Chapter 70
In late February, Yan Qing gave up his apartment at the Yaskawa Water Plant and joined Xunda Kylin Technology Co., Ltd. Xunda Kylin is a leading company in the information and communication infrastructure and smart terminals industry. Yan Qing was assigned to the R&D department and immediately began working like a whirlwind, arriving at the office promptly at 8:30 every morning and typically not leaving until after 12 hours.
Because of being so busy, time seemed to be on fast-forward, and a year flew by.
Yan Qing's group, Group Seven, was the largest of the ten groups in the R&D department. The large open-plan office, housing thirty-two people, was packed, thirty of whom were men, leaving only Yan Qing and Liang Hongyin as girls. Liang Hongyin was a loner, rarely seen with others, and almost never worked overtime, leaving promptly after work. Her reason was simple: "To pick up my daughter from school." In contrast to Liang Hongyin, Yan Qing wanted to fill every minute of her time with work, leaving no corner untouched. She arrived early and left late on weekdays, and often spent weekends in the office as well.
On International Women's Day, the company organized a variety of activities for female employees, including flower arranging, cake making, and health lectures. Yan Qing didn't participate in any of them and stayed at her workstation running around with her models. Fei Mingchen passed by with a cup of coffee and teased, "You really should be crowned the new generation's 'Queen of Curls,' you've reached new heights of curling."
Yan Qing was staring intently at the computer when he heard this and looked up.
The coffee was piping hot, and Fei Mingchen blew on it with his squinted lips. This guy was a veteran of the R&D team, old and smelly, yet strangely confident. After making eye contact with Yan Qing, he said in a voice loud enough for half the office to hear, "What day is it today? Women's Day! All the ladies are out celebrating. I just passed the finance office, it was empty. Our beautiful Yan Qing is still working, sticking to her post, working herself to the bone—truly admirable!"
Yan Qing chuckled dryly and turned her attention back to the computer.
Fei Mingchen didn't leave. Not only did he not leave, he even lifted half of his buttocks and sat on Yan Qing's desk.
"Beautiful lady, I've noticed you're really special, unlike most girls. How do I put it? You're just... aloof!"
Yan Qing looked embarrassed. "No, I don't think so."
"Yes! Look at you, you have such good looks, but you're so simple, you don't like to show off, you don't follow the crowd, you know that kind of otherworldly feeling, right?"
Fei Mingchen's unsolicited attentiveness made Yan Qing's scalp tingle, and she inwardly prayed that this grotesque creature would quickly disappear. But Fei Mingchen seemed completely oblivious to her feelings, instead brimming with confidence in his own charm. He swung his legs, casually brushing aside his oily bangs. Yan Qing was startled to notice white, wispy bits of hair falling from his scalp.
Fei Mingchen continued, "You know, these days, girls always complain about gender discrimination and how hard it is to find a job. But they never reflect on themselves. Like today, on a so-called 'holiday' that doesn't even qualify as a public holiday, the girls seize the opportunity to slack off. Are there any female employees left on duty in the building? They've all gone to take advantage of the company!"
Yan Qing looked at the screen: "International Women's Day is an international holiday."
Fei Mingchen selectively ignored her, stirring his coffee with a small spoon, making a clinking sound. "Take Liang, for example, in our office. She leaves work faster than a mouse. How can that not affect the overall image of women in the workplace? Of course, her husband is a high-ranking executive, so we don't dare to say anything."
Yan Qing was speechless and couldn't help but retort: "Sister Hongyin was not late or left early, which complies with the company's rules and regulations. Besides, if male colleagues can consciously take on the responsibility of picking up their children, women can dedicate more time to their careers."
Fei Mingchen said, "You can't say that. Being a wife and mother is a woman's natural duty, and natural duty should definitely come before work, right?"
Yan Qing suppressed her discomfort and forced a smile.
Fei Mingchen crouched down, bringing his large face closer: "I heard you're single. Let me give you some advice: a woman's prime is only a few years. You should hurry up and find a partner. Marriage is the most important thing. Don't just focus on work. Several of the older single women in our company were arrogant when they first joined. And now? They're practically worthless!"
Seeing Yan Qing standing there blankly, Fei Mingchen laughed and said, "What are you standing there for? That's the problem with science and engineering girls, they're too straightforward and too dull. They say that women who know how to be charming have the best lives. You need to be sweet-talking and know how to get things done to attract boys."
