novelraw Chapter 502: Ice and Fire
Chapter 502: Ice and Fire
It was past 6 p.m.
Lin Muxue swiped her card to enter the high-end Langfeng International Apartments. Her high heels clicked crisply on the marble floor.
She casually tossed her bag onto the custom shoe cabinet by the entrance and walked barefoot toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside, the night view of Yancheng glittered.
The buildings in the financial center were brightly lit, neon lights flickered, and the streets were packed with traffic.
She stood high above, looking down at it all.
Her father’s words from the call still echoed in her mind.
Jujube buns, stone-pressed flatbreads, walnuts, qiong pot candy…
Those rustic words tugged gently at the memories she’d tried so hard to seal away.
Scenes from the past surfaced in her mind along with those foods.The Mid-Autumn Festival was a time for reunion.
To say she didn’t miss the home she grew up in—that would be a lie.
But deep down, she felt too wronged to let go of that grudge.
Their family had two plots of land in the countryside.
One had been registered under her brother’s name, and the other was supposed to be reserved for her.
But in the end, they sold her plot to help her brother buy a house—
Exchanged for seventy thousand yuan, combined with the family’s savings of two hundred thousand, all given to him.
She still remembered clearly—
That day, her mother brought some homemade cured meat to visit her in Yancheng,
but during dinner, she pulled out a mortgage calculator and a land transfer contract.
Ding-dong—
The WeChat notification brought her back to reality.
[Zhenzhen: “Sis Xiaoxue, I just got back home today. I’ll head to Yancheng with my classmate on October 1st and stay at her place. I’ll contact you when I arrive.”]
Lin Muxue thought for a moment and replied, “Okay, do you need me to pick you up from the station?”
[Zhenzhen: “No need, my classmate’s from Yancheng. She knows her way around really well.”]
After chatting with her cousin a bit more, Lin Muxue’s gaze became contemplative.
Lin Yuzhen was her uncle’s daughter, just two years younger than her.
Though she liked having fun, she was good at studying and had gotten into a decent university—now in her junior year.
Because they were close in age, they used to get along well.
But over time, they grew distant, especially after Muxue went to university down south, started working, and had a falling-out with her family.
She stopped going back home, and in the last two or three years, they barely kept in touch.
Even on social media, she often set privacy filters for those old connections.
In truth, she just wanted to say goodbye to her past.
Her eyes drifted to her reflection in the glass—
Delicate makeup, expensive clothes.
She didn’t look like a true urban elite.
She was one now.
She worked in a top-tier office building, drank pour-over Gesha coffee, lived in a luxury apartment, used the best skincare,
and could wear a different new designer outfit every day of the week.
From a girl scraping by on ¥500 a month, budgeting in the school cafeteria,
she’d become everything she once dreamed of.
And for someone who secretly loved to show off,
part of her actually wanted her family to see her current success—wanted them to feel proud of her.
Zhenzhen’s sudden visit sparked a strong urge in her to flaunt a little.
After all, nothing feels better than returning home in glory.
She took a deep breath and picked up her phone, opening her banking app.
[Balance: ¥53,000]
This was her salary plus some money from side gigs.
Aside from that, she still had five gold bars from Tang Song.
The low balance was partly due to her high living costs—
but mostly because she’d helped Xu Ning pay off a lot of debt.
Still, with Mid-Autumn Festival and the long National Day holiday coming up,
Rongliu Investment would be paying this month’s salary early—tomorrow, in fact.
This would be her first paycheck as an “executive assistant.”
Annual salary: ¥1.5 million, not including year-end bonuses.
Monthly take-home: over ¥70,000.
Just thinking about that kind of money washed away the heaviness in her heart.
She was a simple person—
She’d fight with her family over money, but also enjoy the security and satisfaction it brought.
Once Zhenzhen arrived, she just might take her shopping—
show off her “spending power” a little.
Buzz buzz buzz—
Her phone vibrated. A message popped up.
[Lin Tiantian: “Muxue, our team has finished coordinating with Imperial College. All your documents have been approved. Your admission letter (CAS) will be sent to your email soon.”]
