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Psst! We're moving!
The weather was cold, and the wind blowing against his back made Ji Qingyuan shiver involuntarily. The baby, nestled in the stroller, babbled and smiled at him.
He bent down and gently ruffled his son’s head.
His son’s innocent smile was his only solace at the moment.
Yu Jingxin hadn’t come out yet—she was probably doing something in her room.
Most likely, she didn’t want to be in the same space as him.
Ji Qingyuan handed the baby over to the nanny and went to the yard to find Fu Jichen.
Fu Jichen and Yu Shaohong were busy building a snowman for Yu Qing, each rolling a perfectly round snowball.
Earlier, they had played tennis and gotten warm, so they took off their coats. Now, standing in the sub-zero snow in just their shirts, they looked rather out of place.
It almost seemed like they had lost their minds.
Unaware of the earlier incident, Yu Shaohong frowned, looking at Ji Qingyuan with an expression of helplessness. What was he thinking, torturing himself like this?
“You should go put your clothes back on before you catch a cold.”
Fu Jichen looked up. “Did you dry off?”
“Dry off my ass!” Ji Qingyuan turned around, still holding his shirt away from his body. The damp parts had already hardened, giving him the sensation of icy shards.
He had become a walking clothesline.
The others were utterly confused, not understanding what the two men were talking about.
Yu Qing leaned against Fu Jichen’s back. “What’s going on with you two? Did you do something mischievous again?”
Fu Jichen explained his earlier good intentions—he truly meant to help.
Everyone looked at Ji Qingyuan’s miserable state. They initially wanted to feel sorry for him but couldn’t hold back and burst into merciless laughter.
Yu Qing whispered near Fu Jichen’s cheek, “Ji Qingyuan is desperate enough to seek any help, and he ended up meeting you—a quack doctor.”
Fu Jichen: “My prescription wasn’t wrong—it’s just that he didn’t follow the instructions properly.”
Over there, Ji Qingyuan, unable to bear the cold any longer, ignored the embarrassment and asked Yu Jingze, “Do you have a new shirt? Can you lend me one to change into?”
He and Yu Jingze were about the same height, so their clothes sizes matched.
But Yu Jingze never stayed here. “I don’t have any.”
Yu Shaohong had plenty of new shirts, but they were size 180. If Ji Qingyuan wore them, they’d be too small.
Seeing how bad things were between his eldest daughter and her husband, Yu Shaohong waved at Ji Qingyuan. “Just go inside and stick close to Jingxin. She won’t be so heartless as to ignore you completely.”
“She said the hairdryer at home is broken.”
“We have more than one hairdryer. There’s a new one too.”
Ji Qingyuan strode quickly toward the villa. Yu Jingxin was just coming out of the bathroom; she had turned on the hairdryer earlier—it wasn’t broken.
The two locked eyes for a few seconds.
“Come in,” Yu Jingxin said, turning back toward the bathroom. Ji Qingyuan could hardly believe it, but he didn’t have time to think too much. He quickly followed her.
Yu Jingxin took a clean towel from the shelf and gestured to Ji Qingyuan, “Pull your shirt out.”
Ji Qingyuan did as instructed, pulling the hem of his shirt out of his pants. The edges were wrinkled, and he tilted his chin slightly as he unbuttoned a few buttons.
Yu Jingxin stood behind Ji Qingyuan and slipped the towel through his collar. Then, with her other hand, she pulled the towel out from the bottom of his shirt, spreading and smoothing it across his back.
Each movement was meticulous, like tucking an absorbent towel into a baby’s clothes.
Her fingertips inevitably brushed against his back.
Ji Qingyuan’s spine, which had been numbed by the cold, involuntarily tensed.
Yu Jingxin turned on the hairdryer and began drying his shirt, which was soaked halfway down his back.
Outside, the temperature was minus seven or eight degrees Celsius today. Who in their right mind would walk around the yard in wet clothes?
With the towel acting as a barrier, the damp shirt didn’t touch his skin, and the warmth of the hairdryer didn’t reach his body either. This was the first time in four years of marriage that he had received such treatment.
Ji Qingyuan stood motionless, afraid of doing anything that might displease Yu Jingxin.
At this moment, he felt a deep sense of regret.
He regretted that Fu Jichen hadn’t poured an entire cup of water on him.
If he had, his shirt would have been soaked through, and she could have dried him for even longer.
The hum of the hairdryer masked their silence and awkwardness.
After more than ten minutes, Ji Qingyuan still hadn’t come out.
It was safe to say that the small splash of lukewarm water had served its purpose.
