L&H - 33

Yu Qing squeezed her cheeks with both hands, trying to calm herself down sooner.

The laughter lingered in the chilly underground parking lot, refusing to fade.

No one could irritate people like she could, but with just a few words, she could also make them feel better.

“President Fu, at five o’clock, I’ll accompany you. From now on, always.”

Fu Jichen had been so angry earlier that his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys all hurt. But at a little past five, her appearance here easily brought him joy, healing his chest tightness and shortness of breath.

He took off his coat, threw it onto the back seat, and sat in the passenger seat.

“Busy yesterday?” Yu Qing started the car.

Fu Jichen pulled down the seatbelt and buckled it. “Not busy. I went home.”

Yu Qing nodded. “Are they pressuring you to get married?”

Fu Jischen avoided the question. “Yu Qing, you seem to pay attention to everything about me.”

“President Fu, you’re wrong. It’s not just paying attention—it’s extra attention. You’re the only man I focus on. Otherwise, why would I come to pick you up at five o’clock?”

Whether she was joking or occasionally being serious, it always caught Fu Jichen off guard.

He didn’t know how to respond, nor could he discern how much of her words were genuine, how much were casual, and how much came from her heart.

Fu Jichen rested his elbow on the car window, supporting his forehead.

Because of Yu Qing, his family had pressured him to get married for the first time.

Grandfather said that once he got married, everyone could settle down.

“Which girl does Old Master Fu want you to marry?”

Fu Jichen: “Who they want me to marry isn’t important; what’s important is who they forbid me to marry.”

Yu Qing smiled. “Do you know why Grandpa Fu forbids you from marrying me?”

Fu Jichen glanced sideways. “I’m all ears.”

“Because you can’t marry me even if you want to. To prevent you from being disappointed, Grandpa Fu put my name on the forbidden list.”

“...”

Fu Jichen calmly retorted, “Who told you that I must marry you?”

“Your heart told me.” As she spoke, Yu Qing looked troubled. “I really want to shake your heart awake and stop it from being obsessed with love and marriage so I can take it out to play.”

Fu Jichen tapped the car window. “Focus on driving.”

Yu Qing quieted down for a moment.

As the car merged from the auxiliary road, she focused on the road.

It wasn’t dawn yet; a few stars scattered across the night sky.

A bit cold.

A faint white seemed to rise at the horizon.

There weren’t many people or cars on the street.

The breakfast shops on both sides of the road were already open, but there were only a few customers eating, sitting apart in small groups.

Inside the shops, steam rose, fogging up the glass with a thin layer of mist.

“Want to eat breakfast?” Fu Jichen turned to ask her.

Yu Qing shook her head. “Too early, can’t eat.”

At the next intersection, they would turn onto the road leading to the bank building.

Yu Qing handed her phone to Fu Jichen in advance, asking him to help film a short video of the bank office building.

“Why are you filming that?” Fu Jichen took the phone.

“To give my dad a few grams of cotton; when enough is collected, we can make a cozy little cotton jacket.”

Her mind was full of fresh ideas, and Fu Jichen didn’t have time to figure out what new stunt she was pulling, so he complied.

Filmed a ten-second video.

While waiting at the red light, Yu Qing sent a message to her father: [Dad, good morning.]

Attached was the short video.

Then she sent another message: [The video quality isn’t great; Fu Jichen filmed it. Forgive his photography skills and bear with it. I’m driving.]

Yu Shaohong was reviewing reports; there was a loan review meeting today.

Upon receiving his daughter’s message, he quickly walked to the window, opened it, and looked down.

Cars drove by downstairs; he didn’t know which one his daughter was driving.

Perhaps it had already passed.

Yu Shaohong watched the video again—wind sounds and the lit window of his office.

Though lacking aesthetics, it didn’t stop him from watching it repeatedly.

He even thought Fu Jichen seemed pretty decent.

The next moment, alarms rang in his heart. Such thoughts were unacceptable—Fu Jichen was a competitor.

From the bank building to Fu Group was only a ten-minute drive.

Yu Qing drove directly to the elevator on the negative first floor, parked the car, but didn’t turn off the engine.

“President Fu, see you tomorrow morning. Or perhaps we’ll meet this afternoon—I might visit Fu Group. If I’m not mistaken, Chairman Fu will arrange a face-to-face chat with me.”

Fu Jichen unbuckled his seatbelt, still holding it. “Discussing that investment project?”

“Mhm.”

“Did you tell my dad that New Tech is mine?”

“No. It’s not time to reveal the ace yet. I’ll wait until I deal with the other directors.”

Fu Jichen let go, and the seatbelt slowly retracted automatically.

Yu Qing’s fingertips danced rhythmically on the steering wheel like playing the piano.

He reminded her, “Those old foxes are hard to deal with. With your skills, it’ll be difficult.”

