Xu Yizhi had just finished an important meeting. As he reached the entrance of his office, he saw his two secretaries chatting.
To be precise, the newcomer, Si Keke, was doing the talking, while Wang Yuexi, who had been with Xu Yizhi for many years, remained composed and did not engage.
"Sister Yuexi, did you see the gossip today? It’s about Fang Tong, you know, the actress who married our boss!"
Wang Yuexi looked up and said, "Keke, this is a company. You are the boss’s secretary; you should know how to be discreet. How can you discuss the boss’s private life?"
Si Keke waved her hand dismissively. "The boss isn't here, so what’s the harm? Besides, I’m just telling you. The news online is all saying that Fang Tong has been kicked to the curb by our boss..."
Wang Yuexi was about to reprimand her further when she caught a glimpse of movement in the periphery—Xu Yizhi had appeared.
She stood up immediately. "President Xu."
"Oh, Sister Yuexi, why are you trying to scare me..." Thinking Wang Yuexi was playing a prank, Si Keke turned around with a giggle, only to find Xu Yizhi standing right in front of her. She froze. "B... Boss..."
Xu Yizhi didn't even glance at her and walked straight into his office.
Si Keke remained rooted to the spot, her face falling. "Sister Yuexi, what... what do I do?"
"I told you not to run your mouth," Wang Yuexi said with a helpless shrug, unable to say anything more.
Instead of sitting at his desk to work as he usually did, Xu Yizhi walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked out.
Song Hezhe looked at the schedule on his tablet. He wanted to mention that there was another meeting in thirty minutes and two contracts that needed his signature, but the air in the office was so oppressive that he couldn't bring himself to say a word.
After a moment of thought, he apologized: "President Xu, it’s my oversight. I kept Si Keke on because she seemed bright and efficient. Later, I realized she was a bit too flighty. I’ve interviewed others over the past two days, and there are two promising candidates. I’ll have Si Keke resign tomorrow."
Only then did Xu Yizhi turn to look at him, his voice icy. "Is her work performance inadequate?"
"No... not at all."
Xu Yizhi walked to his desk and sat down. "Send her in."
Song Hezhe had joined Chuangsheng Group as a college intern and had been with Xu Yizhi for nine years; he was intimately familiar with his temperament.
Xu Yizhi disliked trouble. He maintained a strictly professional attitude with everyone and particularly despised people who talked too much. This Si Keke had certainly caused a headache.
Song Hezhe felt a twinge of regret. With so many people in the secretary pool, why had he promoted Si Keke to the CEO’s office?
He went out and called Si Keke in.
Si Keke looked like a terrified quail. She whispered, "Brother Song, what does the boss want with me?"
Song Hezhe kept a cold face and said nothing. He led her inside and stood to the side.
Xu Yizhi leaned back in his chair and pointed to the seat across from his desk. "Sit down and talk."
Si Keke sat down tentatively. She took a deep breath, deciding to apologize first and promise never to gossip again. After all, being a secretary to the CEO of the Xu family paid well and carried a lot of prestige. She didn't want to be fired for gossiping about the boss—that would be too embarrassing!
To her surprise, Xu Yizhi spoke first: "The gossip you were talking about just now. Tell me."
"Boss, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been running my mouth." Si Keke immediately stood up, pulled her shoulders back, and bowed in apology.
Xu Yizhi frowned and gestured for her to sit. "I told you to tell me."
"Huh?" Si Keke didn't dare to speak; she looked at Song Hezhe for help.
Song Hezhe gave a light cough. "Answer whatever President Xu asks you. No unnecessary chatter."
Si Keke felt as if all her usual wit had vanished. She couldn't gauge what the boss wanted, so she gritted her teeth and recounted most of the gossip trending on Weibo that day.
She mentioned that Fang Tong had unfollowed the Chuangsheng Group account and another unknown account, which people speculated was Xu Yizhi’s secret profile, leading everyone to guess that Fang Tong had been divorced.
"I have a Weibo account?" Xu Yizhi frowned and looked up at Song Hezhe.
Song Hezhe said, "President Xu, four years ago, you registered an account to follow your wife, but you haven't logged into it since."
He then skillfully logged into the site and handed it to Xu Yizhi.
Xu Yizhi recalled the matter. At the time, he had been going on a blind date at his grandmother's request. The date had gone relatively well, and on the way back to the hotel, he had encountered Fang Tong being harassed and helped her out. Since she was a celebrity, he had registered a burner account to keep up with news about her.
So much time had passed that he had completely forgotten about it.
Seeing Xu Yizhi staring at the screen in silence for a long time, Si Keke couldn't help but ask, "Boss, is it true... did you and Fang Tong get a divorce?"
Xu Yizhi’s expression darkened. He uttered two words: "Get out."
The severity of his tone startled Si Keke. She didn't dare say another word and scurried out of the room.
Song Hezhe tapped her on the shoulder with a folder and whispered, "No more gossip in the future!"
Si Keke hung her head. "Brother Song, do you think the boss will fire me?"
Song Hezhe looked back at Xu Yizhi, who was still frowning at the Weibo page, likely reading the day's trending topics.
"If there’s a next time, he will."
Xu Yizhi read through the news for a while, his face growing even grimmer. What exactly was Fang Tong trying to do?
He opened his phone and flipped to "Wife." Just as he was about to call, a call from Sun Qing came through.
Xu Yizhi irritably tugged at the top button of his shirt. He was used to wearing dress shirts, and unless he was exercising, he always wore them—and the buttons had to be fastened perfectly, even if it felt uncomfortable.
Since he was a child, he had seen his eldest uncle carry himself this way, as if that were the only way to support the entire group.
Xu Yizhi took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart before answering.
"Brother, Mom’s heart is acting up. Please come back..."
Xu Yizhi said, "Call a doctor. I’m very busy today."
Sun Qing’s sobbing voice came through the receiver: "I know I shouldn’t bother you, but Mom... those news reports online, they’ve made Mom’s condition flare up."
The news, of course, was about Fang Tong being kicked out. Xu Yizhi frowned, his lips pressed into a thin line.
"If you're busy, brother, it’s fine. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Mom." Sun Qing sighed softly. "Oh, Brother, don't blame me for speaking out of turn, but Fang Tong has truly gone too far this time. Even if she's playing hard to get, she shouldn't make a joke out of a marriage. Mom never really liked her to begin with; how can the household be peaceful with all this drama?"
*Playing hard to get?*
Xu Yizhi hung up, still thinking about the phrase.
Although Fang Tong had been troublesome over the past few years, she had never gone this far. At the very least, she knew when he was angry and would apologize to coax him. But this time, not only had she not come home, but she had also caused such a scene online.
It really was playing hard to get.
It seemed he had been too indulgent with her. It was time to give her the cold shoulder.
Xu Yizhi said, "Song, what else is on the schedule for later?"