Chapter 382: The Dream Bag

Friday, August 18, 2023, cloudy with sunny intervals, 27~31°C.

The gradually brightening sky seeped through the curtains into the bedroom.

Liu Qingning slowly woke from her sleep; Tang Song, who had been beside her, was nowhere to be seen.

She sat dazed for a while, her thoughts gradually clearing.

She picked up her phone to check the time.

【7:41】

Immediately after, she saw a WeChat message.

【Tang Song: "I saw you were sleeping soundly this morning, so I didn't wake you. Breakfast is in the fridge; heat it up when you get up. I have something to take care of, so I'm heading out."】

Turning off the air conditioner and throwing off the summer quilt, Liu Qingning sent a brief reply and got up to head out.

Recalling the scenes from last night, a complex expression appeared on her face.

Tang Song's sudden display of dominance, along with his chest-groping, had left her sleepless last night, and she didn't even know when she had finally drifted off.

She had originally intended to win him back with a "nostalgia attack" and a sexy outfit, but in the end, she had failed.

From the bottom of her heart and her values, she could not accept the fact of Tang Song's promiscuity, nor could she accept sharing him with other women.

Yet, she truly did not want to give him up.

She didn't know what had happened to Tang Song during this time; even his experiences since college had begun to seem mysterious.

Tang Song was no longer the silly boy she remembered.

She understood that she needed to get to know this childhood sweetheart all over again.

Only after she had a sufficient understanding of him would she figure out a way to win him back or make a choice.

After washing up and wiping her face, she had just stepped out of the bathroom.

When she saw Liu Shuang walking out of the bedroom.

"Huh? Qingning, why haven't you left yet? It's almost 8:30."

Tang Yi Precision operated on a flexible work schedule, usually starting at 10:00 AM and finishing at 7:00 PM, so Liu Shuang always got up quite late.

"I overslept today, but it's fine; I've already handed over my work here anyway." Liu Qingning smiled and pointed to the breakfast on the table. "Here, Tang Song bought it. I just finished eating, and it's still warm."

"Thanks, honey." Liu Shuang sat down by the coffee table with a smile, took a bite of a shrimp dumpling, and a look of satisfaction appeared on her face.

"By the way, Qingning! You don't seem to have a bag for dining banquets. Let me recommend a few styles; we can go buy one at the mall this afternoon."

While changing her clothes, Liu Qingning shook her head and said, "No need, Tang Song just happened to give me a handbag a couple of days ago."

"Oh? A bag Tang Song gave you?" Liu Shuang couldn't even be bothered to eat anymore; she stood up curiously and said, "What brand? Where is it? Let me see."

"Wait a second." Liu Qingning pulled up her pants, opened the wardrobe, stood on tiptoe, and took an orange gift box from the top shelf.

Because she had been preoccupied with thoughts about Tang Song these past few days, she hadn't taken it out to use yet.

Looking at the familiar packaging, Liu Shuang said in surprise, "LV? Which model is this?"

"Capucines Mini."

"Wow, the classic handbag series, the one you like the most! Even the basic version costs 50,000 or 60,000. Tang Song really went all out!"

Liu Qingning opened the lid, took the bag out from inside, and a big smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.

This bag Tang Song bought was exactly to her liking.

She really did love the LV Capucines Mini; she had had the urge to buy one before, but because she was busy with work and needed to save money, she had been suppressing her desires.

"Uh... wait..." Liu Shuang widened her eyes and said, "Good heavens, this looks like the crocodile skin series that costs over 200,000, right? Is it real?"

Although the rare skin and regular skin were the same model, the exquisiteness, luxury, and price were far superior; in their eyes, they were completely different things.

"Of course it's genuine." Liu Qingning pouted and said, "Tang Song wouldn't lie to me."

She had absolute confidence in this point.

Having known him for so many years, aside from joking and teasing, Tang Song had never truly deceived her.

Even when it came to feelings, he was the same.

Actually, she could understand why Tang Song frankly admitted his "scumbag" behavior.

The relationship between them was complex; besides love, there was also a deep friendship.

If Tang Song had really deceived her, then the moment she discovered the truth, the consequences would be devastating.

The friendship and affection they had built over a long time would develop irreparable cracks.

Tang Song didn't want this relationship to deteriorate, so he had no choice but to be honest with her.

"Honey, this is my Dream Bag! Let me see it quickly!" Liu Shuang excitedly leaned in.

She had just graduated with her master's degree this year and had only been confirmed in her position for two months; although her monthly salary was 40,000, she really didn't have any savings and couldn't afford this level of luxury goods at all.

