Chapter 16: I Like Looking At You
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Being cut by a soft knife hurts the most.
"I won't dare." Song Qingluo knew she was wrong and admitted her mistake obediently, "I'm sorry, I will pay attention in the future."
Timely bowing to avoid inviting criticism.
Moreover, the old-fashioned had already given her dignity, without educating her in front of others.
Seeing her good attitude, Wen Ruoxian softened her heart and wanted her to remember well, so she said, "It's a trouble you've caused, you should handle it yourself."
"What's your plan to deal with it?"
Song Qingluo was momentarily at a loss.
Whether composing music or memorizing scores couldn't stump her, but dealing with this kind of matter, she truly had no solution.
What should she do?
The company suffered losses, and the only way to compensate was with money.
Ironically, money was the least lacking for her.
"You name the price, and I'll compensate," Song Qingluo said bluntly.
Wen Ruoxian was puzzled: "Compensate for what?"
"Compensate with money. The contract is gone, and the resulting loss in cash equivalent, I'll compensate. If it's below five million, it can be transferred today. If it's more than five million..." Song Qingluo paused, her voice becoming softer.
"My mother needs to be notified."
She can only take out this much pocket money.
The Young Miss wiped her playful smile and turned serious, just like returning to the center stage of that evening, amidst the brilliance of moonlight, shining brightly, with everyone cheering for her.
Wen Ruoxian watched her and involuntarily softened his gaze.
Upon hearing this, it was hard not to chuckle.
Being pampered and sheltered, unfamiliar with worldly matters, contributed to Song Qingluo's character's simple side. Although she can cause a headache sometimes, this purity is incredibly precious, just like an unpolluted pearl stored in the deep sea; pure and beautiful.
She then remembered Cheng Suran.
The two are different.
Ranran has been through many hardships, yet her heart still holds a pure land. While the Young Miss has been overly protected since childhood, like a white rose grown in a greenhouse, unaware of the ruthless nature of storms.
She often gets lost in this purity and can't extricate herself...
"Wen Ruoxian?"
A soft call brought her thoughts back, only then did she realize she was daydreaming, and she resumed her seriousness: No need. It's a contract that hasn't been signed yet, it didn't cause any actual financial loss.
“Really?” Song Qingluo breathed a sigh of relief. “As long as there's no loss…”
“But I hope today's incident serves as a lesson for you. Now, go to the legal department, wait with Assistant Xu to draft the contract again, then bring it to me.”
"'Okay, I'll go right away.'"
The Legal Department retained the electronic version of the contract. They redrafted and printed it. Song Qingluo stood beside Xu Man, silent, listening to other colleagues joking with Xu Man. It was then she realized that Xu Man had taken the blame to save her from embarrassment.
The immediate effect of maintaining good relationships was evident.
After obtaining the fresh contract, Song Qingluo immediately took it to Wen Ruoxian.
Wen Ruoxian was engrossed in reviewing electronic reports, her brows furrowed, her already serious expression growing even more solemn. When Song Qingluo spoke to her, she merely hummed in acknowledgment, not even lifting her eyelids.
So she quietly retreated.
The entire afternoon, Song Qingluo lay on her desk, absent-mindedly flipping through the job manual.
Occasionally glancing towards the office.
The door and walls were not entirely transparent, but nothing could be seen.
Midway, other department managers passed by.
Coming and going.
The early winter sky turned gloomy around four or five o'clock.
After Wen Ruoxian finished talking with the Business Department personnel, she called Xu Man in and handed over the reviewed contract: “It can be signed tomorrow.”
Suddenly, she remembered something and pointed outside the door: “How is she doing?”
Xu Man truthfully replied, “Her mood isn't too good; she hasn't moved much all afternoon.”
“Mm.”
“Are you trying to test the Young Miss' patience?”
Rubbing her temples, Wen Ruoxian chuckled: “Her nature is hard to change. There's nothing to test. I actually find her quite adorable.”
Xu Man teased, “Would she still be adorable if she tore up the signed contract?”
Not adorable at all. Not even a bit.
"After finishing the company's affairs, Wen Ruoxian busied herself with personal work. There were still more than half of the remaining manuscripts left to translate, ensuring overtime today. It can only be too late or too early.
Close to six o'clock, Xu Man brought her dinner. “President Wen, I just asked Miss Song to leave work, but she refused, she said she wants to accompany you…”
"Accompany me?”
