His Venomous Former Boss Chased Him And Beat Him Fiercely Chapter 4

Rejection—That’s My Privacy

After leaving Qiu Zhijie’s suite and separating from veteran employees like Rong Yu, the intern designers spontaneously gathered together. The moment they closed the door, they all let out a sigh of relief.

This shared sigh was so obvious that it caused everyone to laugh in unison.

Shi Ke was the last to speak, her smile fading slightly, replaced by curiosity: “By the way, is CEO Qiu always like that?”

“Like what? Sharp-tongued?”

Chang Ruixin chimed in: “Didn’t Sister Rong and the others say he was much better when Kong-ge was around? It’s a shame Kong-ge didn’t come this time.”

“What’s so regrettable about that? And how could CEO Qiu possibly change because of Kong…” A handsome young man with slender, upturned eyes interjected.

Shi Ke and Chang Ruixin exchanged a knowing look. This person, Wan Yongle, had joined in the same batch as them. He was quite good-looking, and initially seemed decent, but he appeared to have watched too many idol dramas, making his attitude toward CEO Qiu a little clingy.

No one responded to him. Shi Ke continued her sigh of relief: “Maybe it’s because we can go back tomorrow? Although we’ll probably get back late tomorrow, we have a whole day off the day after! And then it’s the weekend the day after that, hehe, I’m really looking forward to it.”

The people nearby cooperatively shifted the topic to holiday plans. Wan Yongle glanced sideways, his lips moving, but he eventually followed suit and changed the subject.

Shi Ke subtly scanned Wan Yongle, relieved. Fortunately, as long as they didn’t talk about CEO Qiu, this person seemed quite normal.

In the next room, Qiu Zhijie was unaware of this little interlude. He had already shut down his computer and phone and gone to wash up. In fact, he was in a good mood today. He could go back tomorrow. He planned to fly back himself, arriving in the afternoon, which would allow him to stop by the company.

Thinking of this, Qiu Zhijie finally let go of the input box that had been typed into and deleted repeatedly. He exited the chat window, his fingertip gently tracing the face of the person on his desktop wallpaper.

The small lamp by the bedside table cast a faint glow, but the phone screen’s brightness was superior. The light reflected off the edge of his finger, as if colored by the fair face on the screen.

The phone was left on the bedside table. Qiu Zhijie lay down and closed his eyes. The dim light on one side made the man’s profile clearer, the shadow of his eyelashes falling beneath his eyes.

The screen dimmed over time, displaying a very familiar face—Kong Xunwen, who had been briefly mentioned earlier.

Will I dream of you tonight, too?

*

The tricycle successfully carried Kong Xunwen through the village roads and into the bustling county town. This place already felt completely like a big city, though various tricycles and electric bikes zipped through it. Kong Xunwen’s tricycle only stood out because it was particularly old.

Although the journey had been smooth, Kong Xunwen decided to find a place to have it checked.

He soon found a repair shop by the roadside and parked his old tricycle nearby.

The owner, who was inside eating a bowl of rice, saw him, put down his bowl, and came out.

“Young man, need a repair? What’s the problem?” the owner asked immediately.

Kong Xunwen stated his request, said he would return later, and finally added, “I’m not in a hurry. You can finish your meal before checking it.”

The owner smiled: “Alright, young man, don’t worry. I guarantee I’ll find any little thing wrong with it.”

Bidding the owner farewell, Kong Xunwen went to find something to eat. After eating, he wandered around, bought a few things, and eventually realized he had walked too far. Fearing he wouldn’t make it back in time, he simply scanned a shared electric bike.

The owner had finished the inspection. Seeing Kong Xunwen arrive, he wiped his hands and said, “No major issues. You haven’t ridden it in a long time, have you? This kind of vehicle, any vehicle, needs to be ridden regularly. It’s all fixed up now. You can come back later to replace the battery.”

Kong Xunwen nodded, paid the fee, and exchanged phone numbers with the owner. He put the newly purchased items onto the tricycle, went to the express station to pick up the packages that had been sent earlier, and then visited the supermarket to buy the items he had noted down. With the tricycle fully loaded, he finally rode home.

The county town behind him was still lively, but the road ahead gradually became quiet.

It wasn’t until he reached the junction of the asphalt road and the flagstone path where he had returned that afternoon that he remembered something. At the time, Kong Xunwen had been in a bad mood and had only noticed the children and Yu He. Now he recalled that there was a large tree right next to them.

It was seven o’clock now. Many people were gathered under the tree, and lights were on, making it look lively. A quick glance showed they were all the aunties, uncles, and elderly people who had stayed behind.

Kong Xunwen frowned, wanting to avoid them, but this was the only way.

Finally, he had no choice but to brace himself and ride the tricycle forward. As he brushed past the edge, he was indeed called out, and he turned his head, putting on a polite smile.

“It’s Little Kong! We just heard from Aunt Yu that you were back. You really came back! Why the sudden return?”

“Yeah, didn’t you say jobs are hard to find now? You’re back, what about your job?”

“Little Kong hasn’t been back in ages. How long are you staying this time?”

“Aunt Yu just told us that young people need to be polite. You’ve been in the big city for so long, don’t you understand these manners? You need to set an example for our little kids.”

As soon as he stopped, a flurry of questions rushed toward him.

Kong Xunwen tightened his grip on the tricycle handlebars. He lowered his eyes, then looked up. Under the somewhat dazzling lights, these approaching figures crowded in.

