The most severe phase of Qiu Yang’s insomnia in recent years was the first week after her breakup. It reached a point where even melatonin didn’t help her sleep; she could only doze off briefly, forcing her to drag her exhausted body to the company.
The second week, she went to Xicheng. Shen Ningruo helped adjust her sleep schedule, and Qiu Yang basically managed to get eight hours of sleep each day.
But now, back in Yuncheng, Qiu Yang found it hard to adapt again. When she was dating Tao Sixian, it wasn’t like she never slept alone, but she wouldn’t toss and turn, unable to sleep like this.
However, back then, it might have been because she knew Tao Sixian’s absence was only temporary.
Another hour passed. It was almost 1 AM. Qiu Yang finally couldn’t bear it anymore, got up, turned on the bedside lamp, and took her melatonin. She drank a large gulp of warm water, then returned to bed, trying to cultivate sleepiness.
She hadn’t stayed here for a week. After showering tonight, she had changed the sheets and duvet cover. The pillow smelled faintly of fresh laundry detergent.
But it wasn’t as pleasant as Shen Ningruo’s scent.
As soon as this thought arose, Qiu Yang frowned. She raised her hand again, placing it on the hickey on her collarbone, gently stroking it.
She realized she was thinking about Shen Ningruo quite frequently. Could this be the side effect of using Shen Ningruo?
She couldn’t figure it out, but subconsciously felt it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, because her attention was once again diverted.
Thinking about Shen Ningruo was much better than thinking about Tao Sixian, wasn’t it?
Qiu Yang closed her eyes, trying hard to make her mind blank, hoping to hypnotize herself.
The bedroom door was ajar. Pingzi, being rather clingy, had come in early and curled up into a ball on the duvet. It had fallen asleep before Qiu Yang. Just now, Qiu Yang’s movements getting up for melatonin had woken it. It lifted its round head, glanced at Qiu Yang twice, then went back to sleep.
Qiu Yang rested one hand gently on Pingzi. The fluffy texture under her palm was very comforting.
Previously, Tao Sixian never allowed Pingzi on the bed. Therefore, Pingzi could only sleep on the duvet when Tao Sixian wasn’t around.
But starting half a month ago, Tao Sixian would never appear on this bed again. Pingzi could sleep here for as long as it wanted, and Qiu Yang wouldn’t mind.
This was her cat, not someone else’s.
In the darkness, Qiu Yang’s eyelashes trembled. As drowsiness finally washed over her, a thought solidified in her mind: she believed she would pull herself out of this post-breakup state soon.
She definitely would.
As if sensing its owner’s thoughts, Pingzi licked the back of Qiu Yang’s hand, rested its chin on it, and closed its eyes too.
When she first rented the apartment, she already had a job. But because she had to consider Tao Sixian, Qiu Yang didn’t rent the most suitable place closest to her company. This resulted in a daily commute of forty minutes, with the option of taking either the bus or the subway.
Taking a taxi during the current morning rush hour made it easier to be late, so Qiu Yang took the subway.
There was still a 600-meter distance from the subway exit to the company. She scanned the code for a shared bike and rode the rest of the way.
By the time she reached the office building, it was already 8:50 AM, just ten minutes before work started.
Many people were waiting for the elevator. Qiu Yang recognized a few faces, but having been away for a week, returning to the company suddenly gave her a slight feeling of unfamiliarity.
It wasn’t very pronounced, though, because she had been working here since graduation, which added up to almost four years.
She lowered her gaze, looking straight ahead, until the elevator dinged, then stepped inside.
The elevator had a capacity of 16 people and quickly filled up completely.
Qiu Yang felt like the toast she had eaten this morning, and the elevator was the bag holding the bread.
The elevator, originally spacious, now felt extremely cramped and crowded.
This office building was tall and large, housing many companies that rented office space here. Her company, Wanming, rented an entire floor for its operations.
After a short while, people began exiting the elevator one after another. Qiu Yang stood straight until the flashing numbers reached the 17th floor.
Wanming Company’s logo was prominent, visible as soon as the elevator doors opened.
She then exited the elevator along with one or two others.
Emerging from the confined space, a few steps brought her to the stately front desk.
The receptionist knew Qiu Yang. Seeing Qiu Yang appear before her, her eyes immediately lit up with a somewhat cheerful expression as she called out, “Qiu Jie.”
