Chapter 23 is all an excuse.

I never expected that they would talk back without hesitation in private.

This contrast, however, did seem somewhat interesting to him.

"I've already sent the coat you borrowed from me to be washed."

She paused, then lowered her voice even further.

I can return it to you in a couple of days.

There was a brief moment of silence in the carriage.

"Um."

He only responded with a single word.

The deep voice echoed briefly in the small space before falling silent again.

Song Zhiwei looked out the window.

Neon lights flashed by, leaving blurry streaks in her pupils.

She tried to focus her attention on the changing light and shadow.

She tried to ignore the man beside her.

More than ten minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of her residential community.

She pushed open the car door, and a blast of cold air immediately rushed in.

She didn't linger, waved towards the driver's seat, and said in a light tone.

"Brother Tingzhou, thank you for giving me a ride. You should go back and rest too! Be careful on the road."

After saying that, without waiting for a response, he quickly turned around and walked briskly toward the gate of the residential area.

Sheng Tingzhou remained seated in the car.

With one hand on the steering wheel, he gazed through the windshield at the departing figure.

After a long while, he finally smiled and chuckled softly.

"Go back? Where can I go back to?"

...

The next day was Friday.

The weather was gloomy, with dark clouds pressing down over the city.

It felt as if a heavy rain might fall at any moment.

The office air conditioning was on full blast. Song Zhiwei wrapped her coat tighter around herself and continued working on the documents at hand.

She was so busy that day that she didn't even have time to drink water.

As it was almost time to leave work, Qin Yi walked over and asked softly.

"Zhiwei, how's the market analysis data I sent you at 2 PM coming along? The boss is in a hurry to compile the report."

"Okay, it's done."

She pulled a neat stack of papers from the folder.

He handed it over respectfully with both hands.

Qin Yi glanced at her, but did not reach out to take it.

He shook his head slightly, his tone calm.

"The boss is waiting for the original document. You should just deliver it directly. It's safer to hand it over in person."

Song Zhiwei was taken aback, somewhat surprised.

She never expected that she would have to personally hand over such important information to her boss.

However, she quickly realized what she meant and nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I'll go right away."

After saying that, she quickly stood up, took the documents, and walked towards the elevator.

We finally arrived outside Sheng Tingzhou's office.

She stopped and exhaled softly.

I adjusted the folder in my hand to make sure the edges were neat.

Assistant Feng glanced down at his watch, a hint of urgency in his eyes.

I was about to swipe my card to open the door.

"Hello, Assistant Feng."

Song Zhiwan nodded slightly, her voice gentle and calm.

"These are the documents that Sheng Lu just requested, and I have prepared them as required."

Assistant Feng took the document and glanced at it briefly.

"Go."

She nodded and quickly swiped her card.

With a soft "beep", the metal door lock popped open.

Song Zhiwei pushed open the door and walked into the office.

The soft indoor lighting reflects a gentle glow onto the polished floor.

She kept her head down, not daring to look around.

He quickened his pace, stood in front of the desk, and steadily handed over the folder with both hands.

"Sheng Lu, I have prepared the documents you requested. Please take a look."

Sheng Tingzhou was looking down at a contract.

Hearing the sound, he slowly raised his head.

Without saying a word, he simply reached out and took the document, his movements swift and decisive.

Song Zhiwei remained standing in the same spot.

Place your hands together in front of you and straighten your back.

Her gaze fell on his hands as he flipped through the documents.

His joints were clearly defined, his movements were steady, and he turned each page extremely slowly.

It's as if they're searching for any possible oversights between the lines.

Her heartbeat quickened without her realizing it, pounding against her chest like drumbeats.

At work, Sheng Tingzhou is a completely different person from his usual self, exuding a powerful and imposing aura.

Just sitting quietly makes one dare not breathe.

Qin Yi's instructions from that afternoon suddenly flashed through her mind:

"That document is very important. Shenglv has extremely high requirements for the accuracy of terminology, so please don't make any mistakes."

Thinking of this, her heart tightened suddenly.

I silently prayed that I hadn't missed any details.

A few minutes later, the only sound in the office was the rustling of papers turning over.

Finally, Sheng Tingzhou closed the file and gently placed it on the corner of the table.

He looked up at her, and his lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

His tone was calm but conveyed approval.

"That's right, the translation of legal terminology is very accurate, and the wording is also precise."

Song Zhiwei's heart finally settled back down from mid-air.

Just as she was about to respond, her phone on the table suddenly rang.

The ringtone was short and clear, particularly jarring in the quiet office.

Sheng Tingzhou reached for his phone and pressed the answer button.

A lazy male voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Tingzhou, the brothers are getting together at 'Night Sea' tonight, the usual place. Yu Ce is coming too. Are you coming?"

Sheng Tingzhou hummed in agreement.

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly glanced at Song Zhiwei.

Song Zhiwei also heard the contents of the phone call.

Night Sea is a high-end club that they frequent.

She kept her head down, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the folder.

Completely unaware of Sheng Tingzhou's gaze at that moment.

"Come."

Sheng Tingzhou suddenly spoke, his voice low and decisive.

"Send me the room number."

The person on the other end of the phone clearly hadn't expected him to agree so quickly.

He paused for a moment before replying with a smile.

"Okay, I'll send it to you on WeChat right away."

After the call ended, Sheng Tingzhou put down his phone, his gaze still fixed on Song Zhiwei.

"Come with me tonight."

Song Zhiwei was startled and looked up, her eyes filled with astonishment.

"ah?"

She had actually attended many similar gatherings and was a regular at those events.

However, each time, she was always by Zhou Yuze's side.

Zhou Yuze would always put his arm around her shoulder with a smile, teasing her in a relaxed tone.

"Zhiwei, you can just stand next to me. Other girls won't dare to get too close when they see you, which is convenient."

Her presence acted like an invisible barrier, shielding him from unnecessary trouble.

But things are different now.

Zhou Yuze already has a girlfriend, their relationship is stable, and they have made several public appearances together.

Those days when we needed a "shield" are long gone.

So at this moment, Sheng Tingzhou's sudden invitation caught her off guard.

She opened her mouth, but her voice was softer.

"It doesn't seem very convenient for me to go."

Sheng Tingzhou's gaze remained calm.

"You're my assistant. If I go out for social events, is it reasonable for you not to come along?"

Song Zhiwei's heart skipped a beat.

Quickly recall your responsibilities in your mind.

She applied for a job as a paralegal.

Although there are indeed some miscellaneous tasks to handle in the initial stage.

However, the employment contract never mentioned accompanying the boss to dinner parties, let alone drinking and socializing.

"So... is there overtime pay for working at night?"

She bit her lower lip, hesitated for a moment, and then mustered up the courage to ask.

Sheng Tingzhou smiled gently, his tone remaining calm.

"Yes, a thousand."

"Okay, I'll go with you."

She immediately put on a smile, her eyebrows and eyes relaxed, and her voice became a little lighter.