“Cough, cough, cough!”
The sound of coughing from the yard disturbed Ji Nanchan’s peaceful slumber. She rolled over, burying her head in the pillow, unwilling to get out of bed.
Another round of intermittent coughing finally jolted her awake. Despite all her efforts to prevent it, that woman had still caught a cold.
Sighing in resignation, she got out of bed and rummaged through the drawers, assembling a handful of colorful cold medicines.
When she arrived at the yard entrance with a cup of water and the medicine, the scene before her left her stunned.
Leng Bingqin stood solemnly before the “Five Golden Flowers” with a basket in hand. The basket contained only half a basket of eggs, a lower yield than usual.
Although the hens stood somewhat haphazardly, they remained perfectly still, as if cooperating with the proceedings.
With her hands clasped behind her back, the little nanny paced back and forth in front of the five hens, occasionally coughing, which only added to the seriousness of the atmosphere.
“Ahem, this morning meeting is absolutely necessary. I’ll keep it brief,” she began, her tone already carrying the air of a leader. “Today’s total production has plummeted. I hope everyone here reflects carefully on which part of the process went wrong?”
The little nanny meticulously counted the half-basket of eggs, demonstrating her rigorous approach to the task. “First, I’ll announce each of your production outputs. Big Flower produced three eggs, maintaining a high standard of productivity. Let’s give her a round of applause!” With that, she enthusiastically clapped her hands all by herself.
Leaning against the wall, Ji Nanchan watched the spectacle unfold, struggling to suppress her laughter. She was careful not to disrupt the “morning meeting,” utterly curious about what Leng Bingqin would say next.
“Second Flower, Third Flower, and Fifth Flower, each of you produced one egg. I hope you cultivate a proactive mindset and strive to become high-quality hens. Learn from Big Flower, aim for the production champion, and keep pushing forward. Go, go, go!”
Why did her tone sound increasingly like a pyramid scheme?
“As for Fourth Flower.” The little nanny dragged out her words, pacing over to Fourth Flower with her hands behind her back, and scolded sternly, “You produced nothing today! I hope this doesn’t happen again. Let’s set your KPI for tomorrow start with one egg and build from there. You can’t keep dragging the entire team down anymore.”
After finishing her critique, the little nanny returned to the center and delivered her concluding remarks: “The Five Golden Flowers are an outstanding TEAM. In a team, everyone must learn to advance together, sharing both glory and hardship. Of course, we never give up on anyone! I sincerely thank you all for everything you’ve contributed to this family. Thank you very much.”
“Well said!” Ji Nanchan applauded and cheered as she walked over to Leng Bingqin. Flattering her, she slipped the medicine into her mouth. “Our leader speaks so eloquently. Here, have some water to soothe your throat.”
After drinking the water and clearing her throat, Leng Bingqin felt she hadn’t quite finished and wanted to continue.
Ji Nanchan hastily shooed the Five Golden Flowers away. “Meeting adjourned! Fourth Flower, do your best!” With that, she pulled Leng Bingqin back into the living room.
“Why did you interrupt my meeting?” Leng Bingqin sat on the sofa, still savoring the moment, though her body felt weak and limp.
Noticing the flush on her cheeks, Ji Nanchan reached out to feel her forehead. “The KPIs of the Five Golden Flowers are important, but if you’re sick, you shouldn’t be exerting yourself.”
Finding her skin unusually warm, she quickly fetched a thermometer and tucked it under Leng Bingqin’s arm. “I think you have a fever.”
“I do feel unusually chilly,” Leng Bingqin admitted belatedly, rubbing her arms vigorously.
Hearing her complain of discomfort, Ji Nanchan scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. “If you’re not feeling well, why are you running around? If your fever gets worse, you’ll have to go to the hospital for a shot in the butt.”
Upon hearing that she needed an injection, Leng Bingqin wrapped herself into a ball under the covers, revealing only her sparkling, wide eyes, and protested, “I don’t want a shot! I don’t want a shot!”
“If you don’t want the shot, then lie still and behave. I’ll go make you breakfast.”
Leng Bingqin’s cheeks were flushed, likely due to the dependency brought on by her illness. She snuggled up to Ji Nanchan and pleaded softly, “Then hurry up and come back to keep me company.”
Ji Nanchan reached for the thermometer, her shoulders slumping as she frowned. “39.2 degrees. You have a high fever.”
“Do I have to get a shot in the butt?” Leng Bingqin buried her head back under the covers, unwilling to face reality.
“If it hits 40 degrees, you will.” Ji Nanchan tucked the blankets around her, stood up, and turned off the light as she reached the door. “I’ll call you when the food is ready. Get some rest for now.”
From behind her came Leng Bingqin’s timid, helpless whisper, “Hurry back. I don’t want to be alone. I’m scared.”
“Go to sleep now.” Closing the door, Ji Nanchan threw a flurry of punches and kicks at the air, utterly exasperated.
Originally, she had taken this woman in to be her nanny, but it turned out she had brought trouble upon herself now she was the one playing the role of the unfortunate caretaker.
Lu Zhiming drove all the way to the pedestrian street parking garage, where his subordinate, who had been instructed to guard Bai Qingrang’s car, had been waiting for some time.
“Good morning, President Lu.”
“How did it go?” Lu Zhiming didn’t get out of the car but leaned against the window to ask.
“Just as you suspected, the man was the one who slashed the tires. The surveillance footage of you subduing him has been wiped clean, with no backups left.”
“Well done.” Lu Zhiming nodded in satisfaction and then instructed, “Take the USB with the copied video, find that man, and make him pay for Bai’s tires. This has to be settled today.”
“Understood. I’ll handle it right away.”
