Chapter 17 Searching and Searching, steam rose from her fair face, deafeningly loud...
There's a "six degrees of separation" rule in interpersonal relationships, which states that you can get to know any stranger through a maximum of six people. For Zhu Liushuang, to truly "know" He Ming, she only needed to go through one person.
That person was Ye Xingzhi.
Ye Xingzhi is not only one of the few high school classmates she still keeps in touch with, but also the ex-boyfriend of her good friend Tian Xingyu.
The two dated for three years, but the pressure of a long-distance relationship eventually led to their breakup. Zhu Liushuang wasn't entirely clear on the details, but as Tian Xingyu's friend, she gradually reduced her contact with Ye Xingzhi after that.
It wasn't until that day, when she made her decision, that Zhu Liushuang regained her presence in Ye Xingzhi's WeChat Moments.
Liking posts is an essential skill for her. Besides that, she sometimes comments on Ye Xingzhi's WeChat Moments posts.
She also started posting more and more frequently on her WeChat Moments. Of course, these posts were all grouped and only visible to her high school classmates.
Unaware of what was going on, Tian Xingyu was quite pleased to see her frequently posting photos of various desserts on her WeChat Moments. She praised her skillful hands like a loving mother, while simultaneously clamoring that she would try all of them during her vacation.
Occasionally, Ye Xingzhi's comments would appear below Tian Xingyu's posts. He has a mother who loves desserts and enjoys baking. Therefore, he would like the photos and ask for recipes and instructions.
Every time Zhu Liushuang patiently answered Ye Xingzhi's questions, her gaze would always drift to the two WeChat profile pictures in the comments section, one above the other, with very different styles.
She felt a little guilty, so she secretly apologized to Tian Xingyu in her heart. Fortunately, after Tian Xingyu and Ye Xingzhi broke up, they deleted each other's contact information.
Therefore, her recent frequent attempts to curry favor with Ye Xingzhi went unnoticed by her friends.
The post on her WeChat Moments this morning was specially made by her and was only visible to "Ye Xingzhi". It was a radio audio recording of her titled "Memories Can Only Be Relived".
The accompanying text was undeniably sentimental: "In my spare time, I tinkered with a radio station. Life's already so boring, so I'm trying to find an outlet!"
While eating lunch alone at a restaurant, Zhu Liushuang couldn't help but pick up her phone again to check her WeChat Moments. Still no likes, no comments.
She poked the hard, cold rice with her chopsticks in annoyance, her delicate lips drooping.
"What's wrong with Accountant Zhu today? She seems listless. Is something wrong at work?" Someone walked over and sat down in front of her with a tray of food.
The voice, to Zhu Liushuang's ears, didn't sound concerned; instead, it sounded rather sarcastic. Who else could it be but Wang Yizheng?
Why is he always haunting me! Zhu Liushuang rolled her eyes inwardly, but when she looked up again, a perfectly timed smile appeared on her face.
“Master Wang has misunderstood. I haven’t had any worries lately.” She pointed to the rice in her bowl. “It’s just that I arrived late today, and the food is cold, so I don’t have much of an appetite.”
"I thought it was just our technical department that was busy, but I didn't expect you guys would be so busy with accounting that you didn't get to eat until this late..." Wang Yi said casually, while shoveling a mouthful of rice into his mouth.
"Is your technical department the most important thing in terms of relationships? What do you mean by 'you guys do the accounting'?" Zhu Liushuang was already in a bad mood, and listening to Wang Yizheng's nonsensical words made her even angrier.
She chuckled twice, her words carrying a hidden meaning: "Being busy means the company is doing well... Our finance department manages the money, so it's a big responsibility and we have a lot to do. Mr. Wang, please enjoy your meal. I'm going back to work now."
Even though she hadn't touched her food much, she was in a hurry to leave. Seeing Zhu Liushuang's displeasure, Wang Yi said, "Accountant Zhu, you're already so slim, why are you still dieting? You're so focused on work that you don't even have time to eat. President Guo will have to give you a raise again, won't he..."
"Master Wang is joking... I'm a picky eater, and I really can't stomach the food in the cafeteria. I'm going back to my office to eat some bread." Zhu Liushuang's expression changed slightly as she passed by Wang Yizheng, leaving behind a quiet remark.
But on the way back, she felt uneasy.
