RAHHSFL - Chapter 82
Chapter 82
The April weather was gradually warming up. The day after the dinner incident, Qin Juran went to work as usual. As she entered Xinghui Tower, she noticed several people staring at her. Unfazed, she went straight to the elevator and pressed the button for the 18th floor.
As soon as she entered Ju Nan’s office area, Huang Ying rushed over, her face etched with worry. "Ju Ju, did you really hit that Fatty Sun last night?"
Qin Juran looked up, and everyone at their desks quickly pretended to be busy.
So, the news had spread.
"Come with me."
Huang Ying followed Qin Juran into her office. Qin Juran took off her coat and held out her hand. Huang Ying, after a moment of hesitation, handed her phone over. It was a WeChat Moments post from an HR manager Huang Ying knew from a previous internship. There was no caption, just a few photos: one of Qin Juran pulling Feng Qing out of the private dining room, another of Mr. Sun, his head bandaged, blood still visible on his face.
No caption needed; the message was clear.
Qin Juran and Feng Qing had assumed that Fatty Sun, embarrassed by the incident, wouldn’t tell anyone, that any retaliation would be discreet. But now, half of S City's financial circle probably knew about it. He wouldn’t let this go easily; his pride had been wounded.
Qin Juran returned the phone to Huang Ying and walked to the window. "Among your WeChat contacts in the financial circle, do any of them share mutual friends with Ruan Nan?"
Huang Ying nodded, then shook her head. "Maybe one or two. Ju Ju, are you worried Nan Jie will find out?"
Qin Juran nodded. "She has a heavy workload; she doesn't need to worry about this."
"Ju Ju, at a time like this, you're still worried about Nan Jie worrying about you?" Huang Ying asked, slightly exasperated.
Qin Juran raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn’t your biggest concern always be the person you care about most, regardless of what happens?"
Huang Ying paused. That was true. She’d never seen Qin Juran flustered about anything other than matters concerning Ruan Nan.
Huang Ying nodded and was about to leave when Qin Juran called out to her. "Huang Ying, what do you think of my new assistant?"
"Feng Qing?"
"She's... quite good..." For some reason, thinking about Feng Qing, Huang Ying's mind conjured up an image of the young woman’s face, and she blushed slightly.
"She has a good personality. That positive, can-do attitude, even if a bit reckless, is something you lack. You should interact with her more.”
Qin Juran sat down and started working. Huang Ying, touching her nose, left the office. Before that dinner, Qin Juran had been competing with a rival company for an advertising contract. The dinner had been an attempt to secure the contract, but it seemed to have backfired spectacularly.
Most people would have given up on the contract after such an incident.
Qin Juran, however, sat at her desk, thought for a moment, then sent a pre-written email to the rival company.
For several days, a subtle tension hung over Ju Nan. The employees avoided the topic, Feng Qing kept her mouth shut, and Qin Juran didn't mention it. The only difference was that she took two weeks off from university, arriving at the office first every morning and leaving last.
Initially, everyone thought she was scared, but they gradually realized that Qin Juran’s silent presence was a way of reassuring them, a steady hand at the helm during a turbulent time.
Two weeks passed. Qin Juran was close to securing the advertising contract, but Fatty Sun hadn't made a move. A few opportunistic competitors, eager to capitalize on the situation, started spreading rumors, making Fatty Sun look increasingly foolish. He was known for being vindictive, so his silence was unsettling.
Feng Qing, also finding this strange, worried about a potential counterattack. After days of fruitless inquiries through her industry contacts, she finally resorted to her personal network and learned that Fatty Sun had invested in a winery abroad and had left the country to manage it.
A winery? He had run away.
He had actually run away?
Shouldn't Qin Juran be the one running away?
Feng Qing was incredibly curious. Recalling the rumors about Qin Juran's background, she was now even more convinced that President Qin wasn’t just an ordinary university student.
In the third week, good news arrived at Ju Nan. They had successfully secured a major advertising contract, the one they had been competing for. It seemed that the incident with Fatty Sun, instead of hurting Qin Juran's reputation, had made her seem even more appealing to the client, admiring her courage to stand up for herself.
At the celebratory dinner, everyone was in high spirits. Success achieved through hard work was always worth celebrating, especially after such a challenging period.
The two influencers who had been looking for other opportunities during the crisis were promptly released from their contracts once Qin Juran was certain of the new deal.
