Cai Shengnan had initially wanted to say something, but Huo Shaoheng exited from the other room. He walked away without as much as looking around, and said calmly, “Let us go home, Nianzhi.”
Gu Nianzhi followed.
Cai Shengnan was taken aback by Huo Shaoheng’s words. He was not even attempting to hide the relationship between Gu Nianzhi and himself. “Go home.” Such intimate words. How could he say that to someone whom he had broken up with?!
Could it be that Gu Nianzhi’s harassment had worked on him?
Was he someone that liked having a girl going after him relentlessly?!
Cai Shengnan’s gaze went even darker than before.
…
Gu Nianzhi got into the car after leaving the mansion. She drove the car as Huo Shaoheng massaged his temples, a hint of lethargy on his stern face. Gu Nianzhi peeked at Huo Shaoheng for a second and drove away from the mansion without a word.
After a while, Huo Shaoheng asked, “What did Cai Shengnan and you talk about just now? You do not seem too happy.”
Gu Nianzhi looked at her reflection in the rearview mirror. Was she that obvious? However, seeing her reflection in the mirror, she was nothing but all smiles. Perhaps only Huo Shaoheng could feel what she was truly feeling.
She coughed lightly. “Nothing much. She was spouting nonsense and asking for someone to put her in her place.”
Huo Shaoheng was not interested in how women quarrel. He turned to Gu Nianzhi and said, “You just come to the headquarters during the new year. Little Ze has gone to South Africa. There are many system tests to conduct. You can come and help out. I do not trust others with the work.”
Gu Nianzhi’s knowledge of computers was solid. The key point was that she’d been taught by Zhao Liangze from scratch. If she cooperated with Zhao Liangze, it would take them half the time to complete everything.
Gu Nianzhi had nothing going on this holiday season. After contemplating it for a moment, she agreed.
Huo Shaoheng breathed a silent sigh of relief and continued. “You can take the time to think about what you would like to do after the new year. It’s okay if you would like to work in a law firm. Don’t force yourself into a job you don’t want.”
Gu Nianzhi had been facing a dilemma. However, after what Cai Shengnan had said to her just now, she had made up her mind.
“Huo Shao, I would like to give the job at the Senate a go.”
Huo Shaoheng was not surprised. He acknowledged with an “Mm.” “Sure. Just give Senior Speaker Long a call after the New Year.”
It was settled. Gu Nianzhi felt that a load had just been lifted from her shoulders, and it felt great.
She drove on and arrived at the Special Forces Headquarters in no time. She entered the compound with Huo Shaoheng.
Huo Shaoheng brought her back to his living quarters to settle down first. “It has been quite a while since you stayed here. You will be here for about half a month this time around. Look around to see if there is anything you need to get.” Huo Shaoheng brought Gu Nianzhi into the mansion. “I have contacted the buyers over in Europe. They will be bringing people to take your measurements. You are about to enter your life as a working adult. The clothes you used to wear will not be suitable anymore. You will have to change your wardrobe.”
“Change everything?” Gu Nianzhi’s brows furrowed. “I will be unable to wear too many flashy outfits anyway. It will be fine to just prepare a couple of gowns.”
“I will get them to pay attention to the styles. They will be low-key and presentable. Of course, they will have to look good as well.” Huo Shaoheng patted her on the shoulders. “They will be my present to you for entering working life.”
“Thank you then, Huo Shao.” Gu Nianzhi made a face. “To repay you, I will work for free for you for half a month.”
“Did you think you’d be getting a salary?” Huo Shaoheng took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. White smoke began surrounding them.
“Did you not think of paying me?!” Gu Nianzhi nudged him. “Wow, Huo Shao is such a professional at taking advantage of his manual laborers.”
Huo Shaoheng caressed her head. “Enough. Pack quickly and settle down. Get the application for the Senate done up when you have time.”
The Senate would only be open after the fifteenth day of the lunar new year. The process of hiring new staff would commence then. Gu Nianzhi still had half a month to prepare properly.
Gu Nianzhi nodded in agreement. Taking a look at her watch, she realized that it was already after two o’clock in the afternoon. She was slightly tired and had intended to go to her room for a nap.
As she was going up the stairs with Huo Shaoheng, her phone rang again. Huo Shaoheng turned around and looked at her before smiling. “You’re rather busy.”
“You’re not the only one who will be busy from now on. We, as normal peasants, will have our own things to do as well.”
Gu Nianzhi whipped out her phone and realized that it was Ma Qiqi calling. She slid her finger across the screen and unlocked her phone with a smile. “Happy New Year, Qiqi.”
