Chapter 43: Affair

As they hiked in late spring, the warmth was already noticeable in the air.

Sweat formed on Yao Qi’s back, and she felt a bit agitated. Hearing Meng Xiaoyue’s teasing remark only made her irritation flare up, though she had nowhere to vent it. She handed her chocolate to Jiang Nai, saying, “I don’t need it, and I don’t have low blood sugar. You two enjoy it.”

Wang Wenbo laughed, “Why are we suddenly being all polite?”

Yao Qi replied, “Alright, enough! Just eat it already, we still have some distance left. Are we going or not?”

Wang Wenbo, taken aback by her sudden outburst, quickly opened the chocolate wrapper. “Got it…”

Meng Xiaoyue cast a knowing glance at Yao Qi, realizing that she must have already heard something, and smiled, saying, “Alright, you guys take your time; we’ll go on ahead.”

Then, turning to Xu Xiao, she asked, “Are you coming?”

Xu Xiao didn’t say anything but didn’t stay either, and just continued walking ahead.

This left the three of them alone again. Jiang Nai asked, “Sister Yao Qi, are you really not eating?”

Yao Qi, looking at Jiang Nai, felt conflicted, seeing that Jiang Nai seemed completely oblivious to the “rumor”—true or not—that had already spread everywhere. She felt both irritated and torn, unable to bring herself to speak.

Seeing her hesitation, Jiang Nai asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yao Qi sighed, took a deep breath, and said, “Wang Wenbo, go on ahead a bit. I need to talk to Jiang Nai.”

Wang Wenbo looked curious, “What’s this about? Is there something I can’t know?”

Yao Qi said, “It’s a matter between women, so don’t pry.”

Wang Wenbo huffed, muttering as he walked ahead, eating his chocolate as he quickly climbed a few steps.

Feeling even more confused, Jiang Nai asked, “Sister Yao Qi, what’s going on?”

Yao Qi glanced around to ensure there was some distance between them and the others, then grabbed Jiang Nai’s arm and whispered, “Even if I don’t tell you, you’ll find out soon enough. Whether it’s true or not, you should be prepared to explain yourself.”

“Explain myself?” Jiang Nai asked, puzzled.

“Jiang Nai, I need to ask you—what’s going on between you and the boss? You… you didn’t actually have an affair with him, did you?”

When people saw the photos, few could consider other explanations beyond an affair or coincidence. There was yet another possibility they hadn’t thought of.

There were many reasons behind the rumors. First, there was no connection between Li Qingji and Jiang Nai at the company. Second, no one had ever heard of the boss being married. Third, if Jiang Nai were the boss’s wife, she would be extremely wealthy—so why would she work as a low-level employee, constantly busy and working hard? They had never seen her receive any special treatment.

Moreover, Jiang Nai rarely wore the clothes prepared by Chen Min, and even if she did, they were the type without brand logos or worn discreetly under her outerwear. She was low-key and didn’t look like a wealthy lady or a rich wife.

With all these reasons combined, plus the “affair theory” from the initial email, people truly began to believe that her original marriage had encountered some issue, leading her to get close to a higher-up—none other than her boss.

Jiang Nai was stunned when Yao Qi brought up this question.

An affair… with the boss…

Li Qingji?

Jiang Nai’s mouth twitched slightly as she asked, “What… do you mean?”

Yao Qi looked anxious. “Exactly what I said! You don’t know? The whole company might already be buzzing about you getting into the same car as the boss!”

Jiang Nai’s heart skipped a beat. “What picture? Let me see!”

Yao Qi pulled out her phone and showed her a picture that Mian Mian had sent her not long ago. Jiang Nai immediately took it and zoomed in for a closer look… At first, she couldn’t remember when the photo was taken, but when she noticed the staff around them holding shopping bags, she recalled that it was the day they went to the mall to buy shirts.

Did they run into an acquaintance then?

“Who took this photo?” she asked.

Yao Qi replied, “I don’t know. The email came from outside the company.”

