If they hadn’t shown up at the office building at the same time, people wouldn’t have suspected anything. They might still be guessing who He Lindi’s girlfriend was. But they did appear together, and combined with their seemingly close relationship a while back, it wasn’t hard to suspect Chi Shuo was that girlfriend.
Surrounded by people, Fang Xiuxiu kept her voice low. Chi Shuo froze when she heard her, and He Lindi had the same reaction.
Fang Xiuxiu coughed lightly and said nothing more, entering the elevator with them.
It was morning rush hour; everyone was going to different floors. It was four minutes later when they reached Xinyue Company’s floor.
Before exiting, Chi Shuo and He Lindi exchanged a glance, then separated and returned to their respective companies.
Only then did Fang Xiuxiu activate gossip mode. “Shuo Shuo, He Lindi’s girlfriend… is you, right? When did you two get together?”
Even while gossiping, Fang Xiuxiu’s voice remained low. Hearing her conspiratorial tone, Chi Shuo chuckled. “Why are you being so sneaky? If you want to ask, just ask me directly on WeChat.”
“…”
Fang Xiuxiu immediately took out her phone and started typing.
Back at her desk, Chi Shuo briefly felt like she had just returned from a long holiday, but the calendar on her desk clearly stated only two days had passed.
This calendar was a gift from Xiang Qingya’s studio when they were at Xinyue’s “New Life” event. It came with other gifts; after all, she was a key member of that project. Moreover, Xiang Qingya had even added her on WeChat.
At the end and beginning of the year, celebrity studios would send gifts to media staff. Since Chi Shuo wasn’t particularly high-profile, she only received this one set. Xiao Cheng and Zheng Jianbin, being more central figures, even received gifts from Song Qin’s studio.
He Lindi was different. Chi Shuo had seen it when she was at He Lindi’s place—an entire room dedicated to gifts, because she knew so many celebrities. She received gifts not only at the end of the year, but also during holidays like Dragon Boat Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival. So, she simply designated a room specifically for them.
Thinking of this made Chi Shuo feel a pang of envy. After answering Fang Xiuxiu’s questions, she sent a WeChat message to He Lindi: 【Did you put the roller skates I gave you in that gift room? I didn’t even see them last time.】
He Lindi replied instantly: 【They’re not there.】
She sent another message: 【They’re in a very special place.】
Chi Shuo, seeing this answer, was satisfied, a smile spreading across her face. 【That’s good.】
A few minutes before the meeting, Chi Shuo and He Lindi had already agreed on their next roller skating rink date – next month, when the weather warmed up.
After confirming their plans, Chi Shuo entered the conference room for the morning meeting. Only then did she notice He Xiuqi.
Ever since He Lindi posted that Weibo update, Chi Shuo had wondered countless times how angry He Xiuqi was after learning they’d “gotten back together.” Now that she finally saw him, her mood noticeably brightened.
He Xiuqi clearly wasn’t calm. He gripped his pen tightly; Chi Shuo, with her sharp eyesight, noticed his white knuckles.
He Xiuqi didn’t look at her, his lips pressed tightly together, his serious expression indicating he was fully focused on the meeting.
Chi Shuo laughed inwardly but showed no outward reaction.
“Mingjing Company’s representatives are coming today.” The supervisor called Chi Shuo’s name. “Chi Shuo, you’ll be taking photos with Mr. Lin and the Mingjing representatives. Remember to wear a suit.”
“Okay.”
The supervisor’s old habits hadn’t changed, but thankfully, Chi Shuo had received the notice in the group chat beforehand and had already brought her suit and heels.
“Meeting adjourned.”
Chi Shuo put her notebook down, grabbed her bag, and went to change. She vaguely felt like her chest had gotten bigger.
Could it be because of He Lindi? Chi Shuo quickly found the answer.
There was a mirror in the changing room. Chi Shuo had also brought makeup. Before she could even start applying foundation, her phone rang. It was He Lindi.
Chi Shuo answered, hearing He Lindi ask, “Where are you?”
“Changing room.”
“Okay.”
Hearing her tone, Chi Shuo immediately understood – He Lindi must have been called upon by Lin Xinyue to take photos again.
Sure enough, two minutes later, He Lindi appeared in the changing room. Chi Shuo was in the middle of applying foundation.
He Lindi, seeing her half-finished makeup, laughed. “Does it even matter if you wear foundation or not?”
“Say that again?”
“I’m saying…”
“Both look good.”
He Lindi placed her DSLR aside, had Chi Shuo sit down, and started applying makeup for her.
Chi Shuo only needed a touch-up; she hadn’t brought much makeup. Soon, they reached the lipstick stage.
He Lindi held the lipstick, bent slightly, and carefully applied it to Chi Shuo’s lips.
