Chapter 18 – Socialising
Novel Title: 我们已经分手了 (We Have Broken Up)
Author：御小凡 (Yu Xiaofan)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 刘帆 (Liu Fan -MC), 陈谦 (Chen Qian -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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Liu Mengjiao came early again the next day. She greeted Liu Fan lazily, not looking like she hadn’t slept well.
Liu Fan sat down and asked, “Are you feeling alright?”
“No problem. Yesterday, Li Yu was worse off than me. My dodging skills were maxed out.” Liu Mengjiao lowered her head to send a WeChat message. She then showed it to Liu Fan. She was chatting with Zhou Xiang. “This girl and I are getting along pretty well now. We’ve arranged to go get our nails done tonight. The revolution’s hope is ahead!”
She took back her phone and sighed, “Yeah. She’s indeed a gentle girl without much of a temper. No wonder she got picked by that scumbag. She’s easy to deceive! But she told me her brother doesn’t approve of her and Zheng Nian. This girl, why doesn’t she listen to her brother? Oh, by the way, you were with General Manager Chen all night last night, right?”
Liu Fan nodded, “Thank you for that. We got back together already.”
Liu Mengjiao, who was about to gossip but got a confession instead: “…”
Liu Fan thought of Chen Qian’s awkward look and corrected himself, “It should be considered that we’re together.”
Liu Mengjiao took out a bucket of sunflower seeds. She grabbed a handful of them and gave them to Liu Fan, “What do you mean by ‘should be considered’?”
“It’s just…” Liu Fan ate some seeds and said with uncertainty, “We’re working towards it, I guess?”
Liu Mengjiao: “…”
Liu Mengjiao silently took the sunflower seeds back, “Don’t show off your love in front of a single person.”
“Huh? How can you be considered single?” Liu Fan dodged a bit and said affectionately, “No matter what, you can still be considered a single VIP poodle, right?”
“Why are you so annoying?” Liu Mengjiao didn’t want to deal with him and decided to browse Taobao instead.
Liu Fan thought for a while. He then opened his contact list and messaged Tuan Tuan: How does your boss have lunch?
Tuan Tuan: Sometimes he orders takeout, sometimes he has Li Yu bring it. Sometimes he goes out to eat. And if there’s a client meeting, he eats with the client.
She seemed completely unconcerned about Liu Fan’s intentions for asking, giving a very detailed response.
It seemed these two really were in sync. Liu Fan tapped his fingers on the table, thinking of Chen Qian’s slow-witted mind, unsure who to feel sorry for.
Liu Fan: Thanks.
Tuan Tuan: Mm.
After a while, Tuan Tuan sent another message: If you’re coming over, I can help you schedule a time with General Manager Chen.
Liu Fan found this a bit strange: Why would I come over?
Tuan Tuan didn’t reply for quite a while. By the time Liu Fan almost finished writing a brand story, her avatar finally shook: Then why are you asking about General Manager Chen’s schedule?
Liu Fan: I was just curious…
Tuan Tuan: You’re making it difficult for me like this.
Automatically imagining a cold tone for this sentence, Liu Fan: …
Liu Fan: Sorry, I didn’t know I shouldn’t ask that.
Tuan Tuan: But I already told you his schedule. If you were just asking, then it means I’ve casually leaked General Manager Chen’s schedule.
Why the heck can’t you disclose lunch plans? Do you think you’re some kind of big shot? Even VIPs don’t clear out places just to eat buns. Feeling awkward, Liu Fan typed: Then… could you help me schedule a time? I’ll come over at noon? Your document should be finalised by now. So I’ll bring it over for General Manager Chen to review.
Tuan Tuan: Okay.
A minute later, she added: I told General Manager Chen it’s at 12 o’clock. Don’t be late.
Liu Fan: … Thanks for the trouble.
This was really bizarre. Fortunately, the transportation between the two companies was convenient. He could take the subway and get there in half an hour.
At 11 o’clock, Liu Fan informed Liu Mengjiao, signed an out-registration at the front desk, and headed to Chen Qian’s company without hurrying. As soon as he got upstairs, he encountered Chen Qian and Li Yu leaving the front desk.
Chen Qian clicked his tongue, “Didn’t I tell you not to schedule a lunch meeting today?”
“You only told me at noon. I had already agreed to it in the morning. And you know what Qian Feng is like, he causes trouble for no reason. How could I refuse?” Li Yu’s expression was cold and indifferent. But his tone was far from pleasant.
Chen Qian looked displeased but couldn’t joke about business. So he lowered his head to look for his phone, only to hear a greeting, “Hey.”
Chen Qian looked up and saw Liu Fan leaning his elbow on the front desk, smiling at him, “Heading out?”
“Why are you here so early?” Chen Qian hurriedly walked over, leaving Li Yu behind.
Liu Fan glanced at the clock behind the front desk, “It’s okay, right? It’s 11:40, not that early. Besides, coming early means I get to see you sooner.”
