Chapter 37

The next day, Ruan Xinyi woke up early.

After freshening up, she poured herself a cup of warm water and walked toward the balcony.

She picked up a small watering can and watered the two potted plants in the corner. Setting the can down, she rested one hand on the cold railing and gazed quietly at the street view in the distance.

The morning breeze was cool and gentle, and the sky was still a bit dim. A crescent moon hung high above, accompanied by a few faintly twinkling stars.

Running her fingers through her long hair, Ruan Xinyi sipped her water absentmindedly and tilted her head slightly to listen for any sounds from next door.

Her throat moved as she slowly swallowed the warm water. A slight tremor in her chest was followed by a soft laugh escaping her lips.

As expected, Wen Xihan was probably still asleep.

Or perhaps she was awake but still lingering in bed.

Ruan Xinyi couldn’t help but picture Wen Xihan lounging in bed—dressed in a loose silk nightgown, the soft fabric clinging to her skin and outlining her graceful curves. The sound of the alarm clock would annoy her, making her delicate brows furrow. She would unconsciously let out a soft hum of protest, clutch the blanket tighter, and roll over. In the movement, the silky material would glide against her shoulder, exposing one bare shoulder, her skin smooth and luminous, faintly tinged with an alluring pink hue...

Her fingers clenched tightly. Taking a deep breath, Ruan Xinyi gulped down most of her water to suppress the restlessness rising within her.

Letting the cool morning breeze wash over her, she took a few more sips of water before turning back inside with the empty glass.

There was still plenty of time. Ruan Xinyi opened the fridge and took out the available ingredients, quickly preparing two bento boxes.

After placing the bentos into two distinctly different cloth bags, she toasted a couple of slices of bread. Paired with warm milk, she sat at the dining table and leisurely enjoyed her breakfast.

When she figured it was about time, Ruan Xinyi finished the last sip of her milk, wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin, cleaned the table, and grabbed the two bentos before heading out.

Slipping her shoes on at a leisurely pace, she waited until she heard the door across the hall open. Only then did she nonchalantly open her door and step outside.

“Morning, Sister.” Ruan Xinyi greeted with a faint smile, her tone overly casual, as if it were a complete coincidence.

Wen Xihan was holding her briefcase in her left hand. At the sight of Ruan Xinyi, a trace of surprise flickered in her peach blossom eyes before it quickly vanished, replaced by her usual cool demeanor. She cast a probing glance at Ruan Xinyi, the fleeting depth in her gaze almost making one wonder if it was just their imagination.

Closing her door, Wen Xihan checked the time and commented, her tone laced with implication, “Fifteen minutes left. Planning to be late?”

Ruan Xinyi chuckled and shook her head. Before Wen Xihan could react, she swiftly placed one of the bento boxes in her hand.

“Of course not. But as the boss, you should set a good example, don’t you think?”

With that, Ruan Xinyi confidently strode into the elevator, tossing a parting remark over her shoulder, “That’s lunch, Sister. Don’t forget to eat breakfast on time~”

Wen Xihan: “...”

Because she woke up late, Wen Xihan only drank a bottle of milk and didn’t eat anything else. However, for the past few mornings, her breakfast had been delivered by Ruan Xinyi, who would knock on her door early.

So, when no knocking came this morning, Wen Xihan couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved, which also indirectly led her to sleep in a little longer.

But now, Wen Xihan stood at the door, holding a lunch box, feeling an indescribable mix of emotions.

---

As expected, Wen Xihan arrived at work right on time again today, though Ruan Xinyi had arrived just a few minutes earlier.

Ruan Xinyi took a lollipop out of her drawer, peeled it open, and popped it into her mouth. With her cheeks puffed out, she saw Wen Xihan walking in with the lunch box and switched the lollipop to the other side of her mouth with her tongue.

Before arriving at the office, Wen Xihan had already put on her frameless glasses, their lenses reflecting a faint, cold light. The aloofness in her eyes made her seem even more distant and hard to approach.

