Chapter Seventeen
After a few sunny days, it started to drizzle again.
Xing Bei and Chi Qingtang came out of the tea room with coffee in hand, just as their colleague came up carrying a lot of things.
"Beibei, these are your flowers. I brought them up with me while I was picking up my package."
Xing Bei frowned slightly: "Thank you."
Back in her office, Chi Qingtang leaned back lazily in her chair, looking at the large bouquet of sunflowers in Xing Bei's arms. The first person she thought of was Lu Runxu. Chi Qingtang fiddled with the petals and teased, "I didn't realize President Lu was so romantic."
Xing Bei glanced at her indifferently, noticing that the packaging wasn't Lu Runxu's style: "It wasn't him, it was Zhou Xuzhe who brought it up."
"Zhou Xuzhe." Chi Qingtang immediately withdrew her hand, looking at the bouquet of flowers with disgust. "He wants to get back together with you."
Xing Bei pointed to the glass window, and Chi Qingtang walked over in confusion. She saw a man wearing a black hoodie sitting on a park bench downstairs, holding a mobile phone and seemingly sending a message.
Chi Qingtang turned to look at her, puzzled. Thinking of the gifts Zhou Xuzhe had prepared in the past, she couldn't help but feel exasperated. "Didn't he always like to give you lisianthus, which you hate the most? Why did he change it to sunflowers this time?"
Xing Bei shrugged: "Who knows? Maybe it's a change of heart."
“Then you…” Chi Qingtang hesitated.
Xing Bei knew what Chi Qingtang wanted to ask before she finished speaking. She glanced at the flowers on the table, picked up a bunch, and threw them to Chi Qingtang: "Get rid of them for me. Make sure I don't run into him after get off work."
Chi Qingtang understood what she meant, and patted her shoulder with a smile: "Leave it to me."
After Chi Qingtang left, she leaned back in her chair and sighed. In her memory, Zhou Xuzhe was a proud man. She thought that he should have given up after what she had said before, but he was more determined than ever.
What she didn't expect was that Zhou Xuzhe continued to send her flowers for the next week, and she had to endure the gossipy looks from her colleagues at the company every day, which annoyed her quite a bit.
Recently, Chi Qingtang saw someone praising Xing Bei's boyfriend in the company's gossip group. The counter on the first floor even posted Zhou Xuzhe's photo in the group. Upon seeing this, Chi Qingtang immediately cursed Zhou Xuzhe's ancestors for eighteen generations in her mind.
To openly and brazenly steal Mr. Lu's girlfriend like this is truly shameless.
Looks like we'll have to pull out all the stops.
Chi Qingtang quietly went to the bathroom, took out her phone, and called Ji Youli. After ringing for two seconds, the other party's lazy voice slowly came from the phone.
"Oh, Miss Chi, you're slacking off at work again. Be careful you don't get your pay docked."
Chi Qingtang could picture him smugly saying, "I have something important to discuss with you. You should quickly inform President Lu that someone is trying to poach his people."
Ji Youli was sitting opposite Lu Runxu's desk, his phone on speakerphone. The person opposite him could hear everything Chi Qingtang said. He put down his pen expressionlessly, looked up, and gestured for him to continue asking questions.
"Really? Who's so bold?" Ji Youli looked at the expressionless man opposite him with a mocking expression.
Seeing someone arrive, Chi Qingtang covered her phone and whispered, "Who else could it be but Bei Bei's shameless ex? He sends Bei Bei flowers every day, and now the whole company misunderstands that Zhou Xuzhe is Bei Bei's boyfriend."
Holding his phone, Ji Youli suddenly felt a chill run down his spine when Chi Qingtang mentioned Zhou Xuzhe's name.
He carefully observed Lu Runxu's expression. His beautiful and affectionate fox-like eyes seemed to be covered with a thin mist, with the corners of his eyes slightly upturned, making it impossible to figure out what he was thinking.
He quickly interrupted Chi Qingtang: "Okay, I'll inform Axu in a bit."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Youli hung up the phone impatiently, as if afraid that his phone would end up in the trash can the next second.
When Secretary Lin heard the phrase "poaching," he was also terrified.
He had met Mrs. Lu's ex-boyfriend before. He was calm and handsome, and his looks were certainly not bad, but compared to his boss, he was still far inferior.
