Chapter Nine
Just before the Lunar New Year holiday, Xing Bei was suddenly called away on a business trip by her boss, and the day after she returned was Lunar New Year's Eve.
The collaboration went very smoothly. Considering her hard work over the past few years, in addition to her year-end bonus, the boss finally decided to promote her.
That evening, Chi Qingtang dragged her to a bar for a drink. As soon as they sat down and took a sip of their drink, Chi Qingtang ordered two incredibly handsome male models, and happily embraced one on each side.
Xing Bei looked at her, then moved away in disgust. Thinking of the way someone looked at her when she left work, she couldn't help but worry: "Tangtang, do you think I should be wary of Zhang Minjuan?"
After finishing the drink the man handed her, Chi Qingtang patted her shoulder and said, "What are you worried about? She's someone who came in late and doesn't work hard. Everyone can see your work ability. She can't cause any trouble."
Xing Bei lit a cigarette in frustration. In the company, Zhang Minjuan was the one who caused her trouble every day, constantly revealing her manipulative nature.
Chi Qingtang sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulder: "What are you afraid of? This time, the boss's wife is also on the business trip. If she says anything, just tell the boss."
She was furious when she talked about the business trip. The boss only showed up once when they arrived at their destination, and then left everything else to her while he went on a date with his wife. The couple took advantage of her.
The boss is a really nice person when he's being nice, but once he starts being unkind, he makes everyone work overtime without letting anyone off the hook. She's almost been completely exploited by the boss, and she thinks she'll eventually die of overwork at her desk.
Xing Bei looked at the brightly lit dance floor in front of her and narrowed her eyes: "Zhang Minjuan doesn't seem to know that the boss is already married. I think she's quite interested in the boss."
Chi Qingtang automatically pictured the proprietress's face in her mind: "The boss is quite capable, and the proprietress is as beautiful as a star. I don't know how she fell for the boss. Zhang Minjuan is also good-looking, but the proprietress is even better."
On the third floor, Shang Yichen returned from the restroom and casually glanced down at the bar counter. He stopped and stared for a long time, a playful smile flashing in his eyes.
When the person behind him caught up, he gently touched the arm of the person beside him: "Ah Xu, do you think that's your wife? Take this opportunity to call her up so we can get to know her?"
Lu Runxu followed his gaze and immediately noticed the woman in the black coat, leaning lazily against the bar. The dim lighting above couldn't hide her bright and aloof face. She was talking to someone, her beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed.
He beckoned to a nearby waiter to come over and whisper something in his ear.
Downstairs, Xing Bei had just finished speaking and was picking up her wine glass to drink when a thin male waiter walked over. She looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Ms. Xing, Mr. Lu from room 405 on the third floor would like to invite you over for a drink."
Xing Bei looked up at the third-floor platform and immediately spotted the man in the black suit, Lu Runxu. His arm was casually draped over the glass escalator, his eyes sparkling with a smile, and his slender fingers twitched slightly.
She looked away and smiled at the waiter: "I understand, thank you."
Chi Qingtang followed her gaze and met Lu Runxu's eyes, which startled her so much that she quickly pushed the man next to her away.
If people misunderstand and think that Xing Bei also came to play with her, she can't take the blame for that.
Seeing Xing Bei still casually smoking, she frowned slightly and looked at her with some concern: "Mingzhu, does President Lu know that you smoke and drink?"
"I know." Xing Bei put the remaining cigarettes back in her bag and got up to walk towards Lu Runxu.
When she was with Zhou Xuzhe, he often controlled her because he disliked the smell of cigarettes. For a while, she became ascetic and almost quit smoking.
As time went on, she stopped smoking in front of him. She would only smoke outside occasionally when she was upset, and then go back inside after the smoke had completely dissipated.
After moving in with Lu Runxu, she maintained this habit. Once, when Lu Runxu caught her smoking on the balcony, she instinctively hid the cigarette behind her back, preparing to use the excuse she had given Zhou Xuzhe before to deal with Lu Runxu.
But when he saw it, he didn't say anything to stop her from smoking. Instead, he joked that she looked like a thief.
Later, I didn't interfere with her smoking habit. I would only remind her to smoke less if I saw her smoking too frequently, saying it was bad for her health.
She also asked him if he disliked the smell of smoke, and Lu Runxu bluntly said that he did.
I asked him then: "Then why won't you let me change? If you had just said you hated it, I would have changed this habit."
He suddenly smiled, looked at her seriously, and said:
Smoking is your personal habit, and everyone's habits are different. You can't change that part of yourself just because others don't like it.
In this world, everyone is a unique being with their own characteristics. If everyone lived the same way, how boring would this world be?
Just like growing flowers, you should grow the ones you like. If you buy a flower you don't like and force it to look the way you want it, that flower will wither sooner or later.
The same applies to liking someone. If you like her, you should respect and accept everything about her, instead of trying to change her.
Chi Qingtang, who was following behind her, heard these words and suddenly remembered some gossip she had heard at those gatherings of young ladies.
