Chapter 75: He’s Not Her Boyfriend

Yao Jia stood there, stunned, unable to respond for a long time.

After a while, she found her voice, though it carried a hint of hoarseness. “But these are mostly speculations for now. They can’t be considered concrete evidence. What if the boss of Xingbei Technology is someone else, and his voice just happens to sound a lot like Meng Xingzhe’s?”

Qiu Lishi shook his head. “Why are you so stubborn? Fine, let Uncle Qiu show you some solid evidence.”

He took the tablet from Yao Jia, operated it for a moment, and handed it back to her.

This time, it was the photo album interface. The image showed a large conference, with many people signing in at the entrance.

Beside the registration desk, two people were talking. Both were tall, dressed in suits, exuding an air of professionalism.

Yao Jia used her fingers to zoom in on the photo.

The faces of the two people became clear. Yao Jia saw that one of them was Bei Luonan, and the other was Meng Xingzhe.

Meng Xingzhe’s demeanor and attire were indeed different from usual. He looked like someone playing the role of a domineering CEO.

“Swipe down; there’s a video,” Qiu Lishi prompted from the side, adding a layer of suspense and gravity to the atmosphere.

Yao Jia almost held her breath as she swiped the photo to the left. Her actions mirrored her mixed emotions—confusion, contradiction, tension, and fear. She both wanted to avoid what she was about to see and desperately sought the truth, wanting to ease her aching heart yet also craving a definitive resolution.

The video came into view. Her fingers hesitated for a moment before pressing the play button.

A voice, accompanied by slight static and echo, filled the office as the video played. The sound and images surrounded Yao Jia, forcing her to confront an uncomfortable truth.

In the video, Bei Luonan stood on a brightly lit stage, introducing himself. “Hello, everyone. I am one of the partners at Xingbei Technology. My name is Bei Luonan. It’s an honor to be invited to speak at this Industry Summit. Actually, another partner was supposed to give this talk, but he’s not comfortable speaking in public, so I’m here in his place…”

Yao Jia couldn’t absorb the rest of Bei Luonan’s speech.

She thought numbly, so Bei Luonan wasn’t just a computer technician after all. He was one of the bosses of Xingbei Technology. Ling Xiaoxin must be quite influential to have a boss repeatedly fix her computer.

“Yao Jia, this was from an industry forum summit a while back. Do you know the specific day? It was the same day Meng Xingzhe was absent without leave. That morning, he actually attended this Industry Summit. You heard Bei Luonan say in the video that another partner was supposed to speak. That was Meng Xingzhe. From my analysis, since your father and I were also attending, Meng Xingzhe found it inconvenient to speak, so his partner, Bei Luonan, took the stage.”

Yao Jia turned to look at Yao Bingkun in confusion. He nodded at her, saying, “Yes, your Uncle Qiu and I were both there that day.”

Seizing the moment, Qiu Lishi took the tablet again, this time opening the product page of Xingbei Technology.

The page displayed a high-tech home appliance that Xingbei Technology was about to launch. Yao Jia had seen it before; two million people had already pre-ordered during the presale.

Qiu Lishi pointed to the pre-sale product and said to Yao Jia, “Look, this is the result and evidence of Meng Xingzhe’s three-month undercover stint at Kunyu Electric! The product Xingbei Technology is pre-selling was actually developed by one of our project teams at Kunyu Electric, and it hasn’t been released yet. I personally oversaw this project, and your father knows about it.”

Yao Jia looked at Yao Bingkun, and from his unyielding expression, she understood that what Qiu Lishi said was true.

“Meng Xingzhe managed to extract information from our technical staff and sent it back to Xingbei Technology, allowing them to launch their new product ahead of us,” Qiu Lishi explained to both Yao Bingkun and Yao Jia. “Look at how well it’s selling—over two million pre-orders! Yao Jia, tell me, with them doing this, what should we do with our Kunyu product? If we don’t continue, all our initial R&D efforts will be wasted. If we do continue, by the time we launch, Xingbei Technology will have already captured most of the market, and others might even accuse us of plagiarizing Xingbei Technology’s ideas!”

Listening to Qiu Lishi’s words, Yao Jia recalled how Meng Xingzhe had quickly befriended a director from the Technical Department soon after joining the Customer Service Department, dining and chatting with her.

