50 Small-minded
◎Drink some herbal tea to reduce internal heat◎
Seeing Gao Xunian's frivolous smile, Zhang Sulan frowned in disdain, fearing he would ruin her plans. She rolled her eyes and said, "Xiao Gao, can you help distribute the water?"
Gao Xunian looked around in disbelief when he heard Zhang Sulan's words, then pointed at himself and asked, "Me?"
"If not you, then who?" Zhang Sulan saw Gao Xunian's lack of understanding and gave him a sullen look. "You've been eating and drinking for free here for so long, you should at least do some work, right?"
Go away quickly and don't disturb her from talking about business.
Gao Xunian felt a little embarrassed after being scolded by Zhang Sulan in front of Song Shixi, and a trace of discomfort flashed in his eyes, but he also saw that Zhang Sulan really had something to do with Song Shixi. In addition, in order to wait for Song Shixi here these days, he basically did not leave Zhang Sulan's office. He was indeed following her around and eating and drinking for free, so he had no way to refute it at this moment.
Just as he was about to agree, he heard Song Shixi say, "How about we go and help together?"
Seeing that the water dispensers were a bit overwhelmed, Song Shixi took the initiative to suggest something. As soon as she opened her mouth, Gao Xunian, who had been reluctant just now, immediately patted his chest and said, "No need, I'll do it. This kind of physical work is of course for us men."
After saying this, he rolled up his sleeves, revealing his strong arm muscles.
Song Shixi found it a little funny. Seeing Gao Xunian arrive at the water distribution place with nimble hands and feet, carrying a bucket of water in one hand without any problem, he did not insist any more. He and Zhang Sulan got the food and water and went to her office together.
On the way, Song Shixi noticed that Zhang Sulan frequently cast glances at him. It seemed that she had something to say, but seemed too embarrassed to speak. After thinking for two seconds, she took the initiative to break the silence with a smile, "Today's meal seems to be good too."
The Red Sun Garment Factory has never treated its employees unfairly in terms of food. Every meal basically consists of one meat dish and two vegetable dishes. The ingredients are fresh and they are generous with the oil and seasonings, so the taste is always good.
When the weather gets hot, sometimes they will distribute soda or ice cream, which is a very good treatment in that era.
"Yeah, eat more later." Zhang Sulan's eyebrows relaxed a little, then she pursed her lips, tilted her head to look at Song Shixi, and asked indirectly: "Your university is on summer vacation, what are your plans?"
"I don't have any special plans. I'll first contact for work, and then talk about it if there's a suitable one. Then I may have to go on a long trip." Song Shixi smiled. She didn't like bringing personal matters to work, so she answered vaguely.
"Going on a long journey? Are you alone?" Zhang Sulan was obviously not expecting this. She paused and looked a little stunned.
"Yeah, I want to go out and have fun." Go play with my boyfriend.
Song Shixi curled the corners of his lips, his eyes shining darkly.
Zhang Sulan was a smart person. She could tell from Song Shixi's few words that she didn't like to talk about too many private matters, so she quickly stopped asking further questions.
Seeing that she seemed accustomed to traveling alone, he changed his mind and decided not to beat around the bush. He said directly, "Sister Shixi, I have a job I want to recommend to you. I wonder if you are interested."
"What job?" Song Shixi felt slightly relieved when the topic finally got to the point, but he didn't completely relax, because if it was an ordinary job, Zhang Sulan would not have such an attitude. It was probably a bit tricky.
As expected, a trace of embarrassment appeared on Zhang Sulan's face. She waited until she entered her office before slowly telling her the whole story.
"This is the thing. If you don't want to go, it's okay. Just pretend that I didn't say anything today." Zhang Sulan thought.
"I want to go."
That's three thousand yuan! How many outfits would she have to shoot to earn that much? And she was going to Shenzhen anyway. She could make money and seduce a man at the same time—killing two birds with one stone! Why not?
Thinking of this, Song Shixi asked tentatively: "If I go, will food and lodging be provided?"
"Yes! Of course!"
Seeing Song Shixi nod in agreement, Zhang Sulan was afraid that she would refuse, so she didn't care about anything else and quickly agreed. Deng Boang had already paid 3,000 yuan, so why would he be reluctant to give up the few hundred yuan? She could still do this for him.
"After today's filming, they'll be leaving for Shenzhen tomorrow. Will you go with them?"
