Chapter 67: Heart Racing Intensely

As they clocked out from work, Tian Huasheng informed Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe that there were no vegetables left in the dormitory.

Yao Jia told Tian Huasheng to head back to the dormitory to start cooking while she quickly rushed to the market to buy some vegetables.

After leaving the building, Meng Xingzhe leisurely followed Tian Huasheng in the direction of the dormitory.

His relaxed demeanor was a stark contrast to Yao Jia’s hardworking spirit.

In the past, she would go grocery shopping by herself, letting him and Tian Huasheng return to the dormitory first, and it seemed fine. But today, for some reason, she wanted to drag him along to the market with her.

Acting on impulse, she grabbed Meng Xingzhe’s shirt sleeve and called out, “Stop.”

Meng Xingzhe halted, turned his head, and raised an eyebrow at her with a lazy expression. “Why are you pulling me?”

Yao Jia looked at him and said, “I’m going to the market.” She paused, as if squeezing out the words, “Come with me.”

Meng Xingzhe lightly shook his arm, freeing it from her grip, which was still in the motion of holding something.

“We’re not having hot pot today, so we don’t need that many vegetables. Why do you need me?” Meng Xingzhe refused with sound reasoning and decisiveness. “I’m not going.”

After refusing, he got curious, “Why do you eat at home every day? Where’s your boyfriend? Did you break up?” As he said the last three words, a small, dark flame flickered in his heart, causing his voice to rise unnaturally.

Yao Jia noticed his odd tone, as if he was waiting for some drama, and retorted, “Oh? Him? He’s usually so busy. His phones are selling out, and he’s running around managing the supply chain and filming a startup documentary. He can only spare time on weekends to watch a movie with me.”

Meng Xingzhe felt he was being annoyingly nosy, always provoking her to say things he didn’t want to hear.

He clicked his tongue and repeated, “Go to the market by yourself. I’m not going.” With that, he continued striding toward the dormitory.

Yao Jia watched his back, her gaze turning from a look to a glare, and from a glare to displeasure.

In an instant, she felt her displeasure was somewhat irrational. He never liked going to the market before, always coming up with a million excuses to avoid it. She wasn’t upset then.

So why today?

She thought maybe it was because her period was coming.

She shook off her inexplicable annoyance and headed down another path, the one leading to the market.

The market was full of vibrant greens everywhere. Usually, seeing the lush colors of the vegetables would make her happy, as if even the air turned fresh and delicious.

But today was different. As she picked vegetables, she felt a bit absent-minded and unenthusiastic.

Standing in front of the lettuce stall, flipping through the leaves absentmindedly, she suddenly remembered that Meng Xingzhe had said he didn’t like this vegetable. During hot pot, he wouldn’t even touch it.

Annoyed, she thought, fine, I’ll buy a bunch of lettuce to spite you.

The thought spread in her mind, but her actions surprised even herself. She put the lettuce back.

She looked at her hand, thinking, what the heck, wasn’t I supposed to buy it to annoy him?

Suddenly, she heard a familiar, slightly lazy, and teasing voice in her ear.

“How long are you planning to stand in front of this stall? Are you buying vegetables or the stall itself?”

Yao Jia turned her head and saw Meng Xingzhe.

For some reason, her earlier lack of enthusiasm vanished.

She perked up, smiling as she retorted, “Are you a man or not? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t come to the market? Why are you here?”

He raised a hand to ruffle her hair, messing it up in revenge.

“Do I dare not come? If I didn’t, you’d buy all the vegetables I don’t like just to spite me.”

He nodded toward the lettuce stall. “See, you were about to buy out the lettuce stall.”

Yao Jia slapped his hand away, annoyed. Her once neat hair was now a static mess because of him.

“You’re right! I was going to buy lettuce, a whole bunch of it!” She said fiercely, trying to tame her hair.

The sunset was brilliant, casting a rosy glow on her cheeks, adding a charming hue to her adorable annoyance.

He looked at her and laughed, teasing, “Don’t go overboard, Third Sister. Show some respect for your big brother and his food preferences!”

He thought about Yue Xuran, wondering what great deeds he must have done in his past life to be so lucky in this one.

---

After buying the vegetables and returning home, Tian Huasheng took over the task of washing and cooking. Yao Jia went to her room.

Just as she logged into KartRider to play a few racing games, she received a call from Yao Bingkun.

