Chapter 2

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“Can I have a chat with you?”

As they got closer, a rich scent of lily of the valley wafted into Qiao Ziman’s nose.
Qiao Ziman hated overly strong perfumes. But the fragrance on this woman was bright and fresh, sweet but not overwhelming—quite pleasant.

Qiao Ziman nervously swallowed.

Chi Yin spoke into the phone, “Hold on a second.” She removed her Bluetooth earpiece and slowly turned her head, letting out a puzzled “Hmm?”

As their eyes met, Qiao Ziman’s expression was a riot of colors. So, she was on the phone? She wasn’t eavesdropping? How presumptuous of her. Wouldn’t she think she’s crazy?

Qiao Ziman’s heart began to pound with anxiety. But when she thought of the disgusting man lurking behind her, she forced her anxious heart to settle, raised her chin defiantly, and said, “Well? Yes or no, give me a straight answer.”

The more aggressive her words, the timider her expression. She was frantically winking and almost on the verge of tears. Her pitiful eyes practically screamed, “Add me, please!”

Chi Yin studied her for a long while—long enough for Qiao Ziman’s anxiety to spike again—before she finally acted.

Ding.

[“Yin” has requested to add you as a WeChat friend.]

What loyalty! Qiao Ziman’s heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled back down. She mouthed a “thank you” before coolly turning around and walking back to the man. She held the screen up to his face, showing off.

“Did you learn something?” Then, right in front of him, she accepted the friend request. “You think you’re worthy?”

She turned to Chi Yin and smiled. “Oh, by the way, darling.” Qiao Ziman cringed at her own flirtatious tone, but she forced herself to continue. “Now that you’ve added me, you’re not allowed to add anyone else, especially…” She pointed at the man whose face had turned the color of liver. “…someone like this—creepy and arrogant.”

“Idiot!”

With that, she tossed her bag over her shoulder, held her head high, and strode away.

“Pfft, who does she think she is? What a piece of work,” the man cursed at Qiao Ziman’s retreating figure. Annoyed, he pulled out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and with a “click,” his lighter was ready—when suddenly, the woman at the next table spoke.

Her tone was unusually cold, carrying an unmistakable sense of disdain. Chi Yin said, “Didn’t you hear that young lady say smoking is prohibited here?”

She looked nothing like Qiao Ziman. If Qiao Ziman was like an understated landscape painting, soft and graceful…

…then Chi Yin was like a vividly colored oil painting, vibrant and striking. She was more like a rose bristling with thorns. Her sharp edges were fully exposed, and when serious, she exuded an intense, almost oppressive, aggression.

What was going on today? Why was everyone out to get him? “You son of a—” The man caught sight of Chi Yin’s frosty gaze and shuddered, swallowing the curse. He stiffened his neck and muttered, “What’s it got to do with you?”

Chi Yin didn’t respond. Instead, she waved over a waiter, who leaned in and she whispered something. The waiter then turned to the man and said, “Sir, our boss requests that you leave.”

With that, he stood beside the man and made a gesture indicating it was time to go.

The boss? “Damn it!”

The man’s face alternated between red and white. He wanted to lash out but was wary of losing face in public, so he shot Chi Yin a fierce glare. Through gritted teeth, he spat out a threat, “You just wait,” before slinking away, looking somewhat disheveled.

Chi Yin put her Bluetooth earpiece back in, her face returning to its usual indifferent expression. “Anything else?”

“Sis, you’re acting a bit strange today.”

The voice on the other end was Chi Yin’s half-sister, Jiang Shu. After their parents divorced and remarried, Chi Yin was sent abroad not long after. She drifted alone overseas until adulthood, rarely keeping in touch with her family. Jiang Shu was the only family member who could reach her by phone, though even that was only occasionally.

“Sis, you’ve been smiling all day.”

“And you even agreed to let that girl add you on WeChat.”

“And, and—”

“Is your homework done?” Chi Yin asked calmly, the seriousness in her tone immediately cutting off the voice on the other end. After a moment, a quiet response came, “Yes, it’s done.”

“Bye-bye.”

“Wait, Sis,” Jiang Shu called out urgently.

Chi Yin: “Hmm?”

