novelraw Chapter 437: Qiuqiu Joins the Company, Xiaojing's Thought Process
Chapter 437: Qiuqiu Joins the Company, Xiaojing's Thought Process
September 7, 2023, Thursday, Cloudy, 19~29°C.
Zhuxi Residential Complex.
Cheng Qiuqiu woke up early from her sleep, lying on her side in bed, watching as the dark sky outside gradually brightened.
Today was a very special day for her.
She was joining Songmei Fashion Trade Co., Ltd.
Because of her naturally cool personality, she rarely talked to her senior about her work and didn’t know much about the company—only that its headquarters were in Yunxi Tower and that there were currently over 80 employees.
The company’s top streamer, He Yiyi, had risen to fame thanks to Bei Yuwei.
The brand department had just been established, and she was the first designer to join.
Overall, it was a livestream e-commerce company with great potential, but it wasn’t ideal for designers looking to make a name in the industry.
For personal career development, it was far less prestigious than a well-known design company like Linggan Design.Still, she didn’t hesitate at all when making the switch.
Checking the time, Cheng Qiuqiu flipped over, got out of bed, changed into yoga clothes, and began her morning practice in the living room.
A while later—
“Aiya, Yiyi~” The door to the master bedroom opened.
Gao Mengting walked out in her pajamas, waved with a smile, and said, “Morning, Qiuqiu.”
“Good morning, Senior.” Cheng Qiuqiu quickly stood up, sizing up her glowing senior.
Ever since that day in the car when her senior kissed Tang Song, she had been in a state of pure excitement, radiating happiness.
Gao Mengting walked lightly into the living room, looking at her sexy and beautiful junior, and teased, “If you joined our company, you’d definitely give the guys an excitement buff—who knows, maybe even boost their work efficiency.”
“Ah…” Cheng Qiuqiu’s expression turned slightly unnatural, and she muttered, “Senior, don’t exaggerate.”
After teasing her a bit more, Gao Mengting chuckled. “By the way, want to go to the company with me later?”
Cheng Qiuqiu immediately shook her head. “No need, I’ll head there on my own later.”
“Knew you’d say that. Good luck! Our company won’t disappoint you. Alright, I’m off to make breakfast. You continue.”
Gao Mengting patted her on the shoulder, swayed her hips, and hummed a tune as she walked into the kitchen.
Breakfast was simple.
Egg pancakes, spicy kimchi, and oatmeal porridge.
As they ate, Gao Mengting talked about the company’s specific design needs.
Hearing her casually mention “President Tang,” Cheng Qiuqiu kept a calm expression, but her heartbeat involuntarily quickened.
Until now, she hadn’t told her senior that she knew Tang Song.
That was just how she was—if she didn’t know how to bring something up, she’d just keep it bottled inside.
But now, it seemed like no matter what, it would be exposed sooner or later.
Ding-ling-ling—
The phone suddenly rang.
Glancing at the caller ID, Cheng Qiuqiu said softly, “It’s Junfeng.”
“Oh, take it,” Gao Mengting said with a smile, grabbing another bite of kimchi.
She answered the call.
Cheng Qiuqiu spoke softly, “Hello, Junfeng, what’s up?”
“Mm, I left Linggan Design the day before yesterday.”
“Thanks, but no need. I already told Senior Mengting—I’ll be working at their company next.”
“Really, no need. I’ll be starting this morning.”
“Okay, that’s all then. Bye-bye.”
After hanging up, she noticed Gao Mengting’s curious gaze and explained, “Junfeng heard I left my job and wanted to introduce me to one—design department at Zhongcheng Group.”
“Wow, Gao Junfeng’s doing pretty well, huh?” Gao Mengting shook her head and laughed. “I heard from classmates that during campus recruitment, he caught the eye of Zhongcheng Group’s vice president and was hired as their assistant on the spot. Gotta admit, being good-looking really has its advantages.”
The two of them were three years apart and in different colleges.
They only knew each other because of Gao Junfeng.
This former “school heartthrob” of Yan City University was Cheng Qiuqiu’s childhood neighbor in Rong City. His mother and Cheng Qiuqiu’s mother were close friends.
