Chapter 23

Just as I was salivating, attempting to appreciate the breathtaking beauty of the handsome man—

Manager Shang shot a sharp look my way!

Minding my own business, minding my own business, quickly lowering my head to mind my own business.

A moment later, I heard a slight commotion.

The clatter of tables and chairs colliding, making a noise.

It was probably Manager Shang seeing the guest off.

Right at that moment, I heard a deep, clear voice say, “Goodbye.”

Huh?

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Fbydtbyk Lkdt!

Mbl hsknl pswdele ps qyxkzkya, ps R zkqvle xu blye vs vyjl y zssj.

Tsolhla, vbl sodla sq vbl hsknl bye yzalyeu bwaaklezu zlqv yxkepv Yydytla Fbydt yde y taswr sq zlyelap, zlyhkdt xl sdzu okvb y pkzbswlvvl—

Jasye pbswzelap, dyaaso oykpv, rlaju cwvvsnjp, zsdt zltp.

Gxygkdt!

Tso eke R lhla yppsnkyvl pwnb y rlaqlnv prlnkxld okvb swa nbwccu yde kdqyvwyvle qaklde cynj bsxl?

Xb, aktbv.

Mbl hsknl.

It suddenly made me want to hear the chubby guy’s voice.

I immediately decided that after finishing this meal, I would give him a call and ring the alarm bells for his soul.

I am a married person.

Exiting the hotel, while waiting for a shared ride with two other male colleagues at the entrance, I dialed the chubby guy’s number.

It was a bit noisy on his end.

“Why are you calling me at this time?” he said, a bit irritated.

In my excitement, I forgot about the time difference.

“Missed you,” I said enthusiastically. “Tonight, a big client is treating our team to a feast, a seafood feast! He’s from Shanghai, maybe because of the accent, if not for his physique and appearance, I’d think it was you speaking!”

The chubby guy showed a slightly displeased tone, “What’s wrong with my appearance and physique?”

I burst into laughter, “It’s like night and day compared to you!”

The chubby guy, with a touch of resentment, said, “Why do I feel like you’re kind of disgusted with me?”

I quickly reassured, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

The chubby guy pouted, “I’ll give you another chance.”

I said, “I’ve always been disgusted with you, haha!”

Beep beep beep.

The chubby guy hung up.

I was about to bend down to get into the taxi when, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the handsome guy not far away. Manager Shang and other leaders lined up to see him off.

This person’s appearance is truly a breath of fresh air in the financial world. His refined demeanor is compatible with any CEO character in novels.

It seemed like he had just finished a phone call with someone, casually tossed his phone to his assistant, got into the car in a huff, slammed the door, and sped away.

Wow.

I never expected that even the big shots of the financial district could have someone daring enough to upset them. How impressive must that person be?

It’s hard to imagine.

I couldn’t help but worry about the chubby guy working in a foreign country.

I wondered if, as a regular employee, he faced difficulties with clients or scolding from the boss.

After returning home, I called him.

He answered the phone with a gloomy tone, still upset about the incident.

Pretending like nothing happened, I vented, “Work is so tough, I’m exhausted every day. Being a programmer is tough, IT workers have too much work for too little pay. You’re the best, making so much money with just a few clicks…”

As expected, he quickly changed his attitude to console me, “Where? You’re much more capable than me. Sometimes my algorithms don’t work, and the financial products I create often make clients lose money, with losses up to a million dollars…”

I thought it was all settled.

But then, he deliberately set a trap for me, “Do you think I look better with a bit more weight or a bit thinner?”

I fell right into his trap without realizing it, “Of course, a bit thinner is better.”

Silence.

Uh-oh.

The chubby guy’s tone suddenly changed, “Meng Qiqi?”

Feeling guilty, I replied, “Uh-huh?”

Chubby guy: “You’ve changed.”

My spine tingled, “How so?”

Chubby guy: “You used to always praise my perfectly-shaped and handsome physique, saying I didn’t need to lose weight.”

Back then, I had told him sweet lies to get his help with tutoring, all with a clear conscience. Now, he’s bringing up old accounts with interest.

Me: “My bad.”

Chubby guy: “You said my body is amazing, all plump and meaty, with a good feel, and that you could never get enough of it for a lifetime.”

I couldn’t help but interrupt, “When did I say that?”

Chubby guy, angrily: “On the XXth of XX month, XXth day, at XX o’clock, when you were pressing me down on my bed!”

Me: “Sorry! Sorry! I remember now! It was me! My bad!”

Chubby guy: “I hate you!”

He angrily hung up.

Me: “…”

Sigh.

You really shouldn’t spoil a man.

Look at how I indulged him.

So, it’s true that we women have it tough.

On one hand, we have to comfort our families, and on the other, we have to deal with our bosses.

A few days later, Manager Shang appeared troubled, leaning against the glass partition of my cubicle, pointing out my flaws for an entire afternoon.

Did I offend you, dude?

Pretending to be understanding, I inquired, only to find out that he had been complained about by a client.

It was that handsome guy who treated us to the seafood feast last time.

The handsome guy claimed that Manager Shang had communication issues, and he was dissatisfied with the product Manager Shang had developed.

