Ice and Fire

It was a little after 6 p. m.

Lin Mu Xue her card to enter the Lanfeng International Luxury Apartment, her high heels making a crisp sound on the marble floor.

She casually tossed her bag onto the custom-made shoe cabinet in the Entrance Hall and walked barefoot towards the floor-to-ceiling window.

Outside the window is the dazzling night view of Yancheng, with the financial center's buildings brightly lit, neon lights flashing, and cars flowing like a river.

She stood on high ground, looking down at everything.

The words of my father on the phone are still echoing in my mind.

Date Steamed Buns, Pebble Bread, walnuts, and Qiong Pot Candy —

Those words and phrases, imbued with the flavor of the countryside, are like a thin thread, gently tugging at the memories she had deliberately sealed away.

Scenes from the past surfaced in my mind along with these foods.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time for family reunion, it would be a lie to say that I don't miss the family I grew up in at all.

But she felt really wronged and couldn't get over that hurdle.

Their family owns two plots of land in the countryside. One plot is registered in his brother's name, and the other is supposed to be reserved for her.

As a result, in order to help her brother buy a house, she sold her property and gave the 70,000 yuan, along with the family's savings of 200,000 yuan, all to her brother.

She still remembers the day her mother came to Yancheng to see her, bringing homemade cured meat, but at the dinner table she pulled out a mortgage calculation sheet and a land transfer contract.

"Ding- Yi Yi"

The notification sound from WeChat on her Mobile Phone brought her back to reality.

[Zhen Zhen: "Sister Xiao Xue, I just got back to my hometown today. I'm going to Yancheng with my classmate on October 1st and staying at her house. I'll contact you when I get there."]

Lin Mu Xue thought for a moment and replied, "Okay, do you need me to pick you up from the station?"

[Zhen Zhen: "No need, my classmate's family is from Yancheng, she knows the area very well."]

After chatting with her cousin for a couple more minutes, Lin Mu Xue's eyes drifted into contemplation.

Lin Yu Zhen was her uncle's child, only two years younger than her.

Although he enjoys having fun, he excels academically and was admitted to a good University of Science and Technology, where he is currently a junior.

Because we were close in age, we used to have a fairly good relationship.

However, we lost touch more and more after that, especially after she went to university in the south and started looking for a job on her own.

He had a falling out with his family and stopped going back to his hometown.

In the last two or three years, we've basically had no contact.

She usually blocks these groups when posting on her Moments, mainly because she wants to say goodbye to the past.

She turned her gaze back to her reflection in the glass, where her makeup was exquisite and her clothes were expensive.

Like a true urban elite.

No, it's not like that.

She is now a true urban elite.

She works in a top-tier office building, drinks hand-drip Geisha coffee, lives in a luxury apartment, uses the best skincare products, and can wear a different new and beautiful outfit every day of the week.

She went from a girl who carefully budgeted her 500 yuan living expenses in the cafeteria to becoming the person she had always dreamed of being.

For someone who loves to show off, she also hopes that her family and relatives will know about her current respectable life and make them proud of her.

This time, her cousin Zhen Zhen suddenly came over, which made her unable to suppress her desire to show off.

No matter what, the feeling of returning home in glory is the most enjoyable for her.

Take a deep breath.

Lin Mu Xue picked up her Mobile Phone and opened the bank app.

[Balance: 53,000 yuan]

This money comes from her salary and part-time jobs.

In addition, she also received five gold bars from the Tang Song.

The reason it was so little was not only because of his own high consumption, but also because he helped Xu Ning pay off a lot of debts.

However, because of the upcoming Mid- Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, Rongliu Investment will pay this month's salaries in advance tomorrow.

This is the first time she has received a salary for the position of "assistant general manager". The annual salary is 1.5 million yuan, and excluding the year-end bonus, she can get more than 70,000 yuan per month.

Thinking about the money instantly dispelled the heaviness in her heart.

She's just an ordinary person; she'll argue with her family over money, but she also enjoys the security and satisfaction that money brings.

When my cousin comes over, I'll probably take her shopping to show off my "financial resources".

"Buzz buzz buzz—" The Mobile Phone vibrated.

A message popped up.

Lin Tiantian: "Mu Xue, our team has already coordinated with Imperial College London, and all materials have passed the review. Your acceptance letter (CAS) will be sent to your email address soon."

