Lady

She stood behind them and watched for a while.

Early in the morning, Ju Hui thought she had accidentally wandered into the fifth-grade classroom because she was sleepy. She leaned against the wall, and not far away, two tall figures stood on the left and right sides of her 1.2-meter-tall, lifeless body.

Is this someone calling on their friends to surround her and mock her?

Ju Hui walked over with a sour face. Sheng Qijing noticed her first, turned around with an unpredictable expression, glanced at her, and greeted Pei Yao: "What brings you to this assignment, senior?"

"Good morning. We're doing our final assignment for our elective course, Adult Human Anatomy," Pei Yao explained with a smile. "Those planning to pursue postgraduate studies can skip class as long as they finish their assignments early."

Ju Hui nodded, and while grabbing her apron, she squatted down to look around the room. There weren't many workstations left, and the deliverymen had already taken up empty spaces, forcing three people to squeeze into what was originally a spacious corner...

I'm mentally exhausted.

The next second, a yellow tassel fell into Ju Hui's peripheral vision.

Sheng Qijing dropped his measuring tape. Ju Hui reached out to pick it up for him, but he squatted down, just as the machine started to run at seven in the morning.

“The students on duty arranged the workstations and told me to be separated from Pei Yao and not to switch places.” Sheng Qijing lowered his eyes, his beautiful knuckles slowly intertwining, the ruler shortening. “I thought we were late, but it turns out it’s because of you.”

Sheng Qijing smiled with narrowed eyes: "Strongman, please take good care of me these days."

_

If they don't bother each other, they won't get beaten up. Sometimes Sheng Qijing would chat with Pei Yao through Ju Hui, so Ju Hui bought a pair of headphones.

The headphone cord is very long, so Ju Hui will use her phone to twist the cord into a ball and stuff it into the front pocket of her apron. She has to be careful not to let it fall out when she bends over.

The trouble outweighed the benefits, but to avoid embarrassment, Ju Hui wore headphones with earmuffs to block out the noise that night when her phone was out of battery.

Are we leaving together tonight?

Ju Hui stared at the human body without looking up. She knew Pei Yao was asking Sheng Qijing, who seemed to shake his head in denial. He then asked, "Going drinking again?"

Ju Hui lowered her eyes and smeared two more clumps of mud on the pregnant woman's foot with her thumb. Her phone wasn't in her pocket tonight; bending over was surprisingly easy.

Sheng Qijing has been drinking a lot lately, although he doesn't drink much and sometimes there's no smell of alcohol on his breath. The lingering aroma of red wine on his body is very similar to the one Pu Yin once gave him to try.

Ju Hui didn't want to think anything inappropriate, but she suspected it was just a willow branch that was randomly blown by the wind, passing by in front of her and disappearing, and would not disappear.

“That’s called drinking with someone.” Sheng Qijing glanced at Ju Hui’s apron. “I don’t drink.”

"Who are you drinking with?" Yun Aonan put down her phone, her boredom stirred. She didn't know Sheng Qijing liked to drink. "Senior, you seem to have a lot of activities tonight."

That night, bored, Yun Aonan, who came to keep Ju Hui company, glanced at the person who was working seriously. Last time, she had argued with Pei Yao and returned to her apartment in the middle of the night, leaving the whole house empty except for her lonely self.

So they... rekindled their old flame?

Sheng Qijing ignored the sarcasm and instead called out to Ju Hui, "Ju Hui."

"..."

Ju Hui didn't understand why he was calling her now.

"Ju Hui".

Sheng Qijing called her again.

Sheng Qijing usually ignored her. Their only interaction was that one-sided warning when he crouched down and hid on the ground. The two of them were quieter than the statue in front of them.

Ju Hui remained bowed, her thumb gently rubbing the swollen arch of the instep, and a thin layer of sweat slowly appeared on her increasingly bent back.

"Ju Hui." Sheng Qijing pulled open one side of her earphone.

"Huh?" Ju Hui's loud voice silenced the workshop for a moment. She quickly covered her earphones, which were now silent, and asked in alarm, "Senior, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing... Your foot massage was great." Sheng Qijing put his hand down and stood up straight again. "Let's continue listening to the music."

Ju Hui turned around, her expression resolute and indifferent.

Yun Aonan was even more embarrassed than Sheng Qijing, and soon she and Pei Yao left one after the other. Sheng Qijing and Ju Hui had a whole window all to themselves in a corner, which was even closer than they were in the loft.

When it was almost nine o'clock, Sheng Qijing also started packing his things. This time, Ju Hui took off her headphones in advance and looked at him.

Sheng Qijing lifted his eyelids slightly, as if he hadn't raised his eyebrows, and gestured to her with a look that only the two of them understood.