Almost as soon as she entered the office area, Wen Xihan spotted Ruan Xinyi, leisurely enjoying her lollipop.

Every Monday morning, there was a major meeting, and all the colleagues around were busy preparing for it. Only Ruan Xinyi, and Ruan Xinyi alone, dared to blatantly eat a lollipop so close to work time.

Wen Xihan’s steps faltered, and she stopped as she passed Ruan Xinyi.

Leaning on her elbow, Ruan Xinyi, with the lollipop still in her mouth, mumbled in a muffled voice, “Good morning, General Manager Wen~”

As she spoke, the candy gently tapped against her teeth, making a soft clicking sound.

Wen Xihan was too close to Ruan Xinyi and could hear those sounds clearly, even the barely audible sound of swallowing.

The lollipop seemed to be blueberry-flavored, and the air was thick with a sweet, cloying scent.

Frowning slightly, Wen Xihan reminded her in a neutral tone, “It’s work time; you shouldn’t be eating.”

“Ah?” Ruan Xinyi seemed to have just realized, turning her head to glance at the time on the desk. Her voice softened, “There are still two minutes.”

Wen Xihan looked at her for two seconds, pressed her lips together slightly, and in the end, said nothing, walking away.

The sound of a lollipop being crushed followed with a faint “crack.”

The sweet, cloying scent in the air seemed to grow stronger, like thick blueberry jam—sweet and sticky.

Ruan Xinyi chewed the candy, then tossed the plastic stick into the trash bin.

The sweetness in her mouth was overwhelming, making her throat feel dry, and she just wanted to drink some water to wash away the greasy feeling.

“Xinyi, did you see that?”

After swallowing the water slowly, Ruan Xinyi turned to Zhou Xuan and asked, “Hm? See what?”

Zhou Xuan’s gaze was still on the lunch box that Wen Xihan was holding. She lowered her voice and said, “General Manager Wen actually brought a lunch box today.”

Looking around, Zhou Xuan whispered, “Do you think it was her partner who made it for her?”

Ruan Xinyi picked up her water cup, covering up the smile that had formed at the corner of her mouth. “It probably was.”

Zhou Xuan nodded thoughtfully, “I think it’s very likely. And General Manager Wen isn’t young anymore. Even if she’s not married, she must be close to it…”

The porcelain cup rim tapped against Ruan Xinyi’s teeth. She didn’t respond, letting the overpowering sweetness of the candy spread in her mouth as she repeatedly mulled over the words “getting married.”

Getting married...

And that man, I think his name was Fu Fangbai?

Ruan Xinyi grabbed a napkin, spat out the broken candy, and rinsed her throat with water, trying to change the subject. “Let’s go, Sister Zhou. The meeting is about to start.”

---

At lunchtime, when most of her colleagues had already left, Ruan Xinyi slowly walked to the break room and retrieved her lunch box from the refrigerator.

While the lunch was being reheated in the microwave, Ruan Xinyi also brewed a cup of Blue Mountain coffee, without milk or sugar. The rich aroma quickly filled the break room.

The adjacent lounge had a few sets of tables and chairs for meals.

Ruan Xinyi chose a seat by the window, and just as she was about to take a sip of her coffee, her eyes caught a familiar, graceful figure walking into the break room.

The faint steam from the coffee blurred Ruan Xinyi’s view.

The coffee was freshly brewed and a little too hot, with the steam rising steadily.

Ruan Xinyi set the cup down, hesitated for two seconds, then quietly stood up, tiptoeing to the door of the break room. She peeked around the corner to observe.

Wen Xihan was standing in front of the microwave, her profile delicate and slender. The sharp line of her jaw was slightly tense as she focused on figuring out how to use the appliance.

She understood how to adjust the temperature and time, but the only thing she didn’t know was how long to set it for to make the food just right…

Just as Wen Xihan took out her phone to consult Baidu, Ruan Xinyi couldn’t help but cough twice, unable to resist.

