Please Be More Serious | Chapter 27

With a grin, Yin Ting politely asks him, “You’re probably really busy lately?”

“Still okay,” he answers. “You’re here for Qin Yu Fei?” Of course he doesn’t dare to hope that she is here for him. But even if she is here for Qin Yu Fei, the fact that she still comes over to speak to him makes him happy. What is the time now? Can he talk to her for a little longer and then pretend to notice it is almost lunch hour and ask her out for a meal?

Qiu Zheng Qing struggles not to look at his watch.

“Yeah, I brought some presents for you all. But you’re not here earlier so I asked Yu Fei to keep yours.”

He is secretly delighted. There is even a present.

“But I’m here now,” he reminds her.

“Oh. Then I’ll go get it from Yu Fei.” Turning around, she runs back to Qin Yu Fei’s office.

He also walks back to his office. He tells his secretary, “Get some tea for Miss Yin. Ah, no, get coffee and add milk. Hurry up!” When Yin Ting comes over, the coffee will be able to delay her and then she will be able to stay longer. Once she has sit down, she can chat a little more. The more she chats with him, the more the chances.

He puts aside his laptop and looks at his watch. 5.27 pm. This time is really far from ideal. He has no confidence he can delay Yin Ting for half an hour, does he even have enough conversation topics for a thirty-minute chat? But he cannot leave work early. As the head, he must lead by example. So what should he do during these thirty minutes?

Before he can come up with a plan, Yin Ting is already back. She is carrying a delicately-wrapped box, the size and shape looks like a photo frame. She hands it to him, saying, “I made these for my friends some days ago, this one is for you.”

Even though the present is not one-of-a-kind, but he is already grateful at the unexpected turn of events.

“Thank you. Then I’ll unwrap it?” He needs to do it slowly, the secretary is not back with the coffee yet.

“I hope you’ll like it,” she says with a smile.

Of course he’ll like it, no matter what it is. He returns her smile.

When he unwraps the present, it is indeed a photo frame. Inside the frame, there is a photo. The photo is of him smiling widely on the street, during the day he returned her phone. After the photo is edited, the pedestrians around him is blurred, leaving him standing there regal and confident. His smile looks as bright as the sum. The entire photo is made of sunshine and warmth.

“I edited the photo myself. I think this looks especially good, it really reflects your temperament.”

He looks at the photo, then looks at Yin Ting. He smiles at her, nodding. “I really like it. Thank you, I really like it. I think this might be the only photo that I ever looked good in.”

Yin Ting is overjoyed. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Then I’ll just display it here.” He puts the frame beside his laptop. Looking at the photo a little longer, there is a sweet feeling sweeping his heart. If this is what he looks like to her, then he can be considered not bad. He feels like he can feel more confident in himself.

“Then…” Before she can finish her sentence, he interrupts, “Take a seat!”

The secretary has finally arrived with the coffee. He breathes a sigh of relief and tells her, “Sit. Have some coffee.” He takes the cup of coffee from his secretary and walks over to the sofa. Placing it on the table, he settles down. Following him, Yin Ting also sits down beside him. “Thank you,” she says, picking up the coffee.

“How is your father?” he asks.

“He’s fine. We helped with the burial matters and then came back. He is feeling much better these few days, he has also returned to work.”

“Then that’s good,” he says. What is his next conversation topic, what is it?

“Your photos are very beautiful, have you learned photography before?”

“Yeah,” she replies, happy with the compliment. “I really like photography, so I learned from a master.”

“I also quite like it.” He decides to use this excuse this time. He can say he wants to learn from her and then considering it is already after work hour, perhaps they can have dinner together. During dinner, he can ask her if she has time to accompany him to buy a camera this weekend.

But before he can even bring it up, Qin Yu Fei comes bustling in. With a phone in hand, she doesn’t even spare Qiu Zheng Qing a glance before telling Yin Ting, “Ah, luckily you’re still here. Let me ask you, do you really have no time tonight? Ah Lin wants to go sing karaoke with us.”

Yin Ting cries, “Ahhh, I want to sing! Can we change it to tomorrow, I really have an appointment tonight.”

Qiu Zheng Qing sits there with a poker face on, secretly disgruntled. Today is another lost opportunity. She has an appointment, and even if she has no appointment, she will still be stolen by Qin Yu Fei.

Qin Yu Fei says to the person on the phone, “She asks if we can go tomorrow. No? We don’t wait for her? Right, she said she has an appointment. Who are you supposed to meet?” She turns to Yin Ting. “Ah Lin asks you who is the one you’re supposed to meet, she wants to beat up that person.”

“Xu Yan Chang. I promised to have dinner with him tonight.”

“Xu Yan Chang?” Qin Yu Fei frowns. Speaking into the phone, she says, “Okay, fine. Let’s not bother about her, we’ll go tonight. I’ll hang up first, I need to knock some sense into this idiot.”

Hanging up, she angrily walks to Yin Ting with both hands at her hips. “Xu Yan Chang?”

Yin Ting nods.

