Water and Fire~Chapter 137: Don't Promise Me

 

Chapter 137: Don't Promise Me

Zhaohuan Education has numerous branches and subsidiaries across the country, spread like a web across cities in every province. Their operations and business performance need to be thoroughly analyzed, and conducting due diligence on this network requires project personnel to be patient and meticulous.

Chu Qianmiao divided the project team members' responsibilities, assigning each person responsibility for branches and subsidiaries in several regions. With the division of labor clear, everyone set off to visit each branch and subsidiary, investigating and analyzing their business operations.

Because Chu Qianmiao had another project to attend to, she remained in Beijing, primarily responsible for due diligence and reviewing branches and subsidiaries within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Ren Yan, acting as a consultant for the listed company, accompanied her on-site visits to various branches and subsidiaries.

This time, their roles changed: he was no longer her leader; he had moved from Party B to Party A. And she was in charge of the entire operation. He wouldn't interfere too much with her, offering only a little advice when necessary. Sometimes, he'd find that his advice wasn't necessarily better than her own decisions.

At such moments, Ren Yan would be pleased to think that the girl he'd nurtured and mentored along the way had now fully matured. In her future career, he could confidently watch her thrive and make her own way.

***

While Chu Qianmiao was conducting due diligence on Zhaohuan Education's subsidiaries, amidst her busy work, she finally felt a sense of relief when Ren Yan began pursuing her.

…But his pursuit was always so unwavering, reminiscent of a stoic, straight-man style.

Ren Yan fulfilled every request she made: flowers, delicious meals, movies, and visits to the park.

But these seemingly normal pursuits, when placed in his hands, always managed to be carried out to the point of leaving Chu Qianmiao in a state of both laughter and tears.

Chu Qianmiao thought she would forever remember the moment Ren Yan presented her with flowers—he, believing he had mastered the most romantic flower-giving technique in the universe, presented her with rose after rose...

That day, Ren Yan was taking her home, and before she got out of the car, he called out to her.

Then, he pulled out a rose from nowhere—she later realized he was reaching for the back seat with his arm twisted—and held it out to her. His gaze was deep, his voice full of affection, as he told her: "One rose represents one's only love."

She felt a touch of romance, her face warming slightly. She took the flower and shyly said thank you.

Then, unexpectedly, he pulled out another rose from nowhere and handed it to her: "Two roses represent a heartfelt connection."

She was slightly startled, the romantic feeling still there, just with a strange twist. She took the second rose from his hand and thanked him again.

Then, he pulled out a third rose from nowhere and handed it to her, saying: "Three roses represent a vow of eternal love."

…The romantic feeling faded. Her movements were already a bit mechanical as she accepted the rose. But she still politely said thank you.

Then came the fourth, the fifth, the sixth…

Chu Qianmiao was so tired from accepting the roses that she finally couldn't help but interrupt Ren Yan at the 38th: "Brother, give me an exact number first. How many roses did you hide?"

Ren Yan didn't keep her in suspense and told her, "Ninety-nine."

"………………Are you just going to give them to me one by one?!" She calculated with horror, then there were still sixty-one more hand-raisings and thank-yous to complete.

"Yesterday I wrote down the meaning of each flower from one to ninety-nine," Ren Yan replied with heartfelt sincerity.

"………………"

Chu Qianmiao didn't know whether to be angry, amused, or touched. She thought to herself, this straight man, his romantic instincts had gone as far as the Pacific Ocean. Even giving a rose to someone else would cause him to act strangely unlike anyone else!

After collecting the ninety-nine roses, one by one, the sky outside the car darkened. Before getting out of the car, Chu Qianmiao clutched a handful of loose flowers and told Ren Yan sincerely, "No need to send flowers tomorrow. I'll be so happy just to receive one!"

She carried the bouquet upstairs and explained the whole story. Gu Miaoyu laughed so hard she couldn't straighten her back.

"Oh my god, what kind of a treasure trove of straight men is this? Shuishui, it's a good thing he didn't send you baby's breath, otherwise, if he gave you one by one, you'd have to wait all night!"

After that, Ren Yan obeyed and stopped sending flowers. He fulfilled his second pursuit project and took Chu Qianmiao out for a nice meal.

