TPW – Chapter 122 – Extra 3

Zou Yinghua stomped over, her legs numb and aching, fuming with rage. Before she even got close, the pungent smell of strong liquor hit her nose, mixed with an overpowering perfume—absolutely nauseating.

There were no lights in the courtyard, so she could only make out the figures ahead by moonlight.

As she got closer, Zou Yinghua’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of a woman’s pale, bare thighs blatantly exposed beneath a short skirt.

Was this what a decent person looked like? Was that kind of skirt something a respectable woman would wear?!

This was straight-up… that kind of person, like the girls in those dance halls!

No—Li Hongjun had taken her to a dance hall once before, and even those hostess girls who served drinks didn’t dress like this! Some even wore long sleeves and trousers. None of them were like this!

What angered her the most was that Li Hongjun had clearly said he was going to have dinner with Xu Haizhou—so who the hell was this woman?!

Seething with fury, the usually mild-tempered Zou Yinghua actually wanted to curse out loud for once.

“Since you’re here, I’ll leave Hongjun to you. Take good care of him—I’m heading back,” Xu Haizhou said, handing Li Hongjun over to her. With that, he left with peace of mind.

To her surprise, Qin Xiaoman just had to throw in one last jab before leaving. She lifted her chin and looked at Zou Yinghua with a mocking tone, asking, “So, you’re Manager Li’s girlfriend?”

She exaggeratedly opened her mouth in mock amazement, as if it were something truly unbelievable.

Manager Li? She meant Li Hongjun?

Zou Yinghua looked again at Qin Xiaoman, who was standing there at ease, her red lips curved in a smirk, staring at her intently—up and down, as if trying to strip her bare with her eyes.

Even in the dim light, Zou Yinghua could clearly see the malice in the woman’s smile.

Still containing her anger, Zou Yinghua asked as civilly as she could, “And who are you?”

Qin Xiaoman chuckled softly but didn’t introduce herself. Instead, she continued to size her up, her gaze full of disdain.

“Not bad. Later, little girl. See ya.”

Little… girl? Not bad? What the hell does she mean ‘not bad’?!

This woman was so obnoxious! Who even was she?!

Meanwhile, Li Hongjun, completely unaware of his girlfriend’s inner meltdown, clutched his head and mumbled, “Sleepy… so sleepy… can’t drink anymore… urp…”

“Li Hongjun! Sober up, now! Who the hell was that woman just now?!” Zou Yinghua barked as she reached him. She almost shoved him away. “You reek of perfume! It’s disgusting!”

“Huh? Yinghua?” Li Hongjun had never seen Zou Yinghua this angry before. She had always been soft and meek, like a gentle little lamb—when had she ever yelled at him? Even during arguments, she’d just sulk in silence.

So this fierce woman in front of him… was really Zou Yinghua? He was dazed.

“Yinghua…” he called out blankly, but no one responded. She helped him stumble into the house.

Thud! He banged his forehead against the wardrobe, grimaced in pain, and finally sobered up a bit.

On the other end, after retrieving their bicycles from the car trunk, Xu Haizhou bid farewell to Qin Xiaoman.

“What’s the rush? Deliver the bikes first. I’ll drive you home after,” she offered.

But Xu Haizhou declined, said nothing in return, and pushed both bikes straight into the courtyard.

Qin Xiaoman knew he wouldn’t let her take him home tonight, so she didn’t wait around. She got in her car, gunned the engine, and sped off.

In the passenger seat, Director Liu was curled up under the dashboard in some bizarre sleeping posture, snoring soundly…

Maybe it was because he drank too much last night—by the time Qiao Lu finished washing up and even made breakfast, the man was still out cold.

He finally stirred half-awake after being disturbed by An’an and Qiaoqiao’s loud laughter from the living room.

His head ached. Just then, Qiao Lu came in to grab her jacket. Seeing him moving under the covers, she chuckled, “It’s still early. Sleep a little longer. I’ll take An’an to school today.”

Xu Haizhou couldn’t even open his eyes. His head was foggy and heavy, so he naturally agreed, “Okay, thanks. Let’s go look at motorcycles this weekend so we won’t have to wake up so early anymore.”

“Mm, we’ll see. I’m heading out.”

As she walked over in her jacket, she bent down and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Even half-unconscious, he instinctively wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her into a deeper kiss.

Well, not quite a deep kiss—more like a few lazy nibbles before he let go quickly.

His hands and lips lacked any strength. He just felt so sleepy, so drained.

Burrowing into the blanket, he mumbled, “Mm, come back early.”

Qiao Lu laughed softly, patted his handsome face, and then seemed to recall something. “Oh right—Haizhou, when you came back yesterday, your clothes reeked of perfume. Super strong and awful. Where’d that come from?”

Xu Haizhou paused for a few seconds, as if digging through his memory. He finally replied, “Director Liu’s secretary.”

“Oh…”

She didn’t press further. There should be trust between a husband and wife. Besides, with Xu Haizhou’s character, if he were really hiding something, he’d definitely cover his tracks perfectly. There was no way he’d come home smelling like another woman.

