TGSS - Chapter 12
Chapter 12: Team Building
"What are you doing?" Tan Qing had just finished an outdoor shoot and came back dusty with his camera in hand, only to run into Chu He wearing a look of resentful melancholy. She seemed to radiate gloom, her burning gaze fixed on him as if she meant to bore a hole right through him.
He carefully put away the camera lens and tucked it into his bag, unsettled by the way Chu He was looking at him like merchandise. He was about to speak when she dropped a bombshell.
"What do you think of Liang Zhouyi? Is there any chance you two could make something happen?" Chu He said, her tone and expression utterly serious.
Tan Qing nearly choked, his heart trembling. "I thought you were just saying that casually last time, and besides, Liang Zhouyi just..."
"Just what?" Chu He narrowed her eyes curiously. Tan Qing's certainty was strange.
"Nothing. I just think it's strange that she would go on a blind date... it doesn't seem right." Tan Qing hoisted his bag onto his back and turned away. Though he still hadn't let go of his grudge over what Liang Zhouyi had said that day, he still held some lingering affection from the past.
Chu He nodded. She also thought it shouldn't happen. After all, as her future self, she ought to loathe blind dates. So her expression turned serious again. "So that just proves she really does need a boyfriend."
Tan Qing wore an unreadable expression and shut his mouth, unwilling to pick up the thread. He had no desire to get dragged into another strange scandal like at his last company.
Walking side by side with Tan Qing, Chu He clearly hadn't given up on the idea. She rubbed her chin and suddenly asked, "You're definitely going to the team building this weekend, right? There's no way Xu Lu wouldn't invite you."
"Uh, he did invite me," Tan Qing said, not quite understanding why she had suddenly brought it up.
Chu He nodded with satisfaction. "Then you'll come with me and Liang Zhouyi. It's settled."
Tan Qing choked on his words and shook his head helplessly. No matter what Chu He was plotting, it was doomed to fail. Me and Liang Zhouyi? What a ridiculous idea. He couldn't believe she had even thought of it.
Chen Xinluo was on her way to conduct interviews with new employees when she ran into Chu He striding briskly down the hall. She grabbed her and warned with a frown, "Chu He, you've been wandering away from your post a bit too often lately."
Chu He raised an eyebrow. This Chen Xinluo was President Qin's niece. Though she was a connected hire, her competence was undeniable, so everyone in the company gave her some deference.
"Got it, got it." Chu He pressed her palms together, bowing slightly as she walked back to show she understood.
Chen Xinluo's expression darkened a little. She didn't want Chu He and the others to cause any more trouble. She had already had to cover for Liang Zhouyi several times.
With some free time, Chu He recalled the order she had seen on Liang Zhouyi's phone. She spun her phone in her hand and thought for a moment before typing the contact's information into it and dialing. The number was disconnected. The call didn't go through.
She wasn't very surprised. After all, so many years had passed, it wouldn't be strange for someone to change their number. In any case, S City wasn't far. At worst she could just make a trip to that address when she was on a business trip.
She had a feeling Liang Zhouyi would be very happy to receive this gift. At that thought, Chu He smiled faintly and asked the System in her mind, "How's my Daily Mission grinding going?"
"You have five days of balance remaining," the System answered honestly. It had noticed that Chu He didn't seem enthusiastic about doing this mission, always approaching it with reluctance.
Chu He breathed a sigh of relief. Grinding it this way was indeed less cost effective than that accidental kiss before, but the resistant look on Liang Zhouyi's face that day was still vivid in her mind. After thinking it over, she decided it was better not to push past her own bottom line.
Chu He, oh Chu He, what bottom line do you even have left? She pinched a faded silver willow blossom on her desk and tossed it into the trash, sighing inwardly at what she had done. She could even scheme against herself. She really lived up to what her employees in her past life had said about her, that she would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
Chu He thought she had arranged everything perfectly, but she never expected the final flaw in her plan would be Liang Zhouyi herself.
The weather that Saturday was quite nice, and almost everyone from their department had shown up. Although the temperature was very low and the thin morning frost had not yet completely melted, it glittered beautifully in the sunlight. With more than twenty people gathered together, it was very lively.
Chu He was still wearing that windbreaker, her slender, straight legs tightly wrapped in jeans. Beside her, Tan Qing stood with his hands in his pockets, his face glum and his posture lifeless.
"Where's Liang Zhouyi?" Chu He jabbed Tan Qing hard with her elbow.
"Ow... didn't see her, probably in the back, with Xu Lu," Tan Qing said, rubbing his ribs as his face twisted for a moment. Her hand was really heavy.
"That creep?" Chu He frowned. "What's Liang Zhouyi doing with him? I clearly told her to stick with me today."
She pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek in annoyance and strode down the slope. Liang Zhouyi really did respond only to toughness and not softness. That was so like her.
"Zhou Yi, I personally have nothing against you." Xu Lu patted Liang Zhouyi on the shoulder, his hand lingering a second too long before he continued earnestly, "It's just that business at the company is like this. The capable bear more work. We see how much you do. I hope you won't take it to heart."
"I understand," Liang Zhouyi said, her lips pressing downward, her tone a little deferential.
Xu Lu looked satisfied, his vanity gratified, and even his expression softened.
"Liang Zhouyi!" Chu He called out from above, standing on higher ground with an unfriendly tone, her delicate chin slightly lifted.
Xu Lu took a constrained step to the side before looking at Liang Zhouyi's expression. He still felt a little wary after being scolded by Chu He last time. Although he hadn't done anything, he couldn't help feeling a little guilty.
Liang Zhouyi stood beneath a tree, her expression very cold. She looked up in confusion, waiting for what Chu He would say next.
Not knowing why she had put on that deadpan look again, Chu He felt anxious and irritated, and her tone naturally took on a hint of impatience and command. "Didn't I tell you to stick with me and Tan Qing? What are you doing here alone?"
Alone? Xu Lu twitched his mouth awkwardly. Apparently Chu He had not even registered that someone as conspicuous as him was standing there.
"There's nothing wrong with me staying with my direct supervisor, is there? Besides, it's off hours now, so I should be free to do as I please," Liang Zhouyi said, her slightly pale face guarded as she drew a clear line between them.
Chu He couldn't help clenching her fists, her head heating up at those words, and she blurted out without thinking, "Suit yourself! Like I need you anyway."
The moment the words left her mouth, she saw Liang Zhouyi's originally calm expression crack for an instant. A flicker of regret rose in her heart, but she still turned away coldly and strode forward.
No, why does she have to be so stubborn? She clearly doesn't hate being with me, but she has to be so awkward about it. This drove Chu He, who had always been decisive and efficient, almost crazy, yet she couldn't truly stay angry with Liang Zhouyi.
"Zhou Yi?" Xu Lu called out with an awkward smile to Liang Zhouyi, who stood frozen like a sculpture with an icy face.
"Mm." Liang Zhouyi suppressed the jumble of emotions inside her. Clearly this was the result she had wanted, but when she actually watched Chu He turn her back on her without looking back, she felt her chest tighten until she could hardly breathe, and even her lower abdomen began to ache with held tension.
Xu Lu looked at Liang Zhouyi beside him, then at Chu He, who had already blended into the crowd. Understanding dawned on him. No wonder Chu He had stood up for Liang Zhouyi that day. There was definitely something going on between those two!
Comments
Post a Comment