“These are imported coffee beans. In the entire company, only our pantry has them,” Yao Yao explained.
“Even the IT department doesn’t have them?” Xu Youyou asked curiously.
Yao Yao shook her head. “That’s why Mr. Xu often comes up to get his coffee from here. Every time he finishes his coffee, he’ll scold Chairman Mo for being a stingy capitalist.”
Due to the high-quality coffee beans, the pantry on this floor consumed twice as much coffee compared to the other pantries.
“Then, help me make another cup of coffee. I’ll send it to my brother,” Xu Youyou said. Her brother was quite exhausted from dealing with their grandmother’s funeral over the past few days. He would be very happy if she sent him a cup of coffee. Perhaps, she had said that Mo Shenbai was the best in the world, she felt a little guilty and sorry toward her brother. Mo Shenbai was very good, but so was her brother. In her heart, there was no way she could say one was better than the other.
After sending a cup of coffee to Mo Shenbai, she snuck out and made her way to the IT department.
Since she did not use Mo Shenbai’s private elevator, she ran into many employees in the company. As a result, each time the elevator stopped on a floor, the employees that saw her would greet her with a ‘Hello, Mrs. Mo’.
Xu Youyou would smile and nod in response every time. When she finally stepped out of the elevator and arrived at the IT department, she bumped into someone.
“Senior Lu.”
Xu Youyou was surprised that she bumped into Lu Heyun. After all, the company was quite big and had many departments.
Lu Heyun was holding a pile of documents at this moment. He quickly reached to stabilize her before he called out in a neither servile nor overbearing tone, “Mrs. Mo.”
“Senior, there’s no need to address me as such,” Xu Youyou said, feeling uncomfortable about being addressed that way by him.
Lu Heyun bent over to pick up a document that dropped when he reached out to help her. He replied faintly, “This is the company. We have to follow the company’s rules and regulations.”
Xu Youyou felt a headache coming on when she recalled the new rule added to the new employee orientation program.
“I’m going back to work, Mrs. Mo,” Lu Heyun said. Clearly, he did not have any intention to stay and chat. He walked into the elevator with a pile of documents in his hands.
Xu Youyou turned to look at him. She did not know if she was overthinking things, but she felt like the people in the elevator were deliberately distancing themselves from him.
At this moment, Xu Jialu walked out and saw Xu Youyou.
“Youyou? Why are you standing here? Are you guarding the entrance for us?”
“I specially brought you coffee,” Xu Youyou replied as she handed the cup of coffee over, “The coffee beans in Mr. Bai’s pantry are freshly ground.”
Xu Jialu took a sip of the coffee and felt the tiredness over the past few days being washed away. He felt like he was alive again. However, in the next moment, he asked suspiciously, “Why are you treating me so well suddenly? Did you do anything that wronged me?”
Xu Youyou placed her hands on her back as a trace of guilt flashed in her eyes. She hastily said, “No! I’ve always treated you well! Otherwise, when you bought the sports car…”
“Ah! This coffee is really good!” Xu Jialu changed the topic and quickly turned to walk into the office.
Xu Youyou followed Xu Jialu.
As soon as they entered the office, Xu Youyou heard the employees calling out in unison.
“Hello, Mrs. Mo!”
Xu Jialu’s hands trembled slightly due to the sudden greeting, causing him to almost spill the coffee.
Xu Youyou was frightened as well, shivering. She looked at Xu Jialu pitifully as though she was asking, “Are your subordinates sick?”
Xu Jialu had mixed feelings. Then, as though he could read Xu Youyou’s thoughts, he looked at her disdainfully as if to say, “Isn’t Old Mo the sickest?”
With Xu Jialu’s constant targeting, Lin Huai’s company quickly filed for bankruptcy.
Lin Yin’s health was gradually improving, but Wang Xiaohui was going to be tried in court soon.
