Chapter 10 _3

"Of course, there is an impact. It took us quite an effort to convince GI to cooperate with us, and we're just a step away now. If you mess it up in the end, other companies will snatch away the profit. But to say it's crippling, that's not the case; it's just a real shame."

"That's a relief. Please stop acting like you're afraid I'll ruin the family; is it necessary? I know what I'm doing, and I can't possibly ruin us even if I tried. So, I'm going to give it my all."

"Dad, can you come over like today, to check in and understand the progress, okay?"

"You don't need to come, you're the boss at the company, and I will report to you at any time. I have two requests now. First, I need an accountant; a junior one will do. Someone I can trust, someone who won't take off with the money in my bank. I can afford the salary. My second request is for whoever used to deal with GI to come work for me part-time. Of course, I will still handle the main tasks, I just don't want the foreigners to notice everyone here has suddenly changed, it's too abrupt."

"Alright, alright, your requests are reasonable, and Dad feels much relieved. Even though this is the company, you can still talk to Dad about work anytime, and share any thoughts immediately..." But Qu's father noticed his daughter's impatient expression emerging on her face, which if not addressed within three minutes, would usually be followed by screaming. Qu's father braked hard on his words, acting as a father who knew what was best for the bigger picture. However, not speaking didn't mean he wouldn't take action. He decided to work diligently behind his daughter's back on arranging manpower within his limited authority.

And Qu Xiaojuan just pretended not to know.

When Qu's father was leaving, he looked at the small office with countless emotions, as if seeing himself working tirelessly to establish his career back in the day. Looking down at his daughter with a pouting mouth, he thought she looked adorable no matter how he looked at her, "Xiaojuan, your personality is very much like your dad's, and I have great faith in you."

"Hardly, I'm much more cunning than you are."

"Cunning is crucial, but you must keep it hidden in your heart, not show it on your face. Dad suffered enough losses for being too honest when he first started his business."

Qu Xiaojuan rolled her eyes and pulled a face behind her father's sturdy back, as if to say if he was honest, then all the vixens must be respectable housewives.

Guan Ju'er stayed in her room the whole day, reading books online. She would make herself a cup of instant Nescafe coffee, then a cup of milk tea, and there was also cocoa, genmaicha, accompanied by endless snacks. All these were sent by her family; there were too many shopping cards at home to use them up, yet she would count every penny when she went shopping in Hai City. That's why her mom would send her a big parcel every week, filled with costly things to eat and use.

The kind of books that discuss professional knowledge are always dry. So dry that, apart from stuffing herself with an overwhelming amount of snacks, Guan Ju'er still had to stand up from time to time to do chest expansion exercises, or else it would feel as if her brain wasn't getting enough oxygen: even though she recognized every word, the meaning strung together turned into a blank. She also had to keep her bedroom door firmly shut, lest she be disturbed by Qiu Yingying, who was as restless as an ant on a hot pan because of her boyfriend.

The moment Guan Ju'er received the text message from Qu Xiaojuan, she burst out of her room. Unexpectedly, she ran into Qiu Yingying, who had also dashed out of her room. Both of them were holding their phones, on which was the same photo, like a classic spy movie scene. Guan Ju'er said without hesitation, "Dump that guy with the surname Bai." But Qiu Yingying shouted at the same time, "Qu Xiaojuan! Qu Xiaojuan! Qu Xiaojuan!"

Just then, Fan Shengmei came in through the door, also holding her phone with a look of astonishment. She had long predicted that Manager Bai was no match for Qu Xiaojuan, but she never expected that Qu Xiaojuan would have already enslaved Manager Bai. That was some profound siren's charm. Seeing this, Guan Ju'er said in surprise, "Did everyone get the text? What is Qu Xiaojuan trying to say, to show off to us Qiu Yingying?"

"Damn, Qu Xiaojuan turned off her phone!" Qiu Yingying was so frustrated she wanted to throw her phone, but alas, the phone was her own.

"Sister Fan, what is Qu Xiaojuan trying to imply?"

Fan Shengmei casually poured a glass of cool boiled water for the raging Qiu Yingying, "Flies wouldn't follow an intact egg. There are plenty of young men out there looking for a good wife to help them fight ten years less..."

"No, it's not that he's that kind of person, it's Qu Xiaojuan deliberately making me look bad. Otherwise, why would she send that photo to everyone? She just wants to show off in front of me."

"Qiu Yingying, why don't you forward that photo to Supervisor Bai and ask him to explain. Don't get too agitated first, there might be a misunderstanding. Perhaps, helping a friend move offices isn't such a big issue." Guan Ju'er couldn't help but offer what she thought was an immature suggestion, without expecting Qiu Yingying to take it.

Upon hearing this, Yingying picked up her phone with renewed hope, but halfway through, she stopped dejectedly. "What if he thinks I don't trust him?"

Fan Shengmei was just about to wear a look of stunned disbelief, but something even more astonishing happened. Guan Ju'er said generously, "Maybe it's really not a big deal. Perhaps Supervisor Bai knows you can be a little temperamental and jealous, so he didn't dare to tell you who he was helping, to prevent you from overthinking. But after all, he did report the moving to you, without hiding anything. Besides, look at the photo, there are so many people, and it's not like they're alone together." Fan Shengmei couldn't help but see Guan Ju'er in a new light, having previously thought that these two young girls, who commuted to and from work together, were always led by Qiu Yingying with delicate Guan Ju'er following along. Now it seemed that the backbone was actually Guan Ju'er.

Qiu Yingying listened, and indeed, her face softened. Fan Shengmei looked up, saw Guan Ju'er signaling to her, and went along with the flow, "I think that's probably the case. Xiaoqiu, don't overthink it. You have work tomorrow, and isn't everything cleared up as soon as you meet?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's not that big of a deal. We almost got played by Qu Xiaojuan, not falling for her trick." Guan Ju'er quickly followed up the point, "Sister Fan, didn't you say you'd call us for dinner tonight? Why... Oh, were you just wandering around nearby and saw the message and came back to mediate?"

"With you around, what do I have to worry about? I was... sigh, an old high school classmate came to Hai City on a business trip, and somehow he got my cell number, said he wanted to meet up for dinner, to catch up. So I had to come back early."

"Sister Fan, if you're worried about it being awkward, bring me along. I'm free anyway, I'm not going anywhere today, no matter who calls me, I've decided to keep you company." Qiu Yingying was willing to believe Guan Ju'er's reassurance, but she still couldn't help but be petulant.

"Why are you sighing, Sister Fan?" Guan Ju'er asked with concern.

"The high school classmate arranged to meet at the Hilton, forcing me to go home and change. Sigh, it's such a hassle; old people like me can't handle this kind of stress." She patted Qiu Yingying's shoulder in a companionable way, "You're such a bro. I'll call on you for help next time."

In fact, what Fan Shengmei's classmate had said to her was, "Haha, where do you live, old classmate? I'll come over for a cup of tea at your mansion and then you can recommend a good restaurant for us to catch up." This left Fan Shengmei especially gloomy. Not only did she not have a "mansion," but she also lived in a tiny, dark room. How could she have the face to invite someone over? The worst part was, this male classmate had once sent her a love letter and used to stare at the back of her head during class with a pair of affection-filled eyes, while she had responded with princess-like disdain. Yet now he was staying at the Hilton, inviting her to dine at the Hilton—a complete reversal of their past circumstances. Fan Shengmei's heart kept hitting the retreat button.

To go or not to go? For the latter, Fan Shengmei could come up with countless reasons, but for the former, going would take courage.

This book is first published by Xiaoxiang Academy, please do not repost!