Chapter 18 "Something's happened, I broke my back."...
Shen Mengqing shuffled over to Yu Xin. Yu Xin looked up at her with his eyes downcast and his lips pressed tightly together. He showed no intention of moving aside, so she had no choice but to lean against the wall and stand facing him.
"I'm not getting any food tonight." Shen Mengqing was quite full and didn't want to cook.
Yu Xin stared at Shen Mengqing silently for a few seconds, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well with a calm surface.
He said calmly, "Who said there isn't?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he reached out and wrapped his arms around Shen Mengqing's waist, pulling her closer to him. With his other hand, he cupped her face and lowered his head to kiss her.
Yu Xin sucked on her soft lips, gently lifting her face with his hand, guiding her to respond to him.
His kiss was long and intense, as if he wanted to dismantle her and devour her whole. Shen Mengqing couldn't find a moment to catch her breath, her head was spinning, and even her eyes were misty.
Even though it was Yu Xin leaning against the wall, she felt as if a tight, impenetrable net was enveloping her, leaving her unable to move forward or backward. Like a drowning person, she could only cling tightly to Yu Xin, seeing him as her lifeline.
The corridor lights flickered, casting soft shadows that illuminated the two bodies pressed tightly together. The surroundings were quiet, with only the sounds of kissing echoing in the shadows.
Suddenly, the elevator doors clicked, startling the two. Shen Mengqing quickly pulled away, unlocked the door, and shoved Yu Xin hard. The two stumbled into the door.
Yu Xin lost his balance and leaned against the high table by the door, using one hand to brace himself for balance. Shen Mengqing was tripped by his foot, which he hadn't had time to retract, and fell on top of him in a strange posture, as if she were trying to force herself on a good man.
"Are you alright?" she asked, grabbing Yu Xin's arm.
Yu Xin said in a low, restrained voice, with a hint of forbearance, "Something's wrong, I broke my back."
Shen Mengqing: "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, let me rub it for you."
The curtains were drawn, making the room dim. She and Yu Xin were too close together, so Shen Mengqing could only make out his general outline when she looked down. She touched him blindly, her hands sliding over his hot, well-defined muscles again and again.
Yu Xin stood up and bent down to corner her against the door, his voice sharp yet alluring: "Is this the Rou Rou you were talking about?"
"I'm not a professional, and besides, your back is fine, isn't it?" Shen Mengqing murmured softly.
"Ha." Yu Xin laughed in exasperation. "Why don't you check again?"
Shen Mengqing swallowed hard, then blinked knowingly, asking, "How do I get checked?"
She pecked Yu Xin on the lips: "Like this?"
He pecked at his bobbing Adam's apple again: "Still like this?"
Yu Xin remained silent, staring intently at her, his emotions gradually overflowing, enveloping Shen Mengqing and slowly melting her.
Shen Mengqing couldn't stand his gaze any longer, so she stood on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him deeply.
After their last argument, Shen Mengqing thought they would break up like that.
This kind of relationship is inherently unreliable. Unlike romantic relationships, it has no constraints and is based on spontaneity. If either party leaves midway, they completely disappear from the other's life without leaving any trace.
When they argued, it was difficult for either of them to take the initiative to compromise, unlike in ordinary couples. She thought that with Yu Xin's cold personality, he might suddenly disappear one day.
Therefore, Shen Mengqing was somewhat surprised and moved when he appeared in Chu City.
That question about whether he liked her was actually a joke. She rationally didn't want either of them to develop real feelings. Since it was destined to end one day, it was better to part amicably.
The moment she fell onto the bed, Shen Mengqing's chin accidentally bumped into Yu Xin's ribs. The pain jolted her chaotic thoughts back to reality, immersing her completely in the present moment.
It started raining heavily outside the window again, with signs of thunderstorms looming ahead. Thunder rumbled from time to time, and the wind rattled the windows. Occasionally, lightning flashed, illuminating the dark room for a moment, and I inadvertently stumbled into this enchanting and tense atmosphere.
When the lightning struck, Shen Mengqing instinctively closed his eyes and shuddered.
"Afraid?" Yu Xin asked her, looking down at her, her breath slightly ragged, which was very alluring.
Shen Mengqing nodded.
The next second, she felt a warm and large hand cover her eyes. She opened her eyes and found herself in complete darkness. Apart from the warmth emanating from Yu Xin's hand, everything else in the world was shut out.
