Qian Duoduo sat down alone at the end of the chair. Everyone around her was in high spirits, but she only had a small briefcase in her hand and remained silent, which made her seem even more out of place.
A mechanical female voice began announcing boarding information over the loudspeaker, and the crowd around her began to gather in the narrow passage. She also stood up, but her steps were heavy; she took the first step, then took a step back.
Someone rushed up from behind and, unable to dodge in time, bumped into him, causing his shoulder to twist.
A middle-aged man dragging a suitcase glanced back at her while checking his watch, and impatiently added, "Go to a corner if you want to daydream, don't block the passage."
Almost collapsing to the ground, Qian Duoduo grabbed the back of the chair beside her, speechless as she looked at him. The cold metal beneath her palm made her realize how burning hot her body was; her head grew heavier and heavier, and everything around her seemed to be twisting and spinning.
Am I starting to think I'm sick? I'm busy day and night, sleeping poorly, rushing to move into a new place, and last night I was out in the night wind for too long…
She forced herself to clear her mind of everything that had happened that day and focused her attention on anything unrelated to it.
If you're sick, you should go home and lie down. What are you doing at the airport? Your body is so hot, you must have a fever. Yes, she must be delirious from the fever to do something so absurd.
She started walking, her steps unsteady, her vision blurry, unable to see anything clearly, but she persisted in one direction and somehow made her way into the daylight. She walked straight to the first car, opened the door, and got in. Someone called out in her ear, "Hey, what are you doing? Go to the back and line up."
She seemed not to hear him and addressed the driver in the front seat with the address. She couldn't hear her own voice clearly, so she tried to repeat it.
As the car started moving, Qian Duoduo leaned against the door, closed her eyes, and had only one thought in her mind: Go home. Mom and Dad are home. It'll be alright once I get home.
Chapter 88
After retiring, Qian Duoduo's parents started each morning with a morning exercise together. This morning, while twisting her waist, Qian's mother grumbled, "Old Qian, do you think our Duoduo is determined not to get married? She bought a house without telling us, and now she's moved out. Her birthday is coming up soon, what are we going to do?"
Mr. Qian had grown accustomed to his wife's nagging over the past two years, and now, for the ten thousand and first time, he advised, "Alright, your daughter is capable of buying her own house and car. You should be proud of her. How many people these days are sponging off their parents? They've exhausted the family's savings and still keep asking for more. She's grown up and has her own ideas. Forcing her to get married won't solve anything."
“What do you mean she’s too old? She’s almost thirty. If I had a son, it would be great to have a house and a car by thirty, but Duoduo is a girl.”
"What era are we living in? We should be equal for men and women."
"Equality?! If a girl has a house and a car at thirty, people will immediately think that she has no intention of getting married. When I ask someone to help me find a blind date, I don't even dare to mention her current situation."
His wife's brows were furrowed, and she looked worried. Mr. Qian found it both amusing and heartbreaking. He sighed and continued practicing his Tai Chi.
After breakfast, the two of them went to the community center to participate in activities. Qian's mother is an active participant in the activities and also serves as the captain of the community's senior fitness team. Today, she has a performance to perform, and Qian's father naturally showed his support.
After finishing the dance, I chatted with my old neighbors for a while. Leisure time always passes quickly, and by the time they got home, it was already past three in the afternoon.
The house is an old-style two-story house with a large open space in front. An unfamiliar car is parked diagonally, covered with a thin layer of dust, looking dusty and worn in the sunlight.
Old Wu downstairs was taking his golden retriever for a walk. He waved to them from afar, "Old Qian, you have guests who have been waiting for a while. Come up and check on them."
"Who is it?" The elderly couple exchanged a glance. Mrs. Qian, being impatient, picked up her shopping basket and quickened her pace towards the stairwell. Upon reaching the top, she saw a young man standing at her door and turned around abruptly at the sound of footsteps.
Mr. and Mrs. Qian exchanged another glance. They didn't recognize her! She was so good-looking; if they had met her before, they couldn't possibly not remember her. After a moment's hesitation, they asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"Uncle, Aunt, have you seen Duoduo? Has she come back?" Xu Fei asked urgently.
Unexpected changes occurred one after another in the past two days. First, M&C's top management suddenly announced that their bottom price was better than UVL's, and that it had fluctuated by several percentage points from their bottom price. It was obvious that M&C was fully aware of their data. Kairos, who was negotiating with the board in London, was greatly shocked. He flew there overnight and placed the contents of the test report confirmed by Zhang Qian's biological research institute on his desk.