They said: Lu Runxu hates the smell of smoke the most, and he doesn't like women with bad lifestyle habits. He only likes the kind of obedient little white rabbit.
She carefully examined the person in front of her. Xing Bei had a mature and sophisticated look, with a distinctive beauty, three-dimensional features, and even a slightly aggressive appearance.
Especially when she was smoking, surrounded by smoke, when she deliberately blew smoke in her face, coupled with a smug look in her eyes, she was completely captivated. If she were a man, she would have won Xing Bei over long ago.
From Xing Bei's words, it's clear that not everything those young ladies said before can be trusted.
From now on, if you're going to ship a couple, you'll have to wait for the real people to clarify things.
As soon as Xing Bei sat down, Lu Runxu leaned over without saying a word: "Smoking again? Are you in a bad mood?"
She shook her head: "No, I just feel like smoking."
The three people opposite them looked at each other, their faces clearly showing that they were just watching a show.
Chi Qingtang now felt a little awkward, so she sat to the side drinking and trying to minimize her presence.
Lu Runxu took her hand and introduced her to the people beside him. Xing Bei maintained a polite smile.
Following Lu Runxu's introduction, she looked at each of them. On the far right, wearing a white suit, was Mu Rong; next to her was Shang Yichen, wearing a black coat; and the one with white hair who wasn't afraid of the cold was Lin Zhuochi.
Xing Bei had heard of these people before; they were all in the same circle and their families had some business dealings with each other.
Shang Yichen is a well-known gentle and refined gentleman in the industry, and is the object of affection for many young ladies. He is comparable to her senior brother and is also a blind date that her mother prefers.
Although the other two are very famous, she rarely pays attention to them and doesn't know them very well.
Shang Yichen looked at them, his tone as gentle as ever: "Sister Xing, it's been a long time."
Xing Bei looked over and greeted him with a smile: "It's been a long time. When you have time, come back to Qingyang and have a drink with your senior brother?"
Shang Yichen lowered his eyes and smiled: "Okay, I'm going back to Qingyang this year anyway, let's go together then."
Lin Zhuochi's gaze swept back and forth between them, and he casually asked, "Do you know each other?"
Xing Bei subconsciously looked at Lu Runxu and met his gaze. She smiled and looked away.
“Yes, we know each other.” Shang Yichen looked at Lu Runxu meaningfully. “I went to Qingyang to get something from President Tan, but he wasn’t home. I happened to run into President Tan’s junior sister. I didn’t expect her to be my sister-in-law.”
Lin Zhuochi didn't care about any of that. His gaze fell on the person next to Xing Bei. Xing Bei also noticed his gaze and introduced, "This is my best friend, Chi Qingtang."
Suddenly called out, Chi Qingtang snapped out of her daze and smiled broadly: "Hello everyone."
"Miss Chi is very beautiful." Lin Zhuochi approached her with a nonchalant air, holding a glass of wine. "May I invite Miss Liang for a drink alone?"
Chi Qingtang looked up at the person in front of her. He was slender and tall, with well-defined features, thick eyebrows, phoenix eyes, and thin lips. His hair was also longer than that of the men present, with a wispy wolf tail at the nape of his neck, giving him a roguish and handsome look.
His eyes were slightly upturned, and he wore a faint smile. Under the warm glow of the lamplight, there was a subtle allure to him.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Xing Bei looked over and met Chi Qingtang's gaze. Chi Qingtang gave her a wink, and Xing Bei instantly understood what she meant.
"Tangtang, you go ahead. Lu Runxu is here with me." As she spoke, she slightly raised her head towards Chi Qingtang.
Chi Qingtang smiled and looked away from Lin Zhuochi: "Alright, since you're so good-looking, I'll reluctantly drink a cup."
Mu Rong, who was standing nearby, leaned closer to Shang Yichen and asked, "That kid, could it be that he's taken a liking to that Miss Chi?"
Shang Yichen glanced at him and chuckled softly, "Most likely."
"Tsk." Mu Rong took a sip of wine and shook his head: "It's not even spring yet, why is everyone so eager for love?"
--
With her around, they were all a little reserved, and after a short while, everyone prepared to go home.
Lu Runxu was given a lot of drinks by them tonight, and his face was flushed. She had to help him out of the room.
Mu Rong watched as Xing Bei helped the person out, with his hand on Shang Yichen's shoulder, and couldn't help but sigh, "Ah Xu's acting is too good. Someone who can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk is actually pretending to be drunk."
"You just don't understand." Shang Yichen pushed away the person who reeked of alcohol with disdain, and straightened the wrinkles in his clothes. "They call this marital intimacy. You'll understand when you get married."
Mu Rong ignored the second half of his sentence: "Who said before that A-Xu likes pure and innocent girls? I don't think our sister-in-law is any different from that."
If Lu Runxu hadn't introduced her personally, Shang Yichen wouldn't have believed that this strikingly beautiful woman who smokes and drinks would be Lu Runxu's ideal woman.
Shang Yichen shrugged: "Who knows?"
