Chapter 1730
In the evening...
Night had fallen.
After receiving Fang Ping"s call, Dong Xuebing left his own home, walked down the corridor, and suddenly felt a gust of cold wind that made him s.h.i.+ver involuntarily. He tightened his coat collar and quickly headed towards a neighboring unit door not far away, then went upstairs.
Upstairs.
Fang Ping"s home.
Dong Xuebing knocked on the door, but there was no response, so he knocked again.
With a creak, the door opened, revealing Fang Ping"s stern face. "Why knock so many times? Did you think I"m deaf or something?"
Dong Xuebing retorted, "It"s freezing outside, hurry up."
Fang Ping opened the security door and entered the house without acknowledging him.
Dong Xuebing closed the door behind him without taking off his shoes. He confidently walked inside, looked around, and finally heard giggling from the bedroom"s direction. Soon after, the bedroom door creaked open, and another girl, who seemed around twenty years old or perhaps even younger, emerged. She was quite pretty, but her beauty was somewhat ordinary—she had the kind of look that marked her as a beauty without any distinctive features. Her demeanor seemed a bit frail, and her clothes were not very well put together, leaving a forgettable impression. The girl held Xiao Qianqian"s hand, playing with her as they entered the living room. Upon seeing Dong Xuebing, the girl hesitated slightly, appearing somewhat reserved.
Dong Xuebing glanced at her, not recognizing who she was, but paid it no mind, squatting down with a smile, "My good little darling."
Xiao Qianqian exclaimed, "Daddy!"
Dong Xuebing beckoned, "Come here, come here, let Daddy hug you."
Xiao Qianqian clumsily ran towards her father, legs scurrying, and threw herself into his arms, giggling. "Daddy!"
Dong Xuebing adored his daughter, immediately lifting her and kissing her forehead. "Such a good girl, did you miss Daddy?"
"Yeah!"
"You did?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!"
"So obedient, let Daddy kiss you again."
Dong Xuebing and his daughter enjoyed each other"s company for quite some time. Though it had only been hours since they last met, Xiao Qianqian remained clingy, calling out to him non-stop. Dong Xuebing knew she wanted to play, so he stood up, lifting and spinning her around. This had been her favorite since she was a few months old. She became ecstatic, waving her arms and legs around excitedly, her face lit up with joy. Dong Xuebing then let his daughter perch on his shoulders, a typical Beijing phrase called "he"erlou," and wandered around the room with her, laughing. Xiao Qianqian even mimicked the cla.s.sic pose of the t.i.tanic, spreading her arms wide, though it was unclear who had taught her that. Nonetheless, she did it with such charm and cuteness.
One minute pa.s.sed.
Five minutes.
After playing for a while, Dong Xuebing also felt tired. He sat down on the sofa with his daughter in his arms.
The pretty girl silently observed from the side, saying nothing and seeming introverted.
At this time, Fang Ping had gone to the bathroom, only emerging after a while without preparing tea for Dong Xuebing. She sat down directly at the other end of the sofa.
"Ah yi!" Xiao Qianqian immediately stretched out her hands, "Ah yi!"
Fang Ping smiled warmly. She took the little one from Dong Xuebing"s arms and kissed her chubby cheeks. "Auntie will hold you."
"Hehe." With so many people playing with her, Xiao Qianqian didn"t know how to express her joy, her mouth continuously smiling.
Dong Xuebing felt a bit puzzled and snorted inwardly.
Fang Ping genuinely liked children, so she held Xiao Qianqian for a while.
Only then did Dong Xuebing turn to the young girl and ask, "Who is this?"
"Director Dong, h.e.l.lo," the girl promptly replied. "My name is Sun Jia."
"Oh, h.e.l.lo," Dong Xuebing shook hands with her when she approached, still unsure who she was. "You"re very polite. But are you related to Fang Ping? How come you"re so courteous to me? Are you also from the Discipline Inspection Commission? No, it can"t be. How come I haven"t seen you before?" Although Sun Jia had no distinctive features, she was at least a cute girl. Dong Xuebing had a sharp memory for beauties; he would remember if he had seen her around the office. Generally, he would remember such things.
Dong Xuebing turned to Fang Ping and said, "You said you had something to talk to me about. What"s up?"
Fang Ping smiled as she teased the child and then turned to Dong Xuebing with an instant icy glare. She looked at Sun Jia and said, " Jia is a friend"s daughter."
Dong Xuebing nodded, and then...
Fang Ping continued, "In the past, I could just make a phone call, no problem. But now, with the merger of the General Administration of Press and Publication with the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television, your second aunt has become a top leader, and the top leaders are also close to your Xie family. The entire media sector is now your Xie family"s backyard. If I try to contact anyone, especially if it involves a phone call, it might harm Jia Jia. Everyone knows our families don"t get along. Even if I inform the entertainment companies below, it"s not impossible. But if it"s found out later that I made the connection, your second aunt might cause trouble, even if there isn"t any. I"m telling you, Jia Jia is the daughter of an old cla.s.smate of mine, and I need to make sure this goes off without a hitch."
Dong Xuebing scoffed, "I don"t understand."
Fang Ping pointed at him, "Regardless, you make sure it"s done for me."
"Why should I? What do I owe you?" Dong Xuebing stared.
"You think taking care of a child is that easy?" Fang Ping looked at him and said, "You owe me. Just forget about it. Get it done for me."
Dong Xuebing was speechless.
He could manage it. It wasn"t a big deal anyway, but he couldn"t stand Fang Ping"s tone and expression. It was too frustrating.
At this moment, Sun Jia walked out of the bathroom.
Dong Xuebing and Fang Ping stopped arguing in front of her.
But Sun Jia had heard their conversation and couldn"t help but lower her head. "Aunt Fang, I... I"d better not go tomorrow. I"ll..."
Fang Ping didn"t show any hesitation. "Forget about it. Don"t mind him. I"ve given you his phone number. Call him tomorrow. If he doesn"t handle it within this week, come to me, and I"ll settle the score with him."
Sun Jia hesitated, feeling embarra.s.sed and seeing Dong Xuebing"s att.i.tude.
"No buts," Fang Ping a.s.serted confidently. "It"s settled. When you decide which entertainment company you want to visit, just tell him."
Dong Xuebing was speechless.
Sun Jia glanced at Dong Xuebing and bit her lip.
Dong Xuebing was also a bit taken aback by her expression. He hesitated momentarily, then reluctantly shook his head and said to Fang Ping, "I"m not doing this to save face for you. I"m doing it for Sun Jia. I see how hard it is for a young girl." After finis.h.i.+ng, he turned to her and said, "Alright, I"ll check it out for you. Leave me your personal information and phone number. If it"s done, I"ll call you."
Sun Jia was pleasantly surprised. "Really?"
"Yes," Dong Xuebing replied reluctantly.
"Thank you, Brother Dong. Thank you, Aunt Fang," Sun Jia said joyfully.
Dong Xuebing glanced at Fang Ping and whispered, "This time, I"m helping you, but you owe me another favor."
"I"m your superior," Fang Ping said confidently. "You must help me out. Don"t give me all that nonsense."
Dong Xuebing was truly exasperated with her and felt like giving her a piece of his mind.