Her name was Gu Lan, twenty-two years old this year.
There was nothing wrong with calling Qiu Yang “Jie” (older sister).
Qiu Yang gave her a smile, her dimples showing faintly at the corners of her mouth. “Long time no see.”
Gu Lan was still somewhat excited. “I thought you weren’t coming in today!”
“How could I not?”
“A worker’s gotta have the worker’s spirit.”
“Workers are superior people,” Gu Lan added, then reminded her, “Qiu Jie, hurry and clock in, it’s almost nine!”
Qiu Yang glanced at her watch and realized she had spent a lot of time in the elevator.
There were only two minutes left until nine; if she didn’t clock in now, she’d be late.
She had slept late last night, lingered in bed for a while today, and also put on makeup to cover up her not-yet-fully-recovered complexion, which caused her to leave home a bit late.
Normally, she wouldn’t clock in this late.
Most people in the company had just arrived not long ago and were still at their workstations preparing – turning on computers, organizing files.
Qiu Yang was a deputy department head, and her workstation was in a separate small office, not in the open area outside.
She had been with the company for almost four years but only knew a small portion of the people. After all, Wanming Company was quite large, and some people resigned after only a short time, so familiar faces quickly became new ones.
However, in the short distance from the elevator to her office, she still greeted several people.
The other colleagues in her office had already arrived. When Qiu Yang appeared at the door, everyone paused for a moment, then turned to smile at her.
“Xiao Qiu, you’re finally back!”
“Yangyang, I missed you so much, boohoo.”
“We wiped your desk for you; it’s spotless.”
Although her love life wasn’t smooth, her career was going well. At least she had met several kind colleagues, and they got along well privately.
Qiu Yang took in their words, a faint warmth rising in her heart. Her dimples reappeared. “Thank you all for your concern.”
The few people looking at her quieted down, then heard Qiu Yang say, “I’m okay now.”
“That’s good!”
“Breaking up is no big deal!”
Qiu Yang nodded in agreement, placing her shoulder bag on the desk. Just then, Qu Jie brought her a glass of water. “Here, drink some water first.”
“Thanks, Qu Jie.” Qiu Yang looked up at her.
Qu Jie’s full name was Qu Yan. She had chin-length hair, was rather slim, and looked very sharp and capable.
She was only three years older than Qiu Yang but possessed strong professional skills and was already a manager.
Qu Yan carefully studied Qiu Yang’s expression, noticing she indeed looked much better than a week ago, which put her mind at ease. “Looks like taking a trip out was very effective.”
“Yes.” Qiu Yang had to admit it herself. At least last night, she could fall asleep after taking melatonin, whereas a week ago, even melatonin didn’t work.
Qu Yan patted her shoulder, her expression gentle again. “It’s all in the past, Yangyang.”
The other colleagues cast concerned glances her way again. Qiu Yang sniffled slightly. “Mm.”
Without further small talk, Qu Yan gathered the project team for a meeting.
The company had recently formed a new project team to develop a new product. Qu Yan became the project leader, and Qiu Yang was one of the members.
Negotiating collaborations with other companies had taken a long time. Just before Qiu Yang left for Xicheng, the final decision was basically made: they would partner with Qiyao Company.
And tomorrow was the day to sign the contract with Qiyao Company.
Qiu Yang’s role wasn’t insignificant, nor was it crucial, but she needed to be present for the contract signing tomorrow.
She hadn’t been idle during those days in Xicheng; she had been busy familiarizing herself with the project details until she knew them by heart.
The meeting lasted nearly an hour before concluding. The group returned to their respective workstations.
Qiu Yang pulled out her chair, sat down, gripped the mouse, clicked open a file, and began reading carefully.
Work time passed quickly. Qiu Yang only managed to review two files and contact a subordinate before the morning was over.
She only saw the message Gu Lan had sent her during her break. Gu Lan was expressing concern. Qiu Yang pursed her lips and typed a reply.
Meanwhile, Miao Yi had arranged last night for them to have lunch together today at a nearby restaurant.
Qiu Yang picked up her bag, squeezed into the elevator again, and went downstairs.
Miao Yi’s company wasn’t far from hers, and the chosen restaurant was located roughly halfway between them.
It was lunchtime, and the streets were crowded with pedestrians.
The sky over Yuncheng remained gray and overcast. A few dark clouds patrolled slowly, as if contemplating whether or not to rain and show humanity some attitude.