Yao Bingkun’s voice was as deep and resonant as ever.

He told Yao Jia, “There’s some bad news.”

Yao Jia’s heart skipped a beat, quickly rising to her throat. She feared something might have happened to her sister or mother.

Then, Yao Bingkun’s voice carried a hint of awkwardness he tried hard to conceal.

“Kunyu couldn’t secure Fang Jin’s endorsement. He was poached by a company called Xingbei Technology.”

Yao Jia sighed in relief. So it was this.

In a moment, she even felt a bit happy.

Her usually gruff father felt apologetic for not securing Fang Jin’s endorsement.

She immediately comforted Yao Bingkun, saying, “Dad, it’s okay, don’t worry about it. Just buy Xingbei Technology for me and get revenge!”

She thought she heard a low chuckle from her father over the phone.

Then, with a hint of amusement in his voice, her father said, “In the past, buying them wouldn’t have been a problem. But now that the company has grown, it’s not so easy.”

“?!” Yao Jia wondered why her father had become so down-to-earth. She was just joking, but he seemed to take it seriously.

After hanging up, she pondered why her father said Xingbei Technology wasn’t easy to buy. When she visited their store before, she thought their products had issues and were nothing to worry about.

While waiting for the food to be ready, Yao Jia opened her computer to search for information on Xingbei Technology.

What she found surprised and annoyed her. It was as if the company had heard what she and Meng Xingzhe discussed at the store. They had improved their product features and customer segmentation. Now, on Heyi.com, their small appliances were outselling Kunyu Electric.

Dinner was ready. Yao Jia, still bewildered by Xingbei Technology’s rise, went to the dining table.

As she ate, she vented to Meng Xingzhe, asking, “Do you remember the Xingbei Technology store next to the fried chicken place we visited?”

As soon as she asked, Meng Xingzhe choked.

He coughed several times, saving himself from choking, then asked, “What about it?”

Yao Jia angrily poked her rice with her chopsticks. “It’s so frustrating. Why did Fang Jin endorse them and not Kunyu Electric?”

Meng Xingzhe almost choked again.

“Also, when we checked their products last time, they had so many issues. How did they improve so quickly? Their sales are skyrocketing now. I just checked their website, and they’re about to launch a new high-tech appliance. Almost two million people have already signed up for it! I thought I misread the number at first! Once Fang Jin’s endorsement spreads, their sales will surely double!”

Meng Xingzhe continued eating, even unconsciously picking up the leafy greens he usually avoided.

Tian Huasheng cautiously asked the frustrated Yao Jia, “Jia, didn’t you praise their video doorbell before? Why are you so upset with them now?”

Yao Jia gripped her chopsticks tightly, fuming, “Before, I thought they weren’t a threat to Kunyu Electric, so I could calmly appreciate their products. But now it’s different. This company has become a fox in the industry, charming all the customers away, squeezing out Kunyu’s traditional appliance market share! At this rate, they might really become a threat to Kunyu!”

So her father wasn’t wrong. Buying Xingbei Technology now really wouldn’t be easy.

Upon hearing this, Tian Huasheng immediately felt the same unease and dissatisfaction as Yao Jia. “Ah, what should we do? Are we going to lose our jobs?”

Yao Jia replied, “It’s not that serious. After all, Kunyu has a solid foundation.” She turned her head and saw Meng Xingzhe eating his meal calmly, without a hint of worry, which annoyed her even more. “Why are you acting like nothing’s wrong? Aren’t you a part of Kunyu? Hey, do you think that salesperson who approached us at the Xingbei Technology store overheard our conversation and reported it to their boss, leading them to improve their products?”

Meng Xingzhe choked on his food.

He quickly reached for some water.

Tian Huasheng said, “It can’t be such a coincidence, right?”

Yao Jia thought for a moment and said, “That’s true.” Then she slammed the table in frustration. “Seriously, how does a company with such an ugly logo manage to thrive? It drives me crazy!”

Meng Xingzhe, who had just put down his glass, started coughing violently again. Was he destined to be tormented by the logo he personally designed for the rest of his life?

He endured the criticism while secretly defending his logo, feeling like this meal was a living nightmare.

After dinner, Tian Huasheng said he needed to go out and left with a mysterious, shy expression. Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe started arguing again over the TV in the living room.

Yao Jia wanted to watch a newly released comedy, while Meng Xingzhe preferred a thriller.

