Chapter 52

However, no one bothered to listen to Zhou Qiaoqiao’s words, and no one cared about what she had to say.

Yan Ye only said, “I will handle this matter entirely, you take some time off.”

Take some time off?

Of course, the way Yan Ye put it was meant to protect Zhou Qiaoqiao.

But what did taking some time off actually mean? It meant that Zhou Qiaoqiao had acknowledged this huge and round blame, and from now on, she would never be able to shake it off.

However, even if Zhou Qiaoqiao were to investigate, what would it achieve? Even if she could recall, what would it matter? Without any evidence, it didn’t matter whether she recalled or not. In other words, even if Zhou Qiaoqiao could recall the origin and details of the missing 100,000 yuan, as long as those involved denied it, she would still be accused of framing them.

At that moment, Zhou Qiaoqiao’s situation would become more complicated than just embezzling public funds.

On this point, Zhou Qiaoqiao couldn’t foresee it, but Yan Ye could.

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Did she have to carry this blame for her entire life? What did her efforts of over ten years amount to?

However, no one would understand Zhou Qiaoqiao’s feelings at this moment, nor did anyone care.

Yan Ye glared at her, trying to get her to keep quiet.

But Zhou Qiaoqiao persisted, looking at everyone present and said, “I’m an accountant. I admit to this accusation today, and it will ruin my entire life in this field. In the accounting profession, even if caught embezzling a few yuan of public funds, your reputation will be destroyed. Do you really want to pin the blame for the missing 100,000 yuan on me? This is going too far.”

Jiang Hong smirked and said, “As a finance staff, you are responsible no matter what.”

“The accounts were wrong, and that’s my responsibility. I will admit and compensate for any mistakes. But if it’s a false accusation… I won’t admit it. Why should I? Wang Mei, as an accountant, don’t you know the consequences of falsely accusing someone?” Zhou Qiaoqiao argued logically.

Jiang Hong tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, and the office fell silent during Zhou Qiaoqiao’s pause.

The sound of “thump, thump, thump” echoed in everyone’s hearts.

Wang Mei didn’t respond to Zhou Qiaoqiao; she turned her head away.

Jiang Hong said, “Regardless of the truth, a mistake was made, and it’s your responsibility.”

Yan Ye looked at Jiang Hong and said, “Mr. Jiang, you seem a bit too confident, aren’t you?”

Jiang Hong chuckled, and Zhou Qiaoqiao couldn’t feel any relief watching the confrontation between the two. She said, “If it really was my mistake, then naturally, it’s my responsibility. But Wang Mei and I already reconciled the accounts, and she didn’t point out any problems at that time. So, whatever happened after that shouldn’t be my responsibility.”

Jiang Hong narrowed his eyes, and Wang Mei had to speak up, “Once an issue arose, I already informed Mr. Jiang.”

“You didn’t inform me,” Zhou Qiaoqiao said. They had balanced the accounts meticulously last night, with nothing missing.

“Young Madam, we all address you as Young Madam. Do you think you’re just a finance staff? Your identity is there. How could I dare to tell you?” Wang Mei defended herself in a low voice, head bowed.

“Yan Ye, I won’t admit it,” Zhou Qiaoqiao looked at Yan Ye, feeling very wronged. She could give up her job, but she wanted to leave the company with a clean slate.

Yan Ye waved his hand at her and said, “You can leave for now.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao glanced at everyone in the room and finally lowered her proud head and left the office with a dejected expression.

She didn’t go far, instead, she sat outside the door waiting.

Zhou Qiaoqiao thought that in her future life, she would always remember the half-hour of waiting. Every person who passed by her gave her a gloating smile. Those who used to envy her behind her back now looked at her with disdain.

She was called a thief, and at this point… she was starting to believe it herself.

Time passed slowly, and each minute felt like an eternity.

Finally, there was movement behind the door, and Zhou Qiaoqiao quickly stood up. Jiang Hong came out from inside, looking at her with a mocking tone, he shouted, “Young Madam, I’ll be going now.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao was taken aback, watching him walk past her with a triumphant air, then happily leaving.

Dazed, Zhou Qiaoqiao turned her head to look inside the office. She saw everyone coming out one by one, showing apologetic smiles to her before leaving.