A beaming smile spread across Lin Muxue’s face.
She quickly replied: “Got it, thank you Tiantian!”
Her excitement soared.
She couldn’t help but recall what Tang Song had said to her:
[“Keep it up, Assistant Lin. Once you’re officially enrolled, I’ll give you a special gift. You’ll love it.”]
What exactly was that “special gift”?
Luxury goods? Gold bars? Haute couture? Jewelry?
Couldn’t be... that kind of toy, right?
The thought made her blush instinctively.
That game she played with the beautician last time... may have gone a little overboard.
She even felt embarrassed facing Qianqian afterward.
That smooth tongue, that intoxicating scent...
She had to admit, the beautician was getting more and more attractive.
No wonder Tang Song liked her so much.
After a while, Lin Muxue rubbed her flushed cheeks and sat at her desk to start memorizing vocabulary.
——
Thursday, September 29, 2023. Lunar calendar: August 14th.
A faint bluish-white glow filled the sky outside.
Morning mist had yet to clear, and the coolness of autumn crept in through the half-open window.
Cheng Qiuqiu slowly opened her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
For some reason, she felt like something was missing last night.
It hadn’t been as peaceful as the night before,
but she still slept fairly well.
She sat up slowly in bed and rubbed her head.
Checked the time—
6:15 a.m.
Right on her usual schedule.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something,
she hurriedly grabbed her phone to check—
No unread messages.
She opened WeChat and refreshed it.
Still nothing from him.
Over and over, she kept refreshing for ten minutes as the morning light grew brighter.
Cheng Qiuqiu pursed her lips, turned off Wi-Fi, switched to data, and refreshed again.
Still nothing.
Yesterday, it was clearly around 6 a.m. when he sent a “good morning” message on WeChat, asked how she was doing, and chatted with her for a long while. So why didn’t he say anything today?
Did she do something wrong yesterday that upset him?
A wave of inexplicable disappointment and anxiety surged in her chest.
Her fingers absentmindedly scrolled through the screen as she stared at their chat history in a daze.
She carefully recalled everything that happened at work yesterday.
She drank the coffee he gave her in the morning and felt completely energized, spending the whole day immersed in work.
Was it because she acted too distant?
Or… did he not actually care that much? Was everything yesterday just him being polite?
But why does it even matter if he cares about me? I’m not anything to him.
Besides, I was the one who said I was “asexual” back in Wushan—basically telling him not to get too close.
Him pulling back now is probably the right thing to do.
Cheng Qiuqiu, what are you overthinking for?
She rubbed her forehead hard, then changed into a hoodie and sweatpants, walking out of the bedroom expressionlessly.
She pulled open the curtains on the balcony, and the morning sunlight instantly poured in, carrying the crisp chill of autumn. It was refreshing.
But Cheng Qiuqiu felt hollow inside, like something had been ripped away from her.
She laced up her sneakers, took the elevator to the first floor, popped in her Bluetooth earphones, and started playing music.
Su Yu’s voice wrapped around her, and only then did her mood begin to ease.
Qiuqiu stuffed her hands into her hoodie pockets, lowered her head, and slowly walked out of the neighborhood.
Street vendors were already in full swing, and the smell of fried dough sticks, soy milk, and buns mixed in the morning air.
She ordered her favorite roujiamo and a cup of hot soy milk, holding them in her hands and feeling a faint warmth.
While waiting at a traffic light, she subconsciously took out her phone and snapped a picture of her breakfast, then opened Tang Song’s chat window.
She didn’t know why, but she just really wanted to share this ordinary little moment with him.
She hesitated for a long time, waited through one green light after another.
Then Cheng Qiuqiu shut her eyes and tapped “Send.”
The moment the message went out, her heart began pounding wildly.
She shoved her phone into her pocket and forced herself not to check it again. Head lowered, she jogged all the way back to her rental unit.
She pulled out her phone to check—still no reply.
Cheng Qiuqiu bit her lip, set the phone aside, and quietly began eating her breakfast.
But her eyes kept drifting to the dark screen.
By the time she finished eating, it was already past 7.
