"Hey, hey, hey! Don't peek at my cards!" Qiu Mi shot a glare at Jiang Yizhou. "Still looking!" This girl really had no fear.
"Okay, okay, I won't look anymore." Jiang Yizhou retreated to her spot. "Hmph, aren't you something!"
"Of course I am!" Ren Qiumi smiled, spreading her cards. "A pair of eights, a straight, and a flush. What do you think? Did I wipe the floor with you again?"
"Unbelievable!" Jiang Yizhou tossed her cards onto the table. "Why do you always win?"
"Don't you know?" Ren Qiumi chuckled. "Everyone calls me the Master of Thirteen Cards." She held out her right hand. "Come on, lose graciously."
Fuming, Jiang Yizhou shoved a hundred-dollar bill into her hand. Ugh… lost again…
"Let's go again!" She refused to back down.
"Fine, let's do it." Ren Qiumi quickly shuffled the cards and joked, "You should probably keep at least one bill to take a cab home! Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Mind your own business!" Jiang Yizhou felt her pocket—only two bills left.
Bang—Suddenly, the door to Ren Qiumi's apartment swung open, and a woman walked in.
"Xiao Qing, where have you been for three months?" Ren Qiumi looked over, continuing to shuffle her cards. "You went missing after the graduation ball. Do you not want to live anymore?"
"Right! We were worried sick about you." Jiang Yizhou echoed.
Worried? Was "worried sick" really expressed through leisurely card games? Hmm—let's set that question aside.
"I have some good news to share with you." Ouyang Xiao Qing's lovely face glowed with a mysterious blush.
"What good news?" Jiang Yizhou interjected. "Did you win two million?"
"She doesn't have that kind of luck." Ren Qiumi was always realistic. "I bet she finally found a dollar." While saying this, her skilled hands continued shuffling the cards.
"Better than that." Ouyang Xiao Qing's smile grew, and the blush on her face became even more dazzling.
"What's the good news already?" Jiang Yizhou was getting impatient. "Spit it out!"
Taking a deep breath, Ouyang Xiao Qing slowly revealed her good news: "I'm pregnant."
Bang—
Bam—
Jiang Yizhou collapsed to the floor, while Ren Qiumi's cards scattered across the table. The two stared at Ouyang Xiao Qing, who was beaming with joy, unable to speak for a long time…
"Clear this up for me!" A minute later, the two regained their senses and shouted in unison.
"Which jerk got you pregnant?" Ren Qiumi frantically tugged at her short hair, taking a drag from her cigarette as she paced back and forth. "Tell me, and I'll go beat him up and make him pay!"
"It's…" Ouyang Xiao Qing's face turned red as she stammered, "I seduced him…"
"Great, you seduced him—what?!" Did her ears deceive her!? "What did you say?"
"I seduced him," Jiang Yizhou interjected, gently holding Ouyang Xiao Qing's hand. "Didn't you just hear her?"
"You seduced him, you seduced him, you seduced him—" She couldn't continue.
"Someone," Jiang Yizhou kindly filled in, wanting to know who had stolen her friend's heart. "Who is this 'someone'?"
"I didn't ask, he didn't say, and I didn't tell him my name." He was a good guy; luckily, he was there for her that day. "He's really nice, and he left me a baby." Ouyang Xiao Qing gently caressed her belly, imagining what her future child would look like. Would they resemble him? Or her? Or maybe a little of both?
Good!? Ren Qiumi felt she was going crazy! "You don't even know his name and you let him 'have' you? And you're still saying he's nice!?" Damn it! Even though Xiao Qing's head was a bit… this was a bit much!
"Yeah," Ouyang Xiao Qing nodded with a smile. "He was with me and even gave me a family." She looked down at her belly. "When I thought I had no family left… he saved me."
"So you gave yourself to him?" Jiang Yizhou speculated based on her own logic. "How romantic!"