"Fei Mingchen, are you at it again, with your old habits resurfacing?"
Fei Mingchen straightened up with a start. The person who came in was Liang Hongyin. Liang Hongyin was carrying a bunch of bird-of-paradise flowers and had just returned from a flower arranging event. She was all smiles when she came in, but when she saw Fei Mingchen, she immediately opened fire like a machine gun: "When are you going to shut your stinking mouth? If you can't, stuff it in your socks and stop spitting everywhere."
"I……"
"And another thing! Clean up your dandruff; you left it all over that girl's table. How disgusting!"
My colleagues next to me were laughing hysterically.
Liang Hongyin joined the company five years earlier than Yan Qing. A feisty and decisive woman, she was renowned even in the predominantly male R&D department. Some older, greasy employees liked to make jokes about the new female employees, and if Liang Hongyin heard them, she would always step in to help. Even the male employees would behave themselves around her. Today, Liang Hongyin was away from the office due to a women's activities, which is why Fei Mingchen reverted to his old ways.
Fei Mingchen was thoroughly humiliated and muttered defiantly, "I was only trying to help her, speaking from the heart. Sister Liang, you married a good husband, while Yan Qing is still single!"
Liang Hongyin threw the bouquet on the table. "Why does she have to get married? Can't she live alone? Besides, is marriage some kind of high-stakes affair? Even someone like you can get married!"
In terms of verbal sparring, Fei Mingchen was no match for Liang Hongyin, and intimidated by her husband's position, he could only roll his eyes and leave dejectedly.
At noon, Liang Hongyin asked Yan Qing to have lunch together for the first time.
Yan Qing doesn't like spicy food, but she still accompanied Liang Hongyin to the window where Liang Hongyin queued up for her favorite Tom Yum seafood noodles.
While slurping her noodles with satisfaction, Liang Hongyin asked Yan Qing, "Do you know what kind of people are most likely to be gossiped about at work?"
Yan Qing shook her head.
“It’s young girls like you who seem civilized, reasonable, and single with no one to rely on.” She began to give examples: “If a girl is bold and crazy enough, then I guarantee no one will dare to mess with her,” she patted her chest, “like me.”
Yan Qing smiled.
"Or maybe a girl's dad is the mayor, or her husband is the vice president, then nobody dares to mess with her. If you mess with me, my dad and husband will beat you up!"
Yan Qing laughed so hard she could barely hold her chopsticks.
"So what I mean is, a girl like you who seems so delicate and weak is easy to manipulate. To avoid being targeted by those jerks, you need to stand up for yourself. Also, although I criticized Fei Mingchen, I still have an open and tolerant attitude towards marriage. I know that the current online sentiment is that men are worse than dogs. But nothing is absolute. If you meet the right person, you can get along."
A tall, slender figure walked by. "Could we share a table?"
Liang Hongyin and Yan Qing looked up at the same time; it was Zheng Haofan, the director of the R&D department.
Liang Hongyin smiled and said, "President Zheng, you're just arriving for dinner? Please have a seat."
Zheng Haofan sat down next to Liang Hongyin with his lunchbox. His lunch was simple: a steak, some boiled broccoli, and raw carrot sticks—clearly homemade.
Liang Hongyin joked, "President Zheng, won't you get depressed eating this every day?"
Zheng Haofan: "No, they are my reward after exercising, and exercise produces endorphins. People with sufficient endorphins will not be depressed."
Liang Hongyin raised an eyebrow: "Why squeeze into the cafeteria if you bring your own lunch? You can finish it in a few bites at your workstation."
Zheng Haofan waved the banana in his hand: "For this."
The company cafeteria serves a variety of fruits every day, and Zheng Haofan, who exercises regularly, supplements his carbohydrate intake with bananas.
Liang Hongyin's WeChat buzzed, and she asked in surprise, "Teacher Hu?"
When I answered the phone, a sweet, childlike voice came from the other end: "Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!"
Liang Hongyin couldn't stop smiling: "My sweet baby, thank you, Mommy loves you! Did you miss me at kindergarten today?"
The little girl was adorably honest: "No!" After thinking for a moment, she corrected herself: "I only miss you when I take a nap at noon."
Liang Hongyin's maternal instincts were visibly overflowing. After hanging up the phone, seeing Zheng Haofan suppressing a laugh, she glanced at him sideways and asked, "What's with that expression?"
“I’m envious,” Zheng Haofan said.
