Chapter 60

 

Mrs. Huang was completely unaware that the elevator doors had opened. Her sarcastic words shot over like shards of ice. They didn’t pierce Ming Xi’s heart—only fell at her feet.

For something that wasn’t even true, Ming Xi felt nothing but anger, not the slightest fear.

Ming Xi’s gaze passed over Mrs. Huang and met Liang Jiancheng’s as his eyes swept toward her. His dark lashes tightened abruptly, and a deep, shadowed emotion surged in his eyes. Before Ming Xi could make sense of it, Mrs. Huang sneered at her again, clearly accustomed to speaking in such blunt, biting style.

Then, Mrs. Huang extended her hand, gesturing for her to hand over the bird’s nest.

Ming Xi remained unmoved, intending to respond to the slander before handing over the bird’s nest. She could quit this job if she wanted—but if she didn’t say her piece now, she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

Slightly straightening her back, she subtly tugged at the corners of her lips and said, word by word, “Mrs. Huang, I’m just an ordinary employee at Haiou. I know you’re Mr. Huang’s wife and a shareholder in the company. I respect you, but I also hope you can respect me. As for what you just said, I don’t know where you heard it from. If you have any doubts, you can ask Mr. He yourself. I’m upright and honest; there’s no improper relationship between him and me. If you insult me like that, you need to provide evidence. If there is no evidence and merely speculation, then it’s slander and fabrication. Even if I leave this company, I will still defend my reputation. The court isn’t run by your family, is it?”

Mrs. Huang: …

She truly didn’t expect a girl from out of town to be so sharp-tongued! Not only was she unafraid, she showed no deference at all!

Ming Xi pursed her lips; she only respected those who deserve respect.

“You…” Mrs. Huang tried to retort, but found herself at a loss for words.

Ming Xi lifted her chin slightly. Her gaze shifted subtly to the left, and her free hand extended the same way. Calm under pressure and smiling, she said: “The elevator doors are open, Mrs. Huang, please go in quickly, don’t keep the people inside waiting.”

Mrs. Huang suddenly turned her head and realized there was someone standing in the elevator.

Embarrassed and furious, she snatched the bird’s nest from Ming Xi’s hands and strode into the elevator on her pointed high heels.

Ming Xi stood with her feet together, her expression stubborn yet composed, preparing to see Mrs. Huang off properly—

When Liang Jiancheng finally withdrew his gaze. A faint smile touched his handsome face as he spoke: “You… why not escort her all the way down? Come in together.”

Liang Jiancheng’s voice suddenly rang out, and the fact that he spoke to her in such a commanding tone was really unexpected.

Ming Xi felt her breath stall for a moment: …

Had she heard him wrong? Was Liang Jiancheng really telling her to continue escorting Mrs. Huang?

Yes, she had already come this far, so escorting her a little further wouldn’t hurt. Liang Jiancheng curved his lips into a barely perceptible, wicked smile. His long, elegant, pleasing-to-the-eye hand courteously pressed the elevator button.

The well-functioning elevator remained patiently open for her.

Similarly, Mrs. Huang, who had entered the elevator, also looked at Liang Jiancheng and noticed that this young man was actually Gu Shuangyang’s only son, and a hint of pride appeared on her long face. He must have remembered her; they had met last year at the newly built golf course in Haigang. Though they weren’t close, the fact that he directly asked the working girl to come in suggested he had heard her outrageous remarks and couldn’t stand it.

A low-ranking employee who slept her way up daring to be so rude to the boss’s wife—any company owner would feel obliged to step in…

Mrs. Huang felt a surge of pride, a smug gleam in her eyes.

Looking at Ming Xi outside, she adopted a familiar tone with Liang Jiancheng and said: “No need. Girls these days are so arrogant and ill-mannered. Don’t be fooled by a decent appearance—the inside is rotten and stinks. Just standing next to her makes me feel sick.”

Mrs. Huang kept babbling on.

Liang Jiancheng completely ignored her, only nodding slightly to Ming Xi. This subtle gesture seemed to be telling her firmly in his unique “Liang-style language”: Trust me, Ming Xi.

Ming Xi really didn’t know what Liang Jiancheng was up to, but out of trust in him as a friend, she still stepped into the elevator. He’d better not let me down, she thought. If I came in just to keep taking abuse, I’ll take it out on him.

Liang Jiancheng said nothing, lowered his head slightly, and leisurely took a few steps back, leaving her the space in front of him.

The elevator doors slowly closed.

One hand in his pocket, Liang Jiancheng stood tall and composed.

Having already mistaken him for an “ally,” Mrs. Huang, emboldened by his earlier silence, put on a show of magnanimity: “There are plenty of shameless young girls out there. Saying even one more word lowers my own worth. They’re absolutely filthy.”

