Chapter 19 "Can't my sister pat my head?"...
A moment later, Yu Xinxian snapped out of his daze, closed the door to Liang Ruwei's office, knelt down beside her to help her collect the documents, and asked her in a low voice, "What are you doing here?"
"?"
Shen Mengqing looked down at him: "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
After tidying up, Yu Xin handed a stack of papers to Shen Mengqing, his eyes darkening.
He said, "I've come to see my cousin. There's something I need to talk to her about."
Shen Mengqing took a moment to process his words, then asked incredulously, "Manager Liang is your cousin?"
Yu Xin nodded, and when he looked at her again, his eyes were fixed on her, very bright.
This version of him made Shen Mengqing much more familiar with him.
No wonder I've run into him in this building a few times before; it turns out he's here to see Liang Ruwei.
Just then, the office door opened again, and Liang Ruwei saw Yu Xin and Shen Mengqing standing in the doorway. She asked in confusion, "What are you two doing here?"
Yu Xin replied, "It's okay, I'll go now, cousin."
Whether it was a misperception or not, Shen Mengqing noticed that he deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of the words "cousin" when he said them.
When Liang Ruwei heard those two words, she got goosebumps. Yu Xin rarely even called her by her name, let alone such an affectionate term as "cousin".
She glared at Yu Xin, about to retort, but then she noticed something odd about the way her "cousin" was looking at Shen Mengqing.
Liang Ruwei wasn't one to pry into other people's private lives. She pretended not to see him, invited Shen Mengqing into her office, handed him a glass of warm water, and asked, "What brings you here?"
As expected, Liang Jun did not mention his application to her.
Shen Mengqing calmed himself down, placed the things in his hands on the table, and said, "Manager Liang, these are my resume and some work results reports. I would like to talk to you about the job transfer."
She stated her purpose and, following her prepared speech, clearly explained her plans to Liang Ruwei. While she spoke, Liang Ruwei remained silent, nodding occasionally to show her approval.
After about ten minutes, Shen Mengqing stopped to drink some water and rest because his mouth was dry from talking.
Liang Ruwei flipped through her file and said, "I have a pretty good understanding of your situation. The company has always been very supportive of talent mobility between departments, let alone a colleague like you with outstanding performance and achievements. Our media department would certainly be happy to have you here."
She then changed the subject: "However, you should know that the first person involved in this approval process is your direct supervisor, Liang Jun. Without his approval, I cannot ask for the person."
Shen Mengqing naturally understood this principle, and she could even imagine how angry Liang Jun would be if he found out that she had bypassed Liang Jun to find Liang Ruwei, but she couldn't wait any longer.
She was dumped by her boyfriend of many years, her ex-boyfriend's relationship with an important client ruined her business, and her direct supervisor's favoritism towards people with connections led her to a career stagnation...
She didn't know when it started, but the balance in her life went from a slight deviation to a huge imbalance, and no matter how hard she tried, it seemed impossible to pull it back to its original track.
She didn't want to give up and was determined to fight back, even for the slightest chance.
"Is there no other way?"
Shen Mengqing asked.
Liang Ruwei sighed, shook her head and said, "No, unless the chairman personally tells you to transfer him."
Shen Mengqing gave a wry smile. Where was she supposed to meet the chairman? Even if she did, he wouldn't bother with a lowly employee like her.
"I understand, thank you Manager Liang."
Shen Mengqing packed up the items she had brought and left Liang Ruwei's office.
Back at her workstation, Shen Mengqing collapsed onto her chair, exhausted. Before she could even relax for a moment, Qi Shuying tapped on her desk, calling her to a meeting in the conference room, giving her no time to catch her breath.
The office was full of people, everyone except her was there. Liang Jun sat in the innermost private seat, frowning as he watched her come in.
"I've said it so many times: once a meeting is scheduled, please make sure to schedule it at a time that doesn't interfere with everyone's work."
Shen Mengqing forced a smile and said, "Sorry."
Liang Jun didn't bother to talk to her much. After the meeting started, he listened to his colleagues' progress reports and then arranged the work for the near future.
When it was Shen Mengqing's turn, a dark look flashed across Liang Jun's eyes. He said, "Take stock of the clients you have connections with Hongtu Capital, and hand them over to Zhang Tu in a few days."
Upon hearing this, Shen Mengqing's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Liang Jun.
Hongtu Capital has invested in many companies and industries over the years, and the clients involved account for at least 80% of her performance output. Liang Jun's words are no different from rendering all her work meaningless.
She tried her best to suppress her burgeoning emotions and remain calm, saying:
Can I ask for the reason?
Liang Jun didn't even look up and said, "This was personally ordered by General Wan. I'd like to ask you why. If you want a reason, you can ask him yourself."
Shen Mengqing opened her mouth slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but Liang Jun interrupted her and continued the meeting.
Zhang Tu was sitting to Liang Jun's right. She shifted her gaze to him, and Zhang Tu met her eyes without any attempt to hide it, giving her a mocking smile.
Shen Mengqing picked up her phone and sent a message to Zhang Tu: "Do you have time after the meeting? Let's chat."