“Do you know why foxes are cunning? For meat. Give them a couple more pieces of meat, and nothing is impossible. People die for wealth, birds perish for food—it all revolves around profit. No need to confront them head-on.”

Yu Qing checked her watch—6:02.

She leaned back against the seat. “President Fu, I’d like to ask for a few minutes of your time.”

Since she was intent on discussing business, he obliged.

Fu Jichen didn’t rush upstairs and glanced at his watch. “I’ll give you eight minutes.”

“If I secure control of New Tech for you, how much compensation do you plan to give me and my team?”

“...” He thought she would discuss something urgent.

Yu Qing’s lips curled upwards. “Didn’t I say? Everything revolves around profit. No profit, no early rising.”

Fu Jichen stayed professional. “Ten million.”

“This price is unacceptable.”

Ten million seemed like a lot, but they still had to split it with the team from the brokerage firm.

Afterward, they’d also have to share it with the firm.

In the end, there wouldn’t be much left for each of them.

After working hard for months, getting that little money wasn’t worth it.

Yu Qing extended two fingers. “Twenty million. What I save you is worth more than two hundred million. President Fu, this deal is very profitable.”

Fu Jichen smiled.

Yu Qing understood the meaning behind the smile—it implied her asking price was too high.

Fu Jichen: “Twelve million. If Lawyer Yu feels this is inappropriate, there’s nothing we can do, but regardless, our friendship remains.”

Yu Qing compromised but negotiated. “Twelve million it is. However, it has to be after tax.”

“Too much.”

“This is my utmost sincerity.” Yu Qing extended her hand. “President Fu, pleasant cooperation.”

Fu Jichen stared at her. “Is money all you see?”

“You hit the nail on the head.” She didn’t show any modesty. “Otherwise, why would I be so liked by bosses and teams wherever I go?”

Her hand was still suspended.

Fu Jichen lightly shook her hand. “This is the first time collaborating with Lawyer Yu’s team, so I’m not very familiar with various aspects. Regarding the fee, we’ll pay 20% upfront, and the remaining balance will be paid after the case concludes.”

Yu Qing leisurely replied, “That works.”

Then she changed the subject. “However, the rate needs to increase accordingly. If the project outcome meets your expectations, you’ll have to pay an additional 10% of the fee, which means an extra 1.2 million.”

Fu Jichen: “... You don’t take any losses at all.”

Yu Qing logged into her email and started revising the contract.

“Taking a loss is a blessing, but this isn’t a loss—it’s the compensation my mental effort deserves. If you pay later, my stress increases because I’ll face nitpicking over the results, and the agency fee is hard to collect. High stress kills brain cells, so I need to buy some supplements. Consider that 10% as nutritional expenses.”

The payment method in the contract was slightly adjusted, and she sent it to the person in charge on the brokerage side.

“After the brokerage confirms, we’ll find you to sign the agency agreement and顺便 also sign the confidentiality agreement.”

After sending the email, Yu Qing put away her phone.

She glanced at the time—two more minutes to chat.

“These two minutes are yours; ask anything you want.”

Fu Jichen had nothing to ask, but kindly reminded her, “You haven’t dealt with the other two directors of Fu Group. Convincing them to invest in New Tech will be like climbing to the heavens. Plus, the internal management team of New Tech can’t be handled through normal means. I advise you to think twice; this case might end up being a waste of effort, ending without results.”

Yu Qing turned sideways, facing him. “If it were easy, would you have willingly paid those tens of millions?”

She reassured him, “I have my ways to make those two directors stand on the same side as me. My stance has always been about interests, so it’s easy for me to become ‘good friends’ with everyone.”

She sighed.

“Life is like an endless debate competition; you have to argue with many people—parents, relatives, siblings, friends, colleagues, even competitors. In a debate, everyone’s viewpoint is right from their perspective. I never waste much energy refuting others’ opinions; I just present my own to make them forget theirs, making their stance less firm. That’s enough. Then I win.”

As she spoke, a smile curled at the corner of her lips.

“There’s a classic saying: only children care about right and wrong, always chasing apologies.”

Another jab at him.

Apologies stood between them, neither willing to compromise.

Fu Jischen: “Do you feel uncomfortable if you don’t mock me every day?”

“Yes.”

Yu Qing still had things to do. “Time’s up. President Fu, go ahead and get busy.”

Fu Jichen got out of the car.

After walking a few steps, he turned back.

“Yu Qing, come down for a moment.”

“What is it?” Yu Qing opened the door and got out.

Fu Jichen walked over and gave her a hug. “Wish you a successful start.”

“Thank you.” Yu Qing looked up. “Just wait for my triumphant return.”

They gazed at each other. After struggling and hesitating, he took a step back. “If you don’t want to say sorry, you can write it to me. Just a few lines, whatever you want. As I said, I only want your sincere attitude.”

