Diary of Getting Rich Quick in the South

The airport announcement sounded, informing passengers of their boarding.

I followed Bai Yan and Huang Yingying through the ticket check and boarded the plane.

The seating arrangement was quite clever this time.

I sat by the window, Bai Yan was in the middle, and Huang Yingying was sitting in the aisle seat. The three of us sat close together.

After finding a seat, putting down my luggage, and sitting down, I was still inwardly complaining about the scene from earlier.

It has to be said that Zhou Kai is really bold.

His girlfriend joked with another man in front of him and even hugged him, but he wasn't angry at all. Instead, he was all smiles the whole time.

If it were me, I simply couldn't resist.

But then I thought, outsiders can't understand how couples interact, so I don't need to worry about it. I just need to focus on my business trip.

This is one of the few times I've traveled far by plane.

As the plane took off and climbed, the fuselage shook slightly, and I felt a little panicked for no reason, so I subconsciously gripped the armrest of my seat.

Watching the buildings and roads outside the window shrink little by little until they became countless tiny dots, I felt both excited and apprehensive.

Only when the plane had completely stabilized and entered level flight did I finally feel relieved.

Outside the window was an endless sea of ​​clouds, white and soft, spread out in the air, looking exceptionally soothing.

I was engrossed in watching when Bai Yan gently nudged my arm beside me.

"What's wrong, Sister Bai?"

Bai Yan glanced at Huang Yingying, who was playing on her phone with her head down by the aisle, and lowered her voice to remind me in a volume that only the two of us could hear.

"At the airport just now, keep your distance from Huang Yingying. That woman is probably trying to seduce you!"

A thought struck me; sure enough, nothing could be hidden from her.

I scratched my head and explained in a low voice, "I didn't mean to either. She was just joking. I tried to avoid her. I don't understand. Her boyfriend was right there. Why didn't she try to avoid him?"

Bai Yan said calmly, "Huang Yingying is known in the business department for being cunning. She looks gentle and obedient, but she is actually the best at these ambiguous relationships and power struggles."

"I've heard a little about Zhou Kai. She has a good temper and is very tolerant. I'm used to her being like that."

"But you're different. You just got back to the company and finally managed to stabilize the situation. Don't let these messy, ambiguous rumors drag you down."

"During this business trip, please maintain proper boundaries, keep things strictly professional, and avoid any unnecessary jokes or contact."

These words instantly woke me up.

I had a feeling that Huang Yingying was acting strange before.

The subtle hooking of her hand during the handshake, the arm-linking in public, the deliberately teasing jokes—these were not at all appropriate boundaries for ordinary colleagues.

To put it bluntly, it was deliberate provocation.

I've been dealing with a lot of bad things lately, and I was just about to get back to my career. I can't afford to get ruined by this inexplicable woman.

I nodded: "I understand, Sister Bai. I will definitely pay attention from now on, keep my distance at all times, and focus on my work."

We finished our quiet conversation and were just about to rest when Huang Yingying, who was next to me, suddenly put down her phone and turned to look at me.

"Brother Chen, I'm sorry about earlier at the airport. I went too far with my joke. I hope I didn't embarrass you?"

As she spoke, she turned slightly to the side, a faint scent of perfume wafting over, her eyes fixed intently on me.

I quickly composed myself: "It's nothing, we're just colleagues, it was just a joke, I didn't take it to heart."

Huang Yingying blinked: "I was just joking with Zhou Kai, trying to annoy him on purpose. I didn't expect to make Brother Chen laugh at me. But seriously, Brother Chen, you used to be a top salesperson, so your business skills must be super strong. I'll need your help to guide me during this business trip to meet with clients."

I replied politely, "Let's learn from each other and work hard together. Sister Bai is here; she's the one who mentored me. She's my teacher. If you follow her and learn well, you'll definitely have a bright future."

I thought that this way she would understand and put aside her chaotic thoughts.

But Huang Yingying didn't seem to notice my aloofness at all, and quietly moved closer to me again.

She lowered her voice even further, with a hint of coquetry: "Actually, I've heard about you before. You were the top performer in the company before, then you briefly left, and now you're back to start all over again. I really admire your courage."

