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Psst! We're moving!
By the time night fell, the snow had stopped.
It was rush hour, and after an hour, the car had only moved one intersection.
During this time, Qin Moling got out of the car. When he returned, the car had moved forward about ten meters.
Yu Qing, bored out of her mind, finished watching an episode of an entertainment show. “What did you get out of the car for?”
Qin Moling pulled a bottle of vitamin C from his pocket, poured out three pills—two for himself and handed one to Yu Qing. “I’m more generous than you.”
Yu Qing: “...”
She was speechless. “How are you so childish?”
Qin Moling drank some water to swallow the pills. “Isn’t being childish better? I used to take everything too seriously—it was exhausting.”
Recently, since clashing with Yu Qing and Fu Jichen, life had become quite interesting.
There were occasional surprises.
In the past, his life revolved solely around making money.
Utterly dull.
Tonight was New Year’s Eve, but due to the heavy snow, the streets were quieter than usual.
“Do you have any plans tonight?” Qin Moling asked her.
Yu Qing shook her head. Fu Jichen had gone out to play, and there was no family dinner at home tonight. They had agreed to return home tomorrow, and she would bring Fu Jichen back.
Qin Moling didn’t want to go home either. His large family was noisy, and staying there all night would give him a headache.
“Let’s find a place to eat. Call Qin Yu to join us.”
Qin Yu was probably just like him—unwilling to endure nagging at home.
It was a holiday, and they hadn’t made reservations in advance, so finding a restaurant nearby with available seats was challenging.
After several calls, all the restaurants were fully booked.
Qin Moling had no choice but to call a friend to help arrange something.
There were no private rooms, only the main dining hall.
He and Yu Qing didn’t need a private room anyway.
The restaurant was on the 36th floor. The ambiance and mood were what mattered most. All the seats were by the window, where diners could enjoy the delicious food while overlooking the city’s night view.
With tonight’s heavy snow as a backdrop, the scenery was especially stunning.
While waiting for their companion, Yu Qing and Qin Moling chatted idly. “Is Qin Yu not spending time with his girlfriend?”
Qin Moling: “His girlfriend isn’t in Beijing.”
Yu Qing nodded, recalling that Yu Fei had mentioned Qin Yu was in a long-distance relationship.
Ten minutes later, Qin Yu finally arrived, albeit late.
He had been there for a while but spent over twenty minutes looking for parking.
“I heard you guys made no progress today.”
He hadn’t gone to NewTech; someone from the brokerage firm had attended and live-streamed the negotiation updates in the group chat. The outlook wasn’t good.
“Why don’t you change your approach when dealing with Fu Jichen?”
Qin Moling tilted his chin slightly toward Yu Qing. “Ask her. I’m just here as company.” His focus was now on Lemong Drinks.
Next year’s pressure was significant.
Once the New Year’s holiday passed, work would resume, and they needed to achieve a strong start.
Meeting after meeting filled these days.
Yu Qing gazed at the night view. “I’m considering another possibility, but for now, we’ll continue as planned.” She turned her face. “Aren’t you visiting your girlfriend during the holiday?”
“Yes. I’m taking a flight early tomorrow morning to spend four days with her.” Qin Yu poured himself a glass of water.
As they were chatting, Qin Yu’s phone rang.
It was his girlfriend calling.
He hung up and sent a voice message: [I’m having dinner with my brother and a former colleague of mine—Yu Qing, whom I’ve mentioned to you. We’re discussing projects. What about you? Are you at home or shopping? You’ll see me by noon tomorrow.]
Yu Qing quietly observed Qin Yu. His tone was so gentle, completely different from his usual self.
After sending the voice message, Qin Yu glanced at the chat box and noticed his girlfriend had sent him a photo before he sent his message.
[Why are you at the law firm building? When did you arrive?]
He quickly followed up with another message: [Wait for me in the lobby. It’s warmer there, and I’ll come pick you up right away.]
