Chapter 51: The Little Fox’s Tail

Yao Jia reconnected the call with Mr. Li, a customer, and conveyed the repair policy that the Customer Service Department had successfully negotiated with the company management on his behalf.

Over the phone, she explained, “Mr. Li, in principle, Kunyu Electric is not obligated to cover the repair costs for your refrigerator.”

The customer quickly responded, “Yes, yes.”

Yao Jia continued, “However, from a humanitarian perspective, the company is willing to offer you a 50% discount on the repair service.”

Hearing that he still had to pay for repairs, even at half price, the customer hesitated and felt a bit dissatisfied, as it fell short of his expectation for a free repair.

Yao Jia quickly added, “But this 50% discount on repairs is available for an entire year. Consider whether a one-time free repair is more suitable, or if a whole year of half-price repairs offers more security. After all, your refrigerator isn’t a genuine product, and there’s no guarantee it won’t break down again after this repair.”

With this comparison, Mr. Li immediately accepted the service, not only accepting it but also expressing gratitude, “Thank you, thank you, Kunyu Electric! Even though I bought the wrong refrigerator, you’re still willing to provide me with such a repair benefit!”

Yao Jia quickly told him not to mention it and assured him, “Rest assured, our internal department at Kunyu will thoroughly investigate the counterfeit refrigerator incident.”

After hanging up, Lin Qian, who was monitoring the call, patted Yao Jia on the shoulder.

Yao Jia turned around to receive an approving and encouraging smile from Lin Qian.

“You’ve learned to use conversational strategies to eliminate customer dissatisfaction. Well done. Keep it up!”

Receiving affirmation and encouragement, Yao Jia was overjoyed, swaying in her chair with delight.

Meng Xingzhe, sitting nearby, turned to look at her, initially intending to tease her for being so easily flattered. But seeing her eyes light up with happiness and her whole demeanor brighten after being praised, he suddenly couldn’t find the right words to mock her.

Did he even feel a strange sense of pity?

— How much affirmation has she lacked in her life, to be so happy and content with just a little praise?

After work and dinner that evening, Yao Jia pondered some matters in her room.

She was considering whether to directly ask Comrade Yao Bingkun about the refurbished machines and counterfeit refrigerators when she returned home.

When the refurbished machine incident happened, she wasn’t particularly career-minded, just focused on winning a bet with her father by enduring three months. So she hadn’t paid much attention to the aftermath.

Even now, she wasn’t very career-driven, still waiting to endure the three-month period. But strangely, since receiving her salary, she felt an inexplicable sense of shared honor and disgrace with the company.

So she was quite curious about the outcomes of both issues.

However, she was currently in a one-sided cold war with her irritable father, meaning she wouldn’t contact him unless he reached out first, and she wouldn’t go home either.

During this period, her mother had called to ask if she would be home for the weekend, but she made excuses about needing to study. She was waiting to see when Old Yao would personally ask her to return home. Reflecting on her intense argument with Meng Xingzhe earlier, Yao Jia secretly ordered some financial books for the CPA exam.

In college, their business management program included courses in financial management and accounting, but Yao Jia had little interest at the time, only studying to pass exams and eager to forget everything afterward.

But now, hearing Meng Xingzhe effortlessly combine financial topics with real-life examples, she felt a bit unwilling to be outdone. She believed she could do the same.

Her goal was simple—whatever Meng Xingzhe knew, she wanted to know even more. She intended to use this knowledge in future debates, refusing to admit defeat!

The next day, when the books arrived, Yao Jia opened them and found the CPA material quite advanced, with some parts she couldn’t understand. So she quietly went next door to ask Chen Luoxi for help. Chen Luoxi smiled and told her, “I only understood the CPA after enrolling in a tutoring class.”

She even lent Yao Jia her notes from the class, saying, “Here, take a look. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me. You’re quite impressive, Yao Jia. There aren’t many young people as eager to learn as you these days.”

Yao Jia felt a bit embarrassed by the praise. Looking around Chen Luoxi’s room, she didn’t see the little one, so she asked, “Where’s Shanshan?”

Chen Luoxi smiled with a hint of shyness, “He went for a ride with the uncle who found him.”

Yao Jia thought for a moment and realized she was talking about Tang Minghui, the chauffeur who found Shanshan.

“That guy seems like a decent person. I remember Shanshan saying he wanted him as a dad!” Seeing Chen Luoxi’s blushing face, Yao Jia exclaimed, “Ah, Sister Chen, there’s really something going on between you two!”

Chen Luoxi sighed, “But I’ve been divorced, have a child, and no house. He doesn’t have a stable job, just drives a car. If we really got together, the burden might be too heavy.”

