Dazzling

When Qing Ye saw Feng Bao, she actually felt embarrassed for him. She had originally intended to say something to ease the tension, but Feng Bao—perhaps utterly terrified—grabbed his bag and bolted. Just like that, he ran off?

Qing Ye was stunned by his sudden, frantic actions. She immediately glared at Xing Wu: "You knew he hadn’t left, didn’t you?"

Xing Wu shrugged, hands in his pockets, and turned to go inside. Qing Ye promptly chased after him, nudging him with her elbow. "Stop playing innocent. Why did you come here today?"

He gave a half-smile and said, "To study. You haven’t forgotten I’m also taking the college entrance exam, have you?"

"Exam my foot! Then tonight, go home and memorize vocabulary."

His tone was cheerful as he replied, "Sure, any rewards?"

The more Qing Ye listened, the more she felt he was setting a trap. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him unfriendly, but Xing Wu suddenly turned around and said seriously, "Why did you suddenly mention chicken legs? Craving some?"

"..." Sometimes Qing Ye really admired his perceptiveness—how did he make that connection?

She clenched her fists and said, "Don’t change the subject."

Xing Wu rubbed his buzz cut and, without bothering to hide it anymore, leaned down to ask her, "What are you worried about?"

"Worried people will say we’re morally corrupt."

Xing Wu leisurely turned and walked into the office. "Well, you’re the one who went around telling everyone I was your brother. Didn’t you ever think you’d end up trapped in a pit you dug yourself?"

"Xing Wu!!!" At Qing Ye’s furious shout, Du Qiyan and Liu Nian in the office looked up abruptly, staring at her in alarm.

They asked, "What’s wrong?"

Xing Wu pulled up a chair and sat to the side, half-smiling as he remarked, "Your boss Qing’s temper really suits her executive status."

Qing Ye promptly kneed him. Without even looking, Xing Wu blocked it with his elbow—everything so natural. Du Qiyan and Liu Nian watched them and laughed.

Just then, Pang Hu walked in after using the restroom. Qing Ye glanced back at him and asked, "Why haven’t you left either?"

He replied sheepishly, "J-just seeing if there’s anything else I c-can help with."

So everyone began reporting on their tasks. Liu Nian said the workers from Grandpa Xie’s side had been handed over, and they had spent the past couple of days testing the machines and going through the procedures. Everything was basically ready.

Du Qiyan reported that the online store application had been approved. Next, they needed product photos and descriptions to upload.

Finally, Qing Ye summarized the tasks at hand, including promotional channels. She insisted on investing a bit more to replace the current product packaging.

During this period, she had done a lot of work, researching several low-cost promotion methods. They could contact some small-scale influencers to test product promotion and see how it went.

The local moms’ group chat that Liu Nian managed had grown to nearly several hundred members. Qing Ye planned to use that group as a foundation to boost engagement, so she directly presented an activity plan targeting local customers.

They intended to hold a tasting event in mid-March, inviting people from across the county to come try the products.

Du Qiyan was surprised by this approach and timidly asked, "Does 'tasting' mean it’s free?"

Qing Ye smiled and said, "Of course."

Liu Nian and Du Qiyan exchanged worried glances and said, "Won’t we be losing money then?"

Qing Ye turned to Xing Wu. "When you negotiated with Grandpa Xie, he agreed to supply us with an initial batch of products, right?"Xing Wu sat in the corner with his legs crossed and nodded. Qing Ye immediately snapped his fingers and said, "Using Grandpa Xie's goods for free to advertise our own brand, building recognition, attracting customers, and even selling some of his stock along the way—isn't that great? Think long-term. We're building our own thing, not relying on Grandpa Xie's goods to survive."

Liu Nian and Du Qiyan suddenly felt their minds open up.

Pang Hu, sitting to the side, chimed in, "Q-Qing Ye, I kn-know some hosts on Changba. Th-they also play with those short videos and have quite a few fans. M-maybe we can contact them and n-negotiate prices."

