The female boss of the company also arrived late, striding forward while pushing her glasses up, scanning the surroundings with her eyes, not missing any corner. She only nodded in satisfaction when she saw everyone was present.
Su Qing had been staring at the computer for a long time, her eyes starting to sting again. She closed her eyes to rest, but suddenly a folder hit her head. She winced in pain and looked towards the person in the opposite office. It was Liang Qingqing, who stood up and looked down at her with disdain, criticizing her for not working during office hours and ordering her to make copies of the documents.
Su Qing held her head in pain as she watched Liang Qingqing's condescending attitude. In response, she picked up the folder and threw it back. Liang Qingqing, taken aback, was about to retaliate but was stopped by Yang Zhiyan.
"Su Qing, are you crazy? What's wrong with you?" Liang Qingqing shouted angrily.
The commotion attracted the attention of everyone in the office, and Su Qing, feeling defeated, remained silent. The boss, hearing the noise, appeared at the office door, visibly annoyed. After assessing the situation, she called Su Qing and Liang Qingqing into her office.
Su Qing stood before the boss's desk, listening to Liang Qingqing's repeated complaints. When the boss questioned her, Su Qing remained silent, knowing that whatever she said, the boss wouldn't believe her. The boss, seeing Su Qing's silence, imposed a fine of five hundred yuan for the first offense, and asked them to leave.
Back at her desk, Su Qing ignored Liang Qingqing's gloating and focused on her work, which she didn't enjoy. At lunchtime, she bought a band-aid for her forehead wound, sighed at her dwindling phone balance, and affixed it.
As she gazed out at the city, she felt insignificant. The people around her, from the janitors to the electricians and flyer distributors, all seemed to have difficult lives. Just then, her phone buzzed with a message from her therapist, asking about her recent mood and suggesting an appointment. She replied that she was fine and would come another day.
As she returned to the office, she noticed some colleagues ordering takeout, but the smell was too strong for her. She went back to her desk and resumed her unfulfilling work.
In the evening, as she left the office, she felt the cold air and saw the lights outside. She walked to the bus stop and found Liang Qingqing there too. As the bus approached, a bright light illuminated her face, and she saw a familiar figure leaning against the car window: Lu Xiu.
Surprised, Liang Qingqing approached them with a smile, while Su Qing remained aloof. Lu Xiu, with a stern expression, asked about the wound on her forehead. Su Qing, unaffected, replied that it was an accident.
Seeing this exchange, Liang Qingqing intervened, trying to cover for Su Qing. Su Qing, however, sarcastically attributed the injury to Liang Qingqing. Flustered, Liang Qingqing realized the potential consequences of Su Qing's relationship with Lu Xiu.
In an attempt to defuse the situation, Su Qing made a joke and declined Lu Xiu's invitation to join him. Liang Qingqing, now anxious, dragged Su Qing away, pretending they were close friends. As they left, Liang Qingqing couldn't help but wonder how Su Qing managed to get involved with Lu Xiu, fearing that her past actions might be exposed.
At that moment, Su Qing, now alone, reflected on her unchanged relationship with Lu Xiu after four years. She sighed and boarded the bus, leaving Liang Qingqing behind, puzzled by the dynamics between Su Qing and Lu Xiu.