Check out this new novel ? about a wronged hero who breaks all shackles – an intriguing story awaiting exploration. It symbolizes various aspects such as vulnerability, resilience, or even societal outcast status. While facing great injustices, despite his many hardships, this character is poised to rise above all adversity.
Sick Dog
Chapter 43: New Life
Grandpa Guan Hong’s affection for her was one thing, but Guan Xi’s initial idea had not changed. She truly intended to rely on herself and do something she wanted to do. The next day at nine o’clock, she went to the coffee shop for a face-to-face meeting as agreed with the other party. Today, she had a total of three appointments, carefully selected by herself. After visiting each one, she decided to collaborate with the second one, the “Impression Studio.”
The Impression Studio had more experience in incubating various bloggers and was well-equipped in the travel industry. They also had more creative ideas in terms of planning. After finalizing the collaboration, Guan Xi quickly signed a contract with them. In the following days, she worked on the overall plan for the first destination at home. After finalizing the plan, she went to the Impression Studio to have a meeting with the staff who would be joining her team.
“What? Why was the hotel rejected?” Halfway through the meeting, Guan Xi expressed her dissatisfaction.
“Well, our budget is limited, so it’s impossible to stay at a top-notch hotel…” Wang Qing, the coordinator following the shoot, explained.
Guan Xi retorted, “Top-notch? The room I booked is the most ordinary room in that hotel.”
“The room is ordinary, but the problem is that the hotel is too high-end, and our budget…”
“Alright, I understand.” Guan Xi interrupted them. They couldn’t do anything about it, and talking about it would be futile.
“I’ll go talk to Director You about this budget issue.”
“Guan Xi, this might be a bit difficult.”
Guan Xi gave her a look that questioned what kind of difficulty this was, stood up, and, in her high heels, walked toward Director You’s office without looking back. After Guan Xi’s figure completely disappeared, the atmosphere in the meeting room exploded with silent tension among the people.
To be reasonable, Guan Xi could be considered a blogger they signed, belonging to the same level. But for some reason, when the meeting started, Guan Xi’s demeanor completely stunned them. Her calm and confident leadership style didn’t seem like an act; it felt more like a… habit, yes, it was a feeling of being accustomed.
“Damn, she’s going to discuss the budget with Director You like this? Director You is so stingy, is it even possible?”
“I think it’s mysterious. Guan Xi is too bold…”
“If I had money, I wouldn’t be afraid of getting fired either. I’d dare to do the same.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tsk… you’re clueless. Haven’t you seen what Guan Xi writes? She’s into high-end travel! If you have money, you can afford to play!”
“That’s right, and look at the clothes she’s wearing – all from big brands.”
“Who is she, really? Experiencing the life of a second-generation rich kid?”
“Perhaps? But it’s not that important. She does have real ideas.”
…
The Impression Studio wasn’t large, so everyone passing by Director You’s office could hear faint arguments inside. After a while, the arguments ceased, and the people saw Guan Xi coming out in a fiery manner. She returned to the meeting room, signaling everyone to continue the meeting.
“Guan Xi, got rejected, huh?” someone asked.
Guan Xi’s complexion wasn’t great. Seeing this, Wang Qing tried to comfort her, “Oh, it’s nothing. Being rejected by Director You is normal; our proposals are often rejected.”
Guan Xi took a sip of water and said, “He’s too stingy, though.”
Director was stingy, but no one dared to say it so directly. The colleagues fell silent instantly, all wearing an expression as if they hadn’t said anything.
Guan Xi leaned back, saying, “After much persuasion, he agreed to let us stay for only two nights. We’re going to be there for a whole week this time, and we’ll only stay for two nights for filming. What’s going on…”
Every word from Guan Xi was filled with dissatisfaction, but everyone was shocked.
“Director You actually agreed?!” Under normal circumstances, it was something they wouldn’t even dare to think about!
Guan Xi casually remarked, “Originally, he refused, but I said if we don’t make a profit in the future, I’ll put my share into it. That’s when he agreed. Tsk… your studio is really tight on budget, you gain some, you lose some.”
“You’re draining your salary like this. What if our clicks aren’t good? Then, you’ll be at a loss.”
“Don’t back down before even starting, young man.” Guan Xi looked at the PowerPoint presentation on the computer while saying, “We won’t lose, have some confidence.”
…
While Guan Xi was busy on her side, Jiang Suizhou sat in his office, listening to Zhou Hao updating him on Guan Xi’s recent activities.
“When are they setting off?”
“According to the plan, it’s two weeks later,” Zhou Hao tentatively asked, “Do you need me to arrange for someone to help out at that studio?”