Meng Xingzhe suggested Yao Jia watch it on her computer or phone in her room, but Yao Jia refused. “A small screen doesn’t give the same satisfaction as a TV. This movie features Fang Jin, and I want to admire his face in full HD, inch by inch!”

Meng Xingzhe didn’t understand. “Weren’t you just angry that he endorsed another company? And now you’re crazy about him again? Do you have any principles?”

Yao Jia retorted confidently, “That’s different. It’s his freedom to endorse any company.” She countered Meng Xingzhe, “And you, you’re afraid of the dark when you sleep, yet you want to watch horror movies? Are you trying to build courage?”

“You wouldn’t understand. Horror movies can actually relieve stress and calm emotions,” Meng Xingzhe said earnestly.

“???” Yao Jia almost believed his nonsense.

Horror movies calming? They scared her to death!

She tried to chase Meng Xingzhe back to his room. Meng Xingzhe used her own argument against her: “A small screen isn’t scary enough to achieve the calming effect.”

“…” His absurd reasoning made Yao Jia want to throw the TV screen at his face.

Their bickering became too much for Tong Yumo, who opened her door to protest, “Can you two stop arguing all the time?”

Just then, there was a knock at the door, adding another layer of noise to the already loud room.

Yao Jia glared at Meng Xingzhe, who glared back.

In the next second, they both played rock-paper-scissors, and Meng Xingzhe’s paper covered Yao Jia’s rock. He arrogantly gestured toward the door, and Yao Jia reluctantly went to open it.

Standing at the door was Lu Fangfei, holding a laptop. She asked Yao Jia, “Can I download something here? Our internet is down.”

Yao Jia let her in and helped her connect to their Wi-Fi.

Lu Fangfei explained, “I want to download some legal documents and cases about alimony. Little Lawyer Ling said that with my mom demanding so much money, I don’t actually have to give it to her. I can protect myself legally.”

Tong Yumo quietly moved closer and sat on the sofa.

Lu Fangfei relayed Ling Xiaoxin’s advice to Yao Jia: “Little Lawyer Ling said I shouldn’t let my mom’s demands drain me. After all, my sister and I have our own lives to live. She doesn’t love us, so we need to love ourselves. Little Lawyer Ling suggested I send my mom the legally required alimony each month, and if she causes trouble, let her take it to court. The law won’t side with whoever throws a tantrum. As for reputation, she said a decent company won’t fire me just because my mom makes a scene. If I let my mom drain me because of reputation, that’s my own problem, and no one can help me.”

Yao Jia thought Ling Xiaoxin’s words made a lot of sense. She suddenly realized that at some point, her timid and shy friend had grown into someone capable of handling things on her own.

It seemed like everyone had changed during this time.

They were all getting better.

Tong Yumo suddenly spoke up, “Sister Fangfei, you’re really brave.”

Yao Jia felt that her tone was different from usual, as if she had left something unsaid, keeping it to herself.

Lu Fangfei turned to Tong Yumo and smiled, “No, you’re the brave one. If it weren’t for you standing up to my mom that day, who knows how it would have ended. I really should thank you!”

Tong Yumo gave a pitiful smile, “No, I was just in a bad mood that day and got a bit harsh. I hope you don’t think I was too much!”

She said this and then returned to her room.

Meng Xingzhe, who had been leaning against the living room wall, straightened up. Yao Jia, seeing his movement, instinctively asked, “Hey, where are you going?”

“Back to my room.”

“Aren’t you going to use the TV?” Yao Jia quickly said.

Meng Xingzhe raised an eyebrow, “You’re actually letting me have it?”

Yao Jia wondered what was wrong with her. She had been fighting with him fiercely just moments ago, so why was she suddenly giving in?

“I’m just respecting my elders and caring for the young!” she said, lifting her chin.

Meng Xingzhe scoffed but didn’t go back to his room. He waited for Lu Fangfei to finish downloading her files and then took over the TV.

Lu Fangfei looked at them and smiled, a smile that seemed to carry a sense of relief after letting something go. “You two have a kind of unspoken understanding that no one else can break into.” So she had made the right decision to step back.

Yao Jia chuckled awkwardly and asked Lu Fangfei, “By the way, is your dorm’s internet down or expired?”

