Soon, it was evening. Ji yan manager had already informed everyone to attend the celebration. Since it was not a formal celebration, the company had booked the largest suite in a pub, which was huge enough to accommodate hundreds of people.
By the time Ji Yan and Li Wenjing arrived, the party had already started. Everyone was stunned when they saw Ji Yan. Everyone could not help but pause to give her strange looks, as she had been involved in a rumor and that she was the star of the celebration banquet.
However, Ji Yan did not care about their gazes and casually sat down in a corner. Soon, the room became lively again.
Only Li Wenjing and Shao Kai were willing to sit beside Ji Yan. Shao Kai was not as gossipy as the other staff members. Besides, he had a good eye, and he thought Ji Yan did not seem to be that kind of person to him.
Nevertheless, Shang Jinshen had claimed that Ji Yan was his maid the last time in Southlake City, but now, Ji Yan was revealed to have married into the rich and powerful Shang family. Thus, he could not help being a little curious about the truth and kept glancing at Ji Yan from time to time.
A smile hung on the corner of Ji Yan’s lips as she watched Li Wenjing and Shao Kai playing rock paper scissors. She thought these two were equally playful, so they were quite a good match.
But good times did not last long. Soon, Liu Yun chose to perform a song about a mistress, which sounded as if she was hinting at the rumor about Ji Yan.
As Liu Yun performed the song, many people turned to look at Ji Yan meaningfully. Li Wenjing fought the urge to rush forward and smash the microphone.
The manager’s face turned dark while he glared at Liu Yun. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Liu Yun speaking through the microphone. “Miss Ji, you’re a good-looking woman, and you have a good career. Why do you want to be a mistress?”
Liu Yun had gone all out, as she thought that Ji Yan would definitely take revenge on her after catching her talking bad behind her back. Thus, she chose to instigate trouble during the celebration to embarrass Ji Yun. She believed that if she were lucky, she might be able to drive Ji Yan out of the company due to the latter’s bad reputation.
However, Ji Yan was not angry. Instead, she flashed Liu Yun a grin. At that moment, the room was quiet, so even though her voice was soft, everyone could hear it clearly. “Liu Yun, do you have proof of me being a mistress? I can sue you for slander.”
Liu Yun’s face turned pale. Obviously, she did not expect Ji Yan to deny the rumor in front of so many people and accuse her so confidently. Liu Yun could not help wondering if the rumor was indeed fake.
Meanwhile, the others also began to suspect that the rumor was not true because despite the rumor spreading, Ji Yan did not seem to be guilty.
Ji Yan crossed her arms in front of her chest and said with a faint smile, “It seems that everyone is curious about my private affairs.” She then glanced around the room, and many people lowered their heads in embarrassment.
“Gossip dies when it hits a wise person’s ears. If someone dares to slander me for no reason again in the future, then I’ll see them in court.” Ji Yan’s face was full of anger as she spoke.
“All right, all right. This is a celebration banquet, so let’s stop messing around. Liu Yun, come down here! Stop talking nonsense and gossip all day if you have nothing better to do. Go home and expect a personal notice. Our company will never allow its staff members to ruin the relationship between colleagues. Everyone should take this as a warning!” The manager finally stood up and spoke in a stern tone. Liu Yun’s face turned pale upon hearing that, but unfortunately, no one sympathized with her.
Ji Yan glanced at the manager, then stood up and went straight to the stage. She picked up the microphone with a relaxed look before clearing her throat and declared, “I wish everyone to have fun and have a good career, and I’ll be taking my leave first. I’ll submit my resignation letter to the office tomorrow.”
With that, she set down the microphone and then took her bag and left.
Li Wenjing followed closely behind Ji Yan, and without looking back, she said, “I’m quitting too! What a lousy company.”
The other staff members in the room blanched, and they were at a loss for words as they watched Ji Yan and Li Wenjing leave. The manager’s face was especially gloomy. Ji Yan’s actions had made him lose face, and he did not know how to explain her resignation to the company when he returned. After all, Ji Yan was currently the company’s most valued designer.
Shao Kai frowned in puzzlement and did not chase after the two women. Instead, he lowered his head and seemed to be thinking about something.
“Ji Yan, you’re so cool!” Li Wenjing could not help but give Ji Yan a thumbs up.
Ji Yan stopped in her tracks and smiled bitterly. “What’s so cool about it? I threw away my job just to prove myself.
What are you doing here? Shao Kai is still inside. You still have room for development in the company.” Ji Yan felt a little guilty because she did not expect Li Wenjing to resign alongside her.
But Li Wenjing did not seem to care at all. “It’s boring for me to stay in this kind of lousy company. I believe that I’ll find a better company to work with!”
Ji Yan smiled. “You’re right.” Among the people she knew, Li Wenjing was the most optimistic one. But of course, she did not know many people either.
“Girl, let’s go get some drinks.” Ji Yan had not felt so happy for a long time. At this moment, she only felt the pressure finally coming off her chest, and even her smile grew a little wider.
Li Wenjing’s eyes lit up. “Sure!” In fact, Li Wenjing enjoyed drinking. There were not many people who knew about this, and Ji Yan happened to be one of the few.
When they drank together for the first time, Li Wenjing had become completely drunk, so Ji Yan stopped the latter when she ordered some wine that night. She was worried that Li Wenjing would be so drunk that she could not find her way back home.
The two found a bar nearby, and they ate happily and chatted. Eventually, Ji Yan’s facial expression grew desolate when she drank Ji Yan’s wine.
“You tell me, why am I so helpless?” Ji Yan lay on the table as she asked a difficult question, her eyes full of helplessness and sadness, which made Li Wenjing feel sorry for her. Ji Yan thought perhaps she did not expect an answer at all.
Li Wenjing had always been a carefree person, but at this moment, she comforted Ji Yan gently, “This is life. You have to go through all of the ups and downs.”
Ji Yan looked at Li Wenjing with a bitter smile. “I have gone through all the downs, but I haven’t met the ups.”
Li Wenjing was silent for a moment and said, “No way. You winning the design award is an up.”
Ji Yan tilted her head and thought about it, then agreed happily, “You’re right.”
After they were finished, the two left the bar with satisfaction, staggering along the way. Li Wenjing looked at Ji Yan helplessly. The latter had stopped her from drinking, yet she got drunk herself.
Although she thought that it was good for Ji Yan to vent her anger a little, she now worried about how to send the latter home. She did not even know where Ji Yan lived.
She held Ji Yan’s face and asked her address, but the latter only smiled at her foolishly like a drunkard.
Li Wenjing was about to take Ji Yan to her house for the night when a Lamborghini drove over and stopped beside them.
Then, the car window rolled down, revealing Shang Yu An’s handsome face. He looked at the blushing Ji Yan in surprise and cried, “Ji Yan?”
Li Wenjing observed the man’s face and remembered that he was the one who became entangled with Ji Yan last time. Thus, she pulled Ji Yan back and took two steps back warily.