When the girl's petulant voice rang out, the executives in the elevator looked everywhere but at each other, hiding in the corners like mere backdrops, striving to reduce their presence.
On the screen, a milk-white kitten lay on the ground looking pathetic. It rubbed its little face against the floor, lazily rolled over, and then lay with its belly up, as if waiting for its owner's touch.
With that lingering, tender voice echoing in his ears, Qin Jijing couldn't help but wonder, lost in thought, if she was just like this kitten now.
The elevator continued to descend, and Jiang Ni sent another voice message.
Qin Jijing chose not to open it this time.
After a brief glance, his eyes shifted to the display on the side.
The numbers were still changing, stopping at the first basement level.
Qin Jijing was the first to walk out.
Xiaoyu was about to follow when the other executives surrounded him, whispering among themselves.
"Assistant Xiaoyu, is President Qin in a relationship?"
"Which Beijing family's daughter is his girlfriend from?"
"Is it just a fling, or is it serious?"
"Is it convenient to reveal anything?"
"..."
With a heavy head, Xiaoyu said, "I know nothing."
When he wouldn't say, they started guessing among themselves.
"We never heard anything about a woman by President Qin's side from the headquarters before. He's kept it so well hidden."
"Maybe she's his fiancée."
"If that's the case, we shouldn't worry. Once the headquarters start arranging a meeting, we will see the woman's information."
"... Please be mindful, everyone." As old colleagues, Xiaoyu couldn't bear it, "This one is somewhat different."
He implied but went no further, quickly breaking free from their grasp and catching up with Qin Jijing.
Inside the car, the partition rose, shielding them from prying eyes in the front. Xiaoyu withdrew his gaze and ordered the driver to start the car.
In the back seat, Qin Jijing played the voice message.
Apparently, since she hadn't received a response from him in a while, the girl's voice was buzzing with a lack of energy, "Remember to eat on time when you're finished working. I won't bother you anymore."
[Are you asleep?]
Qin Jijing asked her.
Jiang Ni almost instantly replied.
Seeing this, he made a call.
——
Seeing the video call incoming, Jiang Ni jumped up from her chair in a flurry, hastily peeling off the face mask from her skin.
The call continued, with no intention of hanging up.
Jiang Ni ran to the mirror, fixing her hair, worried about her plain face without makeup, but there was simply no time to apply any...
The video connected.
Jiang Ni sat on the shoe bench, stealing timid glances at Qin Jijing on the screen.
He hadn't turned on the light on his side; she could barely make out that he was in a car.
The street scenes outside the window retreated, and the dim light cast upon his face made his features appear intermittently clear and obscure.
"Mr. Qin?"
He didn't say a word, and seeing that he was keeping quiet, Jiang Ni softly probed, unsure of his mood.
On the other end, as soon as the call connected, Qin Jijing was captivated by her image.
She really had just taken a bath; her hair was still wet. Her long lashes fluttered nervously, her eyes misty from the lingering moisture. Despite the dim light, it was clear that her face was without makeup, her cheeks slightly flushed, whether from heat or shyness.
She was peering at the camera, curious as a baby, undecided about what to look at.
Coming back to his senses, Qin Jijing's gaze darkened a bit. He picked up the cigarette pack from the armrest and lightly tapped its side twice with his index finger, knocking out a cigarette to hold in his hand.
"Are you upset?"
Jiang Ni's pupils shrank, "No, not at all."
She dodged away in a fluster, her snow-white neck sliding uneasily, inadvertently exposing herself in front of him.
"It's just that it's too late, I was preparing to rest."
"Should I hang up the phone then?"
"..."
Jiang Ni was at a loss for words, staring with wide eyes, huffing as she looked at the screen, seemingly surprised by his response.
"I..."
On the screen, Qin Jijing's eyelids drooped, his smile carrying a hint of intrigue.
He had been busy all day and was indeed tired; logically, he shouldn't be in the mood to play games with her.
Her little schemes were blatantly obvious.
But now, watching her clever little tests and her feigned pouts, he didn't find it annoying; on the contrary, he felt relaxed in body and mind.
"What?" he coaxed in a low voice.
Jiang Ni felt embarrassed, stammering, "I wasn't planning on resting yet, I really wanted to chat with you, just now when I sent the message... you didn't respond, I thought you were tired of me."
"Why did you want to chat with me?"
"I, I don't know anyone else in Beijing, and I couldn't sleep, and I was bored, so..."
"So you're chatting with me because you're bored?"
"Of course not! It's just..." Jiang Ni failed to articulate a reason, but her gaze stayed fixed on him, her eyes far from innocent.
She had a pair of extremely beautiful eyes that could precisely convey any emotion and could never hide anything. Sometimes quirky, they never seemed contrived.
This was her best weapon.
Clearly, she knew her strengths and used them to her advantage.
Qin Jijing thought again of her supposed brother.
The man's eyes were similar to Jiang Ni's, but they lacked her vivacity and appeal.
The first time he saw Jiang Ni, he understood why that man would keep her so hidden.
His gaze swept across her brows and eyes, Qin Jijing's dark eyes half closed.
Indeed, she should be kept hidden.
"I was in the elevator just now; it wasn't convenient."
Not expecting him to explain himself, Jiang Ni blinked in confusion, "Hmm."
The next second, her eyes suddenly brightened, and she couldn't help the corners of her lips lifting, "So, Mr. Qin, you're not busy now?"
"I'm in the car."
The camera shook as he switched hands to hold the phone, turned his head to light a cigarette with his left hand, and repeated the earlier question, asking her where she had gone that day.
In reality, all her activities were reported to him the moment they occurred, but compared to text messages, he preferred hearing her describe them herself.
Amidst the swirling smoke on screen, Jiang Ni suddenly remembered the faint scent of tobacco on him when she got close last night; it wasn't unpleasant.
Gathering her thoughts, she reported like a school student doing a homework assignment, "Assistant Cheng took me to a restaurant for a meal, the roast duck was really delicious, completely different from what I had in Chinatown! After the meal, we walked to a park nearby, and I have no idea why it was so crowded today even though it's not a holiday."
"That photo... I mean, the one I sent you, I don't know if you saw it."
"I saw it."
She held her face and continued to marvel, "Assistant Cheng is really good at taking pictures, he made me look so much prettier than usual, and the lotus flowers in the pond were blooming so nicely!"
"Indeed, beautiful."
It was unclear whether he was complimenting her or the flowers.
Jiang Ni looked hopeful, "So... is it only the flowers that are beautiful?"
In the camera, the car seemed to have stopped somewhere, the night outside pouring in, the light fixing on him. Even after work, his pure black suit was still smooth, without a wrinkle, his shirt buttons meticulously fastened to the top, and a hint of crimson was lit on the fingertips resting on his knee.
After she asked, the man politely shifted the camera away, slowly exhaling a cloud of smoke. As the smoke cleared, he looked at her again. This time, Jiang Ni finally saw his eyes clearly.
His phone was held low, presumably with the back of his hand braced against an armrest for support. Thus, when those deep eyes looked down at her through layers of misty smoke, Jiang Ni's heart skipped a beat.
The man's gaze captured her, his tone tinged with teasing:
"Sorry, I didn't pay attention to the flowers just now."