Zhang Sulan was a little impatient to tell Deng Boang the good news, but she felt it was too deliberate, so she confirmed the itinerary with Song Shixi first.
These days are not particularly peaceful. Beijing and Shenzhen are thousands of miles apart. Although Song Shixi is smart and clever, it cannot change the fact that she is a weak woman who is powerless and looks so beautiful.
If something happens along the way, it will be too late to regret.
Therefore, Zhang Sulan is more inclined to let her go with Deng Boang's team so that someone can protect her safety on the road.
"No, there's still half a month until the beauty contest. How can I let someone take care of me for that long? I can go by myself then." Song Shixi shook his head and refused. Seeing the worry on Zhang Sulan's face, he thought for a moment and said a few words, "Sister Sulan, don't worry. I'll be fine. Someone will go with me."
Qin Yue had originally said that he would ask Secretary Xu to pick her up.
Thinking of this, Song Shixi took Zhang Sulan's arm and winked cunningly, "Just pay me for the food and lodging when the time comes."
When Secretary Xu comes to pick her up, he will definitely take care of her food and drink. She doesn't have to spend any money from start to finish. Saving is earning. Her small treasury is growing bigger and bigger, and she is one step closer to achieving financial freedom!
"Okay." Since Song Shixi said so, how could Zhang Sulan not agree? Hearing her say that someone was accompanying her, she felt much more at ease.
She caught a glimpse of her cute little expression from the corner of her eye, and a smile appeared on her lips. How come she hadn't realized before that this guy was also a little money-grubber?
"Do I need you and your friends to be picked up at the train station?"
"No, just give me the contact information and address."
Zhang Sulan nodded. Seeing that the two of them had been chatting for so long that the food was almost cold, she quickly invited her to eat.
After eating, Zhang Sulan asked Song Shixi to wait for her for a moment, then she stood up and took out a black backpack from the locked cabinet. When she took it out, her hand fell down with the backpack, obviously it was not light.
Song Shixi had a vague guess of what it was, and little fireworks blossomed in her heart. Until Zhang Sulan handed it to her personally, she suddenly felt like she had entered a colorful world and almost jumped up with excitement.
"The amount is quite large. After get off work, I will ask the factory driver to take you to dinner and then take you back." Zhang Sulan naturally did not miss the joy on her face and smiled silently.
Song Shixi was holding the heavy black bag, feeling touched by Zhang Sulan's thoughtfulness. She said sincerely, "Thank you!"
"Why are you being so polite? You're a great contributor. You earned this through your own ability." Zhang Sulan couldn't help but reach out and pat her shoulder. Then she thought of something and said, "By the way, Old Huang said he wants to treat you and Xiao Chen to dinner to thank you. Xiao Chen said he's free tomorrow afternoon. What about you?"
I originally wanted to arrange it for today, but I didn’t expect that Gao Xunian would snatch it away.
"Sure." After receiving such a big red envelope, Song Shixi is now very easy to talk to, not to mention that they are just having a meal together.
Besides, she hadn't seen Chen Huili for a while, so it would be nice to meet her before going to Shenzhen.
"That's settled then."
After making the agreement, the two packed up their lunch boxes, returned to the shooting room, and found Deng Boang to discuss the cooperation in detail.
When they came over, Deng Boang guessed that the matter was settled, and he couldn't help but cast a grateful look towards Zhang Sulan. But when he heard that food and lodging would be provided, a trace of heartache flashed in his eyes, but he agreed very readily.
"He usually licks the blood from lice he squeezes. He's very stingy, but he loves his wife very much and is loyal to his friends. This time he suffered a heavy loss." Zhang Sulan was not soft-hearted when she criticized her friend.
Deng Boang had just owed her a big favor, so he didn't even dare to speak loudly in response. He was repeatedly at a disadvantage and finally became so angry that his face turned red.
Song Shixi just listened to their bickering with a smile and did not interrupt.
Not long after, the discussion was almost over, and Gao Xunian, who was standing not far away, came over and said, "I see you've almost finished your water. Do you want another bottle?"
"Thank you." Just as Song Shixi was about to take the new water bottle from him, he considerately unscrewed the bottle first before handing it to her.
"This is not easy to twist." Gao Xunian touched the back of his head and explained.
Little did he know that the more he talked, the more it seemed that he was trying to cover up his own guilt.
