This Director Is Not To Be Trifled With - Chapter 4

Song Xian arrived at the company just in time only two minutes before the workday officially began. Although the company didn’t enforce a punch-in system, everyone still abided by the schedule, especially when working under someone like Xiao Yutong.

Strangely, when she got to her workstation, not a single person was there not even Xiao Yutong in her office. Weird. Where did everyone go this early in the morning?

“Song Xian, why are you still here?” It was Zhang Xin from the Client Services Department.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Song Xian asked.

Zhang Xin replied, “Your Design Department has a meeting this morning. You didn’t know?”

“No one told me.” It was true no one had informed her.

She grabbed her things and hurried to the meeting room. As soon as she pushed open the door, every eye turned to her. Xiao Yutong tilted her head and glanced at her. Just that single glance made her feel the pressure Zhang Xin had described.

But apart from the pressure, she also thought it was kind of cool. Oh no. Looking at Xiao Yutong, she felt like a total fangirl.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

Song Xian kept her eyes on Xiao Yutong, waiting for her to either allow her to enter or scold her. She was ready for either. After all, being late was her fault no excuses.

The air in the room was so tense it was hard to breathe. Not just for Song Xian, but even her seated colleagues were nervous for her, afraid they might get dragged into the fire.

“Leave,” Xiao Yutong said. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried authority and pressure.

Zhou Yao tried to speak up for Song Xian, “Director Xiao”

Before she could finish, Xiao Yutong turned to the person who had been speaking before Song Xian arrived and said, “Continue.”

With that, Zhou Yao had no choice but to sit down quietly.

Song Xian, understanding the situation, closed the door and left.

She returned to her desk, tossed her things on the table, slumped in her chair, and pulled out the breakfast she’d bought earlier. She stuffed a bite into her mouth.

Would Xiao Yutong fire her? Surely not just for being late once?

Besides, she wasn’t technically late. She was in the building before nine, and no one even told her about the meeting!

Judging from Xiao Yutong’s expression, she wouldn’t be interested in hearing excuses. Trying to explain might only make her seem like she was shifting blame and that would leave an even worse impression.

Whether professionally or personally, she hoped to leave a good impression on Xiao Yutong.

But why hadn’t anyone told her? Zhou Yao was the team leader she should’ve called. From the way Zhou Yao usually handled things, this kind of slip-up didn’t seem like her.

Well, even the most meticulous people make mistakes sometimes.

“Hey! How dare you eat that in the office!”

Smack! A firm hand slapped hers, knocking the egg she had just bitten off her hand and onto the floor.

Song Xian turned around in dismay it was Zhang Xin. He was nervously looking around before settling his gaze back on her. “Your Director Xiao absolutely hates the smell of boiled eggs.”

“Really? No one told me!” But seeing Zhang Xin was only trying to help, she let go of her irritation over the slap. “Thanks.”

Song Xian picked up the egg and tossed it in the trash, then used a folder to fan the air, hoping to get rid of the smell quickly.

“Hey, you work in Client Services how do you know so much about what goes on in the Design Department?” Song Xian asked.

“Oh, we’re all part of the same company. Plus, Director Xiao’s so talented and beautiful of course I pay extra attention,” Zhang Xin replied with a fluttery tone, adjusting his glasses with a bit of flair.

Song Xian didn’t hold back: “You’re not trying to pursue Xiao Yutong, are you?”

Zhang Xin gasped, “Don’t be ridiculous! I am not.”

Song Xian looked him up and down: yellow tailored shorts, a blue floral shirt, thick red-rimmed glasses, and hair styled like it was ready to fly off. She gave him a thumbs-up. “You’ve got guts.”

Then, she leaned in and whispered, shielding her mouth: “I’ll let you in on a secret…” She paused for dramatic effect. “I want to pursue Xiao Yutong too.”

“What?!” Zhang Xin nearly shouted.

The meeting lasted two full hours. Song Xian noticed the meeting room door was still closed. Bored, she started playing on her phone.

Scrolling through Weibo, watching videos it was way more comfortable than sitting inside. If they didn’t want her in the meeting, fine! No big deal.

The only downside was not being able to see Xiao Yutong. Even though she’d been so harsh earlier, Song Xian couldn’t stop thinking about her. Was she… a masochist?

Buzz buzz her phone vibrated. It was a message from Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen:
Found a place. About 10 minutes from Jincheng by car. If you’re feeling up for it, you could even jog to work.
Rent’s a bit high though.

Song Xian:
Thanks! I’ll come sign the lease at lunch. Moving in tonight.

Jiang Chen:
Call me when you’re nearby, I’ll get everything ready.

Song Xian was just about to reply with an emoji when the meeting room door suddenly opened. Xiao Yutong stepped out first looking even angrier than before. What happened in there?

