102: Chapter 102 An Unexpected Morning

May 12, 2025, Monday, Sunny, 16-30°C.

At six in the morning, Qiao Yichen woke up.

The master bedroom was occupied by Lin Wei, so he slept in the guest room alone. Tossing and turning, he felt like something was missing by his side, so he didn't linger in bed and got up to go to the living room.

Since moving into Liu Yanran's place, he hadn't gone for a proper run for nearly a week.

He stretched his limbs and did a few sets of exercises, wondering if he should find a gym nearby. Half an hour later, with a light sweat on his forehead, he went to the kitchen to boil some water.

While he was looking down at his phone, he heard a sound behind him.

The master bedroom door opened.

Lin Wei shuffled out—wearing only red lace lingerie. Her eyes were half-open, clearly not fully awake yet, and she headed straight for the kitchen to find water, her throat parched. She moved as naturally as if she were in her own home.

She opened the refrigerator door, took out a bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, and took a gulp. The ice-cold water hit her throat, making her whole body shiver and wake up a bit more.

That's when she spotted Qiao Yichen standing nearby.

Qiao Yichen pointed at her, his mouth open but no sound coming out. Lin Wei followed his gaze downward—red lace lingerie; everything that should and shouldn't be seen was on full display.

The water bottle fell to the floor with a "thud," spilling water everywhere.

In the next second, before her brain could process it, her body moved first—she rushed over and covered Qiao Yichen's mouth with her hand.

Qiao Yichen was completely stunned, staring at her with wide eyes. The two of them just stood there, staring at each other in a daze.

Three seconds later, Lin Wei finally realized—Wait, why am I covering his mouth? I should be covering myself!

Her face instantly flushed red, the heat spreading from her ears down to her neck. She quickly let go, turned around, and ran barefoot back to the master bedroom, slamming the door shut with a "bang."

Qiao Yichen was dazed for several seconds before looking down at the leaking water bottle on the floor. He bent down to pick it up, sighed, and grabbed a rag to wipe the floor clean.

By the time the two of them were ready to head out, Qiao Yichen stood by the master bedroom door and glanced inside.

Liu Yanran sat on the edge of the bed, leaning in slightly and lowering her voice: "Lin Wei, we're leaving. There's food in the fridge, help yourself."

Lin Wei was curled up under the covers, only half her face showing, eyes still closed, letting out a muffled "Mm."

Liu Yanran reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear: "If you're not feeling well, go to the hospital. Don't push yourself."

"I know..." Lin Wei's voice was slurred, with the nasal tone of someone who hadn't fully woken up, "You guys go... I'm going to sleep a bit longer..."

Liu Yanran stood up, gave her one last look, and without another word, turned to walk out.

At the door, she met Qiao Yichen's gaze. He glanced into the room, and Liu Yanran gently closed the door.

They exchanged a look and walked out the door.

On the way to the company, Qiao Yichen couldn't help but ask, "Did you three used to drink like this often?"

Liu Yanran was touching up her lipstick in the mirror and replied casually, "It's alright, occasionally. When we drink too much, like yesterday, they either stay at my place or I stay at theirs. It's a habit."

Qiao Yichen nodded and fell silent. He finally understood why Lin Wei had been so natural that morning—she hadn't realized he had moved in and thought it was just like before.

10:30 AM, A3 Conference Room.

Chen Mochi was at the front practicing his PPT presentation. About ten people were scattered around the meeting room, with Liu Yanran in the head seat.

Halfway through, the meeting room door was pushed open. The receptionist girl poked half her head in: "Director Liu, a call came in from Sweet Spring."

Liu Yanran got up and left. Five minutes later, she pushed the door back open and sat down: "The time is set, 2:30 PM."

Someone whispered, "Why is it scheduled so late?"

General Manager Zhao Qiming chimed in, "The morning is for the 4A companies."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment. Chen Mochi checked the time; it was almost eleven: "Then should I hurry up and finish? Let's not delay the afternoon's business."

Liu Yanran nodded.

After lunch, Qiao Yichen returned to his workstation. Just as he sat down to rest for a bit, his phone vibrated. A message from Liu Yanran: "Meet downstairs, leaving at one."

