hotmtlnovel Chapter 1555 This is life.
Chapter 1555 This is life.
Just as Qiao Hailun was sitting at her workstation, happily imagining her bright future, Li Dongming returned and walked to her workstation again.
His face softened slightly, and his tone, unlike his usual harsh one, was different as he asked softly, "Joelen, do you have time?"
Qiao Hailun nodded subconsciously, her tone relaxed: "Yes."
"Then, come with me to meet a client?" Li Dongming's tone carried a hint of negotiation, and he even turned slightly to the side, adopting an extremely humble posture.
Hearing her boss Li Dongming's unprecedentedly consultative tone, Qiao Hailun felt a surge of secret satisfaction. In the past, Li Dongming always treated her with a commanding tone, harsh and unyielding, and would leave without caring whether she was busy or not, or whether she was willing or not.
All these changes stemmed from her change of status—she was now Qin Hao's girlfriend. Thinking of this, a smug smile unconsciously crept onto Qiao Hailun's lips. This feeling of being valued and flattered was just too good.
"Sure, no problem."
……
A dozen minutes later, the two arrived at an elegant coffee shop. Qiao Hailun followed Li Dongming into the coffee shop, her eyes scanning the interior. When she saw the customer Li Dongming had mentioned, she couldn't help but be stunned—it was none other than Tan Min, the rich second-generation heiress she had met at the bar before.
Tan Min, dressed in stylish casual wear, sat by the window with a cup of coffee in her hand, looking relaxed. When she saw Li Dongming and Qiao Hailun approaching, she immediately smiled warmly and stood up to greet them: "President Li, it's been a long time. And who is this?"
"Mr. Tan, it's been a long time." Li Dongming hurriedly stepped forward, a fawning smile on his face, and introduced, "This is our company's consultant, Qiao Hailun. She's very quick-witted, and I brought her here to learn from her."
Qiao Hailun also gave a polite smile and nodded: "Mr. Tan, hello, I am Qiao Hailun."
"Miss Qiao, hello." Tan Min smiled and nodded, her gaze sweeping over Qiao Hailun with a hint of curiosity, but she didn't ask any questions. She warmly invited the two of them to sit down: "Please sit down, please sit down, don't stand."
As soon as the three sat down, Tan Min couldn't wait to speak, her tone full of admiration: "President Li, to be honest, I've always admired your wife Zhao Mei. Her speech at the last press conference was so brave!"
Upon hearing this, Li Dongming immediately followed Tan Min's lead, shamelessly trying to flatter himself: "President Tan, you flatter me. Actually, Zhao Mei's speech was something I had planned in advance..."
Tan Min had no idea of the truth and thought that Li Dongming was indeed in a high position and had unique methods, so she immediately looked at Li Dongming with new respect.
Li Dongming's smile widened, and while humbly saying "You flatter me," he kept flattering Tan Min, praising her for her vision and decisiveness. But only he knew that he was actually very uncomfortable, even somewhat embarrassed.
He had always believed that he was superior to his wife, Zhao Mei, in both skill and ability. At home, he was the dominant figure, and at work, Zhao Mei needed his guidance and assistance. Now, to win over Tan Min as a client, he actually had to rely on his wife's fame to gain her approval. To him, this was utterly ironic and a profound humiliation.
Qiao Hailun, who was standing to the side, listened to Li Dongming's shameless boasting in front of Tan Min about how he helped his wife turn the tide in an unfavorable situation and how he got Zhao Mei back to her original position. Her previous slight positive impression of Li Dongming was completely shattered, and she even felt a bit more disdain and contempt.
Others might not know the truth, but didn't she? If Qin Hao hadn't made a hole-in-one from 250 yards that day, Bai Ruide would not only have fired Zhao Mei, but would have also pursued legal action against her. At the time, Li Dongming was completely submissive, not daring to utter a sound, showing absolutely no intention of standing on the same side as Zhao Mei.
Moreover, the plan that truly moved Bai Ruide and led to Zhao Mei's reinstatement was not Li Dongming's idea at all, but Qin Hao's. Yet now, Li Dongming shamelessly claimed all the credit for himself and boasted about himself in front of the client.
Qiao Hailun's face unconsciously revealed a disdainful expression, her eyes filled with contempt. This girl has no guile at all; her emotions are all written on her face.
Li Dongming could see it, of course. This girl had no guile at all; her emotions were written all over her face. But he didn't dare to show it, so he could only patiently explain after Tan Min left.
"The hardest thing in doing business is gaining the trust of customers, so you have to cater to their preferences. Tan Min appreciates my wife's straightforwardness and courage, so in order to secure this order, I can only go along with her and cater to her."
Do you understand?
Qiao Hailun nodded perfunctorily, "Understood."
