This Time, She Confesses First - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Jing Huan’s face flushed with a mix of shame and annoyance. Some words spilled out without thought, “I wouldn’t have come to bring you the glucose if I had known.”

Upon hearing this, Ke Qingyun suddenly opened her eyes, the corner of her eye lifted slightly, and she gave a faint look. Jing Huan’s heart jumped, and a few drops of glucose spilled from the cup onto Ke Qingyun’s hand. The water wasn’t hot, but it looked jarring.

The stalemate lasted for half a minute.

Jing Huan gave in first. For her, an assistant, to challenge her superior was asking for trouble. Being sensible, she pulled two tissues from the box, intending to wipe the water droplets from Ke Qingyun’s hand, but unexpectedly, Ke Qingyun pulled her hand away.

“…” Jing Huan froze, looking at Ke Qingyun in surprise.

Ke Qingyun’s voice was low and slightly hoarse, likely due to the alcohol she had consumed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t being fierce with you then, I was just too agitated.”

Jing Huan was surprised that Ke Qingyun would apologize. As a subordinate, she was flattered and quickly said, “No, I’m also at fault. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“You are not at fault. It is right to express your thoughts or emotions,” Ke Qingyun said, the smell of wine lingering on her breath.

Smelling the wine, Jing Huan’s mind also felt hazy, and her heart pounded like a drum. She had seen posts online warning against taking the boss’s promises too seriously. Some personal words should be heard and forgotten, never taken to heart, or one would ultimately suffer the consequences.

Jing Huan naturally wouldn’t take it seriously, but she also wouldn’t offend Ke Qingyun. She simply responded, “Oh.”

Oh?

Ke Qingyun raised an eyebrow. “It seems you don’t quite agree?”

Jing Huan immediately felt extremely wronged. How could Ke Qingyun infer so much from just an ‘oh’? She quickly explained, “No, I agree.”

“Good,” Ke Qingyun looked up. “Since you agree, then tell me your thoughts. Do you think I was wrong to criticize Wang Shengke?”

It’s about the leaders again.

Jing Huan frowned, torn. She was just a small assistant. Why did Ke Qingyun keep putting her in such a difficult position? However, Jing Huan kept one principle firmly in mind: the leader is never wrong.

“You weren’t wrong.”

Ke Qingyun chuckled, “Then why were you throwing a tantrum at me?”

“…”

Jing Huan suddenly felt she couldn’t continue to blindly agree with Ke Qingyun. She needed to voice her own opinion, or she would eventually be led astray by the other person. “I just felt that since Mr. Wang is a leader from the headquarters, speaking to him like that might not be very good.”

“So, you’re worried that because Wang Shengke is from headquarters, he might retaliate against me when he returns, and that’s why you’re so afraid of him?” Ke Qingyun asked.

If Wang Shengke went back and complained about Ke Qingyun, it would definitely affect her own work. As an assistant, it was only right to plan for the stability of her superior’s job. Jing Huan nodded, handing the cup to Ke Qingyun, “Yes. Mr. Wang is from the headquarters after all.”

Jing Huan didn’t dare say the phrase, A higher rank crushes people, as she wanted to save face for her leader.

This was unexpected by Ke Qingyun. She laughed, took the cup, drank the glucose, and seemed to be in a good mood. “Then do you know…”

The way she deliberately paused halfway through, looking up at Jing Huan, was clearly meant to pique curiosity, before completing the sentence, “…that I was also transferred from the headquarters?”

“Ah?” Jing Huan’s pupils widened. It was true she was shocked. So Ke Qingyun was also a leader transferred from Beijing headquarters?

Ke Qingyun finished drinking, placed the water cup on the coffee table, and patted the sofa. “Why are you standing? Sit down and talk.”

Jing Huan sat down, taking up very little space, and listened quietly as Ke Qingyun spoke, “You know what ‘the fox pretending to be the tiger’s power’ means? Using the identity of the headquarters and a leader to bully newcomers and employees without knowing his own limits. Wang Shengke is called a leader from the headquarters, but he’s actually just a good-for-nothing with no substance. He wasn’t an engineering manager at headquarters; he just used connections to get in and manages logistics. So, you don’t need to be afraid of him.”

