His physiological preference

When the meeting adjourned, Qin Yuzheng called Fang Yibin over.

"Order a bouquet of tulips," he said, "to be delivered to Grandeur."

Fang Yibin took note. When Qin Yuzheng walked out of the conference room, his steps were light and quick; anyone could tell that the leader was in a good mood today.

She sent Yang Zhiyan a message: "No need to cook tonight, Aunt Li is cooking over there. Don't touch cold water."

Yang Zhiyan replied with a single word: "I know, Aunt Li told me."

At 5 p.m., Yang Zhiyan came out of the studio.

In autumn, darkness falls early. The sun has already begun to sink in the west, and the light has changed from golden to orange-red, painting the plane trees on both sides of the road with warm hues.

She was walking along the sidewalk towards the subway station when her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and slowed her pace.

When the word "Mom" appeared on the screen, she instinctively didn't want to answer.

But she answered, because if she didn't, the phone would keep ringing until she did. That's her mother's skill; it won't stop until you answer.

"Yan Yan, today is your nephew's one-month birthday. Aren't you, as his aunt, going to do anything to celebrate?"

Yang's mother's voice came from the other end, filled with complaints and accusations, "You don't understand any social etiquette at all."

Yang Zhiyan stood by the roadside. She held her phone in her right hand, and with her left hand, she idly plucked a small leaf from the holly bush in the nearby green belt. She rubbed the leaf between her fingers; the leaf was green, the sap was bluish, and it smelled of astringent grass.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was too busy and forgot."

Her tone was flat; their accusations and complaints could no longer harm her.

"I'll transfer two hundred yuan to my sister-in-law as a small token of my appreciation."

"Two hundred?" Yang's mother's voice rose half an octave. "How can you be so stingy? You only gave two hundred for your nephew's one-month celebration. It should have been at least two thousand!"

Yang Zhiyan threw the crumpled holly leaf in her hand to the ground, watching it land on the sidewalk tiles, its green color standing out prominently.

"Then let me ask my aunt how much money you gave for my cousin's one-month celebration."

Yang Zhiyan said this with an air of seriousness.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Yang Zhiyan could imagine her mother's expression; her mouth opened and then closed again, her eyes blinking twice, as if she was thinking about how to continue.

There was a moment of silence. Then Yang's mother's voice rang out again.

"Alright, alright, hurry up and transfer it to your sister-in-law." The phone hung up.

Yang Zhiyan found Li Fengxia's WeChat account, clicked the transfer button, and sent 200 yuan.

Then I sent a message:

"Sister-in-law, remember to tell my brother to pay back the money. Otherwise, the debt collection agency will be calling you."

I clicked send. The money was transferred, and the message was delivered.

At the entrance of the Shengshi Tianxi residential complex, the fountain was still spraying water, the water jets sparkling in the evening light.

As Yang Zhiyan reached the door, Li Fengxia called. She answered, and Li Fengxia's voice came through, sharp and shrill.

"Yang Zhiyan, didn't I tell you to borrow money from your boyfriend? Why did you lend me money from a loan shark?!"

Yang Zhiyan walked into the residential area and strolled slowly along the path. Someone was walking their dog by the roadside. A golden retriever carrying a frisbee in its mouth ran past her, wagging its tail, while its owner called after it, "Come back, come back."

She thought to herself, "It's not usury; it's a legitimate platform with legal interest rates."

But she didn't say it aloud, because she knew her sister-in-law wouldn't listen to any of that right now.

What she needed wasn't an explanation, but someone to yell at. And that person just happened to be her.

"No," she said innocently, "It's all legal, you can see it on the platform."

Li Fengxia cursed a few times on the other end of the line, her voice so loud that it came through the microphone. The person walking the dog nearby glanced at Yang Zhiyan.

Yang Zhiyan smiled at that person, quickened her pace, and turned into the tree-lined path leading to her building.

"You've caused this mess, so you'd better come up with the money to cover it up!"

