99: Chapter 99 Moving House on a Rainy Night

The afternoon went smoother than expected—after setting the direction in the morning, each group progressed very quickly.

The rain never stopped, clattering against the windowpanes. In the meeting room, only the sound of keyboard tapping and occasional low-voiced discussions remained. Each group was busy with their own tasks; no one wasted words, and no one slacked off.

A quarter past eight, Liu Yanran checked the time and closed her laptop.

“That's it for today. We'll continue tomorrow.”

People began to disperse. Qiao Yichen packed his things and waited by the meeting room door for a while. Liu Yanran was the last to come out, her face showing a hint of fatigue, but her spirit was still alright.

“Let's go,” she said.

The two of them went downstairs together. It was still raining, and the ground of the parking lot was wet, with puddles reflecting the dim yellow lights. Getting into the car and starting the engine, Qiao Yichen turned on the blinker, but he didn't head toward home.

Liu Yanran glanced at him, somewhat puzzled. “Going to your place?”

“Yeah,” Qiao Yichen said. “To pick up some clothes.”

The car drove into Ruiyuan Residential Area and stopped in front of an old-fashioned residential building.

The two of them went upstairs. This was Liu Yanran's first time here, and she followed behind him, looking around. The lights in the stairwell were a bit dim, so she walked a little slower.

Qiao Yichen took out his keys and opened the door.

Liu Yanran followed him inside. She didn't linger in the living room and went straight to the bedroom. She stood at the door and looked inside, then turned back and asked, “Just these?”

Qiao Yichen nodded. “Yeah, I don't have much, mainly just clothes.”

Liu Yanran walked into the bedroom, glanced into the closet, then looked at the bedding on the bed, and suddenly said, “Then let's just finish moving it all today, so we don't have to come back next time.”

Qiao Yichen was stunned for a moment. “Now?”

“Since we're already here anyway,” Liu Yanran had already started taking clothes out, “there isn't much. If we do it together, it'll be done in no time.”

Qiao Yichen glanced at her, said nothing more, and went over to help.

The two of them took the clothes out of the closet, folded them, and packed them into duffel bags. Liu Yanran folded quickly, muttering as she worked, “Your clothes aren't categorized well; T-shirts and shirts are mixed together. How are you going to find anything later?”

Qiao Yichen's hands didn't stop. “I'll sort them later.”

“Later, later, you always say later.” Liu Yanran gave him a look, but she still helped him put the folded T-shirts into a separate pile.

The closet was soon empty, and Qiao Yichen went to pack the toiletries from the bathroom. Liu Yanran rolled up the bedding on the bed, struggling a bit to stuff it into a bag.

Over half an hour later, everything was packed.

Two large duffel bags, two cardboard boxes, and a few miscellaneous small items. Qiao Yichen picked up the two bags, Liu Yanran picked up a box, and the two went downstairs.

The rain still hadn't stopped, with fine, dense threads of rain drifting down at an angle.

Qiao Yichen stuffed the duffel bags into the trunk first. Liu Yanran stood beside him holding an umbrella, tilting it toward him.

Once the bags were in, he took the box from her hands and put it inside.

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Liu Yanran tilted the umbrella toward him a bit more, leaving half of her own shoulder exposed to the rain.

“You get in first.” Qiao Yichen closed the trunk and took the umbrella. “Don't get soaked.”

“It's fine.” Liu Yanran wiped the rainwater from her face and pointed upstairs. “One more trip.”

The two of them made one more trip.

After the second trip down, the trunk was completely full, and a few items were stuffed into the back seat. Qiao Yichen closed the back door and stood in the rain to catch his breath, water droplets from his hair dripping down his cheeks.

He took out his phone and sent a message to the landlord: “The apartment has been vacated, and the keys are inside. Please come collect them when you have time.”

After sending it, he pulled open the car door and sat inside, water still dripping from his hair.

Liu Yanran was already waiting in the passenger seat, wiping her face with a tissue. Seeing him get in, she handed over a few tissues and habitually brushed back his soaked hair from his forehead. “Wipe yourself off, you look like a drowned rat.”

Qiao Yichen took them, haphazardly wiped his face, and started the car.

The windshield wipers swung back and forth across the glass.

