Drunkard Lou Jia was coaxed by Zhong Ying to go wash her face and sober up.
The dining table remained lively, and Ying Miaomiao felt helpless. She was filled with mixed emotions. She didn’t know whether she should be grateful that Lou Jia hadn’t forgotten her kindness even at a time like this, or whether she should be sad that she still hadn’t turned back into her human form.
Next to Shi Xinyu’s seat was Ying Miaomiao’s cat carrier, and the other seat was occupied by Lü Jiaoyang.
She was particularly unrestrained, her slender fingers lightly tapping her wine glass, her face flushed with a light pink.
Lü Jiaoyang leaned halfway against the table, her dark eyebrows slightly raised. She put down her glass and patted Shi Xinyu’s shoulder: “Who is Ying Miaomiao? Why don’t you introduce me, let me try to receive guidance from this great contributor.”
Shi Xinyu brushed her hand away, her expression habitually cold, and now even more devoid of emotion, “If you don’t speak, no one will think you’re mute.”
But Lü Jiaoyang didn’t mind. She smiled and leaned even closer to Shi Xinyu, “Good sister, you worked yourself to death just to get this tiny bit of good result, what for? Isn’t inheriting the family business better?”
She shook her head again and sighed, “But if I had these results, I would definitely slap those old fogeys in the face.”
…
What was Shi Xinyu’s initial motivation for starting her own business?
During college.
It was just before the summer vacation. countless students were either struggling with their graduation theses, preparing for postgraduate entrance exams, or looking for jobs.
What bothered Shi Xinyu, however, was not any of these.
When she chose her major in college, she hadn’t wanted to choose finance, but something music-related.
But her mother stopped Shi Xinyu. She still remembered the tone of voice. It was a mix of disappointment and the dominance of a superior over a subordinate.
She said, “You are my only heir, but your capability and thinking make me doubt myself.”
Shi Xinyu’s college entrance exam scores were excellent. To her mother, music and good grades were just the icing on the cake. What she needed was practical value.
Even her maternal grandmother, who had always protected Shi Xinyu, couldn’t intercede in such a crucial life matter.
Shi Xinyu couldn’t understand it then, and she still couldn’t understand it now. She seemed to deliberately spite her mother, and to prove herself, she chose this major.
Decisions made in the heat of the moment are always so hasty.
It was only on the day Shi Xinyu reported to college that she suddenly realized she seemed to have fallen for her mother’s provocation—simple, yet effective.
Due to her personality, Shi Xinyu was unwilling to fall behind others. Throughout her college years, she pulled her GPA far ahead of everyone else.
But with graduation approaching, she still didn’t want to become her mother’s heir.
For no other reason than for her own pride.
She approved of herself, but she didn’t know how to make her mother approve of her too.
Until those two persistent young women approached her.
In the scorching midsummer, the cool library was the best refuge from the heat besides the dormitories.
Shi Xinyu was immersed in the library with her headphones on, but the knowledge sinking into her mind was sparse. To be honest, she really wasn’t in the mood.
And those two persistent young women found Shi Xinyu amidst the buzzing of the library’s air conditioning.
The reason was that Shi Xinyu was rich.
“…”
Upon hearing such a blunt reason, Shi Xinyu almost laughed out of anger. She put down her headphones, finally sparking a desire to talk to someone.
“What does my being rich have to do with you?”
One of the girls spoke softly, “Classmate, my name is Ding Qiwen. It’s not convenient to talk in the library, why don’t we treat you to a cup of coffee, and you give us ten minutes.”
Normally, Shi Xinyu would not agree to this audacious request, but that day, with all the accumulated annoyances, she agreed to the request of the two persistent young women.
The air conditioning in the coffee shop was turned on very high, much better than the semi-old air conditioner in the library, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of coffee beans.
Shi Xinyu unceremoniously ordered her usual coffee. While waiting, she looked at the two women with a keen interest.
“What exactly is your purpose?”
Ding Qiwen and Xi Qingyi exchanged glances, and it was Ding Qiwen who spoke again: “Hello, classmate, I forgot to introduce myself. We are from the computer science department. The reason we found you is that we want to solicit investment.”
Shi Xinyu raised an eyebrow, looking at the two of them as if they were fools. Ding Qiwen also realized this, and she quickly interjected: “There are two reasons for finding you. One is that your family has the means to afford it, and the second is that I believe our product is excellent enough to have substantial commercial value, but…”
There was a hint of flattery in her smile, “We lack some financial support.”
Xi Qingyi chimed in at the right time. She took a laptop from her backpack, opened it, and turned it to Shi Xinyu, “This is the software we developed ourselves. It’s a game, currently only a prototype.”
