《Becoming A Real Bigshot After Abandoned》


 Chapter 1

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Although it was freezing outside, the room inside was as warm as spring.


    Xia Jin¡¯s biological clock caused her to wake up at exactly seven o¡¯clock. She dispelled any remaining sleepiness in her and got up from bed quickly.


    However, she moved carefully and barely made a sound, for there was a naked man lying next to her.


    The sunlight shone across the gaps of the curtains and fell on the man. He looked somewhat sexy and seductive with his well-defined pectoral muscles and smoothly defined eight-pack abs.


    Xia Jin had seen this man¡¯s body for five years. At first, she would be flushed at the sight of his body, but now, she was almost numb.


    Her body was sore after a crazy night. However, this kind of pain had long been a common occurrence for her. She reached out to take her nightgown and draped it over her body.


    Then, Xia Jin turned and touched the man¡¯s back. She said in a mechanical tone, ¡°President Huo, there¡¯s a meeting at 8 a.m. It¡¯s already 7:05 a.m.¡±


    The man¡¯s hair was a little ruffled. He pushed her hand away and uttered impatiently, ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Xia Jin withdrew her hand expressionlessly. She did not continue to urge him.


    Ever since she was pulled by Huo Jue into the office¡¯s break room five years ago, he was her boss during the day, and at night, he was also her boss.


    Not only did Xia Jin have to work earnestly for him during the day, but she also had to serve him diligently in bed at night.


    Every morning, Xia Jin, who had been tortured by Huo Jue all night, had to get up early to wake him up.


    She got up and opened her make-up bag. After she applied her make-up quickly, she headed downstairs to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.


    After breakfast, Xia Jin walked out of Huo Jue¡¯s house.


    There were five luxury cars parked at the garage on the left of Huo Jue¡¯s villa.


    However, Xia Jin turned right with an expressionless face. She walked to the intersection to take a taxi to the company.


    Xia Jin had never been in Huo Jue¡¯s car for the past five years. In addition, she had never eaten breakfast with him before.


    Perhaps Xia Jin once imagined that she could become Mrs. Huo one day, but she had already woken up from this dream after five years passed.


    When she arrived at the company, Xia Jin put on a cold and professional look. She walked into the conference room to prepare the documents needed for the meeting in advance. Then, she set up the computer equipment and stood by the door to wait.


    The employees entering the company greeted her politely when they saw her, and Xia Jin nodded back in response.


    After standing for seven or eight minutes, her waist which was severely ravaged by Huo Jue the night before began to ache.


    Xia Jin took a deep breath and tried her best to endure the pain.


    At around 7:40 p.m. the CEO¡¯s private elevator, which was at the corner of the stairs opened, and Huo Jue stepped out expressionlessly.


    He was very tall, and he had a very oppressive aura surrounding him. Xia Jin had to urge to take a step back subconsciously when he came near her.


    Huo Jue walked past Xia Jin without even looking at her. It was as if the scene of the two of them entangled in bed last night was just a wet dream for Xia Jin.


    He entered the conference room for his morning meeting. Xia Jin ordered breakfast for Huo Jue using her phone.


    When the food was delivered, Xia Jin ran into Huo Jue¡¯s assistant, Gao Lan, when she went downstairs to pick the food up.


    Gao Lan was a graduate of an Ivy League University. She quickly became Huo Jue¡¯s right-hand man after entering the Huo Corporation. She was usually in charge of the company¡¯s administrative affairs.


    Gao Lan nodded at Xia Jin. However, she seemed to have thought of something. She walked to Xia Jin and touched her arm. ¡°Xiao Jin, do you know about President Huo¡¯s arrangements for this afternoon?¡±


    Xia Jin recalled his schedule for the day and nodded. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s meeting Sevene Vice President of the Asia Pacific branch for dinner this afternoon.¡±


    A rare trace of panic and uneasiness appeared on Gao Lan¡¯s face after she heard her words. ¡°That man just came back from abroad a year ago. He caused a lot of trouble as soon as he returned. A few months ago, he even¡­ did something to the secretary of a CEO he had a partnership with.¡±


    Then, Gao Lan looked around nervously. After seeing that no one was paying attention to their conversation, she leaned closer to Xia Jin and muttered, ¡°He sexually assaulted her!¡±


    Xia Jin frowned. She understood why Gao Lan asked her about it.


    Sevne Vice President was named Zhou Qi. He was an overseas returnee. It was said that his business tactics were extremely ruthless, and he was quite a womanizer. Not only did he like hanging around bars, but he also harassed the female employees from time to time. Although this matter was exposed on the internet before, Zhou Qi was still safe and sound. However, it was said that the women who were harassed in the workplace disappeared one by one.


    A few months ago, Zhou Qi secretly drugged the secretary of a partner company he worked with. He dragged her to a hotel and sexually assaulted her.


    Moreover, he had been coveting Huo Jue¡¯s cousin. It could be said that he was extraordinarily bold.


    If Huo Jue was going to have a meeting with Zhou Qi, he would definitely bring his secretary with him, and Gao Lan was wary of this.


    Xia Jin lowered her head and pondered for a while. Then, she raised her head and smiled. ¡°Miss Lan, don¡¯t worry! President Huo definitely knows what to do. Isn¡¯t it insulting for him to just let that man touch his people in front of him? Maybe we wouldn¡¯t even need to go over.¡±


    Huo Jue could just ask for a male employee to tag along if he really wanted to prevent such a thing from happening.


    Gao Lan was relieved after hearing her words.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    As they were chatting, someone suddenly called out to Xia Jin from the corridor. ¡°Miss Xia, President Huo is looking for you.¡±


    Xia Jin took the lunch and left in a hurry after bidding goodbye to Gao Lan.


    After signing the last contract, Huo Jue leaned back on his seat. He pressed his brow and said without raising his head, ¡°Get ready, there¡¯s a dinner party tonight.¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s face, which was originally calm, flinched in an instant.


    She lifted her head and looked at Huo Jue in surprise.


    Huo Jue seemed to notice her gaze, and he frowned. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Xia Jin quickly calmed down. Her tone carried a coldness that she did not even notice. ¡°No.¡±


    No one dares to disobey Huo Jue¡¯s orders.


    Her palms broke out in cold sweat. Her mind turned quickly as she thought about why Huo Jue wanted to bring her along this time.


    She had been Huo Jue¡¯s mistress for five years. Although Huo Jue did not treat her very well, at least he did not let other men touch her.


    Otherwise, with Xia Jin¡¯s looks, there would be many rich and powerful bosses who would lay their hands on her.


    Perhaps it was for this reason that Xia Jin vaguely believed that Huo Jue might still hold some feelings for her.


    But now, his decision seemed to be indicating something..

 Chapter 2

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xia Jin came out of Huo Jue¡¯s office covered with cold sweat. It was as if she had just been pulled up from the water by someone.


    She gritted her teeth and pondered for a while. In the end, she ran to the lounge to pick up the pocket knife on the table and place it in her bag. She can¡¯t just sit still and wait if she was really going to be in danger!


    As night fell, Huo Jue took Xia Jin with him. Xia Jin was met with a lot of sympathetic and worried gazes when leaving.


    It seemed that Zhou Qi¡¯s reputation was so notorious and everyone knew that she was going to be in grave danger.


    When they walked to the entrance, Huo Jue¡¯s personal car was already parked outside. Xia Jin took a deep breath, and cold air filled her lungs.


    The two of them got into the car, and no one spoke for a while.


    After some time, Huo Jue spoke.


    ¡°The HR department said that you went to check your induction contract?¡±


    As Huo Jue¡¯s tone was flat, Xia Jin could not guess what he meant by saying that.


    She nodded reluctantly. ¡°Yes, my contract is for five years. I went to take a look as I forgot when I have joined.¡±


    Huo Jue¡¯s half-closed eyes opened upon hearing her words. He swept his gaze over her face faintly. ¡°I thought you were thinking of finding another job because you believe that the Huo Corporation didn¡¯t pay you well.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? The salary you offered me is already very generous.¡± Xia Jin chose her words carefully and without revealing her true thoughts.


    In fact, she did plan to leave the company.


    She was still young and naive when she came to Huo Jue¡¯s side five years ago. She believed that Huo Jue somehow had a place for her inside his heart, as he was willing to keep her by his side.


    After five years, Xia Jin knew clearly that this man was not serious with her in the slightest.


    What kind of secretary can¡¯t Huo Jue not find?


    Xia Jin¡¯s only value to him was probably her body, which Huo Jue could enjoy with excitement at night.


    Five years was a girl¡¯s precious youth. Even if she gave it all to Huo Jue, it did not mean that she wanted to waste the rest of her life on this man.


    Soon, the car stopped, and they got off the car. Several managers and representatives of their partners were already waiting for them in front of the hotel.


    Xia Jin could feel a pair of sticky, disgusting eyes glued on her ever since she got out of the car.


    She did not dare to look up, as she was afraid that she would meet the eyes of that person¡¯s gaze.


    She decided to lie low and play dead.


    ¡°Long time no see, President Huo!¡± An energetic man¡¯s voice rang out, and a pair of hands reached out in front of Huo Jue.


    Huo Jue politely shook hands with the other party, and they entered the hotel suite.


    After Xia Jin entered, Zhou Qi stood next to her in an exceptionally gentlemanly manner and pulled out a chair for her. ¡°This beautiful lady, please have a seat.¡±


    At the same time, Zhou Qi had already placed his other hand on her waist.


    It seemed like he was inviting her to take a seat, but in reality, he was trying to take advantage of her.


    Xia Jin¡¯s face darkened slightly, but she forced herself to endure it. She quickly sat down, avoiding any further physical contact with Zhou Qi.


    Zhou Qi could see Xia Jin¡¯s reluctance, but he was unconcerned. Moreover, a hint of excitement even appeared in his eyes.


    After she sat down, she looked in the direction of Huo Jue.


    Huo Jue was sitting opposite her, propping his forehead on his hand lazily. He was half-leaning against the back of his chair, seemingly not having to see Zhou Qi¡¯s actions on her just now.


    Her heart sank.


    She touched the pocket knife in her jacket pocket carefully and felt a little more at ease. It seemed that Huo Jue was not going to help her, so she could only rely on herself.


    A trace of hatred flashed through her heart. Although Xia Jin knew that harassment in the workplace was a common occurrence, she was still aggrieved over Huo Jue¡¯s indifference.


    She did not hold any expectations for Huo Jue. However, seeing that he was not even willing to give her the slightest bit of decency, she grew more despondent and exasperated.


    Then, Huo Jue and Zhou Qi started engaging in a conversation about business cooperation. They did not talk for long before Zhou Qi¡¯s drifted back to Xia Jin again.


    ¡°President Huo¡¯s secretary is so beautiful. I wonder if President Huo can do me a favor and let Miss Xia come to my company?¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She clenched her fists nervously and looked at Huo Jue uneasily.


    When Huo Jue heard his words, he smiled faintly and the corners of his lips curled up. ¡°She has been with me for five years. She might not be willing if the conditions offered by President Zhou¡¯s conditions aren¡¯t good.¡±


    Five years?! Huo Jue had toyed around with a woman for five years?


    Zhou Qi looked at Xia Jin with a hint of contempt and some curiosity.


    He felt that it was more or less unappealing, since Huo Jue had toyed with her for five years.


    However, a woman that Huo Jue frolicked with for five years must have something special about her, and perhaps she could bring him some excitement.


    As Zhou Qi thought of this, his eyes lit up with excitement immediately.


    ¡°Miss Xia, my glass is empty. Please fill it up for me.¡± Even though Xia Jin tried to reduce her presence as much as possible, Zhou Qi still had no intention of letting her go.


    Xia Jin gritted her teeth. When she raised her head, her expression had already returned to a cold and distant look.


    She stood up and refilled Zhou Qi¡¯s glass.


    ¡°Bring it over to me.¡± Zhou Qi sat lazily in his chair. His eyes darkened, and he used a more oppressive tone, seeing that Xia Jin kept the distance between them.


    Xia Jin took a deep breath and cast a glance at Huo Jue from the corner of her eyes. Huo Jue was casually holding his glass and slowly shaking the wine in it. He did not have the slightest intention of stopping Zhou Qi.


    Xia Jin¡¯s body stiffened for a moment. Then, she stepped forward to hand the wine glass to Zhou Qi.


    Unexpectedly, Zhou Qi suddenly grabbed Xia Jin¡¯s wrist and pulled her into his arms.


    The wine glass trembled violently in her hands. Unfortunately, the wine was spilled all over his pants, and she fell into his arms.


    Zhou Qi declared in a surprised tone, ¡°Miss Xia, why did you trip over accidentally? My clothes are all wet because of you. Miss Xia, please accompany me to the lounge for me to change my clothes.¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s face instantly paled upon hearing his words.


    She would be in danger if she went to the lounge with Zhou Qi!


    The man¡¯s lascivious eyes flitted across her body, causing goosebumps to rise all over her body.


    Seeing that Xia Jin did not move, Zhou Qi tightened his grip on her hand. His tone was a little gloomy. ¡°Why, do you need to ask Mr. Huo?¡±


    With that, he turned to look at Huo Jue, with a hint of urgency in his eyes.


    Huo Jue put down his glass and said in a flat and cold tone, ¡°Since you¡¯ve caused trouble, go and help Mr. Zhou.¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s heart plummeted.


    Before she could even gather her emotions, Zhou Qi pulled her up by her waist. Then, he dragged her towards the door impatiently.


    There were many department heads in the room, but no one came out to help when seeing her in this situation..

 Chapter 3

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xia Jin was dragged into the lounge by Zhou Qi. Before she could react, the door of the lounge was locked by Zhou Qi from the inside.


    His face came closer to her. Zhou Qi leaned over and tried to kiss her. ¡°Baby, you¡¯re so beautiful. Let me have a good time¡­¡±


    Xia Jin desperately tried to push him away, but her strength was too weak. She could not move at all after Zhou Qi grabbed her.


    His breath, which reeked of alcohol, made her feel sick to her stomach.


    ¡°President Zhou, this is the lounge. It won¡¯t be good if someone comes over¡­¡± Xia Jin was still struggling desperately, but her strength was running out bit by bit.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be more exciting?¡± Zhou Qi seemed to have some strange sensual fetish. Not only was he not afraid, but he even grew more excited by her words.


    Xia Jin started to grow more anxious about her current situation. However, Huo Jue¡¯s face came to mind when she was desperate and helpless.


    Huo Jue, you are really ruthless! Do you even have a conscience?!


    Intense sorrow gushed out within her under extreme anger. Xia Jin¡¯s eyes welled up and tears rolled down her cheeks.


    Zhou Qi¡¯s hand was already reaching into the hem of her blouse. His cold fingers slid across her warm skin, causing her to shudder violently.


    Xia Jin¡¯s pupils instantly contracted, and she bit hard on his shoulder with a surge of strength from nowhere!


    ¡°Son of a gun! You¡¯re looking for death!¡± A sharp pain shot through Zhou Qi¡¯s shoulder. He let out a low growl angrily and raised his hand to slap Xia Jin.


    Since they had shed all pretenses of cordiality, Zhou Qi had no more scruples at all. He ruthlessly pinned Xia Jin underneath him.


    Xia Jin suddenly called out a name while hyperventilating. ¡°Huo Fei!¡±


    Zhou Qi¡¯s actions came to a halt.


    Huo Fei was Huo Jue¡¯s cousin. It was said that Zhou Qi tried to pursue Huo Fei when he was abroad, but he had never succeeded.


    Seeing that Zhou Qi was stunned, Xia Jin licked her dry lips and quickly organized the words in her mind.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Zhou have a crush on Huo Fei?¡±


    Zhou Qi sneered. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, you know that I¡¯ve been with President Huo for five years. After being toyed around by him for five years, he sent me to you after getting tired of me. If you really accept this, doesn¡¯t that mean that you can only toy around with the women he used?¡± As Xia Jin finished her words, she saw Zhou Qi¡¯s face darkening.


    However, she did not seem to be afraid at all and continued, ¡°You know that Huo Fei is Huo Jue¡¯s cousin. Do you think Huo Jue will let Huo Fei marry a man who messed around with his secretary? No way! The Huo family will lose face if he really agreed. Please think carefully about why he brought me here today.¡±


    When Zhou Qi heard her words, some doubt flashed within his eyes.


    Xia Jin took a deep breath and looked at Zhou Qi sharply. ¡°This is because you will never have a chance with Huo Fei if you touch me! He will also completely tarnish your image in front of Huo Fei, saying that you can¡¯t even spare his secretary! Mr. Zhou, I¡¯m just a woman that Huo Jue has been tired of playing. How can I be compared to Miss Huo? With a status like yours, only Miss Huo can be worthy of you. In addition, I can help you get Miss Huo if you¡¯re willing!¡±


    Xia Jin finished her words at one go and looked at Zhou Qi nervously.


    A few seconds later, Zhou Qi¡¯s hand left her body.


    Xia Jin was entirely drenched in sweat. Her cold sweat dampened her clothes, and they were sticking to her skin uncomfortably.


    ¡°Just by you? How can you help me?¡± Although Zhou Qi let her off the hook for the moment, he did not seem to quite trust her words.


    Xia Jin forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been with Huo Jue for five years, and he trusts me. When Miss Huo returns from abroad, I can ask to receive her and give you and Miss Huo a chance to be alone.¡±


    Her words seemed to dispel Zhou Qi¡¯s doubts, but he was still a little uneasy.


    ¡°Why should I trust you? What if you run away without helping me?¡±


    ¡°This matter is just like your business dealings. There are risks involved, but Miss Huo is the apple of the Old Master Huo¡¯s eyes and also President Huo¡¯s cousin. Isn¡¯t her status worth the risk?¡± Since Xia Jin followed Huo Jue for so long, she knew very well when and what to say.


    At this time, if she assured Zhou Qi that she would not betray him, he would not believe her.


    It was better to admit the risk of this matter and let Zhou Qi see the benefits so that he would be willing to take the risk.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a nobody. If I really lied to you, you have thousands of ways to retaliate against me. I wouldn¡¯t dare to go against someone like you.¡± A hint of fear and ingratiation appeared in Xia Jin¡¯s eyes at the right time..

 Chapter 4

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Zhou Qi sneered. ¡°You¡¯re quite tactful.¡± However, he frowned again after some time. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Huo Jue won¡¯t let you off when the time comes?¡±


    Xia Jin snorted coldly. There was a hint of hatred in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been following him loyally for five years, yet he¡¯s so cold and heartless to me. Although I¡¯m afraid of him, I despise him more!¡±


    Zhou Qi thought for a while, and after a while, he seemed to believe Xia Jin¡¯s words. A smile appeared on his face. ¡°Fine, then it¡¯s a deal! I¡¯ll let you go this time, and you help me get Huo Fei!¡±


    After a pause, Zhou Qi grabbed Xia Jin¡¯s hand again. He threatened grimly, ¡°I¡¯ll never let you off if you dare to lie to me!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°President Huo, shall we go?¡±


    The atmosphere inside the car was frighteningly low. The driver rested his hands on the steering wheel uneasily and glanced nervously at Huo Jue¡¯s expression in the mirror. He did not understand why President Huo did not ask him to set off even when the dinner was already over.


    With a grim look on his face, Huo Jue raised his wrist to look at his watch.


    After another five minutes had passed, Huo Jue¡¯s hand fell on the car door handle. Just as he was about to open the door, he suddenly saw a slim figure appear at the entrance of the hotel out of the corner of his eye.


    The slim figure stood upright, and her footsteps were hurried. She strode in an orderly manner, although she was in a rush.


    Huo Jue¡¯s gaze turned frigid once again. He withdrew his hand and sat in the car, expressionlessly.


    All of a sudden, a rattling sound came from outside the car window.


    Xia Jin was slamming on the car window fiercely. When she thought of Huo Jue sitting inside, she wished that the window was Huo Jue¡¯s face!


    Huo Jue glanced at Xia Jin¡¯s face. Although she had tidied up, her hair was still a little messy. She looked a bit flustered, as if she had just gone through some hardship.


    ¡°Open the door,¡± Huo Jue muttered coldly. The driver immediately unlocked the door, after which Xia Jin pulled open and squeezed into the car.


    As soon as she entered, she could clearly feel that the atmosphere in the car was not right.


    Xia Jin raised her head and glanced at Huo Jue. She found that his cold and gloomy eyes were also looking at her.


    ¡°Get away from me. You¡¯re dirty.¡± There was no telling what image Huo Jue had conjured up in his head, but his expression at that moment was one of disgust.


    Xia Jin¡¯s face was cold. However, she did not say anything, and she sat far away from Huo Jue after closing the car door.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, President Huo.¡± A trace of mockery flashed in her eyes.


    Huo Jue sneered, but there was not the slightest hint of laughter in his eyes. ¡°It seems that you¡¯re quite capable since you¡¯re able to escape from Zhou Qi.¡±


    Xia Jin did not notice why Huo Jue had premeditated the time right on the dot. Her attention was focused entirely on the sarcasm in his tone.


    He had the nerve to say that?! She would not have been in such a situation if it were not for him!


    Xia Jin turned to look at Huo Jue with an insincere smile on her face. She said in a serious tone, ¡°It¡¯s all because President Huo has taught me well.¡±


    The intensity of her gaze stunned Huo Jue subconsciously.


    He had not seen Xia Jin with a temper for many years.


    The originally young and immature girl had become a mature and calm woman after five years of honing. Whether it was day or night, Xia Jin was like a perfect robot, without any fluctuations in her emotions.


    Even if he tormented her in bed, she would just grit her teeth and endure it silently.


    If it weren¡¯t for the five-year contract, no woman would have been able to live such a life.


    Xia Jin could be described as a perfect contract lover and one that he personally trained.


    However, for some reason, Huo Jue felt uneasy watching the vitality and liveliness of this girl fade away slowly.


    Xia Jin originally thought that Huo Jue would be displeased if she made such a remark, but Huo Jue remained silent unexpectedly.


    Just as she heaved a sigh of relief and thought that the trouble was finally over, Huo Jue suddenly instructed, ¡°Stop the car.¡±


    The driver pulled the car over by the roadside, opened the car door nimbly and got out.


    Xia Jin had a bad feeling in her heart.


    Immediately afterward, Huo Jue grabbed her and lifted her short skirt.


    Xia Jin¡¯s pupils retracted violently. She struggled to open the car door to escape but was pulled back by Huo Jue.


    ¡°President Huo, we are by the side of the road!¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s face reddened with anxiety.


    It was not that she had not engaged in inexplicable activities with this man in the car.


    But it was too ridiculous to do so in broad daylight by the side of the road!

 Chapter 5

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Huo Jue placed his chin on her neck. His breath exhaled on Xia Jin¡¯s skin as he spoke, giving her an unbearable tickling sensation. ¡°What? You can do it with him but not with me?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he bit her earlobe.


    Huo Jue knew very well what was the most sensitive part of Xia Jin, having been together for five years.


    Xia Jin felt as if an electric current was flowing through her entire body. She clenched her teeth to hold herself back from trembling.


    As Huo Jue felt her breathing become unsteady, he reached into Xia Jin¡¯s clothes and gently fondled her.


    ¡°You¡¯re so sensitive so soon¡­¡± Xia Jin closed her eyes in shame and anger as Huo Jue whispered shameful words in her ear.


    ¡°You can scream if you want to, but keep it down, as there are people outside.¡± Huo Jue could feel the woman in his arms trembling violently. His excitement grew, and he reached his hand up to Xia Jin¡¯s chest.


    It was funny to say that Huo Jue did not feel impatient even after five years of engaging in inexplicable activities with Xia Jin.


    Xia Jin was like his exclusive ecstasy. She could easily stir up his desire, making it hard for him to restrain himself.


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes welled up with tears of humiliation as the sensitive parts of her body were being played with by that man.


    Does this man treat her as a plaything?


    Or an object that can be given away to someone else casually?


    Xia Jin¡¯s lips curled up in mockery as she said in a cold tone, ¡°President Huo, don¡¯t you mind at all?¡±


    Huo Jue¡¯s movements halted.


    Xia Jin felt a surge of pleasure in her heart and continued recklessly, ¡°Zhou Qi and I have been in there for more than 30 minutes. Can¡¯t you guess what we¡¯ve done?¡±


    Huo Jue¡¯s body stiffened abruptly, and his eyes tinged with a deep look of disgust and anger.


    Xia Jin quickly pulled herself out of his arms, while Huo Jue relaxed his grip and quickly tidied up her clothes.


    After buttoning up her clothes, Xia Jin took a deep breath and placed her hand on the car door. Then, she uttered in an indifferent tone, ¡°President Huo, I don¡¯t plan on working at the Huo Corporation any longer. I¡¯ll hand in my resignation in a few days.¡±


    After that, she opened the car door and left without turning back.


    She did not know what Huo Jue¡¯s expression had behind her.


    Nor was she interested in the slightest.


    The cold wind blew on her body, giving her a cold, stinging sensation.


    As Xia Jin walked, tears began to pour out of her eyes.


    She tried to wipe them away, only to have more tears gush out.


    ¡°Why are you crying?!¡± She cursed herself angrily. ¡°You deserve this!¡±


    Occasionally, a few passersby saw her like this, and they looked at her as if she was a psychopath and moved far away.


    Xia Jin¡¯s tears already dried up when she reached home. She entered the bathroom wearily and turned on the shower head. Then, she picked up the bath ball next to her and scrubbed her body fiercely.


    She exerted so much force on the places where she had been touched by Zhou Qi that she almost tore her skin.


    When they were in the car, Huo Jue implied that she was dirty, in fact, Xia Jin also felt that she was dirty.


    Sometimes, when she looked at the young girls in their early twenties who had just arrived at the company like freshly blossomed flowers, she felt that she was living a lowly and soiled life.


    Who would have thought that she was also that young and beautiful at one time?


