"We weren't—" Luo Li tried to explain, but Ji Qiubai had already closed the door, leaving the two alone inside.
Luo Li wanted to cover her face in embarrassment while the cat beside her looked utterly confused.
"Nothing, let's go see what's going on outside." Luo Li suggested.
Indeed, outside stood a man and a woman, both strangers. Liu Zhi looked downcast, hanging his head, saying nothing.
Luo Ran sipped her milk tea contentedly, finding the perfect spot to watch the drama unfold without getting involved.
"The security is taking their sweet time getting here," Luo Ran muttered.
"You told me you were on a business trip, but you were with this little tramp instead, weren't you? How could you do this to me and our baby?" the woman accused.
"Who are you calling a tramp?" the man retorted, equally furious. "Do you think you're the only victim here? This jerk has two others in Haishi!"
Ji Qiubai, caught between the three, felt weak and helpless.
But seeing the look in Lu Cixue's eyes when she and Luo Li came out, she knew things were even more complicated.
"This is a private office area. Outsiders are not allowed. Please take your personal matters elsewhere and stop disrupting our work," Lu Cixue said firmly.
The two troublemakers turned their anger on her.
They had come here with one purpose: to make a scene.
They wanted to make Liu Zhi's life difficult, and seeing a higher-up like Lu Cixue made them even more determined not to leave.
"You're protecting this scumbag? How do you expect your clients to trust you after this gets out?" the man's voice was loud, attracting the attention of nearby employees, who gathered to watch.
He Qinian rushed over to see what was happening.
The first thing he saw was Luo Li and Lu Cixue standing together, with Lu Cixue calmly addressing the situation while Luo Li stood protectively beside her, as if ready to shield her from any harm.
He Qinian stopped in his tracks, silently observing from the sidelines.
—People always want something in return when they feel wronged.
These two had come to the company with that mindset, dragging their personal grievances into the workplace.
Realizing that reasoning with them would be futile, Lu Cixue turned to Ji Qiubai. "Where's security?"
"They're on their way."
"If security comes, it won't matter. Liu Zhi, if you don't give me an explanation today, I'll jump from this building!" the woman threatened.
"Is that really necessary? What kind of spell did he cast on her?" Luo Ran rolled her eyes beside Luo Li.
Luo Li nodded in agreement. They had seen their fair share of drama recently, but this was on another level.
"You can file a complaint with HR about conduct issues. Coming here or threatening to jump won't solve anything."
Luo Ran was stunned.
Lu Cixue was cold and unyielding, showing no concern for the woman's emotional state.
Looking at Liu Zhi's hunched figure, Lu Cixue added, "And remember, the root of the problem should always be addressed first."
Liu Zhi, standing before Lu Cixue, felt increasingly humiliated. His face turned ashen. "I'm sorry, Director Lu. I'll make sure they leave immediately."
Perhaps provoked by Liu Zhi's expression, the woman's eyes reddened with fury. She grabbed a glass from Liu Zhi's desk and hurled it forward.
Liu Zhi dodged just in time, but the scalding tea splashed onto Lu Cixue's feet and legs.
Lu Cixue was wearing a pencil skirt and stockings under her coat, and the thin material did little to protect her from the hot liquid. Luo Li heard her hiss softly.
Several others were splashed too, but their thicker clothing spared them from the worst of it.
"What are you doing?!"
Luo Ran jumped at the harsh tone. She had never seen her usually composed and polite cousin so angry.
But then, who wouldn't be furious seeing someone they care about get hurt?
The unexpected turn of events left everyone stunned, just as security finally arrived to restrain the two troublemakers.
"I'm sorry, Director Lu…" Liu Zhi stammered, unsure whether to get something to clean up the mess or deal with the intruders.
"Move."
Luo Li was in no mood to be polite and, without hesitation, scooped Lu Cixue into her arms.
—First things first, she needed to get her into the break room and cool the burn with cold water.
A group of onlookers watched in shock as the two left, exchanging puzzled glances.
Ji Qiubai kept the situation under control. "Please escort these individuals out of the building. Let's not have a repeat of this."
Liu Zhi nodded numbly and followed the security guards downstairs.
Watching Luo Li carry a bundled-up Lu Cixue towards the elevator, He Qinian looked concerned but didn't dare follow.
"Did anyone else think… Luo Li's reaction was a bit over the top?"
"Didn't Director Lu receive flowers yesterday? Could it be…"
"No way… They're probably just close friends, right? I mean, anyone would be worried in that situation." Luo Ran awkwardly tried to laugh it off, sipping her milk tea.
She would have to clean up this mess later, and her cousin and Lu Cixue better treat her to a nice meal for it.
"Yeah, that makes sense. Maybe it's just a protective instinct?" One colleague suggested, recalling the previous incident.
Before long, the conversation shifted to the latest trending game.
Lu Cixue hadn't expected Luo Li to lift her up in front of everyone.
Blushing, she lowered her head further to avoid the stares, her arms naturally wrapping around Luo Li's neck.
