Chapter Forty: A Farce

Sun Qian was no pushover. After being slapped twice by the other woman, she could hardly stay seated. She scrambled up from her chair and grabbed her attacker’s hair.

Chen Meihui seemed quite experienced in the art of confronting a mistress. "Who do you think you are, daring to hit me!"

As Sun Qian and Chen Meihui wrestled, the surrounding colleagues immediately cleared a path.

"This is explosive! I was wondering why she’s been decked out in designer labels lately. So, she’s been kept by someone."

Before the speaker could finish, someone next to them teased, "It’s the first time I’ve seen a mistress dare to fight back against the legal wife. Mrs. Li has been at this for years and has never lost a battle."

Amidst the gossip, Su Mian walked over, just as Sun Qian managed to yank the other woman’s hair and scramble to a safe spot. The moment Sun Qian saw Su Mian, she seemed to ignite.

"It’s all you! It must be your doing! Everything turned out this way because of you!"

Su Mian’s gaze fell upon Sun Qian. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes were torn, and her makeup was smeared, making her face look ghastly. Su Mian had only come over to see what was happening, never expecting to be randomly targeted.

"I don't care if you want to go crazy, but don't go splashing your dirty water on me. Besides, you spend every day accusing others of seducing this person or that person, yet you seem to be enjoying being a mistress quite a lot yourself."

These casual remarks from Su Mian only added fuel to Chen Meihui’s rage. Gasping for air with her hands on her hips, Chen Meihui lunged at Sun Qian again, grabbing her hair and raining down punches and kicks.

"You filthy slut! Trying to seduce other people and accusing others of what you’re doing yourself. I’m going to do the world a favor today!"

Sun Qian tried her best to resist, but the disparity in their size was too great, and soon she was the one being pummeled. The onlookers pointed and whispered, but no one stepped in to help. They didn't even dare to stand too close, as the fight was truly vicious.

It wasn't until a colleague noticed blood on Sun Qian’s face and several gashes on her body that the assault stopped. Chen Meihui didn't let up until Sun Qian lay on the ground, motionless.

"I’m here to give you a warning today. If you don't get rid of that baby, this is just the appetizer. There will be plenty of chances to settle this later."

With that, Chen Meihui straightened her hair, grabbed her bag, and walked away after throwing one last warning to the person on the ground.

Once she had left, the crowd gathered around. When they saw the face beneath Sun Qian’s disheveled hair, they were all shocked. Fortunately, the receptionist realized the severity of the situation and called an ambulance, and Sun Qian was soon taken away.

As soon as she was gone, the chatter grew louder. "My God, I always thought Sun Qian just had a loose tongue, I didn't realize her morals were so rotten."

"Tell me about it."

Su Mian hadn't left after her retort to Sun Qian. Xue Na from the investment department saw Su Mian and couldn't help but come over to vent. "You really can't make this up. Sun Qian used to go around saying Su Mian was a home-wrecker, spreading it all over the company. And look, it turns out she was the one playing the thief crying 'stop thief'—she was the real home-wrecker all along."

"I used to think that idiom only existed in fables. I didn't know it applied to real life too."

Faced with the teasing, Su Mian just smiled and turned to head back. However, Manager Ruan stepped in her path first, staring at the group with a stern face. "I hope everyone can keep this matter quiet. This company is not a place for you to gossip."

After Manager Ruan spoke, the crowd dispersed. Su Mian prepared to go back to her desk, but the manager shot her a sinister look. "Some people shouldn't be so quick to kick others when they're down. I suspect those rumors might not be entirely false."

Su Mian found the manager’s words inexplicable, but the woman’s expression was incredibly certain. Speechless, Su Mian turned and walked to her workstation. Manager Ruan watched her retreating back, clenching her fists with resentment. She had seen Su Mian and Lin Mu talking and laughing together several times. She had worked incredibly hard to climb to her current position, yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get close to Lin Mu—unlike Su Mian, who was just a newcomer. She couldn't accept it!

"What’s wrong with Manager Ruan? I remember you two didn't have any interaction before," a colleague whispered as Su Mian returned to her desk. They had all heard what the manager said.

Su Mian shook her head. "I’m not sure. Maybe she just thinks I shouldn't have been joining in the spectacle. But as for those so-called rumors, I don't care. The innocent will always be innocent."

Her colleague gave her a thumbs-up in admiration. Later, Su Mian immersed herself in her work. Near the end of the day, Huo Beihan sent her a location and a time.

"Got it, I’ll be there."

After replying, Su Mian finished her work. She packed up, went home to change, and hailed a taxi to the address Huo Beihan had sent. It was a high-end private club. From the outside, it looked like a hotel, but the interior decor was far more sophisticated and exclusive.

After getting out of the taxi, Su Mian sent Huo Beihan a message and walked toward the entrance. However, she was blocked by a waiter.

"Hello, please show your membership card, or provide your name and phone number."

Seeing that Su Mian was attractive, the waiter didn't immediately give her a hard time.

Su Mian shook her head blankly. "I’m sorry, I don't have one. I’m here to meet someone."

The waiter’s expression changed instantly. "In that case, please turn left at the door and walk three kilometers ahead. That’s the public consumption area. This is a private membership club; you can't just come in as you please."

"What?" Su Mian was stunned by the waiter’s attitude. She never expected such a rapid change in demeanor.

"I won't repeat myself. Please don't disturb my work." The waiter stood firmly in her way.

"I really am meeting someone. Or maybe I can come out later to get a membership card from them?" Fearing that Huo Beihan might be waiting, Su Mian tried to explain, but the waiter didn't listen and rolled his eyes.

Just then, a deep voice came from behind her.

"I wasn't aware there were such high requirements to enter."

Huo Beihan strode over, reached out to take Su Mian’s wrist, and glanced down at the waiter. "Are these the rules you set? Your boss didn't inform me."

The moment the waiter saw Huo Beihan, he panicked. "No, no, that’s not it, Mr. Huo! It’s just that we have so many people trying to sneak in every day, so we decided that..."

"Decided what?"

His eyes were piercing, making the waiter break into a cold sweat.