Chapter 6: Take Me In For A Night
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
It's cloudy outside and the light is dim.
Wen Ruoxian stood in the misty light, from head to toe, all gray and cold. Her half-high-necked sweater accentuated her slender waist, and her pants were neatly pressed. Apart from the wristwatch, there were no extra accessories. She looked plain and reserved.
Her face was dull and blank.
It's unknown how much of those words she heard just now.
Song Qingluo smiled nonchalantly: "President Wen, hello."
Wen Ruoxian stared at her for a long time without saying anything. She just nodded lightly and turned towards the office. The boss brutally caught her talking behind her back. This incident deserves to be included in the "Top Ten Famous Scenes of Killing Workers."
Although the "person with connection" was fearless, she was still uneasy, not because of this dispensable job, but about how Wen Ruoxian would react. Since she had heard it, would she figure it out? Would she suddenly realize that she came because of her...
Song Qingluo crumpled the tissue and threw it away, cleaned the cup in the pantry, and quietly went to the President's office.
Assistant Xu was not there.
She knocked on the door three times formally, then slowly opened it──
Voices were coming from inside. Wen Ruoxian was leaning in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, holding up her phone, speaking incomprehensible words. Seeing her come in, she raised her brows in slight surprise and ended the call.
"Why are you here?"
"To see President Wen." Song Qingluo was too lazy to make up a lie.
Wen Ruoxian glanced at her watch and said, "It's working hours now."
"I know," Song Qingluo closed the door behind her and walked towards her, "But I'm not sure if I'll still have a job after today."
"What do you mean?"
"President Wen, will I get fired tomorrow just because I entered the company with my left foot first?"
She approached step by step, her bright and voluptuous features becoming more sharp and commanding. But her gaze remained innocent, Wen Ruoxian watched her, and at one point, she felt her breath momentarily pause.
Until she stood in front of her.
A few strands of silver-gray hair brushed against her cheek, lightly scratching it, sending a slight ticklish sensation.
Wen Ruoxian quickly backed away, maintaining a normal social distance from her, "Why do you say that?"
"Gossiping about the boss behind their back and getting caught in person, I'm afraid I'm in big trouble," Song Qingluo said, adopting an expression that suggested she had done something wrong.
Wen Ruoxian said clearly: "It's nothing."
"Don't you mind?"
"Spreading harmless office gossip can relieve everyone's work pressure, it's not a bad thing."
Song Qingluo's eyes became subtle, and her sharp gaze tried to penetrate her and dig out her true thoughts, but she found nothing. She didn't know if she was wearing a mask at the moment, or if this was her true nature.
"Then, what did you hear?"
A clear voice echoed in Wen Ruoxian's mind:
[President Wen is not bad, I like a boss like President Wen who is down-to-earth and reliable.]
It was just an ordinary compliment, but because the person who said it was Song Qingluo, it seemed to carry a certain purpose...
Her intuition told her that this was not a bad thing.
Her senses came back, and her intuition told her that she shouldn't say that she heard those, otherwise, it would be difficult and troublesome.
So, she smiled lightly and said, "I heard you all praising CEO Cheng."
"Didn't you hear me compliment you?" Someone just asked something she didn't want to talk about.
Song Qingluo misunderstood, thinking that she cared about being compared, and her protectiveness came back again, and she said unscrupulously: "Some leaders are really good at winning people's hearts and appear amiable in front of their subordinates, but their words and deeds may not be consistent. Good people end up being good to themselves, but as for the bad ones..."
"Do not discuss leaders during working hours," Wen Ruoxian interrupted with a frown.
Ranran is not that kind of person.
No one can slander Ranran in front of her.
The room fell silent.
Song Qingluo was shocked by her sudden seriousness.
This person seemed to be emphasizing rules, but in fact, she was protecting Cheng Suran. After all, they were good friends. If not to speak up for a friend, would she side with someone like her, whom she had met not long ago?
In Wen Ruoxian's view, she was just "someone she had known for a short time." For her, Wen Ruoxian has been her heartbeat for many years.
How could she not be sad with such a gap?
Clearly, she only wanted to protect the person she liked.
She knew she should pretend to be good, but Song Qingluo was not someone who bowed her head easily. Her sense of injustice followed the gap in their relationship, and she argued, "You just said that harmless office gossip can be spread, and I assumed that included during working hours."
"I can only speak for myself. Besides, what you and your colleagues discussed was based on facts, while what was said earlier was speculation. The definition of 'harmless office gossip' falls within the scope of objective facts, not subjective speculation. There's a fundamental difference between the two," Wen Ruoxian explained calmly, taking on a somewhat lecturing tone.
Song Qingluo was speechless.
Staring at this face, listening to these words, fragments of memories flashed back in her mind.