“It is quite filthy…” Liang Jiancheng suddenly picked up her words.

Mrs. Huang turned her head, looking at Liang Jiancheng with satisfaction, intending to strike up a connection: “You are Director Gu’s son, right? We met at the Heyue Golf Course last year…”

Liang Jiancheng ignored Mrs. Huang’s self-introduction and stated plainly: “Sorry, you misunderstood me. I wasn’t saying Miss Ming is filthy—I was saying your mouth is.”

Liang Jiancheng rarely argued or cursing people. Even when Maggie went crazy in front of him last year, he only told her to go back to kindergarten to receive basic value education. He wasn’t good at cursing, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t retaliate and return the insult Mrs. Huang had given Ming Xi.

Old Liang used to say that if he wanted to make someone feel bad, he had plenty of ways.

A look of utter contempt was sometimes more lethal than the vilest curse.

Likewise, Liang Jiancheng didn’t enjoy placing himself above others, especially a woman of his elders’ generation. Not enjoying it didn’t mean he wouldn’t—

At this moment, he looked down at her from above, the corners of his lips pulled downward, his gaze nearly icy as it locked onto her.

His expression was cold to the extreme. An arrogance born of privilege and a careless disdain radiated from him, while the hatred in his gaze seemed to drag him back to the fierce moral clarity of his youth—when he still despised evil with uncompromising intensity.

Cold and openly contemptuous, he stared straight at Mrs. Huang’s face, now twisted with disbelief—so stunned, so shaken that she couldn’t summon a single word in rebuttal.

He had completely cast aside the restraint, decorum, and cultivated manners he usually upheld.

When Mrs. Huang had hurled those cutting words at Ming Xi earlier, it was he—not Ming Xi—who had truly been driven mad with rage.

Liang Jiancheng was not ignorant of how society worked. As someone who benefited from the existing system, it was indeed difficult for him to fully put himself in the shoes of an out-of-town working woman and empathize with the hardships she faced. He understood, however, that a beautiful girl might gain certain advantages in the workplace. After all, appreciation of beauty was human nature; good looks were undeniably an asset. Yet the darker side of human nature lay in this: for beautiful girls who lacked family backing or positional power, what awaited them more often was manipulation, disdain, and humiliation.

The things Mrs. Huang said to Ming Xi clearly indicated she had investigated Ming Xi’s background beforehand. If Ming Xi weren’t from out of town, but just a local girl from Haigang, Mrs. Huang wouldn’t have made such malicious accusations.

The filth flung at Ming Xi was not only splashed onto her pretty face, but also onto the harsh reality of her having no support, no one to stand behind her.

Without question, this was the moment Liang Jiancheng abandoned all hesitation—solely to stand up for Ming Xi.

“You are… Mrs. Huang, right? I’ve seen you before, though I don’t remember you very clearly. Your husband, Mr. Huang, I do recognize—we often run into each other in this elevator. And there’s also your uncle, Huang Shizong, the investor who returned from Taiwan. He’s quite close with my mother; I hear her mention him from time to time.”

Liang Jiancheng subtly brought up Mrs. Huang’s real backer, speaking with a nonchalant yet familiar tone, deliberately adopting the manner of speech common in the very social circle he usually disdained. He reached out, not to put his hand on Ming Xi’s shoulder, but to gently grasp her hand in an equal gesture.

Mrs. Huang instantly lost control. Her face contorted, her expression warped—yet she couldn’t utter a single word.

“Huang Shizong is humble and courteous, and he conducts himself with integrity. How could he possibly have a relative as rash and domineering as you?”

“I…” Mrs. Huang tried to defend herself, but the words caught in her throat.

Seeing her like this, Ming Xi was suddenly reminded of Zhao Yang.

Her hand was held tightly by Liang Jiancheng.

A warm, powerful, and unwavering sense of reassurance flowed from their clasped hands straight into her heart. Watching him abandon his usual refined restraint and strike back for her with the most direct, cutting words left her whole body tingling.

There was a trace of exhilaration, a hint of excitement, and a little embarrassment. But more than anything, she felt something she had never experienced before—an overwhelming sense of safety.

As if, even if she were to fall into the abyss at this very moment, someone would be there for her.

The elevator reached the basement level. Despite having worked here for so long, this was Ming Xi’s first time in the underground parking garage.

When the doors opened, Mrs. Huang—thoroughly humiliated—staggered slightly, desperate to leave as quickly as possible.

With things having reached this point, Liang Jiancheng didn’t stop her.

