2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 79 Roommate's Whispers
When you become interested in someone's experiences and can't help but be curious to explore them, it often means the beginning of a story.

When Gu Qingqing returned to her dormitory, it was already 7:30 p.m.

This was my first time doing formal translation work, and besides looking forward to it, I was also a little nervous. Fortunately, the result was pretty good, but I have to thank Boss Tan for his help, as I wasn't familiar enough with many of the professional terms.

"Why are you back so late today? You usually come back before dinner."

As soon as Gu Qingqing entered the room, her roommate Xu Manli asked her if she had eaten dinner. Her other two roommates, Zhao Wenjia and Chen Yanan, also came forward to ask Gu Qingqing if she had eaten dinner.

Gu Qingqing's roommates all knew that she had found a part-time modeling job at a Taobao store. She would occasionally bring back some clothing samples, which she would give to any roommate who liked them.

There are occasional minor conflicts between the roommates, but overall they get along quite well.

Gu Qingqing came home too late today, and everyone was quite worried about her.

"Today I wasn't taking photos, I was doing translation work. It was my first time, so I wasn't very skilled and that's why I was delayed. Don't worry about me. Also, I've already had dinner," Gu Qingqing replied with a smile.

I had dinner with Tan Jincheng again, but this time he didn't let me pay; thankfully, at least I didn't work for nothing.

"Huh? Didn't you leave with that boss you said was kind of handsome? How come you've switched to translation work now?"

"It's still that same small business owner; he has several businesses," Gu Qingqing said with a smile.

"Wow, you actually found a part-time job that matches your major! Tell me, how does it feel?"

"Yes, tell me about jobs that match our majors. We can try them out in other places in the future, which will help our studies."

Three women make a drama, and the roommates were all chattering away, but Gu Qingqing was a little dejected: "Ugh, don't even mention it, I'm so discouraged; my English isn't even as good as theirs. You guys don't know, the young boss's spoken English is so fluent, I even want to learn English from him."

"Seriously? If your English is so good, why would they hire you as a translator? Did they have a crush on you?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? He's probably just too busy with work. The boss spent the whole day making his own PPT and even did the design himself."

"Holy crap, no way? He's kind of handsome, young, and incredibly capable at work. What kind of monster is he?"

"Really? Which school did this young business owner graduate from?"

Gu Qingqing didn't answer, but sighed, "Oh well, never mind, I need to study hard, otherwise I won't be able to get any translation work from Boss Tan in the future."

If you want to earn this salary with a clear conscience, you have to show your ability. Otherwise, with a level of skill like today's, even if Boss Tan gives you more work to do later, you'd be too embarrassed to accept it.

The girls' dormitory always talked about men, and no matter how Gu Qingqing tried to avoid it, her roommates wouldn't let her off the hook.

He was fairly handsome, very young, spoke fluent English, could make PowerPoint presentations, and was also a designer. Gu Qingqing's brief description of Tan Jincheng piqued her roommates' curiosity. Another thing that intrigued the three roommates was that Gu Qingqing actually dined alone with this young boss that evening!
If there's no way to go at noon due to work, then there's absolutely no need to go in the evening. Just finish the work and leave. You should know that since the start of the semester, Gu Qingqing hasn't received any private invitations from other boys in her class or department.

What kind of man could make Gu Qingqing make an exception for him?
Unable to withstand the interrogation from her three roommates, Gu Qingqing had no choice but to give a brief introduction of what she knew about Tan Jincheng, some of which she had observed in her daily life, and some of which she had learned during their conversations over the New Year.

"What kind of English can you learn in high school? How can someone be better at English than someone who has taken a year of specialized courses? Is there any justice in this world?"

"That's outrageous. How did he study? Qingqing has excellent grades in her major courses. She's not the kind of person who doesn't study."

"If he's really as good as you say, Qingqing, then it's unlikely that he's only at the high school level. Besides, you also said that his company hasn't been open for long, so it's impossible for him to have learned it in such a short time."

Gu Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "There must be some other opportunities. Boss Tan graduated a year earlier than us, so maybe he had some other opportunities during that year."

That should be it, but Gu Qingqing didn't know exactly what had happened to Tan Jincheng that year.

If I have the chance, I'd like to inquire about it.

Seeing Gu Qingqing deep in thought, Xu Manli, Zhao Wenjia, and Chen Yanan exchanged glances and blinked; all three of them had smiles on their lips.

It's hard not to be attracted to a peer who excels in all aspects, even if there's a mismatch in educational background. It might not necessarily be love, but the fact that Gu Qingqing agreed to have dinner with him after work suggests that she has some feelings for him.

Xu Manli had dated in high school and understood this feeling. Thinking about this, she couldn't help but want to test Gu Qingqing:

"Hey Qingqing, when are you going to introduce us to this Mr. Tan? We're also studying English. If he's busy with his work and you can't handle it, you can ask us for help. It's free, just consider it a learning experience."

Gu Qingqing's thoughts were interrupted by Xu Manli: "Huh? But I'm not that familiar with Boss Tan yet, so how can I introduce him?"

"It's okay. If you have the chance, just let us know. I'm not trying to take your job. I just want more learning opportunities. Or you can bring the work back and give us some feedback."

"Alright then, I'll find a chance to ask Boss Tan, but I can't show them to you until Boss Tan agrees, as these are his company's business documents." Gu Qingqing said somewhat awkwardly.

Gu Qingqing's troubled expression made Xu Manli even more confident in her judgment. She had never thought that Gu Qingqing would take the part-time job out of fear. After a semester together, she could still tell what kind of personality each of her roommates had.

However, Xu Manli didn't intend to tell Gu Qingqing that she was joking. Gu Qingqing probably didn't know her true thoughts yet, so she decided to let her be.

While Gu Qingqing and her three roommates were chatting with Boss Xiao Tan, Boss Xiao Tan was speeding from the Ningbo University campus to his home in Beicang. After arriving home, Boss Xiao Tan still had to organize his work for the day, so he wasn't having a moment's peace.

"The taste of saury, both the cat and you want to know; the scent of first love, we've rediscovered it."

As night falls, the closer you get to Beicang District, the fewer vehicles there are on the road. The night radio on the car stereo is playing Jay Chou's "Seven Mile Fragrance".

(End of this chapter)