"How about it, no problems, right?" Meng Yunzhi leaned against the office desk, her hands braced backwards on the surface. This angle accentuated her graceful body curves.
Zhou Su was still checking the data, not responding.
Meng Yunzhi pouted and said coquettishly, "You're really too serious when you work, Zhou sir. That's not good, you know. Didn't that girl just get scared away by you?"
Zhou Su paused in flipping the pages and glanced at Meng Yunzhi indifferently. Meng Yunzhi responded with a challenging and teasing smile, but Zhou Su, quite unromantically, moved on to the next shelf.
Meng Yunzhi felt a bit stifled. She met Zhou Su through cooperation between her former company and Beirui, and later, it could be said that she switched to Beirui through him. All things considered, they had known each other for quite some time, got along well, and had a good relationship.
She had a liking for Zhou Su, but after several interactions as adults, she knew that Zhou Su probably didn't feel that way about her.
That was normal, and Meng Yunzhi was okay with that.
But as time passed, seeing no partner by Zhou Su's side, she began to feel restless, guessing that Zhou Su might be somewhat introverted in his passions.
Some time ago, after a project ended, several colleagues went out for a meal, and everyone except Zhou Su loved to have fun. They went to a lively bar and restaurant. She was approached while ordering drinks at the bar, and Zhou Su stepped in to help. After the person left, she half-jokingly suggested that maybe they should really give it a try.
Knowing her own charm, she thought that even if Zhou Su didn't like her, given a man's nature, he probably wouldn't refuse. So seeing him become more serious and reserved instead, Meng Yunzhi was quite astonished. Since then, Zhou Su's attitude towards her had changed drastically, to the point where they could hardly continue even as friends.
Meng Yunzhi found his unexpected seriousness—old-fashionedness?—both amusing and somewhat endearing.
Previously, their relationship was very clear and innocent. Zhou Su was very meticulous in his work approach, and she cooperated by keeping things strictly professional. But now, Meng Yunzhi enjoyed teasing Zhou Su, taking verbal advantage, although Zhou Su was always unmoved.
It proved that changing her approach to him didn't affect their work.
Meng Yunzhi once asked Zhou Su what type of person he liked. Not someone like her, a mature woman? Perhaps he preferred soft and gentle girls?
Zhou Su said, "No specific type."
Meng Yunzhi scoffed. Did he really need to be forced to specify, or would her being rejected for no reason be too embarrassing?
Finally, Zhou Su said, "I like someone interesting."
Meng Yunzhi: "...You mean I'm shallow and lack substance?"
"Not at all."
"Then what do you mean?"
What else could 'interesting' mean?
"I mean someone who piques my interest."
Meng Yunzhi, a salesperson, was rarely left speechless. Hearing his words was like a revelation, and she thought to herself that if Zhou Su were a client, he would be the kind to frustrate her immensely.
What kind of person would pique his interest?
Zhou Su didn't know either, as no such example had appeared in his life before.
As social animals, humans are multifaceted, showing different personalities to different people. For instance, a man might be obsequious to his boss and abusive to his family at home. Of course, he might also appear as a hero in the eyes of his wife and children. But overall, a person's core personality is stable, and the impression they leave is fixed. With daily interactions, it's rare to form deeper connections.
Hence the saying, affection starts with curiosity.
After finishing the inventory check in the warehouse, with no issues found, Zhou Su looked at his watch, ready to find Qiu Mingyue.
"Would you like to have dinner together later?" Meng Yunzhi asked.
"No, thanks," he said.
"Oh, then I'll invite Mingyue for dinner later, we'll probably have a lot of opportunities to work together in the future."
Zhou Su didn't like Meng Yunzhi's approach.
He knew she had good relations with many colleagues in the Growth and Marketing departments. Given their frequent work interactions, and her clear but unadvertised stance, it naturally led to some gossip and rumors. In a way, she was declaring a kind of unspoken possession.
Zhou Su stopped, turned, and looked at Meng Yunzhi: "If you want to invite her to dinner, you should ask her, not me."
His attitude wasn't great, and Meng Yunzhi felt a bit cold-shouldered. She had intended to tease him, not to anger him. She forced a smile and said, "That's the longest sentence you've said to me today."
Using a bit of humble flattery was her usual tactic with men, but it seemed ineffective on Zhou Su.
Watching his retreating figure, Meng Yunzhi mused that this man was indeed impervious to persuasion.
The sun weakened, and a gust of wind rose in the vast open space outside the warehouse, signaling the approach of a storm.
Zhou Su reached the warehouse where Qiu Mingyue was working. The lights were on inside, and she was attentively listening to a staff member. Recalling the HR department's mention of her as a student-looking but capable girl during her interview, and her reliable aura post-joining, he felt people shouldn't be judged by appearances. However, she always seemed to maintain a subtle distance from him.
