Chapter 94: Special Extra: Yu Qing

Even though Yu Qing had taken the medicine on time, she still woke up the next day with a stuffy nose. When her mother called, she lowered her voice so her mother wouldn’t notice anything. After hanging up, she looked at the curtain of rain outside the window.

It had been raining continuously in Yangshuo for the past few days. Yu Qing curled back into bed, holding a warm cup of cold medicine. There were milk candies on her nightstand, and she turned up the air conditioner a bit.

Looking at the rainy scenery outside, her palms warm, the loneliness she once felt back in Nancheng had long since faded. At this moment, she especially enjoyed the quiet feeling of watching the rain alone and simply being still.

After staying at the hotel for three days, she felt much better. Her nose wasn’t as congested—there was just a lingering bit of discomfort. Yu Qing didn’t stay cooped up any longer and went out to ride a bamboo raft while it was overcast.

The cloudy mountains looked like a painting, shrouded in mist. The bamboo raft drifted like a little boat in the vastness, making people feel small.

Yu Qing raised her camera high and captured the scene.

That night, when she posted the photos to her Moments, someone liked them almost immediately.

Secretary Jiang was the first.

She stayed in Yangshuo and Guilin for another three days. Her two-week trip was coming to an end. Before heading back, a client of hers—who had been working on a wedding home—was picking out tiles. The client trusted Yu Qing and had kept in regular contact.

That day, the client went to a supplier they partnered with to choose tiles. Wen Yang, who had been out of postpartum confinement for a week, was returning to the studio and went along to accompany the client on Yu Qing’s behalf. They planned to meet once Yu Qing landed.

Wen Yang messaged her saying that Secretary Jiang happened to be dropping a guest off at the airport around the same time, so he could pick Yu Qing up too.

Yu Qing replied, “Sure.”

After landing, she went to collect her luggage and pulled it out with her. That’s when she spotted Jiang Yue in a full suit, standing among the people waiting for arrivals, smiling at her.

Yu Qing blinked and smiled, “Secretary Jiang, thank you for the trouble.”

Jiang Yue reached out to take her suitcase and asked,

“Did Miss Yu enjoy her trip?”

Walking side by side with him, Yu Qing didn’t know why but felt very at ease around him. There was no pressure in their interaction.

She looked up and smiled:

“Yes, it was great. And thank you for the cold medicine.”

Jiang Yue turned to look at her and asked gently, “So you really caught a cold?”

Yu Qing met his gaze and smiled, “Mm. Your medicine was right on time. Secretary Jiang, you’re quite good at anticipating things.”

Jiang Yue smiled and said, “Better safe than sorry.”

“Are you feeling better now, Miss Yu?”

Yu Qing, walking in heels, said beside him as people passed by,

“I’m fine now.”

“That’s good to hear,” Jiang Yue responded.

Because the area was crowded, when someone bumped into her from the side, Jiang Yue naturally moved to the outer side, letting her walk on the inside of the sidewalk. On the way to the parking lot, there were still a number of shops.

Yu Qing had bought a lot of local specialty gifts, but she also wanted to buy a bottle of perfume for Wen Yang—a newly released product. She looked at the storefront while Jiang Yue noticed she was shifting her focus to shopping and slowed his pace.

Yu Qing, with her long legs, made a turn toward a brand store across the way. At that moment, a group of people passed by quickly.

“Miss Yu, be careful,” Jiang Yue called out.

Yu Qing instinctively moved to dodge them, but her heel twisted—crack.

She instinctively reached out for support.

At the same time, Jiang Yue extended his arm for her to lean on.

“Miss Yu, are you alright?”

Yu Qing looked down and lifted her heel. The black high heel she had worn for a year had snapped.

She said softly, “Doesn’t look good… the heel broke.”

Jiang Yue turned his head and saw it clearly. He also noticed how worn the heel was—it was obvious this pair of heels had been her favorite. It reminded him of a photo where she was wearing a shirt with a cinched-waist skirt, taking a selfie in front of the mirror—she had been wearing these exact heels.

Supporting her, he said, “Let’s find a place to sit down.”

Yu Qing felt a bit embarrassed, but walking with one heel higher than the other wasn’t easy. She agreed.

So, walking unevenly, she crossed to the other side. Throughout the walk, Jiang Yue kept his arm extended. Yu Qing would lightly rest her hand on it occasionally, but never leaned fully.

After sitting down in the rest area, Yu Qing tilted her head, looking at the shoe. She really did like those heels. She had brought them on this trip and worn them frequently—they looked great in photos and matched her outfits well.

But because she liked them, she wore them often. Naturally, they wore out faster.

She examined it and reached to snap off the other heel.

Jiang Yue saw this and quickly said,

“Miss Yu, you’re going to break it?”

Yu Qing looked up and smiled:

“Mm, if I break the other one, I can walk again.”

She said it with a carefree expression. Jiang Yue looked at her face and said,

“Then give it a try. I’ll go buy you a cup of coffee.”

Yu Qing smiled and nodded:

“Sure, I’m thirsty anyway.”

Jiang Yue smiled too.

He helped her stand her suitcase upright.

Yu Qing, while snapping the heel off, also took a picture and sent it to Wen Yang, saying that her heel had broken and she was working on creating a matching pair. She told her to wait a bit—she’d be there soon.

Wen Yang replied:

“No rush, the client’s still browsing. By the way, is that your favorite pair? If it’s really unwearable, maybe just buy a new one from a nearby shop.”

Yu Qing:

“I’m too lazy to try shoes right now… but I feel like I’m holding Secretary Jiang up a bit.”

Wen Yang:

“You’re not. He’s off work tomorrow anyway.”

Yu Qing:

“Oh, then that’s fine, haha.”

