The bad habit of being forgetful is something that’s been carried over since birth. Lin Rongyuan, for instance, can get her daughter lost while shopping in a mall, so losing an earring or headphones wouldn’t be a big deal.

However…

Would Chen An think she had other motives? Repeatedly leaving things in the passenger seat, deliberately creating opportunities for contact?

Though this might be a typical plot in novels and TV dramas that pushes the romantic relationship forward, it’s a little unrealistic. But art comes from real life, and since she once picked up a hair tie that was “deliberately” left by a secretary in Ying Junyu’s car, Ying Ni was sure that even if Chen An didn’t consciously think this way, the idea must have crossed his mind.

Just like her.

She thought that his repeated passing by wasn’t just coincidence and had long labeled him as having ulterior motives.

But, today he came to return the earring. Only the first two encounters were coincidental. After being rejected the first time, Chen An didn’t linger and left immediately. The second time, as well as today, he insisted on persuading her to get into the car, one because it was late at night, the other because it was raining.

The reasons were valid and in line with his good-natured, helpful image as an old classmate.

Ying Ni was confident but not narcissistic. Though her appearance could make her a famous actress, she knew that not every man would like her.

Moreover, with Chen An’s current status, not only could he easily find a global superstar, but he could also choose someone even more famous than her.

So, if it were any other classmate, Chen An would have done the same thing. It was just her narrow thinking.

Both of them, neither was interested in the other.

With this thought in mind, Ying Ni lowered her hand that was holding the phone, deciding not to message him about the headphones.

She feared that Chen An might think she was trying to climb the social ladder.

Such thoughts would make her lose face.

She had always looked down on types like Chen An.

…

Ying Ni’s thoughts ended when she switched to Line 9. It was rush hour, with workers flooding in and out of the train.

The train was crowded until the second-to-last stop, when she finally found a seat.

Heze’s rainy season came early, with June being muggy and humid.

She quickly took a warm shower when she got home, disinfected her wound, and wrapped her head in a scarf while boiling water and cooking noodles in the kitchen. She fried an egg while checking her phone, keeping an eye on the workgroup.

After 4 o’clock, no one had sent any messages. She opened the supervisor and department head’s profiles, and their chat windows were still blank.

Fighting wasn’t something glorious, especially since it was Qiao Juan who made the first move. The company had always handled things by smoothing them over. This issue would likely blow over.

With that in mind, Ying Ni felt a little relieved, quickly retrieving the noodles that were nearly burnt. She brought them to her laptop and sat down to watch a drama, laughing at the funny parts. Just then, her phone, which was placed on the side, suddenly rang.

Ying Ni’s smile froze on her face. After closing her eyes for a moment, she picked up. The voice on the other end was serious: “Is this Ying Ni?”

She hesitated for a moment, then answered with a heavy “Hmm.”

“The money has been refunded to your account. Please check and make sure you’ve received it. If you get a follow-up call, kindly leave a good review.”

Ying Ni was stunned. “What?”

“The insurance money has been refunded.”

Ying Ni was still confused. “Ah…”

The person on the other end sighed, sounding slightly impatient: “Can’t you hear me? I’m from Ren’an Insurance.”

“Oh, okay.” Ying Ni suddenly realized and jumped up from her chair, excited and overwhelmed. She spun in place. “Thank you! Thank you, sorry for the trouble. Looks like the complaint really worked.”

“…”

The person on the other end was momentarily speechless, then replied with an even colder tone: “No need for thanks. If the insurance commission calls, just tell them the issue is resolved.”

After hanging up, Ying Ni immediately checked her balance. When she saw the numbers starting with a 4, the weight on her chest lifted, even if only for a moment.

She quickly paid off Lin Rongyuan’s medical expenses and, feeling relieved, went downstairs to grab some lamb skewers she’d been craving.

The next day, Ying Ni hummed a song as she arrived at the company. Qiao Juan’s desk was empty, and the others occasionally glanced her way.

Ying Ni wore a turtleneck to cover the wound on her neck and had a cartoon-patterned band-aid on her chin. It wasn’t long before someone tapped her shoulder.

“They want you to go to the office.”

Everyone seemed to be watching. The atmosphere felt strange.

