Love Has Fireworks - Chapter 75

Chapter 75: Ending

Li Yifei walked up next to the top seat of the conference table and stopped. After pulling out the chair, he turned toward Qian Fei and invited her: "How could I sit here? It's still much more appropriate for Director Qian to sit here! I'm just here to audit the meeting. The big picture still needs to be presided over by Director Qian!"

Qian Fei looked at Li Yifei, wishing she could strangle him to death in her heart.

Using a smile that looked polite to everyone else but was immediately recognizable to him as a fake, half-hearted smirk, she said to him, "Young Director Li shouldn't be so polite. I wouldn't dare claim to preside over the big picture. When all is said and done, we are all here to cooperate with your work!"

Li Yifei insisted on standing to the side, smiling properly, looking as dashing as a fashion model.

The surrounding people were all watching them.

This time, Qian Fei really wished she could strangle herself to death just to get it over with.

In the end, under the encouragement (egging on) and cheering (shoving) of her colleagues, she bit the bullet and took the top seat.

Li Yifei then sat down in the seat she had occupied just a moment ago. After smiling and saying "Long time no see, thank you for your hard work everyone" to his former colleagues beside him, he greeted everyone else in the conference room. He then straightened his expression and said, "Actually, I used to work in investment banking as well. However, because my father's health is poor, I recently deregistered my sponsor representative qualification to return and help out. To avoid unnecessary trouble as much as possible, I will maintain an auditing status for this project. For the time being, I won't hold an official position in the group. Group affairs will still be decided under the name of Vice President Liao!"

Following that, he handed the floor over to Qian Fei.

Through her further understanding of the group's corporate data from earlier, Qian Fei dug out several critical issues from a deeper perspective of the project. She brought these issues up one by one to discuss with everyone.

However, as each issue was discussed further, it eventually turned into a back-and-forth between just her and Li Yifei as they hammered out solutions.

Their verbal exchanges interlocked perfectly, and the rising and falling rhythm of their chemistry made it feel as though all their thoughts were originating from the exact same person.

Qian Fei's two colleagues sat to the side, whispering quietly to each other: "Listening to these two 'Directors' discuss problems is truly a treat! Back and forth, every single sentence is pure substance!"

"Yeah, the way their trains of thought align is absolutely insane!"

In the end, a group meeting was transformed into a two-person showcase for them. An hour and a half later, under the admiring gazes of the crowd, Li Yifei smiled as he thanked everyone and announced the adjournment of the meeting.

Just as Qian Fei stood up to leave, Li Yifei was quick on his feet, stepping forward to block her way. With a warm and welcoming smile, he said, "Director Qian, if it's convenient, could I trouble you to move over to my office for a quick word?"

The nearby colleagues shot knowing winks and playful glances at them.

Qian Fei looked at him expressionlessly. "Then I will trouble Young Director Li to lead the way."

●︶3︶●

Inside Li Yifei's office, Qian Fei sat in the executive leather chair with her legs crossed and her arms folded over her chest, while Li Yifei sat across from her on the guest sofa.

Qian Fei looked down upon the person on the sofa like a queen. "Speak, Young Director Li. What do you want with me?"

Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "Actually, it's nothing major. I just wanted to briefly introduce the historical background of why I hid who my dad was from you!"

Qian Fei didn't reply. Her gaze drifted toward the window, looking with absolute intensity at the towering skyscraper across the way.

Li Yifei waited for a long time without seeing her draw her gaze back, so he had no choice but to speak up and call her name: "Jinjin?"

Qian Fei stared out the window, her tone perfectly flat: "Please call me Director Qian during working hours."

Li Yifei let out a sharp breath. "Fine! Director Qian? Director Qian, can you snap out of it for a second? How about Director Qian listens to my historical background first?"

Qian Fei continued to gaze out the window, only uttering a muffled "Mm" after a long pause. "Speak."

Looking at her affected, tsundere behavior, Li Yifei finally realized exactly how annoying he used to be in the past.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "Actually, it went like this. One day, the old man in my family suddenly found out that I had taken a liking to another woman. And this woman hadn't studied abroad. He felt that my taste in women was getting worse and worse, saying this one was actually inferior to the last one, since the last one had at least studied abroad..."

Qian Fei suddenly snapped her head around to glare at him, cutting him off: "This 'one' you're talking about couldn't possibly be me, could it?"

Li Yifei did everything he could to make his face look as handsome, beautiful, and moving as possible. "...Congratulations, you guessed right! It's you!"

Qian Fei spat a fake "Phooey" at him. "Is going abroad really that big of a deal? Is everyone who comes back from studying abroad a wonderful person? Do you think foreigners are that incredible? If you make them come to China to take the College English Test Band 4 and Band 6, they might not even score higher than me!"

Li Yifei nodded furiously, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"Don't we just have some stinky money at home, and figured if we didn't go abroad, there'd be nowhere else to spend it? That's the only reason we went! If we're talking about pure academic performance, I'm certain a returnee like me can't hold a candle to a local talent like you!"

