Chapter 71
As soon as he felt better, Ye Zhi immediately took on the responsibility of cooking. That evening, he prepared a sumptuous dinner, causing Huo Ran to praise him non-stop with her mouth full of food. She then said, “Let Zhi Zhi take care of me, Daddy, can’t you hire him? Anyway, Zhi Zhi doesn’t have a job right now.”
Huo Youqiao glanced at Ye Zhi, “Zhi Zhi is at least a college graduate. It would be a waste of talent for him to work as a nanny for you, wouldn’t it?”
For the first time, Huo Youqiao was called by his daughter using his name. It sounded different to Ye Zhi’s ears, slowing down his chewing.
Feeling a mix of joy and shyness, Ye Zhi quickly explained, “I-I’m not a college graduate. I graduated from a very ordinary school…”
Huo Youqiao interrupted, “Still, it wouldn’t be appropriate to hire you as a nanny. That would be too unfair to you.”
Ye Zhi hadn’t considered this before, but now that it was mentioned, he suddenly thought it was a good idea. He said, “If it’s really possible, I’m willing to do it and wouldn’t feel unfairly treated.” He smiled at Huo Ran’s bright eyes, “I enjoy playing with Ranran, and preparing lunch boxes for her is also fun. Big brother, if you haven’t found someone suitable, I can do it. As for the salary…” Ye Zhi actually hoped not to ask for a salary, but when he thought about his empty bank account, he had to say, “Half would be fine.”
Huo Ran started cheering, and Huo Youqiao raised an eyebrow, “Are you really willing to do it?”
Ye Zhi nodded, “Yes, I am willing. Besides, I haven’t been able to find a job recently.” The circles in their industry were small, and unless it was the end of a quarter, work wasn’t that busy. So, gossip spread quickly, and what happened with his former colleague was probably already widely known. If he wanted to find a job in the same industry, it would be very difficult.
Thinking about facing sharp questions during interviews made Ye Zhi feel troubled.
Without asking for the reason behind Ye Zhi’s last statement, Huo Youqiao called him to the study upstairs while Huo Ran watched cartoons after dinner.
His formal demeanor made Ye Zhi nervous, unsure of what he was about to face. Huo Youqiao sat in his own chair and gestured for Ye Zhi to sit opposite him. He got straight to the point, “First, please forgive my presumptuousness. I had my secretary, Lin, look into the reason for your resignation, and I now know the truth.” He looked into Ye Zhi’s eyes with a serious expression, “But I don’t believe you’re the kind of person who would sabotage a colleague to keep your job.”
Being stared at so directly made Ye Zhi feel uncomfortable, and he lowered his head involuntarily.
Huo Youqiao continued, “Firstly, logically speaking, it doesn’t make sense. The company indeed needed to downsize, and with only one position available, it would have been difficult for you to be chosen. Firstly, you’re a senior employee with over seven years of service. It wouldn’t be advantageous for the company to lay you off, as according to the law, they would have to compensate you with twelve months of basic salary if they did so voluntarily. Secondly, your work has never had any errors, proving that your business capabilities are sound. Thirdly, you often voluntarily work overtime and take on extra tasks for your colleagues. Overall, there’s no reason for you to do what you were accused of doing.”
Ye Zhi was completely dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected Huo Youqiao’s “investigation” to be so thorough.
“So, there’s only one reason for that incident: someone else pushed their mistakes onto you.” Huo Youqiao furrowed his brow slightly, looking at Ye Zhi’s bewildered expression. His tone softened slightly, “Why didn’t you defend yourself? You should have evidence to prove you didn’t do anything wrong.”
Ye Zhi hung his head for a long time before murmuring, “If I did that, he would’ve been the one to leave… He’s from out of town and didn’t have a fixed place to stay here at first. He couldn’t even afford lunch when he first started working here, and it was only with great difficulty that he stabilized…”
Huo Youqiao interrupted him, “I heard that when he couldn’t afford lunch at first, you voluntarily shared your food with him?”
Ye Zhi nodded gently.
“And now he’s repaying you like this?” Huo Youqiao showed no signs of anger, maintaining a rational demeanor, “Are you willing to endure all this? Just out of sympathy?”
Ye Zhi bit his lip.
He wasn’t willing at first; he was even angry at first, even felt disgusted when he saw Shen Feiyu’s tears, and didn’t want to think about it these past few days. “He… he apologized to me…”
“I don’t think his casual apology can make up for the harm he’s done to you. If you accept it, this matter will follow you for the rest of your life, becoming a stain you can never shake off. So, do you still feel the same way? Are you deciding to let go of this matter, treating it like the malicious things you’ve experienced in the past, thinking that once it’s over, it’s over?”
Ye Zhi had considered this consequence, but his personality made it impossible for him to resist actively.
But Huo Youqiao’s tone was too serious, finally prying at the struggle in his heart. Ye Zhi raised his head and whispered, “But the matter has been settled…”
Huo Youqiao asked him, “What’s the evidence? The emails you sent?”
Ye Zhi nodded.