Yao Jia nudged her gently with her shoulder, “Sister Chen, just let things happen naturally. As long as he’s good to Shanshan, nothing else matters!”

Chen Luoxi nodded with a smile, “You’re right.”

With that, Yao Jia quietly studied her CPA books, seeking Chen Luoxi’s help when she ran into difficulties.

She found that when life was going smoothly, time seemed to fly. Previously, she had endured each day from Monday to the weekend, but now, the week passed in a blink of an eye.

This week, because they received their salaries, Tian Huasheng bought a ticket to visit his mother in the nearby city over the weekend. Before leaving, he repeatedly warned Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe, “Just order takeout, don’t try cooking. I’m worried you’ll poison yourselves.”

Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe promised repeatedly that they wouldn’t exert themselves unnecessarily and were perfectly content to be lazy with takeout. Only then did Tian Huasheng leave for home with peace of mind.

Tong Yumo, as usual, went home for the weekend.

So by Friday night, Yao Jia suddenly realized that the entire dormitory was just her and Meng Xingzhe. Although she usually didn’t see Meng Xingzhe as a man, at this moment of solitude, she couldn’t deny that they were now a lone man and woman together.

Initially, Yao Jia thought of suggesting that Meng Xingzhe go home for the weekend, but she suddenly remembered Bei Luonan mentioning that Meng Xingzhe had lost his house to some P2P investment. He had no home. So Yao Jia considered going home herself for the weekend to break the awkwardness of being alone with him. But then she remembered that Yao Bingkun and Gan Yu were flying abroad to visit her sister, and even the housekeeper was on leave. Going home would mean being alone and hungry in a big house, listening to her own echoes for two days.

Compared to loneliness, the awkwardness of being alone with a man was nothing.

Thinking about Meng Xingzhe’s annoying nature—

She disliked him, and he disliked her.

With such reliable mutual disdain, being alone together wasn’t a big deal.

With this realization, Yao Jia slept quite well on Friday night. She didn’t wake up until almost noon the next day.

Looking at the sunny side up egg-like sun outside the window, Yao Jia felt her appetite surge. She decided to go buy some delicious fried chicken.

With the thought in mind, she quickly got up to wash up. But as soon as she left her room, she saw Meng Xingzhe sitting on the living room sofa watching TV. His posture was extremely pretentious, with his legs crossed as if he were at a fashion show in Milan. Every detail of his elegant sitting posture seemed meticulously designed. Unfortunately, he was wearing a shiny silk pajama set, which comically undermined his pretentious aura.

Seeing her emerge from her room, Meng Xingzhe turned and asked, “Why are you up so late? You’re too lazy.”

“…” Mind your own business, and stop with the personal attacks. Yao Jia retorted, “Did I sleep in your bed? Why do you care so much!”

She went into the bathroom to wash up.

Meng Xingzhe was still chattering behind her, “Hey, what are you planning to eat? Order something for me too.” After a pause, he added, “You girls are amazing. Can you really sleep through hunger? I’m starving here. It seems that you’re lazier than greedy.”

Yao Jia couldn’t even spit out the toothpaste foam before she stood at the bathroom door and shouted into the living room at Meng Xingzhe, “Why don’t you starve then? If you’re not lazy, why don’t you order food yourself?”

After her outburst, she retreated back into the bathroom to rinse her mouth.

Meng Xingzhe’s shameless voice echoed from the living room, “I’ve never done such things. It’s always someone else ordering for me, and I just eat what’s ready.”

Yao Jia almost wanted to rush out with her toothbrush and scrub Meng Xingzhe’s thick skin to see how much “shamelessness” she could scrape off.

When Yao Jia finished washing up and came out of the bathroom, Meng Xingzhe was lounging on the sofa and asked her again, “Hey, Yao Xiaojia, what are you having for lunch?”

Yao Jia replied irritably, “I’m planning to get fried chicken. You can’t order that for delivery, so you, the not-lazy one, can keep starving.”

“Fried chicken? Where?” Meng Xingzhe asked.

Yao Jia thought for a moment and said, “At the place where we first met.” After a pause, fearing Meng Xingzhe wouldn’t remember, she added a vivid hint, “Next to that company with the ugly logo that looks like two mice fighting over something.”

Meng Xingzhe’s face gradually darkened.

Without caring about his changing expression, Yao Jia continued, “After eating fried chicken, I plan to check out the store of that company with the ugly logo.”

Hearing that she was going to his company’s store, Meng Xingzhe’s heart skipped a beat.

Yao Jia was combing her hair with her fingers as she continued, “Hey, you know, right? That company with the ugly logo is actually Xingbei Technology, where Hao Lidan bought the video doorbell.”

