Adopting Myself from the Young Heiress - Chapter 31

After finishing the outline, An Chixu stretched and glanced at the time—just past ten.

With today’s work completed, she could go home.

It was earlier than her usual eleven o’clock departure.

An Chixu slowly packed up, her gaze sweeping across the office.

She never forced her team members to work overtime, nor did she assign them more work than could be completed in a day.

A few members voluntarily stayed late to take advantage of the triple overtime pay she had recently secured. But even they rarely stayed this late.

At this hour, she was the only one left in the office.

An Chixu leaned back in her chair and sat in silence for a few minutes. On her desk still sat the milk cup she had used a few days prior.

She washed it clean and placed it at the corner of her desk, as if waiting for someone.

Realizing the futility of her actions, she frowned slightly, grabbed her bag, and left.

Standing beneath the towering building, An Chixu looked up. The upper floors blazed with light.

The lights on the 23rd floor shone dazzlingly bright, almost blinding, like an artificial sun.

Something must have happened. But she, An Chixu, was a nobody, lacking the authority to know.

An Chixu suspected it had something to do with Yan Zhaoyin. Perhaps even with Yan Ciwei’s mother.

An Chixu filtered her thoughts through her mind, glanced at the lights on the 23rd floor a few more times, then turned and slowly walked into the darkness.

The person who had been “escorting” her was gone, and the road ahead stretched long as the night.

When she arrived home, An Chixu hugged Orange, who had come to greet her.

“We’ll see each other again in two days…” An Chixu stroked Orange’s head, listening to his purr, her heart sinking slightly.

“What do you think about me getting another cat that looks just like you?” she asked, carrying Orange into the cat room to refill his water and food bowls.

After a full day, the food bowl was empty.

An Chixu couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. Perhaps she wasn’t suited to owning a cat after all.

Since her promotion to team leader, she had been too busy. Despite the raise and increased responsibilities, she had no time to spend with her little cat.

Even with Zidong’s automatic feeder and the self-cleaning litter box, the companionship between her and Orange was still lacking.

She didn’t know if Orange felt lonely, but she did know that seeing him lying by the door when she came home made her heart ache.

“Never mind. It’s probably better that your owner’s family is taking you back,” An Chixu thought. If they were coming all the way to pick him up, they must care about him deeply. They certainly wouldn’t be as busy as she was, leaving him alone for days on end.

An Chixu sat and watched for a while, then opened her phone to take a photo as a memento. Instead, she saw a transfer notification from Pei Yuxi’s secondary account.

She really is persistent, An Chixu thought.

She had no intention of accepting the money. The emotional value Orange provided already compensated for the cost of the cat supplies. Besides, Pei Yuxi had sent far too much. If it were just for this month, she might have reluctantly accepted it.

An Chixu was wary of owing favors. The weight of her past debts pressed down on her, suffocating her.

She tapped to refund the money, but noticed the transfer amount was off.

After carefully counting, An Chixu could hardly believe her eyes.

Pei Yuxi had transferred 150,000 yuan.

[ Um, Sister, did you accidentally type the wrong amount? ] An Chixu quickly refunded the money and sent a worried message.

There was no reply.

Checking the transfer timestamp, An Chixu took a deep breath and suppressed her anxiety.

Pei Yuxi had sent the transfer that morning. It was perfectly normal for her to be asleep now.

She must have just typed the wrong number.

To distract herself from her unease, An Chixu recorded a video of Orange and sent it before washing up and going to bed.

“See you tonight, little darling,” An Chixu said, patting Orange’s furry head and adding an extra scoop of food to his bowl before heading out.

After arriving at the office and finishing a meeting, An Chixu took the team responsible for Yang Xu’s public image to the set of Yang Xu’s variety show.

She also brought her tablet, needing to review and annotate the variety show proposal from her team by the end of the day, with a meeting scheduled for tomorrow at the latest to discuss it.

“Any juicy gossip around the office lately?” An Chixu whispered to He Yuyan in the car.

He Yuyan’s professional skills were somewhat lacking, but her warm personality and wide network made her a walking gossip hub. Nothing escaped her ears.

An Chixu felt she needed someone like this by her side. As the team leader, she wanted to guide her team as effectively as possible, and information was crucial.

After a moment’s thought, He Yuyan managed to squeeze out two tidbits.

“Does the PR director’s affair count? A couple of days ago, the mistress stormed downstairs to yell at her for not divorcing, while the wife set up a stall nearby with their daughter to join in the shouting.” An Chixu had been away on promotional events when this happened, so she hadn’t heard about it.

“Hmm… I guess so,” An Chixu replied, even though she didn’t know the PR director personally.

“Let me tell you all the juicy details—it’s explosive!” He Yuyan’s face lit up at the mention of gossip.

Today, He Yuyan wasn’t the only one accompanying An Chixu; two other team members were also present.

The two sat in the front row, still reviewing the details of Yang Xu’s upcoming event, but their ears perked up at the mention of gossip.

