Chapter 84: One Must Not Wrong Oneself in This Lifetime
It was a rare Saturday off from work, yet such holidays always left the employees acutely aware of their thinning wallets. In contrast, they almost preferred to stay busy at their posts—after all, that meant earning money, whereas this was all about spending it.
At that moment, the person who had orchestrated the gathering was in the main hall, laughing and chatting with the guests offering their congratulations. He Li, arm in arm with Xiao Xiao, walked in slowly.
“That old weasel really knows how to make a fuss. Turning forty is hardly a milestone, is it? Yet he has the nerve to ask us for red envelopes!” He Li muttered under her breath. Xiao Xiao shushed her, warning her not to say too much, but He Li was entirely unconcerned. “Just think—how many people here today are truly wishing him a long life? If they aren’t cursing him as an immortal old bastard in their hearts, it’s already a miracle!”
Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Who knows, maybe if you curse him to never die, he’d actually be pleased.”
As the weasel’s capable subordinate, Nina was supposed to help him attend to the guests. In previous years, she handled everything herself, but this year someone else had taken over, and Nina only sauntered in once the banquet had already begun. The table where Xiao Xiao sat was the most remote and overlooked, and there happened to be an empty seat. Without even glancing at the weasel, Nina sat down directly. The weasel’s gaze cut through the crowd, his face darkening as he spat in disgust at the sight.
“I understand less and less these days,” He Li sighed. Xiao Xiao also found it odd. From their previous conversations, she knew Nina despised the weasel as well, but had always endured it out of professional necessity. Why was she suddenly putting on such airs today?
“Nina, what would you like to drink?” Xiao Xiao asked her. Nina glanced disdainfully at the wines on the table. “How could anyone drink such stuff?” she scoffed.
“Then don’t!” He Li never liked the public relations department’s style and, thinking Nina was targeting Xiao Xiao, seized the chance to vent her pent-up irritation. Xiao Xiao forced a polite smile—she wasn’t foolish enough to hand anyone a ready-made excuse for conflict. Cannon fodder never ends well, so she quickly changed the subject. “Nina, your dress is stunning. One of my clients wore something similar recently, but it didn’t suit her nearly as well as it does you.”
A faint smile flickered over Nina’s refined features. “Is that so?” she said, handing her glass to Xiao Xiao. “I’ve been shopping all day, and I’m parched.” Xiao Xiao poured her a drink, satisfied with her own initiative at peacemaking, and added, “That brand must be expensive.”
Everyone at the table perked up, eager to hear Nina’s response. After all, PR salaries didn’t stretch to luxury brands, and lately, Nina had been decked out in high-end fashions—everyone noticed the oddity. But Nina remained unruffled; after a few sips, she replied with disdain, “It’s not so much. No matter how expensive things are, they always have their price. One only lives once—why should we shortchange ourselves?”
He Li shot Xiao Xiao a look—rarely did they hear anything of substance from someone they’d considered just a decorative vase, and she was genuinely surprised. Xiao Xiao smiled lightly and echoed Nina, though privately she was calculating. He Li had misjudged; Nina was far from a mere ornament. Compared to them, Nina was a hundred times sharper; otherwise, she’d have long since become the weasel’s favored confidante and wouldn’t be sitting with them now. That Nina could ignore the weasel meant she had a path of her own—and the weasel could do nothing about it.
Throughout the meal, Nina kept flaunting her latest acquisitions, detailing which store had which item she wanted to take home. The other women at the table listened with a mix of envy and jealousy, their expressions stiff.
Nina, used to being scrutinized with sideways glances, simply leaned into the performance all the more.