15. Playing Hard to Get?
After Han Zhao returned home, he took a shower. When he came out, the living room lights were already off.
Ever since he and Su Wanwan started sleeping in separate rooms, he generally did not disturb her at night.
He stood at Su Wanwan’s door for a while, then still raised his hand and knocked.
Su Wanwan was preparing lessons in her room. Hearing the knock, she came out. “What is it?”
“Ling Xi drank too much at the banquet tonight. Our boss sent her home. I don’t know if she made it back safely.”
No matter what, Ling Xi was still his wife’s close friend, and he felt it was necessary to let Su Wanwan know.
Su Wanwan was surprised that Han Zhao still cared about her friends at this point.
She nodded. “Got it.”
*
Ling Xi slept very deeply in the car. Zhou Mingye did not know which building she lived in, so he simply waited like that.
He leaned back in the seat and took out his phone to pass the time.
The car was quiet and still. After Ling Xi had been asleep for an hour, her phone suddenly rang.
Startled awake by the ringtone, Ling Xi groggily fumbled for her phone and answered it. On the other end was Su Wanwan’s voice. “Xixi, are you home yet?”
“Huh?” Ling Xi rubbed her eyes and answered vaguely, subconsciously looking forward.
That single glance made her instantly wake up halfway.
Zhou Mingye was sitting in the driver’s seat, the light from his phone screen illuminating his expressionless profile.
Ling Xi hurriedly sat up straight. “Yes, I’m home.”
“That’s good. Han Zhao said you drank too much. I was worried.”
“Don’t worry. I’m fine.” Ling Xi cleared her throat. “I wasn’t that badly drunk.”
“Alright. Go to sleep early.”
After hanging up, Ling Xi glanced at the time on her phone. It was already eleven o’clock.
She raised her hand and touched her burning face. A jacket slipped down.
The suit draped over her was what Zhou Mingye had been wearing tonight. Had he been waiting in the car all this time?
Thinking of this, Ling Xi felt that she had really been derelict in her duty today. She raised her hand to open the car door. “Sorry, Boss. I caused you trouble.”
Zhou Mingye put away his phone and replied calmly, “It’s good that you know.”
In the early autumn season, the night breeze carried waves of cool air.
Ling Xi raised her hand to return the jacket to Zhou Mingye. He stood there with both hands in his pockets. “Keep it on. If you catch a cold from the wind, I’ll still have to approve sick leave for you.”
Ling Xi awkwardly pulled her hand back and draped the jacket over her shoulders. “Then please head home soon. Thank you for sending me back tonight.”
“Mhm.”
After she walked into the residential complex, Zhou Mingye turned and got back into the car.
When Ling Xi returned home, she downed a large glass of warm honey water, then took a hot shower. Only then did most of the smell of alcohol and fatigue dissipate.
Wrapped in a bath towel, she came out, drying her hair with another towel, when she saw her phone screen light up with a WeChat message.
“How is it now?”
The message was from Zhou Mingye. Ling Xi took a moment to react before realizing that Zhou Mingye was checking on her.
Was this the first time the boss had ever taken the initiative to message her?
“I’m much better now. After sleeping, I’ll be fine.”
Zhou Mingye: Don’t act on your own initiative next time. I don’t need anyone to drink for me.
Ling Xi pouted. She was already home and still getting scolded by the boss.
She replied with a few words: Got it.
Zhou Mingye did not often message people and did not know what else to say. After staring at the screen for a while, he typed four words: Rest early.
After sending it, he went to the bathroom to shower. When he came out and picked up his phone again, Ling Xi had not replied.
In the room, Zhou Mingye habitually lit the aromatherapy candle, lay down on the bed, and picked up a book.
No matter how he flipped through it, he could not focus.
He opened his screen again. Ling Xi’s avatar was silent.
Why did she not ask whether he had gotten home safely?
She had shielded him from drinking tonight, and now she was not replying to messages.
What was this woman thinking?
Playing hard to get?
Zhou Mingye gave a light scoff, turned the phone face down, and threw it forcefully onto the bedside.
*
Ling Xi only saw Zhou Mingye’s “Rest early” message the next morning.
She had fallen asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. When she woke up, besides those few words, there was also a transfer notification with the note: additional overtime pay.
Ling Xi rubbed her aching head and accepted the payment. The drinks from yesterday had not been in vain.
In the two days before the National Day holiday, a few colleagues had already started their leave early.
