Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Life

On the last day of the New Year's Day holiday, Yan Xiaochen bid farewell to Marquis Shen and returned to Shanghai. On the coffee table in the living room, there are still the stack of villa photos and contact cards left by Shen's mother.Yan Xiaochen hasn't looked at them since Mother Shen put them there. Now that she was calm, she sat on the sofa, picked up the photos, and looked carefully. The small garden outside the house and the interior decoration are beautiful, just like the model houses in fashion magazines. I have to say that Shen's mother is very generous. I am afraid that many white-collar workers will struggle to afford such a house in their lifetime.

Yan Xiaochen threw all the photos and business cards into the trash can next to the coffee table, took the wallet and keys, and went out. Every day food, clothing, housing and transportation cost her money, and she has to give her mother some living expenses every month. She has to make money, and it is impossible not to work, but it takes time to find a formal job, and her situation does not know how long it will take. Months, half a year are possible.Yan Xiaochen decided to find a job in a bar first, working at night and resting during the day, so that he could earn money to support himself without affecting his job interviews during the day.

Yan Xiaochen has experience working in bars and is young. It is easy to find a job as a waiter. From afternoon to night, three bars are willing to take her.She picked a job that offered accommodation.The so-called accommodation is actually a group rental. The boss has a two-bedroom house in a residential building near the bar. There are six bunk beds for more than a dozen people. The bar staff can move in for 400 yuan a month. After work and accommodation were settled, Yan Xiaochen started to pack her luggage and prepare to move. There were so many people in the group rented house that they didn't dare to put anything except clothes. Yan Xiaochen took other things to Wei Tong's dormitory and left them with her.Wei Tong's current postgraduate dormitory shares two people, so it's no problem to put some sundries.

Wei Tong asked in surprise, "Did you quarrel with Marquis Shen?" Before Yan Xiaochen came, he thought that Wei Tong would definitely ask, so he said calmly: "I didn't quarrel with Shen Hou, it was Shen Hou's parents who didn't agree that I should be with him." Wei Tong was furious, "Why? Their son has caused you to lose your degree. What right do they have to despise you?" Yan Xiaochen looked at Wei Tong. Wei Tong knew that she didn't like people saying that Marquis Shen caused her to lose her degree, so she hurriedly changed her words, "Okay, let's not mention the past, why should Marquis Shen's parents despise you?"

"The oldest and most powerful reason is that the wrong family is wrong." Wei Tong's face was filled with disbelief, "Is Shenhou's family very rich?" Yan Xiaochen nodded. Wei Tong asked mockingly: "How rich is it? Is it worth tens of millions, or over 100 million?" "Billions." Wei Tong gasped, and the mocking expression disappeared.Although I don't know the specific situation of Yan Xiaochen's family, but I also know that her family is very poor, and the two families are indeed very different.Put yourself in the shoes of her former scumbag boyfriend, just because her university school is not good, her parents opposed fiercely, all parents in the world are afraid that their children will suffer, so Shen Hou's parents cannot be blamed.Wei Tong said: "I really can't tell, Marquis Shen is quite low-key! What are you going to do?"

"Before, whether it was living in a house or working, it was Shen Hou's help, but it was not Shen Hou's. To put it bluntly, it was Shen Hou's parents who were soft-hearted and soft-hearted. His parents looked down on me. I asked for it myself, now let's rely on myself! At least I won't be so guilty when I face his mother next time." Wei Tong felt very sad. If Xiaochen didn't lose her degree, why would she worry about money?She said: "No matter what happens, don't forget to come to me. Although I can't help you with big things, small things are fine." Yan Xiaochen said with a smile: "Isn't this just to ask you for help?"

Wei Tong said, "Give me your new address, and I'll visit you when I'm free." Yan Xiaochen sent Wei Tong the address of the accommodation. Sure enough, as Yan Xiaochen expected, after receiving the guests in Sanya, Marquis Shen was sent on a business trip to another place, and Marquis Shen didn't know when he would be able to return to Shanghai. Yan Xiaochen moved out of Shen Hou's house and moved into the group rented room in the bar.She goes to Internet cafes to submit her resume to find a job during the day, and works in bars at night to earn living expenses. Every day is busy.

However, no matter how many resumes she submitted, they all fell silent without any response. Yan Xiaochen looked at his resume, and it was indeed full of doubts. He went to university but did not obtain a degree. His major was finance, but his first job was in making clothes. No company will choose her who is full of problems. In the afternoon, Yan Xiaochen went to the Internet cafe to look for a job again. She checked the mail first, but there was no reply. She quit the mailbox in disappointment and continued to look for a job online. In fact, in her current situation, it is difficult for her to even submit a resume. All financial jobs require a bachelor's degree or above. In this one, she is not even qualified to submit a resume; The requirements are lower, and college students can be accepted, but they must either graduate from a related major, or require more than two years of work experience. She, who has no major and half a year of work experience, is not qualified to submit a resume at all.Before, she had been hoping for a little luck, so she bit the bullet and submitted her resume, but no one paid any attention.

