Chapter 29

Chapter 29

You Nan went downstairs to walk Yao Xianqing out. When he returned, he noticed that the people in the company were giving him odd looks.

The receptionist averted her eyes the moment they made eye contact. Other colleagues who were passing by, previously chatting and laughing, clammed up when they saw him and scurried past.

You Nan’s heart sank. He had a gut feeling that the intern probably spilled something before leaving.

This feeling grew even stronger when he returned to his office.

Someone had been through his desk—the snacks he brought were all taken, not a single one left for him.

Although the snacks weren’t expensive, Yao Xianqing had bought them for him. What bothered him more was his colleagues’ attitude.

The office was dead quiet. Everyone kept their heads down, pretending to work at their computers, but there wasn’t a single sound of typing or the scratch of pens on paper.

They were all all ears, waiting for You Nan’s reaction.

You Nan looked around and saw nothing but the tops of their heads bowed low.

"Who took my snacks?" You Nan raised his voice.

No one responded.

"Nobody’s gonna own up?" You Nan bit his lip, his fists clenched at his sides. The open hostility made him feel suffocated. "The snacks may not be worth much, but taking without asking is stealing. Are you all too cowardly to own up to it? There are surveillance cameras in the office—I can check the tapes at the security room."

You Nan waited a few seconds. Only a few people snuck a glance at him, but they quickly averted their eyes and lowered their heads again.

Furious, You Nan stormed out of the office.

You Nan had always been quiet in the office, and everyone assumed he was unapproachable and a pushover.

He had shared snacks with them before. Sometimes, if they asked, he would give them some without ever refusing.

But this time, after his snacks were taken, he blew up.

As soon as You Nan left, the office burst into chatter.

One man stood up, made a move to follow You Nan and stop him, but others held him back.

"Why panic? Don’t go and out yourself!"

"Exactly, you took some, and so did we. Don’t worry!"

"But who took the last ones? Why not leave him a couple? Maybe he wouldn’t have said anything if there were some left." This person knew You Nan well—You Nan was generally kind to them and wasn’t usually petty.

Hearing this, everyone chimed in.

"I only took two."

"Me too. Brother Zhang, you were the last one to take some."

The man who had taken the last five packets of snacks flushed, though his dark skin hid it. He raised his voice defensively, "It wasn’t me. I only took one."

The snacks You Nan brought were brand-name, the real deal, and sold loose at fancy snack shops—expensive and delicious. The others bought them occasionally but not daily like You Nan.

The snacks You Nan brought each day would set him back thirty or forty kuai.

They were too cheap to buy that much but still craved the treats.

After much arguing, they decided none of them would admit to it. Aside from one or two timid, introverted colleagues who hadn’t taken any, everyone else had taken some.

Even if You Nan saw so many of them involved, he wouldn’t make a stink—unless he wanted to quit.

Besides, jobs were hard to come by nowadays. If they lost their positions at the Zhao family’s company, they’d be screwed.

But then someone remembered something and went pale. "It might be hard for us to find jobs elsewhere, but You Nan might not have that problem. Didn’t the intern say before leaving that You Nan is tight with not only our General Manager Zhao but also General Manager Yao?"

"Yao’s company is at least as good as ours, if not better."

The group fell silent at that.

Yeah, with someone backing him, losing this job wouldn’t be a big deal for him.

Instead, they should be worried about themselves.

"Would You Nan really go after us over a few snacks?"

An employee with extensive connections, who had just sent a message, piped up loudly, "Don’t worry! Don’t worry!"

His tone was almost gleeful. "I asked my buddy in security, and he said the camera in our office broke a couple of days ago and nobody’s fixed it yet. He won’t be able to get any footage!"

Hearing this, everyone felt a wave of relief, as if finding hope in a desperate situation.

"Talk about luck!"

"What can we say? He’s out of luck. Let’s forget about him and get back to work."

With that, they all returned to their seats, reassured.

However, two young employees sitting in the corner seemed uneasy.

This is messed up. You Nan hasn’t done anything wrong. Why is everyone bullying him like this?

As this employee said, You Nan went to the security room only to be told the cameras were broken.

You Nan let out a bitter laugh, his eyes welling up with emotion. "Why hasn’t anyone fixed them? How is it that they broke just these past couple of days?"

The security guard felt guilty but didn’t show it. He simply shooed You Nan away.

"Out of our hands. The repair technician isn’t available. He can only come to check tomorrow or the day after. You should go back."

You Nan clenched his fists, feeling the courage he’d mustered beginning to drain away.

You Nan wasn’t a fighter by nature. Years of living alone had exposed him to many hardships early on, and he knew that not everything could be achieved just by wanting it.