The last one to come out was Yan Ye, his face cold as ice. He walked to the door and watched Jiang Hong’s figure with narrowed eyes.

“Yan Ye, I didn’t embezzle any funds,” Zhou Qiaoqiao pleaded, tugging at the hem of her clothes. She hoped Yan Ye could help her find justice. She felt too weak; no one was willing to listen to what she had to say.

“I know,” Yan Ye said.

Zhou Qiaoqiao felt relieved and looked up at Yan Ye. He seemed so tall in her eyes. She asked carefully, “So… do I still have to bear this accusation?”

This question was asked cautiously because, for an accountant, this accusation was catastrophic.

She didn’t want her four years of college education to go to waste. She also didn’t want to immerse herself in the minds of such dirty people.

“You don’t have to… but if you don’t, they will sue you,” Yan Ye told her the result of their discussion step by step, and then he asked her, “Do you… want to go to jail?”

Zhou Qiaoqiao trembled all over, unable to believe that things had escalated to such a serious level. Of course, she didn’t want that. Who would want to spend time in jail? She certainly didn’t want to.

In the end, Zhou Qiaoqiao compromised, bowing down to the powerful, succumbing to her own weakness. She lowered her head and asked softly, “Can I know… who it was? Was it Shi Suoya?” Even if she were to die, she wanted to die with clarity. Even in her grave, she wanted to know whom to hold her hatred towards.

Yan Ye looked at her apologetically and vaguely said, “It involved quite a few people, but you don’t need to worry. Go back and take some time off. Do you think my Yan family won’t have a place for you to work?”

Zhou Qiaoqiao did not respond. She silently turned and left. While the Yan family could indeed offer her many job opportunities, she didn’t dare to accept them.

Even in a small position, she ended up in this situation. What would it be like if the Yan family gave her another job?

Take some time off?

Then… she would go back and pack her things!

Zhou Qiaoqiao walked with her head down, feeling uncomfortable and unfair. This world was unfair, this society was unfair. It wasn’t her fault… it really wasn’t.

People in the office pointed and gossiped about Zhou Qiaoqiao when she returned. Even Zheng Qian, who had been friendly with her these days, didn’t come forward to greet her.

Zhou Qiaoqiao lowered her head to organize her belongings. She saw Shi Suoya entering the office, but Shi Suoya didn’t sneer at her this time.

Zhou Qiaoqiao had only been working here for a month, but she had accumulated quite a few things. Some documents, a few books, two USB drives, and the charging cable she left behind for her phone.

Oh, she also had two potted plants: a cactus and a green ivy.

Zhou Qiaoqiao packed everything into a large box and carried it silently as she left the office. The sky outside matched her mood. The air felt heavy, and thick clouds were laden with water droplets, ready to bring a heartrending downpour to the earth at any moment.

Zhou Qiaoqiao didn’t head to the bus stop. Instead, she walked to the right with the cardboard box in her arms. If she kept walking, she would eventually reach home, her and Yan Wei’s home.

There, she would find their… home.

The raindrops fell one by one, increasing in intensity until they formed a curtain of rain between the sky and earth.

Zhou Qiaoqiao stayed at home for three days, turning off her phone and surviving on instant noodles. She was angry, and she wanted to lodge a complaint with Yan Wei. Of course, she needed Yan Wei to seek justice for her, but what she urgently needed was Yan Wei’s comfort.

Early December, the weather grew colder, and there were still 12 days left until the day Yan Wei said he would return…

Zhou Qiaoqiao lay on the tatami bed on the second floor, her finger circling the date of Yan Wei’s return on the calendar. The numbers “14” were so captivating to her gaze.

One day passed, then another, and then another… Soon it would be the 14th, and Yan Wei would be back.

Zhou Qiaoqiao looked at the date on the calendar and then glanced at the clock; it was already 8 o’clock. Could she cross out today’s date now, just like she did with each preceding day? Every day before this had been crossed out in red with an oil-based pen. The closer the crossed-out days were to the 14th, the closer Yan Wei’s return date would be.

