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Psst! We're moving!
Yu Qing didn’t transfer the money. Her reasoning always managed to move Fu Jichen, and it worked better than actually transferring the money.
“The fees for transferring money back and forth are not insignificant. Now that we have our little fish to raise, let’s save some money. Besides, you and I can’t be measured in money. Don’t you agree, President Fu?”
As she spoke, she typed on her phone.
【This February 14th will forever be etched in my memory. I have you, my kite flying freely, and a string that will never break for the rest of my life. Thankful, grateful—I finally have a home. Grateful for all the encounters. And together, let’s strive to be decent people. 5203344】
Fu Jichen saved the message, took a screenshot, and posted it as a story visible only to himself.
Yu Qing beckoned him with a crooked finger. “Fu Jichen, come here.”
Fu Jichen set down his phone and walked over to the bedside. He leaned down. Yu Qing kissed him five times in quick succession, paused for a few seconds, then kissed him twice more, paused again, and finally gave him one last kiss.
521
“Goodnight.”
Fu Jichen touched his nose to hers. At this moment, he was at a loss for words.
When it came to life’s pleasures, he couldn’t match her.
When it came to flirting and sweet talk, he fell short of her.
When it came to love, he still lost to her.
“Sleep now.”
He left a kiss on her lips.
Yu Qing didn’t know when she fell asleep. Before her consciousness faded, Fu Jichen had yet to leave.
Early the next morning, the alarm rang promptly at five o’clock.
Yu Qing reached out to turn it off but struggled to lift her hand—she was too sleepy.
The phone kept vibrating, incessantly noisy.
She struggled again to turn off the alarm, but before her hand reached the phone, the noise stopped.
“Sleep a little longer.”
A voice accompanied by an embrace.
Half of Yu Qing’s soul was still in a dream. She forgot whether she was at home or at Fu Jichen’s place. “President Fu,” she mumbled.
“I’m here.”
She turned her face and rubbed it against his arm twice.
The familiar scent made her even sleepier.
“I don’t want to wake up early. I don’t want to catch bugs. I’m on a diet.”
Fu Jichen: “...”
She was half-asleep.
Fu Jichen soothed her. “Alright, no need to get up. Sleep.”
“Mm.”
A few seconds passed.
“I’m a little bird who’s never seen the world. Bugs scare me.”
“...”
It seemed her biological clock was completely disrupted, but the habit of waking up early still lingered. Fu Jichen whispered softly into her ear, “From now on, we’ll wake up at seven.”
Yu Qing’s eyelids felt heavy; she couldn’t open them and quickly fell back asleep.
Fu Jichen held her for a while, feeling an unprecedented sense of security.
He gently laid her down and kissed her abdomen.
In his heart, he silently said, Dad’s marriage certificate depends on you.
Fu Jichen reset Yu Qing’s alarm for seven o’clock.
When he went downstairs, he encountered Yu Shaohong.
“Dad, good morning.”
It almost slipped out naturally.
Yu Shaohong: “...Good morning, good morning.”
Still getting used to it.
“You’re just leaving?”
He asked, then realized it was a pointless question.
Yu Shaohong was fully dressed, ready to head to the office.
But Fu Jichen looked disheveled—his shirt was full of wrinkles, and there was a faint shadow on his chin.
Based on his appearance, Fu Jichen must have spent the night on the sofa.
If Ji Qingyuan had this kind of patience, things wouldn’t have gone so wrong between him and Jingxin.
Comparing the two sons-in-law, Ji Qingyuan clearly received a poor review.
“What would you like for breakfast?” Yu Shaohong asked.
Fu Jichen: “No need. I’ll go home to change.”
Yu Shaohong didn’t insist and simply nodded.
At a little past five in the morning in early spring, the sky was beginning to lighten, and the sound of unknown birds could be heard in the trees.
In the garden, the early spring flowers had already begun to bloom.
The winding path led straight to the lakeside, where a viewing platform stood at the end.