Romantic, my foot! "You're only twenty-two!" Are you kidding?! "What do you mean you have no family? Yizhou and I are your family."
"I know." Of course she knew, but—"The child is closer. Just like how my mom and I used to be."
"Get rid of the baby." Ren Qiumi blurted out without thinking.
"Ren Qiumi!" Jiang Yizhou yelled, comforting a shocked Ouyang Xiao Qing, who had collapsed back onto the couch. "You scared her."
"Qiumi…" Ouyang Xiao Qing murmured. "I thought you'd be happy…"
"Happy my ass!" Ren Qiumi bent down to extinguish her cigarette. "What the hell is going on? You need to explain everything to me from the beginning."
"Just—" Ouyang Xiao Qing recounted the entire story in detail.
"He saved you," Jiang Yizhou concluded after hearing the story. A hero saving a damsel in distress—wow! How romantic!
"But he also 'had' you!" Ren Qiumi added a caveat. "This damn lecher!"
"Don't say that about him. He saved me." Ouyang Xiao Qing defended him, her brows furrowing in anger.
"Alright, alright, let's not discuss that for now." Ren Qiumi waved her hand helplessly. After all, what's done is done. There was no point in dwelling on it; what mattered most was—"What do you plan to do about the baby?"
"Have it." Ouyang Xiao Qing clenched her fists firmly. "I want to keep the baby."
"I support you." Jiang Yizhou embraced her to show her support.
"Are you kidding?!" Are these two women idiots? "What are you going to raise the baby with? How will you survive during your pregnancy? What will you do when your parents find out? And after the baby is born, what job will you find to support him? This society doesn't offer job security for single mothers. Stop being so naive!"
"Do you really want Xiao Qing to get rid of the baby?" Jiang Yizhou stood up, confronting Ren Qiumi. "That's a life!"
"Not a life until it's born!" She had to consider reality; at least one of them needed to be clear-headed.
"I can't believe I misjudged you; I never thought you'd be so heartless!" Jiang Yizhou grabbed Ouyang Xiao Qing's hand. "Let's go! I'll help you with whatever you need!"
That was what really worried Ren Qiumi. She sighed inwardly.
Sigh! What should one do when a conscious person can't compete with two unconscious ones? The answer is—go along with the unconscious.
"Wait a minute!" Qiu Mi called out to the two "unconscious" women about to leave. "I never said I wouldn't help." Damn! These two women have no clue about reality.
"Really!" The two of them quickly rushed forward to hug her. "We knew Qiu Mi would be the best!"
Oh, come on! Qiu Mi silently cursed in her heart, not daring to voice it. Meeting these naïve girls must be her punishment for too many sins in her past life.
"Alright, alright, please sit down first. We need to discuss what to do next." Sigh! What a graduation gift; what is this delivery stork doing?
"Yes." The two of them sat up straight on the couch like obedient little soldiers.
"First, we need to find a place for the three of us and the future baby to live, and then…"
Meanwhile, the department store under the Hangyu Group was buzzing with a frenzy over a women's clothing sale.
Despite the economic downturn, Hangyu Department Store maintained its revenue, and given the large space of this store, each women's clothing counter was vying for customers, creating quite a commotion. This had built up Du Yuheng's frustration since morning.
"Before our company's decision is announced, your company doesn't need to be so nervous. We'll notify you if there are any other matters," he hung up the phone, frowning as he leaned back in his chair.
His impatience had been accumulating for three months since that graduation ball.
That unknown girl—
"Yuheng!" The office door swung open without warning. Only one person in the world would dare to do that to him.
"Lei Ziping, can't you knock?" Du Yuheng shot him a cold glare.
"Get used to it." Lei Ziping wore a mischievous grin. "I'm here to deliver news."
"What news?"
Lei Ziping shut the door behind him, sat on the couch, lit a cigarette, and leisurely exhaled smoke, clearly enjoying the suspense.
