Chapter 6
Are you trying to please me?
Xu Que's inquiry was not without reason. Although the agreement stated a maximum term of three years, it was not impossible for Jiang Fengyi to terminate it temporarily if she was not satisfied.
He Shuyi was unaware of the agreement between the two. She simply assumed that the other party had finally understood and nodded in satisfaction. This person, Wishing Bottle, was truly teachable.
She immediately shared all the theories and experiences she had accumulated over the years regarding relationships.
"First, you need to find ways to create more opportunities for the two of you to spend time together."
Xu Que was at Jiang Fengyi's house at the moment, and replied truthfully, "We have quite a few opportunities to spend time together."
He Shuyi: "That makes things easier!"
"Next, I'll teach you how to win someone's favor in everyday interactions."
Xu listened attentively.
She was serious, displaying the same focus she had when attending advanced mathematics class, and even opened her phone's memo app when she heard important parts.
He Shuyi taught Xu Que all the dating skills she had learned online without reservation.
"First, you need to..."
One speaks, the other listens.
The sunlight streaming through the window slants slowly and gradually slants as time passes.
"I've told you everything I know. I hope you can become your boss's confidant soon. Good luck!"
"Thanks."
Xu attended a masterclass all afternoon and didn't emerge from her room until nearly evening. The love guru, Wan Juanshu, advised her that she couldn't just listen to theory; she needed to combine it with practice.
This is why she lingered at Jiang Fengyi's door.
But he never had the courage to knock on the door in front of him.
What are you doing standing here?
"What's up?"
As soon as Jiang Fengyi opened the door, Xu Que's conflicted face suddenly came into view.
She had just finished an online meeting, her glasses still on her nose, her light brown pupils looking directly at the other person through the clear lenses.
Xu nodded, then shook his head violently.
As she shook her head, the ends of her hair swept across the air with a faint scent of shampoo. Jiang Fengyi sniffed lightly and found that the fragrance was similar to, yet slightly different from, the shampoo that her family bought in bulk.
There was an extra scent belonging to Xu Que, a faint fragrance, similar to the fresh scent of grass on the soil after rain.
The slight annoyance Jiang Fengyi felt during the afternoon meeting with the group of old men on the board of directors due to their argument was completely swept away by the fragrance of fresh grass.
Jiang Fengyi stared at the slightly upturned ends of Xu Que's hair and asked, "Nodding and then shaking your head, what does that mean?"
Xu encouraged herself, mustered her courage, and took a step forward, bringing the two of them closer.
This was the first time she had seen Jiang Fengyi wearing glasses; he seemed more aloof, yet more attractive to her than ever before.
Xu forced herself to ask, "I do have something to ask you, but..." Her voice trailed off, "but it's not very important. If you're busy, I won't bother you for now."
I recalled the advice the relationship guru gave me that afternoon.
In the early stages of getting to know someone, subtly showcase your strengths to earn their appreciation.
Jiang Fengyi asked, "I'm curious, what is this 'not so important' thing you mentioned?"
"What dishes would you like to eat tonight? I'll cook."
Eating is something that is important in some ways, but not in others.
Xu's strengths are that she can cook, communicate well, and is obedient. Right now, she seems to have become a kindergarten child, hoping to use her strengths to earn the teacher's praise.
"So that's why you've been standing at my door for so long?"
Jiang Fengyi glanced at the time: "Isn't it too early to prepare dinner at this hour?"
Xu, preoccupied with her nervousness, didn't notice that Jiang Fengyi already knew she had been standing at the door for a long time. She hurriedly asked, "Would you like some fruit? I'll go cut you a plate."
Jiang Fengyi didn't answer, but instead asked, "What are you doing...?"
She paused deliberately, and as she wished, she saw Xu's face slowly turning red with panic.
"Are you trying to please me?"
Jiang Fengyi's tone was more of a statement than a question.
We've been discovered!
