Financial Workplace Survival Guide – CH 076

Chapter 76 ☆, House, Home, and Specific Love.

Two days before Xin Xin went to Jiangcheng to report for duty, Zheng Zaochuan drove her there. The company provided an apartment; the conditions were ordinary but inexpensive.

Xin Xin did not plan to live there; she wanted to use the rental subsidy to pay for her own rent.

There was a reason why she did not live in the company-provided dormitory.

Hengyang Securities once had a branch office that was rumored to have bad feng shui. The branch office was located in a rather special county-level city with a consistently high economic output and was dominated by resource-based enterprises.

Most people in the county worked for these businesses, and for their daily lives and entertainment, they had to go to a prefecture-level city an hour away. So most people lived in that prefecture-level city.

So, in order to take care of its employees, the local branch applied to the head office to build an annex building so that the employees could live more comfortably.

This was actually a rare benefit, but at some point, the employees of this branch began to have problems, with one after another dying from illness. Among those who did not die, a significant number of employees also suffered from mental health issues.

Although no one said it aloud, everyone couldn’t help but wonder if there was something wrong with the feng shui.

But Mary thought about it and made a scientific deduction: “To be honest, I might get sick too. Think about it: young people go there and live in the company compound, and after getting off work, life and work are inseparable. One phone call from the boss and you have to come down from the dormitory to work overtime. Eventually, you will be in a state of sub-health all the time.”

Xin Xin felt that Mary made a lot of sense, so whenever she could, she would try to live in a slightly better place.

She told Zheng Zaochuan about the feng shui.

Zheng Zaochuan agreed with her earnestly, “You are right, feng shui is quite important.”

Xin Xin was a little surprised. She thought Zheng Zaochuan would refute her nonsense with firm materialist theory.

Zheng Zaochuan glanced at her as he drove. “What’s wrong? Do you think it’s strange that I’m saying this? I just feel that some things should not be completely believed, but you cannot completely disbelieve them either. If money can solve a problem, why not solve it?”

Xin Xin curled her lips. “Look at you; you’ve only been rich for a few days, and you’ve already shown your capitalist face.”

Zheng Zaochuan was not actually a very good-tempered person, but for some reason, he was always happy when he was with Xin Xin. It was as if every word Xin Xin said had the effect of a stand-up comedy routine.

“When I was poor, I was content with just a bite of leftover noodles. Now that I finally have some money, I’m even less likely to force myself. To be honest, I don’t have any extravagant hobbies. My only dream right now is to live and eat better.”

Xin Xin thought about Zheng Zaochuan’s simply decorated but comfortable home and his excellent cooking skills and sincerely praised him, “You are really excellent. When are you going to teach me your great cooking skills? Come with me to look at a house, and use your capitalist exploitative potential to lower the price.”

Zheng Zaochuan hesitated for a few moments, glancing at her before finally nodding.

However, it was easier said than done.

Housing prices in Haining were already very high and even higher in Jiangcheng.

Like its other branch offices, the Haining headquarters was located in the CBD of Jiangcheng. The company was high-end, and the luxurious atmosphere only served to highlight the employees’ financial difficulties.

Xin Xin’s current salary was more than enough to support her renting a mid-range apartment with a commute of less than forty minutes. But she felt the pinch when it came to rent, and despite staying at Zheng Zaochuan’s house for so long, she had never given up on the idea of ​​buying her own place.

Zheng Zaochuan did not understand her persistence.

“Why are you so eager to buy a house?”

Xin Xin honestly said, “I’ve been brainwashed by consumerism.”

Zheng Zaochuan said sternly, “Real estate investment is actually an investment, not consumption.”

Xin Xin did not understand where this insecurity came from. Perhaps it was because of the rampant online discussions about girls needing to own their own homes. Or perhaps it was because of the painful memories of moving multiple times.

However, ideals were often grand, while reality was often harsh.

They spent the whole day looking at houses, just like when she looked at houses in Haining with Mary before, and came up with nothing.

Before Zheng Zaochuan could show any signs of fatigue, Xin Xin was already deflated. “Forget it, I’ll just go stay in the company-provided apartment. It’s an old neighborhood, but at least it meets my commuting time requirements.”

Zheng Zaochuan did not reply for a while before casually saying, “Why don’t you stay at my place? I have a house in Jiangcheng; it’s a bit far from your company, but it’s near the subway, so it should only take about fifty minutes. I’m free anyway, so how about I come keep you company?”

Xin Xin looked at Zheng Zaochuan as if he were a ghost. “Why are you only telling me now?”

Zheng Zaochuan observed her expression and said, “I’m afraid you will reject me.”

Xin Xin found it strange again. “Why would I reject you?”

Zheng Zaochuan got really excited when he brought this up, saying, “How many times have you rejected me before?”

Xin Xin suddenly recalled the past and blamed Zheng Zaochuan: “It was clearly you who was not sincere. You said you’d lend me your place, but then you gave it to Xibei, and it made the news. Back then, I thought you were rich and powerful, using your houses to seduce girls everywhere.”