This unspoken confirmation made her heart ache.

“I’ve been investigating privately these past few days. I heard that Meng Xingzhe is quite something. Knowing he’s handsome, he often invites female colleagues from various departments out for meals. He cleverly uses his looks to extract Kunyu Electric’s trade secrets from them!”

At this point, Qiu Lishi’s tone grew serious, almost pleading with Yao Jia. “I wanted to handle this directly with your father, but he said you wanted to protect him and promised not to interfere. So, Uncle Qiu is telling you directly now, child, it’s time you see Meng Xingzhe for who he truly is! You can’t keep defending him!”

Yao Jia’s heart sank heavily, as if plummeting thousands of meters into an abyss, shattering painfully at the bottom.

Is he really the boss of Xingbei Technology? Did he really come to Kunyu Electric as a corporate spy?

She couldn’t help but feel a cold admiration for him. How dedicated and hands-on he was.

Qiu Lishi left, but not before saying, “I’ll have someone gather evidence of Meng Xingzhe’s corporate espionage. Once we have solid proof, I plan to have the company’s legal department sue him.”

Yao Jia sat dazed on the sofa, her sluggish reactions barely shielding her from the sudden impact of the truth. It seemed that by being slow, she could avoid feeling the pain of the bleeding wound the truth had inflicted.

In her daze, she heard Yao Bingkun tell Qiu Lishi, “Don’t be hasty. Kunyu is preparing to go public. It’s best to take a long-term view on litigation matters.”

It was a long while before Yao Jia came back to her senses. She turned to look at Yao Bingkun.

The room was now just the two of them. She opened her mouth to ask, her voice tinged with confusion and a hint of vulnerability.

She asked her father, “Dad, what should I do now? What should I do about him?”

Yao Bingkun sat on the sofa, his hands resting on the armrests, exuding a mountain-like stability. He looked at Yao Jia, his expression serious and solemn.

“Expecting you to make a decision right now is asking too much. You’ve only heard one side of the story from Deputy General Manager Qiu, so you’re naturally resistant to accepting it.”

Yao Jia thought, how well her father understood her.

“So, before making a decision, if you want to verify it yourself, go ahead and do so.”

Yao Jia didn’t know how she muddled through the night. As soon as the sun peeked over the horizon, she got out of bed.

She meticulously washed up and carefully applied her makeup.

She put a lot of thought into choosing her outfit, as if she were about to face a harsh and ugly truth.

Therefore, she needed to be beautiful, to be radiant.

Fully prepared, she borrowed Yao Bingkun’s driver and car and headed to Xingbei Technology.

As she got out of the car, she thought to herself that this was already her third visit to this place.

Looking at the building’s entrance, she lifted her chin, ensuring each step she took was filled with pride and presence.

At the reception of Xingbei Technology, she handed over her business card. The title of Vice President Manager of Kunyu Electric immediately commanded respect. She smiled and asked, “Is your boss here?”

The receptionist quickly responded, “May I ask which boss you are looking for?”

She replied with a smile, “Any of them will do. I have a working relationship with your boss.”

The receptionist was about to invite her to the VIP lounge to wait, but she politely declined.

“I’ll just wait over there. That way, I can see your boss as soon as he arrives.”

Her words were gentle, yet carried a firm resolve.

The receptionist promptly acquiesced, inviting her to sit in the open guest area nearby.

She sat there, appearing calm and elegant, composed and at ease.

But in truth, her mind was blank, and her heart was uneasy.

She secretly hoped that when the two bosses of Xingbei Technology arrived, neither Bei Luonan nor Meng Xingzhe would be among them.

But her hopes were dashed.

She watched as Meng Xingzhe walked in, exuding confidence with every step. Her heart, which held a glimmer of expectation, sank heavily with each of his strides, as if his footsteps were treading on her heart, each step splattering blood, each step causing intense pain.

In his new attire, he seemed like a different person. His hair was slicked back, revealing a broad forehead, adding a touch of sternness and authority to his look.

His suit, tie, watch, and cufflinks were all top luxury brands.

He truly looked like a Domineering CEO straight out of a novel.

