Chapter 4 Network (04)
The wind was exceptionally biting, and after a moment, the summer cicada suddenly had a strong desire to smoke. It reached into its handbag, only to remember that the cigarettes were left in the lounge.
She was arranging her makeup when Fu Ruyu entered the room
She walked to the door, and someone opened it for her. A gust of cold wind suddenly rushed in, causing her to shiver involuntarily
Xia Chan turned her head to look at Fu Ruyu, who was wearing a black evening gown. Xia Chan could not name the brand, but judging by the design, it was likely not inexpensive
Fu Ruyu glanced at her and smiled, saying, "Another qipao."
The summer cicada nodded its head
Xia Chan nodded slightly, brushed past Fu Ruyu, and returned to the banquet hall
Fu Ruyu glanced at her and said, "Xia Chan, I have been wanting to ask you, are you and Xie Xingzhou..."
As Xia Chan was about to respond, she wanted to test whether he could truly read lips, so she looked up at him and said, "Let's go outside for a smoke"
Sitting upright in the elevator, the phone in my handbag buzzed with vibrations
The strong wind immediately extinguished the small flame that was emitted.
Zhou Lan, in her middle age, has gained weight and certainly cannot stuff her bulging belly back in
Where is the cigarette
The summer cicada, unable to evade, could only stand still, "Manager Liu."
Later, Xia Chan fortuitously discovered a clever method: during a thorough cleaning at home, she found a large box under Zhou Lan's bed. Upon opening it, she saw seven or eight qipaos inside.
Xia Chan thought to herself, she was certainly anxious, but now that she looked around, it seemed that there were others who were even more anxious than she was
Chen Aijia advised: "Then you should pay attention to safety when you return"
Chen Aijia said it is good
Summer cicada: "It's nothing, I used to smoke Camels."
Summer cicadas, Davidoff
Fu Ruyu smiled and also said, "I wish you good luck"
The summer cicada was completely unprepared, and it took a few seconds to regain its senses, hurriedly saying thank you
The summer cicada said: "I have entered, Mr. He, thank you."
Liu Hongyi let out a light grunt from his nose, adjusted his collar, took a step forward, and stood just a fist's distance away from Xia Chan. He lowered his voice and chuckled, saying: "It is acceptable for men to be tough, but women, when the time calls for it, must still be gentle"
Just as I was about to turn around, the phone in my hand vibrated.
Hastily taking a few steps outside, she almost bumped into someone. Summer Chan quickly stopped in her tracks and looked up to see it was Fu Ruyu.
At last, the summer cicadas fell silent and spoke, "There is nothing else, then I shall hang up"
After making the rounds and toasting each important leader, Xia Chan went to the restroom. Upon exiting the restroom, she unexpectedly ran into Liu Hongyi.
Not brought out
Xia Chan felt a wave of nausea and immediately took a step back to avoid Liu Hongyi, coldly stating: "Mr. Liu, I am returning to the hall"
The summer cicadas also laughed
He Huaisheng extinguished the lighter and held it in his hand
The summer cicadas are silent
The wind was strong, lifting a corner of his coat as he stepped onto the damp ground, wrapped in wind and snow, striding towards the summer cicada.
The heating was quite sufficient, and Xia Chan sought a secluded corner, preparing to sit down and eat. However, upon recalling Liu Hongyi's frivolous teasing voice from earlier, she felt a wave of discomfort wash over her. The air was a blend of perfume, red wine, and the aroma of food, which made Xia Chan feel a heaviness in her chest. She decided to go to the lounge to put on her down jacket and get some fresh air outside
The summer cicada does not enjoy such occasions, and the reason is simple: the cost of attire is too high
The summer cicada nodded
The year-end party of Kaiser is always held in a lively manner, with the hotel even reserving the largest banquet hall exclusively for the annual meeting
He Huan Sheng did not immediately put it on, but draped the coat over his arm
At this year's year-end party, Xia Chan chose a dark blue qipao. The qipao features a classical style, with dark floral patterns subtly displayed, embroidered with large begonia flowers. Xia Chan has a cold stomach, so she wore a long down jacket over the qipao, and wrapped a scarf around her neck, keeping herself bundled up tightly.