The lake was like a mirror, reflecting half of the villa.
The housekeeper had also risen early and was practicing tai chi in the yard.
Fu Jichen drove slowly out of the compound.
Originally, he planned to bring Yu Qing back to his apartment in a few days, but the environment here was more pleasant. In summer, they could even play by the water—Yu Qing would probably prefer staying here.
Along the way, he kept thinking about how to move in.
________________________________________
After lunch, Qin Moling went to find Yu Qing.
Yu Qing was standing by the window, all the windows that could be opened were wide open.
In front of her was a chair, stacked with a round stool, and on top of the stool was her laptop.
The power cord stretched from the desk all the way to the window.
Qin Moling looked her up and down. “What are you doing? Seeking inspiration?”
Without turning her head, Yu Qing focused on the data in her hands.
“Sitting makes me sleepy.”
Standing by the window in the cool breeze helped her stay alert.
Physical exhaustion was difficult to overcome through sheer willpower alone.
But with a mountain of work piling up, she couldn’t afford to slack off.
Qin Moling held a cup of coffee in his hand—it was half-finished. “Do you want me to make you a cup?”
Yu Qing shook her head, fully aware. “I need to quit for ten months.”
Qin Moling suddenly realized—she was pregnant now, and it was better to avoid such beverages as much as possible.
“Last month, sales in Beijing dropped by about 8% year-over-year because of Duo Xin’s price war. Our distributors sold fifty to sixty thousand fewer cases.”
Yu Qing folded the sales report and placed it on the keyboard. “As for whether the sales volume really decreased that much, I’m not sure.”
The data had been submitted jointly by Lemong’s regional managers and distributors—there was bound to be some exaggeration.
Qin Moling asked, “Are the distributors asking the company for promotional support again?”
“Yes.” Yu Qing poured herself a glass of lukewarm water. “They said they want to compete with Zhuo Hua Trading from Duo Xin and requested twenty thousand yuan worth of materials and gifts to kick off promotions starting this month.”
“Are you planning to approve this expense?”
“Yes.”
Yu Qing explained how she intended to approve it. “I’ll only give limited financial support to Beijing’s distributors. The rest will go to Tianjin and Hebei’s distributors. Xiao Yilin is the regional manager for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and since she gave so much support to Zhuo Hua Trading, it’s clear she must have cut funding from Tianjin and Hebei’s distributors.”
Qin Moling understood. “So you’re planning to use a strategy like the ‘Race of Horses’?”
“Yes.” Yu Qing took a sip of the lukewarm water. “In any case, I only care about maintaining the overall sales volume. Any way we win is fine.”
Qin Moling had come to confirm something: Was the email she sent him at noon the result of her being half-asleep or a well-thought-out idea?
He double-checked with her. “Are you really planning to hold a Lemong All-Star Concert?”
Yu Qing nodded, clarifying his confusion. “It’s not just a sudden whim.”
She had been thinking about it during her sleepless nights these past few days.
Last night, she mulled it over again.
She calculated the costs—it didn’t exceed their advertising budget.
Once she cleared up her current workload, she planned to draft a feasibility proposal and submit it to the board.
“For years, we’ve outsourced our advertising and promotions to Leng Wenning. She keeps using the same old tactics without putting in any effort. I don’t know how effective the actual advertising has been.”
It had been twenty years since Lemong launched its first product.
“Our promotional strategies are still stuck in the same few modes. To consumers, it feels like we’re an aging, stagnant brand.”
Qin Moling didn’t argue—he sometimes felt the same way.
Lemong’s name was well-known, but after so many years, people naturally assumed their drinks still tasted the same, with the same old lineup of products.
Yu Qing: “If we don’t innovate and keep up with the preferences of this generation, whether you admit it or not, Lemong won’t stay strong for long.”
“In fact, it’s already declining. At its peak, it didn’t fear any competitors.”
