By the next weekend, Li Yifei was so busy he didn't even have time to rest. Qian Fei was genuinely curious about what exactly he was up to this time. Unable to resist, she sent him a WeChat message: "You're so obsessed with work—is it because you hired some stunning 36D secretary or something?"
Li Yifei sent back a photo in response, showing a room full of men sorting through documents in a massive conference room.
Qian Fei clicked her tongue in amazement. Liao Shiyu, who was beside her, asked what she was looking at that had elicited such an exaggerated reaction.
Qian Fei handed her the phone and said, "I just didn’t expect Li Yifei’s own company to be this big. Look at this conference room—it’s so impressive, almost like a movie theater!" She paused, then suddenly changed her tone, "You don’t think the whole company is just this one fancy conference room, do you?" She burst into laughter, "But that would totally fit his flashy, vain, and eccentric personality!"
Liao Shiyu took the phone and glanced at the photo, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
This was clearly the main conference room at Qiansheng Group’s headquarters, capable of accommodating hundreds of people at once. It was typically used for large meetings involving mid-level management and above—of course it was luxurious and high-end.
She couldn’t help but find it amusing. Someone as single-minded and almost idiotically naive as Qian Fei somehow didn’t irritate her at all.
Before handing the phone back, her eyes skimmed over the photo again. This time, she froze.
In one corner of the photo, a figure was faintly visible, head bowed. She zoomed in.
Though blurry, she was certain whose head that was.
Qian Fei leaned over and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Liao Shiyu casually exited the photo and returned the phone, saying, "Nothing, just checking if there’s anyone I know among the people keeping your boyfriend company while he works overtime."
Qian Fei took the phone back. "Did you recognize anyone? Oh, right, you must know Dajun, but I don’t think he’s there. He seems to handle investments, not operations. Speaking of which, Li Yifei mentioned this company was started with Dajun. The initial funding all came from him, and later, once it turned a profit, Li Yifei paid back his share."
Liao Shiyu raised an eyebrow. "You know Jun Cheng? Back then, he tricked me out of my New Year’s money to fund his online gaming. I told his mom, and she beat him so badly he almost got hemorrhoids—he had to sleep on his stomach for a month. After that, he officially cut ties with me."
Her words sounded like a tale of tragic fallout, but her tone held no trace of nostalgia or regret, making Qian Fei feel that Jun Cheng’s life was truly incomparably pitiful.
Liao Shiyu suddenly said, "Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I visited Jun Cheng’s mom’s jade shop. Want to go take a look later?"
Qian Fei figured that since Li Yifei was working overtime and she had nothing better to do, she might as well. She agreed, but before heading to her room to change, she paused and asked, "How much money should I bring with me so I don’t feel completely out of place the moment I step into Jun Cheng’s mom’s shop?"Liao Shiyi smiled faintly, her grin carrying a hint of mischief. "As long as you have solid proof that Jun Cheng is addicted to online games, his mom won’t charge you a single cent. No matter if what you’ve got your eye on is the most expensive item in her shop, she’ll give it to you for free—as a thank-you for helping her discipline her son and set him back on the right path."
Qian Fei was stunned speechless.
She thought Jun Cheng’s mom was truly a remarkable woman.
●︶3︶●
Excited, Qian Fei asked Li Yifei if he had any photos or evidence of Da Jun playing online games.
Li Yifei asked why, and Qian Fei explained that Liao Shiyi was taking her to visit the shop owned by Da Jun’s mom.
Without hesitation, Li Yifei immediately sent over several photos of Da Jun squatting on a chair, scratching his feet while gaming—despite being swamped with work. He added a note: "That’s all for now. If you end up eyeing a lot of stuff but Auntie Jun doesn’t give you everything for free, just let me know. I’ve got plenty more photos saved on my office computer upstairs—enough to make Auntie Jun willingly part with her entire inventory!"
Qian Fei happily sent back a kiss emoji.
In the end, armed with these photos, Qian Fei upheld justice (with a touch of ruthless glee) and walked away with a pair of dazzling green jade pendants.
As Qian Fei stepped out of the shop, the stunningly beautiful and poised mother of Jun Cheng was roaring into her phone at her son: "You little brat, get your ass over to the shop right now, or I’ll send you straight to your dad so he can whip you to death!"
Qian Fei was taken aback and couldn’t help but ask, "‘Little brat’? Is Auntie Jun from the Northeast?" [Author’s note: I’m from the Northeast, just having a little fun here ^_^]
Liao Shiyi nodded. "Yeah. Normally, she’s as graceful as a painting. Only when Da Jun’s gaming addiction drives her to hysterics does her true self come out."
Qian Fei giggled uncontrollably. "What does Da Jun’s dad do? Sounds like he’s even scarier than his mom!"
Liao Shiyi replied, "He’s in real estate speculation. Military background. Doesn’t talk much—usually just uses a leather whip to ‘reason’ with his son."
Qian Fei thought Da Jun’s family was truly one-of-a-kind—every single member was a fascinating character.
●︶3︶●
The jade pendants came as a matching pair, designed for sisters. Qian Fei generously gave one to Liao Shiyi.
After putting hers on, Liao Shiyi said, "Let’s take a photo together!" She waved her phone.
Qian Fei put on her pendant too, and the two leaned in for a selfie.
Then, looking at the photo, Liao Shiyi asked, "Can I post this on my Moments to show off?"
Qian Fei nodded. "Sure!"
Liao Shiyi asked, "What caption should I write?"
Qian Fei grinned mischievously. "How about: ‘Stumbled upon these matching jade pendants with a friend. Special thanks to Jun Cheng—please never stop gaming!’"