With some effort, crack, Yu Qing broke off the other heel. Now that both sides were balanced, she could walk again. She stood up, threw away the heels, and just as she sat back down—Jiang Yue returned.

He didn’t just bring back coffee—he was also carrying a shoe box.

Jiang Yue walked up, handed Yu Qing the coffee, then tilted his head and smiled:

“You really broke it, huh?”

Yu Qing took the coffee, smiled, and nodded:

“Yup.”

Jiang Yue looked at her for a few seconds, then smiled and crouched down. He placed the box on the ground and opened it—inside was a brand-new pair of black high heels. They were slightly different from the pair Yu Qing had broken, but clearly part of the same collection’s new release.

Yu Qing was stunned.

She glanced at the store, “Where did you pull these out from?”

Jiang Yue smiled slightly and said, “There’s a flagship store just ahead—they happened to have the new model.”

Yu Qing was stunned again.

Then she remembered there really was a store there, but she hadn’t left Nancheng much this past year and rarely browsed the airport’s shopping area, so she’d forgotten all about it.

With one leg propped up on her knee, Yu Qing took off her broken shoes to try on the new pair.

She said, “Secretary Jiang, why are you so thoughtful?”

She was wearing trousers, and her toenails were painted a dark red shade—very attractive.

Jiang Yue smiled as he replied,

“I saw that photo of you the other day—whether in a dress or pants, high heels suit you really well. A broken heel just won’t do.”

Yu Qing was in the middle of trying on the new shoes when she suddenly thought of the photo she had posted to her social feed, the same one she had sent to Lu Zhan.

She was silent for a few seconds, hooking the new heel with her foot, then asked softly,

“Secretary Jiang, you saw that photo too?”

Jiang Yue helped pack up the shoe box and stood up, meeting her gaze.

“I did. Miss Yu doesn’t wear dresses often, right? That time you did—it was stunning.”

Yu Qing paused slightly at the word stunning.

So, someone really did think she looked good in that dress—just genuinely found it beautiful.

Jiang Yue set the shoe box aside and pulled her suitcase along. Yu Qing glanced at him for a few seconds, holding her coffee, then smoothly entered the perfume boutique and bought that new-release fragrance.

A black sedan arrived at the supplier’s warehouse. Yu Qing got out, and Jiang Yue helped retrieve her luggage from the trunk. She accepted it, pulled out her phone, and transferred him the cost of the shoes on WeChat. Then she handed him a local specialty gift and said:

“Secretary Jiang, that’s for the shoes. And this is a souvenir from Yangshuo, specially for you.”

Jiang Yue glanced at the transfer on his phone, then looked up and accepted the gift with a smile.

“Miss Yu, that’s very thoughtful of you.”

Yu Qing gave a light smile.

“Just a small token!”

Jiang Yue replied,

“Alright.”

Then he helped roll her suitcase and escorted her to meet up with Wen Yang.

The moment Yu Qing and Wen Yang saw each other, they naturally had a lot to say. They even hugged. Jiang Yue headed back to his car and went off to handle his own errands, ready to return when needed.

The supplier was located not far from their studio.

Yu Qing set down her luggage and accompanied Wen Yang to help the client pick out tiles. The client was thrilled to see her, and after their discussion, the client ended up choosing a different design.

Naturally, the initial quotation had to be revised.

After all that, Yu Qing and Wen Yang returned to the studio. Wen Yang said with a smile:

“They were so nervous without you, they couldn’t make a final decision. They were afraid it would affect the new home’s overall style.”

Yu Qing dragged her suitcase along and walked with Wen Yang back to the studio, saying:

“Still, you worked hard, helping them choose for so long.”

Wen Yang replied softly:

“I didn’t do much—just used my mouth.”

Yu Qing tilted her head and gave her a playful pinch on the cheek.

Wen Yang looked great after coming out of confinement—her skin even better than before.

Yu Qing asked,

“Do you need to go back to be with your baby boy? Can we grab dinner together?”

Wen Yang smiled:

“Of course.”

She added, “Fu Xingzhou is home today.”

Yu Qing let out a playful “Ohh.”

Wen Yang looked at her and felt that she had changed—there was something freer in her expression now. It was a good look.

She glanced down at Yu Qing’s shoes, raised an eyebrow, and said, “New ones? Weren’t you too lazy to try on shoes?”

Yu Qing followed her gaze, chuckled, and said, “Well, there was a new pair right there, so I bought them.”

Wen Yang said, “They’re pretty.”

Yu Qing smiled again.

She thought of what Jiang Yue had said—stunning.

So no matter what she wore—dress or pants—it was fine. As long as she liked it, it didn’t matter whether others appreciated it or not.

There would always be someone who thought she looked good. The most important thing was to please herself.

Though she still preferred pants.

She called in the rest of the team, and they all went out for dinner that night. Yu Qing took the chance to hand out the gifts she’d bought.

After dinner, everyone had a little to drink—except for Wen Yang.

Fu Xingzhou personally came to pick her up.

Yu Qing and Tao Li took the same ride-hailing car. After dropping Tao Li off, Yu Qing returned to the Elegant Pavilion Residence. As soon as she entered, she saw the house she had lived in for years—and she felt a wave of nostalgia.

It truly felt like coming home.

She glanced over and saw a gift on the kitchen island.

It was the one Lu Zhan had brought that night. She had been feeling uneasy about it and had never opened it—had almost thrown it away. Now, seeing it again, she didn’t feel much.

She treated it like just another gift.

She opened it and found a luxury-brand perfume inside. The scent was nice.

Yu Qing thought, President Lu sure has good taste.

She smiled, carried the gift into her room, and placed it on the vanity.

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