novelraw Chapter 419: Deep Friendship
Chapter 419: Deep Friendship
September 1, 2023, Friday, Overcast, 21~28°C.
At 7 AM, the alarm clock rang on time.
A hand reached out from under the covers, fumbling to turn off the phone alarm.
Yawning, Yao Lingling groggily sat up and rubbed her slightly foggy head.
The desk in her bedroom was covered with sheets of draft paper.
The Yan Provincial International Fashion Exhibition was about to take place, and as a designer for the Qimeng Business Unit, she had the opportunity to showcase her work.
To seize this chance, she had been gathering inspiration everywhere and researching new fabrics.
Last night, a burst of inspiration struck, and she stayed up until dawn, completing two design drafts in one go.
Sitting on the bed in a daze for a while, Yao Lingling quickly grabbed her phone, opened Tang Song's chat, and began typing a message.
【Lingling: "Good morning, little brother! Today is the first day of September, overcast, comfortable temperature, outfit suggestions as follows..."]After sending the message, Yao Lingling eagerly stared at her phone screen.
Chomp chomp—
【Tang Song: "Morning, Lingling. Just finished my workout, about to grab some food."]
Yao Lingling's eyes lit up as she quickly typed a reply:
"Speaking of which, you haven’t updated your notes in half a month! We cyber strategists are starving—hurry up and hand over your photo!"
Yao Lingling: Threatening the boss.jpg
【Tang Song: Selfie.jpg】
"Wow!" Yao Lingling exclaimed, instantly wide awake.
The photo was taken in the gym. Tang Song was leaning back against the chest press machine, shirtless, his sweat glistening under the lights. His sculpted muscles were well-defined and smooth.
Yao Lingling zoomed in on the details, and her face instantly turned red.
She knew Tang Song had abs, but she didn’t expect them to be this impressive!
That had to be an eight-pack, right?
Too bad the picture didn’t show everything—next time, she had to find a way to touch them in person!
Blushing, Yao Lingling flopped onto her bed and wiggled around, unconsciously making little "ah ah ah" sounds, unsure if it was from embarrassment or excitement.
"Knock, knock, knock—"
A knock came from the bedroom door.
From outside, Zhang Jiahong’s voice called, "Lingling, still not up? Skipping your workout today?"
"On it!" Yao Lingling shot up like a rocket, jumped out of bed barefoot, and started frantically getting ready.
She tidied up her design drafts, changed into her workout clothes, and quickly stepped out of her bedroom.
In the living room, she rolled out a yoga mat, placed her tablet on the coffee table, and played a training video before starting her glute workout.
Goblet squats, wide-stance squats, single-leg deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts...
From the kitchen, the hum of the exhaust fan echoed, along with the faint aroma of frying eggs.
Licking her lips, Yao Lingling called out, "Jiahong, make me two eggs!"
"Me too!" The door to the second bedroom swung open, and Li Shumin emerged with messy hair.
Zhang Jiahong peeked out from the kitchen, flashing a bright smile. "No problem!"
Seeing her best friend regain her confidence and energy, Yao Lingling felt genuinely happy for her.
Today was Zhang Jiahong’s second day at Huashang Fushi. She had already received her employment contract and ID badge and now had her own workstation—fully stepping back into the fashion design industry.
As a thank-you to her two friends, Zhang Jiahong had volunteered to make breakfast.
After finishing a few sets of glute exercises, Yao Lingling grabbed her phone and took a selfie in front of the full-length mirror, admiring her progress.
Zhang Jiahong placed a bowl of porridge on the table and teased, "Lingling, are you sharing your butt with Tang Song?"
"Why do you always phrase things so horribly?" Yao Lingling knocked her on the head playfully, shaking her phone smugly. "I never sent him anything, but he did send me his shirtless pic. Hehe."
At the word "shirtless," Li Shumin immediately perked up.
"Let me see! Where’s Tang Song’s shirtless pic?!"
She rushed over straight from the bathroom, not even bothering to wash her hands.
Zhang Jiahong also pounced. "I wanna see too! Hand it over, Lingling!"
"Hahaha, no way!" Yao Lingling laughed as she dodged.