He could tell that these questions weren’t born of genuine concern; they were merely wrapped in a candy coating of care, asking what they truly wanted to know. Perhaps because there weren’t many new things in the village, they were eager to chew on his fresh news.

“Excuse me, I have no obligation to answer strangers about my privacy.”

He spoke mercilessly, silencing the barrage of questions. His clear voice reached everyone’s ears, and the scene instantly fell silent.

Taking advantage of this brief quiet, Kong Xunwen quickly left the battlefield. Behind him, the noisy, crowded sounds soon resumed.

But Kong Xunwen could no longer hear them. His surroundings were quiet now, and he felt much more comfortable.

Riding against the wind, he passed the houses that had been quiet during the day, hearing unrestrained voices speaking in heavily accented Mandarin from inside:

“Aunt Yu told us everything! Didn’t I tell you to listen obediently? Your parents said to let you come over and play, but we don’t have time to look after you now. Aunt Yu is helping out. Don’t cause trouble for others, understand?”

Kong Xunwen couldn’t help but glance over. He saw the familiar little girl from earlier today. Her figure, which had seemed tall when shielding her younger siblings, now looked pitifully small.

The lecture ended. Seeing the small figure regain her lively bounce and disappear through the doorway, Kong Xunwen withdrew his gaze and rode home.

The tricycle was packed full. Kong Xunwen first moved the express boxes he had picked up later, setting them aside temporarily.

Three years had passed, and he had still left many things behind.

However, there was no rush to organize these items. Kong Xunwen turned back to take down the rest of the items on the tricycle—the appliances he had bought to replace the old ones, based on his notes.

Since he had done a general cleanup in the afternoon, it didn’t take much effort now. Everything was sorted out within half an hour.

Kong Xunwen, satisfied, hugged a pile of cardboard boxes and glanced around his room. It now looked like a place where a person lived. Today’s hard work hadn’t been in vain.

The express boxes were temporarily placed in the main hall. They contained things he didn’t need immediately, so organizing them tomorrow would be fine.

A sudden clap of thunder startled the sky. Kong Xunwen looked out the window at the sky and pulled out his phone to check the weather.

Ah, it’s going to rain tomorrow.

Fortunately, the rain was scheduled for the afternoon. He still needed to go to the county town in the morning to buy groceries and other miscellaneous items.

Returning to his room, he grabbed his pajamas and went to wash up. While showering, Kong Xunwen glanced at the bathtub beside him. It had taken him some time to clean it today. He definitely needed to find time to soak in it later.

His mother had insisted on installing this bathtub years ago, but it had later been enjoyed by Little Kong. Little Kong loved bathing here, clinging to the glass window to look out at the bamboo forest.

Kong Xunwen quickly showered, dried his hair, and, before lying down, wondered if he would have trouble sleeping tonight. However, the moment he lay down, pulled up the blanket, and closed his eyes, he fell into slumber.

He slept soundly, without dreams.

At five in the morning, the sky was still dark, and Kong Xunwen’s vision was also pitch black.

Logically, he should have been able to sleep a little longer, but Kong Xunwen closed his eyes several times and simply couldn’t fall back asleep. His mind was wide awake.

Finally, he sat up.

He instinctively reached out to ask the smart assistant to turn on the light, but just as he opened his mouth, he remembered he wasn’t in his rental apartment. Kong Xunwen stretched out his hand, fumbling with difficulty in the surrounding darkness.

I should find someone to install a smart assistant later, he thought silently.

The light flickered on with a click.

Kong Xunwen got out of bed and heated up the shaomai he had bought in the county town yesterday. He didn’t have much appetite in the morning, so he only ate two before changing clothes.

The express boxes contained seasonal clothes, some reference books, and miscellaneous items. They had been organized before shipping, so taking them out and arranging them now was effortless.

After finishing this, only an hour had passed. It was still early. Kong Xunwen rode the tricycle out again. On the road, he encountered other villagers going the same way, but they uniformly avoided speaking to him, not even offering a greeting.

Kong Xunwen had been mentally prepared for this when he spoke those words yesterday. If anything, he felt more at ease.

When the tricycle returned, it was full again. Kong Xunwen unloaded a pile of gardening tools. It took him most of the morning to tidy up the courtyard, which had been overgrown with weeds.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to manage once the rain started, and the sight of the messy yard would easily put him in a bad mood.

In the afternoon, the rain arrived as expected. Kong Xunwen moved a chair and sat under the eaves, just like when he was a child, watching the raindrops fall.

The crystal clear water droplets formed lines along the eaves, sometimes breaking as they fell. The cleared courtyard soil was exposed, no longer choked by weeds; it was now bare, save for a pomegranate tree and a few sweet osmanthus trees. As the rain fell, the soil splashed up. The scent of earth mixed with the faint fragrance left by the removed grass, and the sound of the rain rustled in his ears.

The sound of spring rain was the most pleasant—soft, seemingly containing the whispering sound of life sprouting and growing.

Kong Xunwen’s gaze was unfocused, lost in thought. He thought of his illness again, his emotions so complex that he couldn’t distinguish them himself. He blinked, staring at his fingertips for a moment.

He continued watching the spring rain, slowly emptying all thoughts and clearing his mind.

*

At the same time, Qiu Zhijie had just gotten off the plane. His personal assistant met him, holding an umbrella. The rain pattered down; spring was the rainy season.

He looked up and saw the rainwater running down the edge of the umbrella, forming a continuous sheet like a skirt. He bent down and got into the car, closing the door.

As the car drove, the windows fogged up. Qiu Zhijie took out his phone and checked the time. It was earlier than he had anticipated.