Sheng Qijing: "I'm leaving now."

Ju Hui: "Okay."

Sheng Qijing: "Don't work too late."

Ju Hui ignored it.

That evening, Ju Hui stayed until almost 11 p.m., when the school gates closed. There were still students doing their homework by the charging ports. She glanced back, checked that she had everything she needed, put on her headphones, hummed a song, unplugged her phone that had been charging all night, and left.

Ju Hui now walks this pitch-black path to the school gate every day. The darker the night, the more tranquil and bright it becomes. As Ju Hui enjoys the peace and quiet, her phone beeps—

Sheng Qijing: [I haven't been drinking. Come back early.]

Sheng Qijing: [Bought two new boxes.]

-

Even though he said he hadn't been drinking, he still smelled of alcohol on his body.

Ju Hui smelled it from his palm, and she bit down hard until he hissed in pain.

The room was so dark that only two souls remained. Sheng Qijing tightened his grip on her cheek, gently pinching it as if playing with the rim of a porcelain cup, forcing her to hide her sharp teeth.

The two temporarily snapped out of their dreams and looked at each other.

After a while, she licked the tooth mark, and Sheng Qijing released her.

Ju Hui chuckled to herself, noting that the uneven surface was quite deep.

"Ah...no!"

The next second, Ju Hui was grabbed by the waist, and Sheng Qijing was about to throw her into the air. The ceiling and she spun around, making her scream but also feel excited.

Ju Hui's senses were heightened; after fear came excitement, and she even wanted him to do it again.

Sheng Qijing clearly wasn't in the mood for that. He felt light and airy, his breathing becoming increasingly erratic, like a forest mist. He loved looking for the moles on her body; he knew exactly how many there were in every location. He especially liked the small moles that would eventually disappear into her underwear. They were like laser pointers on a grown cat, attracting his attention, making him curious and wanting to possess them.

"You again..."

At first, Ju Hui could push his head away to show her resistance. Her hair brushed against his earlobe, gently tickling him. Later, even her breathing became certain, and she had no choice but to join in.

After a while, before losing her last bit of reason, Ju Hui put her hand in front of his mouth and covered it, pushing him back. Sheng Qijing had been half-opening his eyes, which were still foggy.

He imitated her and licked her.

"You're so annoying!" Ju Hui blushed, wiped her hands, which were covered in alcohol and saliva, from his chest, and, with a look of disgust, supported him, asking angrily, "Why have you been drinking so much lately?"

"I didn't drink tonight..."

Sheng Qijing's hands started moving around again, and Ju Hui quickly pressed his arms to his sides, letting his hair fall down to cover her face. He raised his hand and brushed the hair behind her ear, revealing a pair of angry eyes.

It's infuriating that he can't be suppressed and that everything is under Sheng Qijing's control.

Sheng Qijing was taken aback: "Sorry, recently..."

"Are you doing a bad job?!" Ju Hui looked up. "You even have to drink with people. Is this how your family sells alcohol?"

Sheng Qijing was taken aback, then burst out laughing. She was like a grumpy kitten clinging to his chest.

"This way of selling wine... is a very insightful summary."

He picked up Ju Hui and gently placed her aside. He reached his arm over her and turned on the small lamp. Ju Hui shrank back into the blanket, instantly switching from a volatile to a shy persona. Sheng Qijing, on the other hand, propped his head up with one hand and generously provided Ju Hui with a chest muscle training toy. Ju Hui, in turn, pulled the blanket up a little for him.

Sheng Qijing smiled, but Ju Hui's almond-shaped eyes were staring straight at him. In this atmosphere, how could he believe that she hated him?

Sheng Qijing reached out and stroked her back again, whispering in her ear:

"Would you like me to go with you once, and be your drinking companion?"

-

Sheng Qijing has been frequently visiting the club lately to act as a middleman, introducing his sister, Sheng Jiashu, to Teacher Ma Wen.

Sheng Jiashu was on a business trip in France when her younger brother called her from across the ocean, asking her to help get the counselor fired.

This was no small favor. Sheng Qijing remained remarkably calm on the other end, stating bluntly that Ma Wen had leaked student privacy. Just recently, Sheng Zhen had thrown Ju Hui's scholarship application form in Sheng Qijing's face.

When did Father go to Ruobei?

Sheng Jiashu paused for two seconds on the phone before agreeing to his suggestion.

One of the counselors is easier to deal with than Sheng Zhen.

She took a sip of wine to ease her stiff smile, then glanced at Sheng Qijing beside her. He leaned back in his wicker chair, facing the "Seine" over Liangma Bridge, saying nothing.

I'm not feeling well today...

