October 11, 2023, Cloudy, 1323°C.
Morning sunlight stread into the room through the gap in the curtains.
Shen Yuyan sat up in bed and rubbed her slightly tired eyes.
Her movents were slow and lazy, as if still imrsed in so lingering thoughts.
Hugging her knees, she curled up at the head of the bed, staring blankly ahead.
Last night, she had a dream—a very strange... sweet dream.
In the dream, she was back in her college days.
Once again, she beca the campus belle, adored by all, at the height of her glory.
In the dream, she rushed straight into the lecture hall, sat beside Tang Song in everyone’s shocked gaze, and confessed to him.
She smoothly beca his girlfriend.
They had a romantic campus relationship—
bathed in spring rains, welcod the sumr, felt the autumn breeze, and stepped through the winter snow.
Every scene was as beautiful as a movie.
Zoning out for a while, Shen Yuyan shook her head, gradually pulling herself out of the fantasy.
As for Tang Song—there was no way she didn’t like him.
The reason she dread that was, deep down, she was filled with regret and longing.
Regret that she never noticed him in college;
longing that, if she could beco his official girlfriend, not only could she enjoy sweet love, but also use his power to climb the social ladder.
But reality isn’t one of Xu Qing’s novels. There aren’t that many miracles.
She checked the ti.
7:02.
Shen Yuyan put on a loose-knit cardigan, stepped into her slippers, and walked into the room across the hall.
The door wasn’t locked. A light push and it opened.
The lighting in the room was soft. Xu Qing was curled up under the covers, a shiny thread of drool at the corner of her mouth, smacking her lips now and then, sleeping soundly.
Shen Yuyan stood beside the bed, pressing her lips into a gentle smile, quietly watching her for a while, eyes full of warmth.
Xu Qing’s personality was always so bubbly and simple-minded.
Since high school, Shen Yuyan had always “covered” her, and in the ten-plus years since, she had remained just as naive.
Every ti she looked at her, Shen Yuyan couldn’t help but recall their youthful days together.
She stepped closer, lifted the covers, and patted her bestie’s perky butt, “Ti to get up, Qingqing.”
“Mm Tang Song, you’re so bad, spanking again...” ca a low murmur.
Shen Yuyan froze slightly, cheeks reddening, then her gaze dimd.
She could tell Xu Qing truly liked Tang Song, yet she had chosen to do sothing that might hurt her friend.
Sighing, Shen Yuyan took off her slippers and climbed into bed,
hugging Xu Qing from behind, planting a gentle kiss on her playful cheek, and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry. Please forgive , my dear silly Qing.”
“Ugh~ you awful Little Songzi, what are you trying to do again... I’ll make Yanyan beat you up…”
Hearing that, Shen Yuyan couldn’t help but giggle and reached in to gently tickle her, “Silly Qing, the sun’s up already.”
“Ugh...” Xu Qing mumbled as she rolled over drowsily, eyes cracking open just enough to see her bestie before burying her face into Shen Yuyan’s chest, mumbling, “Don’t bug ... five more minutes...”
“If you don’t get up, I’m gonna use up all your sunscreen spray!”
“Go ahead... your Sister Qingqing’s not broke now... I’ve got lots and lots of money... heheh...”
Shen Yuyan stifled a laugh and patted her, “Little Songzi’s coming to spank you again, run!”
“Ah!” Xu Qing gasped and sat up abruptly, clutching her butt in panic, her dark eyes darting left and right, “No hitting! No hitting!”
“O(n_n)O haha~” Shen Yuyan patted her little butt, “Gotta say, it does feel nice to spank. No wonder Tang Song likes it.”
“Ahh! You scheming Yanyan, you tricked !” Xu Qing pounced on her,
and the two besties started “wrestling” playfully on the soft mattress.
They rolled around, their cheeks flushed red.
After a while, Shen Yuyan suddenly pinched her face and casually asked, “Qingqing, if one day I did sothing that hurt you, would you forgive ?”
Xu Qing paused, “You make it sound like we’re dating. What, got soone behind my back?”
“Just pretend we are. I’m just asking. Answer !”
Xu Qing huffed proudly, eyes askance, “Nope! Not unless you wash my underwear and socks for a month!”
Hearing that, Shen Yuyan’s eyes misted slightly. She didn’t say anything more, just hugged her tighter.
This best friend of over a decade had always supported and trusted her unconditionally,
even willing to give up so much for her.
