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Yu Qing had a good night’s sleep, her dreams filled with vivid scenes of hiring Fu Ji Chen. She barked orders at him, and he obediently followed every command.
But the dream was abruptly interrupted by Fu Ji Chen’s relentless voice.
“Yu Qing, wake up!”
Yu Qing squinted, trying to reconnect with her dream.
“It’s 5:01 AM!”
His annoying voice persisted.
Reluctantly, Yu Qing opened her eyes.
It was early winter, and at five in the morning, the outside world was pitch black.
The weather grew colder each day, making getting out of bed increasingly painful for her.
Yu Qing turned over, tightly wrapping herself in the blanket. “Fu Ji Chen, it’s so dark outside. You won’t be able to see any bugs even if you get up now. Let’s sleep a little longer.”
“I have night vision. The darkness doesn’t bother me.”
“…”
Fu Ji Chen had already changed into his workout clothes and was preparing to head to the gym for a run. “Still not getting up? Don’t you want to be rich? If you can’t endure this little bit of hardship, you’ll only ever be rich in your dreams.”
He zipped up his tracksuit. “One of these mornings, I’ll take you around the main roads at four or five o’clock. There are plenty of people who wake up earlier than us. Those who are richer than me get up even earlier.”
“Oh, really? Who?”
“There’s a bank headquarters on the way to the company that shares your surname. Every morning when I pass by, Chairman Yu’s office light is already on.”
She had no idea her father woke up so early. Setting aside the group’s market value, in terms of personal assets alone, her father’s wealth indeed surpassed Fu Ji Chen’s.
Footsteps approached the door.
The bedroom door closed.
Yu Qing was now fully awake, and her grumpiness from being woken up dissipated.
This would be her last time sleeping in, and her last bout of morning crankiness.
At 5:40 AM.
Yu Qing changed into her work uniform and went downstairs with Fu Ji Chen.
Today, two cars awaited them downstairs—his usual car and a new one parked in his spot. She didn’t recognize the license plate.
The driver stepped out and handed Fu Ji Chen two sets of keys.
Fu Ji Chen pointed to the new car and said to her, “This car’s usage rights belong to you. Stop squeezing onto the subway. If your colleagues see you, who knows what rumors they’ll spread.”
With that, he handed her the car keys.
He kept one spare key and slid into the driver’s seat. “I’ll drive today.”
Yu Qing was relatively satisfied with the car model, but the more favors she owed him, the more uneasy she felt. She needed to make money quickly to repay these debts.
She walked around to the passenger side and opened the door.
The smell of a new car wafted toward her.
Though the scent wasn’t overpowering, Fu Ji Chen found nothing amiss. However, Yu Qing was sensitive to smells.
She took out two rollerball perfumes, applied a bit to each hand, and held them under Fu Ji Chen’s nose. “Which one smells better to you?”
Fu Ji Chen was confused. “Why do you want me to smell them?”
“Pick the one you like.”
She first let him smell her left hand, then her right.
Fu Ji Chen wasn’t sensitive to fragrances and found no difference between the two. “If you’d put perfume on one hand and insect repellent on the other, I could tell the difference.”
“…”
It seemed asking for his opinion wouldn’t yield any results.
She had originally planned to choose a scent he liked.
Yu Qing put away the more expensive bottle.
She opened the other one, dabbed some perfume on her fingertip, and lightly touched the backrest of the driver’s seat. Turning around, she gently tapped the backrest of her own seat.
She half-rose and applied a bit to the backseat as well.
A faint, crisp fragrance spread throughout the car.
Fu Ji Chen’s gaze lingered on her as she busied herself. “You’re acting like a dog, marking your territory everywhere.”
Yu Qing nearly choked on her breath, utterly stunned.
She suddenly turned and smeared several spritzes of perfume onto his clothes.
Fu Ji Chen: “….”
He fell silent.
He started the car.
Thanks to Fu Ji Chen’s reminder, when they passed by the headquarters of Yu Family Holdings’ bank building today, Yu Qing deliberately rolled down the window and glanced at her watch—it was 5:50 AM.
She tilted her head to look up at the building.
The floors were too high, and several windows were lit. She didn’t know which one belonged to her father’s office.
She had never been to her father’s office.
Just then, the traffic light ahead turned green, and Fu Ji Chen braked.
Yu Qing was still craning her neck to look at the building. “Which office is Chairman Yu’s?”
“Middle, slightly higher up—the southernmost office.”
“Oh.”
She asked, “Have you been there?”
“Yes, I visited a few times during my early entrepreneurial days to secure funding.”
The light turned green, and the car drove past. Yu Qing still hadn’t pulled her gaze away, watching the glowing windows grow smaller in the distance. An indescribable feeling welled up inside her.
Every penny she had shredded in the past was earned through her father’s hard work.
Fu Ji Chen stole a glance at her; she was still craning her neck to look back. “Enough. Staring won’t help. Other people waking up early has nothing to do with you.”
Yu Qing turned around and closed the window. Masking her emotions, she casually remarked, “I was just wondering if Chairman Yu isn’t actually here and just forgot to turn off the lights last night.”