Once finished, Chi Shuo looked at her refreshed reflection in the mirror, smiled, and said, “I thought you were going to kiss me while you were applying it.”
He Lindi put the lipstick in Chi Shuo’s makeup bag. “What are you thinking? This is the company.”
After speaking, she seemed to regret it. It did seem like a good opportunity for a kiss, but the setting wasn’t right. So, she lifted her right hand, touched her own bare lips, then pressed her fingers against Chi Shuo’s ear.
“Kissed you,” she declared.
Chi Shuo’s ear, where He Lindi had just touched it, immediately turned red. She brushed her hair back. “He Lindi, did you read some guide on how to flirt with girls?”
Without further conversation, Chi Shuo locked her things in the locker and returned to her workstation.
At 10:30, Mingjing’s representatives arrived. Lin Xinyue and Chi Shuo’s team had already been waiting at the entrance, greeting them. He Lindi had also returned to work mode, seriously taking photos.
That afternoon, news of the collaboration between the two companies was posted on both their websites and apps, along with photos of staff shaking hands.
Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai immediately screenshotted the pictures and sent them to their small group chat.
Xia Zhou: 【Shuo Shuo, you’re so photogenic.】
Zeng Guai: 【I finally understand why they keep sending Shuo Shuo on business trips. I seriously suspect Lin Xinyue is using her as the face of the company.】
Xia Zhou: 【Don’t let that stingy Lin Xinyue hear that. He thinks he’s the face of the company.】
Chi Shuo: 【……】
Chi Shuo: 【That’s because my girlfriend is a good photographer.】
Zeng Guai started again: 【I’m so jealous!】
It wasn’t quitting time yet, but the entertainment industry was currently in its off-season; everyone was busy filming. This meant less work for them, so chatting was perfectly acceptable.
Fang Xiuxiu also had some free time. She got some water, and when she came back, looked at Chi Shuo, hesitating before speaking. “Shuo Shuo, I really want to ask something.”
“What?”
“Ask.”
“How did you and He Lindi… become a thing? I thought you two didn’t get along before? Or is my memory messed up?”
Chi Shuo just smiled. “No, your memory is messed up.”
Fang Xiuxiu: ???
Chi Shuo herself didn’t know the answer. Her and He Lindi’s timelines of unrequited love seemed to constantly miss each other. As for how they became a thing, she didn’t even know where to begin.
Soon, it was quitting time. Chi Shuo said goodbye to her friends and went upstairs to wait for He Lindi.
The receptionist saw Chi Shuo and asked the usual question, “Shuo Shuo, are you here to wait for Teacher He?”
Chi Shuo gave the usual reply, “Yes.”
The receptionist pressed her lips together, a slightly melancholic expression on her face. She waved Chi Shuo closer, and Chi Shuo walked over, hearing her whisper, “Did you know? Teacher He has a girlfriend! This news was like a bolt from the blue.”
Chi Shuo feigned ignorance. “Why a bolt from the blue? It’s not that serious, is it?”
The receptionist patted her shoulder. “You, a straight girl on blind dates, wouldn’t understand.”
“Tell me?”
“Well… I feel a bit embarrassed saying this, but I always thought you and Teacher He were sweet, even though I knew you were straight. I still thought you were really sweet together.”
“Turns out Teacher He already has a girlfriend… sigh.”
“So, what would it take for you to feel better?” Chi Shuo’s eyes sparkled. “Unless… I’m He Lindi’s girlfriend?”
“Definitely!”
“Then I am.”
“You’re joking, how could you…” The receptionist stopped speaking, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Chi Shuo exhaled. “I was forced to go on blind dates, understand?”
“Okay, okay.”
They chatted for a bit, and soon it was 6 PM. A few minutes later, when fewer people were around, Chi Shuo entered Xiyu.
She had brought her camera today, already turned on, intending to take a picture of He Lindi working.
But she wasn’t prepared for what she saw—He Xiuqi standing opposite He Lindi.
They were some distance away, and Chi Shuo couldn’t hear what they were saying. She didn’t stay long either, just saw He Xiuqi angrily turn around and make eye contact with her.
Chi Shuo blinked innocently. Seeing her, He Xiuqi seemed even angrier, but didn’t say or do anything, just left from the other side.
Chi Shuo cleared her throat and walked over slowly. She raised her camera, took a picture of He Lindi, who was looking down, and then walked towards her.
Seeing He Lindi’s dejected look, Chi Shuo felt a pang of worry. “What happened?”
He Lindi met her gaze, guilt in her eyes. “I’m a terrible person, aren’t I?”
She sighed. “He hadn’t even said anything, and I already told him that if he dared lay a finger on you, I’d have my cousin fire him.”
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