“That guy is so annoying.” Xu Yan Chang is Gu Ying Jie’s close friend. There is nothing wrong with his character actually, it is merely Qin Yu Fei’s personal feelings. That is because when she first dated Gu Ying Jie, that Xu Yan Chang actually tried to discourage him! He even dared to chide her. Her frown deepens. Xu Yan Chang that bastard, he can’t be thinking of courting Yin Ting?

Yin Ting grins. “To you, most people are annoying.”

Therefore, she doesn’t think much of it whenever Qin Yu Fei criticizes anyone.

“Don’t you think lightly of it. He has a lot of girlfriends before. This type of playboy, you’re totally not his match. Is he courting you?” Qin Yu Fei asks.

“Nope, he’s only asking me out for dinner.

“A guy asking a girl out for dinner, if it’s not courting then what is it?” Qin Yu Fei’s words stab deep into Qiu Zheng Qing’s heart. Not only has she reminded that he has competition, she has also sabotaged all his future plans to ask Yin Ting out.

Yin Ting blinks. “I think he’s not courting me.”

“Can your little brain even think of that?”

“If he really likes me, I would definitely feel something.”

“So he doesn’t like you but asks you out for dinner? He has malicious intent!” Qin Yu Fei concludes.

“How can it be so serious, I’ll know after the dinner. It’s okay, he’s quite a good person.”

Qiu Zheng Qing’s heart is twisting with jealousy, then he hears Qin Yu Fei retorts, “Instead of Xu Yan Chang that bastard, you might as well have Qiu Zheng Qing.”

Wait a minute. What does she mean by saying that with such a tone! He doesn’t feel superior over his rival at all after hearing that. Judging from her tone, Qin Yu Fei has obviously grouped the both of them together as inferiors. Unable to contain himself, he lightly speaks up, “Thank you for your comment. But don’t you think that you shouldn’t discuss this in front of me?”

“Right,” Qin Yu Fei replies curtly. “Xiao Ting, come over to my office. Let’s talk about your dinner tonight. I need to call Gu Ying Jie. If Xu Yan Chang dares to do anything dishonest, I’ll snap his leg into two.”

Yin Ting is still smiling when she stands up. “Gu Ying Jie’s leg or Xu Yan Chang’s?”

“Of course Xu Yan Chang.” In a blink of an eye, Qin Yu Fei is already dragging Yin Ting anyway. Qiu Zheng Qing stares at the depressing cup of coffee on the table. Yin Ting has only drink a mouthful. They have only met for a moment.

He returns to his desk, preparing to continue working. He must be patient, he must not make haste. It is common to have rivals. There are definitely other people vying for the project he wants to sign on. The fact that the sale is coveted means that the return would also be high. He has seen these situations one too many times, there really isn’t anything to be worried about.

After comforting himself, he turns on his laptop. He wants to open his mail box and clears some emails but once he has opened the page, he finds himself spacing out. Xu Yan Chang, he knows this guy. The heir to Tian Qi Corporation. Gu Ying Jie’s close friend.

Qin Yu Fei, Gu Ying Jie, Xu Yan Chang, Shen Jia Qi, and Yin Ting – they all belong to the same circle. Even though Yin Ting’s background is not as good as the others but if she is blending with them, then hers must also be quite good. He has never asked her if she has any expectations or demands of her marriage partner. Even though she doesn’t put on airs and is friendly with everyone, but she is still people of that circle.

Qiu Zheng Qing’s self-confidence is inevitably impacted.

It is at this time a head pops up at his door. It is Yin Ting. She grins at him, saying, “Great Director Qiu, I’m leaving now. I’m here to say goodbye.”

“Hang on,” he says before he can even think.

Yin Ting stops and walks in. “What’s wrong?”

“Is it really okay?” he asks, bringing up this conversation topic out of desperation. “Didn’t Qin Yu Fei say this person is not a good person?”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry. We’re just having dinner. He’s not a bad person. Yu Fei likes to exaggerate.”

“So you’re going to date him?” he might as well ask. The feeling of walking in circles and never finding an exit is truly awful.

“No, right now it’s just a friend asking me out for dinner.”

Right now? Then does that mean it might be a different case in the future?”

“We’re dateless allies, aren’t we? If I found someone, I will definitely tell you. Your red thread is so effective, mine should also be quite effective.”

The more she says, the worse he feels. She really knows how to comfort someone.

“Then I’ll leave now. Right now it’s peak hour, it’s hard to get a cab.”

“He’s not picking you up?”

“He stays quite far away, it’s not convenient to come all the way here to pick me up. It’s very convenient for me to just take the cab there.”

“Why don’t you drive?” He has really never seen her drive. It’s definitely not because she cannot afford a car.

Yin Ting’s face reddens. “En, that, the car isn’t quite obedient.”

“Oh.” Qiu Zheng Qing understands what she means.

Yin Ting waits for him to ridicule her for being stupid. All of her friends laughed at her when they heard she is unable to learn how to drive. But Qiu Zheng Qing actually says, “Then after the dinner, remember to get him to send you home. It’s not safe for a girl to walk alone at night, taking the cab is also the same thing.”

