Xiang Qingwei gave a sincere smile, "In the future, when negotiating endorsement deals, we must still strictly examine the products before our artists agree to anything. After all, aren't we managers here to ensure these things?"
Agent Zhang's face turned from red to white.
The elevator reached the twenty-sixth floor, and Xiang Qingwei excused herself, carrying the coffee out into the office floor.
Instead of heading toward her own office, Xiang Qingwei walked straight toward Jiang Rong's office and stepped right in.
The employees working outside in the larger office area immediately buzzed with conversation as they saw Xiang Qingwei enter Jiang Rong's office.
Everyone knew Xiang Qingwei and Jiang Rong didn't get along, but usually, it was Jiang Rong who provoked Xiang Qingwei. This was the first time anyone had seen Xiang Qingwei enter Jiang Rong's office.
Xiang Qingwei pushed open the door to Jiang Rong's office, and the two women inside immediately looked over.
Jiang Rong's smile froze as soon as she saw Xiang Qingwei, and the financial manager discussing matters with her also looked over in surprise.
Seeing Xiang Qingwei appear in Jiang Rong's office was certainly unexpected.
Xiang Qingwei, unfazed, greeted the financial manager with a smile, "Manager Sun, you're here too."
Manager Sun responded with a smile, "Agent Xiang, is there something you need from Agent Jiang?"
"Yes." Xiang Qingwei smiled. "I'm here to return a favor."
As she spoke, she carried her coffee over, still smiling.
Jiang Rong cautiously got up from the sofa, then called out, seeming indignant, "Xiang Qingwei, what are you doing?"
Manager Sun also stood up, perplexed, and glanced at Jiang Rong before looking at Xiang Qingwei, unsure of what was happening.
"Manager Sun, please step aside," Xiang Qingwei said as she gracefully removed the lid from her coffee.
Instantly sensing danger, Manager Sun swiftly moved to the left.
Jiang Rong nervously cried out, "Xiang Qingwei! This is the office! What are you doing—ah!"
Her scolding halted abruptly.
A cup of iced coffee splashed across her face, along with chunks of ice that struck her skin sharply, sending a stinging pain through her cheekbones.
Manager Sun stared in disbelief at the scene before him, stunned.
Jiang Rong rubbed her eyes, then opened her mouth, just about to say something when Xiang Qingwei spoke, "Eh? There's still some left?" and once again, coffee splashed into Jiang Rong's face.
Jiang Rong closed her eyes.
Black coffee dripped down from her fake eyelashes.
Manager Sun was once again stunned and speechless.
The perpetrator politely asked him, "Sorry, Manager Sun, did you get splashed?"
Subconsciously, Manager Sun looked down. Seeing a drop of coffee on his sleeve, he shook his head.
Xiang Qingwei flashed him a smile before turning back to Jiang Rong.
"Agent Jiang, I've never been one to believe in the saying 'a gentleman bides his time,' so I usually settle my debts on the spot. I didn't expect you to run so fast last night, though, leaving me fuming all night until I couldn't sleep. So I can only settle it today."
As Xiang Qingwei spoke, she suddenly turned to Manager Sun.
"Manager Sun, Agent Jiang spilled a whole glass of red wine on me last night at the banquet, ruining my reputation in front of so many people. Today, I merely returned the favor with a cup of coffee. I think it's quite reasonable, don't you?"
Manager Sun let out an "ah," momentarily unsure how to respond, sweat rolling down his face.
He soon realized why the usually friendly and easygoing Agent Xiang had been acting so out of character today: last night, she must have been drenched in red wine by Agent Jiang... Oh, man, no wonder she said she was enraged to the point of losing sleep. What had gotten into Agent Jiang?
"Xiang Qingwei, is this your idea of a joke?" Jiang Rong finally opened her eyes, her face a messy smudge of foundation, her once-sturdy false eyelashes drooping halfway down her cheeks, her eyes threatening to burst into flames.
"No." Xiang Qingwei shook her head slowly. "That gown I wore last night was a new piece from Dior's autumn collection, retailing at twenty-eight thousand yuan. I still have the receipt, and I expect Agent Jiang to compensate me in full."
Jiang Rong clenched her teeth. "What about the coffee you spilled on my clothes?"
"That's easy." Xiang Qingwei arched an eyebrow, laughing lightly. "Please also provide me with the receipt for your outfit, and I will compensate you in full without any excuses."
Xiang Qingwei studied Jiang Rong's attire from head to toe, her gaze disdainful and mocking. "But I'm sure your outfit can't be more than three thousand yuan?"
Jiang Rong's face flashed through several shades, her chest heaving in anger, her eyes as if they would shoot fire—if she didn't leap over to have a fistfight with Xiang Qingwei right this instant.
Xiang Qingwei gave Manager Sun a faint smile. "It looks like Manager Sun has something to discuss with Agent Jiang, so I'll excuse myself and let you two continue." She turned around, still holding her empty coffee cup, and leisurely walked out.
Watching Xiang Qingwei depart, Manager Sun glanced at the disheveled Jiang Rong, then shook his head, thinking, How can she continue now?
Having vented her anger, Xiang Qingwei felt much better. She headed back to her own office.
As soon as she left, the employees in the larger office began to gossip.
Manager Sun exited Jiang Rong's office, and the crowd of colleagues waiting for entertainment swarmed him with questions.
