Chapter 21

The next day.

The sky was bright.

After adjusting her breathing several times, Fu Haitang finally raised her hand and knocked on the office door.

“President Ren,” Fu Haitang said in a low voice. “I’ve come to apologize.”

Ren Qing: “Come in.”

Fu Haitang pushed open the office door, and a letter of dismissal was thrown in her face.

Ren Qing: “I can’t afford to have a big shot like you here anymore. Take this report to HR to register. Your compensation will be paid along with your salary.”

Fu Haitang picked up the letter of dismissal, closed the door, walked up to Ren Qing, and handed her a box.

The box was exquisite and square, but it was impossible to tell what was inside. Ren Qing looked up: “Take it away.”

“President Ren, I know I’ve caused you trouble. I’m sorry…” Fu Haitang bowed to apologize. “It’s my fault for not looking after Fu Yilan, which caused her to faint in the changing room. I didn’t know she also smoked…”

Ren Qing raised an eyebrow: “No need to explain. When a subordinate does something, I only look at the result. I don’t want to know your difficulties. They’re meaningless to me.”

Fu Haitang sobbed: “I still want to say it, and please let me finish.”

Fu Haitang wiped her tears. Her face was quite devastating when she cried. As a graceful alpha, Ren Qing naturally wouldn’t tear up with her.

Ren Qing clasped her hands together, motioning for Fu Haitang to speak quickly.

Fu Haitang: “The situation was very complicated. I found that there were excessive pheromones in the changing room, and I locked the door immediately. I didn’t expect a fire to start inside. I wanted to save Fu Yilan, but I wasn’t strong enough to resist, and I fainted myself.”

“If you’re done, you can go out,” Ren Qing said coldly.

Fu Haitang: “President Ren, I didn’t intend for Fu Yilan to be absent from the first performance.”

Ren Qing: “Fu Haitang, if you really have a powerful backer, you can have them pressure me. Maybe I’ll forgive you this one time. But if you don’t, you must leave today.”

Fu Haitang pursed her lips: “But the show’s ratings have blown up. We’ve benefited from this misfortune, haven’t we?”

Ren Qing: “Don’t forget, during the first performance, only I was there on site.”

Ren Qing was actually thinking of taking all the credit? Fu Haitang frowned. She probably wouldn’t get a chance for Ren Qing to give in. If she wanted to stay at the TV station, she had to work on Gu Jingjing.

“Sorry to bother you, President Ren.” Fu Haitang turned to leave.

The office door was opened from the inside. Fu Yilan stood at the door, a rolled-up newspaper in her hand, which she poked directly at the center of Fu Haitang’s chest. She pushed Fu Haitang back into the office little by little.

Fu Haitang was pushed back step by step. She raised her eyebrows to ask what Fu Yilan was playing at. Fu Yilan shrugged lightly, a slight smile on her lips, then said loudly, “Fu Haitang didn’t do anything wrong. Why are you firing her?”

Ren Qing was stunned. “Fu Yilan, why didn’t you knock before entering my office!”

Fu Yilan raised her eyebrows: “What’s wrong? Is it mandatory to knock?”

Fu Haitang smirked. In a place where Ren Qing couldn’t see, she quickly winked at Fu Yilan: “President Ren, this person is really arrogant. Should I teach her a lesson?”

Fu Yilan glanced at Fu Haitang out of the corner of her eye, walked straight up to Ren Qing, and handed her the newspaper.

Fu Yilan: “President Ren, the public opinion outside isn’t very good right now.”

Ren Qing glanced at her, got up without a word, and picked up the newspaper to read.

#AStationManipulatesRules, a trainee who was secretly eliminated gets a chance to advance.

The entire two pages of the entertainment section were in a newspaper rushed out overnight. It seemed Fu Yilan was truly popular.

Overnight fame. This was something many superstars wouldn’t even dare to dream of! A newcomer in the entertainment industry like this, if nurtured well, would be enough to support a company for ten years! It didn’t matter if A-Station was being criticized. As long as Fu Yilan could maintain this popularity until the end of the show, all the criticism would be worth it!

Ren Qing smiled: “Congratulations, Fu Yilan. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t participate in the first performance. Since you’ve already advanced, prepare well for the next performance and try not to disappoint your fans. Oh, by the way…”

“Who said I was going to participate in the first performance?” The omega’s voice was unhurried, but her tone was quite firm.

Fu Haitang also looked at her, and her expression slowly changed from playful to serious. “Fu Yilan, what are you saying out of anger?”

A vein throbbed on Ren Qing’s forehead. She smiled without sincerity: “What do you mean?”

Fu Yilan: “President Ren, right now, the production team needs me, not the other way around.”

Fu Haitang was stunned as she looked at Fu Yilan. This person… she was still pretending to be respectful in front of Ren Qing, but Fu Yilan couldn’t even be bothered to pretend.

Fu Yilan: “Fu Haitang is my direct supervisor. If she leaves, I’m leaving too.”

Fu Haitang: “…”

Ren Qing’s knuckles turned white from clenching her fists. She stood up: “Are you threatening me?”

Fu Yilan: “Director Fu is the only one who has taken care of me. I’m very reluctant to part with her.”

Ren Qing looked at Fu Yilan, then at Fu Haitang. She suddenly smiled. “But keeping both of you is a bigger risk than anything else for me.”

Ren Qing said: “Fu Yilan, you are young and beautiful. This is the first performance, and you’re the first place winner without even performing. You certainly have a reason to be proud, but…”

Ren Qing grabbed the newspaper. “You’re also a tumor!”

Ren Qing seemed to have figured it out. Fu Yilan’s hand touched Ren Qing’s office desk. There was a chipped corner on the long black table. “President Ren, you’ve been in this position for three years. If you don’t get a promotion now, you’ll be on the same level as the new hires in the fall.”

