So It Turns Out You’re a Fox Spirit (GL) - Chapter 2
The chance encounter with Fu Jin may have stirred a ripple in Le Xiaoyao’s heart, but soon, it settled back into calm.
The monotonous routine of life sometimes gives one the illusion that this is all there is, yet change often arrives quietly, unnoticed.
At work, Le Xiaoyao was diligent and conscientious, meticulous in every detail. Any task assigned to her would be completed to perfection, on time and to standard. Zhou Yi often teased her, saying, “Your serious work mode could charm the entire design department!”
And indeed, Le Xiaoyao was buried in her office work, still juggling two projects that hadn’t yet been finalized. The clients were picky, so she had to handle them personally.
Knock, knock, knock…
Without lifting her head, Le Xiaoyao said, “Come in~”
Zhou Yi appeared at the door with a smile, holding a cup of hot coffee, which he placed on her desk.
“I say, Mr. Zhou, if you’re just hanging around, you don’t need to wander here. Come on, come on, revise this draft for me…” Le Xiaoyao propped her chin on her hand, calmly watching Zhou Yi.
“When the master herself is on it, it’ll definitely pass in one go… Enough chit-chat, just help me out, will you?”
Le Xiaoyao glanced at the steaming coffee and immediately knew: this guy wasn’t being altruistic; he had ulterior motives.
“Alright, tell me—what’s the matter~” Her eyes returned to the computer screen.
Zhou Yi jumped in, “I’m assuming you already agreed!”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“Come on, it’s super easy~” Zhou Yi hurriedly explained, “This Saturday, our design department is going to a lecture at A University. You’re in charge of organizing it—after all, it’s your alma mater! Xiaoyao~”
“My alma mater is your alma mater too! Zhou Yi, why should I work double just because of your convenience? You’re tricking me! And a lecture? Do you even know what kind of person I am?”
“What kind of person?” Zhou Yi seemed genuinely puzzled. “Aren’t you… from Zhejiang?”
Le Xiaoyao: “I’m the type who falls asleep at lectures.”
Zhou Yi: “==…”
She wasn’t exaggerating. Not counting elementary and middle school, she had attended countless lectures in college—many of them mandatory. Torturous, soul-crushing experiences! Lectures were usually filled with pompous, clichéd phrases; they were a total waste of time, money, and energy.
“What lecture? How come I didn’t get notified? Did you even get the consent of the department members?” Le Xiaoyao hated compulsory lectures with a passion, and she would never tolerate this culture creeping into the company.
“I think it’s about ‘The Re-Creation of Design.’ Xu gave us the notice in the afternoon meeting. I told you in advance! We can discuss it together then. We’ve already arranged VIP seats with the university. Xiaoyao, if I didn’t have something else on Saturday… I definitely wouldn’t trouble you… please help me~”
Zhou Yi was busy with a major life matter—speed dating, essentially.
In the end, he couldn’t resist Zhou Yi’s relentless pleading. This man always threatened with “life-altering matters”—he was persistent.
Le Xiaoyao figured that in the afternoon meeting, a democratic vote would likely be held. Anyone who didn’t want to attend would be the majority. After all, it was Saturday, the precious weekend!
During lunch break, the tea room buzzed with chatter.
“I heard we’re going to a lecture on Saturday…”
“Are you kidding me? Can we not go?”
“Apparently there’s a beautiful professor~”
“You like middle-aged women now?”
“Go, go, go! The youngest female professor at A University, alright?”
…
At three in the afternoon, the meeting proceeded as usual—a small-scale gathering of the design director, supervisors, and three team leaders.
“Thank you for waiting. Let’s get started. Zhou Yi, please give a brief explanation…”
The leader, Xu Zong, a typical career woman, 34, unmarried, decisive and efficient. A woman running a top-tier 4A advertising company—her capabilities were formidable.
Everyone stood up. “Good afternoon, Director Xu~”
Zhou Yi quickly pulled out a chair for her.
“Please, everyone sit.”
Le Xiaoyao had never encountered a woman with a stronger aura than Xu. In her mind, Xu Yu was almost godlike. Opportunities to see her up close were rare, so she tried to observe carefully.
Crimson lips, wavy hair, a fitted suit highlighting perfect curves, and the scent of Chanel No. 5 in the air—an archetype of a high-end single woman.
Le Xiaoyao’s mind wandered, until she suddenly heard her name mentioned.
Zhou Yi was reporting to Xu Yu on the tasks organized by Le Xiaoyao.
“Since Supervisor Zhou has other matters…” Xu Yu looked at Le Xiaoyao, seemingly forgetting her name.
Someone prompted her: “Le Xiaoyao…”
With unexpected courage, Le Xiaoyao spoke up, “Director Xu, shouldn’t we consult the team members first?”
The atmosphere in the room shifted slightly. Speaking up like this could be seen as opposing Xu’s unilateral decision. Team leaders of groups two and three inwardly rejoiced; the bold, inexperienced Le Xiaoyao dared to confront the director.
Xu Yu’s gentle expression stiffened—Le Xiaoyao tensed, worried she had overstepped, but reasoning that she was right, she continued, “Director Xu, it is the weekend, and everyone might have their own plans. Asking for opinions would better reflect a humanized management style.”
Xu Yu paused, then said, “You’re right. We do need to consider the team’s opinions. Le Xiaoyao, I’ll leave this to you. Meeting adjourned.”
Le Xiaoyao exhaled, relieved. The boss was flexible after all!
“By the way, if anyone has suggestions in the future, speak up boldly like Le Xiaoyao. I don’t want the design department to be too silent.” Xu Yu turned at the door, aura radiating.
Feeling praised by the boss, Le Xiaoyao’s admiration for her rose another level.
Frustrating. Back in her office, Le Xiaoyao poured herself a large glass of water. She couldn’t understand why these young people were all eager to attend a weekend lecture! She risked her neck to argue for their sake before Xu Yu—such wasted effort…
“小遙姐, here’s the material you requested.”
“Well… Xiao Yuan…” Le Xiaoyao called after a new intern in the design department, a lively girl with straight bangs.
“Anything else, Xiaoyao-jie?”
“Your… enthusiasm is impressive. Everyone wants to attend the lecture?” Le Xiaoyao asked casually.
Xiao Yuan blurted out, “Everyone wants to see the influencer…”
“Influencer?”
Xiao Yuan instinctively covered her mouth, then timidly added, “You don’t check Weibo? The lecturer is… not the Ginkgo Goddess… uh, Xiaoyao-jie, I better get back to work!”
Watching the girl scurry away, Le Xiaoyao opened her phone, searched Weibo for “Ginkgo Goddess.”
A moment ago, she had laughed at the nickname—it sounded ridiculous… but the next second, opening the picture…
Huh? Isn’t this A University’s Ginkgo Avenue? Wait, that familiar profile… really beautiful. No, more importantly—it’s Fu Jin!
Yet, in that instant, why did it feel like love at first sight, like a moment frozen in time? Le Xiaoyao wondered if she had gone mad.
She had never studied Fu Jin’s features so carefully before. Her eyebrows and eyes seemed sculpted by time itself—sophisticated, refined. The youthful naivety of the past had been washed away, leaving her original, serene elegance intact.
Five years had passed. Le Xiaoyao had been seeking an answer all this time. And now, the opportunity was right in front of her… yet why did she feel hesitant and indecisive again?