Gritting his teeth, he fought back tears.

Without another word, he turned and walked out.

As he passed the restroom, he went in to wash his face. The sound of running water couldn’t drown out the conversation from the next stall.

"Let me tell you, You Nan is really no good. Nobody in his department likes him."

Hearing his name, You Nan tensed. He shut off the water to hear the hushed voices more clearly.

When girls get together, they love to gossip. Not wanting to return to their workstations too soon, they lingered in the breakroom, chatting away.

They talked about You Nan's scandals, claiming he had poor character, that he had forced out an intern, and even ignored the intern's apology, and so on.

At first, You Nan felt shocked and hurt hearing this, but as he listened, he went numb.

The girls' words suddenly reminded him of his time working at the hotel.

Back then, too, someone had inexplicably started spreading rumors about him.

Although society now allows same-sex marriage between men, such marriages are still in the minority. The inability for male couples to have biological children remains a sticking point, which is why mainstream society still largely adheres to heterosexual marriage and traditional thinking.

Most same-sex couples tend to keep a low profile in public.

The rumor about You Nan was bizarre and had a weird, sensational spin to it.

The rumor was easy to clear up, and You Nan had explained it clearly. At the time, everyone claimed to believe him.

But people are like that—even if they say they believe you, who knows what they really think? The more others talked about it, the more they believed it and the more willing they were to discuss it with others.

Eventually, no one was listening to You Nan's explanations anymore.

You Nan overheard everything in the restroom but didn’t interrupt.

Only when he heard the two girls finish talking and prepare to leave did he quietly slip out before they could see him.

Connecting these two incidents, You Nan felt certain that the person spreading rumors about him was deliberately targeting him.

One try to pressure him wasn’t enough—they were trying again.

They were out to ruin him.

You Nan covered his face, hiding his reddened eyes.

He had no clue who he had pissed off.

The feeling of being exposed while the enemy remained hidden left him completely helpless.

Instead of returning to the office, You Nan headed to the stairwell. He sat on the steps, took out his phone, and scrolled through his social contacts.

When he left the hotel, he had exited all the group chats, but he still had everyone’s private contact information.

He messaged Sister Wang and Brother Li, whom he had been close with, hoping to ask for details about the rumors back then.

Sister Wang didn’t reply, and Brother Li’s chat window showed a red exclamation mark with the message: "They are not your friend. Please add them to start a conversation."

You Nan was stunned for a second before realizing Brother Li had already unfriended him.

He messaged others too, and except for Sister Wang, everyone else had silently removed him.

Well, not everyone—there was one person left.

Qi Yuwen’s contact was still in his list.

You Nan stared at Qi Yuwen’s profile picture, recalling the night he saw Qi Yuwen fighting with Yao Xianqing. His finger hovered over the screen, hesitating.

But now, aside from Qi Yuwen, You Nan didn’t know who else to turn to.

He wiped the moisture from the corner of his eye, took a deep breath, and worked up the nerve to open Qi Yuwen’s chat window.

He typed out a message: "Qi Yuwen, hello. I was wondering if you remember the rumors about me from when I was at the company."

Just half a minute after sending the message, his phone vibrated, the ring echoing in the empty stairwell.

Qi Yuwen didn’t reply with a message—he called directly.

Nervous and panicked, You Nan stared at the name flashing on his screen, not sure what Qi Yuwen wanted to say. Would he scold him for being with Yao Xianqing, or say something else?

You Nan hesitated but answered anyway.

As soon as the call connected, a man's voice came through, a little fuzzy from the connection, making it sound softer.

"You Nan, are they giving you a hard time over there?"

Hearing those words, You Nan’s tears started falling.

He always struggled to control his tears when emotional—he was quick to tear up.

He had never mentioned any of this to Yao Xianqing. Yao Xianqing didn’t know, and You Nan didn’t want to worry him. Among everyone else, Qi Yuwen was the only one who knew and still cared about him.

On the other end, Qi Yuwen waited but You Nan didn't say anything. He stood up and walked to a quiet corner.

He had missed You Nan these past few days.

Sometimes Qi Yuwen thought he was being ridiculous—first, he had liked Yao Xianqing, and then there was You Nan.

And it was only after You Nan had left his side that he realized it.

Even more absurd was that the person who had won You Nan over was someone he had once liked.

You Nan didn’t answer his question, instead asking if Qi Yuwen could help investigate who was targeting him.

That single sentence made Qi Yuwen clutch his phone tighter.

He was certain—You Nan had gone through this again at Zhao Jin’s company, and this time, it was even worse.

Leaning against the wall, Qi Yuwen lowered his eyes and spoke softly, confessing to You Nan, "I looked into it back then too. I paid several people on the forum—they were skilled, but none could track down who started it."