Yan Xiaochen was carefully browsing through each job posting when her cell phone rang.She thought that a company had notified her for an interview, so she excitedly picked up the phone, but it was not an unfamiliar phone number, but Mr. Liu. Mr. Liu warmly exchanged greetings: "Yan Xiaochen? How are you doing?" "still alright." "Have you found a job yet?" "No." "The current social competition is very fierce. Not to mention people like you without a degree, many graduate students from prestigious universities can't find a job. Don't be too stubborn, little girl. Mr. Hou said that as long as you promise to stay away from Shen Hou, she will help you. You arrange a good job..."

"I don't need it!" Yan Xiaochen hung up the phone. Looking at the dense job information on the webpage, she felt a little desperate. This city is so big and there are so many companies, but none of them are willing to take her.Yan Xiaochen knew that despair was like a swamp, once she fell into it, it would only get deeper and deeper. She took a deep breath, blocked all negative emotions, pulled herself together, and continued to submit resumes. On the night of January 14th, Shen Hou returned to Shanghai from Chongqing. He opened the door secretly, happily wanting to surprise Yan Xiaochen, but Xiaochen was not at home.At first, he thought she had gone out for something, but as soon as he entered the bathroom, he realized that something was wrong. There were only his toiletries beside the sink, and his towels were only on the towel rack.

Shen Hou rushed to Yan Xiaochen's bedroom, the wardrobe and desk were empty, and all her belongings disappeared. A few months ago, he watched her put her things into the room little by little, filling his heart little by little, Unexpectedly, it would be swept away overnight. Shen Hou was flustered, and immediately called Yan Xiaochen, but no one answered. He called again and again, and usually there was always someone to answer the phone, but no one answered. Shen Hou called Judy, but Judy told him that Yan Xiaochen resigned before New Year's Day.Shen Hou called Uncle Liu again. Uncle Liu's rhetoric was exactly the same as Judy's. Except for the resignation, he didn't know anything about it. However, when Xiaochen came to see him on New Year's Day, she didn't feel anything strange, and when they talked on the phone these few days, she didn't feel anything strange either. Why did she leave the company and move out of the house, but kept telling him about it?Shen Houruan sat on the sofa, thinking in a panic, what happened? He couldn't wait to find Yan Xiaochen, but at this time, he realized that the contact between him and Xiaochen was not as much as he thought, and the only way he could find her was a mobile phone number. He didn't know where her home was, nor did he know her mother's contact information, so he could only call her cell phone over and over again, but there was no answer on the other end of the phone. Ever thought that such an intimate and inseparable relationship is just a mobile phone number?Shen Hou couldn't help thinking, if no one answered this call forever, would he never be able to find her again?For the first time, Shen Hou discovered that losing someone turned out to be so easy. Seeing that the time passed twelve o'clock. Shen Hou had no choice but to go to the doctor in a hurry, and started calling his and Yan Xiaochen's friends. After being expelled from the school, Yan Xiaochen only had contact with her classmates in the same dormitory. To be precise, she only had contact with Liu Xinhui and Wei Tong in the same dormitory.Liu Xinhui is far away in his hometown, so it is impossible to know Xiaochen's whereabouts; Wei Tong is in Shanghai, and the two will have dinner together from time to time, so they may know something, but Wei Tong's cell phone has been turned off. Another friend who has been in contact with Yan Xiaochen is Cheng Zhiyuan. Shen Hou also forgot when and for what purpose he saved Cheng Zhiyuan's phone number. Question, he called Cheng Zhiyuan. Cheng Zhiyuan had already rested, and was awakened by the ringing of the mobile phone. He fumbled for the mobile phone in a daze, and saw that it was an unfamiliar phone number. Although he was a little unhappy, he had already been woken up, so he still answered the phone. "Hey?" "Excuse me, is this Cheng Zhiyuan?" Cheng Zhiyuan felt that the voice was a bit familiar, but he couldn't recognize whose voice it was, "It's me, who are you?" "I'm Marquis Shen." Cheng Zhiyuan sat up all of a sudden, no wonder he didn't recognize that it was Marquis Shen, his voice was too nervous and careful, it was really not like his usual domineering. "What's the matter?" Cheng Zhiyuan was talking, and he had already started to put on his clothes. There was only one reason for Shen Hou to call him, and calling at this time would never be a good thing. "Do you know where Xiaochen is?" "Didn't she share the house with you?" "I was