3. Domineering CEO Literature
Qiu Fang was definitely not the kind of man that Vivian would even glance at on the street.
If she didn't know him, she'd probably guess he was a restaurant owner or a wealthy tycoon from a fourth or fifth-tier city. He was very tall, but showed no signs of exercise, suggesting a high level of visceral fat. His skin was white, and his face was perfectly round, with minimal features.
A man with small eyes isn't necessarily ugly, but a small mouth is definitely unattractive. Qiu Fang's eyes, nose, and mouth are all a size smaller than the average man's, staring at each other from afar on his vast face, looking very lonely.
But Qiu Fang wasn't just some small-time restaurant owner. Vivian had met him a few months earlier at a dinner hosted by a senior from the business school.
Qiu Fang was an early EMBA student at this business school. At that time, EMBA was a true gathering of elites, unlike today when it is flooded with people of all sizes trying to get in.
Vivian was an MBA student ten years later. At that time, the class was full of young people like her who hoped to gild themselves with diplomas.
At that gathering, Qiu Fang happened to be sitting next to her. The senior brother who organized the gathering had a good idea, pairing a successful senior brother with a young junior sister.
This way, everyone is happy.
Vivian wasn't a great beauty, but men of Qiu Fang's age were at a stage in their lives where they particularly needed the admiration and adoration of young women. Their hormones and dopamine were fading, and they needed the admiration of fresh women most to stimulate their functioning.
Its rejuvenation effect is comparable to that of Botox injections and Thermage ultrasound scalpels.
So Qiu Fang immediately made an appointment with Vivian to meet next time.
Qiu Fang's company is in Shanghai, but he flies back and forth between Beijing and Shanghai regularly, having already earned a lifetime platinum card with his airline. So, in the past three months, he's already arranged to meet Vivian several times.
So far, nothing has really happened between the two. When they meet, they seem like a normal couple on a date. Except the venue is very expensive.
The two of them were in perfect harmony, never sharing their relationship status. Vivian could only confirm that he wasn't wearing a wedding ring. Even so, Qiu Fang, at his age and wealth, couldn't possibly be innocent. Dedicated, self-possessed, and domineering CEOs only existed in novels for young girls.
After the age of 25, that kind of story is more like science fiction suspense or ghost story than romance novel.
*
To Qiu Fang, Vivian was a woman worth meeting. Worth meeting, in the sense that she wasn't a simple gold digger—the kind that required a massive investment and constant leveling up, or else her points would instantly be reset to zero. Nor was she a madwoman to be wary of—in the past two years, there have been numerous cases of romantic affairs in the financial world exposed on social media. The PowerPoint presentation, complete with illustrations and text, immediately sparked heated discussion online.
Qiu Fang is actually married, but this does not prevent him from always being surrounded by women.
However, women are classified and managed by him.
The first category, of course, is the first wife. Like so many clichéd stories, Qiu Fang had a wife. They met at a young age as college classmates and married naturally after graduation. When Qiu Fang's career began to rise, he persuaded his wife to quit her job and take care of the family. She became a stay-at-home wife for over a decade. Then, she accompanied their two sons to study in the United States, where she remained for years, rarely visiting China on a daily basis. In a word, they treated each other with respect.
The second category is those with whom one maintains a long-term relationship. Aside from the lack of a marriage certificate, they appear to be just like a normal couple. Qiu Fang had two such women. He didn't have children with the first, and he later broke up with her by giving her a house.
The reason for the breakup was that Qiu Fang had fallen for his current girlfriend, with whom he now has a child. They now live in a large Shenzhen Bay apartment. The house is still in Qiu Fang's name, and he contributes 80,000 yuan a month to their living expenses. While in Shenzhen, Qiu Fang and her treated each other like a normal couple. For the children, it was a joyous occasion to have their busy dad back home. The children didn't realize how this dad was different from other dads.
The third category consists of women you meet through various channels. Qiu Fang may not be particularly good-looking, but money can add a touch of glamour to his appearance. He knows his masculine charm isn't enough to attract the opposite sex, but who can say that money and status aren't also part of a man's charm?
Acquired alpha males like Qiu Fang don't care whether it's money or their natural charm that attracts women.
Around him, a constant stream of small-time internet celebrities, small streamers, and unknown hosts came and went like a constant stream. Qiu Fang wasn't stingy, but for this kind of relationship, a house or a car wouldn't be enough. They'd just go shopping at Hang Lung, buy a bag, and stay in a luxury hotel in Japan, and that was enough.
*
Vivian seemed to exist outside this rigid hierarchy. In terms of emotions, she certainly couldn't compare to the first and second categories. In terms of appearance and figure, she was certainly different from the third category. But Qiu Fang also needed a woman like this, to give him the illusion of love.
The human threshold for pleasure is a constantly rising path of no return. The third type of woman, no matter how beautiful, will have diminishing marginal utility. Furthermore, no one in the gold digger group believes in long-termism these days; they often drag a man out to buy a bag or a watch on the first date.
It’s not that he can’t afford the money, but he finds it boring to be so straightforward.
He was ripped off this afternoon and was very disappointed.
Qiu Fang had just gone downstairs and was waiting in the lobby to get a glass of wine when he received news from Vivian.
"Sorry there's a traffic jam, we'll be there soon."
A smile appeared on Qiu Fang's face.
He kind of liked this girl who would even meticulously put a period at the end of every sentence when sending WeChat messages.
*
Of course, Vivian didn't know about Qiu Fang's inner monologue.
Qiu Fang is definitely not the kind of person who can attract her with his appearance, but there is a reason why domineering president literature is so popular - most of the time, a man's dignity, demeanor and charm can be achieved through money and status.
This is so convenient.
In comparison, even the most successful women are inevitably criticized for their appearance and age. Some men actually think that no one in their village would want to marry Faye Wong or Fan Bingbing. However, as long as a man is successful enough in a secular sense, there will be people who will recognize his charm.
Qiu Fang is probably this kind of person.
The two went on three dates in total.
The first time was for French cuisine, and Vivian wasn't completely worldly-wise, but Qiu Fang's generosity, despite ordering a bottle of wine that cost tens of thousands of yuan, still shocked her. She remained silent, appearing nonchalant, but in reality, a dinner costing a thousand yuan per person was considered respectable for a date. Qiu Fang suddenly became much more important to her.
The second time, Qiu Fang took her to a members-only whiskey bar. The owner was incredibly attentive, and it was clear at a glance that Qiu Fang was a regular. Vivian had no idea how much the bottle of wine cost, but seeing the owner's broad smile, she guessed it must be quite expensive.
The third time, Qiu Fang found an excuse to give her a gift. It was a Tiffany necklace, 18K rose gold without diamonds, which would cost no more than 10,000 yuan. It was definitely a perfect gift: beautiful, elegant, and affordable.
Qiu Fang is indeed a financial professional, she thought. But the iconic blue box is still captivating.
She'd read "Breakfast at Tiffany's," and Truman Capote's novel was the best advertisement for the brand ever. Of course, she couldn't possibly go to the Tiffany window to eat a croissant, like Audrey Hepburn did in the movie. But even though they'd never even held hands, he'd casually given her Tiffany, and that still made her happy.
"Maybe he really likes me."
What Vivian didn't know was that these three tricks were Qiu Fang's standard treatment for women. Even the flowers he sent to his female companions were arranged by his secretary, who would custom-order the same flowers from the same florist year-round and ensure they were delivered on time, whether for birthdays, Valentine's Day, Chinese Valentine's Day, or various anniversaries.
Vivian is just the latest row added to Secretary Qiu Fang's Excel spreadsheet.
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