Chapter 7 The war between women must be resolved by themselves 1
After graduation, Chen Yiying always felt that she joined the company at its busiest time. In order to clear out all the old buildings in the company by the end of the month, the biological clocks of everyone in the company were disrupted. They often held meetings until the early morning. Although the planning proposals written by Yiying were often not adopted, those that were adopted were recognized by everyone.
The number of small red flags on the old district building model has decreased, and the floors without red flags have been successfully sold. When Yiying first came to this company, many colleagues were quarreling and fighting over customers. Now, there are so many customers that people are too busy to handle them. In such a busy life, everyone seems to have learned to help each other - for the common good.
Chen Yiying also began to adapt to such high-intensity work and fast-paced life. She often saw the lights on in Qiu Zhuoping's office all night long, and often felt her gaze coming from behind the blinds, but when she followed the gaze, it seemed like an illusion.
Liu Jiaran, who usually only fiddled with her nails, also tied up her long curly hair and seriously discussed important matters with the sales staff.
Yiying felt that if she and Liu Jiaran had no conflicts, she might also think that a girl like Liu Jiaran was amazing, possessing both the charm of a woman and the aura of a female leader and a strong woman. If Liu Jiaran wasn't so harsh in her words, perhaps they could become friends at work and get along well.
"Emergency meeting." A folder fell into Chen Yiying's arms without warning. She was still in a daze and was startled. She hurriedly caught the folder that almost fell to the ground. The person who threw the folder to her was Liu Jiaran, who was walking by her with curly hair.
There was still deep hostility and contempt in her eyes, but as a graduate of financial management, she understood better than anyone that personal grudges could not take precedence over the interests of the company when the company was in an emergency.
Yiying opened the folder that Liu Jiaran threw to her, which contained some summary data on real estate sales. There were a few words written in the blank space in the lower right corner of the data: Marketing planning reference data.
She never thought that Liu Jiaran would sort out the data for her. Looking at the information in her arms, she no longer had any prejudice against Liu Jiaran. She was about to take a step to catch up with Liu Jiaran with gratitude, when a voice came from not far away -
"Yiying, watch your step!"
She looked in the direction of Qiu Zhuoping's warning, but she could not avoid kissing the floor tiles head-on.
There was a loud noise in the company building, and the cold touch of the floor made Yiying feel that her head was endlessly hot, and her consciousness briefly drifted away from her body. She tried to pull her consciousness back, but she felt that everything she saw when she opened her eyes was white.
In this vast expanse of white, only a vague figure broke in, and the owner of that figure gradually became clear. When she saw the worried face clearly, she felt like she had fallen into a dream.
In the dream, Qiu Zhuoping held her in his arms, and they ran through the crowd, in the receding light and shadow. Her eyes seemed to have lost focus, and only that familiar face lingered in her mind.
"Doctor, how is she? Her forehead is swollen. Is it serious?" Outside the corridor of the hospital ward, Qiu Zhuoping bent down slightly and asked the female doctor who was filling out the medical record.
He was sweaty, and his white shirt stuck to his skin, making him look sexy. The young nurses and female patients walking around the hospital couldn't help but take a few more glances.
The female doctor, whose height only reached Qiu Zhuoping's chest, looked up at him, then closed the medical record book and said, "It's a mild concussion. Apart from a large bump on the head, there are no bruises or internal injuries. But it's best to stay in the hospital for a week to see if there are any other symptoms."
"Then stay in the hospital for a week for observation. Can you arrange a better and quieter ward for him?" Qiu Zhuoping's heart finally settled down, and he couldn't help but glance into the ward.
A girl was lying on the white hospital bed, sleeping peacefully, her long hair falling naturally on the pillow, and the big bump on her forehead was as swollen as a ping-pong ball.
"Okay, take this to pay the bill and I'll apply for a separate ward for you." The female doctor quickly wrote out a payment receipt, handed it to Qiu Zhuoping, and pointed to the payment window at the corner.
It was already six in the afternoon when Huimei arrived at the hospital. She had cooked porridge for Yiying, but when she walked to the door of the ward, she felt that her love was unnecessary.
"I can eat by myself." Beside the bed, Qiu Zhuoping was feeding Chen Yiying mouthful by mouthful, as if she had broken her limbs.
"You're injured, let me feed you."
"But my hand is not injured."
Huimei, who was standing at the door, looked at them and snickered. In Huimei's words, they were a perfect match, a perfect match.
"Huimei, you're here." Chen Yiying saw Huimei first, and she gently pushed away the spoon that Qiu Zhuoping put to her mouth.
