The latter half of last night’s phone call had left Li Yifei so excited that he refused to hang up, insisting on chatting endlessly with Qian Fei. By the time she went to bed, it was almost three in the morning. Yet she had to be up before seven to catch her flight. Unable to book tickets on the same flight as the rest of her visiting team, she was scheduled to land an hour earlier than the others. They had agreed to meet at the airport exit upon arrival.
Once on the plane, Qian Fei was swaying with exhaustion. As soon as the aircraft stabilized after takeoff, she unceremoniously slumped over the small tray table and fell into a deep sleep.
When the flight attendant came to distribute breakfast, Qian Fei roused herself and, half-asleep, wolfed down a meal box at lightning speed. Her war-like eating caught the amused attention of the smartly dressed man in his forties sitting next to her, who chuckled at the sight.
After finishing, she pushed the meal box to the corner of the tray table, intending to resume her nap. However, the tray was too small, with the meal box occupying half the space, making it impossible for her to find a comfortable position.
The well-dressed gentleman, still smiling, quietly moved her meal box to his table. Qian Fei forced her bleary eyes open, muttered a thank you, and promptly collapsed back into a deep slumber.
It wasn’t until the plane was preparing to land that she was gently awakened by her seatmate. Remembering she had to meet corporate clients after disembarking, Qian Fei struggled to shake off her drowsiness.
She vigorously slapped her cheeks, the loud smacks once again amusing her neighbor.
“You seem very tired!” he remarked.
It took Qian Fei a moment to realize that the successful-looking gentleman beside her was addressing her.
“Ah? Oh! Yes, I went to bed too late last night!” she replied with a small smile.
The landing announcement was playing over the speakers.
The man’s eyes sparkled with interest as he continued, “What kind of work do you do that’s so demanding?”
Qian Fei responded politely but briefly, “I work in investment banking.”
His eyes lit up even more. “Oh? It’s quite impressive for a young woman to be in investment banking! Are you based in Dalian?”
Qian Fei shook her head with a smile, “No, I’m based in Beijing. I’m just in Dalian on a business trip.”
The plane had come to a complete stop. As Qian Fei stood up, her seatmate eagerly helped her retrieve her suitcase from the overhead compartment and followed her out of the cabin.
After disembarking, they both headed towards the exit.
As they walked, the man pulled out a business card and handed it to Qian Fei. “What a coincidence, my company is also in Beijing. Here’s my card!”
Qian Fei accepted the card and glanced at it, surprised to see it was from a listed company.
Looking at the man’s title, she was even more surprised to see he was the Chairman.
Filled with newfound respect, Qian Fei was about to search for one of her cards when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she thought it might be a case of sexual harassment.
She quickly turned around.
To her astonishment, the person touching her was none other than Li Yifei, who was supposed to be far away in Beijing.
“Chairman Meng, it’s been a while! What a surprise to see you here!” Li Yifei extended his right hand to shake hands with the well-dressed man, smiling.
Chairman Meng looked momentarily taken aback but quickly recovered with a bright smile. As he shook hands with Li Yifei, he glanced between him and Qian Fei, asking with a grin, “Xiao Li, is this your girlfriend?”
Without hesitation, Li Yifei said “Yes.” Chairman Meng responded with an “Oh,” and praised, “Your girlfriend is so accomplished and beautiful at such a young age. You’re a lucky man!”
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Chairman Meng tactfully excused himself. Before leaving, he hesitated for a moment, then said to Li Yifei and Qian Fei, “When you’re back in Beijing, I’d love to treat you both to dinner sometime!”
Out of politeness, they both casually agreed.
Once Chairman Meng was out of earshot, two voices spoke simultaneously.
Qian Fei asked in surprise, “How did you get here? Didn’t you say you were too busy with a project in Beijing to leave?”
Li Yifei erupted, “How can you cast such a wide net that even forty-year-old uncles aren’t spared!”
After a pause, Qian Fei said, “I didn’t cast any net. He was the one who started talking to me!”
