"Alright, alright, stop talking like that, family. You've been working so late again today? Go to bed early, take care of yourself." Dad patted her shoulder and turned to go back to his room.
Qian Duoduo couldn't get up the next morning because of excessive indulgence at night.
She couldn't get up and no one woke her up. The phone rang, and Qian Duoduo woke up with a start in bed. When she answered, Xiao Lan's voice was urgent, "Boss, there's a meeting this morning. Vice President Xu just called to ask if you've arrived yet."
Qian Duoduo glanced at the small clock on the bedside table, and her eyes widened suddenly when she saw the time. She had actually slept until this late! Why had she been sleeping like a pig lately?
After getting ready as if for a battle, Qian Duoduo rushed out. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother hanging clothes to dry on the balcony. As she grabbed her keys, she couldn't help but complain, "Mom, why didn't you call me?"
Without turning her head, Qian's mother bluntly threw out two sentences: "You don't even tell your mother what you're doing now, why should I call you?"
Qian Duoduo was hit head-on by the tail of the typhoon, and her face was covered in black lines when she went out.
As she went down the stairs, she glanced at her watch again. The atmosphere at home had been tense lately. It was supposed to be her parents at the dining table together, but it seemed her mother was in a terrible mood this morning. Her usually cheerful father was also affected and simply hid in his room. Only she was oblivious and bumped into him.
Sighing inwardly, Qian Duoduo thought, "People say that daughters should not be kept at home once they grow up; if you try to keep them, they will only become enemies." She used to scoff at this, but now she realized that it was indeed true.
Ever since learning that she had given up on Ye Mingshen, the perfect marriage prospect, her mother has decided to completely abandon this daughter. She treats her like she's invisible every day, and doesn't even look at her properly when they eat. She is expressing her anger resolutely and thoroughly through her actions. Now that she has found that silence is not enough, she has turned to venting her anger through words. It seems that her days at home will become increasingly difficult.
Maybe she should move out and live independently. Luckily, she had the foresight to secretly buy an apartment before the new year to live on her own. It'll be ready in a month or so, so at least she has a way out.
She kept the decision to buy a house a secret from her parents. The reasons were simple: first, she didn't want them to subsidize her; second, of course, she wanted to protect her mother's fragile feelings.
She had tentatively discussed the issue of girls buying houses independently with her mother, but was immediately met with strong opposition.
Qian's mother's starting point is naturally unchanged. In her opinion, when her daughter reaches a certain age, she should focus all her energy on finding a suitable marriage partner. She already strongly disagrees with Duoduo's relentless pursuit of her career. Adding the idea of buying a house would directly stifle all normal men's desire for choice.
These days, a woman nearing thirty with a high position, high salary, and high ability is already a fatal flaw. If she also owns her own house, it's basically equivalent to writing "I don't want to get married" on her face, making marriage completely hopeless.
Based on the above two points, she bought that house quietly, without losing a penny.
Just as she was thinking this, the phone rang again. Before she could answer it, she started the car and turned onto the main street. After stopping the car at the first red light, she held the steering wheel with one hand and reached for her phone with the other.
It was Xu Fei's voice on the other end. The background noise was very quiet, with the faint sound of a printer feeding paper. It was obvious that he was already in his office. "Duoduo, where are you? I called your office just now and your assistant answered."
His voice sounded like he was in a good mood and full of energy. There are some people in this world who never get tired no matter how much they struggle, but unfortunately, that's not her.
Unable to help but sigh inwardly, and recalling the way her mother had spoken earlier, Qian Duoduo's reply was somewhat tinged with emotion, "I overslept and am still on my way. If I'm late, Vice President Xu, you might as well just stick me up and parade me around."
"Are you still on the road? Where's the driver?"
"I am the driver." She got off work so late yesterday, and the driver had long since disappeared. Did she expect him to walk to pick her up this morning?
"Then why are you still answering the phone? That's too dangerous. Drive carefully, we'll talk when you get to the company." He answered quickly, and Qian Duoduo only had time to say "Okay" before the other end hung up.
He just hung up on her like that? Qian Duoduo glanced at the screen in disbelief. There was a horn behind her, and the red light had already turned. She threw the phone aside and continued driving, gripping the steering wheel tightly with both hands, turning the wheel much more sharply than usual.
