PSMD – Chapter 67

Qiyao Company turns a blind eye to office romances, but everyone tacitly agrees not to make them public or flirt at work.

Moreover, Shen Ningruo hadn’t paid much attention to it before, but at this moment, she really wanted to interview those who were dating colleagues to understand their psychological state, especially those relationships that weren’t public and only known to the parties involved.

However…

Her situation with Qiu Yang, being from different companies, wasn’t really an office romance.

If it were an office romance, it would be great. She wouldn’t have to expend so much effort just to meet Qiu Yang publicly. Private social engagements were something Shen Ningruo had always disliked, but now she had become someone who did them.

It was truly addictive.

Even though she could see Qiu Yang every night after returning home, there was no rush for this moment, but Shen Ningruo didn’t know why at the time, she just really wanted to do this.

Now she understood.

This was a deliberate revisit, a pilgrimage to a significant spot.

Xinhao Hotel was a starting point for their new beginning.

Shen Ningruo’s lips curved upwards for a moment, then the smile vanished without a trace, her expression returning to its usual cool demeanor.

Ke Yezi seemed to get along well with Qiu Yang, switching from one topic to another beside her.

One moment she was asking Qiu Yang about her skincare routine, wondering how her skin was so good.

The next, she was asking if Qiu Yang used eye drops, as her eyes looked so bright.

Then she asked if Qiu Yang had pets. Ke Yezi herself had a cat, and upon learning that Qiu Yang did too, Ke Yezi became even more talkative, rattling off a stream of words and exchanging tips on raising cats.

Shen Ningruo: …

“Director Shen, I’d like to toast you.” Qu Yan raised her drink from the side. She wasn’t drinking alcohol like last time.

Shen Ningruo stopped eavesdropping, picked up a glass of warm water, and clinked it against Qu Yan’s glass.

Shen Ningruo was on her period. Although she didn’t have severe cramps, Qiu Yang had been reminding her these past two days not to drink cold water.

What could she do? She definitely had to listen, especially now that she was under Qiu Yang’s watchful eye. She wouldn’t dare to misbehave.

“I heard Director Shen also went to Xicheng recently?” Qu Yan put down her glass and asked casually, as if unintentionally.

Shen Ningruo replied faintly, “Yes.”

Qu Yan pointed at Qiu Yang: “What a coincidence, our Department Head Qiu also went to Xicheng a while ago.”

Saying this, she called out to Qiu Yang from two seats away: “Yangyang.”

Qiu Yang stood up with her water glass and walked over to Qu Yan. She didn’t dare look at Shen Ningruo, so she asked, “Qu Jie, what is it?”

Qu Yan smiled and said, “Director Shen also took a trip to Xicheng recently.”

Qiu Yang turned her head and met Shen Ningruo’s gaze. Her eyelid twitched, and she gave Shen Ningruo a smile: “Xicheng is quite fun, isn’t it, Director Shen?”

“Yes,” Shen Ningruo replied with a single word, still in her faint tone. Then she brought up Qiu Yang’s previous visit to Qiyao Company, “Department Head Qiu seemed to be in a hurry to leave Qiyao last time. Did something urgent come up?”

Ke Yezi, who was unintentionally eavesdropping nearby, felt that something was off—

Why would their director care so much about someone she hadn’t met much?

Ke Yezi’s mind raced faster than her cat running around at home. When she heard Qiu Yang’s reply, “No, it’s already resolved, thank you for your concern, Director Shen,” a light suddenly went on in her head, and the answer to her recent confusion presented itself.

From the moment she first learned about the collaboration with Wanming, Shen Ningruo had been asking her for Wanming’s contact list. Then, when Wanming suggested having dinner together that evening, Shen Ningruo uncharacteristically agreed to go. At that point, she should have realized something was strange, because it was truly out of character.

Furthermore, when Qiu Yang came to Qiyao Company to discuss business before, it was just a small meeting that Shen Ningruo didn’t need to attend, as a director isn’t idle and has many things to do. But Shen Ningruo came anyway. Finally, there was today’s dinner, which Shen Ningruo had initiated…

All of this had one key point: it was all related to Qiu Yang.

As Ke Yezi lowered her head to eat, her pupils dilated in shock—

Their director was friends with someone from a partner company!

Their director actually had friends!

After all that, she had still encountered a miracle. Ke Yezi felt relieved; as long as it wasn’t a ghost, it was fine.

After Qiu Yang returned to her seat, she saw that Ke Yezi, who had been chatting happily, had fallen silent. She put down her glass and called out, “Manager Ke.” When the other woman looked up, she asked with concern, “Are you not feeling well?”

“No, no.”

“I was just thinking about something.”

Qiu Yang’s dimples appeared faintly at the corners of her lips: “That’s good.”

She didn’t ask what the other person was thinking about; it wasn’t within her scope of gossip.

All the dishes were served. Shen Ningruo glanced at the table and called a waiter to add two more dishes. These two were Qiu Yang’s favorites. Xinhao Hotel had them, but they weren’t part of the set menu, so she had to order them manually.