“Hey, what’s with you today? So clingy and gooey!”
“What? We used to sleep in the sa bed. Now that you’ve got a boyfriend, I can’t?”
“Not true! You’re just exhausting . I need to pee.”
“Wait—tell more about you and Tang Song.”
“What is there you don’t already know? I told you everything.”
“There’s one thing you never ntioned.” Shen Yuyan leaned in and whispered with a laugh.
The room once again filled with giggles.
Spring was in the air.
Zhuxi Residential Complex
Pages flipped from ti to ti, accompanied by the soft rustling of paper—an unusually peaceful scene.
Gao ngting curled up on a beanbag chair, her fair, pretty feet resting on a low stool, swinging slightly.
Once, one of her life goals was to find her own “Mr. Darcy.”
After returning from Wushan to Yancheng, she reread Pride and Prejudice, and the words seed to take on new aning.
She and Tang Song had already reached a kind of intimate relationship—one where they could feel each other’s presence without speaking.
But even so, Gao ngting still felt there was a vague, lingering distance between them.
Like a haze—elusive but real.
That confident and mysterious partner who co-founded Songi Fashion with her, was like Mr. Darcy in the book,
always revealing unexpected tenderness at key monts.
But it was this restraint and distance that left Gao ngting slightly troubled.
“Maybe what we need is a sincere, rain-soaked conversation outside of Pemberley.”
After zoning out for a bit, she finally set down the book and stood up.
Sunlight fell across her profile, casting a faint warmth.
She walked to her vanity and began doing her makeup.
After changing into an autumn outfit, she stepped into the living room.
Then her nose twitched—
She looked toward the kitchen with a puzzled expression.
Footsteps could be heard from the kitchen as Cheng Qiuqiu ca out with a plate of stir-fried spinach, saying softly, “Good morning, Senior.”
“Qiuqiu?” Gao ngting blinked, a smile spreading on her face. “I thought you’d gone to the office.”
This junior of hers had recently beco a workaholic, like she was running on adrenaline.
Riding her motorcycle out before sunrise, returning at midnight, practically living at the office 24/7.
Even during Gao ngting’s busiest days, she hadn’t been this intense.
“No...” Cheng Qiuqiu looked slightly awkward. “I got up a bit late today, and I’ve finished all my work. Just waiting for leadership to review.”
“Thanks for the hard work. You’ve been doing so well, and even made breakfast,” Gao ngting said gently.
“It’s nothing.”
Cheng Qiuqiu sat down at the table and began eating quietly.
She’d been up with insomnia until 2 AM. Still tired.
Mainly because—her “pervy” behavior in the president’s office had been caught by her friend Lingling.
The sha still haunted her.
She kept feeling like a voyeur... spying on sothing her senior treasured.
Just thinking about that scene sent her into a panic.
Her senior had been so good to her—even helped her get into Songi Fashion. And yet…
Now that her senior had returned from Wushan,
she’d made up her mind to avoid contacting Tang Song privately as much as possible.
“To maintain distance.”
“By the way, Qiuqiu, there’s a big eting this morning. You’ll be attending too, so be ready.” Gao ngting said cheerfully while chewing on spinach. “Tang Song’s finally back—I can relax a bit now.”
At that, Cheng Qiuqiu blurted out, “President Tang’s coming to the office today?”
“Yup. If he didn’t show up soon, our employees would forget he’s their boss.”
“Mm.” Cheng Qiuqiu pursed her lips, keeping a straight face, though her heart suddenly raced.
It had only been half a month, but for so reason, she missed him so much.
Longed to see him.
After breakfast, Gao ngting started cleaning the kitchen, and Cheng Qiuqiu went to change in the bedroom.
Then they took the rcedes E-Class to the office together.
...
Yunxi Tower, Songi Fashion.
After greeting her colleagues, Cheng Qiuqiu sat at her desk, her gaze occasionally drifting toward the president’s office.
She bit her lip lightly, fingers unconsciously tapping on the desk, as if waiting for sothing.
9:30 AM.
A ssage ca through the work group: All team leads and above, please gather in the main conference room.
Cheng Qiuqiu took a deep breath, checked her hair and collar in the mirror, then stood up to head to the eting with the others.
She was the visual branding team lead—and its only mber—so she qualified to attend.
As they neared the conference room, the atmosphere grew lively.
Employees gathered in small groups, chatting in hushed voices, faces full of excitent and anticipation.
Just then, a stir spread from ahead.
