When it came to these three bloodsuckers, Song Xinya’s attitude was crystal clear:
No money.
And no life, either.
As for—
Li Cuirou said, “Fine, if you won’t give your father any money, then beg Qin Yuhe to let him start the project in Shanghai.”
Beg for mercy? Still no.
Song Xinya rejected every one of their demands.
Song Xuanli said, “You really are heartless.”
Song Xinya replied, “I’m just following your example.”
Li Cuirou said, “Aren’t you afraid you’ll get what’s coming to you?”
Song Xinya shot back, “If karma were real, how are you still alive?”
Zhang Yingying said, “Why don’t you just spontaneously combust?”
“You go first. Show me how it’s done.”
The three of them said in unison, “We really don’t know what Qin Yuhe sees in you. Do you honestly think you’re worthy of him?”
“Then by all means, you can have him. I know you’ve been drooling over Qin Yuhe for ages, but he just doesn’t want any of you.”
The three of them failed to gain a single advantage. With their hearts thoroughly battered by Song Xinya’s retorts, they left dejectedly.
Chen Siyan had been standing off to the side, listening to the exchange between Song Xinya and the three of them.
He nodded toward Song Xuanli. “That man your dad?”
“Yes. Having a father like that—isn’t it my misfortune?”
“A girl as wonderful as you, and your own father doesn’t know how to cherish you. That’s his misfortune.”
“If someone doesn’t like you, that’s their loss. Always remember this: anyone who doesn’t like you simply has no taste. They’re all idiots!”
“Fish trust the water, but the water boils the fish. Leaves trust the wind, but the wind blows them away. Who cares whether someone likes or hates you? Either way, everyone can survive without everyone else.”
Song Xinya said, “Thanks. I feel much better now. I’m incredibly confident—almost unbearably so.”
“Being alive is all about having a good time. You’re not here to win an award. If the sky falls, use it as a bed and lie down comfortably. You only get one trip through this world, so put your worries aside and eat, eat, eat.”
Song Xinya gave him two enthusiastic pats of applause. “Teacher Chen is absolutely right!”
That evening, after work, Song Xinya walked out of the Qin Group building.
This time, she didn’t see the seven or eight former colleagues who had been fired blocking the entrance.
Had they finally given up after failing to corner Yuan Jingcheng?
When she got home, Song Xinya told Qin Yuhe about it.
“Did you not step in because you’d already predicted they would give up?” she asked.
“No.”
Song Xinya caught the two meanings behind his answer.
“First: you mean they won’t give up that easily and will cause trouble again?”
“Yes.”
“And second: you didn’t step in not because it was inconvenient, but because you deliberately chose not to?”
“Correct.”
“What if they really make a scene?”
Qin Yuhe remained completely calm. “Song Xinya, are you very tall?”
“I’m five foot seven. That’s considered tall for a woman, but short compared with men.”
“Exactly. So when something happens, don’t panic. And don’t rush. If the sky falls, let the taller person hold it up.”
Song Xinya smiled. “Oh, I’m only worried about you. I’m afraid it’ll affect the company and damage your reputation.”
“First, thank you for your concern. Second, I want you to know that the moment I agreed to Yuan Jingcheng implementing a last-place elimination system, I already anticipated this kind of situation. I spent a great deal of money hiring Yuan Jingcheng to come here precisely so he could handle things like this…”
The dirty work.
To outsiders, everything had started with Yuan Jingcheng, so naturally, he would be the one people went after.
And if anyone’s reputation suffered, Yuan Jingcheng’s would be the first.
“If they really cause a scene, is there anything I need to do?”
“No. I’ll protect you. No matter what happens out there, I won’t let a drop of blood splash onto you.”
………
Another day passed. Song Xinya picked up a red pen and crossed one more day off the calendar.
Only one day remained until she went to New York to see Qin Yuhe!
Tomorrow, as soon as work ended, she would go to New York to find him!
Song Xinya sat at her desk, staring at the calendar with desperate longing. Her anticipation was like a seed buried in the earth, straining impatiently toward the surface, eager to sprout and bloom.
She had been so excited that she hadn’t slept a wink the night before and had gotten up especially early.
She thought she was the only one at the office. Then she looked up and saw Yuan Jingcheng wandering through the lobby with bedhead, wearing nothing but a pair of loose shorts and flip-flops.