on a business trip for three weeks. When I got home after ten o'clock this evening, I found that she was not at home and her things were gone." "What about the company?" "I have already called, and the company said that she resigned before New Year's Day, and it is not clear where she is going." "When was the last time you contacted Yan Xiaochen?" Marquis Shen was impatient with Cheng Zhiyuan asking questions, but now he called Cheng Zhiyuan for help, he suppressed his anxiety and said: "Just tonight, when I got off the plane, I talked to Xiaoxiao on the phone, and I didn't tell her that I I went back to Shanghai, pretended I was still out of town, chatted with her for a few words and then hung up the phone. I swear, Xiaoxiao and I didn’t quarrel, everything was normal when we called! Do you know where she is?” "have no idea." "Have you been in touch with her lately? Any idea where she might be going?" "The last time I contacted her was New Year's Day, and we wished each other a happy New Year through WeChat. For a while, I really couldn't think of where she could go." Shen Hou's hope was in vain, and his voice suddenly became very low, "Sorry to disturb your rest!" After hanging up the phone, Cheng Zhiyuan immediately called Yan Xiaochen's phone, the ring rang, but no one answered.Cheng Zhiyuan called Wei Tong again, but Wei Tong's cell phone was turned off.At this time, most people are sleeping and resting, and it is normal to shut down. Cheng Zhiyuan thought for a while, then called Driver Li: "Old Li, I suddenly have something urgent to deal with. I could have taken a taxi, but I don't know how long it will take to take a taxi at this time, so I can only trouble you." Cheng Zhiyuan decided to go to Wei Tong's dormitory. She and Yan Xiaochen have a good relationship. If anyone in Shanghai knows Yan Xiaochen's whereabouts, only Wei Tong could.If Wei Tong still didn't know Yan Xiaochen's whereabouts, he decided to go to Yan Xiaochen's hometown overnight to find Yan Xiaochen's mother. The aunt guarding the girls' dormitory just fell asleep when she heard a knock on the door again. The aunt got up angrily and asked angrily, "What are you doing?" Marquis Shen said cautiously: "I'm looking for Wei Tong, there is an urgent matter." Auntie scolded angrily: "Looking for Wei Tong again? Are you in a hurry?" Shen Hou didn't care to think about it, he just said good things and begged over and over again, while his aunt scolded, she went upstairs to call Wei Tong. After a while, Wei Tong ran down.Marquis Shen asked anxiously: "Do you know where Xiaochen is?" Wei Tong said eccentrically, "Aren't you Xiaochen's boyfriend? You don't even know where she is, how could I know where she is? You The boyfriend must have acted too incompetent!" Shen Hou heard that her tone was full of sarcasm, but felt relieved, "Wei Tong, you must know where Xiaochen is, tell me." Wei Tong was angry, but she knew that it was wrong to blame Shen Hou for this matter. She glared at him, took out her mobile phone, and sent Yan Xiaochen's address to him. Shen Hou asked: "Do you know why Xiaochen resigned and moved?" Wei Tong said angrily: "Go and ask Xiaochen yourself! Anyway, let me tell you, don't think that Xiaochen is not wanted, if you don't cherish it, someone will cherish it. You are not the only good man in the world!" After contacting his aunt just now, Shen Hou realized, "Has Cheng Zhiyuan also been here?" Wei Tong protested, "Yes, I gave him Xiaochen's address." Shen Hou said nothing, turned around and left. Shen Hou hurried to the address Wei Tong gave her. It's a residential area with more than ten years old houses, and the management of the area is not strict. When he entered, no one asked him at all. The lights in the corridor were all broken, so Shen Hou went upstairs in the dark, identified the house number with the light of his mobile phone, and knocked on the door.After a while, a young girl with heavy makeup opened the door, "Who are you looking for?" "Yan Xiaochen." "Looking for her again?" Shen Hou already knew what this meant, and asked politely, "Is she there?" The girl sideways out of the way, "She is still at work, you should go to the bar to find her." Shen Hou wanted to leave, but wanted to see where Xiaochen lived recently, so he walked into the house and immediately froze. There are two bunk beds in the small living room, and the ropes are pulled in all directions. The ropes are full of clothes, simple wardrobes, shoe racks, cardboard boxes... Anyway, put things wherever there is room. The whole room looks like A sundry warehouse with almost no place to stay. Shen Hou could tell at a glance which bed belonged to Yan Xiaochen. It wasn't that she had placed anything special, but that it was too neat, like walking into a greasy restaurant, where there was a mess everywhere, but there was a table covered with fine dust. The non-dyed white tablecloth will be noticed at a glance. Yan Xiaochen lives in the upper