Chapter 38 Then what kind of man is he?
Song Mingli paused, clearly realizing that something was wrong with the current situation.
“Xiaoxue…” He pulled out a few wet wipes to wipe his hands and reached out to touch her.
The table wasn't high off the ground. Ying Shixue dodged his hand, jumped lightly down, and landed on the ground.
He was still clutching that coat, the black and white clashing, and from the side, a small patch of skin under his neck looked particularly smooth in the light.
Ying Shixue looked down at the cleaned-up floor and said, "It seems there are no more fragments."
“Hmm,” Song Mingli said calmly, “The big ones are gone, but the small fragments are the most dangerous. Getting them stuck in the skin is no small matter. Tomorrow, I’ll have Uncle Liang find a cleaning lady to thoroughly clean this place with a vacuum cleaner.”
Ying Shixue paused for a moment, not replying. The light scattered across her drooping eyelashes, revealing countless shimmering fragments. Her voice was low and emotionless: "They all know."
“I’ll have Tang Ronghan discuss it beforehand,” Song Mingli said casually. “No one will dare to say a word in front of you.”
"They're still in a meeting."
"We'll continue tomorrow."
He walked up to Ying Shixue and opened his arms to her: "Your slippers have thin soles, don't walk, I'll carry you over."
Actually, when he said those words, he didn't expect Ying Shixue to agree. He had just exposed their relationship. How would Xiaoxue face him when she returned to that office tonight...?
Perhaps Ying Shixue would get angry with him and send him far away, making him too ashamed to go to the company. But hiding doesn't seem to be Xiaoxue's usual style.
Song Mingli was distracted, wondering if he should move Xiaoxue to his office if there was too much gossip in the office... He had long been fed up with the men and women who were always surrounding Xiaoxue.
However, to his surprise, Ying Shixue remained standing there, silent.
A bold and boundless, yet potentially genuine, guess rose uncontrollably in his heart. Song Mingli tentatively reached across his back with one hand, and after making contact, he bent down and supported his knees with the other hand. With a forceful lift, he swept the man up in his arms.
Ying Shixue's eyelashes trembled, and after a moment she leaned against him almost dependently, her arms wrapped around his strong neck.
Is he trying to accept me?
The encouraging effect of this gesture was unparalleled; Song Mingli's fingertips even trembled slightly with excitement.
In his heart, Song Mingli slowly controlled the frequency of his breathing. In his heart, was there also a little bit of the same burning feeling that I had for him?
Ying Shixue simply closed her eyes quietly, looking somewhat tired.
Song Mingli lifted him up a bit, so that he could lean against him in a more comfortable position, and then went back to his room in high spirits.
The bedroom only had one bed, and although it was all in a minimalist style, Ying Shixue's room was filled with plush toys, which he had half-given and half-forced in, and the colors were also on the lighter side.
But the room was dark, and he was worried that Xiaoxue might not be used to the new bed. But she just changed her pajamas and actually slept in his bed.
That night, Song Mingli was unusually energetic, almost as restless as a young boy holding the hand of his sweetheart for the first time. In the quiet of the night, he propped himself up on his elbows, his eyelids drooping, and looked at Ying Shixue's peaceful sleeping face.
How can anyone in the world be so good-looking?
Song Mingli was lost in thought, every part of her, from her eyes to her mouth, was so beautiful it was breathtaking.
They had never slept together like this since they were children. He enjoyed this intoxicating night and finally fell asleep as dawn was breaking.
-
At 6:55 a.m. sharp, the alarm clock rang. Ying Shixue reflexively reached out to turn it off, but another hand beat him to it and turned off the alarm clock first.
Song Mingli looked radiant, showing no signs of having only slept for three hours the night before. He even had the leisure to help Ying Shixue choose whether a patterned tie or a striped tie would look better with her suit today.
Ying Shixue leaned against the headboard, still feeling groggy from early morning low blood sugar.
This is why he sets his alarm five minutes earlier, to give his body enough time to adjust.
Song Mingli found his appearance adorable and thought to himself that it was no wonder so many ancient emperors loved beauties more than their kingdoms. If he had to see this every morning, he would rather sleep with him until the afternoon every day.
