Chapter 4: Joining The Company

Once they arrived, dinner was already being served at the house.

Jiang Nai handed the gifts that Li Qingji had prepared to his parents, who thanked her with gentle smiles. The four of them sat down to eat, and amidst the warm atmosphere of the meal, Jiang Nai’s sense of discomfort grew stronger. She just wanted to finish eating quickly and leave.

During dinner, Li Qingji mostly talked with his parents about work-related matters, discussing specific projects or recent changes at Hengchuan. Jiang Nai couldn’t really understand their conversation, but she felt that there was a reason for Li Qingji’s distant demeanor.

Despite being his biological parents, they seemed so formal, and the dinner felt less like a meal and more like a meeting.

There really wasn’t a hint of everyday life in their conversation.

“Now that Nai Nai has graduated and you two are married, shouldn’t you start considering having kids?” 

Jiang Nai had just been thinking that their chat was too focused on work when suddenly she heard this very “life-oriented” topic.

She stiffened slightly, tightening her grip on the spoon.

She shouldn’t have entertained those thoughts about their conversation; this was… karma coming back.

“I…”

“I’m not considering it for now,” Li Qingji said, glancing at her and picking up the thread of the conversation.

Jiang Nai understood and fell silent, allowing him to handle this common dilemma that newlyweds often faced.

Jiang’s mother, Fang Shuying, furrowed her brows slightly: “If you’re not considering it, what about Nai Nai?”

Li Qingji calmly set down his chopsticks: “She’s still young; it’s too early for her to think about having kids.”

“But you’re almost thirty; isn’t that a bit late?” 

Li Qingji replied, “I don’t have the energy to focus on a child right now.”

Fang Shuying’s voice dropped: “Li Qingji.”

“Mom, you don’t need to worry about this.”

“If I don’t worry, who will?”

There was a hint of impatience in Li Qingji’s expression, but out of respect for his elders, he managed to keep his emotions in check. The impatience quickly faded, leaving only a cold indifference.

“We’ll figure it out ourselves.” With that, Li Qingji turned to Jiang Nai, who was quietly eating with her head down, and said, “I’m full.”

Jiang Nai immediately set down her utensils and quickly replied, “I’m full too.”

“Then let’s go.”

Jiang Nai didn’t dare to say “okay” immediately and glanced at the two elders.

However, Li Qingji was the first to get up, addressing his parents across the table: “Mom, Dad, take your time eating; we’ll head out first.”

He casually took Jiang Nai’s hand as they left.

Fang Shuying couldn’t catch her breath and finally expressed her anger: “Just look at his attitude! Isn’t anyone going to say something to him?”

Li Jingnian frowned: “They just got married; talking about this is too early.”

“What does he mean he can’t spare the energy? It’s just an excuse.”

Li Jingnian said, “Let him be; he’s been busy taking over a new company lately.”

—

Before they even finished a meal, the two turned back.

Once Jiang Nai got into the car, she let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

Li Qingji glanced at her. “For what?”

Jiang Nai replied honestly, “Thank you for stopping your mom from talking about having kids just now; I didn’t know how to respond.”

“Do you want kids?” he asked.

“I—of course I don’t want kids.”

Li Qingji understood. “I don’t need a child right now either, so you don’t have to thank me; this is my problem too.”

As he spoke, he started the car and said, “If she brings it up to you again next time, you can just pin the blame on me.”

“Okay…”

She really needed to put it on him; she couldn’t handle his mother.

After returning home, Jiang Nai planned to take a shower and change into something comfortable. When she used to live alone in an apartment abroad, she never brought clothes into the bathroom; she would come out naked after showering. But now, she couldn’t do that anymore.

Jiang Nai carefully folded her underwear and sleepwear and took them into the bathroom. She had only used the bathroom in a hurry that morning; now, about to shower, she finally took a good look around. The bathroom was spacious, with a floor-to-ceiling round bathtub by the window. If she raised the blinds, it would be nice to soak in here while enjoying the view outside…

But she wasn’t comfortable enough yet to relax in a bath here. After undressing, she stepped into the shower.