The company wasn't short of talent, and disloyalty was unacceptable.
Having witnessed Qin Juran's decisive actions, the remaining team members were even more motivated to work together.
On the rooftop of a high-end restaurant, each table meticulously decorated, everyone raised their glasses, laughing and chatting, some documenting the moment with their phones, their professional approach extending to both work and leisure.
Qin Juran rarely drank without Ruan Nan. She sipped her orange juice through a straw, observing the younger staff members, their cheerful banter making her feel strangely older. Adding the months she'd spent in this world, she was actually twenty-seven years old.
Twenty-seven.
Qin Juran stood up, holding her glass of orange juice. Feng Qing offered her a shawl, which she accepted with a nod of thanks, then walked to the edge of the rooftop. The restaurant overlooked the river, the night air cool against her skin. She pulled the shawl tighter, staring out at the dark water for a long time, then took out her phone and sent a message to someone she hadn't contacted in a while.
[Thank you.]
It was already quite warm in Los Angeles in April. The semester-long exchange program was flying by; half of it was already over.
After the midterm exams, Qin Juran visited Los Angeles. Ruan Nan's exams weren't over yet. The all-English finance papers were a headache, but she was clearly putting in the effort. Her motivation wasn't just about grades anymore; it was about her company.
Learning from the "barbarians" to surpass them~
Qin Juran hadn’t been to Los Angeles in her past life. Ruan Nan took her sightseeing, including a visit to Universal Studios Hollywood. Ruan Nan’s classmates had gone before, but she was afraid of roller coasters and hadn't dared to try them. Now, with Qin Juran there, she dragged her along, buying bunny ear ice cream cones and taking photos at every attraction, from Hogwarts Castle to the Minion Park.
Qin Juran, watching Ruan Nan get ice cream on her nose, chuckled and wiped it off with a napkin. "I was worried Ah Ruan would transform into a fiercely independent woman while abroad~”
Ruan Nan, putting down her ice cream and straightening her clothes, retorted, "Aren’t I already?"
Qin Juran looked her up and down. "Not quite. Something's different.”
"..."
Ruan Nan poked Qin Juran playfully. She would show her just how "independent" she had become, someday.
There was a class gathering that evening, a party, which Qin Juran attended. Ruan Nan proudly introduced her as her girlfriend. Several of their classmates expressed their admiration, saying that now they understood why Ruan Nan never joined their all-night parties; she was afraid of making her girlfriend angry.
A petite girl approached them, asking enviously in fluent English, "Nan, where did you find such an amazing girlfriend?"
Everyone’s attention was on them. Ruan Nan wasn't sure how to answer. From rivals to lovers? But she hadn’t actually liked that Fan Chuan guy. She thought for a moment, then replied with a smile, "Because Qin Juran is so talented and beautiful, I used to give her a hard time. I never thought she’d fight back one day~”
Everyone gasped. This was straight out of a campus romance novel, no matter the country! They turned to Qin Juran, who swirled the juice in her glass and replied with a single, romantic word:
"Love at first sight."
The room erupted in cheers, everyone clamoring for champagne to celebrate the happy couple. Love knew no boundaries; what mattered most was sincerity.
Happiness was always fleeting. Four days later, it was time for Qin Juran to leave.
On the way to the airport, Ruan Nan said she would be just as cool and collected as Qin Juran had been during her departure, but seeing Qin Juran put her luggage on the conveyor belt, then turn and disappear into the throng of international travelers, tears welled up in her eyes.
Qin Juran wasn't faring much better. After going through security, she found a spot where she could still see Ruan Nan through the glass. She watched as Ruan Nan waited, then, as if finally realizing Qin Juran was gone, pulled her coat tighter, lowered her head, and slowly walked away.
Someone, rushing past, bumped into Ruan Nan, knocking her bag to the floor. He apologized profusely, but Ruan Nan just waved it off. Later, she noticed the zipper was broken. Sighing, she clutched the bag to her chest and continued walking.
When her bag had fallen, Ruan Nan had instinctively looked back, almost as if hoping Qin Juran would magically appear and help her.
It was that one backward glance that sent a pang of longing through Qin Juran.
The joy of their reunion had masked the two months of separation, the unspoken yearning they had both carefully suppressed during their brief time together, all came rushing back.
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