Chapter 139 A Subtle Change "I can give you a bonus too. Next time..."

Tomorrow night is Lunar New Year's Eve, a day for family reunion, and Zhu Liushuang felt really bad about troubling the courier to deliver the package. She gave up her plan to shop online and packed a few sets of slightly worn, plain-colored lingerie into a bag. The brand-new lace lingerie set that Tian Xingyu had given her was placed in the most conspicuous spot.

She packed her things quickly and efficiently, and in no time she had everything she needed to take home. Just then, the alarm clock went off. Zhu Liushuang hurried to the bedside and turned it off, then casually stuffed the half-empty bottle of perfume from the cabinet into her pocket.

I slipped on my slippers and walked out of the bedroom. Usually, the house was quiet at this time, and there was hardly any noise.

"Tap, tap, tap—" The sound came from the kitchen.

Zhu Liushuang was both surprised and delighted, and twirled as she walked towards the kitchen.

Sure enough, He Ming's figure was spotted.

She peered closely at him through the doorframe. The man was wearing a blue-gray cotton pajama set, the top two buttons undone, and he was intently chopping lettuce with a kitchen knife. His knife skills weren't exactly proficient; his movements were methodical, yet his fingers were so long and slender, so fair, that one could easily overlook his slow chopping pace, adding a touch of elegance to the scene.

She was engrossed in watching when the man inside suddenly looked up and smiled slightly at her: "You're up?"

Had he noticed her a long time ago?

Staring at the man's upturned lips, Zhu Liushuang released her grip on the door frame and stepped lightly inside.

"Weren't you supposed to be off work today? Why are you up so early..." Walking up to the man, she finally caught a whiff of his faint, pleasant shower gel scent. Looking up, she noticed his hair was still damp, glistening with water. "Did you take a shower?"

After He Ming finished slicing the lettuce, he gave a barely audible "hmm," then lifted the pot lid and said, "My biological clock wakes me up on time. It's a rare opportunity, so I'll make you breakfast."

When did his biological clock change? Zhu Liushuang remembered that He Ming usually woke up at least half an hour to an hour later than her. However, her question was quickly drowned out by the sizzling sound of stir-frying.

"Shuangshuang, the porridge and fried eggs are ready. Go wash up first, then come straight to the dining room..." the man said methodically as he cooked the dishes.

"Okay. Thanks for your hard work—" Before leaving, Zhu Liushuang leaned on the countertop, stood on tiptoe, and gave He Ming a quick kiss on the cheek. Having successfully ambush him, she took off running, ready to make her escape.

Unexpectedly, he had only taken two steps when an arm scooped him back up precisely.

"One kiss isn't enough." The man turned off the stove and pulled her into his arms. He lifted her chin and, without a word, was about to return her kiss.

Their noses touched, and the man's long eyelashes brushed against hers almost imperceptibly. Zhu Liushuang blushed slightly and whispered in protest, "I...I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

"It's okay, I've already swiped it." He Ming lowered his voice, his breath lightly brushing against her lips.

The man's deep, husky, and magnetic voice stirred her sensitive nerve endings. Knowing that her protests were futile, Zhu Liushuang softened her hands that were pressed against his chest and obediently closed her eyes.

The next second, He Ming's kiss landed on her lips.

His lips were warm and soft, carrying a refreshing minty scent. He touched them gently and carefully, and in no time, Zhu Liushuang was captivated by his tender advances.

The air in his lungs was gradually drawn out until he was completely exhausted, and only then did He Ming end the lingering good morning kiss. His eyes were red-rimmed, his sharp chin pressed against her forehead, and he said breathlessly, "Go wash up quickly, the food is getting cold."

Zhu Liushuang's chest heaved violently. She tried to catch her breath while pulling away from his embrace and fleeing the kitchen as if escaping.

After she finished washing up and putting on light makeup, steam was already rising from the dining table.

Two bowls of mixed grain porridge, a plate of fried eggs, a stir-fried lettuce, and two small dishes of fermented bean curd.

"I came here because of the smell, it smells so good." Zhu Liushuang said, pulling out a chair and sitting down opposite He Ming.

"The porridge is a little hot, eat slowly." He Ming handed her a spoon and said, "I'll take you to work after you finish eating."

Zhu Liushuang hummed in agreement, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, put it in her mouth, and slowly chewed it before saying, "This porridge is really delicious!"

Her animated manner of speaking made He Ming feel somewhat ashamed: "It's just ordinary multigrain porridge. I haven't cooked much this year, so I'm a bit rusty... You can taste the saltiness of the dish."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Liushuang quickly picked up a piece of shredded lettuce with her chopsticks: "It's just the right amount of salty and bland, just the crisp texture I like."

"Hmm, eat more if you like." He Ming had always found Zhu Liushuang's eating style very appealing, and her praise this morning had further boosted his confidence in his cooking skills. "I'll try to cook more often in the future..."

"Great!" Although Zhu Liushuang enjoyed researching dishes and desserts, she wasn't one to take on everything. Since He Ming was willing to cook, she was naturally happy to oblige. "I just promised my mom that we'd cook New Year's Eve dinner tonight... This is a perfect opportunity for you to show off your skills, Chef He!"

Her tone rose, and she smiled broadly, causing faint smile lines to appear at the corners of He Ming's eyes: "Well, I'm new here, so please give me some pointers, Chef Zhu."

The two chatted as they ate, and breakfast took them almost half an hour.

Fortunately, He Ming drove Zhu Liushuang to the company, otherwise she would have been late.

This time, Zhu Liushuang didn't awkwardly let him drop her off at the intersection. It was windy outside, so to keep her from getting too cold, He Ming drove the car into the underground parking garage.

