Marrying My Ex-Wife's Mortal Enemy (GL) - Chapter 11

The next day, Dou Huan received a call from the HR department at Jingtian Jewelry, informing her that she had passed the interview and was expected to report in on Monday.

She immediately called Dou Changqing and Zhong Yunxin to share the news. Dou Changqing who was always cautious, voiced his concerns gently. “If you want to go out and experience life, your dad supports you. But if anything makes you unhappy, don’t force yourself. Your mom and I can support you for a lifetime.”

Zhong Yunxin chimed in as well, “Work isn’t as simple as you think. If anything bothers you, tell Mom. I’ll help you figure it out.”

“Mm-hmm. Love you guys.”

Dou Huan knew what they were really thinking—how their precious daughter, raised like a pampered little princess, wouldn’t last long in the tough world of work. But on the surface, they were kind and tactful, careful not to hurt her pride or discourage her.

And honestly, they weren’t wrong. Dou Huan admitted it herself—she used to be the spoiled type, the kind who didn’t have to lift a finger.

But then again, in her last life, she’d gone as far as becoming an assistant designer at Chu Li’s company—willingly—and endured all kinds of petty bullying from Tong Yi and her power-tripping team leader.

She had a short temper and lacked tact. She didn’t know how to smooth things over or handle office politics. If there was a problem, she tackled it head-on, often ending up misunderstood and blamed.

Tong Yi, on the other hand, was sweet-talking and manipulative—always playing the victim and putting on a friendly face, easily winning people over.

Back then, Dou Huan had hated her guts. But thinking back now, she could admit that Tong Yi did have her strengths. At the very least, she knew how to get along with people.

This time around, Dou Huan was determined to do better—work hard, get along with colleagues. But she didn’t plan on updating her parents with every little detail.

She wasn’t a child anymore. If she couldn’t live her life right the first time, and still couldn’t get it right the second time, then what was the point?

They also asked her a few more questions about the divorce. Dou Huan answered everything clearly.

“So Chu Li’s leaving you the house? At least she has some conscience left,” Zhong Yunxin sighed. “She said she’d change before, and I didn’t believe her. But now… I wonder if she still has feelings for you. Maybe there’s still hope for you two…”

“Mom,” Dou Huan cut her off, clearly unhappy. “She cheated. That’s not something I can forgive. It’s not about whether she still has feelings for me or not. Even if she loved me enough to die for me, cheating is a line you don’t cross. I can’t tolerate betrayal—not even a little.”

Her voice grew sharp with emotion. Dou Changqing noticed and quickly turned to Zhong Yunxin. “Weren’t you the one who didn’t like Chu Li to begin with? Now that they’re divorced, why are you suddenly become sentimental?”

Zhong Yunxin sighed. “I still don’t like her. But I worry—what if Chu Li has changed, and Huanhuan regrets the divorce?”

“I won’t,” Dou Huan said calmly. “Whatever kind of person Chu Li turns out to be now, I won’t regret this. You can rest easy.”

“Huanhuan,” Zhong Yunxin said softly, “No matter what you choose to do, your dad and I will always support you. You’re our only daughter. All we want is for you to be truly happy.”

“I know,” Dou Huan smiled, her nose suddenly tingling. “Ugh, why are you guys getting all mushy out of nowhere?”

“What’s so mushy about it?”

Zhong Yunxin chuckled, a little embarrassed.

“My sweet daughter,” Dou Changqing added with a sigh, “Last night your mom was saying she’s afraid you divorced Chu Li out of spite. That after everything, you’d end up sad and heartbroken… and then she just sat there wiping away tears.”

That did it—Dou Huan’s eyes instantly went red. She rubbed them as her father continued, “You’ve grown up. You’ve got your own mind now. Whether it’s getting married, getting divorced, or going out to work, your mom and I will always stand behind you.

But I hope you can promise us one thing: don’t ever wrong yourself.

If your wife cheats and you leave her, so be it—we don’t regret it. If your job makes you miserable, quit—we don’t stress about it.

Other than life, death, and illness, if there’s any choice to be made and it doesn’t hurt anyone, just choose what makes you happy. We’ll always be your safety net.”

“Dad, I’ve lived twenty-three years and never realized you’re actually this good with words.”

Tears started falling as she laughed, wiping them away and laughing even more at herself.

“Dad, Mom, I love you both so much,” she said, crying and laughing all at once.

Dou Changqing and Zhong Yunxin couldn’t help but smile through their own emotions too.

*****

Come Monday, Dou Huan dressed in a plain white T-shirt, denim shorts, and white sneakers. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, giving off the fresh, energetic look of a college student.

All of her handbags were designer, but she thought carrying them around would be too flashy. Still, going without a bag was just inconvenient. So she had gone to the mall the day before and bought a simple student-style crossbody for a few dozen yuan.

Before heading out, she slung the bag over her shoulder and checked herself in the mirror. She looked totally ordinary—which was exactly the goal. The more she blended in, the easier it would be to fit in.

She was buzzing with excitement on her first day. After checking in at the company, she followed the HR manager to the design department, where she saw the design lead who had interviewed her.

“This is Ms. Lu, the head of the design department,” the HR rep introduced. “I need to pick up someone else, so I’ll leave you in her hands.”

“Thanks for the help,” Ms. Lu replied with a smile.