“Yes.”
The ancestor had begun again.
She just can't let people relax.
Seeing the amused expression on her assistant's face, Wen Ruoxian suddenly wanted to take back what she said about Song Qingluo being adorable. Helplessly, she said, “Let her come in, and you can leave first.”
“Alright.”
After Xu Man left, Song Qingluo pushed the door open not long after.
Wen Ruoxian temporarily shifted her attention away from the manuscripts.
She saw the Young Miss’ solemn face slowly approaching her and their eyes met.
“You don't have to accompany me for overtime,” her voice involuntarily softened. “You live so far away; it's safer to go home early.”
Song Qingluo righteously replied, “Accompanying the boss is my duty as a secretary.”
“But I don't need it right now.”
"What if I just want to accompany you..." Song Qingluo looked at her deeply, "I mean, you, Wen Ruoxian, not President Wen."
There is stubbornness, determination, and something incomprehensible in those eyes.
Subtle and weird emotions surged up again.
She, Wen Ruoxian, not President Wen. Just her as a person, not as a symbol.
Naturally sensitive to the same sex, Wen Ruoxian had to stop herself from overthinking, avoiding self-inflicted troubles again. She knew the Young Miss wouldn't relent unless she persistently stayed around.
It seemed like she might not be able to chase her away today.
"Okay, then go and eat first." She was defeated again.
Compromising, indulging.
But she was still willing to do so.
Unexpectedly, Song Qingluo shook her head: "I won't eat. I want to punish myself."
Wen Ruoxian was stunned: "Why?"
"I made a big mistake today. I am punishing myself by not having dinner and reflecting on it."
The ancestor had a new trick every day.
But looking at her serious expression, still carrying self-blame in her eyes, it was amusing yet somewhat touching. "Which company gives corporal punishment to its employees? Are you starting a new trend?"
Song Qingluo corrected, "It's not the company punishing me, it's me punishing myself. Is that not allowed?"
"No," Wen Ruoxian lowered her face, "Go and eat."
"You are cruel to me." Song Qingluo hung her head, appearing fragile and pitiable.
She can’t say harsh words, but she can't let her self-torment either.
In the end, Wen Ruoxian had no choice but to get up and go around, standing face to face with her, coaxing softly: "I don't blame you for what happened today. You will inevitably make mistakes on your first day at work, let alone a job you have never been exposed to before. It will be good to get familiar with it gradually in the future, and I also understand that you have good intentions."
"Don't punish your own body."
A fresh herbal scent wafted in, surrounded by gentle feminine features and a smile.
Song Qingluo's mind was in turmoil. It was as if she had lost the ability to speak; her lips moved, but no words came out. She was so close, close enough to reach out and hug her, to throw herself into her arms...
After a long while, she still shook her head: "I must remember this lesson, and remember it hard."
Wen Ruoxian wanted to say something, but Song Qingluo cut her off: "You don't need to persuade me. Skipping a meal is nothing, it's better to have a good memory."
The Young Miss is very stubborn.
Once again challenging her understanding, Wen Ruoxian had nothing to say.
After gazing at her for a while, she sighed: "I’ll respect your decision. Now, I'm going to eat, are you going to watch me eat?"
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Song Qingluo nodded.
“Okay."
Wen Ruoxian curled her lips, picked up the paper bag, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, where there was a small round table specially used for eating.
Opening the food container, the aroma of the dishes filled the air.
The taste of home-cooked food is completely different from the big pot take-out.
She has a small appetite, and her dinner is even less and light, consisting of one boiled shrimp, one vegetarian dish, and a small bowl of rice. She chewed slowly, fully focused.
Song Qingluo watched from a distance.
Usually, the picky Miss wouldn't even spare a glance at such bland dishes. But at this moment, with an empty stomach, even a plain steamed bun with cold water could be eaten deliciously.
──gulu
She covered her stomach and swallowed quietly.
Why was she angry with herself?
She hadn't caused any losses, and even if she had, she could afford to compensate, right? But that person was Wen Ruoxian...
She promised she wouldn't cause any trouble.
She couldn't forgive herself.
Only by smelling the food's fragrance could she remember it.
Song Qingluo thought dully and decided to divert her attention. She started to memorize musical scores in her mind.