Touching the diamond-covered LV clasp lovingly, Liu Shuang gently opened the flap and said in surprise, "Oh, why is there something inside?"

"What is it?" Liu Qingning paused, opened the bag, and looked inside.

Besides a shoulder strap, there were a few other things neatly placed in the inner pocket.

She took them out to look; there were three items in total.

A plastic-sealed black-and-gold watch, a bottle of perfume, and a folded piece of paper.

"This is... a Chanel black-and-gold square watch, and Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil perfume." Liu Shuang looked at the logo on the watch and said with envy, "With the rare-skin Capucines Mini on your back and the Chanel watch on your wrist, your style is instantly elevated."

Although they were highly educated, they came from ordinary backgrounds, and their social class hadn't risen yet.

Facing such high-level evening banquets and social celebrities, it would be impossible not to be nervous.

Having these luxury items on one's person would at least provide some confidence and poise, and they also added some social value.

Liu Qingning licked her lips and placed the watch box and perfume on the bed.

She picked up the folded paper and gently opened it.

On it was a sketch of her, depicting her during high school.

She was wearing her school uniform, sitting by the window, wearing headphones, with a playful and cute smile on her face.

Below the sketch, there was a line written in pencil.

【Only when your brows and eyes smile lightly, are the ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers all spring.】

Liu Qingning's eyes grew moist, and her vision gradually blurred.

This wasn't content from any photograph; it was a scene that existed only in Tang Song's memory.

Liu Shuang said with a complex expression, "I have to admit, Tang Song is indeed very good to you. This whole set of things adds up to 300,000; that's not a small sum for him."

Previously, she had firmly believed that Tang Song wasn't worthy of Liu Qingning, and she hadn't missed many chances to urge her to choose the more outstanding Cheng Qingfeng or Xiang Kai.

But after meeting this time, the brand-new image the other party displayed had greatly reversed her inherent impression.

This "plain-looking" childhood sweetheart of Liu Qingning's indeed had merits worth her dedication.

If one didn't consider economic conditions, he was absolutely no worse than Xiang Kai.

Looking at the sketch in her hand and the gifts one by one, Liu Qingning took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions.

11:00 AM.

Kexing Science Park, Century Zhixue.

The HR director handed over the resignation certificate. "It's done, Director Liu, it's all finished. Just keep holding onto your access card and employee badge; there might still be work-related questions for you in the coming period."

"Mm, I understand, bye." Liu Qingning nodded and turned to walk out of the HR office.

Just as she returned to her workstation, Li Ziying walked over.

She patted her on the shoulder and said softly, "Qingning, for the exchange banquet tonight, Qingfeng has something to do and won't be going."

Liu Qingning paused, nodded thoughtfully, and said, "Oh, okay."

"By the way, you're going to buy clothes with Liu Shuang this afternoon, right?"

"Yeah, I'll take a taxi to find her in a bit, have a meal together, and then go shopping."

"OK, then let's the three of us go together." Li Ziying pinched her cute cheeks and smiled, "After we finish shopping, I'll take you to a super good beauty salon. The makeup artist there has top-tier skills; I just got a VIP card.

We can do a treatment first to make the skin look fresher.

Then, matching it with your new clothes, we'll have the professional makeup artist do a full look for us.

Attending such a formal occasion, we have to dress exquisitely and decently, right?

A girl as pretty as you, if you get yourself done up properly, you'll absolutely be no worse than those celebrities."

Hearing this, Liu Qingning's eyes instantly lit up. "Great, thanks, Ziying."

They were all development engineers, so their makeup skills weren't great, and they usually didn't have time to study it.

No woman didn't love beauty, and someone like her, who had been beautiful since she was little, was even more so.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been afraid to let Tang Song look at her face up close because of her acne.

She had gone too long without properly taking care of herself.

Thinking about appearing in front of Tang Song with a new look after finishing her treatment, applying beautiful makeup, and putting on brand-new clothes.

Liu Qingning clenched her little fist, a happy smile appearing on her face.

Shenzhen Bay No. 1, Building T8.

"Ding-dong—" The doorbell rang.

Tang Song put down his laptop, stood up, and walked to the entryway.

The real-time image from outside appeared on the LED display; after confirming it was the property service staff, Tang Song opened the armored door.

"Mr. Tang, your clothes have been pressed; please check if there are any issues."

Tang Song took the full set of Kiton suits, checked them briefly, and said with a smile, "No problems, thank you."

"It's an honor to serve you; I wish you a pleasant life, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Closing the armored door, Tang Song removed the dust cover and hung the clothes in the master bedroom walk-in closet.

