Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

Before Mu Tongrui went to work at Fu Corporation, she visited a pharmacy nearby to purchase some 24-hour emergency
contraceptive pills.
There were many public elevators that were under maintenance early in the morning. It was also at peak hour, coupled with the
fatigue from last night that left Mu Tongrui feeling very weak. She was unable to squeeze with the others in the elevator. She
looked at her watch and thought that she was going to be late when she saw Xiang Nanqian passed by. She smiled and said, “I
heard that you quarreled with Lingye last night. Is that true?”
Mu Tongrui pursed her lips and looked pale. She saw Xiang Nanqian pressing onto the button of the private elevator. Xiang
Nanqian laughed and said, “See you later. I will not be waiting for the elevator with you.”
The private elevator door opened. Xiang Nanqian wore her limited-edition Jimmy Choo's and walked into the elevator, with
others casting envious glances at her. She stepped inside confidently and smirked at Mu Tongrui.
When the private elevator door open, Mu Tongrui saw Fu Lingye standing inside.
He looked at her with his usual expressionless face. Just when the door was about to close, he stretched out his hand to stop the
door from closing shut.
The door opened once again. He locked his eyes on her, “Come in.”
It was not certain who he was talking to. The other female staff standing together with Mu Tongrui were flushed with excitement,
thinking that Fu Lingye were talking to them. They were about to step into the lift when Xu Kun stopped them. He said with a
taciturn look, “Not all of you, just her.”
Xu Kun pointed directly at Mu Tongrui. Mu Tongrui froze and stood outside the door. She did not plan to enter the private
elevator. She would rather squeeze with others on the public ones than use the same one with Fu Lingye and Xiang Nanqian.
She did not want to be the third wheel.
Fu Lingye saw Mu Tongrui's pale face. He frowned and said impatiently, “I asked you to come in.”
Mu Tongrui balled her fist. She felt anger and injustice rising in her heart. When Fu Lingye ordered her like this, she felt angrier.
However, if she did not go up with him, he would make things even more difficult for everyone else. She could not possibly
quarrel with him in front of so many employees. She had no choice but to step into the private elevator.
When the elevator door closed again this time, Mu Tongrui could hear the despicable, negative remarks that were hurled at her.

“Who on earth is she? I saw her talking to Ms. Xiang earlier. How was she also able to take the same lift as the President?”
“Isn't Mu Tongrui Yeshao's girlfriend? How did she get involved with the President?”
“She really is a wench!”
.........
The elevator doors close, separating them from the incessant, nosy chatter outside.
Fu Lingye stood at the back of the elevator. Mu Tongrui and Xiang Nanqian stood in front because they came in later.
There was an uncomfortable silence in the elevator. Mu Tongrui stared at the red numbers changing as the elevator rose. She
hoped that it would go faster.
After arriving at the 60th floor, the elevator door opened. Mu Tongrui rushed out as though it was torturous spending every
second in the elevator. After Xiang Nanqian came out, the door closed once more. Xu Kun looked at Fu Lingye and asked him
cautiously, “Boss, do we let Miss Mu go off like this?”
Fu Lingye asked Mu Tongrui to enter the private elevator in front of everyone. It was obvious that he wanted to let everyone
know that Mu Tongrui was a special person in his eyes. However, Xu Kun was not sure what his boss was actually thinking. He
thought that his boss wanted to take the opportunity to ask Mu Tongrui to come up to the President's office. He did not expect to
see her leave like this.
The two of them did not exchange a word in the elevator.
They did not even exchange glances.
Fu Lingye kept his steady gaze, his eyes cold and calm. He spoke indifferently, “Are you going to do her work for her then?”
“......”
Xu Kun did not know what to say. He touched his nose awkwardly.
He did not understand what his boss was doing. His boss asked Mu Tongrui to take the same elevator as him. That meant that it
would invite a lot of unnecessary gossip from the other staff in the company. Seeing how his boss appeared aloof, it seemed that
his boss did not have the intention to protect Mu Tongrui after all.

Upon arriving at the 66th story, the elevator door rang open. Fu Lingye walked out of the elevator and instructed Xu Kun
following behind him, “Those people who were engaged in the nosy chatter and gossip earlier, report them to me.”
Xu Kun was startled. He could hardly respond to what Fu Lingye was talking about. He could not remember who those people
were. It was only after a while that he got what Fu Lingye meant, when his boss mentioned those few female staff to him.
However, he really did not see clearly who they were.
“But there are so many staff. I am afraid it would be difficult to find out who were the ones who said those things.”
Fu Lingye stopped in his tracks. He shot a glance at him, “There are surveillance cameras around. Do I need to teach you how to
look at them?”
Xu Kun broke into a cold sweat, “...... Yes, yes, yes. I will do it immediately.”
.........
Once Mu Tongrui entered the Creative Department, Xiang Nanqian dumped a stack of documents on her and ordered her
arrogantly, “Bring them to the documents room on the 20th floor.”
“Now?”
“Of course. I want them delivered to me within 10 minutes. The data room needs these documents urgently.”
Mu Tongrui frowned and endured the persistent body ache. She carried the documents and walked out.
Xiang Nanqian held onto her arm and called out in a prickly tone, “Why? Are you not willing to deliver these documents? Wasn't
it enough pretending to be weak and vulnerable in front of Lingye earlier? Are you still pretending?
Mu Tongrui let out a deep sigh, “Ms. Xiang, I am not pretending to be frail. I am not feeling well today.”
Xiang Nanqian did not want to believe her. She said coldly, “So what if you are not feeling comfortable? Does that mean you
should not work?”
“I did not mean that. I will send these documents over now.”
Mu Tongrui carried a heavy stack of documents and rushed over to the Creative Department.

When she got to the elevator door, she realized that the elevator was still in the midst of maintenance work. Even the private
elevator was undergoing maintenance too. Xiang Nanqian must have known about this and did this to her on purpose!
Enduring the discomfort, Mu Tongrui carried the documents and returned to the Creative Department.
Xiang Nanqian was not surprised to see her walk back. She said, “Why haven't you sent the documents over?”
“The elevators are still undergoing maintenance work. I see that these documents are not that urgent, so I will go over later when
the elevators are working.”
Xiang Nanqian shouted at her in front of everyone else, not caring about Mu Tongrui's image. “Who are you to decide if the
documents are urgent or not? I said they are! I do not care if the elevators are working or not, so you would better send them
over now!”
Mu Tongrui clenched her fists.
Xiang Nanqian snorted and said in disdain, “If you feel that you cannot continue with this job, then you can resign anytime.”
Mu Tongrui bit the bullet and grabbed the documents. She left the Creative Department without looking behind her, taking the
emergency stairway.
Xiang Nanqian sneaked a smile. It was going to be physically exhausting for Mu Tongrui to carry the documents down from the
60th to the 20th floor and then make the trip back up.