Knock knock.
A knock sounded at the door.
“Come in.”
Jiang Min looked up, rubbing her aching temples, and saw You Hui enter. “Huihui, what is it?”
You Hui answered, “Manager Su just called me. Once the first draft of the video is done, it also has to go to the corporate side for pre-review.”
Jiang Min frowned. “Was there ever such an agreement? This is a government collaboration project. I don’t recall any precedent like this.”
You Hui looked helpless. “It’s a government project, sure, but the funds are disbursed by them. If they really make that demand, we have no way to refuse. On the phone he was vague about everything, wouldn’t say what exactly was going on—just that we should come over and talk in person.”
“Fine,” Jiang Min nodded. “Deliverables are due right after the new year anyway. Let’s set a time and go talk. Though my guess is they have some new demand.”
“Manager Su said he’s free this afternoon or next Monday.”
“Next Monday is too late. Today, then. Bring Lin Xuqing along.”
“What if they give us trouble again? If Eldest Miss Tang happens to be over there, should we invite her along too?”
“Can’t rule it out.” Jiang Min paused. “Whether or not to invite Miss Tang—let Lin Xuqing decide for herself.”
She wasn’t some hidebound traditionalist, and she had no taste for false aloofness. If Tang Xiaoyu happened to be there, she’d be happy to borrow the help.
When Lin Xuqing finished hearing You Hui out, her expression shifted subtly. “Her? She’d be delighted.”
By four in the afternoon, everyone understood exactly what Lin Xuqing had meant by “delighted.”
Eldest Miss Tang not only came over in person, she treated the entire office to afternoon tea—fried chicken, milk tea, fruit, egg tarts… plus a movie ticket and a concert ticket for every single person.
Mi Wei stared, dumbfounded, and asked Lin Xuqing, “Sister Little Lin, does this count as… ‘I have a rich bestie’?”
Lin Xuqing pulled Tang Xiaoyu aside. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I was bored anyway, so I came for a stroll.”
“You could’ve just waited for us at the company. Did you have to make such a spectacle and hand out all this stuff?”
“It’s not for you, so why are you so worked up?”
“Your intentions are written all over your face.”
“So what? When I, the young miss, pursue someone, I do it openly and honestly. Unlike some people—total clam.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
At that second half of the sentence, Lin Xuqing’s tone dropped. “This is my workplace.”
“Tch, what’s there to be nervous about?” Tang Xiaoyu, quite cooperative, stopped right at the line. “What do you think of my dress today?”
She lifted the hem slightly, her smile bright and sweet. “Pretty, right? Pretty, right?”
Lin Xuqing answered perfunctorily. “It’s fine.”
Jiang Min came downstairs just in time to catch the scene.
Her step faltered for half a beat, then she kept walking down.
“Sister Jiang, good afternoon!”
Tang Xiaoyu greeted her with a beaming smile.
You Hui had just finished gathering the materials and came out, giving Jiang Min a wry smile. “Sister Min, one of these days we’ll have to treat Little Yu to a meal.”
A moment ago, Eldest Miss Tang had been all poise and grace; now she looked sheepish. “It’s nothing. Just picked a few things up in passing.”
“Time’s about right. Let’s head out.”
It wasn’t far—about a twenty-minute drive.
Lin Xuqing drove; Jiang Min took the passenger seat.
The moment they were in the car, Tang Xiaoyu started talking.
“This project of yours isn’t handled by my dad’s side. Last time he strong-armed Manager Su, but he can’t keep intervening after that.”
“This Su is close with another of the vice presidents. President Peng and my dad have never gotten along. But he’s not a bad sort, really—as long as what you deliver satisfies him, he won’t deliberately make things hard for you.”
“I’ll skip going up with you. If President Peng sees me, he might get angry and take it out on you. I’ll get out here and go find the Finance Director.”
Jiang Min said it was no problem. “We only asked you to help out in passing. If it’s inconvenient, just tell Little Lin. You’ve already been put out enough for us.”
“It’s fine, I wanted to come,” Tang Xiaoyu said brightly. “I had business here anyway, so I figured I’d just ride along.”
“I’m off, then!”
“Okay. We’ll come up a bit later.”
They waited a few minutes before taking the elevator up.
This time, Manager Su didn’t put on airs and make them wait—uncharacteristically warm. “President Jiang, President You, please, sit, sit.”
Jiang Min was a little surprised. “Thank you.”
Manager Su made a few more pleasantries before getting to the point. “At year’s end, our group is producing a promotional film to showcase our company’s support for and commitment to social welfare. Our President Peng has said he’d like to ask you to cut a short promotional video in addition to the official one—nothing too formal, doesn’t need to be long. We’ll provide the footage on our end.”
Jiang Min exchanged a look with You Hui. So that was the real reason they’d been called over.
She thought for a moment, then could only nod. “When do you need it by?”
Manager Su smiled with narrowed eyes. “Before the new year.”
Jiang Min agreed. “Once we’re done, we’ll set a time with you.”
“Good. See you then.”
Coming out of the conference room, You Hui couldn’t hold back her complaint. “Nine out of ten clients are like this—squeezing the vendor for every last drop.”