“You two eat. My girlfriend is here.” He spoke while putting on his coat.
Yu Qing wanted to say something, but Qin Yu hurriedly left. “Why is he so excited?”
“How could he not be? This is the first time his girlfriend has come to visit him.” Qin Moling bent down to pick up the chopsticks that had fallen from Qin Yu’s coat.
Yu Qing was puzzled. “Haven’t they been together for over a decade? Has his girlfriend always been abroad?”
“No, she’s from a small town.” Qin Moling explained, “His girlfriend can’t speak. Her vocal cords were damaged.”
Yu Qing was momentarily stunned.
No wonder Qin Yu had hung up and switched to voice messages—he could read the text messages his girlfriend sent.
Qin Moling: “I admire Qin Yu for his unwavering dedication over the years. I wouldn’t be able to do it.”
For some reason, Yu Qing suddenly thought of Fu Jichen.
The way he acted around her was entirely different from how he behaved in front of others.
Just like Qin Yu.
While waiting for their meal, Yu Qing went to the restroom.
As she passed the cashier’s desk, she paused.
“Chen Yan.”
She walked over.
The cashier’s desk wasn’t busy at the moment, and Chen Yan was focused on checking data.
When she heard someone call her name, Chen Yan looked up abruptly, startled for a moment before breaking into a smile. “What a coincidence! Are you celebrating New Year’s Eve with your boyfriend here?”
“No, it’s a colleague.”
“Next time you come to eat, call me directly, and I’ll reserve a table for you.”
Chen Yan marked the verified data.
“Sister Yu Fei referred me here. I’ve been working for two weeks, and it feels pretty good.”
Back then, she had graduated with a degree in finance. During her senior year internship, she met Zhao Shuqun at her internship company.
After graduation, she married Zhao Shuqun without ever having worked a day. Now, picking up a career again was difficult.
She started as a cashier and was also studying to prepare for certification exams.
Yu Qing didn’t disturb her work. “Let’s grab coffee when you have a day off.”
Chen Yan: “Sure, and we’ll invite Sister Yu Fei then.”
Yu Qing glanced at Chen Yan once more and headed to the restroom.
She felt that Chen Yan seemed to be in much better spirits.
Perhaps she was so busy that she didn’t have time to dwell on painful thoughts.
Just as Chen Yan was about to get back to work, she suddenly looked up toward the entrance, as if sensing something. The tall, imposing figure walking in was Zhao Shuqun.
Zhao Shuqun also noticed her, his expression clearly one of astonishment.
Looking at her uniform, he couldn’t figure out when she had started working.
This was also his first time visiting this restaurant.
He was meeting up with a few friends tonight.
Originally, he had planned to stay home and spend time with Chen Yan, but she had told him she had a yoga class that evening and would return late.
Feeling bored at home alone, he decided to come here.
Zhao Shuqun steadied himself and walked over. “Yanyan, why are you working here?”
Chen Yan forced a faint smile. “To make money.”
Zhao Shuqun stared at her silently.
The man before her felt unfamiliar, or perhaps it was she herself who had become distant.
And maybe that was for the best.
“What’s wrong with you?” Zhao Shuqun suppressed his frustration and lowered his voice to ask.
Chen Yan didn’t reply and instead bent her head to focus on her work.
“You’re working now—couldn’t you at least tell me?”
“When you stopped having feelings for me, did you bother to tell me?”
Zhao Shuqun opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a single word.
His mind froze in that moment.
So she had found out about him and Xiao Yilin.
“How can you say I no longer care about you?”
Chen Yan let out a cold snort and said nothing.
People occasionally passed by, so Zhao Shuqun avoided further conversation. “You keep busy. I’ll wait for you, and we’ll go home together.” He turned and walked toward the private room.
Chen Yan stared at the receipt in her hand, unable to make out any numbers.
She turned around, facing the liquor cabinet behind her, tilting her head slightly upward to stop tears from falling.