Fu Ji Chen was exasperated, almost wanting to retreat into isolation. “Do you think everyone else is as lazy as you, slacking off whenever they can?”
After a brief pause—
“Of course, you do have many strengths. Even I feel inferior in some aspects.”
Yu Qing smoothly steered the conversation toward herself. “For example, what am I better at than you?”
“Frugality.”
“…”
Yu Qing silently turned her face toward the window.
________________________________________
After the morning meeting, the legal department’s office area buzzed with its usual activity.
Yu Qing had just returned to her desk and opened a contract when—
“Yu Qing, come here.” Zhou Yunli emerged from the meeting room and stepped into the legal department area.
Her words were the same as always.
But noticeably, they no longer carried their previous icy tone.
Instead, they felt like a gentle spring breeze.
Or the sound of trickling water.
Zhang Xiaochi shot Yu Qing a knowing glance.
Yu Qing locked the contract in her cabinet, picked up her folder and phone, and headed over.
Zhou Yunli entered her office first, taking a deep, discreet breath.
She set down her bag and poured herself a glass of cold tea.
From yesterday afternoon until now, every second had felt like an eternity.
Each moment was agonizing, as if she were standing on hot coals.
She couldn’t be overly ingratiating or enthusiastic toward Yu Qing, but neither could she act indifferent or aloof.
Striking the right balance was incredibly difficult.
Knock, knock.
“Director.”
“Yu Qing, come in.” Zhou Yunli turned on her computer and sipped her tea as if nothing was amiss.
Yu Qing closed the door. “Director, what are your instructions?”
It was as if yesterday’s grievances had never happened.
Zhou Yunli gestured to the chair in front of her desk. “Sit down. There’s quite a bit I need to go over with you today—it’ll take a while.”
Yu Qing sat down and spread out the contract handover form.
Not a single word about unpleasantness.
Zhou Yunli handed over the contracts that needed to be transferred to Yu Qing, going through each one.
Once the handover was complete, there was an awkward pause for a few seconds.
Some things had to be said.
Zhou Yunli steeled herself. “From yesterday until now, how’s work been?”
Yu Qing remained expressionless. “It’s been fine, thank you for asking, Director.”
“I wanted to ask you earlier, but I forgot.” Zhou Yunli rubbed her temples. “I think I might be entering menopause these past few years—my temper is short, I get easily irritable, and I keep forgetting things.”
Yu Qing’s lips curved slightly.
She mentally scoffed.
So this was her way of blaming menopause for withholding her contract.
Zhou Yunli unconsciously tightened her grip on her teacup and patted her head with the other hand. “My memory is terrible—I kept thinking about it on the way here, and I almost forgot again.”
Yu Qing watched her continue her act.
Zhou Yunli: “Didn’t I tell you a while back? I know who’s suited for what position, and I planned to transfer you soon. I wasn’t just making empty promises back then—I really intended to move you. With your excellent educational background, this position is a waste of your talent.”
Yu Qing twirled her pen. “Honestly, whether or not I’m transferred doesn’t matter. It’s been such a waste for so long anyway.”
“…”
Even though the tea was cold, Zhou Yunli still felt it scalding her tongue.
After swallowing the tea, she forced a smile. “You can’t say that. Job rotation is meant to help you better understand the group’s legal processes.”
She picked up a file folder. “I happen to have a tricky case here—it’s a competitor suing our Dixin division for trademark and slogan infringement. I’ve been busy with this and other cases lately, which is why there was a mishap with the contract handover.”
She left it at that.
“You’ve handled due diligence at law firms before, right? I’ll leave this with you. It’s a good way to transition into a new role. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
She passed the folder over.
Later, the conversation shifted back to the topic of job transfers.
Zhou Yunli sighed. “You know, I have superiors above me and a bunch of unruly young people under me. My position may look glamorous, but I’m constantly caught between a rock and a hard place.”
Yu Qing understood what Zhou Yunli was implying.
Shifting responsibility.
When she transferred her position to another colleague, it wasn’t her choice—it was her superior’s order, and she had no say in the matter.
Yu Qing gave a fake smile. “So I’m one of those rocks giving you trouble?”
“…” Zhou Yunli nearly choked on her words but couldn’t show anger or unhappiness.
What to do?
Pretend.
With gritted teeth, she pretended.
She wagged her finger at Yu Qing, adopting the tone of an elder lecturing a child. “You… you’re just like my daughter, always stubborn with your words.”
Yu Qing smiled faintly. But this smile was cold.
Without a script, both she and Zhou Yunli were excellent improvisers.
She picked up the folder. “Director, you’re busy.”
After leaving Zhou Yunli’s office, Yu Qing finally flipped through the case file Zhou Yunli had just given her regarding the Dixin infringement lawsuit.
So it was Le Meng suing Dixin.
At the sight of “Le Meng,” her head started to ache.
Zhang Xiaochi had just returned from the pantry, bringing her a cup of coffee. “They were gossiping in the pantry earlier, saying that Qin Moling and our boss have finally clashed head-on.”
No matter how fierce the competition between the two companies had been in the past, they had never crossed paths.
