Chapter 28

When Li Yuchen got home, he met Zhang Heying on the sofa in the living room. "Did you have a good time at the park?"

"Grandma, yes I did. it was so fun. And I made a new friend— He's so handsome, just like me. Only that he might have a speech disorder, he doesn't talk much. And I watched the circus, the juggler was so good. And I went on so many rides. It was so exciting. Oh, and I met my goddess today. She was like a fairy...."

Li Yuchen kept talking so fast that Zhang Heying almost couldn't keep up.

It was obvious he had a great time. She smiled. Then she heard the last part of his sentence. Goddess, fairy? What was that about? "Really? Who's this goddess of yours?" Zhang Heying asked, curious.

"She's my new friend's mother. Ah, I also took pictures with them. Let me show you. My" Li Yuchen reported, fiddling with his phone. He located a picture and gave the phone to Zhang Heying.

When Zhang Heying looked at the picture, she could see Li Yuchen smiling happily, standing between a boy who was as tall as he was, and a lady in jeans with long hair.

At first glance, she looked a little..... familiar?

Zhang Heying zoomed in on the picture and gasped.

Pei Yueran!

She almost couldn't contain her excitement. Li Yuchen met Pei Yueran today? and he called her goddess?

She calmed down and adopted a normal tone of voice so as not to arouse Li Yuchen's suspicion. "She looks pretty. Is that why you like her?"

"It's more than that Grandma. She's so kind. She smiles a lot, and she was so good to me. Today, when we entered the haunted house, one monster came at me. I screamed and ran away. I hit her, but instead of getting angry, she hugged me and held my hand." Li Yuchen said shyly.

"Wonderful. I'm very glad you had fun and you made good friends. But be careful next time, don't put yourself in danger and make us worry." Zhang Heying said.

"Yes Grandma."

"Lunch is in the dining room. Go and eat."

"Thanks Grandma. See you."

After Li Yuchen left, Zhang Heying excitedly went to Li Qianye's study to look for him.

"Old man, they might really have to get a room super soon! We might even be paying for a wedding venue any day from now!" Zhang Heying said immediately she opened the door of the study.

Li Qianye: "???"

Then after it sunk in, he reacted.

"I told you so!!!! they're making progress. But did anything else happen with them recently?"

Zhang Heying then told him what Li Yuchen said. Li Qianye was so excited that he carried his wife up, then ...

"Crack"

His back had given out.

The family doctor had to be called in quickly.

Zhang Heying, who had planned to probe Li Yuchen and find out what his opinion on a relationship between Li Chuanmo and Pei Yueran, totally forgot about that due to worry.

She ended up not saying anything even after Li Yuchen returned home.

*****

It was very subtle, but Pei Yueran noticed that ever since he came back from his impromptu business trip, Li Chuanmo had changed.

Where they had easy friendship before, tension had begun to reign. Whenever she spoke about company affairs, he spoke very formally and didn't waste a single sentence. Whenever she made a personal remark, he ignored her totally.

She was perplexed. What had she done wrong? Forget asking about her souvenir, she couldn't even ask how his trip went. Whatever it was, something had changed for the worse in their friendship.

School had already resumed, so Han Yichen had gone back to City A. She was missing him already but knew he would be back for the long holidays. He and that little boy they met at park —Li Yuchen —also exchanged numbers, and Pei Yueran was very happy Han Yichen had made a friend in city M.

The tense atmosphere between Pei Yueran and Li Chuanmo lasted for the better part of a week. Even Li Qianye and Zhang Heying noticed it when they came for their weekly lesson, and both were quite worried. They thought things were going smoothly, but now it didn't seem so.

Things got to a head that Friday. They had been talking about the latest assignment the Retired Chairman gave them, which was about leadership responsibilities.

Li Qianye had told them that part of what makes a leader excellent is understanding the needs of their employees and people in their sphere of influence. Their assignment was to compile a report after interviewing five employees whose files Li Qianye gave them.

While trying to come up with a suitable report, Pei Yueran read about Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, and was trying to incorporate the new knowledge into their work.

She said, "According to Maslow, human beings are motivated by five basic needs: physiological needs, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. We could tabulate the needs of these employees according to this format. Or what do you think?"

Li Chuanmo just said, "Okay."

Pei Yueran then said jokingly, "If I were one of the employees to be interviewed, I would say my biggest motivation is self-actualization. I have a friend who would most definitely choose physiological needs", she said, talking about Su Qianhua.

Although Su Qianhua was very petite, it didn't reflect her foodie nature.

She asked, "How about you? What would you say is your biggest motivation?"

Li Chuanmo just ignored her.

"Li Chuanmo, I'm talking to you. Is everything okay?"

When he still didn't answer, Pei Yueran felt very hurt. She could not understand what happened to their friendship in recent times.

"Li Chuanmo, did I do something wrong? I thought we shared a friendship. What happened?"

"What do you want me to say? I didn't say anything because there was nothing to say. You didn't offend me."

"But you've been cranky for a while now, and we no longer talk as we used to. What happened to us?" Pei Yueran said, referring to their great working relationship and camaraderie of the past.

But it totally rubbed Li Chuanmo the wrong way. All the feelings he had been nursing since his talk with his friend came rushing back, and with it came the bitter, heady feeling of anger due to betrayal.

"Us? what us? As for the answer to your question: I don't think I need to share my motivation with you. Besides, if you want to say something, just talk directly, don't beat around the bush.

"If you want me to satisfy your "physiological needs", then get a room. If you want to be friends with benefits, then sign a contract. But don't talk as if there's an "us". Kindly keep your distance. You women are the same: a bunch of hypocrites!", Li Chuanmo said, almost snarling at her.

His voice was so loud that Min Shiyi, who was trying to eavesdrop at the door, heard every part of his rant loud and clear.

She almost fell. What just happened?