At the same time, Gao Junfeng and Gao Mengting had been in the same year at Yan City University and both served in the student council, so they had a decent relationship. After undergrad, Gao Junfeng went straight to graduate school at the same university, just like Cheng Qiuqiu. Both had just graduated this past June.
During university, Gao Junfeng had looked out for Cheng Qiuqiu a lot, often introducing her to part-time jobs.
Gao Mengting’s “Meiting Discount Fashion Store” was one of them.
Cheng Qiuqiu took a sip of porridge. “Yeah, Junfeng is doing really well now. His salary is over ten thousand, and he helps the vice president manage part of the company’s food and beverage sector.”
“Nice, nice. He’s making it big and still remembers you. You guys don’t talk much after graduation though—I thought you had a falling out.”
“No, he’s just super busy, always traveling with that vice president.”
Hearing this, a peculiar thought popped into Gao Mengting’s mind.
Rumor had it that the vice president was a middle-aged woman. Hiring such a good-looking male assistant and constantly taking him on business trips—could it be… workplace power dynamics at play?
Maybe Gao Junfeng was worried about how this VP might perceive things, so he avoided contact with other attractive women.
Of course, this thought only flashed by briefly. It was purely a “lowly” notion that surfaced because she had played too many office romance games with Tang Song.
After a moment of silence, Gao Mengting looked at her seriously. “Qiuqiu, if you really want to join Zhongcheng Group, don’t worry about my feelings. It’s okay.”
With a valuation close to 3 billion, Zhongcheng Group was a well-known industrial company in the province, with three major business divisions—food and beverage, textiles, and real estate.
Compared to such a major corporation, Songmei Fashion was still far behind.
Cheng Qiuqiu silently shook her head. “I don’t want to go.”
She knew her own personality.
Even in daily interactions, she seemed a bit cold toward her friends, let alone colleagues.
During her few months at Linggan Design, she never really got along with anyone.
At work, she often felt lonely and down.
A massive company like Zhongcheng Group would only make it worse.
“Good,” Gao Mengting said with a grin. “Honestly, I’d hate to lose talent like you. Our brand department is super important, and having you on board gives me a lot of peace of mind.”
“Thank you for trusting me, Senior. I’ll do my best.”
…..
9:00 AM.
After putting on her makeup, Cheng Qiuqiu changed into a new outfit, stood in front of the mirror for a long time, then finally slung on her backpack and left the house.
She hopped on the bus at the entrance and swayed along for more than 30 minutes before finally arriving outside Yunxi Tower.
She checked the time.
9:41 AM.
Her scheduled onboarding time was 10:00 AM.
Instead of going up immediately, she stood quietly in the office building lobby, waiting.
Only at 9:55 did she check in at the front desk and step into the elevator.
A lifting force pressed against the soles of her feet as the floors ascended rapidly.
Ding—
The elevator came to a slow stop on the 30th floor.
Directly in front, in a prominent position, was a nameplate that read "Songmei Fashion Trade Co., Ltd."
As she stepped out of the elevator, Cheng Qiuqiu's heart involuntarily began to race.
The feeling came suddenly, yet it was incredibly intense.
Taking a deep breath, she forced down her restless emotions.
With her face tensed, she walked toward the entrance.
The first thing that came into view was the spacious and bright reception area, designed with a simple yet elegant aesthetic.
On the metallic-textured background wall, the company logo in lemon-yellow stood out.
Seeing that familiar logo icon, Cheng Qiuqiu was momentarily dazed.
Back then, she had been taking a nap in her dorm when she suddenly received the design request from Gao Mengting.
At the time, she was approaching graduation and was desperately looking for an apartment to rent.
She was too afraid to live alone and didn’t know who to ask to share an apartment with.
So, when she received this freelance gig, she had put in extra effort, hoping it could be a chance to get closer to Senior Mengting and maybe even ask if they could rent a place together.
That was how everything afterward unfolded.
The receptionist stood up with a smile. "Hello, how can I assist you?"
