"Damn it, damn it, damn it. How could this happen? How could someone like Bai Jing be worthy of the Director's position, and that bitch, how could she be worthy of being an Elder?"
In the office, Che Fengqiong had smashed everything she could, but it still didn't quell her anger. The thought that she would never have a chance at the Director's position and would forever remain a supervisor made her heart ache with frustration.
The more she thought about it, the more hatred festered within her. She turned abruptly and asked Yang Qi and Hang Ding, who were standing at the door, "Go find out where Elder Lou is."
As if granted a pardon, the two turned and fled. After a dozen minutes, they returned with news.
Che Fengqiong immediately went to find Lou Mingfang.
Upon seeing Che Fengqiong, Lou Mingfang's face darkened considerably, and her words were merciless. "You still have the nerve to come see me? I thought you were ashamed and had already packed your bags and left."
Che Fengqiong stepped forward and asked, "Elder Lou, is there really no way? Is Bai Jing becoming the Director a done deal? I haven't skimped on my filial piety to you this year. You promised to leave the Director's position to me."
Lou Mingfang's face contorted with anger, and she cursed, "You have the audacity to come here and question me? The path I paved for you, you ruined it all yourself. You just had to go and hold an interview, you just had to bring trouble upon yourself. What use is that wooden fish head of yours besides coveting the Director's position? You don't even know who your opponent is, and you dared to compete. I think you're not brainless, you're just kicked in the head by a donkey."
"What's the use of saying all this now? Didn't you also lose 4 to 6? How did you guarantee it to me? You said the Director's position would definitely be mine, but you couldn't even convince the Elder Council. Even without this interview today, you were still 4 to 5. How could it possibly be my turn?"
Lou Mingfang was already furious from her authority as an elder being challenged repeatedly today. Now, Che Fengqiong dared to yell at her, making her so angry she felt like spitting blood.
"Shut your mouth, you useless piece of trash! Do you know how much benefits I gave to those surnamed Xu and Chen to support you? Do you know the great losses this failure has brought me? Now that Bai Jing is in charge of the Embroidery Bureau, the entire Embroidery Bureau will oppose me. It's enough that I haven't settled accounts with you, yet you have the nerve to bark at me. Believe it or not, I can fire you right now and make sure you can never get by in this circle again."
Che Fengqiong's hatred brought tears to her eyes. "Elder Lou, you can't treat me like this. I've been loyal to you all these years. You can't just kick me aside now."
Lou Mingfang's expression turned even more ruthless. "Remember your identity and your place. Whether I kick you aside is up to me. Just pray that I might still have a use for you in the future, otherwise, I will definitely settle this score with you today."
Che Fengqiong gritted her teeth, but there was nothing she could do. Lou Mingfang had the means to make her unable to establish herself in this circle. She could only leave with deep hatred, return to her office, and as she thought more, her hatred grew, and the idea of revenge festered in her heart until it erupted.
It was already four in the afternoon, and there were fewer people in the exhibition hall. Che Fengqiong approached Wang Huiping's work and stood there for a long time before leaving.
...
After leaving the interview venue, Quan Jiu had nothing to do and planned to go home. However, before leaving, she met with Bai Jing and spoke a few words before leaving the venue.
As evening approached, the afterglow of the sunset cast a glow on the roadside. Quan Jiu wanted to stroll around, but she was in formal attire and had to prepare to return home.
Just as she was contemplating how to get back, Chu Rong appeared with a bag and handed it to her. "You can change in the car. It's still early, how about we go for a walk?"
Quan Jiu hesitated for a few seconds, then knowingly accepted the bag, as her high heels were really tiring, and she truly didn't want to wear them anymore. She went to the car and opened the bag. Inside was a complete set of clothes, from innerwear to outerwear, top to bottom. Quan Jiu rummaged through it, and her face suddenly flushed. She snorted dismissively but quickly changed.
Casual wide-leg jeans paired with flat canvas shoes, and a high-waisted T-shirt that fit just right, made her look simple yet youthful. Especially when she tucked her hair behind her ears, she looked exactly like a college student. Quan Jiu then used makeup remover wipes to remove her heavy makeup, and a pure and beautiful image instantly appeared.
Chu Rong was waiting not far from the car. When he saw Quan Jiu emerge, his gaze clearly paused for a moment before he seemed to snap back to reality. He walked slowly towards Quan Jiu, took out a pearl hairpin from his inner jacket pocket, small and cute, and was about to tuck it behind Quan Jiu's ear.
Quan Jiu instinctively tilted her head slightly, saying somewhat stiffly, "I'll do it myself."
Chu Rong's hand movement paused. After a two-second pause, he smiled gently and handed the hairpin to Quan Jiu. "Do the clothes still fit? I bought them according to your size from five years ago," Chu Rong said.
Quan Jiu's face flushed slightly. She shot him a glare and walked away with her bag. After only a few steps, she felt someone following her. She turned back and asked, "Why are you following me?"
"It's dinner time, and I'm hungry too."
"Then you go your way, don't follow me," Quan Jiu raised her eyebrows and continued walking. But someone seemed to be like a stubborn piece of candy, completely disobedient. Quan Jiu had no more energy. She comforted herself, "Forget it, forget it. A follower, I used to do the same thing back then. Consider it karma."
...
Arriving at a nearby food street, Quan Jiu secretly glanced behind her, and a hint of amusement gradually appeared in her eyes. "Boss, give me a portion of stinky tofu."
The boss looked up, and his eyelids twitched. The beauty in front of him was stunningly beautiful, unforgettable at first glance. The man behind her, dressed in a suit, seemed out of place in the surroundings, like someone appearing on a Spring Festival travel train in a tuxedo with perfume and champagne. However, the boss only glanced once before busily frying the stinky tofu.
"Add more chili, I want the Thai sweet and sour flavor, and more sawtooth coriander," Quan Jiu emphasized to the boss. The boss said "okay" while working at lightning speed, and soon a bowl of stinky tofu was packed. "Six yuan."
Just as Quan Jiu was about to pay, a slender hand from behind handed over ten yuan. If you're willing to give, I have no objections. Quan Jiu didn't wait and turned to leave. The long-lost taste of stinky tofu, though pungent, was actually sour, spicy, and refreshing to eat. As Quan Jiu ate, she moved to a skewer stall. She chose various skewers and then sat on a plastic stool next to the stall, eating stinky tofu while waiting for the skewers on the grill.
The skewers took longer to cook. Chu Rong moved a stool, sat down next to Quan Jiu without even looking, and offered Quan Jiu a handkerchief from his inner pocket. Quan Jiu refused to take it, instead, she took a very inferior paper napkin, wiped her mouth, and said with a smile to the skewer boss, "Boss, medium spicy."
The boss said "Alright!" and sprinkled more chili powder on the skewers. Quan Jiu got up and went to the neighboring pan-fried bun stall, bought a portion of pan-fried buns and fried dumplings, and then sat back at the skewer stall. "Boss Chu, with your noble status, you must not be accustomed to places like this. Then go back early and don't linger in front of me all day, bothering my eyes," Quan Jiu mumbled after swallowing a pan-fried bun.