Meng Xingzhe straightened up from the sofa, putting his feet into his slippers, and assumed a serious posture. He asked Yao Jia, “Why did you suddenly decide to visit the Xingbei Technology store?”

Yao Jia gathered her long hair into a ponytail, looking vibrant and charming, just like when he first met her. She was a lively Little Ponytail.

“After hearing Hao Lidan talk about the video doorbell and Bei Luonan introduce Xingbei Technology, I looked it up online. I found that Bei Luonan wasn’t exaggerating too much. The company is really developing well.” Yao Jia flicked her ponytail and said boldly, “Since we’re employees of Kunyu Electric and Xingbei Technology is a new company in the same industry, we should understand our competition.”

Meng Xingzhe thought Yao Jia was more concerned about the company than the Chairman himself. “The Chairman of Kunyu probably hasn’t even thought about checking out Xingbei Technology, and yet you, a customer service rep, have. How much of a sense of belonging do you have to Kunyu Electric?”

“I just want to!” Yao Jia turned and went to her room to change clothes.

Through the door, Meng Xingzhe said to her, “Hey, wait for me. I’ll go with you to get fried chicken and visit the store.”

“Why do you want to come with me? Are you interested in Xingbei Technology’s products too?” Yao Jia asked through the door.

Meng Xingzhe struggled to contain his glee and simply replied, “Yeah.”

In truth, he wanted to see Yao Jia’s surprised and admiring expression when she entered their store and saw their products.

He asked Yao Jia to wait for him in the living room while he went to his room to change.

Once inside, Meng Xingzhe called Bei Luonan, who was working overtime at the company.

Meng Xingzhe quickly instructed, “Shut up, don’t ask anything, and listen carefully!”

Bei Luonan was silent.

“Yao Jia is coming to our store soon, and I’m going with her.”

Bei Luonan was shocked.

“Hurry and do two things! First, send home anyone working overtime who knows me. Second, clear out any sales staff in the store who might recognize me, leaving only the newbies who haven’t seen me or my photos.”

Bei Luonan cursed and hung up.

Yao Jia waited in the living room for Meng Xingzhe for a full twenty minutes before they finally left. She realized that dawdling before going out wasn’t exclusive to girls. When someone like Meng Xingzhe, a self-proclaimed king of procrastination, faced a wardrobe dilemma, girls had nothing on him.

After fifteen minutes of waiting, Yao Jia couldn’t stand it anymore and went to knock on his door.

The door opened quickly, but that didn’t mean Meng Xingzhe was ready to leave.

He stood there, one hand on the door, the other on his hip, his long legs casually stretched out, looking troubled. “Should I wear a shirt or a t-shirt? And what about pants? Dress pants or casual?”

Yao Jia was exasperated. “Are you attending a summit or a beauty pageant? You’re just going to eat fried chicken and visit a store. Do you need to be so extravagant? Should I do your makeup too after you pick your outfit?”

Meng Xingzhe was momentarily stunned.

Subconsciously, he thought this was their first time going out alone together, which was why he was fussing over his clothes.

In the end, he put on a shirt and they left. From the moment they stepped out, he tried to delay as much as possible, worried that Bei Luonan wouldn’t have time to prepare, and he’d arrive at the store too early.

Once outside, Yao Jia suggested taking the subway. She expected Meng Xingzhe to insist on taking a taxi, given his self-important attitude. Surprisingly, he not only didn’t suggest a taxi but even proposed taking the bus—a mode of transport Yao Jia found less comfortable than the subway.

The subway doesn’t get stuck in traffic, but buses do, stopping and starting like an asthmatic patient, making the passengers sway along with it.

Yao Jia said, “It’s noon, and there are lots of cars on the road. Taking the bus will be slow. Aren’t you hungry?”

Meng Xingzhe replied, “The subway doesn’t have windows to open, it’s too stuffy. With an empty stomach, wouldn’t you feel nauseous?”

Thinking he had a point, Yao Jia agreed to take the bus. She didn’t notice Meng Xingzhe quietly breathe a sigh of relief or his WeChat message to Bei Luonan: [How’s it going? I’m on my way, hurry up!]

Bei Luonan replied: [I’m doing my best to cover for you, stop rushing me or I’ll lose it!]

When the bus arrived, Meng Xingzhe put away his phone and boarded with Yao Jia.

As soon as she got on, Yao Jia regretted it. The bus was packed, with seats crammed and the aisle full of standing passengers. All the handrails were occupied, and the overhead bar was too high. Yao Jia reached up, but after a few seconds, her arm felt like it was melting.

The bus driver drove erratically, causing Yao Jia to stumble. At a red light, a sudden brake made her lose her grip and almost fly forward.