Perhaps because she could no longer see, Shen Mengqing's other senses became increasingly sensitive. Yu Xin led her, letting her play freely in the rain. The rainwater moistened her skin and mingled with her sweat. She could clearly feel the touch of each raindrop falling, as if it were repeatedly reshaping her body.
They went out in the rain with high spirits and returned home thoroughly satisfied.
In the past, when they fell asleep, Shen Mengqing and Yu Xin would tacitly divide up their territory, each occupying one side, silently reaching some kind of consensus. But tonight, perhaps because he knew that Shen Mengqing was afraid of lightning, Yu Xin turned around and quietly pulled her into his arms.
Shen Mengqing has always firmly believed that hugging is more exciting than kissing, holding hands, or other physical contact. It's like inviting someone into your own little world to exchange the most intimate sphere.
Now she was leaning against Yu Xin's chest, his breath falling on her neck, her shoulder against his heart, the distance between them was closing infinitely.
Her heart swayed like a tree in the wind outside.
Amidst the thunder and lightning, Shen Mengqing drifted off to sleep.
...
In the middle of the night, Yu Xin was awakened by thunder.
Opening his eyes, Shen Mengqing's beautiful face came into view, and he smelled the rich floral and fruity fragrance on the bed, which permeated the air.
During the days of the Cold War, Yu Xin couldn't help but recall countless scenes with her. Everything about her was so soft, crashing through his hard world, and every collision caused his soul to tremble.
He had never been in a relationship, nor had he ever fallen in love with anyone. After studying abroad alone for so many years, he could go for long periods without speaking to anyone. He was like a tree growing on the edge of a cliff, untouched by any rain or wind.
Shen Mengqing persevered and climbed up the cliff, bringing a refreshing rain that irrigated a withered tree, causing it to sprout new buds and flower clusters.
As the petals unfurled, they released her fragrance.
This unfamiliar feeling left him at a loss. He unconsciously tightened his embrace and buried his head in Shen Mengqing's hair.
-
The next day, Shen Mengqing took half a day off.
She got up early for the first time in a long time and took a slow walk around the neighborhood. There were many broken branches on the grass by the roadside, and leaves were scattered on the ground. The edges of the steps and the ground were full of water, all traces of the wind and rain last night.
Many elderly people doing their morning exercise downstairs greeted Shen Mengqing and gave her some breakfast, worried that busy urban women like them might ruin their health by skipping breakfast.
She returned home with her hands full. Yu Xin was about to leave when he saw her and was taken aback. He said, "I thought you went to work."
"Let's go this afternoon." Shen Mengqing chewed on a steamed bun and handed the rest of her breakfast to Yu Xin. "Have some."
Yu Xin sat down at the table and ate with her.
In the morning, Shen Mengqing opened the balcony door, and a gentle breeze blew in, carrying the coolness after the rain. The curtains swayed in the wind, and the cicadas chirped tirelessly. The scene of the two sitting together was quite peaceful and serene.
It was a bit too quiet, so Shen Mengqing tried to make conversation: "Do you usually spend holidays alone too?"
He didn't spend the Dragon Boat Festival with his family; instead, he went straight to Chu City to find her.
"Um."
Yu Xin threw the trash into the trash can, leaned back, and tilted the stool up to look at Shen Mengqing. Shen Mengqing had tried to sit on the stool like that when he was a child, and then he fell flat on his face.
She remembered something, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Have you ever owned a dog?"
With a thud, Yu Xin returned the stool leg to the ground: "How did you know?"
Shen Mengqing honestly said, "I saw your Moments when I added you."
Yu Xin: "You read it pretty quickly."
"You're faster than me at deleting my messages," Shen Mengqing said abruptly.
"..."
“I had that dog a few years ago. I found it near a garbage dump when it was very small, shivering in the cold, so I took it home. At that time, I was still living with my dad. After I saved the dog, my dad wouldn't let me keep it. Actually, someone had already contacted me wanting to adopt it, but I can't explain why. Maybe I wanted to deliberately go against my dad, so I insisted on keeping the dog. Until one day, I had a big fight with my dad, and I slammed the door and left. I didn't know that it chased after me. It was hit by a car on its way to chase me.”
Yu Xin paused for a few seconds and said, "That time, it couldn't be saved."
His face showed no emotion, and his voice was extremely calm.
But Shen Mengqing knew that this kind of thing was like a wound that had healed for a long time, with new flesh and blood growing back. It was painless and didn't itch, but the dark brown scars left behind always reminded people that it had happened, making them think about it from time to time.