bunk, and her lower bunk is the girl who opened the door just now. She is probably used to nightlife, and she looks like she has no intention of going to sleep. She is holding an old computer and watching Korean dramas. Shen Hou suppressed all kinds of feelings in his heart, and asked politely: "Miss, where does Yan Xiaochen work?" The girl glanced at him and said with a smile: "The Brilliant Bar at the intersection." After finishing speaking, she added jokingly, "A handsome guy in a suit came to her not long ago, if she hasn't gone with that man If you drop it, you should be able to find it." Shen Hou knew that the other party was just joking, so he didn't care about it at all, but he couldn't help but said: "Yan Xiaochen is my wife, she has promised to marry me, it is impossible to leave with someone else." When Cheng Zhiyuan arrived at the bar, it was almost two o'clock. There were not too many customers in the bar, but they were not too few either.With a glance, Yan Xiaochen was not seen.Cheng Zhiyuan found an older waiter, gave him a hundred dollars, and asked him about Yan Xiaochen.The waiter probably knew who he was talking about, "At eleven o'clock, a table of guests came and asked her to serve. Sir, you can go and see first. If it is the person you are looking for, I can replace her." Cheng Zhiyuan followed the waiter and walked over, there was a booth at the corner, crowded with seven or eight people, besides Yan Xiaochen, there were two acquaintances he knew - Yan Xiaochen's colleagues who used to work at the Blue Moon Bar should be Yoyo and Apple. Apple is still the same as before, but Yoyo probably has another chance, and he is very glamorously dressed.She was sitting high on the sofa like a queen, and Yan Xiaochen stood opposite her like a servant, and a row of wine glasses filled with wine was placed on the table.Yan Xiaochen was drinking, Yoyo had a sneer on his face, and the others looked on gloatingly. Cheng Zhiyuan was used to seeing strife and ulterior motives in the workplace, although he didn't witness it with his own eyes, he immediately understood the cause and effect.The news that Yan Xiaochen went back to work in the bar should have reached Yoyo or Apple. The two girls asked friends to come to this bar to drink on purpose, and asked Yan Xiaochen to serve him. Of course, it was not to send money to Yan Xiaochen, but to humiliate her. Fan. The waiter watched this scene and whispered, "Sir, wait a minute!" Cheng Zhiyuan ignored him, walked over directly, and greeted Yoyo with a smile, "Long time no see." When he got closer, he realized that what Yan Xiaochen was drinking was absinthe, a very strong wine. Yoyo said sarcastically: "Oh, Heidshik actually chased him to the bar here!" Yan Xiaochen glanced at Cheng Zhiyuan, didn't speak, just nodded slightly, picked up the wine glass, and drank the whole glass of wine when she raised her head. "What happened?" Cheng Zhiyuan grabbed Yan Xiaochen's wrist, preventing her from getting another drink. Apple said quickly: "Yoyo invited us to drink, for the sake of Olivia's acquaintance with us, she specially asked her to serve, we ordered tens of thousands of dollars of wine, and took care of her business, but Olivia was clumsy and broke A bottle of wine is not expensive, only more than 4,000 yuan, but she can't afford it, Yoyo is very kind, and said that as long as she can drink a bottle of Absinthe, she won't lose money." This kind of Absinthe is very strong, with an alcohol content of not less than 50%, which is higher than that of Erguotou in China. Men with a good capacity for alcohol can rarely drink a whole bottle.Cheng Zhiyuan smiled and asked, "Did she break it clumsily?" Cheng Zhiyuan didn't get angry, but looking at his eyes, Apple felt guilty, and didn't dare to say it again, and whispered to the friends around him: "Do you think she broke it?" Friends said in one voice: "We can all testify!" "She smashed it!" Although he knew it was a trick set up by them, but this kind of thing can't be investigated at all. Cheng Zhiyuan took out his wallet and said to Yoyo: "How much? I will pay you." Yan Xiaochen hiccupped and said, "You lost, I still have to pay you back, I'm almost done drinking, don't worry about it!" She pushed Cheng Zhiyuan's hand away, picked up another glass of wine, and finished drinking with her head up . Cup after cup, her face became more and more ugly, but she was unwilling to accept his help, Cheng Zhiyuan could only stand aside, watching her suffer in pain. After drinking the last cup, Yan Xiaochen wiped his mouth and said to Yoyo, "I'm done." Yoyo smiled, "I keep my word, so you don't need to lose money. But, you have to be careful next time, I will come here to drink again in the future! If you want to break the wine again, you can only pay with your salary!" Yan Xiaochen sighed and said helplessly, "Welcome to come again!" Yoyo turned cold, "What kind of expression do you have? Have you ever treated a