Chapter Eight: Turmoil in the Tea Room

The outing destination was a fairly well-known jewelry company—Baoli Jewelry—which had become synonymous with affordable luxury in the capital city. She glanced at the address and searched for it on Gaode Maps. Fortunately, it wasn’t too far: a combination of some walking and a taxi ride would take about an hour and a half. Thinking of the company’s ample budget that would reimburse travel expenses, Yu Youchu straightened up and began coordinating a meeting time with the counterpart.

The time was set for three in the afternoon. Yu Youchu silently calculated that by the time she finished and got home, it would be too late to cook. She’d have to inform Pei Jiayin as well... After all, she had solemnly promised to take care of both his breakfast and dinner. Though she knew that the wealthy man would probably eat out if she wasn’t around, she still couldn’t break her word.

Just as she was about to message Pei Jiayin, a teammate suddenly called out:
“Yu Youchu! Meeting’s starting, come quickly!”
“Okay! I’m coming!”
Yu Youchu had no choice but to turn off her phone and respond. The long meeting and work briefings made her completely forget about the matter.

By the time Yu Youchu finished her tasks, it was lunchtime. Walking toward the company cafeteria, she took Pei Jiayin off her WeChat blacklist and sent him a message.
“Thank you for what you did this morning.”
After all, he had helped her handle both Shen Wang and her mother. Without him, she might have been late for hours. Besides, he even called a lawyer to apply for something... For some inexplicable reason, she found herself recalling how he stood beside her that morning.

He replied quickly, almost instantly.
“No problem, it was nothing. Besides, it concerns me too. Helping you solve it is helping myself. Don’t worry about it.”
Biting her chopsticks, Yu Youchu checked her account balance, mentally calculating expenses. Gritting her teeth, she still sent him a message:
“That won’t do. If you hadn’t agreed to co-rent with me, you wouldn’t have gotten into so much trouble...”
“How about this: I’ll treat you to a meal this weekend, sound good?”
“Though it’s not a very expensive restaurant, it’s my heartfelt thanks for helping me with the Shen Wang problem, and also a celebration for our new home.”

This time, he didn’t reply for a long while. Yu Youchu, tired of waiting, turned off her phone and focused on eating.

The staff cafeteria at Huasheng was quite good—affordable, varied, and the perfect choice for Yu Youchu. She counted her expenses like a miser:
Three thousand yuan rent per month, only sharing fuel costs for commuting, just lunch every day... Suddenly, the future seemed full of hope, and life felt radiant. Her smile grew noticeably brighter.

After eating her fill, Yu Youchu opened her phone and saw a message from Pei Jiayin:
“Okay, just finished work. I’m free Sunday, you pick the place and time.”

She typed while walking, stopping at the doorway of the tea room.
“Then Sunday evening at Jinyang Grand Hotel, how about that?”
“Sounds good.”

Just as she put down her phone and reached for the door, two faint voices drifted through.
“Hey, did you hear that woman at the gate this morning claiming Yu Youchu is the kept mistress of a rich second-generation heir? Do you think it’s true?”
She immediately froze, her hand on the doorknob.
“What? What’s that about? I didn’t see anything.”
“You came in early, so you probably missed it. I overheard it while passing by, but I was rushing so I just clocked in and left.”

Another voice spoke—it was Wan Ninghe, a fellow intern and, in a way, Yu Youchu’s competitor among the newcomers.
“It has to be true; I even heard Yu Youchu call that woman ‘Mom’! Can you believe that?”
“Really? I don’t believe it. Isn’t Yu Youchu supposed to have a boyfriend? They’ve been together happily for two or three years!”

Yu Youchu realized there were quite a few people nearby. She rubbed her forehead; the tea room was a hotbed of gossip. Indeed, today’s misfortunes just kept piling up.

Wan Ninghe’s voice rose again:
“She’s so desperate, trying to sell her body for money—shameless. Mark my words, if Yu Youchu would sleep with a rich heir for money today, she wouldn’t hesitate to climb onto the boss’s bed tomorrow...”

Unable to endure it any longer, Yu Youchu was about to open the door when a slender hand reached around her and pressed down on the handle first.

The door swung open with a sharp click, and the air seemed to freeze in that moment. The three inside and Yu Youchu exchanged glances, their faces a riot of emotions.

Yu Youchu noticed their gazes briefly shifted to the person standing behind her.
The three stammered, “Le-Leader Bai...”

Startled, Yu Youchu turned around. It was Bai Bingge who had just opened the door. She had thought that someone like Bai Bingge would choose to stay out of such petty matters.

Bai Bingge’s cool voice echoed in the tea room:
“If you have time to gossip and spread rumors here, why not focus on improving your work efficiency or finding inspiration for your copywriting? From the looks of you, should I say you’re too idle, or that your tasks are already finished?”

“No, no, Leader Bai, we’ll get back to work right away!”

The awkward atmosphere thickened, but the three responded quickly. Except for Wan Ninghe, who wore a stiff expression, the other two sincerely apologized to Yu Youchu.
“Sorry, Youchu, we were wrong. Please don’t be upset. We only heard rumors and shouldn’t have believed them so easily next time.”
“It’s okay. Besides, like Leader Bai said, with so much work, when would I have time to be a kept mistress to a rich heir?”

Yu Youchu made a small joke to move past the incident. Except for Wan Ninghe, the others were full-time employees, while she was still an intern and preferred to avoid making enemies.

Moreover, Wan Ninghe’s face clearly revealed a petty nature. Once she held a grudge, she would cling on like a parasite—something Yu Youchu dreaded most in life.

The three quickly dispersed, pushing and shoving as they left the tea room.

Before leaving, Wan Ninghe glanced back at Yu Youchu with unmistakable hostility in her eyes. Yu Youchu felt inexplicably irritated. Even if they were competitors at work, she should settle scores through skill and competence, not by whispering behind her back!

And yet, despite being the one wronged, she was the one glared at.

At that thought, Yu Youchu’s competitive spirit was ignited. Disregarding whether Wan Ninghe held grudges, she shot a provocative look back at her.