The three of them wrestled in the living room.
In the end, the two ganged up on her and successfully snatched her phone.
Having no choice, Yao Lingling opened WeChat and pulled up the photo Tang Song sent earlier.
"Liar! The most crucial part is missing—this doesn’t count as a shirtless pic!"
"Ew~~ Lingling, your messages are so flirty!"
"But honestly, Tang Song’s physique is insane! He’s improved so much since his last update on Little Red Book."
They had all followed Tang Song from the start, watching his fitness transformation step by step.
Seeing his statue-like body now, they couldn’t help but feel emotional.
Li Shumin’s eyes sparkled. "So handsome! Just based on looks and physique, he’s by far the best-looking guy we know. Lingling, send me the pic!"
"No way. Don’t think I don’t know what you’ll do with it tonight, you perv!"
"I’ll sue you for slander!"
Zhang Jiahong smacked Yao Lingling on the butt and grinned. "Lingling, let me take a cute pic of you to send back. Sharing pictures between guys and girls means ‘I want you to see me, to be part of my life.’"
"Exactly! And he hasn’t seen you in workout leggings yet—he’s gonna be shook," Li Shumin nudged Yao Lingling. Then, in an exaggerated tone, "Behold! The Innate Fitness Saint Physique! Come, showcase it!"
Embarrassed by their words, Yao Lingling hesitated but eventually agreed.
She had been working out for two months now and had made noticeable progress.
Just like Zhang Jiahong said, this was a way to catch his attention and show a sign of closeness.
"Move your leg a bit to the side, lift your butt—chin up, chest out, smile!"
"Okay, perfect! All set!"
Zhang Jiahong handed the phone back. "Check it out!"
Yao Lingling stared at the screen, her face slowly turning red. "Why... why does this look so seductive?"
"You don’t get it. This is how you grab a man’s attention!" Li Shumin sighed enviously. "If I had your waist-to-hip ratio, I’d wear tight leggings every day!"
"Send it already! Let’s see how he reacts!"
Yao Lingling touched her burning cheeks but still gritted her teeth and clicked on Tang Song’s chat, sending the picture.
She added a message: "Just finished my workout, though not nearly as intense as yours, haha."
The three of them huddled together, eagerly staring at the screen.
A moment later—
【Tang Song: "Saved. 二<☆"】
"Hahahaha—" The living room erupted in laughter.
Yao Lingling’s face was red-hot as she furiously typed back, "Are you making me your phone wallpaper? Careful, I’ll be watching you 24/7, hehe."
Li Shumin dramatically gasped. "Lingling, you’re so shameless!"
"Shut up." Yao Lingling kicked her, then continued teasing Tang Song online.
As long as it wasn't face-to-face, she was the ultimate keyboard warrior—Yao Yao Ling!
"Chomp chomp—"
【Tang Song: "By the way, Lingling, I've been pretty busy lately and haven't had the chance to ask—how's Jiahong doing at Huashang Fushi? If there's any issue, just let me know."]
The living room gradually quieted down.
Yao Lingling asked in surprise, "Jiahong, did you tell him you got into Huashang Fushi?"
Since Zhang Jiahong’s job situation was resolved by Xiao Mingxuan, she had always felt too embarrassed to bring it up with Tang Song, worried he might feel uncomfortable about it.
"No, I didn't." Zhang Jiahong shook her head blankly.
Li Shumin asked curiously, "Why would he tell Jiahong to go to him if she has any problems?"
"No idea, weird." Yao Lingling scratched her head and quickly typed back:
"How did you know Jiahong went to Huashang Fushi?"
"Chomp chomp—"
【Tang Song: "You sent me her resume yourself. Forgot already?"】
The three of them instantly exchanged looks.
Yao Lingling and Li Shumin’s eyes widened as if they had just realized something.
Zhang Jiahong frowned. "Lingling, what does he mean? Does he know Huashang Fushi’s HR?"
Yao Lingling took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "He heard about your layoff, asked for your resume, and said he'd refer you internally."
Zhang Jiahong’s jaw dropped. "He got me into Huashang Fushi? But then what about your boss, Xiao...?"