They should have known each other long ago.
If she had chased her after the debate. If she hadn't missed her several times while lingering near the school gate. If on the night they went to the hospital, she hadn't let her go...
There will be no need to go to great lengths to get close to her today.
But, there is no what if.
Song Qingluo didn't want to argue anymore.
When emotions surged, what was needed was unconditional support, not debate or reasoning. Since she had no right to demand Wen Ruoxian's favor, there was no need to argue further.
"Mm, President Wen is right." She nodded lightly.
"I'm going to work first."
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Wen Ruoxian watched her turn around, with her back straight, her head held high, her stride long, and her gaze stubborn and unyielding. Suddenly, she realized that she seemed to have said the wrong thing, or done something she shouldn't have done, and bullied someone.
As Song Qingluo reached the door, she suddenly stopped and turned to look back.
Their eyes met.
"Actually..." Just when Wen Ruoxian wanted to say something, Song Qingluo spoke before her, "You can say it directly. Not to speculate about CEO Cheng's character in front of you."
Then, she added as if talking to herself, "If someone were to speak like that about my friend or... someone I care about in front of me, I would feel uncomfortable just like you. So, I understand how you feel. I'm sorry."
She looked into Wen Ruoxian's eyes and did not hesitate for too long before adding her own selfishness.
After that, she left the office.
The air felt as heavy as the overcast clouds outside, dense and chilly, and breathing was like inhaling damp cotton.
Wen Ruoxian sighed and stretched out her hand to rub the center of her brow.
What an ancestor.
The journey back to the administrative department was not long, but Song Qingluo felt that it had been a long walk.
She had left too quickly. She hadn't had a chance to ask her how the medicine she had sent over last time was working. She hadn't sat down to taste the tea on her desk, and she hadn't learned what her attitude was when she heard the praise.
Instead, she had been lectured.
Such a pedant.
Loved to lecture people.
It made her both love and hate her.
Song Qingluo felt that she was a generous person and did not want to argue with Wen Ruoxian. She went to the tea room to get her cup back, and detour outside before heading to the administrative department.
Working in an office building is very restrictive, like being in prison. Whenever she has a chance, she goes out for air.
As soon as she entered the office, she was stopped.
"Xiao Song, where have you been? I haven't been able to find you for a long time. The printer outside ran out of ink, go replace it," Manager Cao lifted her head from the computer.
Song Qingluo frowned: "Am I the only one who knows how to change ink cartridges?"
"Then who do you think it should be?"
"I changed it a few days ago. It can be anyone but me today." She returned to her workstation and sat down, too lazy to talk to her anymore.
Since joining the company, Manager Cao has asked her to do a lot of chores and pushed her to do all the trivial matters, euphemistically saying that newcomers should exercise more, and even used her official power for private use, asking her to wash her car and run errands.
She promised Wen Ruoxian that she would work hard and not cause any trouble. Besides, she needed time to familiarize herself with the environment and explore her interpersonal relationships, so she endured all these.
However, she couldn't let herself be pushed around forever.
That wasn't her personality.
There were plenty of ways to handle this; she just needed an opportunity.
Manager Cao looked at her calmly and pushed up her glasses: "Newcomers can get trained by doing more work, and these will be included in the regular assessment next month. If you are more active, I will have a reason to give you high marks."
Song Qingluo was choked by her boss.
She is still in the probation period. Manager Cao has the absolute right to say whether she can become a regular employee at that time.
She wants to stay.
Was she trying to control her?
Song Qingluo raised her head and looked at Manager Cao. She was smiling and seemed to have good intentions in her eyes, but only a fool would believe this trick.
She sneered in her heart and responded: "You're right."
Then she got up and went to see the printer.
She had been pampered since she was a child. She has a nanny at home, and a driver when she goes out, her mother dotes on her, and her friends indulge her. All the grievances she had experienced in her twenty-five years of life had been endured in these past few days.
When her interest is strong, the so-called grievance is not a grievance, it is a life experience, a part of the game. But when her interest waned, everything became boring and there was no need to linger.
She knew that she had always held the initiative.
After changing the ink cartridge, Song Qingluo was about to return to the office. Manager Cao came out, glanced at her, and said, "Six people in the business department have to work overtime today. Go and order six meals. I've sent you the menu on WeChat."
Song Qingluo responded with indifference and took out her phone.
The company does not have a cafeteria, so they partnered with nearby restaurants in the office building. Employees working overtime could choose their dinner, and they kept track of expenses and invoices. Financial settlements with the restaurants occurred monthly.
The moment she clicked on WeChat, she saw Wen Ruoxian's message.
Sent just five minutes ago.
Prude: [I wasn't targeting you earlier.]