After crossing the intersection, she suddenly remembered something very important. Regardless of the time, she forced her way through the traffic to the roadside safety line and then picked up the phone again to make a call.
The phone rang several times before being answered. Her first words were, "Kenny, don't call my office so casually anymore. My assistant will misunderstand."
There was a knock on the door and a ringing phone. Amidst the hustle and bustle, he answered, "Dodo, focus on driving."
“I’ve stopped,” she said, ignoring his pleas and continuing with the important matter, her voice serious and emphasizing, “Did you hear what I just said?”
Xu Fei laughed, and although it was a low laugh, it still made her eardrums vibrate through the microphone. They had been intimately close just last night, and her body was reacting quickly. Suddenly, her earlobe felt hot, and Qian Duoduo blushed uncontrollably. Fortunately, the person on the other end of the phone couldn't see it.
"I heard you, Director Qian." He smiled and gave an affirmative answer, then added, "But is it alright for business? I just told your assistant I'd also be at the marketing department meeting at 10 o'clock. Will she misunderstand?"
Sigh, there's no way to deal with a man like that. As she listened, Qian Duoduo almost laughed. Time was tight, so she didn't say anything more to him. She answered and hung up the phone, continuing to press the accelerator.
Chapter Seventy
Arriving at the company by the minute, she walked into the office and Xiaolan was already following her with some things. "Boss, the others are already waiting in the conference room. Shall we start now?"
"Let's start now, I'll be right there." Qian Duoduo didn't stop, took the document, flipped through it, and nodded to Xiaolan.
When Qian Duoduo entered the conference room, both sides of the long table were already full. She walked to the head of the table and sat down, but as soon as she opened the folder door, it was pushed open again.
Everyone's eyes turned to look at Xu Fei, who opened the door. He smiled at everyone, and when his gaze swept over Qian Duoduo, who was sitting at the head of the table, his smile widened, making the large conference room seem to radiate sunlight.
Having spoken to him on the phone beforehand, Qian Duoduo wasn't surprised. She smiled back and was about to speak when someone walked in through the door. He was dressed smartly, with his black hair tied up, and smiled politely at everyone.
The meeting room was quiet, but Qian Duoduo could still clearly hear the gasps of breath rising and falling in everyone's minds. The smile on her face was still there. She reacted quickly, smiling and nodding to Huizi, then stood up and gestured for them to sit down.
After they were seated, Xu Fei smiled at her and said, "Dona, I'd like to say a few words first. May I take up a little of your time?"
“Of course, you go first.” Qian Duoduo sat down and moved her chair aside.
Xu Fei didn't say much, just a few words, but Qian Duoduo could see it clearly from the side. The eyes of the female employees began to ripple again, their watery eyes almost overflowing.
Qian Duoduo wanted to hand them tissues again, but felt helpless.
Power is an aphrodisiac, a truth that applies everywhere. This huge company is like a small country. The youngest marketing director was already irresistible, and now he has become the youngest vice president. Alas, what should we do?
Never mind, Qian Duoduo got up immediately after he finished speaking and proceeded with the meeting as usual. Huizi sat next to Xu Fei, listening very carefully, and occasionally leaning over to whisper to him. The others looked at each other differently, especially Elizabeth and Ren Zhiqiang.
Questions, discussions, summaries—the meeting proceeded as usual. But Qian Duoduo could guarantee that the next day, countless different versions of rumors would circulate within the company. She could only hope that her character in those versions would be a little prettier and not be portrayed as a vixen who failed to climb the social ladder, or, to put it more dramatically, as the one who was dumped after failing to become a lesbian.
Regardless of what everyone was thinking, the meeting seemed to be drawing to a close smoothly. Then, there was another knock on the door, and Zheng Jiang came in. He apologized to everyone first, then walked over to Xu Fei and said a few words in hushed tones.
She clearly saw him frown and then turn his face towards her.
When their eyes met for a moment, Qian Duoduo felt him staring at her and wondered what was wrong. A chill ran down her spine.
But he smiled immediately, stood up, and then spoke, "Dona, there's an urgent meeting, I have to go first, you guys continue."
Huizi, who was standing nearby, was asking Zhengjiang in a low voice what was wrong. At this moment, she also stood up. Although she didn't say anything, she nodded and smiled at Qian Duoduo.
Why is everyone so polite? Qian Duoduo suddenly felt out of place.