Chen Qian coughed and couldn’t help but smile slightly. But his face quickly fell, looking unhappy, “Suddenly there’s a lunch meeting.”
He said this with particular reluctance, seeming more disappointed than Liu Fan, who was the one actually being stood up. Liu Fan saw Li Yu catching up, “What kind of lunch meeting? Is it very formal?”
“Our company’s major client.” Li Yu briefly explained, adjusting his glasses and telling Chen Qian, “The meeting is at 12 o’clock. It’s not good to be late.”
Liu Fan was curious, “Just the two of you?”
“They said there would be only two or three people on their side, and their deputy general manager doesn’t care about our sales team. So bringing more people is useless. It just means more people are suffering. And we can’t bring any girls for that jerk to take advantage of, so it’s just me and Li Yu. Anyway, I’m just there to foot the bill.”
“Oh.” Liu Fan tilted his head, “What good food are you having? Can I tag along for a free meal?”
“Whatever good food, in this kind of situation, everything tastes awful.” Although he said this, seeing Liu Fan’s keen interest, Chen Qian reluctantly ruffled his hair, “Fine, just don’t say anything and focus on eating.”
Li Yu frowned and shot a glance at Liu Fan. Liu Fan noticed the look but didn’t mind. He smiled at him as he smoothed his hair back into place, which Chen Qian had messed up. He then entered the elevator with the two of them.
***
As soon as they entered the private room, a middle-aged man sitting there waved at them without standing up. He looked like a superior addressing subordinates, “General Manager Chen, what a rare guest.”
He then smiled at the woman beside him and said, “General Manager Chen is a busy man. Every time I try to schedule a meeting, he’s tied up. Today he finally condescended to have a meal with this Lao Qian.”
Another man was sitting next to the woman and greeted them while still seated when the three entered.
“Manager Fu is here too. Nonsense. Our company is small. With the current economic downturn, as the general manager, I have to run the business with my team.” Chen Qian sat below Qian Feng, picked up a wine glass that had already been filled, and said, “It’s my fault for neglecting you, General Manager Qian. I’ll punish myself with three glasses first.”
This was the first time Liu Fan saw Chen Qian in a social setting, and he was somewhat surprised. Previously, he had wondered how someone with Chen Qian’s personality could rise from sales to become a general manager. But now he realised he had simply underestimated him.
Li Yu sat next to Chen Qian and greeted Qian Feng, and Liu Fan followed suit. However, Qian Feng just smiled aimlessly, not really acknowledging them.
After Chen Qian finished drinking, the woman beside Qian Feng gracefully leaned over to refill his glass.
Chen Qian drank three glasses smoothly and straightforwardly. Qian Feng chuckled, “Young people should be this efficient. The market is indeed sluggish this year. Houses aren’t selling well, and our company’s advertising budget has been significantly reduced.”
“General Manager Qian is a wise man. The fewer buyers there are, the more we need to advertise to find those interested buyers quickly, so other developers don’t steal the business.” Chen Qian touched upon the topic briefly. “Let’s not talk about business while eating. It’s too stressful. Come, General Manager Qian, I toast to you. I always tell my team that if I can achieve what General Manager Qian has in this lifetime, I would consider myself successful. Though I still have a long way to go.”
The dishes kept coming, each one more extravagant than the last. In the centre was a dish that looked like a rustic roast chicken, seemingly the main course. Liu Fan felt a sense of unreality. In the past, Chen Qian might have punched someone like Qian Feng after just a few words. But now he could calmly engage in small talk without changing his expression.
In no time, a bottle of baijiu was nearly empty. The three people on the other side were drinking with Chen Qian alone, and no matter how good Chen Qian’s alcohol tolerance was, the effects of the alcohol were showing on his face. Liu Fan had been watching him closely and couldn’t help but quietly ask Li Yu, “Why is Chen Qian drinking alone?”
Li Yu replied softly, “That’s just how Qian Feng is…”
However, he was still concerned and picked up his glass, “General Manager Qian, I’m General Manager Chen’s assistant. We’ve met a few times before. Let me toast to you.”
Qian Feng glanced at him from the corner of his eye, “Lao Fu, have a drink with the young man.”
“Sure, let’s have one,” Fu Jiayan, who was more amiable than Qian Feng, clinked glasses with Li Yu and drank. After this drink, Li Yu wasn’t doing well. Liu Fan could see his face slowly turning red and small bumps appeared on his neck, “Are you allergic to alcohol?”
Li Yu watched Fu Jiayan go back to drinking with Chen Qian. His lips were pressed into a thin line.
Unable to drink and unable to speak freely, Liu Fan felt completely at a loss as to why he had brought this person out for socialising. Liu Fan had been drinking tea all along. But now he picked up a glass and smiled broadly, “General Manager Qian, I’m also Assistant to General Manager Chen. We haven’t met before.”
His voice was clear and confident. But the content was awkward, prompting Qian Feng to chuckle, “Indeed, I haven’t met you. Where did you come from?”