Mu Rong shook his head and sighed, "Our sister-in-law is so beautiful and charming, no wonder Lu Runxu has been eyeing her for so long."
After Lu Runxu, who was pretending to be drunk, got home, before Xing Bei could even turn on the light, he immediately hugged her and placed her on the shoe cabinet, his hands encircling her slender waist.
Xing Bei was still stunned when his passionate kiss was already on her lips.
A faint scent of grapes wafted over, and Lu Runxu gently sucked on her lips.
Perhaps because she had been drinking, Xing Bei felt extremely thirsty and had a burning sensation inside her.
......
Noticing her nervousness, Lu Runxu chuckled softly and carried her towards the sofa. Xing Bei shyly buried her head in Lu Runxu's shoulder.
Lu Runxu put her down, gently raised his chin, and in the instant their eyes met, Xing Bei saw the intense desire in his eyes as he stared straight at her, like a beast that had been lurking for a long time.
The person in front of him gradually became hot. Lu Runxu stared at her, a smile playing on his lips. He leaned down and kissed her lips, as if teasing a cat.
Xing Bei couldn't resist his gaze, so she closed her eyes and let herself be immersed in it, while the person in front of her took in her every state.
Lu Runxu's eyes remained fixed on her face, and his kisses gradually progressed from light, fleeting touches to a passionate, unforgettable kiss. Xing Bei felt a chill run down her spine from his forceful actions.
At some point, a single tear welled up in Xing Beitao's peach-blossom eyes, the overhead light began to blur, and her pupils seemed unable to focus.
The surrounding temperature seemed to be gradually rising. Xing Bei sensed something was wrong and tried to push him away, but Lu Runxu grabbed her and pressed her back onto the sofa, showing no intention of letting her go.
"I can't." Xing Bei turned her head away shyly.
Lu Runxu leaned down and took her earlobe into his mouth, his warm breath swirling around her ear: "You can't even handle this? What will you do in the future?"
Her ears were her sensitive spot, and she couldn't help but shudder when the warm tongue touched them.
Xing Bei tried to push him away, but her hands were clamped down. She struggled a few times, but it was no use.
Lu Runxu chuckled, stepped back, and stared intently at her. She stole a glance and quickly avoided his gaze.
The person in front of him had slightly reddened eyes, and his thin lips were unusually red and glistening from the kiss. Lu Runxu's desire remained undiminished, making him look very lewd.
He released Xing Bei's hands and sat down beside her. Freed, she didn't even look at Lu Runxu and rushed upstairs. Seeing her fleeing figure, Lu Runxu lowered his head and laughed.
Xing Bei went to the bathroom and saw herself in the mirror. Her face felt even hotter. The color of her lipstick had faded, but her lips were more vibrant than before, and upon closer inspection, they were even a little swollen.
She hadn't expected Lu Runxu to be so alluring when he was drunk. Just a simple kiss was enough to make her lose control, and she was a little scared when she thought about what he had just said.
After all, Lu Runxu seems like the kind of person who would cause trouble.
The next morning, the snow had stopped, and everything outside the window was covered in white.
Chi Qingtang woke up groggily and found herself in a warm embrace. She instantly became alert and saw a beautiful, flawless face.
She froze on the spot, and when she lifted the blanket, she saw that only the inner lining was left. She stared at the ceiling with a sense of despair.
After years of running around bars, he finally got himself into trouble one day.
She tiptoed out of bed and got dressed, just as she was about to grab her bag and make her escape, when a low chuckle suddenly came from behind her.
Chi Qingtang turned around and met the eyes of the person behind her. Lin Zhuochi was propping his head up and looking at her teasingly.
When did he wake up?
Could she have woken up while she was changing clothes?
Wouldn't that mean he could see everything clearly?
"Miss Chi, is this a sign that you don't want to take responsibility for me?" Lin Zhuochi sat up and stared straight at her.
As Lin Zhuochi got up, the blanket slipped off his body, revealing his snow-white chest with mottled and messy red marks, making it obvious what he had done.
Chi Qingtang paused, then awkwardly avoided eye contact: "No, I just have some company business to take care of."
Lin Zhuochi smiled and looked at her, immediately seeing that she was lying, but he didn't intend to expose her: "Is that so? I thought Miss Chi was going to run away."
Chi Qingtang: "..."
Your guess was pretty accurate.
“In that case, I won’t take up any more of Miss Chi’s time.” He said, taking his phone out from under his pillow. “Let’s exchange contact information so that I can contact Miss Chi when I have time to take care of things.”
Before she could even feel happy after hearing the first half of the sentence, the second half was like a bucket of cold water poured over her head.
She twitched her lips and reluctantly took out her phone to scan the QR code. Looking at Lin Zhuochi's refreshed appearance, she couldn't help but suspect that he had been setting a trap for her all along.
"It's added."
She reluctantly put away her phone, grabbed her bag, and stormed off. Lin Zhuozhuochi sat on the bed, looking at the contact he had just added, a triumphant smile playing on his lips.
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