Li Yifei retorted, “It’s a good thing I came to check on you. Otherwise, who knows how many rotten peach blossoms would have bloomed!”
Qian Fei rolled her eyes at him and asked, “Big brother, are you a monkey sent to witness that the Earth has truly become a global village where you can bump into acquaintances just by stepping outside?”
Li Yifei raised an eyebrow, “Please translate that last sentence into human language!”
Qian Fei grumbled, “I’m just asking, how is it such a coincidence that you know that person from earlier?”
Li Yifei explained, “I handled their company’s IPO, of course I know him! That old fox looks refined, but he’s quite the player. He’s got quite a knack for charming young girls. If he sets his sights on someone, that girl doesn’t stand a chance.” He paused, glancing sideways at Qian Fei, and added with a twist of his lips, “It’s a good thing I came today. Otherwise, who knows what he might have been planning for you! You troublemaker, you used to be so well-behaved. How did you become such a handful?”
Qian Fei put on a troubled expression, furrowing her brow, and said, “I’m worried too! Why do I keep attracting these forty to fifty-year-old middle-aged male youths? Where have all the young guys gone?”
Li Yifei’s eyes widened, “What do you mean by ‘keep attracting these forty to fifty-year-old middle-aged male youths’? This sentence is quite profound. Please explain it to me word by word, especially the word ‘keep.’ I’d like a detailed explanation of no less than 800 words, thank you!”
Qian Fei mimicked his raised eyebrow, “Why should I? Do you think you’re my bodyguard or something? Do I need to report every little thing to you?”
Li Yifei glared at her threateningly, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Better satisfy my request, or I’ll make a scene right here in public!”
Qian Fei spat out a “Bah!” at him before recounting an incident that occurred during a client visit to Xi’an.
The owner of the Xi’an client company, a man in his forties, had been extremely enthusiastic. After Qian Fei and her team’s visit, he not only insisted on treating them to a meal but also insisted on taking them for a stroll around the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an.
Throughout the trip, the owner was very keen on taking photos for everyone with his DSLR camera. However, as time went on, Qian Fei began to feel something was off. Afraid she might be overthinking, she didn’t voice her concerns but quietly became more cautious, making sure to stay close to a female lawyer around her age wherever they went.
Soon, the female lawyer whispered to her, “Qian Fei, don’t take this the wrong way, but doesn’t something feel a bit strange? I think the owner taking photos of others might just be a cover. It seems like he’s always looking for opportunities to photograph you!”
At this point, Qian Fei finally confirmed she wasn’t being overly sensitive.
After finishing the tour of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the owner enthusiastically suggested taking the group to see the Terracotta Warriors. Qian Fei firmly stated that she had already booked high-speed rail tickets to Changsha and needed to head to their next destination, thus bidding farewell to the overly enthusiastic Xi’an business owner.
Qian Fei asked Li Yifei, puzzled, “Tell me, I never flirted with them or made unnecessary small talk, so how did these things happen?”
Li Yifei glanced at her sideways, raised an eyebrow, and chuckled, “Because older people have poor eyesight!”
Qian Fei looked up at him ominously, “Then what about you constantly pestering me? How do you explain that?”
Without hesitation, Li Yifei said, “I’m blind, of course!”
If it weren’t for the crowds of people coming and going, Qian Fei would have liked to lift her skirt and deliver a flying sidekick to this infuriating man.
Li Yifei smugly moved closer, adopting a buddy-buddy pose as he put his arm around her shoulder, “Let me tell you, be more careful in the future. Stay away from those leering old comrades. They reek of medication!”
Qian Fei was confused, “What medication?”
Li Yifei said with a straight face, “Viagra and such.”
Qian Fei pushed him away, “Get lost!”
Li Yifei continued shamelessly, “Otherwise, what do you think drives men in their forties and fifties? Invincible true love?”
Qian Fei wanted to strangle this thick-skinned man, “Watch your mouth! Otherwise, when you’re in your forties or fifties and relying on medication for drive, won’t you feel like you’re slapping your face?”