“No need, if she wants to do it, let her do it herself.” Jiang Suizhou thought for a moment and added, “But arrange for someone to accompany her. Take care of her while she’s abroad.”
“Understood.”
Even Lang Ningyi didn’t expect Guan Xi’s efficiency to be so fast. After all the arrangements, Guan Xi finally packed up her luggage and was ready to depart. During this period, Guan Xi focused all her energy on her small business. It seemed like she hardly replied to the invitations from those madams and misses.
Unable to find Guan Xi, those people came to Lang Ningyi for information. Every inquiry was about how Guan Xi was doing and whether she wanted to join this or that event. It was becoming overwhelming for Lang Ningyi. In the end, Guan Xi simply stopped replying altogether.
“I’ll take these two suitcases down first, and you can wait for the next one,” on the day of departure, Lang Ningyi accompanied Guan Xi from home to the airport.
Guan Xi said, “Sure, you wait for me, and we’ll move them together.”
“Of course, with the size of your luggage, I can’t handle it alone.”
This time, Guan Xi brought three suitcases. The suitcases were so large that they couldn’t fit in the elevator together. So, Lang Ningyi took two down first, and Guan Xi took the last one and waited for the next round. After a while, the elevator came up again, and Guan Xi pushed her suitcase inside. As the elevator descended slowly, when it reached the basement, Guan Xi noticed Lang Ningyi standing alone at the elevator entrance.
“Where is your luggage? Did you move it? Can you really move it by yourself?” Lang Ningyi coughed lightly and pointed silently to the large SUV parked next to her car.
Guan Xi looked over and saw the car window rolled down. The LED lights in the garage illuminated the interior of the car. The person inside wore a pair of silver-framed glasses, and when he glanced over, there was a slight reflection on the lenses.
“Get in the car,” he said casually.
Guan Xi looked at the person inside the car in surprise, “How did you know what I was doing today?”
“I didn’t know. Just happened to pass by,” Jiang Suizhou replied.
Perfect timing! She hadn’t seen him drive an SUV in ages, but today’s car happened to fit her three large suitcases.
“Miss Guan, let me handle it,” the mover Zhou Hao was ready.
“We can drive to the airport ourselves,” Guan Xi said.
Jiang Suizhou pushed his glasses lightly and said, “You can choose not to get in the car, or you can hesitate, but if you miss the flight, it’s not my concern.”
Guan Xi hesitated for a moment and then, certain that Jiang Suizhou could do as he said, she gave in. After he opened the car door, she got in directly. Fine, with someone being the driver, she felt relaxed. Once the luggage was all in place, the car slowly left the garage. Guan Xi stretched lazily, leaning back in the seat with some fatigue.
Her suitcases were just neatly packed, and previously, when she traveled, Aunt Zhen would always handle her luggage. This was the first time she had packed everything herself. After checking and replenishing the contents repeatedly, she was exhausted. Only after getting in the car could she quietly take a breath.
“What did you do to be this tired?” Jiang Suizhou asked.
Guan Xi squinted, “A lot of luggage, took me a while to pack.”
Jiang Suizhou looked at her somewhat puzzled, “Every time you go out, it’s like moving house. People who don’t know might think you’ve stuffed a rice cooker in there.”
Guan Xi was slightly surprised, “How do you know I’ve stuffed a rice cooker?!”
Jiang Suizhou: “…”
“Oh, that was a long time ago, and I brought rice too.”
“Um.”
There was a moment of quiet in the car. Zhou Hao glanced at the two through the rearview mirror, and a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“Hey, seriously, how did you know I was going to the airport today?”
She didn’t believe in coincidences.
Guan Xi looked at him suspiciously, “You’re not tracking me, are you?”
Jiang Suizhou’s thoughts returned from the rice cooker, “Not really tracking, just investigated your itinerary a bit.”
Guan Xi: “Jiang Suizhou?! Isn’t that unethical?”
Jiang Suizhou looked at her familiar and somewhat angry appearance and seemed a bit distracted. Moreover, he didn’t think there was anything inappropriate.
“What’s the problem? I’m pursuing you, isn’t it necessary to know what you’re up to?” Jiang Suizhou withdrew his gaze. “Besides, today isn’t specifically to send you to the airport. I have some business to attend to in Europe, and my flight time is similar to yours.”
“…”
****
The journey to the airport took about forty minutes. Subsequently, Jiang Suizhou received a call and went on to discuss work. Guan Xi felt a bit sleepy, but she couldn’t sleep with someone talking beside her. So, she could only close her eyes and occasionally peek at Jiang Suizhou.
