Monday, August 21, 2023. Clear skies with intermittent clouds, 22–32°C.
At 5:30 in the morning, Tang Song woke up from his sleep. Instinctively, he reached out to the side, only to feel emptiness.
Looking around at the familiar surroundings, it slowly dawned on him—he had already left Shenzhen.
His original flight was at 4 PM, but right before leaving, when he saw Liu Qingning’s stubborn yet downcast expression, he rescheduled to 8 PM instead.
He spent a long ti with Su Yu in her practice room, singing together.
By the ti his flight landed and he returned to Yan City, it was already late at night.
There were two reasons why he had insisted on returning yesterday.
One was the Yannan Short Drama Base—he had already delayed it for a week and needed to et with Xie Yue today to finalize his Second Phase Growth Plan Task.
The other reason was that tomorrow was Qixi Festival.
Even though he deeply cherished his White Moonlight, there were still many people in Yan City that he cared about.
Sitting on his bed, staring into the dark sky outside, Tang Song’s mind flickered through various faces. The corners of his lips lifted slightly in an unconscious smile.
He wondered how they had all been doing lately.
Normal University Faculty Apartnts
The window was open.
The fan humd as it blew a gentle breeze.
At precisely the right mont, Qian Lele’s biological clock woke her up.
She quickly washed her face, put on a gray quick-dry T-shirt and sports pants, then slipped on the Adidas sneakers that Ding Yao had gifted her. Without wasting any ti, she headed downstairs.
As she walked toward the school, the sun gradually rose from the east, its orange glow spreading across the world.
Soon, the quiet and lush campus was filled with the rhythmic sound of footsteps and steady breathing.
She hadn’t originally been soone who exercised regularly—her daily workload was already exhausting enough.
Tang Song had been gone for quite so ti now, yet the influence he left on her life was deeply imprinted.
Morning runs, the books he left behind, the fruit tea he introduced her to…
Beyond that, he had even helped her find a new side gig.
Though calling it a side gig wasn’t quite accurate—it was more like freelance work.
She was now helping a five-star hotel create digital ad pages—both for web and in-app embeds—and she had to deploy them to the server herself before sending the link to the dia specialists for placent.
It was exactly within her skill level, giving her a strong sense of accomplishnt.
Each page earned her 600 yuan, and so far, she had completed two.
Combined with her earnings from her night market stall, she now had a decent little savings—the key difference being that her inco had beco far more stable.
To better support her work, she had already begun browsing for a new laptop.
Her budget was around 3,000 yuan, preferably sothing brand new.
After her workout, she made herself a quick breakfast, wolfed it down in a hurry, and checked the ti—exactly 6:30 AM.
Opening the fridge to prepare ingredients for her stall that night, her gaze landed on a sealed glass jar tucked in the back.
Inside was a batch of homade pickled vegetables—a mix of sweet, sour, and spicy flavors.
Tang Song had always complinted her pickles, saying they were delicious.
When the last batch was finished, she had specially bought a pretty jar and made an extra portion for him—wanting to gift it to him.
She bit her lip, her mind echoing his words from that night:
"I live in Yanjing Tiancheng Residence. If you're coming from Normal University, just take Bus 31—it’ll take you right there."
Truthfully, the real reason she had made this batch of pickles was to have an excuse to see him again.
But she never found the courage to bring it up.
And he never ca looking for her either.
All she knew was that he had beco a shareholder in Shimr Coffee, and she had seen a photo of him with President Xie in the company group chat—they looked incredibly well-matched.
For her, everything that had happened on that sumr night felt like Cinderella’s fleeting dream.
"Click."
The fridge door closed softly.
Qian Lele poured boiling water over her tea leaves, letting it cool. Then she grabbed a lemon, scrubbed it clean with salt, sliced it into thin rounds, and removed the seeds.
The kitchen was filled with the sounds of busy preparation.
She ticulously followed every step—brewing iced lemon tea for her stall that evening.
She had always been a diligent and pragmatic person—she knew exactly what she needed to focus on right now.
But sotis, amid her hustle and bustle, she would suddenly think of that guy who had once eaten scallion pancakes and pickles with her, helped her at her stall, nerded out over coding, and patiently taught her frontend developnt.
And for a fleeting mont, she would space out—then smile to herself.
At 7:00 AM sharp, she walked out of her apartnt complex and headed toward Shimr Coffee.