The car drove out of the residential area and merged into the rainy night.

Back at Liu Yanran's home, they piled the things by the door first.

It was already ten o'clock. Qiao Yichen glanced at Liu Yanran—fine water droplets still hung in her hair, and the color of her clothes at the shoulder was a shade darker. He wasn't much better off himself; his shirt was stuck to his back, feeling chilly.

“Change out of those wet clothes first,” he said.

Liu Yanran nodded, went into the bedroom to find two sets of pajamas, and handed him one. After they both changed into dry clothes, they finally felt a bit warmer.

Qiao Yichen walked into the bathroom and turned on the bathtub faucet. Hot water rushed out, and steam slowly rose. He walked out and saw Liu Yanran taking his clothes out of the bags and hanging them in the closet one by one.

“Don't do that yet,” he said. “The water is ready, take a bath.”

Liu Yanran looked toward the bathroom and shook her head. “You go first, I'll finish hanging these.”

Qiao Yichen walked over, hugged her from behind, and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Let's soak together.”

Liu Yanran was stunned for a moment and turned her head to look at him. “No way.”

“Why not?”

“It's cramped.”

“The tub is big enough.” Qiao Yichen didn't let go. “Besides, you were out in the rain just now. If you don't soak, you'll catch a cold tomorrow.”

Liu Yanran wanted to say something else, but he added another sentence: “Soaking together also saves water.”

She was amused by him. “Saving water? What kind of twisted logic is that?”

Qiao Yichen also laughed but didn't let go, leaning against her shoulder without moving. Liu Yanran was worn down by him and sighed. “Fine, fine, fine, let's soak.”

Only then did Qiao Yichen let go of her hand and lead her toward the bathroom.

The bathtub was already more than half full of hot water, and steam filled the air. The two stepped in one after the other, and the warm water rose over their shoulders.

Liu Yanran leaned against one end, her eyes closed, her face slightly flushed from the steam. Qiao Yichen leaned against the other end, his legs occasionally touching hers, and she didn't bother to move away.

They soaked for half an hour, and neither of them spoke.

Liu Yanran got out first, wrapped herself in a bath towel, and left. Qiao Yichen soaked for a few more minutes before slowly getting up to rinse off.

When he came out, Liu Yanran was already leaning against the headboard scrolling through her phone. Her hair was blown half-dry and draped loosely, and she had changed into clean pajamas.

Qiao Yichen lifted the quilt and lay down, reaching out to pull her over.

“Tired?” he asked.

“I'm alright.” She leaned against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Qiao Yichen lowered his head and kissed her forehead.

The lights went out.

The next day, Friday.

At nine o'clock sharp, the meeting room was already full of people.

Just like yesterday, they spent the whole day inside.

In the morning, they set the communication strategy: two main lines of a blind test challenge and campus promotion. Chen Mochi was drawing logic diagrams on the whiteboard, Liu Li was supplementing with data beside him, and Zhou Yuan was flipping through design references, occasionally interjecting.

Zhou Yuan projected a version of the color scheme onto the screen and asked with a frown, “Will this green be too flashy?”

Liu Li glanced at it. “It has a bit of a fluorescent feel. Tone it down; we want that fresh, tender look after the rain.”

Zhou Yuan nodded and continued to adjust the colors. Beside him, Little Wang leaned over to look at his own computer and sighed. “The historical data for Yuan Ye on my end is too hard to dig up. The report formats from 2019 are all different.”

“Post it in the group, let's all look at it together.” Liu Li didn't even turn her head.

Qiao Yichen sat in the corner, his computer screen showing the PPT framework, his fingers tapping on the keyboard.

His phone vibrated.

He glanced down—a message from Old Mr. Zhou: “Someone is asking about the price. We haven't talked specifics yet; they're just asking if the item is still available.”

Qiao Yichen replied with a “It's available, sorry for the trouble,” then put his phone face down on the table and continued typing.

After ten o'clock, the phone vibrated again.

A WeChat message from Teacher Song Qixiu: “A friend asked about that cabinet and wants to see the photos and certificates first. I've sent them over.”

Qiao Yichen replied: “Alright, Teacher Song Qixiu. Let me know whenever there's news.”