Lu Fangfei replied, “Neither.” She paused, then said with a mix of amusement and helplessness, “Actually, the lady upstairs asked for our Wi-Fi password, saying her kid needed it for research. I was so moved by her help that I gave it to her without a second thought. But ever since then, Lidan, Sister Luoxi, and I haven’t been able to get online. But it’s okay, Sister Luoxi said Tang Minghui will come tomorrow to adjust the router for a balanced speed. She said even though Tang Minghui drives a private car, he’s quite handy with routers and computers.”

After hearing this, Yao Jia turned to look at Meng Xingzhe. They both saw a hint of amusement in each other’s eyes.

That lady was still the same internet-hogging neighbor, making it impossible for others to use the internet once she got on.

Yet, she didn’t find the lady as annoying as before. She thought, after all, people have two sides. Sometimes she really disliked this person, but when trouble came, she was there to help. Just when you were about to thank her, she would start being annoying again…

But isn’t that just how people are? Every ordinary, lively person. These people, living together with their bumps and quirks, create a warm and bustling life.

---

The next morning, Yao Jia received a call from Yue Xuran, inviting her to dinner and a movie.

Yao Jia accepted and, during a break, told Tian Huasheng that she wouldn’t need dinner that night.

Tian Huasheng nosily asked, “Are you going on a date tonight?”

Yao Jia said yes.

Meng Xingzhe snorted, “Pretentious.”

Yao Jia immediately asked angrily, “How am I pretentious?”

Meng Xingzhe smirked slightly, “Yesterday I said your boyfriend wasn’t asking you out, and now today, you have him asking you out just to show us.”

Yao Jia was almost amused by how mad he made her. “You really think too highly of yourself!”

It was purely a coincidence.

After work that evening, Yue Xuran personally drove to Kunyu Building to pick up Yao Jia.

Tian Huasheng, inhaling the fresh exhaust that seemed to carry the scent of “dog food” from the couple, sighed to Meng Xingzhe, “Our Jia really suits being pampered in a car like that. Her grace is evident. Yue Xuran should hurry up and marry her already. Living in the Employee Dormitory with a shared bathroom is really beneath her.”

Meng Xingzhe almost spat out blood. He had suggested she move to a room with a private bathroom, but she refused, so what could he do?

Feeling a sudden wave of frustration, he said to Tian Huasheng, “It’s just the two of us. Let’s not cook. I’ll take you out to eat.”

Meanwhile, Yue Xuran took Yao Jia to a trendy vegetarian restaurant. Despite being a vegetarian place, each dish was crafted to taste like meat and was even more expensive than actual meat dishes.

During the meal, Yue Xuran explained to Yao Jia, “I’ve been really busy lately. Our phones are selling out, and orders are piling up waiting to be shipped. Tang Xin is also busy filming a documentary about the founding of Four Dot Technology with me and Tao Lie, so I’ve been in touch with you less.” His refined and gentle face was full of apology.

Yao Jia quickly reassured him, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ve been busy too.” She added, “Is Tang Xin the one filming your documentary? I think she’s amazing. She’s helped us both out so much!”

Yue Xuran smiled and asked, “By ‘us’, you mean?”

Yao Jia blurted out, “Me, Meng Xingzhe,” then quickly added, “and the other colleagues.”

Yue Xuran nodded.

Yao Jia continued, “But Tang Xin is probably helping us because of Meng Xingzhe.”

Yue Xuran nodded again, saying nothing more.

After dinner, Yue Xuran suggested they catch a movie at the theater next door. Yao Jia thought it was still early, so she agreed.

That night, the theater was showing an art film and a thriller horror action film.

Yao Jia was equally indifferent to both genres, feeling either was fine. Yue Xuran suggested they watch the latter.

Yao Jia asked, “Do you like watching thriller horror movies too?”

Yue Xuran nodded, then asked, “Besides me, who else likes these kinds of movies?”

Yao Jia shook her head, feigning deep thought, “I should have brought Meng Xingzhe along. You two would enjoy it together.”

Yue Xuran casually inquired, “How do you know he likes these kinds of movies?”

Yao Jia replied, “He often takes over the living room TV, turns off the lights, and starts watching cartoons or horror films. From what I’ve observed, he usually zones out while watching cartoons, thinking about things. But with horror films, he claims it’s to calm himself down. Isn’t that funny?”

Yao Jia hoped Yue Xuran would join her in teasing Meng Xingzhe.

