Dawn of Life

Lin Yue reluctantly knocked on Qu Liang's office door. He was currently sitting in Liu Zheng's office. Shengxing had deliberately made things difficult for the people from headquarters by telling them that Dasheng's office conditions were inferior to headquarters', with directors sitting at open workstations and only one private office available. They asked who needed it. As if pre-arranged, everyone gave the office to Qu Liang.

Lin Yue walked into the office and saw Qu Liang leaning back in his chair, half-closing his eyes. Because of his short legs and big belly, he looked like a round ball, huddled in the chair. Lin Yue sat down opposite him and said softly, "Hello, Minister Qu~" trying her best to present him with an image of being harmless and indifferent to worldly affairs.

Qu Liang shifted his chubby, limp body, a smirk playing on his lips, and said provocatively, "Lin Yue, I heard some things about you before I came here. You've sent many people away since taking office, including your former boss and the company's vice president. Quite shrewd for your age!"

Lin Yue let out an "Ah," completely failing to catch what he was saying. Before coming, she had done her mental preparation and imagined many versions of opening lines, but this was the only one she hadn't thought of.

She quickly racked her brains, then forced a smile and said, "Minister Qu, you're joking. The HR at Dasheng Company is just a clerk, nothing compared to our headquarters management team. I'm just a greenhorn in front of you, and I'll have to learn a lot from you in the future. I'm raising my son alone now, so I'm content with a stable job that can support him; I don't have any other ambitions."

After speaking, she lowered her eyes, revealing a pitiful appearance. To Sheng Xing, she needed to prove her loyalty and usefulness; but to Qu Liang, she needed to show her weakness and harmlessness.

Qu Liang then burst into laughter, thinking that Lin Yue was quite sensible, as he hadn't planned to make a move on her immediately since she had just arrived. There was plenty of time to observe her further.

Next, Qu Liang gave her a one-hour "lecture," which consisted mainly of his position at headquarters, his preference for obedient subordinates, and his dissatisfaction with Lin Yue's attitude at the meeting just now.

Lin Yue suppressed her emotions, maintaining a humble attitude throughout, nodding and agreeing to everything she said, showing her approval and acquiescence. Initially, seeing that everyone at headquarters unanimously gave this office to Qu Liang, Lin Yue assumed he was a highly respected elder, and that they genuinely respected him and treated him as a leader. However, after two confrontations, she became even more convinced that everyone wanted to push him forward as a scapegoat. Shengxing was full of suspicious people; they didn't need her to deal with Qu Liang. What she needed to do was to flatter him to death.

Lin Yue spent the next few days endlessly rushing to finish the proposal, and Qu Liang always expressed dissatisfaction, yet couldn't articulate what he actually wanted. Once, pushed to his limit by Lin Yue, he snapped, "I truly don't know what I want, but I know very well what I don't want!"

Lin Yue revised a small evaluation proposal more than ten times, but in the end, he chose the first draft. He especially liked to assign a new task at the end of the workday, telling her it was due first thing the next morning, and then swaggering off home.

Aside from work, he would also ask Lin Yue to do some personal things, such as pasting expense reports, sending express packages, and ordering takeout. What's even more infuriating is that he wouldn't pay her for the takeout.

But no matter how much he provoked and criticized her, Lin Yue always adhered to one principle: patience. She told herself that a small act of impatience could ruin a great plan.

Lin Yue has been busy dealing with Qu Liang lately and hasn't seen Xiao Feng for many days. Many times she's managed to arouse his enthusiasm and anticipation, only to then stand him up at the last minute. Each time, the reason given is that Qu Liang suddenly made him stay late to work overtime; sometimes it's true, sometimes it isn't.

There's a law in this world: whoever suffers changes. There's never enough empathy; you won't know the pain until you've been punished yourself. This is far more effective than her trying to charm Xiao Feng.

Finally, Xiao Feng could no longer tolerate this situation, so he went to Shengxing.

Sheng Xing smiled knowingly and teased, "Oh, so Lin Yue sent you to stand up for her? Looks like our young master Xiao is really taken to heart."

Xiao Feng frowned: "It has nothing to do with her. I'm mainly curious, aren't you annoyed that a group of people are jumping around right under your nose?"

Sheng Xing's smile faded, and he said, "Xiao Feng, you understand the current situation better than I do. It's understandable that Wenxing Group, as the major shareholder, wants to place its own people in the company. Didn't we plan this from the beginning? You go to your uncle and tell him you want to come to Dasheng Company as COO. I'll be in charge of business, and you'll be in charge of management. You'll represent the interests of headquarters, and we have absolute trust in you. It's a win-win situation."

