Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Close to eleven, Xie Qingyue sent me a message.

[Are the interview results out?]

I stared at those words on my phone and suddenly found it both infuriating and laughable.

He had been almost entirely in charge of this round of recruitment. He had even suggested, during the final admissions stage, that they add a researcher with overseas study experience.

And now he was putting on this act in front of me.

Had his cleverness backfired on him?

Or did he really take me for an idiot?

I forwarded him the text message saying I had been rejected after the interview.

Three seconds later, a long string of replies came in.

[It’s okay. This is normal. The laboratory’s standards have gotten stricter lately.]

[Focus on preparing your dissertation. If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask me. There’s no rush to find a job. I’ll help you.]

[I’ll be back late tonight. Get some rest first, and don’t overthink things.]

…

That night, Xie Qingyue did not come home. As expected.

The next day, I went as usual to discuss revisions to my dissertation with my doctoral advisor. Just as we were wrapping up, he asked me to join him at a dinner with some friends.

“Oh, right. They happen to be people from Jiang University Laboratory. We can ask why they rejected you. If we’re going to lose, we might as well know exactly how we lost, right?”

I was just about to refuse, but the words took a turn at the tip of my tongue. “All right.”

That was the first time I met Fu Yao.

She wore a simple white dress, her long black hair twisted into a low bun, revealing a fair, delicate nape. She looked gentle and virtuous.

The person who had organized the dinner was a senior from our program who had graduated years ago.

He was in charge of a project at the laboratory and wanted my advisor to offer some guidance when the time came.

“This is Fu Yao, the newcomer just assigned to our project. She came back from overseas, so I brought her along to say hello to you.”

He glanced at Fu Yao with satisfaction, then lowered his voice and continued, “This one was specifically kept on by Junior Brother Xie. He’ll be here in a bit. She’s new, so we’ll still need you to give her more guidance.”

“Hello, Professor Zhang. I’m Teacher Xie’s high school classmate.”

Fu Yao lifted her glass. It was filled to the brim with a vivid red liquid. “Because I don’t have much hands-on experience, Teacher Xie and the others have all been very accommodating toward me, so I’ll have to learn a lot from you as well.”

Her words sounded humble and eager to learn, but every line was hinting to us that she was a well-connected hire who had the ability to get in through the back door.

Whether she sincerely wanted my advisor’s guidance, or whether she hoped my advisor would turn a blind eye during the project, I think everyone present knew perfectly well.

My advisor frowned slightly, lifted his gaze to look at her, then looked at me.

Then, perfectly composed, he set his chopsticks down on the table. “So that’s how it is. No wonder you people don’t even think a PhD from Jiang University is good enough.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of the door opening came from beside us.

Xie Qingyue had arrived.

In all the years I had known him, I had almost never seen him lose his composure.

No matter the occasion, he always appeared calm and polite.

But now, he stood in the doorway, frozen for a full five seconds.

Even his hand tightened unconsciously around the door handle.

“Lin Xi?”

Xie Qingyue’s expression was tense, and even his voice trembled slightly.

The corners of my lips lifted, and I gave him a faint smile. “What? Are you that happy to see me?”

“You two… know each other?”

That senior didn’t know about my relationship with Xie Qingyue.

In the end, that was my fault.

Back then, Xie Qingyue had been so outstanding that I hadn’t wanted others to think every success I achieved was because of him.

Of course, the current Xie Qingyue wasn’t bad either. Otherwise, how could he have so easily blocked off the very path I wanted to take?

I said nothing, only turned my head and quietly looked at Xie Qingyue.

He froze again, his expression somewhat unnatural. “This… This is my girlfriend.”

Fu Yao’s expression changed abruptly. Then the corners of her mouth curved slightly, as if in provocation.

She poured herself another glass of wine. “So you’re Ah Yue’s girlfriend. Then let me toast to you both. Since we’ll inevitably be working in the same place in the future, we’ll have to help each other out. I’ll thank you in advance.”

I lifted my glass slightly and smiled. “There’s no need to thank me. After all, I didn’t give up that spot voluntarily.”

Fu Yao’s wineglass jolted sharply, and in an instant, red liquid stained the front of her white dress.

Xie Qingyue’s hand, just reaching to pull out a chair, stopped in midair.

The private room fell silent at once.