Su Qingmo glanced at the time. It was nearly eight o’clock, and Lin Qian still hadn’t eaten dinner.
“Are you hungry?” Su Qingmo asked.
“Not really,” Lin Qian replied. Just as the words left her mouth, her stomach let out a loud growl.
The atmosphere froze for a second.
“I’ll order takeout. What would you like to eat?” As if fearing Lin Qian’s embarrassment, she quickly added, “I’m hungry too; I haven’t had dinner yet either.”
Hearing this, the heat in Lin Qian’s burning face dissipated slightly. She looked out the window; the torrential rain showed no sign of stopping. With a storm this fierce, it was unlikely any delivery driver would even accept an order.
Lin Qian thought for a moment and said, “I have a small kitchen here. It’s not big, but I can whip up something simple.”
Su Qingmo looked toward the kitchen. It was indeed tiny—barely enough room for one person to stand—but as the saying goes, “Though the sparrow is small, it possesses all its internal organs.” It was fully equipped.
Su Qingmo: “Would it be too much trouble for you to cook?”
Lin Qian: “Not at all. It just… might not taste that great.”
Su Qingmo gave a gentle smile. “I’m not a picky eater. Is there anything you need me to do?”
Lin Qian: “No, the kitchen is too small for two. You should stay here and watch TV.”
Lin Qian stood up and walked into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and froze for half a second. It was empty. She had cleared out the old groceries yesterday and had completely forgotten to restock.
Lin Qian emerged from the kitchen, looking at Su Qingmo hesitantly.
Su Qingmo: “What’s wrong?”
Lin Qian: “I forgot I’m out of groceries. Would… noodles be okay?”
Su Qingmo beamed. “Anything is fine. I’m in your hands.”
Lin Qian breathed a silent sigh of relief and retreated to the kitchen to boil the noodles. Though there were no vegetables, she had eggs. Egg noodles were a bit humble, but given the circumstances, Su Qingmo probably wouldn’t mind.
Lin Qian put on her apron, washed her hands, and cracked the eggs into a bowl. In the middle of her work, she felt a presence and turned around.
Su Qingmo had come over at some point and was leaning against the kitchen doorframe. Clad in the ill-fitting pajamas, her cool features now carried a hint of everyday warmth.
Su Qingmo: “I came to see if there’s anything I can help with.”
Lin Qian: “No need. Boiling noodles is fast; it’ll be ready in a moment.”
Su Qingmo nodded but remained leaning against the door, showing no intention of leaving. Lin Qian tended to the pot while occasionally glancing back.
Logically, having someone stare at her like that should have made her feel like there were needles in her back. But… it didn’t.
Lin Qian looked back at her again. Curiously, instead of feeling uncomfortable, she felt that having someone waiting for a meal behind her was quite nice. It felt as if her solitary, quiet life had suddenly gained a bit of lively warmth.
Once the noodles were ready, the two sat across from each other at the simple little table. The sight didn’t quite fit Su Qingmo’s usual image, yet it was strangely harmonious.
“Would you like some pickles?” Lin Qian asked, so embarrassed she wanted to sink into the floor.
Egg noodles and pickles—this was such a meager spread. She had never expected to host Su Qingmo, and she never had guests over… She blamed the storm for causing all these unexpected events.
Su Qingmo didn’t seem to mind the simplicity at all. She took a serving of pickles and mixed them into her noodles. Even though she was just eating egg noodles and pickles, her movements made it look like she was enjoying a gourmet feast.
No matter the environment, Su Qingmo exuded an air of innate nobility—it was evident in how she wore the cheap pajamas and how she carried herself over a simple bowl of noodles.
Lin Qian let out a long breath and looked away. Although her hospitality was lacking, Su Qingmo hadn’t shown a hint of disdain.
Su Qingmo took a sip of the broth and nodded. “The flavor is very fresh. This is egg noodles, right? Why is the broth white like fish soup?”
Lin Qian explained: “If you fry the eggs first and then add hot water to the pot, the broth turns milky white.”
Su Qingmo nodded in realization. “I see. You’re quite the cook. It seems the breakfasts I made for you were a bit like ‘showing off a hatchet in front of Lu Ban’ (trying to outshine a master).”
Lin Qian was stunned. “You… you really made those yourself?”
Su Qingmo: “It seems you didn’t believe me.”
Lin Qian waved her hands frantically. “It’s not that I didn’t believe you. I just felt… there was no need for you to go that far. If it was just to encourage an employee to work hard, you didn’t need to personally cook…”
Su Qingmo looked up at her. “Can I make a small request?”
The shift in topic was so sudden Lin Qian couldn’t react.
“If you aren’t comfortable, you can keep calling me ‘President Su,’ but can you stop using the formal ‘You’ (nin) and just use the casual one (ni)?” Su Qingmo suggested.
Lin Qian bit her lip, then nodded. “Okay. I’ll try my best.”
Su Qingmo smiled, picked up her chopsticks, and continued eating while picking up the previous thread.
“I didn’t make those breakfasts to encourage you to work hard,” Su Qingmo said nonchalantly. “I did it to earn your favor. It makes it easier for me to get closer to you.”
Lin Qian stopped chewing and looked at her stiffly.