The sound of the doorbell downstairs interrupted Zhou Qiaoqiao’s thoughts. She got up and peered down at the first floor. It was pitch-black downstairs, and Zhou Qiaoqiao hadn’t turned on the lights. She could only vaguely see the mess she had left behind.

The doorbell kept ringing, and Zhou Qiaoqiao looked out of the window. The sky was already pitch-black, and even the moon was hidden, casting no light.

Zhou Qiaoqiao thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled. Could it be that her husband Yan Wei was back home?

She rushed downstairs, her footsteps echoing as she ran. She reached the anti-theft door and had her hand on the lock when she remembered that this was Yan Wei’s home too. If Yan Wei was back, why didn’t he open the door?

Zhou Qiaoqiao took two steps back, looking at the door that kept ringing. She leaned forward to look through the peephole and saw Mao Jinghua standing outside, frowning.

Zhou Qiaoqiao pursed her lips and silently returned to the upstairs.

I’m sorry, mother-in-law, you can pretend that I’m not at home! I don’t want to hear anything or let them tell me how unavoidable things are. She didn’t like the word “unavoidable.”

The doorbell rang for about ten minutes before stopping. Knowing that Mao Jinghua had left, Zhou Qiaoqiao finally felt at ease and fell into a deep sleep.

Soon, it was the next day, and Yan Wei’s return to Zhou Qiaoqiao’s home was one day closer.

In her dream, the gloomy sky of the past few days cleared up. She sat in the car with a happy smile on her face. She knew she was on her way to the airport to pick up her husband, Yan Wei. He was coming back, and she wanted to be there to welcome him.

When she opened her eyes again, the sky was already bright, but Zhou Qiaoqiao felt physically and mentally exhausted.

In her dream, the car she was driving to pick up Yan Wei got stuck midway, and she had to get out and run, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t reach her destination.

The fatigue from running in her dream seemed to carry over to reality. Even after a night’s sleep, she still felt tired. Zhou Qiaoqiao pouted in frustration.

“Are you awake?”

Suddenly, a familiar deep voice sounded in her ear. It was a voice she had heard countless times, but at this moment, it sounded more pleasant than ever.

Zhou Qiaoqiao froze for a moment, then turned her head with a dazed expression.

At the staircase, that handsome man was wearing a casual milky-white sweater and brown leisure pants. He had his hands in his pockets, looking at Zhou Qiaoqiao with a gentle smile. He said, “Let’s get up and eat!”

Zhou Qiaoqiao rubbed her eyes, as if she couldn’t believe it. She continued to stare at Yan Wei without looking away.

As if in response to her gaze, Yan Wei walked step by step to where Zhou Qiaoqiao was and squatted down, asking with a smile, “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Qiaoqiao pouted, choked up, and rushed over to hug Yan Wei, crying loudly, “I missed you so much!”

Yan Wei comfortingly patted her back and said gently, “Good girl.” However, an unseen cold expression flashed across his face. His Qiaoqiao was crying?

“Why did you come back early?” Zhou Qiaoqiao quickly pushed him away and then asked with concern.

Yan Wei stood in front of Zhou Qiaoqiao, with a gentle expression on his face. He smiled and said, “I wanted to come back and see you earlier! So I finished my work ahead of time.”

He didn’t tell Zhou Qiaoqiao how panicked it was not to be able to contact someone for three days.

That day, after finishing a meeting, he saw a message from Zhou Qiaoqiao. It was a simple sentence: “Yan Wei, it’s raining in Yiwu City.”

Such a simple sentence made Yan Wei smile with understanding.

Feng Xiyuan, who was following him, saw him smiling and teased, “Is it from Qiaoqiao?”

Yan Wei nodded, and Feng Xiyuan continued to jest, “You’ve been working overtime every day this time just to go back early, right?”

Yan Wei nodded again, and he rubbed the screen with his finger, saying, “After we have an open and honest talk, I’ll bring her with me next year.”

Feng Xiyuan first showed a wry smile but quickly adjusted her mood and said, “That’s right. When Qiaoqiao comes next year, we won’t have to accompany you with overtime.”

Thinking about the day he can take Zhou Qiaoqiao out together next year, Yan Wei’s smile became even gentler, and he softly replied, “Yes.”