This French-style wine cellar club is built along the river. The two-story European-style building is neither too big nor too small and operates on a membership system. It is a secret base that Sheng Jiashu opened without her father's knowledge, using Liuli as the legal representative.

She usually only meets with senior executives of a certain company who need financial management here, and does not entertain artsy and melancholic local men.

Marvin insists on drinking only tea and not foreign liquor. His voice is long and deep: "Art is just my dream. If I hear the truth in the morning, I can die content in the evening. I have been working at Ruomei for four or five years. I have long understood the essence of art, so there is no point in joining this lifeless market again."

"..."

No one at the table paid him any attention.

“But,” Sheng Qijing said, rubbing behind his ear as he was kicked in the shin by Sheng Jiashu, “this year Mo Cun sold a fan for 20 million Hong Kong dollars. It took him 10 years to paint.”

"The best time to plant a tree is now."

Ma Wen choked up. Sheng Qijing had said the same thing the day he invited him to meet the behind-the-scenes CEO of Mo Cun.

Sheng Jiashu couldn't help but smile, her lips curving upwards into a crescent moon. She quickly sipped her wine, feeling the cool breeze on her face, as refreshing as if it had been mixed with carbonated bubbles.

Sheng Qijing picked up the wine bottle and poured it back for her, then, ignoring Ma Wen's objections, filled the wine glass in front of him.

"We can call a designated driver later."

Sheng Qijing urged him to drink it quickly, because if it rained in the north in a few days, the riverbank would only have the smell of fish rushing in, and if he didn't drink this wine, he would never be able to drink it again.

"Heh..." Marvin's laugh was ugly.

He had no choice but to drink it all, and as a result, he passed out after just one glass. Ten minutes later, a driver came to take him away.

As the north turned cool, Sheng Jiashu, who disliked the cold, got up and walked back. The 12-meter-high dome in the center of the club was inlaid with Venetian hand-blown glass. The night sky was starless, and the floor lamps on the spiral staircase maintained a faint starlight. On the wall hung a famous painting of the Sheng family's failed investments. She raised her hand and brushed the paint on the painting.

Sheng Qijing followed behind him upstairs. "No wonder he's still a counselor after four or five years. It turns out he can't drink."

“You’re in a hurry,” Sheng Jiashu said, enunciating each word clearly.

"What?" Sheng Qijing hadn't been paying attention.

"Aren't you afraid of alerting the enemy today?" Sheng Jiashu sat back in her comfortable office, slammed into the sofa, and kicked off her high heels. "Is your girlfriend urging you? Such a vicious plan, it couldn't have been her idea, could it?"

"I do hope she'll be smarter and ask me for help." Sheng Qijing glanced at the perfume on her desk and sprayed it on herself; it smelled of mint soap.

A thin mist, like a dense net, rushed towards him, causing him to cough twice. The smell was cheap, like the five-yuan snacks sold outside an elementary school.

"Where did you buy this?"

“It smells so youthful!” Sheng Qijing stared at his sister’s strong, floral face, which didn’t match the perfume at all. “I can only say that I look like a beautiful rose scent. Adding a touch of mint green would create a better contrast.”

green?

Sheng Qijing recalled how Ju Hui had refused his offer to drink with her last night. His lips, red and pink, parted slightly as he said coldly:

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

His face turned green.

Sheng Qijing lowered his eyes and took out a jewelry box from his pocket. The wooden box made a dull thud on the table. Sheng Jiashu sat up, picked it up and opened it—it contained a smiley face flower hair clip that she had designed herself.

"You actually made it for me! I'd completely forgotten about it." She took out the hair clip, weighed it in her hands—it was indeed quite heavy for ceramic—and smiled at him. "Thanks."

"If you're grateful, then move that row of colorful items from the second-floor living room too. It's a headache to look at."

"Headache?"

Sheng Jiashu's gaze darkened as she toyed with the glaze on the hair clip with her fingertips. "I asked you to pack them up and send them to Shanghai before. Didn't you say that keeping them would make me feel safer sleeping there? What, you're already afraid I'll come and bother you as soon as your girlfriend arrives?"

Sheng Qijing gently rubbed his temples and denied it faintly.

The room remained silent for a long time before Sheng Jiashu spoke first, her tone shifting: "After this is over, you two should break up."

Sheng Jiashu looked up and met his emotional gaze. She warned, "You're too naive now. You're so old and you're still letting your emotions lead you by the nose. No wonder President Bian said those things the other day."

"What does Ju Hui have to do with him?"

He is your brother-in-law.

"Their bones may be broken, but their tendons won't connect."

Sheng Qijing's eyes were cold and sharp. He took a deep breath, and tasted bitterness on the tip of his tongue: "It's okay to mention Ju Hui, but don't keep mentioning Bian Jiaping."