“Ling Ning, Ling Ning.”
Hearing her na called, Ling Ning slowly opened her eyes to see Qin Qing’s slightly tired but smiling face.
Rubbing her temples, Ling Ning sat up from the sofa. After a mont to regain clarity, she glanced at the clock. It was already the end of the workday. Had she really slept that long?
“How does it feel to nap the whole afternoon away?” Qin Qing teased, handing her a cup of hot coffee.
Taking a sip, Ling Ning’s face scrunched up in distaste. “Why is there no sugar?”
“Count yourself lucky. The boss personally made you coffee, and you’re still nitpicking? Do you even want to keep this job?” Qin Qing playfully rolled her eyes.
“Of course, I’m eternally grateful for the boss’s coffee.” Ling Ning smiled wryly before getting up and adding sugar to the cup like there was no tomorrow.
Watching her actions, Qin Qing chuckled. “You think sugar is free, don’t you?”
“Well, I’m not paying for it, so it’s fine~” