Wang Ruohai had become very different from before; he now carried himself with the air of a successful man. Qian Fei felt that money was truly a vexing little demon—it could drive loving couples apart, yet it could also transform an ordinary person into a social elite.
Many of their former classmates took turns bombarding Qian Fei, urging her to give Wang Ruohai another chance. Even Yao Jingjing said during a phone call, "Feifei, the class monitor told me that although the nightly gatherings were hosted in rotation under different people's names, it was actually Wang Ruohai who paid for everything. Sigh, I don’t know whether to encourage you to get back together or to keep cursing him as a scumbag. What if he’s genuinely reformed and turned over a new leaf? If I talk you out of giving him a chance and you end up unhappily married to someone else, I’d probably stab myself to death!"
Qian Fei spat back, "Can’t you say something nice for once? Why would I be so blind as to marry someone else and be unhappy?"
Yao Jingjing retorted, "You’re not blind—you’re just dumb!"
Qian Fei decided to deduct a hundred yuan from the wedding gift money she was saving for Yao Jingjing and give it to the old man selling scam newspapers on the train station overpass instead.
Wasting the money was better than giving it to her—that was what you called satisfaction!
When Wang Ruohai called Qian Fei, she told him, "Tell the class monitor to stop organizing these gatherings." Wang Ruohai asked why, and Qian Fei replied, "It’s almost my turn to host, and I don’t want to pay."
Wang Ruohai said, "I’ll pay for you!"
Qian Fei scoffed, "You really are burning with cash, aren’t you? Can’t you just save it instead of splurging like this?"
Wang Ruohai chuckled softly over the phone, "Alright, I’ll save it! But I can’t save it myself—why don’t you keep it for me?"
Qian Fei snapped, "Go to hell!"
After hanging up, she felt a mix of bitterness and melancholy. What did it mean for times to change and circumstances to shift? This was it. In the past, she had wanted to help him save money, only to end up driving him away. Now, he was begging her to save money for him, but she no longer had the heart for it.
The IPO reopening date remained uncertain, stocks couldn’t be issued, financing couldn’t be secured, and brokerages, deprived of underwriting fees, were struggling in dire straits. Qian Fei’s company finally couldn’t hold on any longer and began layoffs.
Because she had taken a few days off due to illness, Qian Fei somehow became the primary target for layoffs in the project department. Sister Jin risked her life to leak the news, and Qian Fei was stunned upon hearing it. She initially planned to ask Director Kong and Liu Yifeng for help, but Sister Jin told her, "Don’t bother. Director Kong and Liu Yifeng are about to jump ship to another company—they’re leaving next month. It’s not convenient for them to fight for you anymore. Think of another way. This matter is under the vice president’s control. If someone could put in a word for you, there might still be hope!"
Qian Fei returned home in a daze. In the past, she wouldn’t have been afraid of being laid off—she could always find another job in a month or two. But now, she didn’t dare. With a monthly mortgage of over seven thousand yuan, losing her job would leave her no choice but to sell her kidneys or marrow.
She racked her brain but couldn’t think of a solution. In her desperation, she suddenly thought of Li Yifei. He was in the same industry and had wide connections—maybe he could help her figure something out.Thinking this, she mustered up her courage and sent a WeChat message to Li Yifei: "When will you be back from your business trip?"
She vaguely remembered Zhao De mentioning that his trip was supposed to last a month. Counting the days, he should have returned by now.
But after waiting a while, Li Yifei's reply was: "Not sure yet."
Those four words instantly dragged the faint glimmer of hope rising in her heart down into the deepest abyss.
●︶3︶●
Lately, Li Yifei had been swamped with work.
The project team had initially planned for a one-month business trip, but the company's leadership was particularly difficult to deal with, constantly making unreasonable demands that slowed progress. There were also significant disagreements between the project team and the company regarding the issuance plan, with both sides stubbornly holding their ground. As a result, the trip had to be extended.
This company was truly hard to work with. He and the rest of the project team had been run ragged by the boss, almost to the point of exhaustion. The project lead even said they regretted taking on this project—they hadn’t made much money, and the stress had worn them down to shreds.
Unlike the project lead’s frustration and irritation, Li Yifei felt an eerie calm. Everyone knew he wasn’t exactly easy to please either, so they couldn’t understand why he was being so uncharacteristically patient and accommodating this time.
