Upon hearing this, Huang’s mother became worried. "There are only a few days left. Can you make it?"
"I should manage if I put in enough effort."
She wasn’t satisfied. "Son, today is Christmas! Can’t you even spare time for a meal? If lunch isn’t feasible, what about dinner then? How about this: Qianqian and I will go shopping and have lunch, and you can have dinner with Qianqian alone in the evening."
"I have already made plans with three clients this evening. Mom, let me be clear: whether or not I succeed in my year-end sprint depends entirely on these three major clients. Otherwise, it will be impossible for me to maintain my top ranking in the group, and I’ll lose face."
Huang’s mother was helpless, then had a thought. "Son, you better not be lying to me about being tied up with work."
He was smiling. "Why would I lie to you?"
"Fine, if you say you have clients to attend to, there’s nothing I can do about that. However, Xiaojue, you must give Qianqian a gift to reassure her. She’s been with me since this morning trying to see you. It hasn’t been easy for her."
"Alright. I’ll be going to Hong Kong in a few days; I can pick up something for her then."
He shrugged. "I’m unprepared and incredibly busy right now. What else can I do?"
"You could get something temporarily; even a box of chocolates would suffice."
"Fine. Take her to the lobby on the first floor to get a box."
"That’s not acceptable! You’re just brushing her off..."
Just then, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he said quietly, "Look, a client is calling... I must go, Mom. I’m extremely busy..."
Huang’s mother left, disgruntled. Updates are released by novel⁂fire.net
As noon approached, Yan Xixi found herself unable to concentrate fully on her work. She decided to go to the breakroom for a coffee to perk herself up.
As she stepped out of her office, she paused and looked downstairs.
In the lobby, Huang Xiaojue was accompanying his mother and the beautiful young lady out. They were conversing joyfully, looking very close.
A silent sigh escaped her. She gave up on the coffee and returned to her office.
Just as she sat down, the phone on her desk rang. It was Huang Ying’s voice. "Yan Xixi, please come up to the eighteenth floor."
She perked up immediately. Why would Huang Ying want to see her personally?
The old lady was dressed in a flax-colored suit, with a gold pearl necklace and vivid red lipstick. Yan Xixi genuinely admired her fashion sense.
She handed Yan Xixi a contract and said with a pleasant smile, "Yan Xixi, congratulations on passing your probationary period and becoming a formal employee. This is your official employment contract; take a look."
Yan Xixi was thrilled. Seeing the salary and benefits she would receive as a full-time employee, her eyes sparkled. However, remembering Huang’s mother and the beautiful young lady, she hesitated. With the binding of the contract, it wasn’t just a matter of being able to leave whenever she wished. Deep down, she really did not want to work with Huang Xiaojue for long.
Huang Ying noticed her hesitation to sign but didn’t rush her. Instead, she said earnestly, "Yan Xixi, you ranked first in the three-month group assessment. Even someone as demanding as Fu Mei thinks you have potential."
Yan Xixi gritted her teeth, then picked up the pen and signed her name.
As she was about to leave, she turned around and bowed deeply to Huang Ying. "Thank you, Director Huang."
Huang Ying smiled. "Go on, get back to work. You can leave an hour earlier today. Make sure to have some fun."
The elevator stopped at the Staff Department on the sixteenth floor. Only then did a figure slowly emerge from the shadows.
Huang Ying stood up and greeted him courteously, "Boss Huang, what brings you here?"