Li Yifei tossed his head, “I’m different from others. I’m a perpetual motion machine! And my driving force is truly invincible true love for you!”
Qian Fei felt like she was about to throw up the little airplane food in her stomach.
While Li Yifei outwardly joked about men in their forties and fifties having poor eyesight, his true thoughts were quite different.
In his heart, he was filled with a sense of wonder.
He marveled at how he had almost overlooked something so beautiful.
At some point, that stubborn girl had begun to exude a unique charm. This allure was somewhere between that of a young girl and a young married woman – natural, fresh, warm, and uplifting. It made people feel incredibly comfortable and constantly want to be close to her. At this stage in her life, she could captivate men of all ages – attracting both naive young boys and mature older men alike.
He felt incredibly lucky to have encountered such a rough diamond that became more brilliant with each polishing. At the same time, he was gradually developing a sense of crisis.
Her goodness was no longer visible to him alone; other men were starting to notice it too.
This foolish big sister was changing every day. She had become resilient, confident, and capable. She was no longer working passively just to pay off her mortgage as she had before. She now had clear goals to strive for, and she worked hard to achieve them, doing jobs typically done by men without a single complaint of fatigue. With each passing day, she became more and more attractive, though she didn’t seem to realize just how charming she had become.
Sometimes, he truly wished she could have remained that tomboy landlady forever. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry more and more each day, constantly wondering if someone else had discovered her goodness again.
As they left the airport, Qian Fei asked Li Yifei, “By the way, why did you come here?”
Li Yifei casually told her, “I came to take care of some business.”
He told Qian Fei that after he finished his business, he would go to the Guangzhou Restaurant on Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street, and asked her to take a taxi there to meet him after she finished visiting the client.
Qian Fei agreed.
The subsequent interview went smoothly. The client’s boss couldn’t stop praising Qian Fei, and when they parted, he invited her to visit often if she had the chance. He also promised that if they ever wanted to go public, they would contact her to be the project manager. (There would be a commission for securing the project.)
After leaving the client’s company, Qian Fei told the other members of the visiting team that they were free to spend the remaining time as they wished. Those who wanted to go to Hangzhou could head to the airport now, while those who wanted to stroll around Guangzhou could take a later flight, as long as they could gather at the client’s company in Hangzhou the next morning.
Having arranged everything, everyone dispersed. Qian Fei took a taxi directly to the Guangzhou Restaurant.
Upon arrival, Qian Fei was shocked by the crowd waiting for tables. She felt the people’s endeavor to wait for a table was almost tragic.
She called Li Yifei to find out where he was sitting and asked the waiter to lead her directly to him. Along the way, she could feel the eyes of those waiting in line staring at her, filled with envy, hunger, or even hatred.
She felt quite smug, her sense of happiness silently soaring.
When she reached the private room, she was surprised to see that Li Yifei had ordered a table full of delicacies. Seeing her arrive, he stood up, pulled out a chair for her, and said, “I placed the order with the waiter when you called me from the car. Try these, they’re all Guangzhou’s most famous snacks!”
Qian Fei rolled up her sleeves and began to eat ravenously, showing no restraint.
Glutinous rice chicken, smooth custard buns, purple gold steamed phoenix claws, fresh shrimp siu mai, thin-skinned shrimp dumplings, water chestnut cake, preserved meat radish cake, honey-glazed barbecue sausage, beef tripe, and green vegetable pork sausage… She kept eating and eating until, in the end, she hadn’t stuffed herself to death, but she had nearly scared Li Yifei to death.
“Qian Qian, stop! I told you to try a bit of everything, not to finish everything! You’re eating yourself to death as if you’re not afraid I’ll find some little vixen to replace you!”
Qian Fei wiped the oil from her mouth, twisted her lips, and laughed coldly, “Do you know the saying ‘Life is precious, but good food is priceless’? Haven’t you heard the pioneers say, ‘For the sake of food, both fools and vixens can be cast aside’? Li Yifei, let me tell you, in the face of good food, you and any little vixen are nothing but clouds!”