Chemical elements potentially toxic were detected in the raw materials used in Hotan's products. China has received warnings from other regions demanding that the standards for the use of these elements be raised to zero. Although this information has not yet been disclosed, Hotan will undoubtedly be the first to be affected once this standard is implemented. Therefore, the current acquisition plan becomes impractical and could potentially cause significant losses to the company.
The problem is that if they suspend this plan, Kylos' first major move in Asia will end in a very unsuccessful outcome, which is something he absolutely does not want to see.
Almost simultaneously, Kairos received an anonymous email accusing Qian Duoduo of leaking company secrets, and even included records of her contact with M&C's HR department and the contents of her offer letter.
Kelus placed these items in front of him, alongside the report he had submitted, and then spoke, "Kenny, what do you think?"
After reviewing the documents for a long time, he replied, “First of all, I am certain that someone within the company leaked some of the plans, and this person has a direct interest in M&C and is happy for them to win the acquisition. However, this person is definitely not Qian Duoduo. She never tried to access the core plans, nor did she have the opportunity. These records and offers could only have come from within M&C. Someone is trying to find a scapegoat in our company.”
"Really? But I heard Dona is with you now."
He nodded and smiled, his gaze unwavering. "Yes, I haven't hidden it from you, and you should believe me."
“Kenny.” Kairos put his hand on his shoulder. “I know who you’re referring to. In your previous report, you mentioned the unusual fund movements of M&C and the Yamada Group. I also asked my friends in the investment banking industry to pay attention. Regarding this situation, I can only say that I really underestimated the greed of some people for money. The flow of hot money in Asia has already reached its limit, yet there are still people who dare to play capital games here.”
Knowing that he believed him, Xu Fei breathed a sigh of relief when he spoke again, "Actually, he also has shares in UVL, but losing this project will not cripple UVL. However, betting on M&C and taking a risk could yield a profit of more than 300%. Weighing the two, anyone would tip the scales to the other side."
“UVL won’t suffer any serious damage, but it’s a different story for me. That old man Yamada has really shrewdly calculated this time.” Kairos’s brows furrowed, and he finally spoke frankly, “Since he acted unjustly first, then don’t blame me for acting unjustly afterward. Suppress this report for now, don’t submit it to the board of directors, let M&C acquire Wada, I want to see how they handle this.”
"So how do we keep those eyes in the company in the dark?"
“I’ll do it,” Kairos said, looking at him. Then he gathered up the things on the table, turned, and walked out.
Kairos rushed back to China overnight, while she was left in London to deal with the board of directors. Kairos' last words kept echoing in his mind. He felt something was wrong. After leaving the meeting room, he went straight to the airport and called Qian Duoduo, but no one answered. He thought she might be asleep. After getting off the plane, he called again, but still no one answered.
Feeling uneasy, he rushed to the company. Qian Duoduo was already gone, but Kairos was waiting for him. Kairos smiled at him and said, "Kerry, if you feel bad, make it up to her later. I approve it unconditionally. I'll make it up to her once everything is over, don't worry."
Without time to say more, he left the company again. He searched everywhere for Qian Duoduo but couldn't find her. He called her but her phone was off. He rushed to her house but no one was there. The elderly couple in front of him were obviously Duoduo's parents. By this time, he was so anxious that he forgot all about conversation skills and asked her directly where she was.
"Who are you? What do you want with my Duoduo?" Mr. Qian asked, puzzled.
He opened his mouth to answer, when a voice suddenly came from downstairs: "Old Qian, come down and see your Duoduo..."
It was Old Wu, he called out quite urgently. Before they could react, in a flash, the man who had been standing at the top of the stairs had already run downstairs and disappeared.
"Uncle Wu, I'm fine, don't shout..." Feeling dizzy, Qian Duoduo stumbled as she got out of the car and almost fell to the ground. Luckily, her neighbor Uncle Wu caught her and then shouted loudly in her ear. It felt like a sledgehammer was hitting her temple, and Qian Duoduo groaned and begged for mercy.
Unable to bear it, she took a step back, but unexpectedly, she bumped into another person's arms. In her haste to turn around, she was suddenly hugged tightly from behind. The arms were so strong that she couldn't help but scream.
"Duoduo, it's me." A voice sounded in her ear, and her body was turned around. It was Xu Fei. He looked her up and down with a completely unfamiliar expression on his face, as if he was still in shock. After looking her over, he let out a long breath and hugged her tightly in his arms.
Just moments ago, she had traveled thousands of miles to see this man, but now she was tightly hugging herself. She had wanted to ask him why in person, but upon seeing him, she felt weak all over, her throat was sore, and she couldn't utter a word. Then she started coughing violently.
Another hand reached out and pulled her, and she heard her mother's voice calling, "Duoduo, what's wrong?"
