Chapter 14: Fourteen Heartbeats "Two of us, one of us will be there...
Wen Huai changed his position while holding the phone and moved closer to the screen.
"Where are the people?" she asked.
The next second, Xu Youjing's face appeared in the camera.
Wen Huai laughed and suddenly asked, "Has anyone ever told you that you are very good-looking?"
He coughed uncomfortably and looked away: "...No."
"How could there be nothing?" Wen Huai tilted his head, his eyes flickering. "Do you know the moon?"
He opened his mouth and heard the other person muttering to himself: "You are like the moon, like a snow-capped mountain, like..."
The sticky, drawn-out ending is a softness that is unique to girls.
On a quiet night, in the small pavilion beside the calm lake, every word is as clear and deafening as a leaf falling into the mud.
“Like the embodiment of all the good things in the world.”
Xu Youjing looked at the slightly flushed face. He didn't expect her to be reciting love poems while drunk. He wondered if she would remember what happened tonight after she sobered up.
"Wen Huai..."
Come to an abrupt end.
He clearly didn't drink any alcohol, but his throat was sticky.
He coughed again and asked, "Are you home?"
Wen Huai seemed not to hear, lowering his head and muttering, "I thought I had good self-control, but your appearance always makes my defenses collapse and surrender time and time again."
"You are a beautiful thing, but also a cold blade hanging over my heart."
“…”
Xu Youjing glanced at the time, and then judged from the narrow corner of the background behind her that it was a home decoration.
But I'm not sure if it's her home, and I can't tell if there's anyone around her.
He opened his mouth again, his tone more coaxing: "Do you have someone to drink with you, or is it just you at home?"
Wen Huai raised his eyes and looked at him.
There was some emotion hidden in the straightforward gaze. Before Xu Youjing could see clearly, the camera suddenly flipped, followed by a loud crash. Then, the video call was hung up.
I called again, but no one answered.
Xu Youjing stood up and walked quickly across the corridor to go out.
...
At home, Lu Miaomiao walked in with some hangover medicine and heard her phone ringing. She was sure it was Wen Huai, so she walked over quickly, saw someone unconscious, and picked up the phone.
It was an unfamiliar number. She hung up and then realized there were two missed calls on her phone, both from the same number.
Then the phone rang again.
Lu Miaomiao glanced at Wen Huai who didn't respond and picked up the phone.
"Wen Huai?" Leng Ci's voice was a little unstable.
Lu Miaomiao asked warily, "Why are you looking for Wen Huai?"
Xu Youjing slowed down his pace, "Are you Wen Huai's friend?"
"Yeah." Lu Miaomiao lost her patience and said in a bad tone, "Who are you?"
“…”
After glancing at the notes, the worry in his dark eyes gradually faded, and his tall figure was completely 500 meters away from the garage. Xu Youjing opened his mouth and said, "I'm her boss."
Lu Miaomiao laughed in anger. "Scammers aren't doing very well these days. They just ask for a name and come to defraud people." She knew Sui Censhan. How could a middle-aged man have such a youthful voice? "Young man, I urge you to focus on the right path and stop thinking about nonsense. It's like a toad dreaming of nothing."
Xu Youjing: “…”
Too lazy to say more, he spoke quickly: "Open her WeChat, find the black profile picture, and the chat ends with a 10.5 second video call."
Lu Miaomiao did as he was told, and was stunned to find that it was just as he said. Seeing the note "Mr. Xu" on WeChat, she didn't have time to wonder why it wasn't Sui Censhan. She said, "Sorry, Mr. Xu, there was no note on the phone just now. I thought it was a scam. I'm so sorry... But Wen Huai was indeed drunk, and I really didn't mean to bother you. I just went downstairs to buy some hangover medicine, so... I'm so sorry!"
Xu Youjing: "It's okay."
"Oh, Mr. Xu is really a generous man!" Lu Miaomiao looked a little hesitant, but still asked bravely, "Did Wen Huai offend you during the five minutes of the video?"
The wind blew past my ears, gently and a little itchy.
Xu Youjing pointed his slender finger and said, "No."
Lu Miaomiao held her breath tightly, "That's good. I'm so sorry, I have a request."
Xu Youjing: "You say."
"It's just that Wen Huai won't remember what she did when she was drunk the next day. Fortunately, she didn't say anything offensive to you... So can you please pretend that you didn't know when you go to work tomorrow? Of course, you have the right to refuse me, I just-"
Xu Youjing: "Okay."
"ah?"
She was stunned for a moment, not expecting the other party to be so easy to talk to. She hurriedly thanked him, "I won't bother you so late, Mr. Xu. I'm sorry to have wasted your time."