Li Shumin gasped. "No way, that’s too much of a coincidence!"
Yao Lingling pursed her lips and typed back:
"I didn’t forget, just didn’t expect you to care this much about it."
【Tang Song: "Huashang’s HR notified me a few days ago about Jiahong joining, but I got too busy and forgot to mention it to you. There are plenty of opportunities at Huashang Fushi, so tell Jiahong to work hard. If she runs into any issues, she can come to me."】
"Wait..." Li Shumin’s heart skipped a beat. "So... Jiahong’s job was thanks to Tang Song?"
Yao Lingling took a deep breath, feeling guilty. "Looks like it."
"Well, damn..."
"So what do we do now?" Li Shumin whispered. "We seriously underestimated his connections."
Before, they had assumed it was all Xiao Mingxuan’s doing, so they never thought to thank Tang Song.
And now, he was the one bringing it up first—it really wasn’t a good look for them.
Zhang Jiahong smacked Yao Lingling’s butt and suddenly said, "Lingling, we definitely messed up. How about you invite Tang Song over for dinner tonight? I want to thank him in person. Also, that formal outfit you made—it’s almost Mid-Autumn Festival, so it’s the perfect time to give it to him."
"Oh." Yao Lingling looked tempted. "Okay, I’ll ask him if he’s free."
—
Shengyuan Scenic Residence.
"Ding-dong—" WeChat notification.
【Lingling: "Thanks, Tang Song. Are you free tonight? Come to Xingchen Huayuan for dinner—we want to thank you in person."】
【Tang Song: "No need for thanks, but I can come for dinner."】
【Lingling: "Great! As long as you show up, we promise a feast—good food and good drinks!"】
【Lingling: flirty wink.gif】
Seeing the sticker, Tang Song chuckled.
He typed back:
"I don’t care about the food and drinks, as long as Lingling sits next to me in her workout leggings."
After sending the message, Yao Lingling went completely silent.
Tang Song could already imagine her face turning bright red.
She was always bold online, but in person, she was the shyest one of them all.
He actually admired this junior a lot—he even considered inviting her to join Songmei Fashion’s design team.
In fact, he was planning to establish a subsidiary under Songmei Fashion, a standalone fashion design company to operate the brand independently.
This would separate it from Songmei’s current livestream e-commerce model, allowing for precise market targeting and professionalized operations.
However, the branding for "He Yiyi" as an IP hadn’t started yet—everything was still in the early stages.
The immediate priority was assembling a brand department, defining its style and strategic planning.
Only after that could they move on to product development and supply chain setup.
It was a complex and tedious process, but since he was a major shareholder and board member of Huashang Fushi, securing a manufacturer wouldn’t be a problem.
For the Growth Plan Task, leveraging existing resources and connections to benefit Songmei Fashion was perfectly within the rules—it wasn’t cheating.
Just then, soft footsteps approached.
Wearing a professional women’s suit, Wen Ruan stepped out of the dressing room.
"Oh? Which beauty are you chatting with now? Smiling like that."
After getting plenty of "nourishment," the older woman looked radiant, confident, and maturely alluring.
"Lingling. You know her." Tang Song put down his phone, stood up, and pulled the sweet-smelling woman into his arms, his hands honestly roaming over her body.
Wen Ruan’s eyes shimmered playfully, and she teased, "So, after taming the female CEO, you're finally making a move on your junior?"
"Don’t make me sound like such a scumbag, okay? Our relationship is pure." Tang Song’s face turned red as his hands squeezed lightly.
Speaking of which, both Lingling and Wen Ruan had incredibly perky butts.
But there was a difference—Wen Ruan had a trained peach-shaped booty.
Firm, round, and lifted, with clearly defined muscle lines, the upper glutes were well-developed, creating a plump, lifted shape.
Lingling, on the other hand, had naturally perky curves, with a bit more fat distribution, making her overall shape fuller and softer.
But since he hadn’t touched it, he couldn’t be sure how it felt.
"Ouch!" Wen Ruan’s eye twitched as she snapped, "I just checked—my butt is red and swollen from last night. You’re so ruthless!"
"Well, who told you to be so wild? Are you gonna behave next time?"
