Huangfu Mengqi smiled after hearing his report and said, "You handle your own affairs very well, no wonder Yaoyao can't forget you. Her judgment is still good."
"Are you praising me, Miss?" Song Jiaping asked with a slight smile.
"If you think it's praise, then it's praise," Huangfu Mengqi returned to her businesslike demeanor. "You can go out and call the next person in."
As Song Jiaping rose to leave, Huangfu Mengqi added, "If you only want to have opportunities for advancement in the group, then work hard. But if you want to harm my family, I will not let you go."
Song Jiaping froze for a second, then turned and walked out without retort.
Since he had come this far, he knew he would be viewed with suspicion by everyone in the Huangfu family.
He would gain the trust of the group's senior management through his own abilities. Once he possessed sufficient strength, no one would be able to stop him from doing what he wanted.
...
After Huangfu Shaohua ran away from home, he stayed in a suite at a five-star hotel overnight, sleeping until dawn.
He woke up at his usual time and realized that since he had severed ties with his family, he no longer needed to go to the group for work.
He lay back down in bed, intending to sleep more, but he couldn't. He pondered what he should do after falling out with his father to become self-reliant without relying on his family.
Just before noon, the landline in his room rang; it was the front desk.
"Mr. Huangfu, the bank card you authorized last night has expired. Could you please come to the front desk to change it?"
Huangfu Shaohua found it rather sudden. The bank card he had authorized for the hotel front desk last night was one he used frequently. How could it have expired?
"Okay, I'll be right there." Had his father truly cut off his financial support?
Regardless, he would go to the front desk to see first.
He got up immediately, changed his clothes, and went to the front desk. He then tried all his other cards, and only one ordinary bank card still worked.
However, considering the hotel's daily room rate of several thousand, the balance on the only card he could use was insufficient to continue staying there.
He paid for one day's room fee and left the hotel at noon.
It seemed his father was serious, but the more his father acted like this, the less he was willing to yield.
He spent the afternoon aimlessly wandering the streets. He thought about how he had never worried about his livelihood since childhood. Everything was just about studying and studying abroad according to his parents' wishes. After completing his studies abroad, he was to return and work at the group.
If he hadn't wanted to marry the person he loved according to his own wishes, he should have continued to marry and have children according to their wishes, eventually becoming the heir of the Huangfu family.
His life seemed to have been set from birth, with no right to choose, only to accept everything step by step.
But such a life made him feel like a koi trapped in a fishbowl, never having breathed a breath of free air.
He often felt an inexpressible sense of suffocation until he met Daisy and saw how a girl could also carve out her own niche in the boxing world.
He saw how she lived so freely and unrestrainedly, not limited by gender or profession.
Her vitality in the boxing ring gave him the courage to break free from his predetermined life.
In the afternoon, he called a few friends to look for a job.
These friends thought he was joking and didn't take his job search seriously. Some wanted to invite him out to play, while others mentioned good projects and asked if he was willing to invest.
After hanging up the phone, he could only smile wryly. No one believed that he, the second young master of the Huangfu family, would now need a job.
As night fell, he went to the boxing club for his scheduled training session.
Daisy arrived earlier than usual that night, waiting for him with great anticipation.
Seeing him arrive on time, she suppressed her inner joy and gave him a lesson according to the normal teaching procedures.
Huangfu Shaohua, however, hesitated to speak several times. Last night, he was still determined to pursue her.
But tonight, he no longer knew if he could provide her with a stable life through his own efforts.
Daisy noticed him zoning out several times during practice and felt that his state was not right today.
When he zoned out again, she landed a punch with controlled force on his chin and said, shaking her fists at him, "Focus. Don't forget what we agreed on. If you want me to agree to you, you have to beat me in a sparring match."
Huangfu Shaohua looked at her with delight and asked, "Does that mean you'll be my girlfriend?"
"No," Daisy said, feigning indifference. "Can you beat me with your current skill level?"
"How about we have a match?" Huangfu Shaohua proposed eagerly.
Daisy looked at him disdainfully and said, "Sure, let's see how you beat me."
They began to spar, drawing a crowd of onlookers from the club.
Initially, the two exchanged blows, and the outcome was uncertain.
But Huangfu Shaohua knew that she was only using thirty percent of her moves, while he was using all his strength to try and win.
In the third round, he was still knocked to the ground by her.
He didn't give up, using his legs to firmly restrain her. When she tried to counter and stop him, he faked a move and also knocked her to the ground.
Daisy exclaimed with a laugh, "Not bad, you know that move too."
Huangfu Shaohua seized the opportunity, got up, pressed his back against her, straddled her, and pinned her down firmly.
The people below shouted, "Coach Daisy actually lost."
Huangfu Shaohua, still pinning her down, winked and smiled, "So, are you my girlfriend now?"
Daisy looked at his happy expression and couldn't help but ask, "Why me? What's so good about me?"
"In my eyes, you are the most charming," Huangfu Shaohua leaned in close to her, his gaze full of affection.
Daisy, flustered, pushed him away, "Okay, I still have to work. Wait for me after class."
She nimbly pushed him aside, wiped the sweat from her face, and said, "I need to teach the next student."
"You did that on purpose..." Huangfu Shaohua understood her intention.
She had deliberately lost to him just now. It turned out she had feelings for him too, and she was willing.
What had been a frustrating day was now blessed with a great surprise from fate.
He waited until she finished her work, expecting her to ask him to take her home.
Instead, she smiled brightly, patted his shoulder, and said, "Want to get some supper? Let's go together."
Huangfu Shaohua followed her to a street food stall. Without asking him, she ordered food and two bottles of beer.
She pushed a bottle of beer towards him and asked, "Are you used to eating supper here? Can you drink a little?"
"If you can eat it, then I have no problem," Huangfu Shaohua took the beer and took a gulp first.
Daisy sized him up and said, "Last time we went to the orphanage, you ate very elegantly. You must have been born with a silver spoon in your mouth, right? Would it be too much of a hardship for you to be with me?"
Huangfu Shaohua looked at the greasy tabletop and said with a troubled expression, "You imagine me too highly. I'm not rich at all. I just lost my job yesterday and was kicked out by my landlord. I don't even know where I'm going to sleep tonight; I was planning to sleep on the streets."
Daisy asked with disbelief, "Really? Are you joking?"