“Did you really say you’re going to work at Mom’s company?” Jiang Shu knew that her sister, who had always been exceptional, never showed any interest in the family business. This sudden decision to help out was very unusual.

Chi Yin chuckled softly. “I suddenly got interested,” she said, then quickly changed the subject. “But no more than six months. Once her health improves, I’ll be gone.”

“That’ll make Mom really happy. Oh, Sis, are you coming home for dinner next week?”

“No,” Chi Yin rejected the offer bluntly, her tone cold and distant, keeping others at arm’s length.

Jiang Shu knew her sister’s temperament and didn’t push further. “Alright, then. Bye.”

Chi Yin hung up the phone and put away her earpiece, tilting her head to gaze out the window. The neon lights outside sparkled like stars, casting shifting reflections on the glass, obscuring her face in a play of light and shadow.

*

Qiao Ziman got off the subway and slowly made her way back to her rented apartment. She had initially chosen this remote neighborhood to save money. It was a five-kilometer walk from the subway station to her home, which she usually considered a form of exercise. But after a grueling day at work, dealing with a bizarre blind date, and listening to her mom’s frantic phone call, she felt utterly drained—both physically and mentally.

Normally sharp-tongued, Qiao Ziman was unusually quiet.

He Cuizhen sensed something was off and asked worriedly, “Sweetheart, have I been pushing you too hard? Don’t blame your mom.”

Hearing the disappointment in her mother’s voice, Qiao Ziman suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

Since her father’s death, all the burdens of life had fallen on her mother. Qiao Ziman once thought her mother was very strong, until she discovered He Cuizhen secretly wiping away tears in the middle of the night on several occasions. Later, to repay the debt from her father’s medical treatment, she even developed severe anxiety. It’s only recently that things have gotten a bit better.

Fearing her mother might get stuck in a negative mindset again, Qiao Ziman quickly forced a smile and said, “Ms. He Cuizhen, please stop your speculation. I’m just organizing my words.”

“Unfortunately, my limited vocabulary can’t quite capture the absurdity of that person.”

“Mom, tell me honestly, am I the child of your enemy? I’m only twenty-six, still in my prime, and you’re determined to turn me from a spirited young woman into a weary older sister?”

He Cuizhen was silent for a moment before resuming her usual stern tone. “Qiao Ziman!”

“Even if someone is ridiculous, do you have to resort to name-calling?”

Qiao Ziman hissed, “How is it that the bad guy is making the first move?” She then explained the situation in detail to her mother.

There was silence on the other end of the line once more. After a long pause, there was an extremely angry roar. “What does that old Zhang think he’s doing? Pushing such a misfit onto my daughter? And you! Why didn’t you hit him?”

Qiao Ziman was puzzled. “Mom, what are you doing?”

“Looking for a broom!”

Qiao Ziman: “???”

“Go and hit that old man with the surname Zhang.”

“Hey, be careful with Uncle Zhang’s health; he can’t handle being hit by you…”Before she could finish, the call was abruptly ended.

Qiao Ziman: “.” Her mother was fierce when she was angry, impossible to stop or persuade.

Forget it, let her be. It won’t cause any real harm. Once this happens, Mom will probably calm down for ten days to half a month. With that thought, Qiao Ziman suddenly felt uplifted, and even the stray dogs that usually barked at her seemed more tolerable.

Humming a little tune, she reached her front door. She took out her keys, and as the anti-theft iron gate creaked open, something came rushing toward her in the darkness, nearly causing Qiao Ziman to trip.

“Qiao Xiaohua! Are you trying to harm your mother?” Qiao Ziman picked up the object at her feet and scolded it, pointing a finger.

Qiao Xiaohua was a calico cat she had rescued from a trash bin when she first moved in. When it first arrived, it was small and skinny. In less than a year, it grew to about half a meter long, with increasingly messy fur on its head, looking like a little lion. Moreover, its temper was becoming more and more like hers.

Qiao Xiaohua meowed and defiantly swiped its paw at her. Qiao Ziman gestured back at it. “Do you admit defeat or not? If you don’t, no dried fish for you tonight.”

Qiao Xiaohua settled down, rubbing its head against her in an attempt to make amends.

Hey, you’re becoming quite the little devil, aren’t you?

Qiao Ziman put it down on the floor. “Go play by yourself,” she said, turning on the lights.