She said, "Maybe God felt you were too lonely, so He brought it to your side to keep you company for a while. Without you, it might not have survived that winter."
"Perhaps," Yu Xin said.
The topic was too heavy, and the two could find nothing more to say. As they looked at each other in silence, Shen Mengqing's phone rang.
It was Liang Jun calling. Shen Mengqing gestured for Yu Xin to remain silent before answering the phone.
"Hey Meng Qing, Hongtu Capital has invited us to dinner tonight. They're very interested in the new product they're developing and are considering investing in it. You've been working on sales reports for so long, so you know this new product quite well. We'll go with the R&D team."
"OK."
After briefly understanding the situation, Shen Mengqing also sent a message to Qi Shuying, telling her to go and learn from her.
Just then, Yu Xin also received a phone call.
"Hello, Aunt Chen."
The phone buzzed, and Shen Mengqing couldn't make out the exact words, but she could tell that the person's tone was a little anxious. Yu Xin's face gradually darkened.
Before hanging up the phone, he said, "Okay, I'll be right there."
Yu Xin put his phone in his pocket, hurriedly stood up and said, "I'm leaving now."
Are you alright?
This doesn't look like good news.
Yu Xin replied to her, "My dad is sick and hospitalized."
He finished speaking and left.
Not long after he left, Shen Mengqing also slung her bag over her shoulder and went to work.
The person from Hongtu Capital who attended the dinner party was Wan Zhen, the eldest daughter of the Wan family. It is said that her older brother will be the future successor. Wan Zhen assists him in handling some investment and cooperation business and is considered the face of Hongtu to the outside world.
Shen Mengqing spent the afternoon helping Qi Shuying with her homework, thoroughly studying the new product report, and also asking Jiang Yu about the trivial matters concerning this Miss Wan.
Only one department manager from the R&D team went. Most of their employees were working in the front-line factories and weren't particularly eloquent. At these drinking parties, they could only answer a few questions when asked about professional knowledge such as product raw materials and functions; otherwise, they were just there to fill the space.
The group had barely settled into their reserved private room when the people from Hongtu Capital arrived.
Wan Zhen walked in briskly, dressed in a Chanel-style suit. Two people followed behind her: one was her assistant, and the other...
Shen Mengqing's smile vanished instantly.
What is Lin Xiangyang doing here?
She casually greeted Liang Jun and Hong Tu and the others, and after they were seated, Wan Zhen began to introduce the people next to her: "This is Lin Xiangyang, he is my boyfriend. He works at Fuhai Securities and has done a lot of industry research in the pharmaceutical sector, so I brought him along. Mr. Liang, you don't mind, do you?"
"Of course I don't mind," Liang Jun said with a fawning smile. "President Wan and President Lin are a perfect match, both talented and beautiful!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Mengqing's gaze instantly fell on Lin Xiangyang. She still had a smile on her lips, but her eyes were full of inquiry and confusion.
She recalled the scene of Lin Xiangyang kneeling down to propose to her. He begged her to return to her hometown to live with him and give up everything in Beicheng. After Shen Mengqing refused, he became a different person. He angrily threw down the bouquet in his hand, stormed out of the door, and then disappeared without a trace until Shen Mengqing received the breakup message.
Now that he's hooked up with a rich and beautiful woman, why doesn't he want to leave?
Shen Mengqing's expression grew increasingly cold. Perhaps it was because she had been staring at Lin Xiangyang for too long, but Wan Zhen noticed something was amiss and said to her with a smile, "President Shen, do you know Xiangyang?"
Lin Xiangyang laughed, pushed up his glasses, and said, "This should be the first time I've met President Shen."
Seeing Lin Xiangyang's lying, Shen Mengqing chuckled inwardly, but said with a calm expression, "President Lin looks a lot like an old classmate of mine. I've mistaken him for someone else."
Liang Jun looked left and right, then stepped forward to smooth things over and called the waiter to bring the dishes.
Wan Zhen glanced at Lin Xiangyang, still feeling that something was off about him. In addition, Shen Mengqing was young and beautiful, so she had to be careful.
Liang Jun from the Commerce Bureau was the main speaker, while Shen Mengqing and the R&D team occasionally reminded him of some details and added a few lively remarks, thus completing their task. Seeing that things were mostly settled, Shen Mengqing left the room, wanting to get some fresh air.
Walking down the corridor, she randomly found a corner with potted plants and sent a message to Jiang Yu:
Breaking news: Lin Xiangyang and Wan Zhen are dating.