Zhang Tu replied to her: "OK"
The meeting ended in less than ten minutes. Shen Mengqing and Zhang Tu sat quietly in their seats, waiting for the others to leave.
Qi Shuying was the last to leave. Shen Mengqing asked her to close the door behind her. She paused for a moment, then looked back and forth between the two of them awkwardly. Her movements as she walked out the door were slightly stiff.
Shen Mengqing didn't notice her unusual behavior. After things quieted down in the room, he said to Zhang Tu, "Let me be frank, what do you think of Brother Jun's arrangements?"
“What could I possibly think? This is a great thing for me, and I have to thank you for bringing me such a wealth of client resources,” Zhang Tu said, crossing his arms.
Shen Mengqing said, "If we transfer all of Hongtu's clients with connections to you as he suggested, your workload will be enormous. I personally followed up on all their progress, market research, and other data from scratch, so only I know them best. Why don't we cooperate? What do you think?"
This was the biggest concession she could make.
Zhang Tu burst out laughing, shook his head, and said, "Shen Mengqing, you really are naive."
"Brother Jun already told me that he'd put the new Qi Shuying under my supervision. In a couple of days, she won't be working for you anymore. She's been sending me a lot of the information you compiled these past few days. It's all very detailed, didn't you know?"
He stood up and walked to the door. Before opening it, he turned back and said, "I've never considered you a competitor because you pose no threat to me. I should thank you for your previous efforts, which made things so much easier for me when I took over."
The door slammed shut. The air conditioner in the conference room had long been turned off by the colleague who had left. The weather in July was extremely hot, but Shen Mengqing felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head, making her feel chilled to the bone from the inside out.
Her life was like a wall full of holes; no matter how many times she tried to patch it up, she couldn't stop the winds from leaking out from all directions, which relentlessly tormented her.
Shen Mengqing sat silently in the conference room, motionless, until the sunset outside the window reminded her of the time. Only then did she snap out of her daze and return to her workstation to prepare to leave work.
The spot next to Qi Shuying had been cleared out; she had moved to work at Zhang Tu's place. When Shen Mengqing looked over, their eyes met briefly.
Qi Shuying looked at her hesitantly, as if she wanted to talk to her alone, but Shen Mengqing was too exhausted to delve any deeper into the matter and went straight out the door.
When she was downstairs in the office building, she opened a ride-hailing app and was about to enter her home address when she noticed the record of Yu Xin's home location under her finger.
They had met at his house a while ago. She arrived too early that time, and Yu Xin even told her the house's password.
Shen Mengqing didn't hesitate any longer and chose her destination.
...
After getting off the car and arriving at Yu Xin's house, Shen Mengqing hesitated, worried that her sudden visit might disturb him.
She knocked on the door and waited a while, but no one answered. Then she entered the password and tiptoed inside.
Too lazy to turn on the lights, she walked a few steps to the living room and sat down. Looking at the minimalist modern decor of Yu Xin's home, she thought that even if a thief really came, he might not know where to start. It was empty and spacious, with not many things. He was also pursuing style, so he bought expensive and niche brands. A thief without some resources wouldn't be able to appreciate their quality.
As her thoughts drifted, a wave of drowsiness washed over her, and Shen Mengqing's consciousness gradually blurred. She curled up and fell into a deep sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of a door opening echoed from the long-silent house.
Shen Mengqing showed no signs of waking up. Her shoes were in the closet, and Yu Xin and Zhu Shaoming didn't notice them when they came in.
No one turned on the lights. Yu Xin went inside, turned the corner to get some water from the refrigerator, while Zhu Shaoming walked towards the living room while playing a mobile game. When he reached the sofa in the dark and saw a dark shadow on it, he was so frightened that he jumped back a meter and ran to Yu Xin as if fleeing. He hid behind Yu Xin, trembling, and said, "There's someone there."
Yu Xin glanced at him with a look that suggested he was mentally challenged, then strode into the living room and turned on the lights.
Shen Mengqing was awakened by the bright light. She sat up groggily, glanced at Yu Xin, and said, "You're back."
"……Um."
Yu Xin silently counted down in his mind, but before he could even reach one, Zhu Shaoming appeared beside him and blurted out, "Holy crap!"
Now that Shen Mengqing was fully awake, she immediately stood up and said formally, "Hi, I'm here... as a guest."
"?"
"Do you think I believe you?" Zhu Shaoming thought to himself.
Before Zhu Shaoming could finish speaking, Yu Xin covered his mouth with her hand, pulled him into the nearest room, and closed the door tightly.
Once the figure disappeared, Shen Mengqing hurriedly went into the bathroom to tidy up her slightly disheveled clothes and hair, and sat back down on the sofa.
Soon, Yu Xin came out from inside, with Zhu Shaoming following behind him, much calmer.
He politely introduced himself to Shen Mengqing, saying, "Hello, I am Zhu Shaoming, his friend."
Shen Mengqing blinked, and seeing Zhu Shaoming's attitude, she understood that he wanted to hide the fact that they had met before. She replied, "Hello, my name is Shen Mengqing."