Luo Li bit her lip, carefully removing Lu Cixue's high heels and digging out a pair of loose sweatpants…and one of her own hoodies from the closet.
—Ever since Luo Li had started napping in the break room, Director Lu had tacitly allowed her to leave some clothes there. As a result, more and more of Luo Li's clothes had found their way into the room.
Not that Luo Li had any intention of taking them back. After all, even if Lu Cixue didn't say anything, she probably secretly enjoyed snuggling with one of Luo Li's shirts during her lunch breaks.
The burn was pretty bad, and Luo Li frowned with concern.
"Can you change on your own, or do you need help?"
Lu Cixue nodded. "I can do it."
But Luo Li didn't seem to be leaving.
Feeling uncomfortable, Lu Cixue turned away. "Could you wait outside?"
Her lower body was already exposed to Luo Li, which was awkward enough. Even though Luo Li wasn't thinking anything inappropriate, it was still too strange.
"Huh? Oh, right. Just call me when you're done." Luo Li finally realized and hurried out of the room.
Hey, it's not like she hasn't seen it before. Why is Director Lu still so shy?
Dressed simply in a hoodie and sweatpants, Lu Cixue looked as innocent as a college student. Luo Li's eyes flashed with admiration before she moved to pick up the cat again.
"No…" Lu Cixue hesitated.
If the colleagues outside saw them like this again…
"But your foot's injured. You can't walk. There's no need to be stubborn now. Just listen to me." Luo Li seized the opportunity to ruffle Lu Cixue's hair, enjoying the soft, fluffy texture.
It didn't take long for He Qinian to see Luo Li carrying a bundled-up Lu Cixue toward the elevator.
Dressed casually, the little cat was wearing penguin-themed slippers.
Luo Ran figured those had to belong to her cousin. Fluffy and cute, there was no way they were Director Lu's.
The nearby colleagues wore knowing smiles but still kindly offered their help.
"Director Lu, take this alcohol spray to cool the burn on your way to the hospital."
"Shouldn't she bring a coat? It's cold outside."
Ji Qiubai followed them with a coat in hand, urging the employees to get back to work.
Luo Li didn't even slow down as she passed He Qinian.
"If you need to discuss work, you can pass the details to Chen Ting. We're heading to the hospital first." Ji Qiubai kindly gave He Qinian an out.
He Qinian nodded with a smile.
As the elevator doors closed, Luo Li carefully set Lu Cixue down, who leaned against her trustingly.
He Qinian's gaze darkened.
——
"What's wrong?"
In the hospital parking lot, Lu Cixue and Luo Li sat in the car, waiting for Ji Qiubai to return with the medication.
The driver seemed deflated, her mood visibly low.
"Nothing." Seeing Lu Cixue get hurt left Luo Li feeling guilty, frustrated, and worried. But saying it out loud wouldn't change anything, so she kept it to herself.
"What are you thinking about? Can't you tell me?"
The soft, wistful tone made Luo Li sit up straight.
"It's just…" Luo Li mumbled, her expression like a sad puppy's.
"I was right next to you, and you still got hurt."
It was a strange, irrational feeling, but liking someone often comes with irrational emotions.
Lu Cixue's fingers stiffened, quietly observing the usually lively girl looking so down.
The director gently reached out, entwining her fingers with Luo Li's, her gaze fixed ahead.
"But because you were beside me, I didn't have to go to the hospital alone."
—Director Lu might not be great at comforting people, but Luo Li was over the moon.
She squeezed the hand holding hers, ready to move in for more affection.
Someone knocked on the car window.
The two inside quickly pulled apart.
Ji Qiubai looked puzzled. What were these two doing in the car?
Although it wasn't a major issue, the "glorious injury" of Director Lu resulted in both her and Luo Li being escorted home to rest.
Because of this, Ji Qiubai learned another surprising fact.
—Her boss and Luo Li lived on the same floor.
However, Ji Qiubai had a strong psychological tolerance and could accept this calmly.
After all, they were practically about to "get together" in the office. It was only a matter of time before they moved in together.
Yes, this beautiful misunderstanding left a deep impression on Ji Qiubai.
"I'll organize the documents and bring them over tonight."
"Thank you, and sorry for the trouble."
Ji Qiubai smiled. Besides the shock, she was genuinely happy. Director Lu was like both a mentor and friend to her, but this quiet, reserved person didn't have many close relationships.
Having someone love her, whether as a subordinate or a friend, made Ji Qiubai feel glad for Lu Cixue.
Ji Qiubai went ahead to wait for the elevator, while Luo Li lagged behind.
Lu Cixue watched her stand in the entryway, unmoving, with a puzzled look.
"Earlier…" Luo Li trailed off, realizing she was running out of time.
She peeked at Ji Qiubai waiting for the elevator, then quickly ran back and stole a kiss from the cat.
"I'm off. Let me know what you want for dinner, and I'll be sure to work hard!"
Lu Cixue was momentarily stunned, her lips curling up into a smile.
—It had been a long time since she'd felt this excited about something.