Some things you just have to accept; what's the point of complaining?
After finally lying down in bed, she stared at the ceiling in complete darkness, trying to sort out the chaos that had happened over the past few days.
The upper echelons are rife with infighting and power struggles. Those on the front lines, toiling away like slaves, never know what will happen next. It seems that the situation in the Asian region is about to descend into chaos, and before things finally settle down, there is no telling how much turmoil it will face.
As for Xu Fei, if Kairos loses, he will definitely be used as one of the first cannon fodder. If he wins decisively, he won't be too attached to his position as the director of the China market. Who knows, he might become the youngest core executive in the future?
The LCD clock by the bedside showed past two o'clock. Thinking about it gave her a headache, so Qian Duoduo decided to give up, turned over and forced herself to sleep. At times like these, it's all about self-preservation. She always focused on her work, and as for factional matters, it was best to wait and see.
But I was restless and couldn't sleep well, and I kept having dreams. In my dreams, I saw the back of a young man, running with his limbs outstretched. Suddenly, he was right in front of me, his smooth skin covered in fine sweat, and our hot breaths brushing against each other.
When Qian Duoduo woke up, she was drenched in sweat, her mouth was dry, and her body felt weak. Her mother, who had just returned from her morning exercise, heard the scream and rushed in, asking, "What happened? What happened?"
"It's nothing, it's nothing." Qian Duoduo waved her hand. "I had a nightmare." "What kind of nightmare did you have that made your face so red?" Qian's mother asked, full of doubt.
Qian Duoduo groaned and buried her head in the pillow, pretending to be dead. "Mom, please don't ask. I can't tell you the truth. That...that wasn't a nightmare, it was a wet dream!"
Chapter Thirty-Two
As the saying goes, a new broom sweeps clean, but Xu Fei surprised everyone from that brief meeting. The young marketing director was full of energy, working overtime until late at night just like everyone else. While everyone else looked pale and sickly, he was still radiant and full of energy.
She is exceptionally capable and inexplicably resourceful, possessing a thorough understanding of all past and ongoing work in the marketing department. She speaks concisely and to the point, and her questions are always to the point. Although the managers, both internal and external, are no pushovers, they all know that she has no choice but to admire her after a few rounds of interaction.
Needless to say, the female employees would stare at him with dreamy eyes the moment they saw him.
A new "mountain king" has arrived in the marketing department. He's suddenly parachuted in, not even thirty years old, and has an incredibly strong personal charm. He comes in and out with a smile every day, and with his youthful, sunny face, if it weren't for the words "Marketing Director" on the office door that are impossible to miss, all the female employees in the company would have thought this was the company's latest and highest level of welfare.
That's true. Every day I see such a radiant and handsome guy coming and going in front of me. I admire him during the day and fantasize about him at night. Most importantly, he's single!
The magic of those two words alone is immense, so whenever Qian Duoduo hears or sees other female colleagues mentioning Xu Fei, she unconsciously wants to offer them a glass of water.
Sisters, you're drooling so much, be careful not to get dehydrated!
Xu Fei could clearly see Qian Duoduo's attitude towards him every day. On the surface, she seemed calm, but behind the scenes, she resisted and rejected him.
Brother, I am a person of principle.
Okay, very good. Once five years ago, and again five years later, it all came rushing back. His male pride—
What's even more infuriating is that watching her come and go in front of him with a fake face every day, he would sometimes feel hot all over, and occasionally, sitting in his office, watching her laughing and chatting with people outside the glass window, he would start to drift off into a daze.
Not to mention those nights when he suddenly felt restless and couldn't sleep, tossing and turning, unable to stop thinking about every subtle expression on her face.
His early success was not entirely due to luck; he spent most of his time on busy work. He did have hobbies, such as sports, so he was completely ignorant of women's thoughts.
Qian Duoduo is actually quite popular at the company. She has a natural love of laughter, and her smile is never fake or artificial. Her mouth is wide open, revealing her white teeth and pink gums. Anyone who sees her is instantly invigorated and beaming with joy.
Only towards him did she wear a fake smile, her eyes completely expressionless.
I know she still has psychological barriers about that matter, but doesn't he? Just thinking about it makes me angry.
One morning they met in the elevator. He had just stood down when he saw her rushing over. Someone was holding the door open for her. Qian Duoduo, who usually took long strides, stopped when she saw him. "You guys go ahead, I'm not in a hurry."
As she spoke, she greeted him, "Good morning, Director."
Why is she deliberately keeping her distance from him? That smile is so fake, he can't even bear to look at it. Keep pretending, Qian Duoduo. Qian Duoduo is having trouble adjusting to the new director.
Every morning before leaving home, I give myself a pep talk. During meetings, I try to keep my eyes down and avoid eye contact with him as much as possible.
But what she feared most came to pass. That day, she went to the factory to sample and inspect the first batch of finished products that had just come off the production line. Then she went back to the company to organize the data and make a report, planning to upload it to the company's server that night. By the time she finished, it was already dark.
My colleagues have all left one after another, and the marketing department is deserted and quiet all around. I had a simple lunch at the factory in the afternoon, and now my stomach is empty and a little sore.