“…”
Li Changying, who hadn't gone up to disturb him, saw him take down his phone. Just as she was about to move forward, she saw him put his ear to hers again and spoke gently, "She must have bumped into something before hanging up the video. Please check it out."
Lu Miaomiao was even more surprised by his attentiveness after hearing his tone, which had clearly softened his tone. She agreed and didn't forget to flatter her boss on Wen Huai's behalf: "Boss Xu, you are so kind-hearted. It's a blessing for Wen Huai to have a boss like you who cares so much about his subordinates! Don't worry, I will take good care of her and won't delay tomorrow's work!"
Xu Youjing opened his lips and was about to say something, but in the end he just said "hmm".
After hanging up the phone, he looked at the notes in the record with a complicated look, and didn't notice the person behind him at all.
"Are you done fighting?" Li Changying reminded.
"Hmm." Xu Youjing turned around, his mind wandering, "Grandma, let's add a beef ball soup to the banquet the day after tomorrow."
Li Changying was delighted, knowing that this was Wen Huai's hometown dish: "Were you just talking to Xiao Ai on the phone?"
He hesitated for a moment and nodded, "It's getting late, you should get some rest. I'll be leaving first."
"Go back, be careful on the road."
"Um."
After watching Panamera leave, the housekeeper Uncle Li said, "Are you so happy to hear Ah Jing mention Xiao Ai's hometown dishes?"
Li Changying walked back with him, holding her shawl in her arms, smiling, "Of course. Although the kitchen staff and I have made all the arrangements, whether he knows about it is another matter. Look, not only did he remind our little Ai to take care of her rhinitis, he also asked them not to set the air conditioning temperature too low that day. Now he's taking the initiative to ask her about her taste. This is a change."
She looked back in the direction the car left, and the traces of time left at the corners of her eyes were obvious.
"The change is attitude. Once the attitude is right, everything will fall into place. Let's wait and see."
-
Intoxicated by the alcohol, Wen Huai slept soundly until dawn. When he woke up and saw the unlit aromatherapy diffuser by the bed, he was startled. He hadn't expected the alcohol he'd consumed last night to suddenly help him sleep.
Rubbing her aching head, she covered Lu Miaomiao with the quilt next to her, and got out of bed quietly to wash.
When she saw the embroidered shirt in the laundry basket in the bathroom, she suddenly remembered the thermos.
There was also coffee that Xu Youjing made for her!
He quickly opened the door and ran out, not noticing Lu Miaomiao sitting up on the bed.
In the living room, she opened the thermos that contained half a cup of coffee, and her heart was half dead.
If I had known, I should have drunk it all in one go yesterday.
He walked dejectedly towards the kitchen. Lu Miaomiao was standing at the bedroom door and happened to see this scene.
She asked, "Do you remember everything?"
Wen Huai was not interested: "What?"
The water washed away the stains remaining on the wall of the cup, and the last bit of brown liquid seeped into the sewer, and the remaining coffee flavor in the cup disappeared completely.
"You're not wearing slippers." Lu Miaomiao put the slippers at her feet and said tentatively, "Last night you said my phone case was ugly and asked me to change it."
Wen Huai thanked him and put it on without noticing: "Okay, wait, I'll buy it for you."
She didn't give up: "Do you remember what happened last night?"
Wen Huai stopped to wipe the thermos cup, thought about it, it seems.
Lu Miaomiao's pupils couldn't help but dilate——
Wen Huai: "Your phone is naked, how could I say your phone case is ugly?"
Lu Miaomiao: “…”
Wen Huai twitched his lips: "If you want a phone case, just tell me. You should have joined our "case party" a long time ago."
She opened the refrigerator and asked, "Want some pre-made buns or pasta for breakfast?"
“…”
At the dining table, the two of them were eating breakfast facing each other.
Wen Huai was checking his email while putting his fork to his mouth. Lu Miaomiao had just taken two bites when she looked up and saw that her plate was almost empty.
"Xiao Ai, you're not paying attention to your meal."
"I forgot."
She glanced at the last spoonful, smiled ingratiatingly, slowed down and put it into her mouth. Her eyes froze when they passed a certain place, and she clicked it in disbelief to confirm.
"Cough cough cough!"
His face turned red.
Lu Miaomiao hurriedly handed the milk over and walked around behind her, patting her: "Hurry up and drink some water. Are you feeling better?"
Wen Huai didn't care about that and held up his phone to show her: "What happened!"
How could she have a video call with Xu Youjing for ten minutes?!
