Rumor Has It I Don’t Follow A-Class Morals - Chapter 48

Being called a “scumbag” by Heng Jingxian gave Ming Muyao a bit of a headache.

“Looks like people still have a lot of misunderstandings about me,” she said with a helpless shrug. Then she picked up her coffee and tapped it lightly against the one in Heng Jingxian’s hand, pretending it was a toast. “I’m actually a pretty reliable person.”

Heng Jingxian glanced at her and said, “You are different from what the internet says, I’ll give you that. At least over the past few days, I haven’t found you to be as awful as they claim. When it comes to picking people, you do have a good eye.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Ming Muyao smiled. “Well then, President Heng, I’ll let you get back to work. Your office is right next to the meeting room. If you need anything, you can find me or President An. I’m heading off to take care of other things.”

Heng Jingxian gave a small nod and didn’t say anything else. After inspecting the temporary conference room for a bit, she left.

The employees in the company seemed very curious about this inspection team. Ming Muyao had barely stepped out when she saw several staff members peeking into the room. She cleared her throat slightly, and everyone immediately scattered.

Just then, her secretary came running over, looking flustered. “President Ming, someone is waiting for you in your office.”

“Waiting for me?” Ming Muyao raised an eyebrow. “Who is it?”

“They didn’t say, only mentioned that the Chairwoman sent her. She’s in your office right now.”

Ming Muyao thought for a moment. She hadn’t offended anyone lately. All her old party buddies and so-called friends had been cut off. The only lingering issue was her mom trying to force her into marriage.

A marriage arrangement, huh?

Suddenly, she remembered Ming Zheng showing up at her house a couple of days ago, pointing at some no-name celebrity on a variety show and asking if she thought the girl was pretty.

Could it be that person?

“What does she look like?” Ming Muyao asked as she headed toward her office.

Her secretary hurried to catch up. “She’s wearing a blue business suit and black sunglasses. Can’t really see her face clearly, but she looks kind of familiar.”

“Familiar is good enough.” Ming Muyao turned back to her and said, “Got it. Go take care of your work. Don’t come to the office unless I call you.”

“Understood.” The secretary stopped and watched as Ming Muyao walked into her office.

As soon as Ming Muyao pushed the door open, she saw a petite young woman with her back to her, flipping through some documents on her desk. When she heard the sound of the door, she turned around and made eye contact with Ming Muyao.

“Hello.” The girl spoke first. “You’re Ming Muyao, right? Nice to meet you.”

Ming Muyao glanced at the folder in her hands and calmly walked over. “You should probably put that down. Didn’t anyone tell you not to touch other people’s things?”

The girl raised her eyebrows slightly at that, then obediently put down the folder and walked around the desk to face her.

She took off her sunglasses. Sure enough, it was that little celebrity Ming Zheng had mentioned the other day.

Fang Qiongyan had a striking face and a great figure, but she was quite short—barely over 150 cm. She always wore ridiculously high heels, which made her look like a kid trying to walk on stilts.

“You look a lot smaller than you do on TV.” Ming Muyao looked her over and reached out her hand. “I suppose there’s no need for introductions, is there, Miss Fang?”

Fang Qiongyan smiled and shook her fingertips briefly before pulling her hand back. “TV makes everyone look bigger. And with close-up shots, no one can tell how tall I actually am. As long as the face is pretty, that’s all that matters.”

“I don’t know much about the entertainment industry,” Ming Muyao said, even though she did. “So what brings you here today, Miss Fang?”

Fang Qiongyan looked at her, then strolled over to the sofa and sat down, crossing her legs. “Didn’t the Chairwoman tell you why I’m here? A few days ago, she came to my house and said she wanted to find a suitable fiancée for her daughter.”

“When I found out she was your mother, I was surprised. So I figured I’d come meet you in person.” Fang Qiongyan leaned back on the sofa and studied her with interest. “You don’t look much older than me, but you were trending on social media just a few days ago for going shopping with some random influencer. Does your mom know about that?”

Ming Muyao looked at her and sat down in her chair, smiling. “Of course she knows. To be honest, the only reason she approached you is because the company’s in trouble, and your family has the means to patch up the holes. If we were to get together, you’d be the one at a loss.”

Fang Qiongyan wasn’t surprised at all by what she said. She just chuckled. “Of course I know. Rich people aren’t stupid. My parents told me about your situation too. But I still wanted to meet you. You know why?”

Ming Muyao shook her head.
Surely this girl hasn’t been secretly crushing on me, right?

Fang Qiongyan smiled and said, “We can’t get married, but dating is still an option. Your name and mine together? That might just boost my fame.”

“Your family’s so wealthy, and they still can’t make you famous?” Ming Muyao asked, puzzled.