After Shi Xinyu finished looking at the game, she was half-convinced that their game had commercial value.
She didn’t usually like to play games, but the pleasant soundtrack coupled with simple yet addictive gameplay certainly demonstrated their skill.
At this point, after waiting for Shi Xinyu to finish reviewing the software, Ding Qiwen seized the opportunity to add: “We’re not just making empty promises. Although the software is developed, further development and the creation of new games still require financial support. A single game is indeed difficult to monetize.”
“Why did you find me?”
Shi Xinyu was genuinely curious. Her major had nothing to do with the gaming industry, and she wasn’t the only one who looked rich. But no one was a fool, and trying to solicit investment like these two persistent young women certainly wouldn’t work.
The two of them straightened their expressions and said seriously, “You have a lot of ambition. I can tell that you want to achieve something great, unlike those other second-generation types who just coast through life.
And we both agree that you have the foresight…”
Although Shi Xinyu knew these were just flattering words the two of them were saying to get investment, she took them to heart.
She didn’t want to inherit the family business; she wanted to achieve a career to show her mother.
Facts proved that she succeeded.
…
The group at the dining table was eating enthusiastically, and a few more dishes were added.
Because it was a gaming company, the staff were generally younger and less steeped in drinking culture, so no one stopped them from drinking whatever they wanted.
Ying Miaomiao sat on Shi Xinyu’s lap, her eyes shining as she looked at the dishes in front of her, practically drooling.
This restaurant specialized in private dining, and while the food tasted excellent, the prices were also high. She had been hoping for a department dinner here before, but she couldn’t eat now that she was here.
Sensing the abnormal restlessness of the kitten in her arms, Shi Xinyu stroked the little cat, “Are you tempted? Little cat shouldn’t eat just anything, okay?”
She still felt too embarrassed to say the kitten’s name in public.
After commenting on inheriting the family business, Lü Jiaoyang flitted away like a social butterfly back into the crowd. Everyone’s mood was generally good today.
After all, the success of the project meant that their salaries and performance bonuses would also increase significantly.
After Shi Xinyu stopped her last thought of sneaking a bite, Ying Miaomiao obediently sat down on the chair.
On the chair, aside from the cat carrier, there was only a quietly and properly seated little cat. Her tail, tipped with a bit of white, rested on her white paws, and her sapphire-blue eyes looked around.
Shi Xinyu did not participate in the socializing. She seemed to dislike excitement, but Ying Miaomiao had discovered that Shi Xinyu could be happy, annoyed, and also feel lost and sad.
Peeling back that mask of coldness, the small brown mole next to her nose seemed clearer, and what flowed in her eyes was not simply black and white.
She drank a glass of wine alone.
When she left, it was equally quiet.
Shi Xinyu didn’t feel drunk, but for the safety of the kitten and herself, she still called a designated driver.
The waiting time in the underground parking lot wasn’t too long, but the stagnant air made her already pale skin look even more translucent.
Her neck was tinged with a slight flush, and her slender fingertips unconsciously rubbed the car key in her hand.
After getting into the car, Shi Xinyu let Ying Miaomiao out.
She sat in the back, leaning against the slightly opened car window, her distinct knuckles gently tapping her temple. The sights of the city’s hustle and bustle flashed by, and the wind whirred.
The sounds reaching her ears seemed very distant.
The night did not belong exclusively to her.
Ying Miaomiao circled Shi Xinyu’s arm and stood on her black trousers, her snow-white fur particularly noticeable against the fabric.
Her long fur fluttered in the wind. Looking at this familiar city from a cat’s perspective for the first time, it felt very strange. The street food stalls, the passersby, and the colorful neon lights were all magnified many times.
Until they returned to the confined underground parking lot.
The key was handed back to Shi Xinyu by the designated driver. She squatted down to leash Ying Miaomiao and took her to experience a long-awaited taste of nature in the dimly lit underground space with its glaring white lights.
But Ying Miaomiao wanted to go back.
Shi Xinyu leaned half-reclined on the sofa. The alcohol had completely taken over her brain. Her eyes were blurry with a slight film of moisture, and everything in front of her seemed less distinct.
Ying Miaomiao’s face was very close.
Shi Xinyu couldn’t see clearly.
Was it a hallucination brought on by the drunkenness?
A pair of hands gently smoothed the stray hairs from her forehead, and Shi Xinyu leaned on those hands with dependence.
Her cheeks were burning, and her breath was hot.
She raised her hand, wanting to touch the illusory figure in front of her, but was afraid of startling this beautiful dream.
Shi Xinyu tried to see clearly through the hazy veil of moisture in her eyes, but only felt a stinging soreness. With a blink, her eyelashes were also dusted with a tear.
“Who are you?”