“Why do simple issues that can be resolved with a few words become so difficult and awkward for them?” Yu Qing didn’t understand and asked her father.
Yu Shaohong was carving a carrot to use as the snowman’s nose.
“Which couple’s conflicts can’t be resolved with a few words or apologies? It’s all about stubbornly holding onto pride, neither wanting to be the first to back down.”
He examined the carrot—it still wasn’t artistic enough—and continued carving.
“Building this snowman might seem like fun to you, but to your sister, it’s boring. And splashing water—most people would see it as childish, a waste of time when you’re already bored. But to someone with a sense of humor, it’s romantic.”
“People think differently.”
He glanced at his daughter. “If everyone could turn conflicts into humor like you, the divorce rate would plummet.”
As he spoke, he sighed.
“What a pity—those who are capable of living well often don’t want to get married.”
Yu Qing placed a Christmas hat on the snowman and said slowly, “If they’re already capable of living well on their own, why spend time repeating the same process within marriage?”
She gave another example to support her point. “It’s like pre-exam review. If you’ve already mastered the content, isn’t it a waste of life to keep cramming and doing endless practice problems?”
Yu Shaohong: “...”
On the first day of the New Year, Yu Qing stopped teasing her father and moved closer to Fu Jichen.
The part Fu Jichen was working on was nearly finished—they just needed a scarf. He gestured to Yu Qing, “Go ask the housekeeper for an unused scarf.”
Yu Qing glanced toward the villa—Ji Qingyuan still hadn’t come out. “Let’s wait a bit. My sister and Ji Qingyuan finally have some alone time. We shouldn’t disturb them.”
“If my shirt got wet, would you help me dry it?” Fu Jichen asked Yu Qing.
“If you’re so curious, why don’t you try it and find out? That way, you won’t envy Ji Qingyuan anymore, and you won’t have any regrets.”
“I’ll play the good guy again.”
With that, Yu Qing unscrewed the thermos Fu Jichen had brought with him.
She mimicked Fu Jichen, pouring a capful of water.
Just as Fu Jichen thought she was really going to splash him, Yu Qing drank the water instead. “I can’t bear to splash you—it’s too cold. I’ll do it when it’s warmer.”
The two snowmen were completed and dressed up, and they headed back inside.
Ji Qingyuan and Yu Jingxin still hadn’t finished drying his shirt. From the terrace, they could hear the sound of the hairdryer.
Yu Qing picked up her little nephew, who smelled sweet and milky. Unable to resist, she kissed him. The baby waved his tiny hands and babbled incessantly.
“Hi, baby, I’m your fairy-like aunt.”
The baby blinked, as if understanding, and smiled widely.
Fu Jichen stared at Yu Qing. “So you like children?”
“Yes. How can anyone not like something so adorable?” She kissed her nephew’s forehead again. “Baby, let’s put on our coat and go see the snowman.”
Fu Jichen nodded. “I thought you didn’t like children, which is why you didn’t want to have any.”
Yu Qing turned her face and winked. “Here’s an inappropriate analogy: liking to eat doesn’t mean you have to like cooking. They’re not contradictory.”
Fu Jichen: “...”
________________________________________
After lunch, for the Yu family, the New Year’s holiday was over, and they each had things to attend to.
Yu Qing and Fu Jichen continued their special “date,” with Yu Qing now driving, heading toward the area where she used to rent a house.
“President Fu, please understand. Unlike you, the group president, I’ve just taken over my new responsibilities, and there are many things I need to handle personally. This afternoon, I’ll be visiting the market, and I’ll accompany you along the way.”
Fu Jichen thought for a moment. “Then I’ll also check out Duo Xin’s market.”
Since acquiring Duo Xin, he hadn’t paid much attention to it.
“Why did you choose this rental area to visit the market?”
“I’m familiar with it. I know the boss of a nearby convenience store, so it’s easier to chat.”
Yu Qing found a parking spot, parked the car, and took Fu Jichen to the convenience store she frequented. She knew the store owner because of her previous landlord, Boss Qian.
Boss Qian and the convenience store owner used to be neighbors. Later, Boss Qian became the general distributor for Duo Xin and started delivering goods to the convenience store.
“Duo Xin’s current market share wouldn’t have been possible without distributors like Boss Qian.”
Back when Duo Xin was unknown, powerful distributors looked down on the brand.
It was all thanks to average distributors who worked hard to build the market.
Now, Boss Qian, as a distributor, was like the devoted but neglected wife of a wealthy man.
Fu Jichen didn’t know much about Duo Xin’s distributor management model, so he didn’t offer any opinions.
The weather was cold, and the store wasn’t busy.
