After the on-site investigation work concluded, Qian Fei and Li Yifei returned to their respective companies.
Since that night of drinking, Qian Fei felt that Li Yifei was acting somewhat strange. However, she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was off. She sensed that he seemed to be caught in a state of conflicted emotions and confusion. Feeling slightly annoyed, she thought that perhaps Gui Lili’s marriage had affected him more deeply than expected.
Rumors of the IPO gates reopening circulated several times, but each instance was cruelly proven to be baseless. With no end in sight for the reopening, over 700 companies had already reported to the Securities Regulatory Commission. Unable to issue stocks or raise funds, investment banks began to struggle. Many securities firms started reducing the allowances for their sponsoring representatives. Qian Fei’s company fared even worse, not only cutting sponsorship allowances but also reducing employee salaries.
When the new month’s salary arrived, Qian Fei nearly fell to her knees in despair. Her wages had been slashed by a full 800 yuan. Xiao Yuan was even more outraged, slamming the table and cursing the headquarters: “Who the hell came up with this idea? My salary is now lower than a noodle shop waitress. I’d be embarrassed to call myself a white-collar worker anymore!”
Sister Jin tried to calm everyone down: “Keep it down, everyone. This is just the first step. If the IPO gates don’t reopen soon, I suspect layoffs might be next!”
With that, no one dared to openly complain anymore.
However, behind the scenes, everyone seized any opportunity to recover some money. For instance, instead of taking taxis for business trips as before, they now squeeze onto the subway, and then ask friends for taxi receipts to claim reimbursement from the company. In the past, people were hesitant to ask for receipts when dining out, but now they not only request receipts for their meals but also ask friends to provide extra receipts. Once they had accumulated enough, they would submit them to the project manager at the end of the month under the guise of project activity expenses, effectively recouping some of their lost wages.
Liu Yifeng was particularly kind to Qian Fei, turning a blind eye to her receipts. He didn’t scrutinize them closely, simply signing his name in the project manager column whenever she presented them. Qian Fei was immensely grateful to him; without these reimbursements, she might have struggled to keep up with her mortgage payments.
However, Sister Jin privately shared some unconfirmed insider information with her, cautioning her not to spread it further.
“I heard that a certain joint-venture securities firm might be trying to poach Manager Kong and Liu Yifeng!”
Qian Fei’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this news. Just as she had established good relationships with Manager Kong and Liu Yifeng, she received such troubling information. She felt that fate was truly toying with her. She decided to visit the Yonghe Temple over the weekend to pray, hoping that Buddha would bless Manager Kong and Liu Yifeng to stay with the company a while longer, at least until she became more established in her role.
Previously, the company had a benefit where formal employees could apply for a new computer every three years. Qian Fei had already claimed one three years ago—the laptop she was currently using at home. Initially, she thought her current laptop was still functional and didn’t want to take advantage of company resources. However, since the salary cut, she felt her spirit had been severely wounded and urgently needed other benefits to heal this wound. She decided to abandon her noble intentions and actively exercise her rights.
Unfamiliar with Apple’s operating system, she ultimately chose to forgo the trendy option and instead bought a practical and durable ThinkPad.
While tinkering with her new computer that evening, she received a call from Yao Jingjing. Yao Jingjing asked for her help with a matter over the phone.
“Feifei, I have an aunt from my hometown who married into a rural family when she was young. They’ve always struggled financially. Her daughter, my cousin, is very honest but didn’t do well in school and couldn’t get into university. My aunt heard that I was in Beijing and asked me to find a culinary school for my cousin to learn how to be a chef. I’ve already inquired about schools and accommodation, and they’re coming this weekend. But Lu Ze has some business to attend to, and neither of us can get away. So, Feifei, I need to trouble you to help take care of my aunt and cousin!”
Qian Fei immediately agreed, “No problem, I’ve got it covered!”
Yao Jingjing expressed her gratitude over the phone: “Feifei, please take good care of them. My uncle passed away early, and my aunt has had a hard time raising my cousin alone. When I was little, I used to stay at their place during holidays. Now that they’re finally asking me for help, I can’t even be there!”
Qian Fei reassured her, “With me on the job, what’s there to worry about? Aren’t I more reliable than you? Just watch, I’ll make sure everything goes smoothly!”