Liao Shiyi couldn’t help but smirk.
After posting the photo with the caption, she suddenly asked Qian Fei, "I just thought of something. After a breakup, should you add your ex on WeChat?"
Qian Fei said, "No, right? There’s no need. I certainly didn’t."
Liao Shiyi paused, then added, "Oh yeah, Qian Fei—we haven’t even added each other on WeChat yet!"
Qian Fei smacked her forehead and pulled out her phone to scan Liao Shiyi’s QR code.They strolled around for a while longer, with Liao Shiyu frequently checking her phone and occasionally typing something. After some time, her phone suddenly rang.
Liao Shiyu glanced at her phone and said to Qian Fei, "Sorry, Qian Fei. Could you wait for me at the coffee shop up ahead? I need to take this call."
Qian Fei agreed and walked to the nearby Starbucks, ordering a coffee while she waited.
Bored, she opened WeChat and started scrolling through her friends' updates.
She noticed a comment Liao Shiyu had left under her own photo post.
It was unclear who she was replying to, but the message read: "What's the rush? I don't bite, hehe."
After a quick glance, she didn’t pay much attention and continued scrolling. Then she saw a post from that shameless guy who insisted on labeling himself as "Interstellar Hunk" in her contacts again: "Jinjin, I'm hungry!"
Qian Fei nearly spat out her coffee.
She replied, "Try practicing the Sunflower Manual—once you do, you won’t feel hungry anymore."
Just as she sent the reply, Liao Shiyu returned.
She looked exhausted, as if she’d just had an argument with someone. "Qian Fei, let’s head back," she said.
So they got up and started walking home.
●︶3︶●
On the way back, Qian Fei bought some groceries. Once home, she went to the kitchen to wash and prepare the ingredients. Her phone was left on the living room table.
While stir-frying with scallions in the kitchen, her phone rang. She rushed out to check.
It was Wang Ruohai.
She answered and told him, "Wang Ruohai, hold on a sec—I’ve got oil heating in the kitchen. It’ll burn if I don’t get back soon!" She placed the phone on the table and hurried back to the kitchen.
Liao Shiyu, who had been silently watching TV on the sofa, stood up quietly, walked to the table, and picked up the phone. In a soft voice, she said, "Wang Ruohai, we just agreed—if you tell Qian Fei about our past relationship, I’ll show her all our old texts, photos, and videos. Didn’t you say you betrayed her once and hurt her, and you don’t want to hurt her again?"
Wang Ruohai’s voice on the other end was pleading and helpless. "Liao Shiyu, is this really necessary?"
Liao Shiyu chuckled lightly. "Oh, it’s very necessary. You’ve forgotten too much—I’m just helping you remember."
Wang Ruohai said, "If you’ve got a problem, take it out on me. Just leave her out of this, okay?"
Liao Shiyu’s voice was barely audible. "You’re so naive. Don’t you get it? The more you protect her, the more I can’t let it go." With that, she hung up and returned to the sofa, resuming her TV show as if nothing had happened.
When Qian Fei came out of the kitchen again, she found the call had already ended.
She called Wang Ruohai back and asked what he wanted.
After a pause, he said, "Nothing much. Just wanted to ask how you’ve been lately."
●︶3︶●
Li Yifei had been observing Wang Ruohai from the shadows.
He noticed that while this cheating scoundrel had questionable morals, his professional skills were decent.
The more he looked at him, the more irritated he felt.
He could easily find an excuse to fire him, but upon reflection, doing so would make him seem petty. His principles wouldn’t allow him to abuse his power for personal grudges—it was beneath his dignity.Sometimes he wondered how he should let that man know that his ex-girlfriend, whom he had once abandoned, had found love again—and that this new love was of a quality and appearance far beyond what a mere mid-level manager like him could ever hope to match. Every time he imagined the look of resentment and regret on Wang Ruohai’s face upon learning that the successor of the conglomerate he worked for was this very "second spring," he would practically revel in the thought until his liver ached with satisfaction.
But later, he abandoned this plan.
He realized the greatest punishment for this man wasn’t letting him see that his ex had climbed to heights he could never reach, but rather letting him witness just how dazzling, radiant, and powerful the woman he had once discarded had become—through her own efforts.
Shining by borrowing someone else’s light was nothing compared to being the source of light itself. He knew an opportunity would soon present itself—one he had been maneuvering and struggling with the old man to bring about.
Not only did he want to prove to the old man that the woman he had chosen was one in a million, but he also wanted Wang Ruohai, who had once misjudged her, to weep in regret and worship her in remorse: he had been blind, and he deserved to lose his shot at happiness.
Thinking of Wang Ruohai inevitably led him to the woman he had cheated with. During a break from overtime work, he couldn’t resist gossiping about it with Vice President Liao.
He had merely been idly asking around, grabbing anyone within reach out of sheer boredom, never expecting the esteemed vice president to actually know the private scandals of a mid-level manager.
Yet, to his surprise, Uncle Liao sighed in shame, wringing his hands and rubbing his forehead as he said, “I told Old Li not to push you and Shiyu together. Sooner or later, you’d find out about her and Wang Ruohai’s mess, but your father just wouldn’t listen to me!”
Li Yifei was stunned.
The woman Wang Ruohai had cheated with—was Liao Shiyu.
And right now, Liao Shiyu was staying in the home he shared with Qian Fei.
He could no longer sit still. Snatching his jacket, he stood up and left.
An uncontrollable fury rose within him.
Later, he would have to tell Qian Fei why he could never, under any circumstances, like this beautiful childhood friend of his.
Because he truly despised women who schemed without regard for the harm they caused others.
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