The next morning, Lin Qianyi got up, got herself ready, and prepared a simple breakfast of milk and a piece of cake.
She casually took out a bottle of milk and then a blueberry cake—but suddenly froze.
Yesterday, she clearly remembered there was only one piece of blueberry cake in the fridge, and she had already eaten it.
So what was the one in her hand now?
A thought flashed through her mind. She hurriedly checked the fridge. As expected, everything she had eaten yesterday had been replenished.
So… did that mean an endless supply of food?
Lin Qianyi became excited. From now on, she really didn’t have to worry about running out of food.
She quickly checked the trash bin where she had thrown away her garbage yesterday—it was empty. This system was almost too intelligent.
But now wasn’t the time to be excited. If she didn’t leave soon, she would be late for work.
She hurried through breakfast, then braided her hair into two plaits. Using modern styling techniques, she adjusted her bangs and braids, instantly making her look much more refined and less old-fashioned.
With her altered clothes as well, although she was still dressed in the style of this era, it now looked, from Lin Qianyi’s designer’s perspective, completely stylish—like a retro fashion look.
After getting ready, she quickly went downstairs to unlock her bicycle. The distance from the residential compound to the office building was still quite far, and the original owner usually rode a bike to work.
The machinery factory treated her quite well, assigning her an administrative office role—doing small errands and miscellaneous tasks. The job was easy and suitable for a young woman.
Lin Qianyi arrived at the office building, parked her bicycle in the shed, locked it, and went inside. Her office was on the second floor.
On the way, many people greeted her, their eyes carrying a hint of sympathy.
The factory workers generally had good benefits and stable lives, but everyone was aware of what Ma Zhenqiang and his group had been doing.
Any family who truly cared for their daughter would never be willing to let her marry into that.
However, there were still differing opinions—some people thought Ma Zhenqiang was a good match and believed Lin Qianyi didn’t know how fortunate she was.
Such a good condition—why refuse it?
Lin Qianyi walked into the office without changing her expression.
“Qianyi, you’re here,” her coworkers greeted her.
The machinery factory was large, and there were many people in the office.
She sat down at her desk and began tidying it. She hadn’t been there yesterday, so dust had already settled on the surface.
After cleaning up, she went to the director’s office to formally request leave for the previous day.
The office director comforted her a few words, though everyone knew such comfort was of limited use.
“Thank you, Director. I’m fine now,” Lin Qianyi said.
She didn’t mention Meng Junjian’s situation; it would only be appropriate to speak of it once he had formally made it public.
When she returned to the office, the murmuring discussions immediately stopped. People lowered their heads and pretended to be busy.
There wasn’t any real malice—entertainment was scarce in this era, so even small incidents easily became gossip over tea. The main issue was that Ma Zhenqiang had been too arrogant, making a big scene.
Originally, the former owner was beautiful, an orphan, and had a large pension—so she had always been the subject of discussion.
She herself was very quiet, even somewhat withdrawn, and rarely left the factory grounds, afraid of attracting trouble.
But trouble still found her anyway.
Back at her desk, Lin Qianyi felt a bit bored. Her job was very light—just organizing documents and doing simple errands.
After finishing their tasks, the others in the office also had little to do, so they sat around reading newspapers, drinking tea, and chatting.
The original owner had a quiet, almost isolated personality, so she didn’t have many friends.
Her desk was also at the back of the office, in a rather secluded spot.
“Qianyi, I think you look especially beautiful today,” a girl next to her said after finishing her work.
The girl’s name was Wang Lan. She was about the same age and sat nearby, so they were somewhat familiar.
“Really? Thank you,” Lin Qianyi replied with a smile.
“Seriously, you just look different today… but I can’t quite tell what’s different.”
Wang Lan studied her closely. She clearly looked more beautiful today, but her clothes and hairstyle were still the same.
“Maybe you just didn’t see me yesterday, so seeing me today feels different,” Lin Qianyi said with a light laugh.
“Maybe,” Wang Lan laughed too. She felt Lin Qianyi seemed much more cheerful today.
But thinking of Ma Zhenqiang targeting her, she still felt deep sympathy. Being too beautiful didn’t seem like a good thing at all.
“Is this outfit new? I feel like I’ve seen you wear it before, but it looks different somehow,” Wang Lan asked.
“It’s the same one, but I’ve lost a bit of weight recently, so it was a bit loose. I altered it,” Lin Qianyi explained.
“That alteration is amazing—it fits you perfectly and looks great,” Wang Lan said, circling around her curiously.
“What are you all talking about?” another coworker asked, joining in.
“We’re talking about how great Qianyi’s clothing alteration is,” Wang Lan replied.
Once clothing was mentioned, the women became interested. In any era—even one dominated by dull grey, blue, and green—women always found ways to improve their clothing.
Soon more coworkers gathered, all praising her alterations.
Lin Qianyi generously explained how she made the changes and even shared some tips.
Most women at the time could sew their own clothes, so no one found it strange that she knew how to alter garments. If she did it well, it simply meant she was skilled.
As they chatted about clothing, they suddenly realized Lin Qianyi seemed much more cheerful today than before, no longer as worried or downcast.
Everyone didn’t know what had changed, but they still tried to comfort her.
“Thank you, everyone. I’m fine—I think I have a way to handle it,” she said with a smile.
After all, nothing had been finalized yet, so she couldn’t speak too much about it.
But she believed Meng Junjian would handle the situation with Ma Zhenqiang—he wouldn’t say things he couldn’t deliver.
Seeing her like this, everyone wasn’t sure whether she had accepted her fate or truly found a solution.
Either way, they still felt sorry for her.
People might have their own thoughts, but most were still kind-hearted. No one wanted such a good girl to be ruined by someone like Ma Zhenqiang.
Even if the issue could be resolved, her reputation was already damaged, and it would still be very hard for her to find a good marriage partner. It was truly a pity for such a good girl.