Xie Xingzhou cleared his throat lightly and said, "I have set the time to go to the capital. After some thought, I decided to inform you."
He Huaisheng nodded again
Zhou Lan was certainly unwilling and almost took scissors to cut her cheongsam. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to do it, so she could only scold Xia Chan for a while. Then she played cards all night, losing everything, which served as a way to vent her frustration
He Heshuai paused for a moment, reached into the pocket of the coat draped over her, pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, and shoved them into her hand
Fu Ruyu looked at her with concern: "What is with this expression?"
Under the lights, this scene is indescribably enchanting
Finally, the summer cicada sneezed from the cold and said: I must return, it is cold outside
"Good," Xie Xingzhou coughed a few more times, "so are you."
I did not see her
After a moment of hesitation, I still picked it up
Xia Chan took a look and saw the three characters "Xie Xingzhou" on the screen, and was immediately taken aback
The summer cicada paused its movements, and the smile on its face faded. "Hmm, his company's market is primarily in the capital, and he plans to go there."
The summer cicada immediately raised its eyes and saw that the car lights had already gone out
The phone vibrated again: Where are you going? I will give you a ride.
Upon arriving at the lounge, she took off her down jacket and retrieved a rabbit fur shawl from her bag, draping it over her shoulders
The Lexus is no longer there, and the spot where it was parked is still half-dry, not yet completely covered by snow
The summer cicada felt somewhat guilty and took out the phone to type: Thank you, I will return soon
After hesitating for a moment, she trembled as she replied to He Huaisheng's message
Well
The summer cicadas are momentarily lost in thought, has it started to snow
The summer cicada took a cigarette from the cigarette box, held it in its mouth, and pressed down on the lighter with its fingers
He Huai-sheng asked her: Are you accustomed to smoking?
At the banquet, the fragrance of wine mingles with the shadows of elegant attire, and one can hear the delicate laughter of glamorous young ladies everywhere.
As Xia Chan packed her belongings and left the hotel, she couldn't help but take one last glance at the parking lot
Fu Ruyu sighed, "Why must it be so resolute"
The summer cicada used a cotton swab to wipe away the poorly applied lip gloss, "I am poor, there is no way."
She looked up, only to see the magnificent crystal chandelier in the hall, realizing that she had gotten off the elevator too early
Xie Xingzhou's voice seemed somewhat weary, "Have you eaten?"
If you see it, say something; if you don't see it, then forget it
Aijia, I am preparing to leave, you all continue to have fun, please convey my regards to Ruyu.
The annual company meeting will be attended by senior leaders, among whom are many young and unmarried talents. Of course, whether one is married or young does not in the slightest affect the determination of the front office, housekeeping, and concierge departments, as hundreds of young women aspire to rise to prominence. Since everyone is dressed to the nines, it would be rather impolite for Xia Chan to appear too shabby.
The summer cicada said: "Wishing you good luck"
In just a moment, the smoke ignited, and the summer cicada raised its head
The cold wind, accompanied by snowflakes, rushes towards me
The fifth day, at nine o'clock in the morning
She wore a deep blue qipao, her hair styled in a bun reminiscent of the Shanghai socialites, her rosy lips biting a cigarette. The cold wind brushed against her hair, and the pale blue smoke quickly dissipated, while the fur on her shawl shivered and trembled.
A moment of silence
Alright ... ... It is snowing, please pay attention to keeping warm on your way home from work
She took off her coat and returned it to He Huaisheng
Not coming back?