Qing Ye clapped his hands. "That's perfect, Song God! I was just thinking about how to reach those influencers. Can you check out the rates for me? I'm counting on you."

"N-no problem."

Qing Ye tapped the meeting notes in his notebook. "The most urgent issue now is the packaging. We might need to buy vacuum packaging machines, redesign the outer packaging, and produce a batch of high-end photos."

Of course, when faced with a problem, his first instinct was to look at the sniper master sitting silently in the corner. In this Zhazha Pavilion, Qing Ye believed no one was more resourceful than him. Xing Wu, noticing his pleading look, chuckled. "You were just scolding me, and now you need me?"

If it weren't for the crowd, Qing Ye would have jumped on him to force a solution.

Xing Wu watched his frustrated expression, smirked, and straightened up. "I'll get the machines sorted in the next couple of days. As for the packaging and photos, I'll have Quan Ya come by tomorrow."

He said it casually, but Qing Ye was skeptical. "Can Quan Ya handle it?"

Xing Wu smiled. "Just tell him what you need."

Even with Xing Wu's assurance, Qing Ye remained doubtful.

Still, this was the first collective meeting of their core team since taking over the small food factory. Though somewhat informal and scattered, the brainstorming session had yielded preliminary solutions to their immediate problems.

School was starting the day after tomorrow, so the tutoring class was suspended for a day. Qing Ye planned to use that day to resolve the packaging issue. If they were to hold a tasting event by mid-March, all production had to be in place by the 10th. Time was incredibly tight.

Xing Wu still had to go to the hospital in the morning and couldn't accompany Qing Ye to the factory. But when Qing Ye arrived, Quan Ya was already there, a DSLR hanging around his neck, a cigarette in his mouth, photographing the big dog in the yard.

Perhaps because of the incident with Shu Han, Qing Ye felt awkward facing Quan Ya alone without Xing Wu around. He jogged over to Quan Ya and casually greeted him, "You're here early?"

Quan Ya shifted his lens directly to Qing Ye's face and snapped a photo of his awkward expression. He then glanced at the picture, a slight smirk forming on his lips, and replied, "Nothing else to do."

Qing Ye suddenly remembered that Shunyi had closed, and Quan Ya was probably unemployed now.

He pointed at the DSLR. "Is that yours?"

"Yeah, just a hobby."

Qing Ye studied him more carefully, surprised that Quan Ya's hobby was photography. Quan Ya put out his cigarette and said, "Let's get to work. Show me the products."So Qing Ye led him to the workshop. The first batch they needed to prepare consisted of eight types of products, all low-priced snacks in terms of unit price, mainly featuring sugar-free and oil-free sweet potato jerky and various mixed fruit and vegetable chips.

She said somewhat awkwardly, "We applied for an online store and need some appetizing photos for promotion."

She felt a bit guilty even saying this, because Grandpa Xie had never paid much attention to appearance before, so making the products look presentable would require extraordinary photography skills.

Quan Ya showed no particular expression, adjusting his lens for a long while. Qing Ye didn't dare disturb him, only speaking weakly after a good while: "If it's too difficult, just take some random photos for now."

But Quan Ya suddenly looked up and said to her: "Have someone sort and pack some samples for me. Also, I heard from Wu Zi that these raw materials are from your own family?"

Qing Ye nodded: "The original boss's family produces and sells them themselves."

"Give me the contact information. I'll find time to visit the production site tomorrow."

Qing Ye didn't know why he wanted to visit Grandpa Xie, but she still helped Quan Ya contact the old man.

Then he put away his camera and said to her: "Find a place to discuss packaging design."

Qing Ye said somewhat surprised: "Did you study graphic design?"

"No."

"..."

Qing Ye brought Quan Ya into the office and shared her ideas with him, hoping to use individual vacuum packaging for the sweet potato jerky, preferably with resealable outer bags.

"Three-side sealed bags or eight-side sealed bags?"

"..."

