My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: 2009 V. “Orange Soda”

After four days in Daocheng, You Feifan’s cold had improved significantly, though she still coughed heavily occasionally. This person disliked taking medicine and always tried to endure it. I had stocked up on oxygen cylinders, chocolate, and Rhodiola to prepare for the upcoming high-altitude journey, genuinely afraid this sickly person would die on the road. After checking out, she sat in the passenger seat, carelessly playing on her phone. I guessed she was checking Moments. When we met in Chengdu, she rarely received messages from friends, not even a single call, which was perplexing.

I had made a mistake by blocking their calls but forgetting that they could easily contact her via WeChat. The strange thing was that no one had messaged her, which was odd, and even Phoebe hadn’t sought her out after that one strange phone call. You Feifan wasn’t quick-witted and hadn’t called or messaged her friends to let them know she was safe. So, with a certain motive, I tried to pry some information from her:

“It’s strange. You’ve been gone for so long, yet no one has contacted you. Where are your friends and family?”

My question clearly hit a nerve. You Feifan stared at her phone screen, slightly melancholic: “They probably all think I’m fine on my own, and when I’m done having fun and tired, I’ll naturally go home, obedient like a cat or dog that learns to return.”

I adjusted the navigation, started the car, and asked playfully, “No plan to contact them proactively?”

Although the anticipation on her face was greater than the disappointment, she stubbornly shook her head: “No! This is my silent rebellion. They are so used to my presence that they think they won’t lose me. That’s what you call taking someone for granted. So I’m slowly withdrawing from that life to prove to them that everyone’s life goes on, regardless of who is missing!”

She must have been incredibly resentful to come up with such an idea. She wasn’t just giving up on love; it involved friendship and family too. What a childish person. I wanted to tease her, so I pressed on: “Then don’t you miss them? Especially your girlfriend.”

You Feifan turned her head to stare out the window, speaking with increased melancholy: “I do miss her, but so what? She won’t actively look for me, never will. When I think about that, I feel like she doesn’t love me. Her heart has changed, yet it hasn’t changed—it’s as cold as ever. I’m just a streetlight in her world. She tells me to stand there and not move, and I obediently stay still. That way, she can find her way home. But she forgot that sometimes streetlights go out. Relying on passion for power, after a long time, the circuit fails.”

“Her world must be exciting. Besides me, she has many other pursuits. But in my world, there is only her. So we are unequal. It’s not that I don’t love her anymore; I just want to slowly find the me I lost, to make my world no longer revolve solely around her.”

“Yes, besides love, you have many things to pursue in life. Loving yourself is the first step. Alright, the road to Yading is long. Aren’t you going to take some photos and post them on Moments or something?”

“Of course I am! The original me was feeling under the weather a few days ago, but now I’m full of life!”

…

“So, you went against your initial statement and, out of great kindness, adopted her child.”

Qin Yun had developed a habit of sending me delicious lunches every now and then, sometimes even eating the bento with me. Her subtle actions colored my life uniquely this season. Every day when I went to supervise the work, I would bring Lucky, tie him at the door—a living lucky cat, very auspicious!

So, when Qin Yun saw this new friend, she concluded with that sentence. I formally introduced Lucky to her, as naturally as introducing a friend. Qin Yun laughed for a long time when she heard his name, saying I was crazy about money, but she really liked Lucky, often holding him and playing, completely unconcerned that Lucky’s claws might ruin her expensive designer clothes or that he might be dirty.

She rarely mentioned the ex who left that day. Our relationship slowly evolved from employer-employee to friends, expanding from the office building to her two units, and eventually developing into me being invited to her small villa for tea. The relationship lasted until the construction period ended, and the newly decorated master and guest units were ready for her acceptance.

But this also meant that I would be leaving her life. I also chose an auspicious day for the conclusion. That day, I specifically tied a beautiful red bow tie around Lucky’s neck. Qin Yun also cleared all her work appointments. I stood at the corridor entrance and handed her the keys, but she simultaneously took Lucky from my arms.

When she pushed the door open, she burst into tears at the sight of the brand-new apartment. I hate seeing women cry because I’m easily moved by sentimental atmospheres. That day was also very important to me; after all, the remaining sixty percent of the payment would soon be transferred to my account. I had deliberately chosen a beautiful white dress.

I pulled out a tissue and handed it to Qin Yun: “Are you crying happily, sadly, or are you dissatisfied with the renovation? Don’t scare me!”

Qin Yun wiped away her tears. Her speed of emotional recovery was astonishing. She walked to the sofa, sat down, and stroked Lucky’s head as she recounted her story: “When I first returned from studying abroad, I had a sum of money for a test investment, but I didn’t know much about the domestic investment market, so I thought it better to start my own company. Thus, I met He Mu at a wine reception. He Mu was very smart, making a name for himself in this circle at a young age. He had a very keen sense for the construction industry; any land he favored saw its market value soar.”

