Confessing To An Annoying Boss

“Can I have a chat with you?”

As they got closer, a rich scent of lily of the valley wafted into Qiao Ziman’s nose.
Qiao Ziman hated overly strong perfumes. But the fragrance on this woman was bright and fresh, sweet but not overwhelming—quite pleasant.

Qiao Ziman nervously swallowed.

Chi Yin spoke into the phone, “Hold on a second.” She removed her Bluetooth earpiece and slowly turned her head, letting out a puzzled “Hmm?”

As their eyes met, Qiao Ziman’s expression was a riot of colors. So, she was on the phone? She wasn’t eavesdropping? How presumptuous of her. Wouldn’t she think she’s crazy?

Qiao Ziman’s heart began to pound with anxiety. But when she thought of the disgusting man lurking behind her, she forced her anxious heart to settle, raised her chin defiantly, and said, “Well? Yes or no, give me a straight answer.”

The more aggressive her words, the timider her expression. She was frantically winking and almost on the verge of tears. Her pitiful eyes practically screamed, “Add me, please!”

Chi Yin studied her for a long while—long enough for Qiao Ziman’s anxiety to spike again—before she finally acted.

Ding.

[“Yin” has requested to add you as a WeChat friend.]

What loyalty! Qiao Ziman’s heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled back down. She mouthed a “thank you” before coolly turning around and walking back to the man. She held the screen up to his face, showing off.

“Did you learn something?” Then, right in front of him, she accepted the friend request. “You think you’re worthy?”

She turned to Chi Yin and smiled. “Oh, by the way, darling.” Qiao Ziman cringed at her own flirtatious tone, but she forced herself to continue. “Now that you’ve added me, you’re not allowed to add anyone else, especially…” She pointed at the man whose face had turned the color of liver. “…someone like this—creepy and arrogant.”

“Idiot!”

With that, she tossed her bag over her shoulder, held her head high, and strode away.

“Pfft, who does she think she is? What a piece of work,” the man cursed at Qiao Ziman’s retreating figure. Annoyed, he pulled out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and with a “click,” his lighter was ready—when suddenly, the woman at the next table spoke.

Her tone was unusually cold, carrying an unmistakable sense of disdain. Chi Yin said, “Didn’t you hear that young lady say smoking is prohibited here?”

She looked nothing like Qiao Ziman. If Qiao Ziman was like an understated landscape painting, soft and graceful…

…then Chi Yin was like a vividly colored oil painting, vibrant and striking. She was more like a rose bristling with thorns. Her sharp edges were fully exposed, and when serious, she exuded an intense, almost oppressive, aggression.

What was going on today? Why was everyone out to get him? “You son of a—” The man caught sight of Chi Yin’s frosty gaze and shuddered, swallowing the curse. He stiffened his neck and muttered, “What’s it got to do with you?”

Chi Yin didn’t respond. Instead, she waved over a waiter, who leaned in and she whispered something. The waiter then turned to the man and said, “Sir, our boss requests that you leave.”

With that, he stood beside the man and made a gesture indicating it was time to go.

The boss? “Damn it!”

The man’s face alternated between red and white. He wanted to lash out but was wary of losing face in public, so he shot Chi Yin a fierce glare. Through gritted teeth, he spat out a threat, “You just wait,” before slinking away, looking somewhat disheveled.

Chi Yin put her Bluetooth earpiece back in, her face returning to its usual indifferent expression. “Anything else?”

“Sis, you’re acting a bit strange today.”

The voice on the other end was Chi Yin’s half-sister, Jiang Shu. After their parents divorced and remarried, Chi Yin was sent abroad not long after. She drifted alone overseas until adulthood, rarely keeping in touch with her family. Jiang Shu was the only family member who could reach her by phone, though even that was only occasionally.

“Sis, you’ve been smiling all day.”

“And you even agreed to let that girl add you on WeChat.”

“And, and—”

“Is your homework done?” Chi Yin asked calmly, the seriousness in her tone immediately cutting off the voice on the other end. After a moment, a quiet response came, “Yes, it’s done.”

“Bye-bye.”

“Wait, Sis,” Jiang Shu called out urgently.

Chi Yin: “Hmm?”

“Did you really say you’re going to work at Mom’s company?” Jiang Shu knew that her sister, who had always been exceptional, never showed any interest in the family business. This sudden decision to help out was very unusual.

Chi Yin chuckled softly. “I suddenly got interested,” she said, then quickly changed the subject. “But no more than six months. Once her health improves, I’ll be gone.”

“That’ll make Mom really happy. Oh, Sis, are you coming home for dinner next week?”

“No,” Chi Yin rejected the offer bluntly, her tone cold and distant, keeping others at arm’s length.

Jiang Shu knew her sister’s temperament and didn’t push further. “Alright, then. Bye.”

Chi Yin hung up the phone and put away her earpiece, tilting her head to gaze out the window. The neon lights outside sparkled like stars, casting shifting reflections on the glass, obscuring her face in a play of light and shadow.

*

Qiao Ziman got off the subway and slowly made her way back to her rented apartment. She had initially chosen this remote neighborhood to save money. It was a five-kilometer walk from the subway station to her home, which she usually considered a form of exercise. But after a grueling day at work, dealing with a bizarre blind date, and listening to her mom’s frantic phone call, she felt utterly drained—both physically and mentally.

Normally sharp-tongued, Qiao Ziman was unusually quiet.

He Cuizhen sensed something was off and asked worriedly, “Sweetheart, have I been pushing you too hard? Don’t blame your mom.”

Hearing the disappointment in her mother’s voice, Qiao Ziman suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

Since her father’s death, all the burdens of life had fallen on her mother. Qiao Ziman once thought her mother was very strong, until she discovered He Cuizhen secretly wiping away tears in the middle of the night on several occasions. Later, to repay the debt from her father’s medical treatment, she even developed severe anxiety. It’s only recently that things have gotten a bit better.

Fearing her mother might get stuck in a negative mindset again, Qiao Ziman quickly forced a smile and said, “Ms. He Cuizhen, please stop your speculation. I’m just organizing my words.”

“Unfortunately, my limited vocabulary can’t quite capture the absurdity of that person.”

“Mom, tell me honestly, am I the child of your enemy? I’m only twenty-six, still in my prime, and you’re determined to turn me from a spirited young woman into a weary older sister?”

He Cuizhen was silent for a moment before resuming her usual stern tone. “Qiao Ziman!”

“Even if someone is ridiculous, do you have to resort to name-calling?”

Qiao Ziman hissed, “How is it that the bad guy is making the first move?” She then explained the situation in detail to her mother.

There was silence on the other end of the line once more. After a long pause, there was an extremely angry roar. “What does that old Zhang think he’s doing? Pushing such a misfit onto my daughter? And you! Why didn’t you hit him?”

Qiao Ziman was puzzled. “Mom, what are you doing?”

“Looking for a broom!”

Qiao Ziman: “???”

“Go and hit that old man with the surname Zhang.”