Chapter 37
"She said wearing a small umbrella was uncomfortable; she preferred the feeling of skin against skin."
"Ha! There are all sorts of birds in a big forest. It seems everyone's saying those things about her behind her back isn't wrong. Did her boyfriend break up with her?"
Yingjie sighed: "That's why I'm getting old, I don't understand what young people do these days. There was no breakup or drama, and her boyfriend even picked her up from get off work yesterday. Xiaoyu said that Yueyue's boyfriend told her that they were just dating and not getting married, and that she could sleep with him for free without quarantine, what more could she ask for?"
Xiaoming saw many jokes online and felt that she was someone who had experienced many ups and downs, but seeing the strange ideas of her colleagues, she couldn't help but feel like Yingjie, that she was out of touch with the times.
"So, is sex between men and women really that important? They can't even talk about feelings anymore, it's just about sleeping together? Aren't they afraid of spreading infectious diseases?"
Sister Ying, speaking with the air of someone who'd been there, said, "I think it's very important. If you don't elevate the issue to a higher level, it boils down to this: it's all about sex. You know, if couples are harmonious in that area, most other conflicts can be resolved. But relationships between people are basically about trivial matters, so couples who are harmonious in that area can generally have a long and loving relationship. As for getting sick, who cares? I don't know either."
Xiao Ming disagreed: "It's not always like that. I saw something online a few days ago about a firefighter who got married to a petite elementary school teacher through a blind date. Less than a year into their marriage, the woman wanted a divorce. She said that the man was training every day and was taking out all his energy on her. She had endured it for a year, but she couldn't take it anymore. She said that getting married had drained her of her yang energy, and she was pale and had dark circles under her eyes that never went away."
Sister Ying slapped her thigh, exasperated: "This girl doesn't appreciate her good fortune. It's true what they say, some are dying of thirst while others are drowning in floods. God is so unfair!"
Xiao Ming, looking confused, said, "Sis, she's being drained dry, don't you think it's terrible?"
"It's not bad. If I had a husband like that, I could treat him like royalty." Sister Ying looked Xiaoming up and down: "Ming, tell me honestly, is your son something you made up?"
"ah?"
"Don't play dumb. Women's body shapes differ depending on whether they have given birth. You don't look like you've ever had a child."
Xiao Ming chuckled dryly, unsure how this whole thing had suddenly gotten to him, and could only remain silent. Yingjie was a nice person, and he was good to her, so he couldn't bring himself to deny it.
Yingjie snorted: "It doesn't stop me from knowing even if you don't say it. Also, if you find a man who can drain you dry, treat him well. He's a rare find, so cherish your good fortune."
Xiao Ming nodded guiltily.
As a result, the company's gossip didn't stop that day. In the afternoon, there were rumors that Yueyue's next pregnancy was Xiao Zheng's.
The gossip all day has made everyone in the company feel gloomy and no one is in the mood to work.
Xiaoming said to Sister Ying, "It's not surprising that it's Xiao Zheng's. Yueyue has been eyeing Xiao Zheng for a long time; the whole company knows it. It's just that Yueyue is of average appearance. Doesn't Xiao Zheng care?"
"If someone's offering themselves up, why not take advantage of them? What does it matter if they're ordinary, as long as they're not ugly? Don't you know what kind of person Xiao Zheng is?"
That's true.
After dinner, Xiaoming and Jiang Lan talked about company gossip. Jiang Lan listened with great interest, but also with a bit of regret: "When I was a junior employee, I could occasionally hear some gossip, but now I don't hear any anymore. Everyone avoids talking about management when they talk about these things."
"I thought male employees weren't interested in gossip at all."
"It's the same; sometimes men are even more gossipy than women."
Xiao Ming laughed heartily upon hearing this, and just as the two were chatting and laughing, Xiao Ming's phone rang.
"Wenhui, what do you want?"
"I'm getting married next month, can you come? I've sent you the e-invitation."
Xiao Ming turned on speakerphone, opened the green chat window, and looked at the contents of the invitation: "Yes."
"That's wonderful!" Wenhui exclaimed excitedly, then asked, "Can I be a bridesmaid?"
"Hey! You're going to keep pushing things step by step, huh? No way." Xiaoming refused.
"I knew it. Never mind, it's good that you can come. I've booked a hotel here. Give me your ID number and I'll book your tickets."
"No need, and you don't need to pay for the hotel; I'll book it myself. You don't need to worry about it." Xiaoming paused, then turned to Jiang Lan, who was listening to her, and asked, "Are you coming with me?"
Jiang Lan nodded.
"Wenhui, my boyfriend and I will go together then."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a groundhog-like squeal came from the other end of the microphone: "You have a boyfriend?! You little rascal, Xiaoming, you were so tight-lipped, only telling me now!"
Xiao Ming moved his phone away from the distance: "It's not too late to say it now."
"Okay, then let me know when you've finalized your plans, and I'll come pick you up."
"good."
Seeing Xiaoming hang up the phone, Jiang Lan hugged her and sighed, "Is there some special custom this year? Why is everyone rushing to get married this year? We're getting married in a few months too."
"It was quite a coincidence."
After the lights were turned off at night, Xiaoming was just getting sleepy when Jiang Lan started to get restless again.
Grasping the large hand that was playing tricks on his chest tightly, Xiao Ming gritted his teeth and said, "Aren't you afraid that an iron rod will eventually be ground into a needle?"
Jiang Lan suppressed a laugh: "I'm not afraid, I'm afraid the iron pestle will rust."