He's clearly still entangled with that Miss Chu, yet he's still fantasizing about getting back together. He's like a toad trying to eat swan meat.
Seeing that the man opposite him did not make any move, Ji Youli smiled and looked at Secretary Lin: "Secretary Lin, as the boss's most capable employee, you should immediately go and find out what happened at Mrs. Lu's company."
The boss remained silent, and Secretary Lin immediately realized what was happening. After Secretary Lin left, Ji Youli leaned back in his chair and fiddled with the custom-made perpetual motion machine on the table.
"Hey Xu, why don't you just tell Xing Bei how you feel?" Ji Youli leaned back lazily in his chair and joked, "This contract marriage of yours will come to an end someday. What will you do if Xing Bei still hasn't fallen in love with you?"
Lu Runxu remained calm, looking at the person opposite him, and tugged at his lips: "How can I say that I've liked her for ten years? But that would put a burden on her, and liking someone would also be mixed with guilt."
Ji Youli frowned. He didn't quite agree with what he said: "But if you like someone, you should be bold and say it. How can she know your feelings if you don't tell her?"
He shook his head at the person opposite him: "Ah Xu, there will always be someone more outstanding in front of her. Unrequited love simply won't work. Look at how many people in this world have had their unrequited love come true."
Lu Runxu suddenly fell silent, lowered his eyes and muttered softly, "If only it were really as you say, besides, she might not even believe what I say."
Ji Youli took a deep breath: "How will you know the result if you don't try?"
Soon, Secretary Lin returned with the message, and the perceptive Secretary Lin immediately sensed that something was amiss.
He'd only been gone a short while, and they're already arguing?
Secretary Lin observed her boss's expression and cautiously reported, "Boss, I heard from people at your wife's company that a man named Zhou Xuzhe has been sending flowers to your wife every day for the past few days, and he always waits until she gets off work before leaving the company."
Lu Runxu raised his eyes, his beautiful fox-like eyes as cold as the snow that never melts on a high mountain: "Did Madam accept it?"
Secretary Lin shook his head: "Miss Chi handled those Mrs. Hua's affairs, and Mrs. Hua has never met Zhou Xuzhe."
"I see."
Hearing this, Lu Runxu's mood finally improved. He gently curled the corners of his lips and said, "Go and buy all the sunflowers from all the flower shops in Chanjing and send them to your wife's colleagues."
Secretary Lin listened attentively to her boss's instructions, her heart filled with joy.
That's how it should be—to thoroughly crush your love rival.
Secretary Lin had just taken a step when President Lu called out to her from behind: "Prepare a bouquet of camellias for your wife separately, and go to the Imperial Kitchen in the west of the city to buy a lotus flower pastry that your wife likes."
"clear."
-
Xing Bei had just returned from the finance department when she stepped into the design department and saw a bunch of sunflowers on every workstation. She stood at the door, puzzled.
Why is Xu Ze still not giving up this week?
When a colleague saw her return, she quickly gathered around and said, "Director Xing, what an amazing boyfriend you have! He was worried that you would feel embarrassed if you received flowers alone, so he sent flowers to all of us."
Zhang Yan, who was standing by the window in her work uniform, chimed in, "That's right, Director Xing. All of these must be quite expensive. Director Xing's boyfriend is really generous."
Many colleagues also joined in the discussion.
"Director Xing, please remember to invite us to your wedding in the future."
"As expected, outstanding people meet equally outstanding boyfriends, who pick up Director Xing from get off work on time every day."
"I've also met Director Xing's boyfriend. He's so handsome. He looks like he's a researcher. His aura is just as good as any celebrity."
Xing Bei glanced at the list and saw that it was basically a few flower shops that Lu Runxu frequented. She knew without guessing that Chi Qingtang had gone to tip him off.
Xing Bei smiled and looked at her gossiping colleagues: "Then you might be mistaken. The man downstairs isn't my boyfriend."
The surroundings fell silent for a few seconds. Xing Bei recalled the man's face in her mind, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.
When someone tried to gossip, Xing Bei interrupted them directly: "Alright, it's still working hours, I'm not telling you my stories."
After saying that, Xing Bei returned to her office without looking back, leaving behind only the groans of her gossipy colleagues.
As Xing Bei pushed open the door, she saw a large bunch of camellias on the desk. She walked over and gently fiddled with the petals, where there was a small pink card.