She looked at Qin Moling. “But now? A newcomer like Duo Xin, which has only been around for two or three years, is already a constant concern for us.”
Qin Moling encouraged her to share her thoughts on the concert idea.
Yu Qing: “For the guest list, we’ll invite all the celebrities who have endorsed our Lemong products before, along with some talented singers and popular actors. This is the first concert, but we plan to hold it annually.”
“Every year?”
“For now, that’s the plan. We’ll turn it into a branded concert series.”
Qin Moling hadn’t expected her ambitions to be so grand. “How do you plan to organize it?”
Yu Qing: “We’ll collaborate with provincial satellite TV and broadcast it live.”
As for ticket sales, “Some tickets will be sold, and the rest will be used as incentives for our distributors and merchants.”
Distributors who meet their sales targets will receive two front-row tickets.
The top fifty merchants in each region by sales volume will receive one ticket.
“We’ll negotiate the collaboration format with the TV station later. If the ratings are good, we’ll not only get free advertising but also make some money. If the ratings are average, we can consider it a sponsorship fee.”
No matter what, it would be more effective than Leng Wenning’s current promotional efforts.
Over the years, Leng Wenning had focused solely on maximizing profits without investing in improving her team’s capabilities.
Hosting a concert would undoubtedly generate more buzz and attention than a simple sponsorship.
The key advantage was that Yu Qing had unique resources at her disposal.
“My cousin’s older brother runs a film company, and his artists are highly sought-after. His media company has organized several large concerts and music events, and they have good relationships with TV stations. I can even negotiate prices with him.”
Qin Moling knew about her cousin—his resources were indeed impressive—but there was one problem. Unable to resist, he threw some cold water on her enthusiasm. “Have you been in touch with your cousin recently?”
Yu Qing: “…You could say I’ve made contact. I dreamed about him the other night.”
In her dream, she sweet-talked her cousin out of money to buy cartoon stickers, which she plastered all over her Chinese textbook, obscuring the text.
She also dreamed about Shanghai’s alleyways.
Back then, her cousin would take her there to play.
But after her grandparents passed away, they lost all contact.
When her grandfather fell ill and had to step down as chairman of the board early, her eldest uncle’s family and second uncle’s family turned against each other in a bitter fight for control of the group.
It was a bloodbath.
The last shred of familial loyalty was stripped away, leaving behind nothing but naked self-interest.
Fortunately, neither her eldest uncle nor her second uncle forced her to take sides because she held shares in the company. Whichever side she chose would determine the victor.
Their decision not to involve her might have been their final act of kindness toward her.
Later, both her grandparents passed away.
After the dust settled on the group’s control, the family fell apart.
For the past two years, she hadn’t returned to Shanghai. She had no contact with her uncles or her cousin.
Even if she did reach out, she wouldn’t know what to say.
That family was irreparably broken—it could never return to what it once was.
“I’ll think about how to contact my cousin.”
Qin Moling suggested, “First, resolve the issue with Leng Wenning. Otherwise, no matter what ideas you have, she won’t let you implement them easily.”
Moreover, she might secretly sabotage their efforts.
After all, Leng Wenning not only had Wenceng Planning but also a public relations company, giving her control over numerous media resources.
Speaking of Leng Wenning, Qin Moling asked Yu Qing, “Do you know that Pang Linbin and Aunt Li are back in the country?”
Yu Qing raised her eyes but didn’t respond.
She hadn’t contacted her mother, and her mother certainly wouldn’t inform her of her itinerary. Once, when they happened to meet at the foot of a scenic mountain, her mother hadn’t even considered traveling with her.
Qin Moling could tell from her expression that she didn’t know, so he didn’t press further.
He forwarded a message to her.
“This is what Leng Wenning sent me. I’ve verified it—there’s no mistake in the flight information.”
Pang Linbin’s flight arrived in Shanghai at noon today, and he returned together with Yu Qing’s mother.
