The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

The afternoon sun in Berlin was just right, casting bright spots of light on the ground through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Brandenburg Airport.

As Meng Jiangyu stepped out of the gate, messages from Shen Qingyao started popping up one after another.

As his fingertips swiped across the screen of his personal phone, a faint smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

He really liked the feeling of being cared for as soon as he landed.

A smile played on his lips as he typed a reply: "Landed in Berlin, everything went smoothly."

With you waiting for me, I'll definitely come back as soon as possible!

The moment I sent it, I could almost picture her eyes lighting up when she saw the message.

At this moment, warm yellow light filled the living room of the Manhe Apartment.

Shen Qingyao was wearing a beige silk nightgown, curled up on the sofa watching a drama, with a thin blanket covering her knees.

Her phone rang, and she grabbed it almost immediately. When she saw Meng Jiangyu's message, the corners of her mouth instantly turned up.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard: 【I miss you!】

After sending it, I felt it wasn't enough, so I added a "I love you" emoji.

The light from the screen shone on her face, and the smile in her eyes resembled shattered starlight.

In the VIP lounge in Berlin, Meng Jiangyu stared at the meme, his fingertip pausing on the screen, wishing he could return home immediately.

I won't bother you anymore, go back to work! Remember to think of me!

Okay! I will!

"Boss, the car's here!" Assistant William reminded him. "This afternoon we'll first go to Silvial's headquarters for a site visit, and the founder of Silvial will also be attending the dinner tonight!"

"Okay! When will Jason arrive?"

"He's scheduled to board in an hour, arriving around midnight!"

"good!"

Meng Jiangyu walked out with his phone in his hand, followed by his work assistant William and two bodyguards.

-

The clock in the apartment shows nine o'clock, and warm yellow light spreads softly in the bedroom.

Shen Qingyao rubbed her aching temples, her eyelids feeling as heavy as lead.

I didn't sleep well in my dorm last night, and I was drowsy in class all morning. In the afternoon, I was busy looking at apartments and shopping.

She turned off the TV and went back to her room to sleep. She tapped the screen with her fingertips and sent a message: "I'm so sleepy, I'm going to sleep now, goodnight~" followed by a yawning cat emoji.

It was 3 p.m. in Berlin at that time.

Meng Jiangyu sat in the main seat of the conference room, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, listening to the executive opposite him report on the project's progress in German.

The phone screen on the table lit up, and he caught a glimpse of the message preview popping up out of the corner of his eye. His lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

He typed "OK" on the screen and pressed the send button.

When he looked up, his gaze had returned to its usual composure, as if the gentleness of the moment before was just an illusion.

The discussion in the conference room continued, and the sunlight outside the window shone through the blinds, casting flickering shadows on his face.

-

At eight o'clock in the morning, the curtains were slowly drawn open, and golden sunlight instantly flooded into the bedroom, casting bright spots of light on the floor.

Shen Qingyao stretched, a good night's sleep had faded the dark circles under her eyes, and she felt a comfortable warmth emanating from her body.

Shen Qingyao glanced at her phone. An hour ago, Meng Jiangyu had sent her several pictures of the Berlin night view.

It's 2 AM there now; Meng Jiangyu is probably asleep. [Good morning, Mr. Meng!]

[You sent me the picture at 1 a.m., you actually stayed up so late!]

Don't do that again! It'll ruin your health!

She put on a beige cashmere robe, stepped onto the soft carpet, and walked step by step into the living room.

Aunt Zhang was carrying a glass of water out of the kitchen. Seeing that she was awake, she smiled and handed her the water: "Miss Shen, you're awake? Here's some warm water that I just boiled. Have some to soothe your throat."

Shen Qingyao took the water cup, and the warm water slid down her throat, soothing her perfectly.

She walked to the balcony, pushed open the glass door, and the morning breeze, carrying a slight chill, blew in and ruffled her hair.

The city of Beijing has awakened, with traffic flowing along the main roads and skyscrapers gleaming with a metallic sheen in the sunlight, bustling and vibrant.

"We've prepared bird's nest porridge, shrimp dumplings, and your favorite soft-boiled fried egg for breakfast."

Aunt Zhang said from behind, setting out bowls and chopsticks, "They're all warming in the pot, you can eat them after you've finished washing up."