Peng Kaimiao saw this, picked up the serving chopsticks again, and asked, “Xiao Qiu Jie, do you need me to get some for you?”

Qiu Yang politely declined: “…I have hands, thank you.”

Peng Kaimiao let out another disappointed “Oh.” Just as he put the food in his own bowl, he looked up and met Shen Ningruo’s gaze for a moment, or perhaps it was just his imagination. Her look was so cold it felt like he had been stuffed into a refrigerator. But when he blinked again, Shen Ningruo’s expression was indifferent, with no sign that she had just looked at him.

Qiu Yang was also tense, afraid that Shen Ningruo had seen it.

Shen Ningruo had indeed seen it and had indeed met Peng Kaimiao’s gaze, but she felt her look wasn’t malicious; she just thought the young man was a bit clueless.

Hadn’t he seen her pick up Qiu Yang at the airport?

How dare he openly serve Qiu Yang food in front of her?

Shen Ningruo’s brows furrowed slightly, but she quickly figured it out. Few people would automatically associate two normal-acting women standing together as lovers.

Lovers…

Thinking of this word, Shen Ningruo tapped her fingers on the table.

She and Qiu Yang weren’t lovers yet.

The dinner lasted from seven to nine o’clock, a full two hours. The windows of the private room were open for ventilation, but everyone still had slightly flushed faces, purely from being cooped up.

After the dinner, some drove, some took taxis, and some who had drunk too much were being supported by colleagues, swaying unsteadily.

Qu Yan proactively asked Qiu Yang, “Yangyang, do you need a ride back?”

“No need, Qu Jie, my place isn’t far from here,” Qiu Yang smiled sweetly. “I’ll just take the bus over there.”

Qu Yan patted her shoulder: “Alright, be careful.”

Qu Yan then turned to everyone and said, “Let me know when you get back safely. It’s getting late.”

“Okay!”

“OK!”

“Got it, Qu Jie!”

Qiu Yang also said goodbye and walked towards the exit along the same route as last time. This time, there was no need to test whether she and Shen Ningruo had telepathy, because it was a certainty that Shen Ningruo would follow.

The distance walked this time was significantly shorter. A car horn sounded from her left.

The streetlights filtered through the unusually long branches and leaves, casting various shapes onto the ground.

Qiu Yang turned around and saw the car window roll down, revealing Shen Ningruo’s face. She smiled, walked over, and opened the car door.

As soon as she sat down, Shen Ningruo cupped her hands around Qiu Yang’s face. Her palms were still a bit cool, but Qiu Yang’s face was warm from the stuffy private room.

“Director Shen.” Qiu Yang’s mouth was slightly pursed from being held like that, making her look very cute when she spoke. “Other people buy hand warmers, so is my face your hand warmer?”

Shen Ningruo agreed with her statement: “Yes.”

“Isn’t it?”

Qiu Yang’s eyes curved into crescents. Keeping Shen Ningruo’s hands in place, she leaned in and kissed Shen Ningruo’s cheek: “You were very good tonight, drinking warm water.”

Shen Ningruo withdrew her hands and chuckled softly.

She used to not care and always drank cold water, but now Qiu Yang was supervising her.

“Not bad, right?” Shen Ningruo raised an eyebrow.

Qiu Yang nodded cooperatively and fastened her seatbelt.

Shen Ningruo didn’t actually come to Qiu Yang’s place every day. For example, these past two days, Shen Ningruo had worked too late and returned to her own place. She didn’t want to wake Qiu Yang up, so tonight was their first time seeing each other in two days.

As for Pingzi being constantly called “Pangpang,” its heart seemed to have become numb to the pain.

Whatever, whatever, it wasn’t really fat anyway.

Shen Ningruo hadn’t seen the cat in two days either. After opening the door, she called out “Pangpang” to Pingzi.

Pangpang was resigned, but it had to admit it missed this person a little too.

It slowly trotted over, then quietly sped up, only to nearly fail to brake at the end, astonishing everyone present.

Shen Ningruo scooped it up. As she scratched Pingzi’s chin, she heard Qiu Yang say from the side, “I’m taking her to the vet this weekend.”

Shen Ningruo looked at her, a little worried: “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Qiu Yang walked over and also stroked Pingzi’s head. “She just needs a check-up.”

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“Okay.”

Qiu Yang replied, “I’ll go get your pajamas and towel.”

“Okay~” Shen Ningruo’s voice trailed upwards, even adding a rare particle.

Qiu Yang came out of the bedroom and saw Shen Ningruo sitting on the sofa, holding Pingzi and taking selfies with her phone.

Qiu Yang chuckled and stood behind Shen Ningruo and Pingzi: “Having fun?”

She leaned over the back of the sofa, wanting to see how Shen Ningruo’s photos turned out. Before she could even blink, Shen Ningruo pressed the shutter.

“A family portrait.”

“Got it.”

Shen Ningruo tilted her head back, looked at Qiu Yang, and her eyes curved into a smile: “Can I print this photo and put it by the bed?”

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