Prude: [I heard you praising me. Thank you.]
"Thanks" and "Thank you" meant the same thing, differing by just one word, yet they conveyed vastly different attitudes. The latter always felt more sincere, more heartfelt, rather than just polite.
Song Qingluo raised her lips.
Even the prude knew how to explain.
Mm, old-fashioned people can be taught.
She didn't want to let Wen Ruoxian go like this, so she replied: [Really? Invite me to dinner, and I will believe you.]
Prude: [Okay, but not today. I'm very busy. I'll make an appointment with you when I have time.]
So cooperative?
If she had known earlier, she would have pushed harder and made more demands.
It was now five o'clock, and Wen Ruoxian said she was busy that day, so it was highly likely that she wouldn't leave the office on time. She would be busy with her "personal work" in the office, so...
An idea flashed in Song Qingluo's mind.
The opportunity has come.
Just when Wen Ruoxian put down her phone, there was a knock on the door outside.
She thought it was Song Qingluo.
"Ruoxian—"
A gust of fragrant wind wafted in front of her and faintly penetrated her nose. When he saw the person who entered, Wen Ruoxian immediately removed her cold face and showed a gentle smile.
Cheng Suran, who had been on a business trip for over a week, had returned today.
Half an hour ago, she had called her and said she was coming to the company to bring her a gift.
"Guess what I brought for you?" Cheng Suran smiled mysteriously.
Perhaps due to the journey, her hair was slightly disheveled, but her bright eyes were full of energy. Her cheeks had dimples that naturally formed when she smiled, giving her a naturally friendly and approachable aura.
"No matter what you've brought, there's no rush for you to come today..." Wen Ruoxian got up, walked around her desk, and reached out to hold her hand out of habit. However, just before their hands were about to touch, she suddenly remembered something and hesitated, retracting her hand as if nothing had happened.
As she walked towards the sofa seat, she chattered: "You just finished your work in the morning, and you took a plane and a car in the afternoon. You must be tired. You should have gone straight home to rest. Bringing it tomorrow would have been just fine. Sometimes, you can be so stubborn."
Cheng Suran pretended not to notice her movements, followed her to the sofa, and sat down next to her: "I know, but I can't wait to give it to you, because you will definitely like it."
Their clothes lightly brushed against each other.
Wen Ruoxian reflexively moved her body slightly to the side, creating a natural but not overly deliberate distance between them.
Things were different now.
Ranran is someone else’s girlfriend.
And the window paper of "friendship" between them has been torn. From now on, every time they interacted, they had to be cautious.
"Okay," still unable to do anything about her as before, "What's the gift?"
Cheng Suran's smile faded, and she slightly lowered her head, taking a deep blue envelope from her bag. "Tickets to this month's thematic performance by the Jiangcheng Orchestra. You mentioned last time that you couldn't get tickets, so I happen to have a client who knows the owner of the orchestra. I asked him to help me get a ticket."
She took out a thin piece of paper and handed it to Wen Ruoxian.
VIP seats.
The middle position in the first row, the night of the 29th of this month.
Attending concerts is Wen Ruoxian's little hobby. She developed it during the two years she studied in Germany. She used to often go, but then she returned to China and got busy with work. She often couldn't spare time, so she could only settle for CDs of performances that interested her and listen to them. She rarely attends live concerts now.
The last time she went to a live concert was just before last Christmas.
"What a surprise. I happen to be free on the 29th," Wen Ruoxian's eyes flashed, "Thank you Ranran."
She put the tickets back into the envelope very carefully.
"Do we still need to say thank you?" Cheng Suran saw that she was really happy and breathed a sigh of relief. As she spoke, she reached for the teapot on the table.
Wen Ruoxian stopped her: "It's already cold, I'll warm it up again."
Her fingertips brushed against her sleeve, and she discreetly touched the base of the teapot. She pressed the power button, and it began to heat automatically.
Cheng Suran turned her face away, looked at the teapot, watched the clusters of white chrysanthemums tumbling in the slightly yellow tea, watched the temperature gradually rise, and suddenly remembered something. Suddenly, she remembered many things from the past five years, so many things and her emotions bubbled up like the boiling water.
Before Wen Ruoxian could do anything, she turned off the power, got a brand-new paper cup, and poured some tea.
Warm but not hot, just right.
Wen Ruoxian sat beside her silently.
There was nothing to say, only work to discuss, but today, Ranran was obviously tired.
This state had persisted between them for over half a year, and anything unfamiliar had become familiar. It would continue like this in the future.
After drinking tea, Cheng Suran's phone rang. Someone was waiting for her to go home downstairs. She answered twice and stood up: "Ruoxian, I'll go head back now."
"Okay."
Wen Ruoxian stood up and walked her to the door.