Li Yifei put down his chopsticks, “Can we still get along pleasantly? How can you break up our affair just because you’ve satisfied your taste buds? Fine, since I’m just a cloud, why don’t you spit out everything of mine that you’ve eaten!”
Qian Fei said, “I can’t spit it out now, but how about this? Why don’t you praise yourself a couple more times, just like you usually do? I’m sure I’ll effortlessly return everything in my stomach to you!”
Li Yifei cursed, “Does it make you that uncomfortable when I speak some truth about myself?”
As they left the restaurant, Qian Fei patted her belly and asked Li Yifei, “Have you finished the business you came to Guangzhou for?”
Li Yifei glanced down at her, saying with a somewhat meaningful tone, “Mm, just finished.” Someone had finally eaten the glutinous rice chicken she had been craving.
Qian Fei asked, “Then you should be heading back to Beijing, right?”
Li Yifei said, “I’m going to Hangzhou with you.”
Qian Fei looked up, a bit confused, “What are you going to Hangzhou for? Are you that free?”
Li Yifei said, “Anyway, tomorrow’s Friday. After you finish visiting the companies in Hangzhou, I can accompany you to play in Hangzhou for two days.”
Qian Fei thought for a moment and asked, “What about things in Beijing? Didn’t you say there was a project you needed to keep an eye on?”
Li Yifei said, “Don’t worry about that.”
Qian Fei also felt that if she worried about things that weren’t her business, her stomach wouldn’t be happy, so she focused on digesting her meal.
That night, they flew together to Hangzhou.
Li Yifei found another hotel to stay in near the hotel where Qian Fei and the visiting team were staying.
The next day, after Qian Fei led everyone to visit the client, she discussed and arranged the subsequent actions with the group.
She agreed with everyone that Saturday would be free for individual activities, and they would gather early Sunday morning to set off for their next stop, Chengdu.
On Saturday, Qian Fei contacted two of her high school best friends who had settled in Hangzhou, Guan Meimei and Yi Xiaojin. Back in high school, she and these two were as close as Nezha, practically conjoined triplets with three heads and six arms.
When her old friends heard she was coming, they were so excited they fought over who would treat her to a meal at Longjing Caotang.
When it was time for the meal, Li Yifei stubbornly insisted on tagging along.
Qian Fei tried to dissuade him earnestly, “You shouldn’t go. You eat a lot, and Longjing Caotang is quite expensive. They’ll be annoyed when they see you!”
Li Yifei raised his eyebrow proudly, “Young master will pay for himself!” He paused, then twisted his lips and said, “No matter how much I eat, can I eat more than you? You ate a whole table yesterday. If I hadn’t stopped you, you would have swallowed the restaurant’s plates!”
Qian Fei wanted to kick him flying.
In the end, Li Yifei shamelessly went along.
But when he appeared, not only were Yi Xiaojin and Guan Meimei not annoyed, but they also showed an excessive, almost abnormal amount of affection.
Qian Fei criticized the two for being shallow, only looking at appearances without considering how expensive the menu would be.
Yi Xiaojin said, “Whether it’s expensive or not is our business!”
Guan Meimei said, “If it’s expensive, we’re happy to pay!”
Qian Fei could only roll her eyes, not knowing what else to do.
Li Yifei felt he was truly witnessing what it meant for birds of a feather to flock together. The people around Qian Fei all had similar personalities, from Yao Jingjing to Yi Xiaojin to Guan Meimei – sharp-tongued, straightforward, and collectively a bit lacking in intelligence.
After the food arrived, Yi Xiaojin and Guan Meimei asked Li Yifei while eating, “Young man, what’s your relationship with her?”
Qian Fei was about to say they had no relationship, but before she could open her mouth, Li Yifei had already stolen her words.
“We sleep together!” he said shamelessly.
Qian Fei choked on her food, coughing so hard she almost died.
Her eyes red and face tear-stained from choking, she angrily shouted at him, “Sleep with your sister! We’re roommates, roommates, okay? And our roommate relationship has already ended, okay!”