Song Xinya: "Brother Jingyi, I'm just a commoner. I don't know anything about medicine. If I feel unwell, I just go see a doctor. I don't have the ability to help you win a Nobel Prize in Medicine. How about I gift you a set of porcelain as a thank-you instead?"
Knowing that whatever porcelain she sent would surely be expensive, Han Jingyi didn't want her to spend too much. He said, "Xinxin, just treat me to a meal."
Song Xinya: "Fine. When are you free?"
Han Jingyi: "Tonight."
For the past nine days, Song Xinya had been standing guard at the Sheng family's front gate like a door god. Not only had she not gotten a proper night's sleep, but she also hadn't had a single decent meal—standing in the wind and rain every day, chewing on dry bread.
Today, she had some free time. She wanted to treat herself well, to have a nice meal.
After hanging up, Song Xinya started searching for restaurants.
Chen Siyan finished his online class and walked over: "Teacher Song, want to go grab some hotpot tonight?"
Song Xinya: "I already have plans with someone."
Chen Siyan: "Who? Some guy with gold-rimmed glasses?"
Song Xinya was surprised: "How did you know?"
Chen Siyan: "You've been busy lately, and I forgot to tell you something. A while back, you were spotted having dinner with a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and Zhao Yinian saw you. She posted it on her Moments."
"She deleted that post pretty quickly, but I saved a screenshot."
Chen Siyan showed the photo to Song Xinya.
Song Xinya suddenly recalled that night when she, Qin Yuhe, had run into each other, and how low his spirits had been.
Song Xinya glanced at the date on the photo—it matched up perfectly.
As a mid-level manager at the Qin Group, Zhao Yinian had Qin Yuhe on her WeChat. If she posted on her Moments, Qin Yuhe would definitely have seen it.
Chen Siyan: "Abbess Miejue just loves making a mountain out of a molehill, stirring up trouble between you and President Qin."
Just then, it was time to clock out. Zhao Yinian grabbed her bag and headed out of the office.
Today, her face was fully made up, and she was dressed seductively and beautifully—a form-fitting dress hugging her curves, styled with lots of feminine charm.
Song Xinya asked, "What's Director Zhao up to today?"
Zhao Yinian looked at Song Xinya with surprise. Strange, why was Song Xinya suddenly talking to her out of nowhere?
Could Song Xinya be trying to curry favor with her, the general manager?
Zhao Yinian lifted her chin, her face full of arrogance as she bragged: "There's a real estate tycoon who's been pursuing me. I've rejected him at least eight hundred times, but he just won't give up and insists on taking me out to dinner. I really don't get it—why does he have to have me? Do I really have that much charm? Honestly, I think I'm pretty ordinary."
Song Xinya: "You're indeed ordinary. You're not a nice person, you have a sharp tongue, you're hard on the eyes, and your character is as bad as it gets."
Zhao Yinian was stunned for a moment, unable to process the insult.
"Are you talking about me? Song Xinya, are you talking about me?"
Song Xinya: "Who else would I be talking about? Your fellow toad?"
Zhao Yinian was furious, fumes rising off her: "Song Xinya, I was in a perfectly good mood, and you just laid into me out of nowhere. What are you trying to do?"
Song Xinya: "Am I ruining your mood?"
Zhao Yinian: "Yes. You have severely ruined my mood and turned a good day into a terrible one."
Song Xinya: "That's exactly what I was going for."
Zhao Yinian realized: Song Xinya had come to her on purpose today just to pick a fight.
The thought that an employee would dare to walk all over her infuriated Zhao Yinian even more.
She glared viciously at Song Xinya, but after a moment, she suddenly smiled.
Looking at it from another angle—wasn't Song Xinya handing her an advantage by picking a fight?
Whoever stirs trouble is the one in the wrong.
Zhao Yinian had always wanted to ruin Song Xinya's image in front of the other employees, and she figured this was a golden opportunity. She clapped her hands at everyone in the lobby—three sharp claps—pulling everyone's attention over, and said in an extra-loud voice:
"Did you all see that? I walked out of my office and wasn't bothering anyone. It was Song Xinya who came up to me and cursed me for no reason. I got bitten out of nowhere—tell me, where am I supposed to get justice for this?"
Chen Siyan: "There's no hatred without a reason, just like there's no love without a reason. Adults are already exhausted just trying to survive. Nobody picks a fight with someone out of the blue."
Zhao Yinian: "So, Manager Chen, you're saying it's my fault that Song Xinya came looking for trouble?"
Chen Siyan let his mouth run: "Of course it's your fault! Do you still remember Xia Yuhang by the Daming Lake?"
Zhao Yinian: "I'm not Emperor Qianlong with a string of romantic debts. Why would I remember Xia Yuhang?"
Chen Siyan slapped his own mouth: "Remember that Moments post you put up a few days ago and deleted right away?"
Zhao Yinian's confidence wavered.
"What Moments post from a few days ago? I posted? I don't remember."
Chen Siyan pulled out his phone: "No worries, I have a screenshot. Hehe."
Zhao Yinian turned and made a beeline for the door: "I have plans. I'm leaving."
Chen Siyan called after her with a grin: "Director Zhao, don't run off. If you leave, people might think you have a guilty conscience."
Zhao Yinian's steps grew more flustered. If she stayed, she'd only embarrass herself even more.
Chen Siyan snorted and slipped his phone back into his pocket.
He turned to Song Xinya: "So, how are you feeling now? Feeling any better?"
Song Xinya: "I feel a lot better after telling that witch off."
Chen Siyan: "Hold it in and you get breast lumps; swallow your anger and you get ovarian cysts. Ladies, you just can't keep that frustration bottled up. When you've got fire, you've got to let it out."
Song Xinya: "Exactly. I live for my own joy, not to be trapped by others."
Chen Siyan reached out his hand: "Where's my Natasha?"
Song Xinya lifted a discarded water cup: "Soaking in there."
Chen Siyan stared wide-eyed: "My boy! My boy! Why did you soak my boy in water?"
Song Xinya: "Giving your boy a bath."
Chen Siyan: "Looks more like you're boiling my boy."
Song Xinya: "Don't worry. He's so ugly, no one would wanna eat him even after a good boil."
Chen Siyan fished his little black buddy out of the cup, lifted a corner of his clothes, and dried off the little figure's wet body.
After wiping it down, he set the hideous little black thing on the center of the desk like it was a treasure.
Song Xinya, thinking of something, said, "Brother Yan, let's all have dinner together tonight. Invite Tiantianquan. I'm paying."
Chen Siyan asked, puzzled: "Aren't you having dinner with that gold-rimmed glasses guy? Why suddenly want to eat with us?"
Because——
Song Xinya wasn't sure if she and Han Jingyi being seen alone together would end up in another photo.
What she did know was that Qin Yuhe had seen that photo Zhao Yinian posted, and it had weighed on him.
Since she knew it upset Qin Yuhe, Song Xinya had no intention of having dinner with Han Jingyi alone anymore.
He was her husband. She couldn't knowingly do something she knew would hurt him.
Shouldn't spouses understand and accommodate each other's feelings?
Qin Yuhe minded, but he had never brought it up with her, precisely because he was being considerate of her feelings, respecting her freedom, and preserving her dignity.
In turn, she should be understanding of him as well.
Song Xinya took out her phone and sent Qin Yuhe a message, proactively reporting in: [Tonight I’m having dinner out with some friends—four of us, by the way~]
………