Busy with work and the project just starting, everything was a jumble of things to do, and there was no time to speculate about what had happened. For the next few days, Qian Duoduo put the little episode from the meeting behind her back and buried herself in her work.
Qian Duoduo received a call from Yiyi before leaving get off work. Yiyi sounded listless. Although she still had some things to finish, she sensed that Yiyi was not in a good mood, so she put everything aside for the time being and left work on time to keep the appointment.
The driver was waiting in the garage. Qian Duoduo asked him to take her to the subway station, and she took the subway as usual.
It was already dark when she got off the bus. Qian Duoduo's laptop bag was heavy, and the crowd around her was bustling and noisy. She could vaguely hear a phone ringing, so she freed one hand to reach into her bag for her phone.
This station is a newly built hub in the western district, where several lines intersect. It is located in the commercial center, with wide roads in front, rows of shopping malls on both sides, and a bustling atmosphere all around.
Sure enough, it was her phone ringing. She took it out, answered it, and held it to her ear. Xu Fei's voice on the other end sounded a little complaining, "Duoduo, why don't you answer my calls?"
"Going to catch the subway? I've made plans to have dinner with friends. Have you finished get off work yet?"
"Off work? I'm still in a meeting." He seemed to sigh, but quickly smiled again. "How are you getting on the subway? Where do you want to eat? I'll pick you up after the meeting."
"I can't possibly trouble Vice President Xu like that." She was standing at the subway entrance, on the sidewalk, with a wide street in front of her and a constant flow of vehicles. It was the most ordinary street scene in Shanghai, but at that moment she felt that everything was beautiful. She smiled slightly as she answered, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
"Please do me a favor, Director Qian." He hung up the phone with a smile.
Feeling pleasant, Qian Duoduo put down her phone, still maintaining that smile. Turning around, she walked towards the subway entrance. As she glanced at the side of the street, she saw a car slowly pull over and stop. A young woman jumped out of the door and slammed it shut.
She wasn't usually a very curious person, but with the car parked right behind her and the knocking on the door so loud, she instinctively stopped and looked back.
That one glance froze her smile, and she could no longer take a step.
Chapter 71
It was a nice car. The back door opened and closed, and a man got out and grabbed the young woman's arm. She struggled, but he wouldn't let go, and the two of them were grappling with each other right there in the street.
The man was no longer young. He had a furrowed brow and a familiar profile. Even with her vision blurred, she recognized him at a glance—it was Niu Zhensheng.
The young woman had long, loose hair, and her face resembled hers by a third. Qian Duoduo was standing beside them, and her features flashed clearly before her eyes. Suddenly, that face overlapped with a blurry photograph in her memory. Qian Duoduo gasped, her heart sank, and all that followed was a sense of unease.
At the bustling transportation hub and commercial center, a small circle of onlookers quickly formed, and the number continued to grow. Qian Duoduo, who was originally standing within three feet of them, suddenly found himself surrounded by a sea of people and could no longer see anything clearly.
She didn't want to see clearly, and she didn't want Niu Zhensheng to see her. She tried to move her feet backward, finally managed to break out of the crowd, turned around and ran away.
As she got off the subway, the stairs seemed to stretch endlessly before her. As she walked, she couldn't help but start running, her hands gripping the cold iron railings. The smooth metal surface, touched by millions of people every day, actually made her feel a little stinging.
All the way there, her mind was filled with the image of the two people entangled together. It wasn't the first time she had seen them together. This image, combined with the blurry glimpse of Hong Kong, made it clear to anyone what had happened. What was even more terrifying was that she recognized the young woman's face. Not just in Hong Kong, but now that she thought about it, she had seen her even earlier, in the photo Ye Mingshen had handed her with a smile in his car.
What to do? Having caught her friend's husband entangled with other women twice, and those women seemed to be the ex-girlfriend of the perfect man she had just given up on, Qian Duoduo felt as if a complex and intricate web had suddenly opened up in front of her, crisscrossing and confusing, and she suddenly felt a splitting headache.
What should I do? Should I tell Yiyi? But this is the most unpleasant role to play. It's all your fault that the couple is having problems. Even if they eventually forgive and forget, seeing her again will be a thorn in their side, and they might not even be able to remain friends.
