Chapter 402: Chapter 401: Swaggering Through the Streets

The moment He Lang got back, he noticed Xue Yue was in a bad mood.

"What’s wrong? Did your boss chew you out at work?"

Xue Yue shook her head.

He Lang was surprised. "Then who made you angry? Is it that time of the month? No, that can’t be right. You should still have another week."

Xue Yue rolled her eyes. "You even remember my cycle so clearly."

He Lang chuckled. "Hey now, I’m just concerned about you."

Xue Yue huffed softly.

He Lang moved closer to Xue Yue, sat down beside her, and turned to look at her.

"So what’s really going on?"

Xue Yue sighed. "Someone at work actually started a rumor that Uncle Zheng and I have an inappropriate relationship. It’s making me furious."

Hearing this, He Lang’s expression darkened.

"Who’s spouting such nonsense? There’s such a huge age gap between you and Uncle Zheng. Anyone with eyes can see that’s ridiculous. Who has nothing better to do? Are they acting like I don’t exist?"

Xue Yue glanced at him. "Who there even knows who you are?"

"Still, I never expected this. People used to mistake Uncle Zheng and me for father and daughter, and I just pretended not to hear it. But this is just absurd."

He Lang asked her, "So how did you handle it?"

Xue Yue sighed lightly. "What could I do? My own power is limited, so of course, I went to my backer. The moment Uncle Zheng showed up, he scared her half to death. Then he had her position changed."

He Lang said angrily, "Why not just fire her? Why go through all that trouble?"

Xue Yue looked at him. "You think the office is our personal property? There are so many people, so many gossips. We can’t be too excessive. Besides, it’s better not to burn your bridges, just in case she decides to take me down with her. It’s not that I’m afraid of her, but I’m afraid of the trouble."

He Lang just stroked Xue Yue’s head, comforting her.

Xue Yue tilted her head and rested it on He Lang’s shoulder.

"Tired?"

"No. I just feel like human nature is so fickle."

When Xue Yue first started, she and Zhao Li got along pretty well. It was only later, when others grew jealous, that they had a falling out.

He Lang comforted her, "You just have to get used to it. Wherever there are people, there’s conflict. Just focus on doing your own job well. You can’t control what other people say, but some appropriate deterrence is necessary."

Xue Yue nodded. "Mm, I’ve been thinking about it. Maybe I was too much of a pushover before, which made people underestimate me."

He Lang knew Xue Yue too well. She was kind and generally didn’t want to make enemies, but she wasn’t to be trifled with. If you really pushed her too far, she’d show her claws.

"Work is work. Don’t be too nice to your subordinates. A carrot-and-stick approach is best."

He Lang was quite experienced in this regard. Subordinates were subordinates.

"Mm, I know."

The next morning, He Lang suddenly showed up at Xue Yue’s workplace.

Xue Yue was in her inner office, completely unaware of the sensation He Lang was causing.

With his hair slicked back, wearing a black shirt, a black suit, and black leather shoes, He Lang swaggered slowly from the main entrance all the way to Xue Yue’s office.

He stood before the door and knocked, even though it was wide open.

Hearing the knock, everyone looked over. When they saw the visitor, they were all a bit dazed. He Lang’s handsome face, combined with his outfit, was just too eye-catching.

He Lang looked at the people inside with a straight face and asked, "Excuse me, is Xue Yue here?"

Ding Ruzhi also snapped out of her trance. She stared at He Lang for a few moments before recognizing him.

She stood up. "Sister Xue is here. She’s in the inner office. You can go right in."

He Lang nodded at her. "Thank you."

Then he walked over, opened the door to the inner office, and went inside.

The people outside were still in a daze.

Deng Weiwei asked Ding Ruzhi curiously, "You know him?"

Ding Ruzhi said, "That’s Sister Xue’s husband."

"Huh?"

Deng Weiwei’s jaw dropped in surprise. It wasn’t just her; even Guo Zhaoyang was stunned.

"Sister Xue has been hiding him way too well, hasn’t she?"

’If I’d known her husband looked like that, I never would have suspected anything between Guo Zhaoyang and Sister Xue. With a husband that handsome at home, how could she possibly be interested in anyone else?’

"Ding Ruzhi, do you know what Sister Xue’s husband does for a living?"

Ding Ruzhi shook her head. "Sister Xue is very tight-lipped; I’ve never heard her mention it. But you can probably tell that Xue Yue obviously isn’t short on money. How much do we make, really? I’m guessing her husband is most likely a boss of some kind. Besides, that air about him isn’t something an ordinary person has."

Deng Weiwei nodded, completely agreeing with Ding Ruzhi.

Then she shot a glance at Guo Zhaoyang and scoffed, "Hmph, look at him, and then look at you. Forget it. There are plenty of good men in the world. I’m not going to hang myself over one crooked tree."

’I’m a victim of collateral damage,’ Guo Zhaoyang thought. ’I’m not that bad, am I? Compared to Sister Xue’s husband, I’m just a little bit worse off... Anyway, I think I’m pretty good-looking too.’

Deng Weiwei propped her chin on her hand and said wistfully, "When will I ever find a husband that handsome? I’d be willing to live on bread and water with him."

Ding Ruzhi said scornfully, "When looking for a man, how can you settle for just looks and no money? You have such low standards."

Deng Weiwei sighed. "Well, you can keep daydreaming then. A lot of rich guys are fat and paunchy. Finding one like Sister Xue’s husband is nearly impossible."

Ding Ruzhi glanced at the main office door and didn’t feel like talking anymore.

’It really is hard to find someone like that. Why don’t I have Xue Yue’s luck?’

Inside the inner office, Xue Yue was now sitting on He Lang’s lap, her arms around his neck. She kissed the corner of his mouth and said with a laugh, "Dressed so flamboyantly. Who are you here to seduce?"

He Lang chuckled lowly. "How about I seduce you?"

Xue Yue pretended to think for a moment, then caressed He Lang’s face. "Mm, you certainly have what it takes to be a heartbreaker. Hey handsome, how about a date after work?"

He Lang nodded. "As long as the price is right, I’m at your command anytime."

His teasing made Xue Yue roar with laughter.

He Lang quickly covered her mouth.

He whispered, "You should tone it down a bit. This is your workplace, don’t let anyone hear. I came here to establish your authority, don’t blow my cover."

Xue Yue said in surprise, "You’re telling me to tone it down? Look at how you’re dressed! Tsk tsk, parading around like this, you must have blinded countless young women. Are you here to establish my authority or to cause trouble for me?"

He Lang chuckled softly. "Well, someone was spreading rumors about you, weren’t they? I had to come and stake my claim, let them know you’re taken, so they’ll think twice before spouting nonsense in the future."

Xue Yue squeezed He Lang’s cheeks. "You’re too cute. For putting in so much effort, I’ve decided to reward you handsomely tonight."

He Lang’s eyes darted, and he leaned in to whisper something in Xue Yue’s ear.

Xue Yue’s face instantly turned red. She reached out and pinched He Lang’s ear, whispering, "You big pervert! I’m not doing that."

He Lang said with a smile, "But don’t you enjoy it too?"