“Just doing my job.”

Once it was just the two of them, Dou Huan greeted her with a bright smile. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Lu.”

“Nice to meet you too,” she said, gesturing toward a chair. “Have a seat.”

Dou Huan sat down gracefully and listened as Ms. Lu said, “I saw the design you submitted during the interview. It had a clear style and strong personality, but it’s not quite ready for mass production just yet. For now, get familiar with the company and learn more about our design style by shadowing some of our senior staff.”

Her tone was warm, balanced, and constructive—encouraging without being patronizing, making Dou Huan even more eager to learn.

She nodded. “Got it.”

Ms. Lu led her into the main office without making any announcement about the new hire—probably to avoid disrupting the team.

Dou Huan didn’t mind. She quietly followed her over to a woman’s desk.

“Zhou Wei,” Ms. Lu said, “this is our new designer, Dou Huan. Let her observe you for now.”

Zhou Wei stood up, giving her a look. Dou Huan was pretty, fresh-faced, and dressed modestly—definitely gave off “good girl” vibes. She smiled and said, “Sure, no problem.”

After Ms. Lu left, Zhou Wei pulled over an empty chair. “Hey, come sit here. Let me wrap up what I’m working on first, and then I’ll show you around the office.”

“Okay, thanks, Weiwei-jie.”

Dou Huan sat obediently beside her, watching her work.

About ten minutes later, Zhou Wei sent off a draft design to Ms. Lu and stood up. “Alright, let’s go. I’ll give you the tour.”

“Mm-hmm!”

Following behind Zhou Wei, Dou Huan walked through each department and noticed something curious—everyone was in uniform. Even Zhou Wei was in company gear.

She glanced at the hideous work uniform and asked a little nervously, “Weiwei-jie, does everyone at the company have to wear the uniform?”

“Not every day,” Zhou Wei replied, completely unaware of what Dou Huan was thinking. “But the higher-ups require everyone to wear it on Mondays. It’s to help create a more professional atmosphere and get people in the right mindset for work.”

Dou Huan mentally rolled her eyes at the thought of wearing something that ugly every Monday. Whichever leader came up with that rule must be out of their mind. Do they wear the uniform themselves?

Right then, Zhou Wei added casually, “I actually think it’s a good policy. Every Monday I feel groggy, but the moment I start looking for my work uniform, it gives me a jolt of energy.”

“Which leader decided that?” Dou Huan asked, trying to sound neutral.

“Oh, President Jing—Jing Yu.”

Jing Yu?! The weird rule-maker is Jing Yu?!

Dou Huan clutched her chest. Phew, thank goodness she didn’t say anything out loud.

They continued walking until they reached the hallway outside the president’s office. Zhou Wei dropped her voice and whispered, “This is where President Jing’s office is.”

Yeah, I know, Dou Huan thought. I’ve been here before. But she kept her face perfectly blank, pretending to be a wide-eyed newbie: “Oh, that’s the boss’s office?”

Zhou Wei moved with exaggerated caution, walking softly like she was afraid to disturb anyone inside.

Dou Huan mimicked her, tiptoeing along, matching her every step like a partner in crime.

The two of them crept along like thieves until they reached a corner—and nearly walked straight into someone.

Dou Huan was so startled her heart practically leapt out of her chest. Her first instinct was irritation, but the moment she looked up and saw who it was, her anger fizzled out almost completely.

“Good morning, President Jing!” Zhou Wei greeted quickly, tugging at Dou Huan’s sleeve.

Dou Huan snapped back to attention, bowing her head. “Good morning, President Jing.”

“You two looking for me?” Jing Yu’s gaze fell squarely on Dou Huan. White T-shirt, denim shorts, white sneakers—today she looked sweet and well-behaved. The tips of her ears were red, though whether from embarrassment or the fright just now, it was hard to say.

“No, not at all,” Zhou Wei explained, “Dou Huan just joined us. I was giving her a tour of the departments and we were just getting to your office.”

“Mm.”

Jing Yu brushed past them without much expression, but after a few steps, she suddenly turned around.

“You…”

“Huh?” Zhou Wei answered quickly. “Is there something you need, President Jing?”

“Take her to get a company uniform,” Jing Yu said, her eyes briefly sweeping over Dou Huan’s long, bare legs. Then, almost offhandedly, she added, “Short shorts aren’t allowed in the office.”

Dou Huan’s eyes widened in disbelief. She looked down at her shorts, then up at Jing Yu’s retreating figure. That comment was obviously aimed at her!

She clenched her fists for a moment, then slowly released them. Whatever, there’s a weirdo rule in every company, right?

Not worth getting worked up over.

Zhou Wei, meanwhile, scratched her chin, trying to recall whether the employee handbook had any rule about shorts. Was there really something about that?

Inside the office, Jiang Shan followed Jing Yu in. “President Jing, should we go ahead and add a ‘no short shorts’ clause to the employee manual?”

“That rule doesn’t already exist?”

Jing Yu paused, realizing it probably didn’t. Actually she’d only made the comment because Dou Huan’s legs were way too eye-catching. Not just for her—others would stare too. With so many women in the office, if everyone started wearing super short shorts, all the gawking might actually disrupt work.

Yes. That was perfectly reasonable.

“Then let’s add it,” Jing Yu said decisively.