Chapter Eight — The Villain Triumphant

"Yishu, have you heard?" Yan Lu was incredulous about what she was about to say next.

"What is it?" Yishu shook her head. "No, I haven't heard..."

The implication hanging in the air made her uneasy. Yan Lu was the company’s gossip messenger; no one ever doubted the accuracy of her information.

"Didn't Liu Hanzhang talk to us before about the store manager for the physical shop?" She leaned in. "It’s been finalized now."

Finalized?

Finalized!

Yishu couldn’t contain her astonishment. She knew she wasn’t the only candidate, but when the result was announced, she still found it hard to calm her heart.

Since it was already settled.

Since there was no way to change any of it.

She might as well accept it, passively.

"It’s Guo Yamei, isn’t it?" Yishu’s voice was heavy.

"Who else could it be?" Yan Lu growled in frustration.

Who else? The words, coupled with her disdain, paradoxically gave off an air of affirmation.

Yishu and Yan Lu pushed their cart forward.

At noon, the outdoor area was deserted, the sun overhead compressing their shadows into small black balls. The temperature had suddenly soared to thirty degrees; summer, the uninvited guest that had arrived early, was scorching the fragile youth.

The wind had grown hot.

They passed by the security room, where the guard was dozing, half asleep.

On the bulletin board downstairs, a few notices were posted haphazardly. Some papers were already yellowing and curling at the edges. The newest, pristine white sheet caught Yishu’s attention as she stepped onto the first stair; she paused and turned to read it.

There were too many words. Yishu skimmed quickly, catching only a few key points.

—The Kaisheng physical store has finally opened.

—The store manager is Guo Yamei.

"Don’t be upset," Yan Lu patted Yishu. "Isn’t it actually good? The person we dislike the most is finally leaving. Tonight, let’s go celebrate at the grill."

Perhaps it wasn’t a bad thing after all.

Being an online customer service representative could shine just as brightly. Besides, she wouldn’t be separated from Yan Lu. It had always been a dilemma; now fate had made the choice for her. She could accept it calmly.

Yishu slowly gathered up her feelings of disappointment.

The office was abuzz with envy.

"I’m so jealous of you."

"I told you all along, you’d be chosen."

…

"Don’t say that, you’re all amazing," Guo Yamei tried to cover up her pride. "I just got lucky, that’s all."

Yishu’s gaze caught Guo Yamei’s sidelong glance, and she could clearly sense her smugness.

Yishu suddenly felt that Guo Yamei lived a tiring life. She built her hopes and dreams on someone else entirely unrelated to her: if the other was unhappy, she felt satisfied; if the other was content, she grew resentful. Such vacillating emotions—what was the point?

Of course, none of this had anything to do with Yishu. She never let Guo Yamei become a trigger for her emotions.

Because Guo Yamei was never anyone to her.

Because she was always dispensable.

"Come to think of it, you’re pretty lucky," remarked a colleague next to Guo Yamei. "If it weren’t for that hundred-thousand-yuan order, you might not have been chosen."

Yishu’s hand, about to pull out her chair, hovered in midair. In her right ear, she sensed Guo Yamei’s guilt and unease.

Could it really be such a coincidence?

Yishu pondered. After all, the company had strict rules: customer service reps couldn’t steal each other’s orders. Unless it was just a brief conversation, not involving purchase details. If the previous rep had already discussed everything with the client—even the curtain prices and sizes—no one else could claim the order. Even if the rep happened to be off duty that day, they were supposed to urge the client to wait for their return before placing the order. Because once the order was placed after both had communicated, the system would automatically assign it to the previous rep’s employee number.

Good friends could negotiate, split the commission, or reciprocate with an order of equal value.

If relations were tense, it would inevitably spark a silent war.

Yishu logged into the software and searched her chat list for "Hear the Wind." She’d removed it from her top list after several unanswered messages, but luckily she remembered the username and searched directly.

When Yishu saw the chat history, it was as if thunder struck.

The timeline rewound three days, to the evening. She, normally the last to leave, had been unlucky that day—her clients only asked questions and didn’t buy, dragging her conversion rate to its lowest. By five-thirty, she logged out on time and shut down her computer.

Perhaps most things in life are coincidences: isn’t that why stories exist? The hotel client "Hear the Wind" placed an order at a quarter to six, agreeing to the price Yishu had previously discussed.

"Hear the Wind" was automatically routed to Guo Yamei’s employee number. Guo Yamei looked over the chat history, her swelling desire stirring within her. Though her performance was already far ahead this month, if Su Yishu had secured this order, the outcome might have changed.

—Hello, the customer service rep you were working with has just finished their shift. Maybe you could place the order tomorrow.

Guo Yamei was extremely reluctant to send such a message, but she dared not challenge company policy.

—It’s fine, the price and size are already calculated. Just adjust the price.

—That’s not really appropriate, since the previous rep worked out all the details. She knows the specifics better.

