My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Rupture. “Lonely Fireworks”

Seeing my hostile attitude, Soso couldn’t stand it any longer and snapped back, “You bastard! You go on one trip and come back with an attitude? What kind of behavior is this?!”

I lowered my eyes, staring at the glowing tip of my cigarette. I really didn’t want to bring up the mess involving Guan Shuyun and Phoebe; it would only invite more trouble. I spoke coldly, “I hope that Phoebe and I can part on good terms—ending the relationship but not the friendship. I don’t want our separation to make things difficult for our mutual friends. Soso, Su Wei, please respect my choice.”

Su Wei let out a long sigh and set down her glass, changing the subject. “Since Miss Qiu is Feifan’s friend, she’s our friend too. She shouldn’t have her trip ruined by these trifles. We should show her some hospitality. Tell me, when are you free? Let’s meet up at the bar and catch up.”

Soso didn’t object, though she pursed her lips and remained silent. Qiu Qi, hearing that she was being invited into my social circle, naturally looked excited. “I’m fine with that! Miss Su, thank you for being so thoughtful!”

“Not at all, it’s the least we can do.”

Seeing how much Qiu Qi wanted to participate, I agreed. “Alright. I haven’t seen Pu Ke and Xi Er in a while anyway. Let’s see when everyone is free.”

Su Wei thought for a moment and suggested, “The day after tomorrow is Saturday. Everyone should be free then. We can also celebrate your birthday belatedly. How does that sound?”

“No problem. It’s a deal.”

Su Wei stood up, nodding with satisfaction. “Good. We won’t disturb you two any further. See you Saturday.”

After seeing Soso and Su Wei out, I gave Qiu Qi a helpless smile. “Soso has a bit of a temper, but she’s a good person. We were classmates in university. She was the one who helped me through my career lows—she’s like family.”

“I can tell she cares a lot about you. I’m jealous; you have such a circle of devoted friends.”

I playfully ruffled Qiu Qi’s hair. “Don’t you have the He family ‘Haier Brothers’? We’re even!”

…

On Saturday, I took Qiu Qi to the Jieshi Excellence pedestrian street, telling her that all of this was Phoebe’s masterpiece. Although Qiu Qi had been treated unfairly since her arrival, it didn’t dampen her spirits. We ate and drank our way through the street until evening, when we headed to the coastal entertainment district.

At the bar, Pu Ke and Xi Er had decorated the place with their usual flair. It was quite creative—they had even put up a massive red banner: “Warmly celebrate You Feifan moving one step closer to her forties.” The huge characters made me laugh and cry at the same time. Seriously?!

As we walked in, Pu Ke and Xi Er were cleaning while music played. When they saw me, they froze, their eyes scanning Qiu Qi up and down. Xi Er greeted us warmly, “You’re finally back! Did you bring presents?!”

I pouted. “No.”

“Agh! You heartless dog, not even one gift!”

“I am the gift~”

“Look at you, so full of yourself… and this must be the lady Tingzhi mentioned…”

Xi Er’s large eyes darted back and forth as she scrutinized Qiu Qi. I patiently introduced her again, and Pu Ke invited us to the bar. She prepared glasses and, with practiced ease, began a flair bartending performance for Qiu Qi. Qiu Qi leaned in and whispered, “Your friends are so fun!”

I nodded proudly. “Aren’t they? They’re more like family than friends.”

“That’s wonderful!”

After we finished setting out the drinks and snacks for the party, Su Wei arrived with Fei Jun, and Soso came with Da Zhuang. The atmosphere was better than I expected. Everyone sat together, chatting noisily. When they asked about my trip, it was as if a dam had burst; I talked non-stop about everything that happened in Sichuan.

When I mentioned our near-death experience, the group stared at us in disbelief. Pu Ke looked terrified, exclaiming, “Your trip to Sichuan sounds like Journey to the West—you practically went through the eighty-one tribulations.”

I shelled sunflower seeds smugly. “Tell me about it! It was intense. Especially the container classrooms Qiu Wuming set up. I took photos; let me show you…”

Through these stories, everyone got to know the real Qiu Qi. Su Wei raised her glass. “Come on, let’s toast to our survivor You Feifan and the kind-hearted Miss Qiu.”

We all cheered and downed our drinks. I had assumed Phoebe wouldn’t show up, but just as we set our glasses down, a figure appeared at the door. Phoebe walked toward us at an unhurried pace, and the table fell instantly silent. Fei Jun gave up his seat. “I thought you were working late. Phoebe, sit here; I’ll grab another stool.”

