Thirteen

Shenglian Tower, Building A, twenty-eighth floor.

“Wait… please, wait a moment…” The secretary’s anxious and helpless voice echoed, but the door to Xiang Zuo’s office was already flung wide open with a bang. Standing at the threshold, Mo Mo Zhang glared fiercely at Xiang Zuo, who sat behind his desk, her eyes blazing as if she could burn holes through him. “Xiang! What exactly are you trying to do? What do you want?!”

The embarrassed secretary retreated at the chairman’s signal, quietly closing the door with trembling hands. Before she left, she caught a low, calm voice from within, “Sit down. Let me finish reading this document.” Then came the clatter of objects hitting the floor in a chaotic jumble. The secretary didn’t dare linger, hurrying away to her own seat.

“What happened to Brother Tang Hao? He just argued with you in the restaurant, didn’t he? Is that reason enough to remove him from his position as factory director? How could you do such a thing?” Mo Mo Zhang’s eyes reddened; she leaned on Xiang Zuo’s desk, the document he’d been holding already snatched out of his hands and tossed to the floor with a sigh.

Xiang Zuo looked up, his gaze a mixture of pain and resignation. “Brother Tang Hao?” He sneered, but there was a trace of desolation in his voice. “So you’re here to accuse me on behalf of a man?”

Mo Mo Zhang could hardly believe that such a powerful man could show such helplessness, but it seemed a fleeting illusion. In the next instant, his face returned to its century-old calm.

“Fine, let me tell you. Tang Hao is a good employee, but he is not a good leader. Why does Dongyin Factory maintain strict product quality, yet its efficiency never improves? That’s closely tied to its management. Your Brother Tang Hao simply isn’t fit to be a factory director. Is that answer good enough for you?”

He spoke with unwavering certainty. Mo Mo Zhang was indignant, but before his righteous resolve, she found herself at a loss for words. She racked her brain, unable to swallow her anger. “Are you saying you dismissed him without a hint of personal motive? That it has nothing to do with me?”

“Yes! Of course it does!”

Mo Mo Zhang hadn’t expected Xiang Zuo to admit it so easily. His next words came out somewhat awkwardly.

“But you know perfectly well that Brother Tang Hao had nothing to do with this! He’s innocent!”

“Innocent?” Xiang Zuo let out a low chuckle and rose from his chair, pacing slowly to the window. He stood with his back to her, gazing into the distant sky. “Do you truly believe he’s innocent? Three months ago, the ‘Mo Mo Zhang’ he visited every day—does he even know who she really is? And you, you still refuse to admit it?”

A thunderous shock went through Mo Mo Zhang, and she staggered at the desk, gripping its edge for a long while before lifting her head. For a year, she had refused to acknowledge it, afraid to face the truth. Since her sister Nian Qing had been confined to a hospital bed, Brother Tang Hao had gone to care for her every day. She had deceived herself, clinging to the hope that perhaps in his heart, Brother Tang Hao believed it was Mo Mo Zhang he was visiting, that his feelings were those of a devoted brother. But deep down, she knew: if it weren’t for recognizing Nian Qing, he would not have returned day after day, unwavering.

He hadn’t exposed her, so she pretended he didn’t know. For this indulgence, should she blame him or thank him?

All her anger and resentment paled in comparison to the hollow embarrassment of being unmasked. Mo Mo Zhang fell silent for a long time, and at last, facing the unchangeable reality, lowered her head. She bit her lip, stepped toward Xiang Zuo at the window, stopping three paces away, breathing deeply several times.

“I know, this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have lied to you, shouldn’t have used this kind of deception. I can’t expect you to forgive me. But,” she wiped at the dampness at the corner of her eye, her lips trembling, “Brother Tang Hao really isn’t part of this. I swear, he knew nothing about it beforehand! He joined Dongyin Factory right out of school, worked his way up from an ordinary worker to machinist, then manager, and finally director—it took years. His whole career is here. It hasn’t been easy! I beg you, please don’t take this out on him. Punish me if you must, it’s all my fault, I lied to you, I shouldn’t have—”

As she spoke, Xiang Zuo suddenly turned from the window, seizing her shoulders in a grip so tight his fingers seemed to dig in. His resolute, handsome face shattered its mask of coldness in an instant. All the pain and sorrow gathered in his brow; his eyes shone red and wet, gazing at her with unfathomable complexity.

“Mo Mo, even now, have you never wondered—my anger may not be because of your lies, but… because of your heartless abandonment…”