That weekend, Qian Fei told Li Yifei she was going out to grab a bite as she had some business to attend to.
Li Yifei pressed her for details. Qian Fei briefly explained Yao Jingjing’s request.
Sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, Li Yifei let out a long “Oh,” and said, “You should be awarded the March 8th Red Banner for your kindness!” Then, tapping his foot and raising an eyebrow, he continued, “Normally, young master me don’t bother with such trivial matters. But today, I’m in a good mood. As it happens, a buddy of mine has an uncle who’s the principal of that school. If you want to secure a good spot for this kid and waive some unnecessary fees, it’s just a phone call away for me. If you’re interested, come over here and flatter me quickly. You’ve got thirty seconds.”
Without hesitation, Qian Fei rushed over, hugged Li Yifei’s leg, and began shaking it, “Oh great one, hero, champion! Please make that call! I’ll cover the phone bill, and I’ll give you a whole yuan for every fifty cents spent! How does that song go? You’re like a roaring fire in winter, warming my heart!”
Li Yifei shook his leg to dislodge her, “What are you doing? Stop trying to get handsy with me!” He picked up his phone and made a call. Qian Fei listened intently from the side. He spoke like a commanding officer, and through the phone, she could almost hear the person on the other end nodding vigorously like a subordinate, saying “Yes, yes, of course, no problem” repeatedly.
She marveled at how this young master had truly mastered the art of issuing orders.
Li Yifei hung up the phone and informed her that everything had been arranged. He guaranteed that Yao Jingjing’s cousin would be assigned a top-tier spot.
Qian Fei glanced at her watch, realizing there was no time to compose an 800-word praise. She quickly said, “I’ll stir-fry some eggplant strips for you later,” and dashed out the door towards the train station.
Behind her, Li Yifei’s voice seemed to linger in the air. Unfortunately, she didn’t catch what he said. The young master had condescended to ask if she wanted him to accompany her.
Thus, she missed seeing Li Yifei’s cold, frowning face as he huffed indignantly at being ignored, in his typical tsundere fashion.
After picking up Yao Jingjing’s aunt and cousin, Qian Fei took them to the school address and ran back and forth helping with the paperwork. True to Li Yifei’s word, the phone call had exempted the cousin from many fees, and she was able to stay in a two-person room at the price of an eight-person dorm. Qian Fei genuinely felt that she should cook something special for Li Yifei when she got back.
After paying the fees, Qian Fei took the cousin to the dormitory, helped make the bed, tidied the room, and introduced her to her roommates, taking care of every detail she could think of thoroughly and properly.
After settling everything, Qian Fei decided to treat the aunt and cousin to a nice meal before seeing them off. During their conversation at the dinner table, Qian Fei was surprised to learn of the cousin’s intense longing for a laptop. She said, “When I earn money, I’ll give two-thirds to my ma, and save one-third to buy a laptop!”
Qian Fei’s heart ached to hear this. This child had such a modest wish after all her hard work. After dinner, she rushed home, transferred her files from her old laptop, and then hurried back to the culinary school.
When she handed the laptop to the cousin, the girl cried with joy. The aunt insisted on paying, but Qian Fei firmly refused, saying it was Yao Jingjing’s idea. In the end, the aunt also cried, holding Qian Fei’s hand and saying, “How can I ever thank you enough, niece?”
Qian Fei felt a lump in her throat. Having lived in the glittering big city for so long, she had almost forgotten what it meant to be “content.” In contrast, despite their poorer living conditions, the aunt and cousin seemed to know more about contentment and gratitude.
The next day, Qian Fei saw the aunt off at the train station. On her way home on the subway, she received a call from Yao Jingjing.
“Feifei, thank you so much for taking such good care of my aunt and cousin! My aunt called me in tears, saying you even gave your laptop to my cousin! Feifei, I won’t say anything too mushy, we’ve got a lifetime ahead of us, and I’ll treat you well! Also, Feifei, happy birthday! I love you forever, girl!”
Only then did Qian Fei remember that today was her birthday.
Qian Fei felt a warmth in her heart as she playfully retorted, “You vixen, don’t get all sentimental on me, I can’t handle it!”
Just as she was about to exit the subway, she received a text message from an unknown number. It contained just four words: “Happy birthday to you.”