In that critical moment, someone grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back from her trajectory.

Once steady, Yao Jia turned and looked up into Meng Xingzhe’s slightly lowered eyes.

He looked at her and smirked, “No need to thank me.”

The thought of thanking him vanished, along with the quickened heartbeat from being pulled back by him.

She shook her shoulder and glared at Meng Xingzhe.

Meng Xingzhe released his grip and shrugged, as if to say, “I didn’t want to help, but you couldn’t stand on your own.”

Yao Jia shot him another fierce glare, her eyes practically shouting: Who needs your help? I can stand on my own!

However, the car seemed to have a mind of its own. After an abrupt stop, it suddenly lurched forward again, the momentum pushing Yao Jia straight into Meng Xingzhe’s chest. Her face pressed tightly against his shirt. Embarrassed, she tried to pull away, but the driver kept accelerating, each jolt sending her back into Meng Xingzhe’s embrace.

Pressed against his chest, she felt the vibrations as he chuckled.

He was laughing.

Her embarrassment deepened, and she wished she could either jump out the window or kick Meng Xingzhe out.

Finally, when the car steadied, Yao Jia managed to extricate herself from his chest. She looked up, glaring at him, baring her teeth in a mock snarl: “Stop laughing!”

“I’m not laughing,” he insisted, though the twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed him. Clearly, he was holding back laughter.

Yao Jia glared at him even harder.

Meng Xingzhe feigned innocence: “You’re getting mad for no reason. I haven’t even complained about you headbutting me repeatedly. You’re the one repaying kindness with hostility.”

“Kindness?” Yao Jia scoffed. “What kindness have you shown me?”

Facing him, she asked, her back to the front of the bus.

Meng Xingzhe, facing forward with one hand on the railing and the other in his pocket, looked at her lazily. His height allowed him to grip the rail effortlessly. “If my chest hadn’t absorbed the impact, you’d have been thrown to the back of the bus by now.”

Yao Jia sneered, “Even without you, I wouldn’t have fallen!”

No sooner had she spoken than the bus seemed to take offense, braking sharply. Yao Jia was thrown backward.

She thought for sure she’d fall this time.

But in the next moment, an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back into Meng Xingzhe’s chest.

Her face buried in his shirt, she caught the fresh scent of laundry detergent. His arm was still around her waist.

Everyone on the bus was thrown into disarray by the sudden stop, some already cursing. Under pressure, the driver finally managed to drive more steadily.

Yao Jia lifted her head from Meng Xingzhe’s chest, meeting his gaze.

His eyes still held laughter, his lips slightly curved. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Now, isn’t that ‘kindness’?”

“…” So he was waiting for this!

Yao Jia pushed his arm off her waist, gave him a sidelong glance, and turned away, not even bothering to say thank you.

At the next stop, someone got off, freeing up a handrail. Yao Jia grabbed it, finally able to stand firmly.

Meng Xingzhe stood beside her, watching the back of her head. Her ponytail swayed with the bus’s motion, like a little fox tail, teasing back and forth.

The arm that had just held her waist seemed to react in hindsight. He clenched and unclenched his fist. He hadn’t realized a girl’s waist could be so slender and soft.

While waiting in line with Yao Jia to buy fried chicken, Meng Xingzhe finally received a triumphant text from Bei Luonan.

Bei Luonan: [Boss, everything’s set! You can strut into the store with Yao Xiaojia without anyone treating you like the owner!]

Meng Xingzhe sighed in relief.

The fried chicken shop had a few tables. After buying the chicken, Yao Jia pulled Meng Xingzhe to sit down, planning to eat before their next activity.

Putting on disposable gloves, Yao Jia earnestly told Meng Xingzhe, “The key to eating fried chicken is to be as messy as possible! The messier you eat, the better it tastes. How about we see who can eat more messily?”

Meng Xingzhe gave her a look that said, “I don’t believe you.”

Yao Jia continued, “Let’s make a bet. If you can out-mess me, this meal’s on me.”

Meng Xingzhe chuckled, “I’ve never lost a bet.”

He donned the gloves, grabbed a drumstick, and started eating.

Seeing him eat so messily, Yao Jia stifled her laughter. Getting this guy, who usually needed a full set of cutlery and wine to eat a simple skewer, to eat like this was quite an achievement.

She joined in, eating with gusto.

Just as Meng Xingzhe was getting into it, his phone buzzed repeatedly with incoming messages.

He removed one glove, pulled out his phone, and opened WeChat.

Bei Luonan had sent him two photos.

The first showed him elegantly eating fried chicken with cutlery and wine, looking every bit the prince.

The second showed him now, messily devouring a drumstick.

Meng Xingzhe: “…”