Qiu Yang didn’t walk for long, only about ten minutes, before reaching the bustling restaurant Miao Yi had booked.
The restaurant wasn’t very large, but business was booming. It was almost full now, and the owner and waiters were busy attending to customers.
This place was very popular among nearby office workers, and there was even a queue forming at the entrance.
Qiu Yang scanned the room twice before spotting Miao Yi at a table in the corner.
Miao Yi waved at her. Qiu Yang carefully navigated around the tables and sat down opposite Miao Yi.
“The food will be here soon, I already ordered ahead,” Miao Yi said with a smile. “It’s still those two dishes you like.”
Qiu Yang nodded, then turned her head to look around the restaurant.
Near the cashier, a maneki-neko (beckoning cat) waved its paw. People occasionally came over to order, and the proprietress was busy taking payments, her smile warm and enthusiastic.
Outside the restaurant, traffic flowed endlessly, punctuated by intermittent honking.
Compared to the tranquility of staying indoors in Xicheng, it was clearly much livelier here.
Qiu Yang felt somewhat dazed for a moment, automatically linking all of this to Shen Ningruo.
They lived in the same city. What was Shen Ningruo doing right now?
She had shared a bed with Shen Ningruo for seven days, but they had both tacitly avoided sharing any real-life information about themselves.
It was as if Xicheng was just a parallel world for them.
Miao Yi’s voice pulled Qiu Yang back from her thoughts. “What time did you sleep last night?”
“A little after one, I think.” Qiu Yang’s eyelashes fluttered as she forcibly dragged her attention back.
This side effect was strong.
Miao Yi had also ordered bubble tea, which happened to arrive just then. The delivery driver called, asking her to pick it up at the entrance.
“Yangyang, see if there’s anything else you want to eat. I’ll go get the bubble tea.”
“Okay.” Qiu Yang nodded and genuinely picked up the menu, studying it seriously. She had eaten here many times, and Miao Yi had already ordered her favorites. Her only purpose in doing this was to stop thinking about Shen Ningruo.
In less than a minute, Miao Yi returned with the delivery bag and placed the bubble tea on the table.
She had also ordered a fruit tea for Qiu Yang. Having shared many meals, she knew this preference well.
Qiu Yang took a straw and thanked her again. “Thanks.”
“Yangyang,” Miao Yi sighed, “Why are you being so polite now? You were thanking me last night too, and now you’re thanking me for ordering bubble tea.”
Qiu Yang paused. “Am I?”
“Yeah.” After taking a sip of her bubble tea for energy, Miao Yi hesitated before asking, “How are you doing now?”
Qiu Yang knew what she was asking. Hearing this, she lowered her gaze slightly, a smile touching her lips. “It’s nothing, I’ve come to terms with it.”
“That…”
“That Tao person came to the complex a couple of days ago. She knocked on my door asking where you went.”
“It was on Friday.”
Qiu Yang showed no expression, just hummed an “Mm,” her tone indifferent. “Didn’t she go on her honeymoon?”
“That, I don’t know.”
The restaurant was noisy, filled with chatter. Occasionally, a burst of laughter erupted from somewhere, making Qiu Yang and Miao Yi’s table seem much quieter in comparison.
After taking a couple more sips of bubble tea, the waiter served their dishes.
The specialty of this restaurant was its small portions and low prices, allowing one person to order several dishes and usually finish them all, thus avoiding waste.
Qiu Yang was much quieter than before. Miao Yi only occasionally chimed in with anecdotes about taking care of Pingzi over the past week. Only then would Qiu Yang show a smile.
Miao Yi sighed inwardly again and again.
She and Qiu Yang had been university classmates before. Their relationship was average back then, just the kind where they’d like each other’s social media posts.
Their relationship only started getting better three years ago. Qiu Yang posted something on her Moments with a location tag. Miao Yi took a closer look and realized it was the same residential complex as hers. She messaged Qiu Yang, and upon asking, found out they were even in the same building and on the same floor – what a coincidence.
Their interactions increased from that point on.
Miao Yi naturally knew about Tao Sixian’s existence. At the time, Miao Yi thought Qiu Yang and Tao Sixian were just roommates sharing rent. It took a while before she realized something was off – the way Qiu Yang looked at Tao Sixian was clearly different. After politely inquiring, she confirmed they were lovers.