The key point is that she has no impression at all!!!
"How can I..."
"It's okay, it's okay."
Lu Miaomiao sat back in her seat and comforted her.
She remembered that she had clearly deleted the video recording last night... Could it be that she was dazzled and deleted the wrong one?
"Here's what happened. We both drank too much last night. After I sobered up, I went downstairs to buy some hangover medicine. You were so drunk and sleepy at the time, so I thought of leaving you at home while I went out to buy some. When I came back, I heard your phone ringing. It was your boss calling. Then I realized you were drunk and video-called him..."
The voice got lower and lower as she spoke. Lu Miaomiao comforted her, "Don't worry! Your boss said you didn't say anything. Before he hung up, he asked me to take good care of you and even asked if you were okay with the bump in the video. I think he's quite reasonable, so just relax."
Wen Huai: ...I can’t feel at ease at all.
She bit her lip, preparing to confess.
Just as he was about to speak, Lu Miaomiao asked, "Wasn't it Sui Censhan before? Did you change your boss?"
"Yeah..." Wen Huai swallowed his words after being interrupted and nodded mechanically, "Director Sui is not in good health, and the higher-ups have arranged a new boss to take over."
"Oh, no wonder he sounds so young, he must be a handsome guy."
"Miao Miao, actually, I and——"
Lu Miaomiao's phone rang, and her face turned cold when she saw the note.
"What's wrong?" Wen Huai asked.
She answered the phone, put it on speakerphone, and said in a bad tone, "Boss Su, is there something wrong?"
The deep male voice was accompanied by electricity and was a little serious: "Miao Miao, when will you change your childishness and be more mature?"
Wen Huai understood.
Opposite him was Lu Miaomiao's brother Su Ji, who had the same mother and father as her.
When she was three years old, Lu's father died in a car accident. Su's mother took Su Ji away from Beicheng, leaving the grandfather and grandson to depend on each other.
They had been gone for twenty years without a trace, and Lu Miaomiao had hated them for twenty years. A few years ago, Su Ji returned to China with the coffee brand he founded, and the wave of success it created in China brought the brother and sister back together after a long separation.
But that little bit of longing was shattered to pieces when Su's mother proposed marriage as a prerequisite.
This was also the first time Su Ji took the initiative to contact her after their unpleasant meeting.
If you don't want to speak, it will make people feel uncomfortable.
Lu Miaomiao didn't tolerate it and hung up the phone: "I was busy cleaning up the trash and forgot about you." Then she added him to the blacklist.
Wen Huai: "They don't know about Grandpa Lu yet, right?"
"Don't worry, they won't do anything even if they find out. Instead of pretending to be nice to my grandfather, it's better not to disturb him."
Losing interest in eating, she took the two people's plates and turned around: "You go to work, I'll clean up and go back. I've been busy these past two days and I've handed all the work to my colleagues. I have to work overtime this weekend, so don't call me."
Wen Huai agreed.
Lu Miaomiao reminded him again: "Don't forget to apply the medicine on your head." She raised her hand covered with foam and asked, "Do you want me to wash it for you after I finish washing it, or do you do it yourself?"
Subconsciously raising her hand to touch her forehead, she smiled and said, "I'll just wipe it in front of the mirror."
-
8:48
Wen Huai followed the crowd out of the subway station and found an empty corner to change into her high heels.
Whenever her car is restricted, the subway is always the best option. Not only is it affordable, but it's only six stops from her home to the office.
Just as he took a step forward, someone tapped his shoulder.
She looked at the person who came, dimples appeared on her confused cheeks: "Dong Chen? What a coincidence."
Perhaps because Wen Huai was too surprised, Dong Chen felt frustrated and said, "What's going on, Sister Wen? I've been taking the subway to work for over a month."
Wen Huai was surprised: "Where's your car?"
"I had a minor car accident last time, and I took it to the 4S shop, but it's still not repaired." Dong Chen held his briefcase, pouting, "Last week I remember I told you, Sister Wen, you've changed."
"Sorry, sorry."
The subway station was packed during the morning rush hour, and everyone was walking hurriedly. Wen Huai noticed a man not far away who was looking down at his phone and was walking towards them. He was afraid that Dong Chen would bump into him, so he pulled his arm.
The man's shoulder was against hers, and the beauty that hit his pupils at such close range made him slow down for a moment, and his ears turned red.
Seeing that he didn't catch up, she explained: "Just now, someone was walking and playing with his phone, and I was afraid you would hurt him."
"It's definitely a collision—" Dong Chen heard the latter part and couldn't believe it. "Wha...what?"
Wen Huai had a smile on his face.