Only Li Yifei knew the truth. He was using the chaos of the project to suppress the restless feelings stirring inside him. While everyone else cursed the difficult project and the unreasonable boss, he was genuinely grateful for the boss’s obstinacy—it kept him busy every day. If the project hadn’t demanded so much of his attention, he was sure that with enough idle time, he wouldn’t have been able to resist calling Qian Fei.
Until he was certain whether he should be with her or not, he couldn’t afford to lead her on.
Late at night, tossing and turning in bed, he agonized over why she never reached out to him if he didn’t contact her first. This girl was so stubborn. Her unintentional push-and-pull only made him crave her more.
When she finally did send him a WeChat message, the timing couldn’t have been worse.
Her message arrived right in the middle of a heated argument between him, a colleague, and that impossible company boss.
Amid the chaos, he managed to reply with a quick message, but the boss noticed and slammed the table, roaring like a madman: "Do you even respect me? I’m here trying to reason with you, and you’re playing on your phone? Is this how you work in investment banking?"
If not for his professional ethics, he would’ve loved to slap the guy across the face.
●︶3︶●
Li Yifei’s rushed reply—"Not sure yet"—was sent under a barrage of yelling.
But to Qian Fei, who had mustered all her courage only to receive such a vague answer, those four words translated to "dodging" and "rejection."
Qian Fei gave up completely, deciding never again to chase after someone who clearly wasn’t interested. At this point, if she still couldn’t tell that Li Yifei was deliberately keeping his distance, she’d have to be truly blind.She didn’t send another WeChat message to Li Yifei asking what to do about the layoffs. Instead, she just called Yao Jingjing to vent about her impending trip to the hospital to sell her bone marrow. Yao Jingjing comforted her, “Consider your marrow mine. Don’t go sell it at the hospital. If you really get laid off, I’ll cover your mortgage for you!”
Qian Fei realized that in critical moments, so-called “close guy friends” or “male besties” were all bullshit. The ones who truly came through in times of need were the ride-or-die girlfriends like Yao Jingjing.
Since there was nothing she could do, she stopped worrying and simply went about her days, waiting openly for the axe to fall.
But when the layoff list was finally announced, Jin Jie told her that her name wasn’t on it.
She was stunned, unable to fathom how she had miraculously escaped the chopping block.
It was Yao Jingjing who later cleared things up for her.
“I mentioned this to Wang Ruohai, and he said he has a client who’s an MBA classmate of your company’s vice president—someone who could probably pull some strings. Honestly, I didn’t take it seriously, but he actually made it happen! Hmm, I’ll give him some credit for this.”
Qian Fei’s heart was a whirlwind of emotions. In the end, it was Wang Ruohai who had saved her.
The next evening, Wang Ruohai invited her to dinner at Justine’s French Restaurant on Jianguomenwai Avenue.
Hearing the name of the restaurant, Qian Fei froze for a long moment. Before they put down the deposit for their apartment, Wang Ruohai had proposed to her here. They had always been frugal, never dining at places where the per-person cost exceeded 50 yuan. Only that day, Wang Ruohai had insisted on going to Justine’s, and they’d even argued about it beforehand, leaving them both in a sour mood before arriving.
Then, halfway through the meal, he suddenly knelt down and proposed. She burst into tears on the spot, and the surrounding diners applauded. To her, that moment had felt like something out of a dream—romantic and perfect.
But when the bill arrived, the dream shattered. Wang Ruohai’s wallet didn’t have enough cash, and she had to cover the difference under the waiter’s pitying gaze while scolding him for choosing such an expensive place.
That look seemed to say, “How pathetic—trying to play at romance when you can’t even afford it.”
Later, back at home, Wang Ruohai lost his temper with her. “Couldn’t you have put more money in my wallet? I was so embarrassed today!”
She got angry too. “Why can’t we just enjoy what we can afford? Why force materialistic romance when we don’t have the means? Others have money—we don’t!”
He ignored her for the rest of the night.
Looking back, she realized that was around the time Wang Ruohai started working overtime more frequently.
Reflecting on the past, Qian Fei acknowledged that she had been too harsh. She had later reproached herself for forgetting to give him face in public, perhaps because they had grown too familiar. Truthfully, she hadn’t handled many things well back then. At the time, she believed their frugality was for the sake of their future happiness, never realizing that what they lost in the present could never be reclaimed later.
