Song Wan was startled, but then she heard a voice coming from outside:
"Yes, I'm worried too!"
The two of them looked in the direction the sound came from.
Xiao Liran walked over with a smile, stood in front of the mirror at the sink, and looked at the two of them.
"I'm just coming in to touch up my makeup! Don't worry about me, you two keep chatting!"
Linna smiled slightly.
Song Wan wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that Lin Na's expression changed whenever she saw Xiao Liran.
"By the way, Wanwan, are you going back?" Xiao Liran asked, turning to her after applying her lipstick. "Perfect timing, we've almost finished eating and drinking, I want to wrap this up early so everyone can go home and rest. You can ride in my car! Rachel didn't drink, she'll be the driver!"
"this……"
Before Song Wan could say anything, Lin Na spoke up first: "President Xiao, is this alright? If you take her home, and then run into my older brother, wouldn't that be a bit awkward?"
"Huh?" Xiao Liran was already tipsy and hadn't thought about it at all, so she blurted out, "What's embarrassing? Wanwan, do you feel embarrassed?"
“If you run into Lin Zhaojiang, just tell him you’re out drinking with me. What can he do to you? What, if you’re with him, can’t you have your own life and your own friends?”
"Mr. Xiao, that's not what I meant!" Lin Na whispered a reminder. "You and my brother used to... well, never mind, let my older brother pick her up instead!"
Xiao Liran narrowed her eyes, as if she had sobered up a bit, and looked at Lin Na with a half-smile: "You really want Lin Zhaojiang to make this trip?"
"I……"
"I asked Song Wan, not you!" Xiao Liran said, emboldened by the alcohol. "Why are you asking so many questions?"
Linna was taken aback and stopped talking.
Seeing that Xiao Liran was unsteady on her feet, Song Wan quickly went to support her. Xiao Liran smiled at her, patted her shoulder, and told her to come with her, promising to take her home safely.
However, just as Xiao Liran was taking Song Wan out, Song Wan unconsciously glanced back and suddenly saw Lin Na's sinister face flash by in the dim light of the bathroom.
Song Wan was startled!
Upon closer inspection, Linna was smiling and waving goodbye to them.
"Mr. Xiao, please slow down! Song Wan, you slow down too! Take good care of Mr. Xiao!"
"Okay, slow down... slow down!" Xiao Liran waved to her with her back turned.
Song Wan's tense heart, which had been pounding for a moment, slowly relaxed.
Think about it, Lin Na is usually kind and approachable, has excellent professional skills, and always listens to Xiao Liran. How could she possibly have that kind of attitude towards her!
I guess I really did drink too much...
The party ended amidst laughter and joy.
Early on a weekend morning, Lin Zhaojiang brought breakfast to the hotel room. Upon entering, he found Song Wan asleep on the table with the computer still on.
He was both blaming and heartbroken. He quickly carried her to the bed, moving her with extreme gentleness, afraid of waking her.
But no matter how careful she was, Song Wan still woke up.
The moment she stepped off the bed, she opened her eyes slightly, frowned at first, and when she saw it was him, she relaxed completely, smiled, and snuggled into his arms like a soft, lazy little cat.
"How could you sleep on the table like that?" Lin Zhaojiang couldn't help but scold her. "Don't you know you'll catch a cold if you don't wear an extra layer of clothing?"
Song Wan smiled and lazily replied, "Mmm..."
"If I don't bring you breakfast, will you not eat it again?"
"Um……"
He deliberately put on a stern face, "How can anyone feel at ease with you like this!"
"Okay, okay, I was wrong, alright?" Song Wan snuggled in his arms, "Zhaojiang, I want to sleep a little longer..."
"Go to sleep." The man said helplessly but gently. "I'll have breakfast kept warm in the study for you. Bring it up when you wake up and feel like eating."
"Will you stay here with me?"
Lin Zhaojiang smiled, patted her head, and hugged her tightly.
With her beloved by her side, Song Wan didn't really want to sleep anymore. She opened her eyes and looked at him, just quietly watching him. She didn't want to miss a single second with him because of sleeping in.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lin Zhaojiang said with a smile.
"I suddenly don't want to sleep anymore. How about we chat?"
The man smiled, nodded, and reached out to pat her head.
"Zhaojiang".
"What's wrong?"
"You always seem to enjoy patting my head, just like you would a kitten or puppy!"
Song Wan spoke without thinking, but Lin Zhaojiang's expression changed.
He looked at his hands; his fingertips were trembling slightly. Touching her head seemed like an unconscious action.
He remembered that she had said similar things before, only then she had spoken to him hysterically with words filled with sorrow and despair—
"I'm not your pet cat or dog, I'm a woman who loves you!"
"I don't like you touching my head! Do you think you're teasing a pet?"
"Lin Zhaojiang, when will you treat me like a human being?!"
Lin Zhaojiang's heart skipped a beat, and he involuntarily hugged her even tighter.
"Ugh... Zhaojiang!" Song Wan struggled gently in his arms. "What are you doing? I can't breathe!"
"Oh, I'm sorry..."
He hurriedly let go of her.
Song Wan looked into his eyes and gently stroked his face with her small hand.
"Wanwan!" He held her hand. "You...you're not a kitten or puppy, you're not a pet! You're the woman I love!"
"Huh?" Song Wan was taken aback. "I know..."
"I won't touch your head anymore, and you're not allowed to call yourself a kitten or a puppy!"
“Zhaojiang…”
Do you understand?
Song Wan was startled by his appearance and didn't come to her senses for a long time.
Lin Zhaojiang suddenly hugged her!
Regret, self-blame, and a heart aching as if pricked by needles—a complex mix of emotions surged through my heart.
After a long while, Song Wan gently patted his back and asked softly, as if comforting a child, "What's wrong with you lately? You often look pale and say strange things... Is there something wrong at work?"
Lin Zhaojiang shook his head in silence.
“If you are too busy with work to come here every day, you don’t have to come to see me.”
He remained silent.
"Zhaojiang, if you're under a lot of pressure, how about I go with you for a trip? We can travel to another city, find a quiet border town with few people, and experience a different kind of culture! What do you think?"
The man finally laughed, pressed his forehead against hers, and whispered, "What about your books?"
"Well..."
"Let's get down to business first." He had calmed down a lot. "You're using Xiao Liran as a role model every day, and you want to be an independent and strong woman like her. How can I hold you back?"
Song Wan smiled and punched him lightly.
"But you promised me..." he whispered in her ear, "that you would marry me as soon as the book is published... You haven't forgotten that, have you?"
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