Chapter 18 Why aren't you home yet?

Moreover, Su Xiao looks young, hasn't graduated for long, and is still a girl.

They've started betting privately on how long the new team leader will last.

The work has been stalled, causing many people to lose faith in the West Coast project.

Meng Jin seemed to have expected this, and simply patted Su Xiao on the shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Hey, Lin Xi, come here for a second."

Meng Jin called out to a girl by the window. The girl was wearing frameless glasses similar to Meng Jin's and had her hair tied in a low ponytail.

He wore an extravagant necklace around his neck, which looked very cool.

He's also handsome.

"This is Lin Xi from the planning department." Meng Jin was actually quite troubled as well.

What kind of officer leads what kind of soldiers?

Xu Bozhou himself is unconventional, and the people under his command also have their own distinct personalities.

"Lin Xi, why don't you show Su Xiao around the work?"

"Okay." The girl agreed, but her attitude was still not very good.

Meng Jin gave a few more instructions on the work process, left behind a pile of documents, and was then called away by a phone call.

No sooner had he left than whispers began to circulate in the office.

They didn't speak loudly, but they didn't deliberately avoid Su Xiao.

"Team leader? So young?"

"She looks even younger than Lin Xi, doesn't she? When did our department start needing to parachute in a female team leader?"

"Who knows? It's probably what the higher-ups want. Look at her appearance, maybe she's..."

The rest of the sentence was left unsaid, but the flippancy in his tone was clear to everyone.

Lin Xi frowned, about to retort, when she saw Su Xiao walk to her workstation, pick up the documents Meng Jin had left behind, and start flipping through them as if no one else was there.

The whispers buzzed around her like flies, but she didn't even lift her eyelids.

She was used to being gossiped about behind her back.

Since the gallery incident, she has heard things a hundred times worse than this.

These people's doubts are simply because she is a woman and her arrival was sudden, and they think she will leave sooner or later.

"You have a good temper."

Lin Xi sat opposite her, her voice indifferent, revealing no emotion.

"Unfortunately, a good temper can't control this group of people."

"I never intended to get involved with them."

Su Xiao spread the documents on the table, looked up at Lin Xi, and said, "I remember you're quite capable in your field, right?"

"Hmm?" Lin Xi frowned, a bad feeling creeping in. "What's wrong?"

"Please tidy up all the garbage they made and send it to my email before you leave work tomorrow."

Su Xiao smiled at her and said, "Thank you for your hard work, new colleague."

"..."

Lin Xi felt as if Meng Jin had set her up.

Su Xiao organized the project information and already had a general idea in mind.

The West Bund project is a commercial exhibition focused on traditional culture.

That just happens to be her area of ​​expertise.

Su Xiao worked overtime for a while and then separated the useful parts and put them in the drawer.

The setting sun cast dappled light and shadow on the tabletop through the blinds.

As Lin Xi passed by carrying a stack of documents, she saw Su Xiao stuffing her employee ID card into her bag and gestured with her chin.

"get off work?"

"Okay." Su Xiao zipped up her bag. "See you tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll be leaving in a little while too."

Lin Xi tossed the files onto the table, sorted them, tidied up, and prepared to leave work.

As I stepped out of the Xu Group building, the evening breeze carried the heat of late summer.

Su Xiao hailed a taxi and went to Qin Yu's studio.

Sitting in the back seat, I leaned against the car window and closed my eyes to rest.

She hadn't been sleeping well to begin with, and after looking at documents all day, her eyes felt uncomfortable.

"arrive."

The driver reminded her.

Su Xiao paid the money, pushed open the studio door, and was greeted by a scent of turpentine mixed with the fragrance of ink.

The lights were on on the third floor, and Qin Yu was leaning over the workbench, using a magnifying glass to examine the cracks in a tattered scroll.

Hearing the noise, she looked up, her eyes behind her glasses brightening: "Senior sister?"

"You haven't left yet?"

Su Xiao walked over and saw that his coffee cup was empty. "Didn't eat again?"

"I just asked Xiao Li to order takeout."

Qin Yu rubbed his neck and moved to the side, revealing the meticulous flower and bird painting on the table.

"The framing artist has finished, shall I arrange for someone to deliver it to Mr. Lin?"

"Yes, thank you for your hard work."

Su Xiao nodded, found a workstation to sit down, and began to attach new title papers to the cleaned works.

The phone vibrated beside the workbench, and the words "Yan Mingshen" appeared on the screen.

Su Xiao was holding the repair paper with tweezers when she paused for a moment, but still swiped to answer the call.

"Where are you?"

Yan Mingshen's voice came through the receiver, carrying a questioning tone.

In the background, Xia Zhi's soft laughter could be faintly heard.

"Why aren't you home yet?"

"Something's up."

Su Xiao's voice was calm as she continued her work with her head down, the sound of tweezers scraping against the rice paper clearly audible.

What could be more important than going home?

Yan Mingshen's tone turned serious: "Don't forget your current identity."

Su Xiao scoffed, her fingertips tightening around the tweezers:

"Yan Mingshen, we've already made such a scene."

She looked up at the window; the night was deep.

Don't you think we need to cool off a bit?

"Su Xiao!"

Yan Mingshen's voice suddenly rose: "Haven't you caused enough trouble yet—"

"Beep...beep...beep..."

Su Xiao immediately ended the call and placed her phone face down on the table.

The new paper fell smoothly from her fingertips, fitting perfectly with the original painting.

Even at this point, Yan Mingshen still thinks he's making a fuss...

Fortunately, he was confident enough.

Otherwise, she really wouldn't know how to continue dragging on this marriage that exists in name only.

Su Xiao picked up a calligraphy brush, dipped her fingertip in the prepared mineral pigment, and compared the color against the light.

Her phone vibrated on the table as she sat down.

Su Xiao assumed it was Yan Mingshen again and ignored him.

When I finished, I realized it was an electronic invitation in the style of a gold-embossed envelope.

The sender was Tangjia Mansion, and the message was brief: We cordially invite Ms. Su Xiao to attend the charity gala dinner tomorrow night at 7 p.m.

Su Xiao paused on the screen, remembering Zhou Manyun's words.

She opened her contacts, found the WeChat account of the head of the planning department, and sent a message.

She wanted to ask for half a day off, worried that she wouldn't have time to change into her dress.

The message was sent successfully, but it seemed to have sunk into the sea without any reply.

The next morning.

Su Xiao finished organizing the remaining materials at Xu's company.

Just as I was about to get up and go to the break room, Lin Xi leaned over and whispered:

"Minister Xu wants you to go to his office. Be careful."

"knew."

Su Xiao nodded, vaguely understanding the situation.

Minister Xu hasn't shown up since she started working yesterday, so his sudden call for her is most likely about asking for leave.

The minister's office was at the end of the corridor. Su Xiao knocked on the door, and a slightly serious voice came from inside: "Come in."

Minister Xu was in his thirties, with a deep frown line between his eyebrows, and his gaze toward Su Xiao was inexplicably unsettling.

Seeing Su Xiao enter, his expression was disdainful, and his tone contemptuous:

"Su Xiao, right? You just started yesterday?"