Now, with a single lawsuit.
The conflict escalated.
Yu Qing pointed to the document on the table. “It’s handed over to me now.”
Zhang Xiaochi: “That’s going to keep you busy. A real hot potato.”
Yu Qing smiled. “Indeed.”
Zhang Xiaochi thought the case was troublesome, but she didn’t know the real complication lay in Yu Qing’s relationships with Qin Moling and Fu Ji Chen.
Complicated entanglements that couldn’t be untangled.
The most troubling part was that Le Meng and their Yu family’s shares were involved.
________________________________________
At this time, in the president’s office.
Qiao Yang was reporting to Fu Ji Chen. After finishing the financial report, she hesitated to leave. Before coming, she had received a call from Dixin’s president.
He asked her to probe Fu Ji Chen’s stance—should the case against Le Meng proceed through regular channels or be resolved otherwise?
Given the personal grudge with Qin Moling, she didn’t dare delay. “President Fu, there’s one more thing.”
Fu Ji Chen gestured for her to speak.
“Qin Moling’s Le Meng Beverage is suing us for trademark infringement.”
“Trademark infringement?”
Qiao Yang nodded. “Le Meng insists we infringed. They must have noticed Dixin gaining market share this year and are now looking for excuses. We’re worried they’ll manipulate public opinion to twist the truth.”
Dixin had been on the market for two years—why was Qin Moling suddenly accusing them of trademark infringement?
Fu Ji Chen pondered briefly; it was likely because of the competition over those two plots of land that left Qin Moling unhappy.
Qiao Yang continued her report. “It’s not just trademark infringement—they’re also suing our new lemon tea product launched this year, claiming our bottle slogan infringes on theirs.”
Fu Ji Chen hadn’t paid attention to Le Meng’s slogans. “How does the slogan infringe?”
Qiao Yang pressed her lips together. “Our slogan on the bottle is ‘Love at First Sight,’ while Le Meng’s is ‘Summer Love.’”
Both contained the word “love.”
Although Fu Ji Chen had no legal training, he knew Le Meng wasn’t the copyright holder of the term “love.”
These short bottle slogans lacked creative advertising or unique expression—just the word “love.” Was Qin Moling seriously claiming infringement?
Seeing Fu Ji Chen remain silent, Qiao Yang added, “All of Dixin’s advertising and marketing are handled by Feichen Planning Company. The final payment has been settled, but this year’s promotional fees haven’t been finalized, and next year’s contract hasn’t been signed yet. I contacted Feichen’s head, Lu Chen, and asked them to cooperate with our defense.”
Fu Ji Chen hummed in acknowledgment. He didn’t have time to worry about this trivial matter.
Lu Chen, Feichen’s boss, was someone he knew—and he also knew Qin Moling.
He closed his notebook. “This matter doesn’t need to be reported to me anymore. Let Dixin handle it with the legal department.”
Qiao Yang nodded. “Alright.”
The entire report was now complete.
Qiao Yang then casually mentioned, “You’ve kept it well-hidden. You’ve been with Yu Qing for so long, even using her name in the ad slogan, and we didn’t notice.”
Fu Ji Chen didn’t respond.
The ad slogan existed before he even knew Yu Qing.
Qiao Yang took his silence as confirmation and didn’t press further.
Now, the entire group knew his fiancée was Yu Qing. Previously, rumors had linked her with Fu Ji Chen, so now she needed to avoid suspicion the most.
One misstep, and the company’s gossips would label her as the “other woman.”
Her reputation would be ruined.
She remained puzzled—how could Fu Ji Chen be in a relationship and even engaged without any of his friends knowing?
Even her second uncle, whom Fu Ji Chen deeply respected, hadn’t heard a single whisper beforehand.
She felt there was something hidden.
But she couldn’t pinpoint what was off.
She picked up her notebook and various reports. “President Fu, I’ll head back now.”
Fu Ji Chen nodded.
The door closed, and the office fell silent.
Fu Ji Chen called the internal affairs secretary and instructed the chef to prepare lunch for two people.
Every day from now on.
After setting his phone aside, he was still thinking about Qin Moling’s so-called slogan infringement.
Fu Ji Chen went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of lemon tea. The slogan “Love at First Sight” stood out prominently.
Later, he searched for Le Meng’s bottle slogan, “Summer Love.” The four small characters were placed inconspicuously on the bottle.
No matter how you looked at it, Dixin didn’t constitute infringement.
Lunchtime arrived, and Fu Ji Chen invited Yu Qing to the cafeteria.
Before leaving, he grabbed a bottle of lemon tea.
Yu Qing arrived earlier than Fu Ji Chen. Casually, she plucked a rose from the vase on the dining table and sniffed it.
This was her first time visiting the president’s private dining room—simple yet tasteful.
While bored, the private room door opened.
Yu Qing rested her chin on her hand, turned her face, and smiled at the person entering. She then handed the rose in her hand over. “For my President Fu—thank you for your hard work.”
Fu Ji Chen handed her the bottle of lemon tea he was holding. “For my Lawyer Yu—thank you for your hard work.”
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