Anan

"We, the common people, are truly ecstatic this evening..." As the alarm clock rang, Li Xinyuan's hand emerged from under the covers, blindly tapping it off, then spent a few minutes dozing with her head still under the blanket before reluctantly rising. After freshening up, she was radiant, her bright eyes sparkling as she swiftly changed into her professional attire, donned a light pink down jacket, applied light makeup, and hurried out the door. Li Xinyuan's rented apartment was located at the first subway station, a half-hour journey across the city of Xiangcheng, where she usually managed to secure a seat. She set her alarm clock for 25 minutes, resting her head against the window and dozing off intermittently, attracting glances from nearby commuters. Exiting the subway, with still over ten minutes before work, Li Xinyuan bought her favorite beef pastry and soy milk from a stall. She finished them within five minutes upon arrival at the office, tidied herself up a bit, and was ready to start her day! Li Xinyuan worked in the finance department of a subsidiary of the Muchen Group, specifically in the strategic analysis team, the highest-ranking and most specialized group within the finance department. As the name suggests, they were responsible for planning, coordinating, analyzing, and reporting on the overall financial situation of the company. Three years ago, Li Xinyuan graduated from university, and securing this position was quite an adventure. In her team of six, apart from the senior supervisor, Zhou, all the others were master's degree holders from prestigious universities, while Li Xinyuan was the only one with an undergraduate degree. Nevertheless, Li Xinyuan was undaunted. Back then, she had competed on equal footing with her master's degree-holding colleagues in written exams and interviews. Today, her job performance was on par with, if not better than, any of them. As individuals molded by the competitive environment, the atmosphere within the team was cohesive and harmonious. The busy and tense morning flew by quickly. Li Xinyuan invited her supervisor, Zhou, to have lunch together. Over the past year, the two had become lunch buddies. They went to a fast-food restaurant called "Home Braised Rice," each ordering their own dish. Li Xinyuan took out a box from her bag, smiling brightly, "Zhou, your favorite cheesecake, let's have it after lunch!" There was a dessert shop near her home that Zhou loved, so Li Xinyuan would occasionally bring some for her. Zhou chuckled, "Oh dear, you're spending money again! I've told you not to, but you never listen!" Li Xinyuan huffed, "But I love it too!" After finishing their meal and enjoying the exquisite and refreshing cheesecake, Zhou looked satisfied. She glanced around and lowered her voice, "Xinyuan, do you have any connections in the company, or the group?" Li Xinyuan still wore a naive expression, "What connections? You're my closest connection in the company." Zhou laughed at her response, then said seriously, "Since we're close, I'll tell you this. Although our company has been doing well in recent years, the overall environment... you know, I've heard there's a strategy of streamlining and improving efficiency from the top management..." She made a chopping gesture with her hand. Li Xinyuan's heart sank, "Really? Will it affect us?" Zhou sighed, "I heard it was decided by the big boss. All non-market departments will have a 20%-30% reduction in staff. That means our department may lose 1 or 2 people. Although you've been performing well, and I've spoken highly of you to the manager, you never know what the leaders are thinking. You should try to find some connections and improve your recent performance to be on the safe side." Li Xinyuan found it difficult to connect the idea of staff reduction with herself, especially since she had been working diligently. In the past, she had even contributed more than others in certain important tasks. But then again, she had the lowest education level, just an undergraduate from a prestigious university. Li Xinyuan felt uneasy. Then Zhou mentioned, "By the way, isn't your boyfriend taking the civil service exam? Has the result come out?" "It should be out soon." "If he passes, casually mention it to the manager." Li Xinyuan widened her eyes, "Why? Even if he gets in, he'll just be a grassroots civil servant." "Hey!" Zhou tapped her on the head, "At least he's in a government department. It's related to economic development. Others will still look at him with admiration. Maybe it'll score points with the leaders!" Li Xinyuan pondered for a moment, then nodded, "You're right. I've been supporting him for three years, he should be useful by now." Zhou laughed heartily, then asked Li Xinyuan to accompany her to the headquarters building in the afternoon to deliver a report, to which Li Xinyuan readily agreed. Back at the office, during the lunch break, Li Xinyuan wandered to the stairwell alone, gazing at the winter sun outside, pondering what Zhou had said, feeling unsettled. She shook her head immediately, telling herself: Li Xinyuan, don't lose your cool. You're excellent, you've worked hard for three years, they can't just consider your education, right? It couldn't possibly be you. She took out her phone and sent a text message to Xie Zhilu: "What are you up to?" After waiting for five or six minutes with no response, Li Xinyuan called him. It rang seven or eight times before he answered, his voice as clear and bright as ever, "Xinyuan, what's up?" In front of her boyfriend, Li Xinyuan was like a sweet and soft cat, her voice becoming slightly coquettish, "It's been a week or two since I last saw you. You haven't called or messaged me." Xie Zh ilu paused before replying, "I was busy preparing for the civil service exam, and lately, I've had a lot of work with my supervisor. You know that." "Okay, okay, I know you're busy. Did you get the exam result?" Xie Zhilu's voice carried a hint of joy, "I passed." "Really?!" Li Xinyuan stood up straight, pleasantly surprised. "That's great! Is it the department you wanted?" "Yes, I just received the notification a couple of days ago." Li Xinyuan was taken aback. It seemed that Xie Zhilu hadn't noticed, so she continued, "You received the notification two days ago, why didn't you tell me right away? Why did I have to call you today to find out?" Xie Zhilu was silent for a few seconds before saying, "I thought you were busy with work. I had a lot of things to finish up with my supervisor recently, so I wanted to tell you in person. I'm sorry." This explanation was somewhat acceptable, and since he admitted his mistake promptly, Li Xinyuan felt slightly relieved, although still somewhat annoyed, so she remained silent. "Are you angry?" Xie Zhilu asked. Li Xinyuan thought, Yes, I am. So why don't you apologize? But Xie Zhilu didn't soothe her as he used to. Through the phone, Li Xinyuan felt that he had become more reserved at some point. Was it because he was about to start working and had matured? He said, "Let me take you out for dinner. Tomorrow night, I have something important to tell you." Li Xinyuan's heart skipped a beat, pretending to be foolishly curious, "Why? Don't think that buying me dinner will make me forgive you." In the end, Xie Zhilu chuckled and said, "We'll talk when we meet."