The Crybaby Mistress GL - Chapter 27

“Are you trying to drive me to an early grave?” Xu Fangting slammed her hand on the table when she saw that Chen Xin had fallen silent.

Chen Xin looked at her mother. She realized she could not continue avoiding the issue. Frowning, she asked, “Mom, where did you hear that? Who said such nonsense?”

“First, tell me whether it is true or not,” Xu Fangting insisted, determined not to let her daughter shift the topic.

After a brief pause, Chen Xin gave a slight nod. As soon as she did, Xu Fangting’s expression filled with disappointment.

Unable to bear that look, Chen Xin responded with frustration, “Mom, you already know there is no love between Luo Jie and me. A divorce is inevitable. We cannot go on like this, dragging each other down for a lifetime.”

“How could you spend two years together and still fail to develop any feelings? It is clear you have not tried to make this marriage work,” Xu Fangting scolded. She shook her head, believing her daughter had not done enough.

“In a marriage, a woman should put in more effort. She should learn how to win her husband’s heart. Instead, you are the one who rushed to bring up divorce. If you had given it more thought, would you still be saying there is no love between you two?”

After hearing this lecture, Chen Xin kept her head lowered and spoke with quiet frustration. “The feelings between us are not romantic. We are more like siblings. It is simply impossible for us to become lovers.”

Xu Fangting paused and studied her daughter carefully. Her gaze grew sharper. “Tell me honestly. Are you getting divorced because of that girl you are keeping?”

At that moment, Chen Xin knew who had reported everything to her mother. However, she set that thought aside for now. She let out a dry chuckle and dismissed the accusation. “How could that be? She is just a way to pass the time.”

“Is that really all it is? I heard you have invested quite a bit. You even moved her into an apartment and gave her a secondary credit card,” Xu Fangting said. Her finely lined eyes narrowed with doubt.

Chen Xin shrugged. “That is how things work these days. I know exactly how much she spends. The apartment is temporary. Honestly, I do not see why this is something to worry about. Luo Jie had several women at once.”

“That is not the same. What he does is irrelevant. You are a woman. How can you imitate that behavior? Do you understand how furious your father would be if he found out?” Xu Fangting’s brow furrowed tightly. “How did it come to this? How could you end up keeping a woman?”

Chen Xin gave a strained smile. “She just seemed interesting to me.”

Xu Fangting folded her arms across her chest and stared hard at her daughter. She clearly hesitated to ask the next question, but finally said, “Tell me the truth. Are you a lesbian?”

Chen Xin’s hand trembled as she held her teacup. A few drops of tea spilled over the rim and spread across the table.

For a moment, the mother and daughter were silent. They both lowered their eyes, watching as the tea gradually soaked into the wood. Chen Xin quietly reached for a tissue and began to wipe up the mess without speaking.

Xu Fangting released a heavy sigh, filled with suppressed emotion. “I knew it. No wonder you have no interest in maintaining your marriage.”

“This is a separate issue,” Chen Xin replied, her voice barely audible. She had no desire to continue this conversation.

“Enough,” Xu Fangting said. She believed she had found the root of the problem. Rising to her feet, she made it clear she no longer wanted to hear explanations. “Settle this before your father finds out. Do you remember what next month is?”

“I remember. Of course I do,” Chen Xin replied as she stood and walked her mother to the door. “Will you come with me to offer incense this year?”

“Naturally,” Xu Fangting said. Before leaving, she repeated her warning. “You must handle this quickly. As for your situation with Luo Jie, I am not scolding you. I trust that you can take care of it. At least make the effort. Do it for me, will you?”

Chen Xin could sense that her mother was deliberately avoiding the fact that she had just admitted to being a lesbian. In truth, she did not mind. She had no desire to continue this discussion anyway. “I have really tried,” she said quietly.

“Then show me results,” Xu Fangting responded. “Do not force me to step in and deal with this myself.”

At that moment, Chen Xin thought of Luo Jing. Her face grew solemn as she nodded. “I will take care of it.”

Xu Fangting gave her a light pat on the shoulder before leaving. But Chen Xin felt a deep weight settle in her chest. She rubbed her face in frustration. Seeing Assistant Li helping Xu Fangting to the elevator made her even more agitated. As soon as Assistant Li turned around, Chen Xin said coldly, “Pack your things. You are being transferred to another department.”

Assistant Li’s face turned pale. She had already suspected that Chen Xin would discover it was her who told Xu Fangting. She had assumed that out of respect for her mother, Chen Xin would overlook it. She never imagined the decision to transfer her would come so quickly.

“Miss Chen, I can explain,” she said, trying to defend herself. After all, it was Xu Fangting who had approached her first. As her boss’s mother, how could she have refused?

But Chen Xin no longer wanted to hear a word from her. As soon as the office door closed, Assistant Li lost her chance to explain. Being allowed to stay in the company at all was already Chen Xin’s final act of tolerance.

Troubled by the day’s events, Chen Xin felt restless. She reached for her phone out of habit but remembered that Luo Jing would still be in class. She set the phone down again.

She missed her dearly.

Even though Chen Xin wanted to see Luo Jing, a new case soon consumed all her time. Several days passed in the blink of an eye. This case was a significant one, and Chen Xin was determined to manage it well. She found herself making fewer phone calls. Chen Zheng placed great importance on this partnership with V Company, and the internal meetings were frequent and demanding.

Although Chen Xin was the one managing the company now, Chen Zheng’s influence still loomed in the background. Many of the senior executives had originally been loyal to him. He made regular appearances at the office. In many matters, Chen Xin could not act alone.

Just as Xu Fangting had predicted, only a week had passed before Chen Zheng personally brought Chen Weiguo into the company. Although he was given the modest title of team leader, no one dared take him lightly. His status was well known. He was placed directly under the V Company project.

The moment Chen Weiguo saw Chen Xin, he greeted her with a friendly smile. “Cousin, it has been a while.”

Chen Xin nodded politely. “Now that you are here, be sure to do your job well.”

“Of course. I will be relying on you to guide me,” Chen Weiguo replied sincerely. He was now working under Chen Xin and would need her support in many areas.

Chen Zheng, standing nearby, added, “She should help you. Come, let’s go have a look at your office.”

Under normal circumstances, a team leader would not have a personal office. However, Chen Weiguo was not just any team leader. At Chen Zheng’s insistence, Chen Xin had prepared one for him. This, of course, inconvenienced the team. Whenever they had questions, they would now have to go out of their way to find him.

Chen Xin had never enjoyed such treatment. She had entered the company through regular recruitment and interviews, starting from the very bottom. It took her three to five years before anyone realized she was Chen Zheng’s daughter.

Still, she saw no point in dwelling on this. She understood very clearly the differences between herself and Chen Weiguo. Comparing them would only lead to frustration. She had let go of that a long time ago. What did bother her, however, was how inexperienced Chen Weiguo was. His lack of knowledge forced her to work overtime more often, and as a result, she had even less time to speak with Luo Jing.

One weekend, after spending most of the day tied up at the office, Chen Xin finally managed to leave. Her first instinct was to go straight to the apartment, eager to throw herself into Luo Jing’s arms.

She did not expect to arrive and find the place empty.