Chapter 46

 

After greeting him, Ming Xi tucked her chin slightly.

Then, she stood still, holding her breath.

For a moment, Liang Jiancheng felt as if someone had quietly exchanged a secret signal with him…

The elevator doors closed gently, leaving only the two of them in the square space.

Standing at her left rear side, Liang Jiancheng slowly lowered his hand. Inadvertently, his gaze swept lightly over the person who had deliberately turned her back to him.

In an instant, the air itself seemed to tighten.

Ming Xi slightly raised her head, staring intently at the numbers displayed above the elevator: 1, 2…

It was normal for her to run into Liang Jiancheng in the elevator while working in this building, but today was their first time meeting, so a little awkwardness was inevitable.

Earlier, when she returned from the factory and stepped into the building, she had been practically glowing with springlike cheer. But the moment she saw the person holding the elevator for her was Liang Jiancheng, her smile froze. Then, as naturally as breathing, she suppressed all traces of delight from inside out.

Why the distance?

Was it just because they hadn’t seen each other for a week?

And why was she restraining herself?

Could it be because she had truly taken He Yuan’s reminder to heart?

No… Every bit of it stemmed from the unease in her own conscience, which had quietly turned into guilt.

Why guilt?

Compared to He Yuan’s invitation to join Haiou Foreign Trade, Liang Jiancheng was the first to extend an olive branch to her.

He was also the first to say he wanted to guide her into foreign trade.

He had even promised—he would personally teach her.

Yet, during the week he was abroad, she quickly changed jobs and became a foreign trade sales representative. When she made this choice, she hadn’t even considered Xinghai… Nor had she considered him.

She hadn’t even told him.

In truth… where she worked had nothing to do with him. But whether from the perspective of friendship, or the gratitude owed to a mentor-like “benefactor,” she shouldn’t have chosen a company located directly below his, and one with overlapping business interests.

But unfortunately—

Haiou Foreign Trade was indeed the best choice for her entering this industry, aside from Xinghai.

Ming Xi took a slow breath and, steadying her tone, finally spoke: “Mr. Liang, I’m working in foreign trade at Haiou now.”

No matter what, she needed to say it to him—even though he already knew.

The line sounded as though she had thought it over countless times.

Liang Jiancheng raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint smile curving his lips, his tone calm: “I’m aware. Congratulations.”

He was always more polite than her.

“Thank you.” “Ming Xi said again.

“Heh…”

The response was a muffled laugh, faint, as if dismissing the whole matter with a laugh.

Ming Xi: …

Liang Jiancheng’s ambiguous laugh not only touched her apology but also seemed to gently wring out her pride.

Ming Xi placed her hands in front of her, tightened her clasped fingers, then straightened her head, and stared straight ahead with a firm gaze.

—

Seeing someone treat him as if he were invisible, Liang Jiancheng wondered if he was disliked. Ever since the elevator doors closed, Ming Xi had been turned away from him the whole time—yet his attention had stayed fixed on her.

In just one week they hadn’t seen each other, she had changed: compared to her days as a sales associate at Longmao, she had deliberately toned down her ambition and youthful bravado. Earlier, when she entered the building, she radiated an effortless, natural vitality. Even though the elevator doors were nearly closed, he still caught sight of her clearly—enough to stop the elevator for her…

Liang Jiancheng had always been a man of principle, respecting others and never forcing anyone to do anything against their will. But he had also been very confident—if Ming Xi wanted to enter foreign trade, she would choose him.

Even if she didn’t know he was Brother Jiangliu, with their six months of acquaintance, she should trust him.

His offer had to be better than Haiou’s.

What he could offer her was far more and far better than what He Yuan could offer.

So, was it a lack of sincerity on his part, or a lack of clarity in his intentions?

“Ming Xi, if you want to do foreign trade, why don’t you come to me?” Liang Jiancheng asked directly—no detour, no euphemism. His tone was calm, but the attitude beneath it was unmistakable.