While waiting for Jiang Yu's reply, she idly scrolled through the chat list, but there were no new messages.
I wonder how Yu Xin is doing at the hospital with his father.
"So you were here."
Lin Xiangyang interrupted Shen Mengqing's moment of leisure, strolled over to her, and said, "I didn't expect you to come tonight too."
"Are you afraid your current girlfriend will see me?" Shen Mengqing smiled. "I really didn't know you met Wan Zhen."
Lin Xiangyang said nonchalantly, "We've known each other for quite a while."
Shen Mengqing's expression changed, and Lin Xiangyang continued, "I didn't cheat on her. She was just a client of the company before."
"You're not going back to your hometown for her sake?" Shen Mengqing asked.
Lin Xiangyang curled his lip: "If I could become the son-in-law of Hongtu Capital, who would choose to leave Beicheng? Wan Zhen pursued me first. If you had accepted my proposal back then, I would definitely have rejected her and gone back with you."
"What do you mean, 'come back with me'?" Shen Mengqing frowned. "The one who's going back isn't me."
There was no point in bringing up old grievances with him here. Shen Mengqing stretched her numb legs and prepared to return to the private room, but Lin Xiangyang stopped her.
"Have you never liked me?"
Lin Xiangyang's expression was stubborn; he was determined to get an explanation.
Shen Mengqing swallowed her anger and said, "If you're sick, don't vent here."
“Anyway, we’ve broken up, so I’ll just say it straight. When we were together, I never felt that you liked me. It was just me giving all the time.” He suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly. “But the reason I pursued you was because everyone praised your beauty. I thought, how great would it be if I could win you over? I never expected that you would actually agree.”
Shen Mengqing was completely disappointed in him. How could she have ever thought he was a gentleman? She pushed Lin Xiangyang's hand away and said, "You disgust me."
"You too, Shen Mengqing."
Lin Xiangyang said, "We are essentially the same kind of people, otherwise you wouldn't have tried to climb up to the company's heir in order to stay in Beicheng."
"Watch your mouth, what prince?"
Shen Mengqing was baffled; what was wrong with him?
Lin Xiangyang was taken aback. Seeing her seemingly confused expression, he wondered if he had been overthinking things.
He pressed further, "You don't recognize him? Your chairman's son, his name is Yu..."
"Xiangyang, what are you talking about?"
Wan Zhen noticed that Lin Xiangyang and Shen Mengqing's seats had been empty, which aroused her suspicions. She made an excuse to leave her seat to look for them, but unexpectedly, the two of them were actually together.
In fact, the distance is quite close.
She strolled over gracefully, exuding an air of nobility and elegance, and casually placed her hand on Lin Xiangyang's arm, asserting her dominance in a high-profile manner.
She smiled at Shen Mengqing, but her gaze was not friendly: "President Shen, President Liang seems to have just called you."
Shen Mengqing nodded politely and said, "Then I'll head back now. You two can continue your conversation."
Seeing Shen Mengqing walk away, Lin Xiangyang secretly blamed Wan Zhen for appearing at this particular moment, but in an instant, he had a new idea.
If he ruins Shen Mengqing's deal, will Yu Xin side with her?
He couldn't tell Wan Zhen directly, otherwise Wan Zhen would definitely interrogate him. He came up with an idea, quickly got into character, glanced at Shen Mengqing's back a few more times, and pretended to have a complicated expression.
Wanzhen noticed all his little actions and suppressed her inner turmoil, then took his arm and walked away.
The dinner party ended at nine o'clock. Everyone stood up, and Wan Zhen and Liang Jun shook hands, verbally finalizing the cooperation and agreeing to send the contract details as soon as possible.
As the conversation drew to a close, Wan Zhen's smile remained unchanged, but she inexplicably glanced at Shen Mengqing and said, "President Liang, I have a small request."
Liang Jun readily agreed, saying, "Please, please speak."
“For this collaboration, Mr. Shen won’t be in charge of handling things. I remember Mr. Zhang’s son is also in your department, his name is Zhang Tu, right? Let him handle it, and he will be in charge of all future collaborations with Hongtu.”
These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Shen Mengqing's mind.
She'd seen and tolerated colleagues stealing clients from behind her back and bosses favoring their cronies by giving them resources, but this was the first time a client she'd handled had told her to someone else to take responsibility. To her, it was like being slapped in the face in public.
