The three-day New Year holiday passed quickly. On the 4th, when Qian Fei returned to the company to continue her on-site due diligence work, Zhao De pulled her aside and said mysteriously, "I saw Yifei at Yansha yesterday!"
Qian Fei looked at him blankly, "Xiao Dezi, do you really have nothing better to brag about? I see Li Yifei every day—what's so special about that?"
Zhao De sucked in a breath and said fiercely, "Can you let me finish? I mean I saw Yifei at Yansha yesterday, and he was with a girl! She was holding his arm, very intimate—looked like his girlfriend!"
Qian Fei gave him a "you're overreacting" look. "Are you trying to show off that you found out about his new girlfriend before me? Haha! Poor kid, I already knew!"
Zhao De looked at her with concern. "Feifei, can you let me finish properly? I’m saying his new girlfriend isn’t just anyone—she’s a minor celebrity! I’ve seen her in several commercials on TV!"
Qian Fei froze. "No way. You must’ve mistaken her for someone else. He’s a broke loser who rents a room from me—how could he afford to date a star? Is this a case of 'the poorer, the truer the love'?"
Zhao De nodded firmly. "No mistake! I hid in a corner and heard Yifei call her 'Jin Tian'! That’s the name of that minor celebrity!"
Qian Fei took a deep breath. "Damn, this guy’s really burning money, acting like some rich second-gen. But tell me, if this young master can afford to date a beauty from film school, why can’t he save up to buy a house?"
Zhao De thought for a moment. "If I had the chance to date Jin Tian, I’d sell my house to splurge on her!"
Qian Fei rolled her eyes. "With your looks, you’d have to compensate girls with money!" Then she suddenly changed the subject. "Hey, do you think maybe the little beauty thinks Li Yifei’s pretty-boy looks are worth it and is using her commercial earnings to support him instead?"
Zhao De nearly choked on his own breath.
Before he could respond, a cool voice cut in from behind.
"Even if this young master were to 'go professional,' do you really think a few commercial fees could cover me?"
Qian Fei turned, looked up, and forced a stiff smile at the newcomer. "I think she just hasn’t found the trick—honestly, you don’t need money to keep you happy. Just dump a sack of eggplants by your bed, and you’d be perfectly content!"
●︶3︶●
In the days following the New Year, the main task for the two investment banks was to confirm certain matters with the heads of relevant departments at the company. As a result, Qian Fei, Li Yifei, and Gui Lili inevitably had to interact frequently due to work.
Qian Fei noticed that Gui Lili’s condition was worsening. Several times, she nearly lost control in public, almost blurting out "Yifei" in a tone of resentment and longing—just like she used to when they were together and on the verge of making up after a fight.
Sometimes, Qian Fei pitied her. From her words and actions, it was clear she still genuinely liked Li Yifei. But more often, Qian Fei felt she didn’t deserve sympathy. Having chosen material comforts over love, she should just enjoy them—why cling to lingering greed for a love she’d already abandoned?On this point, Qian Fei felt Wang Ruohai had handled things quite well. After choosing material comforts, he had been ruthless and decisive enough to never look back at his ex-girlfriend again.
In contrast, Li Yifei seemed to be doing better and better, becoming increasingly at ease. Even during meetings with the project team and the company’s boss—who happened to be the rumored fiancé of Gui Lili—he carried himself with effortless grace, making the awkwardness between the engaged couple seem petty in comparison. His composed and capable demeanor at work only made his former lover stare at him with unwilling fascination.
To some extent, Qian Fei thought Li Yifei was a terrifying person. He could pick things up and just as easily put them down. After wallowing in his room for a week post-breakup, he had completely turned the page.
He wasn’t sentimental. Once he adjusted his state of mind, he could quickly immerse himself in a new life. In truth, a handsome man with such a ruthless approach to life was like an addictive poison—irresistible to women. But falling for a man like this, Qian Fei mused, would probably be a woman’s misfortune.
Not that she would ever develop feelings for someone like him. She knew her own limits and was well aware she didn’t possess the kind of charm that could make a man fall head over heels for her. So she wouldn’t bother with someone she couldn’t handle.
On Baihe.com, Qian Fei filtered through several potential matches, carefully comparing and considering them before finally settling on the one she thought was most compatible with her. She began nurturing a connection with him.