"It seems I have to keep my porridge for myself." Huimei smiled and walked into the ward carrying the thermos tableware.
The decoration of the ward is as good as that of a five-star hotel. I guess it costs a lot of money to stay in such a ward for one night.
"Since you are here, I'll leave first." Qiu Zhuoping put the lunch box on the cabinet beside the bed, stood up, glanced at Yiying, and left the ward.
After Qiu Zhuoping left, Huimei kept asking Yiying about the details of her fall. There were no banana peels in the office, so how did she get such a big bump when she fell flat on her face?
Yiying touched the big bump on his head and thought for a while. Maybe he was in too much of a hurry when he was walking and didn't notice a stapler dropped on the ground. He stepped on it and fell to the ground.
At the moment she lost consciousness, she felt like she had fallen into a white space, in which the boy with a peaceful face kept calling her. The strange thing was that she could only see his lips opening and closing, but could not hear any sound around him. She gradually became confused in this bottomless white space , and she was even afraid that she would sink into this bottomless pit and never be able to touch the boy again.
Perhaps, she cared about him. In her heart, he would always be the boy in white, quiet and indifferent...
Chen Yiying spent a pleasant week in the hospital like a vacation. Without the pressure of work, she felt much younger.
During the week she was in the hospital, Qiu Zhuoping would occasionally visit her and bring her some fruits and snacks. Qiu's father came more often, and he often came to ask about her well-being, as if she would stay in the hospital for a long time.
After all the visitors left, she would walk in the yard and chat with the elderly people sitting in the chairs basking in the sun. She even thought it would be nice if she could stay a few more days, so that she could enjoy Qiu Zhuoping's special treatment for a few more days, see his gentleness every afternoon, and enjoy his tenderness as he fed her one bite at a time, even though her hand was not injured. How she hoped that such a good time would never end, but when she thought of him saying "we can't go back", she felt sad. They clearly loved each other, so why couldn't they go back?
On the day of discharge, Qiu Zhuoping did not come, and it was Zhong Jialiang who came to pick her up. He changed into a casual T-shirt and seemed to have just come from home. He helped her with the discharge procedures and gave her a bouquet of flowers.
"These are carnations, not roses. Don't hesitate." Zhong Jialiang took Chen Yiying's hand and asked her to hold the bouquet of carnations.
"Thank you." Yiying smiled politely, raised her hand, and hooked the long hair hanging on the side of her face behind her ears. Her pure smile shone brightly in the warm light.
The two walked out of the hospital gate one after the other and headed towards where the car was parked.
During the week that Chen Yiying was in hospital for observation, all the properties that the company planned to sell by the end of the month were sold out, and the company's employees were released early. In order to celebrate everyone's achievements, Zhong Jialiang decided to invite all the company's employees to his home for a celebration party.
"This is for you." When the car stopped at the door of the apartment, Zhong Jialiang took out a purple gift box decorated with an exquisite ribbon bow.
"What's this?"
"There will be a party tomorrow night. You are the last one to know about it, so you definitely don't have time to buy a dress. So I bought one for you. See if you like it."
"You are so thoughtful." Chen Yiying, who never refused gifts, readily took the gift box and unwrapped it in front of Zhong Jialiang without any hesitation.
Zhong Jialiang felt a little amused watching her unpacking the package. He liked her frankness the most, she was unabashed and daring.
"It looks pretty good. Is it expensive? But it shouldn't be a big deal for you. Thanks!" Yiying gestured at the black dress, which should be a perfect fit.
"Go back and try it on. If it doesn't fit, I'll change it for you."
"Okay, then I'll go back first. Bye." Yiying casually folded the dress, put it back into the box, and waved goodbye to Zhong Jialiang.
She had always treated Zhong Jialiang as her best male friend, and despite his repeated confessions, she still ignored this fact.
Zhong Jialiang looked at Yiying's back as she left, and couldn't help but think of the red May of that year, when that heroic girl, in a black dress, danced the cha-cha in the crowd. She was so different, like a black horse running away, like a black rose in the flowers, unforgettable.
The reason why Zhong Jialiang likes her is also very simple, because he feels very relaxed when he is around her, and that kind of relaxation is in sharp contrast with the pressure from the outside world. After all, there are many good-looking girls, but few interesting girls.
The next evening.
Chen Yiying took a taxi to the address given by Zhong Jialiang. It was a large three-story mansion with a path about thirty meters long leading to the main entrance.
On the left side of the trail is a swimming pool and recreational facilities, and on the right is a green belt. The environment is great.
Yiying, wearing low-heeled pointed-toe shoes, walked along the path decorated with colorful lights towards the open European-style solid wood door.
