Qin Shu didn't even wait.
She opened WeChat the second Fang Muhe messaged her.
Han Pei's profile picture had changed.
A black piano.
Roses scattered over it.
A book placed neatly in frame.
And the composition was so intentional it might as well have been a billboard.
Qin Shu stared.
The zither. The book.
The homonym of her name.
And the roses.
Love.
He even changed his cover photo to match.
Qin Shu's fingers hovered for half a second.
Then she liked it.
Fang Muhe immediately replied.
[You didn't know?]
Qin Shu: [No. He probably changed it last night.]
Fang Muhe: [My dear child. If you really end up with him… what if one day we become business rivals? :)]
Qin Shu froze.
She hadn't thought about that.
Not seriously.
Fang Muhe followed up quickly.
[Don't think too much. I'll pick you up tonight. You said you'd treat me to dinner.]
Qin Shu blinked.
[I forgot. Why was I treating you again?]
Fang Muhe: [Because you spent the night at the bar. I didn't disturb you and Han Pei.]
Qin Shu: […]
Okay. Fair.
But she hesitated.
Because tonight was a company dinner.
And she was now in the same department as Zhao Mandi.
The meeting that morning hit Qin Shu like a truck.
AC company project.
Due diligence starting tomorrow.
Office located at Wanhe Group headquarters.
Meaning—
Starting tomorrow, she'd see Han Pei every day.
Qin Shu nearly smiled in the middle of the meeting.
She caught herself and forced her expression back into "serious analyst."
He Jingnan didn't miss it.
After the meeting, she immediately messaged Bu Yi.
[I need a laptop. Buy it for me. NOW.]
Bu Yi, half asleep: [Don't you already have one?]
Qin Shu: [Backup. Hurry.]
Bu Yi: [Didn't you always use Apple? Why are you switching brands?]
Qin Shu: [Do you know why you can't win your academic goddess? Because women hate men who ask WHY.]
Bu Yi: […]
Qin Shu smirked.
Because she wasn't buying it for work.
She was buying it for WeChat.
He Jingnan also messaged her.
[Where was your mind during the meeting? Don't do it again.]
Qin Shu stared at the screen, then replied:
[Understood, Mr. He!]
Exclamation mark included.
Because she was petty like that.
Later that day, Yin Yiqiao walked into He Jingnan's office.
She was calm, smiling, confident.
"President He, I need staff for my IPO project."
He Jingnan didn't look up from his emails. "No one resigned from your team."
Yin Yiqiao's smile didn't change.
"I want Qin Shu."
He Jingnan's answer was immediate.
"She doesn't have time."
Yin Yiqiao laughed lightly. "President He. You and I both know that's an excuse."
He Jingnan's eyes flicked up.
"She's going back to school after New Year. She won't have time for roadshows."
He then checked his watch like a man ending a conversation.
"I have a video conference. Go work."
Yin Yiqiao left smiling.
But her eyes were cold.
Fine.
She'd wait.
After graduation, she'd come back and take Qin Shu.
And she wanted to see what excuse He Jingnan used then.
By evening, Qin Shu had barely touched her phone.
Han Pei was also busy.
No messages.
No calls.
She'd liked his cover photo.
He didn't say anything.
That annoyed her.
So when Bu Yi arrived at the hotel lobby with the laptop, Qin Shu set it down like a photoshoot.
Bu Yi stared. "What are you doing?"
Qin Shu ignored him, angled the laptop so the HP logo was loud and clear, snapped a photo, and changed her WeChat profile picture.
Bu Yi's jaw dropped.
"You bought an HP laptop… for a profile picture?"
Qin Shu nodded. "Mm."
Bu Yi looked like his soul left his body.
"The only reason I can think of is… He Jingnan uses HP?"
Qin Shu shrugged. "I don't know."
Bu Yi: "?????"
Then he finally realized.
HP.
Han Pei.
He stared at her like she'd become a demon.
"You two are insane."
Qin Shu smiled sweetly.
"A smart person would understand."
At the company dinner, Qin Shu sat with Zhao Mandi.
She finally asked, straight to the point:
"Sister Mandy, do you have a boyfriend?"
Zhao Mandi smiled. "People in our industry don't have time."
Qin Shu nodded thoughtfully.
So… still single.
Interesting.
Then He Jingnan's voice cut down from above like ice.
"What are you thinking about?"
Qin Shu snapped out of it.
He gestured at her plate.
She'd mixed fruit salad… with olive oil and balsamic vinegar… and somehow added green beans.
Qin Shu: "…"
He Jingnan stared for two seconds, then walked away without another word.
Qin Shu stabbed an apple slice, ate it with vinegar, and frowned.
This was disgusting.
Later, Yin Yiqiao sat with them.
She looked at Qin Shu's phone and laughed.
"How much did HP pay you for that endorsement? Your profile picture is literally their logo."
Qin Shu deadpanned. "One hundred million."
Everyone laughed.
Except Qin Shu, who was secretly waiting for one person to notice.
Han Pei.
Then the congratulations started.
Zhao Mandi leaned toward Qin Shu, laughing.
"You're about to have a teacher's wife."
Qin Shu froze.
Yin Yiqiao raised her glass.
He Jingnan admitted calmly, "Blind date."
"It seems to be going well," Zhao Mandi said.
Yin Yiqiao smiled. "Congratulations, President He."
Qin Shu picked up a water glass and forced a smile.
"Congratulations, Mr. He. We'll be waiting for wedding candy."
She drank half a glass of cold water in one go.
He Jingnan stared at her.
For several seconds.
Then drank his wine.
No one noticed.
Except him.
And Qin Shu.
Outside, Fang Muhe messaged again.
[When will it end? I'll pick you up. I'm upstairs.]
Qin Shu hesitated, then told him the truth.
[Mandi is here too. She's my boss. You still coming?]
A long pause.
Then:
[Really? My car is in Area A.]
He didn't mention Zhao Mandi again.
Not once.
Qin Shu lied.
[Don't worry. She's married.]
Fang Muhe's hand trembled.
At the exact moment Qin Shu was smiling and joking at the table, her phone lit up—Han Pei finally replied… with a single message that made her heart drop.