"Three seconds." Du Yuheng took a sip of his now-cold coffee, wrinkling his brow at the bitter taste, continuing, "If you don't say it in three seconds, please leave."
"That's not nice—" Lei Ziping feigned a pitiful expression. He had only meant well when he dragged him to the graduation ball.
"You've done everything wrong." If it weren't for him, he wouldn't have met that girl, or—"Damn you, you should never have dragged me there."
"But, but—" Lei Ziping looked wronged; he had only been trying to help.
"Forget it." At this point, it was pointless to argue about who was right or wrong. "What's the matter?"
"Your dad just got rid of another slacker." Lei Ziping chuckled. "That's definitely good news."
Three months ago, that unknown girl—damn, she was an inexperienced virgin! If she had behaved as he expected, he wouldn't have felt this guilty.
But, as sudden as her appearance was, the next morning, she had vanished without a trace, leaving only a note on the bedside.
Du Yuheng pulled out a pale yellow paper from the right drawer of his desk. It was inscribed with a few lines in cute cartoon font—"Thank you for being there when I needed someone the most. Although I don't know who you are, I'm still grateful. We need not have met before—wishing you all the best in the future."
Those few short words made it impossible for him to forget. He didn't understand why he had kept this paper all along. What kind of girl would give herself so completely to a stranger and express gratitude? He couldn't figure it out, really couldn't.
Du Yuheng stared at the pale yellow paper for a long time before shaking his head. He took out his wallet from his suit pocket, carefully placed the paper in a protective sleeve, and stored it in the inside pocket of his jacket—close to his heart.
Busy, busy, busy!
The three busy words were not enough to describe the situation of the three of them. They were busy moving, finding jobs, and monitoring Ouyang Xiaoqing's pregnancy and health, time slipping away swiftly over the past four months. At this point, Ouyang Xiaoqing was seven months and twenty-one days pregnant, with a noticeably large belly, as she was expecting twins—a much-envied dragon and phoenix pair.
After learning this news from the ultrasound, the three of them were both happy and worried; happy for the twins, worried about how they would manage taking care of two babies and the subsequent costs—diapers, formula, and the hospital expenses two months from now—headache!
"I think I'll accept the invitation from the clothing company," Ren Qiumi said, scratching her head, chewing gum as she made her decision.
"That way, we'll have money covered."
"But you've never liked being in the spotlight," Ouyang Xiaoqing shook her sleeve, disapproving. "Don't put yourself through that."
"It's nothing to feel compromised about; it's just modeling for clothing, taking a few pictures for promotion," she replied, having even quit smoking to protect the pregnant woman from secondhand smoke. Taking a few photos was no big deal.
"Exactly!" Jiang Yizhou comforted Ouyang Xiaoqing. "Since Qiumi has decided, you shouldn't say any more. The most important thing now is to take good care of yourself and give birth to healthy babies so that I and Qiumi can become the ready godmothers."
"I…" Ouyang Xiaoqing was moved to tears by her friends' thoughtfulness. "I've caused you so much trouble; I…"
As she spoke, tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Come on!" I really can't take it. "You're about to be a mother of two; be strong! You should be worried about whether your babies will be okay!" Without her and Yizhou, she really didn't know what to do. Her mother had abandoned her when she catered to her father's two sons. She didn't blame her mother; it was just a necessary sacrifice.
She didn't want to feel hatred, but sadness was inevitable; yet, God was fair, closing the door to her family while opening the window of friendship, giving her two new lives about to enter the world and that kind stranger, the gentle man who had treated her well.
That was enough. She didn't ask for much; she was very satisfied and happy, truly.
"Don't think about the past anymore." Ren Qiumi noticed her friend's worried expression and knew she was overthinking again. "You need to look forward."
"Exactly—" Jiang Yizhou chimed in, "Qiumi only looks at 'money,' which is why she's known as the little rich woman."
