Chapter 116: Soulmate
When I left Qiu Jieqin's house, my heart was in a mess, with thousands of emotions and thoughts. It was really a mess. When I came here, I had already made up my mind to separate from her. But in the end, not only did we not separate, but Qiu Jieqin's determination to stay with her until death was strengthened.
Before I left, Qiu Jieqin told me very clearly: "Qian, I know you don't have me in your heart now, it doesn't matter, I am no longer the person I was eight years ago. Eight years ago, if you didn't love me, I would feel extremely wronged and painful, as well as angry and ashamed, so I lost eight years in vain. But now I know that the days without you and the days of missing you are even more painful. So I will never give up on you, I will always be by your side, I believe that sincerity can move mountains and stones, and you will accept me one day. For this day, I will not hesitate to persist for another eight years, two eight years, or ten eight years, as long as I can live that long."
To be honest, I was very touched after hearing this. It's not easy for Qiu Jieqin either! I only knew that she loved me before, but that was all. Now I understand that her love has become everything in Qiu Jieqin's life. Without me, she will lose the motivation to live, and her life will become meaningless.
But what bothered me was that I knew clearly in my heart that I would never fall in love with her. I felt sympathy for her and was touched, but this was not love. I didn't know how to tell her what I felt in my heart, and after hearing her say so firmly that she would not leave me, it seemed that it didn't matter whether I said these words or not.
I was already in a depressed mood, and now I was even more upset. I walked home slowly while smoking a cigarette. At this time, I thought about how much I loved Xu Shu, but I didn't get any response from her. I felt so uncomfortable in my heart, as if something was missing. Even if Xu Shu rejected me openly, it would be much better than pretending to be deaf and dumb and ignoring me.
I just passed by the door of a music bar, and heard a beautiful piano music coming from inside. This piano music was adapted from a popular song by Xu Shu, which I have always liked. Now I suddenly heard it, and I couldn't help but stop and listen carefully.
I don't know whether it was because of the excellent performance of the pianist that moved me, or because the mood of the song just matched my mood at the time. After listening for a while, I couldn't help but push the door open and saw the person playing the piano. He was a very young guy, very handsome, with slender fingers, and dressed very simply and cleanly. I found a quiet corner to sit down and listen, and when the bartender came, I ordered a bottle of beer.
When you are in a bad mood, finding a quiet place, being alone, drinking a bottle of wine, smoking a cigarette, and listening to beautiful music is really a good way to relax. This is completely different from Gu Ruoyan's simple drinking and getting drunk.
I sipped my beer slowly, took a deep puff of my cigarette, and as the music played, I thought of many things...
I don't know how much time passed, but suddenly I heard a woman's voice in my ear : "Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?"
I looked up and saw a tall and beautiful girl standing next to me. I recognized her immediately, stood up from my seat and called out, "Manager Fan!"
This girl is Fan Yunting, deputy manager of the planning department of Green Lady Company.
Fan Yunting was holding a glass of emerald green cocktail with an orange slice and a straw in it. Her beautiful face showed a hint of joy, as if she was very happy to meet me in this place. When she saw me standing up to greet her, she smiled and said, "What a coincidence! Are you alone?"
I said, "Yes, oh, Manager Fan, please take a seat, please take a seat!"
Fan Yunting was not polite and sat down opposite me, and put the cocktail on the table. She smiled and said, "Just call me Fan Yunting. You are no longer an employee of the company, so there is no need to call me by my title."
I also sat back down and said, "It's okay, I'm used to calling you that! Is Manager Fan also alone?"
Fan Yunting said, "No, I'm with a few friends." She pointed in a direction and said, "They are over there, and I just happened to see you, so I came over to say hello."
I said "Oh" and didn't look at the place carefully. I thought that with such a polite greeting and two people who were not familiar with each other, she would leave in a few seconds. Unexpectedly, after Fan Yunting sat down, she didn't want to leave at all. She stretched out a hand, pinched the straw and slowly stirred the wine in the glass, looking at me with a smile. I felt a little guilty when she looked at me, and was about to ask her what was the matter? But she spoke first: "Tang Qian, what are you doing now after resigning from the company?"
My old face turned red. Although my current job is not shameful, it is certainly not comparable to the past. Thinking of the bold words I said when I resigned and the current miserable situation, I opened my mouth but was speechless.
Fan Yunting was such a shrewd and capable person that she could roughly guess what was going on just by looking at my embarrassed expression. She never mentioned the matter again and changed the subject, saying, "This music bar has a nice environment and a very musical atmosphere. I have always liked it and come here often, but I don't think I have ever run into you before. I didn't expect that you have such a refined taste. Where have you been to before?"
I gave a bitter smile and said, "Cool and relaxed? Manager Fan, you must be kidding. I just happened to pass by here today and was attracted by the music played by the pianist just now. So I came here to have a drink. I wouldn't dare to come to the bar casually before."
At this moment, the pianist in the bar had left and was replaced by a guitarist who was playing a guitar solo of "To Alice" at a very good level. Although I don't understand it, I still think he plays very well.