Song Shixi noticed the red tips of his ears, was stunned for a moment, then reached out to take it.
The break was over and it was time for the afternoon shooting. Everyone quickly got into work mode. Song Shixi changed her clothes and adjusted her makeup before starting the shooting.
Being so busy, he became a little confused about time. Before he knew it, it was time to get off work. Song Shixi said goodbye to everyone one by one, and then went to the office with Zhang Sulan to get something.
"I also prepared a gift for you and asked the driver to put it in the back of the car. Remember to take it when you leave."
"Gift?" Song Shixi really didn't know what to say now. Zhang Sulan gave her too many surprises today, including food and gifts, and she felt a little embarrassed.
"You guys should leave quickly and don't waste time. See you at dinner tomorrow." Zhang Sulan waved at her.
Song Shixi pursed her lips, waved goodbye to her, and set off for the agreed restaurant with Gao Xunian.
With the factory driver picking us up, everything becomes much more convenient.
"Please sit here."
Hearing this, Song Shixi subconsciously glanced at the seat he was about to get on the bus. It was covered in dazzling sunlight, while the other side was almost in shadow.
Song Shixi did not refuse his kindness.
The two got into the car one after the other. Gao Xunian talked a lot as usual, and his words and actions were humorous, never letting the atmosphere become dull. Song Shixi was amused several times.
Seeing her like this, Gao Xunian couldn't help but turn his head to look at her. He saw that she was wearing a white dress with her makeup still on. With her smile, she looked even more beautiful and charming.
His heartbeat was unconsciously speeding up, and the noise was getting louder and louder. Afraid that she would hear it, Gao Xunian quickly reached out to cover it calmly, swallowed his saliva, and asked with forced calmness, "I only found out you were a model from reading in the newspaper."
"I didn't do this before. A friend introduced me to this." Hearing him mention this, Song Shixi turned her head to look at him and replied.
Caught off guard, Gao Xunian's heart skipped a beat when he met her gaze. He lost control of the strength in his hand and almost tore the clothes on his chest. The pain still made his face pale for a moment. He hastily withdrew his hand, took several deep breaths before calming down, and then said, "My family also runs a garment factory. I would like to ask you to take a few photos for us. Is that okay?"
Song Shixi looked at him in surprise and teased, "Are you trying to steal Sister Sulan's girl?"
"No, how can this be called poaching? Our two companies already have a partnership, so it's a win-win situation for both of us."
Gao Xunian didn't understand the twists and turns of the business world. He just wanted to invite Song Shixi to his family's clothing factory for a photo shoot. That way, he could stay in touch with her during the summer vacation, and their relationship would only become closer. Then he could confess his love to her naturally...
When he thought of this, Gao Xunian couldn't help but feel excited and overwhelmed, and two blushes appeared on his cheeks.
But the next second, a basin of cold water poured over him from head to toe, chilling him to the bone.
"But I don't plan to take any clothing advertisements this year. Sorry." Song Shixi rejected him directly.
Gao Xunian's face froze, his mouth opened in surprise, and even the small black mole on his cheek moved. He realized that she was not joking, pursed his lips, and then asked, "What about promoting the restaurant?"
"Yes, yes."
Hearing this, Gao Xunian visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, his family had more than one business.
"But I don't have time this summer. I have to go to Shenzhen to meet my boyfriend. If you still need anything when I come back, you can contact me then." Song Shixi took in his expression and interrupted his relief without mercy.
"Object?" Gao Xunian asked in shock.
"Yes, we confirmed our relationship some time ago." Song Shixi nodded generously, a hint of sweetness flashing in her beautiful eyes.
Gao Xunian's eyes gradually dimmed when he saw this. He couldn't help but feel annoyed. If only he hadn't backed off because of her indifference, but had shamelessly asked her out using the excuse of the Walkman...
If he hadn't gone to the next province to compete, but instead had gone to her school more diligently to accompany her and care about her, would the result be different now?
But there is no medicine for regret in the world, and it is always meaningless to be a wise man after the event.
His love had just begun to sprout when it was cut off in the middle. This feeling was not pleasant, and Gao Xunian felt a dense pain in his heart. He became visibly depressed and had no spirit.
Song Shixi leaned his hands on the car window, feeling the gentle evening breeze blowing in from outside, which he was very happy about.