An Chixu listened absently. What she really wanted to know was anything related to Yan Zhaoyin.

Someone with Yan Zhaoyin’s status—a direct heir from headquarters, even higher in rank than Yan Ciwei—couldn’t possibly arrive at their S City branch without causing some kind of stir.

The rumor about Yan Zhaoyin fighting with Yan Ciwei seemed unlikely to An Chixu. They were both adults—Yan Zhaoyin must be nearly thirty by now—too old for such childish behavior.

Other possibilities, like project sabotage or framing, seemed more plausible.

“Anything else?” An Chixu asked, smacking her lips after hearing the cheating scandal. After dealing with her own partners’ infidelities, this kind of gossip hardly seemed shocking anymore.

“This is just a rumor, not confirmed yet,” He Yuyan whispered, leaning close to An Chixu’s ear.

The two in the front row turned around.

An Chixu shot them a look, sending them back to their work.

“Our branch’s general manager is going to be replaced,” He Yuyan finally revealed what An Chixu had been waiting to hear.

“Yan Zhaoyin?”

“I’m not sure. I only know that supposedly—supposedly, mind you—the next manager isn’t from Yan Ciwei’s faction. You know, Little President Yan hasn’t been in office long, but she’s already gradually taking over the general manager’s duties in S City. We all guessed the next manager would be either her or someone from her faction. But recently, her entire faction was suddenly transferred back to Four-Nine City, eliminating any chance of competition. And she herself lacks experience…” He Yuyan’s information network was truly remarkable, even reaching leadership changes several levels above her.

For her, this news was likely just another juicy piece of gossip.

An Chixu’s eyes slowly darkened. If Yan Ciwei had been so exhausted because of this matter, it would make sense.

“Speaking of that, I just remembered something,” An Chixu said, deliberately raising her voice slightly.

“I heard Yan Zhaoyin got into a fight.” This gossip was even more explosive than the previous two combined.

He Yuyan’s eyes lit up instantly, eager for details.

“It was a brutal fight. The other person broke their arm and missed two days of work. When they finally returned, they were immediately targeted again…” An Chixu confirmed the two women in the front row were listening and continued to embellish the story.

An Chixu had watched Yang Xu’s program. As a professional actress, Yang Xu delivered a remarkable performance, not playing herself entirely but achieving a striking contrast effect.

The program was broadcast live. Immediately after it ended, several related hashtags exploded onto the trending searches.

An Chixu reviewed the edited video clips she had submitted to the public relations department, instructing them to amplify the narrative.

Afterward, she turned to other tasks, waiting for public opinion to ferment.

He Yuyan lived up to her reputation as a gossipmonger. Within a day, even during An Chixu’s bathroom breaks at work, she overheard people discussing Yan Zhaoyin’s assault.

The victim had now been identified as someone associated with Yan Ciwei—though not Yan Ciwei himself, of course.

An Chixu wasn’t yet ready to tarnish Yan Ciwei’s image directly. After all, wasn’t she doing all this for him?

As An Chixu leisurely washed her hands, she listened to the two gossiping colleagues pass behind her.

She opened the company’s group chat—a small, unofficial group created by lower-level employees—and saw someone asking about the incident.

Half her objective had been achieved.

Returning to her workstation, An Chixu confirmed that the hashtag “Yang Xu Black-Hearted Angel” still held a top position. She then sent Yang Xu a message.

[ Congratulations, Sister Yang. ] This was Yang Xu’s first time topping the trending searches alone in recent memory.

Multiple hashtags surged into the top ten, with the one An Chixu had just promoted peaking at second place. Unfortunately, it was overshadowed by news of another celebrity’s secret marriage.

Yang Xu had previously been a second-tier star, her popularity lukewarm. Her last hit drama hadn’t highlighted her acting skills or her own merits, but rather her chemistry with the female lead. The female lead had even poached a significant portion of Yang Xu’s fanbase, propelling herself to A-list status.

Yang Xu was actively seeking opportunities for a breakthrough. Coincidentally, An Chixu was also looking for a platform to realize her ideals.

Yang Xu’s status was perfect. She was a star with moderate buzz but no true mainstream success, yet possessed genuine talent.

If An Chixu had chosen a true A-lister, she wouldn’t have been able to discern whether the success was due to her efforts or the star’s existing fame. Conversely, if she had picked a struggling artist like Shen Jibai, achieving viral traction would have been too difficult.

An Chixu believed her two consecutive successes were due to perfect timing, favorable circumstances, and the right people. She knew she couldn’t count on such luck indefinitely.

[ Thank you. ] Yang Xu had just finished work. An Chixu had memorized her schedule. As Yang Xu removed her makeup, she scoffed but her fingers dutifully typed out the reply.

[ I’ll admit, you’ve got something. Let’s work together from now on. ] The words weren’t exactly flattering, but for Yang Xu, it was a form of acknowledgment.

An Chixu saw the message without a flicker of emotion. She didn’t need Yang Xu’s approval; data was what mattered most.