The hackers he’d hired on the forum were experts, but they all said it was the work of someone even more capable.

Qi Yuwen took a deep breath, unsure how to break it to You Nan. It was obvious the person’s goal was to ruin You Nan. Even if You Nan left Zhao Jin’s company and moved to another, the harassment would likely continue in the same way.

After a few seconds, Qi Yuwen said, "I haven’t been able to find them yet, You Nan. Give me another chance, okay?"

The words were kind of vague, hard to pin down.

It could refer to finding the person behind the rumors, or it could refer to their relationship.

You Nan rubbed his forehead, his hair falling over his eyes, hiding his emotions.

You Nan was already pregnant with Yao Xianqing’s child. He didn’t want to get involved with Qi Yuwen emotionally at this point. Their relationship was over.

"Thank you for your help," You Nan said softly. "Thanks a lot."

Qi Yuwen could tell he was being brushed off.

"I'm sure you're busy. I'll let you go."

After You Nan spoke, Qi Yuwen was silent. After waiting a couple of seconds, You Nan hung up.

Younan went to wash his face, then fetched some ice from the break room and applied it to his eyes in the stairwell. After waiting a while until no traces of crying were visible, he returned to the office.

The employees in the office had seen him storm out earlier and now watched him return with nothing accomplished, breathing a sigh of relief. Soon after, they felt pleased.

Especially those employees who were close to the intern quickly took out their phones and reported Younan’s behavior to him in real-time, giving him a play-by-play.

On the other end, the intern kept saying, "Good, good, good."

The thought of Younan, this "connection hire," being marginalized like this made him feel much better—downright satisfied.

Several work files belonging to others had been placed on Younan’s desk. He had just picked one up to look at it when he noticed that the title page bore not his name, but that of another employee in the department.

He overheard others talking: "Younan, I'm running behind on this file today. Can you help me out?"

Others chimed in to persuade him: "Manager Zhao always praises your ability and sense of responsibility during meetings. Can you help us, please?"

In the office upstairs, Zhao Jin was watching a surveillance video of the commotion in the accounting department downstairs on his computer.

The security guard had claimed the surveillance was broken, but in reality, the access was actually granted to Zhao Jin.

Besides this camera feed, there were several other split-screen views: the restroom sink, the deserted stairwell, and the break room that was never short of employees.

These were all places Younan had just been.

The surveillance audio was clear enough that Zhao Jin could hear every word Younan said, including his plea to Qi Yuwen for help in the stairwell.

And now, the majority of the accounting department ganging up on Younan.

The man put down the pen he had been writing with and looked up at the video feed, focusing on Younan’s red-rimmed eyes.

Suddenly, the bright, smiling face Younan had always shown when leaving his office appeared in his mind.

Zhao Jin pinched his own hand to snap himself back to attention. He licked his lips to moisten them.

He knew the personalities and backgrounds of everyone in the accounting department.

There was a girl who despised gay men, one or two seasoned slackers who loved taking advantage of others, someone who enjoyed secretly staring at people, and another who specialized in gossip and stirring trouble.

Altogether, they numbered five or six—a minority in the twenty-plus-person accounting department, but they were the important ones.

The rest were just a disorganized crowd, audience members on the stage Zhao Jin had set up. They were arranged to be the final straw that would crush Younan.

Zhao Jin had been monitoring the accounting department’s growing resentment toward Younan, subtly fueling it all along.

Playing with people’s minds and hiding behind the scenes was something he had mastered since his teenage years.

By consistently affirming Younan’s work while suppressing and comparing others, he fostered their dissatisfaction with Younan.

Once that dissatisfaction had built up, all it took was a spark for it to explode into a raging fire.

Seeing Younan isolated and helpless now, Zhao Jin should have felt satisfied with this scene.

But he didn’t.

It was strange.

It shouldn’t be this way.

He didn’t like seeing Younan with Yao Xianqing, didn’t want Younan to give birth to Yao Xianqing’s child, and couldn’t bear the thought of Younan and Yao Xianqing being tied together for life.

He wanted that child gone and Younan to be rejected by the other.

Achieving this was simple.

Life experience had taught him that the fastest way to destroy someone was to spread salacious rumors about them.

Whether the person denied or admitted it, explained or stayed silent, most bystanders would believe the rumors.

And Zhao Jin’s method had indeed succeeded.

He should have been happy.

Zhao Jin pinched the tip of his pen, realizing he couldn’t bring himself to watch what happened next.

Why? He couldn’t understand.

Younan glanced at the files—each one so thick that just one would take three or four days to complete, let alone so many at once.

These people were openly bullying him.

Younan took a deep breath.