customer like this? Don't forget, I'm still a VIP customer, so I'm looking for your manager!" Yan Xiaochen bent down and bowed, "I'm sorry, I was wrong..." Before she finished speaking, her stomach was overwhelmed, she hurriedly stumbled to the trash can, half kneeled on the ground, and vomited. Seeing her embarrassed appearance, Yoyo was finally satisfied, curled his lips in disgust, and said to his friends: "Let's go, I'll invite you to come here for a drink next time!" A group of people huffed and left arrogantly. Suddenly, the crowded and noisy space became deserted and quiet, only Cheng Zhiyuan was left. He stood behind Yan Xiaochen, watching her suffer the physical pain in embarrassment, but he couldn't help her. When she was about to vomit, he took a clean cup, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Yan Xiaochen. After Yan Xiaochen finished rinsing her mouth, she stood up while leaning on the wall, and staggered to leave.Cheng Zhiyuan wanted to help her, but she waved her hand to signal no need, Cheng Zhiyuan could only silently follow her. Her face was red and blue, her mind seemed confused, but she was sober again. She went to the storage room to get her bag, and said to the manager on duty: "I'm off work." But when she walked out of the bar, she was blown by the wind and went down the steps. At that moment, she threw herself forward, and Cheng Zhiyuan hurriedly hugged her. Yan Xiaochen squinted at him for a moment, then asked in surprise, "Cheng Zhiyuan, why are you here?" "I just arrived." Yan Xiaochen grinned, "Oh! It's fine if it's you! I'm probably drunk and my head is very confused, please take me back." After speaking, she tilted her head and passed out. Driver Li's car was waiting on the side of the road, Cheng Zhiyuan carefully carried Yan Xiaochen into the back seat, and got into the car from the other side.He helped her fasten her seat belt and said to Driver Li, "Go home and drive steadily." The car started slowly, Cheng Zhiyuan stared at Yan Xiaochen, saw the messy hair sticking to her face, he stretched out his hand subconsciously, but when he was about to touch her, he hesitated until she moved uncomfortably, he Then he helped her gently brush her hair behind her ears. Shen Hou came here in a car borrowed from his friends, and before he even got to the bar, he saw Cheng Zhiyuan's car.Two cars are driving in different directions on the same road.Shen Hou opened the car window, kept honking the horn, and yelled "Stop". At three o'clock in the morning, there was little traffic on the street. Driver Li had noticed Shen Hou's car long ago, and said to Cheng Zhiyuan, "Boss Cheng, that Lamborghini sports car seems to be calling us." Cheng Zhiyuan looked out the window, guessed who it was, and said lightly: "Don't worry about it, keep driving!" Shen Hou honked the horn for a while, but the other party ignored it at all. Seeing that the two cars were about to pass by each other, Shen Hou didn't honk or bark anymore, and held the steering wheel with both hands, his face sinking like water.He stepped on the brakes, slammed the steering wheel, and rammed directly into Cheng Zhiyuan's car. Driver Li hurriedly turned the steering wheel, trying to avoid it, but was stuck by Shen Hou. Cheng Zhiyuan's car was parked. Shen Hou opened the car door and rushed over like an angry bull, "Little! Little!" As soon as he opened the car door, he found that Yan Xiaochen was smelling of alcohol, eyes closed, and fell asleep with an ugly face. He immediately asked Cheng Zhiyuan angrily, "What happened? What happened to Xiaoxiao?" Cheng Zhiyuan got out of the car, walked up to Shen Hou, and said coldly: "I was about to ask you this question too, what happened to Xiaochen?" Shen Hou understood what Cheng Zhiyuan was asking, but he couldn't answer at all.He wanted to carry Yan Xiaochen out of the car, but Cheng Zhiyuan blocked the door, "Since Xiaochen moved out of your house, I think she will definitely not want to go back." Shen Hou was terrified all night, finally found Yan Xiaochen, but couldn't even take a closer look at her, finally couldn't restrain himself anymore, pushed Cheng Zhiyuan away, "Where I want to take her is none of your business! Get out of my way!" Every time there was a conflict before, Cheng Zhiyuan chose to back down, but this time Cheng Zhiyuan was not polite at all, he twisted Shen Hou's arm with one hand, clenched into a fist with the other, and hit Shen Hou's abdomen hard. Shen Hou shrank suddenly from the pain, his eyes burst into anger, and just about to fight back with all his strength, he heard Cheng Zhiyuan say, "This punch is for Xiaochen's degree!" Shen Hou's already swung fist stopped in the air. Cheng Zhiyuan punched hard again, "This punch is for the grievances Xiaochen has suffered these days!" Shen Hou clenched his fists tightly, but still did not fight back. Cheng Zhiyuan punched Shen Hou hard again, "This punch is for Xiao Chen's wine tonight!" With