It had to be said—Yu Qingge’s soft body and fragrant scent made lying in her arms an exceptional kind of enjoyment. He Li was so relaxed he didn’t want to get up. He thought, so this is what people mean by “the land of gentleness.”
Click! Suddenly, the sound of a camera shutter snapped in his ear. He Li jerked awake from his dreamy state. Opening his eyes and looking up, he saw Yu Qingge holding her phone and snapping pictures of him, her face glowing with a sweet smile.
He Li sat up and leaned closer to glance at the photo she took. The picture included both of them. In it, Yu Qingge was hugging him gently, while he looked completely immersed in her embrace. Anyone else seeing this would most likely assume they were a loving couple, sweet and affectionate.
“What are you planning to do with that photo?” He Li asked, suspicious. “You’re not going to send it to my mom or something, are you?”
With all the twisted ideas in Yu Qingge’s mind, He Li had every reason to worry. A photo this intimate could easily be taken as proof of their relationship, and if it got into the hands of his mom or relatives, there’d be no way for him to explain himself.
Yu Qingge smiled slyly. “I did think about that… but I’m not planning to do it—at least for now!”
“Then what do you want it for?” He Li pressed.
Yu Qingge didn’t answer right away. Instead, she set the photo as her phone wallpaper, then cheerfully waved her phone at him and replied, “Actually, I really wish you could stay with me all the time.”
“But I know that’s impossible.”
“So, see? I set this photo as my wallpaper.”
“Even when you’re not around, I can still see you, and it feels like you’re right by my side!”
Her smile was radiant, almost blinding. He Li looked at her in a daze, feeling inexplicably uneasy. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
Yu Qingge didn’t seem to notice his reaction. She stretched out her fair little hand. “Give me your phone!”
“Huh? Why?” He Li asked instinctively.
“Just give it to me. You’ll see,” she pouted.
Looking at her expression and then her wallpaper, He Li seemed to understand something and nodded. “Make sure you take a good one!” he said, handing over his phone.
Yu Qingge giggled, then took a few selfies using He Li’s phone, flashing a V-sign at the camera. “I set it as your wallpaper too!”
“And I added myself on your WeChat as well.”
“If you miss me, you can look at the photo or call me.”
“Don’t worry about whether it’s a good time to call me or not.”
“Because as long as you need me, I’m always available~”
She handed the phone back, speaking with a soft voice. Listening to her, He Li felt both warm and helpless.
Beauty’s kindness is the hardest to resist—Yu Qingge really knew how to play it. If this continued, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold out. But there was no point feeling helpless now. His mom already misunderstood their relationship. Even if he explained, he’d still get pushed into blind dates. And realistically, this wasn’t something he could explain clearly anyway…
Forget it. Yu Qingge was actually quite nice.
Given the current situation… he might as well go with the flow.
He put his phone away and shook his head, then said, “If I really miss you, I’ll give you a call.”
He glanced out the window at the fading daylight. “You’ve been so good to me—shouldn’t I repay you a little?”
“Let me take you home, how about that?”
“Okay…” Yu Qingge responded instinctively, nodding with a smile. But then she quickly shook her head. “No, I should take you back instead. I have a car, and it’s only a few minutes anyway.”
“Let me take you. Why are you even arguing with me about this?”
“No way. If you drop me off, how are you going to get back?”
“Walk? After shopping so long with me, your legs must be sore. I don’t want you getting more tired!”
“It’s fine. I’ll just take the bus.”
“But… doesn’t the bus cost money?”
“I can drive you for free. Why are you refusing?”
…
“Wait a second,” He Li suddenly stared at her. “You don’t have some ulterior motive, do you?”
Yu Qingge’s eyes darted away, her expression flustered. “Of course not!”
“I just… I feel bad. You walked around so much with me and looked tired. That’s why I wanted to send you home.”
Her voice was stubborn, but her gaze was clearly dodging.
He Li saw through her immediately.