Looking at his brazenly shameless face and listening to his utterly outrageous words, Qian Fei wanted nothing more than to flip the table and smash it over him. With a throbbing headache, she shifted her gaze back out the window.

"Keep talking!" she said crossly.

Li Yifei cleared his throat again. "Didn't the old man think you weren't up to par? So I argued with him. I said you could do it, you absolutely could do it, you're more reliable than anything! Then the old man made a pact with me. He wouldn't let me tell you who I was, nor would he let me help you. If you could independently pull off our family's restructuring plan, he would admit you are capable!"

Qian Fei let out a hum, turning back around to look at him. "So now he doesn't look down on me anymore?"

Using his most beautiful, handsome, and enchanting expression—the kind that made people want to rip their pants off just by looking at it—Li Yifei nodded with a beaming smile.

Qian Fei arched her eyebrows, completely unaware that she was mimicking Li Yifei's signature expression. "Well, now it's my turn to look down on him!" With a sharp pop, she stood up from the executive chair, walked out from behind the desk, and stood in front of Li Yifei with both hands shoved into the pockets of her suit trousers.

Her high heels kept the crease of her trousers perfectly straight, accentuating her legs to look slender, sharp, and sexy.

"Young Master Li," Qian Fei looked down from her high vantage point at Li Yifei sitting on the sofa, "Right now, I look down on your English name because it sounds terrible. It sounds so bad that I don't want to play nicely with you anymore! Whenever I think it sounds good, I'll remember to notify you!"

After speaking, she turned around to walk toward the door.

Li Yifei almost choked. It was his first time hearing that someone couldn't play together because an English name didn't sound good! This was purely making trouble out of nothing...

He hurriedly stood up from the sofa, taking a stride with his long legs to block the door in front of Qian Fei, gripping the doorknob firmly without letting go. "This matter is easy! I can just change my English name! Jinjin, I'll change it right now to an English name you won't despise. Let's make up right here and now, alright?"

Qian Fei tilted her chin up, her face plastered with an insufferably arrogant expression. "Call me Director Qian!"

Li Yifei drew a sharp breath and called out, "Director Qian, let's make up, alright? I'll change my English name this instant!"

Qian Fei stiffened her neck. "It's useless. No matter what name you change it to, I'll still claim it sounds terrible!"

 

Li Yifei arched an eyebrow. "That shouldn't be possible! I've already decided that I want to change my name to HowTeen! As long as you bravely read it out loud just once, it will instantly break the curse of sounding bad. Please believe me!"

After a brief daze, Qian Fei bared her teeth fiercely. "Get lost! What kind of wordplay is this?! Let me tell you, this trick is completely useless on me!"

She pried at Li Yifei's hands. As his hand was being forced off the doorknob, Li Yifei struggled to ask, "Then tell me, what will it take for you to think my English name sounds good?"

Qian Fei opened the door and walked out without looking back, saying as she walked, "Wait until I also do something that I won't tell you about beforehand!"

●︶3︶●

Before clocking out in the evening, Qian Fei received a phone call from her company's vice president. The vice president told her that she needed to go to Gui Lili's company for a meeting the next day to follow up on the IPO progress.

She put down the phone and, without even turning her head, spoke directly to Li Yifei, who was stuck behind her like a loyal tagalong: "Young Director Li, I'm requesting a day off from you. Tomorrow I have to go to a meeting at your 'studied abroad' ex-girlfriend's company, so I won't be coming here."

Li Yifei took a step forward to catch up and walk side by side with her. "Sponsor Representative Qian, what time will your meeting end tomorrow? Let me go pick you up! I'll drive the Lamborghini my dad just bought. You can find a razor blade or something to scratch it with along the way to vent your anger!"

Qian Fei stopped and raised her head. "Alright then, drive that car to pick me up." Pausing for a moment, she added, "Don't forget to bring a sharper razor blade."

After saying this, she strode past him with her head held high.

Li Yifei gazed at her swaying, graceful silhouette, suddenly feeling that the most sigh-inducing, profound, and poignant thing in human existence was the turning of the tides over time—thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river.

Thinking back to the old days, he was the one walking proudly in front, while her saintly self had constantly scurried along behind him.

But now... it was a tale of tears; the roles had completely flipped...

●︶3︶●

The next day, Qian Fei spent the entire day in a meeting at Gui Lili's company.

When Gui Lili found out that the project lead had changed to Qian Fei, who would continue to follow up on their project, the expression on her face looked exactly like she had just performed the act of swallowing a lightbulb alive.

After the meeting, Qian Fei felt a bit tired. Shaking hands and saying goodbye to the company's Chairman Niu—who was also Gui Lili's husband—she stepped out of the conference room.

Yet the moment she stepped out of the conference room, she heard Gui Lili's sweet, delicate voice calling out from behind her: "Qian Fei, wait for me! Let me see you out!"