Dong Chen, two years her junior, is handsome, with a youthful vigor and masculine air. But unlike other young people who stay at home, his favorite place to go privately is the gym, where he focuses on training his slender muscles and posts photos of them on his WeChat Moments.
He was harassed by a man for half a month because of this, and he was so scared that he never posted any muscle photos again. His colleagues who knew him would occasionally tease him about why he didn't exercise.
Wen Huai spent the most time with him every day, so he could naturally feel the increasingly significant results. He was just joking just now.
The daylight in the corridor was a bit dazzling. She didn't notice the man's slightly red ears and compromised: "I'll buy you some coffee to make up for it. Let's go."
"......good."
They quickened their pace one after another, and the number of people increased as they approached the exit. Dong Chen, who had been hesitating halfway, finally used his size advantage to quickly squeeze past the person next to Wen Huai and stood there, his eyes involuntarily glancing to the side.
The girl, who was half a head shorter than him, walked quickly towards the sun, breathing steadily. A thin layer of powder covered her porcelain-white skin, and the shadow of her long eyelashes was reflected under her lowered eyes.
Maybe it was too sunny, so she raised her hand to cover her forehead. Dong Chen looked up and focused on the few strands of hair on top of her head.
Swaying back and forth against the wind.
“Watch the road!”
The sound of sudden braking was sharp and piercing. Dong Chen met Wen Huai's slightly annoyed eyes. His prying thoughts seemed to be suddenly exposed to the sunlight, catching him off guard.
He avoided her gaze and lied: "Sorry, I'm a little dazed after not having breakfast."
Wen Huai was frightened by him and still had some palpitations. He calmed down and said, "You go back first. I'll go buy coffee."
"It's okay." He still didn't dare to look at Wen Huai. He felt that she was glowing with beauty today, so he said, "I'll accompany you."
“…”
In the coffee shop, Wen Huai was about to get the coffee when Dong Chen got there first. Seeing this, she didn't say anything and walked ahead to help open the door.
Counting the coffee bags, Dong Chen asked, "Why eight cups?"
Wen Huai's hand on the elevator button shook, his pupils dodging: "The other two cups are for President Xu and Special Assistant Jiang."
"oh."
In the office, Wen Huai asked Dong Chen to distribute the coffee to everyone, and he carried a bag to the president's office.
Standing at the door, her heart was beating like thunder, and several deep breaths could not calm her out-of-control heart.
When she was drunk, Lu Miaomiao's evaluation of her was: she has good drinking habits, she falls asleep immediately after being drunk, and even eight chickens can't wake her up.
She had always believed so until last night.
But the ten-minute video record of the call made her suspect that she must have said something, otherwise why would Xu Youjing let the video call go on for ten minutes without saying anything?
On the subway, Wen Huai looked at the chat page and found that the video message was next to Xu Youjing's profile picture. This meant that the video message was from him.
so--
He called to talk to her about something.
She happened to be drunk.
......
Wen Huai was in a state of panic, praying that he wouldn't be brave enough to confess his feelings.
After comforting herself for three seconds, she still didn't have the courage to push open the door and prepare to implement Plan B -
Let Jiang Han deliver it.
call--
The cool breeze brought by the opened door blew the hair on his forehead. Wen Huai just stood there holding the bag of coffee, and met the dark pupils, caught off guard.
Xu Youjing glanced around with an indifferent expression.
"What's up?"
"right."
Brainstorming, she handed the coffee over: "Thank you for the coffee I bought yesterday."
He stared at the slender jade fingers that were pinching the paper bag. After a moment, he passed his index finger through the braided handle and hooked it.
The weight that had been in her hand fell into his right hand.
Xu Youjing raised his eyes: "Anything else?"
Wen Huai felt his nose was blocked and his voice was muffled: "It's okay, then I won't bother you, Mr. Xu."
"Um."
Turning around and leaving, the soles of my shoes seemed to be glued and every step was extremely slow.
"Wen Huai." He called her from behind.
She stopped and looked: "Mr. Xu."
The man standing by the glass door was still holding a coffee bag, and there seemed to be dark circles under his eyes.
He said, "Come with me to the opening ceremony at 10:30."
Wen Huai naturally knew about the itinerary. Jiang Han was originally scheduled to accompany him, but now that it was her turn, she agreed without saying anything.
After watching the slender figure leave, Xu Youjing closed the door. Her crow-feather-like eyelashes covered her pupils, and her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the handle of the handle, which was too sticky.
Even though Wen Huai covered it with his hair, he still saw it.
It turned out that he hit his head.