Fan Yunting knows all the people who play musical instruments here. She said, "Oh, the pianist is Xiao Jiang, from Northeast China. I heard his family is not well-off, so he studied here while working. He is very smart and talented. Those originally song scores can be transformed into beautiful piano music in his hands. This is his specialty and the main reason why the owner of this bar hired him."
I heard her talk, and it seemed that she was so familiar with this bar that she couldn't even describe it as a regular customer. I took a sip of the wine and said, "It seems like you are really familiar with this place!"
Fan Yunting smiled faintly and said, "Yes! Because the boss here is a very good friend of mine."
In fact, I didn't pay attention to these things. I saw Fan Yunting chatted with me as soon as she sat down. Obviously, she had some reason to let her pick me up. I thought about it. I could almost say that I was not familiar with this manager Fan. What could she want to ask me for?
Fan Yunting chatted with me for a few more words, and as expected, she got to the point, saying, "It's such a coincidence today. I wanted to find you and talk to you a few days ago, but I couldn't find the time. It's a rare chance to meet you today, so I'll treat you tonight. But I hope you can answer a few questions for me, okay?"
I didn't know what questions Fan Yunting would have to ask me, and I didn't know her well enough to judge her intentions. So I said, "Manager Fan, please feel free to ask any questions you have. I will tell you if I can answer them. But I can still afford a bottle of beer, so I don't dare to let Manager Fan spend money."
Fan Yunting sneered and said, "I've heard people talking about you in the company. It seems they are right!"
I took out another cigarette and lit it with the lighter I just bought. I knew what others would say about me behind my back, but I didn't really care. I was just curious about what this senior executive of the company, the de facto head of the planning department, and a legendary woman in the industry, had to ask me.
At this moment, Fan Yunting was very close to me. With the help of the lights in the bar, I looked at her carefully for the first time. Fan Yunting was a typical white-collar beauty, with just the right amount of light makeup on her face, her clothes always fit her well, and a professional smile on her lips.
Judging from her appearance, she should be around 25 years old. Not too old, but not too young either. It is rare for a woman of her age to climb to such a high position by her own ability, to be able to stand on her own and achieve impressive results. I have no doubt about her ability. If Hua Jingjing's father was not the chairman of the group, the position of head of the planning department would belong to her.
I looked at her so straightforwardly, and Fan Yunting didn't think there was anything wrong. She raised her glass and took a sip, then finally said: "Some time ago, I went to the company's R&D department to ask for information in order to make a business plan. With the consent of President Qi, I looked through several written records and data records of the entire process of beverage development, and accidentally found the file of the product you were in charge of four years ago. I took a closer look. Although I don't know how to develop products, I understand the value of products. I thought at first glance that as long as you continue to research, the beverage you develop will surely cause a sensation in the market and become the treasure of the Green Lady Company. Maybe it will lead a new trend in beverage flavors that year. How can the company stop such a valuable R&D project just because you don't do it? This is such a pity. It's been four years. How much money will the company lose because of this?"
When I heard Fan Yunting say this, I couldn't help but think of the time when I first joined the company four years ago, when I was full of energy and vitality, and the countless days and nights I worked day and night for this project without sleep or food.
I really miss it! I felt a surge of emotion in my heart. I was completely different from who I am now.
I took a puff of cigarette, then slowly exhaled, and said, "The research and development of this Yejianxiang tea beverage is very difficult. First, its raw materials are hard to find. It is generally only produced in the deep mountains of Yunwu Mountain in Province F. Only local people can find it, and the quantity is very small. It is not easy to produce and sell it on a large scale. Second, this kind of tea called Yejianxiang, after being processed and dried, has a fragrant tea brewed with boiling water, which lasts for a long time. It is really a unique tea. But how to keep the original flavor and fragrance after making the beverage is really a technical difficulty. I spent a lot of time here back then but couldn't solve it. Later, I was transferred away. The company probably thought that there was no future in producing this beverage, so it shelved it."
Fan Yunting was silent for a while, then said, "If you have sufficient funds and equipment, do you have the confidence to successfully develop this tea beverage?"
I smiled and said, "Of course I have confidence, but isn't it the same as not saying it? How can I have those things?"
Fan Yunting's face was very determined. She said, "You will! I am very optimistic about this project. I think its value is immeasurable. At the same time, I am also very optimistic about you. I have read your research records in detail. I am afraid that you are a genius, but I am afraid that I will praise you too much. But your research thinking angle is refreshing to me. I have seen many kinds of tea beverages, and everyone is nothing more than changing the soup but not the medicine. The same production process only needs to replace different raw materials to produce different products. There is no novelty at all. But you are different. Although I don't understand technology, my intuition tells me that this may be a bold breakthrough, a great innovation. Tang Qian! I will not and cannot miss this opportunity. Let's work together. I believe we will definitely make a sensation in the beverage industry."
Hearing her say this, I felt like I had met a soulmate. But I still sighed and said, " It's no use. You know, I've already resigned, and there's no way I can go back."
Fan Yunting smiled and said, "No! You are wrong! I didn't mention the company, I said we should do it together, you and me!"