As Mrs. Huang hurried out, Liang Jiancheng delivered his final and most important words:

“Mrs. Huang, the Miss Ming you just mocked is someone I personally respect and admire, and she is also my closest female friend. Your baseless slander against her has made me extremely angry, and I cannot stand by and ignore it. Any offense I’ve caused needs no forgiveness from you. Out of respect for Huang Shizong, I’ll give you one warning: spreading rumors will only bring consequences on yourself.”

Mrs. Huang’s face turned ashen. She abruptly turned around, raising a trembling finger to point at Liang Jiancheng.

“You…”

Liang Jiancheng finally regained his usual composure, staring coldly her: “Mrs. Huang, take care.” Mrs. Huang was speechless, and could only glare fiercely at Ming Xi in the end. Ming Xi mimicked Liang Jiancheng’s calm, fearless demeanor and blinked at Mrs. Huang lightly—

“Mrs. Huang, take care!”

A red Hyundai sedan was parked ahead. Mrs. Huang practically scrambled into the car, carrying a bag in one hand and bird’s nest in the other, looking like a defeated weasel after committing mischief—furious, humiliated, and fleeing in disgrace.

The engine roared to life, and the car sped out of the underground parking area.

Pfft…

Ming Xi and Liang Jiancheng stood facing each other.

“Thank you…” After saying it, she wanted to explain more, but then thought better of it. Any further explanation would only make her sick.

“What are you thanking me for? Aren’t we good friends? If I couldn’t speak up for you in this situation, what kind of friend would I be?” Liang Jiancheng’s tone was calm, his attitude clear.

For some reason, Ming Xi’s mouth felt dry—perhaps from the effort of standing up to Mrs. Huang, or perhaps from the earlier surge of anger. She casually asked Liang Jiancheng, “Do you have water in your car?”

“I do.”

Liang Jiancheng had originally planned to make a trip to the tax bureau. Mark had already come down early and was waiting in the car.

Liang Jiancheng told Ming Xi to wait a moment, then went to his car and opened the trunk.

Mark stood by the car, one hand holding his boss’s briefcase, the other clutching tax documents. Watching Liang Jiancheng retrieve a bottle of water from the trunk, he couldn’t help calling out:

“Mr. Liang…”

“Wait a moment,” Liang Jiancheng instructed.

The Liang Jiancheng who had been so sharp-tongued with Mrs. Huang just moments before was gradually regaining his composure and gentleness. Even now, as he fetched water for Ming Xi, his expression and demeanor revealed a willing tenderness.

The sight shocked Mark so much that he instinctively shuffled his feet, wishing he could crawl straight under the car.

Although Mark hadn’t witnessed the dramatic showdown in the elevator, he had seen his boss interacting with Miss Ming—the popular, strikingly beautiful sales rep from Haiou Company downstairs. He’d never been entirely sure about his boss’s rumored playboy image, but seeing him personally bring her water and speak softly to her made him sigh.

Mark couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he saw clearly how his boss’s gaze lingered attentively on Miss Ming’s face—and how he even reached out to rest a hand lightly on her shoulder…

Good heavens! Were rich and handsome bosses really this casual, this unrestrained with beautiful women? Just like that, already making a move…

Mark’s idealized image of his boss shattered instantly.

…

Today, Mark was driving, and Liang Jiancheng sat in the passenger seat. Mark adopted the professional attitude of a business assistant, remaining silent and refusing to comment on his boss’s behavior.

As a working professional, even if Mr. Liang told him to buy condoms right now, he would do it without hesitation.

“Ming Xi and I are friends,” Liang Jiancheng said in a deliberately controlled tone to Mark as he drove.

Liang Jiancheng couldn’t peer into Mark’s thoughts. Considering that he and Ming Xi worked in the same building—and that Mark had seen them together—he added the clarification anyway, despite his basic trust in his assistant.

He wasn’t concerned about his own reputation, but rather Ming Xi’s.

“Oh, oh…” Mark responded quickly, licking his lips and forcing a polite smile. “It does look that way. How did Mr. Liang and Miss Ming meet?”

Liang Jiancheng didn’t answer.

Mark immediately felt awkward.

With mild resignation—but no loss of authority—Liang Jiancheng remarked coolly, “Mark, as my assistant, you should work on your memory. Ming Xi came to Xinghai before. Have you forgotten?”

Mark felt even more awkward. Of course he remembered. Back then, Ming Xi had still been a Longmao sales associate who came to see the boss about business. But who could have imagined that a salesperson and Mr. Liang had already known each other back then?

“Oh—right! I remember… I just didn’t expect Mr. Liang and Miss Ming to know each other back then,” Mark quickly tried to cover for himself.

The car drove out of the basement, and Liang Jiancheng spoke again: “I’ve known her even before that.”

