The atmosphere was extremely subtle.
“It seems that standing in such a high position all of a sudden truly isn’t great. When those older people talk to me, they look cautious and guarded. I didn’t expect someone of my own age to be the same way.”
Seeing that Yu Nian was still acting like a silent gourd after sitting down, Li Fuqu curled her lips in self-deprecation and shook her head with a smile.
“Forget it. For someone my age, this situation might actually be a good thing… Let’s get straight to business.”
As Li Fuqu spoke, she turned to look at Yu Nian sitting beside her, and softly uttered a sentence that would astonish countless people within SM General Trade:
“CEO Yu, my purpose for finding you today is simple. I have an excellent job invitation here, and I hope you will accept it.”
“Ring ring, ring ring.”
A heavy sleepiness mixed with a strange fatigue continued to wash over her mind. Lying on the sofa, Mai Suisui could hear her phone ringing.
Her consciousness returned like a tide. She sat up and pulled down her eye mask. For an instant, the light reflecting in her eyes made her squint instinctively.
Only after the piercing light receded did the world before her gradually become clear.
“Hello… Sis?”
“Suisui, are you off work?”
“Ugh… I just got off.”
“Your voice sounds so weak. Are you sick?”
Mai Suisui raised her hand to brush the hair from her forehead, frowning slightly. With eyes she could barely keep open, she turned her head toward the window in a daze.
Under the night sky, the brilliantly lit city was still bustling. Scene after scene, accompanied by that extremely familiar scent in the air, rushed toward her.
At that moment, a sudden sense of reality dawned on her.
So, she was home.
“No, I’m just a bit sleepy.”
“It seems your work lately has definitely been exhausting.”
“It’s alright…”
“Then is there something bothering you?”
“…I’m just a little tired.”
Mai Tian knew her sister well and advised, “Though I don’t know what happened, don’t force yourself. If there’s something troubling you, go out and have a drink with friends.”
Hearing her sister’s words, Mai Suisui was stunned for a moment.
“Sis, why did you call?”
“I heard… I heard Mi Rou’s wedding was called off. I was afraid she would contact you again, so I wanted to tell you not to be soft-hearted.”
On the other end of the phone, Mai Suisui let out a bitter laugh.
She really wanted to say, Sis, you’re too late.
However, in order not to worry her sister, Mai Suisui forced herself to say, “I know, Sis. Don’t worry.”
“Mm, that’s my good Suisui. Either get some good rest now or go out for a drink with a friend. Don’t just placate me; I’ll check in on you anytime. If I see you’re still in this state, I’ll really have to have a serious talk with you.”
“Alright, alright, Sis, I understand. I’ll go ask someone to head out for a walk right now.”
“Good, that’s all then. Hanging up now.”
After the call ended, Mai Suisui collapsed back onto the sofa.
After staring blankly for a while, she picked up her phone again and pursed her lips.
[Max: Ms. Nian San, I’m a bit unhappy.]
…
Vibrate, vibrate.
The vibration of Yu Nian’s phone did not interrupt Li Fuqu’s speech.
“In a short while, my work will likely undergo adjustments.”
“You probably know that in our group, there are pillar businesses like logistics and aviation, but also weaker sectors like advertising and trade.”
“The Chairman—that is, my grandfather—wants to test my abilities, so it is very likely I will take over a subsidiary managing the advertising or trade sectors. But as everyone knows, I have previously worked at the group headquarters, and I lack people under me who have worked on the front lines, so…”
Amidst Jin Enna’s completely unsurprised expression, Li Fuqu looked at the silent Yu Nian and tilted her head with a smile. At first glance, she actually looked a bit playfully girlish.
But Yu Nian’s reaction was clearly lacking in sentiment.
She looked up to meet Li Fuqu’s eyes, then glanced at the senior executives across from her who were acting as if this didn’t concern them. Her hands, hidden under the table, quietly clenched together.
