The conference room was as quiet as night when Chu Qin suddenly spoke up, "This is the plan you’ve put before ?!"
Her sudden outburst startled everyone!
"You had an entire week and this is the rubbish you present to !" Chu Qin shoved the docunts away from her.
The atmosphere grew even more tense.
"Director Zhang!" Chu Qin called out loudly. "Can you explain this to ?"
Zhang Zhentian, a man in his 30s, was left speechless by Chu Qin, a woman not yet 30. He blushed with embarrassnt.
"I cannot accept this proposal!" Chu Qin tossed the docunts at Zhang Zhentian, "I’m giving you one day, tomorrow I want to see a complete plan!"
"Yes." Zhang Zhentian nodded weakly.
"Additionally," Chu Qin addressed everyone else, "The first round of the newcors’ head-to-head evaluation is upcoming, with the examination questions being announced next Monday. As always, the newcors from the three departnts will compete. I don’t care how this departnt functioned before, but under my watch, I won’t tolerate anyone hindering our collective performance. Understand? The three of you newcors!"
Song Zhizhi and the other two newcors, Wang Qiang and Li Sheng, nodded in response.
"eting dismissed!" Chu Qin declared, and promptly left the room.
The room only stirred with chatter as she left.
Zhang Zhentian placed the plan on the conference table, "We are working overti tonight, all night."
The others grumbled a bit, but no one dared to protest.
Everyone left the conference room.
Song Zhizhi returned to her desk.
Her ntor, Zhou Quan, told her: "The director has given orders; given that the newcor evaluation is about to take place, you’ll have to participate in this plan. Hence... you’ll be working late tonight."
Song Zhizhi was not surprised.
She was supposed to et Ji Baijian tonight.
They had been managing to keep up their twice-weekly dating arrangent.
Helplessly, she texted Ji Baijian: "Have to work overti tonight, won’t be able to have dinner with you."
"Okay." There was no emotive response from his end.
Song Zhizhi could not help but doubt if her feelings for Ji Baijian were unilateral.
She put her phone down and got back to work.
The current proposal was to create a plan for an economic zone. The problem was that all three departnts replicated a forr successful case, offering no creativity, leading managent to express their dissatisfaction and pressure the three planning departnts. Chu Qin, as a typical workaholic, always wanted to win.
Indeed, under her leadership, the planning departnt had consistently been awarded exceptional performance in the last two years.
Chu Qin had an undisputed capability and a powerful background as the eldest daughter of the chief financial officer, Chu Zhaonan, which combined with her high education and high-profile status, had everyone in the departnt respecting her despite her young age of only 29.
am.
All the departnt’s employees, nursing their coffees, were imrsed in their tasks.
Facing high-pressure work, the planning for the economic zone was no breakthrough and everyone was frowning.
Adding to the tension, Chu Qin was also working overti, which put extra pressure on everyone else.
Song Zhizhi stretched her tired body.
She was still in the familiarization stage with all these plans, hence she couldn’t put forth any constructive suggestions.
She got up for a little break and went towards the restroom.
Passing by Chu Qin’s office, she saw her working on her computer.
She knew that Chu Qin was married, to a high-ranking public servant from Yanshang Country. But since Song Zhizhi had started working here, Chu Qin had been working late every day. Didn’t she need to go ho to her husband?
Song Zhizhi wasn’t a gossip, but given her investigation into the entity controlling her family’s affairs, she was extra attentive to every detail.
After using the restroom, while washing her hands, her phone rang.
She saw the caller ID, answered it: "Why aren’t you asleep at this hour?"
"Are you still working late?" He didn’t answer, instead asked directly.
"Is that even a question?" Song Zhizhi responded, "All night."
"Co downstairs."
What?
Before Song Zhizhi could respond, the call ended.
Frustrated, she grabbed her phone and headed downstairs.
As soon as she stepped out, she saw a familiar black sedan parked in front of the building.
She got into the car.
Ji Baijian was sitting in the back seat, his arm resting on the back of his head, looking at her blankly.
"What’s gotten into you?" Song Zhizhi asked, not in the best of moods.
Why would he co here in the middle of the night?
"Co here," Ji Baijian said.
It seed that she was keeping a certain distance from him.
Mute, Song Zhizhi moved closer to him.
Ji Baijian put down his arms.
Song Zhizhi thought he might embrace her or do sothing affectionate, but he simply handed her so late-night snacks.
She stared at the bowl of porridge in disbelief.
"Take it and eat." Ji Baijian said.
"That’s all?"
"So...," Ji Baijian smirked, "What else were you expecting?"
"I... want... to... seduce... you." Song Zhizhi articulated each word distinctly.
Ji Baijian laughed, "Miss Song, haste makes bad porridge."
"I’m not afraid of getting burnt." Song Zhizhi was serious.
"I am," Ji Baijian responded.
Song Zhizhi was surprised. What was a grown man like him afraid of?
Ji Baijian suddenly leaned into her ear. His suave voice and pleasant tone drawing her in, "I’m afraid... of hurting you."
"Ah," she blushes for no discernable reason.
Since when did Ji Baijian learn to say such , such shy words.
The two of them fell into an awkward silence.
There was an unspoken desire filling the small space of the car, stirring and swirling...
"You two aren’t planning to do it right here, are you?" A man’s inappropriate voice suddenly sounded in the car.
Song Zhizhi looked towards the driver’s seat in shock.
"Sister-in-law, it’s , the big third wheel!" Yin Qin grinned.
Song Zhizhi’s eyes widened even more.
"First, I made porridge for you with your husband, then I had to be his chauffeur, and now I’m being subjected to your PDA." Yin Qin explained why he was in the car.
"Oh," Song Zhizhi responded awkwardly, "Thank you for your hard work."
Yin Qin continued to beam.
His smile sent shivers down Song Zhizhi’s spine.
Song Zhizhi opened the car door, "It’s late, you both should head ho."
Ji Baijian nodded.
As Song Zhizhi was getting out of the car, she heard Yin Qin saying, "Sister-in-law, rember to eat more. Ji Baijian made this himself. It’s the first ti I’ve seen him cook in his life. He spent the entire night cooking and ruined several pots. I didn’t even get a taste."
He sounded rather wronged.
Inwardly, Song Zhizhi felt a wave of affection washing over her...
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