Finally…

The question she had been waiting for came from his own mouth.

For some reason, Ming Xi felt as if the long-stifled breath in her chest suddenly found release, and she instantly felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders, as if she had been freed from constraints, becoming more at ease and self-assured.

So even someone as poised and shrewd as him had moments where he couldn’t hold back.

But how should she answer him?

Given Liang Jiancheng’s character, he wouldn’t think she was ungrateful or disloyal. Still, he would surely fail to understand why she would turn down what seemed like the superior option.

Was Xinghai really the best choice for her?

Perhaps.

Xinghai was rising fast, backed by Shuangyang Electronic. Objectively speaking, if she were to pursue foreign trade, Xinghai would undoubtedly be an excellent option. Moreover, given her friendship with him, Liang Jiancheng would certainly provide her with good resources if she asked.

But…

She genuinely just wanted to work hard, familiarize herself with the business, and improve herself. She never doubted Liang Jiancheng’s capabilities—she aspired to aim high, certainly. But she also understood that acting cautiously was the wiser, long-term way to protect her future.

Her reason for not choosing Xinghai was, in fact, only one.

And that was—

She refused to become another Maggie.

How did Maggie leave? He knew very well.

Maggie had an elite education, a strong family background—even after leaving Xinghai, she lacked no opportunities. But Ming Xi was different. She would never risk losing her job and her future over a man.

This answer was clear as a mirror in Ming Xi’s heart, yet she couldn’t bring herself to say it honestly to Liang Jiancheng.

Just then, the elevator doors slowly opened. Ming Xi hadn’t yet decided how to respond. Instinctively, she turned, lifted her head, and looked at Liang Jiancheng seriously.

Maybe… she should go back to work first, think of a suitable reply, and tell him later?

Her lips curved slightly, her eyes flickered—she planned to slip away for now. Just as she was about to step out of the elevator—

Liang Jiancheng was suddenly moved by that single look from her. And then, he made an act that was both inappropriate and forceful—

He raised his hand again and pressed firmly on the “open door” button, not hesitating at all, forcing the doors to remain open.

The elevator door, under his control, refused to close.

His clear, dark gaze pierced directly through the delicate atmosphere, gently landing on her face.

Ming Xi stiffened slightly.

With this action, without saying a word, he reminded her—he was still waiting for her answer.

“…”

Boss Liang was always adept at using gentle and skillful politeness as a façade; in reality, his true nature was one of assertiveness and arrogance.

It was impossible for her not to feel flustered.

But whenever Ming Xi panicked, she often appeared even more composed.

After a brief silence, Ming Xi stepped out of the elevator as usual, then slowly turned around, looking at Liang Jiancheng inside with equal calmness.

Liang Jiancheng stared back at her. His hand remained pressed on the button.

He rarely showed such assertiveness towards her, and now it was written all over his face without any attempt to hide it.

At this moment, Ming Xi felt that Liang Jiancheng was indeed Gu Shuangyang’s son.

A natural, graceful smile suddenly appeared on Ming Xi’s lips. She glanced at that handsome face of his, took a moment to consider her words, and said: “Mr. Liang, from last year until last week, I’ve known you as a friend. You’re an excellent person. But going forward, I hope to get to know you again as a competitor—I will do my best, and I hope Mr. Liang will offer me guidance.”

Liang Jiancheng: “…”

Ming Xi: “…”

Learning from a competitor was always the best way to learn, wasn’t it?

Ming Xi’s eyes curved, sparkling with captivating light.

At the same time, Liang Jiancheng’s gaze struck her like a sharp blade—clean and precise straight to her brow.

After saying such grand and audacious words, Ming Xi finally relaxed, revealing the effortless, confident smile she was best at. She gave him a polite smile, and her previously straight neck bent slightly—in the same respectful way she once greeted important customers back when she was a salesperson.