Jiang Nai felt a pang of anxiety, her mind in chaos. She truly didn’t want people to know about her relationship with Li Qingji. Her career was going well, she had been promoted and given a raise, and she didn’t want anything to disrupt her progress. But now that the photo had surfaced, it was unavoidable. Denying it would only make things seem stranger.

Her coworkers’ reactions made it clear enough.

They thought she… was having an affair.

That was even worse…

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Yao Qi looked at Jiang Nai, who was standing there in a state of distress, and felt her heart sink. She genuinely wanted to believe Jiang Nai wouldn’t do something like this, but… but why wouldn’t she deny it?

It wasn’t a good idea to get involved with a wealthy person like this; if word got out, the higher-ups would be unaffected, but she would certainly face the fallout.

Men might even disassociate from her entirely for the sake of reputation!

“Jiang Nai, you really need to think this through… this kind of thing could really harm you.”

Jiang Nai sighed, giving in. “Sister Yao Qi, I’m not in that kind of relationship with him.”

Yao Qi brightened. “Then… what were you two doing? Was it just a coincidence?!”

Jiang Nai shook her head. “We went shopping together.”

Yao Qi’s face went pale.

Jiang Nai continued, “But he… he’s my…”

“Jiang Nai.”

At that moment, a familiar voice sounded from the steps above. Jiang Nai’s words were cut off. She looked up and saw Li Qingji standing at the top of the stairs.  He was still wearing a suit, so it was clear he hadn’t come for a hike—he had probably come straight from some meeting or event…

He looked at her for a few seconds and then walked down towards her.

On this wooden mountain trail, everyone around them—whether nearby or at a distance—was from their company. When the people behind noticed the boss, they stopped, and those ahead who had noticed him earlier were all turning to look.

A hushed silence fell.

Everyone wore a look of shock on their faces.

Jiang Nai felt her heart stop for a few seconds. “You… why are you here…”

Li Qingji came down a few steps to stand in front of her. Instead of answering, he said, “Feeling faint already? That’s why you never join me for exercise.”

Jiang Nai was taken aback and instinctively retorted, “I’m not faint…”

“Climbing this slowly and still say you’re not?” 

No one around them spoke; everyone just watched as their usually distant boss casually conversed with Jiang Nai. The closest witness, Yao Qi, was completely stunned.

It wasn’t until Li Qingji glanced at her that she snapped out of it, stammering, “B-boss, hello.”

“Mm.” Li Qingji nodded, and then he grabbed Jiang Nai’s wrist. “Let’s go.”

Jiang Nai flinched, instinctively trying to pull her hand back in front of all these people, but Li Qingji tightened his grip, leaving her hand unmoved.

Her face flushed, then paled. She bit her lip and whispered, “Li Qingji…”

“Don’t you realize everyone already knows?” Li Qingji looked at her, his voice calm. “Jiang Nai, your game is over.”

Jiang Nai was speechless. Li Qingji pulled her along for a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned to Yao Qi. Yao Qi was still in shock, unable to recover from hearing Jiang Nai address the boss by name, when she saw him step right up to her.

“Yao Qi?”

“Yes…?”

“The photos circulating aren’t of a random encounter. I was just out shopping with my wife. Surely there’s no need to spread something like that around the company? Let everyone disperse.”

Yao Qi blinked a couple of times. “Huh?”

Without waiting for a response, Li Qingji continued walking up the trail with Jiang Nai.

Although Jiang Nai had already planned to explain things to Yao Qi, hearing Li Qingji announce it so openly left her feeling dizzy. She looked back and mouthed, *I’ll explain later!*

But Yao Qi didn’t catch her signal; she just stood there in a daze.

W-wife?

What?

*Wife?!*

Did the boss just say that Jiang Nai was his wife?

Was he married?

Did she just hear that correctly?!

