Gong Ze knew that Sang You would certainly come to him to make a fuss once he heard the news — he just hadn’t expected it to be so soon.
At the company.
The door to Gong Ze’s office was shoved open with force. A rapid succession of footsteps followed. By the time Gong Ze looked up, Sang You had already slammed the document folder down on his desk with a bang.
“Why are you giving me this project?!”
Gong Ze paused for a moment, then screwed the cap back onto his pen. He leaned back in his chair, rested against the headrest, and looked at the person with their brow furrowed into a knot. Calmly, he asked in return, “Why can’t I give it to you?”
“Because I don’t have the capability for such a big project!”
In the past, Sang You had indeed been young and ignorant, with a bit of young master petulance. But not only had he long since changed, he also had self-awareness.
He had only just gotten a clear understanding of the company’s basic operations. The people he normally interacted with were all new interns. How could he possibly have the skill to take on a project of this magnitude?
Sang You was worried. “What if I mess it up? A job this important should be led by one of the company’s core elites — or you should supervise it yourself.”
“Didn’t I give you an elite team?”
“That’s not what I mean — I mean, I shouldn’t be the decision-maker for this. What if… Anyway, I can’t do it.”
Gong Ze picked up his teacup and slowly blew on the steam floating above it. He said flatly, “How do you know you can’t do it when you haven’t even tried? Besides, everyone has a first time. If there’s anything you don’t understand, I’ll teach you. You just go ahead and do it.”
“But, but… Everyone thinks I can’t do it. And those managers who thought this project would go to them — the way they look at me is weird too.”
The young master bit his lower lip. His pretty little face fell.
As soon as Gong Ze’s decision came out, those long-time company employees wore ugly expressions. Though they didn’t dare offend Gong Ze openly, behind his back, they were saying that Gong Ze was abusing his power.
To give his wife a leg-up, he was handing such an important project to a young master who knew nothing.
This company was done for.
And other such messy complaints and jealous remarks.
When the gossip reached Sang You’s ears, he was so ashamed he couldn’t lift his head.
Usually, when he encountered old employees who looked down on him, he could put his hands on his hips and snap back at them. But as hurtful as their words were, they were also true.
He really wasn’t capable enough.
And besides…
“If I mess it up, won’t I make you lose face?”
The young master’s eyes reddened in an instant.
His teeth clenched, his voice tinged with a nasal tone. He looked down at his own shoe tips and said softly, “I don’t have the ability — if they want to talk about me, fine. But I don’t want them to speak ill of you because of me.”
“You’re the one holding this whole company together right now. You work so hard, you have to stay so late every day, and even when you come home, you go to the study and keep working into the night…”
When they talked about him, Sang You didn’t feel wronged.
He knew he was inexperienced — he could accept the mockery.
But when they talked about Gong Ze — what right did they have to say such things?
Sang You saw Gong Ze’s hard work with his own eyes. The young master’s heart ached for his man, but he couldn’t do anything to help.
Lately, the agony of this had made him less inclined to make a fuss. He didn’t even dare cling to Gong Ze anymore, afraid that his boyfriend might lose even a minute of sleep and ruin his health.
Who says a young wife can’t care for her husband?
A layer of tears welled up in Sang You’s eyes. Hearing them speak ill of Gong Ze made him feel wronged and angry on his boyfriend’s behalf.
He’d rather not have such a big project.
Gong Ze watched him, his little head drooped, and couldn’t help but soften. He sighed and beckoned him over.
When Sang You walked up to him, Gong Ze pulled him onto his lap. The young master pressed his lips together, tears glistening in his fox-like eyes, and leaned softly against his boyfriend’s chest.
“Gong Ze, I don’t want the big project. I know that even though you’re giving it to me, you’re the one who’ll actually be doing the worrying.”
Sang You sniffled. Looking up at his man’s chin, he mumbled softly, “If I didn’t take it, would you be able to rest a little more?”
Hearing this, Gong Ze’s heart filled with sweetness.
He couldn’t help but curl his lips, lowering his head to kiss the little straight tuft of hair sticking up from the young master’s crown.
“Listen to me, Sang You. This project came from me. I can give it to whomever I want.”
“Secondly, it’s not that important. It looks beneficial to Sang Corporation’s future, but in reality, it’s not irreplaceable, nor does it affect the company’s current development.”
Gong Ze patiently guided the young master.
“You didn’t see this for yourself. If you had understood, you would have realized it’s just a whetstone I chose for you.”
Sang You nodded, still a bit dazed.
“If you succeed, people will recognize and trust you. If you fail, the company won’t suffer a loss. So what if they talk? I’ll bring in new projects to smooth things over.”
“Sang You, you are the true, rightful owner of Sang Corporation. A boss’s decisions cannot be swayed by the words of employees.”
“If you let yourself be affected by gossip behind your back, how can you ever be a qualified businessman?”
Sang You mulled this over for a while, half-understanding. He got the general idea.
This was Gong Ze trying to train him, but…
He looked up at Gong Ze. “But doesn’t Sang Corporation have you right now?”
Gong Ze was the company manager his father had carefully chosen for him. The original intention was precisely because his father was afraid Sang You wouldn’t be a good boss.
Gong Ze paused. He looked down at the puzzled young master. “What if I’m not here anymore?”
“…”
Sang You froze.
He looked up in disbelief, his pupils constricting slightly.
Gong Ze touched his face and said softly, “If I’m not here, there’ll be no one else to hold up this sky for you, my little young master. Sooner or later, you’ll have to do it yourself.”
“…”
Bang!
Moments later.
The office door slammed shut again.