Fu Haitang said: “When the station hires new people, there will always be open positions. One promotion leads to one vacancy. Positions flow up and down. When the show becomes a big success, you should be moving up, whether it’s based on seniority or ability.”

Fu Yilan: “As long as you keep Fu Haitang, I’ll cooperate with President Ren to make the show a success.”

Ren Qing said sarcastically: “My promotion isn’t up to you two newcomers!”

The phone on the desk rang.

It was a call from a high-level assistant, asking Ren Qing to come over to give a summary report on the show and explain the direction for the next episode.

Fu Haitang took out the materials she had prepared all night from behind her back.

“President Ren, please take a look at this,” Fu Haitang said.

Ren Qing hung up the phone and glared at Fu Yilan. She waved Fu Haitang’s hand away. “I’ll write the report myself. I don’t need yours. Get out of my office.”

“I’ll press the elevator for you.” Fu Haitang followed Ren Qing out of the office. As she passed Fu Yilan, she quickly pinched the omega’s side.

BANG. The office door closed. The two disappeared one after the other.

Fu Yilan’s ears were red. She raised her hand and rubbed her side hard.

Honestly…

(Thanks for what you just did. I’ll treat you to a meal to thank you when I get a chance.)

Fu Haitang’s message. Fu Yilan smirked and replied: (I’ll choose the restaurant.)

(Don’t choose somewhere too expensive.) Fu Haitang emphasized.

Fu Yilan: (What do you think President Ren meant by that last sentence?)

Fu Haitang bit her lip. (What sentence? I didn’t pay attention.)

Fu Yilan’s message was cryptic: (Really?)

Fu Haitang stood under the floor-to-ceiling window at the end of the hallway. The sunlight shone diagonally, hitting her brow bone and nose bridge. Her deep-set eyes were hidden in shadow, and only her curled eyelashes could be seen. Fu Haitang exhaled and received a message from Gu Jingjing.

The Gu family was having a family dinner today?

In the afternoon, Fu Haitang drove Gu Jingjing to get a facial, get her hair and nails done, and buy new clothes. These errands took up half a day.

By the time they returned to the Gu family residence, it was already evening.

Fu Haitang: “Miss, I already had the gifts for the master and madam sent home this morning.” The Gu family was a VIP at several major luxury stores in the city, which could send a person to deliver the goods to their door for the Gu family to choose from.

Gu Jingjing had always sent gifts this way in previous years, and this year was no exception. She had the bags sent home, then let Mrs. Gu choose the most suitable one to give to Lu Jing’s mother in Gu Jingjing’s name.

The two families had an engagement and would get together once every few months.

Lu Jing was never absent.

At the Gu family’s dinner, Fu Haitang was not qualified to enter the main hall. The Gu family’s butler met Gu Jingjing at the entrance and whispered something in her ear. Gu Jingjing then rushed straight to the guest rooms on the third floor without a word.

Fu Haitang sighed and opened the car door to enjoy the night breeze. At that moment, the book in her mind suddenly opened.

[

Lu Jing went to take a shower. He left his phone on the nightstand in the guest room. The screen wasn’t locked. The page was on a WeChat chat box that Gu Jingjing didn’t recognize. The profile picture was a character illustration with a background, and it seemed to be a young omega.

Gu Jingjing clicked on the chat history. The friend was added two days ago. Other than a “request accepted” message, there was nothing else.

Lu Jing came out of the bathroom, wiping his hair. “Jingjing, when did I say you could touch my phone?”

Gu Jingjing took a deep breath: “Who is this person?”

Lu Jing: “It’s Fu Yilan. There are some things I want to ask her.” He reached out to get his phone, but Gu Jingjing held it even tighter.

“What do you have to ask a newcomer who just entered the entertainment industry?” Gu Jingjing’s voice trembled.

Lu Jing frowned, “Jingjing.”

Gu Jingjing: “Then why didn’t you ask me? Or, are you obviously into this little slut?!”

Lu Jing’s tone became dangerous: “Gu Jingjing, don’t go too far!”

“Too far?” Gu Jingjing’s eyes instantly turned red. “Lu Jing, I wanted you to come and see me, but you said you had an urgent announcement and had to leave. Then I found you two getting touchy-feely in the rehearsal room!”

Lu Jing’s face darkened: “Get out!”

Gu Jingjing’s tears finally fell. “We’ve been engaged for half a year, and you’ve never proactively cared about me. But now you’re curious and caring about another omega. Brother Lu… I’m also an omega. I can also soothe your susceptible period. Why…”

“Enough!” Lu Jing suddenly raised his voice. “I, Lu Jing, will never look twice at an omega who throws herself at me! I’ll give you the marriage, but don’t fantasize about things you shouldn’t have!”

Fu Haitang: “…”

Her phone rang.

It was a message from Fu Yilan.

She sent a video. The video was black, but when she clicked on it, she could see a faint light. Several alphas and omegas were tangled together, their clothes falling off, playing a game of passing a drink from mouth to mouth.

Fu Haitang: “?”

Fu Yilan went to a bar?

Before Fu Haitang could reply, a tall figure strode over. Lu Jing, with wet hair, walked straight to Fu Haitang’s car, opened the door, and got in. “To Neon Bar.”

Fu Haitang didn’t dare to breathe. She put on her baseball cap, gave a soft “mm,” and navigated to Lu Jing’s destination.

The car drove away. Gu Jingjing ran out of the Gu family residence. “Lu Jing!”

Fu Haitang put her eyes back on the road and focused on driving. Unexpectedly, Lu Jing’s next sentence made her break out in a cold sweat.

Lu Jing: “You’re a staff member of A-Station. Why are you at the Gu family residence?”