Wen Ruan arched a brow, biting his ear. "Don’t think I didn’t notice—you were totally into it. Next time, why don’t we try playing quietly while video chatting?"
"Sis, you’re such a freak."
"And you like it, don’t you?"
They exchanged a few teasing jabs, wrestled around on the bed for a bit, then headed downstairs for breakfast together.
—
8:30 AM.
A sleek black Audi RS6 pulled out of the underground garage.
Energetic music filled the car.
Tang Song leaned back in the passenger seat, admiring the city view outside while chatting with Wen Ruan about the driving experience of this touring car.
It was obvious she really loved this car—and her driving skills were impressive.
Smooth, effortless. Even better than how Tang Song "drove" in bed.
—
Youjie Domestic Services.
Nearing 10 AM.
"President Zhang."
"President Zhang, you're here."
Colleagues greeted him as they stood up along the way.
Smiling, Zhang Tianqi nodded and strode directly toward the general manager's office.
Pushing open the frosted glass door, a familiar figure came into view.
Dressed in a white professional outfit, her long, jet-black hair cascaded naturally down her back.
It had been a while since they last met, and School Belle Shen was still as stunning as ever. The only difference was that her delicate face now showed signs of fatigue.
Zhang Tianqi flashed a bright smile. "Good morning, Yuyan."
"Tianqi, long time no see."
"Why did Gongying Technology suddenly call for a meeting?"
"No idea. Wei Pingjun didn’t say." Shen Yuyan stood up, pressing her red lips together, her expression slightly tense.
Zhang Tianqi raised an eyebrow. "Something’s fishy."
Yesterday afternoon, Wei Pingjun, the representative director of Gongying Technology, had suddenly notified them about today's meeting.
He had even called Zhang Tianqi over, despite him currently working at his family’s business.
After a moment of silence, Shen Yuyan said, "I think it’s about the second round of investment funds."
"Knew it. Damn bastards, they made all these promises, but when it’s time to follow through, there are suddenly all these issues. But don’t stress over it too much—this kind of thing happens all the time, especially with betting agreements." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
"I know." Shen Yuyan lowered her gaze slightly, clenching her hands tightly, her eyes full of frustration.
It was, in fact, a common occurrence.
With the macroeconomic downturn this year, VC and PE firms had become more cautious, prioritizing investments in mature enterprises, high-tech industries, and projects with strong profitability.
For startups and small to mid-sized businesses, raising capital had become exceedingly difficult—especially for traditional industries or those lacking innovation in their business models.
Youjie Domestic Services fell into that category.
To secure funding, they had to sign harsh betting agreements and even give up part of their control rights.
At first, they thought Gongying Technology was the perfect choice.
Their projects and business models complemented each other—on paper, it seemed like a win-win.
But now, things had taken a turn for the worse.
If they failed to meet the performance targets they had promised, the second round of investment funds wouldn’t be released.
Who knew what conditions Gongying Technology would demand next?
"Knock, knock, knock—"
Shen Yuyan quickly composed herself and called out, "Come in."
The door opened, and Li Meixia walked in. "Tianqi, Yuyan, Director Wei is in the meeting room. Shaoyuan is here too."
Zhang Tianqi was surprised. "Hou Shaoyuan is here too? He never mentioned that."
Hearing this, Shen Yuyan’s eyelid twitched, an uneasy feeling creeping up on her.
She said in a low voice, "Let’s go see what this is about."
—
The meeting room was barely ten square meters.
Hou Shaoyuan sat there, dressed in a sharp suit and tie, his hair neatly combed, exuding a polished and composed demeanor.
When he saw the two partners enter, he didn’t greet them as warmly as usual. Instead, he simply waved casually, acknowledging their presence without much enthusiasm.
After some brief pleasantries, Wei Pingjun pulled a document from his briefcase and spoke calmly.
"The reason I called you both here today is to discuss Mr. Hou’s equity transfer."
Zhang Tianqi immediately sat up straight and looked at Hou Shaoyuan. "What do you mean? You're selling your shares in Youjie Domestic Services?"
"Yes." Wei Pingjun placed the document in front of them. "As founders, you both have priority purchase rights according to company policy, so I need to formally notify you.
