Chapter Sixty-One: Dispute

"Do you need something?" Zhang Wei heard Murong Xuan call his name. He stopped, turned his head, and asked.

"Will Guo Bin be fired by your company?" A trace of apology appeared on Murong Xuan's delicate face as she asked.

"I don’t have the final say in this matter—that depends on Brother Xu's decision." Zhang Wei looked at Murong Xuan’s stunning features, his lips curling into a faint, cold smile.

"Don't look so pleased with yourself. This whole mess started because of you! Otherwise, things wouldn’t have turned out like this," Murong Xuan shot back, her anger flaring up with a sudden intensity.

"Miss Murong, you ought to speak with your conscience. I, Zhang Wei, have done nothing to be ashamed of, and this matter has nothing to do with me. You should reflect on your own character," Zhang Wei replied, patting his chest for emphasis, his gaze sharp and unwavering.

"You..." Murong Xuan gritted her teeth. "If I hadn’t been afraid you’d find out I was renting from Guo Bin, he wouldn’t have tried to steal the deal, and none of this would have happened. I’ve never been so humiliated as I am today."

"Fine! Since you want to talk it through, let’s lay everything out and see who’s really to blame," Zhang Wei said.

Zhang Wei had always been unwilling to argue too much with Murong Xuan. For one thing, she was a client of the company. For another, it was hardly dignified for a man to quarrel with a woman. But now, backed into a corner, he no longer wished to take the blame for others.

"I never stopped you from renting from Guo Bin. Why were you so worried I’d find out?" Zhang Wei retorted.

"Because... because I’d promised to rent from you before. I was afraid that if you found out..." Murong Xuan’s voice grew softer with every word. Clearly, even she realized her reason was flimsy, and she couldn’t bring herself to finish.

"Why not go on? You know you broke your word," Zhang Wei sneered. "So after all is said and done, what does this have to do with me? It was your own guilty conscience—judging me by your own standards—that led to all this!"

"So you have no responsibility in this at all? And you have the nerve to call me petty!" Murong Xuan was mortified and furious; no one had ever spoken to her in such a disdainful tone.

"I do bear some responsibility," Zhang Wei said sarcastically. "I shouldn’t have agreed to pretend to be your date for the matchmaking. I shouldn’t have tried to help you get rid of Lin Hongwen. Now I’m embroiled in trouble, with nothing to show for it!"

"If not for me, would you have met Millionaire Zhou? Would you have closed a deal worth over a million? Don’t act like you did me a favor," Murong Xuan shot back, refusing to concede.

"Okay, I have no wish to argue with a woman. If you have something to say, just say it. I need to get back for a meeting." Zhang Wei raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, not wanting to continue this pointless argument. It was undignified for a man to quarrel with a woman.

What’s more, regarding Fat Zhou, Zhang Wei did actually feel grateful to Murong Xuan. Without her introduction, he never would have met Fat Zhou, let alone landed such a lucrative contract. So he stopped the senseless argument.

"You think I want to argue with you?" Murong Xuan huffed, folding her arms and accentuating her pale, alluring cleavage. "No matter what, Guo Bin got dragged into this because of us. I hope you’ll speak up for him with Manager Xu. That way, I won’t have to feel I owe him anything."

"Alright, if the opportunity arises, I’ll put in a good word," Zhang Wei replied, stealing a glance at Murong Xuan’s ample chest—though the sight was tempting, he didn’t dare linger.

"Go on, then. I have nothing more to say," Murong Xuan ordered loftily.

"Miss Murong, couldn’t you be a bit more civil with me? I’ve never wronged you, so there’s no need to keep me at arm’s length every time," Zhang Wei said, annoyed by her tone. He wasn’t her employee; why should he endure her bossy airs?

"I’m not. Maybe you misunderstood," Murong Xuan replied, chin held high, not even glancing at him.

"Is that so?" Zhang Wei thought to himself that Murong Xuan’s coldness stemmed from the staff at Jingxuan Studio believing he was her boyfriend. This clearly irked her, so she treated him with deliberate indifference.

"Shall I set the record straight with Lin Hongwen, Li Mengfei, and everyone at your store? That way, no one will misunderstand our relationship, and you won’t have to feel awkward around me," Zhang Wei said.

"Is that a threat?" Murong Xuan’s beautiful eyes fixed on him.

"Of course not. I just think you could treat me a little better. I have helped you, haven’t I?" Zhang Wei countered.

"I admit you’ve helped me, but I also introduced you to Millionaire Zhou. From now on, let’s call it even. I hope you won’t use this to threaten me again," Murong Xuan said coldly, her face as dark as a storm.

"Since everything’s clear, I’ll take my leave. Goodbye." Zhang Wei forced a smile, sidestepped Murong Xuan, and walked toward the elevator. Murong Xuan, meanwhile, hurried back to her apartment and slammed the iron door behind her.

Standing in the elevator, Zhang Wei reflected on his relationship with Murong Xuan. In truth, there was no real animosity between them. At most, Murong Xuan kept her distance because of idle gossip, not out of any genuine conflict of interest.

They’d both spoken harshly in the heat of the moment, which led to the argument. If he’d been calm, the wisest course would have been to ignore her, not to quarrel with a woman.

Outwardly, Zhang Wei seemed calm just now, but inside he seethed with anger. Murong Xuan had broken her promise, letting Guo Bin rent the apartment on her behalf. Zhang Wei didn’t care about the commission, but he did care about his reputation.

Murong Xuan was his client, yet she’d rented from Guo Bin. No matter the reason, it reflected poorly on Zhang Wei and could be seen as a failure to maintain client relationships.

Guo Bin had always liked to oppose him. After this incident, Zhang Wei’s preference would be to see Guo Bin fired. But if Guo Bin was dismissed over the stolen deal, the matter would escalate, possibly exposing that Zhang Wei had lost a client to a colleague.

While Zhang Wei was technically the victim, it would also highlight his shortcomings and give others the impression he was incompetent—a result with more harm than benefit.

Such a stain on his professional record was something Zhang Wei would never allow. Therefore, on this matter, he and Murong Xuan were of one mind: the best course was to minimize the incident.

After all, following this episode, Guo Bin would be left with no standing in the store, and certainly wouldn’t dare challenge him again. He’d have no choice but to keep his head down.

Compared to hurting both himself and others, Zhang Wei preferred mutual benefit. In the world of business, there were no eternal friends—only eternal interests.