She walked briskly, her long hair tied back, a long skirt paired with a crisp shirt. Still stunning. Song Xian jumped up, ready for the scolding, but Xiao Yutong didn’t even glance at her before entering her office.

At least look at me! Even if it’s a death glare!

The rest of the team trickled out behind her, all looking defeated. As soon as Xiao Yutong’s office door closed, a few people let out quiet sighs of relief.

They looked like they’d just come back from the underworld. Apparently, she hadn’t been the only one who got chewed out today.

“Song Xian, where were you?” asked Zhang Xin, who sat at the next workstation and was trying to hide behind her monitor.

“I didn’t see any notification!” Song Xian replied.

“You didn’t join the work group chat?” Zhang Xin asked.

Song Xian shook her head.

“I thought Zhou Yao would’ve added you. Maybe she forgot. Add me I’ll get you in the group.”

“Okay.”

Just then, Zhou Yao called out, “Song, Director wants to see you.”

Both of them immediately stopped talking and sat up straight.

Zhou Yao continued, “I already explained everything to the Director. It was my fault I forgot to add you to the group and didn’t call you either. If she scolds you, just say it was my mistake.”

“Got it.” But something about Zhou Yao’s words felt… off.

Song Xian lightly knocked on the office door.

“Come in,” came the voice from inside.

She walked in briskly. “Director Xiao, you wanted to see me?”

Xiao Yutong didn’t respond. Instead, she pressed a button, and the blinds on the glass walls slowly closed. Watching the outside world disappear, Song Xian suddenly felt like something else was about to happen… and she was a little excited.

Xiao Yutong said, “Punctuality is a basic requirement. If you can’t manage your time, I don’t see how you can handle this job.”

“Being on time is important, yes. But, Director Xiao,” Song Xian walked around the desk, past Xiao Yutong’s chair, and leaned down beside her. “In the Design Department, the most important thing is ideas.”

She deliberately whispered the last word near Xiao Yutong’s ear, her breath brushing lightly against her earlobe. The air between them was charged, intimate.

A jolt of electricity shot through Xiao Yutong’s body. Her heart raced at Song Xian’s nearness. She shifted her chair to create some distance.

Song Xian straightened. “Without great ideas or creativity, even if you had a team clocking in at 5 AM every day what’s the point?”

“You’re right. But do you have any good ideas?” Xiao Yutong leaned one hand on the desk and tilted her head at Song Xian. It’s easy to talk big producing quality work is another matter.

She had reviewed Song Xian’s resume. During university, she’d won various awards school, city, even national-level. Impressive, yes but here at Jincheng, only client satisfaction mattered. That was the real prize.

Song Xian leaned in again, their noses nearly touching. She didn’t stop her gaze fixed on Xiao Yutong’s lips.

Just as their lips were about to meet, Xiao Yutong suddenly stood up and turned away.

“I’ll send you the brief. You have one day.”

“Okay.” Song Xian had successfully teased her and left the room satisfied.

As soon as the door closed, Xiao Yutong started fanning herself and turned the AC down by two degrees. The weather was getting hotter by the day.

Zhou Yao had explained everything Song Xian wasn’t to blame for the delay. But what caught Xiao Yutong off guard was how Song Xian hadn’t tried to explain at all just took responsibility. That… was unexpected.

Zhang Xin pulled her into the design department’s WeChat group. All the morning meeting materials were in there.

The project was for Liloca, a buzzworthy wedding dress brand.

A wedding dress ad? Coming up with something fresh would be tough. Song Xian scoured the internet for every wedding-themed campaign she could find most were repetitive. By lunchtime, she was still stuck. But what could she do? She’d already bragged.

Grrrrrrr. Her stomach growled. Oh well feed first. Nothing more important than food.

She had lunch plans with Jiang Chen and skipped eating with coworkers. Jiang Chen, being currently jobless, had arrived early and booked a nearby restaurant.

When Song Xian arrived, Jiang Chen immediately complained, “Shouldn’t you be treating me?”

Song Xian took a seat. “Come on, with our friendship? Besides, you’re the one in love now treating your single friend is only fair!”

“How’d you know?” Jiang Chen was surprised. The other night, after Song Xian had left with the beautiful woman, she was about to go home herself when a drunk guy harassed her outside the bar. That’s when her goddess appeared like a hero rescuing her. Just thinking about it made her swoon.

“I heard you on the phone that night,” Song Xian said, mimicking her, “‘Baaaby, hurry uuup!’”

They laughed until the food arrived Jiang Chen had ordered in advance, knowing all of Song Xian’s preferences.

“Oh, here’s the lease,” Jiang Chen said after they finished eating. “Take a look.”

Song Xian flipped straight to the last page and signed her name.

“You’re not even going to read it?” Jiang Chen asked.

“What for? Like you’d scam me?”

“I might, you know.”

“Even better. If you sell me off, I won’t have to work anymore.”

“You earn just a few thousand a month. That’s not even enough to cover your rent!”