Shen Qingyao turned around and smiled, "Thank you, Aunt Zhang, it smells wonderful."

She turned around and leaned against the balcony railing. "Aunt Zhang, I saw that there's a sports field in the clubhouse downstairs. Could you help me book a badminton court and a sparring partner with the housekeeper? I'd like to exercise there this morning."

"Yes, Miss Shen!"

After having breakfast, Shen Qingyao scrolled through Douyin (TikTok) for a while. The app pushed many videos about bags and perfumes.

It looks very high-end. Shen Qingyao vaguely remembers a Mason Margiela Lazy Weekend.

Finding short videos uninteresting, Shen Qingyao went back to her room to change clothes before going downstairs to play badminton.

After changing her clothes, Shen Qingyao took a selfie in the mirror and sent it to Meng Jiangyu.

-

Sunlight streamed through the glass dome, casting dappled patterns on the rubber floor of the badminton court.

Shen Qingyao followed the butler to the edge of the court and was about to warm up her wrists when she saw Lu Ying playing badminton with his sparring partner on the opposite side of the court. The white shuttlecock drew a clean arc in the air.

Lu Ying paused, clearly having seen her as well, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

She knew the property prices in Manhe; her own apartment was a dowry her parents had bought for her.

Having just moved in, I was surprised to run into Shen Qingyao, which made me quite curious.

Shen Qingyao said gently to her sparring partner, "You should rest first."

Turning to walk towards Lu Ying's field, Lu Ying also raised her hand to signal her sparring partner to leave, leaving only the two of them on the sidelines.

"You actually got up this early?" Shen Qingyao spoke first. "You're usually not in bed until after noon!"

"This is the first time I've had a sudden urge to do this, and I never expected to run into you here." Lu Ying raised an eyebrow.

Shen Qingyao smiled and waved the racket in her hand: "Let's play a game, get some exercise."

"good!"

The shuttlecock was tossed up and flew overhead with a whoosh.

The two exchanged words back and forth, initially a little awkward, but gradually developed a tacit understanding after a few rounds.

Lu Ying's playing style was aggressive, while Shen Qingyao played skillfully. The white ball flew around the court, quickly bringing a thin layer of sweat to both of their foreheads.

Half an hour later, Shen Qingyao was panting, supporting her knees, while Lu Ying leaned against the sidelines drinking water. The sunlight in the rest area cast long shadows of the two of them.

"Speak," Lu Ying spoke first, her eyes filled with inquiry, "How did you end up living in Manhe? The standards here are quite high."

Shen Qingyao wiped her sweat with a towel. She was already prepared, so she simply admitted, "My boyfriend bought it for me. It's upstairs."

Lu Ying raised her eyebrows even higher: "Your boyfriend? Such a big spender?"

"My boyfriend is Meng Jiangyu." Shen Qingyao said the name softly, but clearly.

Lu Ying paused, her surprise barely concealed. "I thought Meng Jiangyu didn't like women, he only liked making money?"

Meng Jiangyu's name is well-known in Beijing's social circles.

She never expected that her roommate would be involved with that man who could turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist.

"You kept it well hidden." Lu Ying recovered her senses, her tone now tinged with interest. "When did this happen? How come I didn't notice anything?"

Shen Qingyao smiled, sunlight falling on her face, a hint of embarrassment in her eyes: "Not long after, during winter break, he... was very nice to me."

She didn't go into the details, only stating the most practical points.

Lu Ying nodded, not asking for further details, "Will you be living here from now on?"

She knew that Shen Qingyao's willingness to say these things was already a great sign of trust.

Everyone's emotions have their own rhythm. She has never liked to pry into things, and at this moment, she felt more of an "aha!" understanding.

"It should be!" Shen Qingyao replied thoughtfully.

"That's good!" Lu Ying slung the racket over her shoulder. "Now I'll have someone to play tennis and go shopping with."

"Don't tell Huihui and Xiangyu about this. It's better to avoid trouble."

"Okay!" She gestured with her chin at Shen Qingyao, "Two more rounds? The loser treats everyone to lunch."

"Let's go!" Shen Qingyao picked up her racket, her fighting spirit rekindled in her eyes.

Sunlight streamed through the dome, gilding the silhouettes of the two figures.