Chapter 54 p1
Another day of meetings at the station. There was a major restructuring underway, with many departments being reorganized. Many employees were anxious, worried about losing their jobs or having their responsibilities changed.
Only Lin Shuangzhi’s team members remained calm and composed, their only complaint being the excessive overtime and the endless takeout they were sick of.
“Team Leader, can we go home early today? I’ve almost forgotten what my bedsheets look like.”
“Team Leader, I’m sick of takeout, give me a chance to go home and comfort my stomach and my taste buds.”
Lin Shuangzhi smiled wryly. “You guys, all you think about is leaving work. If the colleagues from other departments heard you, they’d want to live at the station.”
Other departments were experiencing declining workloads, leading to an excess of idle staff. Now, facing the station’s restructuring, they were all scrambling to prove their worth. However, their team was different, a unique entity within the station. Although called a “team,” their status and autonomy were comparable to a full department, and even the station directors treated Lin Shuangzhi with respect.
The team members were also exceptional: experienced professionals, renowned reporters, the daughter of the deputy mayor—a diverse mix of backgrounds and talents, but everyone was dedicated and hardworking.
The station directors admired this, placing even more trust in Lin Shuangzhi, often bringing her along to report to higher management. This, however, had led to her endless meetings and increasingly late nights.
Despite this, Lin Shuangzhi knew that after a week of continuous overtime, everyone was exhausted. A balance between work and rest was crucial for productivity; simply relying on extended work hours wasn’t sustainable.
She glanced at the work progress and, with a wave of her hand, dismissed them.
Li Wan was still in Qin Qianrou’s office, discussing their upcoming work arrangements. The Dongsheng program had been indefinitely postponed, so they had to work on other stories. Thankfully, with the increasing number of societal issues, there was no shortage of subjects for their programs, even without Dongsheng.
“Qianrou, let’s pack up as well.” Li Wan paused her work, seeing that their colleagues had left.
Qin Qianrou glanced at the time, 6:30 pm, half an hour earlier than she had expected.
“Okay, let’s call it a day.”
Li Wan casually asked, “Any plans tonight? If not, let’s have dinner together, it’s been a while since we last chatted.”
Qin Qianrou organized the documents on her desk, hearing the subtle hint in Li Wan’s tone, knowing she must have something new to complain about. The target, undoubtedly, was Lin Shuangzhi.
“Not tonight, I have plans.”
Li Wan was surprised, even more so than when she heard Lin Shuangzhi had plans.
“You’re secretly going on a date without me?” She paused, then asked, her voice filled with curiosity, “Tell me, who is this charming individual who managed to secure a date with the beautiful Miss Qin after a week of overtime?”
Qin Qianrou glared at her playfully, ignoring her eagerness.
She picked up her bag, walked around Li Wan, and headed towards the coat rack.
Li Wan, however, wasn’t easily deterred. The more Qin Qianrou avoided the topic, the more suspicious it seemed. If it wasn’t anything special, Qin Qianrou wouldn’t be so secretive.
This meant tonight’s “date” must be a personal matter.
Thinking this, Li Wan’s curiosity intensified, and she immediately transformed into Qin Qianrou’s little shadow.
“I told you such an important secret, and now you’re going on a date and won’t even tell me, Qianrou, you’re breaking my heart.” Li Wan even put on a dramatic display of sadness.
Qin Qianrou wrapped her scarf around her neck, watching Li Wan’s convincing performance, and thought to herself, She’s a natural actress, it’s a shame she’s not in the entertainment industry.
“I’m meeting Rong Fei, she’s specifically waiting for me, if I delay any longer, she won’t even have time for dinner.”
The sadness on Li Wan’s face was instantly replaced by surprise. “You’re meeting Rong Fei? Why didn’t you say so earlier? We could have had dinner together, discuss things while we eat, two birds with one stone.”
Rong Fei had been abroad for training recently, and after returning, she had been busy with work. It had indeed been a while since the three of them had gotten together.
Qin Qianrou didn’t take her up on the offer, checking her appearance in the mirror by the door. “I’m meeting her to discuss something important, we’ll have dinner together another time.”
Li Wan naturally understood the underlying meaning, but what important matter could Qin Qianrou and Rong Fei possibly have to discuss? She had initially contacted Rong Fei because of Shen Yiqiu, and throughout their interactions, the most “important” matter they discussed had always been about Shen Yiqiu.
Li Wan watched Qin Qianrou hurrying away, a thoughtful expression on her face.
When Lin Shuangzhi emerged from her office again, she saw only Li Wan and herself remaining in the team’s area. A thought occurred to her, and she extended an invitation.
“Xiao Wan, are you free tonight?”
Li Wan was still thinking about Qin Qianrou, her mind wandering. Hearing someone call her name, she instinctively turned around, a dazed look on her face.
To Lin Shuangzhi, this looked incredibly cute.
Her smile widened slightly, and she repeated, “If you’re free tonight, let’s go… relax.”
Li Wan finally snapped back to reality. The team leader was actually asking her out, this seemed like a first. And it wasn’t an invitation to work overtime, but to relax.
This was a significant development, and regardless of what “relax” entailed, as long as it was Lin Shuangzhi’s invitation, Li Wan wouldn’t refuse.
“Okay, wait for me a moment.”
**
When Qin Qianrou arrived at Rong Fei’s office building, she was forty minutes early. She didn’t rush upstairs, but sat in her car, resting her eyes.
After a week of continuous overtime, she was truly exhausted. After all these years, her body wasn’t as resilient as it had been when she first graduated.
She messaged Rong Fei, informing her of her arrival and asking her to contact her after her last appointment. Rong Fei was well-known in her field, and having just returned from abroad, she had a long list of clients waiting for consultations. Qin Qianrou had essentially jumped the queue, thanks to their friendship, so naturally, she was scheduled for the last appointment of the day.