The boss was watching a video with the volume turned up.
When a customer entered, he kept watching without looking up.
Yu Qing stood in front of Duo Xin’s newly installed beverage display fridge—a double-door unit with promotional posters on the side advertising this year’s flagship products.
The poster colors were bright and coordinated.
It made people feel refreshed.
This design was created by Lu Chen’s company.
The overall impression of the display fridge could be summed up in one word: high-end.
Right next to it was Lemong’s display fridge.
Without comparison, there would be no harm.
Lemong’s display fridge was outdated, only about 30% new after several years. That was secondary. The promotional material on the side of the fridge was last year’s product poster.
The edges of the adhesive stickers had curled up, blackened, and dirtied.
Yu Qing sighed silently, took a photo of the two display fridges, and sent it to Qin Moling: [Take a look yourself—what’s the difference? If you feel good about yourself, imagine yourself as our Lemong display fridge, and the one next to it is Fu Jichen.]
Qin Moling: “...”
Yu Qing put away her phone, grabbed two drinks—one from Lemong and one bottle of Duo Xin’s lemon tea.
A customer came to check out, and the boss finally looked up, hesitating for a moment. He couldn’t recall Yu Qing’s surname but remembered her as the girl who rented Old Qian’s house.
“Haven’t seen you in a while. Busy?”
Yu Qing: “I don’t live here anymore. I’m eating nearby and just stopped by to buy some water.” She pointed to the display fridge by the window. “Just changing the fridge has made the store feel brighter.”
“Absolutely,” the boss said while scanning the items for checkout. “This is Duo Xin’s placement. At first, Old Qian wanted me to remove the old display fridge to make room for the new one, but I was reluctant.”
Yu Qing chimed in, “Yeah, moving things around is quite troublesome.”
She smiled and added, “If there’s a display award, it’s worth considering.”
The boss laughed. “Exactly because of the display award.”
During the second and third quarters, there was an additional display award of over a hundred yuan per month. Thinking about it, it seemed worthwhile.
“The lower shelves of the display fridge sometimes hold other brands’ drinks, but swapping them out feels pretty good.”
Yu Qing picked up the two bottles of drinks. “You’re busy.”
Fu Jichen waited for her outside. He had briefly entered the store to look around and then came out.
Yu Qing handed him the Lemong drink and kept the Duo Xin lemon tea for herself.
“How did the conversation go?” he asked.
“In terms of product display, we’ve been completely defeated by you. Zhao Shuqun doesn’t play by the rules.”
Yu Qing unscrewed the cap and took a few casual sips.
Fu Jichen held her hand. “The first quarter has just begun—you still have more than two months to catch up.”
As they chatted, they walked toward the next convenience store.
Today, Zhao Shuqun was also visiting the market. The regional manager here was Xiao Yilin, but he didn’t ask her to accompany him and came alone.
He was supposed to be busy at the office, but he spent half the morning distracted. It was all related to Chen Yan’s current attitude.
Unable to focus on work, he decided to come out and visit the market.
Who knew that just after parking his car, he saw Fu Jichen and Yu Qing walking hand in hand, drinking their rival’s beverages, and visiting stores one by one.
This pair probably embodied the concept of “love-hate relationship” to the fullest extent.
They walked for over two hours, visiting various stores across different channels. Yu Qing entered each one for a quick look.
As night fell, she and Fu Jichen returned home.
Yu Qing drove again.
She opened the navigation app.
Fu Jichen: “Can’t find the way?”
“I’m not very familiar with this area.”
Fu Jichen pointed to the intersection ahead. “Turn left, go straight for two blocks, and you’ll reach the road in front of our company.”
Yu Qing nodded and started the car.
She chatted casually with him: “Aside from a few major roads I often take, I rely on navigation for everything else. The route I’m most familiar with is the one leading to your apartment—I could walk it with my eyes closed.”
“When I commuted by subway, I’d count steps out of boredom after exiting the station. From the subway exit to your doorstep, it was between 1,820 and 1,862 steps.”
“Sometimes, when you didn’t have overtime and got home before me, I’d count the steps to gauge how far I was from you.”
Fu Jichen slightly turned his body to look at her. “Steps recorded by your phone?”
“I’ve given you all the important information, yet you’re still missing the point. Counting steps means counting, not looking at the step count.” Yu Qing glanced at the rearview mirror and turned on the turn signal.
Turning the corner.
“The step count recorded by the phone isn’t very accurate.” She added another sentence.
Fu Jichen didn’t say anything more, occasionally glancing at her face.
Her occasional seriousness made him wonder—had she ever truly kept him in her heart?
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