Shen Mengqing took a deep breath and asked with composure, "President Wan, may I ask for the reason? If there was anything I did that was inappropriate, please explain and I will correct it in the future."
“There’s no reason.” Wan Zhen didn’t hide her spoiled, high-class temperament anymore and bluntly challenged her, “I don’t think much of your work ability.”
Seeing that Shen Mengqing still wanted to argue, Liang Jun quickly said, "It's a small matter. I'll talk to Zhang Tu later and have him come and coordinate properly. Don't worry, Mr. Wan, I'll see you to your car first."
He pushed Shen Mengqing back and bowed to invite Wan Zhen and her group out.
The room was empty except for Shen Mengqing, Qi Shuying, and the R&D department staff. The R&D manager was also leaving. He had watched the whole thing, sighed, patted Shen Mengqing on the shoulder, and said, "Try harder next time."
Shen Mengqing unconsciously clenched her fists, as if her soul had been drained, and slid into the chair.
Hongtu is a huge resource. If we cooperate more in the future, I can't even imagine how much of the sales department's performance it will account for. Shen Mengqing originally wanted to take this achievement to a meeting with the media department manager.
What angered her even more was that Wanzhen publicly questioned her work ability.
Shen Mengqing has always been a hard-working person. After being named the top salesperson last year, she gradually gained professional confidence. Among the current sales staff, her overall qualities are among the best.
Furthermore, how can one discern a person's work ability from just one meal? It must be Lin Xiangyang who's sabotaging things behind the scenes to make Wan Zhen dislike her.
Shen Mengqing lowered her head in thought. Qi Shuying thought she was holding back tears, so she squatted down and comforted her, saying, "Sister Mengqing, it's okay. It's just losing a client. I believe you can find better clients."
Shen Mengqing smiled and patted her, not wanting the newcomer to see his dejected side. He pulled Qi Shuying out the door and said, "Let's go, I'll call you a taxi. It's late, you should go home and rest."
The ride-hailing car arrived just as they reached the entrance. After watching Qi Shuying get into the car, Shen Mengqing returned to the restaurant lobby and found a seat while waiting.
She was in a bad mood, so she took out her phone and dialed a series of numbers as if by muscle memory.
The receiver was filled with the endless waiting tone, and her heart slowly sank into an unfathomable abyss.
She made a second, a third...
She only lowered her hand in frustration when she got tired of pressing and lifting the weight.
Will Yu Xin be able to answer the phone and, as before, catch her in this vulnerable moment?
...
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Mengqing let out a long sigh and walked out of the restaurant.
She checked and found that this place wasn't too far from her neighborhood; it would only take about twenty minutes to walk back. She decided to take a walk to clear her head.
At first, there were many cars speeding by and pedestrians taking walks around her. After walking for about ten minutes, she found that it was very quiet all around her. In the distance, there were dark bushes and no one could be seen.
Shen Mengqing felt a chill run down her spine, hugged herself tightly, and quickened her pace. When her phone suddenly rang, she was startled and trembled a few times.
After realizing it was Yu Xin calling, she felt much calmer.
"Hey? Are you alright?"
Yu Xin saw several missed calls from her, his heart tightened, and he immediately called her back.
As Shen Mengqing walked, she said, "I'm fine. How are you doing over there?"
Yu Xin was silent for a while, then said, "The same as always, his health isn't so good anymore."
His tone remained calm, but Shen Mengqing could sense his low spirits. She stopped in her tracks, a surge of impulsive blood rushing to her head, and said, "Where are you? Do you want me to come and keep you company?"
Yu Xin twitched the corners of his mouth. If Shen Mengqing were there, he would definitely laugh at him for his smile looking more like a grimace. He said softly, "No need. I'm going back. I can't be of much help here. Someone will take care of him."
Yu Mocheng's condition has stabilized again. Aunt Chen came to the hospital and even hired a caregiver. He sat in the ward with nothing to do, taking up space like a Buddha statue. Before long, Aunt Chen kicked him out.
After hearing his words, Shen Mengqing seemed somewhat disappointed and muttered an "Oh" softly.
Yu Xin understood a bit and deliberately said, "If you have nothing else, then I'll hang up."
Shen Mengqing: "Mm."
This sentence seems even more disheartening.
"Do you want to see me?" Yu Xin asked.
He asked a direct question, and Shen Mengqing's emotions, which she had managed to suppress, surged forth as if a floodgate had been opened.
She said sadly, "Yu Xin, can you come and pick me up?"
Yu Xin was stunned for a moment: "Where are you?"