After sending it, he set his phone to silent and put it face down on the table.

In the afternoon, each group divided the work: PPT filling, design concept drafts, and TVC script concepts. The sound of keyboards rose and fell in the meeting room, with people occasionally standing up to get water or discussing a few things in low voices.

At six o'clock, the boxed lunches arrived. No one moved, eating while facing their screens.

Liu Li leaned over with her lunch box and looked at Qiao Yichen's screen. “The logic on this page needs to be adjusted; it doesn't have enough of a sense of progression.”

Qiao Yichen nodded while chewing his food and took a note of it.

Eight o'clock, nine o'clock, ten o'clock...

No one called for a stop, and no one left first.

Liu Yanran sat in the main seat, flipping through the materials everyone had just submitted, occasionally circling a few items or sending a message in the group. General Manager Zhao Qiming leaned against the back of his chair rubbing his eyes, and Chen Mochi was still revising the flowchart on the whiteboard.

Near eleven o'clock, Liu Yanran checked the time and stood up.

“That's it for today. Assemble at nine tomorrow.”

People began to disperse. There was the sound of chairs being pushed under tables, laptops being closed, and someone yawning as they walked out.

Qiao Yichen packed his things and went to the parking lot to wait for her.

The third day, Saturday.

At nine o'clock sharp, it was still A3 Conference Room.

In the morning, they went through the drafts internally and adjusted the logic. Each group laid out what they had accumulated over the past two days to review; problems were crossed out, and usable parts were kept. Things were drawn and erased on the whiteboard until only a few clear main lines remained.

The phone vibrated. A message from Old Mr. Zhou: “Someone else is asking and wants to see the actual item. I told him to wait for further notice.”

Qiao Yichen replied: “Alright, I'll follow your arrangements.”

Just after he put down his phone, it vibrated again.

Teacher Song Qixiu sent two messages, popping up one by one:

“Two more friends are interested, and both said they want to see the actual item.”

“I've sent both the certificates and photos. Waiting for their replies.”

Qiao Yichen replied: “Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Song Qixiu.”

He put his phone face down on the table and continued looking at the screen.

In the afternoon, they supplemented the budget framework and execution rhythm. The Excel spreadsheets were pulled page by page, and the numbers were checked over and over again.

Zhou Yuan projected the revised design draft onto the large screen. Liu Li leaned in to look and nodded. “This green is right, the feeling of after the rain.”

Little Wang muttered beside them, “I finally finished sorting through the Yuan Ye data. I'm exhausted.”

Several people laughed, then lowered their heads to continue working.

The phone vibrated a few more times. He took a moment to glance down—another price inquiry from Old Mr. Zhou's side, and another person wanting to see the item from Teacher Song Qixiu's side.

He didn't reply in detail, only responding with “Alright” or “Received,” and continued facing his computer.

In the evening, they polished the details.

The PPT gradually took shape, turning from scattered ideas into a complete proposal. Every page was reviewed several times, not even letting a punctuation mark slip by.

At eight-thirty, Liu Yanran closed her laptop and stood up.

“Tomorrow is the last day. Full process rehearsal in the morning, layout beautification in the afternoon, and printing and binding in the evening.” She paused, her gaze sweeping over the people present. “Hang in there a bit longer.”

No one spoke, but everyone nodded.

People began to walk out. Qiao Yichen waited at the door, watching her come out last.

The two of them walked side by side toward the elevator.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“A bit,” she said.

“Shall we cook noodles when we get back?”

She nodded.

The elevator doors opened, and the two of them walked in.

The numbers jumped down one by one.

Qiao Yichen took out his phone and glanced at it—over the two days, there were two price inquiries on Old Mr. Zhou's side, one of whom wanted to see the actual item. Teacher Song Qixiu's side was more efficient, with three inquiries all expressing a desire to see the actual item.

He thought about it and sent a message each to Old Mr. Zhou and Teacher Song Qixiu:

“Old Mr. Zhou / Teacher Song Qixiu, I'm free tomorrow afternoon. How about scheduling everyone who wants to see the item for tomorrow afternoon? It would be convenient to see them all together.”

After sending it, he put his phone back in his pocket.

The elevator reached B2.