Even before Xiao Rufeng could give her manager a call, the director had already reported her problematic performance to Su Xiaofei. At once, Su Xiaofei had already sent Zhang Ling to pick her up in Shenjing and brought her back to Qiying City.
Yan Xiuchen wanted to come with her, but he already had prior engagements he couldn't reschedule. She could see it in his eyes that he wanted to come with her so badly and ditch all of his appointments, but he couldn't.
"I'll be fine. I'll be back before you know it." She assured him with a smile, confident that she would be able to settle her problem soon.
Yan Xiuchen could only stand outside the front doors of his mansion and watched her leave, as the car Zhang Ling brought with her drove away from his estate.
"Ah, you have it bad for him, don't you?" Zhang Ling teased her as soon as Yan Xiuchen was out of their sight.
Xiao Rufeng blushed at her friend's comment and looked away.
"Is it really that obvious?" She asked.
"Hmm. It's not the first time you didn't listen to President Su's opinion, but I could see why you chose to stay with him."
"He isn't as bad as others thought him to be, Ling. If only they could see past his scars, they would realize how good of a person Yan Xiuchen is."
However, all of her confidence suddenly disappeared the moment she stepped inside her manager's office the next day.
Su Xiaofei didn't seem to notice her arrival. Her manager was seated in her executive leather chair, facing the windows. Torrents of rain blurred the view of the roads and red traffic lights from the distance.
Finally, Su Xiaofei lowered her phone and swiveled her chair to face her. Even as she was seated, her whole body was emanating with authority and her face was just too beautiful for Xiao Rufeng to look at. For some, Su Xiaofei might be frightening to look at, but Xiao Rufeng knew that her manager was merely trying to grasp her control.
"Hey. I'm sorry I wasn't able to pay Miss Yun a visit."
News had spread that Yun Qingrong's surgery had succeeded, but she was still under a coma. Xiao Rufeng knew how Su Xiaofei felt at this very moment, because she was also gripped with fear and worry when her mother never woke up after being confined in the hospital when she was very young.
Xiao Rufeng shivered as Su Xiaofei's gaze brushed over her, head to toe, as if the latter was trying to see if she had sustained visible injuries during her time in Shenjing. She was reminded of the reason she was summoned here.
Su Xiaofei rose from her seat to her full height and walked around the desk, gesturing for Xiao Rufeng to take a seat.
She did what she had been told and sat on the black leather couch in Su Xiaofei's office and saw her manager did the same across from her. Su Xiaofei sat with her legs crossed and Xiao Rufeng had an odd realization of her manager's mannerisms of a queen like Bai Qingyue and Tang Liyan. Everything about them was a pleasure to look at.
"Mom is recovering well, but she still hasn't woken up yet." Su Xiaofei answered her, her tone had a hint of worry in it, before it changed to a serious one.
"You told me that you are doing just fine. If I hadn't received that call from the director, I wouldn't have thought that you have a persistent issue."
Xiao Rufeng winced at that, but she tried to remain calm.
"I also thought I was okay, but now, I realize that I'm not."
She was foolish to assume that she would be able to outgrow and overcome her fears on her own. There were even nights that she would wake up, gasping for breath as the memories haunted her.
Su Xiaofei stared at her for a moment before pinching the bridge of her nose. She and Xiao Rufeng had dodged the bullet this time only because the one who received Xiao Rufeng that night was Yan Xiuchen. Both women knew how it would horribly end, it was another man.
"I'm not mad at you, Rufeng. You know that more than anything else, I just want you to be safe. I'm sorry that I failed you that night. I shouldn't have left you to your own devices and let Zhang Ling accompany you."
Xiao Rufeng didn't expect to hear this from her manager-slash-friend. She had no idea that Su Xiaofei was blaming herself for what happened that night. She had thought that her fear of being close to another man that wasn't Yan Xiuchen would fade eventually, but she was proven wrong again.
"It's not your fault, Feifei. It's me who should have paid more attention to what was happening around me. You've reminded me over and over again not to provoke Yunyao for my sake, but I didn't listen to you. It was me who underestimated her cruelty."
Somehow, knowing that there were people who were truly concerned about her filled her heart with warmth. Not only did she have friends to rely on, but she also had Yan Xiuchen by her side.
"I informed the director that you were almost sexually assaulted, but didn't give him the details. He was kind enough to understand your situation and asked if we could do anything to help you. We both agreed that you needed medical intervention to deal with your trauma, and I've already found a great doctor that could help you. She's located in Shenjing, and you wouldn't have to worry about the confidentiality of your condition."
"Alright. I will be sure to make time for the sessions." Xiao Rufeng easily agreed with Su Xiaofei's arrangement. She could only hope that she would be able to recover fully and get over the trauma her sister inflicted on her.
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