*

On the other side, in private room 303.

The ten-person table was not fully occupied; there were about seven or eight people in the room. Few were picking up their chopsticks, but the conversation was lively and enthusiastic.

“Just before getting off work, I received a new order. Including the previous ones, there are now a total of five medical organizations’ POs,” a tall man said with a beaming smile.

“I’ve noticed that they are primarily interested in smart healthcare. Linear accelerators are hard to push since Varian and Siemens have monopolized the market, but they keep asking about smart robotic arms and deep imaging algorithms.”

The person beside him chimed in, “I was still replying to emails at 3 a.m. yesterday and only got about four hours of sleep.”

“Oh, Manager Han, you’ve worked hard.” Su Lingqing said with a smile, raising his glass.

“Indeed, we’ve built a technical barrier over the past two years. Once the CE certification for Bio-Robot 3.0 is approved, I can secure at least 500 orders,” the tall man added.

“Ha, 500,” Han Wentao said, his tone laced with sarcasm. “Think bigger. If you ask me, 5,000 isn’t out of the question, right, Mr. Fu?”

Everyone turned to look at the young man sitting at the end of the table.

Fu Yingcheng, dressed in a dark coat with a cold, stern expression, lifted his gaze slightly at the words and said evenly, “It’s not too late to talk after the deal is done.”

Manager Liu slapped his thigh and said, “Ah, Mr. Fu really hit the nail on the head. Without a signed contract, it’s all just talk.”

Han Wentao’s face darkened visibly.

…

Everyone at the table, while colleagues, were also competitors.

Jiuzhou Medical had dominated the domestic market for years, leaving limited room for further expansion. However, there were still plenty of opportunities overseas for them to carve out new territories.

The people around the table had just returned from the Medica International Medical Fair. They had both the qualifications and the desire for an overseas assignment to the European project team. Once appointed as the general manager, a few years abroad would add a prestigious line to their resumes, practically securing a direct promotion to senior management upon returning to headquarters.

The issue was, who would be the one to take on this role as the general manager.

The conversation at the table continued, seemingly friendly on the surface but with undercurrents of tension. In their exchanges, each person subtly implied that they were the most suitable candidate for the position.

Fu Yingcheng sat to the side, watching in silence. Midway through, he glanced down at his phone.

On the screen was his chat with Ji Fanling.

None of Your Business^[1]‌Previously Ji Fanling’s name ID is “关我屁事 (guān wǒ pì shì) = None of my business” but, now she use “关你屁事 (guān nǐ pì shì) = None of your business”. Maybe she … Continue reading: 【Heading out. Won’t be home for dinner tonight.】

c: 【Me too.】

An hour later.

c: 【Are you home yet?】

Ji Fanling still hadn’t replied.

Fu Yingcheng’s brows knit slightly as his fingers tapped restlessly a few times. He opened the dial pad, only to exit it again, impatiently locking the screen before tossing the phone onto the table.

The others noticed his actions and keenly picked up on his displeased mood, leading to a collective silence.

In the workplace, Fu Yingcheng was by no means a friendly leader.

On the contrary, he fully embodied the qualities of decisiveness and ruthlessness, controlling the company he had founded with an iron grip.

Officially, the personnel appointments and assignments were matters to be reviewed and voted on at tomorrow’s board meeting. But everyone knew that the vote was merely a formality.

Ultimately, the choice of the European market’s general manager lay entirely in Fu Yingcheng’s hands.

Su Lingqing noticed the strained expressions around the table and smiled to ease the tension. “Alright, alright, why are we talking about work when we’re finally out? It’s giving me a headache. Let’s eat.”

Not long after, Fu Yingcheng stood up and left the private room.

Su Lingqing put down her chopsticks and followed him out, giving him a pat on the shoulder from behind. “Hey, don’t keep that cold look on your face, it’s scary. No one dares to eat.”

Fu Yingcheng frowned. “When did I have a cold face?”

“Alright, alright, you weren’t cold,” Su Lingqing thought to himself that his expressionless face was already cold enough. “I get it. They were a bit too eager to show off today, but it is indeed a lucrative position. It’s only natural for them to want to make an impression on you. Don’t take it to heart.”

“I’m not taking it to heart.”

Fu Yingcheng’s tone was calm. “The outcome won’t change just because they say a few words at the dinner table. If they want to talk, it doesn’t matter, but it’s unnecessary.”

“Besides,”

His dark eyes glanced sideways at Su Lingqing, and a cold, mocking smile appeared. “When it comes to seeking credit, who can beat you?”

Su Lingqing was at a loss for words: “…”

Such a sharp tongue! No wonder you’re so solitary.

With a huff, Su Lingqing turned and went back to the private room. Fu Yingcheng made a stop at the restroom, and on his way out, he took care of the bill. While waiting for the cashier to process it, his gaze inadvertently swept across the lobby.

