Chapter 18: I'll help you pick it.
Just as Xu Si'an had expected, the HR director sent a message ten minutes later, saying that they had received Qiao Xu's resignation application.
Xu Si'an lit a cigarette, took a puff, and tilted his head back to exhale the smoke.
"Qiao Xu, I won't let go this time."
"If you want to play, I'll play with you."
Because of the overseas joint venture projects, several managers and the president's office secretary often work overtime until late at night.
Los Angeles has a time difference, so meetings can only be held late at night.
For a whole week, I didn't get off work until 12:30 a.m.
However, Xu Si'an is a very competent boss. The working hours of their president's office have been adjusted from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
That night at 10 p.m., while waiting for the overseas company's video call, Song Jia ordered coffee and a late-night snack for everyone.
Qiao Xu hasn't been sleeping well lately, often waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares, and her appetite has also decreased significantly.
I didn't have much of an appetite when I saw the late-night snacks, so I just grabbed a cup of iced coffee to perk myself up.
She and Song Jia were both president's assistants, and their seats in the meeting were on either side of Xu Si'an.
Eating is not allowed in the meeting room, but there are many details to discuss for overseas projects.
This rule was broken to avoid wasting time.
Ye Yurou pushed a plate of creamy lobster pasta in front of Qiao Xu: "Xu Xu, this is what you like."
Qiao Xu waved her hand: "I'm not eating anymore. My cough has just healed, and I don't want to eat anything so greasy."
"Then I'll eat it?"
Qiao Xu smiled and nodded, continuing to look at the documents needed for the meeting.
Xu Si'an pushed open the door and entered, and everyone stopped eating: "President Xu."
"Keep eating, don't worry about me."
Qiao Xu greeted him politely, "President Xu."
The man gave a soft "hmm": "Not eating?"
I'm not hungry.
Qiao Xu picked up her iced coffee, took a couple of sips, and as soon as she put it down, someone next to her took it and replaced it with a hot one.
Xu Si'an drank the iced coffee expressionlessly.
Of those present, only a few people from the president's office noticed that Ye Yurou and Fang Kexin's eyes were so wide that their contact lenses almost fell out.
Qiao Xu said softly, "This is my coffee."
Xu Si'an flipped to the page of the contract beside him: "I'll switch with you."
Qiao Xu: ·····
What could she do? He had already drunk it, could she possibly take it back?
Qiao Xu angrily picked up her hot coffee, took a sip, and looked disgusted.
It tastes awful.
She hates hot Americano.
With five minutes left in the conference call, the late-night snack in the meeting room had already been cleaned up.
With Song Jia in charge, he took over the reporting duties, Qiao Xu took notes on the meeting content, and Fang Kexin and Ye Yurou took notes on the documents that needed to be faxed overseas.
The meeting lasted a little longer than expected, not ending until 2 p.m.
Qiao Xu had been staring at the computer for a long time, and her contact lenses had dried out, causing her eyes to become a little red.
As the meeting ended, she raised her hand to rub her eyes, but someone quietly pressed it down on her arm.
"Thank you for your hard work. Tomorrow night is the last meeting. Everyone will return to work at 6 p.m.
"Song Jia, please coordinate with the HR department to update everyone's attendance records. Overtime pay will be calculated at three times the normal rate."
The fatigue and resentment from working overtime were cured by the power of money: "Thank you, Mr. Xu."
As Ye Yurou finished packing her things and was about to ask Qiao Xu if she wanted to take her home, she saw their hands clasped tightly together under the table.
"Xuxu, we're leaving now."
Qiao Xu kept struggling, but she couldn't break free.
"Okay, drive slowly and be careful."
Soon, only Xu Si'an, Qiao Xu, and Song Jia remained in the conference room.
"Let go." She spoke in a nasal tone, afraid that Song Jia, who was looking down at the computer, would notice.
Xu Si'an loosened his tie and tugged at her hand, causing Qiao Xu and her chair to slide towards him.
"Your eyes are all red. When are you going to stop wearing those lousy colored contact lenses?"
Qiao Xu has mild myopia and astigmatism. She doesn't like wearing glasses and only likes wearing colored contact lenses, which must be patterned.
"Mr. Xu, this is my private matter."
Xu Si'an ignored him: "Come to my office, I'll take it off for you."
"No need, I'll pick it myself."
Xu Si'an lowered his head and leaned closer to him, blowing a light breath on her eyes with his thin lips.
Qiao Xu subconsciously closed her eyes.
"Mr. Xu, you—"
"Feel sorry!"
When Song Jia looked up, she saw the two of them looking like they were about to kiss. She grabbed her laptop and hurriedly fled the meeting room.
Qiao Xu opened her eyes and saw Assistant Song's back.
She kicked Xu Si'an and slid her chair back to her seat: "When will my resignation be approved?"
Xu Si'an released his hand, pinched the bridge of his nose, and chuckled: "Wait until the personnel department recruits someone."
"Assistant Qiao wouldn't be unable to wait even a month, would he?"
Qiao Xu turned off her computer and stood up: "You said it, a month."
"I didn't say when to recruit a suitable person or when to leave after the handover of work."
As Qiao Xu was about to leave, she glanced at the man in the main seat with his eyes closed; the dark circles under his eyes were quite noticeable.
Xu Si'an is the CEO, so they can come to work in the afternoon.
But after the meeting, he sometimes has to make phone calls to overseas parties, and no one knows what time he leaves. He also has to come back every morning for a morning meeting.
They might not have left the company.
"Aren't you going home from get off work?"
Xu Si'an opened his eyes and smiled: "Concerned about me?"
Qiao Xu felt like her brain must have suddenly gone mad: "I wasn't talking to you."
"Is that what you're talking to a ghost?"
Qiao Xu turned to leave, but as she passed the president's office, someone grabbed her waist and pulled her inside.
Song Jia, who had just come out of the assistant's office to find Xu Si'an, hurriedly withdrew her legs.
What are you doing?
Xu Si'an pinned her against the door: "Let me take your glasses off."
Qiao Xu pushed him away: "There's no need for that. Your fingers are bigger than my eyeballs."
Should we remove her contact lenses or remove her eyeballs?
Qiao Xu suspected that he was deliberately seeking revenge.
Xu Si'an lowered his voice: "Only your hands are big, huh?"
The deep voice and ambiguous eyes made Qiao Xu's heart race suddenly, and memories of her and him from four years ago flooded her mind.
A man's low chuckle sounded in her ear: "Assistant Qiao, what are you thinking about? Your face is so red."
"Get up right now. Don't think I won't do anything just because you're my boss."
"So? What do you want?"
When Qiao Xu turned around to turn the doorknob, it felt like she was being held in his arms.
He used to love hugging her from behind, anytime.
Even on the night before they broke up, he held her like this.
A warm, large hand pressed down on her hand that was resting on the doorknob: "You were thinking about me just now."
He was certain, and he was absolutely certain, that her mind was not clean.
"I miss your grandpa."
Damn it, he looks so dirty, just looking at him makes her brain feel dirty too.
"Xu Si'an, let go."
Qiao Xu's eyes were a little dry and stinging, and her hands were held in his arms.
"Qiaoqiao, you must have been thinking about me just now, thinking about how we did things together."
Qiao Xu, whose secret was exposed, got a little angry and slammed her high heels into his leather shoes.
"You're so shameless. We broke up four years ago. Even if I were to think about it, it would be about me and someone else."
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