By now, Li Fuqu’s intentions were crystal clear. However, Yu Nian couldn’t figure out why she had been chosen, nor could she understand why the people backing her would compromise so easily.
“Is CEO Yu perhaps confused as to why I chose you? It doesn’t matter; you will understand eventually.”
Li Fuqu seemed to have guessed her thoughts. She thought for a moment and said with a light laugh, “I know it’s difficult to make a decision like this all at once. Why don’t you take some time to consider it properly?”
Yu Nian knew that since Li Fuqu had spoken to this extent, she had no choice in this public setting, so she simply gave a slight nod.
“Oh, right.”
Having concluded the business with maximum efficiency, Yu Nian saw Li Fuqu’s private secretary enter from outside. But just then, the young lady remembered something else. She turned back and gave a mysterious smile to Yu Nian, who had no intention of standing up to see her out.
“Since CEO Yu didn’t immediately agree to my request, I’m a little disappointed. Therefore, I don’t plan to tell you what kind of conditions I’ve prepared for you yet. But you can certainly look forward to it; perhaps it will give you quite a shock.”
Hearing these words, everyone present, including Jin Enna, looked at the silent, head-bowed Yu Nian with varying expressions.
Only Yu Nian remained in the conference room.
She lowered her head, took out her phone, and saw the message sent by Ms. Max.
She originally intended to ignore it, but after a thought, she replied with a sentence.
…
“Ding-ling~ Welcome.”
Walking into the convenience store downstairs, Mai Suisui grabbed a few cans of beer and picked out a few cups of instant noodles before heading to the counter to pay.
After paying, she carried the bag out of the convenience store. While walking home, her phone vibrated twice.
She thought it was a reply from Ms. Nian San, but she didn’t see any new messages in her WeChat clone. Instead, seeing that another friend request had been sent to her, Mai Suisui rolled her eyes in annoyance. Without a second thought, she deleted it, refusing even to look at it.
Vibrate, vibrate.
The phone vibrated twice again.
Thank goodness, this time it really was a message from Ms. Nian San.
[Nian San: What a coincidence, I’m also a bit tired.]
For some reason, having a “partner” made Mai Suisui feel a bit better when she saw the message. Her previously gloomy mood lifted slightly.
She used both hands to quickly type a reply to the other party.
[Max: Even Ms. Nian San gets unhappy? Are you having problems at work?]
This time, the other party replied very quickly. Within seconds, a message popped up on the chat interface.
[Nian San: I’m a normal person; it’s normal to encounter frustrating things.]
[Nian San: What about you? Why are you unhappy?]
[Max: Um… personal issues.]
[Nian San: Understood. Are you home now?]
[Max: I felt too depressed, so I bought a few cans of beer and I’m on my way home.]
[Nian San: Okay, stay safe.]
After that sentence was sent, Mai Suisui waited a while. Seeing that the other party sent nothing else, she knew their conversation for the night was over.
She put away her phone, looked at the beers and instant noodles in her hand, and turned toward home.
Upon returning, she finished showering, changing, and drying her hair. With a towel draped around her neck, Mai Suisui put on her slippers, turned off the bathroom light, and sat down in the living room, taking the cans of beer out of the bag.
After pouring just one glass, she smacked her lips. Drinking alone was so boring, and watching TV felt too noisy. Mai Suisui couldn’t help but purse her lips.
Her cheeks, which were gradually turning an alluring shade of red, showed a strange expression that was part grievance and part anger.
“Drinking alone really does get more boring the more you do it…”
She set down the empty beer can and took a long, deep breath for no particular reason.
Vibrate.
An unprompted vibration sounded.
With a slight hint of intoxication, she turned to look. She reached out with some effort, dragged the phone over from the nearby sofa, and held it up to her face.
Suddenly, she froze for a moment, and then her expression became a bit strange. She blinked her eyes—
[Nian San: Is drinking alone very boring?]
[Nian San: If you think it’s boring too, why don’t we meet up?]