The father's voice joined in, "Let go of my daughter first, what's going on?"
Her body was being pulled, and she had been holding on all day. Her vision was blurry with the faces of him and her parents. Her parents' voices were urgent, but he held her tightly and wouldn't let go. She should have resisted, but in his anxious eyes and the familiar scent of wood, she suddenly felt at peace, as if she had been lost and confused in a stormy sea for a long time and had finally returned to a safe place.
So much struggle, yet it couldn't withstand a single embrace. Love makes women foolish, indeed. A mocking smile played on her lips. The cacophony of sounds faded into the distance. Unable to hold on any longer, Qian Duoduo's body went limp, and she fainted.
This fainting spell was a real relief for Qian Duoduo. Her headaches, dizziness, and general discomfort were temporarily gone, much like the deep sleep she had been longing for. So when she slowly recovered, heard the doctor and her parents talking, and felt that heaviness all over her body again, she really wanted anyone around her to punch her and make her faint again.
Unfortunately, no one around had mind-reading abilities, but her mother's voice rang out nearby: "Alright, alright, Duoduo is awake. Lao Qian, come here quickly."
When she opened her eyes, she saw her parents gathered around the hospital bed, with a transparent IV drip above her head. The monotonous sound of the drip continued incessantly. Her mother looked anxious and, seeing that she didn't speak, asked again, "Duoduo, Duoduo? Why aren't you saying anything? It's Mommy!"
The doctor, watching from the side, found it amusing and added while flipping through the medical records, "Auntie, your daughter just has a fever. Don't worry, she definitely won't have amnesia."
"Dad, Mom, I'm fine." Her voice was hoarse when she uttered the first word, but she seemed much better than when she first woke up. Qian Duoduo managed a weak smile, her eyes involuntarily darting left and right.
The doctor said there was nothing seriously wrong. Now that she saw her daughter was awake, Qian's mother finally felt relieved. She then smiled and said, "Don't look anymore, he left a long time ago, like a gust of wind. Here, this note is what he left for you."
Turning her head, she saw a corner of white paper peeking out from beside her pillow. Her right hand was connected to an IV drip. She moved her left hand, but stopped just as it touched the smooth paper.
Before Mrs. Qian could speak, Mr. Qian stopped her, saying, "Our daughter just woke up, let her rest for a bit. Let's go to the supermarket next door and buy some fruit." With that, he pulled his wife out of the house.
The ward fell silent. Qian Duoduo paused for a few seconds, took a breath, and then mustered her courage to reach out and unfold the paper.
The letter was printed with the airline's logo, and the handwriting was a bit messy, clearly indicating that it was hastily written on the plane. The content was quite long, and since it was already night and the main lights in the ward were not on, she carefully read it from beginning to end twice by the light of the yellow nightlight by the bedside.
After reading it, she closed it, tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and remained silent for a long time. When she opened her eyes again, she unfolded it once more. The last sentence was very short, but she stared at it for a long time, looking at it repeatedly. She even reached out and slowly stroked it. Her fingers ran over the black ink, the smooth paper, and the cold, lifeless words, but at that moment, they seemed to come alive, each one brushing against her heart.
Qian Duoduo's long vacation lasted for three whole months.
As I walked out of the company, I felt as if their gazes had pierced through my back.
Unable to glare back at everyone, she could only stare at the man walking beside her. Xu Fei, with his long legs, had already reached the car. As he opened the door, he turned back to look at her, smiled at her expression, and his canine teeth reappeared. "What's wrong, Duoduo?"
"A source of trouble." She said succinctly.
She smiled even more brightly, then tilted her head and kissed her.
As the car started moving forward, Qian Duoduo smiled and looked ahead. Accustomed to sitting in the driver's seat, she found the scenery completely different from her new perspective.
The path of a "leftover woman" can lead to countless outcomes, but she ultimately chose the most mundane one. So what? She was just an ordinary person after all.
extra
The wedding was grand, and Xu Fei's parents also rushed back from South America. They were very satisfied with their son's choice, and the two families had a very pleasant conversation.
With this wonderful son-in-law, the gloom of the past few years was swept away from Mrs. Qian. She smiled all day long as if she had stumbled upon a gold ingot, and told everyone she met how lucky she was.
After the wedding, Qian Duoduo took a long break. During that time, headhunting companies contacted her countless times. She carefully selected a company and finally found one she was satisfied with. However, she became pregnant unexpectedly before signing the letter of intent, which left her stunned.
Therefore, Qian Duoduo, a capable and promising career woman who hoped to make a comeback after a period of rest, disappeared from the workplace for a full two years.