Shen Mengqing couldn't tell where she was from, and since she didn't have Yu Xin's WeChat, she couldn't send him her location. She told Yu Xin the name of the restaurant and decided to go back and wait for him.
As dusk settled, the restaurant dwindled in number, the bustling atmosphere of 7 or 8 pm gone, leaving only a lone waiter in the lobby.
Shen Mengqing stood in front of the gate, watching car after car drive away with people in them. After all the commotion tonight, she was exhausted, her eyes were sore, and as time passed, she was so tired that she could hardly stand. But she stubbornly wanted to wait at the gate, hoping that the next car would be for her.
Finally, a black car drove in and stopped precisely in front of her.
Shen Mengqing opened the car door, got in a few steps, and Yu Xin glanced at her. The moment their eyes met, Shen Mengqing turned her back, closed the door, threw her handbag on the ground, touched Yu Xin's arm, and kissed her.
She couldn't explain what was wrong with her; she suddenly had an intense craving for physical touch, a need to truly feel that someone was beside her. She had never felt this way before when she had been wronged; she had always dealt with it on her own.
She greedily absorbed the woody fragrance emanating from Yu Xin, a scent that acted like a tranquilizer, calming her troubled emotions.
The car behind them got impatient and honked, so Shen Mengqing let go of his hand and sat up straight in his seat.
Yu Xin glanced at her, said nothing, and stepped on the gas.
...
As they approached the entrance to the residential area, at the last traffic light, Yu Xin turned onto a road heading in another direction.
Shen Mengqing looked at him and asked, "Where are we going?"
“My home,” Yu Xin said, turning the steering wheel.
Shen Mengqing's mind went blank for a moment before her eyes widened.
His house?!
Shen Mengqing's feelings were a bit complicated. When she was eating while admiring this upscale neighborhood from the convenience store, she never imagined that she would set foot here.
Yu Xin parked his car in the underground parking lot, and Shen Mengqing followed him out of the car and into the elevator.
The elevator stopped on the sixteenth floor. It was a one-elevator-per-family building. The two went straight into the apartment. Yu Xin opened the shoe cabinet door and found that there wasn't a single extra pair of slippers in the house. He handed the only slipper to Shen Mengqing and stepped barefoot on the marble floor.
The house was very spacious, but the furnishings were pitifully few, no different from when you just moved in with your suitcase. Every place was decorated in black, white and gray tones, and even the lights on the ceiling were dim. It was as if it were in a different city from the brightly lit buildings outside.
Shen Mengqing sat down on the sofa and asked curiously, "How much is the rent for this apartment?"
"I bought it," Yu Xin replied casually. "If I rented it, it would cost about 100,000 a month."
Shen Mengqing: "100,000? I saw on the rental app that it was listed for 60,000."
"Sixty thousand is probably the smallest unit in the neighborhood; this house is quite large."
"..."
Shen Mengqing was speechless, and didn't really want to talk to rich people anymore.
Actually, her salary isn't low, and she's accumulated some savings over the years, enough for a down payment in Beicheng. But if she wanted to buy a house in this location and size, she'd probably have to work for another thirty years to pay off the remaining balance.
Noticing that she was lost in thought, Yu Xin looked at her and said, "Are you in a bad mood?"
Shen Mengqing nodded and asked him, "What do you do when you're in a bad mood?"
Yu Xin thought for a moment and said, "Go to sleep."
The word, placed within their relationship, is somewhat like a dry joke with an inviting undertone.
Shen Mengqing couldn't help but chuckle and said with a smile, "What do you mean?"
She turned over and leaned against the sofa, facing Yu Xin, and quietly looked at him.
Her gaze first fell on the top of his head, imagining what he would look like with a buzz cut, then slowly moved down to his long, thick eyebrows, prominent brow bone, smooth bridge of his nose, a pair of captivating, cold eyes, and thin lips.
Moved by her feelings, she stepped forward and continued the stifling kiss she had shared in the car.
Shen Mengqing shifted to a more comfortable position, kneeling on the sofa cushion, cupping Yu Xin's face in her hands, and lowering her head to kiss him tenderly, her hair cascading down and enveloping his skull.
She suddenly felt it wasn't enough, so she stretched her leg over him and sat down. Yu Xin supported her slender waist, afraid that she would lose her balance.
Shen Mengqing's hand slid smoothly down his sharp jawline, finally stopping at his waistband.
Yu Xin was wearing a tracksuit. She unbuckled her belt with one hand, but a hand reached out and pressed it down.
