After lunch, I called Ding Xiaozhou into my office.
To be honest, Ding Xiaozhou had been in the sales department for quite some time, but his performance wasn't very impressive.
As soon as he entered, he was very polite and said to me, "Hello, Manager Zhao."
I told him, "Get all the materials ready—we're leaving right now."
He replied, "Manager Zhao, it's not even one o'clock yet. Our appointment is at two, so there's no point in going early."
I shook my head and said, "We can't keep the client waiting."
At 1:30 p.m., Ding Xiaozhou and I arrived at the decoration company.
The company's storefront was rather inconspicuous and was located inside a residential complex.
However, judging by the people coming and going, business was quite decent.
At that moment, Ding Xiaozhou spoke to the receptionist, "Excuse me, is Ms. Ding available?"
The receptionist asked, "Have you made an appointment with Ms. Ding?"
He replied, "We're from Xingchang Company and have previously talked to Ms. Ding. She was interested in purchasing our wall paint. Could you please connect us?"
Usually, salespeople like us would be turned away right at the door.
The receptionist replied, "Sorry, sir, Ms. Ding is not at the office now. Please come back later."
Getting turned away like this is something every salesperson has to endure.
Seeing that we were about to be kicked out, Ding Xiaozhou felt embarrassed and at a loss.
I hadn't expected him to be so unreliable, claiming a contract signing was scheduled for this afternoon without having arranged anything yet.
Noticing my darkening expression, Ding Xiaozhou quickly said, "Manager Zhao, wait a moment—I'll call my classmate right now."
But after two unanswered calls, I knew the deal was off.
As I considered turning to leave, I suddenly saw a familiar figure.
It was a very elegant woman—Ding Yahong, whom I had even invited to dinner yesterday.
What was she doing here?
Meeting her here was quite awkward, and if I could avoid her, I would have.
But under these circumstances, it was obviously too late to dodge.
At this moment, Ding Yahong had already spotted me and smiled.
"Zhao Jian, what are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.
I thought for a moment and replied, "I have business with this company, so I came today."
She looked even more surprised and asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"
I immediately realized Ding Yahong was the boss of this decoration company.
I really didn't expect such a coincidence.
However, now faced with this situation, how should I explain it?
Come to think of it, it was all Ding Xiaozhou's fault for being so unreliable. When I got back, I would have to give him a good talking to.
Seeing me silent, Ding Yahong asked, "Which company are you from?"
I found it strange that this woman who had found my home didn't even know which company I worked for.
I said, "I'm from Xingchang."
She looked delighted and said, "I've heard Xingchang has developed a new kind of wall paint, stylish and elegant. We're planning to purchase some to test."
Business is like this—having a need, but being a stranger, the other party simply doesn't trust you.
Since she came to us, I was very happy. I told Ding Xiaozhou, "Xiaozhou, explain the features of the wall paint to Ms. Ding."
Ding Xiaozhou was relatively proficient and immediately took out materials from his briefcase to give Ding Yahong a detailed introduction.
After listening, Ding Yahong said, "The wall paint looks good, but we're unsure about quality. Could your company allow us to try it out first?"
Honestly, as the sales manager, I didn't even know the quality of this new product. Although I knew Ding Yahong, I definitely couldn't promise that.
I told her, "Ms. Ding, we need to consult our leadership first. If they don't agree, there's nothing we can do."
Just as the negotiation seemed to hit a deadlock, Ding Xiaozhou said, "Ms. Ding, if you're not confident in our product, you can order a small quantity first. If it doesn't meet your needs, you can stop purchasing. That way, neither party loses."
Ding Yahong smiled and replied, "That's true. We have to accept new things. Building houses is the same—people always pursue beauty and elegance."
I could sense that Ding Yahong was a strong businesswoman.
But I couldn't understand: where was that handsome campus guy, Lu Feng, behind this strong woman?
Ding Yahong then said, "Zhao Jian, can you come to my office? I have something to tell you."
It sounded ambiguous, as if there was something unspoken behind those words.
Ding Xiaozhou looked at me with surprised eyes, seemingly thinking, "Could Manager Zhao also have something going on with this woman?"
Of course, I couldn't refuse Ding Yahong's request. In my heart, I knew what she wanted to say definitely had to do with my wife.
I nodded and followed her into the office.
The door was shut tightly behind us, and no one else knew what happened inside.
Actually, when I first entered that office, I was a bit nervous.
Maybe it was because I hadn't been with a woman in a long time—that was a natural reaction.
Recalling last night's dinner, it seemed this woman was quite interested in me.
Could she want to have an affair in the office?
Suddenly, I thought of Zhao Hu—a master at picking up women and quite wild in behavior. If he were here, handling this woman would be no big deal.
I definitely had to get him on the job as soon as possible.
In fact, he had already been training in HR for two days—I didn't know how he was doing now.
Suddenly, Ding Yahong hugged me tightly. Her two sizable breasts pressed firmly against me.
I had originally thought Ding Yahong was only elegant, but now I realized her figure was pretty good too.
Maybe because I really hadn't been close to a woman in a long time, my physical reaction kicked in immediately.
Ding Yahong obviously noticed and kept teasing my inner feelings.
I thought to myself, what's wrong with this society? Even the campus heartthrob's wife is out cheating.
It seemed like a fair trade: if I slept with this woman, I'd be much happier.
People are like that—suffer a loss and feel sad, get a gain and feel happy.
Just as I was about to make a move, something bizarre happened again. Ding Yahong loosened her hold and walked to the desk, taking a pack of cigarettes from the drawer and lighting one.
I cursed inwardly—what was the meaning of this?
She had stirred my desire but now backed off? Was she playing with me?
I stared intently at Ding Yahong, trying to figure out what she meant.
Exhaling smoke, she said, "Zhao Jian, don't misunderstand me. I just want to test whether you're capable."
Hearing these words, I nearly spit out blood.
She continued, "I've always been confused why Lu Wan—your wife—would cheat despite being married."
Hearing that, I completely lost my temper and said, "If you say my wife is cheating, then show me proof. Who can't just talk nonsense without evidence?"
Ding Yahong said, "If I had evidence, I would have had someone beat her up already. I wouldn't be coming to you privately."
I finally understood—the reason she came to me was to find evidence together.
I asked, "So what clues do you have?"
She replied, "Through connections, I found out that tomorrow afternoon my husband reserved a room at the Jingquan Hotel. If you're interested, we can go catch them in the act."
Hearing this, my heart hurt immensely.
If my wife was cheating on me behind my back, this pain would be unbearable—I might go insane.
Since there was a chance to uncover the truth, I definitely wouldn't let it go.
Without a second thought, I said to Ding Yahong, "Okay, I'll go with you."
In truth, deep down, I still hoped my wife was innocent.