Xing Yu had only asked casually, but Wen Yao immediately thought of last night—how she had grabbed his collar and refused to let go, the two of them standing face to face, so close.
Her cheeks flushed even more.
“I ran here just now, so my face is a bit red. I woke up late this morning,” Wen Yao quickly made up an excuse.
“Why did you drink last night?” Xing Yu asked.
“It was a department gathering. I drank fruit wine and thought it was just juice.” Wen Yao looked at him in confusion. “President Xing, how did you know I drank last night?”
Xing Yu stared at her for a few seconds. “You don’t remember what happened last night?”
“I don’t remember. I must’ve blacked out. I don’t even know how I got home.” Wen Yao lowered her eyes. What happened last night was something she didn’t want to face—pretending to forget was the best way to avoid embarrassment for both of them.
Xing Yu thought about how drunk she had been. It was normal that she didn’t remember—and it saved him a lot of trouble.
“You don’t even know who sent you home, and you’re not afraid of running into bad people?”
Of course she was afraid. Luckily, she hadn’t run into anyone dangerous last night. In her drunken state, she might not even have known if she’d been sold off somewhere.
“President Xing, I’ll be more careful next time.”
Wen Yao was worried he might see through her lie. He was very smart, and his sharp gaze seemed able to see through everything.
Fortunately, at that moment, the elevator doors opened, and she hurried out.
It was almost time to clock in for work. Seeing her rush off, Xing Yu didn’t think much of it.
Wen Yao returned to her desk. Yuan Qingmei smiled and asked, “Wen Yao, where did you go last night?”
Instead of saying she had gotten drunk and been sent home, Wen Yao replied, “I wasn’t feeling well last night, so I went to the hospital.”
“Even so, you should’ve made a call. Everyone was worried about you—you have no idea how concerned Manager Zhang was,” Yuan Qingmei said, deliberately mentioning Zhang Wenbin.
Wen Yao had rushed out this morning and only saw dozens of missed calls after getting on the bus—both Li Shu and Zhang Wenbin had called her many times. Her phone had been on silent, so she hadn’t heard anything.
“It was an emergency. I didn’t have time to call.”
Li Shu had just arrived and overheard the conversation. She couldn’t help but retort, “She was sick—of course she couldn’t call. I didn’t see you worrying about her last night. You sure didn’t hold back on the seafood, though.”
“Well, Manager Zhang was treating—wouldn’t it be a waste not to eat?” Yuan Qingmei said, then looked away.
Only then did Li Shu turn to Wen Yao with concern. “Wen Yao, are you okay?”
Wen Yao gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m much better now.”
Tian Rong walked over and reminded her, “Wen Yao, Manager Zhang wants you in his office.”
“Okay.”
Wen Yao stood up and went to the manager’s office.
Zhang Wenbin’s expression wasn’t good, and his tone was no better.
“Where did you go last night? I called you, and you didn’t answer.”
“Manager Zhang, I drank some fruit wine last night and felt really dizzy. Someone sent me to the hospital. My phone was on silent, so I didn’t hear the calls.”
Zhang Wenbin had spent a long time looking for Wen Yao last night. He had finally gotten an opportunity, only for it to slip away.
“And what’s with those design drafts? How did they end up with President Xing?”
“It was just a coincidence. President Xing saw them and thought they were submissions, so he took them,” Wen Yao said. She realized she was getting better at lying—she could make things up effortlessly now.
She had met President Xing a few times before he officially joined, and even had his phone number.
But she couldn’t tell the truth. If word got out, who knew what rumors would spread—
They might even accuse her of trying to seduce him.
“All drafts must go through me first. If this happens again, you don’t need to keep working here.”
“Understood, Manager Zhang.”
“Go on, then.”
Wen Yao left the office. At that moment, she finally understood why her drafts had always failed the initial review.
In the past six months, only about ten percent of her designs had passed the first stage.
But this time, her drafts had bypassed Zhang Wenbin and gone directly to Xing Yu—and they all made it to the final round.
She wasn’t foolish. She knew exactly what that meant.
As long as Zhang Wenbin was there, her designs would only be suppressed and rejected.
She couldn’t rely on showing her drafts to Xing Yu every time.
