Shen Ningruo wasn’t afraid of floor-to-ceiling windows. In fact, she thought the view was quite good, especially when looking through slightly blurred eyes. The hazy scene added a touch more artistic flair than seeing it clearly.
She suggested Qiu Yang try sitting on the single sofa next time, but obviously, the atmosphere last night wasn’t suitable for saying that.
Because as soon as Qiu Yang was done, she didn’t care anymore. There was no tenderness; after showering, she didn’t even say “goodnight,” acting as if she had completed a task.
No, wasn’t she just completing a task?
However, this made Shen Ningruo suddenly think of a phrase she saw online a couple of days ago—
Heartless after the deed.
Unfortunately, Qiu Yang couldn’t be heartless for now because she still owed a debt, and this debt would only grow larger.
Shen Ningruo had indeed intended to sleep with Qiu Yang last night, but that intention didn’t last long. If she made Qiu Yang feel from the start that she wasn’t following the rules, what if Qiu Yang didn’t acknowledge the debt?
Only a good girl like Qiu Yang would actually believe her nonsense.
For a few moments, Shen Ningruo felt quite wicked. On the surface, she claimed to be distracting Qiu Yang from her heartbreak, but she was using it to satisfy her own selfish desires.
But she quickly came to terms with it, because she then convinced herself that she was helping Qiu Yang, and the effect was significant.
If she wanted a long-term relationship with Qiu Yang, Shen Ningruo knew she couldn’t be impatient. Only by casting a long line could she catch a big fish. The few times of “repayment” so far were like small fry, not worth Shen Ningruo’s attention.
However, Qiu Yang wasn’t a big fish, but a little lamb.
Shen Ningruo was quite taken with this nickname and image. In her eyes, Qiu Yang was truly like a pure little lamb.
After thinking for a while, Shen Ningruo was in a good mood. She played music on the way to the company, humming softly. But while waiting at a traffic light, she looked at the surrounding traffic and crowds, and her mind returned to Qiu Yang last night, seeming unable to get enough of her, making her stay on the sofa for several rounds before stopping.
She had to admit that last night, Qiu Yang brought her pleasure to a new peak, to the extent that just thinking about it made her body feel warm and her legs weak.
But as soon as she got out of the car, Shen Ningruo put on her usual cold demeanor. The atmosphere around her suddenly chilled. The Qiyao employees waiting for the elevator nearby saw her slightly furrowed brow and secretly felt they were unlucky.
Their Director was not easy to deal with. Projects submitted to her were often returned with dissatisfaction. Although she didn’t scold people, she always had a cold face, which made anyone who saw her feel a bit intimidated.
But Shen Ningruo had no time to pay attention to them. She was thinking about a problem she had overlooked that morning: was Qiu Yang going to drag her suitcase to the company?
Of course, Qiu Yang didn’t do that. The suitcase was too green; dragging it to the company would be too eye-catching.
She timed it just right, went home first, and then headed to the company.
Fortunately, she left the hotel quite early, and luckily, the roads weren’t as congested today, allowing her to clock in at her usual time, with no visible signs of abnormality.
It was Thursday; tomorrow would be Friday, and the weekend’s happy life would begin in the evening.
Everyone seemed to have something to look forward to and appeared much more energetic than yesterday. Qiu Yang was also slightly infected, her eyes brighter.
Moreover, she slept very well last night.
During the morning meeting, Qu Yan emphasized the importance of the cooperation with Qiyao to the team members. Everyone understood, of course, but now that the contract was signed, the nature was different, so they all reviewed the points to note again.
Mentioning Qiyao inevitably led to mentioning Shen Ningruo. There were many rumors and gossip circulating about Director Shen’s reputation. Qu Yan specifically told everyone to listen less to gossip and not spread it around, as it could have some impact.
Qiu Yang nodded along with the other team members, but she felt an increasingly strange sense of having a secret affair with Shen Ningruo.
Who would have thought she had a connection with Shen Ningruo, this well-known Director?
And an improper connection at that.
After the morning meeting, Qiu Yang was a bit distracted. She wasn’t recalling her actions from last night, but rather thinking about the date for the next “repayment.”
She hadn’t discussed this topic with Shen Ningruo last night. After completing the task, she fell asleep and didn’t say much this morning before coming to the company. So now she could only passively wait for notification.
The project between the two companies had already started operating. Qiu Yang put that matter aside for now and got busy with her own work.
Well, she would just wait for the notification. As long as it didn’t affect her career, it was fine.
Although Qiu Yang wasn’t deliberately waiting, she still felt a little surprised not to receive a message from Shen Ningruo all day.
Her impression of Shen Ningruo now was somewhat… strange. She had thought she would be called upon to repay the debt again tonight.
But it was also good not to go. Qiu Yang felt no disappointment; on the contrary, she felt much more relaxed.
However, as the weekend approached, Qiu Yang couldn’t help but feel a little flustered again. She had agreed to repay the debt and wanted to finish it quickly, but the creditor was sometimes urgent and sometimes relaxed, making it hard for her to figure out her intentions.
Time flew by, and it was already after work on Friday. Qiu Yang went home. She held Pingzi and played for a while, then stared at her phone.
When it reached six o’clock, Qiyao’s closing time, she pursed her lips and called Shen Ningruo.
She didn’t want to drag it out.
Ending this kind of relationship sooner was one of her current wishes.
Shen Ningruo answered after a few seconds, her voice cool as she asked, “What is it?”
Her tone was different from when she was with her. Qiu Yang immediately realized this. “Nothing.”
