Homework 29
Did you learn what I taught you yesterday?
Xue Lu has fully recovered, both physically and emotionally.
After that long kiss last night, he and Song Qinggui embraced for a long time.
In the dim light and the quiet night, they listened to each other's heartbeats, from strong and chaotic to steady and soothing...
It was a very special feeling, a feeling that Xue Lu had never imagined.
Xue Lu examined himself countless times, and the conclusion was always the same: he was a primitive and despicable man.
He had imagined many times what it would be like to fall in love with Song Qinggui. He thought that what he would do was to release his pent-up desires after years of pent-up emotions. These desires carried too much of his love, hate, anger, and infatuation.
The name Song Qinggui is etched throughout his youth.
He was in his prime when he met her, but without her favor, all his brilliance paled in comparison.
For a long time, he lost the ability to love; everyone except her became a matter of compromise and making do.
So he tragically and for a long time longed for someone who didn't love him, and willingly endured the bitterness of unrequited love.
But he never gave up, and he never imagined that he would have no connection with Song Qinggui in his life.
So he made up his mind early on that one day, when Song Qinggui looked back at him, he would turn these feelings into one fierce and brutal love affair after another, making her fall for him and become completely dependent on him, both in heart and body. He thought this would be the most satisfying "revenge" for him.
This obsession gradually became a physical ailment for him.
He was thirty years old, no longer an naive teenager; he had the desires a normal man should have.
In the years when he couldn't have what he wanted, he was driven to desperation by his physical needs and resorted to masturbation. In his most confused and infatuated moments, he fantasized about Song Qinggui, murmuring her name. After sobering up, he was rekindled with an absurd determination, rehearsing repeatedly in his mind, vowing to put all his desires into practice with Song Qinggui in the future.
Xue Lu was actually ashamed to face himself like this. He knew that he was untamed, despicable, and vile. He also knew that an upright, kind, and gentlemanly man should give the freedom to love someone who doesn't love him back, rather than appearing as crude and sinister as he did.
But he couldn't do it. He couldn't erase the name Song Qinggui from his life, nor could he wish her a long and happy life with another man. He simply couldn't do it.
However, last night, when Song Qinggui truly said she could give him everything, what ignited in him wasn't lust, but heartache. He was afraid she would be frightened, afraid she would be hurt; afraid that having loved two men in vain, she would think all men in the world were no different; afraid that once bitten, twice shy.
So he simply used all his knowledge to kiss her tenderly. And then, with all his gentleness, he hugged her tightly.
Fortunately, Song Qinggui liked it very much, and he could feel it.
Yesterday, when she went back to her room, she even bumped into the door frame because she took the wrong step.
Her retreating figure, clutching her aching nose, as she hurriedly entered the bedroom, revealed boundless shyness.
This is a rare example of Song Dynasty rules.
In the eyes of others, Song Qinggui, whether a genius student or a scheming gold digger, is always confident and decisive.
But yesterday, because of him, she was flustered, shy, and embarrassed.
Only he could see her like this, only him… In that moment, she belonged to him alone…
Thinking of this, Xue Lu couldn't help but smile, and his usually deep and piercing eyes also flickered with a hint of joy.
In the conference room at Jingtian headquarters, CFO Shen Song was reporting on the investment decisions that still needed to be completed in the last month of the year when he suddenly stopped talking.
Everyone followed Shen Song's gaze to the boss, only to find him staring at a point in the void with a mysterious smile—a smile they had never seen before.
"Ahem..." General Manager A asked General Manager B beside him, "What's wrong with President Xue? Why is he smiling so creepily..."
General Manager B turned to the HR person next to him and asked, "The economic climate is bad lately. I heard that Xue's Group has already started layoffs. Is our group going to follow suit...?"
Before HR could say anything, the director of the bidding department interrupted: "The first rule of Jingtian's corporate culture is that we don't lay off employees for non-principle mistakes. Don't scare me. I have a lot of troublemakers under me. If we lay off any of them, it will cause a big problem."
The murmurs grew louder, and Chen An quickly reminded Xue Lu, who then came to his senses.
Shen Song asked with some doubt, "President Xue, is there something wrong with the investment plan I proposed?"