What endless conversations… It’s all about work in the car, there’s so much to do… But Er Gou’s voice is quite pleasant, especially when discussing serious matters, it carries that rigorous and cold tone… Well, he also looks good. This side profile, not seen for a few days, is truly iconic… Huh? This person wouldn’t secretly undergo some cosmetic procedures, impossible, he’s too lazy to bother with such things…
“If you want to look at me, just do it openly. I’m not stopping you,” Jiang Suizhou suddenly said.
Guan Xi was stunned for a moment, pointing at herself. Was he talking to her?? Wasn’t he on the phone? Jiang Suizhou moved the phone away a bit, leaned over, and naturally pinched her chin, turning her face towards him.
“I was talking to you. I told you not to sneak glances.”
Guan Xi’s expression changed instantly. She stammered before saying, “You, what are you being narcissistic about? When did I look at you!”
“You’ve been peeking so many times, your eyes won’t get sore?”
“…!”
Jiang Suizhou released her chin, put the phone back to his ear, and spoke to the person on the other end, “Hmm, I’m talking to Guan Xi. Is it weird to be in my car? I’m sending her to the airport… Yes, she’s going on a trip.”
Guan Xi: “Who?”
Jiang Suizhou glanced at her. “Guan Yuanbai.”
Guan Xi replied with an “Oh,” turned in another direction, and continued to close her eyes. “Why can’t you guys ever finish your conversation? You keep talking about work in the car, workaholic.”
Jiang Suizhou didn’t respond to her comment. He spoke to the person on the phone, “Your sister thinks you talk too much… Not me, it’s her, didn’t you just hear… Okay, I won’t say more… Hang up.”
Guan Xi turned her head slowly.
Jiang Suizhou glanced at her, ignoring her bewildered expression. He took a blanket from the car and placed it over her. “There are still twenty minutes, you can take a nap.”
Guan Xi was indeed a bit tired. She didn’t care much, pulled up the blanket, and closed her eyes. After the car became quiet, she fell into a deep sleep. She was awakened by someone.
“Guan Xi, we’ve reached the airport.”
“Guan Xi.”
“Guan Xi?”
Guan Xi was sleeping soundly. Someone was calling and disturbing her, making her feel irritated. She brushed away the hands that were touching her and rubbed against the “pillow” supporting her head. She didn’t even open her eyes.
“If you miss your flight, won’t you get up?”
Miss the flight? Miss the flight??
In a daze, Guan Xi’s heart skipped a beat. She abruptly opened her eyes. Then she realized that she was lying on Jiang Suizhou’s lap, her face against his suit pants. His pants were neither too thick nor too wet, just slightly moist.
Guan Xi slowly got up, calmly covering the damp spot with the blanket without making a fuss.
“We’ve arrived.”
Jiang Suizhou: “Did you enjoy your nap?”
“Mmm… not bad.”
Jiang Suizhou removed the blanket. “Let’s get off.”
“Okay.”
Guan Xi quickly opened the car door and stepped out. Jiang Suizhou followed. As he extended his legs, he noticed a damp spot on his thigh.
Jiang Suizhou paused for a moment, then walked to Guan Xi’s side after getting out of the car. “Wipe the corner of your mouth.”
Guan Xi immediately raised her hand, but after touching it, she hesitated. Didn’t she just wipe it?
“What’s this?”
“Saliva.”
Guan Xi hopped a bit. “There isn’t any. I just wiped it!”
Jiang Suizhou seemed to chuckle. “Oh, then why not help me wipe my pants too?”
“Your pants…” Guan Xi was taken aback. “Your pants… it’s none of my business.”
Jiang Suizhou asked, “Whose business is it then?”
Guan Xi touched her nose, hesitated, and then ran to the back of the car. “Hey, Zhou Hao, let me help you with the suitcase.”
Zhou Hao was surprised. “No need, really…”
In the end, Zhou Hao helped put all the luggage on the trolley.
Guan Xi pushed her luggage aside and said, “I’ll leave first; my colleague is waiting for me inside.”
Zhou Hao replied, “Goodbye, Miss Guan.”
Guan Xi nodded and turned to walk inside.
“Guan Xi.”
His voice came from behind again. Guan Xi halted and turned around.
Jiang Suizhou took a few steps forward, fixing her disheveled hair from sleeping in the car, “Take care of yourself.”
Jiang Suizhou’s tone was always cold, but at this moment, it didn’t feel that way to her. She had a strange illusion that they were as usual, just like before. This inexplicable illusion brought about a sense of reluctance in her heart.
“Let’s go,” Jiang Suizhou said.
Guan Xi looked at him for a moment and nodded, “Alright.”
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