Su Wei quickly found a clean glass and poured wine for Phoebe, while Soso tried to smooth things over. “Finally, the gang’s all here. Now this is a proper reunion.”

I took a small sip of my drink and said nothing. Phoebe was better at handling awkwardness than I was; she shed her usual coldness, looked around the bar, and said casually, “The decorations are beautiful. I can see you put effort into it—especially that banner outside.”

The mention of the banner brought another round of laughter. Pu Ke and Xi Er, pleased with the praise, preened. “It was all for this brat Feifan. Feifan, you really should thank us.”

Seeing them winking at me, I raised my glass. “Thank you for your hard work. I’ll finish this; you guys drink as you like!”

Qiu Qi lowered her head shyly, then leaned in to whisper, “It’s your birthday and I didn’t prepare a gift! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

I whispered back with a smile, “My birthday has already passed; they’re just doing this belatedly. I don’t care about the formalities. Just being together is enough. Just have fun today!”

“Okay!”

Amidst the movement, I noticed Phoebe was constantly watching Qiu Qi and me. Every time our eyes met, she would look away. Customers began to trickle in—the bar was much larger than when we first started. The DJ arrived, and the nightlife officially began.

After a few beers, Soso loosened up and invited everyone to what she called “Old People Disco.” Even Qiu Qi couldn’t escape her clutches. The group crowded toward the dance floor, leaving only Phoebe and me at the table. My heart hammered; those guys definitely planned this.

We sat face to face, but had nothing to say. I glanced at the bag Phoebe had brought in. She was drinking glass after glass, behaving unusually—like someone intentionally trying to get drunk. When did we become like this? We used to share a bed and sleep side by side, even when we didn’t have much to say.

In a short time, she had downed two bottles of beer. Drinking that fast was a guaranteed recipe for intoxication. I couldn’t watch any longer and moved to sit beside her. I wanted to stop her, but she shot me a murderous glare. Since she was determined to drink, I stopped interfering.

Instead, I grabbed the bottle opener. When she finished a glass, I poured another. When she finished a bottle, I opened another. Faced with my silent indulgence, Phoebe finally snapped. She slammed her glass onto the table. In this world of neon lights and wine, I saw a diamond-like tear slide down her cheek.

I pulled out a tissue, but she brushed my hand away. She said something fiercely, but it was drowned out by the deafening music. I only saw her grab the bag by her feet and shove it into my arms. I was confused, but remained motionless. She leaned close to my ear: “Happy Birthday.”

She grabbed her handbag and rushed out of the bar. I looked into the bag. Inside was a file—a medical certificate. The bar was too dark to read the contents, but a flash of a name Qiu Qi had mentioned—”Qin Yun”—crossed my mind. I hurried out after her, but she was already gone.

I wasn’t truly heartless. She had drunk so much and left alone; I was terrified she’d drive drunk in her state. I ran to the parking garage. After searching around, I found her. She was leaning against her car—or rather, she was sitting on the ground. I rushed over. She had clearly just let out a torrent of emotion. Seeing me, she turned her head away, seemingly not wanting me to see her mess.

I knelt down. “Let me call a designated driver for you.”

She held her forehead with both hands. “No need.”

“You think you’re going to drive yourself?”

“My business is none of yours.”

I held up the gift she gave me. “What is this supposed to mean?”

She looked up, her makeup ruined by tears, her voice icy. “Can’t you read? It’s in black and white.”

I pulled the documents out again and looked closely under the garage lights. It was a series of medical reports. At the end, there were high-risk warnings for an older expectant mother. She gave a scoffing laugh and started crying again. “Now, those papers look even more like a joke, don’t they?”

I shook my head solemnly. After staring at Phoebe for a long moment, I replied, “I don’t think it’s a joke. But right now, this gift is too heavy for me. I can’t accept it.”

As the medical reports and diagnosis turned into a pile of shredded paper in my hands, I saw Phoebe’s eyes widen. It was as if what I tore wasn’t just paper, but her heart. With every sharp rip, her brow furrowed deeper. Finally, I had pushed her completely out of my world.

She scrambled to her feet, staggering as she tried to flee the nightmare. Moving too fast in her heels, she twisted her ankle and fell to her knees. I tried to help her up, but she shoved me away violently. There were no verbal attacks; everything became a silent, heart-wrenching resistance. This was the grief of someone who had lost all reason.

I stood there, watching Phoebe limp away. A strange wind blew through the garage, scattering the scraps of paper everywhere. After the numbness came a sharp pain in my chest. I leaned against Phoebe’s car; I had hidden my vulnerability and sadness, but in doing so, I had turned everything into a total wreck.