"When did I ever look forward?" Ren Qiumi retorted dismissively.
"You even count every dime with me; do you really not remember?"
"You little—" Ren Qiumi swung her arms at Jiang Yizhou.
"Help!" Escaping was a priority!
The two began chasing each other around the moderately sized living room.
Ouyang Xiaoqing leisurely settled back into the recliner, rubbing her protruding belly, smiling softly. "Look, baby, that's your godmother, okay?" As she spoke, a tear fell silently, touched by her inexplicable emotions.
"Mr. Du, Mr. Lei, we're truly sorry to ask you to take the time to come amidst your busy schedules," Lin Yunni, the head of Qili Fashion, greeted them with a smile.
"Not at all, your company's successful establishment in our women's department makes us, as future partners, obliged to communicate more," Lei Ziping thought to himself, an old witch. Despite his internal thoughts, he maintained a smiling facade.
As for Du Yuheng, his stoic expression and silence had long become his trademark, so even if he appeared, he was already granting face to others; no one dared to question him. He shot a glance at Lei Ziping, mentally dubbing him the "smiling tiger."
"This showcase will certainly be an eye-opener for the two of you," Lin Yunni continued to smile. Goodness! Why did it feel like these two were tougher to deal with than the older generation? She couldn't help but lament the elimination rate in today's society, where the old often couldn't compete with the young and ambitious, grateful she could still stand firm.
Lei Ziping glanced at Du Yuheng, clearly noticing his impatience. "Teacher Lin, the backstage work must be busy; you can go ahead and handle that. We can discuss the cabinet setup after the showcase."
"This—" she was indeed willing, but had to hesitate on the surface, so no one would say she was inattentive.
"But the two of you—"
"Don't worry; Mr. Du and I won't mind." He nudged Du Yuheng subtly. "Yuheng, you don't mind, do you?"
Du Yuheng nodded, remaining silent.
"Then I'll go handle it; I'm really sorry," she said, relieved to escape from the two young men, allowing her to catch her breath.
"I think I'll accept the clothing company's invitation," Qiu Mi decided, scratching her head and chewing gum.
"That way, money won't be a problem."
"But you've never liked being in the spotlight," Ouyang Xiaoqing protested, grabbing her sleeve. "Don't put yourself in a difficult position."
"There's nothing difficult about it; I'm just modeling for a few promotional photos," Qiu Mi replied. She even quit smoking to avoid secondhand smoke for the pregnant woman, so taking a few pictures was no big deal.
"Exactly!" Jiang Yizhou reassured Ouyang Xiaoqing. "Since Qiu Mi has decided, don't say more. The most important thing now is to take care of yourself and have a healthy baby, so I can be a ready-made godmother with Qiu Mi."
"I…" Ouyang Xiaoqing was moved by her friends' kindness and felt tears welling up. "I've caused you both so much trouble…"
As she spoke, tears began to flow.
"Come on!" Qiu Mi exclaimed, exasperated. "You're about to be a mother of two; be strong! What if the babies—(this part was edited out, so… I can't help it). Without you and Yizhou, I honestly don't know what I would do." Her mother had abandoned her for her father's two sons. She didn't blame her mother; it was just the way things were. After all, it was more important for a mistress turned housewife to please the legitimate children.
She didn't want to hate, but sadness was inevitable; yet God was fair, closing the door to that family while opening a window of friendship for her. She still had two little lives about to be born and that unknown man who had treated her kindly.
That was enough. She didn't want much; this was enough to make her satisfied and happy.
"Don't dwell on the past," Qiu Mi said when she saw Ouyang Xiaoqing's troubled expression. "We must look forward in life."
"Exactly—" Jiang Yizhou echoed. "Qiu Mi is called a little rich lady because she always focuses on 'money.'"
"When have I ever looked forward?" Qiu Mi retorted.
"You even count ten dollars with me; have you forgotten?"
"You—" Qiu Mi waved her hands and charged at Jiang Yizhou.