Even though their relationship in university was average, Miao Yi was still aware of Qiu Yang’s popularity.
Qiu Yang excelled academically, winning scholarships every year, had good looks, a good personality, and was sincere towards others. Her fair face made people feel comfortable and friendly.
Even with limited interaction back then, Miao Yi would occasionally hear classmates talking about Qiu Yang.
Therefore, she also knew that Qiu Yang had been single for a long time. So, she was quite surprised and shocked for several days when she found out Qiu Yang had a flight attendant girlfriend a year after graduation.
But times had changed, and Miao Yi wasn’t homophobic. She even wished Qiu Yang and Tao Sixian lasting happiness. Anyway, Tao Sixian didn’t seem bad, and the two looked very compatible together.
She remembered Qiu Yang’s smile back then – dazzling and eye-catching, very different from how she looked now.
Thinking about this, Miao Yi felt angry again. Qiu Yang was her friend. She hadn’t had much contact with Tao Sixian before, respecting their privacy, but she thought things seemed fine.
She never expected Tao Sixian to be such trash.
Truly trash.
Miao Yi poked at the rice in her bowl. Qiu Yang glanced at her expression, guessed what she was thinking, and said, “She’s not worth getting angry over.”
“Yangyang.”
“If it were me, I would have thrown the water on the table at her. What kind of person is this Tao?”
Qiu Yang soothed her, “It’s okay.”
“I’ll make up for it next time.”
Miao Yi finally relaxed a bit. “You said it.”
“Mm.” Qiu Yang blinked, picking up some stir-fried tomato and egg with her chopsticks and placing it in her bowl.
She said that, but she didn’t actually want to see Tao Sixian again.
She didn’t want to spare her even a single glance.
Because of this conversation, the meal took a bit longer than usual. When Qiu Yang returned to the company, it was almost one o’clock.
Gu Lan wasn’t sitting at the front desk. Seeing Qiu Yang return, she went over, pulled Qiu Yang to sit down in the breakroom, and poured her a glass of water.
The company breakroom was in a corner. The view from here was surprisingly nice. It had a bar-style counter like those in pubs, complete with high chairs.
Gu Lan had specifically saved a good spot for Qiu Yang. Looking out from here, one could see a stretch of Yuncheng’s sky and skyscrapers. The traffic and crowds below were automatically miniaturized, creating a comfortable feeling of being away from the city’s hustle and bustle.
“Qiu Jie.” Gu Lan had a somewhat mysterious expression as she called Qiu Yang’s name.
Qiu Yang’s gaze fell on her, slightly puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
“I want to ask you about someone.”
“Who?” Qiu Yang felt a flicker of interest. This was the first time she had seen Gu Lan act like this.
Gu Lan had joined the company before graduating and would have been here for a year next month. She had proactively added Qiu Yang’s contact information because she found Qiu Yang very approachable. She saw Qiu Yang as an older sister, and their bond had grown considerably over the past year.
Gu Lan glanced around, ensuring her voice wouldn’t be overheard, then relaxed and continued, “Xiao Feng from your department…”
“Is he not interested in my type?”
There was only one Xiao Feng in Qiu Yang’s department. Hearing the question, she thought carefully for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t know. I haven’t interacted much with Xiao Feng, so I don’t know what type he likes.”
Xiao Feng was a guy who wore glasses and looked very scholarly. He was somewhat quiet and reserved, and Qiu Yang hadn’t had much contact with him.
Gu Lan let out an “Ah,” rubbing her head, looking somewhat lovesick.
Qiu Yang couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you suddenly asking me about him?”
“He’s become my latest crush,” Gu Lan said, clutching her water glass, suddenly nervous. “A couple of days ago after work, I was rushing for the elevator and thought I’d miss it and have to wait for the next one. But then, a hand appeared in the gap between the closing doors.”
“Wow, when the elevator doors opened, I saw Xiao Feng. I thought he was so handsome at that moment.”
Qiu Yang wondered if going through the breakup had aged her mentality somewhat. Listening to Gu Lan’s story, it felt very distant from her own experience.
She put herself in that situation and felt she wouldn’t have developed feelings for the other person at that moment.
But Gu Lan was different. Although Gu Lan had been in three or four relationships, she was always full of enthusiasm for love.
Qiu Yang felt a bit envious. She didn’t know if she could ever believe in love again.
Or rather, trust love completely.
Being “once bitten, twice shy” left her somewhat fearful.