Quan Ya directly searched for a row of styles on the computer, turning the laptop to show her. Qing Ye's eyes lit up, and after studying them for a while: "This kind."

Quan Ya hummed in acknowledgment: "Materials? PET, OPP, composite aluminum foil?"

"Wait, I don't know what you're talking about?"

Quan Ya glanced at her, directly closed the laptop and stood up: "Understood."

Qing Ye also stood up: "Understood?"

"Yeah, if there's nothing else, I'll head off first."

Qing Ye stared blankly at Quan Ya's hurried back, breaking out in a cold sweat.

That evening, Qing Ye stood on the bed with her hands on her hips, looking at Xing Wu leaning against the headboard: "Seriously, he just said 'understood' and left? What do you think he meant by that?"

Xing Wu smiled slightly and looked up: "Don't stand so high, you might fall. Come down."

"Not coming down. Does Quan Ya hold a grudge against me because he thinks I ruined his sister's relationship?"

Xing Wu shook his head helplessly: "You're my person, why would he have any issues with you? Come here."

Qing Ye sat cross-legged with a wronged look in her big eyes. Xing Wu said with a smile: "Did he ask you something you had no idea about?"

Qing Ye said guiltily: "Well... he did mention something about composite aluminum foil and such. How would I know what he was talking about?"

Xing Wu directly pulled her into his arms: "He's not ignoring you. Since you don't understand material price differences, he probably didn't know how to explain it to you. Quan Ya is reliable in his work, just trust him with it. Don't worry about this matter anymore. Have you prepared your things for school tomorrow?"

Qing Ye lay down on the bed and closed her eyes: "No, don't want to pack. Annoying."Xing Wu had no choice but to get up and help her take out her bag, carefully packing each item she needed for the start of school the next day and double-checking everything. He had never been this meticulous about his own school preparations—having a top-student girlfriend really changed one’s attitude toward the new semester.

To Qing Ye’s surprise, despite two days of restless anxiety—barely eating or sleeping, fretting with every waking moment—when she returned to the factory after school, the entire framework for their online store was already completed.

Quan Ya sat beside Du Qiyan, who was making final adjustments while he occasionally offered guidance.

Du Qiyan noticed Qing Ye had returned and called her over to take a look, assuring her that if everything was fine, they could proceed to upload the product descriptions.

As Qing Ye approached, she discovered all the products were already listed. What astonished her even more were the product images, which far exceeded her expectations. Clicking on individual links, she found additional photos of the food ingredients. She hadn’t anticipated Quan Ya’s attention to detail—the plating, accentuated with green leaves, created an illusion of natural, green food, exactly the effect she had envisioned.

The homepage featured images of the homemade farm base, catching Qing Ye’s eye immediately. The vast harvest and the farmers’ hands-on process were clearly depicted—no form of promotion could have been more effective.

Quan Ya opened a folder on the computer, stood up, and said to Qing Ye, “I had someone design three different styles of packaging. The corresponding prices for material specifications are in the last table. Have a seat and take a look; I’m stepping out for a smoke.”

Qing Ye sat down in a daze, gripping the mouse as she watched Quan Ya’s retreating figure, her emotions in turmoil.

In just three days—from on-site inspections and photography to post-processing, image editing, cover design, and material cost inquiries—Quan Ya had accomplished what Qing Ye believed would require an entire department’s manpower.

She suddenly understood Xing Wu’s trust in Quan Ya. No wonder, while she had been frantic and anxious these past few days, Xing Wu remained completely unruffled and even advised her not to worry.

It seemed she finally grasped why, among all his friends, Xing Wu had chosen to run Shunyi with Quan Ya. Reflecting on her earlier suspicions, Qing Ye couldn’t help but laugh at herself.

That evening, Qing Ye, Quan Ya, and Du Qiyan finalized the plan. The factory was quiet at night, with Quan Ya and Du Qiyan busy in the office, Liu Nian studying the vacuum packaging machine Xing Wu had delivered just the day before, and calculating production volumes based on the new specifications.