“Also, for things that are not within your scope of work, you need to learn to refuse. Not just Wang Shengke, but the leaders at the Shanghai campus too. Refuse when you need to. Does Yao Jie keep asking you to organize and print documents for her? And Lei Jun from the catering department—he asks you to create graphics and write promotional copy. Do you just stay late to do it? Are you foolish?”

Jing Huan dared not speak. She felt that since she was an intern, she should complete any tasks assigned by a leader.

But Ke Qingyun disagreed. She looked at Jing Huan, “You are my assistant. From now on, you only need to listen to me.”

Jing Huan’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up, stealing a glance at Ke Qingyun. She thought the other person must be drunk, otherwise why would she be painting such a large picture of promise that was enough to choke someone?

“Ms. Ke, you’re drunk.”

Ke Qingyun leaned back on the sofa, her eyes half-closed, “I know I’ve had too much to drink, but my mind is perfectly clear. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have asked you to bring me glucose.”

Jing Huan had always taken the rule that a leader’s words should not be taken seriously as gospel, but tonight was a little different. Since Ke Qingyun was drunk, Jing Huan wanted to hear how much nonsense she could spout.

“You don’t believe me?” Ke Qingyun asked, seeing Jing Huan remain silent. “I’m really not drunk.”

Jing Huan licked her lips, suddenly looked up, and asked somewhat audaciously, “If I refuse them and get fired, will you be responsible? Will you introduce me to a new job?”

The smile in Ke Qingyun’s eyes paused slightly. Jing Huan’s face was too close, causing her to lose focus for a moment. She nodded and said, “Of course I will be responsible. No one but me dares to fire you.”

What a display of authority.

Jing Huan smiled faintly, thinking that since Ke Qingyun was drunk and would forget by tomorrow, some words could be more casual. “Have you been a leader for too long? Why do you love to brag so much?”

Not just now, but during dinner too, she used exaggerated terms like “Jing Huan is a high-achieving student from a prestigious university, with a bright future,” which made Jing Huan feel embarrassed.

“Heartless,” Ke Qingyun retorted.

Jing Huan was displeased, frowning, “Why are you scolding me again? It was so cold outside. I ran to buy you glucose, and you still call me heartless. I won’t buy it for you next time.”

Ke Qingyun said with absolute certainty, “You won’t.”

“How do you know I won’t?” Jing Huan asked her.

Ke Qingyun smiled, “Because you are the best-behaved kid I have ever met.”

Jing Huan felt a little sour. She really wanted to throw caution to the wind and seize the chance to ask why she had rejected her if she was so well-behaved, but this thought was fiercely extinguished as soon as it emerged.

What else could the rejection be about? It was because she was no longer interested.

Jing Huan sighed softly and turned to ask, “Ms. Ke, are you sleepy?”

“No, I haven’t finished talking.”

Jing Huan smiled, “What else do you want to say?”

Ke Qingyun turned, saying something out of the blue, “Well-behaved, yes, but a little stupid.”

“…” Jing Huan blushed. “Stupid where? I can learn.”

“During dinner, I praised you so much. Why didn’t you respond?” Ke Qingyun said, “It was really awkward for me to be doing a solo performance. I gave you an opportunity to act like the fox pretending to be the tiger’s power, and even an idiot would know to seize it.”

Jing Huan realized belatedly that Ke Qingyun’s bragging during dinner was not entirely without purpose.

“Only realizing it now?” Ke Qingyun asked.

As an intern at the company, Jing Huan was often assigned tasks by directors and managers from other departments, such as organizing data, drawing charts, and compiling tables, which were completely outside her job scope. Yet, this young woman didn’t know how to refuse, preferring to work late into the night to finish the tasks assigned by other leaders. Ke Qingyun thought tonight was the perfect opportunity, with all the leaders present. Her words didn’t need to be too explicit for others to understand.

It was a pity that everyone else understood, but the person directly involved ignored it.

Jing Huan felt a mix of emotions. She had vowed to focus solely on work, but Ke Qingyun’s actions were simply too much. “You did that to make my future work smoother, didn’t you?”

