When entering the company, Cheng Luo nearly tripped over her own feet. She blamed everything on that dream from this morning; it was truly too bizarre!
Did a single kiss really make everything different?
She said it was just a light touch. You are overthinking it!
Cheng Luo cautioned herself to stay calm, but as she entered the office and saw the figure already at work, she still tripped over a non-existent door frame. If she had not grabbed the door for support, she would have fallen to her knees on the spot.
Zhai Qing looked up after hearing the commotion. “Did you not sleep well last night? You are falling on flat ground.”
Cheng Luo resisted the urge to look in a mirror. Although she knew she might look a bit pale, there was no need to point it out. Besides, who did not sleep well? She slept great! Fantastic!
“What is this?” She noticed a rectangular box sitting on her desk.
“Breakfast,” Zhai Qing said calmly without looking up. “Compensation for working overtime yesterday.”
Without thinking, Cheng Luo blurted out, “Ah! Is there no overtime pay?”
“There is.”
Cheng Luo uttered a quiet “Oh” and said nothing more. She sat down sheepishly and opened the lunch box. Inside, several steamed dumplings were neatly arranged next to shrimp and vegetables.
She happened to have skipped breakfast this morning. After the first bite, she was sold. It was delicious. She finished it all in no time.
Now that breakfast was over, it was time to start working. However, for some reason, she could not keep her head down today. She had to look up every few minutes. Sometimes she stared at the green plants in the corner, sometimes she looked out the window, but most of the time, her gaze landed on the person beside her.
Zhai Qing only wore her gold-rimmed glasses when working or driving. Her hair was neatly combed back as usual, revealing her slender white neck. She wore a silver necklace that shimmered with every movement, silently finding its way into the observer’s heart.
She remembered the photos she found yesterday of Zhai Qing participating in various school competitions. Zhai Qing had barely changed since then, though she had been a bit more youthful and ambitious back then, with her goals written all over her face.
Just as Cheng Luo was watching her like a sunflower following the sun, a man in a royal blue suit pushed the door open without knocking.
Cheng Luo looked over and recognized the flashy man from the banquet last night. His outfit today was even more extravagant, making it difficult to look at him for too long.
“Hello, cousin. Do you have a moment?” The man sat down opposite Zhai Qing, leaning back casually with a grin.
“I am busy,” Zhai Qing’s crisp voice rang through the room.
The man was not annoyed. He turned his chair toward Cheng Luo, though it was unclear whom he was addressing. “Sister, is this really your girlfriend? You actually arranged for her to stay here.”
“It has nothing to do with you,” Zhai Qing replied, remaining calm.
“Of course it does!” the man raised his voice. “If she is your girlfriend, then is she not my sister-in-law? Or… brother-in-law?”
Cheng Luo’s face turned bright red at his teasing words. She looked at Zhai Qing, feeling at a loss.
Instead of explaining, Zhai Qing simply said, “Just call her Sister, Ji Duo.”
Hearing this, Ji Duo stopped teasing and looked seriously at the woman who was supposedly his sister’s girlfriend.
Big eyes, a high bridge on her nose, fair skin, and a decent height. Her clothes were a bit plain, and her expression did not look particularly bright, but everything else was fine.
The only thing that puzzled him was what this woman had that could attract his strange cousin. Did others not have these qualities? Why was it this person who had suddenly appeared? He gave Zhai Qing a questioning look.
“You have seen enough. You can leave now.” Zhai Qing began to usher him out. She was afraid that if Ji Duo said any more, Cheng Luo would be overwhelmed.
“Fine. It is just that Uncle wants to see you. It is just for family this time, a simple meal. He is getting older and wants to show his concern for you.”
Zhai Qing looked at Ji Duo with a very strange expression. “Do you not feel like laughing when you say those things?”
Ji Duo met her gaze for a few seconds before giving in. “Fine, it is a bit unrealistic, but he truly wants to invite you home for dinner. No one else will be there.”
“I do not have time lately.” This was the truth. The company was currently in an upward phase, and she needed to establish many connections and networks.
“Fine, come whenever you have time,” he said, straightening his sleeves to leave. Before he left, he suddenly added, “Remember to bring Sister-in-law.” Without waiting for Zhai Qing to respond, he closed the door and slipped away.
Inside the room, Cheng Luo had remained silent the entire time. Now, with a blush on her face, she looked at Zhai Qing with a mix of confusion and something else.
Zhai Qing looked back solemnly. “He is my father’s lackey. I have to say that to keep the truth from my father.”
“So there is a sequel. I thought one performance was enough.”