"Help!—" Escape is a priority!
The two began chasing each other around the not-so-big living room.
Ouyang Xiaoqing relaxed on the sofa, touching her bulging belly, smiling softly. "Look, baby, that's your godmother, okay?" A tear fell silently, overwhelmed by emotion.
"Mr. Du and Mr. Lei, we're so sorry to interrupt your busy schedules," Lin Yunni, the representative from Qili Fashion, greeted them with a smile.
"Not at all; your company's successful establishment in our women's department deserves more communication as future partners." Old witch, if you're so apologetic, why send an invitation and even call to bother us? Lei Ziping thought this but still responded with a forced smile.
As for Du Yuheng, his stern expression and silence had long become his trademark. Just showing up was already a courtesy; no one dared to say anything when he didn't speak. He glanced at Lei Ziping, inwardly giving his friend a nickname—"Smiling Tiger."
"This showcase will definitely open your eyes," Lin Yunni said with a smile. My God! Why do these two seem more difficult to deal with than the older generation? She lamented the high turnover in today's society; almost everyone older without achievements was outdone by the younger generation. Luckily, she still had the ability to stand her ground.
Lei Ziping noticed the impatience on Du Yuheng's face. "Teacher Lin, the backstage work must be hectic; please go ahead and handle it. We can discuss the counter setup in detail after the showcase."
"Uh—" She wanted to, but had to hesitate on the surface, or people would say she wasn't attentive.
"But both of you—"
"It's fine; Mr. Du and I don't mind." He nudged Du Yuheng subtly. "Yuheng, you don't mind, do you?"
Du Yuheng nodded, remaining silent.
"Then I'll go busy myself. Sorry about this." She was relieved to escape these two young men for a moment.
Once Lin Yunni left, Lei Ziping let his true feelings show. He loosened his tie and nudged Du Yuheng. "What's wrong with you? You've been out of it all day."
"Out of it?" Du Yuheng glared at him.
"Don't deny it. Even if you handle your work well, you can't hide that dazed look. Don't forget I've known you for years; you can't fool me."
"Nothing's wrong." He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, using the action to avoid the topic.
Just then, two figures approached him.
"Great! After this performance, we'll get all the pay," Jiang Yizhou said with a smile. "That way, we can take a break and focus on taking care of Xiaoqing until she gives birth."
"Yeah!" Qiu Mi replied disinterestedly, clearly annoyed.
"What's wrong? You look unhappy," Jiang Yizhou noticed.
Thank God! She finally realized. Qiu Mi sighed inwardly. It's too late for you to notice I'm unhappy!
"Come on, speak up! Don't bury your feelings at work!"
She knew she should, but the reason for her annoyance was Jiang Yizhou's obliviousness, making it hard to express.
"Can you go back and keep Xiaoqing company? I'll come home as soon as I finish work." Qiu Mi forced a smile. "She must be bored at home; please go back to her, okay?"
"No way! Xiaoqing asked me to stay with you; she's worried about you."
Oh, come on! Why are those two the most worrying ones?
"Trust me! I'd be more worried if you were here."
"But—" Jiang Yizhou hesitated, suddenly recalling Ouyang Xiaoqing's words. "No! We must listen to a pregnant woman. I'm going with you!"
Oh dear! Qiu Mi moaned. "Women are truly complicated creatures; that saying is definitely true."
"Qiu Mi?"
"Forget it, forget it." She waved her hand. This is the last time, so let her tag along. "But you have to promise not to cause any trouble."
"That's hurtful!" Jiang Yizhou pouted, stepping past her. "I would never cause trouble—" But before she finished, she stumbled and fell. "Ouch!"
Still saying you wouldn't! Qiu Mi shook her head and helped her up, brushing off the dirt from her clothes. "Apologize!"
"Sure!" Jiang Yizhou quickly bowed to the other person. "I'm sorry for bumping into you."