Gao Xunian is different from Zeng Jingxu. He has no connection with the Qin family. She can simply tell him frankly that she is already in a relationship and try to dissuade him.
It seems to be working pretty well now.
After arriving at the restaurant, Song Shixi looked at his watch and saw that it was still early, so he and Gao Xunian walked in.
This was the Cantonese restaurant Qin Yue had taken her to before. It had a grand decoration and reasonable prices, making it a great place to entertain friends. The most important thing was that she had been thinking about it since she had eaten there once, so this was a good opportunity to come and eat there again.
"Hello, do you have any private rooms?"
"Wait a moment, let me take a look." The receptionist smiled at them politely, then shook his head apologetically. "All the private rooms are sold out right now. If you need any, you can sit here and wait for a while. I'll take you there as soon as a room becomes available."
Song Shixi turned her head to ask Gao Xunian for his opinion. The latter was still a little dazed and just said to listen to her. Seeing that Wu Qiuhong would probably take some time to come, Song Shixi discussed with the waiter to sit in the private room in the hall first. If her friends came and there was no private room, they could just eat in the hall.
"Okay, I'll take you there first."
Song Shixi and Gao Xunian followed the waiter to a window seat. After they sat down, the waiter brought them tea.
Gao Xunian came back to his senses from his thoughts, took the teapot from the waiter, and poured a cup for each of them.
"Thank you." Song Shixi smiled slightly, took the tea, blew it to cool it down a little, and took a small sip.
"You're welcome." Gao Xunian also took a small sip.
The atmosphere was rarely awkward.
Gao Xunian lowered his eyelashes, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Is your partner your classmate?"
Hearing his words, Song Shixi raised her eyelids and looked at him in surprise.
Noticing her gaze, Gao Xunian chuckled twice, his fingertips clenching the teacup, "Sorry, I'm just a little curious about what kind of person is worthy of you."
"He's not my classmate." Song Shixi put down the teacup. He felt that it was okay to tell him about this matter. Besides, Qin Yue was not a nobody, so he curled his lips and said, "You saw him last time."
"I've seen it?"
Gao Xunian murmured, and quickly searched his mind for the same-sex figure they had seen together. After thinking about it, his mind finally stopped at an extremely aggressive and deep face, but in the next instant he shook his head violently. What was he thinking? They were brother and sister!
He racked his brains and thought again, and finally widened his eyes, "The guy who hit you?"
Hearing this, Song Shixi almost choked on the tea he had just drunk and quickly denied it: "No!"
"Who is that?" Gao Xunian was really confused and asked suspiciously, "Are you kidding me?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Seeing Gao Xunian's thoughts becoming more and more outrageous, Song Shixi helplessly held his forehead and said, "You met him in the infirmary that day. I don't know if you still remember him, my brother Qin Yue."
The initial guess was confirmed. Gao Xunian's eyes suddenly widened and he almost jumped up in excitement. Even the teacup was knocked over and the tea inside spilled out, wetting most of the table and some of it spilled on him.
"careful."
Song Shixi didn't expect that his words would cause Gao Xunian to react so strongly. Without asking any more questions, he hurried to ask the waiter for paper towels and rags. The noise at their table was quite loud, and soon attracted several waiters.
Song Shixi recognized one of them as the manager of this restaurant who had served them in the private room when she and Qin Yue came here last time. The other party also recognized her, "Miss Song? Are you okay?"
"Manager Yang, I'm fine. Can you take him to the bathroom and rinse his hands with cold water? I'm afraid of burns." Song Shixi didn't care about anything else and hurriedly asked him to go see Gao Xunian.
She is treating everyone to dinner today, and if Gao Xunian gets hurt, she will be to blame.
Fortunately, after hearing what she said, the other party took Gao Xunian away.
After a period of chaos, the situation on the table finally returned to normal. Song Shixi followed him to the outside of the bathroom. When he learned that Gao Xunian was fine, he finally felt relieved.
When he finished showering, a private room happened to be vacant, so the two of them moved in.
Manager Yang personally escorted them there, and asked the waiter to bring new tea and two free servings of sugar water before leaving the private room. Remembering that Miss Song and Mr. Qin had a somewhat unusual relationship, he pondered for a moment and then went to the front desk to make a phone call.
"Yes, it's Miss Song who dined with you and Mr. Qin last time. She came over to eat with her friends and accidentally spilled her tea."