With a sense of desolation, she thought, so this is the real him.

He walked in, greeted as Manager Meng, shining and impressive.

Then he heard the receptionist mention someone was waiting for him. He turned his head and finally saw her.

In his eyes, she saw a fleeting moment of panic and fear.

But he quickly regained his composure.

She thought painfully, is this what men are like? Their past friendship, now exposed, only warranted a moment of his panic?

She smiled and asked him, “So, you really are the boss of this company?”

She wanted to hear his denial.

But he said, “Yes.”

She continued to smile and asked, “As the boss of Xingbei Technology, you concealed your identity to join Kunyu Electric. Do you have any explanation for that?”

She wanted to hear his explanation.

But she saw his expression remain unchanged, as he calmly and decisively told her, “No.”

She could no longer maintain her smile and stepped closer to him. Thanks to her high heels, the ten-centimeter height difference between them was reduced, making her upward gaze less like a plea.

Looking into his eyes, she asked again, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll sue you for industrial espionage?”

He met her gaze and said, “Then I’ll just respond to the lawsuit.”

She truly had no way to deal with him. She had given him so much leeway, yet he refused to accept any of it.

“Fine, I have one last question for you.” She thought if he could give her a positive answer to this question, she would choose to forgive him, no matter what he had done.

She raised her hand, gently poking his left chest, where his heart was.

“Is there any genuine feeling for me here?”

She saw him suddenly smile at her. He chuckled softly and said, “Yao Jia, oh Yao Jia, you’re the Kunyu Heiress. Asking for true feelings here in public isn’t appropriate, is it? How about we discuss this in my office?”

His tone was playful.

Yao Jia’s heart turned cold. She pushed him away and turned to leave.

She tried her best to maintain her elegance and composure. She wanted to leave beautifully, with dignity and decisiveness.

She walked through the corridor, the elevator, and out of the building with her head held high.

She found her father’s driver and got into the car as if escaping.

Her anger and sadness could no longer be contained, like a tsunami out of control, engulfing her.

She turned to look out the car window, her vision suddenly blurred. Through the watery haze, she looked at the ugly logo of Xingbei Technology.

Some past details surged to the forefront of her mind, and she could no longer hide behind ignorance, unable to reject the truth that had come to light.

No wonder they first met here. Because this was his company…

No wonder, when they first met, she said the Xingbei Technology logo was ugly, and he got so angry. Because that was his company’s logo…

No wonder he knew so much about professional and technical knowledge, able to converse with Yue Xuran, a professional, without missing a beat, even surpassing him in some areas.

No wonder he was so good at pretending. He wasn’t an ordinary person; he naturally had the capital to act superior.

No wonder at Kunyu Electric, he interacted with so many departments. He was stealing Kunyu’s information all along.

No wonder after her identity was exposed, he avoided her and ran away.

No wonder his company’s products suddenly improved, and sales soared. He even snatched Fang Jin as a spokesperson!

No wonder…

Her vision became completely blurred.

She turned her face away, lowering her head.

Tears fell straight down from her eyelashes.

Looking at the tears she had caused, she thought, Xingbei Technology, Xingbei… isn’t it just a homophone for Xing and Bei? It’s a blatant declaration that this company belongs to Meng Xingzhe and Bei Luonan!

Suddenly, she felt like a fool, and the entire Kunyu felt like fools, being manipulated by him.

She pounded her chest, feeling the pain so intense it was numbing, feeling suffocated. She was just a big joke, actually falling for a big liar, a big undercover agent!

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her phone and resolutely deleted and blocked all his contact information.

From now on, she would never pay attention to him again!

Meng Xingzhe watched Yao Jia’s decisive back as she turned and left, feeling a wrenching pain in his heart that almost made him double over.

He knew the meaning behind that graceful yet resolute figure. From now on, she and he would have no more ties.

He thought, isn’t this for the best?

Since she had a boyfriend, this was a perfect way to completely cut off his own hopes.

When she asked if he had any genuine feelings for her, he almost told the truth.

But he knew himself too well. If he left himself any room or hope, he would eventually do something unethical—if he didn’t force himself to give up now, he would eventually be unable to control himself and become the third party between her and Yue Xuran.