What was he afraid of? He was leaving soon anyway. If everyone was discarding all pretense of courtesy, why should he care!

Perhaps he had already expended too much emotional energy today; their disgusting words no longer stirred any reaction in him.

Younan grabbed the neatly organized files, closed his eyes, and attempted a smile, though it didn’t quite form. Then, with both hands, he flung them forcefully behind him. "Whoosh—" The office was instantly filled with a blizzard of paper.

Everyone around was stunned, but the few who had tried to push work onto him were the first to snap out of it and explode.

"Holy shit, Younan! What are you doing? If you didn’t want to do it, you could’ve just refused! Are you insane? What’s with throwing everything on the floor?"

A man stormed over angrily. Before he could finish, Younan, eyes red, slapped him hard across the face with a loud "Smack!"

Younan was exasperated with his tear glands—just when he was finally building up momentum, they betrayed him again, making him cry.

Gritting his teeth, Younan took advantage of the man’s shock and slapped him again.

"Shut up!" Younan shouted through tears, stunning everyone in the room.

"You’ve gone too far! Every single one of you is bullying me! What have I ever done to you? Did I ever insult you or hit you before? Why are you treating me like this? Just because of those baseless rumors?"

Younan covered his face, his voice choked with tears, making it hard to speak.

After taking a few deep breaths and letting the tears fall, he felt somewhat calmer.

This time, Younan managed a faint smile. "If you wanted to know, you could have asked me! Why didn’t any of you ask? No one told me anything—everyone kept me in the dark."

"Now, it serves you right that I threw your things away!" Younan’s gaze swept over the man’s desk. He quickly walked over, grabbed the materials the man was using, and flung them aside too.

"Let me tell you, this is what happens when you bully me! I’ll make sure you can’t work peacefully either!"

Younan shouted, but it still didn’t feel like enough. He memorized the faces of those who had spoken up against him earlier and, while his sudden burst of energy had everyone stunned, he went after each one of them, overturning their desks.

Even if some reacted quickly and tried to stop him, they were no match for his fury.

You Nan flung without a moment's hesitation, decisively!

Papers snowed down all over the entire office.

Someone clenched his teeth and stepped forward to hit You Nan but was sternly stopped by someone from outside.

"Stop! What's going on here!"

The newcomer was none other than Zhao Jin, who had just come downstairs.

Seeing You Nan driven to a desperate state in the office, choosing to go down with his colleagues, his eyelids twitched and he immediately stood up to head downstairs.

But he was too late—You Nan had already thrown everything, and the reckless person who charged forward had already been struck by him.

"President Zhao! Look at what You Nan did!"

The man struck by You Nan, upon seeing Zhao Jin, rushed forward as if seeing a savior, pointing at You Nan and recounting his "good deeds."

You Nan rarely got into physical fights; he rarely conflicted with others.

It was the first time he felt such a rush.

You Nan turned sideways, looked toward the man at the door and Zhao Jin. His gaze swept past Zhao Jin, apparently unconcerned about his arrival.

Yet Zhao Jin frowned slightly. When You Nan’s eyes swept over him just now, he had the illusion he was seen through.

"These are your own tasks—everyone should handle their own work." You Nan looked at the man who had complained, speaking without shying away from Zhao Jin's presence. "President Zhao, they forced their work onto me. When I refused, he tried to teach me a lesson. I threw them in self-defense—accidentally."

"And they’ve been spreading rumors about me, saying I have a relationship with you!" You Nan’s eyes locked onto Zhao Jin. "President Zhao, one’s reputation matters. I may not care about mine, but your status is higher. You shouldn’t let such disgusting talk tarnish your reputation."

As soon as You Nan finished speaking, someone jumped to deny, "Nonsense! All of this was thrown by You Nan himself!"

"What evidence do you have?" You Nan’s eyes were still red, his voice choked with sobs, making him look pitiful. Yet his attitude toward others had changed in an indefinable way.

"Surveillance? Video? Recording? Do you have any?"

You Nan’s words plunged everyone into silence.

The surveillance footage was broken, and none of them had thought to record You Nan with their phones.

At that moment, they had nothing to use against him.

Zhao Jin’s face darkened. Everyone expected him to be angry with You Nan, but instead, he directed his criticism at them: "Focus on your work and stop stirring up trouble. You’re here to work, not to fight."

"Whoever is responsible for these things on the floor should pick them up. Finish and submit them by the deadline."

His words caused several people’s faces to fall, but none dared to refute. They could only watch as Zhao Jin walked away.

They were seething with regret.

All they could do was crouch down to pick up their reports, straightening them as they picked up, deeply regretful.

No one dared to confront You Nan again.

