Rong Jiqiao mumbled, “Don’t mess around.”
Duan Yan let out a resigned sigh and didn’t tease her further.
……
The next morning.
The first ray of light seeped through the window.
Rong Jiqiao felt a stiffness in her neck and slowly opened her eyes in a daze.
The first thing she saw was a sharp, pale jawline and a moving Adam’s apple.
Her brain froze for three seconds. Her gaze shifted downward.
Half of her body was pressed against Duan Yan.
Her fingers were still tightly gripping his large, warm hand—fingers interlaced.
Duan Yan was leaning against the headboard, fast asleep. His breathing was steady and even.
Rong Jiqiao held her breath.
She didn’t dare move, afraid of waking him.
So she stayed like that, tilting her head slightly, studying his face in the morning light.
High nose bridge, thin lips pressed into a straight line. When he was awake, he always looked distant and hard to approach.
But now, asleep and quiet, the defensive shell around him had fallen away, revealing a rare exhaustion.
Something in Rong Jiqiao’s chest tightened.
Duan Yan’s eyelashes suddenly trembled.
Without knowing why, she instinctively closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, even slowing her breathing deliberately.
After a moment—
A hoarse morning voice sounded above her head.
“It’s already eight. If you’re not getting up, are you expecting me to go to work for you?”
Rong Jiqiao: “…”
Annoying.
……
Duan Yan went to his construction part-time job.
The foreman found him and slapped a stack of documents into his hands.
“Boss Zhou is coming for an inspection tomorrow. You need to get familiar with these.”
Duan Yan took the documents and flipped through them without asking questions. That night, he went home and read everything from start to finish.
Project plans, construction schedules, cost estimates, and the main technical difficulties at the current stage—all of it, he roughly memorized and understood.
At nine the next morning, Boss Zhou’s car stopped at the entrance of the construction site.
The man who got out was in his forties, slightly overweight, wearing a well-fitted suit. He held a set of car keys in his hand, spoke loudly, and laughed easily, revealing a row of white teeth.
And following him…
The two assistants followed behind—one holding a folder, the other keeping his head down taking notes.
The foreman stepped forward to greet them, his face wrinkled into a smile as he led the group inside.
Duan Yan followed at the back. He had changed into a clean set of work clothes, still wearing those worn, edge-frayed work boots.
The group moved in from the outer section toward the interior.
As they walked, Boss Zhou asked questions casually, almost like small talk—but every question was precise.
He pointed at an area on the east side and asked,
“Here, the support structure—I saw in the design drawings it was supposed to be a cantilever beam. Why isn’t there any corresponding reinforcement on site?”
The foreman paused, glanced around, and started to answer. He stopped midway, tried again, stumbled through his words, and still failed to explain clearly.
The two assistants exchanged a look.
Behind the foreman, Duan Yan stood silently for two seconds before speaking.
“This section showed higher water content in the soil during early geological surveys. The original reinforcement nodes had to be adjusted. We’re currently waiting for new materials to arrive. Expected the day after tomorrow—construction can start the same day they arrive.”
Boss Zhou turned to look at him.
“How much delay?”
“Three days. Within controllable range. It won’t affect the overall timeline.”
Zhou studied him without speaking, then walked forward a few steps before stopping again.
He pointed at a section of scaffolding.
“Which version of the safety code is this built under?”
Duan Yan immediately stated the version number and, without hesitation, added the exact technical parameters of that node.
Zhou casually tossed his car keys in his hand, then looked back at his two assistants. Both quickly lowered their heads—one flipping through documents, the other writing notes.
By the time they finished the site inspection, it was almost noon.
The foreman awkwardly rubbed his hands, unsure how to bring it up, but Duan Yan had already stepped aside and said to Boss Zhou,
“Boss Zhou, our foreman has arranged a simple meal at a nearby restaurant. Let’s continue talking over lunch.”
Zhou glanced sideways at him. The corner of his mouth moved slightly, and he followed.
Duan Yan had said it was just a simple meal.
But in reality, it was a private room in a five-star restaurant.
Very fitting for a middle-aged businessman like him.
Zhou took a seat, picked up his chopsticks, and asked casually,
“How long have you been working here?”
“What do you do?” the foreman quickly cut in, clearly afraid Duan Yan might say he had just been pulled in last minute to fill space.
Before the foreman could speak, Duan Yan answered first.
“Been here a few months. Just doing basic work under the foreman.”
The foreman glanced at him but said nothing, simply lowered his head and continued eating.
Zhou took a few bites, then set his chopsticks on the bowl’s edge and turned to Duan Yan.
“Were those answers you gave just now memorized on the spot, or do you actually understand them?”
“I understand them.”
Zhou let out a quiet laugh, his tone becoming more relaxed.
“Not bad. I brought two assistants—one graduated from a proper engineering program, and he couldn’t answer them either.”
The assistant sitting in the corner lowered his head slightly.
Halfway through the meal, Zhou’s phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, stood up, and stepped outside to take the call.
The foreman leaned in, lowered his voice, and bumped Duan Yan with his elbow.
“You’ve got skills.”
Duan Yan didn’t respond, just kept eating.
Zhou returned, slipped his phone back into his pocket, and instead of continuing the construction talk, went straight to Duan Yan.
“What’s your current position?”
Duan Yan paused for a second.
“Laborer.”
Zhou studied him. There was something in his gaze, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he pulled a business card from his inner suit pocket and slid it in front of Duan Yan.
“Ever thought about changing fields? Project coordination, or site supervision? That pays better than hauling bricks.”
Duan Yan looked at the card but didn’t immediately take it.
The table fell silent for a few seconds.
Then he picked it up and put it into his pocket.
“I’m just worried I’m only half-skilled. I’ll think about it.”
“If you’re half-skilled, then most people out there are doing nothing at all.”
Zhou lifted his teacup, and the conversation shifted back to engineering matters.
After seeing Zhou off, the foreman stood at the entrance of the site, not leaving.
When Duan Yan came over, the foreman pulled out a cigarette pack, took one out, and offered it.
Duan Yan took it but didn’t light it.
The foreman said, “Boss Zhou is picky. I was worried he wouldn’t be satisfied. But you kid—you’re something else. I knew you weren’t ordinary.”
Duan Yan just smiled faintly and didn’t respond.