While the others worked on their tasks, Qing Ye focused on drafting the product descriptions. They had been staying late recently, but as she had classes, she never stayed past midnight. However, Liu Nian and Du Qiyan often left even later. As long as they were around, the evening self-study sessions continued. Some of the more diligent members, like Fang Lei and Shi Min, stayed until Du Qiyan and the others finished work. Of course, Pang Hu also stayed late to ensure their safe return home, accompanying them during their nightly sessions.

Once most people had left, Qing Ye read aloud her freshly written drafts, seeking feedback. The small remaining group offered many insightful suggestions, transforming what started as a solo effort into a collaborative writing session. Indeed, many hands make light work—by the end of the night, all the product descriptions were finalized.During the final review, as she typed the text into the computer, Qing Ye inadvertently looked up and discovered five or six people gathered behind her, all helping her check the wording.

At that moment, Qing Ye felt a sting in her nose and a blazing fire burning in her heart. For the first time in her life, she experienced the passion of entrepreneurship. She suddenly thought of her father—had he been like this in his youth? If he could see her now, would he feel heartache or pride? Thinking of her father, Qing Ye suddenly felt a surge of motivation.

Originally, Qing Ye had asked Du Qiyan to upload the copy the next day, but Du Qiyan insisted on finishing it before leaving. Pang Hu had already left to escort Shi Min and the others. Xing Wu was also busy late into the night and called to ask Qing Ye to wait for him, as he was on his way to pick her up.

So Qing Ye stretched lazily, poured herself a glass of water, and took a short break. Through the factory door, she noticed Quan Ya sitting under the withered tree in the yard. She poured another glass of water, walked over to him, and handed it to him. "You've worked hard."

Quan Ya glanced up at her, took the cup, and once again gazed at the row of dark employee housing in front of the shooting range.

Qing Ye dragged a small stool over and sat beside him, looking in the same direction. Neither of them spoke.

After a long while, Quan Ya suddenly broke the silence. "Are you still planning to study abroad?"

This path had been set for her by her family since childhood. She had studied in an international school for so many years precisely to pursue further education abroad. But now, too many problems lay before her—whether it was financial pressure or emotional dilemmas, they all made her waver.

Quan Ya sighed. "I’ve always hoped you’d go abroad soon, so Wu Zi would have one less thing to worry about. His family’s situation has already worn him down over the years. None of us brothers have had it as tough as him."

"But now..." Quan Ya lit a cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled wisps of smoke that drifted into the night sky. "If you really leave him now, Wu Zi would be utterly devastated."

Qing Ye’s heart ached with a sharp pang. Regarding studying abroad, Xing Wu had always been resolute and had never mentioned how he would cope after she left.

This was the first time Qing Ye had heard such a brutal truth from one of his brothers. Even Quan Ya could see that their relationship had become inseparable. In three months, they would have to face a choice. This thought weighed on Qing Ye’s chest like a massive rock.

Suddenly, she curled the corner of her lips and looked down at her shadow. "Do you remember that bet? I said I’d pull him onto a different path."

Quan Ya turned to look at her, the cigarette in his hand burning faintly. Qing Ye slowly raised her head to gaze at the vast night sky, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Do you believe me? I’m close to winning."

Quan Ya watched her confident expression and also smiled. "How so?"

"When I made that bet with you, I was only sure I’d live on in his memories. But now, I’m sure I’ll be etched into his heart. A person can live without memories, but without a beating heart, they can’t survive even a day."

Quan Ya gradually furrowed his brows, somewhat stunned by the weight of her words.

In the distance, Little Angel’s voice rang out. Qing Ye withdrew her gaze and looked at Quan Ya. "Do you hate me? Because of my appearance, your sister compromised on her life."

Quan Ya watched the figure dismounting from the motorcycle, his gaze profound. "Wu Zi is my brother, and you are Wu Zi’s woman."

Qing Ye watched Xing Wu walking toward her and suddenly smiled with relief.