Ling Xi was still handling the final wrap-up work for the President’s Office, issuing the holiday notice, sending festive greetings emails to important clients and partners, and confirming with several core departments whether there were any urgent documents that needed processing.
Fortunately, Zhou Mingye had no holiday itinerary. On the afternoon of the last day, Ling Xi tidied up her desk and went to the pantry to get water.
On her way back, she glanced into the President’s office and immediately stopped in her tracks.
The office area was already empty. Ling Xi looked around, then leaned closer to the glass.
Han Zhao was standing in front of the desk, seemingly saying something. Then Zhou Mingye stood up, walked over to him, and even placed a hand on his shoulder.
Holy crap! Ling Xi quickly took out her phone and opened the camera toward the glass, but Zhou Mingye’s hand dropped again.
Ling Xi stood on her toes, her face nearly pressed against the glass.
After quietly observing for a few minutes, Han Zhao suddenly turned his head. Ling Xi lifted her foot and ran back to her workstation.
She shut down her computer and lowered her head to pack her things into her bag. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Han Zhao return.
Seeing Ling Xi, Han Zhao froze for a moment. “You haven’t left yet?”
Ling Xi smiled at him. “Just finished up.”
She fastened the clasp on her bag and heard Han Zhao call her. “Ling Xi.”
“What’s up?”
“I’m going back to my hometown for the National Day holiday. There are some things at home. President Zhou doesn’t have any particular arrangements these few days. If something comes up and help is needed, could I trouble you?”
Han Zhao rarely made requests of others. As he said this, he adjusted his glasses again, looking a bit embarrassed.
“No problem at all!” Although Ling Xi was going abroad to watch a concert, her schedule was fairly flexible. “But I might not be able to respond immediately while I’m outside.”
“There probably won’t be anything urgent.” Han Zhao slung his bag over his shoulder. “Thank you.”
*
After leaving the company, Ling Xi went straight home to pack her luggage.
Early the next morning, she met up with her companions at the airport and flew to a neighboring country.
After landing, the humid, warm foreign air rushed toward them. Every breath was filled with the scent of freedom.
Ling Xi and her friends took a taxi to the city center and first went to a barbecue restaurant they had eaten at before, feasting to their hearts’ content.
After eating and drinking their fill, they returned to their accommodation. Thinking about going to the concert the next day, Ling Xi was so excited she could not fall asleep.
Early the next morning, she and her friends got up to eat breakfast, went to a pre-booked beauty studio to get their makeup done, and then headed to the concert venue.
Someone who normally needed coffee to stay alert at work seemed to have endless energy when it came to having fun.
When the stage lights suddenly went out and ear-splitting screams erupted—
Ling Xi and her companions tightly grasped each other’s hands and shouted excitedly, “They’re coming, they’re coming!”
At the moment the music intro began, Ling Xi felt as if her entire body had been set alight.
One of Ling Xi’s life principles was to have fun to the fullest when she played. She jumped nonstop for two hours at the concert, so much so that she lay in bed until noon the next day.
Her stomach growled with hunger. Ling Xi and her companion finally crawled out of bed. On their way out to find food, she received a message from Han Zhao.
“Ling Xi, sorry to disturb you during the holiday. The network here in my hometown is unstable. There’s a set of project background materials that President Zhou needs to send. I remember you handled it before. The file should be on your computer. Could I trouble you to find it and send it directly to President Zhou?”
Han Zhao did not know Ling Xi was abroad. He had deliberated for a long time before sending this message, and his words were filled with apologies for bothering her.
Ling Xi did not mind. After eating, she had no immediate plans. She replied to Han Zhao: I’ll help you look for it after I get back to the hotel.
Luckily, her companion had brought a laptop to import camera photos for editing.
Ling Xi logged into her email on her friend’s computer and found the materials Han Zhao had mentioned.
Her companion was applying mascara in front of the mirror. She glanced at Ling Xi, who was lying prone on the bed. “Why are you still working during the holiday?”
“Just helping a colleague with a small favor. It’ll be quick.” Ling Xi swung her legs lightly, opened the file, and forwarded it to Zhou Mingye.
Zhou Mingye’s holiday was not nearly as lively as Ling Xi’s.
In the study, he was reviewing a business plan. It was a project Xue Yang had sent him not long ago, hoping to bring him in as a co-investor.
Messages in the family WeChat group kept coming in. He opened it and saw that most of them were photos of Zhou Siheng.
