âMy baby must be very cute,â Xu Chaomu said, instinctively touching her stomach as she spoke to her phone.
âYeah, your baby must be very cute, just like you,â Shen Chi said.
His tone was very calm, like a lake without ripples.
Xu Chaomu frowned, what did he mean âherâ baby? It was his too.
âWhy donât you say âoursâ?â Xu Chaomu pouted.
In his heart, he hadnât prepared himself to truly accept the child, had he?
No wonder, with his domineering nature, accepting her and this âfather unknownâ child was already the biggest concession.
Shen Chi was silent for a moment, then spoke indifferently, âI need to prepare for a meeting.â
âShen Chi! Shen Chi!â Xu Chaomu called his name twice, but he still hung up the phone.
This man was human, not a deity, with emotions she understood.
Sheâd find another opportunity to tell him the child was his.
Then sheâd see if he still had any small temper.
Shen Chi hung up the phone and immediately regretted it.
In the business world, he was known for his composure and never allowed his emotions to show on his face or in his voice.
He was skilled in concealing his true thoughts, however, just now he hadnât been able to control himself.
He had said he would accept the child, but his behavior just now had been far from good.
Now, he felt a bit annoyed.
If only Xu Chaomuâs child were his, how wonderful that would be.
When he held her, he would hold the child too; the three of them together, as a family.
But that was just an âifâ.
Xu Chaomuâs child could be another manâs.
His head started to throb again, he closed his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows, leaning on the sofa, silently massaging his temples.
The room was quiet, not a sound to be heard, but his heart was anything but silent.
Xu Chaomu walked aimlessly through the first-floor lobby, feeling dejected.
There were many handsome men in the bustling lobby, but she had no mood to even look at them.
She⦠wanted to see Shen Chi.
It had been several days since she last saw him, and she really missed him.
She wanted to see him smile, wanted him to serve her food, wanted to tease him.
But after the phone call just now, he must be feeling uncomfortable again. Actually⦠it wasnât intentional on her partâ¦
Holding her folder, she strolled through the lobby, unwilling to leave.
Right then, she bumped into a girl who had interviewed with her for the design department.
The girl was the second to go in, and now she came out of the elevator looking sullen and unhappy.
Before Xu Chaomu could react, the girl greeted her first.
âHi.â
Xu Chaomu waved back: âHi.â
âI heard there are hidden rules at Shen Group,â the girl whispered to Xu Chaomu with an air of mystery.
Xu Chaomu widened her eyes, speaking so directly about that?
She pretended not to understand: âWhat hidden rules?â
âWerenât there three of us in the interview?â the girl leaned closer, âDo you know the background of the first girl who went in?â
Xu Chaomu shook her head: âI donât know.â
Of course, there was no need for her to know.
âHer father is the Director of the Foreign Affairs Department. Many high-ranking executives at Shenâs know her father. Thereâs no chance for the two of us,â the girl said with a scoff and a shrug.
âIsnât Shenâs supposed to be fair?â
âThatâs what they say to outsiders, for show. How could it possibly be fair?â
âThen why did you come for the interview?â Xu Chaomu blinked.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âI thought I wouldnât encounter someone with a powerful background, but as luck would have it, I did.â
Uh⦠Xu Chaomu suddenly felt guilty; did that make her one of the insiders?
âItâs okay, itâs okay, itâs not just Shenâs hiring. Iâve heard that Shenâs has high demands for employees, very strict. Itâs good not to work there; you canât be lazy,â Xu Chaomu tried to comfort her.
The girl sighed again, âFor people like us without background, who canât rely on connections, it seems no good company will want us.â
âYou canât think like that. With ability, you will still be recognized,â Xu Chaomu was much more composed.
âItâs more reliable to get married,â the girl said nonchalantly.
Xu Chaomu decided not to speak. It seemed everything she said was unwelcome.
âForget it, if itâs not meant to be here, thereâs a place where it is,â the girl muttered as she walked out of Shen Groupâs lobby.
Xu Chaomu watched her leave, thinking that girlâs attitude wasnât right.
But that first girl who went in, she had such a powerful background?
Oh, that was none of her business.
While Xu Chaomu was aimlessly wandering on the first floor, upstairs in a small conference room, a heated discussion was underway.
âI think we should just decide now, anyway, all three candidates interviewed were excellent. Itâs up to us to decide who to recruit,â a middle-aged woman said.
âLetâs just settle it then, we have to recruit one anyway. Besides, such a trivial matter, Mr. Shen wonât ask personally.â
Just then, a man with glasses pushed up his glasses, speaking slowly, âThat Xu Chaomu, letâs forget about her, look, her resume says unmarried.â
The others stared at him, a mix of confusion and anticipation for what heâd say next.
The man said, âJust now, when I stepped out, I heard her calling someone âhusbandâ on the phone.â
âThen thatâs deceit. The company doesnât need dishonest people the most.â
âMaybe the young lady was just joking,â the supervisor spoke up, âBut Xu Chaomu really does have impressive work; I want to recruit her.â
âSupervisor, please think about our department. Our performance has always been lagging, always dragging us down. If it drags on, I think we should all just resign!â the middle-aged woman said unhappily.
âLook at our department, how many are really working hard? Thatâs why I want to recruit someone capable,â the supervisor also sounded unhappy.
A tense atmosphere filled the small conference room.
âDo as you please. I donât care anymore. When the Director of the Foreign Affairs Department asks, Iâll just say I did my best.â The middle-aged woman stood up.
âLynn, donât go, letâs discuss this more,â someone tried to hold her back.
âWhat else is there to talk about? Weâve already said, it doesnât matter who we hire. Is it worth it?â The woman crossed her arms, looking coldly at everyone.
âYeah, Supervisor, letâs just hire the first girl. Her work wasnât that bad,â someone else said.
The supervisor went silent, brooding on his own.
Given their design departmentâs performance, it was no wonder their achievements werenât improving.
The room fell into a breathless silence, as each person harbored their own scheming thoughts.
This silence lasted for quite a while.
âIf we canât decide, forget it, itâs a waste of time!â The woman was ready to walk out.
Just then, the supervisorâs phone rang.
In an instant, all eyes converged on him!