Two hours later.
Qi Lanzhou finished his work and returned to his office.
When he opened the door, he found Wen Xiayue lying quietly on his desk, already asleep.
He subconsciously softened his steps and walked over.
He originally intended to carry her to the sofa, but his gaze accidentally fell on the drawing paper pinned beneath her hand.
He reached out and pulled the paper out from under her.
It was a ring design sketch.
The lines were still rough, but the overall outline was already visible.
It actually showed quite a bit of design talent.
He had no idea Wen Xiayue could design jewelry.
Qi Lanzhou didn’t think much of it, assuming he had simply been too busy to pay attention to her before.
He picked her up—but the moment her body lifted into the air, she woke up.
Still groggy, she opened her eyes and met his chin. It took her a couple of seconds to realize she was being carried in his arms.
“You…”
“You’re awake?” Qi Lanzhou looked down at her. “Sleeping here will make you catch a cold.”
“I can walk by myself,” Wen Xiayue said softly, though her body didn’t move at all.
Hearing that, Qi Lanzhou simply let go.
Wen Xiayue, completely unprepared, fell straight downward.
She gasped in shock, instinctively wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
But in the moment she was about to hit the ground, Qi Lanzhou quickly pulled her back up again, holding her steadily in his arms.
Her heart pounded violently.
She stared at him, still shaken.
“You!!!”
“Didn’t you say you could walk yourself?” he asked.
Wen Xiayue was furious.
He was doing it on purpose again.
She clung to his neck, unsure whether to let go or not, her face instantly turning bright red.
Then, in a burst of anger, she leaned forward and bit his ear without warning.
Qi Lanzhou frowned slightly.
He didn’t even make a sound.
Only when she tasted blood did Wen Xiayue let go.
She hadn’t actually used much force—but she didn’t expect even a light bite to make him bleed.
“If you’re so capable, bite me back then,” she said proudly, completely unaware of the consequences of provoking him.
Qi Lanzhou looked at her triumphant expression, his gaze deepening.
He touched his ear and looked at the blood on his fingers.
“You sure about that?”
Wen Xiayue shrugged.
Could a grown man really be petty enough to bite her ear in return?
She turned around and glanced at the design sketch on the desk, instinctively covering it with a nearby file.
This terrible design… she couldn’t let Qi Lanzhou see it.
She hadn’t drawn for a long time.
Restarting jewelry design was harder than she imagined. The flashes of inspiration she once had now felt impossible to retrieve no matter how hard she tried.
The sketch she was hiding was meant for Qi Lanzhou.
If he saw it… he’d probably dislike it.
A wave of frustration rose in her chest.
Qi Lanzhou noticed her movement.
“What are you hiding?” he asked.
Wen Xiayue quickly changed the subject. “Your company should have disinfectant, right? Even if it’s not serious, you should still treat it.”
Qi Lanzhou looked at the back of her head and paused for two seconds.
“Second drawer of the cabinet on the left. There’s a first aid kit.”
Wen Xiayue hurried over.
Qi Lanzhou’s gaze fell back onto the partially covered drawing paper.
One corner was still exposed, faint lines visible.
He thought for a moment.
Was Wen Xiayue lacking confidence in her drawing? Was that why she was afraid of him seeing it?
But he had already seen it.
And he thought it showed real talent.
Why would she think it was bad?
His gaze darkened slightly.
Soon, Wen Xiayue returned with the first aid kit.
Inside were iodine and cotton swabs.
Qi Lanzhou cooperated and sat down in the office chair.
The bite mark on his ear was clearly visible, red with a dried bead of blood.
Wen Xiayue dipped a cotton swab in iodine and carefully applied it to the wound.
Her movements were gentle and precise.
“So you bite me, then treat me afterward?” Qi Lanzhou said suddenly. “Wen Xiayue, who taught you this—hit someone first, then give them a sweet reward?”
Her hand froze.
She looked up at him, meeting his half-smiling gaze, and nervously swallowed.
“Then… what do you want?” she asked softly.
He didn’t answer.
She felt even more uneasy under his gaze but continued cleaning the wound.
“This is me taking care of your injury,” she muttered. “It’s bleeding—what if it gets infected…”
Qi Lanzhou watched her conflicted yet stubborn expression, his eyes filled with amusement.
“So whose fault is it? Yours or mine?”
“Of course it’s yours!” Wen Xiayue glared at him, tossing the used cotton swab into the trash.
Then she huffed, “Take care of yourself. I’ll wait outside.”
With that, she turned and left, also taking her sketch with her and slipping it into her bag.
As she opened the door, she ran into Wang Shuqing, who was about to knock.
Wen Xiayue froze.
Wang Shuqing also froze.
“Mrs. Qi!” Wang Shuqing called out, though her tone carried clear reluctance.
Wen Xiayue didn’t respond much, only softly acknowledged her and stepped aside.
Wang Shuqing glanced at her, then entered the office and closed the door.
Wen Xiayue immediately felt uncomfortable.
It was obvious Wang Shuqing had feelings for Qi Lanzhou, but as his secretary, there wasn’t much she could say.
She went to the pantry area outside, her eyes fixed on Qi Lanzhou’s office door, which was opaque from the outside.
There were other employees there too.
A few bold ones came over to greet her.
Some even started talking about Wang Shuqing.
They said Wang Shuqing was a student Qi Lanzhou had sponsored. After graduating from university, she joined the company as a regular secretary in the executive office.
But Wang Shuqing always believed she was different—that she had been personally cultivated by Qi Lanzhou and shared a special relationship with him.
In reality, she wasn’t the only sponsored student. There were others who entered the company through the same arrangement.
Another girl, Fang Yun, had also been sponsored—but unlike Wang Shuqing, she relied on her own ability and rose to become a marketing director.
Unlike Wang Shuqing, who still remained in the secretary pool.
Someone tried to smooth things over:
“The executive office is still very important. Secretary Wang is capable, otherwise she wouldn’t be working there.”
“What capability? There are more than ten people in the executive office. Can she negotiate deals or accompany the CEO to business dinners? She’s just doing odd clerical tasks. After so many years, she’s still stuck in the same position. Everyone can basically see her intentions.”