“Qiu Jie.” Gu Lan clenched her fist, cheering herself on. “Wait for my good news!”
Qiu Yang was amused by her confident demeanor. She gathered her own thoughts and replied with an “Mm,” “Okay, good luck then. If you succeed, I’ll have Pingzi film a congratulatory video for you.”
Gu Lan’s eyes lit up again. “Okay!”
Gu Lan really liked Pingzi the cat, but because of Tao Sixian, she hadn’t visited Qiu Yang’s place much to pet the cat before. However, Qiu Yang would send her videos and photos of the cat.
The so-called congratulatory video was actually simple: Qiu Yang would hold Pingzi in her arms (without showing her own face), make Pingzi’s paw gesture “congratulations,” and say some words of blessing.
“By the way,” Qiu Yang remembered this, a slight smile escaping her lips, “If you have time on the weekend, you can come play with Pingzi.”
Seeing no abnormality in Qiu Yang’s expression, Gu Lan finally relaxed and agreed with a smile, “Okay.”
Since Gu Lan was close to her, she naturally knew about the breakup.
This was also one of the reasons Gu Lan had pulled Qiu Yang aside to chat.
She didn’t want Qiu Yang to lose faith in love, which was why she brought up her own matter.
Having been at the company for nearly a year, Qiu Yang had taken good care of her. Gu Lan wasn’t heartless; she wanted to do something for Qiu Yang.
Qiu Yang knew what Gu Lan was thinking. This young woman in front of her had always been thoughtful and considerate of others.
It’s just that…
For the time being, she really didn’t hold out much hope for love.
She just hoped it wouldn’t really take six years to completely forget this relationship.
That was her biggest wish right now.
After enjoying the view for a while longer, the two returned to their respective posts.
Qiu Yang pushed aside all distracting thoughts and continued reviewing the files. There were still some areas regarding tomorrow’s collaboration that she needed to familiarize herself with.
At this very moment, Shen Ningruo was also sitting in her office.
Her office was spacious and bright, allowing her to clearly see the expression of the person sitting opposite her.
Ke Yezi swallowed nervously. Seeing that the Director’s expression wasn’t so tense while looking at the file, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Subordinates like her had always been somewhat intimidated by Shen Ningruo. Even though she didn’t actually scold people, her cold expression and powerful aura were enough to make them tremble with fear.
Ke Yezi sat nervously for another two minutes before finding an opportunity to speak. “Director.”
“Are there any other problems?”
“No.” Shen Ningruo placed the file on the desk and looked directly at Ke Yezi.
Her smooth fingertip tapped once on the clean desk surface before she lifted her eyelids slightly and asked, seemingly casually, “For the contract signing with Wanming Company tomorrow, do you have the list of their attending staff?”
Ke Yezi paused, surprised. She hadn’t expected Shen Ningruo to ask this.
But the pause was brief. She reacted immediately, stating, “Yes, I do.”
“Send it to my WeChat.”
“Go get busy.”
Ke Yezi immediately stood up, took the file from the desk, and left. The moment the door closed, Ke Yezi couldn’t help but exhale. She quickly returned to her workstation and sent the list to Shen Ningruo.
The Director had never asked for the list before. Although Ke Yezi didn’t understand why, she didn’t harbor any excessive curiosity.
There were five people from each side. Shen Ningruo’s eyes immediately found Qiu Yang’s name in the message.
It was very conspicuous.
Alone in the office, she stared at Qiu Yang’s name, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes. Then she softly murmured, “Qiu Yang.”
In the next second, she followed it with a nickname: “Xiao Yang.”
Strictly speaking, they had only not seen each other for just over a day.
But Shen Ningruo knew very clearly that she missed Qiu Yang.
When a person constantly appears in your mind, what else could it be but missing them?
Even if this longing wasn’t entirely pure.
In about four months, it would be Shen Ningruo’s 28th birthday. According to the traditional Chinese age calculation her father used, she was already twenty-nine.
Shen Ningruo lowered her eyes at this thought.
Among her friends of the same age, besides Yao Yao who was still enjoying her freedom, the others were basically either engaged, already married, or, for the early ones, had children whose pictures were posted on their Moments.
Shen Ningruo didn’t care about this, nor did she pay it much mind. She even felt that being single for life was quite good; it would save a lot of unnecessary trouble.