When he came to Shenzhen, he had happened to bring a suit, which had been kept here at Shenzhen Bay No. 1.

Since he was going to attend a banquet tonight, he naturally had to dress more formally.

After being pressed, the suit's drape and crispness had been restored to their original state.

Tang Song took off his casual clothes and put on the outfit piece by piece.

A navy blue suit, dress pants, a white shirt, and dark brown casual leather shoes.

It had both a casual sense of comfort and a touch of business atmosphere.

He put on his Jiang Shidan Overseas.

He stood in front of the mirror and looked.

Superior body proportions, a tall and sturdy figure, high-quality clothing, and handsome facial features.

The overall look was impeccable; he was absolutely a top-tier handsome guy.

Tang Song felt that he could go and be a popular young idol now, and he would definitely have a huge market.

He admired himself in the mirror for quite a while.

Tang Song picked up his phone and dialed Liu Qingning's number. "Hey, are you done shopping?"

"Yeah, I just got back to the rental with Shuangshuang. We're going to the beauty salon for makeup and styling now; it should take a long time. I'll send you the location; just come over directly, and we'll go to the Raffles Hotel together."

"Okay, baby."

"Hey, how are you talking!" Liu Qingning's voice was a bit shy.

Tang Song smiled, kissed the microphone, and said softly, "Bye, wait for me to pick you up tonight."

"Bye."

Hanging up, Tang Song paced to the balcony and looked out into the distance.

Unlike the Imperial Capital, which was weathered by history, or the Magic City, which was prosperous to its very core.

Shenzhen was a very young metropolis; it was vibrant and full of high-spirited energy.

Here were Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei...

And also his own Smile Holdings, Tang Yi Precision, Qingning Technology...

Leaving his "white moonlight" here was actually a very good choice.

Relp Beauty Salon.

Facial treatment, hand treatment, makeup and styling...

After the whole process was finished, it was already close to 6:00 PM.

Liu Qingning stood in front of the full-length mirror for a long time, a joyful smile appearing on her face.

The light blue summer suit dress, with its waist-cinching design, perfectly outlined her body curves, with her front and back well-defined.

The black-and-gold Chanel square watch on her wrist perfectly accented her outfit, making her look more fashionable.

Her hair had slight waves, and her carefully treated skin was white and tender.

Plus a pair of 6-centimeter high heels, she looked radiant, sexy, and beautiful.

Thinking of Tang Song, whom she was about to meet, a look of excitement and pride flashed in Liu Qingning's eyes.

After all, she had once been the recognized school beauty of Jingxian No. 1 High School.

It was just that she had been too busy with work to take care of herself.

After being properly groomed this time, she had recovered 80% to 90% of her peak charm.

She had to absolutely stun that brat later!

"Qingning, you're really beautiful." Liu Shuang sighed sincerely, then looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but feel a bit discouraged.

Her figure was average, and she was pretty in a small way; she was actually quite popular in her company department.

But standing in front of Liu Qingning, she seemed completely unremarkable.

Everything is afraid of comparison.

Li Ziying leaned in with a smile, sighed "tsk-tsk" a few times, picked up Liu Qingning's LV bag, and handed it over. "With this outfit, you're a pure heroine straight out of a romance novel!"

Liu Qingning pursed her lips and chuckled, exchanging a few jokes with her.

"Ding-a-ling—" A sharp phone ringtone sounded.

Liu Shuang hurriedly picked up her phone and answered, "Hey, Xiang Kai."

"Oh, oh, we're done; we're leaving for the hotel in a bit."

"Huh? You're here? This..." Liu Shuang secretly glanced at Liu Qingning and said, "Okay, we're coming out right now."

Hanging up.

Liu Qingning asked, "What's wrong, Shuangshuang?"

Liu Shuang said a bit embarrassedly, "I told Xiang Kai on WeChat earlier that we were coming here for makeup and told him roughly when we'd finish. He said he happened to be nearby and would drive over to pick us up and go to the Raffles Hotel together. He's already in the rest area on the first floor of the beauty salon."

She and Xiang Kai were college classmates for four years; their relationship was already excellent, and he had even helped her get an autographed photo of Bei Yuwei.

So she hadn't hidden her whereabouts at all when chatting, and she had also mentioned the news that Tang Song was coming to pick up Liu Qingning.

However, she hadn't expected Xiang Kai to act so decisively and just charge over.

Tang Song had been staying at their rental for the past few days since arriving in Shenzhen, and Liu Qingning had officially resigned; Xiang Kai was already getting a bit impatient.