Several well-known symphony violin scores were already memorized backward, and she was quite familiar with the full scores too. As she continued, she remembered the upcoming New Year's concert she was going to participate in. So she took out her phone and chatted briefly with Sun Yiren on WeChat.
Sun Yiren complained about moving house again. In a split second, an idea flashed across her mind.
Glancing at Wen Ruoxian, who was still focused on eating, Song Qingluo walked over and took a seat opposite her. "You just mentioned that my home is far away, and it's unsafe to go home late. I've been thinking. Perhaps I should rent a small place near the company."
"My neighborhood?" Wen Ruoxian asked after finishing her last bite slowly, with a smile in her eyes.
The Young Miss’ determination is very good.
Her little stubbornness was quite adorable, and thinking about it made her laugh. She hadn't been this happy in a long time.
"No," Song Qingluo didn't show the slightest interest, and lied calmly, "I can just find a community where I can live, but I have never lived alone. Is there anything I should pay attention to when living alone?"
Wen Ruoxian put away her smile, thought for a moment, and said seriously, "It's best to rent in a high-end residential area, with good security and strict access control. You can get smart surveillance…”
As she spoke, Wen Ruoxian took out her phone, retrieved the previously saved security measures, and sent them to Song Qingluo.
The more careful and considerate she was, the more guilty Song Qingluo felt.
What ‘never lived alone'?...
Isn't she too happy living alone?
But this is the only way to implement the plan smoothly.
….
For several consecutive days, Song Qingluo unwaveringly accompanied Wen Ruoxian for overtime, sharing light home-cooked meals together.
Xu Man also handed her the task of contacting the cleaning lady.
She learned to write meeting minutes and helped Wen Ruoxian organize manuscripts for publication. Instead of sitting at her own desk, she took away half of Wen Ruoxian's big desk.
Most of the time, it was Wen Ruoxian who was focused on her work.
Song Qingluo raised pink bubbles while reading the translation manuscript and exclaimed in admiration: "You are so awesome. How can you translate so accurately? I don't speak other languages, just English. I studied in the UK and talked and read with the locals. It’s okay to watch dramas, read English books, and even a little bit of Old English, but if you want me to translate these things..."
She was completely dumbfounded.
Wen Ruoxian donned gold-rimmed glasses, accentuating her high nose bridge, and her clear eyes carried a faint smile. "Language and translation are actually two separate disciplines. There's no need to doubt yourself if you're not a professional."
"I'm praising you, but it doesn't mean I'm doubting myself. Just like how you don't play the violin, but in your eyes, I'm really good at it. This is called specialization in the arts." The Young Miss refuses to admit defeat when it comes to her words and skills.
She always had a high self-identity.
Like the sun that emits heat and continuously provides energy.
Wen Ruoxian laughed out loud: "Yes, we are both great."
A very good match.
Song Qingluo said in her heart.
She bit her lip, feeling a slight warmth on her cheeks, and lowered her head.
But she couldn't resist stealing glances at the person opposite her.
The old-fashioned looks good wearing glasses.
Restrained yet refined.
The button fastened at the top, inviting one's fingers to unbutton it...
Outside the window, the towering buildings illuminated the night, reflecting the silhouettes of the two figures hunched over the desk.
Wen Ruoxian stared at the computer and sensed someone looking at her from the corner of her eye. Without thinking, she turned her face, meeting Song Qingluo's straightforward gaze head-on.
Both of them were stunned.
Song Qingluo quickly buried her head.
"Is there something on my face?" Wen Ruoxian didn't react for a moment.
"Huh? What?"
"You're always looking at me."
“Why would I do that? You're the one looking at me. If you don't look at me, how do you know I'm looking at you?" Song Qingluo argued anxiously.
Seizing the flaw in her words, Wen Ruoxian raised an eyebrow, "So, you admit to looking at me." Song Qingluo faltered, blushing as she turned away.
After a while, she muttered softly, "I'm just looking at you. What's wrong with that? Can't people look at you?"
"But..." Wen Ruoxian was puzzled, "What good is there to look at me for?"
"Of course there is."
She turned back again, her eyes warm, "I like looking at you."
Wen Ruoxian's heart skipped a beat.
Her sensitive nerves trembled incessantly, momentarily giving rise to a sense of illusion.
As if Song Qingluo was coming for her.
Author's Note:
Wen-jie jie: Starting to panic.jpg