#44: Rumors

◎Call your boss during the day.◎

In the morning, Yue Jia Yi was the happiest.

When he woke up and opened his eyes, sure enough, he saw his father.

Yue Jincheng had brought breakfast for him—cute pig-shaped buns, soy milk, millet porridge, and even carefully cut fruit.

“Dad, what time did you come this morning?”

“Six o’clock.”

“So you must have driven here at five, right?”

Yue Jincheng didn’t answer. “Eat your breakfast.”

Yue Jia Yi swung his little legs back and forth, observing with great attention to detail. “Dad, why are you still wearing last night’s clothes?”

“I bought two sets,” Yue Jincheng replied.

Yue Jia Yi jumped off the chair and ran over to grab him, sniffing curiously, “Hmm, I smell Mommy’s perfume.”

Yue Jincheng sighed inwardly. Maybe the kid would make a good detective when he grew up.

“Dad, I want to tell you a secret.” Yue Jia Yi whispered. “Someone introduced another match for my mom again. They say this one is pretty decent.”

Yue Jincheng felt irritated. “Where did you hear about these things?”

“I’ve seen photos of every one of Mom’s blind dates. If I have to choose a new dad, I’ll definitely pick someone handsome,” the little guy said.

Yue Jincheng felt a heaviness in his chest, anger simmering inside him.

When Fu Jiaxi came out after finishing her makeup, he didn’t even look at her.

After the school bus picked up the children, Fu Jiaxi walked straight to her car. “I’m going to work now. Drive carefully.”

Their cars were parked close together, making it difficult for her to pull out.

Yue Jincheng wanted to help her, but she remained calm. She lowered the window, checked the rearview mirror, and slowly maneuvered the car without any panic, smoothly pulling out.

Things he thought she couldn’t handle in life—she could actually do them very well.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t.

It was his own bias that made him think she couldn’t.

Last night, they had been entangled in pleasure, intimate and inseparable.

Today, they each drove their own cars, acting like strangers.

At the group office, Yue Jincheng sat in his car for a while, watching Fu Jiaxi walk gracefully, radiant and poised, not even glancing in his direction.

It was as if nothing had happened, yet Yue Jincheng’s heart felt heavy.

________________________________________

The red koi in Manyuan Pond had grown plumper. The caretaker, Liu, had added a few new species, which were now being chased around playfully by two musk turtles.

Yue Jincheng leaned on the wooden railing, idly tossing fish food into the pond.

The colorful koi gathered in clusters, shaking their heads and tails like blooming lotus flowers.

“You’re eyeing my fish so blatantly, aren’t you? Have some mercy—you’re going to overfeed them,” Zhou Xiaojun said, leaning on her cane. Though slow, her steps were steady. When she reached the stairs, Yue Jincheng went to support her.

“Not working today? Hiding out here?”

“Yeah, I canceled all afternoon meetings. I’m tired—I don’t feel like listening to reports.”

Zhou Xiaojun, advanced in age and sensitive to the cold, sat in an airy octagonal pavilion. A thick shawl covered her shoulders, its fur collar brushing her chin, making her appear even thinner.

“The other day, your father came by and mentioned Guan’s daughter several times. I could tell he was hinting at the possibility of an arranged marriage, testing my opinion.”

Yue Jincheng spoke indifferently, “He never cared about these things before, but now he’s suddenly interested. Next time, tell this son of yours to take care of himself and stop worrying so much—it’s useless anyway.”

Zhou Xiaojun understood this truth well and knew the rifts and stains between father and son.

She admitted she was too old to meddle anymore. To Yue Puhui, she said, “You’re foolish. How can you suggest that a girl from the Guan family become Yue Jincheng’s stepmother? Such an excellent young woman.”

Yue Jincheng replied, “Jia Yi will never have a stepmother.”

Zhou Xiaojun said, “Then go chase her again.”

“I’m chasing her,” Yue Jincheng muttered grumpily. “Can you stop trying to find matches for her? You’re my grandmother—you shouldn’t be setting obstacles for me.”

“You chase her, and let her make her own choices. It doesn’t conflict,” Zhou Xiaojun took the fish food from his hand and hid it. “You and Jiaxi are different. You have many fallback options; she doesn’t. With your qualifications, there are plenty of people willing to be with you. But for her, it’s different. She has a child. Don’t blame others for being realistic—opportunities are never fair.”