Before getting off the bus, the man held her hand tightly and wouldn't let go.

Having no other choice, Zhu Liushuang gave him another "smack" on the face before the locked car door was finally opened.

"Will you be getting off work a little earlier today?" he asked, rolling down the car window.

Zhu Liushuang glanced at the time several times and replied absentmindedly, "Probably... If it's earlier, I'll send you a message in advance."

"Shuangshuang, remember to send me the shopping list. Also... where did you put your packed luggage?"

These things could have been discussed on WeChat, or at the very least, a phone call during lunch break. For the first time, Zhu Liushuang felt that the man in the car had become somewhat verbose.

If she delays any longer, she will be late.

So she waved her phone and dismissed him with a few words: "I'm going to clock in first, we'll talk about the rest when I get to the company..."

She left him behind and ran forward, her black hair bouncing in the air.

Behind her, out of sight, He Ming was gazing at her gently through the car window. A smile played on his lips, and a subtle light flickered in his eyes.

The woman's figure in his pupils was getting smaller and smaller, but he seemed unable to get enough of looking at her, staring intently for a moment. Only when that running figure disappeared around the corner did he absentmindedly look away.

————

While waiting for the elevator, Zhu Liushuang felt a light tap on the shoulder.

She turned around in surprise, only to be met with her colleague's smiling face. Zhuang Xiaoqian grinned, her eyes filled with a hint of teasing and gossip, and teased her, "Good morning, Liu Shuang. Your boyfriend's pretty good, coming to drive you to work again..."

Zhuang Xiaoqian's voice was loud and clear, and as soon as she said this, the people waiting for the elevator all cast "concerned" glances at Zhu Liushuang.

"Sister Zhuang..." Zhu Liushuang couldn't stand being stared at by so many strangers, so she raised her arm and used her backpack to cover her face.

Seeing how easily embarrassed she was, Zhuang Xiaoqian leaned closer and whispered, "I understand, I understand... Let's talk about it again when we get back to the company."

Having escaped the embarrassment of having her private life overheard in public, Zhu Liushuang's expression became much more relaxed.

Of course, given Zhuang Xiaoqian's outgoing and gossipy nature, she wouldn't give up on continuing their conversation about He Ming. So, after the two clocked in and entered the finance office, they restarted the topic that had just been put on hold.

"I didn't realize your Mr. He was so considerate!" Zhuang Xiaoqian said, tidying up the documents on the table.

Zhu Liushuang smiled awkwardly and replied, "It's...it's alright. He's off today."

Hearing this, Zhuang Xiaoqian frowned: "You mean... we're both supposed to be resting, so why does my husband only care about sleeping in?"

"Perhaps... my brother-in-law is tired from working overtime?" Zhu Liushuang racked her brains to come up with a reason for her.

"What's there to be tired about? He didn't go on any business trips or stay up all night. Sigh, married people are just different from dating people." Zhuang Xiaoqian waved her hand, but she only complained a few words; her expression remained gentle and pleasant.

Zhu Liushuang thought the topic would end there, but Zhuang Xiaoqian's thoughts jumped off like a wild horse: "Liushuang, are you and He Ming living together?"

"Click!" My finger was hit squarely by the falling file folder.

Based on this reaction, Zhuang Xiaoqian didn't even need to answer; she had already guessed most of it. She chuckled and said, "I knew it! Your complexion has been rosy lately, and you look even more beautiful... This state must be due to the nourishment of love."

"Sister Zhuang—" Zhu Liushuang lowered her head and breathed on her fingers.

"Don't blame me for being nosy... I'm just curious, and I'm happy for you too," Zhuang Xiaoqian said cheerfully. "I saw you two being all lovey-dovey by the car when I got off this morning. From what I can tell, He Ming really cares about you. When you walked away, he was like a statue, staring at your back without moving. Even after you disappeared, he was still there... Just as I patted you on the shoulder, his car had only just started moving!"

Zhu Liushuang was in such a hurry that she didn't look back at He Ming at all, so she naturally didn't know what was happening behind her. But Zhuang Xiaoqian's tone was too exaggerated, praising He Ming as if he were a love saint, which made her feel that there was some exaggeration involved.

"Sister Zhuang, you've misunderstood. Maybe he's just thinking about something..."

"My eyesight is 5.0 in both eyes, how could I possibly misread it?" Zhuang Xiaoqian retorted loudly. "I recognize He Ming's car, so I deliberately turned over to take a second look. If you don't believe me, just ask him yourself!"

Having said that, Zhu Liushuang began to believe it.

Before work started, she sent the shopping list to He Ming, along with a smug, teasing comment.

[I heard someone stared at my retreating figure for a long time just now. What, are you reluctant to part with me? /smirk]

She thought that He Ming, being reserved and composed, wouldn't admit it so readily.

Unexpectedly, the phone screen lit up almost instantly.

Hmm, I've been watching you for ages and you haven't even turned around. Looks like... work is more important than me. /Sad]

Reading the feignedly aggrieved words in the chat box, Zhu Liushuang's jaw nearly dropped onto her desk. She chuckled softly, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

That's right, after all, work pays! Let's do our best in this last shift of the year and try to get a bigger bonus. /Go for it!

"Buzz buzz" New messages kept popping up one after another.

[WeChat transfer: 50,000]

【I can give you a bonus too. /tsundere】

Remember to look back at me next time, and your bonus will be doubled. /smug

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Author's note: My cough is finally getting better, but I still can't stand the air conditioning [chin resting on hand]. This hot weather is just too torturous!

[Lop-eared rabbit head] A man immersed in love is truly extraordinary!