Xiao Feng was silent for a moment, then said, "It's not the right time yet. If I were to come, it would be after the water has become a bit muddier."

Sheng Xing patted him on the shoulder and nodded, thinking to himself that this was the Xiao Feng he knew—a sophisticated egoist. He was goal-oriented and self-serving, adept at disguising and packaging himself. He could be very kind and romantic to a woman, but that was just his outward persona; his true purpose was only to please himself.

Xiao Feng's mother and uncle are both board members of Wenxing Group. Xiao's mother has always hoped that Xiao Feng could work at Wenxing, but he did not want to work under his mother's nose, so he asked her to take the initial capital and start Fengda Consulting on his own.

In this process, he improved his business and management skills and built his own network of contacts, but it's difficult to grow such a company into a large one. Moreover, Dasheng's business was indeed something he was interested in, combining culture with the internet. As for his previous statement to Lin Yue that he didn't want to turn his hobby into a business and therefore didn't join Dasheng, that was just a man's reflexive response in front of a woman he was interested in; the real reason was the lack of a suitable opportunity.

It's definitely that time now, but he wants to wait a little longer.

Inside the airport, the gentle glow of the setting sun shone on Xiao Feng and Lin Yue's intertwined figures. They decided to take a spontaneous trip to Dali together.

Two days ago, Xiao Feng picked up Lin Yue from get off work in his car. The night couldn't hide her exhaustion. Suddenly, a song began to play softly in the car: "Perhaps on the Xi'an city wall, some people made vows that would never be broken; perhaps only when you go to Dali can you be considered to have truly loved..."

As the song played, Lin Yue recalled her graduation trip with her classmates in Dali the year she graduated from university. She remembered the image of several young people with dreams cycling around Erhai Lake. The corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up. Seeing this, Xiao Feng took the opportunity to tentatively suggest, "How about we take some annual leave in a couple of days and go to Dali together? This season is perfect for it."

A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Yue's eyes. After thinking for a moment, she nodded in agreement, thinking to herself, "She's been so subservient lately, which has only emboldened Qu Liang. Since that's the case, let him face this mess himself and see if he can really handle it. In the end, he'll be the one dealing with the General Manager's Office."

On the day she asked for leave, Qu Liang's expression was extremely unpleasant. He accused her of being irresponsible for taking seven days of annual leave when she was already so busy at the end of the year. Lin Yue stared at him with pitiful eyes and said aggrievedly, "Minister Qu, I'm really tired lately. I'll send you my attendance record later. I haven't left work before 9 PM for half a month now, and I also come to the company to work overtime on weekends. Minister Qu is very experienced, and my colleagues in the department are all very capable. Even if I'm less busy, it won't affect me at all."

Then, she blinked and added, "Besides, according to the Labor Contract Law, annual leave is a legitimate right of employees. I believe that a boss as good as you wouldn't do something like depriving employees of their legitimate rights, right?"

Qu Liang pointed at Lin Yue with his finger, giving her a warning look, then turned and walked away, perfectly conveying his anger and helplessness.

She went home and told her family a white lie, saying she was going on a business trip for a few days, and then she and Xiao Feng set off together. She and Xiao Feng hadn't been together long, and she didn't want to tell her parents about her boyfriend yet; she was afraid they would worry if they broke up in a few days.

Upon arriving in Dali, they rented two bicycles and cycled along Erhai Lake. The vast expanse of blue water blended seamlessly with the sky! Lin Yue felt that the depression she had been feeling lately was instantly healed by the warm sunshine and gentle breeze.

Accepting herself in every moment, embracing and enjoying each present moment, she turned to look at Xiao Feng riding beside her. His camel-colored hoodie, jeans, and sneakers transformed him from a businessman with an artistic flair into a sunny young man.

Lin Yue couldn't help but smile sweetly and said to him, "Hey bro, do you have a girlfriend? Want to add each other on WeChat?" As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly remembered that this was the line Xiao Feng had said to her when he rolled down the car window that night. She was startled by her own naivety and then used a giggle to cover up her inner flutter and embarrassment.

Xiao Feng seemed to enjoy it, playing along with her teasing. As night fell, they checked into a seaside hotel. Soft lighting filled every corner of the room, and the air was filled with an even stronger scent of lavender, as if every fragrance was warming up for the intimate moments to come.

That night, they gave themselves completely to each other, and afterwards, she lay softly in his arms.