So, she decided to resign.
Wen Yao took some time to write a resignation letter. Just as she was about to send it, she received a call—it was from the HR who had informed her two days ago that she had passed the interview.
“Miss Wen, I’m sorry. Due to internal personnel changes, the position you passed the interview for has already been filled.”
Wen Yao hung up the phone and looked at the resignation letter she had already written, silently putting it into her bag.
Looks like she would have to find a new job.
In the afternoon, Shen Cunshu sent her a message.
【I’ve been quite busy lately and haven’t asked you out. Are you free tonight? How about dinner together?】
Wen Yao guessed that Shen Cunshu had been busy—just like when she was busy herself and couldn’t spare time to meet.
【Sure, Mr. Shen. But this time, I’ll treat.】
【Miss Wen, how can a man let a woman pay when eating together? Besides, I’m the one who wants to see you. The fact that you can make time for me is already an honor.】
Reading the message, the more considerate Shen Cunshu was, the more uneasy Wen Yao felt.
With his qualifications, he really didn’t need to choose a single mother.
【There’s no rule that a man has to pay. We’re still in the getting-to-know-each-other stage, so it’s better to split the bill.】
Shen Cunshu fell silent for a moment before sending another message.
【Did you meet someone on a blind date before who insisted on splitting the bill? Is that why you emphasize it so much?】
Wen Yao realized how perceptive he was.
She had indeed encountered that before—on a first meeting, she said they weren’t suitable.
The man got upset. “If you think we’re not suitable, why did you come out? You’re just a gold-digger, coming out to freeload food and drinks.”
She had already been somewhat resistant to blind dates, and after meeting someone like that, she became even more so.
When Shen Cunshu saw that she didn’t reply, he knew he had guessed correctly.
【I also look down on that kind of man. When I invite you out to eat, it’s because I enjoy the process. I’m usually busy, so it’s rare for me to have time—to see you and Xin Xin. I hope both you and Xin Xin will like me.】
【I just don’t want you to spend too much.】
【Don’t think too much about it. I’ll pick you up tonight.】
【Alright, Mr. Shen.】
That evening, Shen Cunshu arrived on time to pick them up for dinner.
He was dressed more formally today—a white shirt with suit pants. Already at a mature age, he gave off a clean and steady impression.
He had reserved a table at a Chinese restaurant, since Xin Xin liked the omelet rice there.
When the waiter brought the omelet rice, Wen Xin’s eyes lit up.
“Uncle Shen, is this for me?”
Shen Cunshu smiled. “Of course. Xin Xin likes omelet rice, right?”
Wen Xin nodded vigorously. “Uncle Shen is amazing—you remembered I like omelet rice!”
Shen Cunshu asked with a smile, “Then does Xin Xin like Uncle Shen?”
Wen Xin’s eyes curved happily. “I do!”
Shen Cunshu was delighted and picked a piece of rib for her.
Watching the two of them get along so well, Wen Yao thought to herself that not many men could be this patient with a child.
Shen Cunshu was truly a very, very good person.
After dinner, Wen Yao held Xin Xin’s hand as they walked around the mall with Shen Cunshu, buying some snacks Xin Xin liked.
By the time they returned, it was close to ten.
Shen Cunshu still had papers to grade that night, so the idea of visiting Wen Yao’s home had to be postponed.
He opened the trunk and took out a bouquet of flowers and a cute panda plush.
He first gave the panda to Xin Xin, then handed the flowers to Wen Yao. “Do you like this bouquet?”
Wen Yao had already reminded him not to spend money on flowers, yet he still bought them.
This time, they weren’t roses but spray roses—still in pink tones, paired with moth orchids and pink tulips, accented with baby’s breath.
More delicate and beautiful than the last bouquet.
“The flowers are very beautiful.” Wen Yao reached out to take them into her arms.
Hearing this, Shen Cunshu smiled. “I’m glad you like them. It wasn’t a waste of my effort researching.”
At that moment, at the street corner not far away, a black Cayenne was parked.
The scene under the streetlight fell into a pair of deep eyes.
Xing Yu watched the two of them expressionlessly.
Wasn’t Wen Yao single?
Then who was the man giving her flowers?