Qian Fei wanted to pretend she didn't hear and keep walking forward. She was sick to death of this woman's superficial and hypocritical manners and didn't want her to see her out at all.

As a result, Gui Lili was like a little megaphone fitted with a perpetual motion device, calling out without pause: "Qian Fei, Qian Fei, wait for me, wait for me! Let me see you out, see you out!"

Hearing her call out like that, Qian Fei felt like her vision was getting double images.

She halted her steps, turned around, and put on a formulaic, slightly stiff smile: "Vice President Gui, there's no need to see me out. I can go down by myself!"

Gui Lili took a few quick, hurried steps to arrive right in front of her, intimately linking her arm through Qian Fei's. "How could that be fine! How could I let you walk out all alone!"

Looking at her arm which was locked tightly in Gui Lili's unyielding grip, the corner of Qian Fei's mouth twitched.

Is this fucking seeing someone out? This is a fucking kidnapping...

Using a posture that looked closely inseparable to outsiders but felt like forced dragging to Qian Fei, Gui Lili firmly escorted Qian Fei to the elevator bank.

When the elevator arrived, she said to the others with a beaming smile, "Could everyone please wait for the next trip? I want to see my friend out alone!"

The others immediately read the room and yielded the elevator to the boss's wife.

The moment the elevator doors closed, Gui Lili was like a face-changing performer, instantly releasing her grip and pulling back her smile.

Qian Fei couldn't help but look up silently at the surveillance camera overhead.

She really wanted to tell Gui Lili: Big sister, people are watching through this thing too. You might as well play the scene all the way through!

Half a minute later, the elevator stopped on the first floor with a clear ding. Gui Lili was the first to stride out with her head held high.

Once they stepped out of the building's entrance, Gui Lili stood still, turned around, folded her arms over her chest, and looked at Qian Fei with a face full of interrogation: "I heard from your colleagues that you hooked up with Li Yifei?"

Qian Fei let out a chuckle. "Whether I hooked up with him or not, is there any need to report it to you?" Turning her head, she spotted a brand-new, polished Lamborghini parked not far away. She turned back to Gui Lili and said, "If your so-called 'seeing me out' was just to tell me this, then I'm sorry, I have no obligation to keep you company. I have to leave now." She turned and walked toward the direction of that showy, luxury vehicle.

Gui Lili froze behind her. She hadn't fully adapted to this. The cold and sharp Qian Fei before her eyes actually failed to overlap with the easy-to-bully, old good-timer in her memory...

Seeing that Qian Fei was about to walk away, Gui Lili snapped out of it and called out recklessly behind her: "Qian Fei, you're so hypocritical! I said it back then—you actually just liked Li Yifei, yet you stubbornly refused to admit it!"

Qian Fei halted her steps. She let out a sigh. She originally hadn't wanted to pay attention to this brain-dead, princess-syndrome, glamorous young woman. She had wanted to do what she did in the past—let the woman say whatever she loved to say, endure it, and let it pass. But today was very strange; she suddenly didn't want to endure it anymore.

She turned around, walked right back to stand in front of Gui Lili, tilted her chin up, and said with a smile, "Yes, I just happen to like him, and I like him to an extraordinary degree. What about it? Is it getting in your way?"

Gui Lili's lips trembled for a moment. Stiffening her neck, she said, "I just feel that my breakup with Li Yifei back then had some issues! We were always fighting during that period, and it's highly likely you were playing nasty tricks behind our backs! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't necessarily have gone with someone else!"

Qian Fei couldn't help but laugh out loud. She shouted toward the space behind Gui Lili: "Chairman Niu!"

She saw Gui Lili's face instantly turn as pale as a ghost, turning back to look in sheer terror.

When she saw that there was absolutely nothing behind her and that she had been tricked by Qian Fei, Gui Lili turned back and shouted in a furious rage, "Qian Fei, you are truly despicable enough!"

Qian Fei laughed heartily. "Mrs. Niu, I say, why bother! With just this little bit of moral character, you're still always brooding over playing the drama of an old love that's hard to sever. Isn't this just making things miserable for yourself? If you ask me, you've been married for two years already. Hurry up and put your mind toward having a child. Otherwise, this thing called the position of the official wife is just like a revolving banquet—others finish sitting and then you sit, and after you finish sitting, someone else will come to sit! Everything I'm saying is for your own good. Take it to heart, alright!"

Gui Lili let out a cold laugh. "Forget it. Thinking carefully, Li Yifei doesn't have anything good about him either. Just treat it as me letting you have him! I wish you both the best in your struggles, and hopefully, you can buy a big house, drive a luxury car, and live in a grand villa before you retire!"