Hu Jialei stood in front of the desk. Hearing this, he stopped tapping his fingertips on the table. "Nothing serious, right?"
"It's okay, I took her friend to the bathroom to deal with it."
"Men? Just the two of them?" Hu Jialei grasped the key point sharply.
"yes."
"Do they seem close?"
"It seems pretty good."
"Buy some burn medicine and send it over. Put the bill in my name, and give me two more of our signature dishes." After Hu Jialei gave his instructions, he hung up the phone. After a moment's silence, he picked up the phone again and dialed a number. The call rang for a long time before the other party picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Busy man, what are you doing?"
"I just came back from meeting a client. Tell me what's going on."
Hu Jialei was silent for a few seconds before asking, "How did you and Comrade Xiao Song get along?"
Qin Yue paused in rubbing his brows, "Why are you asking this suddenly?"
"Tell me what happened first."
The last time they met, he could see that, between the two of them, only Qin Yue was enthusiastic, while the other seemed much colder. If they didn't have any follow-up, then there would be no need for him to say anything more.
But if there is a situation, the nature of the matter will be completely different. As a brother, of course he will say whatever he wants.
"We got together half a month ago on her birthday." When he said this, Qin Yue's tone clearly rose, with a hint of complacency.
Hu Jialei suddenly felt a sour taste in his teeth, and he sighed softly, then mercilessly recounted everything he had just heard.
As soon as he finished speaking, the other party hung up the phone.
"You're so angry. Drink some cold tea to cool down." Hu Jialei frowned in disgust. Just as he was about to go out, he saw Liao Zijuan pushing the door in from outside.
"You want some herbal tea?"
"It's not me, it's Ayue." Hu Jialei went up to her as soon as he saw her.
Liao Zijuan asked him to support her and asked in confusion, "What's wrong with him?"
Hu Jialei explained the whole story, and Liao Zijuan angrily slapped him on the head. "That girl obviously isn't the type to cheat. You have nothing better to do than to get in between them."
"I didn't say she cheated, I just wanted to remind you. They just got together and their relationship is unstable. Ayue is busy with his career, and they are separated. The girl is innocent, what if she is coaxed away by other men?" Hu Jialei didn't bother to rub his aching head, and hurriedly hugged her to comfort her.
"Haha, you men are so narrow-minded. You can't stand seeing women having friends of the opposite sex." Liao Zijuan had an expression as if she saw through everything. She pushed Hu Jialei's hand away, held her waist, walked to the phone, and called again.
"You can't say that." Hu Jialei coughed lightly without any confidence.
Liao Zijuan ignored his words and continued, "You know their relationship isn't stable, right? You're making wild guesses without any evidence. If Ah Yue calls and questions her, and it's all a misunderstanding, won't she feel wronged? Can this relationship still be good?"
"It's not like we're an old married couple with absolute trust in each other."
"You can see how much Ah Yue likes her. Last time we went abroad, he asked me to help him choose the right gift to bring back. He was so thoughtful. But his temper is that the more he likes her, the stronger his possessiveness becomes. Who knows what he'll do next."
Hu Jialei was stunned and felt that what Liao Zijuan said made a lot of sense.
While waiting for the call to be connected, Liao Zijuan continued, "You weren't there, so you can't find out the truth. What if they weren't dining alone, and they had friends coming over? Even if they were dining alone, so what? This is a restaurant, not a hotel. It's perfectly normal."
"But Manager Yang said that they seem to have a good relationship." He was also afraid of misunderstanding, so he asked.
Liao Zijuan hung up the unanswered call and called again. While doing so, she refuted Hu Jialei's words, "A relationship between lovers is considered a good relationship, and a relationship between friends is also considered a good relationship. How do you define it?"
Hu Jialei was speechless now. Knowing that his good intentions had led to bad results, he quickly approached Liao Zijuan and asked guiltily, "Don't answer it?"
"Yeah, busy." Liao Zijuan sighed and stared at Hu Jialei dimly. "If they quarrel, or even break up, you will be the sinner."
Hearing this, Hu Jialei got goosebumps all over his body. He took the phone from Liao Zijuan and called her, but the call never went through and it kept showing busy.
"I'll go to his company to find him."
Hu Jialei made a quick decision, grabbed the car keys and ran out.
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