In her heart, however, she was dismissive; though naive, she was not stupid.
Li Dongming immediately saw through Qiao Hailun's insincerity, but he was helpless and could only pretend not to notice.
"By the way, prepare Kangya's contract and hand it to me before tonight. I need to review it, as I need to meet with the client tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Hailun frowned: "But, Mr. Li, I have an appointment tonight, so I'm afraid I won't have time to prepare the contract."
Hearing this, Li Dongming was so angry he almost ground his teeth to powder. But he could only suppress his anger and force a smile, saying, "Fine, then I'll have someone else do it. You just go about your business."
"Thank you, Mr. Li." Qiao Hailun smiled, thinking to herself: So, I can finally act like I own the place?
She stood up, picked up her bag, and asked again, "By the way, Mr. Li, are you going back to the company now?"
Li Dongming suppressed his anger, his voice hoarse: "I won't be going back for now. Is there something wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing." Qiao Hailun smiled "sincerely." "It's just that if I take a taxi back to the company now, can I get reimbursed?"
Looking at that smiling face, Li Dongming nearly flipped the table. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out each word, "Okay."
"Well then, I'll be going now." Helen waved to him, "Bye-bye."
"Bye-Bye."
Helen Qiao turned and walked out of the coffee shop, her steps light and quick, her high heels making a cheerful rhythm on the ground. Sunlight shone on her, making her seem to glow.
Li Dongming sat in the coffee shop, watching her figure disappear through the door, then slammed his fist on the table. The coffee cup bounced, spilling coffee onto the surface.
"If I ever bring her to meet clients again, I'm a dog!" he muttered under his breath, leaning back in his chair, closing his eyes, and taking several deep breaths before he could finally calm down.
Just then, my phone rang.
He picked it up and saw that it was Zhao Mei.
"Hello." His voice was still a little strained.
Zhao Mei's voice came from the other end of the phone. "What's wrong, darling? Who made you angry?"
"It's nothing, just work-related." Li Dongming's tone softened as he leaned back in his chair. "How are things on your end?"
"It's alright, I just cooperated with the company to record a few videos to mitigate the negative impact." Zhao Mei paused, then lowered her voice: "Qi Youlan told me to push all the responsibility onto Xu Yuntian. But I'm afraid that if I do that, I'll completely break ties with Xu Yuntian."
Li Dongming patiently advised, "There's no point in tearing things apart. I finally managed to persuade Bai Ruide to accept this plan. Zhao Mei, listen to me, now is not the time to be a good person. Xu Yuntian will most likely not be able to work in your industry anymore. What you need to do now is to cut ties with him completely."
“But Xu Yuntian still has a large number of clients,” Zhao Mei said worriedly. “If I can’t get these clients, I won’t be able to get promoted to sales director. I heard that Bai Ruide wants to promote Dong Yue. Once he takes the position, I will be in a very awkward position in Guster.”
Li Dongming was afraid that Zhao Mei would cause some trouble again, which would lead to him losing Guster as a major client, so he quickly reassured her, "We'll figure out a way to deal with the future. You need to get through this first."
"No, I need to meet with Xu Yuntian first..."
With that, Zhao Mei hung up the phone.
"Hello—Zhao Mei—" Li Dongming called out twice into the phone, but only received a busy signal. He was both shocked and angry, slammed the phone on the table, and rubbed his temples.
He felt a sudden headache coming on. It seemed that both work and life had slipped out of his control. His subordinates were disobedient, his wife was disobedient, and he even needed his wife's influence to secure clients. This made him extremely distressed.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, and remained silent for a long time.
Meanwhile, Qiao Hailun sat in the taxi, feeling an unprecedented sense of comfort. Sunlight streamed in through the window, warm and inviting. Even the city streets seemed more pleasing to the eye—those usually drab buildings appeared to have color today. She leaned back in her seat, a slight smile unconsciously playing on her lips.
After returning to the company, Qiao Hailun first went to the restroom, touched up her lipstick in front of the mirror, tidied her hair, and then slowly returned to her workstation to start working.
All afternoon, she only organized some documents, unlike her colleagues who were racing against time. Occasionally she would check her phone, reply to a few messages, drink a glass of water, stretch, her pace as slow as if she were on vacation.
At six o'clock, while her colleagues were still working hard to try to work less overtime that night, Qiao Hailun had already picked up her bag, turned off her computer, and left.
The sound of high heels was exceptionally clear in the quiet office area, each step seeming to announce something.
The whispers behind me surged like a tide.
"Tsk tsk, having a powerful backer really makes a difference. They dare to leave so early even when the company is laying off employees."
"Sigh, what can you do? She's just lucky. If you were so capable, you could find a big client to be your boyfriend, and you wouldn't have to work overtime."
