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The pleasant weekend passed in the blink of an eye. On Monday, during the regular meeting, Qin Moling didn’t attend. Early in the morning, he called Yu Qing, saying he wasn’t feeling well and was seeing a doctor at the hospital.
Concerned, Yu Qing asked: [What’s wrong?]
Qin Moling: [Palpitations, weakness, and chills.]
Yu Qing teased him: [It looks like your body is weak.]
Qin Moling: “...”
Angered, he threw his phone aside and ignored Yu Qing.
Today’s meeting primarily discussed the August “Lemon Stars Concert.”
This event had unprecedented funding, and the group’s board of directors had high expectations for its impact. The pressure on Lemon’s management was immense. Although two companies, Li Yanzhuo and Leng Wenning, were collaborating to host it, they still couldn’t afford to be careless. If any part went wrong or if there was negative news, it could mean a total loss.
Not only that, but it would also tarnish the company’s brand.
With 60 days left until the concert, starting tomorrow, the official Lemon Concert Weibo account would announce one guest every other day.
After the meeting ended, Yu Qing received a call from Yu Fei.
Yu Fei came to Lemon today to handle a case with the legal department. After clarifying the details, she decided to drop by to see Yu Qing, as she had something to discuss.
“If you’re free, I’ll come up for two minutes.”
“Twenty minutes is no problem.” After hanging up, Yu Qing asked her secretary to prepare coffee.
Soon, Yu Fei arrived.
“What have you been busy with recently?” She asked Yu Qing.
Putting down her bag, Yu Fei rubbed her neck; she had slept awkwardly last night.
“Not much,” Yu Qing replied. “Just some trivial matters regarding the Lemon Concert.”
Yu Fei had previously issued a legal opinion on the concert and was familiar with some aspects.
She congratulated Yu Qing: “Thankfully, you’ve reconciled with Leng Wenning now. Otherwise, you’d be uneasy until the concert ends.”
Yu Qing smiled, “Exactly.”
Once complications arose, the board members would start making a fuss.
Even if the concert was exceptionally successful, the credit might not be hers, but any mistakes leading to company losses would definitely be her responsibility.
Yu Fei stirred her coffee: “You can rest easy now.”
Yu Qing: “I can’t.”
Puzzled, Yu Fei asked, “Who did you offend?”
Then she realized belatedly, “Is it Zhou Siyuan?”
Yu Qing nodded, “She’s different from Leng Wenning.” Open attacks are easier to dodge than hidden arrows. She filtered through all possible angles where Zhou Siyuan might strike and prepared contingency plans.
But who knows whether Zhou Siyuan would follow her expected moves.
“Let’s not talk about her. Dealing with things as they come is more stimulating.”
She asked Yu Fei: “Have you seen Chen Yan recently? How is she doing?”
Yu Fei continued, “That’s what I wanted to tell you. This Friday, we’re having a small gathering at my place. I’ve already talked to Chen Yan; she has a day off that day. She’ll do the cooking, and we just need to eat.”
“I also invited Zou Lexiao. This little girl has been in a bit of a strange mood lately, zoning out during several meetings. I haven’t asked her what’s wrong yet, so this will be a good chance to let her unwind.”
As for why they were gathering, that day was Yu Fei’s 40th birthday.
However, she hadn’t told them to avoid them preparing gifts—she lacked nothing.
After sitting for a while, Yu Fei bid farewell.
Yu Qing escorted her to the elevator. The private elevator was running and happened to stop at this floor.
When the elevator door opened, Qin Moling appeared.
After exchanging greetings, Yu Fei entered the elevator. Qin Moling glanced at Yu Qing, his gaze enigmatic, as if settling accounts after autumn harvest.
Yu Qing pretended not to notice, “How’s your health?”
Qin Moling: “My kidneys aren’t deficient.”
Yu Qing laughed; this person held grudges over a simple joke. “What did the doctor say? Do you need medication?”
Qin Moling remained silent. Now, his whole family blamed him, calling him utterly irresponsible and disrespectful to Jian Hang, his blind date partner. They criticized him for not visiting Jian Hang when she was supposedly severely ill.
They scolded him for ruining every matchmaking attempt he attended, letting good daughters-in-law become others’. Then they started blaming Yu Qing, saying if it weren’t for her, he’d almost be a father.
He found it all annoying.
Jian Hang wasn’t sick at all; it was obviously a pretense.
He also visited the hospital. Recently, he felt weak all over, had headaches, and muscle soreness.
The doctor said he had used too much air conditioning and suggested some outdoor exercise.
________________________________________
By noon, Yu Qing received a call from Fu Jichen, asking her to visit him at Fu Group.
Yu Qing had grown accustomed to napping and didn’t want to go out in such heat. “Give me a reason why I must go.”
Fu Jichen: “I want to see you. Is that reason enough?”
Instead of answering, Yu Qing countered, “Then why don’t you come to my office to see me?”
“Because your office is too small.”
“...”
From Lemon to Fu Group wasn’t far. Without traffic, it only took about ten minutes by car.