He pulled out his phone and typed quickly.
Ten seconds later, the phone on Jiang Han's desk vibrated several times.
J: [You don’t have to go to the opening ceremony.]
J: [Picture]
J: [Go to the drugstore downstairs and buy this for me.]
-
9:30
There was a knock on the glass door, and Wen Huai came to remind him that it was time to leave.
The two took the exclusive elevator to the parking lot.
Xu Youjing: "Where is the car parked?"
Wen Huai realized that he was asking about her car and was speechless for a moment: "The car has license plate restrictions."
“…”
So he planned to take her car to the venue!
She thought she was just driving like last time.
But he quickly offered a solution: "Wait a moment, Mr. Xu, I'm borrowing He Xuwen's."
"Need not."
He took the key from his pocket and gave it to her: "Drive this one."
"good."
Wen Huai didn't think about why Xu Youjing had a car but was driving hers. He took the key and saw the misty gray-purple Maserati headlights flashing not far away.
Wen Huai felt a little uneasy when she got in the car. Although she tried her best to relax, Xu Youjing still noticed it.
He leaned back in his chair and suddenly said, "This car was originally given to you. There's no need to be so cautious."
Wen Huai, who was adjusting his seat, looked over and was so shocked that he forgot to say, "Why did you give me a car?"
Xu Youjing asked back: "Aren't you restricted?"
“…”
A free car for those with license plate restrictions? A Maserati, at that.
Isn’t it a bit too extravagant?
"Mr. Xu, this car I——"
He interrupted: "Too expensive?"
Having been seen through twice in such a short time, Wen Huai's palms began to sweat as she gripped the steering wheel. She explained, "This brand isn't something a secretary like me can drive."
"What brand can the secretary open then?"
It felt like he would give her a brand just because she mentioned it. Wen Huai was stunned for a moment and didn't know how to respond.
"This car is the lowest-end model in my garage, and it's about the same price as your Audi." Xu Youjing ran his finger across his brow, staring at the rearview mirror, and helped her find a good excuse. "If anyone asks, just say your husband bought it."
She had forgotten that she was married.
That's reasonable.
She unconsciously gripped the steering wheel hard, and her ring finger, which was wearing a ring, was slightly painful. She relaxed her grip, unable to resist any longer.
"Okay, thank you, Mr. Xu."
The veins on the back of Xu Youjing's broad hands relaxed, and he looked out the window: "You're welcome."
...
10:05
Staff outside the opening ceremony venue were reviewing the invitation letters, and Xu Youjing, as the organizer's special guest, was led into the inner venue by a special person.
When Wen Huai entered with her work ID, she immediately spotted the tall, straight-limbed man in the crowd. She knew the man standing next to him, whose combined wealth was enough to buy her five thousand houses.
Sitting down at the seat arranged by the organizer, although the distance was far, it did not affect Wen Huai's attention to Xu Youjing.
The room was spacious and the air conditioning was on full blast. In less than ten minutes of sitting there, Wen Huai had already sneezed several times.
Before coming here, she'd used nasal soothing drops, but the air conditioning allergy still couldn't stop. After throwing the tissue into the trash can, Xu Youjing stopped talking and looked around for someone.
Wen Huai trotted over and heard him talking to the staff: "Please turn up the temperature in Area A, thank you."
The staff left and he saw her too.
Wen Huai walked over, trying hard to stop himself from thinking too much.
Maybe he is cold himself.
The next second, a suit jacket was handed into view.
She looked in the direction he was standing and only saw Xu Youjing's profile. She took the coat he had draped over his arm.
"Secretary Wen?" The person opposite noticed her and said warmly, "I forgot that Mr. Xu held Old Sui's position at the top, so naturally, Secretary Wen is still the secretary."
The other person, upon hearing this, also remembered her and jokingly asked, "Secretary Wen, how much salary did Peak offer you? Are you interested in working at Lingrui?"
"Hey, you dare to steal Mr. Xu's girlfriend right in front of him."
The boss, who was reminded, wasn't afraid. He smiled at Xu Youjing, "I value talent, too. Boss Xu already has a capable assistant like Jiang Han, so how could he care about Secretary Wen? What do you think, Boss Xu, will you let her go? I promise that if she comes to Lingrui, her treatment won't be any worse than at Peak."
Three eyes fell on the protagonist, but Xu Youjing was calm and composed. With the arm in his pocket, he turned his shoulder towards Wen Huai and raised his chin slightly: "Of course I respect the ideas of every employee."
The implication was that if they had any ideas, they should ask Wen Huai themselves, and he would support Wen Huai whether he left or stayed in the end.