the triple punch, Shen Hou slumped down in pain and couldn't even stand upright. Cheng Zhiyuan pushed him away like throwing a waste product, trying to close the car door.However, Shen Hou firmly grasped the car door and stood up forcefully, "I can let you punch three times, but I will never let you take Xiaoxiao away." Cheng Zhiyuan wanted to open his hand, but he saw the ring on his middle finger at a glance, and immediately subconsciously looked at Yan Xiaochen's hand, she also wore a ring of the same style on her middle finger.Cheng Zhiyuan seemed to be haunted by a poisonous curse, and his whole body became still in an instant. A moment later, he asked, "Where are you going to take her?" Shen Hou said: "Stay in a hotel first tonight. If she doesn't want to live in that house, we can change houses." Cheng Zhiyuan stared at Shen Hou for a while, then slowly backed away a few steps. Shen Hou leaned into the car, carried Yan Xiaochen out of the car, and took her into his own car. Cheng Zhiyuan stood by the side of the road and watched Shen Hou's car drive away before getting into the car.Sitting in the seat where Yan Xiaochen sat just now, the seat still has her body temperature, and there is still a unique smell of absinthe in the compartment. Driver Li asked respectfully: "Send you back?" Cheng Zhiyuan closed his eyes, immersed in the darkness, without making a sound.After a long time, he gestured wearily, and driver Li started the car. When Yan Xiaochen woke up, she felt a splitting headache, her eyes were so dry that she couldn't open her eyes, but her mind was already clear, and she could hear the sound of fierce arguments. At first, she thought it was a roommate in the rented house who was arguing with her boyfriend. After listening for a while, she suddenly realized that it was Shen Hou's voice.She sat up immediately, this is not her rented house, it is obviously a hotel room.Voices came from the bathroom.Yan Xiaochen held his heavy head, walked over, and pushed open the bathroom door. Shen Hou was arguing with his parents excitedly, and didn't notice that the bathroom door opened. "You don't want to interfere with my affairs...Okay, I know you object, of course you can object, and of course I don't have to listen...Mom, let me tell you again, I like Yan Xiaochen, I just like her, no matter what you agree If you disagree, I will marry her as my wife... Ha! How funny! You must know that my wife does not have to be your daughter-in-law! The law does not require you to agree before I can get married..." Yan Xiaochen walked to his side, took his hand lightly, shook his head at him, and motioned him not to argue anymore. There was still a voice on the other end of the phone, and Shen Hou said: "If you accept it, accept it, and if you don't accept it, you will be pulled down!" He hung up the phone neatly, touched Xiaochen's forehead, "Do you feel uncomfortable?" Yan Xiaochen tapped her head, "Uncomfortable." Shen Hou helped her to sit down on the bed, and handed her a glass of honey grapefruit water, "It's just like drinking strong foreign wine. It's more uncomfortable after waking up than when you're drunk. Don't drink like this next time." Yan Xiaochen was feeling parched, and drank a large glass of water in one gulp, "When did you come back? Why are we in the hotel?" Shen Hou tilted his head and looked at her, "I arrived in Shanghai last night. I wanted to give you a surprise, but I didn't expect you to surprise me." "Why didn't you call me?" "beated!" Yan Xiaochen grabbed the bag next to the bed, took out her mobile phone to look through, and found that there were hundreds of missed calls, besides Shen Hou, there was also Cheng Zhiyuan. Last night, after she finished the good night phone call with Shen Hou, she thought it was "sleep time" and Shen Hou would not contact her again. For the convenience of work, she set her phone to vibrate, put it in her bag, and locked it in the storage room . Yan Xiaochen scratched her hair in embarrassment, "I wanted to tell you after you returned to Shanghai, but I didn't expect you to come back quietly... I didn't hear the call, I'm sorry." Marquis Shen asked: "Resigning and moving house are big things. I'm not against you, but why didn't you tell me?" Yan Xiaochen bit her lip, not knowing how to explain it. Since last night, Shen Hou has been thinking, why is Xiaochen so abnormal?The only explanation is that his parents knew about him and Xiaochen, met Xiaochen and said something.He called Uncle Liu in the morning, but Uncle Liu was a slippery man and didn't ask any questions; he called Judy again, and Judy's answer confirmed his speculation that his mother knew that he and Xiaochen were in a relationship.He called his parents and asked what his mother had said to Xiaochen. After a few words, the mother and son quarreled. Shen Hou suppressed his emotions and said: "I know my mother has met you, and I know that she doesn't agree with us being together. Do