    ¡°Huo Jue¡­ it¡¯s all because of you!¡± Xia Jin hammered her fist on the mirror. The mirror quickly cracked, and her face in the mirror was split into countless distorted pieces.


    After taking a shower, Xia Jin had already gathered her emotions.


    She could not afford to offend Zhou Qi, but she mustn¡¯t work with him. Although she didn¡¯t like Huo Fei, it was not up to her to ruin her happiness for life.


    She could not stay by Huo Jue¡¯s side anymore.


    The only way out was to take her mother with her and leave the capital.


    She had a lot of money saved as Huo Jue¡¯s lover over the five years. Huo Jue was not stingy. He gave her two houses in addition to her salary. Thus, she had around one million dollars in total.


    Xia Jin felt more confident with this sum of money in hand. She rushed to her computer desk, quickly wrote a resignation letter, and sent it to the human resources department.


    She heaved a long sigh of relief after doing all of this.


    This sense of relief was because she was about to regain her freedom, but she also felt slightly despondent.


    For the past five years, she had been revolving around Huo Jue, and sometimes she did not even know how she felt about him.


    She still liked him in the early years, but after that, she felt numb toward him.


    There is a saying that women needed the nourishment of love in order to remain naive and beautiful.


    As for Xia Jin, let alone love, Huo Jue probably just treated her as a slave and ordered her around.


    Therefore, Xia Jin no longer had the naivety of a foolish woman. She learned to plan and scheme for herself long ago.


    After a tiring day, Xia Jin¡¯s eyelids grew heavy. As she no longer had to go to work, she drank a few glasses of her treasured wine and fell asleep while drunk.


    The next morning, she woke up at 7:00 a.m. and looked at the sunlight outside the window. Then, she rolled over and went back to sleep..

 Chapter 6

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xia Jin¡¯s phone rang half an hour later. She picked it up with some annoyance and saw that it was from Assistant Xu Bing.


    It was someone from Huo Jue¡¯s side.


    She hung up the call.


    The surroundings quieted down instantly.


    Xia Jin felt good.


    Then, she pulled the blanket over her head and was prepared to sleep until noon.


    Unexpectedly, her phone rang again two minutes later.


    Xia Jin¡¯s sleepiness was instantly dispelled, and she felt a little irritable. Then, she picked up the phone and said somewhat unpleasantly, ¡°Don¡¯t look for me since I¡¯ve already resigned!¡±


    Xu Bing seemed to be stunned for a moment, then he continued, ¡°President Huo asked me to look for you. He¡¯s at the hospital, and he is asking for you to come over.¡±


    Xia Jin sneered. ¡°What does it have to do with me when he¡¯s at the hospital? I don¡¯t have the time to go there.¡±


    It would be better if he was dead!


    Xu Bing seemed to be a little surprised by Xia Jin¡¯s reaction. After a while, he explained, ¡°Miss Xia, I¡¯m just a messenger. Please don¡¯t give me a hard time. Since you¡¯ve been with President Huo for so many years, you must know the consequences of disobeying him. You should behave more cautiously as you¡¯re still an employee of the Huo Corporation.¡±


    Xu Bing and Xia Jin did not hold any animosity against each other, and his words were said objectively. Xia Jin became silent for a while and did not respond.


    She still did not want to go see Huo Jue.


    Every cell in her body was resisting the idea of visiting the hospital.


    Xu Bing sighed. Then, he said in a somewhat helpless tone, sensing Xia Jin¡¯s attitude. ¡°Miss Xia, President Huo can take back the properties under you at any time. Also, your mother¡¯s expenses at the sanatorium have been covered by President Huo all these years. It won¡¯t do you any good to oppose him.¡±


    Xia Jin gritted her teeth and gripped her phone tighter.


    After taking a deep breath, Xia Jin calmed herself down. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Xia Jin was about to apply make-up out of habit after changing. However, she remembered that she would soon be going separate ways with Huo Jue, so she did not need to pay that much attention to her image. Hence, she went out with a bare face and a ponytail.


    When she arrived at the entrance of the hospital, Xu Bing sent her a text message telling her the location of the examination room.


    Xia Jin went upstairs and walked to the entrance of the examination room. However, she was surprised to find that the sign on the door indicated gynecology when she looked up.


    What was going on?


    Xia Jin pushed open the door in confusion. There was no one else inside there, apart from a middle-aged female doctor, who was sitting inside.


    Huo Jue was not here?


    The female doctor nodded at her kindly when she saw Xia Jin coming over. ¡°You¡¯re Miss Xia, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Xia Jin responded hesitantly.


    ¡°Mr. Huo has booked a gynecological examination for you. You can lie on the bed first.¡±


    A gynecological examination?! Xia Jin¡¯s face instantly darkened.


    The female doctor saw that she was not moving and thought that she was nervous, so she comforted her gently. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid since it¡¯s just a simple check-up. You can take off your pants first. Then, I¡¯ll take a sample later. It¡¯ll be quick.¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s breathing grew heavier, and her heart started throbbing. Anger was gradually rising within her. She got called to the hospital because Huo Jue believed that she was tainted? He wanted to check if anything had happened between Zhou Qi and her last night¡­


    But then, the bottom of her eyes gradually became cold and numb.


    The check-up process ended very quickly. Xia Jin got down from the bed calmly and tidied up her clothes. Her hands were still trembling violently.


    Although she felt a certain emotion that almost made her chest explode, she did not show it.


    Although the female doctor acted kindly toward Xia Jin, there was a faint hint of contempt in the way she looked at her.


    When Xia Jin walked out of the examination room, her phone suddenly rang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be home in thirty minutes. Wait for me at home.¡± Huo Jue¡¯s tone was as light and indifferent as usual.


    Xia Jin gritted her teeth and spoke coldly, ¡°President Huo, I¡¯ve already resigned. I¡¯m not your secretary anymore. If you need anything, don¡¯t look for me again. Moreover, whether I¡¯m healthy or not has nothing to do with you.¡±


    She did not want to be kept by Huo Jue any longer.


    After hearing her words, Huo Jue was silent for a few moments. Then, a trace of laughter seemed to leak from the phone, as if he was mocking Xia Jin.


    ¡°Have you not seen the email I just sent you? You should read it before making a decision.¡± Huo Jue was not the slightest worried that Xia Jin would disobey his orders at all, and hung up the call.


    Xia Jin suppressed the anger in her heart. She opened her phone and logged into her email account to check the email.


    A screenshot was lying in the email. It seemed to be the terms of a contract.


    For termination of service within five years, the penalty for breaching the contract was 20 million dollars.


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Her breathing quickened, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.


    She had never signed such a contract before!


    Wait¡­


    Xia Jin forced herself to calm down and began to recall her memories carefully.


    She had never signed such a contract before. However, in the years that she had been with Huo Jue, he did make her sign many other written contracts. As those contracts were not related to her personally, she did not look at them in detail.


    It was hard to say that Huo Jue did not tamper with those contracts and secretly set her up.


    Xia Jin¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted. Cold sweat started seeping out of her body, soaking her clothes.


    Huo Jue, you bastard!

 Chapter 7

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    After taking a deep breath and reopening her eyes, Xia Jin managed to regain her calmness.


    She could not fall out with Huo Jue even if he had set her up.


    She was aware of his vengeful personality, having been with Huo Jue for so long. Since he came to threaten her himself, he was definitely not joking with her.


    Since the five-year contract would expire in three months, she just needed to tolerate Huo Jue for another three months.


    As she had already endured for five years, three months was nothing to her.


    Xia Jin left the hospital and hailed a cab. Then, she arrived at Huo Jue¡¯s house twenty minutes later.


    When she arrived at the door, she reached out and pressed the door lock. The door lock beeped twice but remained locked.


    This lock was a fingerprint code lock. Since it could not be opened, Huo Jue must have deleted her fingerprint from the system.


    Xia Jin gritted her teeth, and her face turned even uglier.


    The sky became darker and darker, and the dark clouds grew heavier.


    Soon, rain droplets started falling from the sky.


    Indeed, bad things were happening one after another for Xia Jin.


    Xia Jin did not check the weather forecast when she left home today. Thus, she was wearing a thin knitted sweater. At this moment, she shivered in the rain as the cold wind blew. Her entire body trembled, and she could only desperately curl up under the eaves of the house.


    Xia Jin did not know how long she had waited. Just when she was about to lose consciousness from the cold, she heard the sound of a car braking.


    The sound of an umbrella opening followed. Xia Jin looked up and saw a pair of leather shoes appear in her sight.


    Huo Jue narrowed his eyes and looked at the girl cowering under the eaves, shivering.


    Surprisingly, the woman in front of him did not wear her usual exquisite and perfect makeup on her face. Instead, she was bare-faced and her hair was tied up in a high ponytail.


    This made Xia Jin look innocent, just like when she just graduated from university five years ago.


    At this moment, Xia Jin¡¯s face was extremely pale from the cold. Her dark pupils stared straight at Huo Jue, with no emotions in them. There was no resentment or anger in her eyes. She was like a puppet who had lost her feelings.


    However, there was also a faint sense of stubbornness that seemed to confront Huo Jue.


    Huo Jue quickly regained his composure. Then, he slowly walked up the stairs. He said coldly, without even looking at Xia Jin, ¡°Come in.¡±


    His tone was like calling out to a stray dog.


    Xia Jin bit her lips hard. Her body, which was numb from the cold, became responsive under the stimulation of the pain.


    She slowly stood up and struggled to lift her legs as her whole body was numb. She felt a wave of dizziness and nearly fainted.


    Xia Jin gently closed the door behind her after entering. She turned her head and saw that Huo Jue had already taken off his coat and shirt. He was completely naked on his upper torso.


    Knowing that Huo Jue was going to take a shower, Xia Jin averted her gaze and prepared to find a corner to hunch in.


    However, Huo Jue did not go straight to the bathroom, to her surprise. Instead, he walked towards her and grabbed her wrist.


    Xia Jin was startled by Huo Jue¡¯s sudden action, just like a frightened deer.


    However, she quickly regained her composure and glanced at Huo Jue calmly. ¡°President Huo, I¡¯m covered in rainwater. You¡¯d better go and take a shower first.¡±


    The cold rain drenched Xia Jin. Her clothes were clinging tightly to her body, revealing her sexy and alluring figure. As soon as Xia Jin saw the strange look in Huo Jue¡¯s eyes, she knew what he was thinking.


    Sure enough, Huo Jue pulled her straight toward the bathroom.


    When they reached the bathroom, Huo Jue began to undress her without saying a word.


    Seeing that Huo Jue was not listening to her words at all, Xia Jin held back her body from trembling and mustered the courage to look up at Huo Jue. ¡°Does President Huo like to use things that have been used by others?¡±


    She could tell that Huo Jue did not like Zhou Qi. Thus, he might let her off if she told him that she had been touched by Zhou Qi long ago.


    Huo Jue looked at Xia Jin sharply, as if he had already read her mind clearly.


    This woman was really trying her best to not let him touch her.


    He had never thought that he would actually be despised by Xia Jin one day.


    He stared at Xia Jin coldly, but his hands did not pause at all. The last piece of clothing on Xia Jin¡¯s body was forcibly removed by him.


    Xia Jin¡¯s body trembled violently.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t like to use things that have been used by others.¡± His voice was low and cold. ¡°You should be glad that you are not the same as other women in my eyes.¡±


    Xia Jin closed her eyes in humiliation, and the corners of her mouth curled into a mocking smile. ¡°Then, I should be really honored. Let it be in that case, but you¡¯re no different from Zhou Qi in my eyes.¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s words infuriated Huo Jue, and his eyes instantly darkened.


    ¡°Good, good. You have a backbone! I hope you won¡¯t regret your provocation today. Get lost!¡±


    To Xia Jin¡¯s surprise, Huo Jue did not make a move against her after he was enraged. Instead, he kicked her out of the bathroom.


    As she watched the bathroom door slam shut, Xia Jin did not feel relieved at all.


    She had a bad feeling when she thought of the terrifying look in Huo Jue¡¯s eyes just now..

 Chapter 8

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    The cold water flowed down from Huo Jue¡¯s toned muscles, and his breathing was still a little messy.


    He felt a little surprised after he finally calmed down. How could he be enraged by Xia Jin¡¯s words, which were meant to anger him?


    Huo Jue shook his head and expelled the strange emotions in his heart.


    After Xia Jin was driven out of the bathroom by him, she walked to the air conditioner in the living room. She let the hot air from the air conditioner blow on her and barely dried her clothes.


    Not long after, Huo Jue walked out of the bathroom.


    Xia Jin stood quietly by the couch with her hands hanging down. She heard the sound of a lighter, followed by the faint smell of tobacco.


    Although Huo Jue did not speak, his actions undoubtedly exerted immense pressure on her.


    Xia Jin gulped and took the initiative to break the silence. ¡°President Huo, I¡¯m not in a good state of mind recently. As I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to complete the tasks you¡¯ve given me, I¡¯d like to transfer to the branch office.¡±


    Although there were still three months left in her contract, Xia Jin had no intention of staying by Huo Jue¡¯s side during that duration.


    She had already irked Huo Jue. If she continued to stay by his side, he would definitely find ways to torment her.


    Huo Jue exhaled a puff of smoke. His face was blurry in the smoke, and Xia Jin¡¯s words did not seem to surprise him much.


    ¡°Have you thought it through?¡± The man raised his head and looked at Xia Jin with a faint smile. ¡°You want to run away this badly?¡±


    Xia Jin felt a steep chill from the bottom of her heart when he looked at her in that manner. It was as if she had been targeted by some extremely dangerous animal.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± Xia Jin gritted her teeth and nodded.


    She no longer had a way out.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have the personnel to send you your notice of transfer. Get lost now.¡± Huo Jue put out the cigarette he had not finished smoking in the ashtray and did not bother giving another glance to Xia Jin.


    When Xia Jin left Huo Jue¡¯s house, she felt a little surreal. Huo Jue did not make things difficult for her and agreed to her transfer request right away.


    However, Xia Jin vaguely felt that Huo Jue would not let her off so easily.


    She had a clear understanding of Huo Jue¡¯s personality.


    He could dump others, but he would never allow others to leave him on their own accord.


    Xia Jin had already crossed his bottom line many times, and he would not let her off this easily.


    The rain outside was getting heavier. Xia Jin turned to look at Huo Jue¡¯s house, and then rushed into the rain without looking back.


    In the room on the second floor, the man stood in front of the window and lifted the curtains gently. He watched the thin and slender figure rush into the heavy rain.


    Huo Jue frowned as his heart seemed to throb slightly.


    He felt that Xia Jin had changed a lot in the past five years.


    The young girl still had a hint of innocence in her eyes five years ago. However, that naivety seemed a little foolish to him.


    He was already at the top of the food chain in the business world. Xia Jin, who had just entered the society, seemed to be at the bottom of the food chain in his eyes.


    Fortunately, Xia Jin gradually grew up after following him for five years.


    But he felt a certain unsatisfactory feeling watching Xia Jin turn into what she was today.


    Xia Jin seemed to have lost all the emotions that a normal woman should have. She would just complete her tasks mechanically every day. Even when she was in bed, she seemed to be completing her chores.


    However, when he watched Xia Jin¡¯s back as she rushed into the heavy rain resolutely, he suddenly felt that there seemed to be something in this woman that had never changed.


    ¡­


    Xia Jin returned home in the heavy rain. It was already dark by the time she reached home.


    Although she took a quick warm shower and even boiled ginger water for herself, her head was still dizzy, and her nose was stuffy when she woke up the next day. It seemed that she had caught a cold.


    However, she did not have time to rest.


    An email from the human resources department had come through, asking her to work at the branch office starting from today.


    She went from being the president¡¯s chief secretary to a saleswoman in the branch¡¯s jewelry shop overnight under Huo Jue¡¯s command.


    It could simply be said that she had a downfall.


    Huo Jue was really not going to let her off easily.


    Xia Jin did not have an appetite to eat either, so she stopped by the pharmacy near her office to buy some medicine for the cold.


    The store was located in a bustling shopping street in the city center. There was a lot of traffic around, but not many customers in the store.


    The Huo Corporation was involved in the high-end jewelry customization industry. Their targeted customers were high-end consumers, and their lowest-end jewelry products were priced at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Therefore, ordinary people would not even enter the store.


    The store manager had already prepared a uniform for Xia Jin early on as he had learned that she was reporting for work today.


    While she was changing, several salespeople in professional suits were gossiping about her behind her back.


    All of them had heard about Xia Jin¡¯s previous job position, but they did not expect that the CEO¡¯s secretary would suddenly come to their store and become a salesperson just like them.


    Could it be that Xia Jin had fallen out of favor?

 Chapter 9

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xia Jin has been working by Huo Jue¡¯s side for five years. There were still some rumors that have spread, although they kept a low profile and had no contact outside of work in the company.


    These saleswomen, who were ranked at the bottom of the company, loved gossiping about their boss. They had long discussed that Xia Jin was Huo Jue¡¯s mistress.


    After getting rid of a few saleswomen who had the guts to approach and talk to her, Xia Jin took a paper cup and filled it with hot water to take the cold medicine.


    ¡°What is she being so cocky for?! Does she think she is still President Huo¡¯s secretary? Isn¡¯t she the same as us now?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! I think she got dumped by President Huo. She has been pestering him for five years, but she got dismissed in the end.¡±


    ¡°She must have just fallen out of favor, looking at her dejected appearance! She must feel aggrieved¡­ Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Xia Jin did not look too good because of her cold. She did not expect those people to think that she looked awful because she got dumped by Huo Jue.


    The glass door at the entrance was suddenly pushed open, and an old lady with a woven basket filled with groceries between her arms walked in.


    The group of salespeople immediately looked over excitedly when they heard someone coming.


    Although the salespeople in the luxury stores had a base salary, the commission was far more lucrative than the base salary. After all, an order could cost at least hundreds of thousands of dollars, so the commission was naturally very high.


    However, the salespeople who were about to rush forward to fight for the customer lost interest instantly when they say that the old lady was dressed plainly and holding a rustic woven bag in her hand.


    ¡°You can go and entertain her¡­¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go? I¡¯m not going¡­¡±


    ¡­


    None of them wanted to entertain this old lady who looked a little shabby.


    ¡°Forget it, she can¡¯t afford it anyway. She¡¯ll probably just look around and leave¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to look for if she can¡¯t afford it? Sheesh¡­¡±


    ¡­


    A few salespeople continued to leaning on the side of one counter and chatted.


    Although the old lady had come in for a long time, Xin Jin saw that there were no salespeople coming forward to greet her. Thus, she frowned and braced herself to stand up.


    Although she had come to work at a grassroots shop to avoid reprisals from Huo Jue, and even had the intention of muddling along, she still had a very dedicated work ethic after following Huo Jue for many years.


    She could not bear seeing those salespeople outright discriminating against the poor. Thinking that it would not take too much time to entertain a customer, she walked forward to the old lady and smiled gently. ¡°Welcome. What can I do for you?¡±


    The salespeople who were chatting did not expect Xia Jin to go up and entertain an old lady who could not afford jewelry at all. They all burst out laughing.


    They subconsciously thought that Xia Jin had never worked in sales before, so she went up to the old lady foolishly.


    The old lady saw Xia Jin coming over and smiled politely. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll take a look for myself.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Please take your time to choose.¡± Xia Jin retreated to the side politely and maintained a distance that was neither too far nor too close to the old lady.


    ¡°Look at how silly she is! Why is she still following that old lady? Don¡¯t tell me she really thinks that this old lady can afford jewelry?¡±


    ¡°What CEO¡¯s Secretary? She doesn¡¯t even have a discerning eye. I¡¯m dying of laughter¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The salespeople, who were leaning against the counter, chatted while looking at Xia Jin and the old lady from afar and were on the verge of laughing out loud.


    Xia Jin acted as if she did not hear them and continued to follow the old lady unhurriedly.


    Xia Jin was not a fool. She naturally knew that the old lady might not be able to afford the jewelry.


    However, it was her first day at work today. In addition, the manager¡¯s office was upstairs, and she did not know when he would come down to check on her. She would definitely be in trouble if she was seen slacking off at work.


    Huo Jue had sent her here to get her into trouble for sure, so she had better be careful.


    Receiving customers was not much of a hassle anyway; she¡¯d be relieved after waiting here for another three months.


    While Xia Jin was somewhat lost in thought, the old lady carrying the basket in front of her suddenly waved at her.


    Xia Jin walked forward hurriedly and asked politely, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The old lady pointed her finger at a certain necklace and stated, ¡°I want this.¡±


    Xia Jin was a little surprised. She then went up to look at the pricing of the necklace¨Cit was over 1.5 million dollars!


    Xia Jin was stunned. She actually did not like jewelry. Moreover, she had never bought anything this expensive, even when she was helping the company with official gifts.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Xia Jin flipped over the card on the back of the necklace. ¡°This necklace is priced at 1.58 million dollars, and it doesn¡¯t support installment payments.¡±


    The old lady nodded. ¡°That¡¯s it, but I¡¯d like to change that bead to a smaller one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem at all. This necklace can be specially customized. Please fill out this order form if you¡¯re sure of purchasing it.¡±


    Xia Jin felt her heart beating extremely fast¨Cit was only her first day, and she had already secured a deal of over a million dollars!


    She did not expect this old lady to be so rich despite her simple clothes.


    The old lady¡¯s completed order form was sent to the system. After the store manager saw it, he ran down quickly..

 Chapter 10

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    After all, he needed to come out personally to receive her as it was a customer with such a big order.


    After the store manager came down, he saw that Xia Jin was the only one in the entire store who was receiving the old lady.


    ¡°What are you all doing?!¡± The store manager glared angrily at the salespeople next to the counter. ¡°Can¡¯t you see there¡¯s an important customer?!¡±


    ¡°An important customer? Where?¡± A few salespeople looked around in panic.


    ¡°Idiots!¡± The store manager cursed and rushed over to Xia Jin¡¯s side hurriedly. He flashed the old lady an extremely bright smile. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m the store manager here. Do you want to see any more styles?¡±


    As soon as the store manager approached the old lady, he caught a whiff of the scent of an elegant perfume.


    It was the Junior Collection perfume!


    The store manager¡¯s back instantly crouched even lower.


    ¡°No need. You can just send this to my house when it¡¯s ready.¡± The old lady waved her hand and left the store without saying anything more.


    After the old lady left, the store manager straightened his back and looked at Xia Jin with a somewhat complicated look.


    When the other salespeople found out that the old lady had placed an order of more than one million dollars, they were instantly filled with regret.


    No one had expected that the old lady was actually an extremely wealthy woman.


    Even when she went out to buy groceries, she sprayed a bottle of perfume that was worth several tens of thousands of dollars a bottle


    This Xia Jin really had a discerning eye!


    Everyone looked at Xia Jin with eyes filled with hostility and vigilance.


    There was competition among fellow salespeople in luxury stores. Now that Xia Jin had taken such a large order, it aroused the vigilance of the others naturally.


    ¡°Well done. You all need to learn from Xia Jin! Even though each and every one of you have eyes, it is as if you¡¯re all blind!¡± The store manager reprimanded the other salespeople and left while cursing.


    After the store manager left, the salespeople looked at each other and walked up to Xia Jin. Their smiles were a little stiff as they said, ¡°Xiao Xia, how did you know that the old lady was rich? That¡¯s really something!¡±


    ¡°Did you smell the perfume on her? I heard the store manager say that she was wearing perfume from the Junior Collection!¡±


    ¡­


    The noise of the chattering crowd made Xia Jin¡¯s head feel even dizzier. She shook her head with some difficulty. ¡°I didn¡¯t smell the perfume on her¡­¡±


    She had caught a cold today, and her nose was struggling to even breathe. How could she smell any perfume?


    However, the other salespeople did not believe her words. They believed that Xia Jin was just brushing them off. Then, their expressions grew even more unsightly instantly.


    All of a sudden, one of the salespeople pulled Xia Jin¡¯s arm and said with a delicate smile, ¡°Xiao Xia, since you¡¯ve completed such a huge order, you have to treat us to a meal!¡±


    Hearing these words, Xia Jin¡¯s eyes narrowed. She sneered in her heart¨CI took the order myself, what does it have to do with you guys? Why should I treat you guys to a meal?


    She broke free from her arm silently and said with a faint smile, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll treat you guys to milk tea.¡±


    Forget about having a full-course meal! She was too short of money to be ripped off by this group of people.


    She was already giving them face by treating them to a cup of milk tea.


    Their faces turned ugly once they heard that Xia Jin was only willing to treat them to a cup of milk tea.


    They did not expect Xia Jin to be this insensitive and stingy!


    At noon, Xia Jin headed to a nearby staff restaurant for a meal. She also went to the milk tea shop to buy a dozen cups of milk tea.


    Just as she was about to carry the dozen cups of milk tea back to the store, she suddenly saw a familiar figure.


    The man in a suit in the elevator looked sullen, and next to him stood a middle-aged man who was saying something to him with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Mr. Huo, don¡¯t worry! Our mall will definitely do a good job for this national day event¡­¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s body stiffened slightly, and her already pale face turned even paler.


    How could she run into Huo Jue here? What bad luck!


    Xia Jin calmly moved toward the other exit of the mall, expressionlessly.


    As there was no one calling out to her, Huo Jue seemed to not notice her¡­


    Just as Xia Jin was about to reach the exit, her body got shoved by someone. The force of that person was very strong. Thus, she fell to the ground with a loud ¡®thud¡¯ along with the milk tea, as she was unsteady from wearing high heels today.


    The milk tea spilled out of the bag and flowed all over the floor. She sat on the spilled milk tea, as if she had taken a bath using milk tea. There were even several drops of milk tea splashed on her hair.


    ¡°Oops, I¡¯m so sorry! I¡¯m sorry¡­ Sister Xia Jin? Why is it you?¡± A pair of delicate hands paused all of a sudden as they reached over to help Xia Jin. Then, Xia Jin saw Jian Yan¡¯s panicked face.


