Chapter 77: Liberated Father Ling
As it turned out, Ling Shen's move to put turtle protective gear on Su Nian was indeed a wise move.
At this moment, Su Nian was lying on Ling Shen's legs, her peach-colored skin was faintly flushed, like peach blossoms blooming on the branches in spring.
Because of the cushioning of the protective gear, there were no purple bruises, only a lovely blush.
Su Nian lay on Ling Shen's legs, feeling the cool touch from behind. She buried her face in the pillow in embarrassment and urged him in a muffled voice, "Are you done yet? Hurry up."
Ling Shen deliberately slowed down the movement of applying the medicine on his hands. His fingertips were dipped in the cool ointment and he gently made circles on Su Nian's skin, lingering on one spot.
The delicate touch was like a feather brushing gently, and a tingling sensation spread along the spine, making Su Nian's heart wander and the tips of his ears feel hot.
Ling Shen's voice was low and gentle, and his slender fingers gently helped Su Nian pull up his pants. This simple sentence made Su Nian feel as if she had been pardoned, and her tense body instantly relaxed.
However, Su Nian lay between Ling Shen's legs for a long time without getting up. Ling Shen lowered his head and caught a glimpse of Su Nian's red ears, a sly smile curling up at the corner of his mouth.
He reached out and gently flicked the red earlobe, and as expected, he heard Su Nian moan softly.
"Hmm——" Su Nian's voice was filled with a tremor that she hadn't been able to stop in time, like a teased kitten, soft and sticky, with a bit of indescribable cuteness.
Ling Shen reached out his hand and ruffled Su Nian's hair, his tone somewhat doting, "Why, Mr. Su, do you want to stay with me for a while longer?"
These words were like a small feather, gently scratching the tip of Su Nian's heart. He suddenly raised his head, his cheeks red as ripe apples. He avoided Ling Shen's gaze in panic and stammered, "No, no, I'm just... I'm just a little tired."
Ling Shen raised his eyebrows, but did not expose his little lie. He just helped him up.
After Su Nian stood firm, he subconsciously shrank back, as if he was still savoring the cool and slightly itchy feeling when he applied the medicine just now.
He secretly glanced at Ling Shen and saw that he was lowering his head to pack up the medicine bottles. His long eyelashes cast a light shadow under his eyelids, and he looked quite handsome.
"What are you looking at?" Ling Shen suddenly raised his head and met Su Nian's gaze. Su Nian did not flinch, but stepped forward and put her arms around Ling Shen's neck. "What's wrong? You can't even look at me. I already own you."
Ling Shen smiled and picked her up, "Okay, of course." He lowered his head and bit Su Nian's earlobe, his voice hoarse and seductive, "Come on, let's get on the bed and let you see it carefully."
The firewood in the fireplace was crackling, and the sparks leaped into the air and went out in an instant, making the snowflakes falling outside the window flicker.
The sound of church bells in the distance mixed with the sound of the wind, weaving a gentle net in the warm room, wrapping the two people hugging each other in the romance unique to winter nights.
"Crackling"
Red firecrackers exploded on the bluestone streets, and tiny pieces of paper flew in the air like red plum blossoms in early spring.
Ling Shen gently placed his palm on Su Nian's ear to block out the sound of the firecrackers.
The two stood under the bookstore's brand new eaves. The newly painted sandalwood exuded a warm scent, and the copper bells hanging from the eaves made clear sounds in the wind, forming a wonderful rhythm with the sound of firecrackers.
During the time they were away, the bookstore was finally redecorated, and the original second floor was divided into a space where they could rest and relax.
After the first floor was connected with the door next door, the whole space suddenly became bright. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows brought the warm sunlight into the room. Retro-style wall lamps were hung on the off-white walls, like stars scattered in the night sky.
Near the bar, there are three rattan round tables with goose yellow cushioned chairs. The tabletops are also embedded with small brass candlesticks, adding a touch of literary and artistic atmosphere.
Next to each bookshelf extends a long wooden reading table, with tilted bookends and hidden sockets specially designed on the table to facilitate readers to read for a long time and charge.
The whole wall of natural wood-colored bookshelves is like a forest of knowledge, with books stacked neatly arranged in layers, ranging from replicas of pre-Qin bamboo slips to the latest published foreign works, from ancient rare books with gold-stamped covers to beautifully bound illustrated picture books.
The scent of ink mixed with the unique spicy aroma of sandalwood circulates in the air. Whenever someone pushes the door open, the wooden floor under their feet makes a slight creaking sound, as if reminding the visitor to slow down and immerse themselves in this quiet sea of books.
