don’t care about this subtle connection? Do you know how big the rift between us has become? You always hide your true feelings, never sharing them with me, whether good or bad.”

“Can you stop confronting me every time we talk?”

“I don’t want to argue with you. I just think we need to communicate, communicate! You always have a cold, stern face. I don’t owe you anything!”

So, Su Wei’s carefully arranged lunch failed to ease the tension between Phoebe and me. This pattern of rupturing, time after time, was slowly leading us toward an abyss…

…

“Pig! Your nose has two holes, and when you have a cold, you’re dripping snot…”

Waking up to the alarm, I rolled over and covered my ears, only to be hit squarely by a flying pillow. I sat up groggily, hugged the pillow, and looked plaintively at Qiu Qi: “Can’t you change your ringtone to something with a bit more class? Pig head, pig brains, pig body, pig tail…”

“Hahahaha… You’re going to make me die laughing… You were singing along yourself…”

Amused by my reaction, Qiu Qi jumped out of bed, walked closer, and playfully kicked my backside, urging me: “Hurry up and get ready! Time to leave!”

“Oh, I know!”

I covered my face, shaking off the sleepiness, and picked up my phone. Still, no one had contacted me. I turned my head to look at the bustling Qiu Qi and asked, “Qiu Wuming, do you have any really close friends?”

Qiu Qi paused, looked at me in confusion, and then countered, “Am I not one of them?”

“I mean old friends, best friends, lifelong buddies in your personal life, that kind of thing.”

Qiu Qi contemplated while squeezing toothpaste, and eventually shook her head, seemingly finding nothing: “No. My social circle used to revolve entirely around her. As for friends, it seemed I only got to know people she knew. I truly never had a best friend or lifelong buddy. But now, I think I’ve found one.”

“Who?”

“You! Now stop dawdling, hurry up and pack!”

Seeing Qiu Qi in her perpetually cheerful and carefree state, I felt somewhat infected. I was grateful for her. Her presence was infinitely reducing my sadness. I still missed someone, and she frequently appeared in my dreams, but every time my heart ached, my love for her seemed to lessen slightly. I didn’t know if this was a good thing. If she no longer loved me, then perhaps it was.

…

“Ready to go. Total distance: 144.9 kilometers…”

After setting the navigation, I gripped the steering wheel and turned to look at Qiu Qi. She looked at me with a confused expression: “What?”

“Your seatbelt! If we get fined, your license is taking the points!”

“Well, well, well, you’re quite detail-oriented!”

“Is this little Jeep sturdy? I’m not afraid of the highway, but I am worried about the mountain roads. Don’t let the car shake apart!”

“You underestimate my Old Beijing Jeep, don’t you? You’ll know how exciting it is once you start driving!”

And so we set off, laughing and talking. For me, this was a trip without a purpose. I didn’t know where my life was headed, but this time, the blueprint no longer included Phoebe’s companionship. What I was embarking on was a paradise of endless scenery.

…

After the unpleasant parting with Phoebe at the Lan family ancestral home, I moved out of the villa. The day I left was the Qixi Festival. It felt like the whole world was celebrating Valentine’s Day. Social media was flooded with displays of affection, while I was busy moving house. Phoebe didn’t send any messages. Our love was like a dying person with only one breath left, weakly lingering, dragging on until who knew when it would finally be gone.

Before leaving, I sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette, turning to look at the stairwell. Guan Shuyun was toxic. Ever since she mentioned Jo Ann, I kept recalling the earth-shattering roar when he detonated the bomb. Thankfully, Jo Ann’s bomb wasn’t powerful. While the house didn’t collapse, it was severely damaged and deemed unsafe. It took extensive repairs and renovations to look as it did today.

So, Jo Ann was like an opening, dragging all the people from that period back out. A sudden thought occurred to me: why not go see someone? I snapped my fingers. After loading my luggage into the car, I didn’t immediately go home. Instead, I decided to take a trip to the prison, planning to meet an old acquaintance who was once an enemy.

Prison was not unfamiliar to me, having been an insider myself. The process of signing papers and applying went quickly. After filling out the visitation approval form, the officer briefly replied to await notification, and that was that. I didn’t know when I would be able to see Zhao Taian, but the matter was at least on the schedule.

Driving, I checked the time; it was already three in the afternoon. Passing Jieshi Zhuoyue, I hesitated, wondering if I should stop and go upstairs to see Phoebe. But thinking she was my legitimate partner, and today was Valentine’s Day, it would be wrong of me not to go have a proper, affectionate date. Even with all the conflicts, a holiday still required a sense of ritual. So, I made a right turn and drove the car into the company building’s parking garage.

Whistling, I took the elevator directly to Phoebe’s office floor. Secretary Du spotted me coming from afar and quickly left her seat to stop me: “Xiao Fan, General Manager Lan is meeting with a client. Why don’t you wait in my office for a while?”

“Oh… she’s busy… fine, I’ll wait here.”

“I’ll go in and inform her for you.”

“No need, so I don’t interrupt her important discussion. But… I want to know…”

Before I could finish the question, Secretary Du cleverly answered for me: “It’s General Manager Guan of the Guan Corporation.”

“Oh, oh, oh… I see…”

Secretary Du, uncharacteristically, didn’t maintain her stern face. She looked at me anxiously, hesitant to speak. I tilted my head, signaling for her to speak her mind. She sighed, sounding utterly miserable: “Feifan, everyone knows about your relationship with General Manager Lan, but…”

“But what?”

“But this General Manager Guan is coming on very strong. It’s not unusual for General Manager Lan to receive flowers until her hands are full—having many admirers proves her charm. But General Manager Guan is going too far. She sends three bouquets a day, more punctual than three meals a day. It’s normal for General Manager Lan to display one for office decoration, but she gives all the rest to me to deal with. My house is practically turning into a flower sea.”

Although I felt a pang, I had to keep up appearances. I suggested with a laugh, “Perfect! You can open an online shop to sell them, or contact the florist and resell them at a low price. That’s not bad.”

“Oh, you’re joking! Can’t you be serious?”

“Xiao Du, please see General Manager Guan out.”

“Coming.”

Phoebe walked out toward Secretary Du’s office and saw me the moment she looked up. Guan Shuyun, following behind her, also noticed me and immediately put on a smiling face: “Miss You, here for the holiday?”