“President Fu, I’m still waiting痴痴 for you to beg me and apologize to me.”

“... It’s dawn, stop dreaming.”

“Haha.”

Yu Qing felt that Fu Jichen misunderstood her attitude towards life. “Not getting married, not falling in love doesn’t mean I’m fickle or flirtatious, nor does it mean I don’t care about you or take you seriously. Seriousness is my attitude towards life. Even when playing games, I’ll play very seriously and wholeheartedly.”

Fu Jichen: “...”

She always managed to stir his heart with the first half of her sentence and drive him crazy with the second.

Ice and fire, two extremes.

He leaned down and kissed her lips. “Drive carefully.”

The car disappeared in a cloud of dust, leaving behind a trail of exhaust.

Fu Jichen didn’t get busy in his office for long before Pan Zheng arrived.

Pan Zheng handed over today’s schedule to the boss and reported on the situation regarding New Tech. “Teacher Qiao’s son is greedier than we expected. I’m working on collecting evidence.”

Fu Jichen finished reviewing the day’s itinerary and set it aside. “Mm. Collect it first; we may not need it.”

Pan Zheng thought that after a day of deliberation yesterday, the boss had decided not to pursue the responsibility of New Tech’s management anymore. He might even overlook control of New Tech due to Teacher Qiao’s influence.

When the boss started his business, he had a big fallout with Old Master Fu and Chairman Fu. Upon learning this, Teacher Qiao unhesitatingly provided strong support.

Such a favor couldn’t be forgotten by anyone.

Teacher Qiao’s character was admirable, let alone to the boss.

It was just that Teacher Qiao was too indulgent with his son. Now, even if he wanted to intervene, he lacked the strength.

“I understand. I won’t disturb Teacher Qiao.”

Fu Jichen knew Secretary Pan had misunderstood: “Yu Qing is taking on this job. She wants to transfer power and shares to me at the lowest cost.”

He also wanted to see what good methods she had.

Fu Jichen glanced at the schedule again. At three o’clock in the afternoon, the chairman had an appointment with him.

Nine out of ten times, it was related to Yu Qing.

After a morning of work, Fu Jichen raised his head from a pile of documents—it was almost noon.

Since Yu Qing resigned, work, meals, and lunch breaks had returned to their former mechanical routine.

At twenty to three in the afternoon, Fu Jichen went to his father’s office.

Chairman Fu was busy and almost forgot about the meeting with his son.

This wasn’t about business; when busy, it was easy to forget.

The secretary brought coffee to Fu Jichen and left, closing the door behind him.

Fu Jichen could never get used to his father’s coffee—it was too bitter.

He poured himself a glass of warm water.

“Dad, if it’s about Yu Qing, there’s really nothing for us to discuss.”

“I’m just conveying Grandpa’s message. What you think and what you do is your business.” Chairman Fu paused his work and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Jichen, don’t blame your grandfather for arranging blind dates for you. People from his generation can’t accept Yu Qing’s modern ideas.”

Fu Jichen’s attitude was firm: “Blind dates are impossible. Of course, there’s an exception—only if the blind date is with Yu Qing.”

Chairman Fu was troubled. “But with Yu Qing’s attitude against marriage, how can I help you explain to your grandfather? I don’t know how to help!”

“Dad, Yu Qing just doesn’t want to get married. There’s nothing else wrong with her.”

“Hehe.”

Chairman Fu was helpless.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

But his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

Fu Jichen dialed Yu Qing’s number. “Dad, I’ll call Yu Qing in front of you. Let her tell you herself how she feels about me. After listening, you’ll understand.”

The call was quickly answered. “President Fu, hello. Is there something that needs revising in the contract?”

Fu Jichen turned on speakerphone and recording, planning to play it for his grandfather later: “It’s not about business, just a few minutes of your time. Repeat what you said to me this morning when you dropped me off at the company. The part about ‘not getting married, not falling in love, doesn’t mean you’re fickle.’”

“Fu Jichen, I’ve said this—I don’t want to get married, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been serious with you. Working hard in the legal department is being serious with you. Waking up at five o’clock to accompany you is being serious with you. Taking on this case now is also being serious with you. Why must marriage be the measure of whether someone is sincere or insincere towards you?”

“Not talking anymore, I have a meeting now.”

Fu Jichen renamed the recording: Little Beauty Fish.

Chairman Fu remained silent for a few seconds, then waved his hand. “Alright, I understand. I’ll handle your grandfather’s side. Go back to work.”

After leaving his father’s office, Fu Jichen sent a message to Yu Qing: [Thank you. Just now, in my dad’s office, it was for him to listen.]

Yu Qing: [I’m happy to say it to you, but if you use it as a shield, you have to pay. Cash, cash.]

Fu Jichen also learned her tricks and directly sent her an emoji: [‘Here, a hundred million. Spend it as you wish.’]