"Yiying, you're here?" A female colleague holding a drink and eating dessert came up to chat with Yiying. Like other female colleagues, she also wore light makeup, but the lipstick on her lips had already been swallowed down with the drink.
"Yeah." Yiying's gaze passed over her and fell on the snacks and drinks behind her.
The first floor hall was covered with warm lights, and there was no clear boundary between the dessert area and the entertainment area. Colleagues who had already arrived at the hall gathered in groups of three or four to chat.
"Thank you for what happened last time. If it weren't for you, I might have lost my job."
"What happened last time?" Chen Yiying didn't understand what the female colleague who was chatting with her was talking about, so she turned her attention to her. Yiying lowered her head slightly, and then she saw clearly that the female colleague who came to talk to her was the one who moved her chair last time. She changed into a beige tube top dress and curled her straight hair, making Yiying a little unrecognizable.
"Oh, it's okay, I don't hold a grudge." Yiying smiled politely and walked towards the snack area impatiently.
The desserts on the high-end table were all things she had never seen before. They were both cute and beautiful. She ate them with abandon.
When Qiu Zhuoping found her from the crowd, she was swallowing a small cake with her cheeks puffed out. She choked because she swallowed too quickly and hurriedly looked around for a drink.
Qiu Zhuoping looked at her and found it funny. In his mind, Chen Yiying was an independent girl. She would not get upset because of emotional problems, nor would she commit suicide. Even without him, she would be able to adapt quickly. This was also the reason why he did not choose her when faced with the choice.
"Don't you feel sick of eating so much cake?"
A glass of water appeared in front of Yiying. She looked up from the hand holding the glass of water, and saw Qiu Zhuoping's beautiful smiling face right in front of her.
That was an expression she hadn't seen in a long time. She stood there in a daze.
Qiu Zhuoping took a tissue from the table and wiped the cream off the corner of her lips: "It was the same before, when I ate, it always got all over my face."
You are always moody, sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes cold, sometimes hot. How can I resist you like this? Yiying looked at Qiu Zhuoping, feeling very conflicted. She quickly took a tissue, took a step back, and wiped the cream from the corner of her lips.
This cannot go on any longer. She will fall into this gentle trap, sinking deeper and deeper. She cannot continue to be blinded by such confusing emotions.
"General Manager Qiu, I can wipe it myself."
Qiu Zhuoping's hand paused in mid-air, then he slowly withdrew it, looking lonely: Since when has it become the only way for us to maintain our relationship through work?
"Brother Zhuoping, why are you here?" Liu Jiaran, who had been watching on the second floor for a long time, finally couldn't help but come down.
Her long curly hair was tied on the right side and hung down naturally. She walked forward, took Qiu Zhuoping's arm affectionately, and looked at Chen Yiying with a half-smile.
Qiu Zhuoping glanced at Liu Jiaran, turned around and walked into the crowd, never looking in this direction again.
Liu Jiaran did not follow Qiu Zhuoping's footsteps. She picked up a glass of red wine and shook the liquid in the glass with an elegant and charming posture.
“Love is sometimes like the red wine in this glass, which needs time to age. Some red wines are bitter, while others are mellow.”
"What do you want to say?"
"I have been with Brother Zhuoping since I was five years old. We have been in love for twenty years. My ideal is to marry an excellent man like Brother Zhuoping. Anyone will become selfish in front of love. I don't deny that I am a selfish person. I just hope that Brother Zhuoping belongs to me alone." Liu Jiaran took a sip of red wine, and her lips, which were darker than the red wine, slightly raised. "To me, you are an obstacle, a stumbling block, and a thorn in my emotional road. So I target you and hate you."
"It has been impossible for Qiu Zhuoping and I to be together for a long time. I didn't know I would meet you before I came to the company. I just want to have a stable job and live a stable life after graduation. In fact, there is no need for you to target me, because I will not compete with you for Qiu Zhuoping. I have already lost all hope in him." Chen Yiying's eyes were dim when she said this, but she couldn't help but glance at the crowd, trying to find the figure that made her so sad.
"That's the best. By the way, I have something to show you. It's about Qiu Zhuoping's sudden disappearance two years ago." Liu Jiaran put down his wine glass and walked away from the crowd.
Driven by curiosity, Yiying followed anyway.
If it weren't for curiosity, Yiying wouldn't have been tricked by Liu Jiaran into the utility room and locked inside.
"Liu Jiaran, what are you doing? Open the door!" Just as Chen Yiying walked into the utility room to look for the information Liu Jiaran mentioned, there was a sound of the door closing and the sound of locking from outside. Yiying hurried to the door and pulled hard, but the utility room door was tightly locked and did not move at all.