She took deep breaths repeatedly.
“Little Yanyan, what are you looking at? Did a handsome guy fall from the sky?” A colleague came over to tease her.
Chen Yan turned around and smiled. “I just ran into my husband. He came here to eat and said I have a double chin, almost making me cry. I’m trying to lose weight.”
Her eyes were red, her lashes damp.
The colleague frowned. “Where are you fat? You don’t have a double chin. Don’t listen to him. He’s just afraid another man will take you away, so he’s deliberately putting you down. What a jerk. Don’t be upset.”
Her tears seemed to have nearly dried up.
Perhaps from now on, she wouldn’t shed any more.
Chen Yan composed herself and got back to work.
Working not only helped her earn money but also reduced the time she spent lost in painful thoughts.
When Yu Qing passed by her again and greeted her, it was already 8:30 p.m.
________________________________________
When Yu Qing returned home, Fu Jichen was already back.
It was rare for him to return so early after going out.
Fu Jichen was in the study. Yu Qing whistled toward the study but didn’t linger, heading straight to the bedroom.
“Yu Qing, come here.”
No one responded to him.
Fu Jichen set aside an A3-sized paper on the desk—it was a blueprint Yu Qing had drawn for him, outlining her vision for the next five years. She wanted to expand her perfume empire into four rooms.
She even had plans to shrink his gym and use half of it as a space for her perfumes.
Fu Jichen picked up this design sketch and went to the bedroom. Yu Qing had changed into a blush-pink dress, leaving half her back exposed.
Her long hair was tied up.
For a moment, he was mesmerized.
He forgot what he had come to do.
“Hey, in two hours, it’ll be the New Year,” Yu Qing said with a smile, standing on a wool carpet in high heels without moving around casually.
Fu Jichen set the sketch aside. “Are you going out again?”
“No.” Yu Qing reached out her hand to him.
Fu Jichen walked over, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and pulling her close.
They pressed tightly against each other.
With her wearing such high heels, their height matched perfectly for a kiss.
Yu Qing wrapped her arms around him. “This is our first New Year’s Eve together. It has to be special.”
“And how do you plan to celebrate with me?” She kissed his lips.
Fu Jichen: “I’ll make sure you truly experience the start of the new year.” He was prepared. “But we have to wait until midnight.” He leaned down and kissed her chest.
“What about that sketch of yours? Isn’t it too ambitious? You’re even planning to take over my gym.”
Yu Qing laughed. “Yes, and once I’ve marked you with my perfume, your space becomes mine. Any objections?”
“If I don’t give it to you, there won’t be any space left.”
Fu Jichen looked at her. “We have plenty of houses. Let’s move to the villa and dedicate an entire floor for your perfumes.” He began kissing her.
There were still two hours until midnight.
To avoid missing the time, Fu Jichen had specially set an alarm.
At 11:55 p.m., the alarm rang. They had just come out of the bathroom.
Fu Jichen turned off the alarm and began preparing.
“So, how are you going to make me celebrate the New Year?” Yu Qing asked curiously.
Fu Jichen: “It’ll be the most unforgettable New Year’s Eve of your first twenty-five years.”
He brought out what he had prepared in advance.
“What is this?”
“A timeline.” He had made it himself.
He placed it on the floor.
Fu Jichen took the bottle of perfume his mother had given him and placed it on the icon representing the upcoming new year.
“When I count down to one, step over.”
Yu Qing looked at the small gift box, unsure what was inside. She was eager to open it immediately. “Fu Jichen, just start the countdown now. It’s fine—I’m willing to step into the new year two minutes early.”
Fu Jichen: “...Yu Qing, can you show some ambition for once?”
He had her stand on the threshold of the outgoing year. Then he opened his phone and began the countdown.
Yu Qing rested her hand on his shoulder, already stepping one foot into the new year, waiting for midnight to pass so she could open her New Year’s gift.
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