Upon seeing this, the two looked at each other, not knowing how much of this was true and how much was false.
Wen Huai had just entered the industry by following Sui Censhan. While their relationship was that of boss and secretary, anyone with a discerning eye could see that she was half his apprentice. In fact, he placed so much importance on her that rumors circulated that Sui Censhan was grooming his daughter-in-law. After all, Mr. Sui was a lazy person and certainly not the right person for business.
On the other hand, Wen Huai has a professional background and impressive achievements. He is not just a pretty vase, which makes many people jealous.
Now that such a great opportunity was before them, they were eagerly awaiting Wen Huai's answer. So, they asked.
The salary and benefits were even better than those offered to top vice presidents. Flattered, Wen Huai clenched his hands beneath his suit, pondering how to answer without offending the bosses, maintaining a respectful smile.
She lowered her eyes slightly and smiled, then raised them again, meeting their gaze with grace and grace.
"Boss Gu, there's no need to test me. Boss Xu just gave the CEO a raise yesterday. I won't switch sides."
Her eyes moved, and she joked, "At least not today."
As soon as these words were spoken, the two bosses looked at each other, then laughed out loud, and praised her generously, asking Xu Youjing to give her a raise so that she wouldn't be poached away by someone else one day.
Xu Youjing lowered his eyes, and a faint smile caught Wen Huai's gaze.
He looked and met her eyes.
In an instant, all the sounds around her faded away, and she only heard his words with a smile, pulling her to become the protagonist in his mouth.
He said, "She won't."
“…”
Lost in the fluctuations in his eyes, Wen Huai turned his eyes away, listening to their jokes, pursing his lips, his cheeks a little hot.
"Mr. Xu is too confident, but I don't know if he is confident in Secretary Wen or in himself. Secretary Wen, you have to think clearly. Although Mr. Xu is young, handsome and tall, but..."
Another person interrupted: "Okay, isn't this enough?"
The man was unwilling to give up and was about to continue when he was interrupted again: "Mr. Xu's youth alone makes his victory easy. Please stop humiliating yourself."
The laughter of several people attracted the attention of the outsiders. Some familiar people came up to ask questions, and Wen Huai suddenly became the center of the topic. Xu Youjing also took the opportunity to introduce her.
The opening ceremony ended near noon, and many lunch invitations came like a storm, but Xu Youjing rejected them all. Wen Huai followed him and left early.
While waiting for the elevator, she asked, "Mr. Xu, shall we go back to the company?"
"No."
The elevator opened at this moment, interrupting her questions. As they entered, she saw Xu Youjing press the tenth floor button.
The tenth floor seems to be the restaurant floor.
I heard it tastes very good.
In this understated and minimalist space, only the English words on the top floor stand out: [LUXEON International Hotel]
Wen Huai had learned that the Lanxi International Hotel had achieved a super five-star rating three years prior, and had continued to receive rave reviews in recent years, maintaining a leading reputation in both the restaurant and hotel industries. The buffet restaurants on the tenth and eleventh floors, in particular, had received zero negative reviews since opening, and had even hosted several of its most popular business events.
Unexpectedly, Xu Youjing declined the banquet and even made an appointment with someone at the buffet restaurant. This was not included in the CEO's schedule; it was his personal itinerary, so Wen Huai originally wanted to wait aside after delivering it.
Just as the words were on the tip of my tongue, I heard him say, "The beef balls here are pretty good, would you like to try some?"
Wen Huai was stunned and forgot to answer immediately.
Xu Youjing didn't care too much and asked again: "Do you want to eat lunch here?"
Wen Huai: "We?"
The man standing in front of him glanced sideways and said, "You want to eat by yourself?"
"I......"
"You wish." Xu Youjing sneered and walked away. "Let's eat here."
Looking at the man who had been greeted by the waiter, Wen Huai felt that today was a wonderful day. It was so wonderful and beautiful that it seemed unreal. He murmured, "...Okay."
...
Wen Huai was seated at a window seat, opposite Xu Youjing.
Although there were meals in front of both of them and they could avoid looking at each other and communicating by lowering their heads to eat, Wen Huai was still a little absent-minded.
Xu Youjing felt the pain in the ointment in his pocket. He wanted to give it to her now, but when he looked up, he saw that there was very little left on the plate.
It's only been a few minutes, how can you eat so quickly?
Afraid of him?
"Ahem." He watched the person opposite him for a reaction.
Wen Huai looked over almost immediately: "Mr. Xu, do you need water or coffee?"
"No need." Putting down his chopsticks, he asked, "Have you applied medicine on your forehead?"