She had considered that perhaps one day she might walk down the aisle, but it was merely a passing thought, and she found the idea unbearable—
Did she really have to bind herself to another person for so many years to come?
Seeing the same person upon opening her eyes and before closing them – wouldn’t she get tired of it?
She had pondered many such questions and knew where the crux of the issue lay.
It was simply that ever since the day her parents’ divorce turned irreconcilably ugly, she hadn’t wanted marriage.
Or love.
Fortunately, she had never experienced someone else’s sincere affection.
For example, her first love, the boy in the white shirt. Shen Ningruo had promised him they could take things further after high school graduation, but he wasn’t willing to wait and cheated on her with another girl.
Or her ex-boyfriend Guo Ming’an, who acted all devoted even after getting engaged…
The phone on her desk rang, pulling Shen Ningruo back from her wandering thoughts. She turned to answer the call.
Qiu Yang clocked out punctually at 5 PM.
Wanming Company’s new boss was very young, even a year younger than Qiu Yang. In his view, if you didn’t need to work overtime, you shouldn’t. So, shortly after arriving, he held a meeting to announce this policy, leading many employees from other companies in the building to express envy towards Wanming’s staff.
Jobs that didn’t require overtime were scarce nowadays. Capitalists were busy exploiting their employees. Despite several news reports about deaths caused by overwork, they still didn’t pay attention, remaining focused solely on their own interests.
Before leaving work, Qiu Yang heard her office colleagues discussing such an incident—
An employee from a company on the 26th floor had collapsed in a late-night snack shop three days ago after working late for many consecutive days. His body couldn’t take it anymore, giving the shop owner quite a scare.
The person had already resigned but was still recovering in the hospital.
A colleague commented while sighing, adapting a poem by the Hungarian poet Petőfi: “Life is precious, love is cheap, if one dies for overtime, nothing is worth it.”
“Your life is important.”
The colleague had adapted Petőfi’s poem.
Everyone agreed, Qiu Yang included.
However, she didn’t work overtime, so she wasn’t worried about that. She was worried about her insomnia and staying up late. If this continued for a long time, her health would also suffer.
There was plenty of news about that too.
Reading related news on her way back, Qiu Yang felt a bit alarmed and uneasy. She decided to go to bed early tonight.
But making the decision was easy; implementing it was somewhat difficult.
After finishing dinner, showering, drying her hair, and other tasks, it was only nine o’clock.
She took melatonin before getting into bed, but an hour passed, and sleepiness still hadn’t visited.
Frustrated, Qiu Yang gave up, sat up leaning against the pillow, and started playing on her phone again.
She had only been playing for a few minutes when she received a WeChat message from Zhao Mingfen.
Auntie Mingfen: 【Xiao Qiu, are you free this weekend? Come over to Auntie’s place for dinner.】
Zhao Mingfen had mentioned this back in Xicheng, saying it two or three times. Qiu Yang looked at the message, thought for a moment, then typed a reply on the screen: 【Auntie, I have plans this weekend, I’m sorry.】
Zhao Mingfen replied after two minutes: 【Okay, then you focus on your things. Let Auntie know when you have time. Auntie hasn’t properly thanked you all yet.】
She didn’t say “you,” but “you all.”
Qiu Yang’s pupils contracted slightly, her lips pressing into a thin line.
The meaning of “you all” was obvious – it meant her and Shen Ningruo.
Qiu Yang’s throat tightened inexplicably. She tentatively asked: 【Is Xiao Shen coming?】
In Zhao Mingfen and Wu Xiaoqiong’s eyes, her relationship with Shen Ningruo seemed quite good. So, Qiu Yang didn’t shy away from anything and directly referred to Shen Ningruo as “Xiao Shen.”
But the next second, her brain conjured up the image of Shen Ningruo calling her “Xiao Yang,” playing out like a movie on a giant screen before her eyes.
Qiu Yang: …
The phone vibrated in her palm. Zhao Mingfen’s reply arrived: 【She’s coming.】
Qiu Yang replied instantly: 【Okay.】
Zhao Mingfen sighed: 【Ai, thankfully I’ll still get to see Xiao Shen. She left Xicheng without even saying goodbye to us. Xiaoqiong and I were quite upset.】
Qiu Yang knew that Zhao Mingfen and Wu Xiaoqiong placed great importance on fate and connections, which was why they treated these two younger women with such sincerity.