I smiled bitterly to myself. Admire me?

I'm afraid most people have heard about my messy past and are just there for the spectacle.

I didn't want to continue the conversation, so I simply turned to look out the window, pretending to admire the scenery, and stopped talking.

Bai Yan, who was standing to the side, noticed this and moved a little closer to me without making a sound, just enough to separate me from Huang Yingying.

He changed the subject, saying, "Yingying, take a rest and recharge. We still have work to do after we land, including coordinating tasks and organizing data. You'll be busy."

Seeing this, Huang Yingying smiled and looked away, sat up straight, obediently responded, and lowered her head to play with her phone.

For the remainder of the flight, I didn't initiate any conversation and simply closed my eyes to rest.

I kept memorizing the client information and key points for this business trip.

About two hours later, the plane landed smoothly at Nancheng Airport.

The moment I stepped out of the cabin, a wave of hot, humid air hit me, sticking to my body.

We followed the crowd to collect our luggage and took a taxi straight to the hotel we had arranged in advance.

As arranged in advance, I was assigned a room to myself.

Bai Yan and Huang Yingying, two girls, lived in the next room.

Back in my room, I took a quick shower and had just dried my hair when my phone vibrated.

I picked it up and saw it was a WeChat message from Huang Yingying.

"Is your room ready? This hotel is so basic, I'm not used to staying here."

I casually replied, "It's alright, clean and tidy, enough for one night."

She replied instantly after sending the message: "I'm feeling a bit stuffy here and can't sleep at night. Chen, are you free later? Want to come downstairs for a walk and a chat?"

Without even thinking, I immediately made up an excuse: "No, I need to organize client information and check the coordination plan later, I don't have time to wander around."

I thought that with such a direct rejection, she would know when to back down.

Then she sent another message with a teasing emoji: "You went on a business trip with Manager Bai. She's so beautiful, you weren't busy spending time with her and didn't have time for me, were you?"

I had a headache watching this; this woman really had no sense of propriety, and the more she talked, the more outrageous it became.

I was too lazy to argue with her, so I simply ignored her messages, put my phone face down on the table, and focused on organizing my work documents.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

I opened the door, and standing outside was Bai Yan, who had changed into a floral long dress, a completely different style from her formal business attire during the day.

"Are you done cleaning up?"

Bai Yan looked at me and said softly, "I just checked, there's a local restaurant in Nancheng that serves very authentic food, not far from here. I'll treat you to dinner, and we can also go over the details of tonight's client meeting with you."

Using work as an excuse, I immediately agreed, "Okay, I'll go down with you."

When I left, I glanced at the next room. The door was closed, so Huang Yingying must be inside.

I don't know what this woman is up to. Bai Yan has already come out, but she's still alone in the room.

But this is for the best, I'm a little afraid of Huang Yingying now.

Seeing that Bai Yan didn't seem to care about me, I simply followed her downstairs, ignoring her completely.

The evening breeze, carrying a humid and hot scent, blew over, slightly dispelling the stuffiness.

Ten minutes later, we arrived at the place Bai Yan had mentioned.

The street shops are brightly lit, exuding the lively atmosphere of a typical southern Chinese market.

Walking along the street, we soon arrived at the small restaurant.

The shop is small, but clean and tidy, and there are many customers; it looks like the business is booming.

Bai Yan casually handed me the menu: "Order whatever you like, don't be shy. It's on me today. Eat and drink your fill, then we can work together well tonight and prepare for the exhibition tomorrow."

I glanced at the menu and realized that the local dishes in Nancheng were indeed not cheap; even a simple home-style dish was much more expensive than in Chuncheng.

I instinctively said, "Sister Bai, these vegetables are quite expensive, why don't I pay for them?"

Bai Yan waved her hand with a smile: "It's no big deal. Working hard is more important than anything else. Once you get this order and your commission, you can treat me to something later."

I nodded and was about to order when my phone suddenly received a message.

When I opened it, I saw that it was sent by Huang Yingying.

"Brother Chen, Sister Bai has gone out, and I'm all alone in the room. I don't know anyone here, and I'm a little scared."