Should she remain silent? Pretend she saw nothing? In any case, it was all chaos just now, Niu Zhensheng didn't even make eye contact with her, and she ran away quickly, so she figured he was unaware of anything.
But should we just keep Yiyi in the dark like this? What if Niu Zhensheng suddenly decides he no longer needs this marriage? Should she just stand by and watch her best friend be killed without warning, becoming a divorced wife without any preparation?
She racked her brains but couldn't figure out what to do next. Qian Duoduo finally groaned inwardly and buried her face helplessly in her hands.
For the first time in her life, she felt resistant to her best friend's invitation, but no matter how unwilling she was, the subway still quickly took her to her destination.
It was already dinner time, and they had arranged to meet at MMK, a Thai restaurant on the third floor of the shopping mall. When they went upstairs, Qian Duoduo's steps were heavy, and she could barely even step onto the escalator.
The restaurant entrance was decorated with tropical plants. A hostess dressed in traditional Thai clothing came up with a smile and offered me a seat. As usual, Yiyi had arrived long ago. I saw her waving from afar, smiling slightly. She looked well, unlike how listless she sounded on the phone earlier.
While her mind was still in turmoil, Qian Duoduo forced herself to smile as she sat down.
"Duoduo, what's the news lately?" Yiyi was looking down at the menu. It wasn't her first time here, and Yiyi ordered quickly. Not hearing Qian Duoduo's reply, she closed the menu and looked at her again: "Duoduo?"
"Huh?" There was a small stage in the restaurant, where two or three Thai women were dancing. Their ten fingers were covered with long, pointed finger gloves that shimmered under the changing lights. Qian Duoduo was in a daze and was a beat late in answering.
Yi Yi laughed, "What's wrong, Duo Duo? Is being a director tiring? I can't even hear you when I talk to you."
"No, I was thinking about what to eat." Qian Duoduo forced a smile. The waitress was bringing over the menu, and she reached out to take it, looking down as she flipped through it to hide her embarrassment.
They ate curry crab roe stew, stir-fried kale, and lemongrass chicken rolls. MMK Thai food was authentic. These dishes were usually Qian Duoduo's favorites, but this time she didn't taste them. Yiyi, on the other hand, seemed to be having a lot of fun, scooping up some golden curry sauce as she talked to her, "Duoduo, the other day Steve's management classmate had a party, and I went too. Guess who I ran into?"
"Who?" Qian Duoduo answered simply, because he had been looking down the whole time, so all he could see were the movements of Yiyi's hands.
Her bowl contained snow-white, long, narrow Thai jasmine rice. A pale blue spoon, laden with golden sauce, was poured onto the rice, which was then slowly stirred, releasing a rich curry aroma.
Yi Yi is used to being idle all year round. All her movements are lazy. With her slender fingers, she is a beautiful woman and a delicious meal. Even when she is mixing rice, it is a pleasure to watch. Unlike her, she always seems to be in a hurry when eating. She looks at Qian Duoduo and then gets distracted. Can Yi Yi withstand a blow like this?
Yiyi's voice rang out again from the other end: "Who else? Ye Mingshen?"
Chapter 72
"Ah! How did you run into him?" Qian Duoduo snapped out of her daze upon hearing Ye Mingshen's name, her tone puzzled.
“He’s a professor, Professor Ye.” Yi Yi emphasized, then sighed, a rare occurrence for her. “Duo Duo, he talked to me about you.”
"Really?" Feeling like a parrot all day, with nothing left but repeating questions, Qian Duoduo uttered two more words.
"He asked me how I was doing. Sigh, I really think Ye Mingshen is impeccable. It would be such a pity to give up on a man like him."
When Qian Duoduo thinks of Ye Mingshen, all she can recall is that blurry photo of a long-haired girl standing by the sea, whose features vaguely resemble hers.
Unable to hold back any longer, she asked, "We just had a get-together a few days ago. Steve is still in Shanghai, right? Why aren't you with him today?"
"He left this morning, saying he was going to a meeting in Nanjing. Besides, even if he's in Shanghai, he won't be back until the middle of the night. How could I possibly see him at this hour?" Yiyi spoke in a very calm tone, without stopping the spoon in her hand.
After hesitating for a while, Qian Duoduo continued, "Aren't you worried?"
"Worried?" Yi Yi looked up at him. "Worried about what?" Unable to answer, Qian Duoduo was speechless.