Today, however, she needed Yang Xu’s information sources.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, An Chixu showered Yang Xu with compliments until the other woman was practically blushing, begging her to stop and get to the point.

Only then did An Chixu slowly broach the topic.

Sis, have you heard about the turmoil at our branch lately?

Yang Xu’s side showed “typing…” for a long moment.

You mean the change in general manager?

So the matter was already settled. An Chixu sighed softly and continued typing.

Yes. I heard it’s because… the inspector who visited recently… assaulted someone.

The “typing…” indicator flashed again for an extended period.

An Chixu paid it no mind, setting down her phone to resume annotating documents.

Five minutes later, a new message arrived.

Which faction are you with?

As An Chixu had hoped, the other party had grasped the purpose behind her sharing this information.

But now it was An Chixu who didn’t know how to respond.

“She’s gone?” Yan Ciwei glanced up briefly, confirming it was her secretary who had entered, before returning her gaze to her phone.

The phone displayed surveillance footage focused on An Chixu’s workstation.

The desk was empty, the milk cup still sitting where Yan Ciwei had placed it earlier, as if waiting for her to retrieve it.

The secretary had worked for Yan Ciwei for a long time and knew about the person she cared deeply for—the one she had once been engaged to.

“Yes, she left in a hurry. Judging by her microexpressions, she was very angry.” But the secretary knew Yan Ciwei wasn’t asking about An Chixu.

“The matter you instructed me on at noon has been handled. However…” The secretary hesitated, glancing at the transfer order on Yan Ciwei’s desk.

“It’s fine. Add more fuel to the fire,” Yan Ciwei said, switching to another screen on her phone to play a video.

The secretary didn’t understand, but she couldn’t ask further.

“You can go home now,” Yan Ciwei said, dismissing her for the day.

The secretary cleared her mind, letting go of the plan to sabotage Yan Zhaoyin’s reputation.

After the secretary left, the office fell silent again.

Yan Ciwei turned off the lights and leaned back in her chair, motionless.

After a long moment, she removed her headphones.

The video on her screen showed a golden cat wandering around.

At the end of the video, a woman’s voice cooed, “My little darling.”

Yan Ciwei turned off the screen, staring blankly at the dark ceiling.

Why had An Chixu gone to such lengths without her even saying a word?

She clearly… needed her help the least.

At the same time.

“I’ll send you the new commercial deals later. Remember to sign them. Oh, have you heard about Yan Zhaoyin? It’s a huge scandal.” The manager returned to Yang Xu after discussing the latest commercial deals, eager to share the breaking news.

“…I heard,” Yang Xu replied, glancing at the reply on her phone before setting it aside.

The screen remained lit.

The manager noticed the message from An Chixu:

I’m just a team leader, and our team is at the bottom of the hierarchy. This matter isn’t even my place to take sides.

“…Her sources are surprisingly good,” the manager said, momentarily speechless. No one had expected the reserved and quiet planner to know about this before they did.

“What about us? Should we follow her lead and stay neutral too?”

Yang Xu finally curled her lips into a smile, tinged with mockery.

“Do you really believe she’s staying neutral?”

“What do you mean?” The manager glanced again at An Chixu’s message, finding nothing suspicious.

“Yan Ciwei personally promoted her,” Yang Xu pointed to An Chixu’s opening line in the conversation.

“Forget it. Let’s just prepare for the worst,” the manager finally understood.

From the moment An Chixu was assigned as their planner, they had been trapped on a sinking ship. And to make matters worse, An Chixu had actually delivered results, leaving them no room for regret.

It was July 1st.

The last rain of June had drizzled to a stop in the early morning, signaling the end of the rainy season.

An Chixu stood by the roadside, cradling her cat as she waited for Pei Yuxi’s family. The familiar earthy scent of wet soil filled the air, yet her heart felt as heavy as if she were still drenched in the downpour.

It was a weekend, but she had to return to work for overtime that afternoon. Pei Yuxi’s family had conveniently scheduled the meeting for the morning.

“I’ll miss you, little darling,” An Chixu murmured. The nearby benches were soaked, forcing her to stand. Fortunately, the cat was light and remarkably well-behaved on its leash, settling comfortably in her arms without fidgeting.

As she stroked its head, a subtle melancholy washed over her.

It was still very early. The sky had barely begun to lighten, and the rain clouds, having released their burden overnight, now hung as thin as cicada wings.

The distant horizon blazed with light, forcing An Chixu to squint.

The light suddenly dimmed, and An Chixu realized it was the glare of headlights.

No wonder they could afford to give me over a hundred thousand at once, she thought, staring absently at the vaguely familiar car.

She never imagined that the person stepping out of that car would be the one she knew best.

Yan Ciwei emerged, already wearing gloves and clutching a face mask. Her hair was uncombed, its disheveled state bordering on wild. Yet her clothes were impeccably neat, as if she were attending a formal dinner.

Yan Ciwei lifted her gaze, meeting An Chixu’s stunned eyes, and walked toward her.

It was as if she were saying: It’s exactly what you think.