Water and Fire~Chapter 26.1: Heartbeat

 

Chapter 26.1: Heartbeat

Finally, Ren Yan carried the bag of oysters into the car. He was afraid that if he continued to confront Chu Qianmiao, that idiot Qin Qianyu would infer that the oysters were Chu Qianmiao's gift.

He would then make a big fuss, making a fuss out of nothing.

He sat in the back seat, looking at the oysters in the bag, thinking about how she had looked when she had just heard about another benefit of oysters. She looked so silly, her eyes almost as big as coins. He raised his arm and rested his elbow on the car door, then clenched his fist and placed it under his nose to cover his mouth.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, then dropped back down.

He had previously debated whether to use Xinfeng Law Firm for this project.

From a public perspective, Xinfeng's reputation was resounding, and Zhang Teng's skills were solid. As for Chu Qianmiao, while she lacked experience, she was a quick learner and a strong handle on pressure. The more pressure she faced, the faster she grew, a pace that was astonishing.

Personally, he wanted to bring some humor and lightheartedness to the project, but at the same time, he wanted to maintain a proper distance from her. Sometimes, when that girl looked up at him, there was a burning intensity in her eyes that she herself might not even be aware of. That look made him feel a little dangerous. Of all the girls in the world, this was the one he least wanted to mess with. The best, simplest, and most direct way to avoid her was to keep his distance.

But Qin Qianyu, Sun Yi, Lu Zhonger, and Wang Sian all said that no project had ever brought them as much joy as working on Hanhai Home Textiles, because Chu Qianmiao was truly a rare and magical person. Sun Yi said that working on a project with Chu Qianmiao not only taught him a lot of jokes but also helped him develop the invaluable skill of flattery. It was truly beneficial.

When he heard this, his face was serious, and his words were harsh. "Did I ask you to work on this project? Did I ask you to learn to tell jokes and flatter people?"

But when he took Qin Qianyu to a meeting with Jia Leyuan and Dong Lan, his harsh words turned into a recommendation for Xinfeng Law Firm.

Afterwards, he reassured himself that he wasn't someone who couldn't separate public and private matters. So, he explained his original intention and reason for choosing Xinfeng Law Firm to be because Zhang Teng could guide her through the project, and on top of that, she could also bring some laughter, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He would keep his distance from her, not provoking her, and not letting his uncontrollable emotions provoke him.

For Chu Qianmiao, the days that followed were more familiar than unfamiliar. Restructuring, coaching, filing, and waiting for review were all familiar processes she'd experienced before. The people around her were all familiar partners. The only unfamiliarities were a new company, a new location, and a new due diligence office. And she quickly became familiar with all of this.

During the on-site due diligence, she stayed with Qin Qianyu and the others, opting for a separate office. This was a choice she agreed with, as did Qin Qianyu, Sun Yi, and seemingly Ren Yan, so everyone was happy.

Ren Yan also frequently visited the due diligence site, strolling around, sitting, and observing.

Qin Qianyu told Chu Qianmiao, "Actually, we used to be primarily responsible for the site. Mr. Ren would only come during meetings or when important issues needed to be addressed. But since the Hanhai project, he seems to have become more active on the project site. Why do you think that is?"

Qin Qianyu's question made Chu Qianmiao's heart skip a beat. "Is it not for me?" she almost blurted out.

"I guess he's really fed up with Kan Qingzhou, the head of the department next door. Seeing him hanging around the company, Mr. Ren wants to stay away," Qin Qianyu said.

"..."

Oh.

Chu Qianmiao was thankful she didn't interrupt, otherwise Qin Qianyu would have noticed her self-righteousness.

Due to the nature of their work, Jialeyuan's employees are generally good at speaking—most of them are required to understand the company's renovation process, material characteristics, advanced technology, and so on. Anyone who steps in front of a customer can speak eloquently. Chu Qianmiao, with her gifted eloquence, quickly became close friends with the other employees.

Every day at noon in the staff cafeteria, seeing Chu Qianmiao greeting everyone and being greeted, Qin Qianyu couldn't help but smugly exclaim, "Qianmiao, you're so popular wherever you go. You're a people-grabber!"

Chu Qianmiao smiled modestly, "Brother Qin, you're too kind. This was all just something I did on the side during the project. It's nothing to write home about!"

Ren Yan brought his tray and sat down across from her. As he put it down, he poured a basin of cold water over her head.

"Do you think being familiar with everyone is a good thing? Just focus on your project, don't get caught up in all this fuss. It's a nuisance."

Chu Qianmiao: "???"

How did friendly interactions between people become a form of attracting attention?

She couldn't help herself and asked Ren Yan, "Mr. Ren, could you please explain the meaning of the idiom '招兵引蝶'*?"

*refers to someone (usually a man) who flirts a lot or tries to attract many women. It's used to describe a playboy, a flirt, or someone who goes around charming people romantically.

This was the first time she had responded to Ren Yan's question with a question. Qin Qianyu, Sun Yi, Lu Zhonger, and Wang Sian all became excited, their chewing slowing down, their ears perked up, their eyes darting over, all ready to watch the show. Qin Qianyu was ready to rescue Chu Qianmiao at any moment. If she angered Ren Yan, he would have to drag her away immediately. He couldn't burst and bleed while eating.

Ren Yan untied the disposable chopsticks and, without even raising his eyelids, said, "Attract bees and butterflies. It means that if any bees or butterflies pass by you, no one can escape."

Chu Qianmiao: "???"

Is this how investment bankers understand idioms? Doesn't this explanation sound more like plucking feathers from a passing goose?!

Ren Yan suddenly countered, "Can you also explain what 'too much talk leads to mistakes' means?"

Chu Qianmiao was stunned for a moment, then quickly applied his investment banking wit to explain, "If you talk too much, you can't remember what you said. When you try to recall, you always miss a few words. 'Too much talk leads to mistakes...'"

Ren Yan tilted his head and chuckled.

His profile and jawline appeared before Chu Qianmiao's eyes, smooth and sharp as if carved by a chisel.

... Damn, even a sarcastic smile has to be cool. Chu Qianmiao was a little angry.

When Ren Yan turned around, she raised her hand and tossed her hair back, sending it flying. She felt like she could be in a shampoo commercial.

Who doesn't know how to flirt a bit?

Ren Yan froze for a moment, then put his fist in front of his mouth and coughed, again and again.

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

She heard a stifled laugh and turned to glance at Qin Qianyu and the others. Qin Qianyu suppressed a laugh and said, "That's right, Qianmiao, don't be so dramatic next time... It's a bit... contrived!"

Chu Qianmiao wanted to find something to shield herself, or perhaps shield them...

She forced herself to move on from the previous incident, changing the subject to engage in a friendly debate with Ren Yan. "Senior, let's continue. Since people can communicate with each other in a friendly and enthusiastic manner, why not? Is that a bad thing? Definitely not. Without communication, how cruel, cold, and unreasonable would the world be? Like you... well, no, some people refuse to speak to anyone all day. Eventually, no one talks to them anymore, and they slowly become all to themselves. When they reach that point, we usually call them 'crazy'..."

As she spoke, Ren Yan, who had been half-lowering his head over lunch, suddenly looked up at her.

There was a sharp edge in his eyes.

"You're so talkative, able to strike up a conversation with anyone. Do you really think that's a good thing? Are you proud of it?"

Chu Qianmiao met those two gazes, feeling strangely uncomfortable.

Something aggrieved? Or perhaps a bit suffocated.

"I'm not proud..."

"Then talk less and eat."

"..."

Chu Qianmiao felt suffocated the entire afternoon.