Chapter 4

```

"The future is crystal clear. Either Xiaoqiu quits her job or that handsome Bai does. With a history like Xiaoqiu's, finding another job won't be easy; she absolutely cannot resign. Bai has just made it to manager level and doesn't even have the Certified Public Accountant qualification in hand... Hmph, a male accountant who has been muddling along for years without passing the CPA exam has little to hope for in terms of accomplishments. His best bet is to cling to a company willing to offer him a managerial position. In the end, it will definitely be Xiaoqiu who makes the sacrifice. Believe me, Xiaoguan, with my years in HR, my eye for people is sharp and cruel. For girls like us, whose families aren't in Hai City, our jobs are the only thing we can rely on; we must never risk it for a man who's going nowhere. Tomorrow, let's have Xiaoqiu wear that dark blue suit; it'll give her less of a girlish look. I'm going to bed, exhausted."

Fan Shengmei handed Qiu Yingying's phone to Guan Ju'er and went into the bedroom to remove her makeup. Guan Ju'er stood still, dazed. One moment she thought there was some truth in what Fan Shengmei had said, the next she felt Fan Shengmei was too mercenary, uncertain about what to think. Seeing this, Fan Shengmei simply took the phone back and deleted the manager Bai's text message. "I'm doing this for Xiaoqiu's own good. You and Xiaoqiu are still young; don't waste your prime years on the wrong man. This is something you'll understand after you turn thirty."

Guan Ju'er, unsure of what to do, stood frozen for a moment before responding, "I'll leave a note for Qiu Yingying, letting her make her own choice. But I will pass on Sister Fan's advice. And I'll mention that it was me who accidentally deleted her message."

Fan Shengmei got up and thought about saying something else, then swallowed her words. She handed Guan Ju'er the Calendula Cream that was on the table, "You should treat that pimple on your forehead, try this." But she couldn't help herself, "When you're young, the sky's the limit and it's easy to act impulsively in love, wasting precious time. But once you regain your senses and you're not so young anymore, the road ahead suddenly narrows. We've been living together for half a year now, and I don't want to see Xiaoqiu regretting anything. You can leave a note for her, but make sure you make your point clear."

"Okay, Sister Fan. You're so kind."

"Kind?" Fan Shengmei was taken aback, then laughed, "Don't give me the good person card. Good guys are not in demand these days."

Guan Ju'er went back to her room, tidied up the meeting with Yu Yong, and wrote a fully reasoned message for Qiu Yingying. After Fan Shengmei had removed her makeup and taken a bath, she still couldn't calm down and wandered to Guan Ju'er's door, staring blankly at Xiaoguan under the lampshade. It's good to be young, Ju'er's forehead had a big pimple on it, but even that pimple, under the glow of the lamp, was transparent and gleaming, just like Xiaoguan's young skin. Fan Shengmei touched her own face, which took an elaborate routine to maintain, and sighed lightly, "Xiaoguan, should I lower my standards for a boyfriend? For example, settle for a guy with just a dinky car and a plain 100 square meter apartment?" Her eyes inadvertently glanced in the direction of apartment 2201, which was said to be designed for single living and would have a new tenant tomorrow—a security guard Xiaogheng from downstairs was very keen on. Did she need to use her proximity advantage and lower her standards to pursue this owner of apartment 2201?

After some thought, Guan Ju'er gave a serious reply, "Sister Fan, love can fill you to the brim. But I think with Sister Fan's stunning beauty, there must be many who have fallen for you."

Still gazing in the direction of apartment 2201, Fan Shengmei muttered to herself, "Leftover women don't have the luxury of romance; they just need to find a partner." That's right, the neighboring apartment 2201 was being moved into tomorrow, and Fan Shengmei resolved to create an accidental, no, an auspicious encounter at the first opportunity.

Qu Xiaojuan returned home, her mood waning, and drove into the basement parking, where her mother had bought her the spot closest to the elevator. That spot was even more expensive than her beat-up car—a fact clear to anyone with eyes. Yet, even so, she had already made her father feel infinitely guilty. He had repeatedly expressed his reluctance to let his precious daughter fend for herself. But Qu Xiaojuan wished her father would turn that guilt into action, by giving her one of the fattest branch offices to run.

She had just gotten out of the car when two luxury cars, carrying the sound of their pricey engines, also parked near the elevator. Qu Xiaojuan, well-traveled and knowledgeable, only glanced sideways to see that the white car in front was a Porsche GT2 and that the one at the back, acting as a transport vehicle with a driver-like person unloading luggage, was actually a Maybach. Qu Xiaojuan paused briefly, deciding to act savvy and proceed straight to the elevator without a sideways glance. But she couldn't help but wonder: out of the two men and a woman who emerged from the cars, one man was clearly the driver of the Maybach, while the man who got out of the Porsche was a middle-aged successful male, and the woman obviously had a slim and tall figure like a model's. Qu Xiaojuan had not had time to see the woman's face clearly, but, being worldly, she conjectured that the girl must have a beautiful visage. After all, there are no ugly women beside drivers of multi-million dollar cars.

```