 

Qian Fei let out a snort. "Gui Lili, no way. You still don't know who Li Yifei's dad is up until now? Let me tell you, that middle-aged uncle wearing sportswear you saw back then—his name is Li Qiansheng, the very Qiansheng of the Qiansheng Group!" Pausing for a moment, she looked at Gui Lili's face, which was turning so white it looked like it was oozing lime powder, and asked, "Now do you still think we need to strive and struggle hard?"

Holding her head high with a pale face, Gui Lili laughed and said, "Then you won't be able to stay arrogant for much longer! Do you think that with his family background and temper, it's possible for him to laser-focus his love on a person like you for a whole lifetime? I'm telling you, Qian Fei, if you think that way, you are completely mistaken! Li Yifei just isn't that kind of devoted person! Everything I'm saying is also for your own good! Oh, right, with him, even if you give birth to a child, you might not necessarily sit securely in the position of the official wife!"

Qian Fei looked at her with a beaming smile. "That shouldn't be possible, right? What you're talking about is the Li Yifei of the past. The Li Yifei of today isn't like that at all. He loves me to death!"

Gui Lili laughed loudly. "Who doesn't know how to brag!"

Just as she finished speaking, a voice cut in with an incredibly pleasant tone, "She's not bragging. I just happen to love her to death. That's absolutely right!"

Looking at the man who had approached at some unknown point and was now standing right behind Qian Fei, Gui Lili's face turned as unreadable and foul as if she had accidentally swallowed a pile of crap.

Qian Fei turned her head around, seeing Li Yifei standing behind her with his white teeth bared, grinning widely at her.

●︶3︶●

After Qian Fei got into the car, Li Yifei handed her a small pocket knife and said, "The sharpest knife in our household. Scratch wherever you want to scratch, scratch away freely!"

Qian Fei asked, "What if your dad asks who scratched it?"

Looking at Gui Lili, who was still standing not far away clutching her chest and panting heavily, Li Yifei said, "Just say she scratched it!"

Qian Fei could no longer maintain a cold face and burst out laughing: "You are truly wicked enough!"

Li Yifei drove the car out in an incredibly flashy, wide arc. From the rearview mirror, Qian Fei could practically feel the murderous aura of deep resentment and jealousy radiating from Gui Lili's eyes after being reflected through the glass.

Staring at the rearview mirror, she clicked her tongue and sighed: "Once a person starts acting foolish, science simply cannot explain exactly why. Take your 'went abroad and studied abroad' ex-girlfriend for instance—peacefully letting go of a purebred wealthy second-generation heir who has plenty of money, only to insist on marrying a chubby middle-aged uncle who hasn't managed to produce a child after two years. Tell me, now that she finally knows the truth of the matter today, won't she go home, bite her blanket corner, and cry herself to death over her tragic state?"

Li Yifei tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "Let her cry, what does it have to do with me?" Tossing a glance at Qian Fei, he said, "Sponsor Representative Qian, I want to seriously ask you a few questions!"

Qian Fei let out an "Mm." "Sponsor Representative Qian is in a pretty good mood right now. Ask away!"

Li Yifei said, "Remember, for the questions that follow, you only need to answer yes or no. No need to say anything else. First question: didn't you just admit to Gui Lili that you like me, and that you like me to an extraordinary, extraordinary degree?!"

Qian Fei turned her head to look at him. "No!"

Li Yifei hit the gas pedal at an angle, causing the car chassis to jerk violently.

He turned his head, widening his eyes. "How could it be a no? I heard it clear as day!"

Qian Fei said, "I only said a single 'extraordinary'!"

Li Yifei let out a "Damn." "Fine, you win! I'll ask again: did you tell Gui Lili that you like me to an extraordinary degree?"

Qian Fei answered, "Yes!"

Li Yifei then asked, "If you say you like a person, shouldn't you like the entirety of him?"

Qian Fei answered, "Yes."

Li Yifei continued to ask, "Then would you say this entirety must include his English name?"

Qian Fei answered decisively, "No."

In a fit of excitement, Li Yifei drove the car into an S-curve: "How could it not?!"

Qian Fei smiled faintly and said, "Because for someone like me who hasn't been abroad, I don't have an English name. Therefore, the entirety of people like us doesn't contain an English name!"

Li Yifei felt like kneeling.

He couldn't fathom how his absolutely brilliant self could get twisted around and end up trapping himself instead.

●︶3︶●

Over the period that followed, the restructuring project pushed forward in an orderly manner.

During the later stages of the work, Wang Ruohai was discharged from the hospital and returned to the company. He found out from Liao Shiyu exactly who Qian Fei's current boyfriend was.

From then on, he never approached Qian Fei outside of working hours again.

The project proceeded steadily according to the pre-established plan. Yet just when ultimate success was right within their grasp, things suddenly took a sharp turn downward, and some unexpected situations occurred within the group.

