Okay, so things were kinda rough lately with money and just a bunch of stuff going on, and last night, I actually couldn't fall asleep.
I finally dozed off super late, like in the early morning hours.
So, yeah, my wife had to wake me up this morning.
I look at the time, and it's already past seven! The boss is usually heading out around now.
I didn't even bother with breakfast, just quickly washed up, jumped in the boss's BMW X1, and headed over to pick him up.
Got to his place, and turns out he just woke up himself.
Zhang Zhiyuan's always been an early bird, so him being late like this was a bit weird.
But honestly, all I was focused on was making sure I did my job right.
I was sitting in the boss's living room waiting for him, but my mind was racing about going to see my in-laws. What the heck should I bring?
Bring too little, and they'll think I'm a cheap son-in-law. Bring too much, and my wallet just can't handle it.
And speaking of money, I'm pretty much broke right now, barely covering my own living expenses.
But you know how it is, gotta keep up appearances in front of the wife, act like I'm doing better than I am.
So, first thing this morning, I decided no matter what, I was gonna ask the boss for a bit of cash, just so I wouldn't look like a loser to my wife.
While the boss was having breakfast, his wife suddenly came over to me.
Her name's Qin Jingyi. She's gotta be close to forty, but man, she takes good care of herself. You wouldn't really see the years on her face.
Being polite and all, I stood up and said, "Morning, Ma'am." (using "Ma'am" as a respectful way to address the boss's wife).
Qin Jingyi's always been really nice to me. You can tell she's well-educated and has that classy vibe.
Sometimes I think to myself, how did a sweet woman like her end up with Zhang Zhiyuan? Just doesn't seem right.
Seeing me all stiff and awkward, Qin Jingyi quickly said, "Oh, Xiao Zhao, no need to be so formal, have a seat."
I don't know why, but I've always felt a bit intimidated by the boss's wife.
I just sat back down on the sofa when I had to stand up again.
Because right then, I saw Qin Jingyi pull out a red envelope from her purse and hand it to me.
My heart suddenly started pounding. I mean, I really needed the money.
With some cash, I could keep up the image in front of my wife, make her think her husband's the most reliable guy.
But there's no way Qin Jingyi was giving me money for no reason. She must want something.
So, I couldn't just take it right away.
"Ma'am, what's this...?"
"Xiao Zhao," she said, "you've been working so hard all these years, out in all kinds of weather, it hasn't been easy. This is just a little something from me." And with that, she put the red envelope right in front of me.
I knew deep down there's no such thing as a free lunch. Qin Jingyi doing this had to mean something.
I gave a little smile, looking at her pretty face, and said, "Ma'am, driving the boss around is my job, and the boss has always been really good to me, giving me raises every year. It's all part of what I should be doing."
It was polite talk on the surface, but it wasn't completely insincere. I really am grateful to the boss.
The boss's wife seemed happy to hear that. She said, "Xiao Zhao, I know you're a dedicated worker. You've never made any mistakes in all this time. Zhiyuan and I both trust you a lot."
That was the first time the boss's wife had ever praised me, so I was definitely feeling good about it.
But what she said next made things a bit awkward for me.
Qin Jingyi continued, "I know Zhiyuan has some things going on outside of work... you know, with other women. Could you maybe tell me about those things sometime?"
As Zhang Zhiyuan's personal driver, of course I knew a lot of his secrets. But those were secrets I definitely couldn't spill.
And honestly, the main thing Zhang Zhiyuan was probably hiding was this still-attractive woman right in front of me.
I quickly shook my head and said, "Ma'am, even though the boss has some business dinners and things, I really think he only has eyes for you."
Every woman likes a bit of flattery, even a sophisticated lady like the boss's wife.
Qin Jingyi's face instantly lit up with a smile.
I could tell the boss's wife really loved her husband, so that just made me want to keep Zhang Zhiyuan's secret even more.
Even if I quit being his driver one day, I wouldn't say a word about it.
Even though that red envelope was tempting, you gotta have some principles.
I knew that if I agreed to the boss's wife's request today and the boss found out tomorrow, I'd be fired on the spot.