On the shelf in the shower nook, there were some grooming products in dark gray bottles, sleek and high-end, looking like they were for men. But Jiang Nai had no other choice; she had to use Li Qingji’s body wash and shampoo.

As the foam enveloped her body, she caught a familiar scent—one she could smell when lying next to Li Qingji. It was the smell of his body wash. Suddenly, she had the illusion that Li Qingji was standing right beside her.

She froze for a moment and hurriedly turned on the showerhead to rinse off the foam.

—

After Jiang Nai went in to shower, Li Qingji returned to his study to handle some work. When he finished everything and came out, he was surprised to find that Jiang Nai still hadn’t come out of the bathroom.

It had been almost an hour.

Li Qingji lived alone, and to him, spending an hour in the shower was absurd.

So he thought, Is she feeling faint?

He frowned and walked to the bathroom door.

“Jiang Nai.”

There was no response.

He knocked on the door directly.

He knocked harder, and just as he was about to knock for the third time, the door suddenly swung open.

Hot steam rushed out through the gap, hitting his face.

Li Qingji paused and stepped aside, seeing Jiang Nai peek out with her hair still damp from the shower.

“…”

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Nai asked.

Li Qingji opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.

Jiang Nai noticed his expression and realized, “Oh, do you need to use the bathroom? Sorry, I’ll be done soon.”

Li Qingji stared at her wet face for two seconds before lowering his hand from the door. “No need, take your time.”

He turned and left.

As he walked away, a look of regret crossed Jiang Nai’s face. Having lived alone for so long, some bad habits were hard to change. For example, taking too long in the bathroom. She quickly closed the door and went back to rinse off the facial mask.

That night, they still slept in the same bed.

However, maybe because of Li Qingji’s demeanor today, which made her feel like they were two grasshoppers on the same root, her tension eased considerably. Lying beside him, she found she could fall asleep normally.

—

The next day, they went their separate ways.

Li Qingji went to the office while Jiang Nai had two interviews to attend.

The first was with Feiqi, a rising advertising company in Minghai City.

The second was with Siningte, a technology company established fifteen years ago. Compared to the former, Siningte had a wider reputation and market presence; it was primarily focused on the smart home ecosystem, with products selling well both domestically and internationally. It was an innovative tech enterprise with a complete system from R&D to sales.

Jiang Nai studied advertising and marketing abroad, but she was more inclined towards the latter company and wanted to enter its market planning department.

She needed a platform for greater growth, a stepping stone like that.

The first interview was at ten in the morning, and the second was at two in the afternoon. Jiang Nai prepared thoroughly, and her impressive educational background made the interview at Feiqi go smoothly. The interviewer at Siningte was also pleased with her, but unlike with Feiqi, she couldn’t confidently feel that she would definitely be hired.

After the interviews, she let out a sigh of relief and stopped by the supermarket to buy many daily essentials she liked. She thought familiar items would help her adapt to the “post-marriage life” with Li Qingji. When she went to pay, there were quite a few people, so she stood at the back of the line for a while. As she passed the counter, she noticed something being sold alongside chewing gum.

“Since we’re married, we should really look the part; I’m not just playing house with you,” Li Qingji’s words echoed in her mind.

She frowned slightly, deep in thought.

He had also said something that resonated with her: she was still young and had no thoughts of having kids.

But they were indeed married.

So… if he ever got the sudden urge to do something a married couple should do, she couldn’t avoid it, and she needed to take care of herself.

Jiang Nai glanced again at the colorful condoms.

A few seconds later, she reached out and picked up a box.

Having mentally prepared herself, Jiang Nai received a WeChat message from Li Qingji not long after returning home.

[I’ll be on a business trip for a few days. Contact me directly if anything comes up.]