He checked the time; it was 12:50. He grabbed his laptop and went downstairs. The business van was already waiting at the entrance.

Liu Yanran was standing by the car on the phone. Chen Mochi was sitting inside with his laptop, muttering something to himself. Liu Li leaned against the seat back with her eyes closed, resting, while General Manager Zhao Qiming looked down at his phone.

Qiao Yichen got in the car and found an empty seat.

Five minutes later, the car started. Chen Mochi was still going over the PPT, and Liu Li opened her eyes for a moment before closing them again. No one spoke; the only sound in the car was the hum of the air conditioner, making the atmosphere a bit stifling.

Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of the Liquan Group building.

After checking in, they entered the waiting area. At exactly two o'clock, there was movement at the end of the hallway.

Several people came out of the meeting room, with Director leading the way. He was talking to the person next to him as he walked. When he passed in front of Qiao Yichen, he didn't even glance his way, leading his group straight toward the elevator.

Qiao Yichen's gaze lingered on his face for a moment.

So it's this guy.

Images of that night flashed through his mind—it was shortly after he had transmigrated. The dim lights of the bar, the powder flicked into the glass, Liu Yanran's limp body, and him supporting her as they left the bar. He hadn't seen him in a long time and had almost forgotten about him.

A staff member's voice came from the side: "Company Name, it's your turn."

Liu Yanran stood up, and Chen Mochi and General Manager Zhao Qiming followed her inside. As she passed him, she paused and whispered, "Wait here."

Qiao Yichen nodded, watching the three of them disappear behind the meeting room door.

Only a few people were left in the waiting area. He sat for a while, felt bored, and got up to wander around. At the end of the hallway, he pushed open a door to an outdoor rest area.

The place wasn't big, with a few sun umbrellas, some tables, and an ashtray in the corner. He found a corner to sit in and lit a cigarette. It was very quiet; no one came here during work hours.

He was only halfway through his cigarette when the glass door was pushed open.

Director walked in, stood at the edge of the rest area, and looked down at his phone as if waiting for someone.

Just as Qiao Yichen was about to look away, the glass door opened again, and a man in his fifties walked out.

When Director saw him, he quickly stepped forward to greet him. The two of them, one following the other, walked toward the most remote corner of the rest area.

Qiao Yichen's movements paused.

What is this guy doing?

Without thinking much, his body moved faster than his brain—taking advantage of getting up to flick his cigarette ash, he moved half a step behind a nearby pillar.

The two of them stood in the corner. They weren't too far away, but their voices were kept very low. He could only see Director occasionally leaning in close and the other man nodding. He couldn't hear anything clearly.

Qiao Yichen held his breath, staring in that direction.

A few minutes later, the middle-aged man laughed and patted Director on the shoulder. A few words drifted over, intermittent: "Okay... I'm expecting great things from you... for the subsequent matters..."

After a few more words, the man turned and walked back. Director stayed where he was, looked down at his phone, and then followed.

Qiao Yichen emerged from behind the pillar and stubbed out his half-finished cigarette in the ashtray.

Then his phone vibrated; it was a call from Liu Yanran: "Where are you? We're leaving."

"Coming." He hung up the phone.

He pushed open the glass door and walked back. Just as he entered the hallway, he saw the middle-aged man from before walking ahead, heading toward a meeting room and pushing the door open to enter.

Qiao Yichen looked away and continued walking. Liu Yanran and the other three were still standing by the hallway, talking in low voices, huddled in a circle discussing the draft they had just presented.

He walked over and stood next to Liu Yanran. She glanced at him but didn't say anything, continuing to listen.

When they finished a section of their conversation, Qiao Yichen tilted his chin toward the meeting room door and asked in a low voice, "Who is that person?"

Liu Yanran followed his gaze—the meeting room door had just closed, and Li Fan's back disappeared behind it.

"Li Fan, Vice President of Sweet Spring, one of Party A's people."

Qiao Yichen nodded and said no more.

General Manager Zhao Qiming urged from the side, "Let's go, let's go. Back to wait for the news."

The group walked toward the elevator. Qiao Yichen followed beside Liu Yanran, thinking about the scene he had just witnessed, remaining silent.

They got in the car and headed back.