Lin Mu Xue immediately beamed with joy and quickly replied, "Received, thank you Tiantian!"

Her excitement made her High Spirits.

The words spoken by Tang Song couldn't help but echo in my mind.

"Good luck, Assistant Lin. Once you successfully enroll, I'll give you a special gift; I'm sure you'll love it."

I don't know what this "special gift" he was talking about is.

Luxury goods? Gold bars? Haute couture? Jewelry?

It can't be some kind of sex toy, can it?

Thinking of this, a hint of shyness flashed across Lin Mu Xue's face.

The game I played with the beautician last time seemed to have gone a bit too far.

Now she's a little embarrassed to see Qianqian.

A Eloquent Tongue tongue and a captivating body fragrance.

It has to be said that the beautician is becoming more and more charming; no wonder Tang Song likes her so much.

After a while, Lin Mu Xue rubbed her burning cheeks, sat down at her desk, and began memorizing vocabulary.

September 29, 2023, Thursday, the 14th day of the eighth lunar month.

A thin layer of bluish-white mist rose outside the window; the morning fog had not yet dissipated, and the coolness of autumn seeped in through the half-open window.

Cheng Qiuqiu slowly opened her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

For some reason, I felt like something was missing last night.

Although it wasn't as comfortable as yesterday, I still slept relatively peacefully.

He slowly sat up in bed and rubbed his head.

I checked the time.

6:15.

A normal biological clock.

Then, as if remembering something, she quickly picked up her Mobile Phone and checked it; there were no unread messages.

I opened WeChat again and refreshed it.

There is still no news of him.

The page was refreshed repeatedly for more than ten minutes, and the sky outside the window became brighter and brighter.

Cheng Qiuqiu pursed her lips, turned off WiFi, switched to mobile data, and refreshed the page, but there was still nothing.

Yesterday, around 6 a. m., he sent her a "Good morning" WeChat, showed concern for her, and chatted with her for a long time. Why didn't he do that today?

Did I do something wrong yesterday that made him angry?

A sudden, inexplicable sense of loss and anxiety welled up inside me.

Her fingers swiped unconsciously across the screen as she stared blankly at the chat history.

I carefully recalled what happened at the company yesterday.

After drinking the coffee he gave me in the morning, I felt full of energy and worked hard all day.

Did I seem too distant?

Or is it that he didn't actually care about me that much, and everything yesterday was just polite formalities?

But why do I need him to care about me? I'm nothing to him.

Moreover, it was clearly me who took the initiative to say that I was "sexually frigid" in Wu Mountain, which was indirectly telling him not to get too close to me.

It seems that what he did was the right thing to do.

Cheng Qiuqiu, what are you thinking about?

After rubbing her forehead vigorously, Cheng Qiuqiu changed into a sweatshirt and sweatpants, walked out of the bedroom with a blank expression, and opened the curtains on the balcony. The morning light immediately flooded in, carrying a hint of the unique crispness of autumn, which was very comfortable.

But Cheng Qiuqiu felt empty inside, as if something had been forcibly taken away.

After changing into sneakers, Cheng Qiuqiu took the elevator down to the first floor, put on her Bluetooth headphones, and started playing music.

Su Yu's singing began to envelop her, and her mood gradually calmed down.

Qiu Qiu put her hands in the pockets of her hoodie, lowered her head, and slowly walked out of the residential area.

The street stalls are bustling with activity, and the aroma of fried dough sticks, soy milk, and steamed buns fills the air.

She ordered her favorite Roujiamo Chinese hamburger) and a cup of hot soy milk, holding them in her hands and feeling a slight warmth.

While standing by the roadside waiting for the traffic light to change, she unconsciously took out her Mobile Phone to take a picture of the breakfast in her hand, and then opened Tang Song's chat box.

I don't know why, but I really want to share ordinary little things with him.

I hesitated for a long time, waiting for one green light after another.

Cheng Qiuqiu closed her eyes and clicked send.

The moment the message was sent, her heart began to race.

He shoved his Mobile Phone into his pocket, forcing himself not to look at it anymore, and ran back to his Rental House with his head down.

I took out my Mobile Phone to check, but there was still no reply.

Cheng Qiuqiu bit her lip, put her Mobile Phone aside, and quietly ate her breakfast, but her gaze kept drifting to the darkened screen.

After breakfast, it was already past 7 o'clock.

