Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 101

Since they had cleared the air on the mountaintop that night, the relationship between Qi Zheng and Shen Zhibing had softened considerably. At the very least, the veneer of deliberate distance was gone. But Shen Zhibing knew that it would still take time for Qi Zheng to completely return to how things were in the past.

She did not overly interfere with Qi Zheng’s reporting of her study progress to the relevant departments, but only made an agreement with her: if Qi Zheng ultimately decided to leave, she should submit her resignation directly to Shen Zhibing.

Before the holiday was over, Qi Zheng returned to the United States early, frankly stating that she wanted to go back sooner to look for opportunities. Shen Zhibing personally drove her to the airport. They didn’t talk much along the way, but they were both in good spirits.

“Whether you’re starting a business or looking for another job, you must eat well and not get so thin anymore.”

Shen Zhibing was already delighted to see Qi Zheng; the only thing she was dissatisfied with was her obviously much thinner face. If her face was like this, let alone her body, she was probably just skin and bones.

“I’ll be careful, I won’t turn into a monkey spirit.” Qi Zheng smiled as she got out of the car and took out her luggage.

They had agreed that the drop-off would be here.

“Drive carefully on your way back, and you take care too.” Qi Zheng felt reluctant to part, but couldn’t show more.

Parting was inevitable.

Shen Zhibing gazed at her deeply with lingering affection, smiled, waved, and urged her to go in quickly. After Qi Zheng’s figure disappeared, she drove away.

She thought that for a long time to come, they would likely be in this state of brief reunion and long separation.

Zhuang Muqing heard that Qi Zheng had returned early and wanted to invite her out to explore the surroundings before the holiday ended. Qi Zheng’s mood before returning to China was a little off, and Zhuang Muqing hadn’t had a chance to ask about it then.

“The weather is nice today, interested in a short trip?”

Qi Zheng had just finished tidying her luggage yesterday. She had forced herself not to completely reverse her jet lag when she returned to China, so she was somewhat adapted. But she wasn’t really interested in traveling.

“No, no, I have a pile of things to do.”

“Why do you have things to do again? The holiday isn’t over yet; you’re overloading yourself ahead of time. You need to know how to balance work and rest.” Zhuang Muqing heard that Qi Zheng’s mood on the phone was good, so she joked with her, “Could it be that the boss put pressure on you again when you went back to report this time?”

Qi Zheng recalled the scene of being gently held by Shen Zhibing on the mountaintop that night, and her heart softened.

That night, they quietly held each other for a long time. There was no intense or intimate closeness, but like that night of blossoming, it was deeply engraved in Qi Zheng’s heart.

“The boss didn’t put pressure on me; I just want to keep working hard.”

Zhuang Muqing realized she really had things to do, so she naturally didn’t force her to agree.

Unexpectedly, Qi Zheng took the initiative to invite her: “Having lunch together is no problem, my treat.”

Zhuang Muqing picked up her car keys and headed out, smiling, “How can I let you treat? I can’t bully you.”

Qi Zheng rarely replied lightheartedly, “I’ve freeloaded off you so many times; treating you back is absolutely necessary and required. You have to give me this chance.”

When Zhuang Muqing saw Qi Zheng, it confirmed her previous guess: Qi Zheng’s mood had indeed improved a lot. At least the subtle worry that had been lingering between her brows was much less, and Zhuang Muqing was happy about it.

“It seems you had quite a successful trip back to China; your condition is much better.”

Qi Zheng raised an eyebrow, and after a while, couldn’t help but ask, “Is it obvious?”

“Not really, but you know people in our line of work love to observe people and sense their various emotions.”

Fearing that Qi Zheng might misunderstand that she was prying, Zhuang Muqing explained, “I just want you to be happier, nothing else.”

Qi Zheng smiled and pointed ahead: “Don’t treat me like fragile porcelain. I know who is being good to me. Pay attention to driving; eating a full meal safely is the happiest thing.”

The restaurant they chose this time was suggested by Qi Zheng. Someone had told her that this place’s Shengkun Zhou (congee) was very thick, fragrant, and authentic.

“I thought you didn’t have any special requirements for food, but I didn’t expect you to be able to talk about these things.”

Zhuang Muqing occasionally tried Chinese food with friends, but for her, Chinese cuisine was similar to other international cuisines and wasn’t the mainstream in her life. Previously, to accommodate Qi Zheng, she had specifically learned about Shanghai-style cuisine, but asking her to be knowledgeable about all types of Chinese food was truly asking too much.

“I just have a Chinese stomach; once I get a craving, there’s no cure.”

Qi Zheng rarely took the initiative to explain, talking about the differences between various kinds of congee.

Zhuang Muqing’s eyes sparkled: “I’m temporarily adjusting my diet plan this week. I have to try all the things you just mentioned!”

Qi Zheng knew that someone like Zhuang Muqing had strong self-discipline. Even if she said she wasn’t dieting, she would consciously increase her exercise after eating and reduce other calorie intake; she would definitely not truly indulge.

She suddenly remembered Shen Zhibing’s words forbidding her to lose weight and smiled to herself.

“Did something good happen during this trip back to China?”

Zhuang Muqing was certain that Qi Zheng’s improved mood was related to her return to China.

Qi Zheng shook her head, unwilling to say more; she couldn’t quite explain it either. But inexplicably, she felt that the big stone pressing on her heart had been removed a lot, at least allowing her to breathe freely.

The steaming congee arrived. The scrambled eggs were superb, and the scallions were enticing. Zhuang Muqing tasted it and praised it endlessly.