She carefully took it out from the center of the flower; there was a simple sentence on it.
Girlfriend, remember to think of me.
I'll pick you up after work. -- Love, Mr. Lu
The handwriting on the paper was neat and strong. Xing Bei held a corner of the paper and smiled slightly as she looked down.
Previously, she always thought happiness was an abstract word, and that obtaining happiness required overcoming many obstacles. But at this moment, Xing Bei felt that happiness could also be made tangible.
Xing Bei was about to thank Lu Runxu when his message popped up on her phone screen.
- Girlfriend, did you receive the flowers?
Xing Bei looked at the message and replied very seriously.
- I've received it, and I like it very much.
- I'm glad your girlfriend likes it. There are also lotus flower pastries that you like next to it. Have some to tide you over, and I'll cook something delicious for you when we get home.
Xing Bei glanced at the flowers and saw two exquisite boxes next to the sunflowers. They contained her favorite Yu Chu Ge lotus flower pastries and a new limited-edition piece of jewelry from D brand.
-Lu Runxu, I suddenly really want to give you a hug.
Work hard, I'll come pick you up early.
-good.
—I will remember to miss you.
Lu Runxu saw the last message, a handsome smile curving his thin lips, and then placed his phone face down on the right side.
She looked up at Secretary Lin and said, "There's an auction in Xiling recently. Go and sort out all the things that Madam likes, and while you're at it, send the latest season's clothes from D brand to Zhuqing Bay."
"good."
Secretary Lin sighed inwardly:
May he be reborn into a family like this in his next life.
Overjoyed, he showered his wife with gifts, and the amount of money he spent from her private account left him completely bewildered.
At this moment, the gossip group of the Lu Group was also very lively, with many people discussing President Lu's act of sending flowers.
- Boss, what do you mean by this? Why is everyone in the company getting a bouquet of sunflowers?
- I don't know, and have you guys noticed that the old boss has been in a pretty good mood lately?
Do you think the boss is dating someone?
- It's possible. The boss used to spend most of his time at the company, but now he leaves work on time almost every day. Also, last time when Xiao Qi didn't finish his work, the boss didn't get very angry.
- It's not just about dating. Last time, I overheard a senior executive at the company say that the boss's marital status was listed as "married".
-The sunflower symbolizes: "No one else is in my sight, you are all around me." See how romantic the boss is?
Aren't you curious about who won over the boss, who's known as a 'cold and beautiful fox'? Everyone says he's not interested in women, so why did he suddenly get married?
- Could it be an arranged marriage within the family?
As Secretary Lin looked at the messages in the group chat, the image of the boss's wife flashed through her mind. She and President Lu were a perfect match.
President Lu's face is the typical face of a scumbag. He is so handsome that there is not a single flaw. His temperament is like a snow lotus on a snow mountain, unattainable, making people want to touch him but dare not. Yet he also has a pair of bewitching and affectionate fox eyes, which makes people even more curious to explore him.
Mrs. Lu is like a red rose in the desert, passionate yet somewhat aloof, with a mature and sophisticated look and a touch of nonchalant charm. Her captivating eyes are enough to mesmerize anyone with a casual glance.
The two of them standing together are a visual shock.
Lu Runxu finished his work ahead of time, picked up the flowers on the table, and went to pick up Xing Bei. The employees on the same floor watched him leave out of the corner of their eyes, and Secretary Lin followed behind him, pursing her lips and secretly smiling.
When they arrived at Xing Bei's company building, they saw Zhou Xuzhe as expected. He snorted and walked straight toward Zhou Xuzhe. Secretary Lin's gossipy heart was instantly stirred, and she straightened her back and followed behind her boss.
A pair of black leather shoes appeared in front of Zhou Xuzhe, who was hanging his head. A pair of well-proportioned and slender legs were wrapped in well-tailored black suit trousers. When Zhou Xuzhe looked up, he was instantly stunned.
“Mr. Zhou, it’s been a long time.” Lu Runxu slightly raised his eyelids, smiled at him, and his deep voice contained an imperceptible coldness. “You’re waiting for my wife.”
Although she was smiling, Zhou Xuzhe felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. Her ambiguous smile looked at him as if she were looking down on something insignificant from a high place.
Secretary Lin, standing behind him, subconsciously felt a sense of awe. He had only ever seen this kind of indifferent and aloof aura when he accompanied President Lu to discuss business.