    Jian Yan¡¯s voice was so loud that it was difficult for Huo Jue, who was not far away, to not notice Xia Jin.


    Huo Jue turned his head and saw Xia Jin lying in a puddle of milk tea. Xia Jin¡¯s face red with embarrassment from Huo Jue¡¯s gaze.


    Gao Lan, who was next to Huo Jue, saw Xia Jin and was startled. She rushed over and helped Xia Jin up, ignoring the milk tea still dripping from her body..

 Chapter 11

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Just then, Huo Jue, along with the mall manager, walked up to Xia Jin. Huo Jue¡¯s shiny black leather shoes stopped next to the milk tea on the ground. The contrast between the leather and the translucent milk tea was stark.


    It was just like Huo Jue, who had a mocking expression on his face, and Xia Jin, who was in a sorry state.


    Xia Jin stood up. Milk tea was still dripping from her clothes, and people passing by cast surprised glances at her.


    ¡°Manager Du, the cleaning staff of your mall hasn¡¯t come over yet. Is it because you don¡¯t have enough staff?¡± Huo Jue said calmly.


    The mall manager broke out into a cold sweat instantly. He nodded hurriedly and bowed. ¡°I¡¯ll have the cleaning staff to come and clean the place right away.¡± As he said that, the mall manager frowned and looked at Xia Jin, saying with some dissatisfaction, ¡°This lady, why can¡¯t you be more careful? Look at what you¡¯ve done to our floor!¡±


    The mall manager was not dense. He knew to shift the blame on Xia Jin for this matter.


    Jian Yan, who had just been apologizing profusely to Xia Jin, was now like a mute. She did not say a word and just watched.


    Xia Jin frowned. She did not want to argue with the mall manager in front of Huo Jue. Thus, she lowered her head and suppressed the anger in her heart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The mall manager sighed exaggeratedly and then waved his hand. ¡°Forget it. Just be more careful in the future.¡±


    Xia Jin turned around and was about to leave when Huo Jue¡¯s cold voice rang out lazily. ¡°This young lady bumped into my secretary and hasn¡¯t apologized yet.¡±


    Xia Jin froze. Then, she turned around and glanced at Huo Jue, then at Jian Yan.


    Oh, the secretary Huo Jue was referring to should be his new secretary.


    Jian Yan was also from the secretary¡¯s office, but she had been in charge of other matters before, so Xia Jin did not have much contact with her.


    She did not expect her replacement would come just after she left.


    Just now, Xia Jin was bumped by Jian Yan, and the force of that collision was not small.


    If Jian Yan had really bumped into her accidentally, there was no way she would have been hit so badly.


    She was not looking for trouble with Jian Yan, and Huo Jue still had the face to ask her to apologize to Jian Yan?


    The smell of milk tea was very strong on Xia Jin at the very moment. She was in a wretched state, but her eyes were steeply tinged with a touch of severity.


    ¡°When did Mr. Huo see that I bumped into Miss Jian? Just now, Miss Jian kept apologizing to me. The one who bumped into me was clearly her!¡± Xia Jin¡¯s eyes glanced at Jian Yan icily.


    She had no enmity with Jian Yan. Why did this woman bump into her deliberately?


    Xia Jin seemed to have somewhat understood after she thought of Huo Jue¡¯s arrival.


    Jian Yan was probably trying to make a fool of Xia Jin in front of Huo Jue!


    This woman was really vicious.


    Xia Jin sneered and took a step towards Jian Yan. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Miss Jian?¡±


    Jian Yan did not expect Huo Jue to ask Xia Jin to apologize, and even more so, she did not expect Xia Jin to dare to refute Huo Jue directly. She could not help but take a step back, looking a little flustered.


    She had indeed bumped into Xia Jin on purpose just now. Seeing Xia Jin carrying so much milk tea in her hands, she had the idea of making Xia Jin embarrass herself in front of everyone.


    She had just become Huo Jue¡¯s secretary. When she thought about how Xia Jin had been with Huo Jue for five years, she was worried that Xia Jin would come back and steal her position. In addition, she was also jealous that Xia Jin had been by Huo Jue¡¯s side for five years.


    Jian Yan was long attracted to her tall and handsome boss. Xia Jin had been by Huo Jue¡¯s side all day long, and there had been rumors about the two of them in the company. Thus, she had long been displeased with Xia Jin.


    Seeing Xia Jin approaching her gradually, Jian Yan said in a flustered tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t bump into you. You clearly didn¡¯t pay attention and bumped into me!¡±


    Hearing Jian Yan¡¯s words, Xia Jin sneered¨Cthis woman had the audacity to say that!


    All of a sudden, Xia Jin reached out her hand and clutched Jian Yan¡¯s wrist. ¡°Can¡¯t we just look at the surveillance footage and find out who actually bumped into whom?¡±


    Jian Yan¡¯s eyes were filled with fear as she struggled desperately. ¡°Let go of me! I didn¡¯t bump into you¡­¡±


    Although Jian Yan was still denying it, her tone sounded a little guilty.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Manager Du, are you going to watch her attack my secretary here?!¡± Huo Jue¡¯s cold and stern voice rang out. Manager Du immediately reacted and rushed forward to grab Xia Jin¡¯s hand. He said in a somewhat anxious tone, ¡°Stop fighting, let¡¯s talk things out¡­¡±


    Xia Jin jerked her head up and looked at Huo Jue with a hint of anger in her eyes.


    Huo Jue, in order to take revenge on me, you can¡¯t even distinguish right from wrong?


    Looking at Xia Jin¡¯s angry and interrogating eyes, Huo Jue acted as if he did not see it. He walked straight to Jian Yan¡¯s side and said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Jian Yan was still in a state of shock and nodded hastily. ¡°Yes, Mr. Huo!¡±


    As the two of them were preparing to leave, Jian Yan was delighted to see that the person Huo Jue had been defending was herself. Then, she turned her head and raised her eyebrows at Xia Jin smugly, revealing a provocative smile.


    Xia Jin looked at Huo Jue and Jian Yan. A wave of darkness came over her eyes, and she clenched her hands tightly.


    As she watched them leave, Xia Jin finally could not hold on any longer. The world spun before her eyes, and she lost consciousness and fainted..

 Chapter 12

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    After waking up in the hospital, Xia Jin propped herself up and rubbed her sore forehead.


    After the nurse saw that she was awake, she came over and touched her forehead. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that hot anymore. You can stay in the hospital for a while for observation. Afterward, you can go back and rest for another two days.¡±


    Xia Jin frowned and inquired with some confusion, ¡°Why am I in the hospital?¡±


    She remembered fainting in the shopping mall.


    ¡°Someone brought you here after you fainted,¡± the young nurse replied. She glanced enviously. ¡°The one who carried you here was a handsome man. Is he your boyfriend?¡±


    Boyfriend?


    Xia Jin shook her head in amusement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a boyfriend. Maybe it was just some kind person.¡±


    There were several people standing next to her and watching the show when she was getting humiliated at the mall. She did not expect that someone would be so kind as to take her to the hospital.


    Xia Jin thought of Huo Jue¡¯s cold face again and clenched her fists immediately¨Cthree more months! In three months, she would be free!


    *


    ¡°Mr. Huo, I¡­ I¡¯ll help you wipe it off?¡±


    Jian Yan was looking at Huo Jue somewhat timidly in the business car. She did not dare to land the tissue in her main on the milk tea stain on Huo Jue¡¯s suit.


    An hour ago, Jian Yan was still feeling proud of herself, but she never expected a loud ¡®thud¡¯ to come from behind her the next second.


    Then, she saw Xia Jin collapsing to the ground, unconscious.


    What was even more unbelievable was that Huo Jue, who was standing next to her, froze for two seconds before picking Xia Jin up without saying a word and sending her to the hospital.


    Could it be that¡­ Xia Jin was really Mr.Huo¡¯s lover?


    Moreover, Mr. Huo still couldn¡¯t forget Xia Jin?


    Looking at the timid and flustered woman in front of him, a hint of impatience flashed across Huo Jue¡¯s eyes.


    Since Xia Jin had left, his life had been a complete mess.


    Since Gao Lan was an administrative assistant, she had no idea about his habits at all. She did not know that he only drank coffee with thirty percent sugar added to it. Moreover, she did not know that he was allergic to tomatoes, and he did not like desserts!


    In addition, Gao Lan had her own matters to attend to, so Huo Jue had no choice but to find someone to take over Xia Jin¡¯s position


    Unexpectedly, Jian Yan was even more useless. She did not even know the typesetting format of the contract, not to mention the complicated work.


    If it were not for the lack of people around him, Huo Jue would have sacked Jian Yan long ago.


    It was only then that Huo Jue realized how well Xia Jin had served him in the past, not only at work but in bed as well.


    Huo Jue pressed his brows and waved his hand. ¡°No need. Get out of the car.¡±


    He felt annoyed with Jian Yan dangling in front of him.


    Jian Yan was driven out of the car by Huo Jue with a pale face. The driver looked at her with a bit of sympathy and pity.


    Upon returning to the company, Huo Jue asked Gao Lan to find him another secretary immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for much, just one like Xia Jin.¡± Although he was very reluctant to say these words, that was all that Huo Jue could describe to Gao Lan.


    Gao Lan was stunned for a long time after Huo Jue hang up the phone.


    A secretary like Xia Jin? This was not asking for much?!


    Gao Lan had never seen anyone in the company who was more efficient than Xia Jin.


    How was she going to find one for him?


    Sigh, Xia Jin was doing a good job. Why did she resign¡­


    Gao Lan felt a headache coming on.


    *


    After coming out of the hospital, Xia Jin tore off the bandage on the back of her hand and threw it away. Then, she patted her brain, which was still somewhat muddled.


    She did not have the time to be hospitalized. She still had work to do.


    When she hurried back to the store, a group of salespeople who were chatting idly when they saw her return, could not help but mock her, ¡°It¡¯s only your first day, and you¡¯re already not punctual. Store manager, look at Xiao Xia. Isn¡¯t she not taking our rules seriously? Eh, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d buy us milk tea? Where¡¯s the milk tea?¡±


    Looking at Xia Jin¡¯s empty hand, their expressions turned even more unsightly instantly.


    Xia Jin walked up to the manager and said apologetically, ¡°Manager, I¡¯m sorry. I had some health issues and went to the hospital.¡± As she said that, Xia Jin showed the manager the needle hole on the back of her hand.


    The manager was not an unreasonable person. He was rather touched after seeing that Xia Jin was so sick that she went to the hospital for an injection and still did not forget to come back to work. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Also, you can go back first if you¡¯re not feeling well. Just ask Old Zhang for a sick leave.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you, store manager!¡±


    Xia Jin was indeed feeling very unwell, so she did not decline his offer.


    Seeing that Xia Jin was going to take a leave, the salespeople next to her rolled their eyes and pursed their lips speechlessly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send everyone red packets in the group chat later. I¡¯ll be leaving first!¡± Xia Jin forced a smile at the salespeople and left after saying goodbye, having taken a sick leave.


    She still had to work here for three months. Although she did not like these people, it was better not to make enemies with them.


    As the milk tea was spilled by Jian Yan, she sent red packets to her fellow co-workers as a nice gesture. It would be great if those people appreciated her kindness, but if they did not, it was fine either way.


    When she got home by taking the subway, Xia Jin took her keys out of her bag and was about to open the door. Just then, she saw several large parcels sitting outside her house. There were also people coming in and out of her house.


    ¡°Move faster! Did you not eat enough?!¡±

 Chapter 13

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    At first, Xia Jin thought that she had seen wrongly, but soon, she realized that the things those people were carrying out were all hers!


    Xia Jin¡¯s heart sank. She walked forward with a cold expression and said to the person who was commanding the workers, ¡°What¡¯s going on? What gives you the right to move my things?¡±


    The middle-aged man sized Xia Jin up, and a nonchalant smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. ¡°Oh, you must be Miss Xia. The rent for this house is due, and you haven¡¯t renewed it, so we came to help you move your things out.¡±


    Xia Jin lowered her head to look at the messy clothes and cosmetics on the floor. The corner of her mouth curled up into a cold smile. This is called ¡®helping¡¯?


    As her thoughts spun, Xia Jin quickly figured out what was going on.


    Huo Jue had asked Xu Bing to arrange this house for her. After she moved in, Xu Bing said the rent would be renewed every month by Huo Jue, so she did not need to contact the real estate agent.


    Xia Jin had never paid rent in the past few years, so she did not think about this matter after she resigned.


    Since these people dared to throw out all of her things without even informing her, they must not be afraid of her looking for trouble, so they must have someone backing them up.


    Xia Jin did not even need to think to know who was backing them up.


    Huo Jue was really ruthless. He was not even willing to give her a place to stay!


    Xia Jin took a deep breath and looked at the messy parcels all over the floor. She said in an icy tone, ¡°I can renew the rent. You can put my things back.¡±


    Hearing Xia Jin¡¯s words, the man smiled and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Xia. This house has already been sublet today. There is no way for you to renew the rent now, you¡¯d better go somewhere else.¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes turned cold.


    How could such a large house be sublet so quickly? Xia Jin was still living here this morning, but it had already been rented to someone else at night?


    Although Xia Jin knew that the man¡¯s words were nonsense, there was nothing she could do if he was unwilling to renew the lease.


    Xia Jin loathed herself for her carelessness. If she had thought about the house earlier and moved out in advance, Huo Jue would not have seized this opportunity to humiliate her.


    She gritted her teeth and swallowed the anger in her heart.


    The group of people left after throwing out all her stuff.


    It was getting late and Xia Jin did not have sufficient time to find a new house. Thus, she hesitated for a long time before taking out her phone to make a call.


    ¡°Hello, Sister Qin¡­¡±


    *


    A few moments later, a small van for moving parked in front of a small villa, which was not very big, but had an advantageous geographical location.


    After the van stopped, the workers brought Xia Jin¡¯s things down.


    A woman with heavy make-up strolled out of the villa. She looked at Xia Jin¡¯s things with some disdain and sneered. ¡°Why? Have you been dumped?¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s heart was already filled with anger, and she felt even more despondent after being ridiculed by this woman.


    The woman stepped forward and held her hand intimately, and a sweet fragrance surrounded Xia Jin at once. The woman put her head close to Xia Jin¡¯s ear. Her voice was gentle and charming. ¡°I told you that that scum wasn¡¯t worth your time. You didn¡¯t believe me back then.¡±


    The ¡®back then¡¯ the woman was referring to was five years ago.


    Five years ago, Qin Xuan warned her not to be delusional enough to think that someone like Huo would be serious about her when Xia Jin had decided to be Huo Jue¡¯s mistress.


    At that time, although Xia Jin had a feeling that Qin Xuan¡¯s words might be true, she was still undeterred.


    Now, Qin Xuan¡¯s mockery made Xia Jin let out a bitter laugh.


    It seemed that she still had some hope for Huo Jue in the depths of her heart five years ago.


    But now, Xia Jin just wanted to give her past self a tight slap¨Cof all men to like, you liked a big bastard!


    Xia Jin lowered her eyes to hide the bitterness in her heart. She said to Qin Xuan with a normal expression, ¡°I¡¯ll leave my things with you for a few days. I¡¯ll move out once I¡¯ve found an apartment.¡±


    When they entered the house, Qin Xuan took out a new towel and threw it at her. ¡°All right, all right. There¡¯s no need to be so polite with me. You can just stay, since I¡¯ve got a big house anyway. As for you, what are you going to do after you leave that man? Did you launder enough money to make ends meet?¡±


    Qin Xuan¡¯s use of the word ¡®launder¡¯ made Xia Jin feel a little uncomfortable.


    But when she thought about it carefully, it seemed that her relationship with Huo Jue over the past few years was indeed like this.


    Xia Jin then revealed everything she had to Qin Xuan.


    Qin Xuan scoffed. ¡°You spent five years of your youth to earn over a million dollars? It seems that this man isn¡¯t much either. If I had known earlier, I would have introduced you to some more generous ones.¡±


    Xia Jin shook her head helplessly, not minding Qin Xuan¡¯s vicious words. After all, they had known each other for many years. She knew that Qin Xuan was just unforgiving with her mouth, but she treated her sincerely.


    Xia Jin went to take a shower after telling Qin Xuan about her current job. She felt refreshed and collapsed on the sofa immediately after coming out..

 Chapter 14

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Qin Xuan took a puff of her lady¡¯s cigarette and exhaled a faint puff of smoke. There was a faint smell of tobacco in the air, mixed with a minty smell that was not pungent.


    ¡°Jewelry shop salesperson? That¡¯s not a bad job.¡±


    To Xia Jin¡¯s surprise, Qin Xuan actually said that her job was not bad.


    Xia Jin was nonplussed, but also a little curious. ¡°Where¡¯s the good? Huo Jue¡¯s move is clearly trying to put me in my place. It¡¯s equivalent to me starting afresh. I don¡¯t have any money or status, and there is no chance for me to move up to a higher position in the sales industry. I¡¯m preparing to muddle along for three months before leaving. Then, when that time comes, I¡¯ll be able to leave to a faraway place, and Huo Jue would no longer be able to control me!¡±


    Qin Xuan originally thought that Xia Jin was quite bright, but now she knew that Xia Jin was probably triggered by that bastard Huo Jue and hadn¡¯t come about it.


    She kindly reminded, ¡°You¡¯re going to be on your own from now on, so naturally you won¡¯t be able to work as a secretary. Not only is the salary low, but you also have to support your mother. If you really want to fool around for the next three months, you won¡¯t be able to get anything. But if you make good use of it, you might be able to build up a network in these three months.¡±


    Xia Jin seemed to have understood the meaning behind her words.


    She was no fool, and when Qin Xuan said that, she immediately thought of the first order she had made at the jewelry shop and the old lady that had left a deep impression on her.


    To be able to purchase a necklace worth more than a million dollars casually, that old lady¡¯s net worth was definitely not something that could be comparable to ordinary rich people!


    Perhaps in the entire capital, that old lady¡¯s family could be considered as a top-notch magnate.


    A light of excitement appeared in Xia Jin¡¯s eyes immediately.


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Xuan. I understand now.¡±


    With Qin Xuan¡¯s advice, Xia Jin¡¯s entire essence changed when she went to work the next day.


    Initially, she had only seen this job as a short-term stepping stone in her career and did not take it to heart at all. But now, she decided to carefully consider how she could carve out a network of her own.


    Even a fool would know that, may it be business or doing sales, the most important thing was always to have connections.


    But how could it be easy to accumulate connections?


    Xia Jin had no status and no money. Why should others think highly of her and be willing to work with her?


    Although she knew a lot of business tycoons and research bigwigs when she was by Huo Jue¡¯s side, those were Huo Jue¡¯s connections and not hers.


    She did not even think of touching the people that Huo Jue knew. The reason was that it would not be self-evident on the one hand, and it would be a waste of time on the other. Those people were not at a level she could reach.


    Although Qin Xuan hadn¡¯t worked as a saleswoman, she owned a bar and had worked as a barmaid before. In her opinion, the two professions were similar to each other to some extent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of yourself as a person. You must learn to be able to deal with various kinds of people. Don¡¯t hesitate when it¡¯s time for you to kiss-ass. That¡¯s all it is in the end. It¡¯s up to you whether you¡¯re willing to do it or not.¡±


    After saying that, Qin Xuan cast Xia Jin a meaningful look.


    She must have thought that Xia Jin was raised like a canary by Huo Jue for a long time, so she was afraid that Xia Jin would not be able to do such a shameless thing.


    However, she underestimated Xia Jin¡¯s endurance.


    Xia Jin believed that she did not have any self-respect left in front of Huo Jue.


    All these years, Huo Jue had treated her like a personal object. She had long lost her youthful arrogance. Life had changed her personality and taught her to endure, accommodate, and subdue.


    This was something that Qin Xuan probably hadn¡¯t noticed yet.


    When she arrived at the commercial street where the jewelry store was located, Xia Jin had already put on a cordial smile on her face.


    ¡°Good morning, Brother Zhang!¡± Xia Jin greeted the security personnel by the door.


    The security guard was instantly overwhelmed by favor, as he did not expect a beautiful woman to greet him so early in the morning. He then scratched his head in embarrassment and replied, ¡°Good morning, Sister Xia.¡±


    Although Xia Jin had only recently just started working here, she had already been talked about many times by many due to her outstanding appearance and her special status as Huo Jue¡¯s former secretary.


    Xia Jin did not mind the security guard¡¯s awkwardness. She asked casually, ¡°Where do you usually stand guard?¡±


    The security guard, Zhang Chu, pointed to a small pavilion not far away, ¡°Over there by the parking lot.¡±


    Xia Jin looked at the location of the car park and her heart skipped a beat.


    The security guard had his name written on the tag on his chest, and Xia Jin memorized the man¡¯s name and turned to leave without saying anything more.


    Xia Jin walked to the entrance of the jewelry store and pushed the door open. The moment she entered, she saw two figures snuggling together.


    One of them was a salesperson, Lin Li. The other was a middle-aged man in a suit. He seemed to be a customer who was here to buy jewelry.


    However, for some reason, the two of them looked so intimate as if they were lovers.


    And there would be a coquettish laugh occasionally.


    ¡°Will you buy me a diamond ring?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will. I¡¯ll definitely buy you a bigger and beautiful one this time.. After my wife gives birth to the baby, I will take you to the island to play!¡±

 Chapter 15

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xia Jin¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she listened to their conversation.


    Lin Li was actually the third party in a relationship!


    Moreover, from their conversation, the man¡¯s wife was currently pregnant. His wife was pregnant, yet he went out to look for his mistress. It was really disgusting!


    When Xia Jin passed by the two of them, the man turned his head inadvertently and happened to see Xia Jin¡¯s side profile.


    Xia Jin was wearing rather natural makeup today, making her look like a lotus flower that had just bloomed. She appeared pure and refined, without losing its elegant charm.


    The man¡¯s eyes fixed on her immediately.


    Naturally, Lin Li also noticed the change in the man¡¯s gaze. She turned her head to see Xia Jin¡¯s stunning side profile, and she instantly grew anxious.


    ¡°Did you eat the snacks I bought for you last time? Do you like them?¡± Lin Li took the man¡¯s hand hurriedly and uttered in a soft tone.


    Lin Li¡¯s voice was sweet, but she softened her voice deliberately. Thus, the tone of her voice made the man¡¯s heart melt. He was attracted by Lin Li again immediately and shifted his gaze away from Xia Jin.


    Xia Jin went to the lounge to get her work badge and pinned it to her chest. She then saw a salesperson staring at Lin Li with a hint of disdain in her eyes.


    Xia Jin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She approached the other party quietly, greeting her softly, ¡°Sister Liu, who is the man next to Lili?¡±


    Liu Hui had been watching Lin Li making out with that man. She was full of gossip and was currently worried that there was no one to share the news with. Thus, she perked up instantly when Xia Jin greeted her.


    Although Xia Jin was a newcomer and rather petty, Liu Hui saw that Xia Jin¡¯s attitude towards her was quite docile at the moment. Therefore, she did not feel any reservations towards her and began talking to Xia Jin.


    ¡°That person is called Wang Ran, and he¡¯s the director of Xinlin Food Group. However, he actually married into his wife¡¯s family, relying on his wife and father-in-law to get this position. A while ago, his father-in-law died. I guess he probably thought that there¡¯s no one to control him now, so he hooked up with Lin Li. Lin Li is such a whore, she knew that Wang Ran¡¯s wife was pregnant, yet she still rushed to be a mistress. Bah, how disgusting!¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes twitched and nodded. ¡°These two are indeed unethical, but doesn¡¯t Mrs. Wang know about this?¡±


    Liu Hui sighed, ¡°Maybe she does, but she¡¯s about to give birth. What¡¯s the use of talking about it? Isn¡¯t it common for men to cheat? Not to mention, if the two of them really split up, a portion of Xinlin Food Group¡¯s shares would be taken away by Wang Ran. Wang Ran didn¡¯t dare to act rashly when the old chairman was around. Now that the old chairman has passed on, he probably thinks that a weak woman can¡¯t control him at all. That¡¯s why he dares to be so arrogant and bold.¡±


    After Xia Jin and Liu Hui chatted for a while, Wang Ran left. Lin Li twisted her small waist and returned to the side of the counter to continue drinking her beauty tea.


    Although the salespeople were looking at Lin Li with a somewhat contemptuous expression, Lin Li seemed to look down on them even more. That expression of hers was as if she was superior to the others.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she just a mistress? Does she really think she¡¯s all that superior? Bah!¡± Liu Hui spat in disgust.


    Xia Jin did not scold Lin Li along with Liu Hui. She looked at Lin Li, but her eyes flickered slightly.


    When it was noon, Xia Jin closed the book she was reading and prepared to head out to eat lunch.


    Although there were many customers in the jewelry store, many of them were regular customers. In addition, these regulars were received by their exclusive salesperson. This was an unspoken rule in the jewelry store.


    If she, a newcomer, dared to steal someone else¡¯s regular customers, she would certainly be ostracized by everyone.


    However, in this case, her situation was very awkward. She would be at the bottom of the performance evaluation at the end of the month if she did not have any customers. At that time, she might not even be able to keep her job.


    Xia Jin took a deep breath to calm her emotions.


    This matter was something that could not be rushed, so she had to take it slow.


    She walked out of the jewelry store and was about to walk to the adjacent shopping mall when her vision suddenly dimmed.


    A man in his mid-thirties flashed her a warm smile. ¡°Hey, I think I saw you at the jewelry store just now. Do you work there?¡±


    Xia Jin looked up and saw that the man in front of her was none other than Wang Ran.


    She was stunned for a moment, but she quickly came to her senses. Her mind spun quickly and after a while, she smiled shyly. ¡°Yeah, I think I saw you talking to Lili just now. Are you her boyfriend?¡±


    Xia Jin blinked her big, watery eyes. Her expression was very innocent and clueless, as if she was a college student who had just left school.