But since Shen Ningruo didn’t leave according to the original plan, the two aunties inevitably felt a little sad.
Qiu Yang could understand, even though she didn’t feel sad herself.
Mostly, she felt relieved that this brief journey into a parallel world had finally come to an end.
Qiu Yang offered a few words of comfort, then pressed back, staring at Pingzi lying on the bed.
After a few seconds, Qiu Yang got out of bed, opened a drawer, took out her DSLR camera, aimed the lens at Pingzi, who was striking a cute pose, and pressed the shutter.
Pingzi was docile and adorable. Qiu Yang posed it in several ways, and it cooperated fully until Qiu Yang was satisfied with the shots. Only then did it lazily get up and go to the living room to eat its kibble.
Qiu Yang flipped through the photos. After a while, she came across the ones taken in Xicheng, including some of Shen Ningruo.
It was from the first day in Xicheng. The sun hadn’t set yet, and several children were gathered around Shen Ningruo.
Qiu Yang looked for two seconds before averting her gaze. She sat down at her desk, opened her laptop, edited the pictures of Pingzi, and posted them on her photography Weibo account.
Before going to sleep, Shen Ningruo habitually clicked on her top frequently visited profile. She expected to see the usual landscape photos but found a new post from an hour ago.
She recognized it; it was Qiu Yang’s cat.
Round head, round eyes, chubby paws.
It didn’t look anything like Qiu Yang, but it was still a very cute cat.
Shen Ningruo didn’t save any of the pictures, but she clicked into the comments section and saw Qiu Yang’s fans fawning over the cat.
She didn’t follow Qiu Yang. Yao Yao had found this account previously and added it to the information she gave Shen Ningruo about Qiu Yang that day.
So, Shen Ningruo occasionally glanced at it. But even with occasional glances, Qiu Yang had become her top frequently visited profile on Weibo.
She had seen Qiu Yang post the screenshot of signing up for the Sunset Glow Travel Group and a photo of her newly bought fluorescent green suitcase.
It could be said that their meeting in Xicheng, apart from the fabricated excuse about liking older men which was truly coincidental, had nothing to do with coincidence otherwise.
It was entirely intentional.
It needed to be specially emphasized—
Even if it was intentional, it was with good intentions.
Thinking this, Shen Ningruo habitually tilted her nose up slightly. She really wanted to award herself a commendation banner.
She had truly never been this kind before.
Yao Yao shared this thought, and quite quickly too. A few minutes later, Shen Ningruo received a message from Yao Yao, showing a screenshot of Yao Yao’s chat with a Taobao seller that afternoon.
Yao Yao had asked the seller to write for Shen Ningruo:
Director Shen, face like frost / Last night came sighing, feeling lost
If you ask what deed was done / Just know a good person helped someone
This was entirely an inside joke only they understood.
Wasn’t Shen Ningruo acting as a tool for Qiu Yang essentially doing a good deed?
Shen Ningruo: 【…………】
Yao Yao: 【By the way, I asked the seller to send it via SF Express, it should arrive tomorrow. Remember to sign for it.】
Yao Yao: 【This is your good deed, you deserve it! Ruoruo!】
Yao Yao: 【Don’t be polite with me, you absolutely must accept it!】
Yao Yao was conscientious and unambiguous at work, but truly unreliable in her personal life.
This time, it was Shen Ningruo’s turn to nearly lose her breath. She immediately dialed Yao Yao’s number.
“Ruoruo, you don’t need to call specifically to thank me, right?” Yao Yao chuckled after saying this.
Opportunities to tease Shen Ningruo were rare, and Yao Yao would never pass one up.
Shen Ningruo gripped her phone tightly. “Let’s see what’s faster tomorrow, my slap or SF Express.”
“I bet seeing that little sister will be faster.”
“Contract signing at ten, right?”
Yao Yao immediately changed the subject. Shen Ningruo’s breathing hitched, then she confirmed with an “Mm,” “Yes.”
“Have you thought about how to greet her?”
“Maybe say something like ‘long time no see, I’ve missed you’?”
Shen Ningruo’s lips parted, but in the end, she just said, “Going to sleep.”
“Good night.” Yao Yao didn’t drag it out at all, very straightforward.
As soon as the call ended, Shen Ningruo couldn’t calm down.
Yao Yao’s question was worth considering.
The SF Express delivery arrived at 9:30 AM, but by then, Shen Ningruo had already left the company with Ke Yezi and the others.