Zhou Xiaojun was someone who could see the final destination of life. There were no maybes or perhapses. People’s hearts were worn down by daily struggles over rice, salt, and trivial matters.

“No one will stand up for Jiaxi. She and Yanqing grew up without love.”

Yue Jincheng asked softly, “And didn’t I?”

“You didn’t,” Zhou Xiaojun left unsaid.

You grew up in hate. Carrying resentment toward your father, bearing the weight of the family, remembering the regret of your mother’s melancholy death—every kind of pain, you endured to the fullest. If it weren’t for Fu Jiaxi, giving you love, giving you a home, bearing your children, then Yue Jincheng might have become a cold-hearted, ruthless man.

“You’ve done alright, but in families like ours, these complicated relationships are impossible to untangle. Sometimes, I don’t even want to bother—I just get headaches looking at them,” Zhou Xiaojun sighed deeply. “Jiaxi originally came with love, wanting to walk into love with you. But after stepping in, she realized—what kind of twisted nonsense is this?”

Yue Jincheng closed his eyes briefly, feeling immense discomfort in his heart.

“Enough. Stop hiding out here seeking peace. You’re annoying, and you’re stuffing my fish to death,” Zhou Xiaojun muttered, reciting Amitabha Buddha.

________________________________________

Before winter break, the kindergarten organized a study trip to an astronomy base in a neighboring city for stargazing. They would leave on Friday and return by noon on Saturday. Fu Jiaxi arranged to meet Bai Duo for a small gathering.

At their usual spot, the bar had launched a new drink with an emo-sounding name: “Late-Night Tears.”

“So, how was your blind date last time?” Bai Duo was most curious about this.

“He’s a nice person—refined, steady, and easy on the eyes,” Fu Jiaxi smiled. “If Grandma had lined him up earlier, maybe a year ago, I might have agreed.”

“Who believes you,” Bai Duo rolled her eyes. “If you truly liked him, what difference would a year make? What you’re saying is that deep down, you still have feelings for Yue Jincheng.”

Fu Jiaxi didn’t directly answer. Instead, she said, “Last week, I ran into Yue Yunzong’s family.”

She summarized the incident, and Bai Duo was indignant. “Damn, he’s such a despicable person! Good job, darling. Otherwise, they’d think they could manipulate you as they pleased!”

Fu Jiaxi chuckled softly. “Fight fire with fire, conquer hardness with softness, and turn their schemes against them. Actually, outsmarting their family isn’t that hard.”

“That’s the spirit! Show them who’s boss!” Bai Duo clinked glasses with her, and they both took a big gulp.

Fu Jiaxi rested her chin on one hand, her thoughts wandering. “Back then, I overthought everything. I wanted to please everyone—to be a good wife, a good mother. I was afraid of affecting Yue Jincheng’s relationship with his family. I walked on eggshells, every step like treading on a knife’s edge. Later, I realized… Yue Jincheng doesn’t actually care about any of this. His family’s relationships mean nothing to him.”

Fu Jiaxi lowered her head and softly laughed. “But he never told me any of this. He worked tirelessly to give me a life of comfort. He said that if he became strong enough, no one could hurt me.”

He nurtured her like a flower, and perhaps his intentions weren’t wrong.

But he overlooked the fact that maybe Fu Jiaxi didn’t want—or couldn’t only be—a flower.

“By the way, how are things going with Yu Yanqing?” Bai Duo asked.

“Him?” Fu Jiaxi finished the rest of her drink. “He’s a recluse, practically a shut-in. I don’t know what he does with all that money.”

Still, she decided to visit him once.

When she arrived, she discovered that his recent silence was because he was sick.

“You still have a fever of 39 degrees. How long have you been burning like this? Did you take medicine? Did you go to the hospital for blood tests?” Fu Jiaxi was worried. Not trusting the ear thermometer, she used a traditional thermometer to measure his temperature under his arm.

Yu Yanqing’s voice was hoarse. “It’s fine. I know my limits.”

Fu Jiaxi pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, suddenly leaning closer.

The faint scent of her perfume drifted gently, like a warm boat sailing into his senses.