Along with enthusiastic greetings: “President Tang!”, “Good morning, President Tang!”...
Cheng Qiuqiu imdiately looked up, eyes fixed on the direction of the voice.
After half a month, Tang Song’s figure finally appeared in her line of sight again.
In that instant, it felt dreamlike and unreal.
He was dressed in a perfectly tailored dark gray business suit, with a light blue shirt underneath and no tie—casual, yet dignified.
A few wisps of hair fell across his forehead, glowing under the morning light. He looked elegant, confident, and dashing.
“Wow, President Tang is looking more and more handso...”
“Yeah, every eting feels like a scene from a drama.”
A few female employees exchanged glances, whispering excitedly.
At that mont, in Cheng Qiuqiu’s eyes, Tang Song seed to be glowing.
An unprecedented sense of security, warmth, and attachnt surged up in her chest, making her eyes mist over slightly.
“You’ve all worked hard. Everyone’s done a fantastic job during this period!”
Tang Song’s face wore a bright smile, his voice clear and magnetic.
His gaze swept across the crowd, landing on each person.
Their eyes t, and Cheng Qiuqiu instinctively took a step forward.
But then she noticed Gao ngting standing beside him.
Since they had arrived together, she keenly observed that her senior’s lipstick had changed color—
Which ant… she and President Tang had kissed before the eting. Fiercely, at that.
While she stood dazed, several female strears, including He Yiyi and Li Qingya, squeezed their way forward.
He Yiyi even gave Tang Song a hug—acting especially intimate.
A rush of complex emotions surged in her heart: jealousy, disappointnt, urgency…
Cheng Qiuqiu could no longer suppress her impulse.
She stepped forward, stopping in front of Tang Song. “Good morning, President Tang.”
Her expression remained calm, but her voice carried a faint tremble.
“Morning.” Tang Song nodded with a smile, then asked, “Where’s Lingling? I don’t see her.”
Cheng Qiuqiu lowered her head and replied, “She’s in a eting at Huashang Fashion this morning. Said they’re starting the first draft of the new clothing line.”
“Mm, alright.” Tang Song didn’t say much more and walked into the main conference room.
As she watched his retreating figure, Cheng Qiuqiu felt a wave of suffocating frustration, grievance, and loss.
They’d been chatting just fine on WeChat, but now that they t in person,
he didn’t treat her as anything special—just another ordinary employee.
And the first thing he asked about… was Lingling.
So it turns out, he doesn’t really care about her.
Her hands tightened on her laptop, her breathing gradually growing erratic.
Above her head, the [Dream Flower Seed] gently swayed, stretching its branches—it seed even brighter than usual.
The spacious and well-lit main conference room quickly filled with more than twenty people.
Tang Song stood by the projector, remote in hand.
After surveying the room, he slowly began,
“Everyone, thank you again for your hard work. First off—congratulations!
During the National Day holiday, our store sales surpassed 20 million, and we broke the record for single-day revenue!”
A wave of cheers and applause erupted.
Then the eting officially began.
Although Tang Song had been traveling constantly during this ti, he hadn’t neglected his work.
He and Gao ngting had even refined the company’s developnt plan.
In the post-holiday period,
Songi Fashion would fully promote accounts like “He Yiyi’s Life Channel” and other beauty channels to create a traffic matrix.
The monthly advertising budget would increase to 2 million.
In collaboration with Huashang Fashion, they’d establish a flexible supply chain—
offering 50-piece minimums with 7-day rapid replenishnt, reducing inventory risk and supporting quick restocks for trending items.
Within a month, their proprietary HEYISTUDIO designs would aim to make up 30% of total offerings.
Through differentiated design, they would raise the average order value and increase fan stickiness.
The team would expand to over 120 people to support brand developnt and product selection optimization.
An intelligent warehouse managent system would be built to dynamically monitor the restock rate of popular items vs. unsold products.
His voice was steady and powerful, filled with infectious enthusiasm, gradually pushing the energy in the room to its peak.
More than an hour later,
the eting ended.
Tang Song closed his laptop, stood up, and casually chatted with the surrounding colleagues.
His gaze swept the room again, lingering briefly on Cheng Qiuqiu.
She was looking down at her screen, her expression focused and quiet, a bit indifferent—
as if none of what was happening around her had anything to do with her.
Tang Song raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything more. He turned and walked out.
Cheng Qiuqiu looked up, her gaze following his retreating figure.