For a moment, Song Xinya felt as though she had walked into his living room.
Yuan Jingcheng was equally surprised to see her. “Morning, Teacher Song. You’re here early.”
“Morning, Naked Boy.”
Yuan Jingcheng picked up a white shirt and slipped it on. He took his time, rolling his shoulders with a faintly show-offish air, as though he were deliberately displaying his physique.
“It’s still early. I thought no one would be here, so I came out to get some water.”
“Do you walk around shirtless at home, too?”
“Yes. It’s a habit. Whenever I pass something reflective—glass doors, windows, things like that—I stop to admire my body.”
Song Xinya dismissed him with a single glance.
He was Chinese-American, with the broad frame typical of a Western man. He had a powerful build and a hairy chest.
From a distance, it looked as though he were wearing a black sweater.
As for his muscle definition, his chest, his abs…
Song Xinya’s verdict was simple: he wasn’t even one ten-thousandth as good-looking as Qin Yuhe.
Once you’ve had the best, ordinary just won’t do.
She didn’t spare him another glance.
To avoid seeing him wandering around shirtless again the next day, she reminded him, “Mr. Yuan, when I left work yesterday, I noticed that group of people was no longer blocking the entrance.”
Yuan Jingcheng buttoned his shirt and replied without the slightest surprise, “I know.”
He had been watching the group downstairs through the windows every day.
After work, Song Xinya walked out of the office building. Once again, the fired former colleagues were nowhere to be seen.
She assumed Yuan Jingcheng would go home that night.
Unexpectedly, when she arrived at work the next morning, she saw him wandering through the lobby in flip-flops again.
This time, he was wearing a shirt.
Seeing him once could be an accident. Seeing him twice meant he was doing it on purpose.
Yuan Jingcheng didn’t have an exhibitionist streak, nor did he have any particular desire to show off his body to other people.
He also didn’t want Song Xinya to misunderstand and think he was flirting with her.
She was the boss’s woman. He couldn’t afford to provoke her.
The reason Yuan Jingcheng had stayed at the office again the previous night was that he wanted to observe the situation for one more day, just to be safe.
Song Xinya told Yuan Jingcheng that she needed to take some time off.
Like most bosses, Yuan Jingcheng looked as though someone had died the moment he heard an employee asking for leave. He asked unhappily, “What’s the reason this time?”
“I’m going to New York to see my husband.”
His attitude immediately softened. “Take as much time off as you want.”
After Song Xinya handed over her work to Chen Siyan, there was still an hour before she could leave.
Chen Siyan said, “You haven’t seen President Qin in ages. You must be dying for him, huh?”
“I’m not dying for him. I’m only thinking about how wonderful he is.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. That’s disgustingly sweet. People in relationships are so happy it makes me jealous.”
He took the suitcase Song Xinya had brought to the company, pulled it out from under her desk, and handed it to her.
“A person may suffer from three thousand ailments, but there’s no cure for lovesickness.”
“Since you’re drowning in longing, I, your department manager, hereby allow you to leave an hour early. Go find President Qin—quickly, go, go, go!”
Song Xinya wheeled her suitcase toward the exit.
At the elevator, she ran into Yuan Jingcheng.
Yuan Jingcheng was blunt. “I was afraid those people would come block the entrance after work, so I’m leaving early.”
Song Xinya asked, “They haven’t come for two days. Do you think they’ll show up today?”
“They probably won’t,” Yuan Jingcheng said.
He figured, “That bunch may look fierce, but they’re all bark and no bite. They won’t cause any real trouble.”
But the moment they reached the building’s entrance, a rotten egg came flying straight at them.
Whoosh—
Smack!
It hit Yuan Jingcheng right on the head.
He had guessed wrong.
Just as Qin Yuhe had predicted, those people had come back again.
Remembering Qin Yuhe’s words—that when the sky falls, the tallest person will hold it up—Song Xinya grabbed her suitcase and ran.
Yuan Jingcheng was tall. Let him take the hit.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
One rotten egg after another pelted Yuan Jingcheng’s head.
Song Xinya ran as fast as she could.
The wheels of her suitcase were practically smoking!
Nothing could stop her from going to America to find her husband!