Cheng Qiuqiu was just about to go wash up.

"Ding-dong—" A clear notification sound rang out, and the Mobile Phone screen finally lit up.

[Tang Song: Language News]

Cheng Qiuqiu quickly picked up her Mobile Phone and clicked play.

Tang Song's pleasant voice came through the loudspeaker. "Just got back from the gym, wow, this Roujiamo) looks delicious!"

Golden and crispy, you must try it if you have the chance. I've loved Roujiamo) since I was a child.

Qian Qian smile appeared on Cheng Qiuqiu's cold face as she clicked play again and turned the Mobile Phone volume up to the maximum.

I listened to it repeatedly before I stopped.

She replied, "It really is delicious. My Senior Schoolmate and I eat it once or twice a week."

After thinking for a moment, she asked again, "Have you eaten? What did you eat?"

A moment later, my Mobile Phone vibrated.

[Tang Song: Breakfast. jpg]

The photo shows an extremely light breakfast: milk, purple sweet potato, boiled egg, and blueberries.

[Tang Song: "To stay fit, I eat mostly vegetarian breakfasts, so I'm really tempted by Roujiamo), haha."]

After a few simple words, Cheng Qiuqiu felt completely relaxed, as if her inner desires had been fully satisfied.

Wash up and change clothes.

I put on my bag and helmet and went downstairs.

Skillfully started the engine.

Accompanied by the roar of the engine.

A white Suzuki GSX250 rolled over fallen leaves and headed out of the residential area.

As she crossed the intersection, she caught a glimpse of the Roujiamo) stall out of the corner of her eye, and a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

After traveling several hundred meters forward, the locomotive suddenly turned around and returned to the intersection.

Park the car and take off your helmet.

The autumn wind blew through her clothes and hair, outlining her sexy and graceful cartoon-like figure, which, with the motorcycle beside her, instantly attracted a lot of attention.

Cheng Qiuqiu strode to the familiar stall and said casually, "Boss, one roujiamo (Chinese Roujiamo) with both lean and fatty meat, please!"

"Okay, seven yuan." The shopkeeper looked up at her and asked habitually, "Would you like more chili and cilantro?"

He was very impressed with this sexy and beautiful female customer.

Aside from being a bit aloof, he's great in every other way.

Cheng Qiuqiu hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond.

She didn't know whether Tang Song could eat cilantro.

Wen wanted to ask on WeChat, but felt that would be too direct and would seem like she had ulterior motives.

After struggling and hesitating for a while, and after the boss repeatedly asked me questions, I finally agreed.

She suddenly blurted out, "I want three, one with nothing in it, one with everything in it, and one with only chili peppers in it."

Since I've already bought it, it can't go wrong.

Upon hearing her reply, Lao Chang immediately beamed with joy; this was a huge order.

He quickly agreed and began making it with practiced ease.

In no time, three Roujiamo appeared in her hand, packaged in a plastic bag.

I carefully put it into my backpack.

Just as Cheng Qiuqiu was about to turn and leave, a voice came from behind her. "Hello, Meile."

She looked up and saw a handsome guy in sportswear Wei Xiao at her.

"I buy breakfast here every day, and I've stopped by you many times. Do you live around here too?"

Cheng Qiuqiu's face remained expressionless as she turned and left without glancing at him again.

Her aloof and indifferent rejection froze the smile on the boy's face instantly.

He had indeed noticed her many times, but today he found her riding a motorcycle—both beautiful and ironic.

It's so tempting, I can't resist paying.

I couldn't resist going up to them and offering to help, but I never expected it to be so difficult.

9:00 AM.

The Rolls Royce Phantom was parked on B2 of the Yunxi Building.

Tang Song got off the carriage and took the elevator directly to the 30th floor.

"Good morning, Mr. Tang!"

"Old Chang, you're here!"

"Mr. Tang is as dashing as ever today!"

Several colleagues who happened to be in the elevator immediately greeted him warmly.

Tang Song smiled and nodded at them, then walked leisurely into the passage on the left, which led directly to the office area.

Because Songmei Clothing occupies an entire floor of the women's section, with an area of over 2,000 square meters.

To avoid making employees take too many detours, if they don't need to clock in, they can enter and exit through the nearest door.

Just as I approached the door to the President's Office, a figure came into view.

A simple, fitted dark denim Knitted Sweater and skinny jeans accentuate a beautiful figure.