Snapping back to reality, Cheng Qiuqiu replied politely, "I'm here to start my job. My name is Cheng Qiuqiu."
"Alright, just a moment!"
The receptionist quickly looked through some documents, pulled out a personal information sheet, and walked out from behind the reception desk with enthusiasm. "Let’s go, Qiuqiu, I’ll take you there."
"Thank you."
Stepping onto the thick, sound-absorbing carpet, she followed the receptionist through the spacious and bright corridor.
Cheng Qiuqiu curiously observed her surroundings, her eyes filled with surprise.
The office environment was far better than she had imagined—none of the cramped or shabby conditions typical of a startup.
Compared to Linggan Design, where she had previously worked, this place was on a completely different level.
After making two turns in the office area, she belatedly realized that this entire floor belonged to Songmei Fashion.
"Alright—"
The receptionist pushed open the door to a small meeting room. "Wait here for a moment, I’ll go get HR."
"Okay."
She barely had to wait two minutes before a woman in professional attire walked in with a bright smile.
"Hello, Qiuqiu, I’m Zhang Ying from the HR department. Welcome to the Songmei family."
"Hello, thank you." Cheng Qiuqiu quickly bowed politely.
"Alright, have a seat. Your onboarding documents are all set—just sign here. First, let me walk you through the company structure and your job responsibilities."
Since President Gao had personally arranged her hiring, Zhang Ying was especially welcoming.
Before long, under Zhang Ying’s clear and pleasant explanation, Cheng Qiuqiu gained a basic understanding of the company and her department.
The brand department had just been established and consisted of four groups:
Strategy Group
Brand Visual Group
Livestream Visual Group
Content Hub
She was the first hire for the Brand Visual Group, responsible for the V system and packaging design.
Once she joined, the company would hire another designer to assist her in completing the design tasks.
In other words—she was already a team lead.
Additionally, the company had signed an art director from a 4A agency (Xingyun International) as a consultant to help improve their work.
Soon after, she was handed her employment contract.
Her title was indeed Brand Visual Team Lead, with a monthly salary of 10,000, plus performance bonuses, six types of insurance, a housing fund, paid sick leave, annual leave, overtime compensatory leave, and other benefits—all extremely comprehensive.
Compared to Linggan Design, this felt like a truly legitimate company.
The salary was exceptionally high, so much so that she felt a bit lightheaded.
Dazed, she completed the onboarding process, received her employee badge and employment contract, and was then led to the brand department’s office area.
Zhang Ying grinned and announced, "Hello, handsome guys and beautiful ladies! Let’s give a warm welcome to our department’s newest team member—our gorgeous designer… Cheng Qiuqiu!"
Immediately, the brand department’s employees stood up, applauding enthusiastically.
"Finally, we have a visual goddess in our department!"
"Hello, Qiuqiu! I’m Sun Yixuan, a content strategist from the Content Hub."
Everyone had cheerful expressions, occasionally teasing and joking with one another.
The spacious and bright office, the lively employees, the sleek office desks and chairs, the vibrant green plants, the colorful throw pillows—
This was a company brimming with youthful energy, radiating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
At last, she understood why her senior’s eyes always lit up when talking about Songmei Fashion.
Even she, just by being here, could feel deeply moved by it.
After greeting her colleagues a little awkwardly, Cheng Qiuqiu settled into her workstation, turned on her computer, and started installing the necessary software.
But every so often, her gaze would drift toward the corridor, as if she was waiting for something.
11:20 AM.
The colleague next to her, Sun Yixuan, leaned over and whispered, "Qiuqiu, want to join us for takeout lunch? Our company has a group order chat—the prices are really good."
Cheng Qiuqiu immediately nodded. "Sure, I’ll join."
"OK! I’ll add you to the WeChat group. You can check the menu there and just reply to the list."
"Thanks."
"No need to be so polite, we’re all colleagues!"
Just then, a girl at a nearby desk let out a soft scream.
"Ahh! The boss is out of his office—he’s walking this way!"
Immediately, several female colleagues popped their heads out, peeking toward the corner of the corridor.
