Chapter 17: My First Day

The next morning, Tong Xueyou took me to work in the fashion-design department.
My position? Departmental assistant.
The word “assistant” alone put me in a bad mood.
She handed me over to some manager or other, who promptly called in a girl about my age named Xiao Huang. Apparently, she was the current departmental assistant, and from now on we’d share the work. The manager told her to take good care of the newcomer and help me settle in.
Given who I was, people kept stealing supposedly casual glances at me from the moment I entered the office. Xiao Huang busied herself bringing me tea and tidying my desk.
“Yijun, let me introduce you to everyone first.”
She had a sweet smile. We made our way around the desks, with her introducing each person in turn. Everyone stood up to greet me, all smiles and eager nods, as though I were their new boss.
My manner had always been rather haughty, especially with strangers. The whole thing might as well have been an inspection.
By the time we’d finished the circuit, I’d already forgotten who was who.
According to Xiao Huang, our main duties involved passing documents between departments, keeping attendance records, taking meeting minutes—all sorts of fiddly little tasks.
“Nothing to do with fashion design?”
She nodded.
Leaning back in my chair, I wondered what on earth they were thinking.
“All right. Go and get on with your work.”
A wave of my hand dismissed her.
“Of course. This afternoon, I’ll introduce you to people in the other departments.”
She returned to her desk.
A few clicks brought me onto QQ. Jiajia happened to be online, so we started chatting.
“You’re at WORK?”
An exaggerated shocked face followed the message.
“Is that so surprising? I was bound to start at the company sooner or later.”
“Is working fun?”
Jiajia was a year younger than me and wouldn’t graduate until next year.
“It’s all right.”
“I met a cute guy recently. He’s asked me out. Should I go?”
The memory of her looking utterly lovestruck as she danced at the party came back to me.
“The one you danced with?”
“So you noticed! Come with me, please? It’s our first date. Going on my own would be awkward.”
Nothing else to do, so why not?
“When?”
“Tomorrow afternoon, two o’clock. Kongque Lou.”
Another message followed immediately.
“I’m thinking of wearing that purple dress. What do you think?”
“Yijun.”
Xiao Huang approached with a pink folder, apparently bringing me something to do.
But I was talking to Jiajia.
“I’m busy. Come back later.”
A stern look sent her away.
Somehow, we chatted right through to the lunch break.
Tong Xueyou came to find me for lunch. Her makeup was understated, and she looked as fresh and energetic as ever, a clean fragrance drifting from her.
“How was your first morning?” she asked with a smile.
“Fine. Nothing special.”
That brought another smile. I had to admit it was a lovely one. Sometimes, something in her expression looked very much like Mom.
Back at my desk that afternoon, I remembered a television drama everyone had been talking about and started watching.
Just a little, that was the plan.
Then the story drew me in. One episode followed another, and by the end of the working day, I still couldn’t stop.
Xiao Huang came over to remind me it was time to leave.
“Oh.”
Only then did I look up and discover the office was empty. Everyone else had gone.
Reluctantly, I closed the video.
Outside the office, it occurred to me that Dad probably hadn’t finished either. I went to find him.
“Yijun!”
Before I reached his office, Tong Xueyou appeared. She knew where I was heading.
“Dad went out this afternoon. He’ll probably go straight home. Let’s go back together.”
Her smile was gentle, her voice warm.
Since yesterday’s television viewing had got in the way, Xiao Huang began the next morning by explaining the company’s structure and the departments we dealt with most often. Then she took me around the various offices.
Everyone was friendly and welcoming, so I made an effort to be polite.
During the tour, Jiajia called to say she’d pick me up at noon.
After hanging up, I told Xiao Huang I needed the afternoon off.
She looked uncomfortable.
“HR is holding an induction session this afternoon.”
“Do I have to go?”
“It would be best if you attended,” she said tentatively.
“But I’ve already made plans. I can’t go back on my word.”
“I’ll speak to the manager.”
Before long, my sister called and told me to come to the small conference room on the second floor.
She was already there when I arrived.
The room was very well soundproofed. Once she shut the door, it felt as though the whole world had gone quiet—though it wasn’t exactly noisy outside.
“I hear you want the afternoon off?”
Her tone was gentle and concerned.
That annoyed me immediately. Even a request for leave had to be reported to her?
“Do you have something to attend to?”
My private affairs. What right did she have to ask?
A blink, then an answer.
“Nothing much. Just wanted to go out for a bit.”
“If you work here, you need to follow the company’s rules. You have trouble settling down to things, and that’s something you need to work on. If there’s no particular reason, you should stay.”
She sounded so earnest.
“Mm.”
A moment’s thought was enough for me to agree.
Not that I intended to listen. Refusing would only send her running to Mom and Dad. Better to pretend to agree, slip out in the afternoon and get back before the working day ended.
Problem solved.
“All right, then. Back to work.”
“Okay. Oh, you don’t need to find me for lunch. I’m eating with people from the department.”
She smiled.
“That’s good. It’ll help you get to know your colleagues.”
At noon, Jiajia called.
“Wait a minute,” I told her.
Then, to Xiao Huang, “Dad wants to see me. I’ll be out for a bit.”
Getting away was easy.
Jiajia’s car waited downstairs. After a quick look around, I slipped inside.
Kongque Lou was an upscale Hong Kong-style café. On the way, Jiajia told me the handsome young man’s name was Xiao He.
He spotted us from a distance and stood to wave enthusiastically. In his other hand was a large bouquet of white roses, wrapped in sky-blue fabric edged with white lace and tied with a lovely ribbon bow.
Up close, he looked very young. Fresh-faced, that was the word. As innocent and sweet-looking as Jiajia.
“I bought these specially for you.”
As we approached, he held out the flowers with a touch of nervousness.
“I thought about it for ages, but white roses seemed right for you. Pure and elegant.”
Jiajia accepted them like a bashful bride, her whole face turning red. Hugging the bouquet to her chest, she lowered her head and smiled shyly.
A moment ago, Xiao He had been perfectly lively. Now he was looking down and grinning foolishly too.
My fingers tapped the table.
“Look at you two. You’re hilarious.”
Both heads sank even lower.
Honestly. Unbearable.
“Your name’s Xiao He, right?”
Someone had to get the conversation going.
“Yes. He Maosheng.”
“How old are you? Where do you study?”
I sounded every inch the older sister.
“Twenty-one.”
He smiled at me.
“Same university as Jiajia.”
“How many girlfriends have you had? What did they look like? Why did you break up?”
He hesitated. One look at my face told him I wasn’t letting him off without an answer.
“One. We… we weren’t compatible, so we broke up.”
“Not compatible? In what way?”
Jiajia hurried to stop me before I frightened him off.