Wasn't the main thing the boss liked about me that I could keep my mouth shut?
Even though she seemed pleased, Qin Jingyi is a sharp woman. She went on, "Of course, I believe Zhiyuan is completely devoted to me. But I still need to know about his work schedule, you know? Like when he's coming home, so I can be prepared."
I thought about it, and that seemed reasonable enough. There wasn't anything too tricky about that.
So, I nodded and said, "Okay, Ma'am."
Seeing me agree, Qin Jingyi gave a really charming smile, like she had all the allure a woman could have.
I just couldn't understand why Zhang Zhiyuan, with such a beautiful wife at home, would still be messing around with other women.
But then, I suddenly had a really bad feeling.
If Qin Jingyi really cared about the boss, she could just call him herself. Why would she need to go through me to find out?
Thinking it over, there was only one explanation: the boss's wife was having an affair herself.
They say women in their thirties are like wolves and in their forties are like tigers. With Zhang Zhiyuan playing around outside, maybe the wife at home couldn't handle it anymore.
I was guessing Qin Jingyi must be resentful, but seeing her today, that didn't seem to be the case at all.
The boss's wife seemed completely calm, which could only mean one thing: she was the one stepping out.
I started to regret agreeing to her request, but it was too late now.
Besides, it wasn't easy to refuse the boss's wife. If she decided to make things difficult for me, I could be out of a job tomorrow.
If I lost my job, what about the mortgage? What would my wife think of me? That was something I couldn't afford.
No matter how tired a guy is, he's gotta tough it out.
Since I had already agreed to the boss's wife's request, accepting that red envelope seemed like the logical next step.
I felt the envelope, and it was pretty thick, which meant the boss's wife wasn't being stingy.
I quietly slipped the red envelope into my pocket and didn't forget to say thank you.
When money's involved, everyone has their price, I guess.
About five more minutes went by, and the boss had finished his breakfast.
On the drive from his house to the company, the boss always liked to chat with me. It had become a habit for him.
The thing he was most interested in, of course, was whether I had managed to win over Gu Xiaofei.
I knew in my heart that Gu Xiaofei was a particularly complicated woman, not someone you could easily handle.
And now that my wife was also involved in this mess, there was no way I could get involved with Gu Xiaofei.
Otherwise, my marriage would definitely be over.
I thought about it and decided to just be honest with the boss.
"Mr. Zhang," I said to him while driving, "this Gu Xiaofei isn't an ordinary woman. I've tried everything, and it's just not working."
Zhang Zhiyuan replied, "Zhao Jian, you need to be patient. I believe Xiaofei can't possibly be unmoved by a handsome young man like you."
Hearing that, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Mr. Zhang, but Gu Xiaofei already knows I'm married, and she even knows my wife," I said, finally dropping the biggest bombshell.
Zhang Zhiyuan seemed surprised when he heard that.
Clearly, Gu Xiaofei's intelligence was far beyond what he had imagined.
"Zhao Jian, tell me the truth, what else did Gu Xiaofei say to you?" At this point, Zhang Zhiyuan sensed that things weren't going well, so he was eager to know the whole story.
I didn't answer Zhang Zhiyuan because the car had already arrived at the company.
Zhang Zhiyuan got out of the car and said to me, "Zhao Jian, come to my office to talk."
I immediately understood that I had gotten myself into trouble because I had said the wrong thing.
Without a word, I followed Zhang Zhiyuan into his office, and he immediately closed the door.
At that moment, I was wondering if Zhang Zhiyuan really had something going on with my wife. Why else would he be so nervous right now?
Before anything was clear, I decided to keep quiet. At least that would be the safest thing for me.
"How does Gu Xiaofei know your wife?" Zhang Zhiyuan asked as his first question.
I couldn't help but curse under my breath. How do they know each other? How should I know?
Isn't the key person in all of this you, Zhang Zhiyuan?
But to confuse Zhang Zhiyuan, I chose to shake my head, indicating that I didn't know anything about it.
Actually, I really wanted to know if there was something between my wife and Zhang Zhiyuan.