"I don't have that kind of thing at home."
Yu Xin looked up and stared at her as she spoke.
Shen Mengqing took a deep breath, pulled her hand away and slapped the back of his hand hard, then rolled back to her original position and lay down, muttering, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
The atmosphere cooled down rapidly, and the two calmed their racing hearts.
After calming down, Shen Mengqing tilted her head and asked Yu Xin, "Are you really not going to the hospital to be with your father?"
"No need. He might wake up and see me, which could cause his blood pressure to spike and put him in danger."
Yu Xin said self-deprecatingly.
They've been arguing every few days lately, probably because Yu Mochen's health is really not good. He's so anxious that he's come up with all sorts of ways to force Yu Xin to agree to take over the company. Yu Xin occasionally tries to go home to visit him, but after only a few words, he scolds her again, saying that she and his mother are ungrateful wretches.
He and Yu Mochen had argued their whole lives, and in the end, they no longer knew how to get along like a normal father and son.
Shen Mengqing patted Yu Xin's shoulder and said, "Uncle will be alright."
Just then, Jiang Yu called, probably because he had seen the explosive gossip that Shen Mengqing had posted.
"Ah Qing, do you know how shocked I was by this message? How could Wan Zhen and Lin Xiangyang, two people who have nothing in common, be together? Tell me all the details!" Jiang Yu's voice was so loud that it broke through the phone's receiver and all of it reached Yu Xin's ears.
Shen Mengqing gave Yu Xin a fake smile and said to Jiang Yu, "Can I tell you later?"
Jiang Yu replied decisively, "No way! I'm too curious."
She glanced at the time and said, "It's so late, is there something inconvenient about you talking? Or is there someone next to you?"
"Yes, I... my brother is here."
Upon hearing Shen Mengqing's words, Yu Xin showed her displeasure and mischievously reached out to pinch the ticklish spot on her waist.
Shen Mengqing almost cried out in surprise, but she curled up in a ball from the tickling and had to hold back her noise. She glared at Yu Xin fiercely in great pain.
Jiang Yu: "Which younger brother of yours is it? Doesn't he go to school?"
"My aunt's son just finished his college entrance exam and came to visit me in Beicheng. I'll stop here now, bye."
Shen Mengqing hung up the phone, unable to wait a moment longer before lunging at Yu Xin for revenge. But Yu Xin was like a wooden sculpture, completely unaffected by tickling. He remained motionless in a languid posture, looking down at her, making her appear like a clown as she tried to touch him.
She slumped down, head hanging low, and said, "I'm not playing anymore."
Yu Xin tilted her head back, resting her head on the edge of the sofa, and said, "So you're unhappy because you saw your ex-boyfriend?"
“Not entirely,” Shen Mengqing said.
Yu Xin opened his mouth, but Shen Mengqing immediately covered his mouth when she met his cold gaze: "Shut up, don't try to mock me again."
Yu Xin raised her hand and moved her wrist away, saying, "At least you have one thing to be happy about."
"?"
Shen Mengqing was puzzled.
"Your taste has improved a lot."
He casually uttered those arrogant words.
-
For a while afterward, Shen Mengqing worked even harder, as if she wanted to regain the professional self-esteem she had lost with Wanzhen from other clients. Sometimes she felt sorry for Qi Shuying when she worked overtime with her and advised her to leave work on time.
It seems that like master, like apprentice. Qi Shuying never left work early and accompanied Shen Mengqing to work overtime without complaining.
Every night when she lay down, Shen Mengqing wanted to play on her phone in bed for a while, but when she looked at the time, it was already past eleven o'clock, and she would fall asleep from exhaustion after playing for a short time.
As for Yu Xin, it's likely that his father's condition is not good. Shen Mengqing has only seen him a handful of times these days. The two of them, one exhausted and the other depressed, huddled together for warmth in winter, seeking comfort from each other.
After it was over, they were all exhausted and fell asleep very quickly.
Shen Mengqing sometimes felt that they were both essentially lacking in love. She had lost her loving father, while Yu Xin had an unhappy family. When they got together, the physical stimulation would make them focus on the present moment, stumbling and falling as they escaped the real world and headed towards a utopia that could only accommodate the two of them.
However, time is limited when hiding in another world.
After Yu Xin hadn't contacted her for a long time, she would occasionally think of him in the gaps of work or life, and a corner of her heart would feel empty.