Hadn’t they seen how fiercely You Nan went off in the office? Even the management seemed to back him!

How could they compare to You Nan?

With the office colleagues subdued, You Nan’s efficiency soared that afternoon. He finished the day’s work well before the end of the workday.

He even had free time to message Yao Xianqing.

Yao Xianqing was in a meeting when he heard the custom ringtone he’d set for You Nan. Multitasking, he flipped his phone over in front of his subordinates to chat with his beloved wife.

The subordinates still in the meeting room: "..."

What? Just because you’re the boss, you don’t have to take the meeting seriously?

You Nan: "I’ve finished my work. Are you busy today? Do you need to work overtime?"

Yao Xianqing tapped on the screen: "It’s not too bad today, but I might be home a bit late. I’ll send the driver to pick you up."

You Nan replied immediately: "Okay!"

Yao Xianqing’s lips curved upward: "You seem to be in a good mood today?"

You Nan acknowledged, "I had a rather friendly exchange with my colleagues at work today."

Yao Xianqing laughed and sent three clapping emojis.

"Awesome!"

You Nan put down his phone. When quitting time arrived, he packed up and stood. His colleagues around him were still toiling away, inwardly cursing at the instigator who could leave on time.

But as if You Nan sensed it, they saw him pause at the door and smile at them.

"The snacks you took from me were expensive. Could you please return them tomorrow? If you’d rather not, remember to send me a red packet."

You Nan sighed. "If the numbers don’t add up, I won’t do much—just cause a scene and slap people, you know. If you can’t stand me, you can complain to President Zhao. But since you all think there’s something shady between us, you might assume he’ll take my side."

"No worries, you can give it a try. Maybe he won’t side with me after all."

After speaking, the smile faded from You Nan’s face. He turned and left the office directly.

The remaining colleagues in the office stared at his departing figure, not daring to say a word of protest.

"Why did you have to provoke You Nan!"

"Now look what happened! It’s all your fault—my reports are all messed up. I can’t even sort them out!"

"You went and mistreated him too—you got what you deserved!"

The few most vocal people in the office began arguing, eager to vent all their frustration on each other.

As soon as You Nan returned home, 007 immediately got up to greet him.

007 ran to the scratching post, making a "scratch-scratch" sound, waiting for You Nan to come play with him.

You Nan put down his bag and went over to stroke the kitten’s fur.

"Xiao Nan, are you unhappy?"

The sensitive cat 007 purred while asking.

You Nan didn’t hide it. "Yeah."

He recounted his experiences at both companies to his little partner 007, who listened with wide eyes, fur bristling with anger.

"Meow!" 007 was so furious he didn’t even let You Nan continue grooming his fur. Lifting his short legs, he charged toward the door. "These people have gone too far! I’ll teach them a lesson!"

You Nan was deeply moved by how fiercely protective the kitten was, but he quickly stepped forward to scoop up the kitten, stopping 007's impulsive behavior. "Alright, alright, don’t be angry. I already gave them a lesson today."

007 was still fuming. Even though held tightly and unable to move, it continued to mutter and complain, baring its teeth, looking fierce. "How could they treat you like that!"

"If they were here right now, I’d definitely make them pay!"

You Nan was both amused and exasperated. By now, his emotions had stabilized, and he had a suspicion about who was behind it.

He immediately shared his thoughts with the kitten, distracting 007 from its fighting mood.

007’s eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

You Nan wasn’t entirely sure. "It’s just a hunch, but Qi Yuwen hired several skilled hackers and still couldn’t track down the person’s location or information. It seems like this is someone really skilled."

"Ah! I see!" The kitten’s voice softened, and You Nan detected a note of confidence in its voice.

He was surprised. "Can you find them?"

007 puffed out its chest. "Of course! I’m a system, after all!"

It immediately began connecting to the world’s network, searching for any clues, all while keeping up the chatter with You Nan. "But if it were anyone else, they’d have to win me over with plenty of treats! And even then, I might not help!"

The kitten sneaked a glance at You Nan, and seeing his awestruck look, its vanity swelled. "Hmph! So you see how good I am to you!"

You Nan was quick to play along, his eyes crinkling into a smile. "Thank you, 007. Even if you don’t find anything, I’ll open a can for you tonight."

007 couldn’t help but lift a paw to wipe its drool, nodding excitedly. With its high-level system permissions, it was practically all-powerful in this small world, and it had already found some clues. "No problem, no problem. I want the quail flavor."

You Nan laughed. "Deal!"

You Nan went to the kitchen to cook. Just as he finished preparing two dishes, 007 dashed in, its eyes sparkling. "I found it! And I even found evidence of Zhao Jin’s wrongdoing!"