—

Jiang Nai followed Li Qingji up the long staircase in front of her, only to find a place connected to the road ahead. On the road, a car was parked, with Zhao Siyuan at the wheel. Jiang Nai understood now: Li Qingji had driven up the mountain and intercepted her halfway.

“Stop pulling me, I can walk on my own…”

The wooden path up the mountain was spacious enough for five people to walk side by side. The path was crowded with company employees, and though Li Qingji had just referred to her as his “wife” in front of Yao Qi, it was clear that news like this wouldn’t spread in just a few minutes.

People stared in shock at the scene in front of them, imagining the gossip, forgetting even to greet their boss as he passed. Jiang Nai felt uncomfortable under all the attention and wanted to pull her hand away from his.

Li Qingji said, “Holding your hand saves you energy, don’t you like it?”

Jiang Nai whispered, “…Is this really appropriate right now?”

Li Qingji smiled faintly. “Very appropriate. You dared to the extreme, having an affair with the boss. As for the boss, he’s completely lost his senses, driven mad by desire.”

Jiang Nai: “……”

If it weren’t for all the people around, she’d probably push Li Qingji down the mountain.

“Xiao, Xiao Yue, what’s going on?” Meng Xiaoyue was walking up the path with her team, when a member turned her head and saw the scene behind them.

Meng Xiaoyue followed her gaze and froze in shock.

Jiang Nai and… the boss.

They were walking hand in hand right there on the path. How could they be so bold? Wasn’t the boss concerned? Wasn’t Jiang Nai concerned?

“Wasn’t it said Jiang Nai was cheating after getting married? But now…” Her teammate stopped talking, noticing Li Qingji and Jiang Nai getting closer.

The two of them stiffly watched as they passed by. Meng Xiaoyue’s heart sank. Elsewhere, Xu Xiao was feeling dejected, climbing the mountain without much enthusiasm. 

A few days earlier, when Meng Xiaoyue told him about Jiang Nai, he was angry and didn’t believe it—until she later showed him a picture. Xu Xiao never hoped Jiang Nai would notice him, nor did he plan to confess. He just saw her as a very good person, though he sometimes couldn’t help paying extra attention to her.

He couldn’t accept the idea that Jiang Nai would…

He sighed and looked ahead, continuing his walk.

Suddenly, a familiar figure walked by. He looked closely and couldn’t suppress his surprise, “Jiang Nai?”

The two turned around.

Xu Xiao saw the two of them, his gaze quickly glancing over their linked hands, his heart skipping a beat. “You…”

Jiang Nai, now numb from all the staring, replied, “Senior.”

Xu Xiao: “You two…”

“Do you have an unopened bottle of water left?” Li Qingji suddenly asked him.

Xu Xiao’s pupils shook slightly. “…Yes.”

Li Qingji: “Mind giving me one?”

Mechanically, Xu Xiao took a bottle of water from his bag and handed it over.

Li Qingji: “Thanks.”

He opened the water bottle but didn’t drink. Instead, he handed it to Jiang Nai. “Have a sip.”

Jiang Nai’s water was indeed already finished… she’d been walking too slowly along the way.

“Alright.” She took a sip and handed it back to Li Qingji.

Xu Xiao watched as Li Qingji took a drink from the same bottle Jiang Nai had just used. Then he told Xu Xiao, “Assistant Zhao’s car will be parked at the next intersection. If you run out of water, just ask him for more.”

After speaking, Li Qingji grabbed Jiang Nai’s hand again. “Let’s go.”

Jiang Nai followed him, glancing back, “Thanks, by the way.”

Xu Xiao shook his head, wanting to say it was nothing, but as he watched them walking away, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. 

The mountain path wasn’t much longer—probably just another half hour. Jiang Nai’s phone buzzed several times, but she knew it was most likely all about her and Li Qingji. At this point, she suddenly felt a sense of resignation. The secret was out; there was no hiding it now, and she couldn’t keep it hidden even if she wanted to.

“When did you find out?” Jiang Nai asked on the way.

Li Qingji replied, “About two hours ago, judging by the time now.”