Unexpectedly, he took the initiative to mention it. Wen Huai's eyes dodged, and that look involuntarily deepened: "It's painted."
"Um."
Xu Youjing picked up the chopsticks again and ate seriously.
Wen Huai felt guilty about his question. He poked the beef balls on the plate with his chopsticks, hesitating whether to ask.
Before she knew it, the beef balls had been poked beyond recognition, but she didn't notice.
"Do you have a grudge against Maruko?"
The sudden voice made her stop and explain, "No."
Xu Youjing frowned for some reason: "Don't waste it if you don't like it."
Only then did Wen Huai see the miserable state of the meatballs. He didn't care and picked them up and stuffed them into his mouth, eating the remaining three in one breath.
Xu Youjing: “…”
"Mr. Xu, can I ask you something?" She finally mustered up the courage to speak after clearing her mouth.
"explain."
"That's right." Her fingertips were white from the pressure on the chopsticks. "I woke up this morning and saw you video-called me last night, but I was drunk and don't remember anything... Mr. Xu, could you tell me again what you wanted to talk to me about?"
The melodious piano music was about to reach its climax, which unknowingly increased her nervousness.
She stared at Xu Youjing, but heard another voice beside her.
"Wen Huai?"
"Senior." She smiled when she saw the person coming, it was none other than her father's student, Tian Xitong, two years her senior. "What a coincidence."
"What a coincidence! I wasn't sure when I first saw you. Have you lost weight again?" Tian Xitong just noticed the person across from her, her eyes widening. "Xu Youjing? When did you return to China?"
As the topic changed, Wen Huai also remembered it.
He left in a hurry after helping with his father's memorial service because something went wrong with his overseas project.
"Recently." Xu Youjing wiped his lips with a tissue, "I heard you were getting married."
"Yes, but Lao Zhang said he couldn't contact you so he didn't send you an invitation. Isn't that perfect?"
Tian Xitong sat down in the empty seat next to Wen Huai and took out the invitation from her bag. When she realized what was going on, she looked at Wen Huai, then at Xu Youjing, who had moved to the opposite side of Wen Huai at some point, and asked, "Are you two going to have lunch together?"
"Senior." Wen Huai put his arm around her. "You know my job at the top is as a secretary, right? Senior Brother Xu... is my boss now."
Noticing the gazes from the opposite side, she continued with a stiff upper lip: "There's an event here this morning. After it's over, Mr. Xu took me here for lunch."
"Oh, I see."
Tian Xitong didn't think there was anything wrong with it, but was rather pleasantly surprised. She said to Xu Youjing, "Then you better treat our junior sister well and stop acting like a boss."
Xu Youjing's eyes passed over Wen Huai's face and the corners of his lips curled up.
"How dare I."
Wen Huai listened, not daring to look across.
"By the way, now that you're back home, you have to come to the wedding."
Tian Xitong was a little embarrassed: "I had planned to send the invitations by express tomorrow. I didn't bring that many today even though I came to dinner, so there's only one left that's unsigned. Do you want this one, or do you want Lao Zhang to make up for it tonight and express it to you tomorrow?"
Xu Youjing asked: "When is the wedding?"
Tian Xitong: "The second weekend of next month."
He shook his head: "I have something to do that day, Wen Huai will go in my place."
Wen Huai, who was called out, was drinking water and just avoided Tian Xitong's gaze.
Without waiting for her to speak, Xu Youjing calmly explained: "It will be enough for one of us to be present."
Wen Huai's ears felt hot when he understood his double entendre.
Looking at his calm and carefree look, she suddenly felt that her mental quality was not good enough.
Tian Xitong: "I just told you not to act like a boss to Wen Huai, and you're showing off at my wedding. Aren't you afraid that the teacher will find out and punish you?"
As soon as she realized that something was wrong, she quickly apologized: "Wen Huai, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."
"It's okay, senior sister, I didn't think much of it." Wen Huai smiled sincerely, covering up for Xu Youjing, "Mr. Xu's schedule for next month is indeed full. As his secretary, I will send his best wishes to you and Senior Zhang."
"Since you've said that, I naturally have no choice but to agree." Tian Xitong smiled and rubbed her face. "The bridesmaid dresses will be shipped in the next two days, but you've lost so much weight, I'm afraid your previous size won't fit you anymore."
Upon hearing this, Xu Youjing looked at the person opposite him who was pouting because of the squeeze.
He couldn't hear what she said.
The only thing that flashed through his mind was the touch of his lips, and Wen Huai's serious expression when those two words came out of his mouth.