"You just stay inside until the party is over."
The footsteps outside the door gradually faded away. Yiying gave up shouting for help and squatted in a small corner in a daze.
When it comes to love, people are selfish. Liu Jiaran was not wrong. She and Qiu Zhuoping had been childhood sweethearts for more than 20 years. How could he tolerate her intervention? Perhaps Liu Jiaran never expected Chen Yiying to appear. She might just want to wait until she is old enough to get married and live happily with the one she loves until the end.
For Liu Jiaran, Chen Yiying had indeed destroyed her ideals and dreams. So at this moment, Yiying squatted in the utility room and gave up the rescue to avoid causing a bigger commotion.
"I can't just squat there until the party is over, right?" Yiying looked around and said to herself.
There was a window on the wall of the utility room, just big enough for a person to get through. Yiying had her eyes on that window. She pushed it open with all her strength and looked outside. There was a corridor outside, and she could go around the hall and reach the main entrance. Maybe... she could sneak out and leave here.
In order to climb out through the window, Yiying lifted the hem of her black dress and tied a few knots. She was athletic and quickly climbed out of the utility room. She lifted the hem of her dress like a thief and walked around the hall. Just as she walked out of the path and prepared to leave through the main door -
"Chen Yiying, why did you make your skirt so short?" A small car slowly stopped at the gate of the mansion, and the person who spoke was Zhong Jialiang who rolled down the car window. He looked at Chen Yiying who had just walked to the door in a bit of astonishment. She tied a few knots on the hem of her skirt, and the long skirt became a short skirt that was three inches above the knee, which looked even more tasteful.
"I suddenly remembered something else at home..."
"There's no rush for anything."
Just like that, Yiying, who had just walked out of the front door, was dragged into the hall by Zhong Jialiang without explanation. When the people in the hall saw Zhong Jialiang appear, they all surrounded him.
Zhong Jialiang's light seemed brighter than the chandelier above his head. Yiying felt uncomfortable under such light.
Zhong Jialiang walked to the front of the hall and spoke passionately to celebrate the property being sold out ahead of schedule.
Yiying, who was standing aside, moved awkwardly to the back of the crowd. She wanted to untie the knot on her skirt, but it was a tight knot and could not be untied for a while.
She didn't hear a word Zhong Jialiang said. When the music in the hall started, a hand stopped in front of her. It was Zhong Jialiang who extended his hand. He bent down slightly, wanting to invite her to dance the first dance.
"It's too boring to invite dance partners every year. Why don't we play a game?" Qiu Zhuoping reached out and pressed Zhong Jialiang's hand down, with a faint smile on his lips.
In Zhong Jialiang's eyes, that smile was like a halberd in the hands of a general, full of hostility, but he still straightened his back gracefully and replied, "Okay."
Qiu Zhuoping's game is very simple. They put chairs in the middle of the hall to form a circle. The girls sit on the chairs to form the center of the circle, and the boys blindfold themselves to form the outer circle. The boys touch the girls' hands to identify whether they are the dance partners they want to invite. If they think they are, they will lead the girls out and remove the cloth covering their eyes. No matter whether the result is the object of their affection or not, they cannot lose their temper or behave ungentlemanly for any reason.
Chen Yiying sat on the chair nervously. Liu Jiaran was sitting next to her, which made her even more nervous. However, this nervousness was due to both expectation and worry. She hoped that Qiu Zhuoping would lead her away, but she was also afraid that Liu Jiaran would not be able to accept this fact and would get furious.
The men were blindfolded and formed a circle. They walked clockwise once, then counterclockwise three times, until they could no longer distinguish all their positions, and then they stopped.
Yiying and all the girls stretched out their hands. The first person to touch Yiying's hand was a shorter male colleague in the company. He touched the back of her hand, shook his head slightly, and turned to another lady. Yiying watched the girls on the chairs being led away one by one, and Qiu Zhuoping and Zhong Jialiang still did not come to her. In the end, she and Liu Jiaran were the only ones left in the hall.
Zhong Jialiang arrived at her position first. She raised her hand and let Zhong Jialiang feel it. Zhong Jialiang shook her hand and smiled. Just when everyone thought that Zhong Jialiang would lead Chen Yiying out, Zhong Jialiang suddenly let go of her hand and walked in front of Liu Jiaran.
Liu Jiaran looked at Zhong Jialiang in shock, hesitantly handed her hand to him, and shook his hand to hint to him that she was not Chen Yiying. However, Zhong Jialiang grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the chair.
