Chapter 2 (7)
Someone from my hometown came. Yu Yide showed up.
He came to his sister's place, beat one up, and got some news.
This news is much more important than my old family.
Someone was pursuing Yu Rui. And that person was quite talented. He had to act quickly.
We'd arranged to go to the movies several times, but Yu Rui wasn't available. Yu Shuang confirmed this was indeed the case. Rui was now the mainstay of the PR department, incredibly busy. Sometimes she'd almost have meetings at noon, afternoon, and evening. She'd get home past midnight, barely even having time to shower, and would just fall asleep. She made a lot of money, but it was just too tiring.
Yu Yi called Yu Rui.
Yu Rui usually asks directly: "What's the matter?"
This left Yu Yi with a difficult question to answer. His sister, Yu Jia, urged him to be brave. Yu Yi, a science-savvy person, knew that the sooner he confessed his feelings, the better. However, he had to meet her in person. After much deliberation, Yu Yi decided that White Valentine's Day was the day to confess his feelings to Yu Rui.
When Yu Rui called, she said, "Meet me in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel at 1 p.m." Yu Yi said no problem. Since he couldn't borrow a car, and the Marriott wasn't far away, he rode the electric scooter he usually used at school to avoid traffic.
Unexpectedly, Yu Yi had gotten up early and arrived late, ending up at the wrong hotel. After the dinner, Yu Rui waited for him in the lobby for ten minutes. When he didn't show up, she had no choice but to follow the car to the next dinner. Yu Yi called, and Yu Rui gave her the license plate number. Looking back, she saw Yu Yi, helmeted and riding an electric scooter, following behind.
The male leader sitting in the back seat noticed this interesting detail and said, "Who did something wrong?" No one in the car knew what he meant.
"Why is there a plainclothes officer following us?" he said in a scornful tone.
Everyone turned around to look. A man on an electric scooter was trying to survive between the many large vehicles.
"He's my friend." Yu Rui admitted.
"Is today White Day?" the male leader asked, prompting everyone to reflect. The girls started to chuckle. "We're just friends, but something's up." Yu Rui didn't need to explain. The male leader then asked them to pull over so Director Yu could speak first. Yu Rui quickly said no. Work was the priority. The driver had no choice but to continue driving.
When they arrived, Yu Yi sent a message, telling her to focus on her work, saying he was waiting outside and there was no rush. Yu Rui, perhaps guessing his intentions, felt a bit embarrassed. She knew Jiajie's expectations, but she couldn't force herself to accept someone she didn't like just because of other people's expectations. That would be irresponsible to both parties. She could imagine the awkwardness of rejection.
Yu Rui gave herself the assurance that she would act according to circumstances.
Afternoon tea still included alcohol. At noon, it was baijiu, and in the afternoon, it was foreign liquor. It was a meeting with owners of several small companies, and the department wanted them to place advertisements. Yu Rui drank a bit too much at lunch. After eating a few macarons, her stomach felt uncomfortable, so she went to the bathroom to vomit—but she did it discreetly, not wanting anyone to notice. She fixed her makeup and went out to continue the fight.
This is professional ethics.
Sit down again. Another toast.
"I'll do it." A hand reached out. Yu Rui looked up. It was the owner of the small company, Mr. Shi. His full name was... Shi... but she couldn't remember it at the moment. Someone else laughed and said that Mr. Shi was a womanizer.
Because of this drink, Yu Rui took a closer look at Shi. He wasn't tall, a little overweight, with a flat head, eyes that weren't too big or too small, a nose that wasn't too high or too short, and lips that weren't thick or thin. At first glance, there wasn't much to remember. If it weren't for his small fortune and being a local, he might not have made the grade.
Because she was drinking for him, Yu Rui chatted with him for a few more minutes.
She found him quite talkative. He was the kind of man who gained more points by talking rather than just watching.
He is five years older than her.
The male boss started to make trouble again. "Our Director Yu doesn't even have a boyfriend." What a terrible boss.
