MTB - Chapter 11
Chapter 11: The Time Management Master
“Alright, let’s roughly divide it into these sections and confirm the division of labor…”
At ten o’clock on Saturday morning, Yun Yang was in the living room with a sandwich in her mouth, participating in an online group discussion on a tablet. The reason was that she had forgotten she had to work today, forgotten to set an alarm, and had only opened her eyes half an hour ago—and that cruel Tang Yuelou hadn't even woken her up on time.
When the boss personally grants you a day off, an employee is naturally happy to accept. Yun Yang “reluctantly” went on strike for the morning and, while she was at it, commandeered Tang Yuelou’s tablet.
Since it was a required course for her major, everyone in her group knew each other well. The discussion was incredibly efficient, and they finalized their topic and division of labor in less than half an hour. Yun Yang turned off her mic and was about to put the tablet down when a sudden idea struck her, and she snuck a glance at Tang Yuelou.
It was obvious that Tang Yuelou came from a very good family. She didn’t have strong material desires. You could say she was particular, but when conditions didn’t allow for it, she could make do with anything. Yet, you couldn’t say she wasn’t particular, because nothing about her food, clothing, or home was “affordable.” She had no desire for mansions or luxury cars, yet her home was a single-story apartment nearly two hundred square meters in size. It looked quite understated, but this was in the best part of Beicheng’s Changshan District, where housing prices were about to break one hundred fifty thousand yuan per square meter. She had supposedly bought this place merely for “convenience”—convenience for what, she never mentioned. Now, with her “preconceived notions,” Yun Yang suspected it probably wasn’t just for the convenience of getting to work.
The decor was minimalist and the lighting was excellent. When the curtains were drawn, sunlight streamed through the balcony and filled the entire living room. The view from the window didn’t look like Beicheng, but more like a forest park. But when she had first moved in, Yun Yang had always felt an inexplicable coldness here, probably because there were no pets or plants, making it seem quiet and lifeless.
Through the thin blackout curtain, Tang Yuelou’s graceful figure was visible. She was leaning against the railing, talking to someone on the phone. Her conversation and occasional laughter could be heard from the living room.
Yun Yang, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, shifted her position and furtively opened the photo album on the tablet.
There was nothing particularly special inside, mostly just screenshots of documents and reference materials, along with some casually saved patterns and drawings that might have been her own or saved from the internet. Unable to find any dirt, Yun Yang couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Just as she was about to exit, she suddenly saw a different kind of drawing.
It was just a simple sketch, composed of only lines. It depicted a young girl and an old woman sitting side-by-side under a bus stop sign. The timestamp was from last summer.
The perspective was a bit strange, but Yun Yang inexplicably felt the scene was familiar, though she couldn’t recall where she had seen it… However, before she could figure it out, Tang Yuelou walked in from the balcony.
Yun Yang hurriedly exited the photo album and sat up straight on the sofa, putting on the air of someone studying diligently after finishing her discussion.
“I have to go back to the Graduate School later. Should I drop you off at the university, or take you straight to the shop?” Tang Yuelou asked.
“Back to the university. I need to go back and get my things first.” Yun Yang put the tablet down nonchalantly, then suddenly realized Tang Yuelou was staring at her. She felt a pang of guilt. “What are you looking at me for?”
“What did you do? You look rather guilty,” Tang Yuelou said with a half-smile, putting down her phone.
She hadn’t changed, still wearing a long-sleeved robe. The collar was loose, and her movements vaguely revealed a scar on her shoulder—Tang Yuelou had a burn scar, four or five centimeters in diameter, on her right shoulder.
Yun Yang had asked about the scar’s origin. Tang Yuelou had said a nanny at home had accidentally burned her when she was a child. She said it had been over twenty years and she couldn’t remember the details clearly anymore. She didn’t care about it, so she had no intention of covering it with a tattoo—in truth, the wound wasn’t frightening and was completely covered by her clothes normally, but Yun Yang always felt it was a bit of a shame, as if something perfect had been marred.
Noticing her staring blankly, Tang Yuelou casually pulled her collar closed and sat down beside her. “What’s wrong?”
Yun Yang sat up straight and offered a docile smile. “Oh, nothing. Just stealing some of Dianqing’s trade secrets to sell to your business rivals for a high price.”
“Well done.” Tang Yuelou raised an eyebrow slightly, as if in approval. She continued, “Have you settled on a price? Do you need me to find someone to help?”
“…Thanks, but that won’t be necessary for now.”
Tang Yuelou reached a hand toward her. Yun Yang pouted, turned her head, and leaned in to kiss her.
