The Bowl of Seven Emotions
Chapters ListChapter 95: Rumors
Tang Susu didn't have a strong impression of Lü Yao. She just thought Lü Yao was a bit aloof. If Secretary Wu hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have known that in just half a month, Lü Yao had become a Su Daji-like figure in the company.
The rumor was that a deputy manager from one department and a sales representative from another had both fallen for her. They'd bumped into each other while pursuing her, and as the saying goes, enemies meet with particularly red eyes. Fortunately, they both remembered where they were, so while they didn't come to blows, the atmosphere was quite tense.
That would have been the end of it, but Shi Chengxuan happened to stumble upon the scene, turning what was originally a small-scale gossip item into something the entire company knew about.
While no one dared to openly mention the Chairman's sudden appearance that day, it was enough to make Lü Yao instantly famous.
Secretly, some people were saying that the Chairman's appearance there that day was deliberate. However, such rumors were quickly suppressed. Tang Susu overheard someone mention it one day while having lunch in the company cafeteria.
So, upon seeing Lü Yao again, she couldn't help but scrutinize her. Having two pursuers within just half a month of joining the company showed that her looks were exceptional. She had a rather cold demeanor; standing in a group, one could immediately notice how she stood out.
Tang Susu didn't realize that while she was observing others, she was also being secretly observed.
The rumors about Lü Yao and the Chairman were just hearsay, but Tang Susu was different. She was demonstrably someone with an ambiguous relationship with the Chairman.
Now that she had been transferred to work directly with the Chairman, perhaps one day she would gain an advantage due to proximity.
The people in the secretarial department had complicated feelings towards Tang Susu. They worked together, so naturally, some close relationships should have formed. However, Tang Susu rarely participated in departmental gatherings. Coupled with her rapid promotion, before they had time to develop any camaraderie, she was transferred.
If she were exceptionally capable, it would be one thing, but it had nothing to do with competence. Anyone with such a person around would probably grumble a bit.
Sister Xu and the others exited the elevator first. As they left, Lü Yao turned back to glance at Tang Susu, her eyes seeming to carry a hint of provocation.
Tang Susu raised an eyebrow. Had she seen wrong, or misinterpreted it?
Unbeknownst to her, the group who had just left the elevator were currently discussing her.
"Did you see the necklace Xiao Tang was wearing?" someone mentioned.
"The ruby one? It's quite beautiful, sparkling all the time."
"Of course it's beautiful. It's the latest model from the Eternal Life series, endorsed by Movie Queen Shen. I inquired about it the other day; one necklace costs over a hundred thousand!" Sister Xu rolled her eyes at the speaker, her words laced with undisguised envy.
Although the salary at Di Jiang wasn't low, even if they could afford a necklace worth over a hundred thousand, they wouldn't be willing to buy it.
Look at her, casually wearing it. What could she say?
As soon as she finished speaking, Lü Yao said, "The one she's wearing isn't a standard model. It should be custom-made, costing no less than two hundred thousand, likely even double that."
"Really?" The group turned to look at Lü Yao simultaneously.
Lü Yao nodded calmly. "I wouldn't be mistaken." Then she asked curiously, "Is Assistant Tang's family very wealthy? The clothes she wears don't seem to be from any high-profile brands."
"Who knows? We're not familiar with her. But what necklace she wears and whether she's wealthy aren't necessarily related."
"What do you mean?" Lü Yao looked inquisitively at the speaker.
"What do rich people like to give women most? You don't know? Is Assistant Tang just anyone? It's not surprising for her to receive a necklace."
Lü Yao's eyes flickered. "You're saying… it was given to her by a pursuer?"
"What pursuer? It's more accurate to say it was given by the Chairman." Sister Xu interjected, having watched coldly for a while.
Lü Yao pursed her lips and glanced at Sister Xu. "The Chairman doesn't seem like someone who would do such a thing."
Sister Xu scoffed. "That's because you haven't seen much. The Chairman even put a flower in Xiao Tang's hair. Have you seen him exchange more than a few words with any other female employee?"
Sister Xu's dislike for Lü Yao wasn't a recent development. With her retort, the others couldn't say anything more and dispersed, returning to their work.
There were no fools in the secretarial department. Lü Yao was too naive, revealing her thoughts with just a few words. What she thought was subtle was, in the eyes of others, simply a joke.
Some were willing to humor her, but others weren't so inclined.
Lü Yao returned to her seat in silence, feeling somewhat embarrassed, sensing that everyone was laughing at her.
What was originally an internal matter within the secretarial department, having nothing to do with Tang Susu, somehow got out. The rumor spread like wildfire. Within an afternoon, the entire company was gossiping about Tang Susu being kept by the Chairman.
The several-hundred-thousand-yuan necklace she wore was the best evidence, and even her sports car became part of the proof.
The rumor sounded so real, even claiming she was first kept as a mistress and then brought into the company, her rapid promotion being the evidence.
Tang Susu, as the subject of this gossip, felt it sounded quite plausible. She almost believed it herself.
Fortunately, her workspace was on the top floor; otherwise, she didn't know how many people would come up to gawk at her that afternoon.
Secretary Wu naturally heard the rumor and her face darkened. The Chairman didn't know yet, and Tang Susu, immersed in her work, hadn't reacted, making it impossible to tell whether she knew or not.
Unbeknownst to them, the company's internal chat group, where Tang Susu was lurking, had exploded. These people seemed oblivious to the fact that one of the subjects of their gossip was right there in the group.
Rumors weren't something that would just disappear by dealing with a few people. Tang Susu and the Chairman's relationship hadn't been made public yet, and the spread of such rumors was a significant blow to a woman's reputation.
Even if their relationship were revealed in the future, some people would still cling to this point.
Secretary Wu went downstairs with a grim expression to investigate the source of the rumor, while Tang Susu didn't take it to heart. Being with Shi Chengxuan, she knew what she might face in the future.
This was nothing; the real storm hadn't even arrived yet.
For such rumors to spread within the company, the person behind it was likely a woman, and nine times out of ten, she had some designs on her current boyfriend. Moreover, the timing of the rumor was no coincidence, making her think of the colleagues she had encountered in the elevator earlier.
While Tang Susu was playing "guess who" on the top floor, Secretary Wu had already entered the secretarial department.
Her time in the workplace hadn't been long, and she could only rely on guesswork for many things. But Secretary Wu, as the Chairman's right-hand person, had a firm grip on the company, and that was no exaggeration.