Perhaps she hadn't noticed it, or maybe he was overly sensitive. As a long-time leader, he was used to employees who maintained a significant distance from their superiors. He never considered himself a fearsome leader, though.
After Uncle Chen finished his instructions and left temporarily, Zhou Su saw him outside the warehouse. Before Uncle Chen could greet him, Zhou Su smiled at him, receiving only a nod in return.
Zhou Su stood alone at the door for a while, entering only before Qiu Mingyue noticed him.
Qiu Mingyue placed the files back in the tray on her desk, "Director."
She had forgotten her brief upset amidst the busyness, but seeing him brought it back, making her feel embarrassed. Why had she been so uptight?
"How much more to do?" Zhou Su asked.
Qiu Mingyue handed him the form: "Almost done."
Zhou Su took the form: "I'll do it."
Qiu Mingyue thought it wasn't right, but then heard Zhou Su ask, "Does your leg hurt?"
"Ah?" Qiu Mingyue was taken aback.
Zhou Su handed her two band-aids.
Qiu Mingyue pursed her lips, her fingers fiddling, and without making Zhou Su wait too long, she took them with a soft "Thank you, Director."
"It was my oversight, sorry," Zhou Su said.
Qiu Mingyue's heart fluttered, not daring to look up at him, and replied in a standard manner, "Next time I'll remember to wear sneakers."
Zhou Su apologized again.
Jiang Ran's client meeting had been rescheduled to that morning, leading to Qiu Mingyue's substitution. He had seen female colleagues suffer from wearing formal high heels for client meetings. This "work injury" was avoidable.
Qiu Mingyue was speechless.
He was more humble and courteous than she knew.
Before his apology, Qiu Mingyue hadn't felt any discomfort, but his earnest apology made her feel genuinely aggrieved. Why did she have to be there, knowing nothing, and her work unfinished? Like a child who didn't cry until comforted, she now felt more upset.
How childish, Qiu Mingyue always thought she was tough and hardworking.
Unconsciously, she opened a band-aid package, but before applying it, she needed to take off her shoe.
Zhou Su stood in front of her, showing no intention of looking away.
She knew there was no need for avoidance; after all, she wasn't an ancient lady. It was just her own guilty conscience. She had already been embarrassed once for being seen in socks, and now she was even more reluctant to let Zhou Su see her bare feet.
Sitting down on a chair, she hesitantly and slowly removed her left shoe, her gaze fixed on Zhou Su's long legs. He stood still for a while, the sound of flipping papers filling the air, "Not much left, you can just sit here."
After speaking, he walked towards the shelves, and Qiu Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief.
She quickly applied the band-aid and, disobeying the leader's order, went to find him.
Standing face to face between the shelves, "It's about to rain..." Qiu Mingyue said, "It's faster with two people."
After all, it was just a minor scrape, nothing serious.
Zhou Su was noncommittal, his mind flashing back to the scene he had just witnessed: her slender ankles, beautifully curved, her skin pale and flushed, the blue veins on her feet more prominent, her toenails painted with glossy polish, a healthy pale pink.
The two of them had a quick battle and quickly finished counting, but they still couldn't end it before it started to rain.
Qiu Mingyue heard thunder outside and lightning flashing across the window.
"Aren't you afraid of thunder?"Qiu Mingyue heard Zhou Wei ask.
Should I take the opportunity to pretend to be weak?
This thought crossed my mind for the first time, but it was obvious that Qiu Mingyue had already missed the opportunity.
"Not really," she replied.
After the thunder and lightning, the sky opened up, pouring down rain. The rain was so dense it completely obscured the view outside. Standing at the doorway, they could see the raindrops splashing high off the ground, the mist rising and dampening their skin, forcing them to step back further and further.
They could only wait patiently for the rain to stop.
Inside, Qiu Mingyue was far from calm. She and Zhou Su seemed to be falling back into their familiar, prolonged silence. She anxiously wanted to say something smart, to avoid repeating the past, but could only watch the relentless rain.
She vaguely felt something was amiss but didn't dare to think too much about it, as her thoughts were already overwhelming her. She had maintained a proper distance, but that afternoon nearly undid all her efforts. Now, trapped together in the rain, she wished for the first time that Zhou Su wasn't her superior.
"Mingyue."
His voice was lost in the rain, and it took a few seconds for Qiu Mingyue to realize he was speaking to her. She replied loudly, fearing he couldn't hear her.
Zhou Su spoke in his usual tone: "Last week I asked if you were uncomfortable sitting next to me during dinner, and you said no."
It was strange, the rain hadn't lessened, but she heard him clearly.
"But you actually were, weren't you?"
Qiu Mingyue looked at Zhou Su.
Do you know what you're saying?
What exactly are you trying to say?
Zhou Su's face held a resigned, accommodating smile of a superior: "I hope we can communicate more, don't be too constrained."