The four-day, three-night trip to Z City had concluded. Ye Tong had successfully signed the contract, and the orders had been sent via email to the fabric factory under the HJ Group. Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly.
It was an 11:00 AM flight, and by the time they arrived at S City Airport, it was already 5:00 PM. Before boarding, Xiao Ziyu had already arranged for a driver to pick them up. As they walked out of the airport exit, Ji Huaiqiu spotted them with keen eyes and rushed over. “Ye Tong!”
Lin Su pursed her red lips, stopped alongside Ye Tong, and turned to hand her the handle of her suitcase. “Be careful on your way back.”
“You be careful too, General Manager Lin. Thank you for your help; I’ll be heading off now.” Ye Tong took her suitcase, offered a polite smile, and pulled her luggage toward Ji Huaiqiu.
Ji Huaiqiu had been asking about work and when Ye Tong would return for the past few days, so Ye Tong had sent her a message before boarding. She hadn’t expected the busy woman to come to the airport herself.
“I finally caught you. I arrived an hour early, my dear lady.” Ji Huaiqiu hugged Ye Tong first, then reached over to take the suitcase and insisted on pulling it for her.
Ye Tong smiled. “You’ve worked hard.”
“Who else would I be but your bestie?” Ji Huaiqiu glanced back at Lin Su, who was still standing in the same spot, watching them. She gave a soft hum, tucked her arm through Ye Tong’s, and said, “Let’s go, let’s go. Your free chauffeur is personally taking you home.”
Ye Tong couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, since your mouth is so sweet, I’ll reluctantly let you take me home.”
“You’re really taking advantage of the situation!”
“Fine, you’re the sweetest.”
After stowing the luggage and getting into the car, Ji Huaiqiu asked, “Dinner first, or straight home?”
Ye Tong: “Home first.”
“Got it.” Ji Huaiqiu started the engine and drove away from the airport. “So, how was it? In Z City, that ‘old fox’ didn’t give you a hard time, did she?”
“No, why would she give me a hard time?” Ye Tong pulled the proposal Lin Su had returned to her that morning out of her bag and began flipping through it. When her gaze landed on the name “Lin Su” in the bottom right corner, her slender fingertips brushed the page gently before she quickly turned it.
“Has she ever stopped giving you a hard time?” Ji Huaiqiu rolled her eyes. “Only you could tolerate her foul temper; she’s like a sullen gourd. If it were me, she’d have driven me to my grave with frustration.”
“That’s only because you don’t know her.”
Ji Huaiqiu asked curiously, “Tongtong, why did you like Lin Su in the first place?”
Ye Tong thought for a moment and smiled. “Perhaps it was just a temporary lapse in judgment.”
Ji Huaiqiu nodded seriously. “It must have been a lapse in judgment. I don’t like that kind of woman at all, and you shouldn’t either. It’s too easy to feel stifled and mistreated.”
Ye Tong: “I know. I will strictly follow your teachings. I will stay away from the ‘old fox,’ keep my head down, and live a smooth, peaceful life.”
“Good, just know that and don’t be as silly as you were before.” Ji Huaiqiu had been unhappy with Lin Su for a long time. She had tried to talk Ye Tong out of it when they were together, but the silly girl hadn’t listened and had insisted on being with her.
Setting aside the disparity in status, the age gap alone created a generation gap. Lin Su was overly confident, which was just another way of saying she was too rational, while Ye Tong was pure, kind, and emotional a recipe for getting hurt.
Ji Huaiqiu was straightforward and just couldn’t stand the way Lin Su used to look at Ye Tong with cold, icy eyes. Lin Su had been the one to pursue Ye Tong, yet in the end, it was as if Ye Tong had been the one in the wrong.
Ji Huaiqiu spent the whole drive complaining, and three out of every five sentences were about that “old fox,” righteously belittling Lin Su to vent her frustration. Ye Tong felt helpless, but she let Ji Huaiqiu ramble on while she continued reading the proposal.
An hour later, they arrived at Jinbi Apartments. Once inside, Ye Tong grabbed Ji Huaiqiu and said mysteriously, “Do me a favor.”
Ji Huaiqiu: “What favor?”
“This favor will help you exercise, lose some weight, help you embrace your domestic side, and most importantly, it will bring you endless joy.” As she spoke, Ye Tong shoved a robot vacuum into Ji Huaiqiu’s hands. “Help me sweep.”
“…”
What could Ji Huaiqiu say? She never refused a request from her best friend, so she diligently helped Ye Tong sweep the floors.
They hadn’t been back in three or four days, and the furniture was a bit dusty. Every time Ye Tong returned from a business trip, the first thing she did was a deep clean to make the house neat and comfortable to live in.
Half an hour later, Ji Huaiqiu finally finished the cleaning. Clutching her lower back, she watched Ye Tong, who was wiping down tables and chairs. Ye Tong had changed into loungewear, her hair tied back, moving efficiently and skillfully. Ji Huaiqiu couldn’t help but sigh; this was a woman who could manage both the workplace and the home decisive at work and gentle and virtuous at home.
Ye Tong finished wiping the furniture and saw Ji Huaiqiu standing in the living room, listening to her sigh and groan. She shook her head with a smile. “If you’re tired, take a rest. Thanks for helping me clean, hard-working Ji.”
“I’ve never done chores at home,” Ji Huaiqiu lamented, collapsing onto the sofa. “Tongtong, you must be making over a million a year. You’re not short on cash why not hire a cleaner? Doing it yourself is so much trouble.”