Tomorrow was Qixi Festival, and the café was holding a big promotion. She needed to help Zhao Jie and the team prepare the materials.
Star Blossom Garden, Building 8
"Ring ring ring!"
The alarm clock buzzed incessantly in the bedroom.
Yawning groggily, Yao Lingling sat up and turned it off.
She checked the ti and stretched, still half-asleep.
Her weekend had been exhaustingly busy, mainly because she had been working on sothing important—
The custom-tailored autumn suit she was making for Tang Song was finally finished.
Opening her wardrobe, she looked at the dust-bagged suit and bead with joy.
In just two days, it would be the End of Heat—the peak sumr heat would gradually fade, and the weather would start cooling down.
The suit would be perfect to wear.
Plus, now that she had a scooter, she could invite Tang Song for a weekend ride—and even introduce him to her new friend, Cheng Qiuqiu.
Hehe. Just thinking about it was exciting!
Stripping off her pajamas, she stood naked in front of the mirror.
Instinctively, she straightened her back and sucked in her stomach, admiring her reflection as she twisted from side to side.
Having a smaller waist really did make her figure pop—but the real ga-changer was her hips.
She had definitely been getting more attention lately.
Indeed—waist-to-hip ratio was the ultimate weapon!
But then she pouted, reaching up to pat her chest with mild disappointnt.
"Why does it feel like it got a little smaller? Is it because of my diet?"
She lingered in self-doubt for a mont before throwing on a short-sleeved top and shorts.
Then, heading to the living room, she started her daily glute workout—
Goblet squats, sumo squats, single-leg Romanian deadlifts...
After four sets, she grabbed her phone and snapped a mirror selfie.
Just then—
"Aiya!"
The bedroom door creaked open.
A figure erged sleepily.
Grinning mischievously, Yao Lingling skipped over and hugged her shoulders.
"Morning, Jiahong~!"
"Morning, Lingling," Zhang Jiahong replied with zero energy.
But now, treating him as soone she actually liked, she found herself shrinking back.
Qixi was such an important day—Senior Tang Song would definitely be having dinner with the girl he liked.
If she invited him out under the excuse of her birthday, it would surely put him in an awkward position.
"You, you!" Zhang Jiahong huffed and smacked her on the butt.
Yao Lingling quickly dodged, laughing. "Alright, alright, I’m not joking around with you anymore. I’m going to wake up Minmin. Oh, by the way, we’re doing karaoke tomorrow night, and I’m bringing a new friend I just t—Cheng Qiuqiu. She sings amazingly!"
With that, she darted into Li Shumin’s room.
Watching her leave, Zhang Jiahong's gaze flickered. She had made up her mind—she was going to give her best friend a little push tomorrow.
Yunxi Tower, 30th Floor – Songi Fashion
"Good morning, President Gao."
"Morning."
"Morning! President Gao, your outfit today is stunning."
…
With a gentle yet radiant smile, Gao ngting greeted every colleague she passed along the way.
The workplace atmosphere was lively—everyone wore bright smiles on their faces.
The successful launch of the "He Yiyi" account had brought stable and outstanding revenue to the company.
The business was booming, benefits were excellent, and managent was incredibly humane.
Employees felt an increasing sense of belonging, which motivated them to work even harder.
As the Executive Vice President, Gao ngting couldn’t be happier about it.
Entering her spacious and well-lit office, she hung up her bag, brewed a hot pot of tea, and settled in at her desk, ready to work.
She logged into the OA system, reviewed, and processed all the pending approvals.
Then, she sent out the weekly live-stream report that she had organized last night to Tang Song’s corporate email.
One thing worth ntioning—their CEO had finally returned to Yan City.
Seeing his morning WeChat ssage had instantly brightened her mood.
Truthfully, the company was already running smoothly.
After restructuring, every departnt had a clear division of roles with balanced authority, allowing the company to function at full speed without friction.
Even if Tang Song didn’t physically work in the office, his absence didn’t cause any major disruptions.
As long as he signed off on major financial expenditures via the OA system, everything ran just fine.
But…
She still looked forward to working alongside him again.
"Knock, knock, knock."
A girl with a high ponytail walked in.
"President Gao, the final plan for the Qixi Festival live-stream event is ready. Here’s the final draft for your review."
As she spoke, she placed a folder on the desk.
