Chapter 100: Bringing Shame to the Song Family

Song Ning’s father held a certain position in the capital city—one not easily toppled. Even if he had indeed taken what he ought not to, and even if such matters came to light, they would soon be suppressed. Nothing would come of it, no storm would be stirred.

But if Qin Yu were to fan the flames from behind, then the outcome of this affair would only ever be one: the result Qin Yu desired.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. Once Third Brother acts, her father will be finished,” Bai Xu said with a grin. “Happy now?”

Lin Xi was silent.

Upon hearing the news, Lin Xi felt no ripple within her heart. She couldn’t say she was happy—after all, what did it have to do with her?

“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll hang up.”

“Hey,” Bai Xu called after her, “You’re really not excited at all?”

Lin Xi frowned. “What’s there to be excited about?”

“You know very well why Third Brother is doing this, don’t you? He could have easily stayed out of it, but instead he’s making a grand spectacle, and it’ll probably affect him too. Yet he insists on humiliating the Song family, tearing off the mask in public.”

“Tch, I think Third Brother might be crazier than I am.”

“And you—don’t you have any thoughts about this?”

He had said so much; it was impossible for Lin Xi to remain unmoved.

Her heart had always belonged to Qin Yu—it had never changed hands. Though she claimed she no longer cared, her heart betrayed her. Perhaps her words were true, but so was the contradiction within her. She simply hadn’t noticed it herself.

Bai Xu couldn’t claim to know Lin Xi inside out, but they were the same kind. He could guess most of her thoughts.

“No.”

“Tell the truth.”

“I am telling the truth.” Lin Xi glanced at the time. “I’m going to rest now. Anything else?”

“When are you coming back?” Knowing she didn’t want to hear about it, Bai Xu moved on. “Tomorrow? I’ll pick you up at the airport?”

“We’ll see. I’m still busy with work.” Lin Xi lied; in fact, she could return tonight.

But the capital was too chaotic now, winds rising and clouds gathering. She wanted to wait a little longer.

“Alright.” Bai Xu knew well it was just an excuse. “Let me know when you’re back.”

Lately, things had indeed become complicated. It was time to give the timid one a chance to digest it all.

—

The next morning at ten, Lin Xi heard her phone ringing and rubbed her aching brow. Her other hand fumbled across the cabinet for a good while before finding the phone.

The ringtone persisted, relentless.

She thought it was that nuisance Bai Xu again, but upon seeing “Deputy General Manager” in the contact notes, she instantly sobered; the haze in her eyes slowly dissipated.

“Hello, it’s me.”

Lin Xi turned on her side, pressing the phone directly to her ear.

“Engineer Lin, you’re still in Huaicheng, right?”

“Yes, is there something urgent? If so, I can return right now.”

“No, no, don’t come back yet!” The deputy sounded anxious.

“…What’s wrong?” Lin Xi asked, puzzled.

“Yesterday you and Engineer Chen were complaining about Huasheng in the group chat, weren’t you?”

Lin Xi recalled; yes, they had made a few comments. “We talked about it a bit. Is there a problem?”

“Someone leaked the chat. The manager of Huasheng’s R&D department called me first thing this morning.”

“You’re kidding.” Lin Xi steadied her phone, sitting up in bed. “That group is just our department’s work chat.”

No outsiders.

How could the chat records have been leaked?

“We haven’t found out who did it yet, but the manager showed me screenshots and was furious. The tone over the phone wasn’t pleasant. Since you’re still in Huaicheng, maybe you could meet him and explain?”

“Alright.” Lin Xi didn’t hesitate. “Send me his contact info and the screenshots.”

The deputy hadn’t expected her to agree so readily and, somewhat uneasy, reminded her, “Make sure you explain carefully. We’re still in the midst of cooperation… Please be considerate, Engineer Lin.”

Everyone in the company knew Lin Xi’s temperament. Not that she was especially ill-tempered, but her expression was often cold and her words sharp. Most of the time she meant nothing by it, but those unfamiliar with her couldn’t tell.

“I understand.” Lin Xi agreed because she felt responsible for what had happened.

The outcome didn’t matter to her—she hadn’t said anything inappropriate in the chat. But for Engineer Chen, it was different.

Engineer Chen seemed sharp but lacked cunning; he spoke his mind. Everyone in the department liked him, and he got along well with colleagues, so he never thought twice—whatever came to mind, he said in the group.

“I’m responsible for this too. I’ll handle it. No need to tell Cheng Si.”

The deputy didn’t immediately agree.

“How is Engineer Chen?” Lin Xi asked.

“He just left my office. He was quite upset. We don’t know who sent out the chat records, and I’m afraid he’ll clash with colleagues, so I gave him the day off.”

Lin Xi nodded. “That’s good.”

“I’ll call him now. If anything comes up, I’ll let you know.”

“Alright, alright.”

Lin Xi called Engineer Chen. While waiting for him to answer, she got out of bed and changed out of her pajamas.

“Engineer Lin.”

Usually, when Engineer Chen greeted her, he was cheerful, his voice laced with honest laughter. He was in his thirties but seemed livelier than her.

But now, his voice sounded lifeless.

Lin Xi sighed. “It’s fine. I’ll go explain to the other party. You meant no harm—just venting a bit after work. It wasn’t anything serious, no slander. They won’t mind.”

“Sorry for the trouble, Engineer Lin.”

“Don’t be. You were just looking out for me.” Lin Xi picked up her phone, speaking as she walked. “Don’t take it too hard. I’ll handle it. Get yourself together and come back to work. The department needs you.”

“As for the rest… we’ll talk in person when I’m back.”

“What bothers me most is that there’s a ‘traitor’ in our own department.”

“I understand.” That was what she meant by ‘other matters.’

“We don’t know who it is, or their motive. Don’t speculate. I’ll see if I can find out; if not, we’ll investigate together when I return.”

“Maybe we should let it go?” With such a fuss, Engineer Chen hesitated.

“If they can send screenshots to partners today, tomorrow it could be data sent to competitors.”

(End of this chapter)