Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 6

Qi Ning didn’t wallow in the aftermath of her breakup. Male friends from her social circle, upon learning she was single again, were all eager to make their move.

But the current Qi Ning had no interest in entertaining their advances. They say when love fails, fortune favors elsewhere yet she felt like she’d hit a streak of bad luck instead.

Before taking on Mr. Zhou’s project, she had been confident about her interior design for the apartment. But Mr. Zhou turned out to be incredibly picky. Three days turned into six, and they were still stuck on the layout, unable to finalize the interior design for days.

“Designer Qi, I don’t see any emotional investment in your proposal,” Mr. Zhou said, forming a heart shape with his hands. “You need to feel the love with your heart.”

Qi Ning, freshly single: “…”

After seeing Mr. Zhou out, Qi Ning felt like tearing her hair out. Just a few days into this project, she could already sense her hairline receding, what she earned from this job wouldn’t even cover hair transplant costs.

“Boss, got rejected again?” Ding Heguang, seeing her state, immediately knew what had happened and sidled up with a grin. “What’s the reason this time?”

“He said my design lacks love and doesn’t feel warm like a home.” At those words, Qi Ning’s mind conjured up the classic “black guy question mark” meme. For the first time, she felt her career was in crisis, she had truly met her match.

Hearing this, Ding Heguang rubbed his nose, thinking they’d encountered a particularly difficult client. Emotions were the most elusive thing, impossible to fully articulate, only something a designer had to intuit.

But,  the boss had just gone through a breakup. Talk about bad timing.

Of course, Qi Ning had no idea what Ding Heguang was thinking. She turned to him and asked, “What do men even want these days? He doesn’t like minimalist postmodernism or cozy rustic styles. Am I supposed to go for something wild and unrestrained?”

Ding Heguang chuckled awkwardly. “Boss, if you want to know what men like, why not just find out?”

Qi Ning shot him a glare. “That’s why I’m asking you.”

“No, no, no!” Ding Heguang waved his hands frantically. “As a straight guy, I have no clue what gay men are into!”

“Straight or gay, men are men at their core.”

“Boss, you don’t get it gay men are divided into tops and bottoms. From what I see, Mr. Zhou is definitely a bottom. Now tell me, between a straight guy and a bottom, who’d be more interested in lipstick?”

“How would I know?” She didn’t have any obviously effeminate male friends around.

“Exactly! So, Boss, you’ve got to understand what gay men like.” Ding Heguang nodded sagely at his own suggestion.

“Any recommendations?”

“You could check out gay bars though a lot don’t allow women. There are also dating apps, BL novels.”

Qi Ning wasn’t keen on gay bars or dating apps, but novels seemed manageable. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “BL novels, you mean those male-male romance stories fujoshis read?”

“Bingo! Ever heard of Green Pepper? It’s got all kinds of pairings, lots of authors write BL there, and even GL.”

“…What’s GL?” Having only read hetero romance novels, Qi Ning couldn’t help but ask curiously.

“This is probably the tacit understanding between lovers.”

“Got it.”

Seeing her lack of interest in yuri fiction, Ding Heguang suppressed his urge to recommend some and instead said, “Boss, if you want to understand sweet same-sex relationships, you could always read some novels.”

“Fine.” Qi Ning reluctantly agreed, realizing that to avoid further revisions that would drive her bald, she had to compromise with the client.

Only after settling this did Qi Ning belatedly realize something. She looked at Ding Heguang, her eyes clouded with a complex emotion.

“How do you know so much about this?”

“…” Ding Heguang’s smile froze. “Well, I’ve got a client meeting scheduled, so I’ll catch you later.” He dashed off before she could interrogate him further, terrified that his secret identity as a yuri fanboy of several years would be exposed.

Watching Ding Heguang flee in panic, she sighed softly and pulled out her phone to download the Green River app. Absorbed in her phone as she walked, she didn’t notice the person ahead.

“Manager…”

“Hmm?” Qi Ning looked up from her screen to see Jiao Qing standing before her, holding a cold drink. The petite woman, barely 160cm tall, made Qi Ning in her heels look down slightly. “What is it?”

Jiao Qing had heard that Qi Ning’s designs for Mr. Zhou had gone through multiple revisions without approval. Since this was a client she’d handed over, guilt weighed on her.

“Mr. Zhou…” Before she could finish, Qi Ning understood. Seeing the nervous expression, she knew Jiao Qing was aware of the difficulties and quickly interrupted: “Don’t worry about Mr. Zhou’s project, it’s my responsibility now. With evaluations coming up, just focus on your current work.”