    Wang Ran looked at Xia Jin and had the impression that she was really a pure and innocent girl, so he was overjoyed. He waved his hand hurriedly when he heard her mention Lin Li. ¡°No, no. We¡¯re just friends. I came over to help her with her business.¡±


    Xia Jin pretended to nod understandingly. Her expression was a bit despondent as she said, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. She¡¯s really lucky to have a friend like you.. I¡¯m in trouble, as my performance up until now is still at the bottom¡­¡±

 Chapter 16

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Seeing Xia Jin¡¯s aggrieved expression, Wang Ran¡¯s heart softened instantly. His eyes moved, and he said to Xia Jin in a somewhat mysterious manner, ¡°I have a way to make your performance improve quickly. Do you want to hear it?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Really? I want to hear it! Tell me quickly!¡± Xia Jin appeared pleasantly surprised, and her eyes were sparkling with little stars. Her adoring eyes made Wang Yan¡¯s heart flutter.


    This little beauty is so innocent and adorable.


    Wang Ran¡¯s heart was beating faster, and he looked at Xia Jin with a hint of greed and desire in his eyes.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s talk while we eat.¡± Wang Ran gestured in the direction of the restaurant, and Xia Jin did not refuse. She followed Wang Ran shyly.


    Wang Ran ordered two dishes when they arrived at the Japanese restaurant. Xia Jin looked at the Japanese food on her plate uneasily. ¡°These¡­ are very expensive, right? My salary isn¡¯t high¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll treat you! Feel free to order whatever you want!¡± Wang Ran waved his hand generously.


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes flashed with a touch of mockery, but she looked at Wang Ran in surprise. ¡°Really? Thank you, Mr. Wang! Then, I¡¯ll treat you next time. I know a barbecue shop nearby that tastes pretty good.¡±


    In just a short while, Xia Jin had already preliminarily consolidated her relationship with Wang Ran.


    At this moment, Wang Ran seemed to have completely forgotten about Lin Li and his wife. He was talking to Xia Jin about his great achievements in the business world. It was as if Xinlin Food Group¡¯s current glory was all thanks to him alone.


    Xia Jin played the role of a qualified listener, revealing expressions of surprise and admiration from time to time. Wang Yan got even more excited by her gaze, and his flabby, sagging cheeks flushed red.


    Xia Jin pretended to listen to Wang Yan¡¯s words attentively, but in fact, she was thinking about her own things, so she did not notice a familiar figure appear from not far away.


    ¡°I told you to work with World Trade Center, not steal business from their representative! Don¡¯t blame me if I see you with your personal agenda next time!¡± The man¡¯s violent tone hid some impatience, vaguely revealing a hint of murderous intent.


    Manager Du was already sweating profusely. The news of him taking kickbacks out of his own selfish motives had somehow reached Huo Jue¡¯s ears. He was well aware of Huo Jue¡¯s methods. However, Huo Jue only gave him a warning this time, as he had been working with him for quite a few years.


    Manager Du wiped his sweat. Just as he was about to beg for mercy, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of his eye.


    ¡°Mr. Huo, that is¡­¡± Manager Du looked over with some surprise.


    There was still some anger in Huo Jue¡¯s eyes as he looked over in the direction that Manager Du indicated.


    A bright and lovely face fell into his eyes.


    This face was very familiar to him.


    However, the expression on this face was unfamiliar to him.


    Huo Jue had never seen Xia Jin smile so innocently before. Xia Jin almost never smiled in front of him.


    There was a man sitting opposite Xia Jin, looking somewhat obese, with a pile of fat on the back collar of his shirt.


    How could Xia Jin show such an expression to such a man?


    Manager Du saw Huo Jue¡¯s eyes darkening instantly, and his entire body emitted an aura that was dozens of times more dangerous than when he was reprimanding him. Killing intent seeped out from him, and Manager Du¡¯s heart was filled with extreme shock instantly.


    He had never seen Huo Jue so angry before.


    Huo Jue¡¯s heart was indeed burning with rage at this moment.


    As he was not a fool, he quickly guessed that Xia Jin must be scheming something against this man by acting so meekly towards him.


    She had just joined the jewelry store, with no experience and connections. Therefore, she might even be ostracized and bullied by others and her performance would definitely not go up.


    Was she preparing to use her beauty to trade for performance now?


    Huo Jue could not believe it¨Cthe woman who had been with him for five years, ran off to seduce another man as soon as she left him?


    Could it be that in Xin Jin¡¯s eyes, he was no different from this fat pig?


    Subconsciously, Huo Jue always felt that although he thought lightly of Xia Jin, he was unique and irreplaceable to her!


    As a man, this was his innate pride.


    But now, Xia Jin was flattering and pleasing another man who was far inferior to him!


    Xia Jin, you are really something!


    Huo Jue felt an inexplicable emotion in his heart that almost burned his rationality.


    That emotion was very complicated, and it was mixed with a bit of jealousy and irritation.


    After a while, Manager Du saw Huo Jue leave with a murderous look on his face without even looking at him.


    Cold sweat dripped down Manager Du¡¯s forehead.


    That was close. I actually survived from Huo Jue.


    However, when he thought of the way Huo Jue had looked at Xia Jin, he started to feel uneasy again.


    He could faintly feel that Huo Jue¡¯s anger this time was not ordinary, as for the woman who had made him so angry¡­


    She is going to be very miserable..

 Chapter 17

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Halfway through her meal, Xia Jin felt a chill on her back, as if someone was staring at her coldly.


    She touched the goosebumps that had surfaced on her arm and looked around uneasily.


    But she did not see anyone.


    It must have been an illusion.


    Xia Jin shook her head, dispelling the strange feeling in her heart.


    After having lunch with Wang Ran and exchanging contact details, Xia Jin returned to the jewelry store and went back to work.


    There were still no new customers in the afternoon, and the few regular customers had been snatched away by other salespeople.


    In her free time, Xia Jin finished reading one-third of the book, ¡®Sales Psychology¡¯, making notes all over the book.


    She seemed to have returned to the time when she was seventeen or eighteen years old, staying up late to study hard.


    When it was time to leave work, Xia Jin walked out of the jewelry store.


    Before going home, she walked to the sentry booth and gave the small cake in her hand to Zhang Zhu. ¡°Brother Zhang, there¡¯s a new cake shop on the third floor of the mall. I think it tastes good, so I bought one for you. You can take it home and give it to your children too.¡±


    Zhang Zhu was somewhat flattered, as he accepted the cake from Xia Jin.


    Although he did not know how Xia Jin found out that he had two children at home, Zhang Zhu naturally wouldn¡¯t be unappreciative of her goodwill. He thanked her profusely immediately.


    After giving him the cake, Xia Jin did not say anything else, turning around and left.


    Zhang Zhu was a little confused, as he looked at the cake on the table¨Cwhat was the reason for someone like Xia Jin to take the initiative to express goodwill to him?


    Surely it could not be that she had taken a fancy to him, as he knew what he looked like. In addition, Xia Jin already knew that he had a wife and children.


    Then, she must have wanted his help.


    But what could he, a security guard standing sentry duty, do to help her?


    *


    Xia Jin returned to Qin Xuan¡¯s house, took out the key, and opened the door.


    Since the villa Qin Xuan lived in had been built some years ago, the lock was not a fingerprint lock. In addition, the door lock was even a little rusty.


    After struggling to open the door, she changed her shoes and was about to take a rest when her phone rang suddenly.


    She turned on her phone and was surprised to see that Gao Lan was calling her.


    She had already resigned, so what could Gao Lan possibly want from her?


    When the call was answered, Gao Lan exchanged a few pleasantries with her and began to complain, ¡°Xiao Jin, can you come back? I really can¡¯t find a secretary that Mr. Huo is satisfied with. I¡¯ve been tormented to death these past few days¡­¡±


    Gao Lan and Xia Jin entered the Huo Corporation at about the same time. As they always had a good relationship, Gao Lan was calling her time to complain about work.


    Gao Lan must have been joking when she told her to come back. Xia Jin knew very well that she would never be able to return to Huo Jue¡¯s side again.


    As she loaded water onto her cup, she chuckled, ¡°Why? Did Jian Yan get sacked?¡±


    ¡°Jian Yan ah, I don¡¯t know how she angered Mr. Huo. She got fired the moment she came back last time¡­¡±


    Xia Jin was dumbfounded when she heard Gao Lan¡¯s words.


    Huo Jue had been defending Jian Yan when she made a fool of herself in the mall last time.


    She had thought that Jian Yan was most likely going to become Huo Jue¡¯s lover just like her, but she did not expect her to get fired so soon.


    ¡°Then, you should hurry up and find one. I definitely can¡¯t go back. I¡¯m also very busy on my side. You should find a few more young and beautiful ones. Maybe Mr. Huo will be in a good mood when he looks at beauties every day and won¡¯t bother you all day.¡± Xia Jin¡¯s lips curled up. A hint of mockery flashed in her eyes as she made a somewhat malicious joke about Huo Jue.


    Gao Lan let out a long sigh. ¡°You¡¯re still making sarcastic remarks. Sigh, you have no idea how miserable I am right now¡­¡±


    After all, Gao Lan was her good friend. Xia Jin could not bear to see Gao Lan suffer too much, so she said after thinking for a while, ¡°How about this? You can find a secretary who is quick with her hands and feet. Then, I¡¯ll write some of Mr. Huo¡¯s likes and dislikes into a booklet. As long as that person isn¡¯t a fool and follows the booklet I wrote, I¡¯m sure nothing will go wrong.¡±


    Gao Lan was energized when she heard this. She could not contain her joy as she said, ¡°Really? My dear, you¡¯re really the sweetest. I love you so much¡­¡±


    After Gao Lan gave Xia Jin an exaggerated kiss, she hung up the phone with joy.


    Xia Jin smiled. She thought that if she gave the booklet to Gao Lan within the next two days, Huo Jue¡¯s side should have nothing to do with her any longer.


    Maybe with a capable new secretary, that despicable man would not keep finding trouble with his former secretary.


    Xia Jin was about to head upstairs after taking a shower when her phone suddenly rang again.


    Seeing that it was Qin Xuan calling, Xia Jin picked it up and asked, ¡°Sister Xuan, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    However, Qin Xuan¡¯s voice did not come from the other end of the phone. Instead, there was a cacophony of glasses being smashed to the ground.


    Amidst the ear-piercing sound of glass shattering, there were a few men swearing and saying something like, ¡°B*tch¡­ I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡±


    Xia Jin was startled. Just as she was about to open her mouth and inquire, the call was hung up.


    Could it be that something had happened to Qin Xuan?


    Xia Jin hesitated for two seconds before grabbing her coat and rushing out of the villa..

 Chapter 18

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    When she took a cab to the bar owned by Qin Xian, the sky was already completely dark. Qin Xuan¡¯s bar stood out in the dimly lit street, with colorful lights illuminating the bar¡¯s sign, which read: ¡°After Hours Bar¡±.


    Xia Jin got out of the car and walked into the bar quickly.


    After passing through a long corridor filled with art graffiti, the noise became more pronounced and the lights in the lobby began to brighten up.


    The bar was exquisitely designed, and every part of it displayed the distinctive taste of the lady boss. The bar counter was in front of a wall stacked with wine bottles, and in front of it was a huge dance floor. There was a DJ playing a disc on the stage in front of the dance floor, and countless men and women were dancing passionately to the dynamic melodies.


    Xia Jin was just a usually regular office worker who does not come to places like this often, and she felt a bit out of place at this moment.


    She walked up to the bar counter and called out to the man who was mixing drinks. She asked loudly, ¡°Where¡¯s Qin Xuan?¡±


    The man looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    He was probably worried that she was here to cause trouble.


    Xia Jin took out her phone and showed the man Qin Xuan¡¯s business card on her WeChat friend list. ¡°I¡¯m her friend.¡±


    The man¡¯s doubts were dispelled, and he pointed upstairs.


    After Xia Jin entered the bar, she did not see anyone who was causing a fuss. She was a little suspicious. Was Qin Xuan actually okay?


    She went upstairs quickly, and before she could take two steps, she saw Qin Xuan, who had wavy curls and was in a tight skirt.


    Qin Xuan was holding a cigarette in her hand. Her body was a little shaky. It seemed that she had been drinking.


    When she saw Xia Jin, Qin Xuan thought that she was hallucinating from drinking too much.


    It was not until Xia Jin walked up to support her that she came back to her senses. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Xia Jin said speechlessly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you call me? There were also sounds of things being broken and people cursing on the phone, so I thought something on your end.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Qin Xuan patted her head. ¡°There were indeed some brats causing a commotion just now, but they¡¯ve already been kicked out. I was going to call my boyfriend at that moment, but it seems that I dialed wrongly the first time. I didn¡¯t expect to call you.¡±


    ¡°Boyfriend?¡± Xia Jin was a little surprised. ¡°Which one?¡±


    Unlike Xia Jin, who had only slept with Huo Jue for the past five years, Qin Xuan¡¯s boyfriends would change almost every few months. Sometimes, she would even flirt with several men at the same time.


    Qin Xuan pouted and glared at Xia Jin coquettishly. ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying!¡± She paused for a moment, and a hint of shyness appeared in her eyes. ¡°This one¡¯s really handsome.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have bothered with him if he wasn¡¯t handsome.¡± Xia Jin rolled her eyes speechlessly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve to go down for a bit. You¡­¡± Qin Xuan looked around and pointed towards a room. ¡°Wait for me there.¡±


    After Qin Xuan left, Xia Jin pushed open the door of the room and smelled the strong scent of perfume as soon as she entered.


    This should be Qin Xuan¡¯s office.


    Xia Jin then sat down and waited for her.


    About half an hour or so later, Xia Jin was getting a little sleepy from waiting. Suddenly, there was a rattling sound coming from outside the door.


    Before Xia Jin could open the door, the door was kicked open. The door shuddered and hit the white wall behind the door with a loud ¡®clang¡¯.


    Several people rushed in from the outside. Before Xia Jin could react to who they were, she saw a gorgeously dressed young woman walking up to her and giving her a hard slap!


    ¡°You b*tch, how dare you try to seduce my husband!¡± The woman showed no mercy. Her sharp nails scratched Xia Jin¡¯s face, and Xia Jin only felt a burning pain on her skin.


    The woman slapped her twice, but she did not seem to be satisfied. Seeing that there was a glass of red wine on the table next to her, she grabbed it and poured it all over Xia Jin¡¯s Head!


    The strong smell of wine rushed into her nostrils, and the liquid flowed from the top of her head onto her face. Xia Jin closed her eyes subconsciously.


    Seeing that the woman was about to hit her again, Xia Jin dodged out of the way and then reached out to wipe off the wine on her face.


    She was in an extremely miserable state at this moment. Not only were there two red and swollen marks on her face, but the red wine had also soaked her hair and left deep marks on her coat.


    A hint of hatred flashed in Xia Jin¡¯s eyes. She raised her head and stared coldly at the woman who had done this to her.


    Although Xia Jin had been used to enduring all these years, it did not mean that she could be bullied so easily!


    She grabbed a stone sculpture from a nearby shelf. Just as she was about to smash it hard on the woman to vent her anger, an anxious voice rang out, ¡°Rourou, what are you doing?!¡±


    The man who rushed in was dressed in casual clothes, but his aura was extraordinary. It was obvious that he was not from an ordinary family.


    Xia Jin hid the stone sculpture in her hand behind her back subconsciously.


    Then, Qin Xuan also rushed in. When she saw Xia Jin¡¯s current appearance, she became anxious immediately. ¡°Xiao Jin, are you okay?¡±


    Xia Jin was about to answer her when her pupils contracted violently.


    Two more people had appeared behind the man in casual clothes. One of them was actually Huo Jue!


    Xia Jin averted her gaze quickly when her gaze met Huo Jue¡¯s. Her heart suddenly tightened..

 Chapter 19

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xia Jin did not know if she had some sort of unbreakable relationship with Huo Jue. She would see him every time in her most pathetic state.


    She took the initiative to quit her job back then, and now, she had ended up in this state. She made a fool of herself at the mall last time. This time, she got beaten by a woman. She did not know if Huo Jue was mocking her in his heart.


    However, Xia Jin¡¯s endurance was decent. Thus, she quickly regained her composure and even patted Qin Xuan¡¯s hand to comfort her.


    ¡°Rourou, what are you doing?!¡± The casual-suited man tugged at the woman. His expression did not look too good, but he could not bear to blame his wife in public, so he only chided her loudly twice.


    ¡°Miss Fang, why did you hit my friend for no reason? Do you think that you can do whatever you want in this bar?¡± Seeing Xia Jin being beaten up, Qin Xuan was also infuriated.


    Fang Rou raised her eyebrows in surprise and sized Qin Xuan up. ¡°You¡¯re the bar owner, Qin Xuan? You f*cking seduced my husband! Shouldn¡¯t I hit you?¡±


    When she heard the woman¡¯s name was Fang Rou, Xia Jin instantly felt that she sounded familiar.


    It took her a long time to remember that this woman was Huo Jue¡¯s cousin. No wonder Huo Jue was also present today.


    The man in casual clothes should be Fang Rou¡¯s husband¨CCheng Wei.


    Cheng Wei was the legitimate son of the Cheng family and was going to inherit the Cheng Corporation in the future. Xia Jin naturally could not afford to offend such a person.


    Although she was inexplicably drenched in red wine and beaten up, Xia Jin knew that she could not afford to offend any of these people in front of her. A dark light flashed in her eyes, and she quietly put the stone sculpture back.


    If she hadn¡¯t come from a humble background, she wouldn¡¯t have been humiliated like this.


    Seeing that Fang Rou¡¯s petulant temper was about to cause her to turn her anger on Qin Xuan, Cheng Wei explained to her hurriedly.


    It turned out that Fang Rou noticed that her husband came to this bar often, and heard that the lady boss of this bar was beautiful and charming, so she subconsciously thought that Cheng Wei had been seduced by Qin Xuan. She rushed over to stir up trouble as she could not stand it anymore.


    ¡°Rourou, I¡¯m here to accompany Gu Xiao. Qin Xuan is Gu Xiao¡¯s girlfriend. What are you thinking? All right, my wife, don¡¯t be angry anymore. It¡¯s all my fault for not being able to explain it to you clearly.¡± Cheng Wei finished explaining and coaxed Fang Rou for quite some time, very dotingly.


    Fang Rou snorted through her nose, and her face showed a bit of grievance. It was as if she was not the one who had hit Xia Jin, but the victim.


    Then, Fang Rou snuggled into Cheng Wei¡¯s arms, and the two of them looked at each other lovingly.


    No one seemed to have thought of Xia Jin, and almost treated her as if she did not exist.


    Qin Xuan tried to suppress the anger in her heart, but seeing Xia Jin¡¯s head drenched in red wine, she could not calm down.


    ¡°Mr. Cheng, Miss Fang. Why should my friend bear the consequences of the misunderstanding between the two of you? She was beaten up for no reason. Don¡¯t tell me you guys think this matter will just be forgotten?¡±


    Cheng Wei froze, and then he looked at Xia Jin.


    The woman in front of him was very beautiful, but she was in an extremely sorry state.


    He vaguely felt that this woman looked somewhat familiar¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re Huo Jue¡¯s secretary?¡± Cheng Wei remembered and looked at Xia Jin with some surprise, and then at Duke Huo.


    The corners of Huo Jue¡¯s lips curled up coldly. ¡°She resigned and has nothing to do with me now.¡±


    Hearing Huo Jue¡¯s words, Fang Rou immediately heaved a sigh of relief.


    If Xia Jin was still Huo Jue¡¯s secretary, then this matter wouldn¡¯t be easy to resolve. Since she had hit one of Huo Jue¡¯s people, the situation would naturally be more serious.


    However, since Xia Jin had already resigned, then it didn¡¯t matter if she had hit the wrong person.


    ¡°Who asked her to be in your office? I don¡¯t know her, so if I hit the wrong person, then so be it.¡± Fang Rou rolled her eyes impatiently as if Xia Jin deserved this matter.


    Qin Xuan was furious. Just as she was about to speak up to seek justice for Xia Jin, Xia Jin pulled her hand back.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, forget it.¡±


    Even if she continued to pursue this matter, she would not gain anything out of it. Instead, Cheng Wei and Fang Rou would hold a grudge against her.


    Qin Xuan gritted her teeth and finally held back her anger. She squeezed out a smile. ¡°How about this? Today is my treat. Let¡¯s go to the private lounge and talk.¡±


    The group of people left Qin Xuan¡¯s office, but Xia Jin did not move. She did not want to interact with these people and was ready to head back soon.


    As Huo Jue was leaving, he turned to look at her. A hint of mockery was hanging in his eyes.


    Although Xia Jin had been with him for five years and got mistakenly beaten up by someone today, Huo Jue had no intention of helping her at all. He even cut ties with her.


    Even though she already knew that Huo Jue would never help her, Xia Jin still felt a sense of misery in her heart. She glanced at Huo Jue calmly and averted her gaze.


    Qin Xuan held Xia Jin¡¯s hand somewhat apologetically and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go deal with them.. Why don¡¯t you go to my room and change your clothes?¡±

 Chapter 20 - 020 Cursing Him

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Qin Xuan¡¯s boyfriend, Gu Xiao, was also looking at Xia Jin curiously. ¡°She¡¯s your friend?¡±


    Xia Jin did not expect Qin Xuan¡¯s new boyfriend to be Gu Xiao.


    Gu Xiao, the youngest son of the Gu Corporation, was one of Huo Jue¡¯s few good friends. He had met Xia Jin many times, and Gu Xiao knew about the matter between Xia Jin and Huo Jue.


    Qin Xuan nodded. ¡°Yes, didn¡¯t I tell you that a friend of mine has moved in with me recently? It¡¯s Xia Jin.¡±


    Gu Xiao curled the corners of his lips into a smile casually. ¡°Oh. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not even allowed to go to your house anymore, and I have to come to this bar every day to look for you.¡±


    When Xia Jin heard Gu Xiao¡¯s words, she vaguely felt that she had caused trouble for Qin Xuan.


    She thought to herself that she had to find an apartment quickly and move out.


    ¡°Tsk. Look at what you¡¯re saying! If it wasn¡¯t for your good friend Huo Jue bullying Xiao Jin, would she not even have a place to stay?¡± Qin Xuan rolled her eyes in a flirtatious manner. Then, she hammered her small fist on Gu Xiao¡¯s body, and the two of them gradually began to flirt with each other.


    Qin Xuan gave Xia Jin the password to her room, telling her to take a shower and change her clothes before leaving.


    Xia Jin pushed open the door to the room, which was filled with a faint smell of grease and powder. It was probably the smell of perfume that had not dissipated yet.


    Qin Xuan¡¯s bar was very busy, so she would often sleep in the bar from time to time. She also had quite a few clothes in the closet.


    However, most of Qin Xuan¡¯s clothes were very sexy and fiery, so Xia Jin picked out a somewhat thin shirt after a long time.


    She took the shirt and went to the bathroom to take a shower.


    After the shower, she thought of Huo Jue when she was blow-drying her hair.


    Her life seemed to have gone downhill ever since she met Huo Jue.


    Five years of her youth had gone down the drain, and he was still unwilling to let her off for the remaining three months. Moreover, when she was being bullied to such an extent just now, the first thing he did was to cut off all ties with her!


    The more Xia Jin thought about it, the more despondent she became. She could not help but curse, ¡°What kind of despicable man is this? Why don¡¯t you just die? It¡¯s best if he becomes incurably ill! Or he can lose all his assets tomorrow!¡±


    Xia Jin was in a much better mood after venting her anger. She put on a shirt while humming a tune, buttoning it up as she walked out of the bathroom.


    She was in such a good mood that she did not even notice that there was a man sitting on the sofa in the room.


    It was only when she saw Huo Jue that a scream escaped Xia Jin¡¯s throat. ¡°Ah!¡±


    Then, she covered her mouth quickly and looked at the man on the sofa in shock.


    Huo Jue slowly turned his head to look at her. After a while, the corners of his mouth curled up into a cold and sinister smile. ¡°You¡¯re scolding quite well.¡±


    Did he hear everything?


    Xia Jin panicked for a couple of seconds before calming down quickly.


    She remembered that she did not name anyone when she was scolding him just now and felt at ease.


    She nodded as if in agreement, ¡°Yes, even with a wife, he¡¯s still looking for a mistress! How outrageous! How can there be such a disgusting man in the world?¡±


    She shifted her curses onto Wang Ran without guilt.


    Huo Jue stared at her coldly for two seconds, as if he had seen through her.


    Did she really think that he did not know who she was scolding?


    However, Huo Jue did not bother arguing with Xia Jin. He turned his head and shook the ashes of the cigarette between his fingers into the ashtray.


    His long, slender fingers moved casually, revealing his natural elegance and nobility.


    Amid the smoke, Huo Jue suddenly realized who the man Xia Jin had just mentioned looking for a mistress was.


    Was he not the man she had ingratiated herself with at the Japanese restaurant previously?


    At that time, Huo Jue checked up on that man after returning from the mall. He was surprised for a long time¨Che didn¡¯t expect Xia Jin¡¯s tastes to be so indiscriminate, and she could even lay her hands on such an ugly and trashy man.


    How disgusting.


    Xia Jin walked to the sofa carefully, ready to grab her clothes and run away.


    Xia Jin was wearing only a loose shirt when she stepped out of the shower. The shirt material was so thin that it faintly the pale skin underneath. As she wasn¡¯t even wearing any underwear on her upper body, the outline of her breasts showed as she moved.


    She was only wearing undies on her lower body, and her long and smooth legs were exposed.


    She glanced at Huo Jue cautiously. There was some annoyance and disgust between the man¡¯s eyes, as if he had thought of something that made him extremely unhappy.


    Xia Jin heaved a sigh of relief.


    Little did she know that Huo Jue was thinking of exactly what was going on in her mind at the moment.


