What a Disgrace

It was the archvillain.

Xia Zhi set things down and answered the phone. "Hello, honey."

When Xia Zhi heard why the archvillain was calling, she was a little surprised.

"You want to take me to Tang Fangjing's house for dinner?"

This had never happened before.

"Are you sure?"

What was the archvillain thinking?

Hadn't he said before his business trip that they would discuss divorce when he got back?

Why was he taking her to visit relatives now?

Lu Heng rapidly leafed through documents with one hand, holding his phone in the other, and asked calmly,

"You don't want to go?"

Although Xia Zhi wasn't particularly keen on going out, the thought of the look on Tang Fangjing's face when she saw her piqued her interest.

"Yes, of course I do."

"Honey, what time are we going? How about I come straight to your office and wait for you to finish work?"

Lu Heng could barely handle her enthusiasm. "We'll leave around six. Just get to the office before then."

"Okay!"

After hanging up, Xia Zhi spun around on the spot. She decided she would outshine Tang Green Tea this time, so thoroughly that she wouldn't be able to hold her head up.

What should she use to outshine her?

Xia Zhi rummaged through the original owner's wardrobe again. To deal with a woman who was both poor and proud, she needed an overwhelming air of wealth.

Enough to crush her.

So Xia Zhi chose the most dignified, most expensive dress in the original owner's wardrobe. Its hem fell half an inch above her knees, revealing her lovely calves. Most importantly, Tang Fangjing had coveted this dress for a long time.

Xia Zhi carried off the royal blue, a color that was extremely unforgiving of skin tone, perfectly. She had the air of elegance down pat.

Standing before the mirror, she was the spitting image of Shu Man brought to life.

Her eyes brimmed with affection, bewitching without being gaudy, alluring without being vulgar.

Xia Zhi covered her face. Had she spent all afternoon getting into character only to find she couldn't get out of it now?

Then Xia Zhi put on an antique necklace worth tens of millions and picked up a top-tier luxury designer handbag.

The vain Tang Fangjing would surely be able to calculate the value of this outfit.

The thought of Tang Green Tea's face turning green with anger gave Xia Zhi a secret thrill.

So when Xia Zhi stood before the company's reception desk in cool sunglasses and an outfit covered in luxury labels, exuding an imposing presence, the receptionist could barely speak.

"M-Mrs. Lu, do you have an... appointment with President Lu?"

Xia Zhi raised a hand to push up her sunglasses and strike a pose, only for the frightened receptionist to instinctively shrink back.

Xia Zhi: "..."

Did this young receptionist think she was going to hit her?

Had the original owner been that violent?

Xia Zhi decided to salvage the original owner's terrible image as best she could. She removed her sunglasses and asked with a smile that could only be described as supremely gentle,

"Do I need an appointment to see your President Lu?"

The young receptionist was already badly frightened. Now that Xia Zhi was actually smiling at her, she nearly fainted on the spot.

"Th-this... this is President Lu's rule."

"He said anyone... anyone who comes has to make an appointment, including... including you, ma'am."

In truth, this rule was mainly aimed at Mrs. Lu.

Every employee at the Lu Group knew it perfectly well.

Who didn't know that President Lu had never liked his own wife?

Seeing how seriously the young woman stuck to her duties despite being scared out of her wits, Xia Zhi decided not to tease her any further. She called Jiang Cheng directly.

Jiang Cheng was taking meeting minutes, his fingers flying. When he saw the caller ID on his phone, he paused, then stood and stepped aside to answer.

"Hello, Mrs. Lu. Is there something you need?"

Xia Zhi said, "Assistant Jiang, your President Lu told me to come wait for him at the office before you finish work. The receptionist won't let me through. Could you ask her to make an exception?"

Jiang Cheng instinctively glanced at the man at the head of the table. Lu Heng also noticed his hesitation.

"What is it?"

Jiang Cheng leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Your wife is downstairs."

He remembered that President Lu hadn't allowed Xia Zhi to come to the office before.

Lu Heng glanced at his watch and nodded. "Let her up."

"Yes, sir."

Jiang Cheng called reception. Only then did the receptionist let Xia Zhi through, personally swiping her into the president's direct elevator.

Once the elevator had gone up, the young receptionist immediately rushed into a private company group chat to gossip excitedly.

-You'll never guess who I just saw.

-Who?

-Mrs. Lu. And President Lu actually let her upstairs. Pretty amazing.

-You must have been mistaken, right? President Lu can't stand that woman. She made a scene at the office a few times before, and he looked furious.

-Absolutely true. Special Assistant Jiang called personally.

-Also, I hadn't seen Mrs. Lu in ages, and now I suddenly realize she's much prettier than before. Her skin is so fair and soft, and her figure is incredible. That little waist, that butt-if I were a man, I'd definitely fall at her feet too.

-President Lu doesn't seem like the kind of man to be swayed by looks.

-Who knows? How many men aren't lustful?

Everyone chimed in, eagerly gossiping about the big boss and his wife.

-Could President Lu have made up with his wife? If so, Ma Wei in PR will cry herself unconscious in the bathroom.

-Haha.

-That shameless vixen spends all day trying her hardest to get close to President Lu. She gets rebuffed every time but still won't give up. Her skin is thick enough to run trains on.

-You have to be shameless to achieve great things.

-Haha.

-Looks like we won't be achieving anything great, then. All we can do is enjoy the gossip.

Xia Zhi had no idea how many undercurrents her arrival had stirred up.

Jiang Cheng came out to receive Xia Zhi personally, serving her tea and water and preparing a fruit platter. The staff in the president's office on the forty-sixth floor were dumbfounded.

Th-this...

Wasn't that the unwelcome Mrs. Lu?

Why was Jiang Cheng suddenly being so attentive?

There was gossip to be had here.

Xia Zhi sat in the archvillain's office, bored out of her mind. His office was just like him: monotonous and cold, with nothing but a desk, chairs, and bookcases.

Utterly bored, she leafed through the archvillain's books.

They were all books on finance.

Xia Zhi couldn't find a single novel.

So boring. So boring.

The archvillain was an utterly boring man.

So Xia Zhi went over to the floor-to-ceiling windows to look at the view outside. The sun was about to set, and the rosy clouds were especially beautiful, like the gauzy skirts of ladies in ancient paintings.

After standing for a while, her legs grew a little sore.

With nothing to do, Xia Zhi plopped into the executive chair and played games. As she played, she couldn't resist shifting positions.

In the end, she draped both legs over the back of the chair, hanging upside down.

When the office door was pushed open, everyone was greeted by the tantalizing sight of Xia Zhi hanging upside down, those two long, pale legs truly enticing.

Lu Heng, who was walking at the front, turned livid.

"Xia Zhi!"

He practically spat her name through gritted teeth.

What kind of disgraceful behavior was this?

The group of executives was also stunned by the sight before them.

Mrs. Lu?

Lu Heng looked back and saw the men staring, their eyes transfixed. Displeased, he abruptly shut the door, blocking everyone's view.

Only then did they come to their senses. As Lu Heng swept his sharp gaze over them, they all lowered their heads.

Lu Heng pushed the door open again and went inside.

Smiling, Jiang Cheng asked the executives to wait outside for a moment.

Lu Heng's shout had already frightened Xia Zhi, so by the time he went back in, she had scrambled down from the chair and was standing beside the desk, looking thoroughly contrite and not daring to move.