Yu Qing decided to visit Fu Jichen. Before leaving, she grabbed a small box of ice cream from the fridge to eat.
Under the scorching sun, the asphalt radiated heat waves, and the leaves on both sides of the road drooped.
After finishing the ice cream, the car turned into the underground parking lot of Fu Tower.
At the elevator entrance stood a tall figure.
The shirt he wore was the one she bought.
As the car parked, Fu Jichen opened the door.
Yu Qing: “President Fu personally welcoming me, I’m honored.”
“Lawyer Yu’s distinguished arrival brings glory to Fu Tower.” Fu Jichen placed his palm above the doorframe to prevent Yu Qing’s head from hitting it.
After exchanging pleasantries, Fu Jichen pulled her into his embrace.
Yu Qing caressed his cheeks, “Why can’t you stay away from me even for half a day?”
“Not half a day, just half an hour.”
Fu Jichen released her, and they entered the elevator.
“What’s so important that I have to come in person?” Yu Qing didn’t believe he simply wanted to see her face-to-face. If he wanted to see her, a video call would suffice; there was no need for her to travel back and forth.
Fu Jichen: “You can’t always stay in air-conditioned rooms. It’s good to get out occasionally. Coming here will change your mood.”
Upon entering the office, the moment the door opened, the familiar aroma of food wafted in.
Yu Qing glanced sideways, ready to settle scores. “You never let me eat in your office before. You were so mean to me.”
“Starting today, I’ll make it up to you.” Fu Jichen guided her forward with his hands on her shoulders.
Back when she worked at Fu Group, she racked her brains daily trying to eat in his office. He didn’t like the smell of food lingering in the office and only made exceptions twice.
Yu Qing sat down. Through the floor-to-ceiling window, she could see their family bank building.
Back then, she could only sneak glances, hiding her true identity from Fu Jichen.
Every time she spoke to Yu Jingze on the phone, he worried, saying she had stirred up a hornet’s nest and should retreat quickly.
She reflected: “Working at Fu Group and secretly dating you was quite interesting.”
Fu Jichen eyed her, “Mind your words.”
Yu Qing smiled, “Secret affair.”
She mentioned the concert tickets to him, “Do Grandpa and Grandma like them?”
Fu Jichen: “They’re not very interested in young people’s concerts. The venue is too noisy; they definitely won’t go.”
Yu Qing: “Then I’ll give you three more tickets.”
For his parents and brother.
“They’re all good seats. Two are consecutive, and the other is in another row.”
Fu Jichen used his water glass as a wine glass and lightly clinked it with hers, “To Lawyer Yu’s first Lemon Concert’s complete success.”
Yu Qing picked up her glass, drinking seriously as if it were alcohol, “Thank you, President Fu of Little Fish. Thanks for your auspicious words.”
Both sipped their tea.
The sense of ceremony seemed insufficient.
Fu Jichen moved closer, cupped her chin, and blessed her with a kiss.
He gently sucked her lips, detecting a hint of ice cream flavor, “Did you eat the sea salt flavor?”
Yu Qing shook her head, “I didn’t pay attention.” While eating, her mind was preoccupied with the concert, and she forgot the flavor.
Fu Jichen was certain: “It’s definitely sea salt flavor.”
As they chatted, Yu Qing’s phone rang—Pang Linbin was calling.
Pang Linbin rarely broke appointments. Today, though he was the host, he couldn’t make it.
He apologized: “Qing Qing, Uncle has an urgent meeting today related to SZ, which might last two to three hours and delay dinner with you. Let’s reschedule for the weekend. Gu Heng happens to be in Beijing; I’ll cook, and both you and Gu Heng can come home to eat.”
Breaking an appointment with a younger generation member made him feel guilty, so he promised to cook personally to show sincerity.
Hearing that Gu Heng would also come home for dinner, Yu Qing smiled, “It’s alright, Uncle Pang. Honestly, even if you were free today, I wouldn’t want to go. I’d rather wait till the weekend.”
Pang Linbin chuckled, “I guarantee you’ll meet your idol face-to-face then.”
They settled on that and hung up.
Yu Qing’s lips curved upward. Gu Heng was the star she, her sister, and Zou Lexiao admired—the spokesperson for Duo Xin, and Pang Linbin’s son from his ex-wife.
Later, after debuting, Gu Heng didn’t want his background known and changed his surname to his mother’s.
Fu Jichen nestled close to Yu Qing. From the call, he clearly heard Pang Linbin’s words.
He glanced at Yu Qing; her lips were still curving higher and higher. Was meeting Gu Heng really that exciting? Whenever she came to see him, she didn’t seem this happy.
He pinched her lips with both hands, bending them downward to form an unhappy expression.
Yu Qing: “...”
She burst into laughter, pushed him away, then quickly hugged him again.
“You’re already my openly acknowledged god. Are you still jealous?”
She had no time to argue with him now. From Pang Linbin’s call, she caught a piece of information: “SZ decided to cooperate with you and Jian Hang, right?”
Fu Jichen nodded.