Only then did Xue Lu look at Shen Song's proposal...
Since starting his business, Xue Lu's main business has been in healthcare and education, but with the current decline in birth rates, the prospects for these two industries are not optimistic.
Therefore, Xue Lu has always planned to explore new fields, but he is not particularly satisfied with the main projects in Shen Song's proposal.
Xue Lu took a deep breath and looked at the people in the conference room who had helped him build his empire: "Everyone has worked hard with me these past few years. Let's stop this last month of the year and take a break."
The people who were just talking looked pale and dejected. It's over; they're probably really going to be laid off. Although these executives won't necessarily lose their jobs, pay cuts are just around the corner. In today's increasingly sluggish economy, their good days are finally coming to an end.
However, Shen Song knew about Jingtian Group's revenue situation. Although the overall environment was not good, Jingtian's profits were still steadily increasing this year.
He was somewhat puzzled: "Mr. Xue, are we not going to push forward any new projects for the entire month of December? We have evaluated the two insurance companies and the elderly care facilities in the proposal, and now is the best time to acquire them at the most favorable price."
"We're not proceeding with this." Xue Lu glanced at Shen Song. "We'll talk about it next year."
At Xue Lu's command, everyone dispersed, but Shen Song stayed behind. He was Xue Lu's high school classmate, and the two had known each other for many years. Just now, from a single glance from Xue Lu, Shen Song knew that he still had something to say.
With no one else around, Shen Song shed her professional facade and placed herself in the position of Xue Lu's old friend: "Why did you stop pushing it forward? Just tell me if there's a problem with my plan. I'm not that fragile."
Lawyer Xue smiled and asked, "Why focus on insurance companies and elderly care facilities?"
Shen Song: "With bank interest rates hitting rock bottom and a serious aging population, insurance, wealth management, and retirement will become issues facing the entire society."
Xue Lu nodded: "That's right."
"Then why not move forward?"
"Because a forward-looking project isn't necessarily a suitable one," Xue Lu bluntly stated. "Insurance and elderly care are issues facing the entire society, and they will become increasingly prominent, but they haven't yet awakened the general public's awareness. Those who actually choose insurance and elderly care services are still a minority, especially in second-tier cities and below. This means that the operating costs after investment will be very high, the operation will be very difficult, and it will be hard to expand the industry in the short term. I know you think that Jingtian is in the medical field, which is linked to insurance and elderly care, making it relatively easy to get started. But given the current economic situation, any project that requires a large amount of manpower and resources is high-risk."
Shen Song agreed with Xue Lu's statement: "So you allowed everyone to slack off in December?"
“Doing your job well is not the same as slacking off.” Lawyer Xue picked up the laser pointer on the conference table and circled two non-key options in the proposal: “Keep an eye on these two projects and try to make progress next year.”
Shen Song looked over and saw "medical artificial intelligence" and "pets".
Shen Song thought for a moment: "Pets do have potential, and there should be profits in the short term. But in Lancheng and even the entire East China region, the artificial intelligence sector is all Xue Tan's business. Are you sure you want to go head-to-head with your brother?"
“When it comes to artificial intelligence, Lao Qi definitely knows more than me. But when it comes to medicine, I’m still the expert.” Xue Lu raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Moreover, it’s not a good thing for any industry to achieve a monopoly. Lao Qi understands this principle. I’m not trying to compete with him, but to work with him to expand the market.”
“Okay, I’ll keep an eye on it.” Shen Song readily agreed, got up to leave, and patted Xue Lu on the shoulder before leaving: “Do you have some good news? You seem so happy today?”
"Really?" Xue Lu countered, then turned to Chen An: "Am I happy today?"
Chen An smiled politely: "It's more than enough, boss."
Xue Lu lowered his head, his smile deepening: "It's probably because my birthday is coming up soon."
Chen An and Shen Song exchanged a glance. Birthday? What birthday? When has he ever celebrated a birthday? ...What, is he going to collect money for a 30th birthday celebration this year...?
...
At Jingtian Hospital, due to the shift in public opinion surrounding the cross-provincial transfer of a cardiac teratoma, Song Qinggui gave several media interviews.