“You’re quite clear-headed now,” Ke Qingyun said with a wry smile. “Can’t it be because I care about you, Jing Huan? You have a strong opinion of me.”

Jing Huan wouldn’t admit it. “It’s not having an opinion. You are my leader.” Maintaining distance and respect for a leader was necessary.

“I am your leader.” Ke Qingyun didn’t deny this. She tilted her head and looked at Jing Huan, asking, “Then who was the person who used to call me ‘Jiejie’ and chase after me?”

Jing Huan froze completely. Her cheeks began to heat up. She stammered for a long time, unable to say anything. She thought Ke Qingyun had forgotten. Why bring it up now?

“The one who called me ‘Jiejie,’ was it you?” Ke Qingyun persisted in asking.

Jing Huan stuttered, trying to argue, “Yes… it was me. So what? You didn’t tell me not to call you ‘Jiejie’ back then.”

“I’m not telling you not to call me that now,” Ke Qingyun said. “Aren’t you being too formal with me?”

Jing Huan’s lips trembled. She couldn’t possibly stick to her after being rejected. Her pride wouldn’t allow it. “You’re too demanding.”

You don’t want to date me, but you still want me to be close to you.

“We haven’t seen each other for so many years. If we hadn’t met, I would have almost forgotten who you are. How could I call you ‘Jiejie’ like before? I’m not that outgoing,” Jing Huan said calmly.

Ke Qingyun swallowed hard. She felt a little hurt. “You almost forgot about me.”

“Yes. You don’t even count how many years it’s been. That’s enough time for me to meet how many other ‘Jiejie’s,” Jing Huan continued to say nonchalantly.

Ke Qingyun laughed faintly. “Even so, you don’t need to be so formal with me. I even taught you math.”

“Thank you for teaching me math,” Jing Huan inwardly sneered. Why don’t you mention that you also apologized to me?

Ke Qingyun pursed her lips. She was quite happy to see Jing Huan again, but hearing her say that she had almost forgotten her, there was no need to say the remaining things.

The young woman had already moved on. If she brought it up again, it would be like deliberately scratching an old wound, which was truly unethical.

“You still remember I taught you math,” Ke Qingyun scoffed. “Then why is your arithmetic still so bad? You don’t know whether 1,500 or 600 is more expensive.”

Jing Huan didn’t shy away, “Because I didn’t want to live with you.”

Ke Qingyun turned her head. In that instant, she somewhat understood the discomfort of being rejected. “Why?”

“Living with a leader is too awkward. I wouldn’t be comfortable,” Jing Huan twisted the knife. “I wouldn’t live there even if it were free.”

“…” Ke Qingyun nodded, remaining silent.

Jing Huan checked the time again, “Ms. Ke, are you sober yet?”

“I wasn’t drunk, so how can I sober up?”

Jing Huan stood up, “Then you should go to sleep. We have work tomorrow, and I need to go back too.”

“Going back?” Ke Qingyun subconsciously checked the time. “It’s so late. Is it safe for you to go back? Why don’t you sleep in the guest room for the night? The sheets were just washed.”

Jing Huan looked helpless, almost too embarrassed to say that the apartment she rented was only one unit away from Ke Qingyun’s. “No need. My roommate is coming to pick me up. It’s very safe.”

“Alright, then go back. Be careful on the way.” Hearing that her roommate was picking her up, Ke Qingyun didn’t insist on keeping her.

Jing Huan had seen Ke Qingyun drink a lot that evening, but her speech was sometimes clear and rational, and sometimes it sounded like rambling. Jing Huan was a little worried. “I’ll see you lie down before I leave.”

“I haven’t showered. I smell of wine,” Ke Qingyun said. “You go back. I’m fine.”

Jing Huan, however, pulled Ke Qingyun’s arm. “You’re drunk. Why shower? Just wash up tomorrow when you wake up.” She helped Ke Qingyun toward the bedroom, advising, “If you still feel dizzy during the night, drink another bottle of glucose. I’ll put both boxes by your bedside.”