He sent this message while already at the airport, and it felt like a routine check-in between spouses, yet there was also a formal tone to it. Jiang Nai sensed that he wasn’t genuinely expressing concern but felt it was his duty as her husband to say such things. However, she didn’t mind; in fact, it brought her a sense of relief.

After replying with a simple “Okay,” she dashed to the bedroom, flopped onto the bed, and spread out in a relaxed “大” shape!

This was great.

She could finally sleep alone!

—

Three days later, Jiang Nai received an internship offer from Siningte. Overjoyed, she treated her friend Xue Lin to a big meal and graciously declined Feiqi’s offer, preparing to start her new job.

The first day of work was on a Monday. Jiang Nai woke up early and applied a light makeup.

From what she knew, Siningte had a casual and vibrant culture. Employees had shared online that their relationships with supervisors were quite friendly, often more like friendships than a strict hierarchical structure. So, she opted not to wear a formal suit but instead chose a relaxed white shirt paired with light-colored jeans. She tied her hair back, letting a few loose strands fall, looking approachable yet capable.

“Are you Jiang Nai?” 

While waiting in the lobby, someone called her name.

Jiang Nai quickly stood up from her chair and nodded at the newcomer. “Hello, I’m Jiang Nai.”

The person was a girl with long hair, looking two or three years older than her, who smiled and said, “I’m Yao Qi from the planning team. I’ll be your guide today; follow me.”

“Okay,” Jiang Nai replied.

Yao Qi took another look at her and said, “You really are pretty; Mianmian wasn’t lying.”

“Huh?”

Yao Qi explained, “The HR person who interviewed you, Mianmian, said there was a stunning beauty; we didn’t believe it at first.”

Jiang Nai smiled and said, “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me; I love pretty girls! They give me motivation at work,” Yao Qi stretched and added, “Let’s get your onboarding paperwork sorted, get you a computer, and then I’ll show you around the company.”

“Sure.”

The main building of Siningte was located at the center of the park. Apart from the R&D department, all other departments were gathered here. The building wasn’t very tall, but each floor was spacious. There were five floors in total, featuring amenities like a gym, cafeteria, supermarket, and more living areas. The top floor even had a glass garden with a restaurant, café, and dessert station, creating a very pleasant environment.

After taking a tour, Jiang Nai felt a surge of excitement, as if she could finally glimpse her future.

“If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. If you want to know where to get something delicious, just ask; I know what’s good here.”

“Okay, I will.”

“Alright, that should be enough for now; let’s head back to our desks.”

Jiang Nai followed Yao Qi to the marketing department’s office area. The planning team was on the fifth floor. As soon as the elevator arrived on that floor, Yao Qi’s expression turned serious, completely different from her earlier cheerful demeanor in the other parts of the building.

Seeing her sudden change, Jiang Nai felt a bit confused.

Yao Qi led Jiang Nai to her workstation and lowered her voice, addressing the others nearby, “Everyone, let me introduce our new intern from our group, Jiang Nai.”

The group turned their heads, all eyes landing on the girl standing next to Yao Qi.

With her fair skin, slender figure, and striking looks, Jiang Nai certainly stood out. However, her features were soft, not aggressively beautiful, resembling someone who had a gentle filter over them. Her smile particularly endeared her to others.

The room brightened as everyone smiled and introduced themselves. Jiang Nai responded to each one but struggled to remember all their names immediately.

“Alright, we can get to know each other better during lunch,” Yao Qi glanced over her shoulder meaningfully, “For now, let’s focus on work.”

Suddenly, everyone seemed to recall something and turned back to their computers. Jiang Nai remembered reading online that Siningte had a relaxed and casual working atmosphere.

So what was happening now?

“Don’t mind them,” Yao Qi seemed to notice her confusion and added in a low voice, “The situation is a bit special lately.”

“What’s going on?” Jiang Nai asked.

Yao Qi squinted slightly, saying, “It’s nothing major, just… we have a new boss.”

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