Sun Yixuan chuckled at the wide-eyed, clueless Cheng Qiuqiu and explained, "Weiwei’s talking about our company’s president. You’ll see him soon—he’s ridiculously handsome. Especially when he smiles—my God. Ever since I joined, seeing his smile has actually improved my digestion."
Hearing this, Cheng Qiuqiu gripped her mouse tightly.
From today onward, she would be working in the same company as Tang Song, meaning she’d frequently run into him.
"Good afternoon, President Tang!" Someone in the office suddenly greeted.
Cheng Qiuqiu instinctively glanced in that direction—
Then immediately lowered her head, pretending to focus on work.
But in that fleeting moment, the tall and striking figure was etched even more clearly in her mind.
"President Tang."
"Good afternoon, President Tang."
Voices calling out greetings got closer and closer.
Gradually, from the corner of her eye, his figure emerged.
Her heart suddenly started pounding uncontrollably. Discover more novels at novelFɪre.net
Would he recognize her?
Would he say something?
What should she say?
What should she do?
The intense mental struggle made time slow to a crawl.
"Qiuqiu?"
A voice filled with surprise came from behind.
Cheng Qiuqiu’s hand trembled slightly as she slowly stood up from her seat.
Turning around, she saw Tang Song standing just two or three meters away.
Dressed in a sharp suit, his refined features, high nose bridge, and well-defined lips made him look like a young and capable CEO straight out of a workplace drama.
Maintaining a calm and indifferent expression, Cheng Qiuqiu lowered her voice and said, “Hello, President Tang.”
Tang Song raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze sweeping over the stunning and alluring Qiuqiu. He asked in surprise, “You’re a new employee?”
“Mm.” Cheng Qiuqiu nodded, lips pressed tightly together, her face expressionless, too nervous to speak.
However, to the onlookers, she appeared distant and cold.
Tang Song glanced at the brand department staff, his eyes flickering.
A new employee in the brand department. A designer. Gao Mengting’s junior. The designer of the company logo.
He had heard from Gao Mengting before that this junior of hers had a rather cold personality and was reluctant to interact with unfamiliar men. That was why, for the longest time, she hadn’t invited him to Zhuyuan Residential Complex.
So it’s you!
He had to admit, fate worked in mysterious ways.
Looking at Cheng Qiuqiu’s exquisite, elegant face, Tang Song’s lips curled into a dazzling smile. He extended his hand. “Welcome to Songmei Fashion! Having you on board is truly a pleasant surprise.”
Cheng Qiuqiu froze for a moment before quickly extending her right hand.
As her fingers touched his warm and smooth palm, a tingling sensation spread across her skin.
Their eyes met, and a faint blush crept up Cheng Qiuqiu’s cheeks. Her expression stiffened as she quickly averted her gaze.
Letting go of her hand, Tang Song said in a soft voice, “Familiarize yourself with the office first. Come to my office this afternoon so we can discuss the design of the visual identity system.”
“Okay.” Cheng Qiuqiu nodded.
Watching Tang Song’s figure disappear, her heartbeat only seemed to race faster.
Beijing, Smile Holdings Headquarters Tower.
Buzz—buzz—buzz—
【Qingqing: “Did he really hit you hard? How hard are we talking?”】
Xiaojing giggled as she typed her reply: “Of course! My butt is swollen—I can only sleep on my stomach. And it’s not just my butt, he also hits other places, like up top.”
【Qingqing: “(OwO㎡)！That’s way too much!”】
Xiaojing: “But it actually feels really good. I’m thinking of trying a belt next time—should make for a whole new experience. I’ll be sure to share with you, Qingqing.”
【Qingqing: “Ah! Xiaojing, you can’t be serious! If he develops some weird habit, aren’t you afraid he’ll beat you into a hospital someday?”】
Xiaojing’s eyes twinkled mischievously as she typed: “Now that you mention it, that is a possibility. But I also found out my boyfriend seems to have other girlfriends. When the time comes, I’ll just have him share the load with them. I heard that in the cosplayer scene, there are plenty of girls into this kind of thing. Maybe one of them will enjoy getting ‘trained’ with me.”