"Manager Sun, what happened in there?"
"Manager Sun, did Agents Xiang and Jiang get into a fight?"
"Manager Sun..."
Manager Sun waved a hand in annoyance. "Are you guys that bored? Stop asking!"
As soon as he returned to his territory, he began spreading exaggerated gossip to his subordinates.
Every morning, the entire company knew about it.
"Hey, did you hear? This morning, Agent Xiang charged into Agent Jiang's office and spilled a whole cup of coffee on her! And right in front of Manager Sun."
"No way! Agent Xiang is so gentle; she doesn't seem like the type to do something like that."
"Well, last night, Agent Jiang publicly doused her with a whole glass of red wine at the client's banquet, so I'm guessing that's why."
"If you ask me, Agent Xiang did the right thing! That was a client's banquet, after all, and she doused her in front of so many people—it was such a humiliating act. At least Agent Xiang only spilled coffee on her in her office today; it was practically a show of mercy."
"Still, Agent Jiang couldn't have possibly doused her without reason, right?"
"Jealousy between the two has been festering for days. If the resentment had built up enough to warrant a murder, then surely something as minor as spilling wine would be no big deal to Agent Jiang."
"Same here, I think Agent Xiang is pretty good. She's always nice to us, and last time I messed up a report, she didn't even blame me. She just told me to correct it and give it back to her. If Agent Jiang were in her place, I'd have been scolded to death."
"Ah? Is Agent Jiang jealous of Agent Xiang? Why?" a new employee asked curiously.
"Agent Xiang is prettier than Agent Jiang, more fashionable, and more competent at her job. Most importantly, while Agent Jiang has a crush on the boss, the boss doesn't like her back—and instead always takes Agent Xiang's side..."
"Ah? The boss and Agent Xiang..."
"It's not what you're thinking. They used to date, but for some reason, they broke up."
The new employee's face was stunned.
"Hey? Did you guys hear this? Agent Xiang is making Agent Jiang pay for the dress she stained last night at the banquet. Apparently, it's a new Dior piece, over three hundred thousand yuan!"
Someone gasped.
"Three hundred thousand?"
"Wow! Agent Xiang sure is rich." The tone was full of admiration.
"Of course, I heard last year's year-end bonus for Agent Xiang was seven digits. And when she was with the CEO, he definitely wouldn't have let her down either..."
"Do you know the best part?"
"What?" everyone asked curiously.
"Agent Jiang told Agent Xiang that if she had to pay for the dress, then Agent Xiang should pay for the coffee. But then Agent Xiang said that Agent Jiang's whole outfit, from head to toe, was only worth about three thousand yuan at most."
"Ahem, ahem, ahem..." Someone in the corner choked on their coffee.
A few people turned and saw who it was, then paled instantly.
"Secretary Wen!"
The person who choked on their coffee was indeed Secretary Wen, though no one knew how long he'd been sitting there listening in.
After hastily greeting Secretary Wen, the gossiping female employees in the break room dispersed like birds and beasts.
Secretary Wen held his cup of coffee, staring into the empty break room with disappointment. The conversation hadn't even finished, so how could they have dispersed like this? As he recalled the words those employees had just spoken, he found himself amused.
Secretary Wen had watched Xiang Qingwei mature over the last two years, but he never expected her to do something like this. However, a few years ago, she had been someone who, when upset, would dare to hit even Mr. Fu, so of course she would not hesitate to confront an agent.
Secretary Wen pondered as he took a sip of coffee. Should he report this to Mr. Fu?
By the time Secretary Wen prepared another cup of coffee and walked into the boss's office, Jiang Rong had changed her clothes and was standing by the desk, crying. Secretary Wen knew then that there was no need to report this incident.
Jiang Rong had dressed herself again and retouched her makeup, standing by Fu Yanbo's desk and recounting the events from earlier that morning.
"The entire company is talking about this. I have no intention of returning to work."
Secretary Wen placed the coffee on Fu Yanbo's desk, glancing briefly at the expression on his boss's face, noticing it was filled with amusement.
"Why would she throw coffee on you?" Fu Yanbo's voice even carried a hint of laughter.
Unfortunately, Jiang Rong was too caught up in her own little world to notice, and she had prepared her story well ahead of time.
"Xiang Qingwei and I attended a client's banquet last night together. While the two of us were talking, I accidentally spilled some red wine on her dress. Mr. Fu, I swear it was an accident!
But Xiang Qingwei insisted I did it on purpose. I thought since it was a client's event, causing a scene wouldn't be professional, and it might affect our chances of working with them in the future, so we left early. But this morning, Xiang Qingwei poured a whole cup of iced coffee on me!
There were even ice cubes, and it all happened right in the face! Look, my eye is even swollen now—"
Fu Yanbo gave a cursory glance. "That's quite excessive."
Jiang Rong's heart jumped with delight as she looked up at Fu Yanbo.
Fu Yanbo cleared his throat, suppressing the faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and turned to Secretary Wen with a stern expression. "Where's Xiang Qingwei? Call her back to the office to see me."
Secretary Wen saw the smile forcibly disappear from his boss's face, and she also gave a small cough. "I'll call Xiang Qingwei now."
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The entire book has been translated, with a total of 414K words and more than 1,200 pages.
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