Tomorrow afternoon, Pang Linbin’s flight would head to Beijing, but there was no flight information for Yu Qing’s mother—she was staying in Shanghai and not coming.
“I’ll help you find out more about Pang Linbin’s schedule after he arrives in Beijing.”
“No need.” Yu Qing moved the laptop back to the desk.
Qin Moling stared at her, unable to bear seeing her threatened by Leng Wenning like this. “Let me handle this, okay? Face or pride—it’s not that important. If you don’t want to cooperate with Leng Wenning, fine. I’ll deal with it my way.”
Yu Qing disagreed. “No need. I know what to do.”
She asked him for a favor. “Go to Leng Wenning now. Once you get there, let me know. I’ll call you, and you put it on speakerphone.”
She added, “Turn the volume up as loud as possible to make sure Leng Wenning hears everything I say.”
Qin Moling assumed she had come to her senses and decided to compromise, using him as a bridge to negotiate the renewal details with Leng Wenning.
He didn’t ask further questions and instructed his secretary to arrange a car.
This was Qin Moling’s first visit to Wenceng Planning—previously, Leng Wenning always visited him.
Leng Wenning was in a meeting when she unexpectedly heard of his sudden arrival. She ended the meeting early.
The current feud with Lemong wasn’t an outcome she desired.
She wouldn’t take the initiative to apologize or compromise, but she also didn’t want to completely sever ties with Lemong. There was no need to fight over money; as long as Yu Qing agreed to continue the collaboration, she could let bygones be bygones and forgive past grievances.
In the reception room, the secretary had already prepared tea for Qin Moling.
Leng Wenning came directly from the conference room downstairs. “Rare guest, truly an honor.”
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she invited him to her office.
On her turf, Leng Wenning politely asked, “What brings you here, President Qin?”
Qin Moling calmly replied, “I wouldn’t dare instruct you. I’m here to build a bridge between us.”
Soon, Yu Qing’s call came through.
Qin Moling turned on the speakerphone.
Leng Wenning’s thoughtful gaze fell on Qin Moling. She guessed that Yu Qing must have learned of Pang Linbin’s return and felt the severity of the situation, deciding to proactively reconcile.
She wondered why Yu Qing hadn’t acted sooner.
Yu Qing’s cold voice echoed through the speakerphone, reverberating in the office.
“Tell Leng Wenning I’m giving her one chance. By 8 a.m. tomorrow, if she comes to me to apologize and writes a letter of repentance, I will consider forgiving her. After terminating the contract, I won’t hold any grudges against her. But if she persists in her ways and uses every means to threaten me, I will retaliate in kind.”
“There will come a day when she begs for my forgiveness.”
“I guarantee she won’t land any major clients, and her uncle’s important projects won’t attract investors.”
There was a brief pause of about two seconds.
“Since she sent me three big gifts, I will reciprocate. The first wave: wait for your court summons. Your team failed to complete the video shooting and placement for Lemong’s new product within the stipulated time in the contract, and they also failed to design the new product posters, causing significant losses to Lemong. Besides paying the penalty, we will also claim damages.”
Before Qin Moling could say anything, the call was abruptly cut off.
He was stunned, unsure whether Yu Qing had sent him here to intimidate Leng Wenning.
He glanced sideways, and as expected, Leng Wenning’s face was colder than her surname.
“Hmph.”
Leng Wenning had never endured such humiliation. She slammed her water cup onto the table with a harsh clang. Water splashed out, wetting the documents on the desk.
Delays in outdoor video advertising were inevitable due to weather conditions and celebrity schedules. This time, the shoot was delayed by only two days beyond the contract deadline, which had no real impact.
She had already informed Qin Moling in advance.
And yet, Yu Qing was suing Wenceng Planning over this trivial matter.
Suing aside, the compensation wouldn’t amount to much.
But Yu Qing, ungrateful and audacious, dared to threaten her.
All her life, everyone had pampered her.