You Nan’s eyes lit up, then dimmed again.

Although he had suspected Zhao Jin, he still found it hard to accept.

In the original story, Zhao Jin had always quietly protected Yao Xianqing. He never expected Zhao Jin to have such a sinister side.

It felt disorienting to him.

007 collected all the evidence it could find of Zhao Jin spreading rumors about You Nan and setting traps for him—videos, photos, and even audio recordings of Zhao Jin manipulating others.

You Nan went through each piece of evidence, feeling nothing but pure disgust.

The trust he had once placed in Zhao Jin now turned into sheer aversion.

You Nan saved all the evidence, planning to have it out with him once and for all.

When Yao Xianqing returned home that evening, he noticed his husband seemed upset. He rolled over and pulled You Nan into his arms, placing a hand on his stomach.

"What’s wrong? Who made our Xiao Nan angry?"

You Nan pursed his lips, thought for a moment, but shook his head. He wanted to wait until Zhao Jin confessed before telling Yao Xianqing.

You Nan turned to face Yao Xianqing, and the two held each other closely, their breaths mingling.

He let himself be completely comforted by Yao Xianqing.

The next afternoon, Zhao Jin sent messages to both Yao Xianqing and You Nan, saying he wanted to apologize to You Nan for the department’s behavior.

.

Yao Xianqing asked for You Nan’s opinion, and You Nan agreed.

That day turned out to be the most satisfying day You Nan had experienced since joining the company.

News of his one-on-one showdown with an entire department the day before had spread, and the gossip about him within the company died down completely.

Some of those who had gossiped about him the most now steered clear out of guilt, afraid of being slapped.

After all, the person who had been slapped still had a red, swollen face at work that day, a clear indication of how hard You Nan had slapped him.

You Nan didn’t care about their opinions. When he entered the office, he found his desk covered with snacks.

Some of the colleagues had attached sticky notes or written apologies on the snack boxes, admitting their mistakes.

You Nan saw them all. He took them off his mental list of those who had sincerely apologized, while the others would later face lawsuits for defamation.

With no one in the office sabotaging him or being nasty, You Nan focused entirely on his work. He was so busy that he didn’t even have time to go upstairs and confront Zhao Jin until after work.

You Nan wasn’t in a hurry. There was plenty of time, and they would have opportunities to deal with it later.

That evening, Yao Xianqing picked him up from work and even had the driver bring 007 along to tag along for dinner. The family of three went together to the restaurant where Zhao Jin had invited them.

Zhao Jin was already there.

The man wore a gentle smile, still appearing polite and well-mannered. You Nan observed him closely—based on appearances alone, no one would suspect such a man could be so calculating.

Zhao Jin ignored You Nan’s scrutiny and handed them the menu. "Take a look and see what you’d like to eat."

You Nan didn’t move. He was now wary of Zhao Jin and stayed on guard.

Yao Xianqing took the menu instead, chatting with Zhao Jin while checking off dishes that he and You Nan liked.

007 was sniffing around the private room, but Zhao Jin ignored it.

The food arrived shortly after.

Zhao Jin’s main purpose for the meal was to apologize to You Nan.

His attitude was sincere. "Xiao Nan, I’ve been too busy lately with other company matters and business deals. I didn’t have time to manage the people under me, and I’m very sorry for the trouble it caused you."

Zhao Jin proposed a solution. "I’ll have them write self-reflections and apologize to you in front of the entire company. How does that sound? We can also discuss compensation for emotional distress and other damages."

You Nan didn’t need money now—he just wanted an admission of guilt.

Since Zhao Jin was willing to apologize and offer compensation, even though You Nan disliked him, he wouldn’t refuse.

You Nan held Yao Xianqing’s hand and nodded in agreement. "Okay."

The matter was settled for now.

But You Nan knew that Zhao Jin’s excuses were merely a way to cover his own tracks.

The person who owed him the biggest apology was Zhao Jin himself.

The three ate, drank, and chatted, as if their relationship were back to normal.

Midway through the meal, Zhao Jin’s phone rang. He gave an apologetic smile at Yao Xianqing and You Nan. "I’ll take this outside."

Yao Xianqing nodded, "Okay, go ahead then."

As soon as Yao Xianqing left, and the private booth was left with just him and You Nan, he immediately moved closer affectionately to pour juice for You Nan. "Babe, have a drink."

You Nan didn’t refuse his kindness and took a few sips.

Yao Xianqing sighed beside him, "It’s so much better when it’s just the two of us. It's awkward having other people around."

He then turned to ask for You Nan’s opinion, "Right, babe?"

He held You Nan’s chin. You Nan was still sipping his drink and looked at him in confusion, only to see the man lean in and give a quick kiss on the corner of his lips.

