I’m A Scumbag Woman—I Flirt, But Never Marry [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 8

Early that morning, Gu Shuofeng checked out of the hotel and went to work.

Chen Xiyao was a customer-service specialist at the company. Her usual duties consisted of answering calls and handling customer complaints. To put it plainly, she was a call-center operator.

Despite being a low-level employee earning less than five thousand yuan a month, Chen Xiyao dressed in either Givenchy or Chanel every day. She always made herself conspicuous and loved flaunting her wealth, so she was actually quite unpopular.

Unfortunately, she was especially close to the male supervisors of various departments. Rumor had it that her wealthy second-generation boyfriend was also on good terms with the company president. No matter how much everyone disliked her, they maintained an outwardly harmonious relationship.

Thus, when Gu Shuofeng appeared in the office wearing Chen Xiyao’s body, dressed in a white shirt and jeans without a trace of makeup, all her colleagues froze.

They almost failed to recognize her.

They had worked together for two and a half years, yet no one had ever seen Chen Xiyao without makeup.

This was truly unprecedented!

Xiao Ye, who sat at the desk beside hers, couldn’t restrain her curiosity. She rolled her office chair over, stopped beside Gu Shuofeng, and lowered her voice.

“What happened to you today? You have all those Chanel clothes, so why are you dressed like this?”

The others secretly broke into a cold sweat on Xiao Ye’s behalf.

Based on past experience, Chen Xiyao’s answer would inevitably be both pretentious and arrogant.

For example:

“Oh, I’m only responding to President Zhang’s call for team spirit. Everyone else wears cheap clothes from street stalls, so wouldn’t it be embarrassing if I were the only one wearing designer labels? I thought I’d change things up occasionally and try to fit in with all of you.”

Or perhaps:

“Someone was jealous of me and claimed my elegance came entirely from Chanel. She said that without designer labels, I’d look completely ordinary. No, no, I wasn’t talking about you. I meant some poor woman from another department. Everyone in our department is very friendly and united.

“I just wanted to see whether I truly looked terrible without designer labels. But the facts have proven that when I wear designer clothes, I’m an elegant lady from a prestigious family, and when I take them off, I become a fresh, artistic beauty. With an aura as wonderful as mine, who knows how many people must feel inferior in front of me? Don’t you agree?

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about you. Your figure is actually pretty decent.”

Regardless of which answer she gave, Xiao Ye was destined to feel both wounded and disgusted.

Unexpectedly, Gu Shuofeng merely smiled.

Her voice lacked its usual affected sweetness and instead felt as refreshing as a spring breeze brushing across one’s face.

“I’m doing it for my health.”

“Your health?”

“That’s right. You shouldn’t neglect your health just because you’re young. The hotter the summer, the more important it is to protect your knees, especially if you spend long periods in an air-conditioned room. Otherwise, you could easily develop chronic cold pain in your legs when you’re older.”

Xiao Ye blinked.

In truth, she had regretted asking the question immediately after it left her mouth. She had already anticipated an unpleasant answer, yet she hadn’t expected Chen Xiyao’s personality to change completely today.

“Then… are you also not wearing makeup for your health?”

“That’s right. Wearing makeup every day causes considerable damage to the skin. You need to go without it occasionally and allow your skin to recover.”

Chen Xiyao was naturally beautiful. In truth, she looked fresher and more natural without makeup. Applying it only made her appear unbearably vulgar.

Everyone in the office exchanged glances.

It was like watching an obnoxious lump of garlic suddenly bloom and announce that it had actually been a universally adored narcissus all along.

For a moment, no one knew what to say.

Gu Shuofeng turned on her computer and glanced at the transparent tea jar on Xiao Ye’s desk.

“You still haven’t changed your tea? That isn’t very suitable for summer. You should drink some honeysuckle and add either lemon or mint. It clears away heat and toxins, so it would be better for your health.”

Xiao Ye casually nodded.

“That makes sense.”

“Then let’s go buy some together at noon.”

“Huh?”

“We can go downstairs to the pharmacy and buy honeysuckle together.”

Their lunch break was already so short. Who wanted to waste it running around?

Xiao Ye instinctively declined.

“I haven’t finished this tea yet. Maybe another—”

“That tea is more suitable for winter. Dried flowers won’t spoil if you store them, so come with me. We can have lunch together while we’re out. My treat.”

As she spoke, Gu Shuofeng stood and rested her hand on the cubicle partition. She smiled at everyone.