Someone had calculatedly framed Qiansheng, first spreading rumors to the media and then reporting to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau, claiming that the fabric used by the massive clothing company under the Qiansheng Group had issues, and that Qiansheng was passing off inferior goods as quality items, harming the interests of consumers. Then, when the relevant departments conducted a surprise inspection on-site, they actually did manage to uncover some problematic fabrics. Afterward, Li Yifei investigated the sources of these fabrics. Upon tracing them back to their origins, he unexpectedly discovered that it was the doing of an insider from a long-term supplier company, and this person just so happened to be surnamed Gui.

Li Yifei understood the finances of Gui Lili's husband's company inside out; he knew better than anyone where the shady dealings lay. With just a single report, that company could forget about continuing its public listing. He decided that after handling the matters at hand, he would have a talk with that Chairman Niu and give him a multiple-choice question, asking him which one he chose between a family-ruining wife and his company's listing.

Due to this incident, some media outlets added fuel to the fire by publishing news articles. The image of the Qiansheng Group was heavily damaged, and the stock price of the listed company also suffered a substantial decline, dropping significantly.

Li Yifei brought Vice President Liao, the company's major shareholders, and the corporate executives together for three consecutive days of meetings. On one hand, they urgently discussed crisis public relations strategies, while on the other hand, they sought ways to resolve the current predicament.

Because it involved the stock price of the listed company, Li Yifei called upon Qian Fei and the project team members to participate together during the meetings. Although they were outsiders and it wasn't convenient for them to offer ideas, they could serve a gatekeeping role for issues touching upon the listed company.

When matters fell into a stalemate, Vice President Liao proposed an idea during a meeting.

"Lately, a female celebrity named Jin Tian has become incredibly hot, holding immense appeal among young people. And our clothing is primarily oriented toward young people. If we can get her to come on board as our brand ambassador, we might be able to resolve this matter!"

Everyone felt this plan was feasible. Liao Shiyu raised a slight doubt: "But right now, the clothing company's reputation is terrible. Even though we've done crisis public relations, the outside world still believes we are engaged in an unscrupulous business. This plan is good, but I worry this popular female star might not agree. If people claim she went along with us to conduct an unscrupulous transaction just to earn a bit of endorsement fees, the loss would outweigh the gain for her!"

Vice President Liao said, "But earlier I heard Chengcheng mention that Jin Tian and Yifei have some history together," He turned his head to ask Li Yifei, "Yifei, how about you go talk to her? Perhaps this matter can succeed!"

Li Yifei turned his head to look toward Qian Fei.

Qian Fei gave him a nod. "Go ahead, this is serious business."

●︶3︶●

Jin Tian very readily agreed to Li Yifei's request, willing to endorse the clothing company of the Qiansheng Group, and promised that the endorsement fees would be donated in full to build primary schools in western mountain villages.

Qian Fei felt this was truly a clever girl, instantly shutting the mouths of those who attempted to say she would do anything for money, while also establishing a beautiful, pure, and kind image for herself.

Of course, she also understood that if it weren't for Li Yifei, Jin Tian wouldn't have bothered to take on an endorsement where she didn't earn a single cent. If she were to accept a clothing endorsement from another company, there would be absolutely no need to donate the compensation.

On the day she came to Qiansheng to sign the contract, Jin Tian cornered Qian Fei outside the restroom door. Tilting her chin up, she asked, "Do you know why I agreed?"

Qian Fei smiled genially: "If I say I don't want to know, I'm afraid it will burst your bubble from holding it in."

The expression on Jin Tian's face froze for a moment, but in an instant, she blossomed into an exceptionally beautiful smile. "It doesn't matter whether you want to know or not. Either way, I just want to tell you that I'm doing this to make Li Yifei owe me one! Once a man owes a woman, he will keep remembering that woman in his heart, never able to forget her!" Looking at Qian Fei, a flash of unwillingness flowed through the depths of her eyes. "I genuinely liked him. But then you appeared. If it weren't for you, perhaps we really would have ended up together! But it doesn't matter. In the future, even if he is together with you, there will always be a corner of his heart that remembers me!"

Qian Fei lowered her eyelids and smiled.

Then she raised her eyes, looking at Jin Tian as she said, "He will always leave some space in his heart for other people. It doesn't matter; I am not as greedy as you imagine."

After speaking, she gracefully bypassed Jin Tian and walked toward the office.

Watching her silhouette, Jin Tian knitted her brows.

That girl's aura seemed very different from before. Her own aggressive display didn't seem to suppress her at all. Even though she had said what she wanted to say, why didn't she feel the slightest thrill of victory? She stepped into the restroom with a bit of melancholy.

From the shadows of the adjacent men's restroom, Li Yifei stepped out with light, quiet steps.

●︶3︶●

Jin Tian's endorsement resolved the crisis for Qiansheng.

Qian Fei silently marvelled that one must view a person with fresh eyes after a brief absence. Back then, this girl could only appear on a few very inconspicuous billboards, but now she held massive influence among young people. Relying on her influence, she helped turn around a company's decline and failing game within an incredibly short period.