Her long, smooth, orange-brown hair shimmered with a captivating sheen in the light and shadow, cascading casually over her shoulders.

It added a touch of gentleness and charm to her.

Cheng Qiuqiu leaned quietly against the wall in the corridor, carrying a backpack and holding a cup of coffee in her hand.

I heard footsteps approaching.

She looked up and met Tang Song's gaze, a hint of unease appearing on her face.

"Good morning, Qiu Qiu." Tang Song Wei Xiao as he approached her, his gaze gently surveying the sexy and beautiful designer.

Cheng Qiuqiu looked away, handed over the coffee, and said softly, "Thank you for the coffee yesterday."

My treat today.

"Oh? For me? Then I won't be polite." Tang Song naturally accepted the coffee.

Looking at Qiu Qiu with her eyes downcast, he couldn't help but gently pat her hair.

Cheng Qiuqiu trembled, her mouth slightly open, and she subconsciously shrank back.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, Yu." Tang Song quickly apologized, this was entirely a subconscious action in the dream.

"It's okay." Cheng Qiuqiu pursed her lips, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly asked, "Can you eat cilantro?"

Tang Song paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Sure."

Cheng Qiuqiu took off her bag from her shoulder, rummaged around inside for a while, and pulled out Roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) wrapped in a plastic bag and a paper bag. "This is the place I ate from this morning. Didn't you want to try it?"

Holding the Roujiamo Chinese hamburger) in her hand, Tang Song's gaze sharpened slightly as he carefully took it.

Looking at her, a warm smile appeared on her face, "Thank you, Qiu Qiu. I really didn't eat enough this morning, and I've been thinking about your Roujiamo (Chinese hamburger). Now my wish has finally come true."

"That's good." Cheng Qiuqiu's face flushed slightly. "I'm going to work now, bye-bye."

"Bye-Bye."

I watched her figure disappear.

A complex feeling welled up in Tang Song's heart, and it seemed that she saw the figure of the little boy in her dream in her.

Although she appeared extremely cold, he could sense that Cheng Qiuqiu was actually very craving love.

Back in the President's Office.

Tang Song untied the plastic bag and took a bite of the roujiamo (Chinese Roujiamo).

Although the pancakes weren't fresh out of the pan and the crust had Microsoft a bit, losing some of its crispness, the braised pork inside, with its alternating layers of fat and lean meat, still smelled delicious. The combination of chili and cilantro made it even more appetizing.

He ate it carefully, bite by bite, not even letting a crumb fall into the paper bag go to waste.

After finishing the meal, Tang Song took a picture of the empty paper bag and shared it with Cheng Qiuqiu.

The comment read, "(~~) / It's delicious."

A short while later, the Mobile Phone screen lit up, and Cheng Qiuqiu replied with a smiley face emoji.

Just as Tang Song was about to type a few more words in response, Yi Yi Mobile Phone vibrated and a new message popped up.

[Ling Ling: "(··) Senior 9, I'm downstairs at our company, I'm going up right away!"]

Upon receiving this message, Tang Song couldn't help but smile slightly.

This junior high school girl is always full of energy, and every time we talk, it's like a refreshing breeze blowing through his life.

He learned his current habit of adding emoticons to his messages from this cheerful junior schoolmate, which he finds particularly amusing.

After thinking for a moment, he quickly replied, "Okay, I'll arrange for someone to pick you up from the elevator right away."

[Ling Ling: "Q('w')get!"]

Back on the main screen, Tang Song opened Cheng Qiuqiu's chat box and replied, "Qiu Qiu, we have a new employee joining our company today. She's about to go to the 30th floor. Could you go to the elevator to greet her and help her with the onboarding process?"

Cheng Qiuqiu: "Okay, Mr. Tang, what's her name?"

Brand Department office area.

"Buzzing—"

Tang Song: "You'll understand when you see her."

Upon seeing Tang Song's ambiguous reply, Cheng Qiuqiu was stunned, unsure how to press further.

Mo Mo, he picked up his employee badge and walked outside, completely bewildered.

I stood by the elevator and waited for a while.

With a soft "ding," the elevator doors slowly opened.

A familiar figure walked out.

Their eyes met, and Cheng Qiuqiu's expression changed to one of surprise and astonishment. "Ling Ling?"