Qi Ning spoke gently. Though Mr. Zhou was troublesome, she’d taken the project willingly and saw no reason to blame others. Besides, it wasn’t a major issue, Mr. Zhou had given ample time, prioritizing quality over speed.

“Oh… okay.” The young woman nodded blankly. She’d been avoiding eye contact with Qi Ning for days over this matter, and only her colleagues’ encouragement had given her the courage to approach.

Qi Ning pocketed her phone. “If there’s nothing else, get back to work.”

“Right. Here this is for you!” Jiao Qing thrust the fruit tea into her hands, then quickly added, “We ordered too much!” afraid Qi Ning might refuse.

Qi Ning looked down at the drink, its icy surface beading with condensation. Afternoon tea was always ordered per head, there couldn’t possibly be extras. Perceptive as ever, she understood the gesture and smiled. “Perfect timing, I was thirsty. Thank you.”

As she spoke, she noticed Jiao Qing’s face visibly redden before the young woman hurried back to her workstation. Qi Ning wondered briefly why she’d blush in the air-conditioned office but dismissed the thought, entering her own office and closing the door.

Returning to her desk, Jiao Qing found her coworker swiveling their chair toward her. “See? I told you Manager Qi is easy to talk to!”

“Hmm, hmm.” The blush on Jiao Qing’s face hadn’t faded yet. Noticing this, her colleague teased, “Why are you still blushing?”

“Am I?” She instinctively covered her face, it was indeed burning hot. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she whispered, “She’s so beautiful.”

Beautiful with a good temper and an incredibly strong presence. Just standing opposite her made Jiao Qing feel utterly insignificant. She finally understood why Qi Ning was so popular not just in the design department but across other departments, it wasn’t without reason.

“Ahahaha.” Her colleague laughed heartily. As a long-time employee, she referred to Qi Ning more casually. “Let me tell you, our boss is the flower of our department. I heard the manager from the neighboring department has a thing for her. Now that she’s single again, we might get to see them flaunt their love someday!”

“Huh? When did the supervisor become single?”

“Just a few days ago. Oh right, you don’t have her WeChat, do you?” Qi Ning had two WeChat accounts, one for work with colleagues and clients, and another private one. Those in the department who were close to her had asked for her private account, and she had generously given it. Jiao Qing could barely speak to her without getting nervous, let alone ask for her WeChat.

“No.” Jiao Qing fiddled with her hair. “She doesn’t seem like someone who just broke up.” She had been laughing and chatting these past few days, acting as if nothing had happened.

“That’s exactly why she’s our boss. No matter what happens, her adaptability is top-notch. In all my time here, I’ve seen her angry but never sad or in tears. Then again, it makes sense, someone as popular as her probably doesn’t have much to worry about. Even after a breakup, she’d have a line of suitors. Too many options to even have time to feel sad.”

Jiao Qing nodded vaguely, her admiration for the supervisor deepening even further.

For Qi Ning, love wasn’t the entirety of life. When asked why she had broken up, she would casually explain it without a hint of sadness.

She’d rather spend time figuring out what to eat with Chu Yunyan tonight than waste it mourning a scumbag.

Chu Yunyan had been on a business trip for over half a month and had just landed that afternoon. After returning home, she didn’t even rest, she showered, unpacked her suitcase, grabbed the gifts, and headed out again.

The reason was simple: she was meeting Qi Ning.

They had arranged to meet at Kowloon Square. At the center of the square was a modest lake surrounded by nine golden dragon sculptures, all facing a massive pillar in the middle. The pillar was entwined with two dragons, and at its peak was an orb that glowed golden at night, making it a popular photo spot.

But now, the sky wasn’t fully dark yet. By nightfall, the square would be lit up with colorful lights and fountains, lively and beautiful. At this hour, nearing dinnertime, the area was nearly empty.

Qi Ning sat on a stone bench not far away, staring blankly at the dragons on the pillar. She might have been looking at the orb or the sunset, but in truth, her gaze was unfocused.

It wasn’t until she heard the click-clack of heels that she snapped out of it and turned toward the sound.

A woman walked toward her, dressed in a style Qi Ning was all too familiar with khaki ankle-length trousers paired with a white chiffon blouse, the hem tucked neatly into the belt, accentuating her long, straight legs.

Her long, loose hair swayed gently with the breeze as she moved. Her beautiful face remained expressionless, giving off an air of aloofness, yet the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye added a touch of allure to her otherwise indifferent demeanor.

Her footsteps were neither hurried nor slow, each click against the concrete pavement resonating deep within one’s heart.

Damn, this woman was still as stunning as ever!

Support