Financial Workplace Survival Guide – CH 013

Chapter 13 ☆, Catering to Someone’s Interests is the First Secret to Love.

Catering to Someone’s Interests.

This was a core relationship philosophy that Mary had conveyed to Xin Xin when they first met.

If you want someone to like you, the most important thing isn’t to consider your own preferences but to consider their core needs.

Give both parties a chance. Once they’ve gotten to know you, slowly unveil the mystery.

Xin Xin never quite grasped Mary’s theory.

After the cat-face incident, Xin Xin had been plagued by self-questioning: Is it true that in order to gain someone’s love, one must always maintain a state of concealing one’s true feelings?

Mary once explained, with a look of incorrigibility, “Love requires a touch of romance, and that touch is inevitably accompanied by unreality.”

Xin Xin even considered Han Canghai’s accident, but she never imagined that their relationship would be destroyed by this little bit of romance.

The story of Mary and Han Canghai’s acquaintance was quite dramatic.

One of Mary’s clients, a university professor, shared a poll for the most beautiful teacher at her school. When Mary was invited to vote for her client, she spotted Han Canghai, dressed in a Tang suit.

Han Canghai, a lecturer in the History Department at University A, specializes in the history of the Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, and Tang dynasties.

Xin Xin believed Mary hadn’t read a single word of the following introduction. From any perspective, she was simply attracted by his appearance.

But Mary didn’t think so. She described her feelings as “my soul recognized him.”

Afterwards, Mary gained the opportunity to meet Han Canghai through various means, including asking acquaintances, indirect inquiries, diligently studying historical textbooks, and auditing Han Canghai’s classes.

Xin Xin can honestly testify that she wasn’t as serious as Mary was when she took the CPA exam. She even created a detailed analysis manual and photo album, which contained more information than Han Canghai himself could possibly grasp.

When Xin Xin first saw her manual, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The company was busy during the week, requiring weekend work, but Mary skipped almost all of her weekend work to attend Han Canghai’s weekend activities, which were mostly dedicated to history enthusiasts.

Over the past six months, despite having no previous interest in history, Xin Xin, through her diligent study, had become a key member of Han Canghai’s history enthusiasts’ association.

The rest of the story went much more smoothly, essentially catering to his interests. Soon, the two of them fell in love.

Han Canghai was considered a young talent and promising young man in his field. With a cool face and a personality that could almost be described as aloof, he was very popular with female students.

But perhaps she would never meet a woman like Mary, with her wealth and beauty, who was so devoted to her.

This pie-in-the-sky good fortune made Xin Xin feel incredibly touched.

But she hadn’t expected Han Canghai to be so peculiar and eccentric.

The truth came to light when the two were planning to get married. While helping Mary move, Han Canghai stumbled upon Mary’s comprehensive “Han Canghai Strategy Manual.”

Unexpectedly, this incident didn’t move Han Canghai but instead filled him with intense anger.

He wanted to break up with Mary.

At first, Mary hadn’t considered the situation so serious, explaining everything and her genuine affection for him. But Han Canghai insisted that her actions had deceived his feelings, leading him to mistakenly believe he had found his soulmate.

In his mind, Han Canghai envisioned a wife who, after a busy day together, could dedicate herself to their beloved history, searching for the true meaning of life through the long years of foraging for gold.

For years, he had searched for such a person, and at one point, he had believed Mary would be just that.

In the past, Mary’s disguise and the mystery of their love had made him overlook inconsistencies.

But the colleague who discovered the manual suddenly realized that Mary’s considerable funds in her account and her obsession with online stock market research contradicted his life’s ideals.

Long, black hair, a sweatshirt, no makeup, and a love of reading.

Big waves, a red dress, enchanting eyes, and a love of extreme sports.

Which one is she?

Clearly, the one in the handbook and the photo album at home is her. The newly built bookshelf, filled with historical readings, is meant to show Han Canghai’s Mary.

Xin Xin listened to Mary’s story while handing her a tissue.

She racked her brains but couldn’t think of any way to comfort her.

“Am I really that sinful? I’ve only ever loved someone this much in my life.”

But he calmly said, “You don’t love me.”

You love an elegant man; you imagine bathing, burning incense, and wearing a Tang suit.

Han Canghai said, “History is a lonely subject; only passion can sustain it. If we get married, you’ll soon dislike me because of my limited income and unromantic personality. Mary, let’s break up.”

Xin Xin felt deeply guilty. Honestly, it was hard for her to say anything effective to comfort Mary. At heart, she understood Han Canghai’s thoughts and even supported him somewhat.