“I will pay you overtime. I will not make you act for nothing.”
For lunch, Cheng Luo again ate the same thing as Zhai Qing. However, she could not fall asleep during the lunch break. She tossed and turned, unable to find rest. Finally, after turning the wrong way, a heavy thud sounded, and she landed on the floor.
“Where did you fall?” Zhai Qing had come over at some point and was looking down at her.
Cheng Luo moved awkwardly and, realizing nothing hurt, stood up quickly. “It did not hurt.” Her voice sounded a bit proud.
“If you cannot sleep, come out with me. Otherwise, you will rub the sofa until it starts a fire.”
“Why are we at the university?” Cheng Luo asked, looking at the scenery outside the window.
“I have some work to handle.” Hearing this, Cheng Luo immediately checked her notes and said in confusion, “But there is nothing. There is no field work today.” She still remembered her duties as an assistant.
“I thought of it just now. It has been several years since I graduated, and the school has changed a lot. Show me around; I want to inspect it for a future collaboration.”
Cheng Luo did not doubt her and quickly agreed. However, the campus was large, and cars were not allowed inside. Cheng Luo used her student card at the gate to scan two shared bicycles.
“Come on, let us ride. It will be faster,” Cheng Luo said, then added thoughtfully, “I assume you know how to ride a bicycle?”
Zhai Qing looked at the junior’s skeptical gaze. She suddenly wanted to pretend she had forgotten how to ride just to see Cheng Luo’s reaction, but she ultimately decided against it. It was important to maintain a capable image in the eyes of her junior.
She had noticed long ago that whenever Cheng Luo looked at her, there was a sense of admiration and respect in her eyes. She enjoyed this very much and unconsciously maintained a perfect and powerful image just to see that look more often.
“This is the library. You should remember it, right?” Cheng Luo looked at the tall building in front of them. A University ranked among the top in the country, with a strong academic atmosphere and many talents. The library was naturally grand and well-maintained; it was Cheng Luo’s favorite place to spend her free time.
Zhai Qing nodded. She had actually frequented this place even before she was admitted to A University. This was thanks to Ms. Zhai Wen, who would drop her off at the library when she was busy. Since there were many students around, she was not afraid of Zhai Qing getting lost.
“The gymnasium is further ahead. Do you still want to go inside?” After stopping, Cheng Luo unzipped her jacket. She had not exercised in a long time, and riding this far had made her break a sweat.
“Let us go in and have a look.”
Cheng Luo was about to pedal away, but she did not expect Zhai Qing to actually want to go inside. She had to stop her bike and follow her.
“Why come here? To be honest, I have rarely been to the gymnasium except for physical education class.”
Cheng Luo wanted to take off her coat as she walked inside, but Zhai Qing stopped her. “Do not take it off. You are still sweating; you will catch a cold easily.”
Cheng Luo reluctantly stopped. A tissue was suddenly handed to her. “Wipe your sweat. Take it off in a bit. I remember they held competitions here during the holidays. Perhaps there is one today.”
As they walked in, they saw that a competition was indeed taking place, but it was a fencing match. Cheng Luo sat with Zhai Qing in the spectator area at the back.
After a while, Cheng Luo whispered into Zhai Qing’s ear, “Which side is better? Fencing looks so cool, like two warriors competing.”
“Their skills are amateur. It is mostly down to luck.”
Cheng Luo did not believe her. In her eyes, the two were going back and forth. Their movements were a bit stiff and hesitant, but overall, it was quite good.
As the match ended and the athletes finished their greetings and took off their helmets, Cheng Luo discovered that one of them was Zhai Wen, who happened to be on the losing side.
She looked up and saw the two of them, and soon walked over. “How was it? My technique is not bad, right? I went back and forth with Teacher Liang, who has been the champion of the school faculty fencing competition for three consecutive years.”
Zhai Qing pursed her lips and decided not to speak. Cheng Luo, however, was very supportive. “Teacher, you were amazing just now! I never knew you could fence!”
Zhai Wen immediately smiled. “Hahaha! When Zhai Qing was young, I sent her to learn fencing. After watching a few lessons, I fell in love with it too. However, my skills improved very slowly. I cannot compare to Zhai Qing.”
Cheng Luo turned her gaze toward Zhai Qing. “Are you very good at fencing?”
Before Zhai Qing could speak, her mother answered for her in a frustrated tone, “Speaking of that, I was shocked. It was one thing that I could not beat her when she first started, but then I secretly found a teacher and practiced very hard. In the end, I was still defeated by Zhai Qing, and I had no way to fight back. I do not know what is wrong with her.”