Xu Jialu hired Chi Zheng, the best lawyer in Beijing, while Wang Xiaohui could not even hire a decent lawyer due to the Lin family’s financial problems. It was unsurprising that she was found guilty and sent to prison.
Old Madam Lin also moved out of the big villa and squeezed into a small rental with Lin Huai and Lin Yin.
It was easy to go from being frugal to being extravagant, but it was difficult the other way around.
Old Madam Lin had gotten used to living a good life and could not adapt to not having people serving her. She had visibly lost weight in just a short time. Moreover, the conflicts between her and Lin Huai increased as well. Every two days, there would be a small quarrel; every three days, there would be a big quarrel.
Lin Huai had long wanted to divorce Wang Xiaohui. Now that this happened, he expressed his wish to divorce Wang Xiaohui again. However, Old Madam Lin strongly opposed the divorce, saying that Wang Xiaohui was the mother of his two children no matter what. She did not care how much Lin Huai played around outside, but the position of Mrs. Lin had to belong to Wang Xiaohui.
Due to Wang Xiahui, the shrew, the Lin family was ruined. Hence, Lin Huai blamed and resented Old Madam Lin greatly due to her refusal to agree to the divorce. He would poke at her sore spots whenever they argued.
Perhaps, they quarreled too much. In the end, Old Madam Lin had a heart attack. She was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment, but she could not be saved and left the world.
The Lin family was dead. Not only was the family broken, but Lin Yin was also disfigured. He was depressed for a long time before he finally left Mo City.
The Lin family was a hot topic among the elite circle in Mo City for a long time.
Meanwhile, Xu Youyou was unaware of all these matters. As time passed, her mood continued to improve. She would follow Mo Shenbai to the company every day, and occasionally, he would bring her to social events that he could not turn down.
Many people in the circle laughed at Mo Shenbai for being a slave to love, bringing his wife everywhere. They joked that he might as well use a rope to tie his wife to his side.
Xu Youyou could sense the people’s strange gazes, but she did not know the reason why. She also did not dwell on the matter. She spent her days happily, accompanying Mo Shenbai to the company, painting, gossiping with Yao Yao, or stealing Mo Shenbai’s coffee beans to make coffee for her brother.
The peaceful, warm, and relaxing days were broken by Mo Zhiyun’s arrival.
Mo Zhiyun came to the company with the intention to secretly observe Lu Heyun’s working conditions. In the end, she discovered that his time in the company was not as smooth as she had imagined. Instead, he was suppressed by his seniors and ostracized by his colleagues. He was also always given the most tiring and dirty tasks to handle.
Mo Zhiyun was young and straightforward. It was also her first time falling in love. How could she accept the person she liked being wronged in this manner? Hence, she publicly quarreled with Lu Heyun’s superior.
Due to Mo Zhiyun’s identity, Lu Heyun’s superior naturally could not say a word of retaliation.
However, this matter quickly reached Mo Shenbai’s ears, and the few of them were called into his office.
It was currently afternoon. Xu Youyou slept late the night before so after eating, she took a nap in Mo Shenbai’s private lounge.
Mo Shenbai confirmed that Xu Youyu was sound asleep in his lounge before he gently closed the door. Then, he turned around to look at the few people standing in front of his desk with a dark expression on his face. A storm was brewing in his eyes as well.
Mo Zhiyun did not rush to complain when she saw Mo Shenbai. However, as soon as she opened her mouth, she said, choking up, “You… This is too much…”
1
Mo Zhiyun’s tears fell like rain immediately.
Mo Shenbai returned to his seat and looked at Lu Heyun. Under his eyelashes, his eyes flashed briefly. Since young, he had been raised as the successor of the Mo family. Apart from receiving a top-notch education, he had also taken many classes such as riding, archery, golf, and so on. His nobility and arrogance that were carved deeply on his bones were all a result of his wealth.
Lu Heyun was completely different from Mo Shenbai. Although his posture was straight and unyielding, he still appeared inferior. Just the brand-new leather shoes on his feet reeked of cheap leather.