Yao Xianqing’s sudden affectionate move in public startled You Nan, causing his cup to wobble slightly and spill some drink onto his clothes.

Yao Xianqing immediately stood up, instantly apologizing, "Babe, your clothes are dirty. Let me take you to the bathroom to clean up."

You Nan refused outright, without hesitation.

If the two of them went into the bathroom together, who knows when they’d emerge.

Ever since Yao Xianqing started driving their relationship, he’d been full of creative ideas in intimacy, but he’d held back because You Nan's pregnancy hadn't reached three months yet.

Still, his usual lingering touches and teasing were already hard to handle.

You Nan bit his lip and pushed Yao Xianqing’s face away, but the other man grabbed his hand instead. Yao Xianqing stared into You Nan’s eyes and, right in front of him, kissed and then licked his palm.

The wet feeling made You Nan’s eyes widen in shock.

He couldn’t help but lower his voice, urgently hissing, "We’re in public! In public!"

Not at home! And "007" is still here!

Yao Xianqing, of course, knew. The man smiled, looking exceptionally handsome, distractingly handsome.

On the other side, "007" had already consciously turned its chubby rear end toward the couple, firmly refusing to watch their interaction.

Ugh! This is too much for a cat to see!

You Nan struggled out of Yao Xianqing’s embrace. "I’ll go to the bathroom and clean up myself."

Yao Xianqing still wanted to follow but was pushed back into his seat by You Nan. Suddenly, his lips met a softness—You Nan’s kiss felt like casting a spell on him.

"Be good, wait for me to come back."

Since You Nan said so, Yao Xianqing naturally agreed.

The man nodded but still demanded a few more kisses before letting go.

As the private booth door opened, "007" quickly jumped off the sofa and scampered out with You Nan, rubbing against his leg.

You Nan first went to the bathroom to clean his clothes, then headed with "007" toward where Zhao Jin was.

Zhao Jin was still on the phone, talking to a business associate.

Just as he was speaking, the door to the hallway outside opened, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw You Nan walk in.

"Alright, that’s settled then. I have something to attend to here, so I’ll hang up now."

After finishing his call, Zhao Jin hung up.

Zhao Jin hadn’t expected You Nan to come find him on his own. His intuition told him that You Nan had sensed something was off about him, but he wasn’t worried at all. He had covered his tracks completely; there would be no evidence left for anyone to find.

But Zhao Jin, in his arrogance, failed to realize that there’s always someone better, and in this case, a cat with special abilities.

All his traces had already been recovered by "007" using its formidable special capabilities.

The man before him appeared calm and composed, a look of confusion on his face, and he even asked kindly what was wrong when You Nan approached.

This only made You Nan feel even more disgusted.

So fake! So good at pretending!

How could he maintain such an innocent facade in front of the very person he had bullied?

You Nan closed the door and walked up to Zhao Jin, standing face to face with him. However, he remembered his identity as a tasker—he had to act reasonably and logically, without alerting the other characters to anything unusual that could lead to his elimination.

You Nan took a deep breath and met Zhao Jin's gaze directly. "Zhao Jin, it was you, wasn’t it? Spreading rumors about me at my previous company and at this company?"

As You Nan spoke, "007" had already activated the system’s audio and video recording.

Of course, Zhao Jin wouldn’t admit it. The man looked astonished, perhaps with a hint of genuine emotion.

"What are you talking about? What rumors?"

You Nan didn’t let his counter-question throw him off. His back straight, the evening breeze brushed against his face, stirring the hair on his forehead. You Nan’s fair skin, under the fading blue sky, made his features appear even more innocent and attractive.

Black hair, red lips, and clear, bright eyes.

"You must be very jealous of me," You Nan said calmly. "You’ve liked Yao Xianqing for so long, but now he’s with me. So you wanted to ruin me."

"You ruined my job, my reputation, and wanted him to abandon me. But he didn’t. So you still want me to disappear, don’t you?"

You Nan phrased it as a question, but his tone was calm and factual, as if stating something ordinary.

"You knew about everything happening at the company. Xianqing says you have great management skills—how could things have gotten so messed up? It was clearly intentional."

"You wanted to get rid of me so you could be with Yao Xianqing yourself."

You Nan continued, staring steadily into the man’s eyes.

Their eyes remained locked, not breaking apart for half a minute.

Zhao Jin’s expression changed when You Nan accurately pointed out his hidden feelings for Yao Xianqing—something no one else had known.

The polite smile disappeared from his face, and the man stared expressionlessly at You Nan.

"What proof do you have?" he asked.

These were the same words You Nan had asked yesterday when he slapped someone in front of him.