They were on a cruise ship watching the sunset.
Liang Fangyue kept tagging Zhou Mingye, asking him to appreciate the beautiful scenery she had captured.
Zhou Mingye skimmed through them briefly, then noticed Ling Xi’s profile picture pop up in his message list.
“President Zhou, Assistant Han said you needed a set of materials. I’ve already sent them to your email. Please check.”
Zhou Mingye opened his email, downloaded the attachment, and then replied with a single sentence: Received.
After typing that, his fingers did not leave the screen. Instead, he tapped into Ling Xi’s Moments, curious about what she was doing during the long holiday.
A few hours earlier, Ling Xi had just posted a nine-photo grid.
The photos showed her at a concert venue, wearing heavier makeup than usual and holding a glow stick.
In the pictures, she was grinning widely, her cheeks shimmering, her vivid red lips like fully ripened berries.
Zhou Mingye tapped on one of the live photos. Deafening noise poured out, along with Ling Xi’s excited shouting.
For once, Zhou Mingye typed a few extra words: Handling work during the holiday. That’s hard on you.
Ling Xi had just changed clothes when she saw Zhou Mingye’s reply. She curled her lips slightly. Oh? The boss actually knows how to care about people.
She typed one-handed: Not hard at all. Aren’t you going out to have fun during the holiday?
Now she was prying into his private life?
Zhou Mingye: No. I’m at home dealing with some work matters.
Zhou Mingye did not have many friends. Two close friends from his graduate school days had settled overseas. In the country, his only close friend was Xue Yang.
During the National Day holiday, Xue Yang was traveling with his parents.
Ling Xi flattered him: As expected of the boss. Even on rest days, you’re this dedicated.
Zhou Mingye let out a soft chuckle: You looked very happy at the concert. Relax properly.
Ling Xi froze. How did he know I went to a concert?
Did Zhou Mingye check her Moments?
She followed along naturally: It really was super fun!
She even sent Zhou Mingye a video she had taken at the venue. “The atmosphere was amazing!”
She truly could not resist recommending her idol to everyone.
Zhou Mingye opened it and saw several young boys bursting with energy on stage. It was loud.
Zhou Mingye: Is watching a concert really that happy?
Ling Xi: Of course. Only after watching it do I have the strength to survive life.
Zhou Mingye understood. So this was her “life-saving power source”?
While messaging Ling Xi, Zhou Mingye left the study and went into the courtyard to get some air.
Ling Xi asked him: Aren’t you bored staying at home during the holiday?
In the courtyard, Zhou Mingye stopped in his tracks. He realized he had never really thought about that question.
After returning to the country to start his business, he had grown accustomed to a busy state. Work and social engagements had completely filled his life.
In a bustling holiday period, not having to deal with anyone or anything seemed to finally allow him to catch his breath.
In the moment of spacing out, a fluffy tail suddenly poked out from behind a flowerpot in the corner.
Zhou Mingye stood there, watching for quite a while.
After Ling Xi sent that message, Zhou Mingye waited ten minutes before replying.
He sent her a photo. On the lawn sat a plate, and a snow-white kitten was burying its head in cat food.
Ling Xi: Yours? That’s way too cute!
Zhou Mingye: No. A stray cat from the neighborhood.
The villa area where Zhou Mingye lived had a very good ecosystem and attracted some small animals.
The property management was very kind-hearted. When they encountered stray cats or dogs, they would bathe them, vaccinate them, and then send them to dedicated public welfare organizations to be adopted.
Still, there were always some that slipped through the cracks, like the one in Zhou Mingye’s yard.
Ling Xi enlarged the picture. The kitten inside was tiny and adorable, completely hitting her soft spot.
She asked Zhou Mingye: Have you considered adopting it?
Zhou Mingye: Bringing it home when no one is there to keep it company would be too lonely.
Ling Xi: There’s someone at my place! My grandmother is free all day.
Zhou Mingye did not take her bait. “Then go take a walk near your place and catch a stray cat for your grandmother.”
Ling Xi: …
Her companion was waiting for her. Ling Xi closed the computer and sent Zhou Mingye another message: President Zhou, I’m going out to have fun now. If you need anything, message me.
Next came a shop link, with Ling Xi’s note: This wood-fired pizza place is super good. It’s not far from your place. If you have time during the holiday, you can go try it.
Putting her phone away, Ling Xi followed her companion out the door toward the bar they had booked.
Zhou Mingye stared at the message, lost in thought.