Category: Night Nine to Morning Five

　　Qiao Jin returned to the ward, placed the chilled lilies in a vase, and set it by the window. 　　Qiao Jin fiddled with the flowers, arranging the larger blooms toward the bed: “Can the nurse really shortchange you on food and drink?” 　　Qiao Jin smiled at him with his back turned, then turned around and…

Lu Pingzhang’s days in the hospital were quite comfortable. Qiao Jin fed him porridge by hand, read to him at noon and in the evening, and almost always granted his every request. The only downside was that he had to follow medical advice and avoid exercise. Otherwise, it couldn’t have been more perfect. 　　Qiao Jin…

No one could have imagined that the headline dominating the news that day would be like this. “Hou Mou kidnaps Ruiyi President, hiring low-quality bodyguards” “Are they bodyguards or kidnappers? Unveiling the criminals’ true colors” 　　“Two years in prison flew by in the blink of an eye, and the bodyguard is back to lend a…

Hou Wude took a half step back, looking at Lu Pingzhang, who was surrounded by a group of bodyguards and pinned down in the middle. He tilted his head, tapped his ear, and then smiled again: “Lu Ge, I don’t think you understand the situation right now. Let me make it clear to you: you’re…

Lu Pingzhang still wanted to buy Sui Ran’s company, but Qiao Jin had reminded him earlier, so he had to abandon that plan. In addition, Qiao Jin instructed him not to let the bodyguards take photos of him without permission, and Lu Pingzhang agreed. He then took a screenshot of his phone screen and sent…

After sending off Bei Kaiyuan and Fu Linshao, it was already past ten o’clock at night. The dinner table grew a bit dull afterward, but Bei Kaiyuan was the best at livening up the atmosphere, chatting with Fulinxiao from work to personal life, and they managed to finish the meal in a harmonious manner. Qiao…

The card room had just been renovated, and its style resembled a combination of a flower shop and a bookstore. Except for the mahjong table in the middle, which made a loud noise when turned on. Lu Pingzhang preferred quietness, but Qiao Jin wanted to be lively and was willing to bring friends home, which…

　　Qiao Jin arranged the flowers and showed them to Lu Pingzhang: “Do they look nice?” “ Qiao Jin looked at the vase, searching for the right spot, and finally placed it on the dining table, ”A good mood makes the food taste better.” 　　Lu Pingzhang sat beside him and read along. After he turned the…

　　Qiao Jin moved out of the Lu family home and then moved back in. It wasn’t all for nothing; he figured things out for himself and, in the process, helped Lu Pingzhang figure things out too. Lu Pingzhang bought a new phone and got a new SIM card, then gave the phone number to Qiao…

The two hadn’t seen each other for several days. Qiao Jin waited anxiously for his news, his mind and body reaching a new stage of detachment, with no thoughts of turning worry into possession. 　　Lu Pingzhang, on the other hand, had been thinking about this matter every day during the days they were apart. Now…

Xi Sheng’s crisis was far from over. Two days later, a fatal accident occurred at the project site in the eastern suburbs of Beijing. Homeowners who had purchased unfinished buildings in the project gathered a group of people, holding banners and causing a disturbance at the construction site. Hou Wude had experience handling such matters:…

　　Lu Pingzhang had a meeting the next day, but Qiao Jin couldn’t stay any longer and flew back to Beijing a day earlier. Lu Pingzhang couldn’t go to the airport to see him off, but as soon as Qiao Jin landed, his phone rang. “Does your throat still hurt?” Lu Pingzhang asked. 　　Last night, Qiao…

It wasn’t too late, but since Lu Pingzhang wasn’t interested in the project, leaving early wouldn’t hurt. Lu Pingzhang held Qiao Jin’s hand tightly the whole way, and Qiao Jin tried to pull away a few times but failed, so he gave up. When they arrived at the hotel entrance, the two got out of…

Qiao Jin couldn’t sleep on the plane. He hadn’t fully recovered from his cold, and he was a bit airsick, so even though his head was pounding, he couldn’t fall asleep. 　　This was a bidding meeting for an urban development project. The total investment was substantial, but with government support, the returns were also significant.…

Qiao Jin stepped out of the doctor’s office and exhaled deeply. He stood quietly in the hallway for a moment to collect himself, then sighed again and continued upstairs into the therapy room. Dr. Wu sat behind the desk, her smile warm and calm. “Good evening, Qiao Jin.” His mind felt foggy, but he still…

An hour passed, and the big boss still hadn’t emerged from Director Qiao’s office. Naturally, the employees started whispering—was he in there finalizing another wave of layoffs? Zheng Rongguang, who had recently been promoted, was pushed to the front lines. Clearing his throat, he approached the office door and gave it a tentative knock. “President…

Qiao Jin met his gaze for a moment, then looked away. He headed toward the bed. Lu Pingzhang watched him and gestured toward the medicine on the table. “Take your meds.” Qiao Jin stared at him for a few seconds, then silently broke the tablets apart and swallowed them with water. Without a word, he…

Fifty minutes. Not long, not short. Lu Pingzhang maintained the same posture, silently watching everything happening inside the restaurant through the glass—cold, towering, above it all. At one point, Xiao Chang went to the bathroom. When he came back, Lu Pingzhang was still staring, but his eyes looked even darker than before. Eventually, Qiao Jin…

Fu Linxiao and Sui Ran were sitting in the car outside the hospital entrance, waiting for Qiao Jin. Fu Linxiao glanced at the time and said, “He should be out any minute.” Sui Ran looked toward the hospital, then used the car window to fix his hair. Fu Linxiao couldn’t help teasing him. “You didn’t…

Sui Ran laughed on the other end, the sound snapping Qiao Jin out of his daze. “Take your time, but really think it over. If salary’s the issue, we can keep negotiating.” Qiao Jin didn’t sound very energetic, so Sui Ran added, “If you want to bring a few teammates over with you, we’d love…