The innate sense of oppression filled Zhou Xuzhe with disgust; he hated people who were high and mighty.
Lu Runxu chuckled lightly: "Mr. Zhou, do you have some kind of unusual fetish?"
Zhou Xuzhe was baffled by his words: "What do you mean?"
Lu Runxu glanced at the flowers in his hand indifferently: "You've been waiting downstairs at my wife's company every day, and even sending her flowers. What, are you planning to become a mistress for love?"
"Who the hell are you calling a mistress?" Zhou Xuzhe stood up angrily, pointing at him with barely contained rage.
Secretary Lin quickly stepped in front of Lu Runxu: "Mr. Zhou, don't be angry. No one said you were a mistress. You just took it personally."
Zhou Xuzhe clenched his fists tightly, his face as ugly as if he had eaten shit: "If you weren't somewhat good-looking, do you think Xing Bei would even look at you? Once she gets tired of you, you'll still be dumped."
Lu Runxu's expression remained unchanged, a hint of sarcasm playing on his lips: "We'll talk about the future later. At least for now, she likes me, and you don't even have the right to compete with me for her."
"You..." Zhou Xuzhe was so angry he couldn't speak.
Lu Runxu glanced at the sunflower in his arms and felt uncomfortable: "Mr. Zhou, I warned you before not to covet my wife. Since Mr. Zhou is so free, why don't I find you something to do?"
Zhou Xuzhe instantly understood the meaning behind his words and chuckled: "Lu Runxu, all you know is this kind of despicable trick. If you're so capable, compete with me fairly."
Lu Runxu seemed to have heard something amusing, his thin lips curving into a cold smile, his eyes filled with undisguised disdain, "You're already out of the game, you're not qualified to compare yourself to me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Runxu walked right past him. Secretary Lin was thoroughly enjoying the show; the other party's fighting strength was simply too weak to withstand.
Secretary Lin followed behind President Lu and, when she reached Zhou Xuzhe's side, said with a smile, "Mr. Zhou, your [illegible] farm has been activated."
Zhou Xuzhe looked at him with a puzzled expression: "I don't play [illegible] games."
Seeing that he didn't understand the joke, Secretary Lin tried her best to suppress a laugh: "That's a bit of a pity. I wish Mr. Zhou a happy life."
Zhou Xuzhe watched their retreating figures and muttered to himself, "Secretaries these days are all so unpredictable."
Han Jun rushed over as soon as he received the news. He grabbed Zhou Xuzhe's arm and said, "Young Master, can you please be quiet for a few days? Have you forgotten everything I told you a few days ago?"
Zhou Xuzhe impatiently shook him off: "I didn't do anything."
"Thank goodness you didn't do anything." Han Jun rolled his eyes at him speechlessly. "If you had really done something, you wouldn't be standing here right now."
He'd been busy with company matters these past few days and hadn't had time to deal with Zhou Xuze. He hadn't expected the kid to be hanging around at the company every day. When he heard from the secretary that Lu Runxu was there today, he was really afraid the two of them would get into a fight.
If a fight breaks out, it will be really difficult for him to step in and resolve the situation. On one side is his good brother, and on the other side is his business. It's a real dilemma.
Among the many vehicles, Han Jun immediately noticed the Maybach parked not far away. Its unapproachable aura was just like its owner's. He looked at Zhou Xuzhe helplessly and said, "Tell me, what are you up to this time?"
Zhou Xuzhe's gaze darkened slightly, revealing an indescribable sense of loss: "I didn't intend to do anything, I just felt I owed Xing Bei an apology and wanted to talk to her to clear things up, but she always avoids me."
Han Jun thought to himself: You're always hanging around her company, no wonder she avoids you.
He patted Zhou Xuze on the shoulder: "Letting go is a good thing."
Have you let go?
Zhou Xuzhe thought that he did not feel that he had completely let go, and he was still somewhat unwilling.
Perhaps he really likes Xing Bei now, or perhaps it's because someone has been nagging him for the past seven years. The once lively world has returned to calm, and he's still not used to it. In any case, there's no going back now.
Just as Han Jun said, Xing Bei had been with him for seven years, and he hadn't fulfilled his responsibilities during that time. He owed Xing Bei an apology, even though she was unwilling to accept it.
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