chapter 48

Next day, when Bai Weijin went downstairs, Gu Yeze had gone out.

She was a little surprised and unaccustomed. In former days, Gu Yeze always sat on the couch and watched the news, with a cup of coffee in his hand, while waiting for her.

She had a light breakfast quietly and took a taxi to the company.

Everyone at President’s Office lapsed into a glum silence.

Gu Yeze showed a very changeable disposition, and today he looked distinctly frosty.

The assistants who came to hand documents to him this morning all got a good scolding. Gu Yeze was seen to stride out of the elevator near the front desk and went upstairs.

He wore such a stern expression all the way that everyone realized he was in a foul mood.

Bai Weijin also felt the intense atmosphere when she arrived at the company.

Many guessed what had upset their president.

“President often goes to work with his wife. Why don’t they come together?”

A female staffer who harbored some grudge against Bai Weijin joined in the conversation, “Humph, because President detests her now.”

“I think so. President Gu has seen innumerable beauties; how come he loves one woman only?”

Occasionally someone sensible chipped in:

“President and his wife seem to have had a quarrel, so he looks black.”

Yet those words aroused no echoes in the female colleagues’ hearts and were drowned out by their chirps.

The atmosphere at the office was also strained.

Bai Weijin would not bother to listen to them. She feigned ignorance and entered her office.

The rumor that she fell out of favor with Gu Yeze would go around soon.

Bai Weijin didn’t care how others would comment on her. As long as they didn’t risk provoking her, they were free to whisper behind her back.

As to the follow-up work on the newly acquired housing estates, Bai Weijin always sent Zhang Lanxin on errands in order to shun Gu Yeze.

Unexpectedly, the girl came back weeping after she helped hand in a second proposal. Bai Weijin looked at her tearful eyes.

“What’s the crack? Did anyone tell you off?” Bai Weijin liked the lively and friendly girl. Moreover, she tended to look after her people.

Zhang Lanxin shook her head and handed the paper to Bai Weijin, “President said some paragraphs need rewriting and told me to give it to you.”

Bai Weijin was immediately aware that Gu Yeze must have vented his anger on Zhang Lanxin. She dumped the document and went upstairs to get even with Gu Yeze.

To her surprise, conditions at the Executive Division were no better.

Bai Weijin found a girl in tears when she reached the 23rd floor.

She pushed open the door of Gu Yeze’s office.

The man gazed at the computer screen, expressionless. On hearing the sound, he thought it was his assistant.

“Did Gu’s recruit you to trouble me with petty things?

Bai Weijin made no answer. She closed the door to prevent others from peeping in.

Gu Yeze wanted to see who was coming and why he or she still stayed at his office after the warning.

Gu Yeze raised his head, and Bai Weijin’s sullen face came into view.

Gu Yeze put aside the work on hand. “I wonder if there’s any fault in my proposal so that you went so far as to verbally abuse my assistant.”

Bai Weijin approached him and threw the papers in her hand onto the table.

“Of course there is. If your assistant cannot withstand a single blow, I don’t mind accepting her resignation.” Gu Yeze was taken by surprise when seeing her come in.

He thought she might come to acknowledge her mistake, only to find that this woman questioned him immediately following her entering the room, which threw him into a rage.

“Shall you discipline my assistant in person, President?” Bai Weijin looked into Gu Yeze’s eyes and asked, without yielding to his pressure.

“Given that you can’t handle your work well, I’m afraid you have no time to discipline your assistant. I wouldn’t mind lending you a hand.” Gu Yeze paused and then added:

“As your partner, I have an obligation to offer all the help within my power.”

Bai Weijin gave a sneer. The man was simply unreasonable.

In addition to deliberately picking fault with her proposal, he even took his anger out on anybody.

“You don’t need to behave in this way, President Gu. It there is any mistake in my plan, please point it out. If not, please stop finding fault with innocent people.” Bai Weijin was really irritated.

Having made such cutting remarks, she strode out, banging the boor behind her.

The assistants and staffers at the door were stunned by her action.

She was the first one who showed no respect for President’s feelings, let alone slamming the door shut.

People outside heard the smash of glass.

They felt sorry about the smashed furniture.. Nothing in Gu Yeze’s office was cheap, each worth at least one hundred thousand dollars.

With a scowling look on her face, Bai Weijin took the elevator as if not hearing anything.

Concerning what had happened in Gu Yeze’s office, no one dared to spread it outwards. As a result, few learnt that Bai Weijin and Gu Yeze had a quarrel this morning.

The rest of people could only make a guess at what Bai Weijin had done on the 23rd floor and judge the situation by her look.

Finally, they came to the conclusion that Bai Weijin had a blazing row with President and was driven away.

As likely as not, she was about to be divorced.

Bai Weijin walked straight toward her office. She could tell from their smug smiles what they were thinking.

Zhang Lanxin paced the floor at Bai Weijin’s office, for fear that she would squabble with President over her matter.

Seeing Bai Weijin walk downstairs, Zhang Lanxin hurriedly went to meet her, “You weren’t quarrelling with President, were you? … To be honest, he hasn’t gone too far.”

The moment Bai Weijin stormed out, Zhang Lanxin began to regret not biting her tongue.

Notwithstanding, she was totally unentitled to mediate in their disputes, so she had been waiting for Bai Weijin anxiously.

“Of course not. I’m not impulsive or unreasonable, so I just had a little debate with him.” Bai Weijin told an out-and-out lie.

Zhang Lanxin breathed a sigh of relief.

“Good! Sister Bai, the way they talked of you really pissed me off.”

Bai Weijin gave a shrug.

“I don’t care what they thought. As to later documents, you can hand them to Gu Yeze’s assistant, and if there’s some work, tell her to see me directly.” She said to Zhang Lanxin.

Aware that she was in a bad mood, Zhang Lanxin resisted the temptation to make a detailed inquiry and retreated from her office.