Instead, Yue Xuran said, “Watching horror films can indeed be calming. For those of us with analytical minds, when emotions are boiling inside, watching something more exaggerated and emotionally intense can actually calm us down. It’s about observing from a detached perspective.”

Yao Jia looked at Yue Xuran, a bit bewildered, unsure if he was being serious or just making things up.

“But wouldn’t comedies be more exaggerated and emotionally intense? Why not watch those?” she asked.

Yue Xuran answered seriously, “With comedies, you get involved, laughing along with the characters, which doesn’t really calm you down. But with horror films, you detach yourself, seeing through the tricks with a cool eye, which can indeed be calming.”

“…” Yao Jia was at a loss for words, finding the logic of these science-minded guys truly peculiar.

So when Meng Xingzhe watched horror films, was it because something or someone had unsettled him, and he needed to calm down?

Yao Jia remarked to Yue Xuran, “Sometimes I think you and Meng Xingzhe are quite like-minded.”

Yue Xuran looked at her with a deepening gaze, “Yes, it seems we even share similar tastes.”

He left half the sentence unsaid.

— Especially when it comes to women.

---

Yao Jia and Yue Xuran entered the theater showing the thriller horror film. Yue Xuran had bought couple VIP seats, a long sofa with no separation in the middle.

As soon as the movie started, Yao Jia regretted it. The film lived up to its genre, being truly terrifying.

The sudden background music and the bloody scenes flashing on screen made her jump repeatedly.

“Scared?” Yue Xuran leaned in and whispered in her ear.

Yao Jia nodded, “A little.”

Yue Xuran wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his embrace, “When you’re scared, just turn your face away.”

Turning her face away meant burying it in his chest.

Yao Jia’s heart skipped a beat.

Something felt off, as if she wasn’t quite used to this sudden intimacy with him.

Eventually, Yao Jia excused herself to the restroom to escape the closeness.

After returning, she avoided looking at the screen, enduring the movie until it ended.

After the movie, Yue Xuran drove Yao Jia home. As she was about to get out of the car, Yue Xuran leaned in, seemingly intending to kiss her forehead. But seeing her tense and wary, he smiled and instead patted her head, saying “Goodnight.”

As Yao Jia got out of the car, she realized she felt a sense of relief.

She entered the house quietly, afraid everyone was already asleep.

But upon entering, she found Meng Xingzhe watching a movie in the darkened living room.

She approached quietly, intending to scare him. Meng Xingzhe glanced at her indifferently, “Coming home this late, if you were my daughter, I’d break your legs.”

Yao Jia plopped down beside him on the sofa, chuckling, “I’m an adult, okay, big brother!”

She glanced over and saw a small pot of Haidilao snacks on the coffee table.

“You guys went to Haidilao without me? That’s too much!”

“Didn’t we pack some snacks for you?” Meng Xingzhe’s voice was flat.

Yao Jia beamed, “That’s true. It’s rare for you to remember I love these.” She had once mentioned in conversation that her favorite thing at Haidilao was the complimentary snacks.

Meng Xingzhe turned to her, emphasizing, “I didn’t remember. Why would I remember things about you? Xiao Tiantian packed them for you.”

He figured since Tian Huasheng was already asleep, she’d forget about this by tomorrow and wouldn’t verify it.

Yao Jia happily picked up a bag of snacks to open, but when she inadvertently glanced up, she was startled by the close-up of a ghostly face on the TV screen, with wild hair, a pale face, and a gaping mouth.

Yao Jia was so shocked she opened her mouth to scream.

Meng Xingzhe quickly covered her mouth with one hand and pulled her into his arms with the other.

He felt her trembling all over. She was truly frightened.

He was also a bit stunned. How did he end up holding her like this?

His heart was probably pounding harder than hers after seeing the ghost.

He released her mouth, picked up the remote, and exited the movie. The TV screen turned to a plain blue light.

Her chin rested on his shoulder. His other hand awkwardly patted her back, soothing her, “It’s okay, it’s off now.”

Yao Jia gradually calmed down. Realizing their position, she was startled, quickly retreating and pushing him away.

She stood up, suddenly a bit flustered, “Why do you guys love watching horror films so much? Aren’t people good enough to watch?”

With that, she stormed off to her room.

Once inside, she leaned against the door, breathing heavily. Her heart was still racing.

She clutched her chest, wondering, what’s going on? If her heart kept racing like this, she feared she might suffer heart failure.