Li Fengxia's voice was tinged with nervousness.

"But I have no money," Yang Zhiyan lied without any guilt.

She did it on purpose. She knew she shouldn't have done it, but she felt good doing it.

Seeing Li Fengxia jumping up and down in a panic, she felt a sense of satisfaction. When did this wicked element appear within her? It hadn't been there before.

Before, she would only endure, only bow her head, only say "okay." Now she knows how to fight back.

"Get it from your boyfriend!" Li Fengxia's voice rose again.

Yang Zhiyan stopped by the flower bed in the community and sat down beside the flowerbed. Lowering her voice, she spoke in a tone that conveyed "I'm so scared,"

"I wouldn't dare. My boyfriend is really fierce, even scarier than loan sharks."

She held back a laugh when she said that.

What she said wasn't wrong; Qin Yuzheng was far more terrifying than loan sharks.

After all, loan sharks trembled at the mere mention of his name.

Li Fengxia fell silent on the other end. It was unclear whether she was frightened by the phrase "more terrifying than loan sharks" or was thinking of another solution.

After a few seconds of silence, her voice rang out again, still urgent, but clearly lacking in confidence.

"I don't care, you figure out a solution."

Yang Zhiyan stood up and patted off non-existent dust from her clothes.

"I don't care, anyway, I didn't borrow the money, and I didn't spend it."

She hung up the phone and put it in her bag. She actually felt a bit pleased to see her get the short end of the stick.

She slowly walked into the building and pressed the elevator button. Her face was reflected in the elevator wall; the corners of her mouth were curved, and her eyes were bright.

All she knows is that when someone loves and cares for her, she feels confident.

When you have enough confidence, you become more assertive. You dare to say no, and you dare to fight back.

The fountain at the entrance of the residential area was still spraying water, the water jets sparkling in the evening light.

Qin Yushang got out of the car, closed the door, and looked up at the building.

Shengshi Tianxi is located in one of the best areas of Haicheng. When Grandma told him that his brother lived here, she was a little surprised. He didn't live in the villa in Bishuiwan, but instead moved into an apartment.

He pulled his suitcase into the residential compound. The security guard at the gate glanced at him, noticing his suitcase and black casual suit, and realized he didn't look like an ordinary visitor. "If you ask for my name and if I'm a resident, I'll let you in."

He walked along the path. The ginkgo trees on both sides of the road were not yet yellow, but the edges of their leaves were beginning to turn golden, as if they were inlaid with a layer of light in the setting sun.

The neighborhood was quiet in the evening. Occasionally, a few residents walking their dogs would pass by. Some were walking a golden retriever, and others were carrying a teddy bear. The dog leashes dragged on the ground, making a rustling sound.

He walked for about two minutes, and as he rounded the central water feature, he saw a person.

A woman sat beside a flower bed. She held her phone to her ear in one hand, while plucking leaves from a nearby holly bush with the other.

Qin Yushang paused for a moment. Her expression was incredibly complex, a mixture of smugness, gloating, and a struggle to suppress it.

Qin Yushang stood beside the water feature, about seven or eight meters away from her. He leaned his suitcase against his leg, one hand in his pocket, watching her.

He wanted to know who she was talking to on the phone and what they were saying that made her make that face.

"I wouldn't dare. My boyfriend is really fierce, even scarier than loan sharks."

Qin Yushang heard her say that. "How can you describe your boyfriend like that? Why don't you break up with him?"

His tone was fearful, yet his expression was smug. Split personality? Insincere?

Qin Yushang looked at her and found her somewhat interesting.

He saw her hang up the phone, put it in her bag, turn around and walk towards the building entrance.

Qin Yushang stood by the water feature, watching her back. She wore a light-colored shirt and a long white skirt, her hair tied up with a hairpin.

The setting sun shone from the west, casting a long, long shadow over her. Her steps were light and quick.

She turned into the building entrance and disappeared behind the glass door.

It's quite a coincidence that we live in the same building.