She had given Yu Qing so many chances, yet Yu Qing not only failed to appreciate them but also naively threatened her.
Thinking back to Yu Qing’s words about preventing her from landing projects, Leng Wenning sneered again. “Hmph.”
At this point, all pretenses were dropped. Qin Moling saw no reason to stay and rose to leave.
Out of politeness, Leng Wenning escorted him out. “Since Yu Qing is so ungrateful, from now on, I reject any reconciliation. Even if she begs, it won’t help!”
She composed herself. “Anyway, Uncle Pang will arrive in Beijing tomorrow afternoon, and I’ll be picking him up. I’ll have a nice chat with him about Miss Yu. As for the second and third waves of ‘big gifts,’ I’ll make sure to add extra spice. Wishing her a pleasant experience.”
After leaving Wenceng Planning, Qin Moling called Yu Qing. He was curious about where her confidence or assurance came from—that Leng Wenning wouldn’t secure projects or that her uncle’s projects wouldn’t attract investors.
“Have you figured something out?”
“Nope.” Yu Qing’s tone was light.
Qin Moling: “...”
It was time to leave work. Yu Qing locked her door and headed to the elevator.
Qin Moling urged her to take the matter seriously. “Yu Qing, I’m not joking with you.”
The elevator arrived. Yu Qing pressed the button but didn’t step in.
“I genuinely wanted to give Leng Wenning a chance, but she didn’t cherish it. Instead, she actually brought Pang Linbin into this. Why should I bother being polite anymore? In fact, I wanted to be the bigger person. But once I turn bad, no one can handle it.”
Qin Moling: “...”
It was the first time he’d heard such an audacious self-compliment.
“Never mind. I’m going to find my Fu Jichen now.”
________________________________________
Fu Jichen had originally planned to pick up Yu Qing, but to his surprise, Ji Qingyuan came to see him.
Ji Qingyuan carried the laptop he had thrown off the building yesterday. Some things were difficult to articulate.
The laptop lay pitifully on the coffee table, uncovered. Last night’s poor lighting had masked its injuries, but in the daylight, it was clear how battered it was.
Fu Jichen was baffled. “What happened to your laptop?”
“It’s broken.”
Ji Qingyuan leaned against the sofa, feeling a headache coming on.
Fu Jichen was perplexed. “Then go find someone to fix it. Why are you here?”
Ji Qingyuan: “The hard drive is damaged, and the chances of repair are slim. I’m not here to fix the computer—I’m here to talk about this broken laptop.”
He recounted last night’s events to Fu Jichen, skipping over the part about the ladder.
“Jingxin moved back today.”
Fu Jichen rubbed his temples, feeling helpless. “Didn’t you realize that your fate might be worse than the laptop’s when you threw it down?”
Ji Qingyuan: “...”
He realized too late, after throwing it.
“I want to move into the villa. What do you think?”
Fu Jichen remained silent for a while.
Ji Qingyuan thought he was brainstorming solutions and didn’t disturb him.
Several minutes passed.
Ji Qingyuan looked at him. “Do you have any ideas or not?”
Fu Jichen: “To be honest, I also plan to move in. I intended to discuss it with you tomorrow.”
Ji Qingyuan: “...”
It seemed they could only ask Yu Jingze for help and invite Father along for dinner, discussing matters over food.
“Maybe if we chat happily, Dad will agree to let us stay.”
That was his thought.
Fu Jichen: “Dad might agree to let me move in since I haven’t had any conflicts with Yu Qing. But he might not allow you to move in because Yu Jingxin doesn’t want to see you.”
Ji Qingyuan no longer wanted to talk to Fu Jichen. He gestured for Fu Jichen to call Yu Jingze and arrange dinner for the evening.
Fu Jichen didn’t move. “You call. You’re older, and you speak more maturely than I do.”
Ji Qingyuan: “...”
His visit to Fu Jichen today was purely self-inflicted frustration.
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