At first, the places he picked were all incredibly expensive, with plates the size of an ear hole. After a few meals, Chu Qianmiao lost interest.

Ren Yan asked her why she didn't like it. Chu Qianmiao thought for a moment and told him, "Student Ren Yan, Teacher Chu is now going to share with you a wonderful life lesson. The joy of dining isn't in spending lavishly, but in suddenly discovering coupons on the Choutuan, Dacong Dianping, and Hushang Bank Credit Card apps when you're done paying! That satisfying feeling of getting 20 off a 100-plus purchase truly makes you happy!"

After that, Chu Qianmiao discovered that Ren Yan had actually... started using coupons properly. Before paying for every meal, he would open the Choutuan, Dacong Dianping, and Hushang Bank Credit Card apps one by one to see if there were any discounts. If they were, he would choose the one with the best discount.

After paying the bill several times, Chu Qianmiao asked Ren Yan, "Which is more satisfying, saving thirty yuan on a meal or making three hundred thousand yuan a month?"

Ren Yan answered almost without hesitation, "Saving thirty yuan." After a pause, he said, "After all, earning over three hundred thousand yuan a month is definitely within my capabilities, but coupons are just about luck."

Chu Qianmiao: "…………"

This man is still so cocky.

That evening, after using up another coupon offering twenty yuan off every hundred yuan, Ren Yan gazed at Chu Qianmiao and said in a deep voice, "Thank you, Teacher Chu, for showing me that there are so many small joys and small satisfactions in life."

Chu Qianmiao's heart raced at that moment. She thought he was truly becoming more down-to-earth.

Flowers delivered, dinner eaten, and next, it was time to see a movie.

Chu Qianmiao wanted to see a comedy, but Ren Yan said he preferred something more profound. Chu Qianmiao agreed and then, unwaveringly, dragged him into the theater.

After the movie, Chu Qianmiao was still beaming with laughter, captivated by the hilarious plot. She asked Ren Yan, "What did you think? Was it funny?"

Ren Yan's expression was impassive: "A bit superficial, not very educational."

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

But she could clearly hear his laughter in the darkened theater.

"Just tell me if you laughed!"

"It doesn't have any value proposition."

"Just tell me if you laughed!"

"And there's nothing thought-provoking about it."

"Just tell me, did you laugh? Did you laugh?"

"Not yet..."

"You can have dinner by yourself tonight!"

"Yeah, I laughed."

The next time they went to the movies, Chu Qianmiao thought, why not just give in to Ren Yan and go see something profound with him?

When buying the tickets, she asked Ren Yan, "Comedy or insightful? Which should we choose?"

...Ren Yan actually chose a comedy.

"???" Chu Qianmiao held the ticket in disbelief. "Teacher Ren, you chose this superficial comedy. What about its educational significance, its values, and its profound thought-provoking potential?"

Ren Yan looked at her, his lips curled into a smile.

He began to break his promise, suddenly leaning forward, leaning into her ear, his voice hoarse yet gentle: "With you, laughter is more important."

At that moment, Chu Qianmiao thought, damn, damn, she's dead. He had brought her to death.

They had seen the movie, and only one thing remained: a visit to the park.

At first, Ren Yan didn't understand the joy of visiting the park; he felt a strong resistance to the noise and bustle of the park.

Chu Qianmiao instructed him, "Listen to the birdsong and the fragrance of the flowers in this garden. Look at those old men walking their dogs, the fortune tellers setting up stalls, the old men playing chess under the trees... Don't you think this scene has a touching name: 'Peaceful and Tranquil Years'?"

Ren Yan frowned at her, "It's so noisy here, it's not peaceful at all."

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

She suddenly stood on tiptoe, raised her hands to cover Ren Yan's ears, and asked fiercely, "What about now? Is it peaceful and quiet?!"

Ren Yan looked at her, a smile glittering in his eyes.

"Wherever you are, there is peace and quiet."

Chu Qianmiao glared at Ren Yan fiercely, and as she stared, she couldn't help but smile.

She thought he was so annoying, his words were getting more and more aggressive.

Chu Qianmiao soon noticed that Ren Yan's resistance to the park's bustle was gradually waning. He even began to blend in with the bustle of life there...

When he bumped into an elderly man walking his dog, he could engage him in a brief, eloquent conversation about dogs. Chu Qianmiao remembered that her teacher, Ren, was an encyclopedia. The world of dogs certainly wasn't a problem for him.

