Rustle, rustle

The clinking of bottles never stopped.

At ten thirty in the morning, Su Qing got up groggily. The dazzling sunlight streamed in through the window, painfully bright.

But he couldn't rest yet. Though he wasn't a neat freak, he couldn't tolerate such a messy room. He opened the window to air the room out, then started cleaning.

Even though only two people had been there, the living room was beyond use. Despite his headache, he started tidying up.

Knock, knock, knock

Half an hour later, there was a noise at the door.

"Wen Jie, why are you here?" Su Qing was a bit surprised but still invited her in.

"It's a bit messy here. Wen Jie, please have a seat!"

Saying that, he gathered the scattered bottles and put them in a corner. After all, he rented the place, and now that the landlord was here, he'd naturally feel a bit embarrassed seeing the place in such a state.

"You guys didn't hold back last night, did you? Didn't you say you have a low tolerance for alcohol?"

"His tolerance is good, I was just tagging along. By the way, Wen Jie, why are you here so early?" The landlady's early morning visit puzzled him.

"Didn't your sister Shen say a friend of yours wants to rent a house? I came to take a look. But I heard from Yi that your friend's mood wasn't great. Is everything okay now?"

"Him? He'll survive! Wen Jie, wait a moment while I take out the trash!"

"Okay!"

By the time he finished disposing of the empty bottles and plastic bags from upstairs, Wen Nanqing had already mopped the entire living room for him.

"Wen Jie, you shouldn't be doing this work. I'm really embarrassed. Let me do it!" He said as he tried to take over.

But Wen Nanqing didn't mind and laughed, "No worries, I do this often at home. Almost done, no need to take over."

Saying that, she cleaned up the mess from last night with the mop.

It's undeniable; the way the landlady did housework, anyone could see she was the exemplary model of a virtuous wife and good mother, the ideal type most men would want to marry.

He then recounted the events of yesterday, explaining that his friend had a breakup, came to stay with him for a few days, and was looking for a new place to live.

"He was a 'bootlicker' for five years and finally came to his senses, which is a happy ending for everyone. Although he looked calm yesterday, he drank cup after cup once he got back. Good thing he got through it."

Listening to his description, Wen Nanqing got a general impression of Wang Xing.

"Managing a relationship is no easier than running a business. Actually, avoiding being hurt or turned into a 'bootlicker' is quite simple. The 'Six Kingdoms Theory' already mentioned it."

"The 'Six Kingdoms Theory'?"

"Yes, see, it states, [The destruction of the Six Kingdoms was not due to inadequate weapons or poor tactics, but the failure lay in the bribes to Qin.] In any situation, you should not sacrifice your self-worth to be nice to others. Spending money on someone is fine, but don't overdo it. It's okay to apologize, but not if it hurts your self-esteem. A bit of playacting is fine, but the greatest attraction in a person is their character, principles, and boundaries. These elements can provide a continuous sense of conquest and allure just like the territories of the Six Kingdoms. That's why people prefer 'ice queens' or 'cool guys' over 'beggars' or 'bootlickers.'"

Upon hearing this, Su Qing felt enlightened as if he'd opened up a new train of thought. He really wanted to call Wang Xing over to hear this.

He watched Wen Nanqing sitting on the sofa, tucking her hair behind her ear with her legs crossed, and in that instant, he seemed to see a well-read lady eloquently speaking, exuding a scholarly cultural aura.

She continued, "[Thinking about the forefathers who endured frost and dew, clearing thorns and brambles to earn every inch of land]The dignity your parents spent ten, twenty years building for you is not meant to be destroyed or trampled by others. Stick to your principles. Otherwise, your end will be [bribing Qin weakened our strength; it's the path of destruction]. Even if you keep compromising, letting them take whatever they want, what do you get in return? A change of heart, more affection? [Five cities one day, ten the next, and yet upon waking, the Qin army returns]. What you get in return is just intensified exploitation."

Su Qing nodded repeatedly, genuinely agreeing with the observation that it's not dissatisfaction with your attitude — it's dissatisfaction with you. If Wang Xing were truly worth a fortune, Jiang Mengting might have had a second child by now in college.