    Her fingertip had already touched her trousers, and just as Xia Jin was about to take them over, a cold voice suddenly sounded from behind her. ¡°You said that I¡¯ve bullied you in front of your friend?¡±


    Xia Jin froze and stopped moving.


    She hadn¡¯t said that.


    Oh right, it seemed like Qin Xuan had told Gu Xiao that she had been kicked out by Huo Jue and didn¡¯t even have a place to stay, so she could only stay at Qin Xuan¡¯s house.


    Gu Xiao must have told Huo Jue about this.


    In addition, Gu Xiao was Qin Xuan¡¯s boyfriend, so he must have known the room password.


    The reason why Huo Jue was able to waltz into the room was definitely because Gu Xiao had told him the password.


    Xia Jin suddenly felt that Gu Xiao was as hateful as a blabbermouth..

 Chapter 21 - 021 Flirting

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xia Jin could feel Huo Jue¡¯s gaze landing on her back, and then moving down slowly.


    She closed her legs immediately and turned around. Afterward, she half-squatted on the carpet and responded courteously, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Mr. Huo has always taken care of me. How could I ever complain? I think Mr. Gu must have misunderstood something.¡±


    Huo Jue narrowed his eyes at the woman who was lowered her head in front of him.


    At that moment, the translucent shirt on Xia Jin¡¯s body was a sham. The lines of her body could be seen clearly in the hazy fabric. It was half-covered, tinging with a hint of seduction.


    She half-squatted on the floor, trying to use the hem of her shirt to cover her bare thighs. However, her smooth and round thighs were still exposed.


    Strangely enough, Huo Jue, who had slept with this woman for five years, still had an uncontrollable urge when he saw her.


    Xia Jin gritted her teeth and secretly prayed that Huo Jue, who kept bringing her misery, would just leave quickly.


    A rustling sound suddenly sounded. Before Xia Jin could react, Huo Jue had already walked up to her.


    A familiar hand reached into the half-open collar of her shirt.


    Xia Jin¡¯s body trembled as the sensitive spot on her chest was touched by the man.


    ¡°This look of yours is indeed suitable to seduce men.¡± Huo Jue¡¯s tone grew cold, as he thought about Xia Jin seducing Wang Ran.


    Xia Jin leaned back motionlessly and tried to avoid Huo Jue¡¯s hand. ¡°Mr. Huo, I am no longer your secretary¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you going to charge me for touching you now?¡± Huo Jue mocked.


    Xia Jin had long been numb to Huo Jue¡¯s humiliation. She lowered her eyes calmly and said, ¡°Mr. Huo must be joking.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Huo Jue¡¯s brow tinged with a touch of irritation after seeing that his humiliation did not anger Xia Jin, nor did it make her emotions fluctuate. He immediately found it uninteresting. Then, his fingers traced up and brushed past Xia Jin¡¯s slender neck, lifting her delicate chin. ¡°How¡¯s your new job?¡±


    Xia Jin gritted her teeth.


    How was she getting on? How could Huo Jue not know?


    She couldn¡¯t answer that she was doing too well, or else Huo Jue would definitely be unhappy. So she thought for a moment and replied meekly, ¡°I¡¯ve just joined, and I still don¡¯t understand many things yet. Although I can¡¯t improve my performance, I should get used to the job soon.¡±


    She felt that what she said was not a problem, but Huo Jue did not seem to be satisfied. He laughed sinisterly and said, ¡°Oh, so do you need my help?¡±


    Huo Jue¡¯s cold, stern eyes stared at Xia Jin, and she felt that it was a little difficult to breathe.


    This man¡¯s pressure was too strong.


    ¡°No need. You¡¯ve already helped me a lot in the past few years, so I won¡¯t trouble you. I can think of a solution myself,¡± Xia Jin said gently.


    Huo Jue¡¯s eyes darkened bit by bit.


    The ¡®solution¡¯ Xia Jin was talking about was to seduce Wang Ran?


    She would rather go to someone like Wang Ran than give in to him?


    Huo Jue looked at Xia Jin with a scrutinizing gaze.


    This woman wasn¡¯t spineless, she was more stubborn than anyone else. Though she might have a backbone, her level of tolerance was high.


    After a long silence, Huo Jue released his hand.


    Xia Jin heaved a sigh of relief secretly.


    However, she still felt a dangerous aura surrounding her. It was the pressure emanating from Huo Jue.


    Long after Huo had left, Xia Jin still had not regained her senses. Huo Jue¡¯s aura seemed to still be lingering in the air.


    She gritted her teeth and stood up. Afterward, she put on her clothes and left the bar without a moment of hesitation.


    *


    Xia Jin did not gain any new clients during the next few days of work, but she had almost finished absorbing knowledge from the sales-related books and crammed a lot of psychological knowledge.


    However, no matter how rich her theoretical knowledge was, it was useless. Xia Jin knew that very well.


    The end of the month assessment was almost here. There were already quite a few salespeople secretly discussing how Xia Jin probably would not be able to stay on next month.


    Everyone looked at her with some schadenfreude and ridicule.


    Xia Jin did not mind them, brushing off their mockery.


    In the past few days, Wang Ran had been looking for her very frequently. Just on WeChat alone, he had sent her over a hundred messages.


    In addition to morning and bedtime greetings, he was also very concerned about her life and work status, seemingly very considerate and gentle.


    His words were also interspersed with a few teasing remarks from time to time, such as:


    ¡°A woman doesn¡¯t have to work so tiring hard. I won¡¯t let the person I like suffer all these hardships.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Jin, you have such beautiful legs. You¡¯ll definitely look very sexy in stockings.¡±


    ¡°I feel that our personalities complement each other quite well.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be clear, I kinda have feelings for you.¡±


    ¡­


    His sweet talk was so greasy that Xia Jin almost felt uncomfortable listening to them.


    She did not give Wang Ran a clear response, and only hung him indifferently.


    Wang Ran finally could not hold it back any longer. He sent her two large orders that totaled 800 thousand dollars in a row, wanting to take her down with such a fierce attack..

 Chapter 22 - 022 Good Impression

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    With these two orders, Xia Jin¡¯s performance among the salespeople improved slightly.


    However, Wang Ran¡¯s action also aroused Lin Li¡¯s vigilance. After discovering that Xia Jin and Wang Ran were ¡®hooking up¡¯, Lin Li was almost driven mad. One afternoon, she called out to Xia Jin specially. Her tone was gloomy as she said, ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with Wang Ran?¡±


    Xia Jin smiled indifferently. ¡°The relationship between a customer and a salesperson.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying! You seduced Wang Ran! You b*tch!¡± Lin Li¡¯s expression was ugly to the extreme, as she had lost her financial backer. She then raised her hand in an attempt to slap Xia Jin after cursing her.


    Xia Jin¡¯s expression darkened. She raised his hand to grab Lin Li¡¯s wrist, then twisted with force.


    Lin Li yelped in pain.


    Xia Jin sneered. ¡°I didn¡¯t seduce Wang Ran. Neither did I agree to be his girlfriend, nor did I sleep with him. He¡¯s the one who insisted on giving this order to me. What can I do? Go look for Wang Ran if you really don¡¯t like it. You¡¯re still too inexperienced to intimidate me!¡±


    Xia Jin turned around and left, shrugging Lin Li off.


    Behind her, Lin Li looked at Xia Jin with resentment, her eyes full of hatred.


    *


    When the time was right, Xia Jin was ready to execute her plan.


    When she was chatting with Wang Ran, she managed to find out the address of Wang Ran¡¯s house.


    When Wang Ran heard Xia Jin ask him where he lived, he did not think too much about it and just blurted it out. After all, he did not think that Xia Jin would pay a visit to his house.


    In fact, Xia Jin really did go.


    After knocking on the door, one of the maids at Wang Ran¡¯s house opened the door and looked at Xia Jin with some confusion. Xia Jin smiled and introduced herself. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m a staff member of Aurora Jewelry. Mr. Wang ordered two pieces of jewelry from our shop and said that they were for Mrs. Wang.¡±


    When the maid heard that, she nodded with understanding. ¡°You¡¯re here to see Madam?¡±


    Xia Jin entered the Wang family¡¯s manor as per her wishes.


    The Wang family¡¯s manor occupied a large area. The maid led her for more than two minutes before she walked through the courtyard and reached the main entrance.


    They passed through a long corridor, and after the main hall was the living room. There was a woman with a bloated belly lying on the leather sofa in the living room.


    The woman looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Her face was beautiful, but her complexion was not very good. Her body was a little bloated and obese.


    After introducing her identity, Wang Ran¡¯s wife, Zhu Ya, only nodded slightly. Her attitude was not very enthusiastic. ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    After sitting down, Xia Jin opened her briefcase, took out Wang Ran¡¯s payment order, and showed it to Zhu Ya. She smiled amiably, saying, ¡°Mr. Wang is really devoted to you. It¡¯s really enviable that you have such a considerate and romantic husband. Oh right, our company has recently had a VIP event. Mr. Wang¡¯s spending amount has reached 4.8 million dollars, which is just enough to meet the requirements. You can enjoy a 20% discount when subscribing to be a VIP. However, Mr. Wang is busy with his work, so we thought we¡¯d ask if you are interested in recharging your VIP account.¡±


    Xia Jin said a lot of things, but Zhu Ya only caught one key point. ¡°4.8 million dollars?¡±


    Xia Jin nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Wang has paid for a total of seven orders from us. He¡¯s a regular.¡±


    After hearing that Wang Ran had bought seven items from the jewelry store and spent close to five million dollars, Zhu Ya¡¯s face turned pale instantly.


    Wang Ran had only given her a silver bracelet. That bracelet could not have cost four million, so where did the other orders come from? Who did he buy so many things for?


    Zhu Ya¡¯s expression was not good, but she did not say anything.


    After all, it was a family scandal, so there was nothing to publicize. She had long known that Wang Ran was having a good time outside, but she did not expect him to spend so much money on those women.


    Seeing that Zhu Ya remained silent, Xia Jin paused and muttered, ¡°Mrs. Zhu, I see that your fingertips are a little thicker than your knuckles. Are your lungs not too good?¡±


    Zhu Ya was a little surprised hearing Xia Jin¡¯s words. She paused for a moment before nodding. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an inveterate illness of mine. I¡¯m always coughing.¡±


    Xia Jin had grown up smelling traditional Chinese medicine, as her mother¡¯s health was not very good. In addition, in order to take care of her mother, she had especially crammed a lot of medical knowledge, so she could be considered an amateur expert in this area.


    At this moment, the two of them grew closer after talking about Zhu Ya¡¯s health.


    Xia Jin rubbed her chin and thought for a while before saying, ¡°Mrs. Zhu, I do know a folk prescription that is very effective in treating inflammation of the lungs. Also, it doesn¡¯t have any negative effects since it¡¯s a dietary treatment. It is also suitable for pregnant women. You can give it a try if you trust me.¡±


    Probably because she had been at home for a long time to nurse her baby, it had been a while since anyone had spoken to Zhu Ya. After chatting with Xia Jin for a while, Zhu Ya had a good impression of her. Hence, her smile deepened when she heard Xia Jin¡¯s words. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get the nanny to write it down.¡±


    After visiting Zhu Ya, Xia Jin took the initiative to leave her contact information. ¡°Mrs. Zhu, I feel like we hit it off quite well. If you don¡¯t mind, can we add each other as friends?¡±


    Having worked as a secretary for five years, Xia Jin¡¯s communication skills were better compared to those of ordinary people. After talking for more than half an hour, Zhu Ya already had a very good impression of her..

 Chapter 23 - 023 Childbirth

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    When she left the Wang family residence, Xia Jin turned her head to look at the huge but empty house.


    Zhu Ya was really pitiful. She was about to give birth, yet Wang Ran was out all day courting women. He would not even go home to check on her.


    *


    On her day off, Xia Jin was browsing the internet at home when her phone suddenly rang. Gao Lan had sent her a message. ¡°Xiao Jin, I¡¯ve finally found a secretary. I gave her the booklet you wrote. Hehe, thank you!¡±


    Xia Jin curled her lips into a smile. She did not take this matter to heart and continued looking for information online.


    She had taken Zhu Ya¡¯s matter to heart. When she got home, she did a detailed search on the internet based on the physical traits Zhu Ya had displayed the last time she met her.


    Although she knew that Zhu Ya definitely had a specialized doctor, the more she knew about Zhu Ya¡¯s condition, the closer they would be brought together.


    At noon, Xia Jin cooked herself chicken noodle soup. As she was eating the noodles and watching TV, her WeChat rang twice.


    Wang Ran¡¯s message came over. ¡°Xiao Jin, I want to give you the necklace I bought last time. Give me your address.¡±


    He seemed eager to please Xia Jin. He probably realized that Xia Jin was always indifferent to him, so he was in a hurry to curry favor with Xia Jin. Thus, he was ready to give her another necklace.


    Xia Jin put down her chopsticks unhurriedly and wiped the corner of her mouth. Then, she took her time to call back. ¡°I don¡¯t like that necklace. Thank you, Mr. Wang.¡±


    Although she had rejected Wang Ran, her tone was well-chosen. Her delicate voice coupled with a shy and flustered tone. Wang Ran was not upset by her response, and instead, he inquired again, ¡°Then, what kind of necklace do you like? Tell me, and I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡±


    Xia Jin laughed coldly. She gave Wang Ran a perfunctory reply before hanging up the phone.


    In the following days, Xia Jin went to see Zhu Ya several more times. She even bought some specialties to supplement her body. Although they were not expensive, one could tell her sincerity from the gifts.


    Zhu Ya grew more intimate with her. She even mentioned that her mental state was much better after eating the folk prescription that Xia Jin had told her for two days.


    While Zhu Ya was about to give birth, Wang Ran¡¯s attempt to court Xia Jin was still strong.


    From what the maids from the Wang family revealed, Wang Ran would not go home for almost an entire week.


    Xia Jin pretended to ask dubiously, ¡°Is Mr. Wang too busy with work? How come I don¡¯t see him all the time?¡±


    If Xia Jin had not known Zhu Ya well, she would not have dared to say that, but now that they were very close, Zhu Ya did not mind. She just laughed bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s better if he doesn¡¯t come back because it¡¯s an eyesore if he does.¡±


    Xia Jin tactfully did not ask further.


    At the same time, Xia Jin knew very well that Wang Ran probably did not give the two orders of jewelry she had shown Zhu Ya last time at all.


    Zhu Ya must be well aware of all this.


    The day of Zhu Ya¡¯s labor was approaching.


    Xia Jin¡¯s visits to the Wang residence were even more frequent than Zhu Ya¡¯s good friends.


    As Xia Jin worked, she also made time for Zhu Ya. This had greatly reduced Xia Jin¡¯s rest time and after only ten days, there were dark circles under her eyes.


    However, Xia Jin did not feel tired. Instead, she was contented. After all, everything was progressing smoothly.


    As the day when a pregnant woman¡¯s water breaks were uncertain, Xia Jin felt a little nervous every day when she went to look for Zhu Ya. On this day, she had just arrived at Zhu Ya¡¯s house when she heard the panicked screams of the maids from inside.


    Xia Jin walked quickly to Zhu Ya¡¯s side and helped her to lie down on the sofa. Then, she put a cushion under Zhu Ya¡¯s bottom to support her.


    Zhu Ya was extremely panicked and scared as this was her first time giving birth. She kept clutching onto Xia Jin¡¯s hand, who patted her gently and kept comforting her.


    The ambulance arrived and Zhu Ya was taken to the hospital.


    After Zhu Ya¡¯s father died, Zhu Ya did not have anyone who cared about her anymore. The others may have treated her with respect, but they did not actually take her to heart. Therefore, at this moment, Xia Jin was the only one guarding outside the operating room when Zhu Ya was about to give birth.


    When the doctor rushed out and asked who the family member of the pregnant woman was, Xia Jin stood up immediately. ¡°Me!¡±


    The doctor asked Xia Jin to sign the papers. Then, he entered the operating room, closing the door behind him. Xia Jin waited outside anxiously.


    Just as Xia Jin was waiting in a panic for an unknown amount of time, the doctor finally came out. He was drenched in sweat. ¡°It¡¯s a girl, and both mother and daughter are safe.¡±


    Xia Jin let out a long sigh of relief.


    When Zhu Ya was pushed out of the operating room, she saw that Xia Jin was the only one outside the door. She let out a bitter smile.


    Xia Jin knew what was going through her mind, and she also knew that she was sad¨Cthe only person accompanying her at the moment was actually Xia Jin.


    However, this result was exactly what Xia Jin wanted.


    She had gone to Zhu Ya¡¯s house many times, and the maids were already familiar with her. When Zhu Ya was giving birth, Xia Jin sent the maids back to get some change of clothes. Then, she set up a ward and came to keep watch over Zhu Ya.


    As the first person that Zhu Ya saw after giving birth, Xia Jin believed that Zhu Ya would remember her for the rest of her life..

 Chapter 24 - 024 Anger

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°Roast duck from Jing Rui Xuan, bone broth from Chengzhou, and pastries from Ming Jin Ji¡­¡± Huo Jue looked at his lunch placed on the table. After a long while, he raised his eyes and sneered at the petite woman standing in front of the table. ¡°You know me really well. ¡°


    Huo Jue¡¯s new secretary, Annie, was swept by Huo Jue¡¯s murderous gaze. Her teeth chattered immediately, as she began to tremble violently.


    ¡°Throw everything out,¡± Huo Jue stated morosely. He looked at Annie with a hint of hostility in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you know me very well.¡±


    Annie scrambled out of Huo Jue¡¯s office in a panic.


    Huo Jue¡¯s expression did not turn any better even after the pile of food was taken away.


    It was not easy for him to get a new secretary, but he did not expect her to receive Xia Jin¡¯s guidance.


    Those dishes were all tried and tested by Xia Jin according to his preferences. He had never paid attention to these things before, but he had hardly eaten a single meal that was to his liking after Xia Jin left, he almost did not have a good meal. Only then did he realize¨CXia Jin really left.


    What he had thought was a dispensable woman had actually tinted his heart with a touch of despondency. This irritated Huo Jue to no end.


    *


    Wang Ran arrived at the hospital after three days of Zhu Ya¡¯s hospitalization.


    ¡°You gave birth? Why is she a girl?¡± Wang Ran glanced at the baby in the cradle next to Zhu Ya. He did not even think of holding the baby and only glanced at her.


    Zhu Ya bit her pale lips. ¡°Even if she¡¯s a girl, is she not your child?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of a girl? We still have to give her away in the end. I¡¯m the only child in my family. You should give birth to another one. Otherwise, it would be bad if my family¡¯s name is cut off.¡±


    Wang Ran sat on the chair next to Zhu Ya and looked at her with a smile. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were giving birth? Seriously.¡±


    Zhu Ya got so infuriated at Wang Ran¡¯s statement that she trembled. After a long while, she raised her head and glared at Wang Ran angrily. ¡°Get out!¡±


    ¡°What did you say?! How can you talk to me like that?¡± Wang Ran frowned. His burly body twisted a little, and his fat flesh shuddered at once.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Zhu Ya cried, shouting shrilly.


    A nurse hurried in from the outside and tried to persuade Wang Ran, who was still cursing, out of the room.


    ¡°B*tch, does giving birth to a child give you the ability to think that you¡¯re a princess? Isn¡¯t it just giving birth to a child? Why are you so angry? F*ck¡­¡±


    The ward quieted down. Zhu Ya covered her face, whimpering softly.


    Xia Jin, who was hiding in the shadows, only stepped into the ward after Wang Ran left.


    ¡°Sister Zhu Ya¡­¡± Xia Jin placed the thermos box containing chicken soup next to her, ¡°Here is some chicken soup, and congee¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Zhu Ya suddenly hugged her and cried bitterly. ¡°Xiao Jin, what did I do wrong? Why is treating me like this?!¡±


    Xia Jin reached out and hugged her. Even though her motive for approaching close to Zhu Ya was not pure, but after so many days together, she had considered Zhu Ya as her friend.


    ¡°It¡¯s not you who¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s him.¡± Xia Jin¡¯s voice was calm and austere. Huo Jue¡¯s face appeared in her mind. ¡°It was all those men who are in the wrong.¡±


    After coaxing Zhu Ya to sleep, Xia Jin tucked the covers for her and walked out of the ward.


    Things were progressing smoothly, and it would be fine to deal with Wang Ran next.


    Xia Jin¡¯s lips curled into a smile.


    It was time to end Zhu Ya¡¯s unsightly marriage.


    After returning home from the hospital, Xia Jin tidied up and lay on the bed tiredly.


    Just as she was about to rest, the phone rang.


    ¡°Hello¡­¡± When Xia Jin opened her mouth, a cold voice came from the phone. ¡°Come to the office.¡±


    Huo Jue?


    Xia Jin was about to say something when the other party hung up.


    Only then did Xia Jin see the caller ID: Annie.


    Annie was the new secretary Gao Lan had found for Huo Jue. Although Xia Jin had given Annie the booklet, Annie was still afraid that she might do something wrong, so she asked Gao Lan for Xia Jin¡¯s contact information.


    A bad feeling welled up in Xia Jin¡¯s heart.


    Before the phone screen could go dark, another text message came.


    ¡°Sister Xia Jin, please come quickly. I beg you.¡±


    What happened to Annie?


    Xia Jin changed her clothes instantly and went to the Huo Corporation.


    A familiar employee led her to Huo Jue¡¯s office. Xia Jin opened the door to see Annie kneeling on the ground, shivering. While on the black leather sofa, Huo Jue was crossing his legs, and he only lifted his eyes slightly when seeing Xia Jin come.


    Xia Jin took a deep breath and closed the door behind her. She walked to Annie¡¯s side and looked at Huo Jue. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Huo?¡±


    The corner of Huo Jue¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile. He raised his eyebrows. ¡°This person¨Cdid you find her?¡±


    Xia Jin frowned. ¡°No, she was hired by the Huo Corporation.¡±


    Annie had a good education and qualities, so Gao Lan chose her among those who were interviewing for the president¡¯s secretary.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Huo Jue twisted his head slightly and glanced at Annie. Although Annie did not dare to raise her head, she still trembled violently when his gaze landed on her.


    Huo Jue threw something out of his hand and said in a cold voice, ¡°And what is this?¡±

 Chapter 25 - 025 Lighter

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xia Jin¡¯s pupils contracted slightly when she saw the booklet that Huo Jue had thrown out.


    She suddenly understood the reason for Huo Jue¡¯s anger.


    As the saying goes, accompanying a ruler was like accompanying a tiger. Most men in high positions, who were arrogant and conceited, did not like to be seen through.


    Xia Jin got hold of some of Huo Jue¡¯s habits. Huo Jue must have felt offended after she told Annie about it.


    How childish.


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes were tinged with a touch of mockery.


    However, she was not flustered, and her tone remained calm. ¡°Sister Lan said that she was afraid that the new secretary would not know about your habits, so I gave her this booklet. I was also worried that you would not be used to having a new secretary. This has nothing to do with Annie.¡±


    Huo Jue looked at her with a half-smile. His eyes seemed to be icy-cold. ¡°Oh, so you are quite concerned about me? Should I thank you?¡±


    Xia Jin stood up straight. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. You¡¯ve taken care of me for the past few years. This is what I should do.¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s answer was watertight. Huo Jue looked at the woman¡¯s perfect mask-like expression and did not know how to continue his outburst.


    Seeing that Annie was still in the room, Huo Jue waved his hand impatiently. ¡°You, get out.¡±


    Annie was like a frightened bunny. She looked at Xia Jin worriedly and left the office.


    With Xia Jin and Huo Jue left alone face to face, not only did the atmosphere not ease up, but it also became more oppressive.


    Huo Jue lifted his eyelids lazily and sized Xia Jin up. ¡°Do you think that I can¡¯t do without you?¡±


    Xia Jin froze for a second before becoming somewhat speechless in her heart.


    Was this man just bad-tempered, or was he narcissistic?


    She had spent two nights writing this booklet so that she could get her new secretary to serve him properly, and in Xia Jin¡¯s opinion, Huo Jue should be thanking her for it.


    She did not expect that Huo Jue would misunderstand her so much.


    She deeply wished to cut off all contact with Huo Jue for the rest of her life. How could she deliberately let the new secretary remind Huo Jue of her?


    Xia Jin suppressed her emotions and shook her head slowly. ¡°I¡¯m just an insignificant existence by your side. You can easily find any kind of subordinate you want. I¡¯m not that presumptuous.¡±


    Huo Jue had taken a lighter out at some point. Xia Jin¡¯s pupils constricted slightly by the sight of it. She had bought this lighter for Huo Jue four years ago. As it was a limited edition, she had waited in line for a long time to get it.


    The quality of this lighter was very good. It hadn¡¯t broken in the four years Huo had used it.


    Huo Jue tossed the lighter up and caught it slowly.


    Then, he flickered gently it, and the lighter fell into the trash can with a dull sound.


    Xia Jin¡¯s heart sank abruptly.


    Her heart, which was already numb, began to feel a trace of undetectable bitterness.


    Perhaps in Huo Jue¡¯s eyes, the four years she had been by his side were just like this lighter, and it wouldn¡¯t be a pity to throw it away.


    Xia Jin retracted her gaze quickly. There was not a single fluctuation on her face.


    Huo Jue had originally taken out this lighter to light his cigarette. However, he remembered that this lighter was bought by the woman in front of him.


    Just like her, it had accompanied him for countless days and nights.


    And now, Xia Jin had left.


    Huo Jue did not know why, but a surge of anger and gloom welled up in his heart. Then, he threw the lighter away without thinking.


    When he threw it away, the pressure in his heart eased, and he felt a little refreshed. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Xia Jin.


    But to his surprise, Xia Jin¡¯s eyes did not change in the slightest.


    Was she not angry?


    The easiness that Huo Jue had just felt was suddenly gone, and his entire face sank again.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so fond of meddling in my affairs, I¡¯ll give you a chance to go to a banquet with me tomorrow.¡± Huo Jue¡¯s tone could not be described as bad, it could be considered overbearing.