Occasionally, he'd discuss the Zhouyi hexagrams with the fortune-telling vendors, explaining things like Qian, Zhen, Kan, Gen, Kun, Xun, Li, and Dui with great skill and a touch of mathematical sophistication. It was the first time she'd ever heard someone bring such academic flair to fortune-telling. A few times, he'd left the man so bewildered that he almost offered him money.

Most amazingly, this well-dressed, socially accomplished man would eventually sit down on a dusty stone bench and enthusiastically play chess with the elderly man setting up a chess formation. Chu Qianmiao was truly impressed by how he could learn such a wide variety of knowledge, even playing chess with such clarity. A game of chess cost five yuan, and he nearly made the old man cry.

But in the end, he returned the money.

On weekends, even when Chu Qianmiao didn't mention going to the park, Ren Yan couldn't help but ask, "Let's go for a walk in the park after lunch."

Chu Qianmiao shook her head and sighed, thinking she might have taken him too far in enjoying life. He seemed to be prematurely becoming an old man walking his dog and playing chess.

One day, after fulfilling all the pursuits, Ren Yan was walking Chu Qianmiao home. Before she went upstairs, he took her hand.

He looked at her, his eyes like the sun and the moon, filled with emotion. His voice was hoarse when he spoke.

He said to her, "Qian Miao, I understand your intentions and your painstaking efforts. In fact, pursuing you has allowed me to rediscover life, to discover its true joy!"

She brought him down to earth, to the mundane, and made him begin to appreciate this kind of life, to cherish it, to want to possess and protect it.

—Not passive, not avoiding it, but living a positive life.

"Qian Miao, thank you. I'm very happy now!"

Chu Qian Miao felt both heartache and relief at Ren Yan's words.

It's good that he understands, and even better that he can empathize.

"Then, since I've accomplished all four things in pursuing you well, can I make a request?"

Chu Qian Miao: "???"

Why did the atmosphere take such a sudden turn for the worse? Shouldn't such a touching moment be a time for a heartfelt exchange of feelings? Why would he even ask for something?!

"Tell me,"she glared at the straight man, her voice flat.

"While I continue to pursue you, can you give me one chance to kiss you every day? Not much, just one a day."

Chu Qianmiao licked her lips and reluctantly agreed.

The next second, Ren Yan's passionate kiss lingered between her breaths.

Their kiss was so intense and passionate that Chu Qianmiao almost wanted to rush into the hallway to get a fire extinguisher and spray herself with it.

Finally, he let her go.

The passionate kiss fueled their passion, accelerating their heartbeats and breathing.

Chu Qianmiao gazed at Ren Yan tenderly, her heart pounding as she thought, what should I do? What if he asked me to go to his house or get a room? Would I go? Would I go?!

But as soon as Ren Yan opened his mouth, Chu Qianmiao's racing heart plummeted to the ground.

"Don't promise me until I've done everything a man does when pursuing a girl," Ren Yan rubbed Chu Qianmiao's lips, his eyes thick with l*st and desire, and said hoarsely to her, "Don't promise me so easily."

"…………"

Okay, you straight man destined to be alone, I'll definitely satisfy you.

***

Chu Qianmiao returned home with two swollen lips.

Gu Miaoyu looked at her still-red cheeks and her sausage-shaped lips and asked, "Are you together?"

Chu Qianmiao shook her head, conveying Ren Yan's attitude to her.

"He insisted I not agree to his request so easily. Shouldn't I satisfy him?!"

Gu Miaoyu laughed so hard her disc nearly popped. "I'm going to swear today! I think you two are sick! Even after all this, you're still pretending you're not boyfriend and girlfriend. You're nothing but a hypocritical pair of adulterers!"

***

After thorough due diligence and several intermediary coordination meetings, Chu Qianmiao, representing the brokerage firm, led several other intermediaries to facilitate the acquisition negotiations between Hanhai Home Textiles and Zhaohuan Education. Zhou Hanhai and Zhao Zhenghuan ultimately reached a consensus on the valuation plan.

Chu Qianmiao then urged Hanhai Home Textiles to convene a board meeting to approve the acquisition resolution.

Everything was moving forward surprisingly smoothly...