At that moment, Guo Yamei prayed, Don’t let me persuade him—insist on placing the order right now!

—You’re all from the same company, what difference does it make! I’m in a hurry; don’t waste my time! If you won’t adjust the price, I’ll go elsewhere.

Wonderful! Guo Yamei was so excited she nearly jumped up. She covered her mouth, pretending composure, glancing at her surroundings.

—Alright then, just select any product in the shop, but don’t pay yet. Let me adjust the price first.

…

"Do you have anything you want to say to me?" Yishu’s eyes burned with anger.

Guo Yamei shrugged. "What do I have to say to you?"

"Still playing dumb?" Yishu bit her lip, suppressing her fury. "'Hear the Wind.' Do I need to spell it out any further?"

"Oh," Guo Yamei feigned a smile. "So all this is about that? Just check the chat history. I told him to wait for you to place the order, but he refused. What am I supposed to do?" She flashed a provocative look. "Tell me, what could I do?"

Yishu was embarrassed and helpless. Indeed, Guo Yamei’s words and messages were watertight. Even if you tried to accuse her, there was no evidence.

"Shameless!" Yan Lu was furious, her glare hotter than Yishu’s.

"Damn it, who are you calling shameless?" Guo Yamei sprang up, pointing at Yan Lu. Suddenly she switched from anger to laughter. "Are you Su Yishu’s pet? Why is it that whenever something happens to her, you start yelling?"

Yan Lu charged at Guo Yamei, roaring, "I’ve never seen a mouth so foul! You just complained the cleaner didn’t tidy the bathroom—looks like I was wrong to blame her!"

Yishu held her back, comforting her. She borrowed the words that should have been spoken to her for Yan Lu instead.

Since the outcome was already decided, further quarrels were futile.

Like a jumping clown, amusing the bystanders.

"What’s all this noise!" Liu Hanzhang strode in. "Do you all earn tens of thousands every month now? So you don’t need to work? I could hear you upstairs. Lucky for you the boss isn’t here today, otherwise you’d be in trouble." Her gaze moved to Yishu. "Su Yishu, Yan Lu, what are you standing there for? Don’t you have work?"

"I..." Yishu hesitated, pulling Yan Lu to their desks.

Yan Lu was so angry, she didn’t even hear Liu Hanzhang’s scolding.

"Why didn’t you say anything to Liu just now?" Yan Lu had calmed down.

"What’s there to say?" Yishu frowned. "There’s no fault to find."

"So that’s it?"

That’s it.

That’s it.

Yishu reluctantly reread the chat history. She found an error: she’d forgotten to add the 1.5 times pleating factor. Maybe she was just too tired that evening. Without the pleats, the curtain would be too narrow. Master Yao would never cut extra fabric—precision mattered, but saving fabric mattered more. The window required twenty curtains. If they were made too small, there was no remedy except piecing them together, which would leave ugly seams; few clients would accept that.

Should she tell Guo Yamei? The loss could be tens of thousands; Guo Yamei might have to pay out of pocket.

"Yan Lu," Su Yishu lowered her voice, "If there’s a mistake in Guo Yamei’s order, should I tell her?"

"Are you stupid? She stabbed you in the back, and you want to compliment her for it?" Yan Lu looked at her with disdain.

Yishu fell into thought.

She understood these things. But proverbs and famous sayings are strange: some advocate kindness in return for harm, others call for an eye for an eye; some say a true leader can swallow grievances, others say a gentleman never leaves a wrong unavenged; some say don’t offend unless offended, others say strike first, or suffer later!

The sky darkened; days of sunshine were suddenly shrouded by clouds. The wind sped up, beating the windows and making the curtains fly.

Then came the downpour. Dense raindrops battered the glass, adding to Yishu’s tangled mood.

When she left the pantry, Yan Lu, distracted by their conversation, bumped into Guo Yamei, spilling water all over her.

Fortunately, it wasn’t hot.

Why hadn’t she poured hot water?

"Are you blind?" Guo Yamei brushed the water off her clothes, cursing.

Yan Lu curled her lip. "I am blind, so I bumped into you. But since you have eyes, how did you get bumped? Are your eyes just for show?"

Guo Yamei glared viciously. "Who are you calling blind? Say it again if you dare."

Yan Lu smirked. "You want me to repeat it? Are you hard of hearing? Looks like not only are your eyes useless, your ears are just decorations too—no practical value whatsoever."

"Enough," Yishu intervened. "Guo Yamei, you’d better check your order carefully. In our job, attention to detail is everything."

Guo Yamei snorted. "I don’t need your concern."

Yishu said no more.

On life’s road, there are fragrant white flowers and sharp thorns, but those who love themselves and others forget the thorns and focus on the flowers.

The rain outside had eased, and the wind was clean and refreshing.

She had given a well-intentioned reminder. Whether Guo Yamei grasped its meaning was no longer her concern.