When the day's play was over, it was time for Mu Yuxin to get off work, so Song Qinian quietly sent her over.
Mu Yuxin was wearing a black professional outfit, tall and shapely. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, outshining all the sales assistants in the mall.
Qiaoqiao had fallen asleep in Song Qinian's arms, and Mu Yuxin quickly took her from her.
"Niannian, is Qiaoqiao too mischievous? You look so pale and tired."
Song Qinian shook her head. "Qiaoqiao is very well-behaved. It's just that there's been a lot of work since I joined the planning department, and I haven't rested well."
"No matter how busy you are, your health is the most important thing. Look at how much weight you've lost. Your father would be heartbroken if he knew you were working so hard."
Thinking of her father, Song Qinian felt a pang of sadness.
"I know. You too, you need to rest more, don't push yourself too hard."
The salary Mu Yuxin earned each month, besides her and Qiaoqiao's expenses, also went to the prison to ensure her boyfriend was well taken care of.
Such devotion was truly rare.
"The harder you work, the luckier you become. Sooner or later, we'll achieve everything we desire."
Mu Yuxin was always full of positive energy, and Song Qinian often felt inspired by her after spending time with her.
Just then, Song Qinian's WeChat pinged. It was an editor from a commission for illustrations.
"Author Qiyan, I have a commission for illustrations for a radio drama. Can you take it? We can discuss the price."
Song Qinian had a pen name for her illustrations, Qiyan. Since college, she had been drawing covers, illustrations, and character art for others.
She was quite well-known online.
However, after marrying Shen Chi Yan, Song Qinian had dedicated all her energy to him and rarely took on commissions.
Now that she desperately needed money and a commission had come her way, she naturally wouldn't refuse.
Song Qinian had been feeling exhausted and a bit down.
Now, she was energized as if she had had a shot of adrenaline.
After returning home, Song Qinian immediately read the novel. To draw a character, she had to understand who the protagonist was and what had happened to them.
Fortunately, the next day was Sunday, so she didn't have to go to work.
With both illustration commissions and planning proposals, Song Qinian locked herself in her room, too busy to even step out.
She had no idea that Shen Chi Yan had returned that night.
The next morning, when Shen Chi Yan woke up and didn't see Song Qinian, his expression turned grim. "Where is Song Qinian?"
"Madam has already gone to work."
"So early?"
"Yes, she said she had some matters to attend to at the company."
Shen Chi Yan frowned. A mere employee was busier than he, the CEO!
It was peak rush hour, and there was a slight traffic jam. Everyone was irritable.
Encountering a slow-driving car, the honking was deafening. But the person in the car seemed not to hear, speaking angrily on the phone.
"Shen Keqin, are you out of your mind? Chasing a mere employee in my name, you've completely embarrassed me."
"Don't worry, don't worry, haven't you failed to catch her yet?"
Shen Keqin had stayed out late with friends the night before and was woken up by a phone call early in the morning. She was in a foul mood, but the caller was her childhood friend Guan Mingxu. She had previously pretended to be Guan Mingxu to pursue Song Qinian, so she could only endure it.
"This is the most humiliating part! When has Young Master Guan ever failed to win over a woman? To be rejected by a small employee, where do I put my face?"
"If you feel embarrassed, then chase her back yourself!"
"I..."
Guan Mingxu was about to say more when his car suddenly bumped into someone. He was startled.
Guan Mingxu hung up the phone and immediately got out of the car to check. He saw a girl on an electric bike whom he had hit.
Seeing the girl struggle to get up without crying out in pain, Guan Mingxu rushed over. "Hey, are you alright?"
He helped her and her bike up. When he looked up and saw the girl wearing a pink helmet, a tingling sensation spread through his body, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.
This...
Could there really be a girl in the world so cute it was illegal?
This woman's eyes, nose, mouth, and face were all perfectly aligned with Guan Mingxu's aesthetic preferences.
Song Qinian, seeing the other party's dazed expression, glanced at her watch and got back on her bike.
Guan Mingxu finally came to his senses and grabbed her. "I'm so sorry, I accidentally hit you. Are you hurt? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"
"Beep beep beep..."
The cars behind were getting impatient. Their horns blared one after another.
Song Qinian glanced at the long line of cars, shook her head, shrugged off Guan Mingxu's hand, and drove away.
Guan Mingxu stared blankly in the direction Song Qinian had gone, a foolish smile on his lips.
This woman... she wasn't moved by his multi-million dollar car or his incredibly handsome face.
She truly was the cute girl he had fallen in love with at first sight!
Hearing the insistent honking, Guan Mingxu got back into his car and made a phone call to Shen Keqin.
"Shen Keqin, I don't care what method you use, quickly clarify that I was chasing a minor employee from Ding Sheng Group. Don't delay my pursuit of true love!"
After angrily hanging up, Guan Mingxu was both excited and thrilled.
Then, he became melancholic again. He hadn't asked for the cute girl's phone number, and he didn't even know who she was.
Jinghua City was so big; finding her would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Hmph, no matter what, he had to find her!
Song Qinian rushed to the company, arriving just in time to clock in.
Shen Yushu had already arrived. The two quickly finalized the proposal and submitted it to the manager.
After that, Song Qinian revised the illustration and sent it to the editor.
Miao Zi'ai saw Song Qinian's drawing and exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, Niannian, I didn't know you could draw, and so beautifully!"
Song Qinian, afraid of being discovered doing other work at the company, put her finger to her lips and winked at Miao Zi'ai.
"Don't worry, as long as it doesn't interfere with your work, no one will say anything."
Song Qinian finally breathed a sigh of relief. The main reason was that her computer and tablet had both crashed last night, so she had no choice but to bring them to the company to submit the draft.
"Oh, Niannian, your WeChat avatar, is it a drawing by you?"
Song Qinian nodded. Her avatar was a red heart against a blue background, with two small figures holding hands inside the heart. It was quite cute.
"Can you draw one for me too?"
This was not a difficult task for Song Qinian, so she nodded. "Sure, what do you want?"
"Hmm... I want a chibi version of myself, is that okay?"
Song Qinian quickly drew one and sent it to Miao Zi'ai.
Not long after, many people started adding Song Qinian on WeChat, with their avatar requests in the remarks.
Song Qinian was a bit bewildered. After adding them one by one, she realized they had been introduced by Miao Zi'ai to have her draw their avatars.
Miao Zi'ai was very gossipy and had wide connections at Ding Sheng Group. Once she advertised that she could create custom avatars with specific requests for fifty yuan each, people flocked to her.
Shen Yushu, upon hearing this, also started advertising for Song Qinian.
Song Qinian, using her lunch break and time after work, earned five thousand yuan just by drawing avatars for people.
To thank Miao Zi'ai and Shen Yushu, Song Qinian decided to treat them to a meal.
As the elevator doors opened, the three of them, chatting and laughing, were about to step out when they saw a displeased Shen Chi Yan...