Watching her back disappearing around the corner of the corridor.
Back at her desk, Wen Ruoxian took another look at the ticket inside the envelope, and put it back in her bag, and her mind seemed to automatically clear away all emotions related to the recent interaction, becoming increasingly skilled at it.
There were still unread messages on WeChat.
Song Qingluo: [I want to eat at Yunji.]
It's a private kitchen specializing in custom cuisine.
Famous for its high-end ingredients and authentic cooking, its dishes are unparalleled and expensive.
The Young Miss is really ruthless in punishing people.
Wen Ruoxian was amused and chuckled. For a moment, she felt that this "ancestor" was a little cute. She thought back to the compliments she heard in the afternoon and the arguments in the office. Her mood turned subtly complex.
It is human nature to protect friends.
As Song Qingluo said, the same applies to people you like and care about.
So is she just praising her or...
Wen Ruoxian didn't have time to ponder this deeply as her phone vibrated. Song Qingluo sent another message: [You can also try the barbecue on Binxi Road. It's delicious and not expensive.]
The Young Miss is very considerate.
But she isn't incapable of treating a meal in "Yun Ji"
Wen Ruoxian: [Yun Ji.]
There was no reply from the other side.
Around six o'clock, Xu Man brought her dinner and was then sent off for the evening.
She doesn't like takeaways that are heavy in oil and salt and rarely goes out to restaurants unless she's socializing, so she finds an aunt who lives near the company to cook for her. If she needs anything at the company, the aunt will cook it and deliver it to her.
The end of the year was the peak season for meetings and project submissions. She estimated that she would be working late tonight.
As expected.
It was almost nine o'clock when she walked out of the office.
The whole floor was dark, and the lights from the tall buildings outside shone into the window, lengthening her shadow and walking through the darkness like a ghost.
However, the lights in the administrative department were still on.
Looking closer, the office was empty, with a bucket and mop placed by the door. The water in the bucket was dirty, the mop was half-wet, and there were clear traces of cleaning on the tiled floor.
Wen Ruoxian was puzzled, and just then, she saw Song Qingluo coming from the front lobby, each hand holding a trash can.
"President Wen..." She seemed genuinely surprised to see her here.
Wen Ruoxian glanced at her up and down, frowning slightly: "What are you doing?"
"I'm cleaning the trash cans."
"Why would you do the cleaning personnel's job?"
Song Qingluo blinked, with an innocent look on her face: "This is what I do, administrative works, doing odd jobs... The office is a little dirty today, so I'm cleaning up." After saying that, she smiled sheepishly, "It's just that, I rarely do housework at home, and my hands and feet are too slow. That's why it's so late. Please don't laugh at me."
Wen Ruoxian's expression turned serious as she asked, "Did Manager Cao instruct you to do this?"
She asked with certainty.
Song Qingluo lowered her gaze, not saying a word. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and her cheeks had some dirt smudged on them. Both her sleeves were rolled up high, revealing delicate wrists. Upon closer inspection, there was a band-aid on her right index finger.
Very disheveled.
Like a white rose that blooms in a greenhouse but falls into the mud.
She shouldn't be here.
She shouldn't be doing boring work, earning a salary that's not enough for a meal, and letting others bully her.
Wen Ruoxian felt pity for her and a little guilty.
After all, she was a client's daughter, a young lady of privilege, being treated this way in her company was unacceptable, and the staff not following the rules and behaving recklessly would lead to chaos in the long run.
"The company has clear rules about what tasks should be done in each position, and Manager Cao..." Wen Ruoxian began but was interrupted by Song Qingluo.
The words were overtly flattering but understated: "You won't blame Director Cao, right? She is also good to me and has given me a lot of opportunities to practice. I am still in the probation period. If I work harder, I can pass the assessment and become a full-time employee, and then I can stay."
Wen Ruoxian didn't doubt her words, but as she listened, her frown deepened. "So, she keeps assigning these odd jobs to you and uses the assessment as a threat."
"Ah, that's not what I meant..." A mischievous smile flashed in Song Qingluo's eyes.
Never force yourself into trouble.
Pretending to be pitiful and acting obedient is more effective than anything else.
The air fell into silence.
Wen Ruoxian looked at the dripping trash can in her hand and said, "Put it all down, stop doing that, and go home."
"Oh…"
Song Qingluo obediently put the trash can aside, returned to her workstation, and picked up her bag. She came to Wen Ruoxian again and looked at her, but hesitated to speak.
"What's the matter?"
"My home is too far away. It's a little inconvenient to go back so late, and I don't dare to stay in a hotel alone. Can you...can you take me in for a night?"
Author's Note:
Wen-jiejie: Something doesn't seem right (confused)