Su Qingmo: “But then I felt it was too abrupt, so I stopped the breakfasts. I still wanted to be friends, though. If I couldn’t send breakfast, I figured I’d just find ways to ‘run into’ you more often.”
Lin Qian tried to process this information, but her brain was lagging. How could someone be this direct? She was so blunt that Lin Qian didn’t even know how to respond. Should she just laugh it off?
Before Lin Qian could decide, Su Qingmo added, “So, when I found out you were taking the far elevator just to hide from me, I was actually quite hurt.”
Lin Qian bit her lip. “I…”
“Do you feel guilty?” Su Qingmo teased, raising an eyebrow. “Good. I’m doing this on purpose, I’m playing the ‘pity’ card.”
Lin Qian: “…”
Su Qingmo let out a soft laugh. Lin Qian set down her chopsticks and asked carefully, “President Su… You, why do you want to be friends with me?”
Su Qingmo countered, “Why wouldn’t I want to be friends with you?”
Lin Qian replied almost instinctively, “A person like me…”
Su Qingmo frowned. “A person like you? What kind of person is that? I thought you were wonderful the first time I saw you. I wanted to get close to you, to be your friend. You’re cute, beautiful, and kind. I thought to myself: if this person could be my friend, I would be happy to death.”
Lin Qian froze. Was she talking about her? Kind? Cute? Beautiful?
Lin Qian scratched her head. “Am I really as good as you say?”
“Of course. Though you aren’t without flaws,” Su Qingmo said. “You should be more confident.”
Lin Qian looked at her, a subtle feeling stirring in her heart. When Su Qingmo first mentioned being friends, it didn’t feel real; it felt like a joke. Only now did it feel somewhat tangible. Su Qingmo really did want to be her friend. It wasn’t just a passing comment or a prank; she had actually done a lot just to bridge the gap between them.
“Su Qingmo,” Lin Qian said suddenly, using her full name.
A bright spark flickered in Su Qingmo’s eyes.
“I’ll call you that in private from now on… because we’re friends,” Lin Qian said, her face heating up awkwardly.
“Okay, Xiao Qian,” Su Qingmo smiled.
Lin Qian smiled back.
“The noodles are getting soggy, eat up,” Su Qingmo urged.
Lin Qian gave a soft “mhm” and buried her head in her bowl.
Ding-dong. Her phone chimed. Lin Qian picked it up to look, and a smile immediately spread across her lips. Seeing her reaction, Su Qingmo guessed who it was and glared at the phone in Lin Qian’s hand with an unfriendly expression.
After Lin Qian finished replying, Su Qingmo asked with feigned casualness, “Who was it?”
Lin Qian: “A friend.”
Su Qingmo gave a long, drawn-out “Oh.”
Lin Qian: “What’s wrong?”
Su Qingmo: “So you have so many friends. I only have one friend—you. It seems I should go make a few more friends too, otherwise, it’s just not fair.”
Lin Qian stared at her blankly.
Su Qingmo stood up. “The rain has stopped. I should head back.”
Lin Qian looked out the window; the rain had indeed ceased. She stood up quickly. “I’ll walk you out.”
Su Qingmo stopped and turned back. “Can’t you tell I’m a little upset?”
Lin Qian: “Because I have other friends?”
Su Qingmo shook her head. “No. Because you pinned her chat to the top but not mine. I saw it just now.”
Lin Qian: “…”
Pinned? Peeking?
Lin Qian: “Then… should I pin you now?”
Su Qingmo: “You have to pin me above her.”
Lin Qian: “…”
Why does this person act like a three-year-old? She’s nothing like the Su Qingmo I imagined.
The next day, during the company-wide meeting, the cool, serious, and stoic Su Qingmo was back.
A male employee clutched his documents, his face full of panic. “I checked it many times; I didn’t think I’d miss…”
Su Qingmo interrupted coldly, “I’m not interested in the reasons for your mistake or the process. If you don’t find a solution before the end of the day, you can head to HR and collect your final paycheck.”
The man lowered his head. “I’m sorry. I’ll find a way.”
The atmosphere was stifling. Everyone in the conference room was afraid to even breathe too loudly. Lin Qian sat at the very end of the table. From a distance, she stole a glance at Su Qingmo and quickly looked away, her own heart fluttering with fear.
Su Qingmo looked at the person presenting the PPT and said, “Continue.”
the presentation went on, but the mood remained heavy and oppressive. Everyone sat ramrod straight, not daring to make a sound.
Just then, the phone in Lin Qian’s pocket vibrated. She peeked at it secretly.
Su Qingmo: I’m not mean.
Lin Qian stared at the message, stunned. She looked up toward Su Qingmo. In the distance, Su Qingmo raised an eyebrow at her.
Thinking of the message she had just sent, Lin Qian wanted to laugh but held it back.
Xiao Yan nudged Lin Qian with her elbow and whispered, “Stop looking at your phone. President Su is in a bad mood. Be careful she doesn’t make an example out of you.”
Lin Qian put her phone away and sat up straight. When she looked back at Su Qingmo, the CEO was looking at the PPT with a cold, serious expression, as if the person who had just sent that message wasn’t her at all.
Lin Qian couldn’t help it. She smiled.
Xiao Yan looked at her in confusion and lowered her voice. “What are you laughing at?”
Lin Qian checked her smile and shook her head. “Nothing.”