Shen Mengqing became conflicted at this moment. Her brain seemed to automatically warn her that if she invested too much emotion in Yu Xin, she would be very sad when she made a clean break later. So she locked up this empty corner as if to escape, trying not to think about him.
So it seems that when she was dating Lin Xiangyang, she didn't really like him that much. It was just because he was her boyfriend that Shen Mengqing did many things out of a sense of responsibility as his girlfriend.
Yu Xin wasn't her boyfriend, and there was no future for them.
Will things continue like this, and will they gradually drift apart, eventually losing contact naturally one day?
This was the first time Shen Mengqing had ever thought about such a complicated emotional issue. She pondered it haphazardly for a long time, only to find herself increasingly troubled.
She shook her overloaded head and decided to quickly arrange a meeting with the media manager to handle her work matters before considering anything else.
She opened the contact list in her office software, found the media department manager's business card, and clicked into the chat box.
The Media Department was a new department established by the chairman two years ago. He said it was to keep up with the Internet era and pay attention to intelligent data and media placement. Therefore, this department, which is directly managed by the chairman's office, was set up separately and is the most sought-after department in the company.
Shen Mengqing has worked in the sales department for more than four years. Given the situation in the department, her promotion this year is definitely just wishful thinking. It's uncertain how many years it will be before it's her turn.
Moving to the media department is a new step in her career plan, and she must achieve it.
Liang Ruwei, the department manager of the media department, is a woman. Shen Mengqing had seen her two or three times from afar during the general meeting. She only remembered that she had short, neat hair, a very feminine appearance, fashionable clothes, and a capable demeanor.
Jiang Yu said that Liang Ruwei was in her early thirties, divorced, and raising her daughter alone in Beicheng. She was the type who was ruthless and didn't talk much at work, but she was a very nice person and very protective of her colleagues.
Even though we all share the same surname, Liang, people are truly different.
She considered her words for a long time, and finally sent a brief message saying:
"Hello Manager Liang, this is Shen Mengqing from the sales department. I'd like to ask when would be a convenient time for us to meet? I have some questions I'd like to ask you."
She plans to discuss the rest when they meet.
Having gotten used to Liang Jun's habit of only reading messages every day or two, Shen Mengqing was somewhat surprised when she received a reply more than ten minutes later.
Liang Ruwei: "Is 4 PM today okay?"
Shen Mengqing immediately replied, "Sure."
Having agreed on a time and place, Shen Mengqing's heart pounded. She was slow to react and became nervous, not expecting to meet him so soon.
She had prepared a lot for this interview. Shen Mengqing took a deep breath and carefully reviewed the performance review materials she had written.
...
3:50 PM.
Shen Mengqing took the elevator to the floor where the media department was located. Unlike the sales department, which often went out to meet clients, the media department required strict office hours. The department was very lively. Jiang Yu looked up and saw Shen Mengqing arrive. She couldn't sit still and went to greet her.
She took Shen Mengqing's arm and led her to Liang Ruwei's office. Seeing that the door was closed, Jiang Yu said, "It seems that Sister Wei is seeing a guest. You can wait at the door. I'll go back first."
If Liang Ruwei were to open the door and see her chatting and slacking off, she would definitely give her a good smack on the head.
Jiang Yu gave Shen Mengqing a thumbs-up and then dashed back to her workstation.
The corridor was quiet and well-soundproofed. She suddenly felt the same way she did when she was waiting for her job interview after graduation. She looked down at the printed personal information in her hand and cheered herself up.
Not long after, the office door was opened from the inside, and Shen Mengqing moved to the side to make way for the person who came out.
Once the door was opened, the soundproofing effect vanished instantly, and the voices of people near the door could be heard directly into Shen Mengqing's ears.
The man's voice was so familiar that she was startled, and the name seemed to be on the tip of her tongue.
Once everyone had actually come out, Shen Mengqing's arm, which was holding the documents, suddenly went limp, and the papers covered in writing scattered all over the floor.
She and Yu Xin stared at each other, both surprised by the other's appearance.
Yu Xin was dressed in a formal suit, which accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. He even wore silver-rimmed glasses, exuding a restrained and aloof temperament. If it were the first time Shen Mengqing had seen him, she would have thought he was a high-ranking executive of some company, as he fit the atmosphere of the place perfectly.
He looked much more alluring in this outfit than before. Just standing there, without saying a word, was enough to make him dazzling. However, Shen Mengqing felt that he had become distant and unfamiliar, and dared not approach him.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Xinzi's extreme braking, hahaha!
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