"Then let's have one ourselves."
"Single people do not meet the requirements."
Liang Hongyin scoffed, expressing her disdain for his excessive modesty: "President Zheng has no shortage of female admirers; the line of girls wanting to marry you stretches from the first floor to the twenty-third."
Zheng Haofan was both amused and exasperated: "It's not that exaggerated. I'm a complete novice when it comes to relationships."
“You have high standards—” Liang Hongyin finished the last bite of her noodles and wiped her mouth. “But President Zheng is a truly high-quality man, with excellent looks and temperament, and he’s equally at home in public and in the kitchen. I wonder who will end up with such a good man? I’m curious.”
Zheng Haofan smiled faintly and glanced at Yan Qing without showing any emotion. The latter was eating her food in small bites and did not say a word. It seemed that she did not hear his conversation with Liang Hongyin.
Zheng Haofan had regular features, a strong physique, impeccable taste in clothing, and was polite in his interactions with others. In Xunda Qilin, a place filled with disheveled programmers in plaid shirts, he was quite the hormone-spreading machine. Even in the lunch cafeteria now, it wasn't hard to notice the glances that would intentionally or unintentionally sweep over him.
But Yan Qing didn't seem to even glance at him. After finishing their meal, she nodded slightly to him and then followed Liang Hongyin away. Zheng Haofan stared intently in the direction she left, then opened his phone's "iCommunication" app, which was used to collect internal employee data from Xunda Qilin Statistics Company. He clicked on the R&D department and brought up Yan Qing's page.
Science Park Station is only three stops away from the starting point of Metro Line 5, but it is the station with the highest passenger flow. As soon as you arrive at Science Park Station, the once relatively empty carriages are immediately packed with people, leaving no room for even a breather. Yan Qing was squeezed to the connecting area between carriages as soon as she boarded the subway. The swaying and rocking made her drowsy, and in the end, she actually fell asleep leaning against the carriage.
When she woke up with a start, she looked around and realized she had been taken to Binjiang Station. She hurriedly got off the train, but hesitated for a moment as she ran towards the train on the opposite side.
Binjiang Station is a transfer point for several subway lines. When I came out of the station hall, it was already dusk, but the peak travel period had not yet passed, and the streets along the river were crowded with people.
This past winter was the coldest in a decade. The last time Yan Qing came to Binjiang with her leader on business, she was surprised to find that the river was frozen over.
Once March is over, the ice on the river melts and the water rises, with the spring tide quietly surging.
On this side of the river lies the brightly lit CBD, with ships moored in the harbor. The night wind whispers through the masts and hulls, creating a low, mournful sound. In the dim light, colorful flags flutter and sway in the wind.
Yan Qing remembered that Xiao Ranran said she missed her mother a lot when she took a nap at noon.
When a person is quiet, longing tends to overwhelm them.
Looking across the river, the opposite bank appears serene and mysterious. Behind the layered, towering canopies of trees lies a villa district. Binjiang Jiuli is located within it.
Among the hurried pedestrians, Yan Qing's pace seemed excessively slow. Finally, disregarding the cool wind and cold water, she simply stopped by the riverbank.
The moon was hidden among the clouds, and the dark river flowed slowly, its sound like his heavy breathing.
Yan Qing felt lost in emptiness; the world consisted only of herself and the person in her imagination.
She was in a daze for a long time, only snapping back to reality when the raindrops fell on her.
Since the beginning of spring, there haven't been many sunny days. And when it rains, it gets even colder. Yan Qing didn't bring an umbrella and hurried towards the subway entrance. A male voice came from behind her: "Yan Qing?"
The man stood in the rain, holding an umbrella.
Time and space distorted, and Yan Qing vaguely returned to that day, outside the gate of L, in the same light drizzle, with that person standing beside her holding an umbrella.
As the person opposite approached, Zheng Haofan's face gradually became clear, and the imagined image vanished suddenly.
Yan Qing felt a deep sense of melancholy that she could hardly contain.
Zheng Haofan's umbrella was already covering her head: "You live here?"
"Oh, no, I..." Yan Qing was not good at making up lies, "I missed my stop."
Zheng Haofan asked, "Where do you live?"
"Shengzhou Road".
Zheng Haofan laughed: "That's quite a long way. Let me take you back."
"No need for that, I'll just take the subway."
"If you go to Shengzhou Road, you'll have to change buses twice. Did you bring an umbrella?"