 

The negative impact on the clothing company gradually vanished, and its public reputation was rebuilt. The stock price of the listed company also stabilized. The restructuring plan continued to proceed smoothly.

The people throughout the entire group were singing praises for Jin Tian; her momentum was unmatched for a time, completely overshadowing even the beautiful Sponsor Representative Qian.

At the clothing company's celebratory banquet, Li Yifei toasted Vice President Liao, thanking him for coming up with the idea to seek out Jin Tian, which defused the group's commercial crisis.

Yet Vice President Liao said with a laugh, "I wouldn't dare take credit for this! Actually, this idea was put forward to me by Sponsor Representative Qian. Otherwise, given my advanced age, how could I possibly know who Jin Tian is?"

Li Yifei instantly felt a fire burning in his heart.

Locating Qian Fei, who was currently reading financial news on her phone in a corner, he sat down beside her, nudged her with his elbow, and said, "I heard everything you and Jin Tian said outside the restroom door that day."

Qian Fei lifted her head, tossed a glance at him, and uttered an "Oh." She then lowered her head to continue looking at her phone. However, after staring for a long time, she hadn't flipped the page.

Li Yifei said, "In fairness, Jin Tian's little maneuvers are executed quite smoothly. She knows full well how to grasp a man's psychology. But now I've discovered that in front of you, she's just a novice!" Draping his arm over her shoulder, shaking his arm and swaying her along with it, he said, "Tell me, have you studied psychology? Originally, I felt that I really had to do as Jin Tian said and keep remembering in my heart that she helped me. But today, the moment Uncle Liao told me that the idea to invite Jin Tian was actually put forward by you, my heart instantly turned upside down with nothing but you! Tell me, how did you become so crafty now?!"

Qian Fei raised her head, smiling at him: "If I don't learn to be a bit craftier, I worry your heart would always be filled with someone else!"

Li Yifei nudged her again, laughing along with her: "Sponsor Representative Qian, how about coming over to my house tomorrow? Meet the old man in my family, help me rile him up, and take down his arrogant display!"

Qian Fei arched her eyebrows: "Sure thing! Let's go! If I don't go, it'll look like I'm chicken! Remember to have your dad take some fast-acting heart pills in advance!"

●︶3︶●

The next day, Li Yifei truly brought Qian Fei to his home.

Right before stepping through the door, Li Yifei asked, "Jinjin, are you scared?"

Qian Fei looked at him expressionlessly. "Before I say your English name sounds good, please call me Director Qian or Sponsor Representative Qian."

Li Yifei shook his hands. "Holy cow! This matter isn't over yet? Fine, Sponsor Representative Qian, my question was redundant. I can see it clearly now—you simply aren't scared!"

He brought Qian Fei inside the door, then headed straight for the study.

Standing outside the study, he rapped on the door and shouted, "Old man, come out to receive a guest!"

A deep, heavy voice sounded from within.

"You brat, get the hell in here."

Li Yifei opened the door with a grin, pulling Qian Fei inside.

Qian Fei saw a handsome, dignified, middle-aged man sitting before the desk, his eyes sparkling brightly, appearing capable of seeing right through a person.

Li Yifei pointed at the person before the desk and said to Qian Fei, "This gentleman is Li Qiansheng. When I'm in a good mood, he's my dad; when my mood is just average, he's just an old man who looks quite a bit like me. Sponsor Representative Qian, don't be timid. Let me give you the inside scoop—he just looks fierce, but he's actually a paper tiger."

Just as he was about to continue speaking, he was cut off by Li Qiansheng.

Li Qiansheng said with concise clarity, "Get out and pull the door shut behind you. I want to speak with Qian Fei alone."

Li Yifei looked at Qian Fei and asked, "Is that alright?"

Qian Fei said, "It's fine. I think it should be okay. Rest assured, I'll try my best not to chat with him to the point where he needs to take medication. You can head out."

Li Yifei turned around, addressing Li Qiansheng: "Let me tell you, don't go mimicking TV dramas, affectedly pulling out a check to give to her. I'll absolutely turn my back and leave! This time for real, even changing my surname to completely sever relations!"

Li Qiansheng said coldly, "Do you think I still have that kind of spare cash right now?"

Li Yifei thought about how the group's restructuring had severely depleted their vitality, and a great deal of money had also been spent earlier to settle that crisis with the clothing company. Calculating it this way, the free-flowing cash available on the group's books right now truly wasn't much.

"True enough, our family has a bunch of messy accounts right now!"

The corner of Li Qiansheng's mouth twitched, and with an incredibly cold, grim face, he uttered five words: "Get the hell out of here!"

Looking at that cold face and hearing the rich Northeast dialect that was highly mismatched with that face, Qian Fei felt she was about to develop a split personality.

She wondered if Li Yifei's dad, just like Ren Chengcheng's mother, was also a native of the Northeast...

●︶3︶●

Li Yifei went out. Furthermore, he helped pull the door shut from the outside.