After chatting online for a while, the other party suggested meeting in person. Qian Fei agreed.
They scheduled the meeting for Friday evening after work.
On Friday morning, Qian Fei stuffed her makeup bag into her oversized purse before heading to work. On the way, Li Yifei noticed her bulging bag and asked, “What’s that huge lump you’re carrying?”
Qian Fei smiled without answering. Li Yifei’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “That bag looks heavy. Here, let me carry it for you!” he said, smoothly snatching the bag from her hands.
“Pfft. Since when were you such a gentleman?” Qian Fei couldn’t help but scoff.
“You don’t usually carry this much stuff!” he retorted, squeezing the contents through the bag’s fabric. “What’s this? Huh? These feel like letters… Wait, is that ‘Steve’… Oh my god, this is Steve’s makeup bag!” He narrowed his eyes and shot her a sidelong glance. “You brought a makeup bag to work? What’s going on? Are you looking for love?”
Qian Fei spat in mock disgust. “Ugh, a dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory! You, who broke up later, are already on your second spring. What’s wrong with me, who broke up first, wanting a little romance?”
Li Yifei glanced at her ankle-length down jacket.
“You’re wearing that to look for love?”
“Of course not!” Qian Fei grinned slyly and unzipped her jacket, pulling the sides apart. “This is what you call ‘more than meets the eye,’ got it?”
She gave him a quick glimpse before zipping back up. When she looked up again, Li Yifei was tilting his head, frowning, and curling his lips at her.
“What’s that expression for?”
Li Yifei squinted. “This is the expression of someone utterly shocked by your flashy antics.”Underneath, she was actually wearing what appeared to be a modest dress, but the skirt portion was so short it barely covered her hips, while the top half from the cleavage up to the collar was made of sheer lace. The outfit did accentuate her curves beautifully and seductively, but those leggings—no, they should be called stockings! Those black stockings were just too provocative! No wonder she had worn such a long down jacket—without it, she'd probably freeze and end up with nephritis in the middle of winter!
"Who are you meeting dressed like such a scandalous, tawdry mess?" Li Yifei asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Scandalous your ass! It just shows what kind of person you are to see things that way! This is the latest trendy outfit from the newest fashion magazine, okay? The same magazine you tossed at me! Why is it high-class and elegant when models wear it, but scandalous and tawdry when I do?"
Ever since Li Yifei had accompanied Qian Fei shopping to upgrade her image, he had been committed to fundamentally transforming her sense of style and coordination. He had taught her countless dressing techniques and often threw fashion magazines at her to study how other women dressed. He hadn’t expected that despite her usually rough-and-tumble, tomboyish demeanor, she had a surprising knack for femininity when she put her mind to it. She was gradually polishing herself into quite the stylish woman.
Li Yifei stared at Qian Fei expressionlessly. "Don’t take off your down jacket during the day. I’m afraid someone might see you dressed like this and call the police’s anti-vice hotline."
Qian Fei curled her lip and spat out a furious "Pfft!" at him.
●︶3︶●
They were the first to arrive at the office. As soon as they entered, Qian Fei was about to take off her down jacket when Li Yifei immediately stopped her. "Don’t you dare!"
Qian Fei glared at him. "You trying to roast me alive?"
Li Yifei gave her a sidelong glance. "You won’t die. The AC’s broken!"
Qian Fei was torn between laughter and tears. "Broken my ass! Since when did you get to decide that?"
Li Yifei lifted his chin. "Since now! If I say it’s broken, it’s broken!" With that, he tore a sheet of paper from his notebook, scribbled on it with a flourish: AC out of order. Repairs scheduled for Monday. To avoid catching cold, please keep your coats on while working.
He stuck the note next to the AC controls.
And so, for the rest of the day, everyone in the office—employees from both securities firms—worked diligently in their coats, convinced the AC was indeed broken, none the wiser...
When Gu Lili came by to check contract data, she wasn’t wearing a coat. After sneezing twice from the cold, she pulled out her phone to call building maintenance.
Qian Fei watched with amusement, waiting to see Li Yifei’s reaction when his lie was exposed. But Zhao De, ever the blabbermouth, intervened before Gu Lili could dial. "Assistant Gu, don’t bother calling. It probably won’t help—there’s already a notice on the wall saying repairs are scheduled for Monday."
