After leaving that company, I wasn't in a very good mood. Ding Xiaozhou saw my sullen expression and, thinking the deal had fallen through, didn't say much.
On the way back to the company, I told him, "Xiaozhou, I've already talked to the boss's wife. She agreed to purchase our products."
Hearing this, Ding Xiaozhou became a bit excited and said, "Manager Zhao, I really didn't expect you to be so capable."
Maybe in their eyes, I was just a driver before, which was why they followed Liu Jing to make trouble.
I said, "Revise the contract and discuss the details with them. If they agree, you can sign it."
Ding Xiaozhou said, "Don't worry, Manager Zhao. I'll make sure this goes well."
In my mind, however, I was still wondering whether Ding Xiaozhou was really reliable.
I didn't want to see such irresponsible things happen again.
When we arrived at the company, Shen Xue immediately came to my office and placed a thick stack of files on my desk.
"Manager Zhao, here are the client files from our salespeople. Please review them."
I smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
Shen Xue replied, "Manager Zhao, it's our duty."
After she left, I started going through the materials.
The combined turnover totaled over fifty million.
I thought that with such turnover, supporting this company shouldn't be that difficult.
Why had Zhang Zhiyuan sunk the company into such a state, even mortgaging it?
Before I knew it, it was time to leave work, and raising my head, I saw only Shen Xue and me left in the office.
This girl seemed to want to get close to me; she had even made me a cup of coffee for no reason.
I glanced at the time—it was already 5:30 p.m.
Feeling awkward about making her stay late with me, I said, "Shen Xue, it's almost time. You should leave early as well."
She smiled and said, "No problem, Manager Zhao. My position requires me to wait for you to finish before I can leave."
She seemed like a very capable assistant, but I didn't see it that way.
Overtime at work always comes with its stories.
Liu Jing's rise by clinging to Zhang Zhiyuan was also a result of overtime, wasn't it?
Actually, by this point, I had lost interest in working. I tentatively asked Shen Xue, "Shen Xue, why don't you leave earlier? Doesn't your boyfriend worry?"
She smiled and said, "Manager Zhao, I don't have a boyfriend yet."
Hearing that, I cursed inwardly.
When I was a driver, I had seen a man often come to pick Shen Xue up after work.
Honestly, his looks weren't admirable, but his Audi A6 was quite impressive.
At the time, I thought Shen Xue must have been drawn by his money.
I have to say, society is really too open now; so many men and women have extramarital affairs.
But I believe there are still couples who stand by each other for life, especially those bonded by pure love.
To avoid making Shen Xue work overtime, I said, "Let's go. It's time to leave. I'll give you a ride home."
Originally, I was being polite, but Shen Xue said, "Sure! Thank you, Manager Zhao!"
That's when I realized I had brought trouble upon myself.
But I stand tall and proud; I'm not afraid of what others say behind my back.
In the car, I chatted with Shen Xue, mainly wanting to know what people thought of me behind my back.
So, I tentatively asked her, "Shen Xue, were you surprised when I became the sales manager?"
She nodded and said, "After Manager Cai was transferred, we thought the deputy manager Liu was the most likely candidate. But your arrival was totally unexpected."
I went on, "Did you all think I couldn't do the job at first?"
Shen Xue replied, "When you first came, I wasn't optimistic because Manager Liu and General Manager Zhang were very close."
I originally thought Liu Jing and Zhang's relationship was known only to me, but it turned out I was so wrong.
People are no fools, and there's no wall without cracks. The sales department already knew about this.
No wonder they followed Liu Jing brazenly, feeling invincible.
Then Shen Xue suddenly asked, "Manager Zhao, I heard your wife is very beautiful. Is that true?"
I didn't understand why everyone was curious about this, but I sensed something odd in Liu Jing's tone.
I suddenly felt irritated because I didn't know how to answer.
So, when Shen Xue got out of the car, I didn't respond.
Before leaving, she even gave me a flirtatious look—as if telling me to pick her up after work more often.
