They helped each other up, and it was already past ten at night.
Qiu Mingyue, feeling she had drunk a lot yet still outdrank many, didn't want to take care of the drunkards. So, she pretended to be drunk herself, staggering every few steps and holding her head, leaving the sober ones to deal with the aftermath.
Jiang Ran was preparing to call a taxi. Qiu Mingyue, squinting her eyes, planned to lean into someone's arms but was accidentally bumped by a real drunkard. Stumbling, she ended up in the broad and warm chest of someone else.
The familiar white shirt filled her view, a faint scent of alcohol lingering in her nose. Qiu Mingyue restrained the urge to squeeze the muscles under her hands.
The closeness made her back break into a light sweat.
Jiang Ran rushed over anxiously, "Mingyue, Mingyue, are you okay?"
Qiu Mingyue reluctantly stepped back, "I'm fine."
Jiang Ran held her, and Qiu Mingyue nestled her head into Jiang Ran's neck, pretending to be confused and unaware that the person next to her was their leader.
Jiang Ran apologized to Zhou Su, "Director Zhou, are you okay? The kid drank too much."
Zhou Su: "I'm fine."
Qiu Mingyue: "..."
She suddenly remembered Zhou Su's earlier advice to drink less. Pretending to be drunk now might ruin her image. But then, she mused gloomily, she probably hadn't made much of an impression on Zhou Su anyway.
Everyone gradually said their goodbyes. Jiang Ran asked, "Director, how will you get home?"
"I drove here, called a designated driver. What about you?"
The hydrangeas by the door were in full bloom, blue and purple melting into the dark blue sky. Hydrangeas have no scent, but the evening breeze carried the fresh aroma of grass and trees. Zhou Su's voice was like flowers, dissipating in the wind.
Jiang Ran complained, "We're trying to get a taxi, but no drivers are accepting the ride."
"How many of you, and where to?"
"Me, Mingyue, and Xiao Zhang, three of us, heading towards Donghu."
"I'll take you."
"Really?" Jiang Ran was surprised, then a bit embarrassed, "Would that be a bother, Director?"
"No trouble, it's on my way."
"Thank you, Director!" Jiang Ran cheerfully called Xiao Zhang over.
Qiu Mingyue genuinely felt a headache, regretting her decision to pretend to be drunk. But having started, she had to keep up the act.
After the designated driver arrived, Zhou Su sat in the front passenger seat, with the other three in the back. They first dropped off Xiao Zhang and Jiang Ran, who lived in the same neighborhood, before taking Qiu Mingyue home.
Qiu Mingyue leaned on Jiang Ran's shoulder, a voice in her head screaming, wouldn't that leave her alone with Zhou Su at the end?
Oh, and the driver.
Sitting by the window, she pretended to sleep, resting her head on Jiang Ran in the middle. Jiang Ran, the life of the party, chatted first with Zhou Su and then with Xiao Zhang.
Xiao Zhang, a designer in the planning department, was known to Qiu Mingyue, but they weren't close. She found him shy and introverted, a young man in his twenties still seeming a bit naïve.
Jiang Ran and Xiao Zhang were not only from the same hometown but also the same university and had known each other since childhood. Jiang Ran took care of this junior colleague, who was a good person, but Qiu Mingyue just didn't get along with him.
As Jiang Ran entered the stage of talking about marriage, she naturally started caring about others' love lives and planned to introduce someone to Xiao Zhang this year.
The car went silent after this comment. Qiu Mingyue was glad she was pretending to sleep; she guessed everyone was silent for the same reason, realizing there was a single woman of a similar age to Xiao Zhang right there.
Zhou Su broke the silence, asking, "What type of person does Yihai like?"
Xiao Zhang was too shy to speak. Jiang Ran answered for him, "Someone cheerful. He's so reserved, it wouldn't work with someone quiet. How would they talk? I thought about introducing Mingyue to him, but you can tell from how they talk at work, it's not happening. And I asked Mingyue; she said she wouldn't date at work."
Zhou Su responded, "Our company doesn't forbid office relationships."
Jiang Ran said, "I told her the same, but Mingyue thinks it would be awkward, especially if they broke up. I guess it makes sense, girls are more considerate of these things, unlike us men."
Zhou Su chuckled softly.
Qiu Mingyue wasn't sure if she would ever experience the awkwardness of an office romance, but the current awkwardness made her want to jump out of the car and escape.
She wished she could pinch Jiang Ran for discussing such matters in front of their boss.
Finally, Xiao Zhang spoke up, "Actually, I'm not really thinking about it right now."
Jiang Ran ruffled his hair, "Of course you're not thinking about it while you're single, but when love comes, you won't be able to stop it. Just wait."