“You can stay here a while longer if you want,” Tang Yuelou said softly in a pause between kisses.
“I’d love to, but I’m really afraid the boss will fire me.” Yun Yang politely pushed her away. “Hurry up and get changed, boss. I don’t want to skip work two days in a row.”
“Oh, right,” she suddenly remembered. “There’s a question I’ve been very curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Look, you teach undergraduates and advise graduate students. Just dealing with students and writing papers should be enough to keep you busy, right? Our university is a top-tier 985 school. Shouldn’t the professors be caught in a deadly ‘up or out’ rat race?” She finally voiced the question that had been on her mind. “How on earth does your company even operate? How do you manage it all?”
And you even seem to have a lot of free time. What kind of time management master are you? she grumbled internally.
Tang Yuelou, who was about to head to the closet to change, stopped in her tracks and raised an eyebrow slightly. “Concerned about my financial situation and private life?”
Yun Yang’s face was blank. “Fine, just pretend I never asked.”
“It’s not really a secret. At Dianqing, the daily business operations are handled by professionals more qualified than I am. It can run just fine without me.” Tang Yuelou paused, then lowered her head slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Dianqing isn’t mine alone,” she said softly.
Yun Yang was skeptical.
She didn’t understand what that meant at first, not until she went to the shop that afternoon and the short-haired shop assistant showed her the layout.
“…The restroom is over here. The manager’s office is upstairs, and next to it is our break room. There are drinks and snacks in the mini-fridge you can have, but you must wash your hands before coming back down.”
The short-haired shop assistant was named Chen Ningning. She looked like a high school student; you’d never guess she was already twenty-five. She wasn’t a Beicheng local and spoke with a slight southern accent. When she smiled, a pair of small dimples appeared on her cheeks.
“What’s this place?” Yun Yang pointed to a closed door and asked conspiratorially, “Is it some ‘restricted business area,’ no entry for unauthorized personnel?”
Chen Ningning laughed. “What are you thinking? Who would build a restricted area here? Any real trade secrets wouldn’t be kept in a retail store.”
As she spoke, she pushed the door open. Yun Yang followed her inside and saw the furnishings—there were a few small sofas and chairs, with various oddly shaped tools arranged against the wall. On a long table were paints, drawing paper, and some already-painted porcelain pieces.
“This is a small studio. They say Teacher Tang and the others started the ‘Dianqing’ brand right here, but they rarely come here anymore.” Chen Ningning smiled. “So when you mentioned Teacher Tang when you first came in, I thought you were an old friend of hers. But you seemed too young to be an old acquaintance, so I really couldn’t make up my mind.”
Because you couldn’t make up your mind, you turned around and tipped off Tang Yuelou, Yun Yang ground her teeth and thought to herself.
Hanging on the wall was a group photo in a wooden frame, its edges already slightly yellowed. In the corner, a date was written: twelve years ago. Yun Yang looked closely. There were three women and two men. The girl in the very center was holding a trophy, beaming at the camera.
Is this… an eighteen-year-old Tang Yuelou? For a moment, Yun Yang didn’t dare to believe it. Although her features hadn’t changed, the aura she projected was just too different.
Could Tang Yuelou really make an expression like that… so full of youthful energy, smiling so wide her eyes crinkled shut? Yun Yang was curious.
Perhaps noticing she was lost in thought, Chen Ningning walked over to explain. “These are the founders of Dianqing.”
“Wait,” Yun Yang suddenly found one of the men familiar. “This wouldn’t be…”
Chen Ningning followed her finger and asked in surprise, “Do you know Ouyang?”
“…We’ve met a few times.” Yun Yang changed the subject. “You call Tang Yuelou ‘Teacher Tang,’ so why don’t you call Ouyang Zhou ‘Teacher Ouyang’ or ‘President Ouyang’?”
Her point of focus was a bit odd, but quite sharp. Chen Ningning paused, then laughed. “Because he says it makes him sound a decade older, so he doesn’t like it. Besides, he’s not a teacher.”
That does sound like him, Yun Yang grumbled internally.
“He’s pretty handsome, don’t you think?” Chen Ningning winked at her.
Yun Yang smiled but offered no comment.
“So you already know Teacher Tang and Ouyang. These two are President Ye and President Zhao. They’re a couple, you know.” Chen Ningning became animated as she gossiped, but when she got to the girl with her arm linked through Tang Yuelou’s, she suddenly paused.
“This person isn’t with Dianqing anymore.”
Yun Yang’s curiosity was instantly piqued. “So who is this?”
“This person is Ouyang’s sister,” Chen Ningning said mysteriously. “Teacher Tang’s ex-girlfriend.”
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