“He’s also his friend,” she explained.
After exchanging names, Shen Mengqing waited for Zhu Shaoming's next words, but he turned to look at his phone.
Zhu Shaoming kept his mouth tightly shut, seemingly focused on the screen, but in reality, he kept stealing glances at her and Yu Xin's movements. Shen Mengqing understood; Yu Xin probably didn't want him to talk too much.
The atmosphere was awkward. Fearing that they would feel uncomfortable if she stayed any longer, Shen Mengqing stood up and said, "I'll go back first."
Zhu Shaoming immediately looked up: "Huh? Don't go, or I'll go instead."
Yu Xin, who was leaning lazily against the wall, immediately said, "I'll give you a ride."
Zhu Shaoming: "..."
Why did you respond so quickly? It's like you really want him to disappear.
"No, no, no." Shen Mengqing waved her hand. "I have something to do. I'm leaving."
"Then I'll take you."
In Zhu Shaoming's ears, although Yu Xin's words only had one extra word, they sounded much more emotional than the same sentence he had just heard.
Ignoring Zhu Shaoming's resentful gaze, Yu Xin casually placed the water on the dining table and went out first.
Shen Mengqing and Zhu Shaoming whispered goodbye and walked quickly to the door. Yu Xin had already pressed the elevator button and was waiting for her inside.
She went inside, turned around and stood on the outside. Yu Xin was behind her, his tall figure looming over her. He watched her as she lowered her head, hiding the emotions in her eyes, looking listless like a peach wilted by rain.
"Are you in a bad mood, that's why you thought of contacting me?" Yu Xin paused for a moment, then said, "Remember to tell me before you come next time."
Shen Mengqing was in a bad mood, so she automatically assumed that Yu Xin's words were blaming her for coming uninvited, and said in a cool tone, "You weren't in a good mood when you came to see me either."
As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly realized that Yu Xin was in a bad mood because his father was hospitalized. She regretted saying those words and turned to look at him with an apologetic expression.
Yu Xin seemed not to care, his hand slipped into his pocket, and his gaze, along with the light from the top of the elevator, fell into Shen Mengqing's eyes. He said coldly, "I'm in a pretty bad mood every day."
His sour face confirmed the credibility of that statement, but Shen Mengqing found it inexplicably funny. Even though she couldn't laugh now, the corners of her mouth curved slightly.
In summer, the leaves on both sides of the tree become even greener, and countless small flying insects begin to gather under the streetlights. The air is hot and humid, and after changing into short sleeves, the two of them will inevitably touch each other's arms when walking side by side, and after rubbing against each other, goosebumps will rise on their skin.
Normally, Shen Mengqing would initiate the conversation, and Yu Xin would occasionally chime in with a word or two. But right now, her mind was a complete mess. She was so engrossed in counting bricks that she didn't even realize how she got to her building.
She continued walking forward with her head down, but Yu Xin stopped and said, "I'll leave you here."
Shen Mengqing snapped out of her daze and tried to say goodbye, but her throat felt constricted and she couldn't utter a word.
After a few seconds of silent confrontation, Yu Xin sighed almost imperceptibly and walked up to her expressionlessly.
He stretched out his right hand, raised it high above Shen Mengqing's head, and then gently lowered it, giving it a hasty rub.
Her slightly curly hair was fluffy and felt quite nice to the touch, only slightly worse than his old silly dog.
Don't be sad.
When Yu Xin comforted people, his tone was still emotionless, like a machine, only his voice was softer than usual. Shen Mengqing thought that perhaps he had already tried his best to soften his tone.
Shen Mengqing chuckled: "Hey, do you think I'm your pet dog?"
Yu Xin shrugged and said dismissively, "I don't have any. Besides, so what if I did?"
After saying that, he gave it another smug squeeze.
Shen Mengqing clenched her fist and lightly punched him, retorting word by word, "I am your sister."
"Can't my sister pat my head?"
Knead it.
Shen Mengqing completely lost her temper: "No!! Only I can touch you."
"All right."
Just this once.
Yu Xin suddenly suppressed his fierce aura and lowered his head. Shen Mengqing raised his hand and grabbed at him haphazardly, with an even worse technique than Yu Xin.
She withdrew her hand and patted Yu Xin's shoulder: "Let's go home, little brother."
This was the first time she had gone to meet Yu Xin but hadn't done anything, not even a kiss.
When Shen Mengqing collapsed onto the sofa, she could still feel the warmth of Yu Xin's hand on her head. She unconsciously bent her arm and patted herself, just like Yu Xin had done.
Suddenly, a soft, foreign object brushed against his hand, and Shen Mengqing picked it up and brought it to his eyes.
It is a small, tender yellow wildflower.
The frustration in her heart was instantly soothed.
So that's why I patted her head, you childish brat.
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Author's Note: Here comes the pure romance! Hehe [sprinkling flowers]
My darlings, because I'm going to be on a tight schedule, the next update will be at 11 PM the day after tomorrow, a long chapter of 7,000 words. Wait for me! [kiss][please][shy]~~ After these few days, I'll resume my stable update time of 3 PM!
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