Li Ziying laughed and said, "Great, we're done too, go-go-go. I'm basking in your glory today; with an insider like Xiang Kai leading the way, we can be more relaxed, and maybe we can even make some celebrity friends."

Liu Qingning frowned slightly, but she didn't say anything.

Walking out of the VIP makeup room, they went down the marble stairs to the first floor.

Immediately after, they saw Xiang Kai sitting on the sofa in the rest area.

He was wearing a high-end, tailored formal suit, wearing a flashy watch, with his hair parted in a 3-7 split.

He had both the steady solemnity of a financial elite and the carefree ease of a rich young master.

He looked handsome and dashing, with an outstanding temperament.

Quite a few beauty salon staff passing by would subconsciously cast their gaze toward him.

Looking at Xiang Kai at this moment, Liu Shuang couldn't help but sigh, envying her best friend's good fortune.

Actually, if she really had to choose, she would probably still choose Xiang Kai.

In terms of appearance, he was also a top-tier handsome guy, no worse than Tang Song.

His father was the vice president of an entertainment company, his mother was a well-known actress, his family had broad connections, and he himself was a financial elite.

Xiang Kai's future was limitless.

Or rather, he wasn't in the same social class as them to begin with.

The money Liu Qingning had painstakingly saved up after 3 years of entrepreneurship was barely enough to buy a house in Shenzhen.

But Xiang Kai's family already had two properties in Shenzhen.

Hearing the footsteps coming from the stairwell.

Xiang Kai looked up and scanned them, his gaze landing on Liu Qingning in the middle, a faint look of amazement and heat in his eyes.

A cute and charming face, a sexy and hot figure.

Liu Qingning, dressed up, combined both innocence and maturity.

This sense of contrast was visually striking, and it was also his favorite type.

Standing up, Xiang Kai greeted them with a smile, "Good evening, three beauties."

"Good evening." "Thanks for your trouble, making you run over here specially."

"It's no trouble, I'm nearby."

Xiang Kai paced to stand in front of the three, looked at Liu Qingning, and said with bright eyes, "You look really beautiful in this outfit today; I give it 100 points! I told you long ago, you should do more treatments."

Li Ziying teased, "Hey, how can you only praise one person? Aren't Shuangshuang and I beautiful?"

"Of course you are." Xiang Kai shrugged, his mouth curling up, "But to be honest, Qingning is even more beautiful."

Liu Qingning nodded earnestly and said, "That's the honest truth."

"Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil?" Xiang Kai's nose twitched, and he smiled, "Rare, rare, Qingning, you actually sprayed perfume."

Liu Shuang covered her mouth and laughed, "Your nose is really sharp."

Liu Qingning chuckled and explained nonchalantly, "The perfume was a gift from Tang Song."

Hearing her words, Xiang Kai raised his eyebrows, "Oh? Then his taste is quite good; this is a unisex perfume, blending fruit, floral, and woody notes, fresh and elegant, gentle and natural... it suits a girl like you very well."

Xiang Kai was very eloquent and knowledgeable; he spoke with ease, confidence, and dash, carrying a unique charm.

Liu Shuang and Li Ziying both looked at him with bright eyes.

After finishing talking about the perfume, Xiang Kai said mysteriously, "There's also good news to tell you; for this banquet, a well-known senior of ours will also be attending. Guess who it is?"

Liu Shuang grabbed his arm, full of curiosity, and said, "Just say it! There are so many famous seniors from our school; who knows which one it is!"

"Yeah, Xiang Kai, hurry up and say who!"

Xiang Kai shook his head and smiled, "It's Qin Yingxue."

"Ah! It's her!" "Senior Yingxue!"

The three exclaimed, surprise appearing in their eyes.

The name Qin Yingxue might not be famous to the outside world, but for some students at Imperial Capital University, especially those in the Computer Science department, it could be considered deafening.

She had once served as a work assistant for Jin Meixiao, had also made a name for herself in the investment field, and was currently a board member of Qingning Technology, appearing in major news media from time to time.

It was said that because of her presence, Qingning Technology had hired many alumni from Imperial Capital University, even forming a circle of mutual help.

Li Ziying took a deep breath, her eyes excited, and said, "Xiang Kai, the headhunters from Deren are already contacting me for an interview with Qingning Technology; do you think it's possible for us to toast Senior Qin Yingxue and chat for a few words?"

She was a practitioner in the AI field, a master's graduate from Imperial Capital University, and a member of an entrepreneurial team that had achieved results.