Just as she was about to go wash up—
Ding-dong—
A crisp notification sound rang out, and her phone screen finally lit up.
[Tang Song: Voice Message]
Cheng Qiuqiu quickly picked up her phone and hit play.
Tang Song’s warm voice came through the speaker:
“Just got back from the gym. Wow, that roujiamo looks amazing—golden and crispy. I have to try it sometime. I’ve loved those since I was a kid.”
A soft smile finally appeared on Cheng Qiuqiu’s cold face. She tapped play again, turning the volume all the way up.
She listened to it over and over several times before stopping.
Then she replied:
“Yeah, it’s really good. My senior and I eat it once or twice a week.”
After thinking for a moment, she added a follow-up:
“Have you eaten yet? What did you have?”
A few minutes later, her phone buzzed again.
[Tang Song: Breakfast.jpg]
The photo showed a very light breakfast: milk, purple sweet potato, boiled eggs, blueberries.
[Tang Song: “Since I’m working out, I eat pretty plain in the morning. That’s why your roujiamo looked so tempting, haha.”]
Just a few casual lines, but Cheng Qiuqiu’s mood completely relaxed, like her heart had finally been filled.
She washed up and changed clothes.
Slinging her bag and helmet over her shoulder, she headed downstairs.
Fired up the engine.
With a roar, her white Suzuki GSX250 rolled over fallen leaves and cruised out of the neighborhood.
At the intersection, her peripheral vision caught sight of that same roujiamo stand. A thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
The bike drove a few hundred meters ahead—
Then suddenly turned back around and returned to the street corner.
She parked the bike and took off her helmet.
The autumn wind swept through her clothes and hair, outlining her alluring, curvy figure.
With the bike beside her, she immediately drew attention from passersby.
Cheng Qiuqiu walked quickly to the familiar vendor and said flatly, “Boss, one roujiamo with half fat, half lean.”
“Alright, seven yuan.” The vendor looked up at her, then asked out of habit, “Same as usual—extra chili and cilantro?”
He remembered this sexy, beautiful regular customer very well.
Aside from being a little aloof, she was great in every way.
Cheng Qiuqiu froze for a moment, unsure how to respond.
She didn’t know if Tang Song could eat cilantro or not.
She wanted to message him to ask, but that felt too obvious—like she was trying too hard.
After hesitating for a while, and with the vendor asking again—
She suddenly blurted out, “I’ll take three. One with nothing, one with everything, one with just chili.”
At least this way, no matter what, one of them would be right.
Hearing her answer, the vendor beamed—this was a big order.
He quickly got to work, hands moving fast.
Soon, three roujiamos were packed neatly in a plastic bag and handed to her.
She carefully tucked them into her backpack.
Just as she was about to turn and leave, a voice called out from behind her:
“Hey there, beautiful.”
She looked up and saw a sporty-looking guy in workout clothes smiling at her.
“I grab breakfast here every day too. I’ve seen you a bunch of times. Do you live nearby?”
Cheng Qiuqiu didn’t say a word. She just turned around and walked off without even glancing at him.
Her icy, indifferent demeanor made the guy’s smile freeze on his face.
He’d noticed her before, of course—
Today, seeing her ride in on a motorcycle, sexy and cool, he couldn’t resist coming over.
But damn, that rejection hit hard.
—
9:00 a.m.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom parked in Basement 2 of Yunxi Tower. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Tang Song stepped out of the car and took the elevator straight to the 30th floor.
“Good morning, President Tang!”
“Boss, you’re here!”
“President Tang, still looking sharp as ever today!”
Several coworkers near the elevator greeted him enthusiastically.
Tang Song smiled and nodded as he made his way leisurely to the left-hand corridor—
The path that led directly to the executive office area.
Since Songmei Fashion occupied an entire floor—more than 2,000 square meters—
to save employees from having to take roundabout routes, those who didn’t need to clock in could enter through nearby side doors.
Just as he approached the CEO’s office, a figure came into view.
Slim-fit dark gray knit top, skinny jeans—
The curves of her figure were outlined perfectly.
Her long, orange-brown hair was silky and smooth, shimmering with a captivating shine under the light. Casually draped over her shoulders, it added a touch of gentleness and charm.