"Alright," Gao ngting reached out to take it, then looked up at her assistant, Tan Qi, and asked softly, "By the way, has the team decided on a location for our team-building event?"
"Yes! A lot of us think Wushan would be a great choice—mountains, the ocean, and cool weather. It’s perfect for a retreat!"
Gao ngting pursed her lips and chuckled. "You guys must’ve picked that because you know I’m from Wushan, right?"
"Not entirely!" Tan Qi smiled sweetly. "Beidaihe, Nandaihe, and Golden Coast are all pretty famous spots, plus Wushan is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Yan Province. Everyone just genuinely likes it!"
"Alright then, I’ll discuss it with President Tang later."
"Got it!" Tan Qi blinked playfully, then lowered her voice. "By the way, tomorrow is Qixi Festival. Do you have any plans? Need to book a movie or a restaurant for you?"
Gao ngting froze for a second, then replied, "No need."
"Oh, okay." Tan Qi smiled awkwardly before backing out of the room.
As the door clicked shut, Gao ngting found herself staring off into space. Fresh chapters posted on noⅴelfire
Her mind replayed the mory of him holding her in his arms, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead in this very office.
Ever since that day when she felt their emotions intertwine, she had been having steamy dreams about him.
She even secretly wrote them down in a notebook—pulling it out to read now and then.
She had always loved books, once a true literary romantic, frequently publishing essays and poetry online.
Her writing style was influenced by authors like Junichi Watanabe, rich in subtle and intricate details.
Every fantasy she crafted—the physical and emotional reactions of both parties—was woven in with deep, vivid strokes.
Her obsessive craving for him made her both terrified and ashad—yet she couldn’t stop indulging in the fantasy.
And the more she gave in to these urges, the more she longed for him.
She felt like she and her junior, Qiuqiu, were on opposite extres.
"If only we could balance each other out…"
Yan City Streets – A Black BMW 7 Series
Inside the quiet car cabin—
"Alright, got it. Send the location to the group chat. I’ll head over with the marketing team this afternoon."
"Also, make sure to coordinate the recruitnt with the HR firm."
"Okay. Bye."
Ending the call, Xie Shuyu massaged her temples, feeling the strain.
She grabbed the folder beside her, flipping through it with a serious expression.
Tang Song’s investnt funds were about to be deposited, and the expansion plan for Shimr Coffee’s new stores was already in motion.
Over the past few days, she and her executive team had been scouting locations all across Yan City, carefully evaluating each site.
Of course, beyond choosing locations, the biggest challenge was hiring top-tier talent.
To compete with giants like Luckin Coffee and Starbucks, they needed to recruit outstanding professionals.
Optimizing the supply chain, innovating new products, strengthening brand building and marketing—
Before, they didn’t have the resources for this.
But now, with Tang Song’s hefty cash injection, she had the confidence to make Shimr Coffee thrive.
"President Xie," the driver, Xiao Min, suddenly called out.
Without looking up, Xie Shuyu responded while scanning her docunts. "What’s up?"
"Tomorrow is Qixi Festival."
"Mm, I know. Double-check the café event preparations with the store managers today—everything needs to be perfect. Also, remind Qian Lele to bring her laptop tomorrow for the mini-program updates."
"Understood." Xiao Min hesitated before adding, "Also… should I prepare a gift for you?"
"Oh?" Xie Shuyu raised a brow. "What do you an?"
"It’s Valentine’s Day… Don't you have plans with Mr. Tang?"
Having worked as Xie Shuyu’s assistant for four years, Xiao Min knew her boss inside out.
After confirming her relationship with Tang Song, Xie Shuyu had personally inford her.
"Valentine’s Day…"
Blinking in realization, Xie Shuyu suddenly rembered—
She actually had a boyfriend now.
The thought felt… strange.
Thinking back, she didn’t even know what Tang Song liked.
Even in WeChat conversations, they only ever talked about work.
She never once asked what he wanted.
Qixi Festival was coming up, and yet… she had been so focused on running a promo event that she completely forgot about him.
She suddenly felt like a completely unqualified girlfriend.
Pressing her lips together, she asked, "What do you think I should get him?"
Xiao Min chuckled. "I’m getting my boyfriend a pair of noise-canceling headphones—it’s been sitting in his cart for ages, so I thought I’d surprise him."
"Oh, right! Tang Song likes tech gadgets."
Xie Shuyu’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Order one for too. Deliver it to tomorrow morning."
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