She sent the message, but Qingqing didn’t reply for a long time.
Leaning back in her seat, Xiaojing covered her mouth and snickered to herself.
This morning, Qingqing had suddenly messaged her on WeChat, asking about random things before bringing up getting spanked.
Being quick-witted, Xiaojing only needed a few exchanges to extract some valuable information.
Qingqing was about to get spanked! And she was terrified!
That realization made Xiaojing a little jealous, and she couldn’t help but tease her.
In truth, Tang Song was actually quite gentle—he never really hit her hard. That was her biggest frustration.
But seeing her boyfriend gradually become "more perverse" under her "guidance" filled her with a strange sense of accomplishment.
She should be able to return to Yan City next week.
Then she could play her little games with Brother Tang Song again.
As all sorts of questionable images flashed through her mind, Xiaojing felt her body heat up. Her legs, wrapped in sheer stockings, rubbed together lightly.
At that moment, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed from behind.
Xiaojing immediately sat up straight, turned around, and said, “Assistant Shangguan, you’re here.”
Shangguan Qiuya gave her a gentle nod. “It’s almost noon, let’s go have lunch together.”
“Alright!” Xiaojing quickly stood up and obediently followed her.
The two left the office area and took the elevator down to the fifth floor company cafeteria. Shangguan Qiuya led her into a private dining room, where a table full of delicious, aromatic dishes was already prepared.
“Thank you, Sister Shangguan, I’m taking advantage of you again,” Xiaojing said, smiling sheepishly.
The private dining rooms in Smile Holdings' cafeteria were typically reserved for executives.
As a mere mid-level manager, she was only able to dine here thanks to Shangguan Qiuya’s special treatment.
Shangguan Qiuya smiled and gestured for her to sit. “No need to be so polite, just eat.”
“Mhm, mhm.”
The two sat down, enjoying their meal while chatting about various topics.
When Tang Song’s name came up, Shangguan Qiuya suddenly asked, “Xiaojing, you’ve been away from Yan City for quite some time. Aren’t you worried that your boyfriend might cheat on you?”
Xiaojing looked innocently at her. “No? Why would I be worried about that?”
“From what you’ve told me, your boyfriend is extremely handsome and popular with women. Isn’t that something to be concerned about?”
Xiaojing set down her chopsticks and said in a small voice, “Sister Shangguan, my boyfriend has other women besides me. I’ve always known that.”
“Oh?”
Shangguan Qiuya’s eyes darkened slightly as she looked at Xiaojing with an unreadable smile. “And how do you feel about the other women around him?”
Although she hadn’t spent much time with Xiaojing, she knew very well that despite her outwardly innocent demeanor, the girl understood everything perfectly.
“Hmm…” Xiaojing blinked and grinned. “I find it quite interesting—like something out of an anime. I’m really looking forward to how things will develop.”
“Uh…” Shangguan Qiuya was briefly stunned, unable to follow her train of thought.
Glancing at Shangguan Qiuya across the table, Xiaojing lowered her head and continued eating.
From the very beginning, she had noticed that this Sister Shangguan treated her unusually well.
Far beyond what would be expected between regular colleagues.
Not to mention, Shangguan Qiuya held such a high status, and they were in completely different leagues within the company.
Xiaojing had nothing to offer her in return.
Even her biggest asset—her father, who was worth nearly 1 billion—was nothing special in front of Shangguan Qiuya.
And this Sister Shangguan definitely wasn’t into women.
Everything about her excessive kindness set off alarm bells in Xiaojing’s mind.
She was sure of it—Shangguan Qiuya wanted something from her.
This mystery puzzled her until their conversation shifted to Tang Song.
Although she had no direct evidence, Xiaojing had a strong hunch—
Shangguan Qiuya was treating her so well because of Tang Song!
Looking at the elegant and poised Shangguan Qiuya across the table, Xiaojing’s eyes gleamed with a subtle excitement.
As far as she knew—Tang Song had worked at Meigou Tech for three years, while Shangguan Qiuya had represented Director Jin on Meigou Tech’s board.
Could there be something going on between them?