But her mind churned like a disturbed lake—swirling restlessly.
As the colleagues gradually dispersed, only the sound of a few people packing up remained.
She still sat silently in her chair, hands resting on the keyboard, fingers pressing hard on the keys.
Lines of aningless letters popped up on the screen.
All sorts of negative emotions rushed in:
self-doubt, sadness, bitterness, pain…
Like a tidal wave, they overwheld her.
She even had an extre thought—
to quit on the spot, to shock him into paying attention, to make him care and try to stop her.
That idea was just as absurd and childish as a rebellious kid acting out on purpose—
but it kept growing wildly in her heart, out of control.
“Bzzzzz—” Her phone vibrated on the desk, snapping her out of it.
Cheng Qiuqiu stiffly turned her head.
She looked at the screen—and instantly froze.
[Tang Song: “Qiuqiu, co to my office. 😊”] Official source is n0velfire
A short ssage—yet she reread it many tis.
Every word ignited a hidden yearning deep inside her.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears; even her fingers trembled slightly.
Cheng Qiuqiu slowly stood up and quickly headed toward the president’s office.
Knock knock knock—
“Co in.”
Cheng Qiuqiu took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the entire room.
Tang Song stood beside the desk, flipping through a docunt.
Hearing the door, he looked up, a gentle and affectionate smile on his face.
“Qiuqiu, you’re here.”
Her lips moved slightly, as if to speak, but all she managed was—
“President Tang, you called for ?”
Tang Song set down the file in his hands, his gaze sweeping over her with admiration, a pleased smile lifting his lips.
“This outfit suits you today. You look beautiful.”
Qiuqiu had clearly dressed up—her hair was immaculately styled, makeup subtle yet refined, enhancing her cool elegance.
A white blouse paired with light blue jeans—simple, yet stylish and sexy.
It perfectly showed off her figure:
manga-like curves, a slim waist, round hips, long legs, a sculpted back…
Every line was like a piece of art.
With her sophisticated, cool goddess face, she radiated a charm that was impossible to ignore.
In terms of proportions, she had the ideal manga physique—nine-heads-tall perfection.
Very similar to Su Yu.
That was why people often said she resembled her.
Looking at her now, Tang Song couldn’t help but recall the girl Qiuqiu from his dream.
His gaze softened.
Noticing his eyes on her, Cheng Qiuqiu bit her lip, suddenly feeling flustered.
“T-This outfit is one of our livestream’s featured items. The operations team asked to model for it, took so pictures, and then gave it to .”
She didn’t know why, but today, she had instinctively wanted to dress to impress—
even leaving two buttons open on purpose.
“Oh?” Tang Song raised his eyebrows and stepped up to her.
His gaze paused briefly on the top of her head.
It had only been a short while, but the [Dreamscape Flower Seedling] had grown significantly. The glow it cast onto her body gave her a radiant halo—breathtakingly beautiful.
Then, his gaze shifted downward, taking in her outfit with growing satisfaction.
The task issued by the Little Umbrella, “The Self-Cultivation of a Warm Guy,” had two challenges:
The first—“a beautiful woman’s initiative in giving a first kiss”;
The second—“a date with your quirky girlfriends,” with all three wearing matching outfits.
Finding suitable matching clothes for three girlfriends with wildly different figures on short notice was definitely a bit of a headache.
But thankfully, this was exactly what Songi Fashion specialized in.
Take Qiuqiu’s outfit today, for example—it was one of their featured pieces, and the warehouse had every size in stock. He could simply use these directly and save himself a lot of trouble.
Thinking of the first challenge, Tang Song’s gaze instinctively fell on her cool and elegant face, his heart beating slightly faster.
It seed... this designer friend might be a solid option.
The [Dreamscape Flower Seedling] didn’t just enhance comprehension—it also slightly boosted charm.
Its growth rate and blooming depended on the energy provided by the "cultivator," as well as Qiuqiu’s desire to reciprocate.
He had already linked with Qiuqiu twice in dreams, and their relationship in those dreams was very... intimate.
So, showing so closeness in reality wasn’t out of line, right?
Finding a decent excuse for himself, Tang Song turned around and walked to his desk.
He pulled out a sleek leather envelope from the drawer and gently placed it in front of Qiuqiu.
“This is...?” Qiuqiu blinked in surprise, her eyes landing on the envelope. Her voice carried a mix of curiosity and hope.
Tang Song’s lips curved into a warm smile, his tone soft:
“I took a trip to Modu over the holiday. This is a gift I brought back for you.”