But no, as a new-era all-around 24k excellent... reserve officer, if he doesn't earn money to support his family, and if he can let Xiaoxue sweep through the major luxury shopping malls in Fancheng two or three times a month, and buy whatever she wants at auctions, what kind of man can he be?
Although Ying Shixue actually has very low desires for material things, she rarely goes to physical stores after her clothes are specially matched and delivered each season. She doesn't care whether the belts and cufflinks she picks up casually in her closet are cheap street vendor items costing 50 yuan for three pieces or genuine understated luxury brands.
After tidying himself up in the washroom, Song Mingli came out with a toothbrush cup and a toothbrush with toothpaste squeezed on it. He thought to himself, "Why don't I brush Xiaoxue's teeth and touch her little face and hold her little hand?" But when he came out, Ying Shixue had already changed her clothes.
Wearing a white shirt and black trousers, Ying Xue was looking down at her cuffs, fastening her wristbands. Her figure was slender and graceful in the morning light. She didn't look up when she saw him coming. Only after she had finished tidying herself up did she look at him.
Song Mingli raised an eyebrow. Ying Shixue had already taken the toothbrush and cup from his hand: "Thank you," she said, and turned to walk towards the washroom.
Throughout the entire process, they maintained a polite distance, as if the vulnerable revelation and tender affection from the previous night were nothing but an illusion.
As Song Mingli watched the direction he left in, his heart suddenly sank for some reason.
He carefully recalled everything that had happened in the past week or even half a month. Could it be that Xiaoxue doesn't like me?
Impossible. He rejected the idea as soon as it came to mind.
If she didn't like him, how could she let him kiss and hug her like that, and lean against him with her arms around his neck? All the rumors about brothers fighting are nonsense. He knows Xiaoxue better than anyone.
Song Mingli fastened his tie, knowing that now was not a good time to pry. Fortunately, Ying Shixue did not refuse to ride in the same car with him when she finished breakfast and went to the company.
When it was time to get out of the car, Ying Shixue sat in the car for a while. Song Mingli teasingly opened the car door on his side, leaned his upper body against hers lightly, and rested his elbows on the back of the seat: "What, do they all know now? Are you shy now?"
Ying Shixue didn't say anything. In the dim light of the underground parking lot, her dark hair was hidden in her collar, and her face was particularly pale. She turned her head and looked at him with a look that was hard to decipher.
In the end, she simply pushed him away gently, got out of the car, and walked towards the elevator.
Even with indulgence, the feeling of being kept in the dark is still very unpleasant. Song Mingli followed him into the elevator with a somewhat cold expression, while Ying Shixue went into the office before him.
It was not even eight o'clock yet, but the workstations were almost full of people. As soon as Ying Shixue opened the door, all eyes turned to him. When he looked back, they all looked away and pretended to be busy with their own work.
Ying Shixue turned on her computer, brought up today's work interface, and began processing.
After a while, he put down the mouse and sighed helplessly.
Even though he's not someone who cares about what others think, the constant prickling from everyone makes it impossible to ignore.
Seeing him stop, as if a silent compromise had been reached, they swarmed around his table. When it came time to speak, they wouldn't say anything, pushing and nudging each other, glancing back and forth, keeping quiet for a long time without saying anything further.
Ying Shixue turned his chair around: "My relationship with, and," he paused, "is not what you think."
The people surrounding him blinked, their meaning clear—what kind of relationship did they have?
“I,” Ying Shixue thought for a moment, then smiled, “I might have to leave.”
It was clearly a smile, yet it inexplicably made one feel uneasy.
"Leave?" Everyone stopped abruptly, before they could even figure out what the question meant, when suddenly a commotion arose in the corridor and the secretariat door was pushed open.
Surrounded by men in black suits who clearly did not belong to the SK Group, in the middle was an elderly man with graying hair but still vigorous. The door to the president's office was also open, and Song Mingli's face was obviously ugly.
Ying Shixue slowly exhaled and closed her eyes.
In no time at all, all the older, more experienced executives at SK arrived: "Uncle De, what brings you here?"