Inside the elevator, Liang Jiancheng remained motionless. After a brief pause, he slowly curved his lips as well—an elegant, gentlemanly smile he wore so naturally.

“Alright,” Liang Jiancheng gave the most concise response, then released the elevator button.

The elevator doors finally closed slowly, the car ascended gently, and came to a steady stop on the floor above.

Only then did Ming Xi move her legs—and realized they were slightly numb.

When Liang Jiancheng said that “Alright,” her heart had nearly leapt into her throat. Even the breath she exhaled felt warm against her nostrils.

But in an instant, her mood inexplicably became relaxed.

A strange sense of exhilaration welled up inside her.

This feeling made her discover another side of herself; she actually did enjoy a life that involved moving boldly forward, tinged with a bit of risk… Just like the standoff she had engaged in with Liang Jiancheng moments ago inside and outside the elevator. She had been tense, uneasy, yet filled with a fresh and indomitable energy.

Perhaps it was true; she wanted Liang Jiancheng to look at her with new eyes even more than she thought.

—

The Zhongjin Tower was a high-end office building, with bright, clean, spacious, and well-ventilated offices.

Ming Xi’s desk was right next to a window, offering a panoramic view of the vast Haigang Business Center. Across the street, she could clearly see Longmao Parkway, where she used to work.

The desk had an excellent view; its only drawback was that it faced directly west, meaning harsh afternoon sun.

Haiou provided each sales representative with a desktop computer by Fangzheng. Each sales representative was responsible for representing different products and connecting with their respective clients.

As a new hire, Ming Xi’s top priority was to familiarize herself with the products and establish contact with the overseas clients assigned to her.

She started with both product knowledge and business processes. The work environment was relatively relaxed, and she could control her own rhythm.

But Ming Xi placed a great deal of pressure on herself. After just one week at Haiou, her progress already surpassed what He Yuan had originally expected.

She had interviewed at Haiou last year, and now she was working here. It felt like fate. The receptionist from last year’s interview still remembered her—a young woman with the cute English name Nina.

Ming Xi thought of Sister Lingna—

Her first friend at Longmao.

Life’s meetings and partings were like drifting duckweed—one gentle touch from fate and people drifted apart before they had the chance to intertwine. If even a small, unique bond could form, that was a gift from heaven.

Over the past six months, Haiou’s business had increased significantly, so naturally the workforce had grown. Still, there were only six sales representatives, split into two groups.

The company’s two bosses each led one group. Each group had three people and a group leader.

Ming Xi was assigned to Team A, naturally belonging to He Yuan’s team. As a newcomer with no client resources, the clients she handled were assigned by He Yuan or the team leader.

Her direct team leader, Zhao Yang, was a local man in his thirties, whose English name was Sunny. He had an honest face, a dull personality, and was said to be Boss Huang’s brother-in-law.

Why Boss Huang’s brother-in-law was working under He Yuan—Ming Xi hadn’t understood at first. After thinking about it, she figured the partnership between Boss Huang and Boss He must involve some unspoken complications.

Given Zhao Yang’s “royal relative” status, Ming Xi treated him with careful respect from the beginning, reporting every detail meticulously. But she soon discovered that Zhao Yang’s knowledge of foreign trade was shallow—his English was decent, but his interest in the job was low. He was perfunctory in work and indifferent toward his subordinates.

Ming Xi’s other teammate was an extremely fashionable woman who loved dressing up. She wore heavy makeup every day, with thick foundation on her face, making it difficult to determine her exact age; she looked like she was in her early twenties, yet also seemed to be over thirty.

Still, her business skills were decent, and she showed the maturity of a woman in her thirties. However, in dealing with coworkers—especially Zhao Yang—she behaved like a naive twenty-year-old girl. For example, she would gaze at Zhao Yang’s unremarkable face with shining eyes, showering him with admiration and praise: “Team Leader Zhao, you’re so amazing!” Or coquettishly ask for help: ” Yangyang, I don’t understand part of this reply email. Your English is great, can you check it for me?”