"It's fine," Lei Ziping smiled. "Are you okay?" That fall didn't look light.
"Very well." Jiang Yizhou looked up, surprised by his looks. "You're really handsome!"
"Handsome?" Lei Ziping chuckled, touching his face. "I get told that a lot, but it's the first time someone's been so straightforward about it." He thought she seemed like a friendly neighborhood girl.
"Gross."
Suddenly, a cold splash of water doused Lei Ziping's good mood. He turned to see a young man helping the girl.
A hot-headed young man? Lei Ziping thought, smiling at him.
"Hmph!" the young man scoffed, pulling the girl away. "Let's go!"
"Hey, you're rude! Your girlfriend bumped into me, and you didn't react at all."
The young man shot back. "You're the rude one." Qiu Mi was not one to back down.
"Open your eyes; I'm a girl, idiot!" People like him—ugh! What's the use of having eyes if you're that clueless!
"Qiu Mi!" Jiang Yizhou shot her a glare. "Go wash your eyes, you fool!" Mistaking her for a guy—what an idiot!
A girl? Lei Ziping stared in disbelief, scanning her from head to toe… a woman?
"What's going on?" Du Yuheng approached, casting a cold glance at the three, finally landing on Lei Ziping.
"She—" Lei Ziping thought for a long time before figuring out what he wanted to say, pointing to the spot where the person who scolded him had stood, "She said she is—" Huh? Where did she go? He noticed that the direction his finger was pointing was now empty.
"She's already left," Du Yuheng said. "I really don't understand why you bother arguing with two women." With that, he walked toward the VIP section.
"Two women?" How strange; why could Yuheng see that and he couldn't?
He glanced in the direction where the woman had disappeared, scratching his head in confusion.
How odd? Why was that? Was his myopia getting worse? It didn't make sense!
It was her!
As the lights on the runway lit up, models wearing the showcased outfits stepped out from backstage, striding in perfect rhythm and captivating everyone with their clothing.
When the fourth model appeared, Lei Ziping showed a rare expression of surprise.
He squinted his eyes, once again focusing on that familiar person on stage—it was indeed the woman he had misjudged.
No wonder she was chosen to be a model. Lei Ziping reclined back in his chair, crossing his arms, a realization dawning on him.
The pure white women's pantsuit paired with a matching trench coat emphasized a trendy medium outfit, making her a perfect fit as a model!
It was impressive that the old witch's eyes hadn't completely deteriorated and picked her.
"Yuheng." He nudged Du Yuheng with his elbow, lowering his voice. "That model would be great as a spokesperson for our products." The Huanyu Group had recently extended its reach into the cosmetics industry and planned to launch gender-neutral beauty products; having her as the spokesperson would undoubtedly create a buzz.
Du Yuheng didn't even turn his head.
"Truly heartless!" He mocked, but with no real displeasure; he knew Yuheng too well.
Yuheng's involvement in anything was determined solely by his interest. If he had no interest, he ignored even things that were relevant to his life. It was hard to understand how someone could categorize everything so clearly into "yes" or "no." It seemed the only way to describe such a person was as "willful."
But why was such a willful man more popular than him? Lei Ziping puzzled, tilting his head.
"Is it true that 'bad men are not loved by women'?" he muttered to himself.
"What are you mumbling about?" Du Yuheng glanced at him.
"Nothing." Lei Ziping shook his hand, redirecting his gaze back to the runway, just in time to meet the sharp gaze of Ren Qiumi, who was turning to retreat backstage.
She was glaring at him! "Hey, this is getting interesting," Lei Ziping chuckled softly to himself, enjoying the rare and striking look in her long, beautiful eyes.
How amusing! This rather androgynous woman.
Was he an idiot? Backstage, Ren Qiumi quickly changed out of her outfit, muttering to herself, "That idiot dared to smile at me!" Idiot, idiot, big idiot.