Xu panicked immediately. Would Jiang Fengyi think she was an opportunist?
Was she making it so obvious? She clearly doesn't have the qualities to be a boss's confidante.
Xu Que's expression was easy to understand. Jiang Fengyi already knew the answer. Seeing her face turn as red as a monkey's bottom, he stopped teasing her.
"I want to eat cola chicken wings, boiled shrimp, and garlic lettuce for dinner."
"Okay, okay, I'll make it for you right away."
Xu tried to escape, but found herself facing resistance behind her. Turning around, she saw Jiang Fengyi tightly gripping her sleeve.
"Wait, no rush."
The heat on Xu's face gradually subsided, leaving only a thin layer of powder.
Jiang Fengyi's gaze moved from the ends of her hair to her cheeks.
"Answer me first, why are you trying to please me?"
"I...I..."
Damn it, the dating guru didn't tell her what to do in this situation.
You definitely can't say to your boss, "I'm trying to please you because I'm very satisfied with the salary you give me and I don't want to be fired."
Xu's mind raced, and after a moment he stammered out a sentence.
“This is my sincerity towards my business partner,” Xu said, finding an excuse. “Since I’ve accepted your payment, I have to work hard for you.”
Jiang Fengyi was skeptical. Although both Xu and the aunt were paid to cook, Xu gave her a different feeling.
But if you ask her to pinpoint exactly what's wrong, she can't. Since she can't figure it out, she simply stops thinking about it.
Jiang Fengyi walked past Xu Que and headed towards the living room.
"Then could you please wash some fruit for me?"
"good!"
When Xu came out with the fruit platter, Jiang Fengyi had already found a comfortable spot on the sofa, nestled there with her eyes slightly closed and a deep weariness showing between her brows.
Afraid of waking the sleeping person, Xu quietly placed the fruit plate on the coffee table. Then she went back to her room and brought out a thin blanket.
He gently draped it over Jiang Fengyi.
Jiang Fengyi had a very long dream, the details of which she could not remember clearly. She only vaguely remembered that there was a meadow where she was surrounded by the fragrance of grass.
As the sun set and the red clouds dispersed, the last golden rays disappeared behind the mountains before Jiang Fengyi finally awoke.
The living room was dark and the lights were off. Just as Jiang Fengyi was about to get up and turn on the light, the person sitting quietly on the other side of the sofa noticed her immediately and pressed the switch before she could.
"You're awake?"
The sudden flash of light shone through the glass lenses of Jiang Fengyi's glasses, directly into her eyes. She had to squint to adjust, and only after her eyes had adjusted to the light did she reach out and take off the glasses that were in the way.
What time is it?
My voice is hoarser than usual when I speak.
"Six-thirty."
As Xu returned, he brought over a glass of warm water: "To soothe your throat."
Jiang Fengyi tilted her head back and drank it down, seemingly unable to believe it: "I slept for so long?"
"Dinner is ready. Would you like to eat now or later?"
Jiang Fengyi put down the half-finished glass of water, pinched her brow, and stood up from the sofa: "Eat now."
The two arrived at the restaurant one after the other.
The dishes Jiang Fengyi had ordered before going to bed were already laid out on the table, and a plate of fruit was placed separately on the other side. The fruit had been exposed to the air for too long and was beginning to show signs of oxidation and yellowing.
Jiang Fengyi's gaze swept past the fruit plate and landed on the brightly colored dishes, which looked so appetizing that they whetted her appetite.
"Thank you for your help. Let's eat."
"Hmm~"
Jiang Fengyi took a bite of the chicken wing. The meat was tender and juicy, and the rich sauce, along with the soft meat and bones, exploded in her mouth. It was sweet but not greasy, and salty with a hint of freshness.
"Delicious!"
Seeing Jiang Fengyi eating with satisfaction, Xu's lips curled up slightly.
"By the way, when you return to the company, just come with me to the 22nd floor. You don't need to make a separate trip to the HR department."