The ding-dong sound of glass doors opening and closing echoed one after another, and the bookstore was filled with the aroma of ink and coffee.
Li Li was wearing a beige apron with the bookstore's logo printed on it and a lavender hairpin in her hair. She was standing on tiptoe to place the newly arrived poetry collection on the recommendation shelf.
Hearing the door open, she immediately turned around with her signature smile, the clips in her hair swaying gently as she moved. "Hello, the mystery section is in the third row on the left. Do you need help finding a book?"
Su Nian and Ling Shen did not disturb her, but left some special products that they brought back for Li Li. Before leaving, Su Nian drew a small flower on a note and wrote "To the best store manager".
They also had to pick up Shuangshuang and Zhazha, because while they were out, the cat and the dog were sent to Ling's father and mother.
I remembered the video of Zhazha lazily lying in a rattan chair basking in the sun, and Suisui running around chasing butterflies. I wonder if these two little guys, who were spoiled by their grandparents, can still recognize them after being away for so long.
Father Ling sat on the leather chair in the office, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the cold armrests. When he learned that Ling Shen and Su Nian had returned, his shoulders, which had been tense for more than a month, suddenly slumped, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and he breathed a long sigh of relief.
His tone was filled with fatigue that had been suppressed for a long time. God knows how tormented he had been during this period of time. He was simply in dire straits.
He originally thought that he could do whatever he wanted when his son was away, but he never expected that Song Ze, the assistant arranged by his son before leaving, would become his "nightmare".
Song Ze was like an omnipresent ghost behind the scenes. No matter where Ling's father went, whether he was in the office wanting to approve an illegal document, or in the tea room wanting to secretly make a private long-distance call, or even in the parking lot planning to leave work early, Song Ze would always appear on time the next second.
He always had a gentle smile on his face, but his tone was unquestionable. He gently reminded again and again: "Boss Ling, this document does not comply with the company's latest financial regulations and cannot be approved."
"Boss Ling, making personal long-distance calls during work hours will affect office efficiency and is not appropriate."
"Boss Ling, there's an important department coordination meeting today. If you leave early, it will delay progress."
Every time he was stopped, Ling's father felt as if there was a ball of cotton stuck in his chest, making him feel suffocated and uncomfortable.
He has lived for most of his life and is considered a veteran in the company. When has he ever been subjected to such "discipline"?
But he just couldn't find any fault with Song Ze, because every time Song Ze reminded him of something, when he thought about it carefully, it was indeed not in line with the company's regulations and should not be done.
This feeling of being unhappy even though he knew the other party was not wrong made Father Ling even more depressed. He felt that this month was more difficult than the past year.
Now, Ling Shen is finally back. Ling's father felt like he saw a savior, and the stone in his heart fell to the ground instantly.
He no longer wanted to endure this kind of life of being "surveilled" everywhere, so whoever wanted to take charge of his son's shift could do it!
He packed up his calligraphy and painting tools and a treasured Go set on his desk, and walked out of the office without looking back. He had only one thought in his mind: go home and tinker with his calligraphy and painting, find a Go friend to play a few games, and enjoy his own leisure time.
Watching Father Ling's back as he hurriedly left the company, Song Ze, who had been on edge, finally breathed a sigh of relief. The corners of his tense mouth couldn't help but curl up, and then he actually laughed out loud.
He took out his phone and quickly dialed Ling Shen's number, his tone filled with unconcealed joy: "Boss Ling, you're back! Boss Ling has left the company, and now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Don't forget the double year-end bonus you promised me!"
Ling Shen's hearty laughter came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of teasing: "Don't worry, I will definitely promise you a lot. You have worked hard this month, so take a good rest for a few days."
After receiving a clear reply, Song Ze's mood became even better. He hummed a little tune, which was rare for him, and walked towards the elevator with brisk steps.
His mood was as bright as the sky after rain. Song Ze's carefree look happened to be seen by the receptionists downstairs, and they were all stunned.
During this month, these "little invisibles" have seen the hustle and bustle in the office firsthand.
Every day, Song Zhu can be seen following behind Mr. Ling. Mr. Ling's expression is also unpredictable. Sometimes it turns red, as if he is trying hard to suppress his anger; sometimes it turns ashen, obviously he is very angry; occasionally his face turns pale, probably because Song Zhu has blocked his eyes and he can't speak.
The sisters at the front desk talked a lot in private, wondering when Mr. Ling would lose control and start arguing with Song Zhu.
But no one expected that Mr. Ling would end his days of control by "escaping" in the end, while Song Zhu, who was always strict, looked so happy. The contrast was really interesting.
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