Xiao Ming, at such a young age, is already showing signs of becoming a health enthusiast. He's only been eating meat for a short time, yet he's already starting to emphasize abstinence.
She read online that someone said, "Give your partner a hard time, drain them dry, and make them afraid! They'll be more restrained afterward." She wholeheartedly agreed, thinking, "Why not today? Let him experience the pain of being completely drained!"
Without further ado, Xiaoming turned on the lamp, sat up, gulped down a full cup of water in the thermos by the bedside, opened a drawer, took out a bottle of essential oil, knelt down beside Jiang Lan, quickly pulled off Jiang Lan's underwear, pumped out a handful of essential oil, and rubbed it on his waist and abdomen.
Jiang Lan was stunned by her smooth and efficient process. Before she could react, she was hit where it hurt and let out a low "Hiss!" She couldn't help but prop herself up on her elbows to watch Xiao Ming fiddling with her.
Xiaoming is the kind of person who, if he does something, he does it to the extreme, and this applies to this matter as well. He has a ruthless streak of going to any lengths to achieve his goals.
He drew upon the resources stored in his mind and used every trick in the book to deal with men on Jiang Lan.
Sure enough, before long, with his underwear still on, Jiang Lan finished the first round. Xiao Ming carefully wiped his hands clean with a wet wipe, feeling quite smug.
Seeing the naked man lying there, Xiaoming decided to press her advantage. After cleaning Jiang Lan with a wet wipe, she began to attack the two bright red spots on his chest.
Xiao Ming's actions tonight gave Jiang Lan immense psychological satisfaction. With her hands hanging down and covering her eyes, she was still savoring the afterglow when she was unexpectedly bitten lightly on her sensitive spot on her chest. The tingling sensation, both painful and itchy, shot straight to the top of her head, and Jiang Lan felt as if her hair was standing on end.
She immediately pressed her hands firmly down the unruly head, and said with a mix of laughter and tears, "Is this how you use a husband?"
Xiao Ming remained silent, but reached down and grabbed the other spot where the battle had ended.
Jiang Lan's veins bulged as she gritted her teeth and threatened the person who was still causing trouble on her body: "Ming'er, I advise you to be kind... Leave some room for maneuver, so you can meet again in the future!"
Xiao Ming remained silent, focusing solely on using his hands and mouth to conquer territory.
The alarm clock rang countless times in the morning before the two people, who were sleeping on the messy bed like two spoons pressed together, finally turned over. Xiaoming, who struggled for a while before finally opening his eyes, suppressed the thought of asking for leave that had been churning in his mind countless times. He gritted his teeth, threw off the blanket, got out of bed, and after steadying himself on the ground, dragged his sore legs to the bathroom.
Looking at his lifeless face in the mirror, which seemed to have been drained of its vitality by a demon, Xiao Ming let out a cold laugh. However, the laugh was weak and powerless, sounding more like a bluff.
After taking a shower, Xiaoming grimaced as he applied medicine inside and out. Jiang Lan was still asleep in the bedroom. Xiaoming checked the time and hurriedly rushed off to work.
After the meeting ended, Xiaoming went to the restroom and took out his phone to watch the video that Jiang Lan had just sent.
When you open the video, you see Jiang Lan holding a bottle in her hand. The transparent bottle was full of liquid last night, but now only the bottom of the bottle remains.
The camera then pans to the bed, where he removes the thin blanket from the sheets, revealing the sheets covered with maps drawn on them the night before. The maps are scattered all over the bed.
The camera shakiened for a moment, and Jiang Lan picked up two more pillows from the floor. He traced the marks on the pillows with what appeared to be some kind of liquid that had been soaked and dried, as well as the blankets that she had refused to cover herself with last night because she thought they were dirty, and then kicked to the foot of the bed and piled on the floor.
Finally, there were two sets of pajamas, one here and one there, all crumpled and wrinkled.
At the end of the video, Jiang Lan asked her in a hoarse voice, "Do you still want these things?"
Xiao Ming was afraid he might throw it away if they disagreed, so he quickly replied, "Yes! Don't throw it away! What will people think if they see these stains or pick it up? It can still be used after washing."
Jiang Lan replied instantly: "I'm too tired to wash, I don't want to. Call a cleaning lady."
Xiao Ming replied, "I'll wash it! I'll wash it after I get off work."
Jiang Lan didn't arrive at the company until the afternoon.
The newly hired employees have settled in and gotten into the swing of things. Now, his main focus is on guiding the project direction. With the promotion of many middle managers, he no longer needs to be involved in everything personally. Liu Zhen's promise not to work overtime has indeed been kept.
While busy with his work, Liu Zhen entered the office and locked the door behind him.
Jiang Lan saw his serious expression as he sat silently in the chair opposite her desk and understood immediately.
"Can't hold on any longer?"
Liu Zhen rubbed his face and sighed, "What do you think?"
“We won’t go public. It mainly depends on you. If you decide to go public, I will support you, but I will step down from management and become a pure shareholder.” Jiang Lan leaned back in her chair and spread her hands. “However, let me make this clear from the outset: if you decide to go public, my investment focus will likely change, since my investments extend beyond this.”
"But the company really needs this opportunity. If we get through it, our market share will rise to a new level."
"You don't need to convince me; I won't interfere with your decision."
Watching Liu Zhen leave the office, Jiang Lan put down her pen, stood up, and looked out at the industrial park through the floor-to-ceiling window.
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