Soon, they reached Jiang Ran and Xiao Zhang's neighborhood. Xiao Zhang, feeling car sick, revealed he was suffering from a recurrent stomach issue. Without hesitation, Jiang Ran decided to take him to a pharmacy.
Zhou Su said, "Okay, just let us know when you're home in the group chat."
"Sure! Thanks, Director, and take care of Mingyue." Jiang Ran closed the car door and waved goodbye.
With them gone, the car was left with only the sound of its engine. The designated driver had been silent the whole time, and Zhou Su, not one to chat, left Qiu Mingyue, still pretending to be asleep, with no opportunity to speak.
About ten minutes from her home, Qiu Mingyue felt uneasy, rehearsing in her mind how she would wake up and thank Zhou Su. But then, soft music began to play, easing the tense atmosphere and calming her inner turmoil.
Initially facing the window, Qiu Mingyue turned over, seemingly restless in her sleep, allowing herself to sneak a glance at the person in the front passenger seat.
Gradually, her eyelids grew heavy, and she dreamed she was asleep. Realizing this, she jolted awake.
Had she really fallen asleep?
The car had stopped, and music was still playing. Zhou Su was on his phone, the glow illuminating his profile.
Qiu Mingyue stared for a moment, checked her phone for the time, and realized she had slept for quite a while.
Director Zhou... Zhou Su... had he been waiting all this time?
In the car filled with music, Qiu Mingyue was at a loss for words, silent for a long time until Zhou Su noticed her awake, looked over, and turned off the music.
"Awake?" he asked.
Qiu Mingyue couldn't detect any impatience in his voice and replied meekly, "Yeah..."
Zhou Su asked, "Feeling unwell?"
Qiu Mingyue shook her head, "No... I'm fine."
She felt embarrassed to receive his concern, grateful for the dim light hiding her discomfort.
Zhou Su didn't repeat any cautionary or teasing remarks like "Drink less next time" or "Didn't you say you can handle your liquor?" As a male leader, he had already shown care at the dinner table, and he wouldn't repeat what he had said. That was Zhou Su's style, as Qiu Mingyue knew.
In fact, he showed no signs of criticism or blame, even showing concern. It was just a small matter of a subordinate getting drunk at a team-building event, possibly indicating a good team spirit. But Qiu Mingyue felt a childish unease.
Strange, indeed.
Perhaps it was the inherent intimidation a leader holds over a subordinate.
After all, being drunk is always embarrassing.
She shouldn't have tried to be clever.
Qiu Mingyue's thoughts raced. She carefully asked, "Director, did the designated driver leave?"
"Yes, I sent him home first."
Qiu Mingyue bravely apologized, "Sorry, I fell asleep. You could have woken me."
"No problem, you seemed to be sleeping comfortably, so I didn't wake you," Zhou Su said. "Do you want some water?"
Qiu Mingyue quickly refused, but Zhou Su already handed her an opened bottle of mineral water, which she accepted and sipped lightly.
The cool water moistened her lips like spring ice melting in a stream, rippling through her body.
Her previous unease turned into a fluttering sensation.
Qiu Mingyue was extremely embarrassed, yet she managed to continue the conversation, "How will you get home later?"
"I live not far from here. I'll leave the car and walk back."
"Oh, I see."
Zhou Su mentioned the name of his residential complex, which Qiu Mingyue didn't realize was so close to hers.
They got out of the car together, walking side by side. Qiu Mingyue could smell the faint scent of alcohol on Zhou Su, who seemed much more sober than he had been at the dinner.
Their shadows stretched long on the ground. Looking up, the clouds had dispersed, and the crescent moon nestled in the deep night sky, appearing both distant and within reach.
Suddenly, Zhou Su called her name, "Mingyue."
Caught off guard, Qiu Mingyue responded, "Huh?"
"Did sitting next to me at the team-building event make you uncomfortable?" he asked.
Qiu Mingyue was startled by Zhou Su's question, "No, not at all!"
"That's good."
Uncomfortable, yes, but not in the way he might think. She wasn't the type to be eloquent at work, always maintaining a polite distance from the leadership.
But she hadn't expected Zhou Su to ask her directly.
A seemingly naive question—what if she had said yes?
In a few steps, Zhou Su accompanied her to the entrance of her apartment complex. The next second, he would probably say "See you on Monday," Qiu Mingyue guessed.
But when that moment arrived, facing Zhou Su, she looked up, her gaze traveling from his smooth shoulders and neck to his firm jaw and lips that seemed so inviting.
Their eyes met, and Qiu Mingyue blurted out before he could speak, "Director, would you like to come up for a bit?" A lame excuse, but she didn't panic, at least not outwardly, "I mean, I made some kumquat tea earlier, would you like to come up and have some to sober up?"
The question hung in the air, a bold yet awkward invitation, marking the end of her inner turmoil and the start of a new, unexpected chapter.