Rong Fei also had her own agenda. Her good friend rarely made appointments for consultations; how could she limit the time? She had to make special arrangements, giving her ample time.
When Qin Qianrou finally sat across from Rong Fei, the secretary had just seen off the last client. Most of Rong Fei’s clients sought guidance and counseling for psychological issues. Those who could afford her services naturally valued their privacy, so there was a fifteen-minute buffer between each appointment, ensuring clients wouldn’t run into each other.
“It’s quite a surprise to have such a busy person make an appointment for a consultation.”
Rong Fei had indeed been surprised when she received Qin Qianrou’s message. She had initially thought it would be like before, just a few questions, but Qin Qianrou had actually made a formal appointment.
“You’re an expert in this field, and I trust both your professional abilities and your character. Now that I need help, who else can I turn to?”
Rong Fei smiled and quickly finished her work, filing the previous client’s documents. Just then, the secretary brought in drinks and snacks, quite appropriate for the occasion.
“You can leave now, I’ll handle the rest.”
The secretary nodded politely, bid them farewell, and left. Soon, the office was quiet.
“Have some refreshments first, an empty stomach affects your mood.”
Qin Qianrou didn’t stand on ceremony; she planned to treat Rong Fei to dinner after the consultation.
After the snacks and tea, it was time to get down to business.
Rong Fei had initially thought that for Qin Qianrou to specifically seek her out, the matter must be serious or complex. However, Qin Qianrou’s composure, her calm demeanor since she arrived, made Rong Fei slightly puzzled.
“Qianrou, what did you want to discuss today?” Rong Fei began the consultation, her tone calm and professional.
Qin Qianrou held her teacup, thought for a moment, then slowly said, “A relationship issue.”
This was somewhat unexpected, and Rong Fei raised an eyebrow slightly.
After all these years, she had never heard of Qin Qianrou having relationship problems.
“I wanted to understand how to handle a relationship with a significant age gap.”
A significant age gap? Rong Fei raised an eyebrow again.
“Tell me more about the situation, so I can offer a proper analysis.”
Qin Qianrou, having chosen to seek Rong Fei’s help, naturally didn’t intend to hide too much. However, this involved Shen Yiqiu’s privacy, she couldn’t simply tell her that Shen Yiqiu was currently entangled in a relationship with an older man.
She would tentatively call it an entanglement. In her mind, Shen Yiqiu was an innocent little bunny, she wouldn’t willingly jump into such a situation.
“Let’s say a university student has fallen for someone much older than her, someone with more life experience, perhaps more worldly and sophisticated, not suitable for a long-term relationship with a student. But the relationship has already started, and the student, still young, is unwilling to end it, what should be done?”
Qin Qianrou had thought about how to phrase this beforehand, so it wasn’t difficult to say, but each word brought back the image of Shen Yiqiu embracing her, her body trembling slightly, yet stubbornly saying she couldn’t bear to let go.
She felt a pang of sympathy, but continuing down this path would only harm Shen Yiqiu further. She had to be firm, for Shen Yiqiu’s future.
Rong Fei listened attentively, without interrupting, questioning, or showing any curiosity.
As if she wasn’t close to Qin Qianrou, as if she wasn’t interested in knowing the identity of the university student.
“How long has this relationship been going on for?”
Qin Qianrou shook her head. “I don’t know, probably not very long.”
Rong Fei then asked, “How significant is the age gap?”
Although there was a difference in status between a university student and someone already working, some couples were only three to five years apart, which wasn’t a big deal after graduation.
Qin Qianrou shook her head again. “I don’t know the exact age difference, but at least eight years.”
Judging by the man’s behavior and attire, he definitely wasn’t just three or four years older than Shen Yiqiu. The more she thought about it, the more she felt the man had ulterior motives. At his age, how could he target Shen Yiqiu?
Rong Fei observed her thoughtful expression, paused for a moment, then said, “Is this relationship mutual, or did the older party use manipulative tactics?”
Qin Qianrou was about to shake her head when she suddenly recalled Shen Yiqiu’s soft confession, her words “I really like him, I can’t bear to let go.” Each word had been heartfelt, a clear sign of affection.
Although she felt a sense of resistance, Qin Qianrou, as a reporter, wouldn’t distort the truth.
“For now, it seems to be mutual. But initially, it was probably initiated by the older party.”
She couldn’t imagine Shen Yiqiu actively pursuing someone like that. The image of that child diligently studying recipes was still fresh in her mind; how could she be so interested in an older man?
She truly couldn’t understand, which was why she had sought Rong Fei’s help.
“It’s hard to say, sometimes there’s a special connection between people. Love at first sight isn’t always without reason.”
Rong Fei’s words made Qin Qianrou’s heart sink.
She didn’t want to accept this possibility, but that didn’t mean it didn’t exist.
The thought of Shen Yiqiu actively pursuing someone made her incredibly uncomfortable.
Rong Fei discreetly observed her, then looked away, making a few notes on her file, and continued, “However, relationships during adolescence can be impulsive, and having special feelings for older, more mature individuals might be due to specific reasons.”
“Such as?”
“Such as experiencing a major setback or change, losing their previous support system, and at such a time, they might yearn for a new source of support and reliance.” Rong Fei paused, then continued, “Or it could simply be that they’ve reached a certain age, everyone around them is in a relationship, and they feel the urge to try it themselves, to satisfy their curiosity and vanity.”
Rong Fei, pretending not to notice Qin Qianrou’s darkening expression, calmly continued, “Of course, the worst-case scenario is encountering someone with bad intentions, being deliberately targeted and manipulated.”
Qin Qianrou’s breath hitched, and she said firmly, “Absolutely not!”
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