Yan Qing was wearing a loose trench coat and didn't even bring a bag, so it wouldn't make sense to say that she "brought" one.
Zheng Haofan said, "This rain has no end in sight. Well, I'm going to Yitian Club to pick up my car anyway, so I'll just go along the way."
He said Yitian is located near Shengzhou Road, and there are several 4S stores downstairs.
Yan Qing didn't know what to say. She wasn't familiar with Zheng Haofan; they had only met at departmental project reporting meetings. Even at those meetings, the team leader or project manager usually spoke, and she was basically just a nobody.
The subway was still crowded, and despite Yan Qing's deliberate attempts to keep her distance, she still inevitably bumped into Zheng Haofan. At one stop, a large, fat man shouted, "Make way, get off!" The fat man rudely shoved Yan Qing, causing her to fall backward, but Zheng Haofan caught her by the shoulder in time.
After Yan Qing regained her footing, Zheng Haofan released his grip with great tact.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Yan Qing said softly, "It's nothing, thank you."
It was completely dark when they emerged from Shengzhou Road Station. A gust of wind rushed into their collars, making them shiver. The subway station was less than two kilometers from Yan Qing's place, and Zheng Haofan, holding an umbrella, walked alongside her.
"I remember Deng Yuhang saying you were from L University?"
Deng Yuhang is the leader of R&D Group 7 and Yan Qing's superior.
"Um."
Zheng Haofan laughed: "What a coincidence, we're neighbors."
Yan Qing understood: "You're from F University?"
"Yes, the Computer Science Department at F University."
"Wow, amazing!"
"I wouldn't dare say that. Our schools have always been like the rivalry between two equally powerful figures, a love-hate relationship."
Yan Qing smiled.
"I've noticed that you're not very talkative and keep a low profile at work, which fits my impression of L University students."
Yan Qing wasn't in the mood to chat about the profile of college students with this unfamiliar boss; she was only focused on counting how many meters she had to go to her doorstep. She spoke very little during this time; Zheng Haofan did most of the talking.
"Are you closer to Hongyin?"
Yan Qing thought about it. In the past, her communication with Liang Hongyin was very limited, but today, Fei Mingchen brought them closer all at once.
“Sister Hongyin takes good care of me,” she said.
“I know her husband quite well,” Zheng Haofan said. “We were roommates when we were studying in the UK. Now, I’m in for a tough time trying to win them over.”
Yan Qing listened for only half the time, her mind wandering for the other half. Confused, she asked, "Why do I need to please you?"
Zheng Haofan slowed down his walking pace, and Yan Qing followed suit.
“Nijima has always been very concerned about my personal life.”
"Oh, really? Rainbow Sister is very enthusiastic."
"She was very keen to kick me out of the singles group, and kept asking me what kind of people I liked, and wanted to introduce me to someone."
"Oh—" Yan Qing replied, trailing off, without asking any further questions. Zheng Haofan continued, "To be honest, I didn't really know what kind of person I liked—but now, I think I do."
His tone remained unchanged, but his gaze lingered directly on Yan Qing's face, the meaning of which was both obvious and subtle.
Realizing what was happening, Yan Qing was suddenly startled and froze in place.
Zheng Haofan moved a little closer: "Are you cold? Your lips are all white from the cold." Then, he handed the umbrella to Yan Qing and took off his coat to put it on her. Yan Qing instinctively dodged, but Zheng Haofan was tall and strong, and his coat was already draped over her without any room for refusal.
Yan Qing was clearly flustered. "President Zheng..."
Zheng Haofan lowered his head and laughed, saying self-deprecatingly, "I don't know why I suddenly became so bold. Maybe there's some scientific truth to that saying; people tend to be more emotional at night and do irrational things."
Yan Qing looked at Zheng Haofan in surprise. Realizing what was happening, she tried to take off his coat, but Zheng Haofan stopped her: "Forgive my rashness and impulsiveness. I don't want to miss out on someone I like. Do you think I have a chance?"
It was so sudden that Yan Qing didn't know what to say.
Not far away, a black Maybach was hidden in the gloomy drizzle. Its headlights suddenly flashed on, blinding Zheng Haofan. He raised his arm to shield his eyes from the glare, trying to see the car with its lights on. But whether the car malfunctioned or the occupants did it intentionally, the headlights remained on, two beams of light piercing through the rain and mist, shoving directly into Zheng Haofan's face.
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