Take a look—if you choose to forgo your right, Gongying Technology will acquire Mr. Hou’s 14% stake."
Shen Yuyan’s expression shifted.
With this 14% added, Gongying Technology would hold a total of 44.4% of Youjie Domestic Services.
Although it wasn’t an absolute majority stake (50%+), it would still give them veto power over major decisions, significantly influencing the company’s future direction.
Hou Shaoyuan smirked indifferently. "If you guys want to buy it, it’s based on a 20 million RMB valuation, so it’ll cost 2.8 million RMB in total."
Shen Yuyan bit her lip, feeling a wave of helplessness wash over her.
Forget 2.8 million—she didn’t even have 200,000 to spare.
And Zhang Tianqi? He definitely wouldn’t pay for it either.
Not only was he in the middle of taking over his family business, but even if he were still the general manager of Youjie Domestic Services, he wouldn’t buy this stake—because it simply wasn’t worth it.
Besides, he probably didn’t even have that much money to begin with.
Zhang Tianqi’s family owned a food processing business, a high-value but cash-strapped industry.
He also had siblings, so his parents didn’t give him much financial support.
In fact, the only reason Zhang Tianqi started Youjie Domestic Services in the first place was that he was broke.
That’s why he partnered with Shen Yuyan and brought in Hou Shaoyuan as an investor, using his uncle’s connections to make some extra cash.
Their eyes met.
Shen Yuyan whispered, "Shaoyuan, can we talk alone?"
Hou Shaoyuan chuckled and shook his head. "No need. I’ve already made an agreement with Gongying Technology.
I’m strapped for cash right now, so I have to liquidate this asset. Hope you understand."
Shen Yuyan and Zhang Tianqi exchanged glances.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Yuyan forced a bitter smile. "We waive our priority purchase rights. Congratulations to you both."
Seeing the look on her face, Hou Shaoyuan felt a rush of satisfaction.
From the very beginning, his two investments in the company were never about making money—they were about winning Shen Yuyan’s heart.
But when he saw how she acted around Tang Song at Lanfeng International, he had been seething with jealousy.
Now, he finally felt like he had gotten his revenge.
—
Back in the general manager’s office.
Zhang Tianqi hesitated as if he wanted to explain something.
Shen Yuyan shook her head. "You don’t need to explain—I understand your position."
Zhang Tianqi tried to comfort her. "Don’t worry too much. The two of us still hold over 50% of the shares.
If Gongying Technology is willing to spend money buying out Hou Shaoyuan, it means they see potential in Youjie Domestic Services."
"Mm, I know." Shen Yuyan nodded lightly.
"You should get back to work. You just became vice president of the new factory—you must have a ton to deal with."
"Alright, see you." Zhang Tianqi sighed and left.
He knew exactly what kind of person School Belle Shen was.
With her pride and ambition, being betrayed like this must have been devastating.
But there wasn’t much he could do to help.
As Zhang Tianqi’s figure disappeared from sight, Shen Yuyan clenched her teeth.
Grabbing a stack of papers beside her, she ripped them into shreds.
After venting her frustration, she kicked off her high heels, sat cross-legged in her chair, and picked up her phone.
She called her best friend, spilling out everything about what had happened today—and about her current situation.
On the other end, Xu Qing played the perfect hype-woman, using an exaggerated, playful tone to help lighten her mood, just as she always had over the years.
Finally, when Shen Yuyan stopped talking, Xu Qing dramatically pounded her tiny chest.
"Don’t worry! Didn’t you say Tang Song knows the CEO of Yunxi Property?
Tomorrow night, I’ll talk to him and get him to land you that major client! With that deal, everything will turn around!"
Shen Yuyan blinked. "Wait… tomorrow night? You’re meeting up with Tang Song?"
"Uh… yeah… forgot to tell you…" Xu Qing hesitated, then nervously admitted, "Tomorrow night, I’m going to Lanfeng International to do a cosplay photoshoot with Tang Song…
And if it gets too late, I might just stay over at the hotel…"
Hearing that, Shen Yuyan’s eyes twitched.
"Want me to come with you? I can cosplay too."