Cheng Qiuqiu leaned quietly against the corridor wall, carrying a backpack and holding a cup of coffee in her hand.
Hearing footsteps approaching, she looked up and met Tang Song’s gaze. A trace of awkwardness appeared on her face.
“Good morning, Qiuqiu.” Tang Song smiled as he walked up to her, his eyes warm as he looked at the beautiful and sexy designer.
Cheng Qiuqiu quickly looked away and handed over the coffee in her hand, speaking softly, “Thanks for the coffee yesterday. It’s my treat today.”
“Oh? For me? Then I’ll gladly accept.” Tang Song took the coffee naturally.
Looking at Qiuqiu’s downcast gaze, he couldn’t help but gently pat her hair.
Cheng Qiuqiu’s body trembled slightly, her lips parted instinctively, and she subconsciously shrank back a little.
“Ah, sorry.” Tang Song quickly apologized—this had been an unconscious action carried over from the dream.
“It’s... it’s okay.” Cheng Qiuqiu bit her lip, and after a short silence, suddenly asked, “Can you eat cilantro?”
Tang Song was taken aback for a second, then nodded. “Yeah, I can.”
Cheng Qiuqiu took off her backpack, rummaged through it for a moment, and pulled out a roujiamo wrapped in a plastic and paper bag. “It’s from the place I had breakfast at. Didn’t you say you wanted to try it?”
Looking at the roujiamo in her hand, Tang Song’s gaze deepened as he took it seriously.
He looked at her and smiled warmly. “Thanks, Qiuqiu. I didn’t eat enough this morning and kept thinking about your roujiamo. I finally got to try it.”
“That’s good.” Cheng Qiuqiu’s face turned a little red. “Well, I’ll get to work now. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Watching her figure disappear, a complex feeling rose in Tang Song’s chest—as if he saw the little girl from the dream all over again in her.
Despite her cold exterior, he could feel it: Cheng Qiuqiu was someone who deeply lacked love.
Back in the CEO’s office.
Tang Song unwrapped the plastic bag and took a bite of the roujiamo.
Though it wasn’t fresh off the grill and the bun had softened a bit, losing some of its crispiness, the braised meat inside—half lean, half fatty—was still bursting with aroma. The mix of chili and cilantro flavors made it incredibly appetizing.
He ate it seriously, bite by bite, not even leaving behind the crumbs in the paper bag.
After finishing, Tang Song took a photo of the empty paper bag and shared it with Cheng Qiuqiu.
Message: “（ ）/Absolutely delicious.”
Not long after, his phone screen lit up—Cheng Qiuqiu had replied with a smiley face emoji.
Just as Tang Song was about to type another reply—buzz—his phone vibrated, and a new message popped up.
[Lingling: “(≧▽≦) Senior, I’m downstairs at the company building! Charging up now!”]
Seeing this message, Tang Song couldn’t help but chuckle.
This junior of his was always so full of energy—every time they talked, it was like a fresh breeze swept through his life.
His habit of adding emojis to his messages had also come from learning from this cheerful girl, and he found it really fun.
He quickly replied: “Got it. I’ll have someone meet you at the elevator.”
[Lingling: “q(o｀v´o)p get!”]
Returning to the main screen, he opened Cheng Qiuqiu’s chat and messaged:
“Qiuqiu, we’ve got a new hire joining us today. She’s heading up to the 30th floor—go to the elevator and greet her, help her with onboarding.”
[Cheng Qiuqiu: “Okay, President Tang. What’s her name?”]
In the branding department’s workspace—
Buzz buzz buzz—
[Tang Song: “You’ll know when you see her.”]
Seeing Tang Song’s vague reply, Cheng Qiuqiu froze, unsure how to follow up.
She quietly grabbed her badge and walked out, confused.
She waited by the elevator for a while.
Ding— With a soft chime, the elevator doors slowly opened.
A familiar figure stepped out.
Their eyes met—Cheng Qiuqiu’s expression froze. “Lingling?”