A while ago, Guo Yang contacted her to inquire about her family situation and subtly told her that the company had a "subsidy for employees with financial difficulties" program, and that she could apply if she needed it. As long as the labor union approved it and it was publicized for three days, she could receive a subsidy of 5,000 yuan per year.
However, if she applied, it would be tantamount to announcing her family's situation to the entire company. Therefore, Zhu Liushuang hesitated greatly and, after much deliberation, ultimately decided not to apply.
Upon learning of her decision, Guo Yang brought up the matter of giving her a raise again. Since her mentor, Zhu Liushuang, left, she had been handling things independently for some time. If the company could successfully apply for high-tech enterprise status and receive government subsidies, she could receive a 10% raise.
Zhu Liushuang didn't know if Wang Yizheng's words were just a casual remark or if he had heard something from somewhere. In any case, she was unwilling to discuss the taboo topic of salary with anyone.
After all, too much talk leads to mistakes. If she ruins the "salary increase" because of other people's gossip, she will be the one who suffers.
After Wang Yizheng's interruption, Zhu Liushuang became even more focused on her work in the afternoon and didn't think about WeChat Moments at all.
With Guo Yang away on a business trip, the company's employees were somewhat relaxed. As the end of the workday approached, many people turned off their computers early and started chatting and drinking tea.
Zhuang Xiaoqian stretched out her hands, showing off her new manicure from the weekend to Zhu Liushuang like a treasure: "How is it? Pretty, right?"
Zhu Liushuang hadn't eaten anything at noon, so she was a little hungry now. She took a bite of toast and joked, "It looks so good... Sister Zhuang, you went out on fieldwork all day and rushed back. You didn't come all this way just to show off your new manicure, did you?"
Of course, that's a joke.
Zhuang Xiaoqian giggled and chimed in, "Of course... I spent a lot of money on this, so of course I have to share it with you." She then held up one hand, "Here's the price!"
"50?" Zhu Liushuang had never done nail art before and didn't know the going rate, so she guessed. Then, remembering Zhuang Xiaoqian's mention of a "high price," she immediately changed her mind, her eyes wide with surprise, "Does it mean 500?"
Zhuang Xiaoqian nodded: "That shop is really hard to book. I asked the owner to put me in line half a month in advance."
Zhu Liushuang ate her bread with a bitter expression, saying absentmindedly, "Sister, you're really rich. Your manicure this time is almost equivalent to my lunch expenses for a month."
"You can't calculate it like that. Lunch is for sustenance, and a manicure is for personal enjoyment. Besides... it was your brother-in-law who paid for it, and he was happy to do it." Zhuang Xiaoqian was beaming, clearly enjoying a comfortable life lately.
Zhu Liushuang lowered her head, most of it hidden by the computer screen. No one could see her expression at that moment.
In the same small third-tier city, some people have regular work hours, no worries about food or clothing, and enjoy life. Others, however, have to struggle every day to make ends meet and dare not have too many unnecessary expenses.
But when Zhu Liushuang thought about the sanitation workers sweeping the streets at four in the morning and the construction workers driving piles in deep wells in the middle of the night, she felt that her life was not too bad.
And she will gradually have the life she wants in the future.
The sudden silence in the office made Zhuang Xiaoqian realize that she might have said something she shouldn't have. Although she had never heard the young woman talk about her family situation since she started working with Zhu Liushuang, she could glean some information from their past interactions.
"Hey, I wouldn't be willing to pay for it myself, but with the wedding date fast approaching, I have to really squeeze your brother-in-law's wallet dry," Zhuang Xiaoqian said, peeking out at Zhu Liushuang, whose expression remained unchanged.
Zhu Liushuang swallowed the last bite of toast and said gently, "Your brother-in-law is willing to spend money on you because he loves you... Sister Zhuang, I wish you happiness."
Zhuang Xiaoqian was quite pleased and said, "Your brother-in-law's firm has been doing quite well these past few years. He's in charge of government audits, and his annual income is over 200,000 yuan. We don't have car loans or mortgages, so we should be able to make ends meet in the future..."
Zhu Liushuang didn't hear what Zhuang Xiaoqian said after that; her attention was completely focused on the words "accounting firm" and "government audit."
"Your brother-in-law has a great job!" Zhu Liushuang asked casually. "There aren't many good firms in our city. The only ones that are worth mentioning are Zhonghe and Minxin... Does your brother-in-law work at Zhonghe?"