Two years later, at Pudong International Airport—
"Kerry, put him down. That's your son, not an animal. If you keep jostling him like that, he'll get a concussion." Qian Duoduo's imposing voice still carried the air of a former senior female executive, but unfortunately, she was now dressed in casual sportswear, pushing a stroller with diapers and bottle bags hanging from the handles. These accessories completely ruined her professional image.
The father and son in front of them were playing wildly. Xu Yiduo was only one year old, so of course he couldn't understand what his mother was yelling at. At this moment, he was being tossed around by his father, laughing loudly.
Xu Fei's career has been going smoothly for the past two years. Although he is busy, after getting married, he takes Qian Duoduo with him on every business trip, even during the first few months of her pregnancy.
After Duoduo gave birth to her son Xu Yiduo, he took both of them, the mother and the child, with him. At first, Qian's mother disagreed, but this man, who had been raised in a free-range manner since childhood, naturally believed that his son should also be like a wild animal, with outstanding adaptability. With his insistence, Xu Yiduo became very familiar with the airport at a young age and played happily in the place.
"Kerry!" As they walked down the corridor leading to the terminal, other tourists kept turning their heads to look at them with surprise. Unable to bear it any longer, Qian Duoduo shouted.
"Stop, Mommy's angry." Xu Fei stopped playing with her son and carried him over. Qian Duoduo had a stern face, but he put one arm around her shoulder and smiled, his sharp canine teeth showing. He hid his face behind his son and said, "Mommy, don't be angry, I won't do it again next time."
Laughing and crying at the same time, Qian Duoduo finally slapped him out of habit.
Old Meng, the driver following behind them, lowered his head. Sigh! Mr. Xu's family life… he's used to it.
Her son was tired from playing and fell asleep on her shoulder, his fingers in his mouth, drool glistening. She found it funny, and after being annoyed, she reached out to hug him.
He waved his hand, supporting his son's little bottom with one hand as he placed him in the stroller. His movements were practiced. When he straightened up and saw Qian Duoduo's gentle smile, he felt happy and couldn't help but lower his head to kiss her hair.
Happiness comes easily. Qian Duoduo smiled and looked up. Before giving birth to Xu Yiduo, she was terrified of living with her child all day and worried that she would have a hard time returning to work. But as time went by, she enjoyed every minute the three of them spent together more and more. Xu Fei was busy all day. If she had buried herself in her career, Yiduo's childhood would probably have been like his father's, and he would never have seen his parents.
In the past, she devoted all her time to her career, thinking that it would not disappoint her, but she became increasingly unhappy. Her life now is not necessarily perfect, and she wants to wait until she is older before returning to work, but not now, not when her children and family need her the most.
The passageway had come to an end, and a couple was walking towards them, also pushing a stroller, followed by two nannies and a driver—a rather large group. As they passed each other, both families suddenly stopped, and Qian Duoduo exclaimed in surprise, "Yiyi!"
"Duoduo, long time no see." Yiyi, pushing a stroller, walked over and smiled as she took Qian Duoduo's hand. She was wearing maternity clothes, and her figure was obvious; it was clear at a glance that she was at least three or four months pregnant.
I haven't seen this good friend for almost two years. Since that day, Yiyi went abroad with Niu Zhensheng, saying she was immigrating. Niu Zhensheng has business in China and travels back and forth, but she doesn't go with him. She stayed there and didn't even attend Qian Duoduo's wedding, only congratulating her over the phone.
Niu Zhensheng also called out to them, his hand on Yiyi's waist, his forehead slightly sweaty, as if he was a little nervous.
It was kind of funny. Qian Duoduo winked at Yiyi and then said, "Yiyi, we're catching a flight. We'll talk to you when we get back. Don't run away again!"
Yiyi smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, I'm not planning to leave again now that I'm back." She then looked back at her husband, "Steve, don't you think so?"
“Of course, of course,” Niu Zhensheng nodded, then said goodbye to them.
After they passed each other, Xu Fei finally spoke: "Duoduo, you lost. Your best friend already has two children."
Looking back, the family had already walked far away and was about to disappear at the other end of the passage. Qian Duoduo turned back, her expression somewhat sentimental, but in the end she smiled and shook her head: "No, I can't do it."
She couldn't do it, she couldn't be like Yiyi, who eventually accepted another man's child and went to great lengths to become a legitimate mother, staying abroad for years. But now, things have taken a turn for the better; she also has her own child with Niu Zhensheng, a blood connection that cannot be severed.
"Let's go." Xu Fei said in her ear. Qian Duoduo's voice was soft, and she didn't hear what he said. He didn't care and pulled her to continue walking forward.