"Thank you for your trouble."
Jiang Fengyi laughed out loud, "Are you taking back what I just said?" She swallowed a mouthful of rice, "We can't be too polite between us."
Being overly polite can make you seem distant, more like strangers who have just met than like a couple who have been together for many years.
You can treat me as someone you know.
Familiar faces? Xu's mind flashed through the faces of many people in the orphanage. Recalling her interactions with them, she nodded knowingly.
"Okay, I've got it."
The remaining two days of holiday passed in the blink of an eye.
That morning, Jiang Fengyi was woken up by her alarm clock, yawning as she got up to wash. She was taking Xu Que back to the company today, so she got up very early.
After she changed her clothes and came out of the room, she saw that Xu had already prepared a sumptuous breakfast.
"Auntie is coming back today, you don't need to..."
"This breakfast is not for you as the employer, but for you as the friend."
"You want me to treat you like someone I know."
In Xu Que's life, only the group of friends who grew up with him in the orphanage are the most familiar to him.
*
Jingjiang Technology, 22nd floor.
He Shuyi ended her wonderful holiday of staying at home, and on the day she returned to work, she felt uncomfortable all over.
When her boss, Wu Qi, who was also Jiang Fengyi's assistant, saw her, he joked, "What's wrong? Haven't you had enough rest after three days at home?"
He Shuyi handed her a rice ball, saying, "No one complains about having too many holidays."
"I haven't had the rice balls from downstairs in three days, and I'm starting to miss them."
As she took the rice ball, she handed him a cup of black coffee: "Cheer up, you're training a new person today."
"What!"
Before He Shuyi could even swallow the food in her mouth, she asked anxiously, "Why would you make me mentor a newcomer? Aren't I a newcomer myself, being mentored by you?"
"Everyone on the 22nd floor is more qualified than me to mentor newcomers, so how come they directly chose me to mentor them?"
She looked puzzled: "I hadn't heard anything about our department hiring new people before, why is it so sudden?"
"Who knew that what the higher-ups meant was that after breakfast, we should pack up and come with them to the HR department to pick someone up."
He Shuyi finished the rest of the rice ball in a few bites, almost choking herself to death.
While the two were waiting for the elevator, she noticed that no one was around, so she quietly approached Wu Qi and asked in a whisper.
"Sister Wu, can you tell me secretly? Is this person someone with connections?"
Before Wu Qi could answer, she speculated to herself, "This person must have some really strong connections to be able to be parachuted into the 22nd floor."
Her eyes gleamed with gossip: "Could it be someone planted by Chairman Jiang's side, like last time?"
"Then I must be polite to her later, so as not to make things difficult for her."
Wu Qi didn't have time to answer her. She glanced down at her phone and stopped herself from stepping into the elevator.
"No need to go to the HR department to pick them up."
He Shuyi was puzzled. "Why? She hasn't arrived yet?"
She glanced at the time on her phone screen; it was already past the check-in time.
"As expected of someone with connections, he was late on his first day of work."
"She's in President Jiang's office right now."
"She's one of President Jiang's people!"
He Shuyi watched as the elevator doors slowly closed in front of her.
"But we've been standing in front of the elevator the whole time, and we haven't seen anyone come out!"
Wu Qi turned her head and glanced at her indifferently. She had been taking care of He Shuyi for two months and knew the girl's personality better than anyone else. She was easy to understand, had no guile, and wore her heart on her sleeve.
Most importantly, she's easy to get along with, the easiest person to get along with on the entire 22nd floor, bar none. Aside from being a little gossipy, she's practically an innocent little rabbit compared to the other shrewd people in the department.
"Of course you can't see it from here in front of the elevator. President Jiang took her in a private elevator directly to his office."
"With, with President Jiang, take the private elevator!"
She looked at Wu Qi in disbelief and pointed to herself.
"This...this person with such a high status, you want me to take care of them?"
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