“We do have money. They got me on variety shows, helped me land roles in web dramas. I’ve become somewhat recognizable. But so what?” Fang Qiongyan looked helpless. “In this industry, we have a saying: ‘Small fame comes from resources, big fame comes from luck.’ I’m stuck in that small-fame phase. I get lead roles, but every show flops. And my family doesn’t even like my career, so now it’s just the agency finding things for me to do.”

Investment in the entertainment industry was risky. Just because you had everything lined up didn’t mean you’d become a star overnight. Fame took a mix of luck and talent.

Some people had neither—no talent, no luck—and burning money alone wasn’t enough to make it.

Fang Qiongyan was one of those mid-tier celebs. She bought exposure, but had no real path to fame.

Thinking about that, she sighed. “President Ming, what am I gonna do? If I don’t get famous soon, I’ll be stuck going home to inherit billions.”

Ming Muyao listened as she rambled on and on. The core message was obvious: she didn’t want to get married, she just wanted to date and use Ming Muyao’s fame to stay relevant. After all, even just going shopping with a small-time influencer was enough to get Ming Muyao trending.

“I’m afraid that won’t work.” Ming Muyao said calmly, “Trying to use me for hype isn’t going to help you. I’m a very traditional person—if we’re not getting married, then dating is just playing around. Besides, I’m already married. I’m definitely not getting involved with anyone else.”

“I know—it’s a secret marriage, right?” Fang Qiongyan propped up her chin with her hand, looking at her knowingly. “Everyone’s got a few little secrets. Home-cooked flowers are never as tempting as wild ones. You used to change girlfriends faster than I change photo shoots. It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

Ming Muyao thought to herself, Maybe the previous me really left such a bad reputation that she thinks, “I don’t mind her being trashy—why would she mind me?”

But the current Ming Muyao wasn’t the same person. The old one loved clubbing, spending money, and chasing Omegas—infamous and reckless. But the new Ming Muyao was perfectly happy staying in her lane with Su Yin, her cute little wife. She didn’t want anything else.

“Miss Fang, no matter what you think of me, I’m not getting involved with you.” Ming Muyao leaned back in her chair and said openly, “I have a wife. I’m not the same person I used to be. Whether you believe that or not, your proposal is off the table.”

Fang Qiongyan looked genuinely surprised. “Why reject me so fast? You could at least give it a shot. What if I turn out to be your type?”

“You’re not a snack. It’s not about being my type.” Ming Muyao said. “And anyway, I already have someone who is. So don’t force it, Miss Fang.”

Fang Qiongyan looked like she wanted to argue, but Ming Muyao cut her off. “This is a workplace. If you don’t have any other business here, please leave.”

As she spoke, she pressed the button on her desk phone and told her secretary, “Send someone to escort Miss Fang out.”

Having been so bluntly dismissed, Fang Qiongyan had no reason to stay. When the secretary opened the door, she shot a glare at Ming Muyao and stomped out of the office in her heels.

Five minutes later, the secretary returned. “President Ming, Miss Fang has left.”

Ming Muyao nodded. “If she ever comes by again, just say I’m not here.”

“Do you think she’ll really come back?” the secretary asked curiously.

“Who knows.” Ming Muyao leaned back in her chair. “Maybe.”

Aside from that little episode, the rest of Ming Muyao’s day went smoothly. The company was finally on track. All the struggling subsidiaries were being cut off, leaving just the tech company and the garment factory in the suburbs.

That factory had been around for years, and though it wasn’t glamorous, it used to be a major industry in the city. Ming Muyao had reviewed the records—it had over two thousand employees and currently handled both production and sales in-house, enough to break even.

Plus, she’d had the foresight to buy the land years ago through some legal but strategic means. The value had skyrocketed since. Even if the factory didn’t work out, selling the land would still be a huge windfall.

In that sense, the old Ming Muyao had at least had sharp instincts. She was bold enough to invest in land. And in a few more years, once the suburbs started expanding, that patch of land could turn into a billion-dollar deal.

Ming Muyao left work early. As soon as she got home, she caught the smell of food in the air and tried to guess what Aunt Chen had made today.

“There’s got to be braised fish at least,” she murmured to herself as she walked out of the garage—then spotted Su Yin sitting on the front steps, reading an English book.

As soon as Su Yin saw her, she stood up.

“What’s going on?” Ming Muyao looked at her curiously. “Why are you out here instead of inside?”

“I was waiting for you.” Su Yin looked at her, slightly embarrassed. “We had a mock exam today and got out early, so I thought I’d wait for you outside.”

“Exam, huh?” Ming Muyao smiled and walked up to her, taking her hand. “How’d you do?”

Su Yin shifted uncomfortably, letting Ming Muyao hold her hand, and looked into her eyes. “I think… it went okay?”