Stomach pain was a chronic problem for her, flaring up every few days. Taking some medicine would help, but when she reached into her drawer, she found that she had run out of medicine. Not wanting to give up halfway, she insisted on finishing the report and uploading it before standing up and painfully tidying up the things on the table, intending to go home immediately.
As she walked past the director's office, she habitually glared at the door, but unexpectedly, at the same moment, the door suddenly swung open, and she and Xu Fei came face to face.
Her wide-eyed expression resembled that of a squirrel with puffed-out cheeks; it froze on her face when she saw him, which was quite amusing.
Even with Xu Fei's exceptional ability to control his emotions, he couldn't help but laugh. "Manager Qian, so late?"
Qian Duoduo secretly pinched the painful spot on her stomach and gasped for breath. This man was indeed her jinx.
The following is purely for fun; please ignore Hai's intermittent bouts of madness.
Duoduo: You're so easy to mess with, you never seem to get enough of me, do you?
Haihai: Wiping sweat, it's all part of the plot, the drama is what matters, please play the weakling for a bit, strong women aren't selling well these days.
Fei: (Suddenly appears) The most frustrated male protagonist in history, with a flying kick—
I made you write that I was younger than her, I made you write that I stole her place, I made you write about a one-night stand and then delete it...
Haihai: (Rolling around screaming) You even reported my one-night stand... Your true beastly nature has finally come out...
Chapter 33
There was no one left in the marketing department, and with her stomach pain worsening, she was too lazy to pretend anymore. Qian Duoduo spoke bluntly, "Isn't the director the same? Same here. I'm leaving now, you keep busy."
Her face was pale under the light, and her movements as she turned and took a few steps were slower than usual. After looking at her carefully, Xu Fei frowned, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Qian Duoduo was in a hurry to get home, and was even more irritable. "It's none of your business." It was that same phrase again, which made Xu Fei even angrier. She insisted on walking to the door when a sudden sharp pain in her stomach made her legs go weak. "You can't even stand up, yet you're still trying to be strong. I'll take you to the hospital." It was his voice again.
He took long strides and reached her in just two steps, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Qian Duoduo turned around and saw him reaching out to help her.
After that accidental passionate kiss, she had resolved never to have any further physical contact with this man. The intense feeling of kissing a man she had no feelings for was an absolute disgrace. Even now, whenever Qian Duoduo recalls that incident, she can't help but despise herself and just wants to bang her head against a wall to forget it.
"Don't touch me!" Responding strongly to any possible touch, Qian Duoduo dodged abruptly, lost her balance, and fell to the ground in an instant.
Feeling both annoyed and amused, Xu Fei squatted down and sighed as he looked at Qian Duoduo, who was full of suspicion. "Manager Qian, I'm not a beast, OK?"
With a severe stomachache and a nasty fall, Qian Duoduo couldn't get up for a while, but she still tried to be brave, saying, "I just have a stomachache, some medicine will do the trick."
"Then get up first." He reached out to help her up again, this time with a swift and decisive motion. Before Qian Duoduo could even speak, he lifted her up. Feeling nauseous, she bit her lip to stifle a groan.
With her body failing her, Qian Duoduo could no longer show off and could only curl up on the sofa in the director's office, watching Xu Fei pour her water.
"What kind of medicine do you usually take?" He handed her the water glass.
She casually gave a name and tried to sit up. "I'm leaving. I have all the medicine at home." "Wait," he said succinctly, then turned and walked out.
What kind of attitude is this? Qian Duoduo was furious, but the other person took big steps and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
She wanted to leave in anger, but the pain was too much to bear. The large office was silent. She closed her eyes and waited for the excruciating pain to pass before slowly becoming drowsy.
The door opened slightly, and she jolted awake, staring wide-eyed at the various stomach medicines laid out before her. "Which one?" Xu Fei asked, looking down at her.
Pointing to her usual stomach medicine, Qian Duoduo looked confused. "Why did you bring the pharmacy back here?"
"Just in case." He spoke with his head down, picking up the packet of medicine she pointed to and opening it.
Is this a precaution? Qian Duoduo couldn't understand and wanted to do it herself, but she was in so much pain that she was delirious. She watched helplessly as he tore open the foil and took out the pill. His long fingers moved nimbly, and the white pill looked very thin in his hand.
Fearing that his next move would be to shove the medicine into her mouth, Qian Duoduo stretched out her hand to take it, saying, "Give it to me."
It was too late, and it was pitch black outside the window. Under the lamplight, she looked pitiful curled up on the sofa, a tiny little ball. Her outstretched hand was originally covering her stomach, probably because she was in a lot of pain. Even a simple movement was incredibly slow. Her snow-white palm was facing upward, and her fingers were slightly bent. She looked so weak, reminding him of a newborn kitten, which made his heart ache.
Why is the radiant Qian Duoduo always so pathetic in front of him? He placed the pill in her palm, watching her carefully put it to her lips and swallow it. When she drank water, she squinted her eyes, tilted her head back, and looked like she was trying very hard to swallow.