Then perhaps, it would turn two people’s happiness into a tragedy for three.

Rather than that, it was better to let them be happy. He thought to himself, how noble and grand he was.

So he refused to answer her truthfully. So she left with a decisive back.

He told himself, see, isn’t this better? Everyone suffers less in the long run.

He returned to his office with a somber face. No one knew how lost and chaotic his emotions were at that moment.

But everyone sensed his displeasure and avoided him, not daring to make a sound.

He sat at his desk in a daze for a while, then received several messages from Bei Luonan, who was on a business trip.

Bei Luonan: [Xingxing, I have something important to tell you!]

Bei Luonan: [Your audio from working as customer service at Kunyu was posted online by a female streamer. The streamer recently went viral, and the audio went viral too. Our company’s silly employees confirmed it’s your voice, the voice of their boss, and even came to me for verification! Buddy, I’m telling you, you better return to Xingbei quickly. The three months are up, the bet is completed, and if you don’t leave, your cover might be blown soon!]

Meng Xingzhe clenched his phone, grinding his teeth, thinking, if you had told me just one day earlier, I wouldn’t be in such a mess now!

Thinking it over, in the spirit of shared suffering, he replied to Bei Luonan: [I have something to tell you too.]

Meng Xingzhe: [I’ve already been exposed. Yao Jia knows my true identity. She’s probably already cut ties with me. So her little friend should soon know or already knows your true identity. If you don’t want to end up like me, you better hurry and apologize.]

Bei Luonan sent a screen full of expletives.

All morning, Meng Xingzhe was a mess. He either jabbed his hand with a fountain pen or scalded his lips and tongue with hot tea.

While he was hissing through his teeth to ease the burn, he unexpectedly received a call from Tang Xin.

He didn’t realize he still had the kind of relationship with Tang Xin where they occasionally called each other.

Tang Xin’s voice was lively and cheerful, as if she had just hosted a New Year’s Gala.

Her excitement propelled her speech at a rapid pace, and she rattled off, “Meng Xingzhe, I have great news for you! Yue Xuran is not Yao Jia’s boyfriend at all! He’s been pursuing Yao Jia one-sidedly, but he just told me that a couple of days ago, Yao Jia rejected him because she said she’s fallen for someone else! So now, even the one-sided pursuit is over! I’m about to launch a fierce attack on Yue Xuran, and since we’re in this together, I thought I’d tell you right away: Meng Xingzhe, you can openly make your move on Yao Jia now! Hurry up and act, because if you win over Yao Jia, I’ll have complete peace of mind in my pursuit of Yue Xuran!”

After a pause, she declared excitedly, “Oh, by the way, Meng Xingzhe, here’s a confidence boost for you. Yue Xuran told me that the person Yao Jia likes is you!! How about that? Surprised, aren’t you?”

Meng Xingzhe held the phone, completely stunned with joy.

It took Meng Xingzhe a long time to snap out of it.

In an instant, a whirlwind of emotions overwhelmed him.

Ecstasy surged through his heart—

Yue Xuran isn’t her boyfriend!

She likes him!

But immediately, panic overshadowed his joy, tormenting him to the point of restlessness, making him want to slap himself—

Could his mouth have been any more reckless? He had deliberately said so many hurtful things to her!

And those baseless accusations he accepted—was getting a chance to explain now as impossible as reaching the heavens?

He grabbed his phone to call her.

The beeping tone indicated he had been blocked.

He quickly sent a WeChat message.

Unsurprisingly, the chat window informed him he was no longer a friend.

What to do? What should he do now?

He threw the phone onto the desk, burying his hands in his hair, tugging at the roots, hoping to pull out the stupidity along with it. He messed up the hairstyle he had carefully arranged that morning.

After tugging at his hair for a while, he finally calmed down a bit.

There was no other way; he had to take a gamble.

It seemed the only way to get another chance to explain to her…

Was to first apologize to his old smoking buddy, Yao Bingkun, behind the ancient tree.

— Translator’s Notes —

• New Year’s Gala: Refers to the CCTV Spring Festival Gala (Chunwan), China’s most famous annual televised variety show broadcast on Lunar New Year’s Eve, featuring elaborate performances, celebrities, and cultural elements watched by hundreds of millions.