She looked at the number from all angles but couldn’t recognize it. However, since this person knew it was her birthday, they must know her.
She tried calling the number back, but all she got was an automated female voice saying, “The number you have dialed is currently unavailable.”
Qian Fei found this a bit bizarre, wondering how a deactivated phone could send text messages.
When she got home, Qian Fei was surprised to find the dining table full of dishes, with a case of beer on the floor beside it. Hearing her open the door, Li Yifei emerged from his room.
Qian Fei was so shocked her jaw nearly hit the floor. She pointed at the table and asked Li Yifei, “Did you make all this?”
Li Yifei’s lips curled into a smirk, “Would you believe me if I said I did?”
Qian Fei shook her head, “No!” After a pause, she knocked her head, saying, “Oh right, why am I so surprised then?” She guessed confidently, “You ordered takeout, right?”
Li Yifei nodded and went into the kitchen. When he came out, he was holding a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses.
Qian Fei was a bit puzzled, “What’s the occasion? Breaking out the red wine?”
Li Yifei said, “It’s your birthday after all. I’m elevating the quality and style of your life a bit!”
Qian Fei chuckled, “Oh, so you remembered it’s my birthday too! Hehe!” She kicked the beer by her feet and asked, “What about these then?”
Li Yifei replied, “We’ll get to those after the red wine.” He casually rolled his eyes and asked, “Besides me, who else remembered your birthday?”
Qian Fei said, “The vixen and a strange number.”
Li Yifei poured two glasses of red wine, handed one to Qian Fei, and kept one for himself. He asked, “A strange number?”
Qian Fei handed her phone to Li Yifei, “Look here! It’s really weird. I tried calling back to ask who it was, but it always said the number was unavailable. I didn’t know deactivated phones could still send text messages, did you?”
Li Yifei looked at the number on the phone, memorizing it instantly. His heart skipped a beat as he returned the phone to Qian Fei. He put his wine glass on the table and said he needed to use the bathroom before joining her for a drink. Once in the bathroom, he used his phone to dial that number.
The ringtone that greeted him took him by complete surprise.
He was all too familiar with the most obnoxious ringtone in all of Beijing, having mocked the old man’s generation of managers countless times for their marketing tactics. Yet that stubborn old man paid no attention to his ridicule, insisting that every employee in the group use this absurd ringtone. Even more absurdly, there was a group of people who took pride in using such a ringtone.
Amidst a string of melodious music, a gentle female voice announced: “We warmly celebrate Qiansheng Group’s new heights! We welcome sincere individuals to discuss cooperation! Qiansheng Group, a company with…”
Before the glorious history could be fully recounted, someone picked up the phone. A man’s voice asked, “Hello, may I ask who’s calling?”
Li Yifei quickly composed himself, suppressing his shock. He lowered his voice and improvised, “Is this Manager Wang?”
The person on the other end sounded displeased, “No, you’ve got the wrong number!”
Li Yifei quickly asked before the call could be ended, “I’m sorry, may I ask for your surname? Deputy Director Liao gave me a number to contact Manager Wang, but I seem to have reached you instead!”
Upon hearing Deputy Director Liao mentioned, the other person’s tone changed. He set aside his impatience and said, “My surname is Wang. The Manager Wang you mentioned retired at the end of last year. I’ve taken over his position now!”
Li Yifei replied, “Oh, I see. I must have misunderstood. I’ll ask for Manager Wang’s new number then!”
He hung up the phone, his mind racing through a thousand thoughts.
He remembered Qian Fei mentioning that her cheating ex-boyfriend’s surname was Wang, though he couldn’t recall the full name.
He also recalled her saying that he worked for a big company. But he never imagined that this big company would be the old man’s company.
He felt somewhat displeased. Of course, he knew that Manager Wang had retired at the end of last year, but he hadn’t expected this Wang to be the successor. He had climbed the ladder quite quickly!
What was this Wang up to? It was clear that he had blacklisted Qian Fei’s number, so why did he send her a birthday message?
Li Yifei felt that this pretty boy was bullying people too much. What right did he have to toy with his honest and naive ex-girlfriend on a whim?
At that moment, he suddenly had an urge to reconcile with the old man!