After leaving Century Zhixue, as long as she worked hard, there was a high probability she could enter Qingning Technology.

Of course, entering in this way would only make her an ordinary employee.

If she could get Qin Yingxue's attention, then the future would be hard to say.

Xiang Kai smiled and said, "Senior Qin is acting on a whim this time; it's uncertain when she'll arrive, and it's uncertain how long she'll stay here. How about this: if she's still there during the cocktail party segment, we'll go say hello together."

Li Ziying immediately said, "Great!"

Liu Qingning and Liu Shuang also nodded, expectant looks appearing on their faces.

Wanting to see Pei Yanke and Bei Yuwei was just wanting to join in the fun and have some interaction with celebrities they had seen on TV, not worshiping them.

By comparison, a strong woman like Qin Yingxue fit their definition of an idol even better.

Xiang Kai raised his wrist to check his watch, "It's already 6:00 PM. Shuangshuang said Tang Song is coming too; hasn't he arrived yet?"

"He should be here soon; I'll make a call." Liu Qingning took her phone out of her bag and dialed.

"Hey, Tang Song."

"Mm, we've already come out; we're in the rest area on the first floor."

"You've already arrived?"

Liu Qingning hurriedly looked up toward the entrance of the beauty salon.

Hearing the content of her conversation, Xiang Kai and the others also looked over.

The greeter at the door bowed slightly.

"Tap-tap" footsteps sounded.

A tall figure abruptly appeared in the gorgeous lobby of the beauty salon.

A well-tailored navy blue suit, the fabric shimmering with a delicate luster, perfectly hugging his body lines.

The slim-fit dress pants hung straight, swaying gently with his steps, carrying a calm and unhurried elegance.

The collar of his white shirt was slightly open, revealing clear muscle lines.

Under the brilliant lights, on his fair wrist, the Jiang Shidan Overseas shone brightly.

A dark-colored suit paired with a white shirt made him look sharp, tall, handsome, steady, and as beautiful as jade.

As soon as he appeared, he instantly became the focus of the entire room.

He first politely looked around, then his gaze stopped on Liu Qingning, his mouth curling up slightly, outlining a charming smile.

Elegant, noble, romantic.

Sharp-edged and extremely outstanding.

Liu Qingning looked at Tang Song, who had changed into a handsome suit and dressed like an adult, her gaze somewhat dull.

Over the past few days, the Tang Song by her side had also changed a lot, but his temperament hadn't been this thorough.

Especially when they were playing around together, it was as if he had turned back into the him from high school.

But Tang Song at this very moment reminded her of him when he grabbed her chest last night.

A bit unfamiliar, but infinitely charming.

Liu Shuang and Li Ziying swallowed, both noticing Tang Song's difference.

Looking at the familiar facial features, a look of disbelief flashed across Xiang Kai's face.

Footsteps approached.

"Good evening." A clear and magnetic voice sounded.

"Good evening." "Good evening, Tang Song..."

Hearing the name from Liu Shuang's mouth, Xiang Kai finally confirmed it, his eye twitching.

It really was him, that so-called childhood sweetheart who often hung around Liu Qingning.

Tang Song nodded slightly to the few, walked straight to Liu Qingning's side, and took her hand.

Lowering his head, looking at her beautifully dressed face, he said with bright eyes, "You look really beautiful today; is this the surprise for me? I like it very much."

A blush instantly appeared on Liu Qingning's face, her rosy lips moved slightly, and she said somewhat unnaturally, "It's getting late; we should head to the venue."

"Mm." Tang Song nodded, turned, and asked, "Liu Shuang, how are you guys getting there?"

"That..." Liu Shuang said in a low voice, "Xiang Kai drove over; there are exactly 5 of us, so we can go together."

Xiang Kai pursed his lips, "Long time no see, Tang Song; you still remember me, right?"

"Of course I remember, Xiang Kai." Tang Song's expression was calm and composed, "Then you three take one car, and I'll go with Qingning; my car is still waiting outside, and we'll meet in the hotel lobby."

Seeing this competitor who had brought him deep frustration back then, he no longer had too many emotions.

Xiang Kai's eyes narrowed, he didn't say anything, and stepped to follow.

Walking out of the beauty salon door, the humid and stuffy air rushed toward them.

The security driver waiting by the roadside immediately opened the rear door of the Bentley Mulsanne, bowed, and gestured with his hand.

Tang Song squeezed Liu Qingning's soft hand and took her inside.

The door was gently closed, and the driver, in a suit and wearing sunglasses, neatly got into the driver's seat.

The black Bentley Mulsanne merged into the traffic.