“Did she really say that to her?” Ji Fan widened her eyes as she asked Dan Wuyan, who was pushing the shopping cart.
Dan Wuyan, following obediently at her side, nodded honestly. “Yeah.”
Ji Fan felt a twinge of jealousy. Thinking about her own interactions with the impenetrable General Manager Fu, she subconsciously twirled her hair with a sour expression and strode forward.
They needed to buy some things for the New Year—spring couplets, ingredients, fruits, and the like. Since she’d brought along some manual labor, there wasn’t much she couldn’t carry anyway.
She wasn’t too busy herself; the one swamped was the big director from their R&D Department.
Ji Fan headed into the fresh produce section and said, “I’m telling you, since Miss Jing has said that much, if you, Dan Wuyan, don’t take the initiative soon, I really won’t be able to carry you anymore.”
Dan Wuyan nodded obediently, indicating that was only natural. Ji Fan glanced at her skeptically. “You’re sure you don’t need me to give you any ideas this time?”
The other woman gripped the cart handle and shook her head with a smile.
Since her friend seemed so confident, Ji Fan didn’t bother meddling further.
She had to think about how to coax Fu Lianzhi. As they pushed the cart along, Ji Fan muttered at her side, “We’re all from Fengcheng—how come the treatment is so different…”
Especially since Ji Fan knew Jing Yan had cooked for Dan Wuyan and even comforted her when she was upset.
Comparing people really was infuriating.
Ji Fan walked backward, looking disinterested, but her gaze kept drifting to Dan Wuyan’s beaming face. The more she looked, the more sour she felt.
She picked and chose on the shelves, tossing the liked items into the cart and ignoring the rest. “General Manager Dan… how come I don’t have luck like that? Even the heavens seem to be helping you out.”
“That dinner party, I was just speaking without thinking, but I was mad because she’d deleted me from her WeChat last time.”
“No matter how proud Fu Lianzhi is, we used to love each other, right? She won’t even show a shred of old affection? There are plenty of other fish in the sea—I don’t want to keep crashing on her one blade of grass…”
Dan Wuyan, pushing from behind, suddenly stopped. Ji Fan tugged at the cart. “What’s wrong? Can’t push it? I didn’t take that much.”
Realizing Dan Wuyan’s expression was off, Ji Fan turned around warily to check, only to see Fu Lianzhi and Jing Yan standing right behind her, just half a meter away.
Ji Fan instantly wanted to burrow into the ground. Looked like the heavens weren’t helping her at all!
In her moment of careless venting, the woman herself had appeared and overheard their conversation.
Jing Yan didn’t seem fazed by running into the two of them, but Fu Lianzhi’s face was ashen, her fists clenched tightly, glaring at Ji Fan like she wanted to devour her.
Ji Fan’s eyes darted away, avoiding contact as much as possible. She pulled Dan Wuyan and the cart forward, nodding and bowing in greeting. “Heh heh… General Manager Fu, General Manager Jing, what a coincidence… You’re here too?”
Jing Yan first glanced at Dan Wuyan behind Ji Fan, then at the awkward pair in front of her.
“General Manager Ji, you’re personally doing the shopping too?” Jing Yan changed the subject, trying to lighten the atmosphere among the four of them.
“It’s almost New Year, after all.” Ji Fan grinned, lowering her eyelids so she wouldn’t have to see Fu Lianzhi’s ugly expression.
But that was just self-deception. Somehow, as they chatted, the four of them ended up shopping together.
Ji Fan wanted to suggest splitting up, but seeing Dan Wuyan’s radiant smile, could she really bear to separate her from her Jing Yan?
Fine, she’d endure it for her friend’s sake.
The four walked together, with Jing Yan and Dan Wuyan in the middle, Ji Fan and Fu Lianzhi at either end.
Soon, Ji Fan thought, did this group have to be arranged like this? Couldn’t she and Dan Wuyan go their separate ways, leaving Fu Lianzhi—who clearly disliked her—to stick with Jing Yan anyway?
Spotting fresh strawberries on a shelf, Ji Fan elbowed Dan Wuyan. The other woman immediately understood and grabbed several boxes into the cart.
Dan Wuyan thought Ji Fan wanted to eat them.