"Wen Jie, it's easy to say but hard to do. Otherwise, why are there so many 'bootlickers' and 'jerks and bitches'?" Su Qing responded helplessly.

These principles, combined with the Six Kingdoms Theory, are clear enough. But knowing the principles and knowing how to change are two different things.

"[Bribe Qin's land to seal off the advisors of the world; unite forces against Qin, and even then, Qin wouldn't dare swallow it]For every ten thousand dollars you spend on someone, that person's charisma increases by ten thousand. You lose ten thousand, and when added up, you're worth twenty thousand less than them. But if you invested time, energy, and money into yourself, like buying skincare products, clothes, running, or starting a small business, you'd become more outstanding. If one person doesn't like you, someone else will, right?" Wen Nanqing smiled.

Her tone was natural, diction clear, per logic tight, and principles obvious. No matter how you look at it, she exemplified a talented woman, living insightfully, to say the least.

Su Qing applauded from the side, utterly amazed, realizing the benefits of being cultured; she could craft eloquent sentences and cite classics even when advising others. Unlike himself, spewing nonsense like 'bootlicker.'

If he'd had such a foundation, Wang Xing might have escaped his bootlicker identity long ago.

"Wen Jie, you should start a class. I think you'll have great success, bringing in a steady income." He truly admired her.

Then he heard words that made him collapse: "No, I'm already tired of collecting money every day, my fingers ache. I don't want to. Besides, how much can you earn by teaching classes?"

The way she said it was so natural, eyes indicating her limits. From Wen Nanqing and Shen Yi's viewpoint, any project they personally had to work on probably didn't bring them much money, and even if it did, it was limited. Given time and energy, they could earn much more.

They chatted for a while, and Su Qing agreed that Wang Xing would personally discuss the housing matter with her that evening.

Meanwhile, at the company, Su Qing hadn't shown up for three consecutive days, and everyone in the planning department felt like something was missing.

With the recent increase in projects, Shen Yi also became busier. As the big boss got busy, naturally, the workload for those lower in the ranks increased as well.

Looking at Su Qing's empty desk, Sun Mumu seemed dispirited, feeling like he had lost a significant chunk of joy.

"Miaomiao, when do you think Little Su will come back to work? The company is so boring without him. Miaomiao?"

After a long while of talking with no response, Sun Mumu turned to look at the 'Phoenix Chick' beside her, only to find her sitting dazedly in front of the computer, not working, her mind wandering elsewhere.

"Haha, silly Miaomiao, what are you thinking? Could you be thinking about a man?" Sun Mumu suddenly felt like she'd discovered a secret and leaned over.

"Ah!" Lin Miaomiao was startled, her hair standing on end.

"I... I wasn't!"

As she spoke, her cheeks visibly blushed to her ears, as if caught out on a secret.

Seeing this, the social terror widened her eyes, "It's true~ Oh my, my Miaomiao has opened up and knows to think about men? Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

Lin Miaomiao: ...

At three in the afternoon, a police car stopped outside Qingshui Garden District.

"Sister Jun, what's going on?" Su Qing came downstairs and saw Li Zijun by the car, asking from afar.

He'd just received a call from Li Zijun to come downstairs, not expecting a police car.

"It's not me; it's my mentor and Officer Zhao who want to invite you to visit the police station. Didn't you have a nice chat last time? Of course, if you don't want to go, you don't have to."

Hearing this, Su Qing recalled the chat with the two smooth talkers over the past two days and thought it seemed true enough.

But before he could speak, a middle-aged man in uniform stepped out of the car: "Is this the person that Old Lin and Old Zhao are so optimistic about? He doesn't look reliable. Xiao Li, are you sure you've got the right person!"

"Sister Jun... this..."

"This is Captain Wang from the Anti-Narcotics Division."

The man stepped forward, extending his hand with a smile, "Hello, I'm Wang Jingye. Are you that Su Qing? I've heard about you."

In response, Su Qing narrowed his eyes slightly, "Another Old Wang."

Wang Jingye: ???

Li Zijun: ...

...

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