Tang Detai was a true figure who had followed the Song family in building their empire since his ancestors' generation. In his early years, he was a well-known figure in Fancheng. Even though he had retired to the old mansion in his later years, he was still someone who could not be underestimated. Even Song Mingli had to call him "Uncle".
At this moment, the old man smiled broadly and said, "President Song."
Song Mingli: "Uncle De, you flatter me. Just call me Mingli as before."
Tang Detai didn't follow up with the conversation: "I hope my uninvited visit hasn't bothered you?" After exchanging a few polite words, Tang Detai waved his hand, and someone immediately stepped forward, took out a well-bound document from his briefcase, and respectfully handed it over with both hands.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Tang Detai opened the document and turned to the page stamped with a red seal: "I'm here mainly to deliver the appointment letter for the CEO of the Group's Haizhou branch to the Second Young Master."
Second Young Master? Who?
Everyone asked the same question. Tang Detai suddenly turned to the side and beckoned to Ying Shixue: "Xiaoxue, come here."
Almost everyone on the top floor, along with the higher-ups who rushed over upon hearing the commotion, gathered in the corridor. As soon as the words were spoken, everyone was stunned. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Ying Shixue, impeccably dressed in a suit, with jet-black hair, and despite her slender figure, seemed to possess an irresistible power as she walked step by step to Tang Detai.
"Uncle De".
Tang Detai smiled and said, "The second young master is so grown up now." He took the appointment letter and was about to hand it to Ying Shixue.
Suddenly, a large, strong hand with distinct knuckles firmly grasped the hand that Tang Detai was handing over the documents.
Song Mingli's expression was icy, and his smile didn't reach his eyes: "Uncle De, you've got it wrong."
Turning to Ying Shixue, he said, "Go back to my office."
Under the artificial light overhead, Ying Shixue's face was almost bloodless.
Song Mingli was extremely handsome, and his imposing presence was already very strong. At this moment, he was even more terrifying.
The onlookers were then jolted back to their senses, realizing with horror that they had unwittingly become involved in a brutal power struggle within a wealthy family.
The initial romanticized fantasy has completely vanished. Judging from the current situation, everyone regrets being so gossipy and following along. They wish they could turn back time, slap themselves for joining in the fun, or find somewhere to escape this storm.
The more he thought about it, the more it dawned on him. All the inconsistencies became clear. No wonder President Song disliked Secretary Ying from the start—no, the second young master disliked him and made things difficult for him at every turn. After all, this was his brother, a rival for his position. But Secretary Ying...
Ying Shixue slowly, yet firmly and palely, shook her head and softly said, "I can't go back," as if stating an undeniable fact.
The moment he finished speaking, the veins on the back of Song Mingli's hand bulged as if they were about to burst, and his aura was so fierce and chilling that Tang Ronghan kept her head down the whole time, not daring to look in that direction, her legs trembling.
The silent confrontation was fraught with hidden tension. If there were an energy field at this moment, it would probably have already exploded. One was in the prime of his life, at the height of his power, while the other was still frail and had not yet grown up, somewhere between youth and adolescence. Yet, his profound and imposing aura was in no way inferior to Song Mingli's.
Tang Detai, who was at the center of the storm, patted Song Mingli's hand and said, "Young Master, this is the Master's intention."
He took the appointment letter with his other hand and was about to hand it to Ying Shixue. Deep wrinkles, inevitably revealed by his smile, were visible on his forehead and around his eyes.
"The appointment information has already been conveyed over there. Go back and pack your things today, and you can go tomorrow."
"I wish the Second Young Master a bright future and great success."
The document was only centimeters away from Ying Shixue's fingers when Song Mingli suddenly sneered, snatching the document from Tang Detai's hand in a flash. The tearing sound instantly shattered the silence.
The document, stamped with a red seal, was torn in half in an instant and then thrown into the sky with a whoosh.
Song Mingli's tone was as cold as iron: "I said, he's not going to Haizhou."
Amidst Tang Detai's astonished gaze and the gasps of those around him, he forcefully grabbed Ying Shixue's wrist and dragged her toward the office.
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