Chapter 7.5: Bai Shuang

“The list for the second round of layoffs has been announced. Everyone can check the message group.”
The presenter on the stage in the conference room packed up her teaching materials and turned to leave.

Zhuang Yayun looked at her phone and took a deep breath.

Second round of layoffs, she wasn’t on it.

But the third round would be announced this afternoon.

She had a bad feeling.

She left the conference room one after another with her colleagues.

Her good friend, Bai Shuang, was already waiting for her at the elevator bank.

Her surname was Bai, her given name Shuang.
She was quite tall and slender, with pretty, cute features.
There was a beauty mark at the corner of her mouth; she was a true beauty.

“Yayun, hurry, hurry, I have something important to tell you.”

Bai Shuang grabbed Zhuang Yayun’s wrist, and they took the elevator all the way up to the company cafeteria on the seventh floor.

She found an empty spot by the window, sat down, had Zhuang Yayun sit opposite her, and took a lunchbox out of her handbag, placing it on the table.

She opened it to reveal a rather sumptuous dietary fiber beef meal, still steaming, which instantly whetted one’s appetite.

“What is it?”

Zhuang Yayun looked at Bai Shuang, a little nervous and curious.

‘Is it some gossip about the layoffs?’

‘Am I going to be one of the ones laid off?’

“Oh, my food was about to get cold. Yayun, if you hadn’t come, I would have had to eat lunch all by my lonely self.”

Bai Shuang’s eyes curved, and a brilliant smile spread across her lips.

“Huh?”

Zhuang Yayun was stunned, her expression frozen.

“That’s right. I got up at six this morning to make this lunch.
It took me two hours.
I didn’t leave home for the company until ten past eight and almost arrived late.
I spent so long making it, and it looks so delicious, of course I had to find you to share it with.”

Bai Shuang waggled the small silver spoon in her hand, scooped up a spoonful of beef with sauce, and fed it into her own mouth, the corners of her lips curving beautifully.

‘Yummy.’

“…🥶, 😡”

Zhuang Yayun clenched her small fist and bopped Bai Shuang on the head.
“You, really! What was that about something important? I thought it was about the layoffs!”

“Oww~~”

Bai Shuang clutched her head, saying aggrievedly, “How would I know about the layoffs?
Besides, with your skills, Yayun, how could you possibly be laid off?
You still have a man at home to support.
The company can’t possibly lay you off.”

Zhuang Yayun’s cheeks instantly flushed a faint red, and her voice softened a few degrees.

“Look at you, just mentioning him makes your voice so much gentler.”

Bai Shuang stuck out her tongue, a complex emotion flashing deep in her eyes before it was quickly hidden.
“Sigh, I can’t blame you.
Who wouldn’t be, with a fiancé as pretty and handsome as yours?
If it were me, I’d definitely be so happy I’d never want to leave, staying at home every day, doing loving things in bed with him ❤️🍺.”

“You’re getting more and more out of line~~”

Zhuang Yayun shot Bai Shuang a glare.

“How am I out of line?
You’re the one who’s out of line, okay?
We promised to find our true loves together, but you went and found a boyfriend first, and one who fits the standard so perfectly.
I’m so envious I could die.
But… your man is still working outside, right?
Writing novels… Those editors at the publishing house won’t try to pull some unspoken rules on him, will they?”

“Writing novels isn’t like the entertainment industry.
You don’t even see the editor for half a month at a time.
You earn money based on your writing ability.
It’s not like the entertainment industry.”

“But, I saw a news story a while back.
It said a male author was willing to sell his body to get his work recommended by the editorial department.
In the end, the editor didn’t follow through, so he exposed the whole thing.”

“Really?…
But even if that kind of thing happens, it has nothing to do with Lin Yi.
He’s not that kind of person.
Besides, he has me.
He has no reason to do that kind of thing for money.”

“That may be true, but you still have to be careful.
Sometimes it’s not about him not doing it, but about someone targeting him, understand?”

Bai Shuang said seriously, “Don’t let him be subjected to the unspoken rules, okay?”

Zhuang Yayun waved her hand, still not taking it to heart.
“Alright, alright, I get it.”

“Hey, be serious!
With this attitude, it’ll be easy for other women to set their sights on your man…”

“Let’s not talk about this.
Regarding the layoffs, have you heard any rumors around the company these past few days?”

“I heard this round of layoffs is all for underperforming employees.
Yayun, you’re so capable, you definitely won’t be laid off.”

Bai Shuang smiled.

Zhuang Yayun heard her words but felt no trace of a smile.

‘Really?’

The more she said that, the more ominous she felt.

The company might genuinely not want to lay her off, but…

‘What if someone is applying pressure?’

Zhuang Yayun’s fingers tightened, their tips turning white.