    Xia Jin frowned. She still had to work tomorrow. Besides, she had already resigned. Why was she still at Huo Jue¡¯s beck and call?


    Xia Jin was about to refuse when Huo Jue seemed to have read her mind. ¡°Whether you have time or not is your business. I want to see you appear in front of me tomorrow.¡±


    Xia Jin knew that she could not oppose Huo Jue.


    She let out a long sigh, as she walked out of Huo Jue¡¯s office,


    Annie was still waiting outside the door for her, cautiously. When she saw Xia Jin, Annie looked at her apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Sister Xia Jin. I messed up.¡±


    Xia Jin shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    The two of them walked to the elevator. Seeing that there was no one around, Xia Jin advised, ¡°You have high qualifications, and there are plenty of good jobs available for you.¡±


    After reassuring Annie, Xia Jin called Gao Lan and told her that Huo Jue might be changing his secretary again.


    Gao Lan wailed immediately, ¡°It can¡¯t be?!¡±


    Xia Jin hung up the phone after comforting Gao Lan.


    Back at the jewelry store, Xia Jin had to ask the store manager for a leave of absence shamelessly. The next day, she changed her clothes and called Huo Jue before going to the banquet.


    Not long after, the driver, Old Liang¡¯s car, drove up to her door..

 Chapter 26 - 026 Not Lending

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    The car door opened. Huo Jue sized Qin Xuan¡¯s villa up before looking at Xia Jin with a half-smile. ¡°You live here?¡±


    Xia Jin thought about how he had chased her out of her apartment and felt slightly gloomy. However, she adjusted her emotions quickly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seeing that Xia Jin was not displeased, Huo Jue felt a little bored and did not speak again.


    After a little over an hour, the car stopped in front of a luxurious hotel. Xia Jin got out of the car and walked down with her dress. Huo Jue walked beside her and turned his arm to her side. Xia Jin was stunned, and she then reluctantly put her hand on his arm.


    Although Xia Jin¡¯s change in expression was subtle, Huo Jue smiled mockingly. ¡°Are you very dissatisfied?¡±


    ¡°Why would I ever be?¡± Xia Jin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she smiled in a gentle and lovely manner. ¡°The high heels are just a little uncomfortable.¡±


    As she spoke, a middle-aged man with a big belly walked up and greeted Huo Jue. ¡°Mr. Huo, long time no see.¡±


    Huo Jue put on an indifferent face and smiled politely. The man seemed to be unaware of Huo¡¯s coldness and still put on a fawning smile. He then looked at Xia Jin and said, ¡°Mr. Huo¡¯s companion today is really gorgeous. I¡¯m really envious. You have such a beautiful woman at your side.¡±


    Huo Jue narrowed his eyes and glanced at Xia Jin. The corners of his mouth curled up sarcastically. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ so-so, I guess.¡±


    The smile on Xia Jin¡¯s face stiffened, but it quickly returned to normal. She nodded quietly to the middle-aged man.


    When they walked into the banquet hall, there were already quite a few people there, and some familiar faces.


    Gu Xiao saw Huo Jue and came over with a glass of wine in his hand.


    ¡°Yo, why did you bring her here?¡± Gu Xiao raised his eyebrows fearlessly. ¡°If you really don¡¯t have any woman available, you can ask me to lend you one.¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s heart twitched when she heard Gu Xiao¡¯s words.


    At first, she thought that Huo Jue was mad over Annie¡¯s matter. At this moment, she suddenly understood¨CHuo Hue should not be such a childish person. He especially found an excuse to threaten her with, perhaps because he could not find a female companion around.


    Jian Yan had been sacked by Huo Jue, and Annie was too young to handle such an occasion. Moreover, Gao Lan¡¯s looks were not outstanding enough to match Huo.


    Although it was not impossible to find another woman, it was indeed hard to find someone who could stand beside Huo Jue in such a short period of time without making him look bad.


    Huo Jue raised his head and glanced at Gu Xiao indifferently. ¡°Your grandfather still doesn¡¯t know much about the incident when you went to Las Vegas last time¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, my good brother, I was wrong. I¡¯ll shut up, okay?¡± Gu Xiao looked like he had been touched by a sore spot instantly. He did not dare to say anything more and fled in a huff.


    Then, Huo Jue and Xia Jin were left alone. Xia Jin knew that her main task today was to play the role of a pretty vase next to Huo Jue. Thus, she tactfully did not go along with Gu Xiao¡¯s words and make fun of Huo Jue, nor did she dare to say much.


    But when she did not mention this matter, Huo Jue turned his head to look at her frigidly and said in a cold tone, ¡°Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself.¡±


    After a pause, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really think that I can¡¯t find a woman?¡±


    Xia Jin was bewildered, not expecting Huo Jue to haggle about this matter with her. She replied with a serious face instantly, ¡°No, Mr. Huo, with your status, what kind of woman can¡¯t you find? It¡¯s my honor to be able to come to attend the banquet with you today.¡±


    With this said, Huo Jue¡¯s face really did soften a little. He snorted coldly and turned his head away proudly.


    Xia Jin¡¯s mouth twitched a little, somewhat speechlessly.


    Although Huo Jue and Xia Jin were low-key, and Huo Jue was not the kind of person who liked to talk to people, they still managed to garner the attention of many people with their dazzling appearance.


    Not long after, a young man walked over with a flirtatious smile and said, ¡°Huo Jue, I¡¯d like to dance with the lady next to you. Do you mind?¡±


    Xia Jin knew this man. He was Duan Zheng, the second son of the Duan Corporation, a loafer with an arrogant personality.


    At this moment, he ran in front of Huo Jue brazenly. Xia Jin did not know whether he was trying to provoke Huo Jue or not.


    Huo Jue did not even spare a glance at Duan Zheng and shot back, ¡°Of course, I mind.¡±


    Duan Zheng almost spurted out a mouthful of blood. He probably did not expect Huo Jue to be so disrespectful to him. He flew into a rage immediately from the humiliation and said, ¡°Why are you so stingy? I¡¯m just lending your person for a while!¡±


    Huo Jue sneered. ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring your own partner? She¡¯s mine, I won¡¯t lend her to you!¡±


    When Huo Jue said this, not only Duan Zheng but Xia Jin was also stunned.


    She¡¯s mine¡­


    Xia Jin¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    But soon, she swiftly poured a bucket of cold water on her feelings.


    Xia Jin, don¡¯t get carried away. He just treats you like a toy.


    Duan Zheng looked at Huo Jue and sneered. ¡°Huo Jue, don¡¯t be too arrogant! Just wait and see!¡±


    After Duan Zheng left, Xia Jin looked at Huo Jue¡¯s cold face and thought of the fierce competition between the Huo and Duan families in the business world..

 Chapter 27 - 027 Junior

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Even though the relationship between the two families was tense, it was impossible for them to get along peacefully with Huo Jue¡¯s personality. For a person like him, he might not give a good face even if others treated him with respect, let alone Duan Zheng looking for trouble in his face.


    Halfway through the banquet, Xia Jin felt a number of cold gazes sweeping over her.


    Although she was expressionless, Xia Jin knew the reason for it deep down.


    Although she did not like this despicable man, Huo Jue, many young ladies had their hearts set on him because of his outstanding figure and appearance, as well as the fact that he was the noble young master of the Huo family.


    This time, Huo Jue brought her over, not necessarily without the intention of letting her take the hit.


    Although most of the people saw that Huo Jue had a female companion, they did not make any small moves, and only glared at Xia Jin.


    Only, not long after, a rather brave woman in a long red dress walked up to Huo Jue and said with a light smile, ¡°Mr. Huo, would you like to dance together?¡±


    Xia Jin narrowed her eyes.


    This woman had outright ignored her. She must have known that she was not Huo Jue¡¯s real girlfriend.


    She was trying to give her a hard time.


    Before Huo Jue could reply, Xia Jin held onto his arm and said in a delicate voice, ¡°Brother Jue, you have already agreed to teach me how to dance.¡±


    Huo Jue and Xia Jin shuddered the sound of ¡°Brother Jue.¡±


    Xia Jin held back her goosebumps and continued to speak coquettishly to the girl in red, ¡°Sorry, you got to find another partner. Brother Jue is mine, I can¡¯t lend him to you.¡±


    She imitated Huo Jue¡¯s words and retorted back at the girl. Seeing the girl¡¯s expression darkened, Xia Jin lamented in her heart that she was really a qualified person to block a bullet.


    Although, she did not notice that when she said that Huo Jue was hers, Huo Jue¡¯s eyes twitched slightly, and the corners of his mouth even hooked up slightly.


    Seeing the girl leave in a huff, Xia Jin put away her pretentious act, and her face turned serious.


    Huo Jue sneered. ¡°You¡¯re really good at changing your expressions. It¡¯s a pity that you didn¡¯t become an actress.¡±


    Sure enough, it was all an act.


    Huo Jue did not know why, but his heart, which had just been filled with joy, became despondent again.


    Xia Jin turned her head and smiled politely. ¡°It¡¯s my duty to resolve Mr. Huo¡¯s problems.¡±


    Xia Jin felt that her performance today could be described as flawless. However, she did not understand why Huo Jue¡¯s face had turned gloomy suddenly.


    She felt that every minute she spent next to Huo Jue, who was in a bad mood, was difficult.


    Oh God, let¡¯s get it over with it quickly


    Xia Jin wanted to wail.


    As the banquet finally drew to a close, Xia Jin stood up abruptly when she saw Huo Jue stand up.


    Seeing Xia Jin stand up so sharply, Huo Jue turned his head and gave her a cold glance. He said morosely, ¡°Why, are you in such a hurry to leave?¡±


    Xia Jin was stunned for a moment. ¡°I thought you were leaving?¡±


    Huo Jue¡¯s face tensed up, and he looked very dangerous. He shot Xia Jin a glance and said, ¡°Since you can¡¯t bear to leave me, let¡¯s go back together.¡±


    Xia Jin felt like a clown who was being teased by Huo Jue. Although she could not wait to punch this despicable man in front of her, she could only show a smile on her face. ¡°Yes, Mr. Huo.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t this just a matter of putting up with it? She just needed to put up with this scum for another two months or so.


    Xia Jin was about to get into Huo Jue¡¯s car when her phone suddenly rang. She opened her phone and saw a WeChat message. ¡°Senior Xia Jin, I think I just saw you at Imperial Hotel. Did I recognize the wrong person?¡±


    Xia Jin pondered for a long time over this person¡¯s profile picture and ID, but she could not figure out who it was.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing that Xia Jin did not move, Huo Jue frowned and asked in a deep voice.


    Xia Jin closed her phone. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Just as she was about to lift the hem of her dress and get into the car, a sweet voice rang out next to her, with excitement in her tone. ¡°Senior, it¡¯s really you! I was afraid that I mistook you for someone else!¡±


    Xia Jin turned her head, and the girl in front of her was very pretty. She had an oval face and big eyes, and makeup that was not exaggerated on her face. She seemed to be as clean as a piece of white paper. When she smiled, she revealed two small canine teeth, looking somewhat playful and cute.


    She thought for a long time before she said with uncertainty, ¡°Dong Yue?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Senior! It¡¯s been a long time. You¡¯re getting prettier and prettier!¡± Dong Yue¡¯s eyes shone brightly. She tilted her little head as she spoke, looking youthful and cute.


    Xia Jin, however, was not as excited as Dong Yue. She nodded to Dong Yue and then turned to look at Huo Jue, who was in the car. ¡°I ran into a junior. Mr. Huo, why don¡¯t you go back first?¡±


    It would be nice if she could slip away with this opportunity.


    Hearing Xia Jin¡¯s words, a trace of undetectable anxiety flashed across Dong Yue¡¯s eyes. She moved two steps in Xia Jin¡¯s direction quickly and poked her head out to look inside the car. Then, she blinked her big eye somewhat curiously. ¡°Eh, is that your boss inside?¡±


    A cold glint flashed across Xia Jin¡¯s eyes. Just then, she shifted her body to the side, allowing Dong Yue to face Huo Jue directly.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my boss.¡±


    Huo Jue looked up and saw the girl standing outside the car.


    She had two ponytails, big eyes, and a shoulder bag on her shoulder..

 Chapter 28 - 028 Scum

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°Your junior?¡± Huo Jue¡¯s gaze fell on Dong Yue. Dong Yue, who felt the man¡¯s gaze, blushed instantly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xia Jin weighed her tone and replied nonchalantly.


    ¡°What major?¡± Huo Jue asked with interest.


    ¡°I studied accountancy. I¡¯m still looking for a job.¡± Seeing that Xia Jin was about to speak, Dong Yue answered in advance immediately.


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes moved, but she didn¡¯t jack into the conversation between them.


    ¡°Our company is short of a secretary. You can come and try it out.¡± A vague light flashed in Huo Jue¡¯s eyes, and his tone was somewhat profound.


    ¡°Really?!¡± Dong Yue widened her eyes in disbelief. That naive look of hers appeared extremely adorable. ¡°Thank you, Boss!¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, you can ask your senior.¡± After Huo Jue said that, he let the chauffeur drive away to not bother Xia Jin and Dong Yue from catching up.


    Xia Jin managed to dodge a bullet, just as she wished.


    But she wasn¡¯t very overjoyed.


    Huo Jue¡¯s attitude towards those women at the banquet was extremely cold, yet he had just spoken so much to Dong Yue.


    His intentions were clear as day.


    Dong Yue watched Huo Jue¡¯s car drive off into the distance, and her little face was flushed red. The expression on her face became less forceful when she turned back to look at Xia Jin. She even looked at Xia Jin somewhat cautiously and uttered, ¡°Senior¡­¡±


    Although the wariness and uneasiness in her eyes were well hidden, Xia Jin still caught it.


    Xia Jin laughed in her heart coldly.


    Did Dong Yue think that she was going to stop her from entering Huo Jue¡¯s company?


    No, in fact, she was very happy.


    Xia Jin told her about Huo Jue¡¯s recruitment for a secretary and added sincerely, ¡°I also have some friends I know in there, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me to give you a position inside.¡±


    Dong Yue was pleasantly surprised and looked at Xia Jin with some disbelief in her eyes.


    Xia Jin pursed her lips and did not say anything.


    Huo Jue¡¯s secretary was not only responsible for work matters, but also for some of his private ¡°needs.¡±


    What kind of person did a man like Huo Jue like?


    Xia Jin had done some research on psychology. Generally speaking, people either liked people of the opposite sex that were similar to themselves, or that were complementary to themselves.


    Xia Jin vaguely felt that the latter should apply to Huo Jue.


    All these years, she had thought carefully about why Huo Jue had chosen her out of so many interviewees.


    At that time, there were several beautiful women among the interviewees, although she was good-looking, she was not the most outstanding.


    She later figured out that it was because there was something in her younger self from five years ago that was lacking in Huo Jue¡¯s personality.


    After chatting with Dong Yue for a couple of minutes and introducing some of the situations in Huo Corporation to her, Xia Jin¡¯s taxi arrived.


    Before parting ways, Xia Jin shot a glance at the girl in front of her.


    Simple, innocent, and youthful¡­ just like a flower that grew up bathed in sunlight.


    Dong Yue was like a copy of herself.


    Although compared to her original self, Dong Yue was more cautious.


    However, she did not expect Dong Yue to swoop in by accident, but it just happened to be to Huo Jue¡¯s liking.


    Looking at Dong Yue, Xia Jin vaguely recalled the time when she had just joined the Huo Corporation.


    At that time, she had only just graduated. Although she had excellent academic qualifications, she had just entered society, was more or less inconsiderate with her work. In addition, there were many people in the Huo Corporation who looked at her unfavorably. Many said that she had entered the company by relying on her face.


    The pressure of work and the indifference of her colleagues made Xia Jin feel suffocated, causing her mental state to not be good. Once, when she was serving coffee to Huo Jue, she accidentally spilled it on his shirt.


    At that time, Xia Jin was so frightened that her face turned white. She desperately apologized to Huo Jue, and her heart was in her throat. She was afraid that Huo Jue would severely reprimand her.


    Huo Jue, who was usually stern and cold as an iceberg, did not reprimand her. He only asked her to bring him a new shirt.


    Xia Jin went into the changing room with the new shirt, but to her surprise, Huo Jue had already stripped naked. She blushed immediately and was prepared to leave.


    However, Huo Jue slammed the door shut. His tall body enveloped her in his shadow, and said in a somewhat serious tone, ¡°Are you unhappy these days?¡±


    Xia Jin was completely stunned by the sudden concern of her boss, and her face burned red from the sight of Huo Jue¡¯s sexy and attractive abs. She shook her head desperately. ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal to be stressed.¡± Huo Jue¡¯s hand covered her cheek bit by bit before slowly lowering his head. ¡°You have to learn to adapt to your environment and find a way to relax¡­¡±


    What Huo Jue said had nothing to do with what he was going to do to Xia Jin next. Before she could react, her first kiss, which she treasured for more than over twenty years, was taken away by her boss.


    Huo Jue¡¯s kissing skills were excellent. It was gentle with a touch of dominance. As their breaths intertwined, Xia Jin¡¯s heart slowly sank.


    A gust of cold wind blew, and Xia Jin snapped back to her sense.


    Her eyes were terrifyingly cold from thinking about the past.


    Scum.


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred.


    The current Dong Yue was nothing more than a second version of herself..

 Chapter 29 - 029 An Opportunity

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    However, Dong Yue did it willingly. She was the one who took the initiative to present herself in front of Huo Jue.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first,¡± Xia Jin said with a faint smile.


    Dong Yue waved her hand with a sweet smile. ¡°See you later, Senior!¡±


    As she watched Xia Jin leave, the smile on Dong Yue¡¯s face gradually faded.


    *


    When the soup in the soup pot was ready, Xia Jin put the soup into a thermos and went to the hospital to visit Zhu Ya.


    Zhu Ya did not look well after giving birth, and her body was originally very weak. After giving birth, she looked like she had aged ten years.


    The baby was very well-behaved. She was lying next to Zhu Ya and sleeping soundly.


    Xia Jin sat down and smiled gently. ¡°Have you given the baby a name yet?¡±


    Zhu Ya smiled bitterly. ¡°My dad had already given her a name before she was born. If he¡¯s a boy, he will be named Liang Liang, and Zhen Zhu if she¡¯s a girl.¡±


    ¡°Little Zhen Zhu.¡± Xia Jin touched the baby¡¯s soft little hand carefully. ¡°The name is so pretty.¡±


    ¡°The sun hasn¡¯t set yet. Why don¡¯t you come out for a walk with me?¡± Zhu Ya seemed to have something to say and braced herself to get up.


    Xia Jin hurriedly helped her out of the ward. The two of them went to the activity center at the back of the hospital. There were two rows of chairs in front of a large lawn. After the two of them sat down, Zhu Ya pulled Xia Jin¡¯s hand. ¡°Xiao Jin, you are the only one who truly came to see me these days. I can only say these words to you.¡±


    Xia Jin vaguely guessed what Zhu Ya was going to say, so she did not say anything immediately. She just listened with a serious expression.


    Zhu Ya sighed. ¡°I know, you must be thinking in your heart, why haven¡¯t I divorced Wang Ran even after he treated me like this?¡±


    Xia Jin shook her head gently. ¡°You must have your own difficulties.¡±


    Zhu Ya clenched her fists, and hatred flashed in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s because he holds ten percent of the company¡¯s shares. He disguised himself too well in my family for the past ten years. Before my father died, he swore to God that he would treat me well, so my father gave the shares to him without worry. However, he started to reveal his true colors just after my father left. Not only did he start looking for women, but he also started to speak rudely to me!¡±


    Wang Ran originally came from the countryside. He was neither well-educated nor capable, and he used sweet talks to trick Zhu Ya to let him enter the Zhu family.


    However, after Old Master Zhu¡¯s death, Wang Ran had the intention of embezzling the Zhu family¡¯s assets.


    If Zhu Ya divorced him, half of her family¡¯s assets would fall into Wang Ran¡¯s hands for free.


    ¡°I¡¯m not willing!¡± Zhu Ya¡¯s eyes shot out intense hatred. ¡°What right does he, Wang Ran, have!¡±


    Xia Jin frowned. Her mind spun quickly, and his eyes lit up. In the end, she did not say anything.


    After Zhu Ya vented her frustration, she finally felt better. She finally took Xia Jin¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you for listening to me, Xiao Jin. You still don¡¯t have a boyfriend, right? You must keep your eyes open when you find a man. Don¡¯t be like me and get deceived by a man!¡±


    Hearing Zhu Ya¡¯s words, Xia Jin was nonplussed. Her situation was not any better than Zhu Ya¡¯s. She fell into Huo Jue¡¯s hands for so many years, and now she could not even escape.


    *


    When Zhu Ya¡¯s situation was stabilized, Xia Jin began to think about how she could get her sales performance up.


    ¡°I think someone will leave in less than a month¡­¡±


    ¡°She just has a pretty face, nothing but good looks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Lin Li even said that she seduced Wang Ran. Shame on her!¡±


    ¡­


    The gossipers hardly avoid Xia Jin anymore. Sometimes, they even dared to roll their eyes at her in front of her.


    These idle people were naturally not worth Xia Jin¡¯s anger. She continued to treat those who did not like her as if they were air.


    As winter approached, the store would be stocking a batch of new bracelets designed with ice and snow elements as the design concept in a few days. The store manager told everyone about this long ago, but the salespeople did not seem to take it seriously. After all, their regulars would naturally come to visit the store when the new goods arrived.


    However, Xia Jin felt that this was an opportunity.


    The rich ladies in the capital had a competitive mentality. Usually, whoever bought a new piece of jewelry would post it on social media, indicating that it was the first batch of new goods from a famous brand and designed by a well-known international designer.


    The first batch of goods was most in demand. After all, no one would want to follow the trend and buy something that others had already shown off on social media platforms.


    With a plan in mind, Xia Jin went to look for Zhang Zhu.


    When Zhang Zhu heard of Xia Jin¡¯s intention, he was shocked for a moment. ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t you breaking the rules by doing this?¡±


    Xia Jin smiled and shook her head. ¡°How is it against the rules if I¡¯m helping the store to sell things? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you help me for free. You¡¯ll get thirty percent of my commission.¡±


    Thirty percent! Zhang Zhu was taken aback, as this was not a small amount.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you!¡±


    A week or so later, the new goods arrived in the store. The salespeople were pumped up and ready to welcome their new customers.


    They were expecting at least a hundred new customers to come to the store to buy, but they did not expect that after three days, only about twenty people had come to the store to shop..

 Chapter 30 - 030 Public Outrage

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Everyone was shocked¨Chow could there be so little footfall?


    Could it be that the advertising campaign for the new model was not impactful enough?


    It shouldn¡¯t be.


    The huge scrolling screen in front of the mall had always been the advertising space for Aurora Jewelry.


    They even hired a popular celebrity to endorse the new products.


    The salespeople¡¯s performance would drop sharply if there were only a few customers. Then, they would definitely be severely criticized by the store manager at the end of the month.


    Everyone started to become extremely anxious, and they took the initiative to reach out to their regulars on their phone.


    However, the news they got back from some regulars made them even more shocked¨Cseventy to eighty percent of their regulars actually said that they had already placed orders!


    How was that possible?!


    The store manager appeared just when everyone was in a state of confusion and shock. He criticized a few salespeople with a negative attitude first, before singling Xia Jin out and giving her a huge compliment.


    ¡°Look at Xia Jin! She¡¯s selling the same products as you all. How did she manage to sell sixty-nine units in one go? Look at all of you, all you do is wait around all day! Even the newcomers are more diligent than all of you!¡±


    The store manager reached out and took out the book that Xia Jin usually reads. He opened it and showed them to the salespeople. ¡°Look at Xia Jin¡¯s attitude towards learning. The book is full of insights! Do you have the same diligence?!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces turned pale. Many of them looked ashamed, while many others gave Xia Jin a resentful and hateful look.


    Xia Jin stood next to the store manager calmly and smiled modestly from time to time. ¡°You flatter me, store manager. I was just lucky.¡±


    The store manager continued to reprimand the others and then patted Xia Jin on the shoulder, asking her to take good care of the others in the future.


    After the store manager left, Lin Li took the lead to question Xia Jin after a period of stifling silence, ¡°What rights do you have to steal our regular customers?!¡±


    The moment Lin Li spoke, the others began to join in as well.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you lacking in virtue? Do we have grudges against you? How could you just cut off other people¡¯s sources of income?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far! You stole so many of our orders without saying a word, you¡¯re too much!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really amazing. How many beds did you have to sleep in to get such results? You¡¯re simply admirable!¡±


    ¡­


    Amidst the waves of scolding, Xia Jin¡¯s expression remained unchanged.


    After everyone finished berating her, she spoke with a calm face, ¡°You can¡¯t serve your regular customers well, and you¡¯re blaming me? I¡¯m a salesperson, not a philanthropist. If you guys aren¡¯t convinced, then come and steal my orders! I¡¯ll go along with you!¡±


    After Xia Jin said that, she ignored the angry crowd and turned around to leave.


    ¡°F*ck, what¡¯s her attitude!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she just a lowly mistress? Does she really think that she has Mr. Huo¡¯s to back her up?¡±


    ¡°A b*tch is a b*tch, she pisses me off so much!¡±


    ¡­


    The salespeople started scolding her again.


    Liu Hui usually interacted with Xia Jin a lot. Although she was a little despondent about her snatching away the orders, she did not join in the scolding, as she thought that Xia Jin used her ability to obtain those results. However, she could not understand how Xia Jin had gotten so many orders.


    After work, Xia Jin gave Zhang Zhu a call. ¡°Brother Zhang, I¡¯ve transferred you the money. It¡¯s all thanks to your help this time.¡±


    Zhang Zhu replied a little embarrassedly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this, and I hope we can continue to work together in the future.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Xia Jin smiled proudly and wrapped the shawl around her body tightly.