Zhuang Xiaoqian's eyes lit up: "Liu Shuang, you're quite knowledgeable about the industry! Your brother-in-law works at Zhonghe Accounting Firm!"
What a coincidence!
Zhu Liushuang opened her mouth slightly, feigning surprise: "What a coincidence! Sister Zhuang, our company applied for high-tech enterprise status through Zhonghe Accounting Firm. Didn't your brother-in-law mention it to you?"
Guo Yang had been handling all the communication, and Zhuang Xiaoqian was completely unaware of it. Furthermore, her fiancé wasn't in charge, so naturally he hadn't mentioned it to her.
“Your brother-in-law is in charge of government auditing, so he probably doesn’t know. I’ll ask him later,” Zhuang Xiaoqian replied with a simple smile.
"Sister Zhuang..." Zhu Liushuang hesitated, looking embarrassed.
"What's wrong... just say what's wrong!" Zhuang Xiaoqian couldn't stand Zhu Liushuang's hesitant manner and said frankly.
“I… went to Zhonghe to deliver a contract a few days ago, but my electric scooter broke down on the way, so I was delayed a bit.” Zhu Liushuang touched her cheek and stammered, “I’m afraid I left a bad impression on people, so I was thinking… could you ask your brother-in-law to help me find out which teacher is assisting our company with the application and what their preferences are?”
"Is it really such a small matter?" Zhuang Xiaoqian's brows relaxed. "I thought it was a huge deal, making you so worried. I'll take care of it. I'll ask you about it when we get home tonight."
"Huh? You've already sent the contract, and you don't even know who the other party's representative is? That shouldn't be the case..." Zhuang Xiaoqian asked, puzzled, her mind racing.
Zhu Liushuang pouted; she also found it absurd. But indeed… she still couldn't be 100% certain who the leader of Audit Team Four was.
“Last week I also temporarily delivered a contract for Mr. Guo. I was planning to wait for him to come back and then find out the specific details of the high-tech enterprise application, but... Mr. Guo is still on a business trip, so I didn’t want to bother him,” Zhu Liushuang explained helplessly.
"You're so young, yet you think so much." Zhuang Xiaoqian tapped on Zhu Liushuang's desk. "Alright, I'll take care of this for you. I'll get back to you tonight."
With Zhuang Xiaoqian's assurance, Zhu Liushuang felt much more at ease, and her steps home became lighter.
————
As night fell, Zhu Liushuang received another piece of good news.
After a day of silence, WeChat Moments has started to buzz again.
Ye Xingzhi commented on her status update: "Junior's voice is as beautiful as ever. I was grading papers all day and my head was spinning, but hearing your voice instantly woke me up."
After graduating with a master's degree, Ye Xingzhi returned to Gucheng and passed the teacher qualification exam. He currently teaches mathematics at Gucheng No. 1 Middle School.
Zhu Liushuang smiled and replied obediently, "Thank you for the compliment, senior."
She actually found it hard to imagine Ye Xingzhi as a math teacher, just like Tian Xingyu had complained to her before: "Ye Xingzhi liked to do outrageous things when he was in school and hated being bound by rules. He actually went back to his alma mater to teach. Isn't he afraid of misleading students?"
But despite the complaints, Ye Xingzhi's ability to pass the civil service exam and his popularity among students must be due to his skills and charisma.
Before going to sleep that night, Zhu Liushuang did something she considered daring.
She first listened attentively to an episode of He Ming's personal radio show and wrote a long review. Then she shared her favorite episode on WeChat Moments, captioning it: "[Thanks to Sister Zhuang for recommending this amazing app; it cured my insomnia. So good!]"
This time, instead of setting it to be visible only to "Ye Xingzhi", she simply blocked relatives and superiors.
Soon, several people liked her post.
Zhuang Xiaoqian was also among them, and she commented below: "[I always listen to ASMR, and you listen to it in such an artistic way... But this broadcaster has a really nice voice!]"
Zhu Liushuang had just finished reading Zhuang Xiaoqian's comment when she received a WeChat message from her.
[Liu Shuang, I've found out for you. The audit team in charge of our company's application for high-tech enterprise status is Zhonghe Audit Team 4, and the team leader is He Ming.]
[Let me give you a heads-up, I've heard this team leader is quite serious and doesn't really like interacting with women. Honestly, you don't need to try to get close to him; just focus on doing your job well.]