“When I invited him to invest resources in my company, many other companies wanted to poach him, offering better conditions than mine. Our office back then was just a small, irregularly shaped room, with less than ten people, including staff and management. The company expanded its business significantly through He Mu’s connections. He Mu pursued me in his own way and told me that he could give up those ordinary people’s coveted advantages just to share hardships with me, proving his reliability and seriousness.”

“I was touched by his sincerity and accepted his pursuit. He quite fit my criteria for a partner. The hardships of starting a business are unimaginable. We often worked late on a government bid, eating and living in that small space for a while. Fortunately, the returns didn’t disappoint.”

“The company’s efficiency kept improving, and we got busier and busier. Until the scale expanded, we needed to establish complete departments and larger office areas to accommodate new employees. The company’s qualifications also met the standard for listing. I proposed a listing plan to him, but this plan led to a huge disagreement. We started endless arguments. He firmly disagreed, and I insisted we must go public.”

“The most severe fight led to our breakup. I insisted on listing the company, and he just quit, as you saw—he grabbed his bag and left. I was very angry. This was irresponsible behavior. We argued too much, and eventually, it escalated into conflicts that seeped into our daily life.”

Hearing Qin Yun’s bitter story, I hesitantly asked, “Do you still love him?”

“I’d rather know if he still loves me.”

“So, you two are… loving and killing each other?”

Qin Yun frowned at me, then shook her head: “I don’t love him anymore. Only gratitude remains.”

“You… are so cold-blooded.”

“Yes, I also think I have a heart of stone. I always feel like that’s not very kind.”

“What if he comes back for you, even proposes marriage?”

“We’ve completely broken up. He won’t come back, and even if he proposed, I would refuse. I don’t want to see him walking away again. That period was tormenting. The company needed him, I needed him, but he said he liked the scenery along the road and didn’t need my disturbance.”

This was a love story without a conclusion. Of course, personally, I felt that Qin Yun’s passion for her career outweighed her love life. She seemed not to need love. As she spoke, she naturally rested her head on my shoulder, staring at her apartment. The immense sense of unfamiliarity with this space had already infected me.

Truthfully, hearing her talk about the past made me feel surprisingly uncomfortable, a feeling akin to jealousy. But I still reached out and put my arm around her shoulder to comfort her: “But everything is better now, and the company has taken off, hasn’t it?”

Qin Yun shook her head: “The listing plan is on hold. I need to find a better opportunity.”

I poked her forehead with a raised pinky finger: “Boss, this cooperation was very pleasant. I should take my leave.”

Mentioning my departure, I was about to stand up, but Qin Yun grabbed my skirt. I tumbled back onto the sofa, and she flipped over and pinned me down. What, what, what was happening?

Her lipstick had the slight sweetness of tropical fruit. Her gentleness disguised her aggressive dominance. I widened my eyes and stared at her, utterly bewildered! I could understand the last passionate kiss as the alcohol at work, but what about today? What did this sudden wet kiss mean? Was she just playing a role? Seeking to fill a void of loneliness?

I pushed her away, breathing heavily. I didn’t know what to say, only frantically wiping away the smeared lipstick on my lips. Qin Yun said calmly, “This time… I am sober…”

She shifted into a more comfortable position, raised her hand, and stroked my long hair, reminiscing leisurely: “That day, you also had your hair down, wearing wide-legged overalls, with one strap hanging off your shoulder, carrying a canvas bag. You rushed into the office, hugging a large stack of hand-drawn drafts, afraid we wouldn’t be satisfied.”

“Later, after the drafts were finalized, you left the company happily. While waiting for the bus, you crouched by the tree to tease the kitten. From that day on, I could stand by the window and see you every day. Every time I saw you, I would draw a circle on the calendar, feeling it was a small pleasure.”

“After a long time, I made a bet with myself to see when you would stop. I never thought you’d go even in the heavy rain. I lost that bet, so I wanted to know more about you.”

“Qin Yun, you…”

She looked at me seriously and asked word for word, “Can I pursue you?”

Her tone was level, delivering a question as if it were a statement. It sent shivers down my spine. I stammered, “I… you… you were just heartbroken over a relationship, and now you are…”

“And now it seems like I’m just playing a role, right?”

She pointed to the house and joked, “Does this look like the home you always fantasized about? I’m not in a hurry for an answer, but please consider it carefully… I’m not someone who spends her thoughts and time on trivial matters, but I am very fond of you…”

Her nonchalance seemed to emanate from her core. She spoke about something important yet maintained a leisurely ease, as if an outright confession was a very natural and casual thing, implying that whether I accepted or not was secondary; the important thing was that she confessed.

So, the sudden confession made the atmosphere in the room suffocating. I grabbed Lucky and ran away miserably, like an ostrich trying to escape all its problems.