"Qiumi, are you ready?" Jiang Yizhou peeked into the dressing room. "Can we go now?"
"Wait for me to get my pay." After putting on her hat and sneakers, she pulled Jiang Yizhou out of the dressing room and into the nearby makeup room.
"What's wrong? You look like a volcano about to erupt," Jiang Yizhou asked, puzzled. Did something happen on stage that annoyed her?
"Nothing." Ren Qiumi adjusted her hat, trying to calm herself. "I don't need to get worked up over that idiot."
Idiot? "There are idiots on stage?" How strange! "There's no water there, how could shrimp survive?" Poor shrimp.
"Yizhou—" Ren Qiumi couldn't help but pinch her cheeks. "The idiot I'm talking about is not a shrimp; I mean someone who's blind, not the seafood!"
"Ugh—ouch!"
Ren Qiumi released her grip, patting her reddened cheeks. "Just adding some color to your face."
Jiang Yizhou frowned, glaring at her resentfully. "You just like to bully me."
"That's because Xiaoqing has special privileges now! Since that's the case, I need to transfer her share to you. See, I'm so good to you!" Ren Qiumi said matter-of-factly, showing no sign of guilt.
Jiang Yizhou looked at her unhappily, "Good"—so lame! But she didn't dare say it out loud.
"Let's go; the sooner we get our pay, the sooner we can leave." She felt uneasy leaving Xiaoqing alone at home.
"Okay." Jiang Yizhou slid off the makeup table and headed toward the door, turning to speak while pulling it open. "Let's go eat something good when we get back—oh!" Ouch!
"Once again, you bumped into me, lovely miss." Lei Ziping, with a cheerful smile, suddenly found himself face-to-face with a charming girl. "We must really be fated."
"Fated, my foot!" Ren Qiumi pulled Jiang Yizhou aside and glared at him warily. "This is a private makeup room; please leave." After giving the annoying guy a quick glance, she added, "And him." Her slender finger accurately pointed at Du Yuheng.
"Miss Ren!" Lin Yunni, the person in charge, rushed in, aghast. "Oh no! How could you be so rude to them?"
"You came just in time." She was just wondering where to find someone to collect her payment. "Where's my salary?" Ren Qiumi held her hand out, her expression demanding.
"It's with the assistant," Lin Yunni hurriedly replied. "I came to introduce you to him—"
"No need for introductions, Miss Lin." Ren Qiumi coolly interrupted, as they had nothing to do with her anyway; she wouldn't remember him even if introduced. "I'm going to find your assistant for my pay. Let's go, Yizhou." She took Jiang Yizhou's hand and strode up to the two "door gods." "Move aside!" Her displeased tone made Lin Yunni gasp.
This woman is truly fierce! Lei Ziping couldn't help but shake his head in astonishment. Du Yuheng only stepped back, remaining silent.
Ren Qiumi swaggered away in front of everyone, while Jiang Yizhou, still being dragged along, repeatedly called out, "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you! I—Qiumi, wait a minute…" Her voice faded as they got farther away.
"I'm so sorry!" Lin Yunni smiled awkwardly. If she had known, she wouldn't have hired a temporary model off the street so easily; how frustrating! She had no social skills whatsoever. She couldn't understand why Assistant Xiao Li would pick her and offer such a high price. "Miss Ren is just a temporary model who doesn't recognize the big names; please forgive her for offending you."
"What's her name?" Lei Ziping watched the two of them walk away, unable to tear his gaze away. That woman was truly interesting!
"Her?" Lin Yunni paused, then immediately understood. "Ren Qiumi, her name is Ren Qiumi." Because the name was so unusual, she explained, "The 'Qiu' in her name means fur coat, and 'Mi' means wilted."
Lei Ziping's charming peach blossom eyes remained fixed on the empty corridor, full of interest.
Du Yuheng only shook his head slightly, clearly thinking that Ziping had fallen into his old habits again.