Li Qiansheng pointed at the chair across from himself and said to Qian Fei, "Sit."

Qian Fei sat down in a completely natural and poised manner.

Li Qiansheng looked at her, his eyes shining intensely as he got straight to the point: "If it weren't for these two incidents occurring within the group right now, I would absolutely never agree to him finding a girlfriend whose family background doesn't match ours."

Qian Fei let out a light laugh and said, "If it weren't for hearing that you currently have a bit of a heart condition, I would absolutely strike back at you with sharp words."

Li Qiansheng arched an eyebrow. "For example?"

Qian Fei said, "For example, Fan Bingbing once said: 'I don't marry into wealthy families because I am a wealthy family myself!' For example, I am already a sponsor representative. After successfully pulling off a few projects, I will also be a wealthy person. The money I earn myself is entirely enough for me and my parents to live a life where we buy two bowls of soy milk every morning, drinking one and pouring the other down the drain. For another example, look at what your family has become right now—with just that little bit of cash on the books, you still have the mind to constantly worry over whether someone will lay a finger on your property! If you ask me, you should worry less and convalesce more. That little bit of cash on your books isn't even worth someone putting serious effort into plotting against!"

The corner of Li Qiansheng's mouth twitched into a brief smile. "Got some personality." Pausing, he pulled back his smile and asked, "If I truly write a check to you right now, which can be cashed at any time later once the group turns around and has money on the books, what will you do?"

Without a second thought, Qian Fei said, "Is there even a need to ask? Of course I'll pocket it and leave!"

Li Qiansheng knitted his brows. "You won't fling it in my face?"

Qian Fei laughed. "You've really watched too many TV dramas, haven't you? I'd have to be out of my mind to have a grudge against money."

Li Qiansheng leaned back against his chair, clasping his hands together over his stomach. With a sharp gaze, he asked, "Money and my son—which one do you love more?"

 

Qian Fei said with a serious face, "I think you should ask me: if one day money and your son fall into a river together, which one will I fish out?"

Li Qiansheng asked, "Which one will you fish out?"

Qian Fei said without the slightest hesitation, "I must fish out the money! Alright, I give up. Since I let you ask, you actually went ahead and asked. What is there to ask about this? Your son's swimming skills are excellent! It's said his dad taught him hand-by-hand when he was a child!"

Li Qiansheng broke into a full laugh.

●︶3︶●

For the entire afternoon, Li Yifei pulled over a chair and sat right outside the study the whole time.

In the beginning, it was quite quiet inside the study. Later on, he could intermittently hear a few sounds of laughter.

What was terrifying was that this laughter didn't belong to Qian Fei; it belonged to his dad.

As time went on, the frequency of his dad's laughter grew higher and higher, and the sound became increasingly robust.

His dad seemed entirely capable of having those mock-profound amusement points struck perfectly by his future daughter-in-law.

Listening to his dad's laughter, he felt utterly horrified. His Jinjin was truly becoming a powerhouse now—not only could she enter the kitchen and grace the living room, lead projects and handle rascals, but right now, she could even tackle the big boss of his household!

He felt he was on the verge of being unable to keep her under control!

He quickly pulled out his phone, staring anxiously into the screen to check his reflection.

Only when he saw that the face on the screen remained earth-shatteringly handsome did his heart finally settle down a great deal.

●︶3︶●

A month later, the restructuring of the listed company under the Qiansheng Group succeeded, the stock price stabilized, and the entire group was thriving and flourishing.

At the celebratory cocktail party, the big boss Li Qiansheng personally attended.

After accepting congratulations from all sides, Li Qiansheng pushed Li Yifei to the forefront, formally announcing that he would join the group going forward to take over the majority of his own workload. Taking advantage of the moment when Li Yifei was surrounded by well-wishers and unable to pull himself away, Li Qiansheng called Qian Fei over to his side and said to her, "Now that the group is operating soundly, the cash on the books will multiply immediately. Our family will become a premier wealthy household once again. Tell me, should I start arranging a wealthy socialite whose family matches ours for my son?"

Qian Fei arched her eyebrows at him. "Oh, Uncle Li, if your son agrees to this matter, I have no objections!"

Li Qiansheng looked at her and said, "I heard the Director of the parent company's Business Department is your ex-boyfriend."

Qian Fei said, "I sincerely wish that he and the niece from your family's generational friend can blossom and bear fruit early!"

Li Qiansheng let out a chuckle and said, "If they could be together, they would have been together long ago."

Qian Fei also let out a chuckle, saying, "Your energy is truly bountiful enough, knowing about absolutely everything. No wonder your health wasn't good a while back; I see it was exhaustion from overthinking."

Li Qiansheng carried two glasses of red wine, handing one of them to Qian Fei. "Only you dare speak to me like this. Every single one of them has to be thoroughly respectful toward me."

Qian Fei accepted the wine glass. "That's because I have nothing to covet from you. Therefore, I tell myself there's no need to feel a head shorter in front of you—neither humble nor arrogant!"