Two people communicate this way, with one speaking and the other typing
The summer cicada's legs have begun to twitch, as its fingers tremble while unlocking the phone
Ah, I truly envy you
The qipao and shawl on her body offered no warmth against the cold, yet the summer cicadas seemed unable to resist the allure of the snowflakes drifting down from the sky. She hugged her arms and walked down the few steps along the corridor.
The summer cicada made a sound of "Hmm", "... you have a cold."
He wore only a knitted sweater and a shirt, and the cold wind filled his pant legs, making his figure appear even more emaciated
The summer cicada could not spare an extra hand to shield against the wind and was about to give up when He Huaisheng suddenly took the lighter from her hand, held it up to block the wind, and handed it back to her.
The summer cicada shook its head and forced a smile, "It's nothing."
At that moment, the lounge door opened again, and Chen Aijia walked in, accompanied by a waft of fragrance. She stood before the two, lifted the long coat she was wearing, and asked, "How is it? Does it look good?" Inside, she wore a long dress in bright red, which contrasted strikingly with her radiant, fair skin, making her particularly eye-catching.
Fu Ruyu smiled and said, "This year, he has been working on a project with his mentor and received a substantial amount of money at the end of the year"
The summer cicada gazes ahead, lost in thought, "What date is it?"
Xia Chan returned to the lounge, finished smoking the cigarette, and lay on the sofa for a while, increasingly reluctant to return to the banquet hall
Liu Hongyi cast a glance at her and suddenly asked, "The layoff list is to be announced at the beginning of the year, have you heard anything about it"
Chen Aijia smiled and said, "I am counting on this outfit tonight to catch a wealthy husband, so that I won't have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of my life, and can just lie in bed counting money"
Meanwhile, not far away, the tail lights of a car suddenly flashed in double blink, two bright beams of light illuminating the swirling snowflakes.
Over there, Xie Xingzhou said goodbye, and Xia Chan also said goodbye in a dazed manner, hanging up the phone.
He Huai-sheng asked again: Then why are you here all alone
He Huai Sheng replied on WeChat: Annual meeting?
The first snowfall of the year in Chongcheng
How are your battle results
He Huai-sheng: It might be a bit intense
Chen Aijia chuckled and said, "You still don't understand me. If I really wanted to rely on this to make a living, I wouldn't have to wait until today"
It was a WeChat message from He Huaisheng: Is Miss Xia selling matches?
It's nothing
The summer cicada laughed and said: "Have you figured it out? How can you bear to spend so much money on such an expensive dress this year"
A faint handful of firelight illuminated her luminous white skin
Fu Ruyu glanced at her and said with a smile, "Watch your step while walking, be careful not to bump into anyone"
She made a call to Fu Ruyu and Chen Aijia respectively. No one answered Fu Ruyu's call, while Chen Aijia answered after a while, her voice somewhat distant, "Where have you been?"
Xia Chan said plainly: "I only wish to fulfill my own responsibilities, as for whether I can stay or leave, it all depends on the leadership's decision"
The elevator doors opened, and Xia Chan followed others out, "Take more rest"
The summer cicada took out a dress, which happened to fit perfectly, and could not help but lament that these valuable qipao pearls were covered in dust. She immediately appropriated seven or eight sets, and even if she wore them without repeating, she could manage for seven or eight years.
Just as I had typed two characters, the rear door of the car suddenly swung open, and He Huaisheng bent down and emerged from the vehicle
Chen Aijia possesses a personality that embraces the philosophy of enjoying the present moment, indulging in pleasures without saving for the future. She spends freely as soon as she receives money, showing no hesitation in her expenditures on food, clothing, and daily necessities
Liu Hongyi wore a smile that was neither fully a smile nor a frown, "You don't seem to be in the least bit anxious."
The summer cicada was momentarily taken aback, yet it still slightly lowered its head and leaned forward
He said he will not come back
As he approached, he suddenly unfastened his coat and draped it over the summer cicada.
The summer cicada said: "I have never tried."
The summer cicada said: "See you next time"
He Huan-sheng withdrew his gaze and nodded slightly