As soon as she stepped out of the Finance Bureau lobby, a Hongqi car pulled up in front of her. Yang Haodong stepped out and said gallantly, “Miss Su, the Director asked me to drive you back to the Tax Bureau.”
Su Ningyue quickly waved her hand in refusal. “Secretary Yang, there’s no need. I can just take a taxi back myself.”
If she really let Gu Jingchuan’s secretary drive her back, she could already imagine the storm it would stir up at her workplace.
Yang Haodong looked troubled. “Miss Su, if I don’t take you back, I won’t be able to report to the Director.”
Seeming to have read her concerns, Yang Haodong added, “Don’t worry, I won’t drive directly to the Tax Bureau entrance.”
Su Ningyue had no choice but to agree.
Back at the Tax Bureau, Hong Lingling came up to her and asked with concern, “Ningyue, did Director Gu sign it?”
Su Ningyue was about to answer when she heard Feng Mengna’s arrogant voice from behind. “I bet she didn’t even get to see Director Gu.”
“Feng Mengna, you…”
Hong Lingling was furious and wanted to defend Su Ningyue, but Su Ningyue pulled her back and shook her head, signaling her not to act impulsively. After all, Feng Mengna had Director Liu backing her.
“Team Leader Feng, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. Not only did I meet Director Gu, but I also successfully got him to sign the document.”
“That’s impossible.” Feng Mengna’s expression changed. “You must have used…”
The words “honey trap” hadn’t even left her mouth when Liu Zhenyu rushed over and cut her off, shouting sternly, “Mengna, go back to work.”
“Director.” Feng Mengna wanted to continue being coquettish, but the man was serious this time, so she could only turn and sashay away.
After she left, Liu Zhenyu immediately changed his demeanor and said amiably to Su Ningyue, “Ningyue, Director Gu really signed it?”
Su Ningyue simply handed the document over. Liu Zhenyu opened it and looked, then broke into a grin from ear to ear. “Haha, good, good.”
“Ningyue, you’ve worked hard. I’ll give you the afternoon off.”
It seemed that with Su Ningyue around, he had no worries about building a connection with the Finance Bureau.
Back at her desk, Su Ningyue felt a weight lifted off her shoulders. Hong Lingling, who had been itching with curiosity, asked, “Ningyue, tell me quickly, how did you negotiate with Director Gu?”
Su Ningyue didn’t dare mention that she’d had a meal with Gu Jingchuan. After all, the fewer people who knew about that, the better.
She held her water cup to hide her nervousness. “It was nothing really. He took a look, confirmed there were no issues, and signed.”
“Are leaders really that easy to deal with?” Hong Lingling muttered to herself. “Then why were you out so long?”
Su Ningyue choked on her water and coughed lightly. “I had a meal outside before coming back.”
Hong Lingling nodded. That made sense—it had been around lunchtime.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “You got up close with Director Gu today. Is he super charming in person? I heard he’s still unmarried.”
Su Ningyue’s forehead broke out in a sweat. She really admired Lingling’s nosiness.
“Maybe he has a girlfriend.”
“That’s true.”
Just then, Su Ningyue’s phone buzzed with a WeChat notification. She opened the message and saw that Duan Mingrui had sent her a picture. The building in the photo looked very familiar, followed by a message: “Ningyue, guess where I am?”
Su Ningyue replied to a message, grabbed her bag, unable to hide the smile at the corners of her mouth. “Lingling, my boyfriend is here. I’m heading out for a bit.”
Hong Lingling teased her, “So your mysterious boyfriend finally shows up. Go on, go on.”
At the entrance of the tax bureau, Duan Mingrui leaned against a Volkswagen. The moment he saw his girlfriend appear, he joyfully opened his arms and walked toward her. Su Ningyue stepped into his embrace. “Mingrui, why did you suddenly come over?”
The two had been dating for over a year, and in her eyes, Duan Mingrui was the ideal boyfriend—gentlemanly and considerate, never forcing her to do anything.
“I missed you, so I just drove straight over to see you.” Duan Mingrui looked at Su Ningyue with adoration. “But I have to go on a business trip to the capital tonight, so it might be a while before we see each other again. Will you miss me?”
“It’s fine—we can video call.” Su Ningyue smiled sweetly.
A flicker of disappointment passed through Duan Mingrui’s eyes, but he quickly recovered.
“I don’t have work this afternoon. Let’s go out and have some fun together!”
“Okay.” Duan Mingrui helped her into the car.
They went shopping first, then watched a movie together.
After dinner, Duan Mingrui considerately escorted Su Ningyue to the entrance of her rental apartment building.
At that moment, the dim streetlight cast a faint, gentle glow, stretching and shortening their shadows.
Duan Mingrui gazed at his girlfriend’s delicate, porcelain-like face, smooth and fine as jade, and an uncontrollable restlessness stirred in his heart.
Involuntarily, he leaned closer to Su Ningyue, as if drawn by an invisible force.
But just as he was about to touch those soft lips, the perceptive Su Ningyue instantly sensed his intention. Her heart tightened, and she instinctively turned her head away.
So the passionate kiss Duan Mingrui had anticipated landed only lightly on her pale cheek.
In that instant, time seemed to freeze. Su Ningyue clearly caught the deep disappointment that flashed through Duan Mingrui’s eyes.
“Mingrui, I… I’m not really used to kissing yet.” Su Ningyue’s voice was so soft that only she could barely hear it. As soon as the words left her mouth, she couldn’t bear to look Duan Mingrui in the eyes. Like a child who had done something wrong, she quickly lowered her head, her hands unconsciously fidgeting with the hem of her clothes.
She didn’t know why, but despite having been with Duan Mingrui for so long, whenever he tried to make a more intimate move, a deep, inexplicable resistance would rise from the depths of her heart.
This feeling left her both confused and distressed, and she even began to doubt whether she truly loved this gentle, considerate man before her.
Duan Mingrui gave a bitter laugh inwardly. After more than a year of dating, all they had done was hold hands, and the most intimate gesture was a kiss on the cheek. Who else was as frustrated as he was?
But there was no denying that despite all this, he still loved Su Ningyue deeply and couldn’t bear to part with her.
So Duan Mingrui had no choice but to suppress the strange feeling in his heart, feigning ease as he stroked her head and said softly, “It’s okay. I’ll wait until you’re ready.”
Su Ningyue looked up. The more he acted this way, the more it pained her heart.
She thought that maybe once they got married, the resistance would go away.
In a soft voice, she said, “Mingrui, my mom asked last week when we plan to get married.”
Duan Mingrui knew his girlfriend was softening toward him, so he decided to quit while he was ahead. “Ningyue, I dream of marrying you every night.”
He asked nervously, “Once I get through this busy period, let’s get married, okay?”
“Sure.”
At that moment, Su Ningyue’s heart seemed to settle.
Duan Mingrui held her tightly. “Ningyue, I will definitely make you happy.”
“I believe you.”
The two embraced for a while, until the wind picked up and Duan Mingrui reluctantly let her go. “It’s a bit windy. Go on up.”
Su Ningyue walked up the steps one by one. At the corner of the staircase, she waved to the man and said, “Mingrui, be safe on the road!”
Duan Mingrui tugged at the corner of his mouth and gave her a slight nod.
After confirming that the light in her room was on, he drove away. His phone, which he had tossed on the passenger seat, kept ringing incessantly. He didn’t even glance at it, his face gradually turning grim…