Once Yan Wei returned to his office, he immediately replied to Zhou Qiaoqiao’s message.

At first, Zhou Qiaoqiao didn’t respond, and he thought she might be busy and didn’t pay much attention to it.

Then he waited, and he waited until it was time for Zhou Qiaoqiao to get off work, and his frowned eyebrows never relaxed.

He called Zhou Qiaoqiao, but no one answered.

This had never happened before. Throughout the day, no matter if Yan Wei sent messages or made calls, there was no response.

Yan Wei had never been so panicked before, feeling like something that should have always been by his side was suddenly gone.

The next day, Yan Wei immediately booked a flight ticket. Even though Feng Xiyuan suggested that Zhen Guoan go and check the situation first, Yan Wei insisted on going back personally.

No one could understand Yan Wei’s feelings. Losing a treasure like her, perhaps he might never see her again in this lifetime… Various terrifying thoughts made Yan Wei wish there was a Doraemon’s “Anywhere Door” he could use.

When Yan Wei returned, it was already late at night, and Mao Liang was dutifully waiting at the airport entrance.

Upon reaching home, Yan Wei looked up at the windows of the apartment building, and the curtains were drawn. Carefully carrying his luggage upstairs, he opened the door with caution.

The apartment was dark, and Yan Wei’s heart sank. He thought Zhou Qiaoqiao wasn’t at home, but when he reached for the switch near the entrance, the room was instantly filled with light.

“Qiaoqiao,” Yan Wei called out in the empty room.

There was no response. Yan Wei closed the door and threw his luggage in the entrance. He looked around and saw Zhou Qiaoqiao’s bag on the sofa, and there was a box on the glass coffee table. On the kitchen table, there were several instant noodle cups. With just a simple glance, Yan Wei knew Zhou Qiaoqiao was at home.

Yan Wei went upstairs and saw Zhou Qiaoqiao lying in bed, emitting a faint snoring sound, wearing a light blue pajama set.

Sitting by the bedside, Yan Wei gently brushed away the fallen hair from her face and sighed as he looked at her furrowed brows.

That night, Zhou Qiaoqiao complained in Yan Wei’s arms, occasionally calling out his name and even shedding a few tears of grievance.

Yan Wei held her tightly, his eyes slightly narrowed. How well he protected his precious one when he was here! How much suffering did she endure during his absence?

The next morning, Yan Wei woke up early and saw that Zhou Qiaoqiao was still sound asleep. He didn’t wake her up but went downstairs to cook some millet porridge for her. He wondered how long it had been since she had eaten a proper meal?

He prepared some snacks and the millet porridge filled the air with a fragrant aroma. He glanced at the quiet second floor and then washed his hands before going upstairs.

He stood at the stairway, and when he saw Zhou Qiaoqiao’s eyelids twitch, he knew she was waking up.

“Awake?” Yan Wei didn’t want to startle her, so he spoke softly, just enough to remind her that he was back.

Soon after, Zhou Qiaoqiao embraced him with grievances and shared her sad experience with him. Yan Wei knew that he needed to make those people understand that there were some people in this world whom they couldn’t afford to offend.

“Don’t cry,” Yan Wei comforted her.

“Come down and have breakfast!” Yan Wei held Zhou Qiaoqiao’s hand and helped her up.

However, Zhou Qiaoqiao clearly had no intention of hiding anything and shared everything with Yan Wei while sipping the millet porridge.

Yan Wei listened attentively until Zhou Qiaoqiao mentioned that Yan Ye chose to let her endure it all to keep things calm. Yan Wei gently put down his chopsticks and looked at Zhou Qiaoqiao, saying, “I understand.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao looked at him with confusion, not understanding the meaning behind his “I understand.”

After breakfast, to lift Zhou Qiaoqiao’s spirits, Yan Wei said, “Let’s go to the hot springs.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao didn’t understand why he suddenly mentioned going to the hot springs, but she obediently nodded.

Yan Wei led Zhou Qiaoqiao to change clothes and go downstairs again. She noticed that the room was now clean; Yan Wei had tidied up. Her mood improved a lot with Yan Wei’s return, and she followed him downstairs. Mao Liang and the Maybach were already waiting there.