He abruptly turned his eyes away, his fingers touching the bulge in his pocket and curling up.
He took the phone and sent a WeChat message to Gu Kuangchi.
J: [Lanxi's air conditioner needs to be replaced.]
GKC: [? ]
-
13:45
The flow of people entering and leaving the company is no less than that during the morning rush hour.
Taking the express document from the front desk, Xu Youjing casually asked, "Why are there so many people today?"
Wen Huai: "The technical department is recruiting, and these people should be here for interviews."
He nodded and said nothing more, and the two of them went directly to the private elevator.
When they passed the staff elevator, the door just opened and the person inside recognized Wen Huai and called her.
The man standing next to her turned around first. Lu Zhixue met his indifferent eyes. Although confused, he nodded and greeted him. Then he looked behind him: "It's you. I can recognize you even with my poor eyesight."
Xu Youjing had originally intended to withdraw his gaze, but because of this sentence, it fell back on the smiling man's face and he looked at him carefully.
Wen Huai was used to his jokes and responded, "Brother Zhixue, why are you here?"
She hadn't expected to meet two senior students she knew well in one day. While she was pleasantly surprised, she also remembered that it was work time. Just as she was about to explain that she was working, a cold voice floated over from behind her.
Xu Youjing, who had already stepped into the elevator, asked: "Are you going to leave or not?"
Only then did Wen Huai notice that the elevator had arrived.
Hearing the urging, Lu Zhixue waved at her: "You go ahead and do your work. We'll talk another day."
"good."
Entering the elevator, Wen Huai thought for a moment and explained, "Sorry, Mr. Xu, I met a good friend who just came back from abroad."
"Yeah." He agreed indifferently, without any emotion. "What a coincidence."
Wen Huai: "..."
I always feel something is strange, but I can’t put my finger on it?
-
19:02
The phone on the beige sofa rang. Wen Huai, still wearing his mismatched clothes, hurried from the bedroom to the living room and answered Jiang Han's call.
"Special Assistant Jiang."
"Madam, I don't know if it's convenient for you right now. Mr. Xu asked me to bring something to you."
Wen Huai didn't remember leaving anything with Xu Youjing, so she asked, "Is there a job?"
Jiang Han looked at the man opposite for help. Seeing him shake his head, he said to Wen Huai, "No, but I don't know what it is either. Mr. Xu only asked me to bring it to you, but didn't tell me what it was."
Jiang Han was capable of lying with his eyes open. Seeing this, Xu Youjing, who was sitting opposite him, leaned back against the cushions and listened to the voice coming from the phone on the table: "Okay, do you want me to go get it? It's not too much trouble for you to make another trip."
"No need, ma'am. This is my job as ordered by Mr. Xu."
"Okay, then call me when you get there."
After the call ended, Jiang Han stood up and said, "Mr. Xu, I'll go first."
Xu Youjing nodded and raised his hand to press the TV remote control: "Be careful on the road."
...
Twenty minutes later, Wen Huai looked at the large cardboard boxes that were piled up in the corridor instead of in the living room, and sweat broke out on his back.
"Assistant Jiang, are these clothes? Are you sure they are all for me?"
"Yes." Jiang Fen counted the number of boxes. "There are seven boxes in the living room and three boxes here, a total of ten boxes. Mr. Xu asked me to bring them to you."
After carrying the last box to the entrance, the spacious room was almost empty. He scratched his head and asked, "Madam, is there anything else we can help you with?"
"No more, thank you."
After seeing Jiang Han and the three strong men off, Wen Huai returned to the door still sweating.
Since there were only two households on this floor and no one had lived across the street, she was not in a hurry to close the door. She wanted to go in and clean up the inside first and then clean up the outside.
Just as he was halfway through, the phone rang again. Seeing the string of numbers that he knew by heart, Wen Huai cleared his throat before picking up the phone.
Many names were on the tip of her tongue, and she finally blurted out: "Hello?"
There was a visibly startled look on the other end. Xu Youjing guessed that she hadn't left him a note, so he introduced himself: "It's me."
"I..." Wen Huai held his forehead and supported two stacked cardboard boxes in frustration, "I know Mr. Xu."
He added, "I received the clothes."
"this--"
"We meet again."
Wen Huai, who was holding the phone, and the person on the other end of the phone were both startled by the sudden male voice.
Especially Xu Youjing.
While pressing the mute button on the remote control, I quickly remembered where I had heard this voice.
Her beautiful eyes narrowed, and the voice of Wen Huai calling her name in a slightly surprised tone during the day replayed in her ears.
Raise an eyebrow.
Zhixue...Brother?
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