The moment the lights came on, Qiao Ziman saw the messy state of the room, felt a surge of frustration, and yelled, “Qiao Xiaohua!”

Qiao Xiaohua proudly lifted its chin and, with a flick of its tail, darted under the bed.

The apartment Qiao Ziman rented was less than thirty square meters, consisting of one room, one kitchen, and one bathroom. It was cluttered with living essentials, making it hard to find a place to step. The cat occasionally caused more mess, making the home look barely better than a dump.

She began to think about moving to a new place.

After washing the dishes that had been left overnight and tidying up the trash on the floor, Qiao Ziman took a cold shower to clear her mind. Then she sat on her wooden bed, set up a small table, and started bookkeeping. If she successfully completed the difficult design project she was working on this month, her commission could be at least five figures.

With the money she had saved over the past few months, she would be able to repay the amount she borrowed from her aunt for her father’s medical treatment.

Good things come to those who wait.

Qiao Ziman put down her pen and stretched lazily, feeling extremely comfortable. The phone on the desk vibrated and Qiao Ziman picked up the phone to look at it. There was a message from “Yin” on WeChat.

Yin? Qiao Ziman thought for a moment, and after a while, she finally matched the name to the woman at the restaurant who had asked, “Can I chat with you?”

Didn’t she already say thank you? Why is she sending a message again? Qiao Ziman puzzledly tapped on the little red dot. There was just a simple question mark.

Qiao Ziman: “…” She really couldn’t understand what the question mark meant. Was she asking for a clear explanation, or was she saying, “Why haven’t you come to flirt with me yet?”

After thinking it over, Qiao Ziman felt the former was more likely. So she carefully and earnestly typed: [Thank you for helping out.]

She clicked send, thinking that as adults, this woman would surely understand. At least, that’s what Qiao Ziman thought.

Within seconds, the phone started ringing with a voice call.

No way, could she really have taken it seriously? Qiao Ziman, unusually flustered, picked up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the caller’s name on the screen. The caller was her mentor and close friend from work, Ji Yun.

Ji Yun had been calling frequently these past few days, concerned only about one thing—the tricky design Qiao Ziman was working on. Qiao Ziman said, “I know, I know, don’t rush me, I’m definitely on it.”

The gaming industry has been sluggish lately, and the most capable employees have been sent to branch offices to lead teams. Ji Yun was one of them. With her departure, the position of the head of the art department was left vacant. Ji Yun had already submitted a recommendation to the leadership; all that was left was for this design to be perfectly completed to give her the final push she needed to step up.

Ji Yun said, “I’m just worried something might go wrong. After all, Liu Dahai is still eyeing the position, and I’ve heard he’s been getting close to the head of the planning department lately. Be careful—they might try to mess with you, especially since I’m not around.”

Liu Dahai had joined the company as an intern at the same time as Qiao Ziman. As a formally trained graduate, Liu Dahai had looked down on Qiao Ziman, who had taken an unconventional path, from the start. The two had been engaged in both open and covert competition for years.

Qiao Ziman was rather unconcerned, “Do I look like someone who’s easy to mess with?”

“Not really, just giving you a heads up,” Ji Yun added, “There’s some inside information—our company is going through changes, and they’re bringing in a new manager with a very mysterious background.”

Ji Yun, still worried, cautioned her, “You need to keep your temper in check. When the new boss arrives, I’m not asking you to suck up to her, just don’t get on her bad side.”

“Otherwise, you’ll really be left all alone.”

“Heh, I’m not a troublemaker, why would I do that?” Qiao Ziman said as she opened her graphics tablet and began discussing the design direction with Ji Yun.

The two of them talked for over an hour before finalizing the draft. Qiao Ziman rubbed her wrist, saved the drawing, said “Good night” to Ji Yun, and hung up the call. When she switched back to the WeChat screen, she noticed that the woman named “Yin” had sent her another message ten minutes ago.

Qiao Ziman’s finger paused slightly, then after a moment, she tapped on the little red dot.

Yin: [Wanna meet?]

How can this person be so forward?

Qiao Ziman typed and deleted, deleted and typed, and finally managed to craft a flawless explanation, only for the other person to reply with a single sentence.

Yin: [Come to my place?]