But yesterday, that person had no evidence. Today, You Nan did.

You Nan smiled, having expected the man would deny everything.

He pulled out a small, stuffed pouch from his pants pocket. Unfolding it, it became an A4-sized flexible folder.

You Nan took out the evidence inside, showing each piece before Zhao Jin’s eyes. He wasn’t afraid that Zhao Jin might get angry and try to destroy the evidence. "You can try to take these from me if you want. If I have one copy, I have a second."

"Let's see who's faster—you, or my email to the police."

Zhao Jin's expression darkened completely upon seeing this damning evidence.

You Nan also has some capable people around him.

Did Yao Xianqing hook him up with them?

Zhao Jin didn't know.

At this moment, Zhao Jin's urge to shut You Nan up hit an all-time high.

But as soon as he took a step toward You Nan, letting some murderous intent show, the 007 who seemed to be running around nearby was the first to rush forward.

007 jumped up to scratch Zhao Jin's face, but it misjudged the distance between them. Instead of leaping high enough, its claws ended up clawing fiercely at Zhao Jin's crotch area.

Zhao Jin's sinister expression faltered, and he instinctively stepped back, but it was too late. The kitten had already scratched him, ripping through his pants.

Feeling the pain, Zhao Jin, not caring about anything else, reached out to push 007 away. Seeing the adorable, plump little cat about to be attacked, You Nan, as a cat owner, went into instant protective mode!

He immediately took two steps forward and, taking advantage of Zhao Jin being distracted by 007, slapped Zhao Jin twice across the face with quick backhanded strikes.

Instantly, Zhao Jin's face turned red and swollen.

"You piece of work!"

You Nan yelled.

007 quickly followed up, jumping back and landing steadily.

It stared at the slap marks on Zhao Jin's face, its eyes widening in surprise.

"Damn! You Xiaonan, the face-slapping maniac!"

You Nan's furious expression almost cracked at 007's remark.

Zhao Jin missed his target below and got hit in the face, and was even called an awful guy.

The man's face twisted in fury.

Humiliated and enraged, he clenched his fist and was about to punch You Nan in the stomach, but at the last second, he pulled back.

Zhao Jin's eyes reddened with pain.

"You think I won't lay a hand on you?"

"If I didn't want to hurt Yao Xianqing, you'd already be gone."

You Nan was still useful—he was carrying Yao Xianqing's child. Zhao Jin could wait until You Nan gave birth before dealing with him.

That's what Zhao Jin thought.

Yao Xianqing had been waiting in the private room for quite some time, but neither his friend nor his wife had returned.

He immediately sensed something was wrong and frowned.

Sensing he might be getting played, he went out into the hallway to look for them.

As he turned the corner to approach, Zhao Jin, who was facing the door, spotted him. You Nan, with his back to the entrance, was unaware that Yao Xianqing had come out to find him.

Zhao Jin narrowed his eyes, and another idea came to him. He immediately took action.

Zhao Jin suddenly reached out and grabbed You Nan forcefully. The man’s strength was immense, pulling him roughly against his chest. You Nan couldn’t break free at all, trapped in Zhao Jin’s tight grip around his waist.

"What are you doing!" You Nan shouted in shock. His free hand instinctively swung up, slapping him across the face.

The commotion between them drew Yao Xianqing’s attention from outside.

You Nan!

Yao Xianqing’s heart leaped in alarm, and he quickly turned back to look for him.

When he rushed over and pushed the door open, the first thing he saw was Zhao Jin holding his You Nan, grabbing his chin and forcing a kiss on him.

In that single glance, Yao Xianqing was instantly seized with jealous fury.

But You Nan was faster.

You Nan felt utterly sick to his stomach, wanting to vomit. He still remembered 007’s earlier move, and he directly lifted his leg and kicked again.

He sent the unprepared Zhao Jin stumbling to the ground.

Yao Xianqing stepped forward and threw several punches at Zhao Jin.

His anger was boiling over; Yao Xianqing’s usual gentleness turned to ashes. His face was terrifyingly dark, and he bloodied Zhao Jin’s mouth with his punches.

Zhao Jin didn’t fight back at all upon seeing him.

Worried that Zhao Jin might be beaten into unconsciousness, You Nan quickly rushed forward and hugged Yao Xianqing, anxiously calling his man’s name.

"Xianqing! Stop, don’t kill him."

Hearing the panic in his voice, Yao Xianqing realized he had frightened You Nan and immediately released Zhao Jin, who was dazed and in pain. He tightly embraced the panicked You Nan, comforting him.

"Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I’m here now."

I shouldn’t have let you come out alone. I should have been with you.

It’s my fault.

Yao Xianqing couldn’t help but squeeze You Nan tighter.