Her heart feels a little warm. “Okay.”

“But of course, if he refuses to do so, then leave early.” Or call him. He is very willing to do so.

Yin Ting laughs heartily. “He won’t.”

Either way, it makes him feel concerned. She will never understand such feelings. He secretly sighs.

“Don’t worry. I’m really leaving. See you if there’s an opportunity.” With a wave, she leaves.

Again. See you “if” there’s an opportunity.

If! He doesn’t know how much longer he must wait for such an opportunity to come up.

That night, Qiu Zheng Qing finishes his take-out alone. He keeps on pacing around in his apartment, feeling unease. He doesn’t know if Yin Ting is okay, if she has got home safely.

He browses her Weibo, her last update is from around 6 pm. She said that the traffic is horrible, luckily she left early. She has no choice but to wait if the car cannot move. She is singing a song with the taxi driver, the feeling is quite good. She uses the feeling to compensate her regret for not being able to go sing karaoke with her friends.

She even attached a video under the post. The video first showed the condition of the traffic outside, it is indeed quite serious. Even though the video is very short, he can hear two voices, one male and one female, singing enthusiastically…

He really gives up. This girl. In his life, there are very few people that can make him feel like giving up. She can actually befriends a taxi driver during traffic. What does her brain actually contain? Does she even have any sense of safety?

He looks at his watch, it is already after 9 pm.

They are not even lovers, they won’t be still having dinner at this hour?

He still feels worried, so he dials her number.

After ringing for a long time, she finally answers.

“Please-be-more-serious.” Her voice is vibrant, obviously she is in a good mood.

He is the one who wants to plead her that. He pinches the bridge of his nose. “I just want to try and see if you will leave your phone at that guy’s car.”

Yin Ting laughs brightly. “I’m not that careless. That time is just an accident.”

It is quite okay if that accident happens in his car. If it is in someone else’s car, then better not.

“Have you finished your date?” he pretends to ask by accident.

“Yeah. Let me report, sir. I have already reached home, I hope you will be assured.”

She really sounds happy, does this mean the date has gone well? Qiu Zheng Qing’s heart is practically green with envy. “It’s okay if you reached home safely,” he replies lamely. Then unable to stop himself, he adds, “How was the date?”

“It’s really good! It’s too interesting!”

This answer can really shatter someone’s heart.

“Let me tell you. As it turns out, Xu Yan Chang likes the café’s boss. He asks me to go with him as disguise.”

His heart stops shattering.

“Ah, so that’s how it is.”

“En.” Having someone to gossip with makes Yin Ting very happy. “The boss is actually quite pretty, her food is also very good. Xu Yan Chang wants to bring a girl and makes her jealous. But the boss end up criticizing him the entire night, he’s the one who’s angry!”

“Oh so they’re fighting and flirting, and you’re used as the shield?”

“Not sure if it’s flirting but anyway they’re bickering. I’m not the shield, I’m eating while watching a show.”

“En.” Qiu Zheng Qing feels a little sympathy for Mr Xu Yan Chang. Asking Yin Ting to put on a show is just like directly confessing to the boss that he is bringing a fake girlfriend to try and test her feelings.

“Oh right. I forgot to ask you,” Yin Ting suddenly says. “How is it going with you and Miss Zoe?”

“We are friends.”

“Aren’t you considering to date her?” She remembers that he once said that they are “not yet” lovers. That means he is still considering. Her question makes him feel a little awkward.

“We are, we are not too compatible.”

“Not compatible? Let me tell you, the most important thing is whether or not you like her. Compatible or not, those things can be adjusted. If you like her, you must date her before you know whether or not you two are compatible. If you two don’t date and don’t adjust your compatibility, how would you know you would last? Just think about it, if Xuanzang [Monk from Journey to the West] and the others had calculated, planned and researched everything, then they wouldn’t even need to go the west. If it’s others, they wouldn’t even go on the journey, isn’t that right?”

“En.” He can only answer that.

“Therefore, don’t plan too much. There’s no use comparing qualifications. The most important thing is whether or not you like her. Then see if you two can work together. If you want to compare qualifications, there will always be someone better than you out there. Doesn’t that mean you won’t have hope your entire life? Isn’t that right?”

“Right.” Therefore his qualifications means nothing to her. If she really likes him, she will be willing to be with him. Angels really know how to encourage people. “Do you have time this weekend?” Once he feels encouraged, he immediately decides to initiate a date.

“This weekend?”

“Yes.”

“This weekend I promise to go hiking with my brother. He doesn’t exercise and even sleeps late, it’s not healthy.”

“Oh. I also only stay in my office all day,” he says lightly.

“Then do you want to join us?”

He is only waiting for her to say this!

“En.” He pretends to be aloof. “Okay, then let’s go together.”

“Then okay. It’s either Saturday or Sunday, once I decided the time, I’ll call you.”

“Okay.”

See you “if” there’s an opportunity. Looks like the opportunity is here!

Qiu Zheng Qing is extremely happy.