“Don’t order delivery for lunch today. Let’s all eat out together. I’m paying.”

Although Chen Xiyao constantly flaunted her wealth, she was actually exceptionally stingy—the sort of person who couldn’t bear to share even a single cookie.

Yet today, she had voluntarily offered to treat everyone!

The others vaguely sensed that some enormous piece of gossip was waiting to be uncovered. Besides, only a fool would turn down a free meal.

They all enthusiastically agreed.

The morning passed in the blink of an eye.

Her job involved nothing more than answering calls and calming customers, which wasn’t particularly difficult. Gu Shuofeng had lived for ninety thousand years. Such trivial tasks were entirely beneath her, and she didn’t reveal the slightest flaw.

The moment the workday paused for lunch, the women headed toward the elevators together. Several employees from the Marketing Department were also waiting ahead of them.

“The boss called earlier. He said he was busy with a client, so he probably won’t come in today.”

“Please! Busy with a client? When has he ever met a client by himself? It’s obviously an excuse.”

“What can we do? He has a powerful father-in-law supporting him. We’re simply too honest. If I’d known, I would’ve pursued a fair-skinned, rich beauty too.”

“Speaking of his wife, I saw her once when she brought him some documents he had left at home. She was unbelievably beautiful and had an incredible temperament. One glance was enough to tell she was a wonderful woman.”

“Now that you mention it, I understand how he managed to win her over.”

“Why?”

“Because the finest cabbages always end up getting rooted by pigs~”

“Pfft! Hahaha! Well said!”

A colleague from their department elbowed both men.

“That’s enough. There are so many people around.”

The two men looked back and hurriedly closed their mouths.

After leaving the company building, Gu Shuofeng and her coworkers entered the nearby pharmacy together.

Gu Shuofeng and Xiao Ye bought honeysuckle and mint leaves. The others followed their example and purchased some as well.

The employee and cashier were the same two women from the previous night. Their shifts alternated—one day they worked afternoons, and the next they worked mornings.

The pharmacy employee was quite familiar with Xiao Ye. As she gathered the flower tea, she tilted her head and said with a laugh, “Let me tell you something hilarious. One of your company’s managers came in last night with several scratches on his face. I don’t know who did it. It wasn’t a big deal, but he tried to fool me by claiming he had a toothache. Then I noticed the scratches, and he was so embarrassed that he rejected a phone call and ran outside. I nearly died laughing.”

Xiao Ye curiously asked, “Which manager?”

The other women immediately pricked up their ears.

“I don’t know his name. He’s about this tall, average-looking, and has a decent build. He isn’t fat and looks rather honest.”

One of the women beside Xiao Ye couldn’t resist interrupting.

“Was he wearing a Rolex?”

“Yes, yes! I wouldn’t have remembered if you hadn’t mentioned it, but he was definitely wearing a Rolex.”

Xiao Ye and the others exchanged knowing smiles.

“That must be Director Wang. Who scratched him?”

Employees within the company called Department Head Wang “Director Wang.” Only outsiders respectfully addressed him as “Manager Wang.”

“His wife, perhaps? Maybe they had an argument.”

Xiao Ye turned back to the employee.

“What was he wearing last night? Casual clothes or a suit? Did he have a tie on?”

The employee followed them to the register. Before she could answer, the cashier spoke first.

“He was wearing a full suit and tie. His hair was slightly damp too, as though he had just taken a shower.”

“Wow~ That is a lot of information!”

The women left the pharmacy, laughing and chatting.

“Didn’t those people from the Marketing Department just say Director Wang didn’t come to work today? It looks like he really did have a fight with his wife.”

“I’m not so sure. Didn’t you hear what she said? He was wearing professional clothes after taking a shower. If he’d showered at home, even if he didn’t change into casual clothes, he at least wouldn’t have put his tie back on.”

“Could it be…”

Their gazes met, and the implication was obvious.

“I previously heard that someone spotted his car near a hotel—and not only once. Could he have been caught cheating? Maybe his wife scratched up his face, and he was too embarrassed to come to work.”

“Now that you mention it, that really is possible. Think about it. Director Wang lives in Beidan. There must be a pharmacy near his home, so why would he deliberately come all the way here to buy medicine? He probably couldn’t stay at home because his wife threw him out.”

The gossip-loving Xiao Ye suddenly smacked her palm.

“Oh! I forgot to ask what medicine Director Wang came here to buy in the middle of the night!”

