Sophia wasn't really angry with Jiang Ruoqi. The three of them had spent so much time together that they were rarely apart. But now, in such a short time, one had gotten married and started her own family, and the other was being sent away to Xinhai. Sophia would be left alone to face all her troubles, and it frustrated her to the point where she couldn't control her emotions.
But Jiang Ruoqi had her own considerations and judgments. The three of them couldn't stay tied together forever.
As a friend, Sophia knew her boundaries. If she clung too tightly, she might lose the friendship she valued.
Sophia let out a long sigh and softened: "When do you leave?"
Jiang Ruoqi felt a bit guilty and lowered her voice: "I'll pack up tomorrow and leave the morning after."
"That soon?" Sophia frowned even more. "Where will you stay?"
"Hotel for now. I'll take my time finding a place. The company will cover the expenses." Jiang Ruoqi had no choice. Time was tight; she could only pack necessities and buy the rest later.
"The situation in Xinhai is urgent. Other brands have already launched their Christmas and New Year promotions. The subsidiary has been following last year's plan, but the new product launch plan was rejected twice by the group. I heard the third version isn't out yet, but I've seen the previous ones—they're a complete mess."
"Then you should know that a mission-critical job isn't easy," Sophia couldn't help saying. "You want to go back to the mainland, you want to do this. I won't stop you. But think carefully whether you want to take on this task, whether you want to stay with the company. Use this chance to consider your options."
Ada opened her mouth but said nothing, staring at Sophia as if she were crazy.
Jiang Ruoqi's return to the mainland was already a heavy burden. With them living apart, maintaining their friendship would be hard enough. If Jiang Ruoqi left the company, it would be even harder to stay connected.
"I know," Jiang Ruoqi said lightly.
She knew this wasn't a good assignment.
The CEO of the Xinhai company held shares in several group projects. As the mainland market's revenue share grew, the boss had become wary of him. Coupled with poor sales of sub-brands recently, which he attributed to marketing (a project he didn't oversee), it was like slapping the Bald Boss in the face twice in public.
Now, as the group's appointed marketing director, she was the boss's even more ruthless retaliation—another slap to that CEO's face.
It was a power struggle among the higher-ups, and she was just a pawn.
If next quarter's sales were good, the credit might not go to her. The Gangcheng side might be satisfied, but the local CEO in Xinhai would definitely give her a hard time.
If sales were bad, it would be even worse. If she embarrassed the boss, everyone would be miserable.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, the smartest move would be to leave this game entirely.
Jiang Ruoqi wasn't particularly attached to this company, but she was too lazy.
She'd rather lie down than sit, and rather sit than stand. She saw too many things at work and in life, but she was too lazy to argue. To outsiders, she wasn't very talkative outside work. In private, unknown to others, she'd let all her energy drain away, drinking to a buzz under pressure and then sleeping for a whole day.
Because of her childhood, Jiang Ruoqi wasn't afraid of upheaval. But deep down, she longed for stability.
Xinhai was a completely new city for her. If she had to adapt to a new environment and change jobs at the same time—new work, new colleagues, new bosses—she'd rather ride the waves in her old place.
At least the approval processes at the group level were the same.
"I know this salary isn't easy to earn, but changing jobs is a whole new hassle. So... I'll wait and see. I don't want to deal with too many changes in a short time."
Jiang Ruoqi stood up, took a deep breath in front of the lush green plants, but the greenery did nothing to ease her anxiety.
She unconsciously started rubbing the callus on her right index finger, stroking and rubbing, trying to smooth out the roughness.
She had a bit of OCD about this. But every time she peeled off the dead skin, it only created new unevenness. So she kept repeating until the tip became raw and bleeding, and she had to stop.
Sophia was worried: "You seem really stressed."
"It's okay. Adapting to a new place always takes time. It's normal to feel more pressure. No big deal."
Jiang Ruoqi turned back and raised an eyebrow to show she had things under control. Noticing Ada spacing out, she raised an eyebrow and shifted tone, showing a hint of regret: "But I won't be able to go drinking with you anymore. I'll need to find someone to relieve stress with."
"Find a good bedmate," Ada blurted out unexpectedly.
As a married woman, she spoke freely in front of two singles: "Let me tell you, a buzz can only briefly relieve physical fatigue. But sleeping with a compatible partner gives you spiritual satisfaction."
"Of course, a long-term, stable partner is best, with regular health checkups. And first and foremost, stamina must be good, otherwise none of the above matters."
Ada shrugged. When she looked up and saw the other two staring at her, she asked innocently, "Did I say something wrong? Why are you both looking at me?"
Sophia turned away, not wanting to respond. She thought Ada was basically handing Jiang Ruoqi a pillow when she was feeling sleepy—such a good friend. She had nothing nice to say about this self-sabotage.
Jiang Ruoqi, on the other hand, slowly walked back to the bench, turned to lean against the backrest, and put an arm on Ada's shoulder: "No, it sounds very reasonable. So I plan to put it into practice."
"I'll be new in Xinhai and won't know anyone. It's only fair to start with people close by, right?" Jiang Ruoqi revealed her true intent, hugging Ada's arm and shaking it: "Can you ask your Mr. Su to pass a message to Dr. Meng?"
Ada finally realized she had walked right into the trap again.
Playing matchmaker wasn't a problem. And Meng Shang was indeed the best person to help Jiang Ruoqi, who would be new to Xinhai.
But she had forgotten about Shen Xuyan earlier, and didn't realize that Jiang Ruoqi's interest in Meng Shang was because of her ex.
Now that she knew, if she played matchmaker and things went wrong, wouldn't that make everyone awkward? Meng Shang was her dear husband's childhood friend, and Jiang Ruoqi was a very important friend to her.
For once, Ada used her brain and asked cautiously: "Um, Seven, about Shen..."
"Don't worry. I'm not into replacement games. It has nothing to do with him."
Jiang Ruoqi interrupted bluntly.
She and Shen Xuyan were just ordinary exes. If she didn't bring it up, she would almost forget. Nothing deep. And who was replacing whom? That wasn't clear.
Jiang Ruoqi stood up straight, dimming her playful smile. She looked into the distance, where the sky was dark, as if clouds would soon bring a storm.
This weather reminded her of the heavy rain that year, the empty streets, and Meng Shang, whom she thought she'd never see again.
When she spoke again, her voice was ethereal: "Meng Shang is Meng Shang."
"To me, he'll always be just Meng Shang."