Just then, my phone rang again.
I was about to pick it up, but my wife said, "Let me take this call."
In that situation, if I didn't give her the phone, she'd only get more upset.
I felt a bit pale, and sweat was dripping from my forehead.
She grabbed my phone and answered it.
I was worried at first, but once she took the call, all my worries disappeared.
It was her best friend, Fang Min, calling.
I was puzzled why Fang Min would call me instead of my wife. I had her number, but this call came from an unknown one.
My wife frowned and asked, "Fang Min, what's up with this number?"
Fang Min said, "Oh, don't ask. A few days ago, the telecom company had a promotion. They gave me a phone and a number with a thousand free minutes. To save money, I used this number to call you."
My wife didn't suspect a thing, even though those previous calls weren't from Fang Min. Maybe she hadn't noticed the details yet.
Thank goodness, maybe fate was on my side this time.
I silently thanked the heavens.
To keep my marriage happy, I knew I had to end things with Gu Xiaofei.
I had already made up my mind.
When my wife handed the phone back, she looked much more at ease.
"Fang Min invited us to a movie. Are you in?"
I suddenly realized we hadn't been to a movie together since we got married.
Since it was Sunday, why not go see a movie? It seemed like a great idea.
"Alright, I'm in, but I have one condition," I said to my wife.
She looked at me gently and asked, "What's the condition?"
"We definitely don't watch it with Fang Min."
"Okay, I agree to that condition."
...
That Sunday was the happiest day since our wedding. I felt genuinely happy.
The only thing missing was that my wife still wasn't pregnant.
But I believed we were still young and had plenty of time.
Maybe because my marriage was going well, I felt energized at work the next day.
My boss noticed my good mood and seemed pleased, but his next question made my heart sink.
"Xiao Zhao, did you handle the task I gave you?"
I didn't know how to answer, so I stayed silent.
My boss, being sharp in business, immediately knew I hadn't completed the task.
"I mean, Xiao Zhao, with such an opportunity, I can't believe you didn't seize it. What were you thinking?"
I could sense the threat in his words. I knew if I messed this up again, I might be out of a job.
The workplace can be harsh and unforgiving.
My good mood turned sour. It seemed like I couldn't balance work and love.
After dropping the boss off at the office, I went to the break room to smoke alone.
If I kept seeing Gu Xiaofei, my family life would be ruined. There's no such thing as a secret that stays hidden forever.
I decided to come clean with Gu Xiaofei.
So, I called her.
To my surprise, she picked up quickly.
Her soft voice came through the phone.
"Zhao Jian, you finally remembered me!"
Damn, I got myself into this mess, so I had to deal with it.
Besides, nothing serious happened between us; it was mostly me leading her on.
So today, I wanted to set things straight because I felt I still had a way out.
"Xiaofei, forgive me, but I'm a married man. I can't marry you."
I admired my courage for saying it. It felt like I was finally taking responsibility.
But her response was unexpected.
"I know!"
Her words sent a chill down my spine.
If she knew, why did she still want me around? Was she trying to get me into trouble?
I suddenly realized things weren't as simple as I thought.
Why would the boss want me to get involved with his mistress? It didn't make sense.
"Then why did you accept me?" I asked.
She laughed and said, "Did I?"
Honestly, while it seemed like she was interested, I always felt something was missing between us.
Maybe it was just physical attraction, but now I realized it wasn't.
I felt like Gu Xiaofei didn't understand anything.
And dealing with someone like that was the hardest.
I frowned, unsure of what to say.
In truth, I didn't know what to say.
Then she asked, "Zhao Jian, I just want to ask you one thing. Do you like me?"
I knew that if I said no, it would put me in a tough spot.
At the very least, I wouldn't get any more chances with her, and she might badmouth me to the boss.
And the boss might be unhappy with me for not completing the task, which could cost me my job.
I cursed silently.
No matter how I answered, I'd lose.
So, I chose to stay silent.
But then she said something that almost made me jump.
"Zhao Jian, if you can answer this question, I can tell you a secret."
Her mysterious tone piqued my curiosity.
I guessed it might be about the boss. He had quite a reputation outside.
But I wasn't interested because knowing wouldn't help me.
Then she added, "The secret is about your wife."
I was curious how she knew my wife and what secrets she might have.
To me, my wife was everything, and I wanted to know any secret about her.
So, I couldn't help but loosen my grip.
"Tell me, what's the secret?" I asked.
"You have to answer my question first, then I'll tell you," she insisted.
I was in a bind because her question was tough to answer.
I thought for a moment and said, "I don't know what kind of love you're talking about."
Indeed, love can take many forms—family, friendship, romance—so my answer was clever.
But then she asked, "I just want to know, do you want to sleep with me?"
I couldn't deny that I was tempted by her. She was a charming woman.
Any man would feel lucky to be with someone like her.
I couldn't deny that I wanted to sleep with her. I believed it would be a unique experience.
But I didn't answer right away. I just stayed silent.
She didn't seem in a rush and waited for my response.
I didn't understand why she was doing this. I was married, and asking if I wanted to sleep with her seemed ridiculous.
But this ridiculous situation was happening to me, and I didn't know how to explain it.
After a long pause, I finally said quietly, "I do."
She laughed, sounding very pleased.
Every woman aims to attract men, and she seemed like a winner.
It's just that us men are too weak.
"If you really want to, then come over. I'm sure the boss will approve your leave."
Yes, the boss wanted me to win over Gu Xiaofei. If he knew she was interested, he'd be thrilled.
I could even imagine him patting my shoulder, saying, "Good job, young man."
Damn, if such a great woman wanted me, and I didn't go for it, I'd be a fool.
I figured it wouldn't feel any better than being a coward.
"You wait, I'll be right over," I finally said with some determination.
I hung up and rushed to the boss's office.
At the office door, Liu Jing was sorting some files.
Seeing me, she looked surprised and asked, "Zhao Jian, do you need something from the boss?"
"Yeah, I want to ask for some time off, if that's okay."
Since Liu Jing was my direct supervisor, I usually reported leaves to her.
"The boss doesn't have anything scheduled today. You can take the day off and don't need to come back this afternoon."
It seemed like the boss knew everything and was making things easy for me.
In this situation, if I didn't take action, I'd be a fool.
I drove the boss's BMW X1 straight to Gu Xiaofei's place.
Eating the boss's food, driving his car, and being with his woman—what a situation. Was the boss really being too good to me?