I Got Rich in Period Fiction
Chapter 522: Searching for Him Among Thousands

Chapter 522: Chapter 522: Searching for Him Among Thousands

When Qiao Qingyu got off work, Sister-in-law Li whispered to her, "Your neighbor Liu Ying is too scheming. She gave me a long lecture today—most of it went over my head. I told her to just speak plainly. Guess what she said?"

"What did she say?"

Qiao Qingyu couldn’t help but ask.

"She said if my Xiao Hu won’t carry Rongrong’s backpack, he should carry her own little girl’s too, otherwise the unequal treatment could negatively impact her daughter’s growth. Can you believe such a smart, beautiful, and clever woman could say something so dumb? I was stunned."

"And what did you say?"

"What could I say? I just told her that adults shouldn’t meddle in children’s affairs and walked away."

Qiao Qingyu chuckled inwardly; the response aligned well with her own mentality.

To be fair, from Liu Ying’s perspective, it was clear to Qiao Qingyu that she doted on her daughter with Zhou Haisheng to an excessive degree.

The three kids, two of whom had been playing together for years, found it hard to integrate the third, who was also quite arrogant.

Yet, Liu Ying didn’t see her daughter’s arrogance; instead, she felt her child was being excluded, which could affect the child psychologically.

Speaking honestly, there seemed to be some logic to her thinking.

But reason is just reason; how can adults dictate children’s thoughts?

Xiao Hu genuinely adored Rongrong.

In his eyes, Rongrong was irreplaceable; although the future was uncertain, that much was true for now.

Moreover, Liu Ying was duplicitous.

Despite seemingly treating her own children and stepchildren with equal love, Qiao Qingyu knew her affection was feigned; she had even seen disdain in her eyes when she looked at Jiao Jiao.

Connecting these dots, Qiao Qingyu realized Liu Ying was trying to pull the wool over her eyes.

The first matter didn’t really bother her; having such a supervisory opportunity was, in fact, something she’d welcome, allowing for a clean break when she eventually left the Agricultural Group.

But the second matter was truly repulsive.

The new Deputy Director of the cultural troupe was named Jiang Xin, now Liu Ying’s deputy.

This woman could probably be considered a goddess in every man’s heart.

Not all beautiful women are alike; some are gentle but lacking in other areas, some are lively but seem slightly frivolous. However, Jiang Xin was different; she truly seemed perfect.

The incarnation of a man’s dream woman.

Qiao Qingyu thought if she were a man, she too might easily start to cherish such a woman as a treasure.

So why was Jiang Xin at the Tenghai Research Base?

She was the Deputy Director of the cultural troupe, and the Director had also come down, now headed to the TV Station. Although the directorship wasn’t confirmed, he was among the candidates and was currently studying outside.

Yet Jiang Xin, despite the many institutions in Beijing vying for her—even the Music Academy had offered an olive branch promising a professorship should she agree—had ended up here.

Compared to Beijing, Tenghai Research Base appeared far less glamorous.

Even now described as the Outer Jiangnan, its location remained remote and not bustling, much like Xichuan, with no particularly attractive spots to visit.

For girls from big cities, this was not an appealing choice.

Of course, one shouldn’t make assumptions about others.

Otherwise, how would the research base have attracted the tens of thousands of employees it had?

When it was initially established, conditions were much tougher.

So, such thoughts from Qiao Qingyu were fleeting.

Although she trusted He Xiuyu, facing such a situation was uncomfortably irking.

But all she could do was tell herself not to dwell on it.

...

When He Xiuyu received Liu Ying’s call asking when he was available, Jiang Xin had already picked a solo piece for rehearsal to iron out potential issues before the actual performance, which was a reasonable request.

He Xiuyu, reminded of his wife’s distrustful look, moved his fingers; it had been so long since he last played the piano. While he still had the skill, it was undoubtedly rusty. A little refamiliarization wouldn’t hurt, so after setting a time with Liu Ying, he left work an hour early for the Cultural Palace.

After hanging up, Liu Ying smiled at Jiang Xin standing beside her, "Chief Engineer He agreed. He is a busy man, you need to focus and pay attention during the rehearsal, or he won’t spare much time to practice with you."

Focus and pay attention—that phrase sounded quite fresh.

When Jiang Xin saw He Xiuyu, her hand clutching the score unconsciously tightened.

How did that poem go? Searching for him in the crowd, suddenly turning back, he was there all along, in the dim light.

And four words describe it: heart pounding unexpectedly.

Jiang Xin had never thought this day would come.

That she would feel somewhat at a loss before a man.

Just like a girl experiencing first love, her heart started racing uncontrollably—a truly novel experience for her, who had always seen men react this way around her.

Jiang Xin awkwardly shifted her gaze.

She wasn’t quite experienced in dealing with such men.

Liu Ying, standing nearby, silently sneered repeatedly, although her face was warm and sisterly.

"Now that the introductions are done, Chief Engineer He is a busy man. It’s not easy for him to make time. Jiang, you need to make good use of it. I’ll leave you two alone," Liu Ying said, turning and marching decisively out of the room.

The rehearsal room was left to He Xiuyu and Jiang Xin.

He Xiuyu’s gaze fell on the piano without noticing the fleeting shyness and unwittingly affectionate look in Jiang Xin’s eyes.

He then shifted his gaze from the piano, but still asked with a frown, "Shall we start now?"

"Okay."

Jiang Xin didn’t use her usual soothing tone, instead her voice inadvertently took on a tender quality.

He Xiuyu sat down. Since it was a grand celebration, the chosen song was obviously well-known and melodic, aligning with the main theme of the event.

It was "My Motherland."

Not to mention knowing how to play it—nowadays, any elementary school student could sing it.

The song was a good choice, fitting the celebration’s theme, and it was also one of the most played by He Xiuyu.

He felt quite satisfied.

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