Even the dullest man would respond to such fiery enthusiasm. The robotic Zhao Yang always endured patiently and offered her some help.

By the way, this team member’s name was Wu Jingjing, English name Cecilia. Some people in the company called her Sister Jingjing, while others called her Sister CC.

On her third day at the company, Ming Xi learned Wu Jingjing’s real age and also respectfully addressed her as Sister CC. She was surprised to learn that Wu Jingjing was a full twenty years older than her.

It must be said that Sister CC’s maintenance was remarkably excellent, perhaps due to her youthful mindset. The forty-something “aunties” at Longmao of similar age had none of Sister CC’s rare youthful vitality. It was more like a youthful energy that hadn’t faded with age.

In short, the vitality emanating from Sister CC was not only vibrant but also impossible to ignore. Ming Xi considered herself to be quite lively and outgoing, capable of adapting to others—but when she witnessed CC’s distinct, inimitable way of handling people—

She realized just how young and inexperienced she still was.

Strictly speaking, she realized that her already not-so-high bottom line as a person seemed to have been passively raised by Sister CC.

Naturally, in a building like this, countless rumors and strange tales circulated about Sister CC. But no matter what the rumors said, Ming Xi only listened—she reminded herself never to let gossip influence her judgment of people.

Their group consisted of three people: team leader Zhao Yang, who didn’t handle much but had strong connections; Sister CC, charming, flamboyant and always causing a stir every day;

And then there was Ming Xi, who didn’t consider herself easy to deal with either.

Putting the three of them together really did make for a rather treacherous combination.

Compared to Zhao Yang, who was as emotionless as a robot, Sister CC was much warmer and more genuine towards Ming Xi. Sometimes, her overly intimate gestures even left Ming Xi feeling a bit overwhelmed. As Sister CC often said, “I just love pretty young girls—looking at them makes me happy.”

Whenever Ming Xi heard this, she would just nod slightly, pretending to be honest and shy. In her heart, she didn’t really like being called a “young girl”—it felt dismissive, belittling.

After a full week at work, Sister CC showed up every day in a different colored pencil skirt. When she had no business to handle, she would stroll between her desk and the break area with a cup of coffee, attracting the gazes of countless male employees. And whenever she felt like it, she’d even shoot them a playful glare, teasing, “What are you staring at? Not looking at your computer? Already finished your monthly performance quota?”

Ming Xi wasn’t exactly the type to sit quietly and behave either, but under Sister CC’s peculiar form of “protective cover,” she somehow appeared clumsy and honest instead.

Turns out, the environment didn’t just change a person—it could also shape the way a person was perceived.

…

Today was Friday, the last day of work.

Half of the companies in this Zhongjin Tower worked a five-day schedule. Once people finished their afternoon tasks, they began heading home one by one; the only ones left working overtime were mostly the sales staff.

This week, besides the ten clients assigned to her by He Yuan and Zhao Yang, Ming Xi had successfully developed two more clients herself, bringing her total to twelve. But she hadn’t reported the new ones to Zhao Yang yet, nor mentioned it to Sister CC.

On her first day at the company, Sister CC warned her not to rush into developing clients, lest she get scammed by foreign con artists instead of securing orders.

“Those foreigners are just a bunch of cunning pigs,” CC described her clients.

What does “cunning pig” mean? Ming Xi thought about it and roughly understood: probably a visual description of someone stupid yet cunning at the same time. Based on her daily experience handling inquiries, Sister CC’s term really was surprisingly accurate.

Whether it was a Western “cunning pig” or a Southeast Asian “cunning monkey” —clients were gods to Ming Xi. They were her bargaining chips and her hope. She never dared slack off; she sent out emails carefully, one after another. Some polite clients would reply with a simple “Well noted,” while others vanished like stones sinking into the ocean.