The boastful words on the tip of his tongue inexplicably disappeared.

“This hot? It’s definitely more than 39 degrees. No way, you’re coming to the hospital with me.” Fu Jiaxi pulled him up by the arm, decisively dragging him outside.

Feverish and weak, Yu Yanqing protested, “Hey, wait, at least let me put on some proper clothes.”

Fu Jiaxi realized he was wearing loungewear.

Without waiting for further reminders, she bundled him up as if preparing him for an Antarctic expedition.

“I can’t breathe anymore,” Yu Yanqing groaned painfully. “This scarf is suffocating.”

On the way to the hospital, Fu Jiaxi drove quickly.

Yu Yanqing said, “I’m just running a fever, not being rushed to the emergency room.”

“You don’t know anything. If you don’t, then don’t talk.” Fu Jiaxi was unusually serious.

Yu Yanqing leaned back in his seat, tilting his head toward her, quietly observing her.

It turned out that being cared for, being thought of, and being solely focused on—even if only for a fleeting moment—felt so good.

After registering at the emergency department, blood was drawn, and during the 15 minutes waiting for the results, Fu Jiaxi sat with him on the corridor bench.

She was unusually quiet.

Yu Yanqing couldn’t help but break the silence. “You’re being so passionate—it’s hard not to let my mind wander.”

Fu Jiaxi replied, “When I was in third grade, I had an inexplicable high fever that wouldn’t go down. At that time, my uncle was away on a repair job, and he wouldn’t be back for ten days or more. My aunt was pregnant, and she didn’t want to take me to the hospital, so she just gave me cold medicine.”

“Later, I became delirious from the fever, convulsing and vomiting in bed. Only then did she call the neighbors to take me to the hospital. The doctor looked at the blood test results and said it wasn’t good, telling them to prepare mentally—it might be leukemia.”

Fu Jiaxi sighed. “So, now I’m especially afraid of fevers. Not just for myself, but also for the people around me. As soon as someone has a fever, I get nervous, like a stress response—I just want you all to get better quickly.”

Yu Yanqing froze.

He immediately apologized, “I’m sorry.”

Fu Jiaxi smiled faintly. “You need to stay healthy. Don’t waste your money-making skills.”

Yu Yanqing chuckled too. “I’ll take you along to make money.”

Since they were on this topic, Fu Jiaxi’s eyes lit up. “Bofeng is going to establish an independent trading department—are you interested in joining?”

“Work for your ex-husband?” Yu Yanqing sneered. “I have a fever, not madness.”

“Don’t say that. He’s actually quite nice.”

“If he’s so nice, why did you leave him? It’s a paradox.”

Fu Jiaxi was left speechless. “You’re being very sharp today.”

“If you want to learn from me, why go through all this trouble?” Yu Yanqing said. “Just come work with me.”

Fu Jiaxi snorted. “Forget it. I can’t stand your bad temper.”

The idea of recruiting Yu Yanqing to Bofeng was something she hadn’t expected much from in the first place. With the establishment of the trading department, Yue Yunzong would never relinquish control again.

This path was bound to become even more difficult.

At 10 a.m., Fu Jiaxi arrived at her office. Several groups of colleagues passed by—different departments, people she usually didn’t know well—but today they all greeted her warmly.

As she reached her workstation, Yu Xiaomi suddenly stood up. “Jiaxi Sister, g-good morning.”

Fu Jiaxi was startled. “Good morning.”

Yu Xiaomi hesitated, then sat back down with her head lowered.

Fu Jiaxi felt something was off, so she privately messaged her. “Xiaomi, is something wrong? I feel like today is strange.”

Yu Xiaomi: “Jiaxi Sister, last night someone posted on the company forum saying you and President Yue… are in a marital relationship.”

She phrased it delicately, avoiding the term “ex-wife.”

Starting from the early hours of the morning, an anonymous post appeared on the employee forum: “They got married in 201x. That year, when President Yue joined Bofeng, she gave birth to their child. They divorced in 202x, and custody of the child went to her.”

The details were convincing, and every timeline matched perfectly.

The post was deleted around 4 a.m., reportedly after Jiao Rui personally called the IT department.

Even so, many people had already seen it.