Wen Xihan looked up at the sound. Her frameless glasses slid down her nose slightly, and a strand of black hair fell at her temple, playfully curling under her jaw. Her skin was so pale it almost dazzled.

Beneath the glasses, her clear peach blossom eyes were unreadable, but Ruan Xinyi could clearly see Wen Xihan furrow her brows, her expression distant and aloof, her lips pressing into a thin line, making her seem even less approachable.

Ruan Xinyi smiled lightly in return, pretending to be there to grab something. She casually walked in and asked curiously, “Are you heating up your lunch?”

Wen Xihan responded noncommittally, “Mm.” The scent of coffee still lingered in the air, and the distinct aroma blended with the sweet, cloying blueberry fragrance.

As Ruan Xinyi got closer, the sickly sweetness became even more apparent.

Ruan Xinyi reached up to grab a pair of disposable chopsticks from the top of the refrigerator, mentioning casually, “This microwave needs to heat things for a bit longer. I set it for three minutes at 100 degrees, and it wasn’t quite hot enough. Five minutes should be just right.”

“Thank you.” Wen Xihan’s tone was neutral, her expression softening just slightly. If Ruan Xinyi had been paying attention, she would have noticed the brief flash of discomfort on Wen Xihan’s face.

But unfortunately, Ruan Xinyi didn’t notice, and the momentary discomfort disappeared as quickly as it came.

"You're too polite, sister." Ruan Xinyi took another pair of disposable chopsticks and placed one set on the microwave, which was still running. "I was in a rush this morning and forgot to pack the chopsticks."

Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and Wen Xihan adjusted her glasses, her tone unreadable. "Are you this kind to everyone?"

"No," Ruan Xinyi laughed, her brows lifting lightly as she murmured in a soft, Suzhou-accented voice, "They’re not you."

Wen Xihan packed her meal and returned to her office.

Ruan Xinyi sat back down in the lounge chair, separated the disposable chopsticks, sipped from a still-warm cup of coffee, and leisurely began her lunch.

She had little time in the morning, so she only made two quick dishes, both on the sweeter side.

Her appetite wasn’t large, and she ate delicately. After finishing the coffee, she was already full, having barely eaten half of her meal.

She cleaned up the remains, and soon, her coworkers returned to the office one by one.

Ruan Xinyi leaned back in her chair, played with her phone for a while, and when most people were preparing for their afternoon break, she quietly moved to the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window in the tea room.

During the more than an hour of lunch break, Ruan Xinyi only napped for the last twenty minutes.

---

In the afternoon, work resumed as usual, but around 3 p.m., Li Mo came to find Wen Xihan, and the two of them left together.

Half an hour after office hours, when most people had left, Wen Xihan returned holding a folder.

Thinking it was late and there wouldn’t be many people around, Wen Xihan stepped out of the elevator and removed her glasses. As she glanced sideways, she saw a computer screen still on, casting light on someone’s delicate and beautiful face, glowing pale in the reflection. Despite her neutral expression, the person’s eyes were focused and serious.

Ruan Xinyi was making a PowerPoint presentation.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Ruan Xinyi turned to look.

The office lights had dimmed, and it was a bit dark. As soon as her gaze moved away from the screen, she needed a moment to adjust to the change in light.

Squinting her eyes, her vision gradually cleared. Though it was still a bit blurry, she knew immediately from the tall figure that it was Wen Xihan.

A brief moment of eye contact passed, and Wen Xihan turned her head first, her profile hidden in the shadow. Her tone was faint. "Why haven’t you left yet?"

"Hmm?" Ruan Xinyi stretched her stiff neck and lazily stretched, her voice half-serious and half-playful. "I’m waiting for you."

Wen Xihan looked at her without speaking. Her thin lips moved slightly, and her voice softened just a little. "It’s late. You can go now."

Ruan Xinyi responded lightly, bent over to open a drawer, and handed Wen Xihan a box of sweet milk, some small biscuits, and a handful of fruit candies. She kindly reminded her, "Sister, go home early too. Don’t work on an empty stomach."

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