Chapter 23 Under the Table
The mutton stewed in the mountains is cooked to perfection, with a subtle aroma of firewood. The meat is tender and not gamey, melting in your mouth. Other dishes, such as free-range chicken and river fish, also retain the original freshness of the ingredients.
Ling Wei found the food increasingly delicious, and her eyes lit up.
After figuring it out, she felt much better, and she and Shan Huai practically left afterimages as they swung their chopsticks across the table.
Secretary Sun stared in disbelief: "..."
How many days have they been starving?!
During the meal, the village party secretary was chatting with Qu Mingyuan about the village's recent situation when suddenly, a team leader stood up abruptly, his face flushed red: "Leader! I'd like to offer you a toast with tea instead of wine!"
Then came a long string of passionate praises, saying things like, "Without the leader's vision and wisdom, we would have no tomorrow."
Ling Wei (chewing): AUV, this makes Qu Mingyuan sound like a Terminator.
The village party secretary clapped with satisfaction, saying, "Good! Very open and aboveboard!"
Immediately afterwards, another captain stood up and began to sing praises.
Dan Huai leaned over to the other side and whispered to the person next to him, "Who is this guy?" Upon learning his identity, he gasped, "Holy crap!"
He hurriedly pulled out his phone, not forgetting to tug at Ling Wei: "That's someone from the Cultural Bureau... I've searched for some high-EQ remarks at dinner parties, do you want to see them? It's almost our turn!"
Ling Wei: "...No need."
Qu Mingyuan remained calm and patiently listened to the somewhat naive and even exaggerated praises, without showing the slightest impatience.
He would nod slightly when the other person paused, and say gently, "Thank you for your hard work" or "We've seen everyone's efforts." His words were appropriate, maintaining a proper distance while also protecting the young person's pride and eagerness to show off.
This understated thoughtfulness is just like him—always composed and dignified, making people feel like they're basking in a spring breeze.
When Bai Wanqing stood up, she deliberately walked to the seat next to Qu Mingyuan. Her gaze towards him was so tender it could melt hearts. She elegantly picked up her teacup and said, "Mr. Qu, I have always heard of your tireless efforts in promoting youth culture. Meeting you today has made me even more impressed. This cup of tea is a toast to your vision and commitment, and I hope that we can live up to your expectations."
With a simple "Mr. Qu," he placed himself on the same level as the other person, his demeanor and words impeccable.
Dan Huai lowered his voice: "Holy crap!! This skill level completely blows us away, I'm a little nervous..."
Ling Wei: "...Shut up."
When it was Ling Wei's turn, she stood up as well. It was just a matter of expressing her gratitude, so her words were very concise: "Thank you to the leaders for providing this platform and giving us the opportunity to realize our dreams." After saying that, she drank tea instead of wine, tilting her head back and taking a big gulp.
She caught a glimpse of Qu Mingyuan picking up his teacup out of the corner of her eye, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, the village secretary, speaking with a local accent, chuckled and said to Qu Mingyuan, "This Xiao Ling, usually seems like a very steady kid, but today he's a bit clumsy, look how he's gotten you all wet..."
"Pfft—" Ling Wei spat out a mouthful of tea.
Thankfully, it wasn't facing the table, but rather at Shan Huai's head.
Dan Huai, who was muttering to himself in preparation for speaking, jumped up in fright: "Thank you, leader!! I... it's raining?"
Ling Wei quickly pulled out a tissue to wipe his head, saying, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."
Almost simultaneously, a crisp "clang" was heard, and everyone looked over to see that Qu Mingyuan's teacup had been knocked over, with tea spilling down the edge of the table.
Secretary Sun immediately stood up: "I'll do it, I'll do it."
A boy next to Shan Huai, who was equally nervous, saw Secretary Sun move and instinctively stood up: "I'll help..." But he stood up too suddenly, tripped over his own feet, and fell straight towards Secretary Sun.
In his panic, he instinctively grabbed Shan Huai's arm for balance, while Shan Huai, who was preparing his words again, cried out: "Sea Bull!!!"
Clang, clang.
The three of them collapsed instantly, knocking over several bowls and plates in the process.
The village party secretary quickly stood up.
"It's alright." Secretary Sun reacted quickly, jumping up immediately and helping the two boys up as well.
They were all covered in soup, and he calmly nodded to the crowd: "Excuse me, we'll go and tidy up."
This immediately created an empty seat between Ling Wei and Qu Mingyuan.
There were no waiters in the village, and seeing that Qu Mingyuan and the village secretary were about to clean up, Ling Wei quickly stopped them: "I'll do it!"
She neatly cleaned up the broken bowls and wiped the food off the floor with a paper towel. As she searched around, she noticed a chopstick that had rolled under the table. She quickly lifted the heavy tablecloth that was hanging to the ground and ducked under it.
The space under the table was dimly lit, filled with the aroma of food and the smell of wood. As Ling Wei's eyes adjusted to the light, she noticed the fallen chopstick lying quietly at someone's feet.
She moved closer and reached out, but when she looked up, she was immediately drawn to a pair of long legs right in front of her.
Qu Mingyuan was wearing a pair of dark casual trousers, the fabric of which was crisp yet soft, outlining his long legs, which he sat with casually spread apart.
From this angle, every inch of his leg is clearly outlined, showing the power of his taut thigh muscles, the sharp turn at his knee, and the clean lines tapering at his ankle. Despite being dressed appropriately, his relaxed posture exudes a languid tension.
Ling Wei stared at the leg for a few seconds, then suddenly remembered the chaotic scene in the car that time.
Tsk, why is she the only one who can't forget that incident?
Feeling inexplicably annoyed, she threw the chopsticks she had just picked up forward a little.
Outside the tablecloth, Qu Mingyuan was talking to the village secretary when suddenly his voice faltered. He clearly felt someone... leaning on his lap.
System: "??ber? What are you doing?!"
Ling Wei said matter-of-factly, "Pick up the chopsticks!"
System: "...Picking chopsticks up from someone's lap?" What kind of sexy little wildcat is this, picking up chopsticks online?!
Qu Mingyuan saw her crawl inside. The leg she was using as a pillow twitched slightly, as if trying to shake this uninvited guest off.
However, the person under the table did not back away; instead, they pressed their advantage and rubbed against him even higher. Immediately afterward, a light pinching sensation came from his thigh.
His pupils dilated suddenly, and his breath hitched.
After finishing all that, Ling Wei picked up the culprit chopstick and casually emerged from the other side of the tablecloth.
Holding the chopsticks, she whispered to the person next to her, "It rolled a bit far, I searched for it for a long time, I'll take it outside to wash it."
system:"......"
As if knowing what the system wanted to say, Ling Wei explained, "Ahem, it's just about picking up chopsticks. If a person's brain isn't trained, usually when one hand moves, the other hand will follow suit. Ahem, and those legs look easy to pinch."
System: "Isn't the last sentence the key point?"
I thought you were a decent person in this world, but I didn't expect you to reveal your true nature.
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