Gong Ze winced, clutching the red, pinched spot on his thigh. Yep — he’d definitely made the young master angry.
The system rarely got to see Gong Ze getting put in his place. It gloated, [Who wouldn’t be angry hearing this kind of break-up talk?]
[You scared Sang You half to death. As soon as he left, he called the family doctor to ask for your medical checkup results — he thought you had cancer and were about to die.]
The corner of Gong Ze’s mouth twitched. …What a good wife I have. The first thing that came to his mind wasn’t breaking up, but becoming a widow.
The good news was that Sang You still accepted the project.
Because of Sang You’s relationship with Gong Ze, everyone had indeed been happy when Sang You stood up for bullied employees in the past. No one had objected to his status as ‘company boss’s wife.’
That’s just how reality works.
When Sang You, as a company executive, used his position to pull strings for them, these people — as beneficiaries — were delighted.
But the moment Sang You benefited from that same status, other employees felt it was unfair.
Even if the project wouldn’t have gone to them even if Sang You hadn’t taken it.
Even if the project was something Gong Ze had fought for Sang You and brought in through his own connections — Gong Ze’s decision, not something Sang You had snatched away.
Still, everyone in the company felt as if meat had been stolen from their own mouths.
Even the employees who had previously gotten along quite well with Sang You began to mutter behind his back.
“You know, this is why you should never work for a family-run couple’s company. You think they’ll give the good perks to us outsiders? Of course they’ll keep them for their own people.”
“Exactly…”
“I mean, Sang You has been good to us, sure, but does he even have the ability? If it wasn’t going to go to so-and-so, it should have gone to so-and-so — or at least to you, Brother Wang.”
“No, no, please don’t say that. I can’t afford to offend the boss’s wife.”
“Heh heh~”
“I heard Sang You telling someone earlier that he didn’t know anything about it.”
“Tsk. Pretty words. Some people really are different from us. The things they don’t even want are things we can’t have.”
A few employees rolled their eyes in the break room.
They had completely forgotten how happy they had been when Sang You stood up for them and secured benefits on their behalf.
Ever since Sang You had arrived, they had asked him — behind closed doors — to go talk to Gong Ze more times than they could count.
Give us raises, give us holiday bonuses. Gong Ze, not wanting the young master to lose face, had agreed to their requests even knowing they were instigated by these very employees.
Since Sang You had come to the company, employee benefits had multiplied.
Sang You, who had come to the break room to make coffee, heard their words and paused. His smile faltered. He pressed his lips together in silence.
The two new employees who had always been close to him were furious. They rushed into the break room and slammed their cups down on the water cooler.
“If you don’t like working for a family company, resign! Who’s stopping you?”
The young girl who often shared snacks with Sang You put her hands on her hips and shouted, “Everyone knows Sang Corporation has great benefits and high pay — people are dying to get in here. Since you’re so dissatisfied, let’s see if you can find anything better after you leave!”
“Now you’re talking behind his back. But back then, when you wanted Sang You to go to Boss Gong to get you perks, weren’t you practically begging, calling him ‘little boss’s wife’ left and right?”
The girl narrowed her eyes and sneered at them.
“What’s the matter? When you need him, he’s ‘little boss’s wife.’ When you don’t need him anymore, he’s just someone who got in through the back door?”
“Besides, our company is a legitimate large corporation. Every employee has clearly defined responsibilities. You’re just entry-level employees, aren’t you?”
“I’m curious — the upper management who are actually in line for this project haven’t said a word. Why are you lot, who are a thousand miles away from it, making all the noise?”
For regular employees, no matter what project they worked on, didn’t they just get their base salary?
What business did they have feeling jealous on behalf of the higher-ups?
The few employees who had been gossiping froze. Seeing Sang You enter, they broke out in a cold sweat.
“W-We didn’t mean it that way…”
One of them, still unsatisfied, blushed and muttered, “Why do you have to be so harsh? Even if it wasn’t going to us, it still shouldn’t go to Sang You. He’s just a regular employee too…”
“Sang You is only listed as a regular employee. Have you forgotten? Sang You is actually the owner of this company.”
The young man who often stood by Sang You’s side adjusted his glasses and said coolly, “Boss Gong is the company’s manager. But Sang You is the actual controlling owner of Sang Corporation. And you’re saying he’s not qualified?”
Are you sick?
The young man’s eyes seemed to convey these words.
Sang You had always been nice to people and never put on airs of wealth, causing them to forget that the “Sang” in Sang You was the “Sang” of Sang Corporation.
Everyone jokingly called Sang You “little boss’s wife,” as if Sang You had only gotten into the company because of Gong Ze. But in reality, Gong Ze was the live-in son-in-law of the Sang family.
Realizing this, the gossipers were so ashamed and red-faced they wished they could crawl into a hole.
They looked at Sang You with pitiful expressions.
Sang You kept his face stiff and pretended not to see them.
He had been spoiled silly by his family since childhood, so he wasn’t good at handling difficult situations. But now that his friends were standing up for him, he wasn’t going to be foolishly magnanimous and say, “It’s okay, I’m fine, don’t be so harsh.”
Wouldn’t that make the friends who helped him look like the bad guys and clowns?
Sang You was also hurt by the strange looks he was getting.
Seeing that some employees he had gotten along with well before no longer paid him any mind, Sang You felt low and upset.
He had tried to explain, but they only gossiped about him more.
Saying he was fake.
So Sang You gave them a cold face and stopped caring.
Seeing that Sang You was ignoring them, the gossipers hung their heads, picked up their cups, and mumbled apologies. “We were wrong today. We, we’re leaving now. Sorry, Sang You…”
Then they scurried off.
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