“Mm, I really need to shower, or I won’t be able to sleep.” Ke Qingyun stubbornly tried to enter the bathroom as they passed it.

Jing Huan grabbed her, pulled her back, and earnestly persuaded her, “You shouldn’t shower when you’re drunk. Just go to sleep.”

If she had known Ke Qingyun would talk so much when drunk, she wouldn’t have come. She would have just ordered delivery and sent it upstairs.

Jing Huan was helpless, and Ke Qingyun was also helpless, so she finally gave up, “Alright, alright, I’ll sleep. You go back.”

“Lie down,” Jing Huan didn’t care that Ke Qingyun was still wearing her coat. She simply covered her with the quilt, tucking the edges neatly as if completing a task before stopping, like finishing her work.

Ke Qingyun’s head was throbbing, so she allowed Jing Huan to tidy her up. The rustling sounds felt strangely pleasant. She was originally intent on showering after Jing Huan left, but as sleepiness crept in, that thought was slowly swallowed up.

Hearing the faint breathing sounds in the bedroom, Jing Huan sighed in relief, closed the door, and left.

Because of preparations for the annual meeting, the company did not grant leave for New Year’s Day. They said the days off would be combined after the annual meeting. Besides the few leaders who arrived earlier, another leader came the day before the annual meeting. This was the true high-level leader in Ke Qingyun’s words, very charismatic, who claimed to be attending the annual meeting but whose main purpose was to issue tasks.

After the meeting ended, the leaders left one after another, and the faces of those remaining could be described as gloomy and dejected. Even Ke Qingyun looked grim, remaining silent for a long time.

“Isn’t Mr. Hua asking for too much? A 95% occupancy rate before opening is unprecedented in other campuses,” Yao Jie was the first to break the silence.

This figure was indeed higher than any previously set target for other campuses. Ke Qingyun asked, “What is the occupancy rate currently?”

“Barely 70%,” Yao Jie said. “It’s already New Year’s Day, and there are only four months left until the opening. Achieving a 95% occupancy rate in four months is a huge challenge for us.”

Ke Qingyun frowned, “How many intent-to-reside clients do we have?”

“About 20% currently.”

Ke Qingyun nodded, “Start with this batch of clients first. Follow up and visit them a few more times. Have the New Year’s gifts been delivered to everyone?”

“They have all been delivered. A few grandmothers actually want to move in, but their daughters disagree. They feel that since they have such good jobs, having their parents live in a nursing home is embarrassing, afraid of being judged,” Yao Jie said.

Ke Qingyun instructed, “Make every effort to get the children of these clients to visit the campus once. Tell them that this is not a traditional nursing home.”

“Got it.” Yao Jie reviewed the data files in her hand and handed two copies to Jing Huan. “Help me verify this data again. If there are no issues, print two copies and deliver them to my office.”

Jing Huan was briefly stunned, glanced at Ke Qingyun, and seeing no expression from her, quickly accepted them, “Yes, Ms. Yao.”

“Then I’ll get back to work,” Yao Jie greeted them before leaving.

Ke Qingyun nodded, “Thank you for your hard work.”

“Striving for the year-end bonus,” Yao Jie clenched her fist, looking spirited, but her face showed defeat.

Only two people remained in the conference room. Ke Qingyun asked, “Is the meeting summary done?”

“The main content has been recorded and needs further elaboration. I’ll send it to you after I organize it.” Jing Huan’s fingers jumped busily on the keyboard, her eyes fixed on the computer screen.

Ke Qingyun stood up. “Send it to me as soon as you finish organizing it.” As she was leaving, she noticed the stack of files beside Jing Huan and reminded her, “Yao Jie also needs these quickly.”

Jing Huan acknowledged with an “En,” “I will do it as fast as possible.”

Ke Qingyun looked away, let out a breath, and picked up the two data files. “Never mind. I’ll give them to her later.”

“Ms. Ke,” Jing Huan called out. “I can manage it myself.”

“I know you can,” Ke Qingyun asked, “Did you eat lunch?”

Jing Huan remained silent.

“Finish organizing the meeting summary, then go eat,” Ke Qingyun took the files and returned to her office. After verifying them in twenty minutes, she called Yao Jie over.

