18. Favors must be repaid with connections
Seeing that the two of them were deadlocked again, Hao Shengnan ran out to smooth things over again - although in Ling Ling's eyes, this was just a ruination. "Oh, love history is nothing more than a topic of conversation. If you two can't make it, I can do it. What are best friends for? They are used to exchange backups! Like me, who is purely helping today, do you really think I don't ask for anything in return? You owe favors to people and you have to use your connections to repay them! So, Yu Chuanbei, let's start with your first love?" Yu Chuanbei calmly replied: "To be honest, I only had one formal relationship. We met in college, and then she went abroad, and we gradually lost contact. Of course, after I started working, there was a senior sister who introduced me to the industry, but because we were so different in all aspects, we broke up very quickly." "Have you ever slept with each other?" Hao Shengnan asked provocatively. Ling Ling finally lost her patience and reached out to block Yu Chuanbei's response. She glared at Hao Shengnan, "You can go to the bathroom now." Seeing Ling Ling's fury, Hao Shengnan, too afraid to provoke her, retreated to the restroom. As soon as she left, Ling Ling's aura crumbled, and she slumped dejectedly in her seat. "I slept with my first love. I went abroad to see her..." "Why are you telling me that?" Ling Ling stared at him in astonishment. "Then why are you avoiding me?" Yu Chuanbei fumed. Ling Ling lowered her eyes, gazing out the window, which offered little more than a view. "I didn't mean to come today," she said weakly. "That's so hurtful," Yu Chuanbei's voice tinged with fatigue. A long silence fell between them, a silence that lasted until the tea cooled and their hearts grew still. "What about tomorrow?" he asked. Ling Ling and Yu Chuanbei hadn't made their plans for the next day. Yu Chuanbei's angry revelation of his past wasn't a wise move, further destabilizing Ling Ling's already wavering heart. She undeniably still harbored some feudal lingering, believing that a second time might be the nth time, but a first time must be the first time. People will always remember someone they've taken risks with, so emotional experiences are only meaningful when they're explored from the beginning. If two people are prepared to walk hand in hand, connected, their paths should align. Yu Chuanbei sensed her awkwardness and felt momentarily baffled. Indeed, the initial stages of almost all experiences are inherently inferior, whether you're an employee or a parent. But love was an exception. He truly loved Ling Ling, and he wanted to give her the full emotional journey. Ultimately, they fell under the spell of pure love and devotion. It was as if they were trapped in a time zone...
Seeing that the two of them were deadlocked again, Hao Shengnan ran out again to smooth things over - although in Ling Ling's eyes, this was just ruining the situation.
"Ah, love history is nothing more than a topic of conversation. If you two can't make it, I can do it. What are best friends for? They're used to exchange backups! Do you really think I'm doing this for nothing? I'm just helping out today. You owe favors to people and you have to use your connections to repay them! So, Yu Chuanbei-kun, why don't you start by talking about your first love?"
Yu Chuanbei calmly replied, "I've only had one official relationship. We met in college, then she went abroad and we gradually lost touch. Of course, after I started working, there was a senior who introduced me to the industry, but because we were so different in many ways, it was a very short-lived relationship."
"Have you ever slept with each other?" Hao Shengnan asked provocatively.
Ling Ling finally couldn't sit still anymore. She stretched out her hand to block Yu Chuanbei, who was about to answer, and glared at Hao Shengnan: "You can go to the bathroom now."
Seeing that Ling Ling was really about to lose her temper, Hao Shengnan didn't dare to provoke her and timidly slipped into the bathroom to take refuge.
As soon as she left, Ling Ling's aura immediately collapsed, and she slumped dejectedly on her seat.
"I slept with my first love. I went abroad to see her..."
"Why are you telling me this!" Ling Ling looked at him in surprise.
"Then why are you hiding from me?" Yu Chuanbei was also a little angry.
Ling Ling lowered her eyes and looked out the window, which didn't really offer much of a view.
"I didn't mean to come today." She said weakly.
"This sentence is really hurtful." Yu Chuanbei's voice also sounded a little tired.
Then they were silent for a long time, until the tea got cold and their hearts were still.
"What about tomorrow?" he asked.
Ling Ling and Yu Chuanbei didn't make it to the next day after all.
Yu Chuanbei's angry revelation of his past wasn't a wise move, further destabilizing Ling Ling's already wavering heart. Undeniably, she still harbored some feudalist tendencies, believing that a second time might be right for the nth time, but a first time must be right for the first time. People will always remember those they've taken risks with, so emotional experiences are only meaningful when they're explored from the beginning. If two people are prepared to walk hand in hand, connected by heart, their paths should be aligned.
Yu Chuanbei sensed her awkwardness and felt momentarily baffled. Yes, the initial stages of almost all experiences are inherently inferior, whether you're an employee or a parent. But love was the only exception. He truly loved Ling Ling, so he wanted to give her a complete emotional journey. Ultimately, they fell under the spell of pure love and devotion.
The two of them seemed to be trapped in a black hole in the time zone. They were clearly moving towards each other, but it was difficult for them to intersect.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Luo Hao appeared in front of Ling Ling again.
Because she already knew that Luo Hao and Yu Chuanbei were familiar with each other, she couldn't help but think of him when she saw Luo Hao.
"No way, last time you only accompanied me to such a small event, and Bai Yuefu is still clinging to you? I think she's now relying on abuse to achieve hormone balance to resist the loneliness of being alone in her room. I have another event, will you accompany me? This time, I promise that the content of the event will be great, and I'll take care of the aftermath!"