They weren’t a good match.

Xin Xin thought for a moment and asked Mary, “Have you thought about it? What do you like about him?”

Mary’s eyelashes were stained with tears. Xin Xin felt nothing but pity for her, unable to bring herself to say anything harsh.

“Oh my god, Han Canghai could reject Mary. Has he ever been drug-free?” Xin Xin thought. Mary was resolute. “I like everything about him. Love has no reason.”

Xin Xin was about to say, “Think carefully; maybe you two aren’t a good match.” But after hearing Mary’s words, she swallowed her words.

Mary smiled sadly. “You know what? Han Canghai’s mother loves me so much. She prepared a full set of pajamas and slippers for me when I met his parents. She even gave me a thick gold bracelet the first time we met. I’ve met all his relatives, and everyone says how lucky he is to have found me. But when we broke up this time, his mother called him and said she’d stop talking to him if he got angry again, but he blocked her.”

Generally speaking, when someone is so resolute about breaking up, the chances of reconciliation are slim.

It’s not that Xin Xin doesn’t care about her friends, but the current situation makes her want to run away. It’s like seeing a loved one diagnosed with cancer, knowing there’s no way to help, yet offering futile comfort.

“He thinks I don’t understand love. But Xin Xin, I think you don’t. Love is instinctive, a heartbeat without reason, a game without reason. But people like you, even when your heart is beating, constantly weigh the pros and cons, anticipating what will happen in the future.”

Xin Xin felt so miserable. It was clearly Han Canghai’s business, but somehow it implicated her.

“Mary, maybe I really don’t know how to comfort you, but I hope you understand that I truly love you.”

Xin Xin’s words were sincere, but Mary seemed to break down and burst into tears.

“Yes, I know. I can never match your rational focus, but I truly love people like you. Xin Xin, what should I do? How can I win him back?”

Xin Xin had no idea. Apart from making Mary a cup of hot cocoa and cooking her a decent meal, she knew nothing else.

That day, Mary stayed at Xin Xin’s house, like a wronged child, sharing the same bed with her.

Xin Xin didn’t understand what it felt like to fall in love without knowing why, yet to feel profoundly and deeply. But she tried to understand. Although she and Mary were completely different, that didn’t stop her from liking her.

She was passionate and free-spirited, deeply devoted, and willing to give everything for the one she loved.

This sincerity always moved her.

Hardly hit, Mary felt like a walking corpse. But during work hours, no one dared to see her vulnerability. Even the day after the incident, she gave a brilliant livestream for the event Xin Xin’s department was responsible for.

Yang Manman used to be a livestreamer, known for her youthful beauty and approachability.

But Mary had her own unique ideas about investment and financial management. Besides her work-related bonuses, she was skilled in market analysis and well-versed in all aspects of real estate investment.

The livestream, from its content to its format, was incredibly engaging, and the number of viewers increased rather than decreased.

Xin Xin had already thought of this livestream the day Mary broke up. She had already prepared a backup plan in her mind. If Mary said she couldn’t do it, she wouldn’t say a word.

But Mary didn’t, just like when Xin Xin took the slap for her. Even with that blow, she was still able to return to work at her best the next day.

Zhang Qiao and Yang Manman had been working on their recent project smoothly, and they were both present on the day of the livestream. Xin Xin glanced at Yang Manman calmly and noticed that she had been concentrating on watching Mary’s livestream.

When the livestream concluded successfully, Xin Xin walked out with a smile. “Thank you all for your hard work. I’ll treat you all to a midnight snack.”

Just as Yang Manman was about to leave, Xin Xin stopped her. “Manman, come with us. You’ve been a hero in this work. You laid a solid foundation, which made it so smooth for me to take over. You deserve a share of the credit for this success.”

At the celebration banquet that evening, Mary happily drank with everyone. She had a good alcohol tolerance and could drink a lot without getting drunk. Yang Manman, however, was visibly disappointed, and Xin Xin understood her feeling.

Humans are a curious species. They say you shouldn’t get attached to your work, but humans aren’t plants.

From its inception to its growth, one’s presence is integral to every aspect of a project. Those long days and nights of overtime, those moments of joy, the sweat and hard work, will eventually cultivate a warmth, like one’s own child.

Yang Manman’s current mood is similar to that of a child she raised, now taken away by someone else. And this child will even tell others, “How wonderful her new mother is!”

Xin Xin had been furious before Yang Manman’s sudden change of heart, but now she felt no pleasure in revenge. In the workplace, it’s just like that: you hurt me, I hurt you, all for a fraction of the profit.