"What do you mean 'good fortune'? She's clearly just a slut. Look at the way she dresses, like she's afraid people won't know she has big breasts. Is this how rich people's taste is these days?"
"Keep your voice down, don't let her hear."
"So what if I heard that? I'm just telling the truth. A woman like that will get dumped sooner or later."
Helen stepped into the elevator, and the moment the doors closed, the sounds outside were cut off. She leaned against the elevator wall, looking at herself in the mirror—a little black dress, high heels, exquisite makeup, and radiant beauty. She smiled and adjusted her collar.
Messages kept popping up in the company group chat, all about her. Some said she "rose to the top by using her body," some said she was "shameless," and some said she would "get used and discarded sooner or later." Qiao Hailun scrolled through a few messages but didn't reply, nor did she get angry.
She put away her phone and stepped out of the elevator.
After leaving the company, she immediately took a taxi home. She hadn't dared to spend money before because she wanted to save up for a house. Now that she had a house, there was no need to be so hard on herself anymore.
The taxi stopped in front of a supermarket, and she went inside and bought a bunch of things—beef, ribs, fish, shrimp, vegetables, and fruit—filling her shopping cart to the brim.
When she arrived at the entrance of the residential area, the property security guard saw her carrying large and small bags and offered to help her. He escorted her all the way to the elevator and even kindly carried her things to the door.
"Miss Qiao, do you need help moving in?" the security guard asked.
"No need, thank you." Qiao Hailun waved her hand with a smile.
After the security guard left, Qiao Hailun closed the door and carried her things into the kitchen. She changed into her pajamas, tied on an apron, and began washing, chopping, and preparing the vegetables. The kitchen was filled with the sounds of chopping vegetables, the clanging of spatulas, and the sizzling of oil.
She was busy working while sending voice messages to Qin Hao.
"Brother Hao, I bought some groceries. Let's eat at home today, okay?"
After sending the voice message, she put her phone aside and continued working in the kitchen. She prepared braised pork ribs, stir-fried vegetables, steamed shrimp with garlic and vermicelli, and tomato and egg drop soup. Four dishes and a soup—not a large portion, but each one was made with great care.
More than half an hour later, Qiao Hailun heard the door open and quickly came out of the kitchen. Qin Hao was standing in the entryway taking off his shoes.
"Brother Hao, you're back." Qiao Hailun wiped her hands clean on her apron and immediately squatted down to help Qin Hao change into his slippers, her movements as natural as if she had been doing it for many years.
"What delicious food did you make?" After changing into his slippers, Qin Hao put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. "I could smell the aroma from the doorway."
"Hehe, sit down for a bit, we'll start eating soon." Qiao Hailun pushed Qin Hao onto the sofa and turned to go back to the kitchen to continue cooking.
Qin Hao reached out and pulled her into his arms. Caught off guard, Qiao Hailun fell into his embrace, her hands bracing against his chest. Qin Hao lowered his head and kissed her.
Helen closed her eyes, obediently responding. Her fingers ran through his hair, and his palm rested on her waist, its warmth radiating through her thin loungewear. The sound of a bubbling soup pot filled the kitchen, like a gentle accompaniment.
Only when she felt Qin Hao's hand unbuttoning her blouse did Qiao Hailun gently press his hand down, her voice soft and sweet: "No, I'm still cooking."
"But I want to eat you first." Qin Hao lowered his head and breathed hot air into her ear, his lips brushing against her earlobe.
Qiao Hailun trembled, her cheeks flushed, and she pushed him away, saying, "Stop fooling around, we have plenty of time tonight."
Qin Hao smiled at her embarrassed and anxious expression and let go of her hand: "Alright, I'll let you off the hook for now."
Qiao Hailun stood up from his embrace, straightened her crumpled clothes, and hurried back to the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later, four dishes and a soup were served. The braised pork ribs were a glossy red, the stir-fried vegetables were bright green and crisp, the steamed shrimp with garlic and vermicelli was fragrant, and the tomato and egg drop soup was rich and delicious.
Although his skills weren't up to par with a professional chef, the taste was still pretty good. Qin Hao picked up a piece of pork rib, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and nodded: "Hmm, not bad."
"Really?" Helen's eyes lit up.
"Mmm." Qin Hao picked up another piece: "It tastes even better than the one I had at Lei Garden last time."
Qiao Hailun felt a little embarrassed by the praise. She lowered her head and took a bite of rice, but felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She wondered if her cooking skills had improved again.
"Oh, right." Qin Hao put down his chopsticks, took out a card from his pocket, and pushed it in front of Qiao Hailun: "This is my supplementary card. From now on, household expenses will be paid from this card."
Helen Qiao stared at the gold card, stunned. The card was simple, with only the bank's logo and a string of numbers, but it gleamed subtly under the light. She hesitated, her finger hovering above the card for a few seconds.
