At four in the afternoon, Pei Kexin finally received the product temperature rise report from the latest sample experiments.
Due to the significant issues, the technical vice president personally conducted the experiments.
The results showed that apart from one unit with a slight fluctuation in numerical values, which was still within national standards, all others met the requirements.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
This meant that product quality issues could largely be ruled out, and attention could be shifted to the client's local climate conditions.
The technical department had previously devised measures to address the impact of climate on product temperature rise.
This time, it was likely that sales had failed to clearly communicate the specific corresponding measures to the customers.
However, since the problem was still related to the company, Pei Kexin decided on the spot to send specialized technical personnel to after-sales service to provide a few days of free technical guidance to the client until the problem was resolved and the client was appeased.
After the issue was resolved, everyone went to execute the plan. Pei Kexin finally had a moment to sit down for a cup of tea and check her phone.
The WeChat notification indicated that two hours ago, in the group "Rich Madam's Retirement Home," there were dozens of new messages.
Without even looking, she knew what they were likely discussing.
As expected, as she slid open the screen, the conversation was all about her.
The group had three regular members and had been established for six years.
One was Gu Wei, another was Pei Kexin, and the third was their mutual old classmate, Fu Duoduo.
Both Gu Wei and Fu Duoduo had less demanding jobs than Pei Kexin and were exceptionally sharp-tongued. Thus, most of the time, the two of them would be chatting, using Pei Kexin as a subject for their banter.
Today's conversation was initiated by Gu Wei.
Perhaps bored and with nothing better to do, he actually leaked Pei Kexin's shocking secret.
"Ms. Fu, what are you busy with?"
"Today is the wedding day of our esteemed Ms. Pei Kexin. I've been waiting to see how your good best friend would behave. Why is there no news from morning till now?"
"Are you pretending to be deaf and mute because you're afraid of giving a wedding gift? Please answer."
Fu Duoduo seemed genuinely busy and replied a few minutes later, with several exclamation marks.
"!!!!!!"
"She really got married? Holy crap, you two..."
"I didn't expect you to be so selfless, Gu Wei! I'm looking at you with new eyes through this! You're not too effeminate after all; you have a manly side when it matters!"
"Thank you! Knowing I'm in a financial crisis, you saved me the cost of a wedding gift! It's great that you two got together! Wishing you a hundred years of happy marriage and many children! Hehehehe~"
Gu Wei replied with an emoji: "Thanks for accepting, but don't even think about reneging on the gift money. She's not marrying me, so don't flatter me. Give your gift as you should."
Fu Duoduo: "Ah? Not marrying you? Then who? Damn, she knows other men besides you? How come I never knew? That's so disloyal!"
As the two went back and forth, Gu Wei recounted his encounter with Zhan Jingchen the previous night.
Finally, the topic shifted, and he suddenly asked Fu Duoduo to treat them.
Fu Duoduo, a young second-generation rich girl, couldn't stand the feeling of being incompetent working for others after graduation. She started her own business.
She changed projects every few days, not making much money but gaining a lot of experience.
After Pei Kexin's position in the company improved, she used her personal savings to start a small foreign trade company, with Gu Wei as the legal representative.
Knowing that their companies were doing well and not short on money, Fu Duoduo usually bummed meals from them.
But today, to see the handsome Zhan Jingchen, whom Pei Kexin was rumored to have fallen in love with at first sight, she made a rare gesture of offering to treat.
"I'll treat you to dinner at Yuehai Ju, and bring your new husband along!"
"Today, I'll not only pay the bill and the wedding gift but also participate in the bridal chamber games. How's that, sisters? Am I generous enough?"
Gu Wei chimed in, also wanting to go.
Having known Pei Kexin for so many years, he had never seen her date anyone. Now, she had suddenly become a married woman.
He wanted to see how President Pei interacted with her "little husband."
Pei Kexin stared at her phone for a while, then remembered she hadn't responded to Zhan Jingchen in a long time.
She wondered if he had caused any trouble at home and if those people had bothered him.
With that thought, she exited WeChat and found his phone number.
Zhan Jingchen, extremely bored, was playing games in the bedroom with the door locked when Pei Kexin's call came.
He answered immediately, "Hello."
For a moment, Pei Kexin felt a sense of comfort.
His voice sounded quite pleasant coming through the receiver.
After a brief pause, she spoke.
"It's me, Pei Kexin."
Zhan Jingchen had been waiting for her for a long time, so how could he not know it was her?
"Are you almost off work?"
Pei Kexin glanced at the pile of documents in front of her, estimating it would take a while longer.
"Not yet. How are you? Did you have any trouble this afternoon?"
Upon hearing that she still had to work until the end of the day, Zhan Jingchen's excitement from receiving the call halved.
"As a vice president of a company, surely you don't have to strictly adhere to clocking in and out? With so many people in the company, can't you delegate some of the work? Besides, who works on their wedding day?"
"What time is it? I'm starving and was force-fed wine by your family all day. I can hardly hold on. Hurry back."
Pei Kexin was eventually persuaded by him to leave work early.
Although she left early, she still encountered traffic jams and delays on the way, so she arrived home around dinner time.
Thanks to Zhan Jingchen, this was the first time since starting her career that she had left work on time to have a family dinner.
Seeing her return at this hour, everyone chatting and snacking in the lounge area was quite surprised.
"Huh, why are you back at this hour? Are you done with work at the company?"
These people, relying on their fortunate births, had never experienced hardship.
Before marriage, they were supported by their parents, and their life's main mission was to eat well, stay warm, and marry a good husband.
After marriage, their husbands took over, and apart from having children and drinking afternoon tea, they had nothing else to do.
Therefore, in their eyes, coming home on time simply meant their work was not demanding.
It had nothing to do with ability, effort, or deliberately making time. Pei Kexin, aside from a polite smile, was speechless.
After all, she was not fortunate enough to have parents. She lost them at a young age.
She was raised in an orphanage until she was six years old. An elderly gentleman, while doing charity work, took a liking to her. He thought she bore some resemblance to his late wife and decided to bring her back to be raised by his eldest son as a granddaughter.
However, his eldest son was already married with children and showed no interest in this wild girl.
His second son also avoided her as much as possible.
The elderly gentleman, with a determined heart, decided to raise her himself as his daughter.
Although the elderly gentleman had treated her well over the years, the others had never given her a second glance.
She knew full well she was an outsider. As long as the elderly gentleman was around, she would have food to eat.
Once the elderly gentleman was gone...
Therefore, she had worked very hard all these years.
She had never embarrassed the elderly gentleman in her studies and worked tirelessly, day and night, after joining the company.
Finally, her achievements surpassed all the male heirs of the Pei family, and her position in the company improved.
She had expected some form of valuable return, but reality had shown her the true nature of people.
Except for the elderly gentleman, everyone in the Pei family treated her like a dog that was fed and expected to guard the house.
Her responsibility was to charge forward and take the blame when things went wrong.
She was not entitled to enjoy the warmth of a family gathering.