“You must be busy.”
“I’ve been working overtime these past two days,” Shen Ningruo explained before she could hang up, her voice softening slightly, filled with exhaustion. “I didn’t contact you because I was afraid of affecting your work.”
Qiu Yang stroked Pingzi’s soft fur, lowering her eyelids. She hummed in acknowledgment. “Okay, I understand.”
She added, “You go back to being busy.”
Shen Ningruo thought for a moment, then said softly, “I miss you, little lamb.”
Qiu Yang paused slightly, her pursed lips relaxing a little. Shen Ningruo’s voice was pleasant, and when she whispered it close to her ear, it felt even more captivating.
Even now, it made Qiu Yang feel a bit dazed.
She didn’t respond, quickly hanging up the phone. Her mind was a mess, sometimes thinking she was using Shen Ningruo, sometimes thinking she was repaying a debt.
But her attention was soon diverted. There were two knocks on the door.
Qiu Yang walked over and opened the door, seeing Miao Yi handing her a bag. “Here, Yangyang. That super delicious braised food place nearby is finally back in business today. I bought some for you.”
Qiu Yang took it with a smile. “Thank you.”
“Don’t you dare transfer me the money,” Miao Yi said with a hint of disdain. “I bought this to celebrate you getting away from that scumbag woman.”
“See? You’re saying thank you again.”
Qiu Yang thought for a moment, looking at Miao Yi. “Do you have anything else planned tonight?”
“No.”
“Does binge-watching dramas count?”
Qiu Yang extended an invitation, smiling. “It’s a rare weekend. How about we have some wine here? I haven’t opened the two bottles of red wine I bought before.”
“Okay!” Miao Yi agreed immediately. “Then I’ll order some more takeout. There’s a new movie that just came out that I haven’t seen yet. You have a projector, let’s watch it together.”
“I’ll order the takeout.”
“Alright, I’ll go back to my room and take a shower first.” Miao Yi also gave her braised food bag to Qiu Yang. “Here, take this first.”
Qiu Yang carried the two bags and closed the door. Pingzi squatted on the floor, looking at her innocently.
Qiu Yang put the bags in the refrigerator first, then squatted in front of Pingzi, saying in a heartfelt, motherly tone, “Someone took care of you for a week, I have to return the favor. Even though she’s a friend, I don’t want to owe her.”
Just like she didn’t want to owe Shen Ningruo.
Before, because Tao Sixian was around, it was difficult to get together with Miao Yi like this. Qiu Yang felt it was rare and also felt more free.
Now that she was completely sober, looking back, Tao Sixian’s acting was really good, constantly showing her possessiveness, which led Qiu Yang to deeply misunderstand.
Qiu Yang ordered a lot of takeout, plus the braised food, filling more than half of the coffee table.
The sky had already darkened, and the curtains were drawn. The projector in the room began playing the movie Miao Yi mentioned.
“A projector is one of the things that can most increase happiness,” Miao Yi said, pouring wine for herself and Qiu Yang. “I’m buying one this year too. Just lounging on the sofa watching shows every day is simply too awesome.”
Qiu Yang agreed. “It is.”
She picked up her wine glass and clinked it with Miao Yi’s, a natural smile on her face. She added, “It’s okay, you don’t have to rush. You can just come over here to watch whenever you want. I don’t really use it much anyway.”
“Alright!” Miao Yi tilted her head back and drained her glass.
Qiu Yang didn’t lag behind; she also finished her glass in one go.
These two bottles of red wine were originally bought to be drunk on White Day this year, but Tao Sixian went to get married that day.
Thinking about it now still felt ridiculous. Qiu Yang didn’t pay attention to what the movie was playing, but the wine went down glass after glass.
As her friend, Miao Yi could guess her thoughts. She didn’t say anything to comfort her, just let her continue drinking.
However, Miao Yi wasn’t idle either; she also drank quite a bit. She didn’t eat much of the food in front of her and quickly finished more than a bottle.
Qiu Yang started to feel a bit dizzy. Her alcohol tolerance was decent, but she couldn’t handle drinking like this without a break.
Her body leaned back, resting on the sofa. Pingzi was sleeping on the sofa; when she touched him, he grumbled twice in dissatisfaction and went back to sleep.
Qiu Yang’s phone rang at this moment. It was a call from the creditor.
Qiu Yang picked up her phone, hesitated for a few seconds, but still picked it up and stumbled to the balcony nearby to answer the call.
She pulled open the screen door, wanting the wind to blow on her face, but the wind tonight wasn’t very cooperative, touching her gently, unlike what she wanted.
“What is it?” Qiu Yang asked the same question Shen Ningruo had asked her that afternoon.
Good, very good.
Perfectly equal.
Shen Ningruo immediately heard that something was off. “Have you been drinking?”
“Yes.” Qiu Yang didn’t deny it. She closed her eyes, carefully feeling the temperature of the night.
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“Shen Ningruo,” Qiu Yang called her name. “Why would I call you? You and I, we’re not that close.”
Shen Ningruo listened to her disjointed words and chuckled lightly. “Yes, we’re not that close. We just know each other’s sensitive spots, I guess.”
Perhaps it was the lingering effect of the alcohol, but when Qiu Yang heard this, a figure appeared in her mind. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she even voiced the question that had been bothering her for days. “Did you ever like me?”
Shen Ningruo paused slightly. The next second, she heard Qiu Yang vaguely say three words: “Tao Sixian.”
“Did you ever like me…”
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