The Heiress's Game

When Dong Yuwei received the call from Gu Yunjin's office, it was Li Chunjing's voice on the other end, polite and concise: "Ms. Dong, Mr. Gu would like you to come to her office at three o'clock this afternoon."

When Dong Yuwei hung up the phone, her fingertips were cold. Since joining Xingyao Media, she had only met the big boss, Gu Yunjin, once, during her job interview.

Now that the big boss is calling her alone, she can't think of any reason, unless there's something wrong with her design.

At 3:00 PM sharp, Dong Yuwei stood at the door of Gu Yunjin's office, took a deep breath, and knocked three times.

"Please come in."

When she pushed the door open, Gu Yunjin was flipping through a document. When she saw her come in, he casually closed it and put it aside, gesturing for her to sit down in the chair opposite him.

"I didn't call you here for work-related matters, so don't be nervous."

Gu Yunjin cut to the chase, "The administration told me you're currently living in a single room in the staff dormitory?"

Dong Yuwei nodded.

"A single room isn't suitable for long-term stays, so I asked the administration to find you a one-bedroom apartment near the company."

It's a ten-minute walk from the company, and the rent is paid by the company. You can move in in the next couple of days after you've packed up.

Dong Yuwei was stunned. She opened her mouth, her expression one of near panic and fear.

She leaned forward slightly, her hands unconsciously gripping her trousers above her knees.

"Mr. Gu, this won't do—I've only been with the company for a little over a month, and the company has already covered all the expenses for my training in Milan."

I'm quite happy living in the staff dormitory now; there's really no need for this kind of trouble.

"Dong Yuwei," Gu Yunjin interrupted her.

Dong Yuwei shut her mouth.

"In the first month after the launch of the Feitian series, the total sales across all channels exceeded 20 million yuan."

Gu Yunjin leaned back in her chair. "Judging from this month's order volume, this number will only go higher."

The pre-sale schedule for your Flying Apsara Necklace design is already four months ahead.

The profits from this product line are enough for the company to send another two hundred people to Milan for training, and more. Do you think you don't deserve an apartment?

Dong Yuwei bit her lower lip and didn't reply.

Of course she knew the sales figures for the Flying Apsaras series. As a designer, she read every weekly sales report and reviewed every user's feedback over and over again.

But in her mind, it was the team's achievement, the opportunity given by the company's platform, the traffic boost from "Walking with Brilliance", and good luck in catching the wave of the revival of Chinese trends.

She never thought she could convert these numbers into her own value, let alone use them to exchange for an apartment.

Gu Yunjin smiled slightly as she looked at her helpless expression.

She has seen too many arrogant people who, after achieving a little success, want to put a label on their foreheads and announce it to the world.

The 24-year-old girl in front of me, holding a phenomenal blockbuster product in her hands, is filled with anxiety about an apartment allocated by her company.

"The apartment matter is settled then." Gu Yunjin's tone left no room for negotiation, as if she were making a decision for a younger sister who couldn't take care of herself.

"There's something else. Director Wen Qi told me about the situation you've been facing recently."

Dong Yuwei's expression stiffened slightly, and her fingers tightened even more.

She didn't expect her private affairs to reach the boss's ears so quickly. She felt that such messy things shouldn't be brought up in the company.

"Mr. Gu, that's a personal matter. I won't cause any trouble for the company."

"The legal department is already preparing," Gu Yunjin interrupted her calmly.

"It would be time-consuming, laborious, and easy for a newly hired designer to go to court against him.

Xingyao's legal team has handled much more complex cases; helping you recover funds and losses is their job, so you don't need to feel embarrassed.

Dong Yuwei looked up, her eyes reddening.

She's only been with Xingyao for a month, not even finished her probation period, but the company has already done so much for her.

They sent her to Milan, rented an apartment for her, and now they even have to clean up the mess between her and that scumbag.

She felt like a drowning person, who had prepared herself to drown, but then a hand reached out and, instead of pulling her up, simply scooped her out of the water and put her on the shore.

These past few days she's been considering whether she should consult a law firm. She can report the crime herself, but the subsequent civil litigation, evidence preparation, and so on are completely unfamiliar territory for her.

When she was revising the blueprints, she felt invincible, but when faced with these realities, she was just an ordinary 24-year-old girl who had lost everything to her ex-boyfriend.

