Joy at the Tip of the Eyebrows (Part Four)
An had already changed her shoes in the entryway. The company had announced a team-building trip to the beach tomorrow, and she told Ji Qingzhou that she didn't need to cook for him.
Ji Qingzhou looked up from the documents and went to the table to pour her a glass of water.
Are you going alone?
An nodded.
She took the water glass, took a sip, and moistened her lips.
Ji Qingzhou's expression was gentle, as if he were asking a question, or perhaps reminding someone.
"Didn't they say we could bring family members?"
She recalled that there seemed to be such a message in the notification, but she had ignored it.
Ji Qingzhou knew about this because he, as an important partner of Meikai, had also received an invitation.
An had drunk half a glass of water, caught her breath, and slowly walked inside.
He looked at her quietly, waiting for her reply.
She seemed to understand the meaning of his question and tentatively asked, "Are you free tomorrow?"
Ji Qingzhou readily accepted and answered without hesitation, "Okay."
An Yi was speechless, as if she meant that she hadn't asked him if he was going or not.
Ji Qingzhou took the water glass that was hanging in the air and placed it on the table.
Let's go.
He picked up his car keys and prepared to leave.
An, still confused, asked, "Where are we going?"
“Supermarket,” he placed her newly changed shoes in front of him, “to buy some things, since Milk Tea’s dog food is also out of stock.”
The weather is great today; it's perfect for an outing.
An had already chosen a window seat and was waiting for everyone to arrive before the driver could head to their destination.
A male colleague boarded the bus and asked if I was alone.
She was about to nod and politely decline when Ji Qingzhou's voice rang out from behind her male colleague.
"Excuse me, this is my seat."
There was an uproar in the car, everyone wondering why Ji Qingzhou had come.
The general manager of Zheyun, a handsome and dashing business partner, and a recent news subject, will undoubtedly become the focus of attention.
Although it was surprising, it wasn't so unusual, since I often saw it downstairs at the company not long ago.
An could even hear the cod screaming behind her.
Ji Qingzhou did not notice these movements.
He just went to park his car, and almost when he came back there weren't any spaces left.
An had already apologized to her male colleague.
Ji Qingzhou sat down next to An Yi.
She was looking down at her phone, checking the messages that had just come in.
She didn't reply for a long time, and the phone screen dimmed slightly, a sign that it was about to turn off.
Ji Qingzhou reminded her.
The new message came from Codfish; she asked if this was with family members?
An had recovered and simply replied with an "Mm".
At this moment, two company leaders came up, scanned the car, and located Ji Qingzhou.
They had just received the news.
When our esteemed partners participate in our team-building activities, our leaders are bound to offer their appreciation and encouragement.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, they went to their respective vehicles only after the bus started moving.
By the time Ji Qingzhou finally had time to pay attention to the person opposite him, An Yi had already closed her eyes and gone into a light sleep.
He put a baseball cap on her head and drew the curtains next to her.
When they were almost at the beach, Ji Qingzhou woke An Yi up and handed her a bottle of coffee.
Didn't sleep well last night?
An woke up groggily; she had dreamt of that person again yesterday.
I feel so tired even though I'm trying to sleep.
An shook her head.
Ji Qingzhou was actually asking a question he already knew the answer to, since he had been woken up by Huai Chuan's voice again and again last night.
He unscrewed the bottle cap. "Have a drink, we're almost there. Let's perk ourselves up."
An Yi drank most of the glass before she became a little more sober.
After getting off the bus, everyone walked around and breathed in the fresh air.
The team-building emcee gathered everyone aside and arranged for them to play a few games to warm up.
The first game is three-legged race. Those with family members team up with their family members, while those without family members form their own teams.
Cod had told An that she would come to find her when they played games.
An had already looked in her direction, and she quickly waved her hand.
Ji Qingzhou had already gotten the rope, pulled her over, and started binding her legs.
Codfish said loudly to Ji Qingzhou, "President Ji, you're so enthusiastic about playing a game?"
She's moving so fast! I'm really afraid she'll steal An Yi away from me!
Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing her teasing.
Others chimed in, saying, "Yeah, it wouldn't be right if we didn't get first place!"
It would have been better if this person hadn't said anything, because their words served as a reminder to everyone on how to play the game.
Ji Qingzhou nodded and smiled slightly, waving to everyone.
He placed one hand on An Yi's shoulder and pulled her hand around his waist with the other.
As soon as the host gave the order, he and An rushed towards the finish line.
An felt that her legs were no longer her own, and her hands were no longer under her control; she could only move forward quickly in time with the light boat.
She seemed to rise into the air, as if she hadn't exerted any effort, and simply followed him forward.
They gradually left group after group of people behind.
In the final race, it was the first to cross the finish line.
The host announced that An Yi and Ji Qingzhou had won.
Ji Qingzhou smiled happily and said to An Yi, "You're great." He untied the straps binding them, picked up An Yi, and spun her around a few times.
An really couldn't accept his praise. She hadn't expected him to be so serious.
She also thought that the competition was like the workplace, and if Ji Qingzhou won first place, it must be because someone else let her win.