After several hours, her entire spine was stiff, and her calves ached.
Song Qinggui was furious. She really didn't know which idiot leader at Jingtian Hospital had made the rule that administrative staff had to wear high heels. She was going to ask Xue Lu about it, and then smash her high heels on that person's head.
Xue Lu...
The moment that name and that face appeared in Song Qinggui's mind, she remembered the kiss from last night.
She almost died from that kiss.
As she thought about it, her ears started to feel hot again.
However, today is Xue Lu's first day back at work after his illness, and he should not be back yet at this time, so she still has time to mentally prepare herself to face him.
However, things didn't go as planned. As soon as the door opened, the aroma of food wafted over.
When Song Qinggui entered, he found Xue Lü busy at the island counter.
Hearing the door open, Xue Lu looked towards the entrance, his expression unchanged: "You're back?"
"Hmm." Song Qinggui took a deep breath, changed his shoes, hung up his coat, and walked towards Xue Lu: "You..."
Xue Lu carried the casserole to the dining table: "Wash your hands and come eat."
Song Qinggui looked at the garlic lettuce, stir-fried beef with yellow peppers, and loofah, shrimp, and egg soup on the table and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "You made these?"
"Hmm. I found a recipe online. I tried it, and it tasted good. I'm quite talented."
What is this...?
Song Qinggui wondered, "Is the CEO descending to earth to cook soup?"
Although he was apprehensive, Song Qinggui washed his hands and sat down at the dining table.
It must be said that Xue Lu wasn't exaggerating; his cooking was indeed delicious.
Song Qinggui didn't know what to say, and Xue Lu didn't take the initiative to start a conversation either, so the two of them remained in an awkward silence.
After finishing the meal, Song Qinggui got up to clear the dishes.
Xue Lu stopped her and took over, saying, "Don't you dislike washing dishes? Go play. Scroll through your phone and play some King of Glory."
Song Qinggui sat on the sofa, her body scrolling through videos, but her mind was with Xue Lu, and she would glance at him every now and then.
He was actually washing dishes! How terrifying...
After tidying up the kitchen, Xue Lu sat down on the sofa, turned on the TV, and tuned to a documentary on CCTV.
Song Qinggui decided to chat with him for a while: "I thought you would get off work very late today."
“I’m not entirely satisfied with a few investment proposals,” Lawyer Xue answered honestly. “There’s only a little over a month left in the year, and I don’t want to undertake any big projects. Let everyone take a break.”
Song Qinggui nodded.
"Oh, right." Xue Lu remembered something: "Zhuang Xiaomeng came to Jingtian looking for a job, and I put her in the operations department as an assistant. However, she won't have any work contact with me, but if you mind, I can..."
“I don’t mind,” Song Qinggui said. “You two are childhood sweethearts, so it’s normal to arrange a job for her.”
Song Qinggui remained calm because that was truly how she felt. There was no sarcasm in her tone; it was all "good brother, I understand you."
Xue Lu had been in a good mood all day, but Song Qinggui's words annoyed him.
"Song Qinggui, how did you study Chinese in junior high school? Do you even know what 'childhood sweetheart' means before you use it so carelessly?"
Seeing that Xue Lu was upset, Song Qinggui quickly explained, "I didn't mean anything by it. I just think what you did is completely reasonable, and I fully support it."
Xue Lu was so angry that his head felt heavy.
Song Qinggui glanced at the wall clock; it was almost nine o'clock. She was really tired today.
So he stood up with his phone in hand and said, "I'm sleepy, I'm going to sleep. You should get some rest too."
"etc."
Xue Lu grabbed Song Qinggui's wrist, and Song Qinggui turned around.
Lawyer Xue: "The assignment hasn't been submitted yet."
Song Qinggui: "Hmm?"
Xue Lu: "Did you learn what I taught you yesterday?"
Song Qinggui finally realized what Xue Lu was talking about and immediately panicked.
Before she could even process her emotions, Xue Lu grabbed her hand and pulled hard, causing her to fall into his arms, her phone landing on the side of the sofa.
When she looked up at him again, his gaze was intense.
“Kiss me,” he said.
No doubt about it, just like yesterday.
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