As soon as Qian Feng spoke, everyone at the table turned their attention to the two of them. Chen Qian stared disapprovingly at him but maintained polite warmth, “General Manager Qian…-“
“-To be honest, I’m not really qualified to entertain General Manager Qian. But I’ve heard General Manager Chen mention you often. So I really admire you, General Manager Qian. To become a vice president at such a young age in a large company, and also, I hear you’re in charge of the company’s operations—it’s simply amazing. I’ve been wanting to meet you through General Manager Chen.” Liu Fan raised his glass sincerely, “Here’s to you, General Manager Qian. I’m younger, so I’ll drink it all. You don’t have to drink.”
Without waiting for Qian Feng’s response, Liu Fan downed the glass, then poured himself another, “Here’s another toast to you, General Manager Qian. Just listening to your words earlier opened my eyes. Thank you for your guidance.”
He finished the second glass as well.
Qian Feng probably thought this young man had sharp insight and a sweet tongue, finding him somewhat amusing. Finally, he spoke up, “It’s good for young people to be ambitious.”
Liu Fan smiled and filled his glass again, “My third toast is to our General Manager Chen. Thanks to General Manager Chen for bringing me along. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know when I’d get to meet General Manager Qian.”
“Well, well… This kid,” Qian Feng chuckled. He then turned to Chen Qian, “Not bad. He’s got potential.”
With that, he picked up his glass. Following suit, Fu Jiayan and the woman raised theirs and toasted with Liu Fan, “You’re quite the talker. No wonder General Manager Chen brings you instead of others.”
Once they broke the ice, things went smoothly. Liu Fan was naturally chatty and Qian Feng and Chen Qian drank more. But Fu Jiayan joined Liu Fan in drinking. Liu Fan’s tolerance was only average. He usually drank beer, and his stomach was already boiling, needing hot tea several times to settle it.
Chen Qian kept glancing over worriedly, visibly anxious. Liu Fan could only signal with his eyes not to worry and just to take care of himself.
At the drinking table, those who can hold their liquor are good buddies. Half a jin of white liquor later, Fu Jiayan became very close to Liu Fan, even changing seats to sit together. His face was also flushed. He gestured with his index finger, “You guys, General Manager Chen is quite considerate. Advertising space, no problem. General Manager Qian has always admired General Manager Chen…”
Liu Fan picked up a dish and put some food in Fu Jiayan’s bowl, smiling, “General Manager Chen always tells me that it’s all thanks to General Manager Qian taking care of us. Hey, following big shots like General Manager Qian, Manager Fu must have a lot to worry about. But regarding the advertising space, we’ll still have to trouble Manager Fu a lot.”
“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s nothing,” Fu Jiayan patted Liu Fan on the shoulder, “Young man, you’re really good.”
Everyone at the table was enjoying themselves.
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*Translator’s Note: I got a feeling that this lunch meeting was arranged by LY to scheme against CQ going out alone with LF. Meh! Predictable! Or maybe I’m just biassed hahaha! My glossaries below are sometimes those that I have to keep so that in my next translation, I can use them again. Unless I’m not translating a Chinese novel next time. -K
*GLOSSARY:
- In Chinese culture, “老” (lǎo) is another prefix that is commonly used before names. It generally means “old” and can also carry several connotations:
- Respect: Using “lǎo” before a name can indicate respect for someone who is older or more experienced. It is a way of acknowledging their seniority or expertise. For example, “Lao Li” (老李) could be used to show respect to someone named Li who is older or holds a senior position.
- Affection and Familiarity: Similar to “xiǎo,” “lǎo” can also be used affectionately among peers or within a family. It can convey a sense of closeness or long-standing familiarity.
- Longtime Acquaintance: It can be used to refer to someone with whom one has had a long relationship or friendship, implying that the person is an old friend or a long-time colleague.
- Nickname: It can serve as a nickname, often for someone who is considered a veteran in their field or has been around for a long time.
- For example, “Lao Wang” (老王) might be used to refer to an elder or a long-time colleague named Wang. It’s a term of respect and familiarity, acknowledging both their age and experience.
- ‘Baijiu’ is much like ‘sake’ for Japanese rice wine or ‘tequila’ for Mexican spirits. If you need to describe it, you can call it ‘Chinese distilled liquor’ or ‘Chinese white spirit’.
- ‘Half a jin’ (半斤) refers to half a traditional Chinese weight unit called ‘jin’ (斤), which is equivalent to 500 grams. So, ‘half a jin’ would indeed mean 250 grams (or 0.25 kilograms). If you’re trying to word it better in English, you could say ‘250 grams of liquor’ or ‘a quarter of a kilogram of liquor’.
- Taobao (淘宝) is a popular online shopping platform in China, similar to eBay or Amazon. It was launched by Alibaba Group in 2003 and operates as a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplace, allowing individuals and small businesses to sell products directly to consumers. Taobao offers a vast range of products, from clothing and electronics to groceries and household items, often at competitive prices. It also includes a significant amount of niche or unique products that may not be found on other platforms.
Next update: 2024.09.23
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