Huayu 2005: Chat groups are full of real celebrities

Before the two could speak, Li Xiangdong had already switched to the next paragraph, his tone seamlessly changing from ecstatic joy to rage:

"However, the website itself is really terrible."

"The system crashed five times in three days!"

"I had to add three more servers just to barely keep up with the traffic."

"Those suppliers are all useless, not one of them can do anything when it matters. I'm so angry I'm about to have a stroke."

After he finished his tirade, he took a breath and then suddenly changed the subject:

"By the way, Xiao Jiang."

"Aren't you all programmers?"

"How about... we just let you guys do the next version of the website?"

Jiang Bei raised an eyebrow slightly.

He really didn't expect that Li Xiangdong's phone call, first half of which was to bring good news, would actually be followed by a direct delivery of the project to his door.

And it wasn't a small job that was delivered.

12530 is a key project for China Mobile.

Judging by its size, it must be in the tens of millions.

This guy is really determined to tie me to his side.

Jiang Bei leaned back in his chair and deliberately asked slowly:

Is this appropriate?

"What's inappropriate about it?"

Li Xiangdong's answer was so confident and assertive.

"I'm a pro. Changing suppliers is no big deal."

"It's settled then."

"Once this wave of operations has completely stabilized, we'll immediately start working on the next version."

"I can't take it even a day longer!"

Jiang Bei was amused and, without further hesitation, readily accepted the answer:

"OK."

"Then you should first stabilize the current situation."

"We'll talk about the rest once the website is running smoothly."

"no problem."

Li Xiangdong agreed very quickly, then, as if remembering something, immediately asked:

"By the way, what about the next song?"

"Yifei's three songs are amazing, I've been listening to them on repeat for the past two days, my head is full of melodies."

"When will you release a new song? I can't help but urge you to release more."

Jiang Bei said calmly:

"There's no rush yet."

"The popularity of these three songs is still rising, so we need to let them ferment for a while longer."

"Releasing new songs now would be a waste."

"Okay, whatever you say."

Li Xiangdong responded.

But the next second, his tone suddenly changed.

One second they were talking about websites, data, and song release schedules, and the next second their voices had dropped, the gossip practically overflowing from the receiver:

"But Xiao Jiang... I heard from Xiao Jian that you are the typical person who only gets inspiration when you're with someone you like."

"Confess honestly."

Are you pursuing Yifei?

Jiang Bei's mind went blank for a moment, and he almost crushed his phone on the spot.

For a moment, he really had the urge to crawl along the cell phone signal and strangle that bastard Li Xiangdong to death.

It's not a big deal for men to make these kinds of jokes in private.

The issue is--

Liu Yifei was sitting next to him.

Live.

It will gasp for breath.

And it's highly likely they've already heard it.

How was he supposed to answer that?

A direct denial?

That would be incredibly disrespectful to the girl.

But if we admit it...

That would be pure suicide.

The two had only known each other for a few days at most.

Who is that person?

She's a top-tier actress, with the public's unwavering support, and her standards are ridiculously high. Countless people, both inside and outside the entertainment industry, are watching her closely.

What about yourself?

A programmer who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, still carrying a bit of a loser's air, somewhere between a tech geek and an artsy young man, not yet having a proper identity.

Is he pursuing Liu Yifei?

Even he himself thought those words sounded like he was trying to scam someone.

Jiang Bei's mind raced for a moment, and finally, gritting his teeth, he forced out a sentence:

"We've only just met, it's too early to say for sure about these things."

On the other end of the phone, Li Xiangdong was silent for a second.

Then, he let out a drawn-out "Oh—".

That sound, with its rises and falls, was full of meaning, and it was as gossipy as if someone had already imagined eight hundred episodes of an idol drama.

"I understand, I understand."

"So that means there's a possibility?"

Jiangbei's temple veins throbbed:

"There's not even a hint of it!"

"Why are you worrying about this when you don't care about the servers at all?"

"Alright, I have something to do, I'm hanging up."

After saying that, he didn't give Li Xiangdong a chance to continue his trolling and hung up the phone.

The screen went out.

The room fell silent.

It wasn't just ordinary quiet.

It's that kind of quiet—someone just poked a hole in the window paper, and the parties involved are all sitting there, so nobody knows how to end it.

The air conditioner was still humming overhead.

The computer screen on the table emitted a cold, white light.

But Jiang Bei inexplicably felt that the temperature in the room seemed to have suddenly risen by several degrees.

He tossed his phone onto the table, feigning composure, but his gaze stubbornly refused to look at Liu Yifei.

I dare not look.

I really wouldn't dare.

He could even picture it now—Liu Yifei was probably sitting next to him, her ears red, her eyes glaring at him, cursing Li Xiangdong for his gossip while waiting to settle scores with him.

The air remained silent for several seconds.

They look like they've lived through a century.

Jiang Bei reluctantly picked up his water glass, intending to take a sip to calm himself down, when he heard a soft inhale from the side.