“Let it go. Don’t be angry.” Jiang Min had seen plenty of this; it didn’t stir her much. “Didn’t Miss Tang say just now? President Peng most likely won’t deliberately make things hard for us. It’s just extra workload—as long as the final payment clears smoothly, that’s all that matters.”
Jiang Min glanced back at Lin Xuqing.
Lin Xuqing was off in her own thoughts, walking at the rear.
Jiang Min didn’t need to ask—she could guess she was probably thinking about how to make the new video—and didn’t disturb her.
Tang Xiaoyu soon finished her business and came down, waiting for them in the car.
You Hui pulled open the rear door and climbed in. “Fine, fine. Let’s wrap this up fast before the new year—I want to go skiing before Spring Festival.”
Jiang Min asked, “Have you decided where?”
“Not yet. Nowhere’s decided. None of the ski resorts nearby really appeal to me.”
“Skiing?” Tang Xiaoyu couldn’t help chiming in. “A friend of mine runs a ski resort—there’s hot springs, skiing, barbecue. Let’s all go this weekend!”
Jiang Min shook her head. “You young folks go have fun. Count me out.”
“I like hanging out with my older sisters! Besides, it’s only a few years’ difference—what’s this ‘young people’ nonsense!”
Jiang Min figured she’d just asked the woman for a favor, and refusing her invitation so bluntly now seemed a bit too cold, so she nodded. “All right.”
You Hui was easygoing about it. “Either way’s fine for me.”
“See you this weekend, then!” Tang Xiaoyu was delighted. “Though I’m not very good at skiing. You won’t look down on me, will you?”
“Of course not,” You Hui said with a laugh. “I’ll teach you.”
Tang Xiaoyu seized her hand at once, giving it a little shake. “Thank you, Sister~”
The girl’s palm was warm and soft. You Hui wasn’t quite used to this kind of physical contact, but it would be awkward to shake her off stiffly, so she endured the discomfort.
But Tang Xiaoyu let go quickly enough, saying offhandedly, “Oh, right—Dad just called asking why I was looking for the Finance Director. But the moment he heard it was for Good Samaritan Lin, he agreed without a second thought.”
You Hui was curious. “Are you two—college classmates?”
Tang Xiaoyu nodded. “Yep. I started school early—Dad used his Money Power to send me off two years ahead of schedule, and what sprouted was a crooked melon and a split jujube.”
“And then?”
“And then, senior year, Good Samaritan Lin taught me the experiments for my thesis and ran the data for me. Without Good Samaritan Lin, I never would’ve graduated. Dad’s been grateful to her ever since.”
“Last year, when Engineer Lin came back to Mingchuan, my three-bedroom apartment had a room sitting empty, and Dad enthusiastically invited Engineer Lin to be my roommate, asking her to keep an eye on me.”
“And Engineer Lin graciously deigned to share a roof with me. I prostrate myself in eternal gratitude.”
Lin Xuqing said flatly, “You talk too much.”
Tang Xiaoyu was unmoved. “Yes, yes, yes, Good Samaritan Lin is absolutely right.”
“Shut it.”
“Nope. What are you going to do about it?”
Lin Xuqing didn’t bother arguing with her. When they got back to the park and got out of the car, she walked ahead with Tang Xiaoyu and asked in a low voice, “Why were you so talkative today?”
Tang Xiaoyu answered with a delighted grin. “So your Sister Jiang doesn’t overthink things.”
“She’s not mine. Watch your words.”
“Tsk tsk, listen to that tone. You’re just dying for her to be yours, aren’t you?”
Lin Xuqing: “…”
Tang Xiaoyu burst out laughing. “Flustered and furious!”
“Seriously, you definitely don’t understand women better than I do.”
“Can’t be bothered with you.”
“What’s the rush? Wait for me~”
“…”
Watching their bantering backs, You Hui suddenly sighed. “Sister Min, why do I feel like I owe Eldest Miss Tang more and more favors…”
On the road just now, she’d mentioned offhandedly that the Finance Director was very hard to deal with—and the first thing Tang Xiaoyu did after getting out of the car was go find the woman. Who knew whether that “I had business here anyway” was actually true or just an excuse.
Jiang Min teased her. “Uh-oh. It’s just work—you’re not planning to marry yourself off to her, are you?”
“Don’t you dare say things like that!” You Hui was exasperated. “You straight girls shouldn’t just toss around jokes like that.”
Jiang Min laughed. “I was only saying. Where’d your mind go?”
You Hui: “Honestly, I’m scared of you people. Forget it. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Fine, fine, I’ll stop teasing you. What are you getting guilty about?”
Jiang Min didn’t keep teasing her.
Instead, her thoughts drifted back to what Tang Xiaoyu had said earlier. Oh… so they really were just roommates. All this time, she’d assumed…
Jiang Min looked at Lin Xuqing’s back.
Lin Xuqing was wearing a cream-white short coat today—it suited her age so much better than her usual grays and blacks. She had on the pink-and-white plaid scarf Jiang Min had given her, gentle and lovely. Quite pretty, really.
Wasn’t today the first day she’d worn that scarf? She should have worn it sooner.
And, well—her taste really was excellent.
At the thought, the corners of Jiang Min’s lips curled up without her noticing.