Yu Xiaomi sent a crying emoji. “Jiaxi Sister, forgive me for any past offenses. Please bear with me.”

So, what was bound to come had arrived.

Fu Jiaxi wasn’t surprised. Before deciding to join Bofeng, she had already thought this through.

When they registered their marriage, Yue Jincheng was still unknown. It wasn’t until he returned to the Yue family and took over Bofeng that Fu Jiaxi was well-protected by him.

During her pregnancy and childbirth, Fu Jiaxi rarely attended social events. The fact that this post laid out her timeline so clearly meant it must have been written by someone who knew her well.

Divorce should never be a woman’s crime or stain. Rumors would fly for a few days and then die down.

But in the following days, the situation seemed different from what Fu Jiaxi had anticipated.

One day, as she entered the restroom and was about to push open the stall door, she overheard some chatter.

“Don’t say it—her methods are truly clever.”

“Two years after the divorce, she makes a comeback. Isn’t this just regret? Using the child as leverage, she probably coerced her way into working at the company.”

“Of course she’d cling to such a big tree. I heard the divorce was initiated by President Yue.”

“Obviously. She’s not stupid—how could she give up such a golden goose?”

“I’ve also heard that when she was with the Yue family, she really knew how to play her cards.”

Fu Jiaxi pushed the door open.

“Squeak—”

The employees inside turned pale with fear and backed away.

Fu Jiaxi ignored them, washed her hands, dried them, applied some hand cream, and simply walked out.

Arguing with these people wasn’t worth the effort. It would only drain her energy, and no matter how much she explained, they wouldn’t believe her. Instead, they’d twist the story further, turning it into lively gossip for future tea breaks.

Fu Jiaxi entered the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.

As the elevator doors opened, she came face-to-face with Jiao Rui.

Jiao Rui was momentarily stunned. “Jiaxi Sister.”

The two administrative staff accompanying him exchanged glances. Secretary Jiao no longer bothered to hide it—he had even changed how he addressed her.

Fu Jiaxi hummed in acknowledgment and strode forward.

The carpet muffled the sound of her high heels, each step steady and radiating confidence.

The assistants outside the president’s office didn’t dare to stop her.

Fu Jiaxi pushed open the door to the president’s office and stormed in.

Yue Jincheng was sitting behind his desk signing documents. He glanced up at her and smiled. “You have the presence of an empress.”

“Get lost,” Fu Jiaxi plopped onto the sofa, crossing her legs. After holding her temper in check for days, she could no longer contain it.

Yue Jincheng capped his pen and placed the last document in the upper right corner.

He stood up and walked behind the sofa, gently massaging her shoulders.

Fu Jiaxi brushed his hands away. “Annoying.”

Yue Jincheng raised an eyebrow, his smile charming and flirtatious. “Where exactly am I annoying?”

“They’re all saying I chased after you, that you kicked me out of the house, and that you wanted the divorce long ago.” Fu Jiaxi clenched her fists in anger and pounded the sofa fiercely. “I don’t care—you issue a statement and clarify things. Tell everyone who chased whom!”

“Alright, I’ll issue it. I’ll clear things up for you—a company-wide announcement, and everyone will memorize it.” Yue Jincheng twirled a strand of her hair between his fingers, playing with it absentmindedly.

Fu Jiaxi glared at him. “Annoying.”

Yue Jincheng poured her a glass of warm water. “What else did you hear?”

“There’s more.” Fu Jiaxi teased, dragging out her tone. “About you. Are you sure you want to hear it?”

The center of gossip always revolved around women—it seemed to be a law of nature. For someone like Yue Jincheng, controversy naturally avoided reaching his ears.

Fu Jiaxi thought, why should she bear all this alone?

“What are they saying about me?” Yue Jincheng’s tone was light, carrying a hint of casual mockery.

Fu Jiaxi suddenly grabbed his tie and yanked him down.

Yue Jincheng cooperated, bending his waist and lowering his head.

Their faces drew close, and the brief distance between their gazes was filled with sparks of rising flames.

“They say… during the day, call the boss; at night, the boss…” Fu Jiaxi lightly touched his lips with the pad of her index finger.

“Oh, so did I call you last night?”

With that, Yue Jincheng slightly parted his lips, enveloping and tightly grasping her slender, white finger.