Li Qiansheng raised his wine glass toward her, and Qian Fei lowered the rim of her glass to clink it against his.

"Qian Fei, I called you over because I actually wanted to say thank you. My son lost his mother when he was very young. I spoiled him. Exactly how willful, arrogant, playful, selfish, lazy, and lacking a sense of responsibility he was—I knew better than anyone. But I discovered that after he cohabited with you, his entire person transformed from the inside out. To describe it as a complete rebirth wouldn't be an exaggeration."

Hearing Old Li's first heart-to-heart talk with her, Qian Fei hummed and hawed: "Uncle Li, allow me to clarify something with you—the two of us were flatmates sharing a rental, not cohabiting!"

Li Qiansheng said with an unchanged face, "To me, it's all the same."

Qian Fei raised her hand, helplessly slapping her own forehead.

One should never expect to hammer out clear logic with an elderly person.

Li Qiansheng continued, "After he returned home a while back, the first time I saw him use an electric rice cooker to produce a pot of rice, my heart pounded to the point where I almost needed to take medication. And the shock he gave me extended far beyond just that; he actually understood how to wash the dishes after a meal, and he would subconsciously do chores, tidy up the house, wash the clothes, and sometimes even help wash my socks. When interacting with people, he also began to understand how to stand in others' shoes and think from their perspective. I am very happy he underwent such changes. Although I've constantly kept saying that you haven't been abroad, in my heart, I am actually very grateful that you could train and discipline him into what he is today. Looking at him as he is now, I think I can safely hand him over to the girl who can make him better and better—even though this girl is from out of town, has only recently passed the sponsor representative exam, hasn't studied abroad, and painfully bought an apartment only to end up selling it in the end."

Qian Fei was originally listening to the preceding words, feeling that this Uncle Li was actually a good uncle with a cold face but a warm heart. But upon hearing the final sentence, she felt she had truly overthought it—this Uncle Li was simply a sharp-tongued uncle with a cold face and a heart condition.

She curled her lips. "How come it sounds like I'm the one getting a bargain? Right now, even if you want to shove him onto me, Sponsor Representative Qian might not necessarily be willing to accept him!"

Li Qiansheng tilted his lips up into a brief smile. "Then that's entirely up to you. If you don't want him, it just so happens I can find a wealthy socialite for him!"

●︶3︶●

After the restructuring of the Qiansheng Group, Li Yifei formally entered the group, beginning to gradually take over a portion of Li Qiansheng's workload.

He was tied up with an overwhelming amount of business.

Qian Fei quietly requested her annual leave, contacted a travel agency, and prepared to travel abroad for a week. She didn't tell Li Yifei; she planned to step out on her own with wild paces to properly meet those Western hunks with high noses and broad eyes.

She had told him before that she would also do something without telling him beforehand, to avenge his crime of not telling her who his dad was.

Carrying a simple duffel bag, she boarded the plane gracefully.

Watching others struggle to lift their heavy suitcases, she couldn't help but sigh. Over these past two years and more, she increasingly discovered that to live life, one must live it gracefully and freely. What was there to bring? Whatever was missing could just be acquired along the way; after all, Sponsor Representative Qian was now a person capable of earning big money.

Leaning against the window, she looked outside, waiting for the plane to take off.

Her reflection was dimly projected on the window glass. Looking at her own blurry reflection, she felt that compared to two years ago, she had truly changed in some aspects.

She had become confident, had stopped being an unprincipled softie, and had also developed a feminine charm.

She smiled at her own reflection.

She needed to thank that person. Without him, there wouldn't be the confident and decisive her of today.

She let out a yawn. Having slept too late last night, she was a bit drowsy. Unable to wait for the plane to take off, she pulled out an eye mask and put it on.

With the eye mask on, she found herself unable to sleep for a moment. Closing her eyes, her thoughts drifted wildly, and before she knew it, she thought of that nemesis of hers.

What was he doing right now? If he found out she had quietly gone on a trip abroad alone, what would happen? Would he drop the work at hand, track down her itinerary, and chase after her?

Thinking up to this point, she couldn't help but mock herself. She had truly watched too many melodramatic TV dramas, indulging in wild daytime spring dreams like an ignorant young girl.

She felt someone sit down in the seat beside her, their arm brushing against hers. She nudged herself a bit inward.

The plane took off.

A flight attendant came over to ask if they needed anything to drink.

She thought she would just let them think she was already asleep, so she didn't speak.

As a result, she heard a voice answer with crisp clarity, "Two glasses of orange juice, please—one for me and one for the lady sitting inside!"

This voice was all too familiar!

She ripped off her eye mask with a single pull.

As she snapped her head around, she saw her nemesis, grinning widely at her with a display of white teeth, smiling radiantly.

He said, "Hi, beautiful! My name is HowTeen. What about you?"

She couldn't help but burst into a radiant smile toward him as well—