________________________________________
Three days later, the news that SZ Catering abandoned Siyuan Holdings and instead embraced Yinlin Capital and Fu Group spread rapidly.
Leng Wenning naturally heard about it and confirmed the source was reliable.
Previously, Zhou Siyuan confidently claimed that acquiring SZ was a sure thing.
No one in their circle doubted it, especially since with Yu Jingze’s connections, nine out of ten projects Zhou Siyuan aimed to acquire would succeed.
Over the years, the Zhou family accumulated wealth rapidly thanks to the Yu family. But they were still far from this circle, unreachable. Zhou Siyuan relied on Yu Jingze to enter.
In different circles, networks and resources varied immensely.
In recent years, the Zhou family leaned on the Ji family, securing many projects and investments. During those two years, Zhou Siyuan became arrogant, looking down on everyone.
Openly and covertly, she began insinuating against Leng Wenning.
Today’s opportunity—if Leng Wenning didn’t step on Zhou Siyuan, she would feel sorry for herself.
Leng Wenning picked up her phone and sent Zhou Siyuan several voice messages.
[Heard SZ is cooperating with Yinlin Capital. Is it true? Didn’t SZ executives previously assure you they’d fully transfer to you?]
[Sigh, people these days, one face in front and another behind. Seeing that Yu Jingze and you aren’t close anymore, they immediately shifted directions like wallflowers, lying flat towards Yinlin Capital.]
[But people are realistic. Without your backing, they turned cold-hearted.]
[I was just applying a mask and pondering—is it because Zou Lexiao finally got Yu Jingze and lost interest, directly abandoning him? And then Yu Jingze, with nowhere to vent, transferred his anger onto you?]
After listening, Zhou Siyuan slammed her phone onto the coffee table, knocking into the fruit platter with a ‘ping pong’ sound.
Leng Wenning’s words seemingly consoled her, but each stabbed straight into Zhou Siyuan’s heart.
She was at home, and her stepmother was there too.
Ms. Lan didn’t say anything, picking up Zhou Siyuan’s phone and placing it aside. She checked the fruit platter; fortunately, the edges weren’t cracked.
The plate was expensive, meant as decoration on the coffee table.
The SZ acquisition falling through troubled her too.
But neither Yu Jingxin nor Yu Jingze supported her this time, leaving her helpless.
________________________________________
On Friday, Yu Qing finished work at her usual time and headed to Yu Fei’s place for dinner.
Yu Fei lived alone. Her son stayed with his grandparents in the house purchased from Boss Qian, which was close to the school, just a short walk away.
Yu Fei lived in a duplex apartment near the law firm, convenient for commuting.
Usually quiet and spacious, today was particularly lively.
Yu Qing was the last to arrive; the living room was already buzzing with conversation.
Only upon arrival did she realize it was Yu Fei’s birthday, with a beautifully decorated cartoon cake on the dining table.
“You rascal, why didn’t you tell us earlier?” Yu Qing teased, pinching Yu Fei’s cheeks.
Yu Fei replied: “Having you all here with me makes me happier than receiving a ten-thousand-dollar bag.”
Zou Lexiao interjected, “If it were me, I’d still prefer the bag. Whether people come or not doesn’t matter.”
They burst into laughter.
Yu Qing glanced at the pink cake again, “Full of girlish hearts. Happy 18th birthday.”
“Thanks, beautiful sixteen-year-old.” Yu Fei gazed at the cake, “Lu Chen ordered it under our son’s name, fearing our son might feel upset, so I accepted it.”
Last night, she celebrated in advance with her parents.
Lu Chen shamelessly used visiting their son as an excuse to stay for dinner.
Yu Qing: “You two...”
She didn’t know how to ask.
Yu Fei knew what Yu Qing wanted to ask and said: “Reconciliation is impossible. We’ve been together since university. To be honest, I’ve had enough. He’s forty now; men’s prime years are long gone. What use is he to me?”
“Haha.” Zou Lexiao couldn’t help but laugh aloud.
Later, she quickly stuffed some fruit into her mouth.
Yu Fei had let go. “I’ve endured the hardest times. I don’t want to be foolish again. I think my current life is pretty good. My relationship with my son and his is close. He often visits my parents, and when I have time, I accompany our child to see his parents. It’s fine. There’s no need to force ourselves back together.”
Chen Yan finished her fruit, wiped her hands with a napkin, and said, “Let’s chat while we work.”
They headed to the kitchen.
Chen Yan was the main chef, and they assisted.
Zou Lexiao leaned against Yu Qing’s back, resting her chin on Yu Qing’s shoulder, seeking comfort to mend her broken heart.
Chen Yan shared about herself, “I’m basically not sad anymore, but I still have to survive in this marriage—for my two children, for my parents.”
Zou Lexiao nibbled on a cucumber and corrected her: “Sister Chen, don’t reverse the order. Primarily, it’s for money.”
They burst into laughter again.
Yu Fei asked Yu Qing: “And you? What are your plans?”
Yu Qing paused for a few seconds, “I plan to give our Fu Jichen a legitimate status.”
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