That piece of clothing ended up soaking in a basin with some laundry powder. Qiao Lu had tossed it in there and left it for Xu Haizhou to wash when he woke up.

By the time Xu Haizhou left home, Qiao Lu was already at work. Her store wasn’t too busy—she mainly handled the accounting and would return home early to cook. Then she’d take Qiaoqiao to the factory to eat lunch with Xu Haizhou, giving father and daughter more time to bond. Work was important, but not at the expense of family.

No matter how busy life got, families should still try to spend time together.

Married or not, if you don’t maintain your relationship, feelings will fade. So whenever possible, Qiao Lu would visit him, and sometimes when Xu Haizhou passed by the department store on business runs, he’d detour just to visit the shop and see his wife and daughter.

That morning, just as Xu Haizhou got to the office, the landline rang—it was a call from Qin Xiaoman.

She said Director Liu was feeling unwell after drinking too much the day before, and had handed the order negotiations over to her entirely.

She warned that this was their final meeting. If things didn’t go well today, they’d return to the factory and look for a new partner.

Xu Haizhou couldn’t refuse. It was business, after all. He didn’t think too much of it—until he saw what Qin Xiaoman was wearing, and his headache instantly worsened.

It was outrageous—tight skirt, even shorter than yesterday’s, and pink at that. She had her chestnut curls all styled up, high heels clicking as she entered the factory building, twirling her keychain in one hand, glancing around as if she were walking a red carpet looking for cameras. The theatrics were on full display.

In this era, people were still pretty practical. Secretaries like Qin Xiaoman—who flaunted their beauty and postured like movie stars—were not only rare, they were extremely rare.

As she passed the workshop, every employee’s eyes were glued to her. Only after she entered the factory director’s office did they look away, muttering to each other under their breath.

“Who’s that woman?”

“No idea, but she’s pretty good-looking.”

“Our factory director is married and has two kids. Is that woman a friend or…?”

“Oh, I remember now. Isn’t that the woman who came the other day with some department head? Maybe it’s for business. Don’t spread rumors.”

The relationship between the factory director and his wife was something everyone at Anqiao had witnessed firsthand since they joined. It was a great one—talented man, beautiful woman, with both a son and a daughter. They were a couple many envied, like something out of a fairy tale.

What’s more, the director and his wife were kind and generous, often handing out bonuses and perks to employees. No one in the factory had anything bad to say about them, so no gossip ever circulated.

“Hey, no one’s gossiping—we’re just curious and asking.”

“Don’t be curious. It’s probably nothing. Look, the office door isn’t even closed.”

As soon as the words were spoken, the office door was gently shut from the inside. No one was seen, only a glimpse of a slender white wrist.

“Our director drank too much yesterday and couldn’t make it, so he asked me to continue the discussion with you,” the woman said, her red lips curving into a flirtatious smile as she slowly walked toward Xu Haizhou.

Xu Haizhou frowned deeply as he watched her close the office door. “Hmm, we’ve already discussed everything that needed to be discussed. As for the kickback issue, I’ve already told Director Liu yesterday—we won’t compromise. If you still want to talk about that, feel free, but I’m not interested.”

They might as well let the deal go.

He then picked up a pen and continued sketching and writing on a sheet of paper, looking very busy.

Qin Xiaoman, still acting nonchalant, walked forward on her high heels.

Step by step, her heels clicked loudly in the quiet room—quite annoying.

“Director Xu, what you said isn’t very fair. Negotiations rarely succeed in just one meeting. It usually takes multiple rounds. You’re still new at this. I’ve been in this business for four or five years—I’m way more experienced than you.”

She scrutinized him with a slight frown. Just when she thought her outfit today had stunned Xu Haizhou into silence, and was about to say something else, she heard him speak, disbelief in his voice:

“Really… Secretary Qin, you’re already in your thirties?”

Qin Xiaoman: “……”

She nearly spat blood. Do I really look that old?!

She only mentioned the “four or five years of experience” to emphasize her competence and make him admire her—not to have him think she was old and unwanted!

“I started working right after finishing vocational school! I’m only twenty-two!” she snapped, though her tone still carried a hint of coquettishness—it was second nature to her.

“Oh, twenty-two…” Xu Haizhou nodded knowingly and looked at her face thoughtfully before saying, “My wife was already married to me when she was twenty-two.”

Qin Xiaoman: “……”

Who wants to hear about how lovey-dovey you and your wife are?!

Flicking her hair, she strutted over to stand in front of Xu Haizhou, leaning her body slightly to rest against the edge of the desk.

Xu Haizhou pointed to the wooden chair opposite him. “There’s a chair over there, Secretary Qin. Please sit.”

Qin Xiaoman smiled faintly and gazed at him. “The chair’s not very comfortable. I’d rather stand for a while.”

Xu Haizhou gestured again. “Then stand over there. It’s a bit cramped here.”

Qin Xiaoman shamelessly replied, “It’s fine. I’m slim. Doesn’t feel cramped at all.”

