Han Muzi couldn’t help smiling, but her eyes reddened and the tears pooled in her eyes; they were transparent crystals sparkling in front of Yan. Reaching out, she pinched Yan’s cheeks; she put some strength into it until she saw Yan frowning from the pain, yet Yan remained silent.
“Does it hurt?” she asked.
Yan pouted and stared at her resentfully, then softly muttered, “Of course it hurts. Why are you pinching my face so suddenly?”
“If it hurts, then why aren’t you saying anything?” Han Muzi continued asking.
Yan was dumbfounded for a moment, then she seemed to realize the meaning behind Han Muzi’s actions. Angrily, she slapped away Han Muzi’s hand and turned away. “Meanie. You know I’m not as smart as you are, but you always lead me into a trap!”
“How did I lead you into a trap? I just pinched your cheeks. Why didn’t you yell out in pain yourself?” As she spoke, more tears filled her eyes. When Yan turned away, she felt that it was easier to talk that way, so she didn’t force Yan to turn back around. She continued softly, “The words I said to you; did you understand them? If you’re in pain, you have to let me know. If you don’t, nobody would know that you’re in pain. Just like this matter; you tell me that you want to resign, but you don’t tell me why. Then, you decide to stay on after considering my physical condition. Yan, aren’t we like sisters to each other? Best friends are supposed to support each other. It’s not a one-way street where you give all the time without taking. You will wear yourself out doing that.”
Yan’s shoulders shook slightly, but she didn’t say a word.
Han Muzi continued, “I’ve heard everything about your recent performance in the company.”
“Muzi, I…” Yan anxiously turned back her head. Only then did Han Muzi realize that her eyes were red as well. Did she turn around so abruptly because she was afraid I would notice?
“You’re a silly girl.” Although there were tears in her eyes, Han Muzi did her best to smile. “You don’t have to explain; I know you’ve been down in the dumps recently. Even though you’ve always told me that you will pace yourself accordingly, many things cannot be forced and need time to heal. Since you want to resign, I won’t stop you.”
Receiving her agreement so easily was unexpected, and Yan became flustered. “I’m sorry, Muzi. I was wrong… I don’t want to resign, I just—”
“I know,” Han Muzi interrupted her, then gently said, “I understand, so you don’t need to explain. Just do what you want to do and what you like to do. Don’t worry about me; I’ll handle things here somehow.”
“Muzi…” At this moment, Yan was regretting everything. Before this, she didn’t want to continue working because she was worried that her current state would cause even larger losses to the company. That was why she wanted to resign—so that Han Muzi could find somebody better than her to take over the management of the company. However, now that Han Muzi had agreed to it, she felt extremely flustered again. She wanted to say something to Han Muzi so that she could stay, but Han Muzi unexpectedly uttered, “You can pack your things and leave today.”
Yan froze in her tracks and stared at Han Muzi blankly. After a while, a single tear slipped out from the corner of her eye and slowly slid downward. Stepping forward, she gently hugged Han Muzi. “Thank you, Muzi.”
Feeling moved, Han Muzi willed herself to hold back her tears and patted Yan’s shoulders. “That’s enough; why are you being so emotional? Gather your stuff up quickly, then go back and rest well.”
“What will you do after I leave?” Yan’s voice sounded muffled as if she was about to cry.
“You fool, this isn’t something you need to worry about anymore. You’re resigning from this moment on, so the company’s affairs have nothing to do with you anymore. Don’t think about it and just let yourself relax.”
“I’m not worried about the company; I’m worried about you.” Yan pushed her away and stood in front of Han Muzi like a resentful woman. “Look at you; you’re pregnant! There’s already a lot of things going on; if I let you manage the company affairs too, you—”
Before she could finish, Han Muzi pushed her toward the sofa. “Go on. Pack up your stuff. Don’t think too much about everything else. This time, just have a good time. Although the company affairs have nothing to do with you anymore, know that if you ever want to come back, the doors are open to you at any time. However, I would prefer it if you go and do what you like instead. Stop sacrificing your precious time and needs for my sake.”
Yan, who was being pushed out of the office, cried even harder at her words. Sob, sob, where would I find another best friend like her? She nearly could not hold herself from dissolving into tears. But, after thinking about it, she held her tears in and did not cry. After all, she was at the company right now. If she started sobbing, then disappeared the very next day, Han Muzi would be painted in a terrible light.
On that very same day, Yan packed up her stuff and left the company. Han Muzi stopped Yan from handing over her work and tying up loose ends; she didn’t want Yan to be busy handling future company affairs right before she left. Instead, she paid Yan her salary plus a bonus, then sent her home.
After Yan left, Han Muzi became extremely busy. Since there was no hand-over of the work, there were many things that she was unaware of. So, she could only search it up herself; she also occasionally asked Leng Yueyue for help when she came across things she did not know.
Leng Yueyue was her fan. The moment she heard she was being called upon, she practically flew over.
“Yan has resigned from today onward. In the future, she is no longer a member of this company; if she tries to find out about how things are going in the company, you must not let her hear a single peep.”
Leng Yueyue let out a non-committal sound, completely unable to react to what she just heard. Is resignation something that occurs so quickly? “Why can’t I let her know? What if she—”
“If she calls you, just tell her that the company’s affairs are being handled smoothly. Don’t let her worry; if she asks any further, don’t tell her anything.”
Hearing those words, Leng Yueyue finally understood the meaning behind Han Muzi’s words. “I got it. You don’t want to let Yan worry about company affairs. Did you arrange for her resignation today as well?”
“Yes, I did.” Han Muzi nodded her head. “She has been down in the dumps recently, so I wanted to let her have a change of pace. Yueyue, you improve quickly and you are very enthusiastic about this job. Regarding Yan’s job…”
Leng Yueyue widened her eyes. “You don’t mean to hand the job to me, do you?”
The overly intense reaction made Han Muzi pause. Hesitating for a bit, she tactfully asked, “You’re… not willing?”
“I’m willing! I’m willing!” Leng Yueyue nodded vigorously, squealing in excitement. “I can’t believe you trust me this much! Of course, I’m willing!”
Han Muzi was too stunned to say a word. From her initial reaction, Han Muzi had thought that she was not willing to do it. I can’t believe she is so excited about it. After a moment, Han Muzi burst out laughing. “That’s great! Yan just left, and there was no time to sort out anything. For the next few days, I’m going to have to trouble you to work with me.”