Ma Qiqi’s voice could be heard through the phone. “Happy New Year, Nianzhi! I am so happy! Nianzhi, let me show you what happened! I will send you a video!”
In no time at all, Ma Qiqi had sent Gu Nianzhi a video clip.
Gu Nianzhi opened it and realized that it was all dark in the beginning. Nothing could be seen. She thought for a second that there was something wrong with her phone and pouted. “I had just switched to this phone. Why am I not seeing anything now?”
Huo Shaoheng took two steps back and looked over. “What’s wrong?” All of a sudden, the screen lit up. It was the beginning of the video playing. It was not because Gu Nianzhi’s phone wasn’t working.
Gu Nianzhi and Huo Shaoheng watched the video together.
Stars in the beautiful night sky appeared on Gu Nianzhi’s phone screen. The stars were so bright, just like they were in space. Then, Ma Qiqi appeared wearing a white dress. She looked around in shock as she appeared on the screen looking like an angel.
The surroundings were so beautiful. The stars looked like you could reach out and touch them. Therefore, Ma Qiqi reached out and tried to touch the brightest star.
She knew that she should not be able to touch it. Ma Qiqi, who was in the video, and Gu Nianzhi and Huo Shaoheng, who were watching the video, all had the same thoughts.
Therefore, when Ma Qiqi reached out and the brightest “star” fell into her hand, not only did Ma Qiqi, who was in the video, laugh in surprise, Gu Nianzhi, who was watching the video, felt her heart skip a beat. She felt herself getting excited all of a sudden as well.
That was nice!
It was not a star, but a shiny diamond ring!
The oval-shaped diamond was shiny and gorgeous under the starry night sky. It was so shiny that there were rainbows in it. It was a diamond of an extremely high grade.
Just when Ma Qiqi was feeling over the moon, Yin Shixiong appeared in a black suit.
He seemed to have walked out of the night sky. He knelt in front of Ma Qiqi. Then, he asked emotionally, “Will you marry me, Qiqi?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Ma Qiqi held on to the diamond ring and exclaimed her willingness three times.
“She said yes! She said yes!”
All of a sudden, Wedding March could be heard in the background as the stars disappeared and laughter could be in the surroundings. Many people emerged from the dark with the stars. There were men and women of all ages. All of them were dressed up, looking amazing.
When the final middle-aged couple emerged from behind the board, wiping tears from their faces, Gu Nianzhi recognized them immediately. They were Ma Qiqi’s parents!
So Yin Shixiong had made use of the New Year to plan his proposal to Ma Qiqi? And he’d even brought Ma Qiqi’s parents over?
It was obvious that Ma Qiqi had been kept in the dark throughout. When she saw her parents appear in front of her, she stood rooted to the ground and was stunned for a full three seconds before screaming, “Mommy! Daddy!” and running towards them. She hugged them and jumped around, laughing at the same time.
Yin Shixiong stood by the side, looking at Ma Qiqi with so much love. He only pulled Ma Qiqi away after a while.
Standing in front of Ma Qiqi’s parents and holding her hand, he said sincerely, “Auntie, Uncle, I hope that you will agree for Qiqi to marry me. I promise to only love her and marry her in this lifetime. Everyone who is here today will be my witness. I promise to be good to Qiqi for the rest of her life.”
“Of course. Big Xiong, you have done so well.” Ma Qiqi’s mother was so touched that she couldn’t stop crying.
Due to Yin Shixiong’s profession, Ma Qiqi’s mother had not supported Ma Qiqi in wanting to marry a soldier, and one from the special forces at that. However, Ma Qiqi and her father loved Yin Shixiong a lot.
Now, seeing how much effort Yin Shixiong was willing to put in for her daughter, Ma Qiqi’s mother finally decided to accept him.
The video ended at this point.
After the laughter faded out, the mansion returned to its quiet state.
Gu Nianzhi was all smiles. She immediately sent Ma Qiqi a huge red packet which contained 8,888 dollars and 88 cents, along with a message that said, “Happy Engagement, my darling!”
Huo Shaoheng looked at Gu Nianzhi. He thought that she would be emotional about it and pick a fight with him. However, she did not. She was solely happy for Ma Qiqi and headed upstairs while humming a tune.
From the beginning to the end, she had not looked at Huo Shaoheng once. Huo Shaoheng stuffed both his hands into his pockets and leaned on the railings of the staircase. After pondering for a while, he took out his phone and forwarded Gu Nianzhi a document. It contained the past year’s questions of the written exam for the hiring exercise of the Secretary Office in the Senate.