Xu Haizhou: “……”

“Secretary Qin, you’re standing this close—do you have some kind of secret to tell me? Please have some decency.” He was already holding back his temper, unsure how long he could restrain himself from dragging her out.

Seeing his face darken like charcoal and looking like he was about to explode, Qin Xiaoman hesitated slightly, then tried a more careful tone:

“Yes, it’s about a secret from my old employer. Would you like to hear it, Director Xu?”

She thought she was being seductive, casting him a wink and curling her finger at him suggestively: “I’ll tell you secretly.”

Xu Haizhou: “……”

He kept fiddling with the keychain in his hand, looking dizzy from watching it spin.

Then—clink—the keys accidentally fell to the ground. She bent down to pick them up, intentionally moving slowly to reveal the curve of her chest.

The cleavage was deep. Xu Haizhou felt nauseated just looking at it.

How could a woman be so shameless? He couldn’t understand—he had never seen anything like it. He couldn’t help but sigh: the world really was full of all kinds of people. Did her parents never teach her self-respect and self-worth?

She took her time bending down and came up even slower, brushing close to him as she rose.

Xu Haizhou frowned deeply and subtly leaned away.

She curled her red lips, resting both elbows on the desk and bending down again.

“Director Xu, the secret I wanted to share is…”

Xu Haizhou had had enough. He abruptly stood up and backed away a few steps.

“Secretary Qin, what exactly are you trying to do? Please leave immediately! Do I need to call security?”

As he spoke, he picked up the telephone receiver, pretending to call security—even though there wasn’t actually a landline at the security booth. He just wanted to scare her.

Qin Xiaoman was actually startled. It was the first time she’d met a man who didn’t fall for her act.

An awkward look flashed across her face, but she quickly composed herself.

“Ahem—just a joke, Director Xu. You took it too seriously. I was just curious, wondering if someone as young and successful as you could resist temptation. Hehe… clearly, you’re a good man… very good… Mrs. Xu is truly blessed…”

Xu Haizhou remained unmoved, finding her smile sickening. “Whether she’s blessed or not doesn’t need your input. Please leave!”

He didn’t throw her out purely out of respect for Jin Qiang Garments. Otherwise, he would’ve tossed her like garbage.

Qin Xiaoman, realizing she was wasting time, quickly got to the point: “Here’s the thing—Director Liu taking kickbacks, that’s true. Asking for ten thousand yuan is unreasonable, but there’s a backstory.”

“I don’t care what the backstory is. Since your side isn’t serious about this partnership, our discussion ends here. Please leave.”

He opened the office door, signaling for her to leave.

But Qin Xiaoman hadn’t achieved her goal. She quickly rushed over and blurted out:

“No, really, there’s a reason. Director Liu has a mistress he’s been supporting for five years! She even gave birth to a son, but his wife doesn’t know. And the mistress doesn’t know… that he has another mistress.”

At this point, she paused for two seconds, watching Xu Haizhou’s expression.

There was no visible change, but his brows were furrowed tighter than ever—clearly running out of patience.

“Then the third mistress found out about the fourth one and demanded he break it off, or she’d tell his wife everything. Director Liu didn’t want his wife to know and didn’t want to be blackmailed either. In a rage, he slapped the third mistress. She went ballistic and threatened to expose everything to his wife.”

What she didn’t say was—she was actually the fourth mistress, not the third. The one who got discovered was technically the fifth. But this was too embarrassing to admit, so she doctored the story a little.

“Director Liu finally managed to calm the third mistress down, but now she wants fifteen thousand yuan to disappear forever. She said she’d leave with the child—he could choose whether to keep the kid or not. But if he didn’t pay, not only would he lose the child, but she’d tell his wife about the two mistresses and the illegitimate son.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Haizhou finally understood why Director Liu was so desperate for that ten-thousand-yuan kickback. He was urgently in need of cash.

If he didn’t pay, and the mistress really lost it, she could blow everything up. Director Liu would bear all the consequences.

Xu Haizhou didn’t know Director Liu well, but Qin Xiaoman certainly did—after all, she’d been his fourth mistress for three years. She even knew exactly how much money he had in his bank account.

Director Liu had married into wealth. His wife came from a powerful family—her father was the director of Jin Qiang Garments in Lian City, and her mother headed the neighborhood committee. Their relatives were no less influential.

Director Liu had basically ridden his wife’s coattails to success. In his youth, he was considered handsome and smooth-talking. It didn’t take long for the pampered rich girl—his current wife—to fall for him. He rose to the top like a rocket and lived the good life for decades.

Unfortunately, after hitting middle age, his looks faded, and the charming young man turned into a pig-faced uncle. His wife grew cold toward him and ignored his needs.

Director Liu felt emasculated and humiliated. At 35, he began seeking validation from other women.

Though technically a live-in son-in-law, he’d still managed to save up quite a bit. And in any era, as long as you have money, it doesn’t matter how old you are—there will always be beautiful girls throwing themselves at you.

Once he found his sense of importance again, he got carried away—and ended up with a fourth, then a fifth mistress. If the third hadn’t found out about the fifth, would he have moved on to a sixth and seventh?