This woman was definitely trying to use the excuse of driving him home to find out where he lived, so she could make a move later. Her little schemes were spinning nonstop—she never let her guard down. If he relaxed even a bit, she’d catch him off guard.
Thinking that, and fully aware of her intentions, He Li stopped arguing and went straight to the driver’s seat.
“Sit down. I’ll take you home, no arguing.”
His tone was firm and brooked no refusal.
“I get it, okay!” Yu Qingge pouted. “But let me sit in the front and borrow your shoulder for a bit.”
Her plan to follow him home and stay there failed. But it didn’t matter—there was still time in the future. She’d eventually figure out where He Li lived and then catch him off guard with a surprise attack.
With that in mind, Yu Qingge settled into the passenger seat, leaned in, and happily rested against He Li’s shoulder. He Li turned and looked at her joyful face, smiled slightly, and started the car…
…
“Where did you run off to yesterday afternoon?”
The next morning, as soon as He Li arrived at the company, Wei Huo curiously leaned over to ask.
He also lowered his voice and reminded him, “You were nowhere to be seen all afternoon yesterday. The new chief planner has his eye on you.”
“He even said you need to report to his office.”
“You better be careful later.”
He Li was speechless. “I had something to do yesterday and went out with a higher-up.”
“I already cleared it with HR. If he had questions, he should’ve asked.”
“It’s not like a superior would personally go greet someone like him, right?”
“And now he’s got a problem with me over that?” He muttered.
Wei Huo grinned. “Oh? You went out with a higher-up? Aren’t you usually the type who avoids sucking up to bosses? You even dodge drinking with them at team events…” Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
“Wait!” He suddenly grew suspicious. “With your attitude toward superiors, which one would even take you along?”
“Something’s not right here!”
“Spill it. Which leader did you go with?”
He Li rolled his eyes. “What if I said it was with Director Yu? Would you believe me?”
“I believe your nonsense!” Wei Huo scoffed and sat down. “You’re full of it, always making things up!”
“Why would Director Yu need your company?”
As they talked, Wu Qian happened to pass by outside. Through the glass, he shot He Li a cold glare.
Wei Huo shook his head. “You better go explain things to him.”
“Otherwise, he’s definitely going to mess with you from now on.”
“Your happy-go-lucky days might be over.”
No more slacking? That wouldn’t do. He Li nodded. It wasn’t a big deal—just a misunderstanding. He figured it’d be fine if he explained, so he got up and headed to Wu Qian’s office.
Knock knock. He Li knocked on the door. Wu Qian looked up and motioned for him to come in.
“What were you doing yesterday afternoon?”
“You skipped work for half a day without even informing me.”
“I expect a proper explanation.”
His tone was cold and harsh. He Li was ready with an answer and was just about to speak when Wu Qian suddenly cut him off.
“This company isn’t a place where you come and go as you please!”
“I don’t care what reason you have.”
“Disregarding company rules and leaving without your superior’s approval is a serious violation. Go write a 1,000-word reflection, send it to me, and then come explain yourself!”
“Also, your perfect attendance bonus this month is canceled!”
With that, he waved dismissively.
He Li felt his temper rising.
Yu Qingge had already told him that HR was informed. Would it have killed Wu Qian to just ask them in the group chat?
He wasn’t even at fault. Coming here to explain was already giving Wu Qian face, and now the guy wanted a 1,000-word review?
Who did he think he was?
He Li let out a cold laugh. Just because he usually didn’t like drama didn’t mean he was afraid of confrontation. Since Wu Qian wanted to act out of line, He Li had no reason to play nice.
“I know company policy better than you.”
“Coming to explain was already giving you face. But if you want to be shameless and demand a review too?”
“Dream on. Go to sleep—maybe you’ll get it in your dreams.”
With that, He Li didn’t bother arguing anymore. He turned around and walked away.
Wu Qian was stunned. It took him a while to realize—he’d just been put in his place by a subordinate. His anger surged…