No wonder Manager Shang spent the entire afternoon focusing on the development lead of this product—

Me.

“If my communication skills are not clear enough…” Manager Shang looked at me. “Then the one who developed this product, you, should have the most say.”

I replied, “Take me with you.”

Manager Shang said, “I’m not really eager to go. After working in this industry for so long, it’s the first time I’ve been complained about for communication issues, it hurts my pride.”

I said, “I wouldn’t dare go alone.”

Manager Shang said, “Schedule a meeting with his assistant, clarify the ideas as soon as possible. It won’t take too long, what’s there to be afraid of?”

I nervously grabbed my own collar, “I look so cute, what if he wants to take advantage of me?”

Manager Shang’s face turned grim, “Meng Qiqi, that’s enough!”

In the end, he accompanied me.

Not because he was afraid someone would take advantage of me.

But because Manager Shang considered the possibility that I might take advantage of someone else.

The financial company where the handsome guy worked was quite grand.

Even the hostesses looked like graduates from the film academy.

Manager Shang slapped me, “Those are receptionists! You uncultured bumpkin!”

Shame on me.

Fearing that I might embarrass myself later, Manager Shang told me not to chit-chat when meeting the client.

If they ask a question, I answer, sticking strictly to work matters.

I agreed, promising not to utter a single word beyond work topics.

Since we had made an appointment in advance, we went straight to their office.

The thought of being able to observe the handsome man up close made me a little excited.

Knock on the door.

Come in.

The handsome guy sat at his desk with his back to us, looking at data. Several screens displayed colorful candlestick charts.

Manager Shang said, “Manager Du.”

Oh?

What a coincidence.

This handsome guy and my husband share the same last name.

Manager Du turned his head in response, glanced at us, and then returned to finish his work.

A quick glance, sharp eyebrows and starry eyes.

His facial features are quite handsome.

Suddenly, I recalled a long time ago when someone used this phrase to describe someone else.

But in that instant, I forgot who said it and who it was describing.

Manager Du stood up, “Over here.”

Here we go again.

The same voice as my husband’s.

Manager Shang: “Alright.”

I followed behind them, struggling to keep up with their long strides.

Manager Shang then quietly scolded me, “Hurry up!”

Was it just my imagination?

Manager Du actually turned around and gave Manager Shang a stern look.

That fierce expression felt strangely familiar.

We went to another desk and opened the software.

Manager Du began pointing out some issues and shortcomings in the software.

Manager Shang furrowed his brow, listening attentively.

Until Manager Du mentioned the user interface.

He said adjustments were needed, and this was the part I was primarily responsible for.

Manager Shang asked me to come closer and explain to Manager Du.

Only then did I approach him.

It’s not that I’m infatuated.

Being close to such a handsome guy naturally triggers certain physiological reactions.

Chest tightness, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, accelerated heartbeat.

So, saying someone is handsome enough to be suffocating is not an exaggeration.

Suddenly, I caught a familiar scent from him.

The scent of my husband.

A moment of confusion.

Manager Du suddenly turned his head, looking directly into my eyes, “The color usage is too complicated. I need it to be more concise, and also these categorizations and layouts…”

As I looked into his eyes, I began to feel dizzy.

My husband’s eyes.

At this point, Manager Du asked me, “Do you have any opinions on my suggestions?”

I replied, “…Okay.”

Manager Shang was taken aback, “Okay what?”

Uh-oh.

Did I answer a different question?

Did he even speak just now?

But all I can think about now is my husband, my husband, my husband…

Manager Du said, “I’ll go get you some drinks.”

Manager Shang quickly declined, but Manager Du had already left.

I still had a blank expression.

Manager Shang was getting frustrated, “Can you stop flirting whenever you see a handsome guy?”

As he finished speaking, Manager Du returned, holding two cans of iced coffee, and handed them to us.

I looked at his hand.

Fair and slender, with distinct joints.

Nothing like my husband’s fingers, which are chubby like carrots.

Oh my god!

Du Hongting!

You are Du Hongting!

That’s right, isn’t it?

But with half the body size from before—

How did you manage to do that?

So impressive!

My heart was pounding faster and faster, almost about to leap out of my chest.

He opened the software and was discussing technical issues with Manager Shang.

Now I had the opportunity to take a closer look at him.

The previous baby fat was gone, and his facial features became more three-dimensional and striking. His side profile looked quite handsome.

The once plump shoulders, sturdy elephant legs, and the waist with three layers of swimming rings… all disappeared.

The man standing before me had an upright posture, a well-built and slender physique, broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, with perfect sculpted lines.

The more I looked, the more shocked I felt.

Shocked to the point of being speechless.

But I heard Du Hongting’s calm voice, “Overall, I am quite satisfied with this project. There will be some adjustments in the later stages. In terms of communication, I think Manager Shang, what you said was too professional and hard to understand, but this lady—”

He suddenly looked at me.

Me: “…”

I couldn’t speak.

Manager Shang immediately introduced, “Meng Qiqi.”

Du Hongting: “I communicated smoothly with Miss Meng. Next time, you can assign her.”