Gu Lili had no choice but to put her phone away. After two more sneezes, she hurried off with her contract folder in hand.
Qian Fei couldn’t help but think that Li Yifei must have some inexplicable luck in life. Had Gu Lili taken even a glance at that "notice," she would’ve recognized his handwriting instantly. And had she pressed the AC button to test it, she’d have known the truth.Qian Fei whispered to Li Yifei, "You're going to freeze Assistant Gui into catching a cold at this rate!"
Li Yifei glanced sideways at her and said coolly, "Drop the 'we,' thanks."
●︶3︶●
Near quitting time, Qian Fei carried her makeup bag to the restroom.
The restroom had the air conditioning on, and she started sweating in her down jacket, so she took it off and hung it nearby.
She washed her face first, then carefully recalled the makeup steps and techniques Steve had taught her, applying powders and creams bit by bit before meticulously enhancing her features with color cosmetics. She wanted to look as natural as possible, so she chose soft, pastel shades. After applying lipstick, she let her hair down. Just as she was styling it, someone walked in—someone Qian Fei had seen before, the general manager's secretary, surnamed Rong.
Secretary Rong exclaimed in admiration at the sight of Qian Fei, "Wow! Manager Qian, you look absolutely stunning today! So pure yet so alluring!" She looked Qian Fei up and down, her praise heartfelt and enthusiastic. "Your figure is just perfect! How did you end up in investment banking? You should've gone to film school!"
Qian Fei blushed at the compliments, mumbled a few embarrassed responses, then grabbed her makeup bag and down jacket, fleeing the restroom as if escaping.
She thought to herself how little confidence she had—always living like an ugly duckling, and now that she'd transformed into a swan, she couldn't handle the praise. Every compliment made her so flustered she wanted to hide her face somewhere.
Walking in her high heels, she kept her head down, fumbling to stuff her makeup bag into her purse. In her haste, she accidentally bumped into someone.
She quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry," and looked up to see who she had collided with.
The moment she raised her head, she truly wished she could find a hole to bury her face in.
The office crowd was heading to the elevators in groups at the end of the workday, and the person she had bumped into was none other than her nemesis, Young Master Li Yifei.
She heard everyone start with exclamations like "Hey," "Oh," or "Wow," all ending with the same remark: "Qian Fei, you look so pretty today—got a date with your boyfriend?"
Her ears burned with embarrassment.
She felt like she'd never accomplish anything significant in life—just a few pairs of eyes staring at her made her feel like she was about to combust.
The elevator arrived, and colleagues filed in one after another. When only Li Yifei and Qian Fei remained, Li Yifei waved off the others inside, saying, "Too crowded. We'll wait for the next one."
The elevator doors closed. Qian Fei exhaled deeply and wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead.
"You know what I dread most? The day I wear new clothes to work, and a colleague notices and exclaims, 'Oh, Qian Fei, you're wearing new clothes—they look great!' Every time that happens, I just want to crawl into a hole. I don’t know why, but whenever colleagues say things like that, I feel so embarrassed I can barely lift my head!"
Li Yifei pressed the elevator button again and said flatly, "I'll tell you why. It's because deep down, you think you're ugly. So when people compliment your looks, you feel like a fraud." He looked down at Qian Fei and added, "So you’ve always thought of yourself as an ugly girl, huh?"Qian Fei was taken aback. She looked up at him and said, "As if you don't think the same way! Weren't you always calling me 'one of the guys'?"
Li Yifei stroked his chin, squinting at her. "Hmm, seems even this young master can misjudge people sometimes!"
Author's Note: Thank you to all the lovely ladies who threw grenades! Today I checked—wow! I actually made it into the top 400 of the grenade leaderboard!! Sorry for making you spend money, all Ninth Bro can do is write diligently to repay you all. Thank you, love you all ●︶3︶●
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Little Li is so immature, picks nose !
Little Li's eyesight is so bad, picks nose !
Little Li's arms deserve chopping off for randomly hanging onto beauties, picks nose !
That's all I wanted to say. Anything you'd like to add? Hehehe, picks nose !
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