At that moment, Li Qingji had been in Hengchuan when Chen Min had come in unexpectedly to show him the company gossip that was spreading. Honestly, he wasn’t sure how Jiang Nai would handle it. He’d even considered that, given her reluctance to go public, she might deny everything, claiming not to know him well, or that it was all a misunderstanding. But clearly, whoever was behind this was aiming to tarnish her reputation, so that kind of response wouldn’t hold up.

So, he came in person. If she wasn’t going to speak up, he’d pry it out of her.

Jiang Nai was a little surprised.

Two hours ago?

That was just after she’d started her climb.

“How did we end up being photographed?” Jiang Nai asked.

Li Qingji said, “The picture probably came from a dashcam. Someone from the company must’ve parked nearby that day.”

“Alright…”

“But if someone’s openly accusing you of cheating, I bear some responsibility as well.”

“Huh?”

Li Qingji explained, “I never mentioned that I’m not single. If people knew I was married, it’d make our relationship easier to understand.”

Jiang Nai replied, “Even if you brought it up without anyone asking, it would still seem strange…”

Li Qingji always had an air of authority at Siningte, like someone too lofty to approach. Even his superiors dared not joke around with him, let alone those below him who had no way of prying into his personal life.

“Are you tired?” he asked, noticing her weary steps.

Jiang Nai nodded, then shook her head, feeling frustrated. “Forget it, let’s just keep going. We’re almost there.”

Seeing her like this, Li Qingji pulled two candies out of his pocket and placed them in her hand. “Eat these.”

“Milk candy? Where’d you get these?”

“Took them from Zhao Siyuan. Just don’t pass out.”

A breeze swept through the trees on the mountain, their branches rustling. Jiang Nai felt a slight chill, and somehow, the restlessness in her chest began to ease.

“Why don’t we just take Xiao Zhao’s car at the next exit?”

Li Qingji didn’t expect her to change her mind so quickly—one moment wanting to walk all the way, the next wanting a ride. He glanced at her calmly, “You’ve got quite an imagination.”

“…Well, everyone saw it anyway.”

“You should get more exercise,” Li Qingji sighed with mild exasperation. “Come on, finish your candy.”

Jiang Nai let out a little hum of protest—not really upset, just playfully annoyed. For some reason, she found herself liking that slightly exasperated expression of his. She unwrapped her milk candy and popped it in her mouth. Li Qingji took the wrapper from her, casually stuffing it into the pocket of his suit pants.

Jiang Nai blinked, slightly taken aback. After a moment, her gaze drifted away from his pocket, a sweetness spreading from her tongue to every corner of her mouth.

—

After Li Qingji and Jiang Nai left, Yao Qi stood frozen in place for a long time.

“Yao Qi! Yao Qi, what happened?” Wang Wenbo rushed over.

Other colleagues, who had been nearby, gathered around, eagerly asking questions.

“Yao Qi! What did the boss say just now? What’s going on with him and Jiang Nai?!”

“Is it true that Jiang Nai is with the boss now? Is she really having an affair?”

Wang Wenbo: “What? An affair? Who said that?!”

“Didn’t you know? It’s been going around quietly for a while now.”

“Yeah, yeah, I saw it too. The boss even took her shopping—for luxury brands!”

Yao Qi: “Will you all just stop…”

No one heard her. They continued excitedly, “Wow, I never would have guessed. Jiang Nai doesn’t seem like that kind of girl.”

“You know what they say, you never really know someone.”

“Honestly, if the other guy was someone as high-quality as the boss, I might just kick my husband to the curb, too.”

“Sure, but still… isn’t it a bit too brazen?”

“I said, shut up!!!” Yao Qi suddenly exploded, shouting, “Everyone, quiet!!!”

“…………”

All eyes turned to her.

Yao Qi straightened up, standing firm. “Stop spouting nonsense! Jiang Nai would never cheat—she’s his wife, dammit! They’re married, husband and wife! So get lost with your gossip!”

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