One woman teased, “Maybe they were abortion pills.”

Another offered a serious guess. “Perhaps it was medicine for bruises and sprains. His wife might have beaten him.”

Someone turned toward Gu Shuofeng.

“What do you think?”

Gu Shuofeng smiled faintly.

“The eyes of the masses are sharp, and the wisdom of our fellow women is limitless. I strongly agree with your conclusions.”

By the time they finished talking, they had reached the restaurant.

They were all women, so no one ordered alcohol. Nor did anyone deliberately choose the most expensive dishes merely because someone else was paying. Each person ordered one dish, and they added juice and rice to complete the meal.

While waiting for the food, the topic of Wang Jianfei continued.

The women blindly speculated about the identity of his mistress. Could she be employed at the same company?

Gu Shuofeng interlaced her fingers beneath her chin and rested her elbows on the table.

“I invited everyone here today because I actually have something to announce.”

That single sentence successfully drew everyone’s attention away from Wang Jianfei.

Xiao Ye said, “I haven’t asked you yet. Why did you suddenly decide to treat us to lunch? Could it be… you’re finally leaving single life behind for good?”

Gu Shuofeng smiled.

“You really guessed correctly. My boyfriend proposed to me. We’ve tentatively decided to marry on National Day.”

“Wow! That’s wonderful news! You absolutely have to treat us!”

Gu Shuofeng replied with a smile, “Today is only a preliminary announcement. Our lunch break is limited, so we couldn’t visit a better restaurant. I’ll treat everyone to a proper feast another day.”

“Good! We’ll all be waiting.”

After congratulating her, everyone clamored to see her engagement ring.

Gu Shuofeng explained, “He was careless and bought the wrong size, so I already asked him to take it back for adjustments. I’ll show it to all of you when I collect it next week.”

The meal was quite pleasant.

Gu Shuofeng maintained her smile from beginning to end, truly resembling a happy bride about to walk down the aisle. No one noticed the dark, profound intentions concealed behind that smile.

Even if Wang Jianfei hadn’t mentioned buying safflower oil the previous night, Gu Shuofeng would have brought it up herself.

Her goal had been to ensure that the pharmacy employee saw the scratches on his face.

In the original plot, after Xu Tinglan left heartbroken, Wang Jianfei had driven Chen Xiyao home. On the way, he had stopped at this same pharmacy, where an employee accidentally noticed the scratches on his face.

Even if Gu Shuofeng hadn’t deliberately brought her coworkers here today, Xiao Ye would have learned the news several days later while purchasing fluocinolone acetonide ointment.

However, by that point in the original story, Zhi Zhi had already been secretly interfering. The entire company knew that Chen Xiyao was a mistress who had destroyed another woman’s family.

Thus, when they heard about the scratches on Wang Jianfei’s face, someone quickly connected the two of them.

Once people had a target, they naturally began digging for every possible clue. Before long, the affair between Wang Jianfei and Chen Xiyao was exposed down to the smallest detail.

The news infuriated Professor Xu so badly that he suffered a second cerebral hemorrhage and nearly died.

Enraged, President Zhang fired both of them and drove them out of the company.

That was also why Wang Jianfei finally decided to start his own business. He swindled away all of Xu Tinglan’s savings, most of her share of the house, her gallery, and the copyrights to her paintings.

In truth, Gu Shuofeng could directly expose everything to Professor Xu.

Once the old professor became so furious that he was hospitalized, Xu Tinglan would certainly be unable to endure any longer and would divorce Wang Jianfei. Gu Shuofeng would only need to help her complete the divorce smoothly to increase her Satisfaction Value.

But that wasn’t enough.

It was nowhere near enough.

That alone could never completely eliminate the resentment and pain buried in Xu Tinglan’s heart. Her Satisfaction Value would never reach its maximum.

To experience true satisfaction, there first needed to be repression.

It was like a spring: the harder it was compressed, the more violently it would rebound, making it easier for the Satisfaction Value to reach its peak.

In other words, the necessary events of the original plot still had to occur.

Wang Jianfei still needed to become entangled in rumors and be driven out of the company. He still needed to rack his brain for ways to swindle Xu Tinglan out of her property.

The scumbag was so thoroughly rotten.

How could she deny him the opportunity to demonstrate exactly how rotten he was?

This time, however, she had no intention of accompanying him.

Whatever the former Chen Xiyao had done was beyond her control. But now, she was Chen Xiyao.

She would never allow herself to be driven out like a dog.