Zheng Zaochuan also remembered this incident and laughed, “Xibei was spoiled by her father, and then she had that stepmother who was such a simp. She can have whatever she wants. She has always known about that house, but she did not care for it before. Ever since she found out that I was going to lend the house to someone, she’s been unbearable. If I didn’t give her that house, she would have made a scene.”

Xin Xin, who was usually very oblivious, could not help but sense something was off at this moment. “How did she know you wanted to lend the house to someone?”

Without hesitation, Zheng Zaochuan said, “I told you I have a friend who asked me if you are male or female. I said it had nothing to do with her, and she suddenly got angry and started making a huge scene. You have no idea how much trouble she caused me. While she was making a scene, that woman called me and threatened to hang herself.”

Xin Xin felt as if she had been pricked by a small but sharp thorn. “You also said that I’m a busybody.”

“No,” Zheng Zaochuan suddenly shouted, “It’s different. I was angry when you asked me that. You only treated me as a customer and only cared about the company’s performance. I thought we were friends, but you only ever cared about the company’s image.”

Zheng Zaochuan seemed to be the kind of person who never cared what others think, but he was unexpectedly sensitive and would quietly assess the relationships between people.

Xin Xin looked at Zheng Zaochuan getting excited, then softened, “Don’t get excited; I was just saying. You seem to care about nothing, but you’re surprisingly sensitive to surprises.”

Zheng Zaochuan shook his head and said earnestly and sincerely, “Actually, I only care about you, and I’ve only ever cared about you. I didn’t understand why at first. Maybe it was because everyone else had given up on me, but you were always there for me, which made me narcissistically think that I was different towards you.”

Xin Xin had never thought of this angle before.

Mary once described Xin Xin as a chosen one in sales. Most people understood that emotions should not be involved in work, but most simply could not do it. If they could, there would not be so many workplace conflicts.

Xin Xin could do it perfectly, whether she was dealing with someone she liked or someone she disliked. She genuinely tried to understand what kind of person the other person was, earning their trust with utmost sincerity.

Some clients might thought she was a very sincere service provider.

However, what Zheng Zaochuan, a collaborator who had fallen from a high-ranking client to a predicament, saw was Xin Xin’s valuable qualities.

Xin Xin was simply dedicated to her work, but Zheng Zaochuan developed a curiosity about her feelings.

He constantly tested her boundaries, testing his place in her world. Xin Xin, not wanting to owe anyone anything, kept repaying favors in this process of testing, and eventually, the two fell in love with each other while testing each other.

For a moment, Xin Xin could not say for sure who made the first move.

In love, whoever opened their heart first was the one who would get hurt.

Xin Xin decided to hand the knife that could harm her to Zheng Zaochuan.

“Then I’ll stay at your house. If we ever have a fight and you tell me to get out, then I’ll get out of your house forever and never come back.”

Zheng Zaochuan never imagined she would think that way. “I would never.”

His eyes were bright and sincere. Xin Xin saw him raise his hand as if to swear an oath and quickly covered his mouth.

“No need for oaths; you know it’s enough.”

Zheng Zaochuan’s eyes crinkled with laughter as he grabbed her hand and kissed it. “I don’t intend to make any oaths. I will not do anything meaningless like that. I will show you with my actions that I will never say those words.”

Xin Xin glared at him, finally asking the question she used to despise—the kind of question a woman would ask, “What if Xibei threatens you one day? What if the two sides of the scale are me and her?”

Zheng Zaochuan widened his eyes and pinched her cheek. “How long have you been jealous? It’s so strong.”

Xin Xin felt she was at a disadvantage, so she persisted, “I don’t care. You two are not related by blood, and you grew up together. Who knows if there are any melodramatic plot twists that I don’t know about.”

Zheng Zaochuan hugged Xin Xin. “You are so cute. I finally understand why people like to see others jealous of them.”

Xin Xin bit him. “Is this cute?”

Zheng Zaochuan cried out, “It hurts!”

Then, he released Xin Xin and looked at her with a gentle gaze that Xin Xin had never seen before, as if it had been cleansed by moonlight. He solemnly declared, “Perhaps I’m just being sentimental, but you make me feel that someone cares about me. You will never understand how special this feeling is to me.”

His parents had never given him this feeling, nor had his stepfather or stepsister, nor even the women who had previously expressed affection for him. No one had ever given him this feeling—a stable, reassuring, concrete, and enduring sense of importance.

Xin Xin was touched, and the slight unhappiness she felt because of Xibei vanished.

That day, Xin Xin moved into Zheng Zaochuan’s home in Jiangcheng, right next to the noodle shop they had visited before.

The noodle shop had now been transformed into a steamed bun shop.

This street was filled with a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Xin Xin pushed open the door, and a familiar feeling rushed towards her. Zheng Zaochuan’s home in Jiangcheng and his home in Haining were exactly the same in structure, decoration, and even furniture.