“Wait are the tires replaced already?”
The subordinate kicked the discarded tire at his feet and chuckled, “We replaced them first thing this morning. I was just about to ask, what should we do with the ruined tire?”
Without hesitation, Lu Zhiming replied coldly, “Smash it onto that guy’s car. Consider it his welcome gift.”
In the conference room, two design teams were fiercely competing for qualification for the new project. Both sides argued vehemently across the table, creating a chaotic and irritating atmosphere.
Bai Qingrang sat at the head of the table, her ears aching from the noise. Rubbing her temples, she finally lost her temper.
Smack! She slammed the folder in her hand onto the table. “Do you think this is a vegetable market? What is there to argue about?”
Instantly, the conference room fell silent, as if someone had pressed a mute button, leaving only the sound of natural breathing.
Bai Qingrang walked up to the projection screen, pointed at the competing drafts, and blasted, “Are you all satisfied with your designs? What’s the selling point for the client? Where’s the practicality? How many times have I said that design must prioritize functionality before considering visual appeal? Which of you actually took that to heart?”
With that, Bai Qingrang gathered the materials on the table and issued an ultimatum. “I’ll give you two days at most. If the draft competition still doesn’t pass the day after tomorrow, I’ll consider replacing both team leaders. Meeting adjourned.”
Fuming, Bai Qingrang returned to her office, tossed the documents onto her desk, and wearily supported her aching lower back as she sank into the leather chair, closing her eyes to rest.
But she couldn’t afford to rest nor did she dare. The moment she shut her eyes, countless little angels with Lu Zhiming’s face swirled around her, refusing to let her be.
Fortunately, the ringing phone shattered her chaotic thoughts, it was her assistant calling.
“Hello?”
“President Bai, there’s nothing wrong with your tires. All four wheels are perfectly fine.”
“How can that be? You’ve already picked up the car?”
“Yes, I’m in the car now and will be back soon.”
“Alright, I understand.” After hanging up, Bai Qingrang felt a headache coming on. There was no need to guess who was behind this.
Resting her forehead in her hand, she hesitated, wondering if she should call Lu Zhiming to properly thank her.
Just as she was mentally preparing herself, her phone rang again, a string of nauseating numbers flashing relentlessly on the screen.
Unable to resist any longer, Bai Qingrang answered, “Mr. Lai, I already said.”
The man cut her off, frantically apologizing in an anxious tone, “Miss Bai, I really don’t want to bother you, but could you please give me your account number? I’ll pay for the tire damage. Can you ask your friend to let this go?”
His apologies and offer to compensate left Bai Qingrang both flustered and bewildered. She murmured softly, confused, “Let this go?”
“Anyway, I’ll cover the full cost of the tires and sincerely apologize. Let’s just go our separate ways from now on, alright? I’m genuinely scared!”
The line went dead with a busy tone. Now, Bai Qingrang had no choice but to contact Lu Zhiming.
.
In her office, Lu Zhiming was reviewing new information about the Angry Horse Society. For some reason, she found it hard to focus today.
Carrying her coffee, she walked to the corridor for a short break, staring blankly at the training ground below.
Unconsciously biting her lower lip, she seemed to be reliving the intense, all-consuming kiss from the previous night.
“President Lu, your phone is ringing,” a passing subordinate kindly reminded her, pointing toward the office.
Lu Zhiming strolled leisurely to her desk and saw that it was Bai Qingrang calling. She didn’t rush to answer, instead leaning against the desk and listening to the phone ring on and off.
When the call abruptly stopped, she breathed a sigh of relief, hoping her heart hadn’t been unsettled by a one-night stand.
Yes, that was how she defined their relationship, a one-night stand.
But soon, the phone rang again. A helpless smile tugged at her lips; Bai Qingrang was more stubborn than she had imagined.
“Miss Bai, what can I do for you?” Lu Zhiming’s tone was natural, giving away no emotion.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Actually, you didn’t need to handle the aftermath. It’s been weighing on my mind.”
Bai Qingrang’s politeness felt too distant. Lu Zhiming frowned, her sharp eyes losing their spark. “I’m sorry if I’ve burdened you.”
“That’s not what I meant. It’s just that I feel like I owe you another favor, and it’s piling up.”
“Favor? Just treat it as if nothing happened. I never expected you to repay me.” Lu Zhiming felt a pang of disappointment, realizing her straightforward approach had placed a psychological burden on Bai Qingrang.
“…I.” The voice on the other end of the line grew hesitant, struggling to form a sentence.
Lu Zhiming broke the silence. “I’ve received your thanks. If talking to me feels like a chore, you can just say goodbye and brush it off.”
“I want to apologize for my attitude this morning.”
The sudden shift in topic took Lu Zhiming by surprise. She raised an eyebrow, picked up a pen from the desk, and casually wrote the character for “love” on a scrap of paper.
Tracing the strokes, she silently debated in her mind: Ask her out, don’t ask her out, ask her out, don’t ask her out.
Such a romantic word, yet it ended up being a no-show. Lu Zhiming attributed it to fate’s arrangement and decided not to fight against it.
Bai Qingrang thought the signal had been lost. “Is the connection bad? Can you hear me?”
“I hear you. I accept your apology,” Lu Zhiming replied calmly. She had intended to say goodbye, but Bai Qingrang interrupted her.
“Food buddy, I’ll take you to another nice restaurant when I have time. The ambiance is great, and there’s no need to wait in line for a table.”
Why do you push me away only to pull me back? What’s the point of keeping me hanging like this? To ease your loneliness?
“Alright.” Lu Zhiming’s heart resisted, but her body was honest. Her agreement was filled with contradiction.