you want to break up with me? Is her opinion more important than mine? Let me tell you, I don't agree with you. Whether she agrees or not, I will not break up with you! Even if you want to break up, I don't agree! I strongly disagree!" "You have such a temper! Who said that I want to break up with you?" Shen Hou's tense heart suddenly relaxed. He sat next to Yan Xiaochen, held her hand, and said pitifully with a little grievance: "You resigned and moved, but you didn't tell me One sound, of course I would think you want to break up with me. Even if my mother doesn't agree with us being together, but she is her and I am me, you don't have to care at all! " Yan Xiaochen sighed, "Every child is unique in the eyes of their parents. This is not an objective issue, but a subjective issue. It is normal for her to think that I am not good enough for you. Go and argue with your mother why she prefers you and why she thinks the whole world is her own." Your son is the best, can you argue clearly? If you quarrel with your parents because of me, your parents will not blame you, they will only blame me. Originally, my relationship with them has not had a good start, don’t you Do you still want to intensify the conflict?" Shen Hou had to admit that every sentence Xiaochen said was correct, but sometimes he would rather she make a scene like other girls, than she would be so clear-headed, give in soberly, and be wronged rationally.And he just couldn't accept his parents' objection, he couldn't understand why his always open-minded parents would be so opposed to him dating Xiaochen, because he couldn't understand it, he became more and more annoyed. Yan Xiaochen said: "You used to ask me when I started to pay attention to you and have a good impression of you. I told you that it was when the new students registered for registration. Do you know what made me notice you and have a good impression of you?" Hou Shen Kind of baffling, don't know why it suddenly became this topic. Yan Xiaochen said: "That summer, my dad had a car accident in the provincial capital. I came to the school to report alone. I saw that all the freshmen came with their parents. The big and small bags were either carried by the father or by the mother. , parents take care of them in every possible way, and they will dislike their parents for nagging and controlling too much. I used to be such a child who didn't know the heights of heaven and earth! They didn't understand at all that no love is taken for granted and lasts forever..." Yan Xiaochen His voice suddenly choked up, and his words were interrupted. Shen Hou didn't dare to make a sound, so he held her hand. Yan Xiaochen calmed down, and said with a smile: "Among so many classmates, I noticed you. Your mother wanted to help you carry the bag, but you laughed at your mother, 'raise The son doesn’t need it, is it for nothing?’ You carry big bags and small bags, and you still don’t forget to take care of your mother. Your mother nagged and told you to eat on time. Remember to add clothes when it’s cold, get along with your dormitory classmates, work hard, and take the initiative. Cleaning the dormitory... There are people coming and going, but you have been listening with a smile. Although it is obvious that the left ear goes in and the right ear goes out, it can be seen that you are very patient and filial to your parents. Since then , I decided that you are a very good person." Shen Hou thought about why Yan Xiaochen fell in love with him many times, but he never thought that the first sight in the crowd was because he was kind to his mother. Yan Xiaochen said, "Remember that joke on the Internet? If neither your wife nor your mother can swim, and they both fell into the river at the same time, who would you save first?" When I saw it before, it was just a joke, but when asked by Xiaochen today, Shen Hou found that he couldn't answer. Love and family affection are inseparable in flesh and blood, and there is no choice at all. Yan Xiaochen said: "No matter what the choice is, the three parties will suffer. This is a choice that loses no matter what the choice is. The best solution is not to make this choice, but to avoid this kind of choice. We are still young. , there is still a lot of time to convince your parents, don't intensify the conflict all at once. Promise me, don't quarrel with your parents for me again, okay?" "I'll try my best." Shen Hou held Yan Xiaochen's hand, pressed it against his cheek, and said sullenly, "I'm sorry!" Yan Xiaochen made a grimace, "I don't want your sorry, I just want you to be nice to me." Shen Hou said pointedly: "I am willing to treat you well, but I am afraid that you will not." Yan Xiaochen fell silent. Shen Hou begged softly, "Quit your job in the bar! We can rent a cheap house, my current salary is affordable, and you can concentrate on finding a job." His gaze was like water, his tenderness was infinite, and he put his heart at the lowest