In the end, he couldn't resist the temptation and held onto the gold card tightly in his hand.
After finishing her meal, Qiao Hailun had just put the dishes into the dishwasher and pressed the start button when Qin Hao hugged her from behind. His arms were around her waist, his chin rested on her shoulder, and his breath tickled her neck.
"Are you all done with your work?" His voice was low and hoarse.
Qiao Hailun's ears turned red instantly. She lowered her head, twisting the straps of her apron with her fingers, and softly murmured "Mmm".
Suddenly, the sound of clothes rustling came from the kitchen. The apron straps were untied, a button on the loungewear popped off, bounced twice on the floor, and rolled into a corner.
"Ah—not here—" Helen's voice was urgent and soft: "To the room—"
However, Qin Hao responded with even more passionate actions. The glass door of the cupboard reflected their two intertwined figures, the dishwasher hummed, and the night outside the window was as dark as ink.
The next day, Qiao Hailun arrived at the company in high spirits.
She wore a pale yellow dress today, fitted at the waist, with the hem just above her knees, revealing her slender calves. Her hair was loose, the ends slightly curled, swaying gently with her steps. She looked as if she had just stepped out of a magazine, radiant and beautiful.
As she entered the office area, she found a colleague fast asleep, slumped over her desk. It was Sasha, her face buried in her arms, her hair disheveled, and she was still wearing the same clothes she had worn yesterday.
Qiao Hailun whispered to her colleague, "What's wrong with Sasha? Is she feeling unwell?"
The colleague shook his head with a wry smile and lowered his voice. "Yesterday, just before the end of the workday, General Manager Li asked Sasha to prepare the contract for Kangya. Sasha also had a proposal that she hadn't finished, and it was quite urgent. So she worked on it until after 2 a.m. and then just slept in the office."
Looking at Sasha's tired profile, Qiao Hailun couldn't help but feel secretly relieved. Luckily, she had decisively refused yesterday, otherwise this task would have fallen to her. At the same time, she scoffed at Li Dongming's behavior—something that could have been arranged at noon yesterday, he insisted on waiting until almost the end of the workday. These leaders, who usually act all respectable, are all incompetent.
Just as Qiao Hailun was secretly grumbling to herself, Li Dongming walked over. He saw Sasha slumped over the table, frowned, and went over to knock on her desk.
Sasha was startled awake. She jerked her head up, her eyes red and a mark pressed against her face. When she saw it was Li Dongming, she immediately stood up and said instinctively, "I'm sorry, Mr. Li, I've revised Kangya's contract and sent it to your email."
"Yeah, thanks for your hard work." Li Dongming's tone was indifferent. "Are you alright? How about you take a day off and go home to rest?"
Sasha quickly shook her head: "No need, Mr. Li, I'm fine. I'll just wash my face to clear my head."
"Ah."
Li Dongming nodded, turned and left. His figure quickly disappeared through the office doorway.
Qiao Hailun stared in that direction and couldn't help but secretly spit out her drink. Someone works overtime until 2 AM, and you're telling them to take the day off and go home to rest? What kind of concern is that?
"Sasha, are you alright?" Qiao Hailun turned around and asked with concern.
Sasha glanced at her, her expression indifferent. "It's nothing."
Then he lowered his head and continued working without saying another word.
Qiao Hailun thought for a moment and immediately understood. Their team was small; if she didn't work overtime, the work would naturally fall to others. Sasha had worked until 2 AM yesterday and still had to go to work as usual today, without daring to utter a single complaint. And what about herself? She left promptly at 6 AM, and Li Dongming didn't dare utter a sound.
There's only one reason—she's Qin Hao's girlfriend.
Qiao Hailun had no choice but to accept this. For her, the most important thing right now was to deepen her relationship with Qin Hao. Work was just a safety net, a backup plan in case they broke up in the future. She wasn't that foolish to jeopardize her bright future for a meager monthly salary.
She turned on her computer and began working on her tasks. There wasn't much to do today: a few reports, meeting minutes, and an email to send to a client. She worked slowly and leisurely, without rushing or feeling tense.
The sunlight outside the window was lovely, shining warmly on her workstation. She stretched, leaned back in her chair, and took a sip of her water.
Her phone vibrated. She picked it up and saw it was a message from Qin Hao.
"I have a business dinner tonight, I'll pick you up from get off work later."
Helen replied with a "Okay" and a kissing emoji.
She put down her phone and continued working. Her fingers tapped crisply on the keyboard. Sasha's phone rang beside her; she answered, her voice tired but polite: "Hello, this is Ruijing Consulting..."
Qiao Hailun glanced at her, then turned her head to look out the window.
"This is life." (End of Chapter)