“I should just follow you to explore new restaurants from now on.”

Qi Zheng thought that if there was an authentic little huntun (wonton) place, it would be even better.

During this trip back to Haicheng, she ate it almost every day, so much so that Jiang Youyou was almost fed up with her.

However, the dream did come true. When Li Yunshan pulled her along, saying they would go to a newly opened place to try something new after class, Qi Zheng wasn’t holding out much hope.

“Although it’s new, the chef is said to have worked in China for nearly 30 years and is very skilled.”

Qi Zheng saw her exaggerated reaction and couldn’t bear to discourage her, but still warned, “Something too authentic might not adapt to the American market. It might close down in a few days.”

Since she decided to start her own business, she looked at customer groups and market characteristics more calmly and objectively. Naturally, when encountering new products, she would analyze their market adaptability and the probability of future success.

“It’s a small business; being able to maintain business with Chinese international students is enough to break even, and they’re not aiming for a national chain. Besides, more and more international students are coming, and many foreign students are being influenced to love eating dumplings now. Maybe they’ll love little wontons in the future too!”

Qi Zheng and she walked and talked towards the store. She really hadn’t noticed that such an inconspicuous store had suddenly opened up between her apartment and the school.

It seemed that the opening publicity hadn’t been running for long. There weren’t many customers inside, mostly B University international students. The kitchen was semi-open, and she could see the scene of them wrapping wontons inside.

Qi Zheng looked at the menu posted on the wall, initially thinking it would be similar to other comparable stores. To her surprise, just for little wontons, there were so many different fillings to choose from.

“Didn’t I tell you? We definitely came to the right place this time. Since you love little wontons so much, you should get a monthly pass here.”

Li Yunshan watched Qi Zheng carefully read the menu on the wall item by item, knowing she must like it here.

“I’d like a serving of winter bamboo shoot and minced pork little wontons, thank you.”

Li Yunshan smiled and followed behind her: “Please give me a serving of preserved vegetable and spiced diced meat little wontons.”

Even in Haicheng, not every shop selling little wontons had these, let alone in the United States.

Qi Zheng and Li Yunshan found a quiet place to sit, full of anticipation.

“I have a premonition that I’m going to cry when I eat it later.”

Qi Zheng laughed: “It’s just a bowl of little wontons, don’t be so dramatic.”

“I don’t believe you won’t be excited; it’s been how many years since we’ve had this!”

Oh, that wasn’t exactly true. This time back in Haicheng, Qi Zheng cherished the opportunity and ate it several times. But she couldn’t say that out loud to provoke Li Yunshan; she still wanted to peacefully finish this meal.

Sure enough, they were not disappointed at all.

It was so authentic that it felt like they had instantly teleported back to Haicheng, and the time had gone back twenty years. It was the taste of the auntie in a smock pouring it into a lunch box at a street stall in the Haicheng alleyways, the taste that Qi Zheng had been constantly missing.

Qi Zheng didn’t get a monthly pass, but she came almost every day. Even if she was occasionally too busy, the interval would not exceed three days. After coming so many times, she gradually became acquainted with the store owners.

She was very surprised to learn that the couple had only recently arrived in the United States.

“Starting a restaurant abroad at this age requires a lot of courage.”

Qi Zheng truly admired them. She had previously thought they had operated elsewhere and were just relocating their business now.

“We sold this in China, so we’re doing the same thing here. We even earn more, which is great.” The Haicheng accent was the best tool to bridge the distance between them.

Qi Zheng tried all the different flavors of little wontons in the store and finally returned to her initial choice of winter bamboo shoot and minced pork, which drew a round of laughter from the owner couple.

The proprietress smiled and said to her husband, “Didn’t I say so? Xiao Qi looks like a loyal and consistent person. She chose the winter bamboo shoot the first time she came, and she’s still choosing it now.”

The owner chuckled and started to get busy, agreeing with his wife’s statement.

“Actually, they are all delicious; I just have a slight preference for one of them.”

“It’s okay. As long as you enjoy eating it, we’re happy.”

The taste of this store was indeed good, the prices were reasonable, and it was close to the school, so it quickly gained a reputation among Chinese international students. However, Qi Zheng noticed that no matter when she went, regardless of how crowded or empty it was, her little wontons were always the fastest to arrive.

“Ahhh, could it be that you get special treatment because you’re good-looking? You don’t have to wait in line every time you go.” Li Yunshan held Qi Zheng’s arm, looking indignant.

“You didn’t wait long either. I don’t have any special privileges; it’s just a coincidence.”

Qi Zheng couldn’t figure out what special privilege she would have, other than being the most frequent visitor and having a good relationship with the owners.

In the blink of an eye, it was time to prepare for the graduation project. The professor required students to form groups two months in advance, but they had to be composed of different nationalities and regions. It was not allowed to have too many people from the same region in the same group, so Qi Zheng and Li Yunshan could only invite foreign students to join.

The final part of the MBA program was the thesis and the completion of a BP. The thesis was completed individually, but the business plan required the group to complete it together, and the team members would receive the same grade.

Thus, no one dared to take it lightly. Moreover, B University was very practical; to encourage students to go all out, they would provide real financial support for BPs that had true market potential, which made it even more tempting.

Qi Zheng was the youngest in the class, but her admission itself proved that her ability and qualifications were up to standard. Other students were more or less aware of her past performance at the Shen Group, and her academic performance and ability were indeed convincing.

When selecting the topic for the BP, they let Qi Zheng decide. After consideration, she proposed incorporating her startup concept into the project.