Seeing them go into their cart, Ji Fan got excited and whispered in her ear, “Put them in their cart. Fu Lianzhi likes strawberries—consider it helping out.”
Dan Wuyan got it and transferred all the strawberries into Fu Lianzhi’s cart in one go. The woman stared in astonishment. “Team Leader Dan, what are you doing?”
“Oh, Ji Fan said you like them.”
What the hell?
Ji Fan mentally screamed a huge “what the hell!”
Was this blockhead doing it on purpose or not?
Wasn’t this just screwing her over?
Would Fu Lianzhi even accept them if she said that?
Ji Fan’s heart leaped to her throat, but seeing the woman’s expressionless face, she felt a pang of disappointment. Actually, Dan Wuyan spilling the beans outright might be better—she really wanted to see Fu Lianzhi’s reaction.
But it wasn’t going as hoped.
Dan Wuyan added, “I have this supermarket’s black card. We can settle up together later? General Manager Fu?”
Fu Lianzhi tried to decline, but Jing Yan did some persuading at the side, and she reluctantly agreed.
Ji Fan pulled her aside and whispered, “When did you get a black card? Why didn’t you mention it when I came?”
Dan Wuyan spread her hands. “You didn’t ask.”
Ji Fan told her to hand over the receipt later so she could transfer the money—then it would naturally count as her treat.
Previously, even buying Fu Lianzhi a coffee got rejected, but strawberries were her favorite. She’d have Dan Wuyan sneak a few boxes in at checkout.
Carrying the bags, Fu Lianzhi frowned at the weight. “I don’t remember taking this much.”
Jing Yan saw through it and said, “I grabbed some too. When I leave later, I’ll take some off your hands.”
“Really?” Fu Lianzhi was puzzled. Actually, she’d suggested Jing Yan come with her because her mood hadn’t been great lately.
The four parted ways.
Dan Wuyan drove Ji Fan to the homestay she’d mentioned before. The assistant had already had the room set up with everything she needed.
Though the location was away from the city center, it had beautiful mountains, water, and scenery. A few steps from the door revealed the vast sea tides, with boats bobbing speckled on the waves.
Ji Fan especially loved places like this.
With New Year just a week away, the two decorated the rooms inside and out. The once barren space livened up instantly with the window flowers and spring couplets.
“Isn’t this a bit too much?” Dan Wuyan rested with hands on hips, then pointed at one spot. “But why is there a red ‘double happiness’ in my room?”
“It looks good!”
Ji Fan lounged on the sofa, twirling a lighter between her fingers before lighting it. Staring at the flame, she turned to her. “Want to ask your Jing Yan out?”
No need to ask—Ji Fan knew Dan Wuyan was hugely interested. At the mention, the woman sat down beside her quietly. “New Year’s almost here. How should I ask her? What if General Manager Jing has to go home for it?”
Ji Fan laid her cards on the table. “Here’s the deal: if you can get Jing Yan to come out, then I’ll have a shot at getting Fu Lianzhi.”
So that’s what this was about.
Dan Wuyan racked her brain but couldn’t think of a better way. Besides, Jing Yan’s mother seemed to still be living at her place.
With New Year approaching and elders at home, inviting her now probably wouldn’t work.
Under Ji Fan’s encouragement, Dan Wuyan grew even more determined.
The winter night brought gusts of cold wind. Dan Wuyan parked early under the Fengcheng building. Ji Fan hopped out, rubbing her hands and breathing warm air into her palms. Tonight, Dan Wuyan had asked Cheng Ruyue, and Jing Yan wasn’t going anywhere—she was finishing up the last bits.
It was straight up 9 p.m. Dan Wuyan bought hot milk from a nearby convenience store, plus a box of mixed meat-and-veggie oden, and some red bean cakes.
None of it had strong smells.
Ji Fan tagged along and copied the order.
She knew Fu Lianzhi and Jing Yan were close at Fengcheng. After so long there, Dan Wuyan surely knew what tempted white-collar stomachs like theirs.
Ji Fan eagerly pressed the button for the Production Department floor, eyes gleaming. “You’re sure you checked?”
Dan Wuyan stood there. “Yeah.” Cheng Ruyue was Fengcheng’s little know-it-all. Whether Fu Lianzhi was in the office tonight wasn’t hard for her to find out.