Ye Tong smiled. “To reward you for your hard work, what do you want to eat? I’ll cook.”
When she heard Ye Tong was cooking, Ji Huaiqiu’s eyes lit up instantly. She sat up and shouted excitedly, “I want stir-fried beef! And spicy braised intestines!”
“Alright, your wish is my command.”
Ji Huaiqiu was overjoyed, rolling around on the sofa. Ye Tong’s cooking was top-notch a feast of color, aroma, and flavor. Just the thought of it made Ji Huaiqiu’s mouth water.
…
Late at night, Ye Tong leaned against her pillow and replied to a message from Ji Huaiqiu. They had discussed the fashion show finale at dinner, and since Ji Huaiqiu had extensive experience in that area, Ye Tong was looking to pick her brain.
Ji Huaiqiu: No problem. Ji Huaiqiu: I’ll help you. Ji Huaiqiu: When you have time, come over and pick the models. You can borrow my makeup and styling team!
Ye Tong’s eyes curved into crescents as she replied: “To show my appreciation, I’ll treat you to a meal next time.”
Ji Huaiqiu: Don’t be so formal. We’ve been besties for so many years. Ji Huaiqiu: Treating me is fine, but I want you to cook it yourself! Ji Huaiqiu: Damn it, thinking of your cooking, my mouth is already watering… Ye Tong: Go wipe it up.
Ye Tong was used to Ji Huaiqiu’s lack of decorum. With Ji Huaiqiu’s help, a lot of her problems would be solved; having her guidance meant the fashion show was already halfway to success.
After saying goodnight, Ye Tong finally opened the WeChat message Lin Su had sent hours earlier: “Are you home?”
Ye Tong had been busy cleaning and hadn’t seen the message until now. Seeing it so late, she decided against replying.
Meanwhile, Lin Su, who had been waiting for a response, kept opening the chat log, seeing only the message she had sent, with no reaction from Ye Tong at all.
…
The next morning.
Ye Tong woke up before her alarm. She didn’t have the habit of lazing in bed. She pulled back the quilt, got up, and drew the curtains. The bright light streamed in, illuminating her clear, elegant face. Looking down at the urban scenery of early winter, she felt a sense of openness and vitality.
It was Monday, time for the department meeting. With the fashion show added to the A-project, her workload had significantly increased. She had to delegate many tasks to her team members and coordinate with LT.
Ye Tong moved quickly washing up, applying light makeup, and styling her hair. She swapped her pajamas for a white wool turtleneck and a long, cinched-waist solid-colored blazer, looking both professional and elegant.
She set out at 7:00 AM, arriving at the office by 7:30 AM to escape the biting winter wind. As she stepped out of the elevator on the 25th floor, she heard sharp, crashing sounds coming from the XM office. Ye Tong’s brows furrowed, and she hurried toward the office.
“What’s going on?”
She scanned the shredded draft designs on the floor. When she saw her assistant, Li Qian, crouching down to pick up the scraps, her temper flared. Her gaze landed on a woman sitting not far away, who looked toward her with sharp, disdainful eyes.
Because of the morning meeting, the team members had arrived early. Seeing the director, they gathered around her as if she were their savior. The project manager, sweating profusely, whispered, “Director, General Manager Chen from upstairs is here to stir up trouble again.”
Ye Tong patted the manager on the shoulder, walked over to pull Li Qian up, and stood behind her. She looked at Chen Shuru and said, “General Manager Chen, it’s early morning and you’re not in your own office. Coming here to lose your temper and take it out on my staff isn’t that a bit uncalled for?”
Chen Shuru smiled. “Director Ye, this is LT, not your XM Group.”
“It seems General Manager Chen knows this is LT. Others might have mistaken it for the Chen Group.”
Chen Shuru’s smile froze, and her expression darkened. “What are you rambling about?”
“I think General Manager Chen understands perfectly well.” Ye Tong bent down to pick up a scrap of paper and placed it on the desk in front of Chen Shuru. “Tearing these up doesn’t matter; I have the original copies. You, the Design Director, have no authority to manage this project of the XM Group.”
Chen Shuru sneered. “I’ll say it again: hand over the design rights to the LT Design Department. I will take over the clothing design for this project. Please hand it over to a professional.”
“I am the person in charge of this project; I am the professional.” Ye Tong leaned down, staring into Chen Shuru’s eyes. “Did you hear me?”
“Sorry, I truly didn’t.” Chen Shuru laughed with interest. Under Ye Tong’s unwavering gaze, she noticed that the little assistant from the past no longer showed any fear.
Ye Tong didn’t want to make a scene in public, so she offered the troublesome Chen Shuru a way out. “Let’s pretend today’s events didn’t happen. General Manager Chen, please leave; we have a meeting.”
Chen Shuru glanced at the scraps on the desk, stood up, and walked over to Ye Tong, crossing her arms and looking her straight in the eye. “Why did you come back? Is it because you weren’t satisfied with how things ended?”
Everyone was confused by the question, but Ye Tong understood exactly what she meant.
Having been harassed by Chen Shuru in the past, Ye Tong had no fondness for her. She had given her enough face already. Just as she was about to speak, a familiar, roguish voice echoed from behind her.
“I am the one who invited Director Ye back to help complete the company project. What of it? If you have an objection to my decision, General Manager Chen, keep it to yourself. It’s quite lively this morning are you all here to welcome me back?”