Halfway through the meal, Li Yifei stepped out to take a phone call. When he returned, he said to Qian Fei, "There's an urgent matter at the company. I have to head back immediately. You all continue eating—I'll take a taxi to Xiaoshan Airport!" He apologized to Yi Xiaojin and Guan Meimei before hurrying off.
Yi Xiaojin watched Li Yifei's retreating figure and clicked her tongue twice. "What a fine figure!"
Guan Meimei also watched him go, clicking her tongue as well. "What a handsome face!"
Then they both turned to Qian Fei in unison. "Sleep with him!"
Qian Fei spat out her milk tea in shock.
After the meal, Yi Xiaojin and Guan Meimei called for the bill, only for the waiter to inform them, "The gentleman who left earlier has already paid!"
Yi Xiaojin and Guan Meimei immediately turned their gazes back to Qian Fei, their admiration practically overflowing. "Good looks, sweet words, and a loose wallet—hurry up and sleep with him before it's too late!"
Qian Fei was utterly horrified. "Please stop! If you keep this up, I might actually lose my moral restraint!"
That night, Qian Fei didn’t return to the hotel. Instead, she and Guan Meimei went to Yi Xiaojin’s place.
The three single women squeezed onto one bed for a late-night gossip session. Yi Xiaojin and Guan Meimei kept whispering scandalous suggestions into Qian Fei’s ears.
Yi Xiaojin said, "With my sharp eyes, I can tell that Li Yifei is definitely gifted—he’d be amazing in bed. Feifei, it’d be a crime against nature if you don’t sleep with him!"
Qian Fei rolled her eyes hard. "I remember you were already nearsighted with 600-degree vision in high school. Thanks for the observation!"
Guan Meimei chimed in, "Even if you ignore his physique, just his face alone is the kind that makes you want to drop your pants!"
Qian Fei was speechless. "Could you at least start with unclasping the bra first?"
Yi Xiaojin pressed, "Feifei, be honest—have you slept with this handsome Li or not?"
Qian Fei kicked her. "Sleep with your sister! It’s not what you think between us!"
Guan Meimei interjected, "But I think Handsome Li is definitely into you!"
Qian Fei asked, "Into me how?"
Guan Meimei grinned. "As in, he wants to sleep with you!"
Yi Xiaojin added, "Or wants you to sleep with him!"
Qian Fei kicked both of them at once. "Other than myself, I’ve never met anyone more shameless and depraved than you two!"
The three of them collapsed onto the bed, giggling like idiots.
Once the laughter died down, Qian Fei sighed and shifted into a more serious tone. "Here’s the thing—I know he treats me well now, but I’m afraid his feelings are just a passing novelty. You don’t know him—he’s not exactly the faithful type. There’s always a steady stream of pretty girls around him, practically seamless transitions, and they’re all stunning beauties from film academies, dance schools, art institutes—top-tier in both looks and grace. If someone’s used to dining on delicacies every day, what happens when they suddenly take an interest in a humble cornbread bun like me? Can cornbread really compete with gourmet feasts forever?"
Yi Xiaojin thought for a moment. "Not necessarily. Maybe this guy just has weird taste and genuinely prefers cornbread!"
Guan Meimei added, "Besides, you’re not just any cornbread bun—you’re at least state-banquet level!"
Listening to them, Qian Fei felt a strange but comforting warmth in her chest."Anyway, I've decided to focus wholeheartedly on passing the sponsor representative exam first. I'll think about whether to date him or not after I pass! Because even if he really does go back to chasing after better options later, by then I'll be a sponsor rep—who would I be afraid of?"
Yi Xiaojin listened to her and clicked her tongue dramatically. "Another wasteful girl hogging the toilet without taking a dump!"
Guan Meimei chimed in with perfect timing, "Such a good toilet is hard to come by in this world, yet someone would rather hold it in until they wet themselves than use it!"
Qian Fei, tears welling in her eyes, mentally kneeled before these two utterly down-to-earth (read: crude and shameless) ladies...
●︶3︶●
Early the next morning, Yi Xiaojin and Guan Meimei escorted Qian Fei to the hotel where she was staying, making it easier for her to meet up with the group and catch the upcoming flight.
As the three reluctantly parted, Yi Xiaojin earnestly advised Qian Fei, "Don't be too stubborn. When it's time to get frisky, don't hold back! You don’t have to wait until you're strong enough to commit to a relationship with him! Life is short, and your period only lasts a few years—the days you can actually enjoy romance are way fewer than you think! And don’t forget, you have to subtract those days when you’re using pads every month!"
Guan Meimei also urged with heartfelt concern, "Don’t be so pretentious. If you keep teasing him for too long, he might lose interest! Even if you don’t want to take off your pants too soon, at least loosen your bra strap a little to give him a taste. Stop acting like a saint—we all know you’re just hugging the sheets alone at night!"
Shivering under the "wise" counsel of her unreliable friends, Qian Fei tearfully waved goodbye. "Go back! No need to see me off! Actually, maybe we should just cut ties right now!"
While waiting for her flight at Xiaoshan Airport, Qian Fei called the project leader to briefly report on her work over the past week.
The project leader expressed great satisfaction with her performance and considerately told her, "After finishing the client visit in Chengdu, you can head straight back to Beijing. Let others in the team handle the clients in the northwest—you deserve a break! A girl traveling to over twenty cities is more than enough!"
Qian Fei felt this call was an unexpected delight. She had thought she’d have to spend at least another week trekking through the northwest, but now she could return to Beijing much sooner.
Casually, she asked, "So who’s taking over the remaining client and supplier visits?"