Zhou Qiaoqiao asked in surprise, “Did Yan Ye send you here? Does he know that his brother is back?”

“No,” Yan Wei replied as he opened the car door. “I asked him to come.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao got in the car and saw Yan Wei sitting next to her. She asked, “Is this okay?”

“It’s fine. Mao Liang works for me,” Yan Wei said.

Zhou Qiaoqiao was puzzled and asked, “Weren’t you kicked out?”

Yan Wei’s expression slowly turned serious upon hearing Zhou Qiaoqiao’s words. He stared at her for a while and then said, “Silly girl, being kicked out only means I can’t continue being the president of Yueyao.”

“Only?” Zhou Qiaoqiao nodded, thought seriously for a moment, and continued until the car had started moving, “So, you mean…”

Yan Wei remained calm, looking ahead. Eventually, he chose to be honest, “What I mean is that I can start my own business.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao was still a bit confused, “But aren’t you already working? Doing engineering projects.”

Yan Wei touched her head and said, “I am indeed working, and I have always been, but I’m working for myself.”

“Oh!” Zhou Qiaoqiao still didn’t quite grasp the difference, she looked ahead blankly, and after another ten minutes, she asked in a daze, “Yan Wei, are you saying you have your own company?”

Yan Wei nodded, and Zhou Qiaoqiao turned to look at him, her big eyes filled with confusion. “Are you deceiving me?” she asked.

Yan Wei held Zhou Qiaoqiao’s hand tightly and said, “I’m not deceiving you.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao replied, “But you’ve never mentioned having your own company.”

Yan Wei whispered, “You never asked.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao seemed to be greatly struck by this revelation. She first looked at Yan Wei in disbelief, then turned to Mao Liang in the front seat and shouted, “Stop the car.”

Mao Liang promptly parked the car by the roadside, and Zhou Qiaoqiao glared at Yan Wei fiercely, saying, “So, you also think I’m stupid.”

“Qiao…” Yan Wei tried to explain, but Zhou Qiaoqiao had already opened the door and got out of the car.

Yan Wei glanced at Mao Liang, who asked awkwardly, “Mr. Yan, aren’t you going to chase after her?”

Oh, right…

Yan Wei quickly got out of the car too. He had anticipated that Zhou Qiaoqiao would be angry when she learned the truth, but he hadn’t expected her to walk away without even listening to his explanation.

As Yan Wei stepped out of the car, passersby turned to look at him, struck by his extraordinary handsomeness. Yan Wei looked around and saw Zhou Qiaoqiao storming ahead. He rushed a few steps to catch up.

When Zhou Qiaoqiao heard the sound of his footsteps, she abruptly turned around and faced him. Her black skirt danced in the air with her swift movement.

“Yan… Wei!” Zhou Qiaoqiao shouted loudly. Yan Wei stopped about three meters away from her.

Zhou Qiaoqiao exclaimed, “You… lied… to me, and I’m angry.”

Yan Wei’s heart sank, but his face still wore a gentle smile as he said, “Let me buy you ice cream.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao blushed and quickly replied, “Buying ice cream won’t help.”

Yan Wei’s expression turned cold, which made Zhou Qiaoqiao feel even more aggrieved. She cried out, “Are you mad at me?”

Yan Wei: “…” Dear God, I didn’t say anything.

When Yan Wei remained silent, Zhou Qiaoqiao became even more heartbroken. She sobbed and said, “You won’t even comfort me.”

Yan Wei quickly said, “I haven’t… I want to comfort you.”

Zhou Qiaoqiao glared at him once more and said, “Don’t follow me. I… I don’t want to see you right now.”

With that, Zhou Qiaoqiao turned and walked away.

Yan Wei: “…”

Yan Wei wanted to chase after her, but when he saw Zhou Qiaoqiao glancing back at him, he sighed and let her go first.

Yan Wei returned to the car and told Mao Liang, “Go to the company.”

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Sansukini: Like I know she’s unreasonable in this quarrel, but she’s very sensitive right now. And Yan Wei, the poor oaf, say sorry first, don’t say “You didn’t ask.”, and also, don’t just coax with ice cream with something this serious.

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