Maybe her outreach emails still needed improvement…

Ming Xi suddenly thought of Brother Jiangliu and wanted to ask him for advice on her English outreach emails.

The company computer came with OICQ software. Ming Xi logged into her account and happened to see “Smiling Without Talking” online. She immediately typed and sent a greeting:

“Hi, Brother Jiangliu! Long time no see, I’ve missed you!”

A greeting that implies a request always carries a hint of cunning enthusiasm.

Smiling Without Talking didn’t reply immediately.

Ming Xi didn’t feel awkward, after all, Brother Jiangliu was busy.

Less than a minute later, Brother Jiang Liu asked, “What’s up?”

She knew he still cared about his little “Brother Ximen.”

Although she and Brother Jiangliu had become quite familiar online, Ming Xi was too embarrassed to directly ask him to help revise the development letter. So she decided to warm up the conversation first, share some recent progress and good news.

[Brother Jiangliu, guess what? I found a new job and have already started! Guess what I’m doing now?] Ming Xi playfully posted on OICQ.

Upstairs in the director’s office, Liang Jiancheng was facing his laptop, supporting his head with one hand. His elegant face looked tired, but his eyes showed a hint of interest. Angry as he was, he also felt an indescribable sense of anticipation—stirred, even.

All because of her words: “Long time no see, I’ve missed you. ”

[I don’t know, I can’t guess.] Liang Jiancheng typed back.

[Oh.]

Ming Xi added a cute face-scratching emoji.

Then—

A sentence brimming with excitement and joy popped out of the chat box.

[I became a foreign trade sales representative! And at a company with really great prospects!]

One sentence, and she effortlessly “hurt” Liang Jiancheng twice.

And what made it worse—no, more helpless—was that he had to congratulate her twice.

He congratulated her once in the elevator, and now he had to do it again.

[Congratulations.] Liang Jiancheng typed.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the sunset hung on the horizon looked like a ripe orange. One orange face turned away from Ming Xi downstairs; the other glowed toward Liang Jiancheng upstairs.

Liang Jiancheng got up from the desk, leaning back gently against the swivel chair. The sleek office chair perfectly supported his reclining body, steadily holding him upright. Exhaling lightly, the corners of his mouth lifted, and he even let out a small, delighted laugh.

“Mr. Liang… I hope to get to know you again as a competitor—I will do my best, and I hope Mr. Liang will offer me guidance.”

Ming Xi’s words from the elevator echoed in his ears again.

Liang Jiancheng turned to look at the towering buildings outside the window, his handsome face slightly tense, but he couldn’t help but chuckle softly again.

It had only been half a day, yet just knowing that Ming Xi was downstairs in this building sending him messages made it feel as though the company’s feng shui had shifted—the atmosphere, the mood, the magnetic field, all transformed in a strange, wonderful way.

Liang Jiancheng forced himself to suppress the inexplicable restlessness stirring in his chest.

Just then, in the chat box, someone finally got to the point: [Brother Jiangliu, if I encounter any problems with my work in the future, can I ask you anytime?]

Liang Jiancheng looked at the chat box, sighed helplessly, and typed:

[Sure.]

“Yeah!” Ming Xi nearly clapped her hands in delight downstairs.

Upstairs, Liang Jiancheng pressed his fingers against his temples. He couldn’t help doubting himself—if he kept up this split-personality act, he really was getting closer to becoming a lunatic.

At that moment, a development letter popped into the chat window, with key information censored—and a respectful request followed: [I just happen to have a small problem—Brother Jiangliu, could you take a look at this development email for me? Any parts I should revise?]

Whether it was caution or calculation—she had both.

Liang Jiancheng removed his glasses, exited OICQ decisively, went offline, and shut his laptop, preparing to leave the office.

Downstairs, Ming Xi waited a long time for Brother Jiangliu’s reply. She blinked twice, sighed softly, logged off, and began packing up to head home as well.

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