Another girl—Yu Rui's rival—said, "Maybe she's waiting outside." Yu Rui's face flushed. It wasn't from the alcohol. She knew that Yu Yi must be a complete idiot in the eyes of these people. Even if his sincerity was 99 out of 100, that electric bike would immediately bring his score down to a failing grade. Yu Rui could guarantee that none of the girls here would date a man who rode an electric bike.
The excitement died down. The crowd dispersed and began talking in groups of two or three.
Mr. Shi and Yu Rui sat together naturally.
"It must be fake." He was still holding the wine glass.
She was stunned for a moment. "Really."
"I mean your ring."
"Oh, fake." She couldn't afford emeralds.
"That's fake too?"
"What?"
"I don't have a boyfriend."
"real."
Mr. Shi laughed. Yu Rui laughed too. She regained some sense of humor and relaxed.
"This is 100% true." Yu Rui said.
"So let's help each other today." He was still smiling.
"Thanks."
“This job is not easy.”
“Life is not easy.”
"Girls like you shouldn't have to work so hard." He called her "girl".
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Can I pursue you?"
A bombshell.
Half sober. Pretty direct. No joke.
Yu Rui didn't know how to respond. Saying no would be too petty and would only block her own path. Saying yes would seem beneath her dignity. She had to maintain the reserved demeanor of a beautiful woman.
Besides, his true character remains to be seen. Don't panic. Stay calm.
"You have the freedom." Yu Rui smiled, maintaining her elegance.
After the game ended, Yu Rui walked out with Shi. The problems Yu Yi had brought her were solved. Before he could confess his feelings, Yu Rui introduced him, saying, "This is my boyfriend," referring to Mr. Shi. "This is my good friend," referring to Yu Yi.
The relationship is clear and there is no entanglement.
Yu Yi's confession suddenly seemed unnecessary. It felt like an actor preparing a thank-you speech but ultimately failing to win an award.
Yu Yi could only stand there, overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Shi drove the SUV over, making Yu Yi's electric car look even shabbier.
Yu Yi felt uncomfortable. She felt bad for him, too. However, Yu Rui saw it as a quick and easy way to cut the Gordian knot. She didn't need to say no outright, but simply rejecting him was a gentle move, killing three birds with one stone. In that sense, it was also a kind act of mercy.
She hugged Yu Yi.
Yu Yi asked her to go first.
After getting in the car, Yu Rui didn't look back. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"They're chasing me pretty closely."
"no way."
"That's the trouble with good-looking people."
"Sorry to have you act out this drama," she said, trying to be funny. It wasn't funny.
"It's a small matter." He was open-minded.
"It's not true," she explained, but it felt redundant.
"I know what's going on." He freed a hand and touched his chest.
"Thank you, Mr. Shi."
"And call him Mr. Shi."
She didn't know his full name yet, so she could only hide it with laughter.
"Shi Tongguang." He introduced himself.
Yu Jia felt a little unhappy after hearing her brother's description. She felt that Yu Rui shouldn't have given Yu Yi any chance at all. He was a student, poor, and uncertain, but who could say for sure that he wouldn't be a successful person in ten or twenty years? However, Yu Jia understood Yu Rui. Her family situation didn't allow her to wait for a decade or two, accompanying a man through the process of germination, growth, blossoming, and bearing fruit. She wanted to reap the fruits right away. On the other hand, such a blunt refusal might have saved Yu Yi a disaster.
"She just thinks I'm poor." Yu Yi said.
"You are poor," Yu Jia said, "but you won't be poor forever. You should find a Marie Curie, not Diana."
There was one more thing Yu Jia left unsaid. Even if Yu Yi suddenly inherited a large fortune, Yu Rui wouldn't necessarily be attracted to him. Wealth is just the starting point. The ability, charm, vision, and demeanor accumulated in the process of creating wealth—these intangible assets of a man—are a huge draw for women. Yu Rui likes successful men. However, Yu Jia was curious about Yu Rui's boyfriend. In the past, Yu Rui's boyfriends were like ghosts—heard of them all the time, but never seen.
This is the first time he has appeared.
Yu Yi simply summarized Shi Tongguang as: middle-aged and greasy.
He was a bit greasy, middle-aged, in his thirties, unmarried, with a small fortune, a local, and a clean record. All these factors combined to prompt Yu Rui to decide on this gamble.
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