The saying “A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit” held true. After their breakup, she finally understood: when it’s time to enjoy life, you really should. If you don’t enjoy it now, you’ll grow old regretting it.
The next day after work, Wang Ruohai drove to her office to pick her up.Wang Ruohai had reserved the same table as before.
Returning to this familiar place, Qian Fei felt only a faint sense of nostalgia and an indescribable ache in her heart.
As she lowered her head to cut her steak, Wang Ruohai called her name.
She looked up and met his sincere gaze.
He reached across the table and took her hand. "Feifei, give me another chance. Let's start over, okay? Think of me as someone who lost his way, took a wrong turn—but now I want to come home. I didn’t know how to cherish you before, but from now on, I’ll take good care of you! Without you managing my money, I really… I’ve never been able to save a single penny!" His voice cracked, his eyes reddening as he spoke.
Suddenly, Qian Fei felt an overwhelming sadness—a deep, bitter sorrow.
All this time, when she needed that person by her side, he had avoided her like the plague. It made her feel so wronged, so heartbroken. Yet here was this man before her, who had taken her to the hospital when she was sick and saved her job when she was nearly laid off.
Thinking of that other person’s attitude and everything that had happened recently, she felt a wave of disillusionment.
Looking at Wang Ruohai, she said slowly, "I can’t promise to be your girlfriend again right away. All I can promise is that for the next month, I’ll try—I’ll see if I can accept you again."
Wang Ruohai squeezed her hand, his eyes glistening. "That’s enough, Feifei. That’s more than I could ask for."
●︶3︶●
Early in the morning, Li Yifei called Zhao De to discuss work and ended up gossiping about other things. Noticing Zhao De’s unusually listless tone, he asked what was wrong. Zhao De replied, "Lately, my chest feels tight."
Li Yifei advised him to rest earlier and stop staying up so late, but Zhao De changed the subject, bringing up the layoffs at Qian Fei’s company.
Zhao De told Li Yifei, "Liu Yifeng mentioned our little Feifei almost got axed! Luckily, some guy named Wang pulled strings with the VP, and she managed to keep her job."
At the mention of "some guy named Wang," Li Yifei’s heart skipped a beat. He asked Zhao De when this had happened. "Last week," Zhao De said. Li Yifei did the math—it was right around the time Qian Fei had asked him when he was coming back.
Looking back now, she must have texted him about this. She must have felt so helpless then. But how had he replied?
—Not sure yet.
A sudden panic gripped him, cold sweat breaking out on his skin.
Had she gone to her ex-boyfriend, that Wang guy, for help?
All this time, he seemed to have overlooked a crucial question. He had fallen for Qian Fei—but what about her?
When it came to women, he had always prided himself on his sharp instincts. He could always tell if a woman was interested in him. And in his perception, he had believed Qian Fei liked him too. But he had forgotten one thing—while he took a month away to sort out his feelings, she wasn’t obligated to wait for him. She wasn’t his, and worse, he hadn’t even considered the possibility of another man appearing in her life.
He had been too confident—so confident it bordered on stupidity. How could he have forgotten? There was still that ex-boyfriend in her life, the one she couldn’t let go of, the one whose photos she couldn’t bear to throw away.In an instant, spurred by external forces, he had an epiphany amidst self-reproach, regret, and fear, straightening out his emotions as clearly as possible. He felt he was being somewhat foolish—without a crisis, he would fuss over sorting out his feelings, and only when faced with danger could he decisively see through his own heart.
His unease grew stronger.
He realized he missed her unbearably. He wanted to return, he couldn’t wait any longer! He no longer needed any confirmation—he had seen his own heart clearly. He liked her, he had fallen in love with her, and he was willing to try becoming someone devoted and responsible in love and marriage for her sake!
He couldn’t wait any longer. He feared that further delay might make him miss something irreplaceable.
He quickly handed over his tasks to his team members, bought a noon flight ticket, and flew back to Beijing with his heart racing in anticipation.
After landing, he took a taxi straight to Financial Street.
On the way, he called to reserve a table at the Italian restaurant in The Ritz-Carlton, then dialed Qian Fei’s number.
When the call connected, he suppressed the surging waves in his heart and spoke as calmly as possible to the person on the other end: "I’m back!"