Immediately afterwards—

"I can't quite put my finger on it... what does it mean?"

Liu Yifei turned her head, her eyes wide open. Her tone sounded calm, but the barely suppressed annoyance and resentment still leaked out from the end of her voice.

"Could it be—"

"Am I, Liu Yifei, not good enough for you?"

Jiang Bei's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the cup.

He turned his head abruptly.

really.

Liu Yifei was staring at him, a trace of redness still lingering on her fair face, her eyes filled with both shame and anger, as if she had been stung by the words "I can't say for sure".

She probably knew herself that her question was a bit too much.

But I just can't swallow this insult.

What does "can't say it well" mean?

It's as if Liu Yifei has to wait in line for him to consider her.

People in Jiangbei are numb.

"No, don't interpret it that way—"

"Then how should I understand this?"

Liu Yifei immediately chimed in, her eyes widening, her aura surprisingly strong.

"Li Xiangdong asked you if you were pursuing me, and you neither said yes nor no, just said 'I can't say'."

"What, from what you're saying—"

"Do you need to observe me a little longer?"

Jiangbei: "..."

These words immediately doubled their impact.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Because he realized that no matter how he answered, it seemed like he was wrong.

Say "no"?

Then the previous statement "I can't say for sure" is just nonsense.

Say "yes"?

That goes without saying; it would be tantamount to self-destruction on the spot.

Jiang Bei had never thought his mind worked so fast in his entire life.

But no matter how much they tried, they still couldn't find a way to make a living.

Seeing him hesitate, Liu Yifei became even more enthusiastic, crossed her arms, leaned back in her chair, and snorted:

"Okay, I understand."

"You're either looking down on me, or you have ulterior motives and ill intentions."

Anyway, he definitely didn't have anything good in mind.

Jiang Bei almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

"I didn't, I didn't, don't label me like that!"

His survival instincts kicked in instantly, and he immediately launched into a three-part denial, his hands gesturing as he did so.

"It's not what you think!"

"What is it?"

Liu Yifei pressed for an answer.

She was being aggressive with her words, but her ears were getting redder and redder, and even her eyes were starting to wander. It was clear that she was also quite taken aback by the topic.

But she just wouldn't back down.

Perhaps it was some strange competitive spirit of the woman that got the better of her, and she insisted on forcing Jiang Bei to make things clear.

Jiang Bei looked at her, feeling utterly helpless and on the verge of tears.

He had only one thought in his mind—

That bastard Li Xiangdong has really done a lot of harm to people.

This isn't gossip at all.

This is clearly murder.

"I really didn't mean that."

Jiang Bei looked miserable; his scalp tingled with fear.

What I meant was... we haven't known each other for very long, and I haven't even figured out many things myself yet.

"It's not that you're incapable, nor is it that I'm trying to find fault with you."

"It's not that my motives are impure."

"Just pretend I've lost my mind, okay?"

After this explanation, Liu Yifei did not immediately respond.

She just stared at Jiang Bei, as if trying to figure out whether he was seriously explaining or just spouting nonsense.

After a long pause, she let out a soft hum and turned her face away.

"Who cares what you think?"

"Anyway, you said it yourself."

The tone was still fierce, but compared to before, the anger had clearly dissipated by more than half.

Jiang Bei then quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

If they continued talking, he felt like he was really going to die there today.

So he quickly seized the opportunity and forcefully steered the topic back on track:

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."

"Let's think about how to get past Auntie first."

Liu Yifei turned her head and glared at him.

Those eyes clearly said: You know how to change the subject.

However, she also knew that continuing to dwell on this issue would only embarrass her in the end, so she didn't press the matter further, but simply hummed in response:

"Then tell me, what should we do?"

Jiangbei finally managed to steer the conversation back on track, but couldn't help but complain first:

"Honestly, you shouldn't have kept it from your aunt in the first place."

"Now look what's happened, things have escalated to this point, and we're completely cornered, aren't we?"

Liu Yifei rolled her eyes at him and replied confidently:

"If I had told her from the beginning, do you think this collaboration would have even worked out?"

Jiangbei fell silent immediately.

Because she was absolutely right.

If Liu Xiaoli had known about this beforehand, given her fiercely protective nature, forget about cooperation; Jiangbei would probably have had a hard time even getting within three meters of Liu Yifei.

Forget about writing songs, he'd probably be mistaken for a shady blond guy and sent away as soon as he showed his face.

Thinking of this, Jiang Bei could only sigh helplessly.

"Alright."

"So now we only have one move left."

Liu Yifei's eyes lit up, and she immediately sat up straighter:

"What move?"

Jiang Bei's expression turned solemn, and he slowly extended a finger, his tone so deep it was as if he were announcing hope Yao's earth-shattering plan:

"When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it."

Liu Yifei blinked: "And then?"

Jiang Bei remained expressionless and uttered two words: "Tough it out."

Liu Yifei: "..."

She stared at Jiang Bei for two seconds, then finally couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"cut."

"Saying it is the same as saying nothing."