"Qiu Qiu!" Yao Lingling's face lit up with a surprised smile, and she affectionately took her arm. "Darling, what are you doing here?"

Cheng Qiuqiu felt relieved and quickly explained, "Our Lao Chang sent me to pick up the newlyweds."

Before she could speak, she quickly realized what she was doing, her eyes widening as she stared at the other person. "Wait, are you the 'newcomer'?"

Yao Lingling blinked and nodded with a face full of curiosity. "If your Lao Chang is Tang Song, then it should be me! But when did you join Songmei Clothing? I've never heard you mention it before."

After a moment of silence, Cheng Qiuqiu said, "I've only been here for a short time."

The two looked at each other, and a brief silence fell over them.

Cheng Qiuqiu was used to keeping things to herself and rarely shared her situation and feelings with others.

Although she gets along well with Ling Ling, she never takes the initiative to bother her unless Lingling initiates a conversation.

Recently, Yao Lingling has been extremely busy with the Shengjia Clothing Exhibition and the handover of her resignation, so naturally she rarely goes to chat with her anymore.

After a brief chat, the information became more symmetrical, and joyful smiles appeared on both of their faces.

Following Cheng Qiuqiu's footsteps, Yao Lingling lightly stepped into the doors of Songmei Clothing.

What comes into view is a very modern and stylish interior design.

The bustling cityscape is on full display outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The open-plan workstations are neatly arranged, with each area marked by a different color, maintaining both uniformity and vibrancy.

Yao Lingling blinked her watery eyes, looking around curiously, her eyes filled with undisguised excitement and surprise. No wonder it's her senior's company!

The office environment and atmosphere are better than I imagined.

It's like a high-end multinational corporation featured in TV dramas.

She had only graduated a little over a year ago and had been working at Shangya before. Suddenly being in a new environment and a new company naturally filled her with novelty and excitement.

Because it was during the team building activities in batches, there were very few people in the office area, making it exceptionally quiet.

Occasionally, I'll run into colleagues, or someone might glance in my direction.

While Cheng Qiuqiu was still hesitating about how to introduce herself, Yao Lingling had already taken the initiative to smile and wave hello:

"Hey handsome, I'm Yao Lingling, a new employee who joined the company today. I'm in charge of clothing design. Please take care of me in the future."

"Hello, I'm Han Xiaoyang from the Marketing Department."

Yao Lingling's smile was bright and cheerful, and her heartfelt enthusiasm seemed to infect everyone who looked into her eyes.

In just a few words, she left a deep impression on people.

Subsequently, with the help of HR Zhang Ying, Yao Lingling successfully completed the onboarding process.

Having received her Access Card and Labor Contract, she followed Cheng Qiuqiu to the workstation prepared for her.

A brand-new high-end monitor, a high-performance host computer, and a drawing board, Ergonomic Chair, and a small, exquisite green plant are also provided.

Yao Lingling put down her backpack, looked around, and felt a surge of excitement.

Friendly colleagues, impeccable working environment, and handsome senior classmates—they're amazing!

She turned around and hugged Cheng Qiuqiu tightly, her voice filled with uncontrollable joy. "Qiu Qiu, we'll be colleagues from now on, please take Pinduoduo care of me!"

"Hmm." Cheng Qiuqiu stiffened slightly, but did not move away.

Just then, a familiar voice came from beside me. "Qiu Qiu, Ling Ling."

Yao Lingling turned around in surprise, and upon seeing Tang Song standing there, her face instantly lit up with a smile, "Senior—oh, wait, I mean!"

Immediately following suit, she mimicked Liu Jiannan from the movie "Hello Mr. Billionaire," raising her right hand, bowing slightly, and Tian Tian greeting, "Hello, Mr. Tang ~"

Tang Song, who got the joke, burst out laughing, his eyes filled with a mixture of doting and teasing. "Ya Lai, you did a good job! You got into character so quickly."

"That's right, from now on I'll be just like Qiu Qiu, someone who's supported by Mr. Tang." Yao Lingling blinked.

He put his arm around Qiu Qiu's waist, his tone playful and relaxed.

Cheng Qiuqiu, standing next to her, slightly pursed her lips, her expression slightly unnatural.

Tang Song's gaze shifted between them.

One is aloof and cold, the other is lively and fiery.

The two have completely different temperaments, yet they miraculously create a balance, like the warm and cool tones in a painting complementing each other.