And then he froze in place.

From a distance, a man and a woman sat at a two-person table by the floor-to-ceiling window.

To anyone watching, they looked just like a couple.

They were sharing the same pair of earphones, and the man was serving food to the woman. They chatted and laughed, their gestures attentive and filled with a subtle intimacy.

Due to the angle, most of the girl’s face was obscured, but even with just that small glimpse, he recognized her instantly.

Ji Fanling.

She sat across from Cheng Jiali, with her head lowered.

Her face was flushed, as if it were about to drip with blood.

Fu Yingcheng watched coldly, the vein on his forehead throbbing uncontrollably as his fingers slowly clenched at his side.

This scene before him.

It forcefully pulled him back to that summer of 2012.

It was during PE class; everyone was going through the usual warm-up routine when sudden commotion erupted from the back, with Ji Fanling’s name mixed in the noise.

Fu Yingcheng turned around and immediately saw her collapsed on the ground in the crowd, her face pale as paper.

His mind went blank in an instant, without a single thought, he rushed over, hoarsely calling her name.

The sports committee member ran to call the teacher, while the class monitor rushed over, reaching to press on her philtrum, only to have Fu Yingcheng slap his hand away. “Don’t touch her!”

The class monitor withdrew his hand, meeting a pair of cold, dark eyes filled with hostility.

Without hesitation, the young man knelt on one knee, his words steady and clear: “Help her onto my back. We’re going to the school infirmary.”

Seeing his calm demeanor, the other classmates seemed to find their anchor, hurriedly assisting Fu Yingcheng as he lifted the girl onto his back.

Fu Yingcheng was calm as he carried her on his back, calm as he ran all the way to the school infirmary, showing not a hint of excess emotion.

Only he knew.

He was so panicked that it felt as if his heart had forgotten how to beat.

At the school infirmary, the doctor checked Ji Fanling’s condition and said she just had low blood sugar. She would wake up soon and be fine after drinking some glucose.

After hearing this, Fu Yingcheng’s face remained expressionless, but he kept staring at her intently.

After noticing this, the doctor, with a knowing smile, said, “Alright, you can go back to class. The girl will be fine.”

Fu Yingcheng took off his glasses, raised the back of his hand, and wiped the sweat from his brow and eyes, tehn lifted his lashes again. “Just…” His voice was completely hoarse.

He paused, and cleared his throat. “Just glucose? Nothing else?”

“I don’t exactly have snacks here,” the doctor replied.

“I’ll go buy some,” Fu Yingcheng said, casting another glance at Ji Fanling before running out of the infirmary.

Since the cafeteria wasn’t open at this hour, Fu Yingcheng had to head to the school supermarket.

The process of buying things eased his taut nerves a little, yet his heart continued to pound heavily in his chest, each beat almost painfully intense.

When he carried Ji Fanling on his back to the infirmary, it was the closest he had ever been to her.

At that time, he hadn’t thought of anything.

Now, however, the memories were quietly resurfacing.

The girl was very light.

Even in the sweltering heat of summer, her body was still cool, like white jade rinsed in well water.

With each stride he took, her nose and lips unconsciously brushed against his neck again and again.

The delayed chaos was like wildfire on a barren plain, fiercely flickering.

Flowing scaldingly through every nerve ending.

…

Fu Yingcheng ran back to the school infirmary carrying the food, his T-shirt completely soaked with sweat.

He stopped at the door, steadying his heartbeat, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and resumed his indifferent, detached demeanor before raising his hand to push the door open. But then, he suddenly heard a boy’s voice coming from inside the infirmary.

“You know… why do I like you so much?”

Fu Yingcheng’s gaze snapped up.

Through the narrow crack of the slightly open door, he saw Cheng Jiali sitting by the bed, smiling as he reached out and gently touched the girl’s face.

Ji Fanling was never known for having a gentle temperament; she seemed to be covered in thorns of vigilance. Even with Zhou Sui, she wouldn’t walk arm-in-arm like other girls do with their best friends, always keeping to herself and moving through the world alone.

Any guy who casually reached out to touch her should have been ready to get his head smashed in.

And yet, she didn’t pull away.

Her whole body was tense, but she stayed perfectly still, only lowering her lashes, pressing her lips together, and the tips of her ears flushed red.

…

So obedient.

Obedient enough to soften anyone’s heart.

Fu Yingcheng had never seen her like this.

So she could be compliant, after all.

Just not with him.

The door before him suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, anchoring the young man in the shadows. The scene behind the door was etched painfully into his cold, silent gaze, cutting like a knife.

Just then, the school doctor emerged from the adjacent room, asking curiously, “Why are you standing here?”

Fu Yingcheng remained silent, handed her the plastic bag he was holding, and, leaving only a brief “Give this to her,” turned and walked away without looking back.

…