But now she wants to clarify that this is not the case for him.
The second game is weighted squats. Here, "weight" refers to a girlfriend or wife.
The host said this was a game specially designed for couples, where the boy holds the girl and does squats, and the couple that does the most squats wins.
As soon as the host finished explaining the game rules, Ji Qingzhou picked up An Yi.
An said softly, "Save your energy."
He didn't listen; instead, he weighed her in his hand.
Ji Qingzhou was full of fighting spirit, but he was overtaken by a muscular colleague named An Yi.
Their group came in second place this time.
The prize is two matching couple water bottles.
An Yi had never seen Ji Qingzhou play this kind of game before, let alone seen him so excited about playing games.
Cod came all the way to offer his congratulations, "Congratulations, Mr. Ji!"
Ji Qingzhou nodded. "Thank you."
He took An Yi's hand, found their backpacks, and put two water bottles inside.
He seemed to cherish these two ordinary water glasses.
An was curious about Ji Qingzhou's hard work in this series of games. "Haven't you played these games before?"
Ji Qingzhou said, "Yes, when I was little I really wanted my parents to accompany me to the fun sports meet, but I could never get them to come. As I grew up, I didn't like it as much anymore."
She was just asking casually. She never expected his answer to touch on her childhood.
She remembered that Ji Qingzhou's grandmother had told her that Ji Qingzhou's parents divorced when she was a child.
An said softly, "There's one more game, I'll play with you."
The third game involves teams of two working together to make an oil-paper umbrella.
The one that produces the most exquisite item in the shortest time wins.
An said to Ji Qingzhou, "This seems to be a game designed specifically for you!"
The light in her eyes was exceptionally clear, and he smiled.
The company specially prepared this event for everyone to learn about the new product, allowing them to learn about oil-paper umbrellas while having fun.
It's not that employees need to learn how to make every product themselves, but large enterprises like Zheyun attach great importance to this, so this is a good opportunity to learn about important products.
The host's words immediately stumped everyone.
Oiled paper umbrellas are a field they rarely come into contact with, let alone making them.
The host reassured everyone, "We have prepared the video production and materials for making oil-paper umbrellas. All you need to do is assemble them and use your creativity a little."
Prepare the competition equipment; the host presses the timer.
While watching the video, everyone pondered how to assemble the bamboo, what the string was for, and how to attach the umbrella fabric.
After watching the video, An fiddled with the umbrella ribs, looking quite interested.
Ji Qingzhou didn't make a move, and said to An Yi, "You do it."
He arranged the items he needed in order.
This was too easy for him.
He handed the umbrella ribs to An Yi, who then arranged and fixed the ribs at certain intervals.
She tried several times but couldn't get it to stay in place.
She looked slightly embarrassed and said to Ji Qingzhou, "Actually, I'm not very good at doing handicrafts."
She was telling the truth.
When she was little, she could never do a good job with the craft assignments her teachers gave her.
She sought help from Kong Yue, but Kong Que disdained wasting her time on that.
Her craft assignments were either a mess or she simply didn't teach them at all.
Ji Qingzhou patted An Yi's head and took the things from her hands.
He moved quickly, and the thirty-two umbrella ribs were arranged in an orderly fashion in his hands.
An looked as if she were observing a performance, her expression serious.
Ji Qingzhou slowed down and explained to An Yi: "Traditionally, it is believed that the production of oil-paper umbrellas involves 'seventy-two and a half' steps. The specific number of steps may vary depending on the region, the inheritor, and the specific production method."
He assembled the umbrella ribs. "Before that, there are steps to select materials and make the frame. For example, the water-spreading oil paper umbrella is usually made of bamboo that is more than five years old. Before making the frame, you need to remove the bamboo green, split the umbrella ribs, make the upper umbrella ribs, the lower umbrella ribs, as well as the umbrella head and umbrella support, etc."
“The bamboo frame was already installed,” he said, pointing to the main rib after assembling the frame. “It’s right here, the part that supports the opening and closing of the umbrella, which acts like a spring or buckle in a modern metal-framed umbrella.”
An nodded in agreement, listening attentively.
She picked up a ball of thread and said, "I'll wind the thread; I should be able to do this."
It involves wrapping and securing thin threads around the edges and center of the umbrella ribs.
Ji Qingzhou said, "This step is called 'wrapping the umbrella edge,' and it involves wrapping it at least five times."
She wound the thread around the evenly spaced, open ribs of the umbrella.
Next, Ji Qingzhou pasted the pre-cut paper onto the umbrella frame.
"This step is called surface preparation. The usual process also includes applying glue, pasting, attaching edge paper, and applying glue again. Once the umbrella surface is pasted, you can draw on it and apply tung oil."
Many steps were omitted from the semi-finished product, and Ji Qingzhou tried to explain them to An Yi in as much detail as possible.
The explanation took a long time, and they ended up in last place.
An pursed her lips, her tone regretful, "I could have gotten first place."
Ji Qingzhou took her hand in return, "It's okay, I really like this game."
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