He heard the silly woman’s voice hesitate slightly, “…Oh.”
A small, uncontrollable excitement from their long separation bubbled in his chest. Hoarsely, he said, “Qian Fei, let’s have dinner tonight. I have something to tell you!”
Again, he heard her hesitant agreement, “…Okay.”
After hanging up, he sent her the address.
Then he told the driver, “Master, first make a stop at the Roseonly flower shop in Sanlitun!”
●︶3︶●
Qian Fei wasn’t sure how she managed to endure the hours until the end of the workday. She thought Li Yifei had something to clarify—something like, “Don’t overthink it, that night was a mistake. I’ve always seen you as just a friend.”
Before leaving work, she texted Wang Ruohai, saying she had something to attend to and that he should eat alone, then hurried to The Ritz-Carlton.
When she saw Li Yifei again after over a month, she suddenly felt as if an eternity had passed.
Watching him stand up from his chair in a formal suit and tie, lips pressed into a smile as he greeted her, she felt a pang of sourness in a corner of her heart.
Outside, the June sun blazed, but the air conditioning inside left her slightly chilled. She looked at him, almost shivering.
He politely dismissed the waiter and pulled out her chair himself. Sitting back down, he raised his eyebrows in his usual haughty manner and said in that familiar, proud tone, “I never pull out chairs for anyone!”
She couldn’t help but laugh, though the laughter tasted bitter in her mouth.
“Aren’t you hot dressed like that?” Those were her first words.
“Even if I am, this is a matter of attitude!” He smirked, his gaze deepening as he looked at her. Softly, he asked, “Why have you lost so much weight? Your eyes are as big as a calf’s now!”
She touched her face, a little dazed. “Really? Maybe it’s from the fever I had a while ago.”
He froze. “When was that?”
She smiled lightly. “A long time ago, it’s nothing!” Then she asked, “On the phone, you said you had something to tell me. What is it? I’m ready—go ahead!”
●︶3︶●Li Yifei picked up a long box from the chair beside him and handed it to Qian Fei.
Qian Fei took it with confusion.
The box was printed with the English letters "Roseonly," tied with a ribbon in the middle. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. She knew what this was—she had seen a female celebrity surnamed Li post about it on Weibo before. It was a bouquet her husband had bought for her. She knew this brand of flowers was exorbitantly expensive, with the slogan "only for one person in a lifetime." Out of curiosity, she had even visited their official website.
With trembling hands, she opened the lid of the box.
Eighteen Ecuadorian pink-red roses lay inside, blooming vibrantly at her.
It was the "Love Struck" collection.
The designer's note read: Heart racing, losing control, falling in love with love. Your whimsical charm has completely enchanted me.
Her heart pounded like a drum as she looked up in bewilderment. "What does this mean?"
Li Yifei gazed at her deeply, his voice slightly hoarse with emotion. "I wanted to take this business trip to sort out my feelings clearly. After this past month, I’ve realized—I’ve fallen in love with you!"
Qian Fei froze.
After a long pause, she suddenly laughed. "Li Yifei, you’re hilarious! Just a while ago, you were avoiding me like the plague, and now you’re saying you love me?"
Li Yifei stared at her unblinkingly. "I stayed away to figure out how deep my feelings for you were. I was afraid of hurting you by getting involved recklessly!"
Qian Fei let out an "Ah," closed the box, and handed it back to him, still smiling. "Well, actually, you didn’t need to do this. My ex-boyfriend and I just got back together."
Li Yifei looked at her in shock, as if struck by something, his expression pained and disbelieving.
Author's Note:
A little angst and teasing for this brat—serves him right for being so cocky. Don’t worry, next chapter will turn things around with sweetness, hehehehe...
Next chapter really does take a turn, beauties! Come out and leave comments, mwah mwah mwah (All comments from the past two days with 25+ words and 2-point ratings have been rewarded with points ^_^)
Special thanks to the amazing readers who threw thunder (tips) despite the atrociously glitchy site conditions— seriously, this glitching is shameless! You’ve spent so much!!!!!!! Sincere gratitude!!!!!!!!! Love you all!!!!! Mwah!!!
← Recommending my silly bestie’s novel. If you visit, please tell her for me: "Brother Jiu sent us to witness the fool." Thanks, everyone!!! Love you dearly!!!! Mwah
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