"Mr. Gu," her voice was a little hoarse, and her eyes welled up with tears, which she desperately suppressed with her rationality.

"This is nothing to be proud of. I feel really bad for troubling you with my personal affairs. Besides, I was too stupid to judge people properly. I was sold out and I even helped the seller count the money."

"Dong Yuwei, listen to me."

Gu Yunjin's voice was softer than before.

"You give what you think is the best to the person you think deserves it most; that is kindness."

Kindness is never a weakness; it's just that some people take advantage of your kindness. The fault lies not with you, but with them.

Dong Yuwei lowered her head, afraid to look up, for she was afraid that tears would fall if she did.

"You don't need to feel embarrassed or that you've caused trouble for the company. You don't need to feel guilty about this."

Dong Yuwei looked up. "President Gu, am I being stupid?"

Gu Yunjin looked at her.

"You're not stupid at all. You graduated two years ago and have no formal training, yet the Flying Apsaras series you designed broke the sales record for the Starry Jewelry line."

When you were learning engraving from the master craftsman in the Milan workshop, the calluses on your hands were worn out and grew back, but you didn't mention a single word about the hardship in your training report.

You are kind, hardworking, and talented. Your only "problem" is that you are in your early twenties.

I truly loved someone who wasn't worth it, spent money on him, gave him my feelings, and then he betrayed me.

"This isn't called being stupid, it's called being twenty-four. Who hasn't made a fool of themselves for love when they're twenty-four?"

That bastard doesn't deserve your trust, but it's not your fault, it's his.

You don't need to deny what's most precious about yourself just because you were deceived by him.

The office was quiet for several seconds. The sunlight from the window fell directly on Dong Yuwei's profile, making the thin layer of moisture on her eyelashes almost transparent.

"Besides, you're no longer that little girl who runs an online store."

You are a contracted designer for Xingyao Media's jewelry line, the creator of the Flying Apsaras series, and a professional who returned from further studies in Milan.

"I checked the big company Shen Ziqian signed with, and their campus recruitment this year has several positions with a salary cap that's not even as high as your performance bonus this month."

Dong Yuwei was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but smirk.

"So," Gu Yunjin picked up the document on the table and opened it again.

"What you need to do now is not to doubt yourself, but to cooperate with the legal department to recover the money that is owed, and then put all your energy into your work."

Li Chunjing will give you the apartment keys, and the company has already signed the contract for you. You can just move in. Any other questions?

Dong Yuwei stood up, clasped her hands in front of her, and bowed deeply to Gu Yunjin.

She wasn't the type to pledge loyalty to her superiors. Her previous words had already exhausted all her courage, and she was afraid she would burst into tears if she said another word.

So she simply bowed, then straightened up, nodded vigorously, and turned to walk towards the door.

When she returned to her workstation in the design department, her phone screen lit up; it was a message from Sister Fang in the work group:

"I heard that President Gu personally spoke with you? How did it go?"

Song Ge's reply followed immediately: "Is that even a question? It's definitely about getting a promotion, a raise, marrying a beautiful and wealthy woman, and reaching the pinnacle of life."

Then came a series of requests from other people in the design department: "Please tell me the inside story" and "Please treat me to a meal."

Dong Yuwei looked at the messages popping up on the screen, smiled, and typed a message before sending it.

"President Gu said he'd rent me an apartment and even have the legal department help me deal with Shen Ziqian. Anyone free tonight? I'll treat you to hot pot."

The group chat exploded instantly.

Fang sent a whole row of firework emojis, and Song replied with "I've been waiting for you to say that."

Other colleagues' replies came in a flash—"What time?" "Which restaurant?"

Dong Yuwei's eyes were still a little wet. In this year of her 24th year, after experiencing the most absurd betrayal of her life, she finally confirmed one thing.

She is not alone; she has colleagues, a boss, a company, and a boss who is willing to lend a helping hand when she is at her lowest point.

I don't want to write anything every day! I feel like giving up all the time. Why have I been updating so late these past few days? It's because I can't write anything. I've gone to read Red Fruit.

A short drama adaptation of the novel "The Rich Stepmother" has been released. I was really looking forward to it before watching it, but after watching it, I felt terrible. I hope one of the later versions will be adapted to my expectations.