    In fact, what she did was very simple.


    Before the new bracelets arrived, she had prepared more than a hundred small, exquisite gift boxes. The boxes were colored red velvet and looked very high-class.


    In addition, inside the boxes were new pastries, and next to the pastries was a card with the promotional image of the new bracelet.


    ¡°New in! Limited time preorder for the first batch of the new model, so you don¡¯t have to wait in line at the store!¡± The extremely provocative words were followed by Xia Jin¡¯s personal contact details printed on it.


    The custom price of the gift boxes was not low, priced over two hundred dollars a piece. However, it turned out that Xia Jin¡¯s investment was a solid one in the end.


    Zhang Zhu, who had been a security guard for many years, had a very discerning eye. He specifically sent the gift boxes to the wealthy ladies who drove luxury cars and wore designer brands.


    That night, dozens of people came to add Xia Jin and ordered the first batch of bracelets.


    Although some of them were regular customers of other salespeople, what kind of relationship could there be between a customer and salesperson? Naturally, they cared more about being the first to get the bracelets and then showing them off on social media platforms.


    In the end, the other salespeople could not figure out why all their regular customers had gone to Xia Jin.


    With the contact information of this group of wealthy women and rich young ladies, Xia Jin could be considered to have a preliminary grasp of the connections of the high-spending crowd.


    Moreover, as the top sales performer this month, her sales volume was so impressive that it would definitely attract the attention of the main store.. When the time came, she might even be able to transfer to the main store!

 Chapter 31 - 031 Treating

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    The consumer crowd and connections in the main store were naturally a notch higher.


    When she returned to Qin Xuan¡¯s house, Qin Xuan was putting on a face mask. Xia Jin rushed to her and gave her a bear hug. She uttered excitedly, ¡°I¡¯m thriving in my job!¡±


    Qin Xuan glanced at her indifferently. ¡°Oh, congratulations. Don¡¯t you have to treat me to a meal?¡±


    ¡°Sure, feel free to order whatever you want. You don¡¯t have to be polite with me.¡± Xia Jin usually wore a serious and sophisticated expression. It was rare for her to have such a child-like look on her face.


    Qin Xuan rubbed Xia Jin¡¯s hair affectionately.


    ¡°Oh right, Sister Xuan, I¡¯m going to move out in a few days. I¡¯ve already found a house. It¡¯s over at Bohai Garden.¡± Xia Jin was a little embarrassed to bring up this matter.


    Qin Xuan frowned, her beautiful red lips pouting in dissatisfaction. ¡°What? Is this Rich Lady Xia looking down on my small house now that she¡¯s rich?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Xia Jin hugged Qin Xuan¡¯s arm and shook it twice, acting coquettishly. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid of being the third wheel between you and Gu Xiao.¡±


    Although Xia Jin was half-joking, Qin Xuan knew that Xia Jin always had a strong sense of self-esteem. She had no choice but to stay at her house for a period of time after being screwed over by Huo Jue.


    Now that her condition was stable, she naturally wanted to move out.


    Qin Xuan did not say anything more.


    Two days later, Xia Jin moved into her new house. The house was naturally not as big as the one Huo Jue rented for her, but it had good lighting and some small appliances. Xia Jin was still very satisfied with it.


    After she had just hired someone from the cleaning company to help her clean her house, Dong Yue took the initiative to contact her on her phone.


    ¡°Senior, do you have time on your day off? I¡¯d like to treat you to a meal.¡±


    Seeing Dong Yue¡¯s message, the corners of Xia Jin¡¯s lips curled up coldly.


    It seemed that Dong Yue had gotten into the Huo Corporation. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have gone out of her way to invite her out.


    In reality, Xia Jin had only met Dong Yue a few times.


    When she was in university, Xia Jin was a member of the guitar club. Dong Yue was two years younger than her. When she joined the club, it was Xia Jin who took her on, so the two of them got to know each other.


    But later on, Xia Jin was busy with her internship and job search, so she quit the club and never saw Dong Yue again.


    After a few minutes, Xia Jin replied to Dong Yue¡¯s invitation concisely, ¡°Sure, you can book the place.¡±


    In the evening, Xia Jin changed into a set of casual sportswear and went to the restaurant Dong Yue had booked.


    The restaurant seemed to be doing well in their business. Xia Jin walked through the crowded corridor on the first floor.


    She headed upstairs, and the private lounges on the second floor were much quieter.


    When she pushed open the door of a private lounge, Dong Yue was already waiting for her there.


    When she saw Xia Jin, Dong Yue stood up obediently and nodded at her. ¡°Hello, Senior.¡±


    Xia Jin sat down and smiled. ¡°Just call me Xia Jin. It¡¯s been so many years since I graduated. I¡¯m no longer a young university student anymore.¡±


    The two of them exchanged a few pleasantries before the waiter brought out the dishes. It was authentic dishes of the North.


    ¡°Sister Xia Jin, thanks to your help, I was able to succeed in my job application. Let me toast to you!¡± Dong Yue smiled shyly, revealing her two little cute canines. She looked youthful and delicate.


    ¡°It¡¯s you who have the ability.¡± Xia Jin smiled faintly.


    As they were not really that familiar with each other, there were vague signs of silence after she finished speaking.


    A tangled look seemed to flash across Dong Yue¡¯s face. She paused for a moment before mustering up the courage to look at Xia Jin. ¡°Sister Xia Jin, I heard that you used to be Mr. Huo¡¯s secretary. I¡¯ve just taken up the post and I don¡¯t understand many things. Can you tell me the areas I need to pay attention to?¡±


    Sure enough, this was her purpose.


    Under Dong Yue¡¯s bright gaze, Xia Jin calmly ate two mouthfuls of food before raising her head.


    ¡°What to pay attention to¡­¡± With the previous experience of Annie, Xia Jin did not dare to say anything more this time, and just said vaguely, ¡°Mr. Huo likes to eat light dishes, doesn¡¯t drink instant coffee, and doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed when sleeping¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Dong Yue¡¯s face revealed a surprised look, and her face instantly turned red.


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes flashed.


    She did mention this on purpose, and since Dong Yue had such a reaction, it meant that she have feelings for Huo Jue.


    ¡°So, don¡¯t call him before eight in the morning and when he¡¯s on his lunch break.¡±


    Only when Xia Jin finished the latter half of her sentence did the flush on Dong Yue¡¯s face fade a little, probably because she knew she had thought too much. Dong Yue picked up her cup sheepishly, took a sip of juice, and then nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll remember it.¡±


    Xia Jin did not go into too much detail with Dong Yue. She decided not to do that thankless thing. The last time she told Annie about Huo Jue¡¯s preferences, but not only did Huo Jue not appreciate it, he even got angry at her.


    Since that was the case, she would just Huo Jue and his new secretary to figure it out themselves!


    The corners of Xia Jin¡¯s mouth curled up into a mocking smile. As she put down her chopsticks, she added, ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. It¡¯s very important, Mr. Huo is allergic to peaches. No matter what peach it is, you must never give it to him.. The smell of peaches will make him dizzy, got it?¡±

 Chapter 32 - 030 Big Client

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Actually, according to Xia Jin¡¯s wishes, she could not wait for the day when Huo Jue ate two pounds of peaches and died.


    Although she often thought about this when she was hating on Huo Jue, she hadn¡¯t lost her humanity after all. Therefore, she still told Dong Yue about this matter with a very serious expression.


    Oh, Huo Jue. You have to thank me for sparing your life!


    Dong Yue thanked Xia Jin repeatedly. She did not seem to expect that Xia Jin would reveal so much to her. At once, a glint of excitement appeared in her eyes, as if she had already seen a bright future ahead.


    Xia Jin did not expose Dong Yue¡¯s thoughts. She nodded at her and stood up to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±


    After leaving the restaurant, the air became much cooler, and Xia Jin felt a lot lighter.


    Since Huo Jue hired Dong Yue and kept her around, it was very likely that Dong Yue would follow the same path as her in the future.


    Since this was something that Dong Yue yearned for and was looking forward to, she naturally would not pity her.


    Perhaps she thought Huo Jue was dangerous, but Dong Yue thought of him as an opportunity.


    At the thought of having a woman replace her by Huo Jue¡¯s side, Xia Jin almost wanted to fire a cannon to celebrate.


    But underneath the joy, she could also feel a hint of despondency.


    After all, her five years of youth were easily replaced by another woman in the end.


    Xia Jin chuckled ironically, as if she was laughing at her own naivety.


    ¡°Who do you think you are? He doesn¡¯t even take you seriously. What¡¯s there to be upset about?¡± Xia Jin patted her cheek with her cold hand, shook her head, leaving under the cold wind.


    *


    The first month was almost over, and Xia Jin¡¯s results were far ahead in the store, but there was still no news from the main store.


    It seemed that the competency she had shown was not enough to transfer to the main store.


    Xia Jin felt a little disappointed.


    Although she could do well here, she could only earn a monthly salary of thirty thousand to forty thousand dollars. If she did not have the chance to climb higher, she would end up running around all day as a busy salesperson.


    Looking at the salespeople around her who only knew how to gossip and complain all day long, she knew that this was not a place to train elite talents.


    Xia Jin also probed the store manager. Then, the manager revealed that although her performance was not bad in the branch store, her performance was not outstanding in the hundreds of branches across the country.


    There were many people at the bottom of the hierarchy in the sales industry who were paid a guaranteed salary and only knew how to curry favor with customers.


    However, there was no shortage of real talents. There were some salespeople whose sales performance alone could match the sales of a branch store.


    Xia Jin was not doing well enough.


    Xia Jin¡¯s complacency from successfully selling her first batch of jewelry completely calmed down after feeling the gap between herself and others.


    After she sobered up, she also thought carefully about what the gap between her and those sales maniacs was.


    It was obvious that apart from the difference in experience, the biggest difference was still in connections.


    Right now, she barely obtained the contact information of some wealthy women and young ladies in the capital, but she was still far from being able to touch the real upper class.


    At this moment, Xia Jin suddenly thought of the first order she sold when she came to the branch.


    That order was sold to an ordinary-looking old lady.


    Although that old lady was super-rich, she never came to the jewelry shop afterward.


    It would be great if she could meet that old lady again¡­


    Xia Jin thought hard for a while. She suddenly remembered that the old lady was carrying a grocery basket in her hand when she came to the store.


    There were three large wet markets nearby. Was it possible for her to find that old lady in the market?


    Xia Jin did not care about whether her ideas were useless or not. She got up early the next morning and went through the three markets.


    It was unrealistic for Xia Jin to squat at all three markets at the same time when she was at work.


    Xia Jin analyzed that it was unlikely for an average person to go to all three markets when they were buying groceries. They would probably go to the places they were most familiar with.


    So which market was likely to be the one the old lady frequented?


    Xia Jin took out her phone and tapped on the map.


    She found the delivery address where the old lady had placed her order.


    The old lady¡¯s lived in Crape Myrtle Garden, and the jewelry store was on North Pine Road. The nearest market to these two places was¨C


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes lit up, and she locked onto the only market that matched the criteria.


    Xia Jin confirmed that her judgment was correct on her way home.


    The three markets offered similar varieties of food, and the price difference was not big. The old lady came out to buy groceries every day, and most likely had to prepare breakfast when she returned, so there was no reason for her to take a long detour.


    When she went to the jewelry store, it was probably just a stroll along the way.


    She bought a necklace worth more than a million dollars from just a casual stroll!


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up with excitement¨Cthis was really the real big client!

 Chapter 33 - 033 Counterfeit Banknote

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xia Jin went to the market for two days, but to her regret, she did not see the old lady.


    She thought in her heart that the old lady might not come to the market every day to buy groceries.


    Although Xia Jin felt a little disappointed, she did not give up. She planned to wait for a few more days, but if she really could not find her, then she would just forget it.


    After running to the market for a few days, Xia Jin thought that she might as well just buy some fresh vegetables since she was already here.


    Her mother had been in poor health ever since she was a child. Thus, Xia Jin¡¯s housework and cooking skills were superb. Her cooking was on par with the standard of an average big restaurant.


    That day, she did not see the old lady, so she was picking out large white radishes to marinate them. When New Year came, she could bring them to her mother for a taste.


    She was putting a few white radishes into a plastic bag when an old man¡¯s troubled voice came from the side. ¡°I don¡¯t have that much money to find you¡­¡±


    Xia Jin turned her head and saw an old man with white hair and ragged clothes, who was selling vegetables, rummaging through his broken satchel. His expression was a little flustered, as if he was afraid that the man standing in front of his vegetable stall would become impatient.


    The man¡¯s expression was indeed not good. The plastic bag in his hand contained a lot of potatoes and two carp.


    ¡°Can you hurry up? If you don¡¯t have enough money, you can just borrow from the person next to you!¡± The man urged impatiently.


    The old man trembled and said to the stall owner on Xia Jin¡¯s side, ¡°Do you have a few tens of dollars in change? Lend it to me¡­¡±


    The woman at Xia Jin¡¯s stall probably knew the old man well. She immediately took out two twenty-dollar bills from her apron pocket.


    The old man finally got together enough money to give to the man.


    The man lifted the plastic bag somewhat impatiently. He then handed an old hundred-dollar note to the old man with his other hand.


    The old man stretched out his dark, withered hand and was about to take the hundred-dollar note.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Xia Jin shouted.


    The old man, woman, and young man all looked at Xia Jin.


    Xia Jin put down the radish in her hand and stood up slowly. She walked over to the young man.


    Before the young man could react, Xia Jin had taken the hundred-dollar bill swiftly.


    ¡°You¡¯re f*cking robbing me. F*ck¡­¡± the young man turned pale with fright and reached out to grab it immediately.


    The old man was also stunned. His turbid eyes stared blankly at Xia Jin, and he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Miss, you¡­¡±


    Xia Jin avoided the man¡¯s move to grab the money agilely and took a step back, saying aloud, ¡°I came to see if your money is real.¡±


    Who would use a hundred-dollar note to buy groceries? Xia Jin sneered coldly in her heart.


    When she said this, everyone present was stunned.


    There were already quite a number of people gathered around, they were all whispering at this moment.


    The man, who was being scrutinized by everyone, was irritated instantly. He cursed as he prepared to strike at Xia Jin.


    ¡°You b*tch, you stole my money, and you still say that my money is fake?¡±


    Although Xia Jin was wearing half-height heels, her movements were not slow, and she dodged again before the man came after her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that your money was fake. You said that yourself.¡± Xia Jin looked at the man with a half-smile. At the same time, she also quickly observed the banknote in her hand.


    Soon, Xia Jin made a judgment in her heart.


    The man saw her looking at the banknote, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes at once.


    ¡°Give me the money, or believe it or not, I¡¯ll call the police!¡± He shouted in shock and anger.


    Xia Jin could not wait for him to call the police. Her smile brightened a few notches instantly. ¡°Fine, you can call the police.¡±


    The man did not expect Xia Jin to be so arrogant. He immediately knew that Xia Jin must have seen something.


    ¡°Go to hell!¡± In haste and anger, the man rushed towards Xia Jin.


    Seeing the man approaching her aggressively, Xia Jin didn¡¯t dare to be careless. After all, there was a huge disparity in strength and speed between men and women.


    The man quickly rushed in front of Xia Jin and swung his fist at her.


    Xia Jin snorted coldly, and she lowered her body. Her high heels slammed on the man¡¯s feet. While he was screaming in pain, she grabbed her handbag and slammed it into the man¡¯s lower body.


    The firm edges of the handbag smashed into the man¡¯s lower body. Instantly, a blood-curdling scream rang out.


    Within a few minutes, several people in police uniform rushed over and pulled Xia Jin and the man apart.


    Xia Jin rubbed her wrist and handed the banknote in her hand to the police officer. ¡°This man tried to use fake banknotes to buy groceries. He wanted to trick the old man into giving him real money.¡±


    The police officer looked at Xia Jin with some surprise, probably because he could not believe that Xia Jin could subdue a man who was close to 1.8 meters tall with her bare hands.


    ¡°You guys come with us to the police station,¡± the police officer quickly calmed down and said to Xia Jin and the man.


    Xia Jin nodded and did not mind.


    However, she took her bag of radishes before she left. Then, she picked up the carp and potatoes that the man had thrown on the ground, and handed them to the old man who was selling vegetables.


    ¡°Grandpa, please be more careful of bad people in the future,¡± Xia Jin said gently..

 Chapter 34 - 034 Getting to Know Each Other

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xia Jin¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all after being active early in the morning. It was just that it was almost time for her to go to work. If she was late today, it would be more or less troublesome.


    She helplessly carried the radish and prepared to go to the police station with the police.


    ¡°Xiao Zhao.¡±An old and hoarse voice suddenly sounded. Xia Jin felt that this voice was somewhat familiar. She suddenly turned her head and saw an old and kind face.


    It was that rich old lady!


    Xia Jin¡¯s heart raced. She did not expect that the old lady she had been looking for for so many days would suddenly appear in front of her.


    The last time the old lady went to the jewelry store, her expression was still indifferent and distant. However, at this moment, she had a rather kind smile on her face.


    The policeman seemed to recognize the old lady. He immediately walked forward and bowed politely. He lowered his head and did not know what to say to the old lady.


    The old lady pointed at Xia Jin, and the policeman immediately nodded.


    When he returned to Xia Jin¡¯s side, the policeman looked at Xia Jin with respect. He said politely, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. You can go.¡±


    Xia Jin was stunned. He still could not believe it.


    The policeman left with the man who kept cursing and struggling. Xia Jin turned his head and saw the old lady still standing in the same place. After being stunned for a moment, Xia Jin walked forward and said carefully, ¡°Did you ask the policeman to let me go just now?¡±


    The old lady looked at Xia Jin with a smile and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go to work? Don¡¯t waste time.¡±


    Xia Jin was stunned. ¡°You know me?¡±


    The old lady nodded. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re that little girl from the jewelry store. I remember that you had a cold back then and your voice was a little hoarse. You probably forgot about me.¡±


    Xia Jin exclaimed in her heart ¡ª how could I dare to forget about you? I¡¯ve been waiting for you here for the past few days!


    However, Xia Jin naturally wouldn¡¯t say these words now. She pretended to be enlightened and nodded, ¡°I remember now. You placed the order with me back then, but you left after filling out the order. I didn¡¯t even have the time to say a few more words to you.¡±


    Xia Jin revealed a silly smile, appearing very innocent and cute.


    The two chatted for a while. The old lady asked Xia Jin her name, and Xia Jin answered honestly. The old lady nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a nice name. Oh right, you seemed to have some skills just now.¡±


    Xia Jin smiled embarrassedly. ¡°I just learned a few tricks.¡±


    It was funny. Xia Jin was pretty and had been followed by a few crazy men when she was in college. She was so scared that she didn¡¯t dare to go back to the dormitory alone for a few days.


    In order to increase her self-protection ability, Xia Jin signed up for a karate class. Although she had only studied for a semester, her skills were still much more agile than the average person.


    The two of them chatted as they walked. The old lady seemed to be very interested in Xia Jin and asked for a lot of information.


    Xia Jin had always wanted to befriend the old lady, so he did not hide anything. He told the old lady everything he could.


    In the end, when they were almost at Xia Jin¡¯s workplace, the old lady knocked on her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been chatting with you for so long. Don¡¯t tell me you think I¡¯m too long-winded?¡±


    Xia Jin hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°Of course not. I feel like we¡¯re getting along very well.¡±


    The old lady nodded, then took out a business card from her bag and handed it to Xia Jin, ¡°My phone number and contact details are on it. You and I hit it off very well. Let¡¯s chat again when we have time.¡±. ¡°Oh right, Xiao Zhao just told me that after the police station verifies the situation, they might even give you a pennant.¡±


    Xia Jin didn¡¯t expect to get a pennant when she went out to buy vegetables, so she felt a little embarrassed.


    The old man and the young woman said their goodbyes, but Xia Jin¡¯s heart was still pounding.


    She actually became friends with the old lady, which was really a pleasant surprise.


    Looking at the big white radishes in her hands, she became happier and happier. She put the radishes on the table in the lounge and then changed into her work clothes.


    ¡°No¡­¡±Xia Jin had just put on her coat when she suddenly frowned.


    Although it was a good thing that she had acted bravely today, why did the old lady want to ask so much about her?


    This was a little exaggerated.


    Even if the old lady had a good impression of her, she wouldn¡¯t be so enthusiastic.


    Xia Jin thought for a long time but still couldn¡¯t figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking about it.


    Anyway, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing to get to know such a super-rich woman. Besides, besides being a little pretty, she didn¡¯t have anything else that could be schemed against. A barefooted person wasn¡¯t afraid of wearing shoes.., what could the old lady think of her?


    After the old lady separated from Xia Jin, she immediately made a phone call when she returned home.


    ¡°Hello, Ah Chuan, come for dinner next week¡­ it¡¯s definitely not a blind date for you. is grandma that kind of person in your heart¡­.¡±

 Chapter 35 - 035 Exposé

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xia Jin arrived at the jewelry store early on Friday, which was also the last working day. She felt several lines of sight fall on her before she could even put down her bag.


    ¡°As expected, she relies on selling her body to stay by Mr. Huo¡¯s side¡­¡±


    ¡°Look at that dignified look she usually puts on, she really thinks she¡¯s so dignified¡­¡±


    ¡°She was got dumped by someone. Serves her right!¡±


    ¡­


    The whispering voices did not shun her, and Xia Jin could even hear quite a few insulting words.


    Slam!


    A few salespeople who were gossiping were shocked by the sudden sound and looked up at once.


    Xia Jin slammed her hand on the table and looked at the crowd coldly. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±


    After the crowd came back to their senses, a bold salesperson rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in defiance. She said unwillingly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with us talking? What, are you in charge of minding what other people say?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that you can be so arrogant and bold just because you¡¯re number one in sales this month?¡± Another salesman joined in. ¡°Also, the rumors surrounding you have been going around for many days. The inspection team from the main store is coming soon, maybe you¡¯ll be fired soon!¡±


    A few salesmen looked at Xia Jin with disdain and triumph in their eyes, as if Xia Jin was a pitiful soul who was about to be kicked out soon.


    ¡°She¡¯s leaving anyway, what¡¯s the point of arguing with her? Hmph, let¡¯s go.¡± Lin Li glared at Xia Jin, clearly still holding a grudge against her for what happened to Wang Ran.


    Xia Jin looked at the receding figures of the crowd leaving and frowned.


    What happened?


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes moved and landed on Liu Hui, who had been leaning against the wall and using her phone.


    Liu Hui was almost thirty years old, and she was considered to have a more stable and honest personality among the salespeople. She was usually not mean to Xia Jin. Xia Jin thought for a moment and walked towards Liu Hui, she asked straightforwardly, ¡°Sister Hui, what happened? Why did they say that about me?¡±


    Liu Hui glanced at Xia Jin subtly and then looked around. Seeing that there was no one around, she whispered to Xia Jin, ¡°How did the news of your past leak out? This is going to be troublesome!¡±


    Xia Jin frowned, still a little confused, when Liu Hui¡¯s phone stretched in front of her.


    ¡°Look.¡± Liu Hui¡¯s tone was a little helpless. ¡°A lot of people forwarded your news.¡±


    On the phone was a long screenshot of some chat logs¨C


    ¡°Oh my god, is what happened to Xia Jin true?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true! She¡¯s been sleeping with Mr. Huo for years! On the surface, she is Huo Jue¡¯s secretary, but in reality, she¡¯s just a mistress! Tsk tsk, no wonder the competition in the Huo Corporation is so fierce, yet she¡¯s been sitting in the position of chief secretary for so many years. As expected of her top-notch skills in bed¡­¡±


    ¡°What other gossip is there?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she leave the Huo Corporation a while ago? She said she resigned of her own accord, but in fact, she was dumped! Huo Jue was bored with her. However, she didn¡¯t give up. Not only did Xia Jin use tricks to get rid of the new secretaries by Huo Jue¡¯s side, but she also shamelessly begged Huo Jue to let her come back. Tell me, how can she be so cheap¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The avatars of those two were censored. Although the chat transcript was not long, it was full of gossip.


    Xia Jin¡¯s face turned pale. Liu Hui¡¯s phone was on the verge of being scratched by her sharp nails.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Liu Hui sighed and took her phone away. Not knowing what to say, she just shook her head.


    Xia Jin took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.


    ¡°Sister Hui, please send me the screenshots, thanks.¡± Xia Jin did not defend herself, which made Liu Hui feel a little suspicious. Was Xia Jin really such a shameless and wild woman?


    Liu Hui sent Xia Jin all the pictures of the chat records, and Xia Jin looked at her phone and began to ponder.


    The person who leaked the information knew a lot about her and revealed a lot of information about the Huo Corporation and Huo Jue that was accurate. She must have been an employee of the company.


    Or must have worked in the company before.


    At first, Xia Jin suspected that Huo Jue had instructed people to taint her reputation, but she soon dismissed her suspicion.


    Although Huo Jue was a despicable person, he would never do such a brazen thing. Even if he held any grievances against her, he would have come directly at her and would not give her a stab in the back.


    Then, the person who broke the story must be the one who held a grudge against her.


    That person had mentioned one line¨C¡±Xia Jin used tricks to get rid of the new secretaries by Huo Jue¡¯s side.¡±


    Although this sentence was not obvious in the pile of insulting and belittling words, and its tone was not strong, Xia Jin was like a cat that had caught a mouse, revealing a cold and sinister smile.


    The new secretary who was chased away because of Xia Jin?


    Jian Yan?


    Or Annie?


    Xia Jin put away her phone. Her eyes had already calmed down.


    No matter who it was, she would not let these two people who slandered her off.


    However, the most important thing now was to stabilize her job first.


    Lin Li and the others were right. The inspectors from the main store would be coming over in the afternoon..

 Chapter 36 - 036 Inspection

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    If they heard about her rumors surrounding her, it was uncertain whether she could continue to stay in the jewelry shop.