Ji Fan grumbled, “You guys at Fengcheng work overtime every day—it’s become a tradition, huh? Don’t you feel bad? I do, anyway.”
Dan Wuyan stared straight at her. Ji Fan got creeped out. “Why are you staring? I said you don’t feel bad?”
Dan Wuyan replied, “The last part.”
“I said I feel bad.”
Bad for who?
Definitely not Jing Yan.
Dan Wuyan lowered her eyes and smiled.
Ji Fan fell silent and headed straight to the Production Department.
The R&D director’s office light was still on, casting a glow on Jing Yan’s profile. Her high nose bridge caught gray shadows, long lashes fluttering in them. She was buried in work, utterly focused, oblivious to the footsteps outside.
Dan Wuyan didn’t want to disturb her, so she moved slowly. Only near the door did she knock.
“Why are you here?” That was Jing Yan’s first reaction.
The winter night air was cold and thin. Though seeing Dan Wuyan at this hour made her happy, the weather was too harsh. She noticed the other woman’s cheeks flushed cherry-red against her white hair, standing out starkly.
Jing Yan kept her composure but inexplicably furrowed her brow slightly.
Dan Wuyan came over and unpacked the food, speaking in a perfectly natural tone. “Hungry? Eat something. I’ll wait for you to get off work.”
Jing Yan set her things down. She was indeed hungry. Without this visit, she’d have kept working until everything was done.
She wanted to wrap up New Year prep early and take a proper break.
Dan Wuyan handed over chopsticks. “Anything I can help with?”
Jing Yan felt something off. These lines from Dan Wuyan were unusually casual, like they were a couple in the honeymoon phase—no “General Manager Jing” prefix like before.
“This report needs a clinical data comparison, then extract the differences. Has to go to Vice President Chen tonight.”
Jing Yan took a sip of milk and explained. Then she stood to offer her chair, but Dan Wuyan fetched one from nearby and sat down beside her.
Jing Yan listed the other tasks. Dan Wuyan leaned in close. As she turned, their noses brushed.
Dan Wuyan scooted her chair back. “Oh, sorry.”
That sounded even stranger. Jing Yan kicked her chair aside with her high heel, and Dan Wuyan returned to the computer.
Jing Yan ate the food she’d brought, sneaking glances at Dan Wuyan’s profile now and then.
She had to admit, the woman’s features were strikingly beautiful. Especially since she’d forgotten to remove her hoodie hood—the silver-gray curls peeked from the brim, covering her forehead again. Her dark eyes gleamed wetly in the screen light, stirring pity.
Management work came naturally to Dan Wuyan. Fengcheng’s system wasn’t as efficient as Roche’s, which ramped up the director’s workload.
Dan Wuyan simplified what she could, but complex data required manual comparison without software.
She finished one task half an hour ahead of Jing Yan’s pace, handling everything as instructed. As she turned, Jing Yan held out a piece of red bean cake between two fingers. Dan Wuyan got it and bit into it, her heart pounding.
Everything with Jing Yan since returning to the country was what she’d never dared imagine in Switzerland.
With help, efficiency soared. Dan Wuyan tidied the desk, and they turned off the lights and left.
Dan Wuyan checked Ji Fan’s message: Fu Lianzhi had shut her down again.
[You and Jing Yan go ahead. I’m staying put tonight!]
Dan Wuyan smiled helplessly down at her phone.
Since she’d called Ji Fan back to the country, the woman’s temperament seemed much more restrained.
Her car was parked right downstairs for quick access. As they exited the building, the howling wind whipped past their ears.
Dan Wuyan buttoned her coat and extended her palm to Jing Yan. “Give me your hand.”
Still no “General Manager Jing.” Jing Yan felt her heart warm.
Lost in thoughts, she reached out, and Dan Wuyan clasped it tightly, interlocking their fingers before slipping both into her coat pocket.
Dan Wuyan felt her face burning—whether from the cold wind or not, she couldn’t tell.
It was the first time she had so shamelessly grabbed the hand of the girl she liked, their palms clasped tightly together. Although they had skipped over dating and done what was supposed to be the final act in love, at this moment, she wanted to start from zero with Jing Yan…
