Chapter 10: Heart is higher than heaven, destiny is thinner than paper

The weather in the capital these days has been unusually good, with bright sunshine all day long and a clear blue sky without any impurities, only a few wisps of thin clouds drifting by.

In the afternoon, Yunqing's position had been empty all along, and Qiao Xinwei would occasionally glance at Ruan Zong's office. She knew that Yunqing had gone to inquire about Ji Xiaohai's situation with Ruan Bin.

She wanted to stop it, but she couldn't.

From her understanding of Ji Xiaohai, he shouldn't have any reason to come back to Yuanda. He was a man who valued his reputation above all else.

When the scandal was exposed, he and Sun Rongxuan hurriedly resigned and left. Even when they got married later, they didn't invite any former colleagues. From these things, it was clear that he definitely wanted to cut off all ties with this place. Because all his colleagues here knew about his affair with Sun Rongxuan, and he must have felt embarrassed himself.

But why did Ji Xiaohai come to the company today? Coming to the company would inevitably lead to meeting everyone and even more unavoidable gossip from busybodies. This wasn't Ji Xiaohai's style.

"Hey, I'm back," Yunqing patted the shoulder of the absent-minded Qiao Xinwei. "I found out what you wanted to know."

Qiao Xinwei vehemently denied, "I don't want to know anything about Ji Xiaohai."

"Oh, I didn't say anything. How do you know I was talking about Ji Xiaohai? Clearly, you have a guilty conscience."

"..."

Yunqing had entered the company through Chen Jingye's connections. Chen Jingye and Ruan Bin were childhood friends, so even though Ruan Bin was the general manager, he always treated Yunqing like a sister-in-law. Under Yunqing's persistent persuasion, Ruan Bin finally relented. It turned out that Ji Xiaohai had come to ask him to write a recommendation letter.

After leaving Yuanda, Sun Rongxuan stayed at home to have a baby, and all the burdens fell on Ji Xiaohai's shoulders. Ji Xiaohai's new job after leaving Yuanda was far from satisfactory, and his salary was much lower than before.

In a city like the capital, where there is an abundance of talent, the leadership positions in large companies are basically saturated. To get promoted, one either needs connections or has to work at a lower level for a few years.

Ji Xiaohai's visit today was simply to ask Ruan Bin to introduce him to a good job.

Yunqing took a sip of water and cleared her throat, continuing to chatter, "I thought this Ji Xiaohai had some backbone, but it seems not. There's a saying, 'high-minded but thin-skinned,' without money, he's nothing. Ruan Bin really annoyed me, actually agreeing. Saying his work ability is okay, bah, no matter how strong his work ability is, he's still blind!"

Qiao Xinwei tried to interrupt her, "Alright, stop it, it's all in the past."

But Yunqing was on a roll, "Exactly, he's just blind, and you're just a fool. Sun Rongxuan had no job, and you helped her get into the company. When she made a mistake, you took the blame for her. When she couldn't finish her work, you helped her work overtime. When she had nowhere to live, you let her stay at Ji Xiaohai's place. Why don't you move in there too? You should keep an eye on her all the time! I'm telling you, you're just too naive, a man should be watched at all times."

"Yunqing, if you say that again, we're done."

Yunqing eased up, "Alright, I'm done. It feels good to get it off my chest. Xinwei, you should really consider Jiang Hao, his conditions are definitely better than anyone in the capital."

"Stop, I'll get really angry if you continue!"

Yunqing wisely closed her mouth and made a zipping gesture near her lips, not saying anything more, since she had already said enough.

--

In the evening, the entire western sky was a warm yellow, the fiery red sun would occasionally hide behind tall buildings, and then jump out from between the gaps of the buildings, as if playing hide and seek, dazzlingly beautiful.

After work, as soon as Qiao Xinwei walked out of the company gate, she saw Jing Shang standing in the distance, surrounded by the golden glow, holding a large plastic bag in one hand and waving at her with the other, his silhouette elongated by the setting sun.

Qiao Xinwei hesitated, and her steps became difficult.

"Brother, why are you here?"

Jing Shang smiled amiably and said, "Mom hurt her back today, so I left work early to buy groceries. I happened to pass by your company and thought you'd be getting off work soon, so I waited for you to go home together."

"Is mom okay? Is it serious? She should have called me, why bother you."

"Look at you, she called me, isn't it the same? My workplace is closer to the market."

Qiao Xinwei smiled and didn't say anything. Jing Shang's workplace wasn't close to here, so how could he have just happened to pass by? But she didn't want to expose it.

They had lived together for ten years without feeling strange, but ever since Jing Shang moved back home and she found out about his special feelings for her, she had felt all kinds of discomfort. In the crowded subway, amidst the bustling crowd, Jing Shang would hold the plastic bag and protect her from being jostled, and his chest would occasionally touch her back, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Their relationship was like repainting an old wall, even if the surface was painted smooth, it couldn't change the bad reality inside. But even with this superficial peace, Qiao Xinwei was trying her best to maintain it.

Her phone suddenly vibrated, it was Jiang Hao calling, "Have you left? I just happened to pass by your company gate."

"I'm already on the subway." Why did everyone just happen to pass by?

"Oh, next time then."

"Okay, next time."

Qiao Xinwei could feel the tension from Jing Shang behind her, staring at his phone anxiously. She wasn't sure if he had heard Jiang Hao's voice. After hanging up the phone, she said to him, "It's him, my boyfriend. He's so annoying, he wants to pick me up without telling me in advance."

Jing Shang was speechless, feeling sour inside and his face not looking good. "You don't need to lie to me, you don't have a boyfriend at all."

The sound of the subway suddenly became deafening. Xinwei could only see his mouth moving but couldn't hear the sound. She looked at him in confusion, "What did you say just now, bro? I didn't hear it clearly."

"Nothing."

"Oh." Qiao Xinwei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Back at their place, there was a "Under Maintenance" sign in front of the elevator. They had no choice but to take the stairs, luckily it was only three floors.

At the door, Jing Shang didn't rush to take out the keys or ring the doorbell. He slowly placed the plastic bag at the door.

In the quiet hallway, she could hear Jing Shang sigh heavily, and her heart couldn't help but tremble. She had been avoiding being alone with Jing Shang at home these days, and now this situation didn't seem right. She quickly reached out to ring the doorbell.

"Wait," Jing Shang reached out and grabbed her hand. "I have something to ask you."

"Can't we talk inside?" She struggled, but Jing Shang seemed to be using a lot of force too. "Let go, you're my brother."

This deliberate reminder not only didn't stop Jing Shang, but also seemed to anger him. He chuckled and said, "What brother? We have no blood relation. Xinwei, you don't have a boyfriend, do you? You're lying to us."

"I don't, he just called me."