Steam rose from her fair face. "Thump, thump, thump..." The deafening heartbeat disrupted her breathing, as if it were screaming hysterically.
The one who shouted is hidden deep in the past, dragging his thin body, his face full of resentment and expectation.
She knew that was herself in her teenage years.
With trembling hands, Zhu Liushuang typed a few words: "Thank you, Sister Zhuang, I understand."
I had just replied to Zhuang Xiaoqian's private message when I received another notification on WeChat Moments.
She eagerly clicked on it—
A note from the author:
----------------------
The synopsis for my next book, "Waiting for the Rain to Clear," is below. If you're interested, please add it to your favorites!
Years after their breakup, Gu Weiyu encounters her first love, Ming Ji, backstage at the press conference for a music variety show.
At that time, he was a top star in the music industry, basking in the spotlight. She, on the other hand, was at best a grassroots folk singer who was brought in to fill a spot, without even an assistant.
Fortunately, he treated her like air throughout the entire press conference, not even sparing her a glance.
Gu Weiyu breathed a sigh of relief: It's best to treat each other as strangers like this.
Unfortunately, the peace didn't last long before it was shattered by a van that suddenly appeared on the road.
The car door opened, and the man's face was half-hidden under his mask, revealing a pair of eyes as clear as a cold pool.
Gu Weiyu's breath hitched, and only one thought remained in her mind: she wanted to escape!
Just as he was turning around, his wrist was gripped by an irresistible force.
"Teacher Gu, it's been so long, you really didn't even say hello?" The man's magnetic voice swept over my eardrums.
Her throat tightened, and she managed to utter four dry words: "Long time no see."
The man tightened his grip, his gaze fixed intently on her: "Get in the car, let's talk."
"What are we going to talk about?" she blurted out. "We have nothing to do with each other anymore."
"Are you sure?" The man suddenly leaned forward, his already cold eyes clouded with malice. "Since it's over, how about... you settle the breakup fee from back then?"
Gu Weiyu swayed, and the composure she had been putting on instantly crumbled.
Yes, she was the one who insisted on breaking up with me, and she was also the one who blocked and deleted me.
He should hold a grudge against her.
————
Seven years into his career, Ming Ji has won numerous awards and firmly holds the title of "Prince of Love Songs" in the music industry. Yet, this top star, who sings of love's sorrows across the world, has remained scandal-free since his debut.
Fans and industry insiders alike are curious about where his heart-wrenching inspirations come from.
During a live interview, the host couldn't help but ask on behalf of everyone: "Myojin has written so many popular love songs at such a young age, he must have had a lot of romantic experiences, right?"
Under the flashing lights, the man's handsome face suddenly darkened, and he lowered his eyelashes, deep in thought for a long time. When he looked up again, a forlorn self-deprecating expression graced his face: "You mean... the experience of being dumped?"
The host was speechless, and the live stream was in an uproar.
"How could someone like you possibly get dumped?"
Mingji suddenly curled her lips into a captivating smile, and casually said, "I was just kidding... Inspiration is everywhere, and it has nothing to do with the amount of romantic experience one has."
A seemingly casual "joke" stirred up a huge wave of gossip media and fans, all determined to find the mysterious person who had "started a relationship with the top star and then abandoned him." Unfortunately, it was all just hearsay.
————
A folk-themed slow-paced variety show recently broadcast on Orange TV has become a dark horse during the summer season.
Although fans don't understand why their idol would lower himself to participate in this poorly produced variety show, they can only support him through tears.
After three episodes of the show, undercurrents began to surge in Mingji's fan community:
Don't you guys think that the spirits seem to always revolve around a certain person?
Could this be her ex-boyfriend?
[It's just a script; let's stop with these forced pairings!]
Late at night, the battle in the super topic had not yet ended.
At the center of the storm, a top celebrity cornered his beloved ex-girlfriend in a blind spot of the surveillance cameras.
His burning lips and tongue, driven by a desperate madness, pressed against her earlobe. His eyes reddened as he clung to her, his hoarse, tearful voice breaking in the dim light: "Sister, didn't you used to love it when I kissed you like this? I'm strong enough now, can you... take me back?"
[A cool, world-weary folk singer × A loyal, devoted top-tier music star]
The male lead is already an adult when the female lead and the male lead are 5 years apart in age.
This is a semi-entertainment industry story; there are no real-life prototypes. Please do not associate it with real people.
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