point, making it hard to refuse, but she had no choice but to refuse.Yan Xiaochen said: "I understand what you mean, but I can't accept it now. I want to survive in this city by myself." "If it wasn't for me, you would be living in this city? You could live better than most people. If it wasn't for..." "Shen Hou, don't dwell on the past. I don't want to rely on you now." "Okay, let's not talk about the past, just talk about the present. Now I am your boyfriend! No..." He grabbed Yan Xiaochen's hand, pointed to the ring and said to her: "I am your fiance, why can't you rely on me It’s just a transition, when you find a job, whether you want to share the rent or living expenses with me, it’s up to you!” Yan Xiaochen said: "When I find a job, I will quit my job in the bar." Shen Hou was anxious and angry, "Why can't you rely on me? What do you think of me? Even ordinary friends can help each other in this situation. You live in such a house and work until two or three o'clock every night. You Do you think I can sleep peacefully at night?" Yan Xiaochen hugged him, "Shen Hou, let's not quarrel, okay?" Shen Hou's anger immediately extinguished, but he could not agree with Yan Xiaochen to continue living in the group rented house. The two were stalemate in silence when Yan Xiaochen's cell phone rang, and it was an unfamiliar number. "Hey?" "Excuse me, is this Yan Xiaochen?" "it's me." "I'm DH Investment Co., Ltd., can you come for an interview at one o'clock in the afternoon?" Yan Xiaochen thought the company name was familiar, but couldn't remember what position he was applying for, but said without hesitation: "I have time." “面试时间很长，大概要四个小时，有问题吗？” "no problem." “我会把地址和时间发一条短信给你，请准时到。” 颜晓晨看了下时间，已经十一点多，时间很赶，她对沈侯说：“我下午一点有个面试，我得赶紧收拾一下。” 沈侯说：“你去冲澡，我去帮你买点吃的，吃完饭我陪你过去。” “你不用去上班吗？” “销售又不用去坐班，我连着在外面跑了三个星期，休息一两天是正常要求吧？” 看着眼前的DH办公楼，颜晓晨有点傻，这个地方她来过好几次，程致远的办公室就在这栋大楼里，难怪她会觉得公司的名字有点熟。难道她误打误撞给程致远的公司投了简历？完全没有印象了！ 颜晓晨想着要不要给程致远打个电话，转念间又觉得自己还是先去面试，人家还不见得要她呢！ “我进去了。”颜晓晨对沈侯说。 沈侯指着不远处的星巴克说：“我在咖啡店等你。” 颜晓晨走进了公司，以前她来的时候都是周末，公司没有人，程致远直接领着她到四楼，这一次却都是埋头工作的人，在前台的指引下，她自己去了二楼。 第一轮是笔试，一份金融知识的试卷，一份性格测试的试卷，一个小时内完成。颜晓晨独自一人在小会议室，按照规定时间回答完了所有题目。 第二轮是面试，一个女面试官，人力资源部的经理，半个小时，问的都是最基本的问题，哪里人，兴趣是什么，为什么选择这个行业。看得出来，前面她都算满意，可对颜晓晨没有学士学位这事，她有些纠结，翻着颜晓晨的成绩单问：“为什么你的成绩单全是优，却没有拿到学位？” 颜晓晨诚实地给了她答案，“一门必修课考试，我帮同学作弊，被老师抓住了。” 女面试官无语地看着颜晓晨，似乎再找不到话可说，“呃……面试就到这里吧！” 休息了十五分钟后，进行第三轮面试，三个面试官，一个半小时，问的都是专业问题，有的问题有明确的答案，有的问题却连面试官都给不了明确的答案。比如最后一道题，如果现在有一个亿的资金，她会选择投资哪个行业。当颜晓晨阐述自己的想法时，三个面试官各抒己见，分析行业的风险和盈利，国家政策的利和弊，谈到后来，颜晓晨都忘记了在面试中。 直到面试完，她仍旧很兴奋，这会儿她才真正清楚公司在做什么，DH是一家PE公司，Private Equity，私募基金公司，也就是说公司有大量现金，通过投资不同的行业、不同的公司，或者把一个公司拆分重组，获取回报。 第四轮面试前可以休息半个小时，颜晓晨知道四个面试官在讨论是否让她进入下一轮面试。她确信自己的笔试成绩应该没有问题，否则她不可能得到第三轮的面试机会，现在一切都取决于四个面试官了。 半个小时后，没有人来找她，颜晓晨觉得事情只怕不妙，心里暗叹了口气，准备走人。 又过了十多分钟，人力资源部的经理亲自来通知她，“恭喜你，你进入了最后一轮面试，我们的Managing Partner1（管理合伙人）会面试你，时间不一定。” 颜晓晨兴奋地站了起来，不仅仅是因为公司愿意接纳一个没有学士学位的人，还因为她即将见到PE的Managing Partner，通俗点解释MP，就是朱莉娅·罗伯茨主演的Pretty Woman里李察·基尔演的那个男主角，颜晓晨还记得第一次看完Pretty Woman时，她非常激动羡慕，不过不是羡慕朱莉娅·罗伯茨演的灰姑娘，而是羡慕李察·基尔演的王子，她想成为那样的人，所以一直以来，她的职业理想就是金融行业。 人力资源部经理领着她去了楼上，帮她推开了会议室的门，“Managing Partner在里面，Good luck!” 颜晓晨深吸一口气，微笑着走进会议室，却看到程致远坐在椭圆桌的另一头，安静地看着她，她的笑容僵住了。 这时，她才发现她曾经来过这个会议室很多次，但她这一刻刚刚知道程致远竟然是这家公司的老板之一，她一直以为他只是个高管。颜晓晨愣愣地看着他，一时不知道该如何打招呼。程致远抬了下手，微笑着说：“请坐。”颜晓晨傻傻地坐下。 程致远说：“在面试前，我想先说一件事。你的简历是我吩咐秘书帮你投的，但我没有干涉面试，没有人知道你和我认识。十几分钟前，公司的VP和MD（董事总经理）还在为考试作弊是否算严重的品行不端激烈辩论，吵得不可开交，我一言未发，一直旁听。你是凭自己的能力走进这个会议室，坐到了我面前。” 颜晓晨释然了几分，朝程致远僵硬地笑了笑。 程致远说：“现在开始面试，可以吗？” 颜晓晨挺直了腰，紧张地点了下头。 程致远十指交握，放在桌子上，姿态十分悠闲，“你愿意做私募基金吗？可以给你几分钟思考，想清楚回答我。” 颜晓晨却没有思考，立即说：“我愿意。第一，每个人都会有一个不切实际的浪漫幻想，我看完pretty woman后，也有了一个不切实际的幻想，成为像李察·基尔演的男主那样的人。虽然那只是我十几岁时的幻想，我现在也很清楚电影是电影，现实是现实，但如果有机会，我还是想把少年时的幻想变成现实。第二，我刚才和三个面试官交流时，发现自己很兴奋，竟然忘记了自己在面试，很急切地想听他们说更多。第三，我现在找不到更好的工作，这份工作是我唯一的机会，我愿意为它付出全部的努力。”程致远笑着伸出了手，“颜小姐，恭喜你，你被录用了，明天就可以来上班。” 颜晓晨下意识地伸出手，和程致远握了一下，“就一个问题？” 程致远不满地挑了下眉头，“我都面试了你几十次了，你觉得我还能问你什么呢？” 颜晓晨想想，这倒也是，她算是他手把手带出来的徒弟，有什么是他不知道的呢？她觉得像做梦，“你居然是Managing Partner，我到你的公司工作，真的没问题吗？” 程致远板着脸说：“我们决定要你，是因为你足够优秀，不是因为你认识我，如果你不好好工作，我依旧会开除你。”他顿了一顿，“刚才面试你的李徵说'everyone deserves a second chance'，我同意他的观点，当年给了他第二次机会，他现在给了你第二次机会，不要让我们失望。有信心做好工作吗？” 颜晓晨点点头，“我一定尽全力！” 程致远笑着说：“去二楼的人力资源部办入职手续，明天见。” 颜晓晨拿着一张临时员工卡走出了大楼。 沈侯从咖啡厅跑了过来，“怎么样？” “我被录用了，公司是做PE的，很适合我的专业。”没等沈侯为她开心，颜晓晨又说：“程致远是公司的老板之一，他帮忙安排的面试，但面试我的四个面试官都不知道我和他认识，面试很客观。” 沈侯沉默了一瞬，尽量装作完全不在意地说：“你拿到过世界大投行MG的offer，一个中国的私募基金想要你很正常，走吧！” 两人往公车站的方向走，颜晓晨说：“我去程致远的公司工作，你不反对吗？” 沈侯搂着颜晓晨的肩，半开玩笑地说：“等你将来找到更好的工作时，我再反对。”他很清楚，以晓晨现在的状况，想进入金融公司几乎完全不可能，可晓晨一直都想做金融，程致远的公司给了晓晨一个绝不可以错过的机会，他不能因为自己的私心去反对。 因为第二天就要去DH上班，颜晓晨不得不当晚就辞去酒吧的工作，自然而然，她也没有权利继续租住职工福利的群租房。颜晓晨否决了沈侯的各种提议，去找魏彤，暂时借住在学生宿舍，一边工作，一边寻找合适的出租房。 恰好有一个年轻的女老师要去国外做两年访问学者，她自住的一套一室一厅的小房子就空了，舍不得出租，可放着不住也很可惜，时间长了，对房子也不好，所以想找一个爱干净的女生放租，租金可以低一点，关键是要爱护房子。有魏彤拍胸脯做保证，颜晓晨顺利拿到了房子。 颜晓晨在DH的职位是Analyst，分析员，日常工作是向拟投资公司，或已投资公司索要资料、整理资料，做会议纪要，在上司的指导下做一些市场分析、行业分析、可比公司分析、可比交易分析、政策分析。 刚开始，颜晓晨还很担心该如何面对程致远，可很快，她就发现压根儿不存在“面对”这个问题，因为她的职位和程致远的级别相差太远，他们中间还隔着Associate,Senior Associate,Vice President,Senior Vice President,Managing Director（投资经理，高级投资经理，副总裁，高级副总裁，董事总经理），她根本没有机会和程致远直接打交道。她的上司是SeniorVP李徵，就是三个面试官中坚持要留下她的那个面试官。