Mark nodded lightly, unconsciously steadying his breathing. Inside, he was already reeling with shock, wild speculations flooding his mind—because Liang’s words, “I’ve known her even before that,” were incredibly alluring.

It sounded as though there were countless twists of fate and tangled intersections between the two, as if the boss had long since surrendered to destiny itself…

“Mr. Liang’s friends are truly outstanding. The entire Zhongjin Tower is discussing Miss Ming’s recent order,” Mark displayed the obsequious skills expected of a professional, especially considering he was Liang Jiancheng’s assistant.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Liang Jiancheng asked, “What do they say?”

Liang Jiancheng had also inadvertently learned that there was a gossip group in the Zhongjin Tower. Although he didn’t know what the group usually discussed, he knew that many employees working in the building was in that group, and they loved to talk about the private affairs of several bosses.

He was a boss, not a saint. He personally didn’t care much about people speculating idly about his private life. Society was far more tolerant toward men than women, after all.

A man’s romantic history was often seen as charm. Even his own mother—who wasn’t promiscuous at all, merely marrying a man with a significant age gap—had still been subjected to plenty of gossip, despite being outstanding and impeccable in her career.

In this regard, he and his mother shared the same mindset: let people talk; no need to respond. That was human nature. Once you saw through it, there was nothing more to it.

But today, Liang Jiancheng discovered his own “double standards.”Things he didn’t care about when it concerned himself suddenly became intolerable when it involved Ming Xi. He found himself uncharacteristically fixated.

When Liang Jiancheng asked to hear what those gossip-loving people in Zhongjin were saying about Miss Ming, Mark hesitated. He wasn’t sure how much of it was appropriate to relay.

Gossips, of course, were always a mix of good and bad.

There were praises and affirmations, and there were also harsh and sarcastic remarks.

“Overall, people speak pretty positively about Miss Ming. Her excellence and beauty are undeniable, and she’s also very good with people. Mr. Liang, you might not know this, but many of Xinghai’s sales representatives are actually on good terms with her privately. She’s straightforward and open—any normal person can feel that…

“However, there are also some people who don’t really know Miss Ming. Somehow, rumors started spreading that she had some kind of relationship with Mr. He. As for why that rumor exists—on one hand, Miss Ming is beautiful, and on the other, Mr. Huang and Mr. He already had poor reputations in that regard. Mr. He even had an affair with a female sales rep before. The veteran sales rep working at Zhongjin all know about this; it’s old news, and I only heard about it from others. Mostly, it’s just people being shallow and vulgar, and Miss Ming got dragged into it for no reason.”

Mark was a tactful assistant, and he spoke with restraint and fairness. He stole a glance at Mr, Liang in the passenger seat and noticed his expression growing darker. Internally, Mark sighed and quickly clarified his own stance: “Mr. Liang, I assure you, I’ve never doubted Miss Ming’s character. He Yuan may seem more gentlemanly than Mr. Huang, but compared to you… he doesn’t even come close. Someone like Miss Ming, who can be friends with you—if I were her, I certainly wouldn’t settle out of desperation…”

However, Liang Jiancheng’s expression didn’t improve. Instead, he responded coolly to Mark’s speculation.

“Mark, you’re still underestimating her.”

Mark was startled and tried to explain, “I’m not, Mr. Liang.”

Liang Jiancheng continued, “It’s not your fault, it’s human nature. Ming Xi went from being a saleswoman to a foreign trade sales rep, so many people assume she got into Haiou through knowing He Yuan. What they don’t realize is that Haiou is only a stepping stone for her. If she continues developing in this industry, she’ll leave Haiou sooner or later.”

Mark took the hint and stopped offering opinions, nodding silently instead.

“If she really wanted to climb the ladder by relying on men, why search far instead of near?” Liang Jiancheng added lightly, the corner of his lips lifting.

Mark’s initial surprise turned into a jolt of shock.

What did Mr. Liang say…

Why search far instead of near …?

What kind of earth-shattering secret was he hearing?

Based on Mark’s understanding of Mr. Liang’s cautious nature, even jokes were never ambiguous. If Mr. Liang said something like this so plainly, it had to be intentional—perhaps even meant to be passed along.

Was that it? Mark’s feelings were complex; he hoped Mr. Liang could be more cleared. That word “near”—did it mean the person right in front of her, close at hand?

Was Mr. Liang talking about… himself?

As an assistant who couldn’t fully read his boss’s intentions, Mark could only play dumb and ask outright: “Mr. Liang, you mean… toward Miss Ming…?”

“I’m pursuing her, but I haven’t succeeded yet.” Liang Jiancheng’s expression was calm, his tone slightly hesitant, as if he were stating a long-term plan that had just begun and was not yet complete.

Mark’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. Seeing the red light ahead, he slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a screeching halt.

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