“Qiuqiu!” Yao Lingling’s face lit up with surprise as she cheerfully grabbed Qiuqiu’s arm. “Babe, what are you doing here?”
Cheng Qiuqiu blinked and quickly explained, “Our boss asked me to come pick up the new hire.”
Before she finished speaking, she quickly realized something and widened her eyes, staring at Lingling. “Wait... are you the ‘new hire’?”
Yao Lingling blinked curiously and nodded. “If your boss is Tang Song senior, then yep, that should be me! But when did you start working at Songmei Fashion? You never mentioned it.”
Cheng Qiuqiu paused for a moment and replied, “I just started not long ago.”
They exchanged a look, and the atmosphere briefly turned quiet.
Cheng Qiuqiu had always kept things to herself, rarely sharing her own situation or feelings with others.
Although she got along well with Lingling, if the other party didn’t reach out first, she would never take the initiative to chat.
And lately, Yao Lingling had been busy with fashion exhibitions and offboarding from her previous job, so naturally, their chats had become few and far between.
After a few words, once they got caught up, both of them smiled with genuine joy.
Following Cheng Qiuqiu’s lead, Yao Lingling stepped lively through the gates of Songmei Fashion.
What greeted her eyes was a sleek, modern, and fashion-forward workspace.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city’s vibrant skyline stretched out before them.
Open workstations were arranged neatly, with each zone marked by different colors—maintaining uniformity while adding vitality.
Yao Lingling’s bright eyes darted around curiously, full of undisguised excitement and delight.
No wonder—it’s her senior’s company!
The office environment and vibes were even better than she imagined.
Just like the upscale multinational companies you’d see in dramas.
She had only graduated a little over a year ago and previously worked at Shangya. Now, entering a brand-new environment and company, it all felt fresh and thrilling.
Since many employees were out for staggered team-building activities, the office was unusually quiet.
Whenever they passed a colleague or received a glance—
While Cheng Qiuqiu was still thinking about how to introduce her, Yao Lingling had already flashed a bright smile and waved:
“Hello, handsome! I’m the new hire—Yao Lingling. I’ll be working in the fashion design department. Please take care of me!”
“Hi, I’m Han Xiaoyang from the marketing department.”
Yao Lingling’s smile was open and radiant, and her warmth seemed to infect everyone she met.
In just a few words, she left a strong impression.
...
Soon after, with help from HR rep Zhang Ying, Yao Lingling completed her onboarding.
She received her access card and labor contract, and followed Cheng Qiuqiu to her designated workstation.
A brand-new, high-end monitor, a high-performance desktop, a graphics tablet, an ergonomic chair, and a small, exquisite potted plant stood ready.
Yao Lingling set down her backpack and looked around—her heart buzzing with excitement.
Friendly coworkers, a flawless office environment, a swoon-worthy senior...
This was amazing!
She turned around and gave Cheng Qiuqiu a big, tight hug, her voice filled with irrepressible joy: “Qiuqiu, we’re coworkers from now on! Please take care of me!”
“Mm.” Cheng Qiuqiu’s body stiffened slightly, but she didn’t pull away.
Just then, a familiar voice came from the side: “Qiuqiu, Lingling.”
Yao Lingling turned around in delight. When she saw Tang Song standing there, her face lit up instantly. “Senior… oh wait!”
Then, just like Liu Jiannan from Hello Mr. Billionaire, she raised her right hand, bent at the waist, and sweetly greeted, “Hello, President Tang~”
Catching the reference, Tang Song burst out laughing with a “pfft,” his eyes full of indulgence and teasing. “Looks like you’re in good shape—already getting into character this quickly.”
“Of course! From now on, just like Qiuqiu, I’m also someone living off President Tang.” Yao Lingling winked and playfully wrapped her arm around Qiuqiu’s waist, her tone light and cheeky.
Beside her, Cheng Qiuqiu’s expression froze slightly. She pressed her lips together, looking a bit uncomfortable.
Tang Song’s gaze shifted between the two of them.
One was as cold as ice, the other as lively as fire.
Their temperaments were completely opposite, yet somehow created a perfect balance—like cool and warm tones blending harmoniously in a painting.