Ying Ni pretended not to notice, casually pushed back her chair, and stood up. With Lin Rongyuan’s medical bills settled, she felt a lot more confident. Even if two thousand yuan was deducted this month, it didn’t matter. She nodded calmly and walked toward the office.

“Hey—” The person grabbed her, lifting their chin, “It’s upstairs, the vice president’s office.”

At the mention of the vice president’s office, Ying Ni’s relaxed expression immediately vanished.

Everyone knew that Qiao Chunfang, the vice president, was Qiao Juan’s aunt. Her low character and short temper were notorious.

She wouldn’t be treated kindly.

Before heading upstairs, Ying Ni kept reminding herself: just nod and agree to whatever is said.

But when the sharp-tongued woman started shouting insults, Ying Ni couldn’t take it anymore.

She tilted her head, pointing at the wound on her neck: “Look closely! It was Qiao Juan who scratched me like this, and she made the first move. I only defended myself.”

“I don’t care who started it, this is a company, not a marketplace!” Qiao Chunfang slammed her fist on the desk.

The sharp noise hurt Ying Ni’s ears, and she wanted to end the conversation quickly. She nodded dismissively: “I’ve heard you.”

After giving her a once-over, Qiao Chunfang snapped, “Why are you so uneducated? Did your parents die and no one taught you?”

Ying Ni immediately frowned, taking a step forward while raising her hand. Qiao Chunfang, startled by her aggressive posture, raised her palm to slap, shouting loudly: “What are you doing?”

Ying Ni looked at her hand, which was trembling in the air, and suddenly smiled.

An inexplicable smile offended Qiao Chunfang more than any insult.

In an embarrassed rage, Qiao Chunfang demanded, “What are you laughing at?”

Ying Ni didn’t speak, continuing to smile.

Qiao Chunfang leaned against the desk, pressing her forehead, and seemed to calm down after a while, though she didn’t say anything. She waved her hand dismissively, signaling for Ying Ni to leave.

As Ying Ni descended the stairs, she thought to herself: the vice president wasn’t so impressive after all, with her fiery temper. In the end, she had been so angry she had to lean on the table, eyes darkened.

But before she could even feel satisfied with her victory, it was less than five minutes before she was hit with bad news.

When she sat back down at her desk, the HR department informed her: “Sorry, you’ve been fired.”

The rainy season brought unpredictable weather, and recently, Wu Qingmei had been frequently catching colds and coughing. Chen An had stayed at the family home in Huanhua District for several days.

This particular day, Chen Jingjing was on leave, and Chen An had declined a social engagement to cook their favorite steamed bass and soy-braised ribs for them.

After dinner, the three of them sat in front of the TV. Only Wu Qingmei was watching TV, while Chen Jingjing lay on the sofa playing games, and Chen An, with a laptop on his lap, worked while chatting with his mother.

The warm light enveloped the space, with the sound of the TV and game effects mixing together, creating a peaceful yet lively atmosphere, full of warmth.

Then Wu Qingmei brought up a topic about her hometown.

“Yesterday, the village chief called, saying they were going to repair the road. Every household has to contribute money, according to the number of people in each household. But the amount isn’t fixed. The poor will contribute less, and those who can afford it will give more,” Wu Qingmei looked at the backbone of the family, “He emphasized the last part several times, but I’m not sure how much we should give.”

The reflection of the screen made Chen An’s face remain indifferent. He didn’t look up, but asked calmly, “Which village chief from home?”

The reason he asked was because they had two hometowns: one was his father Chen Guodong’s birthplace, “Chenjiaying,” and the other was his mother’s, “Jian’an.”

Chen An and his sister grew up in Chenjiaying, but when they reached middle school, they were forced to move to Jian’an, where they continued to live.

Wu Qingmei smiled helplessly. “Which other one could it be? Chenjiaying.”

The mention of Chenjiaying seemed to strike a nerve with Chen Jingjing, who immediately threw her phone and sat up, shouting in anger, “No! We’re not giving them anything! Not a single cent!”

Her sudden outburst startled Wu Qingmei, and Chen An finally lifted his eyelids, asking calmly, “Wasn’t the road already fixed last year?”

Wu Qingmei