Sitting in the back seat, she answered the phone with a cold expression. “Leave it in the delivery locker, thanks.”
It was an extended business sedan, more than spacious enough for five people.
While Shen Ningruo was on the phone, the others didn’t dare make a sound, sitting upright and proper.
Today, after signing the contract, they would take a group photo with the people from Wanming Company, so everyone was dressed in formal attire, looking much sharper.
The car drove smoothly. The journey from Qiyao to Wanming took about half an hour. Fortunately, the morning rush hour had passed, and the roads weren’t congested at all.
Yuncheng’s urban development focus was different from Xicheng’s; it was much more modernized here. Shen Ningruo glanced out the car window, her fingertips tapping lightly on her knee, her expression unreadable.
Qu Yan came down to receive them. Seeing Shen Ningruo at the forefront, she was slightly surprised. She hadn’t expected the director of Qiyao Company to be even younger and more beautiful than the rumors suggested, and her aura was even stronger.
Previous negotiations had all been handled by Ke Yezi. Ke Yezi took the initiative to introduce them from the side, “Manager Qu, this is our Director.”
“Manager Qu.” Shen Ningruo proactively extended her hand, a faint smile playing on her lips.
A business smile was still necessary. They were partners collaborating for mutual benefit, not enemies.
Qu Yan returned the handshake. “I’ve heard much about Director Shen.”
She also revealed her standard professional smile. “Please come upstairs with me.”
Shen Ningruo nodded. Her slender high heels clicked crisply on the ground.
The group entered the elevator.
To ease the somewhat awkward and stiff atmosphere, Ke Yezi initiated small talk with Qu Yan.
Shen Ningruo stood to the side, watching the ascending numbers. Her eyelid twitched. She couldn’t help but start wondering what kind of expression Qiu Yang would have when she saw her later.
However, the fact that the company was partnering with Wanming was truly an unexpected coincidence.
But that didn’t stop Shen Ningruo from feeling that this coincidence came at just the right time.
Unpredictable developments could add a lot of fun to life.
The corners of Shen Ningruo’s mouth quietly curved up.
The 17th floor arrived quickly. Qu Yan made a “please” gesture. After the five people from Qiyao Company exited, she followed.
People from other companies often visited Wanming. Gu Lan wore a standard smile. Only after everyone had gone inside did she withdraw her gaze from Shen Ningruo.
Having worked here for nearly a year, this was the first time she had seen such a beautiful female boss. Although she didn’t know who the woman was, she knew why she was here, so she immediately sent a message to Qiu Yang.
Even though she knew Qiu Yang wouldn’t reply right now.
Qiu Yang was sitting in the conference room with three other colleagues. This wasn’t her first time experiencing a contract signing, but today she felt somewhat nervous.
The reason was the gossip being spread by a colleague named Peng Kaimiao sitting nearby—
“You know the female director from Qiyao we’re about to meet, right? Super cold.”
“I heard that when she frowns, the people under her don’t even dare to breathe loudly.”
“Her surname is Shen, very capable professionally.”
What struck Qiu Yang were the words “Surname Shen.” She hadn’t looked at the attendee lists for both sides. Now, hearing Peng Kaimiao say this, her heart skipped a beat.
She felt it couldn’t be that coincidental; there were many people with the surname Shen in the world.
However, Peng Kaimiao didn’t say anything further and fell silent.
If the person opened the conference room door in the next second and overheard this, the impact would be very negative.
Qiu Yang sat up straight, her back rigid, her eyelashes lowered, staring at the file placed in front of her.
When a series of footsteps sounded outside the door, her ears perked up. The colleagues beside her all stood up at this moment, adjusting their attire.
Qiu Yang stood up too, looking towards the door.
It was Qu Yan who pushed the door open, but she wasn’t the first one to enter.
The person leading the group wore an understated black suit, which further accentuated her tall and well-proportioned figure.
The white shirt worn underneath was clean and tidy. One button at the collar was undone, adding a touch of casualness.
Her wavy hair was all swept back, revealing the entire face that Qiu Yang still found strikingly, almost aggressively, beautiful.
The face overlapped with the one in her memory.
In the next second, she saw Shen Ningruo pull out a chair and sit down. Then, with a seemingly casual glance, Shen Ningruo looked over at her.
Qiu Yang’s breath caught in her throat.
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