"No, I still have a lot of work to do and can't leave. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Luo." Ling Ling's eyes did not leave the computer screen where she was editing the picture, and she rejected him directly.
"Oh, silly girl, you attended an event with me last time. Will you have the opportunity to be a planner when you come back? You should go the internet celebrity route with that nasal mask advertisement! If you become famous, you can directly go from low-end human resources to valuation capital of our company. You should cooperate with my publicity work!" After all, Luo Hao is an HR with a sales background.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Luo, I can't make myself likable as a career. I don't have the basic professional ethics of an internet celebrity, so I can't do this job." Ling Ling refused again.
Luo Hao sat down at Ling Ling's desk, moved closer to her, and continued to exhort her earnestly, "Do you know why Mr. Fang puts all the newbies through Bai Yuefu's hands and skins? He's testing your resilience! To see if you're capable of future work, if you're strong enough to be polished. Mr. Fang doesn't like Bai Yuefu's style of making things, and the biggest function of keeping her around until now is to act as a filter between the dregs and the essence. Look, last time you organized an awards ceremony with me, you had something to plan when you came back; if you attend a dinner with me this time, maybe you can escape the clutches of the 'Black Widow' when you come back! Don't overthink things, young lady. It's just the workplace, it's nothing more than an exchange of interests. I need someone suitable by my side, and you happen to be suitable; you need people to rely on, and I happen to be qualified. It's very simple!"
After listening to Luo Hao's words, Ling Ling turned her eyes away from the computer screen. For the first time, she looked him in the eye and asked, "Is your visit to me related to Yu Chuanbei?"
Luo Hao was suddenly stunned, laughed awkwardly twice and said: "Of course it doesn't matter, I just think you are an interesting little girl." After Luo Hao finished speaking, he stood up and left with a meaningful smile.
He didn't take two steps and turned around and said, "I'll wait for you downstairs of the company at six o'clock tonight."
At eight o'clock in the evening, Ling Ling, dressed in exquisite makeup and gorgeous clothes, appeared in a high-end club with Luo Hao.
Although Luo Hao had been preparing Ling Ling mentally along the way: "You just need to help me show off when entering, and then you can move freely, or even slip away when no one is paying attention." But Ling Ling looked down at her exposed shoulders and the tight waist, and she felt like she had fallen into a trap.
As soon as they entered and stood still, Ling Ling looked across the crowd and saw Yu Chuanbei in a distant corner, who was also looking at her in surprise.
She couldn't understand why they could always find each other so easily in the crowd.
Maybe, just a coincidence?
Yu Chuanbei slowly walked towards them. Ling Ling lowered her head unnaturally and then looked away.
Yu Chuanbei looked at Ling Ling in her nude pink evening gown, and before his eyes, he could see a scene of a delicate silk fan, white orchids, and a slender waist, a jade belt dancing in the air. His heart fluttered slightly, like the tiny shimmering golden light on the lake in the afternoon, slowly flowing towards her in waves.
Luo Hao walked straight towards Yu Chuanbei, patted his shoulder proudly, and whispered in his ear: "Boy, what do you think, am I loyal enough?"
Yu Chuanbei was a little annoyed: "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Hey, I couldn't guarantee I could get this girl here before! She—you know better than me, right?"
Yu Chuanbei sighed helplessly and was about to walk towards Ling Ling when Luo Hao grabbed him and said, "Exchange! Your second sister's latest contact information."
Yu Chuanbei didn't want to betray his second sister, and was in a stalemate with a frown on his face, but Luo Hao continued to coerce and bribe: "I'm warning you, I can get Jinnan's contact information even if I don't get it from you, but I don't have to protect this prickly little girl. I have no such obligation!"
Yu Chuanbei had no choice but to hand his phone to Luo Hao reluctantly. "The unlock code for my phone is my mother's birthday. You can find it yourself."
After he threw it to Luo Hao, he walked towards Ling Ling without looking back.
"Filial piety!" Luo Hao felt that his double entendre was simply brilliant, and he was secretly delighted.
Yu Chuanbei walked up to her cautiously and said sincerely, "Lingling - I didn't know you were coming." He was afraid of causing her misunderstanding and arousing her emotional fighting spirit again, so he had to make it clear at the beginning.
Ling Ling just smiled bitterly, "I didn't expect that I would come."
"Luo Hao has no ill intentions and he is a very nice person, so you might consider listening to some of his suggestions." Yu Chuanbei advised her. He only hoped that she could take fewer detours and have an easier time in life and work.
"But I don't think the suggestion of becoming an internet celebrity through a nasal mask advertisement is included."
Ling Ling laughed at herself, making Yu Chuanbei burst out laughing.
The two people who still have a grudge against each other will inevitably fall into an awkward situation if they don't want to be hypocritical in such a formal occasion.
Yu Chuanbei's mind was spinning rapidly and screening various topics of conversation, like a tire speeding on a mountain road on a rainy day, running at high speed with great effort, shaking off pieces of mud, hoping to turn out a shiny wheel frame.
His eyes suddenly lit up, "I know a good place in this villa. I'll take you to see it. Come!" Yu Chuanbei grabbed Ling Ling's wrist and led her up the mahogany escalator.
Ling Ling was instinctively startled by the sudden physical contact, but she also felt very happy. However, she changed her mind and realized that he was so skillful in pulling the girl's wrist. She couldn't help but feel a little unhappy and quickly broke free from him.
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