    Xia Jin originally wanted to call Huo Jue and ask him to resolve this matter.


    After all, it was his secretary who was slandering her behind his back, so he had some responsibility anyway.


    However, Xia Jin had finally gotten rid of Huo Jue. She really did not want to have any more entanglements with him, so she shook off this idea and decided to resolve this matter on her own.


    At around two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the people from the main store arrived.


    The store manager had been waiting at the door in advance, and as soon as he saw the inspectors sent by the main store getting out of the car, he greeted them with a warm smile to welcome them.


    Xia Jin stood behind the store manager, tilting her head slightly and standing as straight as a pine.


    She could feel that the moment the inspectors got out of the car, their eyes lingered on her face for a moment.


    Xia Jin realized that the person who broke the story had slandered her at the exact time of the end of the month inspection. They must have wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to make her lose her job.


    How vicious.


    Xia Jin sneered, but she did not show it on her face. She still looked calm and collected.


    After the inspectors checked the inside and outside of the store, and inspected the environment, their eyes fell on the salespeople lined up in two rows.


    ¡°Here are the personal details of these salespeople.¡± The store manager handed over a pile of materials.


    One of the inspectors leading took it and flipped through it briefly.


    The salespeople¡¯s hearts were also raised.


    Although the inspection of the main store was just a formality, not every inspector would go easy on them. Some inspectors had very strict requirements. Even a small bug found in the store had to be reported.


    The sales personnel¡¯s information also had everyone¡¯s results for the last two quarters. Some of the bottom-ranked people in performance were especially apprehensive at this moment, fearing that they would be singled out and criticized.


    After a long time, the inspector closed the file and glanced at the crowd. He slowly called out, ¡°Where¡¯s Xia Jin?¡±


    The crowd instantly let out a long sigh of relief.


    Many of them even snickered.


    Although Xia Jin was the top sales performer this month, the inspector had singled her out, so it must be related to the expos¨¦ about her.


    The quality of the salespeople¡¯s conduct was also an important part of the inspection, after all, if the employees in the shop did not have good conduct and were complained by customers, it would inevitably affect the brand image.


    Lin Li looked in Xia Jin¡¯s direction. A hint of excitement flashed in her eyes, and she then cursed Xia Jin in her heart resentfully to get a good scolding by the inspectors later on!


    Xia Jin felt that the people around her were looking at her with either disdain or schadenfreude.


    She frowned, pushed aside the two salespeople in front of her, and stepped forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m Xia Jin.¡± Xia Jin did not expect the impact of this matter to be so great that even the inspectors were looking for trouble with her.


    The inspectors sized Xia Jin up, then threw the information booklet in their hands to the store manager, who was busy reaching out to take it.


    Xia Jin watched as one of the inspectors approached her with a mocking smile on his face. ¡°I see you¡¯re doing quite well?¡±


    The corners of Xia Jin¡¯s lips curled up, as if she did not hear the mockery in this person¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She replied in a neither servile nor an overbearing manner.


    That person¡¯s face darkened immediately.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Xia Jin to not have a trace of fear or respect for him.


    Probably because he had been an inspector for a long time, this person¡¯s heart had also developed some sort of high and mighty arrogance. He subconsciously thought that everyone would be respectful and fearful of him at the same time, just like the store manager and other salespeople.


    Xia Jin acted as if he was just an ordinary employee.


    ¡°I wonder what you¡¯ve traded for this performance? Did you use your brains, or something else?¡± The inspector was already a little irked, and his tone gradually became sarcastic.


    Xia Jin raised her head and looked at him coldly. ¡°I used my ability in exchange for my performance!¡±


    Slam!


    The man slammed his hand on the table hard, and his eyes suddenly turned sinister. ¡°Ability? Do you know that all the things you¡¯ve done in the past have been exposed? How dare you still have the face to talk about ability?! I don¡¯t even know how you became Mr. Huo¡¯s secretary!¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°Are you saying that Mr. Huo¡¯s taste isn¡¯t good?¡±


    Xia Jin did not expect that she would actually borrow Huo Jue¡¯s power one day.


    Sure enough, there was a hint of panic in the man¡¯s eyes, but he calmed down quickly.


    ¡°Xia Jin, you are unrestrained and have a bad character. You have two choices now. First, you can resign voluntarily, and your entire performance will be nullified. Second, the company will fire you and criticize you publicly. Take your pick.¡±


    The man raised his head haughtily and looked at Xia Jin in a condescending manner, as he mercilessly announced his verdict on her.


    It was as if Xia Jin was an insignificant mole.


    Xia Jin¡¯s heart suddenly trembled, and she started emitting a gloomy aura.


    ¡°I won¡¯t resign voluntarily.¡±


    The man sneered¨Cwas there any use in resisting?


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll fire you!¡±

 Chapter 37 - 037 Pennant

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Xia Jin¡¯s expression was very ugly. She glanced coldly at the man in front of her, and the aura around her was terrifyingly low.


    When the man saw her murky expression, the corners of his mouth curled up into a smug and arrogant smile. He tugged at his tie slowly and turned his head to the store manager beside him, saying, ¡°Fire her today. I¡¯ll bring her documents back to the headquarters after they are processed.¡±


    The store manager glanced at Xia Jin with some pity. After a long while, he sighed. ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    After all, this was a matter decided by the inspectors from the headquarters, and he might anger this group of people if he disobeyed them.


    ¡°She¡¯s finally fired. It¡¯s so annoying to look at her all day long¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s usually so cocky, but now she¡¯s getting her comeuppance!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, let¡¯s go eat hotpot tonight as a celebration¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The faint sound of discussion filled with snickering could be heard.


    Xia Jin clenched her fists.


    Her lips moved. Just as she was about to speak, a sound suddenly came from outside the door.


    The crowd turned their heads in surprise and saw three police officers standing outside the door.


    The store manager was instantly startled¨Cwhy were the police here?


    This was no small matter!


    The store manager hurried forward to them. ¡°May I know why¡­¡±


    Xia Jin saw that the police officer in the lead looked familiar, she looked at the man for a few moments and suddenly uttered, ¡°Xiao Zhao?¡±


    Xiao Zhao looked up and saw Xia Jin. He immediately ignored the store manager and a warm smile appeared on his face. He walked to her and said, ¡°Old Madam said that you work here. I was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to find you here.¡±


    Xiao Zhao¡¯s attitude towards Xia Jin was very good, probably because of the old lady. There was a hint of respect in his enthusiasm.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xia Jin¡¯s eyes moved. Her afterglow glanced at the inspector, who was furrowing his brows, and said without batting an eyelid.


    Xiao Zhao beckoned, and a police officer behind him walked forward and shook open a pennant in his hand.


    On the pennant was written¨C¡±To Comrade Xia Jin: Promoting righteousness and heroism. Presented by the Second Brigade of Yongan District Police Station.¡±


    Xiao Zhao smiled eagerly and continued, ¡°The bastard you caught last time was actually a suspect in a robbery case that was still on the run. You¡¯ve done a great service this time. At the end of the month, our district has a place for the selection of ¡®Good People of the Capital¡¯. The director has already sent out your name.¡±


    In fact, ordinary people would not have a chance to win this kind of award, but the director of Xiao Zhao¡¯s police station sent out Xia Jin¡¯s name in order to do the old lady a favor.


    If it was in the past, Xia Jin might not have cared about this kind of honorary selection, but now, her reputation was so bad that it couldn¡¯t be any worse. For the police station to give her a selection quota for ¡®Good People of the Capital¡¯ at this time, it was like giving her a hand when she needed it most.


    When Xiao Zhao said this, not only the store manager, but also the inspectors¡¯ faces changed.


    If Xia Jin was selected as a ¡®Good People of the Capital¡¯, then they definitely could not fire her!


    The fact that the police had given Xia Jin a pennant was proof that she was a brave citizen who had done something for the people. If they still dared to fire Xia Jin, it would be equivalent to targeting the people¡¯s hero, and they would not have the slightest advantage with the public opinion when the time came.


    Since the inspectors could think of this, Xia Jin naturally understood the same reason. She turned around, slowly glanced at the inspector, and said with a half-smile, ¡°Excuse me, do you still want to fire me?¡±


    When the inspectors were swept by Xia Jin¡¯s gaze, their faces flushed red, and they appeared to be in a sorry state.


    Fire? Hearing Xia Jin¡¯s words, Xiao Zhao, was stunned.


    ¡°Why do they want to fire you?¡± Xiao Zhao did not expect that Xia Jin was actually being put in a difficult position right now. No wonder when he first entered, those people were looking at Xia Jin in a way that was not quite right.


    Xia Jin sneered. ¡°Who knows? They insisted that my character was bad.¡±


    Although Xiao Zhao did not know what exactly was happening to Xia Jin, he was naturally biased towards the person that the old lady took special care of. At this moment, he glared at the inspectors solemnly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you guys? She was the one who has arrested a criminal suspect bravely, yet you people say that her character is not good? What about you? What have you contributed to the people?¡±


    The inspector who had been looking down on Xia Jin just a moment ago did not dare to speak. His jaw was tense, and he felt stifled to the extreme.


    After being reprimanded by Xiao Zhao in public, his prestige was instantly destroyed.


    However, he did not dare to go against the police. He could only grit his teeth and reply, ¡°We made a mistake.¡±


    Xia Jin pursed her lips and snorted coldly. She no longer looked at the crowd and turned to follow Xiao Zhao out of the store.


    Xiao Zhao handed the pennant to Xia Jin, who accepted it with a smile. ¡°Thank you very much for today. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal some other day.¡±


    As a police officer, Xiao Zhao had a certain ¡°network¡± of sorts, and it was not a bad thing to befriend him.


    Xiao Zhao scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you want to thank someone, thank the Old Madam.¡±


    Xia Jin was well aware of this and thought about how to find an opportunity to thank the old lady..

 Chapter 38 - 038 Blind Date

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Before Xia Jin could find the old lady, the old lady called her on her own accord.


    She asked Xia Jin if she had time to have a meal with her.


    Naturally, Xia Jin did not refuse.


    The old lady booked an old-fashioned restaurant, and the dishes there were not cheap. When Xia Jin arrived, she saw many luxury cars parked in front of the restaurant, and she was even more certain that the old lady was not an ordinary person.


    When she arrived at the private lounge, Xia Jin saw the old lady wearing a loose knitted sweater. She revealed a sweet smile immediately. Just as she was about to greet her, she saw another person sitting next to the old lady.


    The man was wearing a light grey cashmere sweater. His temperament was very special. There was a trace of coldness in his elegance. His facial features were almost impeccable, the kind of handsome with no blind spots. He was obviously a lucky child favored by God.


    The man wore a pair of silver-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose. There was a hint of strange bewitching feeling in his svelte manner. When the eyes behind the glasses turned to Xia Jin, Xia Jin felt her heart shrink suddenly.


    This man¡¯s presence was too strong.


    She pursed her lips and said with a soft smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be another guest.¡±


    The old lady beckoned Xia Jin to sit down and introduced them with a smile. ¡°This is my cousin¡¯s nephew, Xu Chuan. This is Xia Jin.¡±


    When the man heard the old lady¡¯s introduction, his brows twitched unnoticeably, but he did not say anything. He just smiled politely at Xia Jin. ¡°Hello.¡±


    The man¡¯s features became even more vivid when he smiled, and even though Xia Jin was not someone who had never seen a handsome man before, she was still shaken subconsciously.


    After regaining her composure, she smiled reservedly. ¡°Is Mr. Xu a doctor?¡±


    Among the three of them, her status was the lowest, so she couldn¡¯t let the other two find a way to talk to her.


    Xu Chuan raised his eyebrows, seemingly a little surprised, ¡°Miss Xia has a discerning eye.¡±


    However, Xu Chuan did not ask about how Xia Jin had seen it. It seemed that he was not too eager to talk to Xia Jin.


    Xia Jin was a little surprised¨Cthis man must have a proud personality and was not easy to get along with.


    However, Xia Jin had been by Huo Jue¡¯s side for five years. She did not mind Xu Chuan¡¯s attitude and continued finding things to say.


    The three of them seemed to be enjoying themselves in the atmosphere she had created.


    Halfway through the meal, the old lady¡¯s phone rang, and she went out to answer it.


    She did not come back even after four or five minutes.


    During these four to five minutes, Xia Jin and Xu Chuan were silent, and neither of them said anything.


    Until now, if Xia Jin still did not understand that the old lady was trying to set her up with Xu Chuan, she would not have been able to survive in this society.


    She raised her head and met Xu Chuan¡¯s leisurely gaze. The two of them stared at each other for a second before averting their gazes again.


    Another three minutes passed before Xu Chuan finally smiled helplessly. ¡°I think my¡­ aunt will not be coming back for the time being.¡±


    Xia Jin felt a little amused. ¡°We both can¡¯t leave for the time being either, so what should we do?¡±


    Although the old lady had not returned, she would definitely be unhappy if the two of them left now.


    The two of them could only act as if they were having a good conversation.


    Xu Chuan probably knew this as well, which gave him a bit of a headache.


    It was obvious that he had no intention of talking to Xia Jin at all.


    Xu Chuan took out a cigarette. Before lighting it, he asked Xia Jin politely, ¡°Do you mind?¡±


    Xia Jin shook her head, then watched Xu Chuan light up his cigarette.


    Xu Chuan¡¯s smoking posture was very refined, with a sense of decadence that was tired of worldly affairs.


    For an ordinary girl, this kind of man was the most irresistible.


    If Xia Jin were a few years younger, she probably would not have been able to resist it.


    Fortunately, after five years of ¡°polishing¡± by Huo Jue, her resistance to men was now unusually strong.


    Xia Jin looked at the neon lights outside the window and broke the silence by saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go out for a walk together?¡±


    The two of them could not leave separately, but going out together was not a problem.


    Amidst the smoke, Xu Chuan pondered for two seconds and nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell my¡­ aunt about it.¡±


    Xu Chuan sent a message to the old lady, then stood up.


    The two of them left the Chinese restaurant side by side. After walking for about five minutes, Xia Jin looked at the man. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be heading back.¡±


    Xu Chuan probably did not expect Xia Jin to be so tactful and did not have any intention of talking to him at all. Instead, he became a little interested in Xia Jin.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little surprised. Why is my aunt treating you so differently?¡±


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes twitched, as she thought about how she caught a thief in front of the old lady. Did the old lady think that she was very righteous, and was especially fond of her?


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s fate.¡± Xia Jin smiled.


    It was already rare enough for Xu Chuan to take the initiative to say something. Just as the two of them were about to say goodbye to each other, Xia Jin¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    She saw that it was an unfamiliar number, so she picked it up. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Before she could say anything, Xu Chuan suddenly coughed.


    Xia Jin turned her head, and Xu Chuan smiled apologetically¨Cthe wind was too strong, and he had just choked on his cigarette.


    Just as Xu Chuan coughed, the person on the other end of the phone¡¯s breathing clearly changed..

 Chapter 39 - 039 Xu Chuan

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    ¡°I was wondering why you didn¡¯t come looking for me. It turns out that you have already found someone.¡± Huo Jue¡¯s nasty voice instantly made Xia Jin¡¯s heart sink.


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood.¡±


    ¡°Did I interrupt your date? Then, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Huo Jue¡¯s tone tinged with an unconcealed mockery.


    At the same time, a girl¡¯s panting sound came from Huo Jue¡¯s side. ¡°Mr. Huo, you¡­¡±


    It was Dong Yue¡¯s voice.


    Xia Jin¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then I won¡¯t disturb Mr. Huo.¡±


    Huo Jue snorted coldly. ¡°Come here to Phoenix Club in half an hour.¡± Then, he hung up the phone before Xia Jin could say anything.


    After hanging up the phone, Duke Huo threw Dong Yue¡¯s phone away. He looked down and saw that he was grabbing her wrist. A hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes, and he shook Dong Yue¡¯s hand off immediately.


    Before Dong Yue could leap with joy that her wrist was suddenly held by Huo Jue, he had already flashed an impatient look at her.


    ¡°Was that¡­ Senior Xia just now?¡± Dong Yue asked cautiously.


    Huo Jue lifted his eyes and said nonchalantly, ¡°Are you very curious about me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Dong Yue¡¯s heart was beating extremely fast, and she explained hurriedly, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go charge your phone.¡±


    After Dong Yue bit her red lips and left, Huo Jue¡¯s face fell without the slightest hint of disguise.


    Just now, a man¡¯s voice came from Xia Jin¡¯s side.


    Who was it?


    He had heard that Xia Jin was victimized by the rumors recently and had intended to call her to ask her about it, but he hadn¡¯t expected to find out that she would actually be on a date with another man.


    Huo Jue¡¯s eyes were cold, and a dangerous aura emanated from his body.


    *


    Xia Jin closed her phone and frowned for a long time, but she had to go to the clubhouse to see Huo Jue.


    Huo Jue¡¯s temper was not to be taken lightly, and his tone was so bad just now. If she dared to disobey his orders again, she would not be able to continue staying in the capital.


    ¡°Boyfriend?¡± Xu Chuan, who was next to her, suddenly asked.


    Xia Jin froze. She did not expect Xu Chuan to still be here. She shook her head immediately and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ my former boss.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xu Chuan replied with a look of understanding, not knowing if he had formed any association in his mind about Xia Jin¡¯s relationship with Huo Jue.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first then¡­¡± Xia Jin waved her hand when she saw a taxi approaching.


    She had just gotten into the back seat of the car, and to her surprise, Xu Chuan also squeezed in.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xia Jin was a little surprised¨Csomeone like Xu Chuan shouldn¡¯t be so poor as to want to carpool with her, right?


    Xu Chuan smiled and pointed his finger outwards.


    Xia Jin looked in the direction he indicated. She happened to see the old lady standing in front of the window on the second floor, looking in their direction.


    Xia Jin was rendered speechless.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Xu Chuan smiled apologetically. ¡°I have to show better behavior this time, otherwise I won¡¯t be able to go home this New Year.¡±


    Xia Jin did not say anything else and gave the address to the driver.


    When they arrived at the Phoenix Entertainment Club, Xia Jin and Xu Chuan got out of the car. Just as Xia Jin was about to bid farewell to Xu Chuan, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure from the corner of her eye, and her face turned a few shades paler instantly.


    Zhou Qi, wearing a checkered shirt, was getting out of the car next to her.


    Xia Jin did not expect to bump into Zhou Qi here. Her heart was pounding, and she grabbed Xu Chuan over hurriedly so that he could block her.


    Xu Chuan was grabbed by Xia Jin violently. He saw the woman in front of him hiding in front of him in a panic, as if she had seen something scary.


    ¡°¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± Xu Chuan said a little speechlessly.


    Xia Jin said nervously, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Zhou Qi was about to enter the clubhouse, and he shouldn¡¯t have noticed her¡­ cold sweat almost broke out on the corner of Xia Jin¡¯s forehead.


    *


    ¡°Mr. Huo¡­¡± When Dong Yue entered, she saw Huo Jue standing in front of the window. She placed the fruit plate on the table carefully and was about to say something when she saw that Huo Jue did not seem to hear her at all.


    Huo Jue¡¯s cold gaze passed through the transparent glass and landed on the man and woman snuggling together in front of the parking lot. A fierce, murderous aura emanated from him instantly.


    Dong Yue felt as if the temperature in the room had plummeted by more than ten degrees. Her heart clenched violently, and before she could react, she saw Huo Jue turn around with an icy expression.


    ¡°Get lost.¡± Huo Jue¡¯s tone was frigidly cold. Dong Yue trembled, not daring to speak again. She cowered and got out.


    *


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Xia Jin let out a long sigh of relief and loosened her hand that was holding Xu Chuan¡¯s shirt.


    Xu Chuan looked at his wrinkled shirt and fell silent.


    ¡°Leave me your contact information.¡± Xia Jin was a little embarrassed. She remembered that she was here on a blind date with the man in front of her. So, in order to avoid exposing herself in front of the old lady, she took out her phone and added Xu Chuan as a friend.


    Xu Chuan did not refuse.


    It was only when Xia Jin was adding him as a friend, Xu Chuan suddenly sensed that something was wrong. He turned his head slowly and gazed at the tall building of the clubhouse behind him.


    Before Xu Chuan could find the source of that cold and hostile gaze, the curtains of a window were pulled shut..

 Chapter 40 - 040 Falling Into a Trap

    Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation


    Interesting.


    The corners of Xu Chuan¡¯s lips curled up into a smile.


    After adding him as a friend, Xia Jin turned around to go upstairs. However, she did not expect Xu Chuan to follow her.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xia Jin looked at Xu Chuan with some surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m too lazy to move, so I¡¯ll book a room here to rest,¡± Xu Chuan explained.


    Xia Jin nodded in understanding.


    After bidding farewell to Xu Chuan, Xia Jin was about to go to Huo Jue¡¯s room, when a figure suddenly appeared at the corner of the corridor.


    Dong Yue?


    Xia Jin was stunned.


    When Dong Yue saw Xia Jin, she smiled a little excitedly and walked up to her. ¡°Sister Xia Jin, you¡¯re here? Mr. Huo asked me to bring you over.¡±


    Xia Jin nodded. As she followed Dong Yue, she was wondering in her mind why Huo Jue was looking for her this time.


    Was it because of the rumors?


    That shouldn¡¯t be.


    Huo Jue had so many enemies. There were many people who usually denigrated him, but she had never seen him take it to heart. Moreover, she was the one who had suffered the most damage to her reputation this time. At most, Huo Jue was just a supporting character, so what did he want with her?


    Or was he going to ask her to do something again?


    Just when Xia Jin was lost in thought, Dong Yue pushed the door open and turned sideways. ¡°Sister Xia Jin, Mr. Huo will be here soon.¡±


    Xia Jin nodded and did not pay attention to the room number. After entering, she closed the door behind her.


    Dong Yue watched as the door closed slowly, and her eyes gradually darkened.


    After a long while, Dong Yue turned her head and took out her phone. She dialed a number and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve brought her to your room.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The voice on the phone laughed, with a hint of lustfulness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come looking for trouble with me in the future!¡± Dong Yue gritted her teeth and closed her eyes with some lingering fear.


    ¡°Tsk, I don¡¯t understand why all of you women have taken a liking to Huo Jue. Which part of me isn¡¯t better than him? Forget it, I can be considered to have toyed with Huo Jue¡¯s woman after I deal with that little b*tch, Xia Jin this time. I won¡¯t be looking for you again.¡±


    After the call was hung up, Dong Yue¡¯s chest was still heaving slightly. Her heart was pounding with fear.


    When she bumped into Zhou Qi at the corner of the stairs just now, she was almost scared to death.


    She had run into Zhou Qi when she went to a government-sponsored trade fair with Huo Jue. He started chasing after her relentlessly. Not only did he flirt with her, but he also publicly sent numerous roses to the Huo Corporation, as if he was pursuing her.


    When she ran into Zhou Qi this time, Dong Yue was prepared to call for help if anything went wrong.


    However, to her surprise, Zhou Qi did not give her a hard time.


    ¡°Consider yourself lucky.¡± Zhou Qi sneered. ¡°I saw Xia Jin just now. Find a way to bring her to my room. If you do it well, I won¡¯t look for you in the future.¡±


    Dong Yue only hesitated for a few seconds before nodding her head frantically in agreement.


    If Xia Jin could satisfy Zhou Qi¡¯s appetite on her behalf, she would no longer have to worry and be afraid again!


    Dong Yue was initially still a little uneasy, worrying that Xia Jin might be alerted. However, she did not expect Xia Jin to not suspect anything at all.


    Dong Yue took a deep breath and stopped thinking about Zhou Qi and Xia Jin. She turned around to leave.


    *


    Xia Jin waited in the room for a short while before the door was pushed open.


    Xia Jin stood up and took a deep breath, ready to explain to Huo Jue about the rumors that were going around.


    As soon as she looked up, a lewd, greasy face fell into her line of sight.


    Xia Jin¡¯s heart almost stopped beating. Her pupils constricted and goosebumps appeared all over her body.


    Zhou Qi looked at her with a lewd smile. ¡°Baby, you didn¡¯t expect it to be me, did you? Was it too much of a surprise? I¡¯ve let you off the hook last time, but I didn¡¯t expect you to lie to me. Wasn¡¯t your previous talk of helping me get Huo Fei all nonsense now that you¡¯ve resigned? I, Zhou Qi, have never been so fooled like this in my life¡­¡±


    A fierce hostility swept through Zhou Qi¡¯s eyes, and then it turned into greed and lust. ¡°But I¡¯ll give you a chance since you¡¯re such a beauty. I¡¯ll let bygones be bygones as long as you serve me well today. How about that? You must have quite some skills since you¡¯ve served Huo Jue for five years. Let me have a taste of what Huo Jue¡¯s woman is like¡­¡±


    Xia Jin bit her lips hard, and her legs went soft. Panic was creeping up from the bottom of her feet.


    Why was it Zhou Qi?


    Huo Jue had specially asked her to come over today, and Zhou Qi had appeared at the Phoenix Club, and Dong Yue brought her into this room¡­ Could all of this be arranged by Huo Jue?


    At that moment, Xia Jin was so furious and angry that she wished to tear Huo Jue into pieces.


    Zhou Qi pounced on her, and without saying a word, he began to tear Xia Jin¡¯s clothes.


    Although Xia Jin was agile and strong, Zhou Qi was a keen boxer. He had faster reflexes than her and was terribly strong. Xia Jin was trapped by him and unable to break free.


    Her coat was torn open by Zhou Qi, revealing her pale neck and arms, and Zhou Qi grew even more excited.


    The day she was given to Zhou Qi by Huo Jue was like a nightmare. Xia Jin screamed desperately and kicked her legs.


    Zhou Qi, however, pinned her down with one hand and continued to tear Xia Jin¡¯s underwear with his other.


    ¡°Get off, get off!¡± Xia Jin cried and tears welled up in her eyes..