“F-For ?” Her chest rose slightly, a blush blooming across her pale cheeks.
Those icy eyes now shimred with a barely concealed delight and a flicker of unease.
“Mhm.” Tang Song nudged it forward a bit. “Open it and see if you like it. I picked this out just for you. Took quite a bit of effort, too.”
That part was true—he’d worked particularly hard to satisfy Miss Su Yu’s conditions.
Qiuqiu instinctively reached for it, her fingertips brushing the smooth leather surface.
A rush of giddiness nearly overwheld her; even her words stumbled. “Th-Thank you… You really didn’t have to…”
A gift from Tang Song?!
A surprise he picked out just for her?!
Joy surged through her like a tidal wave. Even her lashes trembled.
Taking a deep breath, she carefully opened the envelope. Her fingers brushed against a thick, glossy sheet of paper.
When she pulled it out, a beautifully printed photo ca into view.
“Su Yu!”
Qiuqiu gasped, eyes going wide with disbelief—her expression completely losing composure.
In the photo, Su Yu wore traditional costu, exuding a surreal elegance—so beautiful it was almost unreal, like a celestial being who had stepped out of a dream.
Her delicate features and the ethereal charm in her eyes carried a transcendent air, like morning mist resting on petals—hazy and dreamlike.
As a diehard fan, Qiuqiu recognized the image instantly—it had to be from Su Yu’s upcoming year-end film.
But she was sure: this still hadn’t been released online.
If it had, it would have blown up on social dia.
And more importantly, at the bottom of the photo—
Su Yu’s handwritten signature.
A real, signed photo!
Sothing Qiuqiu had dread of owning.
Just then, the [Dreamscape Flower Seedling] above her head began to sway wildly.
Its green glow grew even brighter, its leaves expanding rapidly, as if echoing the joy and excitent within her.
“How is it? Do you like it?”
Qiuqiu stiffened slightly. Her voice trembled, “I love it. Thank you, Tang Song.”
She was so overwheld she even forgot to call him “President.”
“There’s more,” Tang Song added mysteriously, his gaze growing gentler.
Qiuqiu blinked, not understanding.
Tang Song pointed to the signed photo. “Flip it over and see.”
She obediently turned the photo around.
Imdiately, two lines of elegant handwriting appeared before her eyes:
“Qiuqiu should be like a callia—
Even in winter, blooming bright red.”
“Love, Su Yu.”
The office suddenly went silent, save for the sound of Qiuqiu’s quickening breath.
She clutched the signed photo, reading the ssage on the back again and again.
Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks before she even realized it.
That sentence held deep aning for her.
In this world, there had only been one person who’d often said that to her—her grandmother.
When her grandma had been sick in the hospital, she had often held Qiuqiu’s hand and whispered with a frail voice:
“Little Qiu, you have to be like a callia—even in winter, blooming bright red.”
It was her grandma’s hope for her, and the softest place in her heart.
And now, that exact phrase appeared in her idol Su Yu’s handwriting—delivered to her by Tang Song.
It felt like a gift from fate.
She could no longer hold back. With a choked sob, she threw her arms around him.
Tang Song, just like in the dream, reached out and gently patted her back. “It’s okay, Qiuqiu.”
After a long ti, she finally cald down.
She looked up at his familiar face, breathed in his familiar scent, and felt the familiar comfort of his presence.
It was as if she saw the threads of destiny weaving in secret.
Their eyes t.
Tang Song gently pressed a hand against her slender back and leaned in closer.
They were so near, they could feel each other’s breath.
Ten seconds passed.
Qiuqiu’s gaze began to lose focus.
Maybe it was her imagination, but she seed to see encouragent and expectation in Tang Song’s eyes.
A strange yet irresistible impulse rose in her chest—
Before she realized it, she rose on tiptoes… and kissed him.
Above her, the [Dreamscape Flower Seedling] swayed wildly.
Its green glow broke into fine beams of light, raining down on Qiuqiu.
In just a few seconds, a pristine white callia silently blood amid the shimring light.
Its petals were clear and delicate, radiating a gentle glow.
“Ding! Congratulations, player—
First bloom of [Dreamscape Flower Seedling] successful!”
Imdiately after, the callia above Qiuqiu’s head turned into a starry light and rged into Tang Song’s body.
Tang Song’s mind cleared in an instant.
[Comprehension 1]
User Comments
0 comments from readers