The project leader replied, "Someone from our partner company. Actually, it was Li Yifei, their sponsor rep, who suggested swapping you out."
Qian Fei froze for a moment, then felt her heartbeat quicken twice.
The project leader continued, "Speaking of Li Yifei, he’s really something. We originally planned to hold an intermediary coordination meeting on Friday, but he wasn’t even in the office. When we called him, he said he was out of town and had already arranged everything—his team could handle it. But when the meeting actually started, no one else in his group knew the project as well as he did, nor did they have his level of expertise. The meeting was a complete mess! Luckily, he rushed back yesterday evening and resolved the issues in time, so we could still submit the materials to the securities regulator on Monday."Qian Fei's heart was racing wildly. So that guy had skipped work to come find her in Guangzhou?
After hanging up with the project manager, she immediately called Li Yifei.
Li Yifei seemed barely awake, his voice thick with sleep as he groaned, "Auntie Qian Fei, for heaven's sake! I was up half the night preparing training materials and just fell asleep when you called!"
Qian Fei felt a little guilty, but since he was already awake, she might as well ask: "Our project manager said you missed the intermediary coordination meeting! You skipped work to come to Guangzhou, didn't you?"
Li Yifei gave a lazy hum, "Not exactly! The meeting time was always listed as 'tentative.' Since it wasn't finalized, it's not unreasonable for me to attend to other matters, right?"
Qian Fei clicked her tongue, "And what exactly was so important?"
Li Yifei's nasal tone lightened slightly, "Urgent business!"
Qian Fei pressed, "What kind of urgent business requires you to skip work?"
Li Yifei paused, and his voice took on a teasing lilt, "Isn't seeing you urgent business? I told you the night before—I missed you!"
Qian Fei's breath hitched, her cheeks warming.
She realized just how outmatched she was against Li Yifei. This guy was way too good at charming girls—just a few lighthearted words had her heart fluttering.
Covering her burning cheeks with her hands, she mustered what little composure she had left and said sternly, "Listen here, you troublemaker, this behavior is unacceptable! You're being irresponsible toward your work!"
Li Yifei replied calmly, "I just want to be responsible toward you."
Qian Fei's heart skipped a beat. "As a sponsor representative, this is a lack of professional ethics!"
Li Yifei brushed it off effortlessly, "Can professional ethics compare to sticky rice chicken? I don't think so."
Qian Fei's pulse raced. "I'm telling you, you can't do this again!"
Li Yifei hummed, "Oh? Then what should I do next time?"
With utmost righteousness, Qian Fei declared, "Next time, skip work a day earlier. Since you're skipping anyway, might as well make it a full day. What do you think?"
Li Yifei chuckled, "I like how sensible you are, you good girl."
●︶3︶●
After chatting a while longer, Li Yifei, still sounding congested, asked casually, "How many more days until you finish your site visits?"
Qian Fei answered seriously, "Probably another two weeks or so. Still have three or four provinces left to cover."
Li Yifei let out a skeptical "Hmm?" "Two weeks? No way. Isn't Chengdu the only stop left? Didn’t your boss tell you? I rearranged another team—you can come back now."
Qian Fei laughed dryly, "He did."
Li Yifei paused, his tone turning sly, "So you're messing with me, huh? Fine. Just wait till you get back—I'll show you how I mess with you."
Qian Fei told him to get lost.
Before hanging up, Li Yifei added, "Let me know once you've booked your flight back from Chengdu. If I'm in a good mood, maybe I'll come pick you up."
Qian Fei couldn't help but laugh. He just had to maintain that tsundere attitude to feel comfortable.
●︶3︶●
The thought of returning to Beijing soon had Qian Fei unusually excited—even her steps while boarding the plane were two inches bouncier than usual.Yet things didn't go as planned. What was supposed to be a quick interview process got delayed when an urgent matter came up at the company—the boss and management team had to make an emergency business trip. They ended up waiting three whole days just to complete this final step of the task.
She finally understood what people meant by "the best things take time."
On the first day, when Li Yifei learned they'd be stuck in Chengdu for three days, he eagerly wanted to book a ticket to join her. Qian Fei patiently reasoned with him: "If you skip work again, your boss will probably fire you! Then how are you going to afford rent for that fancy villa of yours?"
Li Yifei couldn't have cared less: "Young Master took this job to prove my capabilities and worth. Now that I'm at the top of this industry, whether I continue or not really doesn't matter to me." After a pause, he added shamelessly, "Besides, when has Young Master ever cared about money? Money comes chasing after me! Someone like me was born wealthy—it's impossible not to attract fortune. If you were with me, you'd only need to master one skill in life: counting my money properly. Learn that, and you'll be set for life in happiness!"
Qian Fei was so disgusted by his bragging that she nearly lost her appetite for lunch. "Impossible not to attract fortune, huh? So is your nickname 'Lucky' or something?"
The second day, Li Yifei was just as clingy, pestering Qian Fei with endless chatter before finally letting her sleep.
By the third day, Qian Fei told him that once they interviewed the company boss the next day, she could return to Beijing that very evening.
She expected Li Yifei to pull his usual tsundere act with some line like, "If Young Master is in a good mood, maybe I'll pick you up." But instead, he said, "Jinjin, I have something else tomorrow night. I'm afraid I won't be able to come get you."
Author's Note:
Working overtime alone at the company today... actually cried. How pathetic... Yijin generously ordered me some KFC, so at least dinner is settled TT
Life's been really tough for me lately. Hope everyone can be a little understanding if I occasionally miss a day's update. Please don't be too upset—I'm already stressed enough TT
Big thanks to all the generous readers who sent gifts! Even though I didn't update yesterday, you still sent them. Really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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