Having just finished one meeting, and now being called to another one-on-one, Yao Jie was busy. She complained as soon as she entered, “Ms. Ke, please, I’m very busy. Can’t you say whatever it is over the phone?”

Ke Qingyun threw the printed documents onto the table and turned to fetch a glass of water. “I remember you have an assistant in your job structure.”

“I do,” Yao Jie picked up the two documents and looked at them, her expression changing slightly. “Aren’t these the documents I asked Jing Huan to print? I asked her to print them and put them in my office. Why are they with you?”

Ke Qingyun placed the glass of water she poured for Yao Jie on the desk. “I printed them, so they are in my office, naturally.”

“What?” Yao Jie took a sip of water, shocked. “Ms. Ke personally printed these for me? I’m truly flattered.”

Ke Qingyun asked directly, “Why do you make Jing Huan do everything? Don’t you have your own assistant?”

Yao Jie paused, catching the underlying meaning of the words. “I just used your assistant for a bit. Must you be so petty?”

“She didn’t even eat lunch. Since you have an assistant, don’t give these tasks to her anymore.”

Yao Jie scoffed, “I didn’t even eat breakfast, and I don’t see you being so concerned about me.”

Ke Qingyun countered logically, “You’re used to it.”

“…” Yao Jie suddenly felt her position as Sales Director lacked dignity and teased, “What is it? Are you feeling protective of your little assistant?”

Ke Qingyun remained silent, implicitly agreeing.

This immediately sparked Yao Jie’s curiosity. She had been partners with Ke Qingyun for nearly five years, joining Kangtai together, getting promoted together, and transferring to Shanghai together. In her memory, Ke Qingyun was a workaholic. Did this mean that the iron tree was finally blooming?

“What’s the situation? Is the thirty-year-old woman finally waking up and starting to date?”

Ke Qingyun’s expression slightly changed. She took a sip of water to cover her discomfort. “I’m talking to you about work. Don’t change the subject.”

Yao Jie, whose daughter was already two years old, realized Ke Qingyun had never dated. Now, in Yao Jie’s mind, work could be momentarily put aside. “Tell me about it. Don’t think I didn’t notice you constantly glancing at that young woman during the meeting. What does that mean?”

Yao Jie was a salesperson, sharp-eyed and sensitive. Ke Qingyun’s gaze toward Jing Huan was quite obvious. She hadn’t thought much of it initially, but thinking back now, she realized something was amiss.

Ke Qingyun took another sip of water. “She was doing the meeting summary. I was checking if she had finished.”

“I don’t believe you,” Yao Jie asked. “If you’re not interested, why are you so good to her?”

Ke Qingyun herself didn’t feel she was particularly good to Jing Huan. They had interacted this way seven years ago. Everything seemed natural and not worth questioning. “I just want to be good to her. There’s no reason.”

Yao Jie choked on her water, coughing. Ordinarily, she would have pressed for details, but the 95% occupancy rate target hung over her like a mountain. Presumably, Ke Qingyun felt the same way. She said, “The campus is about to open, and the occupancy rate is still so far off. Don’t get distracted now. Even if you’re feeling romantic, put it aside for now. My house purchase depends on this year-end bonus.”

Getting increasingly off-topic, Ke Qingyun interrupted, “I called you here to tell you not to give tasks that are not Jing Huan’s job to her. Don’t talk about all this other stuff.”

“Well, my assistant didn’t have the opportunity to attend this meeting, so I gave it to Jing Huan,” Yao Jie tutted. “Look at how protective you are.”

Ke Qingyun’s head ached from her teasing. She had to dismiss her, “The campus occupancy rate must reach 95% before opening, Ms. Yao. Please get to work.”

Yao Jie was choked, “…” Instantly losing interest in Ke Qingyun’s romantic life.

Despite the high work pressure, most employees were very much looking forward to the annual meeting. After working hard all year, it was a rare opportunity to relax.

The annual meeting was held at the campus activity center, which would be the main activity area for the elderly in the future. It was spacious and magnificent, comparable to a hotel. The stage for performances was set up the night before, and the large round tables and chairs for dining were all brought in and arranged neatly that morning, covered with red silk, looking particularly festive.