Maybe when the time comes, we'll end up together. Perhaps that's her intention!
I understood that if a woman wants to stray, no one can stop her.
I couldn't help but sigh—there are so many temptations in this world.
When I parked under my apartment, I saw the lights still on inside and breathed a sigh of relief.
What I fear most is returning to a cold home filled with emptiness and loneliness.
When I entered, my wife was cooking.
Suddenly, everything felt warm and cozy.
For an ordinary man like me, my desires aren't much—I just want a happy family.
Seeing me come back, my wife asked, "Why are you home so late today?"
I thought for a moment and said, "There was some work at the company, so I had to come home late."
She knew I had just become sales manager and was busy, so she didn't ask further.
Honestly, I understood that environments like this were the easiest to tempt infidelity.
But my wife didn't ask more, and I didn't know if she trusted me or simply didn't care.
During dinner, she suddenly said, "Honey, there's something at school tomorrow. I might be home late."
I suddenly remembered what Ding Yahong said during the day—that Lu Feng had booked a room for tomorrow.
How could it be such a coincidence? Could there really be something going on between them?
Just thinking about it made my heart ache faintly.
My wife saw me silent and, thinking I hadn't heard, repeated herself.
I snapped out of it, smiled, and said, "Don't worry, I'll find something to eat myself."
She said, "Honey, I know your work pressure is big now. I really can't share it with you at the moment. I feel bad."
Hearing that, I felt like crying.
If my wife was really cheating, those words would be poison—making me feel like dying.
After dinner, for some reason, my wife started clearing the table on her own.
Previously, we shared chores equally, but now she was taking on more.
I went to the bathroom to take a hot shower.
Halfway through, my wife suddenly came in and asked, "Want me to help scrub your back?"
I thought silently how long it had been since my wife and I were this close.
Before I could say yes, her gentle hand was already on my chest.
It reminded me of our honeymoon days when we were inseparable.
Honestly, I was a bit impulsive that day and involuntarily started having physical reactions.
Seeing this, my wife sighed and said, "Zhao Jian, I know all these days I haven't fulfilled my duties as a wife."
What I really wanted to know was whether she had someone else outside.
She continued, "When some time has passed and we can have married life again, I'll definitely accompany you well."
Those words immediately reminded me that since we couldn't have intimacy now, Lu Feng booking a room tomorrow meant the affair couldn't be my wife.
A sudden feeling of happiness surged inside me. Could it be that my wife was truly devoted to me?
With her help, the hot shower was very comforting. I lazily lay on the sofa, suddenly feeling life was very good.
But soon, this comfortable feeling was shattered—as if waking suddenly from a dream.
My phone rang.
I picked it up and saw it was Lu Feng calling.
I felt helpless with this brother-in-law. Since he called, it definitely wasn't good news.
Reluctantly, I answered.
"Brother-in-law, can you lend me some money?" Lu Feng got straight to the point.
Hearing that was like a fly falling into a pot of porridge—disgusting.
Looks like this guy had lost all his money at the casino again and was now begging for help.
Honestly, life's pressure was already huge—I had no money for him.
I refused curtly, "Sorry, I don't have any."
After saying that, I hung up immediately.
But he called again.
"Brother-in-law, I really need you this time. I owe someone 7,000 yuan and now I'm being detained. I can't leave."
Damn it! This guy really embarrassed himself—I wanted to beat him up badly.
Maybe Lu Wan overheard, she rushed out and asked, "Who was on the phone?"
I didn't want her to know her brother called me, so I said, "Nothing, just a colleague asking to borrow money."
Lu Wan's face tensed, and she said, "Don't lie to me. I have a feeling it was my brother asking you for money."
I knew my wife was smart—nothing escaped her eyes.
So I guessed she knew all along I'd never done anything to hurt her.
Lu Wan then said, "Give me the phone. I'll talk to my brother."
I thought about it and realized it was better to let her handle it; after all, they're siblings.