"What are you thinking about?" Qian Duoduo opened her eyes to find him staring at her without blinking, and immediately became alert. Xu Fei, now fully awake, cursed himself for being so muddled.
Chapter Thirty-Four
"You don't hold a grudge, do you? It was just something I said five years ago, Mr. Director. We're all adults here."
He laughed. "Finally remembered? I thought you had completely forgotten."
“I’m not that bored, to dwell on a single sentence.” The thought of it seemed absurd, and she turned her head away from him.
"Qian Duoduo, are you saying I'm just bored and can't forget you? If I really couldn't forget you, do you think we could still be living peacefully here?" Finally provoked by her disdainful tone, Xu Fei's eyes turned cold.
The man, who always smiled in public, suddenly became incredibly intimidating with a change in expression. However, Qian Duoduo's fighting spirit had been ignited, and she retorted defiantly, "So what do you want to do? Try to make things difficult for me just because you're in a higher position?"
"Don't worry, I always keep my personal and professional life separate, and I won't hold grudges against girls."
"What's wrong with girls?" Qian Duoduo was furious, she couldn't stand hearing such words. She straightened up, then clutched her stomach and fell back down. There was nothing she could do; health was the foundation of everything, and she was penniless today.
The two quieted down, and after a while, Xu Fei left her and went back to his desk to continue working. Qian Duoduo was in so much pain that she was in a daze and couldn't even bring herself to bang on the door and leave. She could only curl up on the sofa and wait for the medicine to take effect.
No one spoke in the large office except for the occasional tapping of Xu Fei's fingers on the computer keyboard. Qian Duoduo leaned against the soft sofa armrest and peeked over, only to see that the wide desk was covered with folders.
Xu Fei looked at it very carefully, pausing occasionally before frowning and flipping through the pages.
She was quite familiar with those folders; they were all summary reports on completed projects. UVL was one of the world's top traditional beverage companies, and it had maintained its leading position in the domestic market for many years. However, simply maintaining its existing market share was not enough. Therefore, each newly appointed leader had tried to break into new beverage markets as a mark of achievement. Unfortunately, the domestic market was too different from the international market, and dealing with the government was not easy. The process for a multinational company to undertake a new project was huge, complex, and time-consuming. Often, by the time a proposal was submitted and approved, other companies' products had already been launched. So, each leader tried, but none of them came to fruition. A few products were eventually launched, but they were all more hype than substance, and were withdrawn after a few months or half a year because they could not achieve the expected results, leaving behind only a mountain of documents.
Why would he be looking at these things? Conservatives are deeply entrenched in China now, and no one mentions such radical and risky projects anymore. He's a newly appointed marketing director, and past failures have nothing to do with him. Why is he looking at these things so late?
Sigh, I can't figure it out. There must be a reason why he's the youngest marketing director. I can't help but feel inferior. Still angry, Qian Duoduo closed her eyes and turned away, fuming at herself.
The medicine slowly took effect, and the burning sensation in her stomach eased considerably. After a while, Qian Duoduo tried to stand up. Xu Fei heard the noise and looked over, "What's wrong?"
The momentary anger had subsided, and Qian Duoduo's speech slowed down, her tone returning to normal. "Thank you for the medicine, I feel much better now."
"Are you going home now?" He checked the time. "Do you need a ride?"
He asked casually, and Qian Duoduo didn't take it seriously at all. "No need, I'll drive back myself." "Is that alright?"
"No problem." Adults resolve conflicts by forgetting what they've argued about, and Qian Duoduo noticed that both of them were masters of this. "Okay, drive carefully." "Goodbye." Qian Duoduo didn't linger, and after walking out, she closed the door behind her.
Qian Duoduo's footsteps gradually faded away. Xu Fei continued to look at the documents with his head down, without changing his posture. However, he couldn't turn the page in front of him for a long time. Two minutes later, he snapped the folder shut, turned off the computer, grabbed the clothes on the back of the chair, and walked out.
That night, Qian Duoduo couldn't sleep, tossing and turning, thinking about the argument from before. When she finally fell asleep, she had a dream, unsurprisingly, that Xu Fei was standing in the sunlight with a bright smile. She hated that smile and went to wipe it away, but it ended up as an entanglement. When she woke up, she felt as if she could still hear another person's breath on her nose.
Xu Fei didn't sleep well either, playing basketball alone for most of the night until he was exhausted and panting. Qian Duoduo aroused his desire; the thought of her gave way to his human instincts. It's tough for a man to fight against his instincts. Qian Duoduo, you're ruthless!
Chapter Thirty-Five
Feeling down, Xu Fei went out for dinner and drinks with Zhang Qian after finishing his work over the weekend.
Zhang Qian went to Beijing to pursue a combined master's and doctoral degree, and there he fell in love with a girl from Shanghai. Later, he declined the opportunity to work abroad and returned to Shanghai with his fiancée to find a research institute to develop new technologies. He had a very leisurely life, so he came out whenever he was called.
They met at a small restaurant near the university where they used to hang out. It was a Northeastern Chinese restaurant, and the owner was a kind middle-aged woman. Her nephew cooked, her daughter served dishes, and her husband managed the purchasing. The whole family ran the restaurant and lived happily together all day long.