Right after lunch, the host began organizing the departments for program rehearsals. The administration department sent two paper tickets to Jing Huan, which looked like supermarket coupons.

“Sister Youyou, what are these?” Jing Huan asked.

The colleague who brought the tickets leaned her arm on the secretarial desk and said, “These are the tickets for the annual meeting lottery tonight. You scratch this part off, and there’s a string of numbers inside. If your number is drawn, you win a gift.”

The lottery was purely a matter of luck, but because the gifts were unpredictable, it created anticipation. Jing Huan was quite interested, “What kind of gifts are there?”

“That’s a secret for now. You’ll find out tonight.” Jing Huan was young and very sweet-natured. Despite being the general manager’s assistant, she was completely unpretentious when communicating about work, so the female colleagues in the company quite liked her. Wu You saw that no one was around and leaned in, whispering, “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I heard there are Hermès bags, Chanel lipsticks, and perfume.”

Compared to air conditioners, refrigerators, and suitcases, girls yearned more for lipstick and perfume. Jing Huan was no exception. Who could refuse a luxury item falling from the sky? “Why do I have two tickets?”

Wu You tapped Jing Huan’s hand with the tickets and smiled, “What are you thinking? One person gets one. The other one is Ms. Ke’s.”

Jing Huan looked at the two tickets in her hand and nodded, “Oh.”

“Tell Ms. Ke that these tickets were issued randomly and there is absolutely no insider dealing, so she can rest assured,” Wu You said.

“Okay, I’ll be sure to pass that on.”

Ke Qingyun went out for a while in the afternoon and returned close to 4 PM. Jing Huan saw the elevator door open and quickly called out to her, “Ms. Ke.”

Ke Qingyun stopped. “Why aren’t you downstairs?” Since today was the annual meeting, the company hadn’t assigned too much work. Many departments had gone downstairs early to watch the rehearsal and wait for the annual meeting to start.

“I was waiting for you,” Jing Huan said.

Ke Qingyun looked up, “Waiting for me for what?”

Jing Huan quickly handed over the two tickets and said, “These are the tickets for the lottery tonight.”

“Two?”

Jing Huan shook her head, “No. You choose one first.”

“How courteous,” Ke Qingyun smiled, purposefully bending down as if to select carefully. Jing Huan was too embarrassed to say that they were both random.

But Ke Qingyun’s gaze lingered between the two tickets for a long time without picking one. She looked up and said, “You choose first.”

“Then I won’t be shy.” The tickets hadn’t been scratched yet, so the numbers were invisible. Jing Huan randomly picked one and handed the other to Ke Qingyun.

Ke Qingyun received it and scratched off the coating. “20201560. What’s yours?”

“20201561,” Jing Huan scratched hers too.

Their numbers were separated by only one digit.

Ke Qingyun smiled. “I heard the gifts prepared this time are quite generous. Good luck.”

Winning a prize was just for the fun and anticipation. Jing Huan stared at the string of numbers on the ticket. “Can I really win? I’ve never been that lucky before.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a slight breeze seemed to pass over her head. Ke Qingyun gently tapped Jing Huan’s head with the ticket. “Be confident. Only then can you grab good luck.”

Why would something based on luck happen to be me? Jing Huan smiled and put the ticket in her pocket, “I hope so.”

People in the office area gradually went downstairs, and the area was almost empty. The music outside was cheerful and festive. Jing Huan felt much happier just listening to it. She turned off her computer, stretched, and planned to pack up and head downstairs too.

At that moment, the door to the General Manager’s office suddenly opened. Ke Qingyun hadn’t left yet. She poked her head out halfway and waved to Jing Huan, very mysteriously, “Jing Huan, come in for a moment.”

Jing Huan was stunned. Her heart pounded heavily. Unsure if it was due to Ke Qingyun’s influence, the atmosphere felt a little tense. Before entering, Jing Huan deliberately looked around to see if anyone had noticed, practically writing the words “guilty conscience” on her face.

Clearly, she’s never done anything wrong.

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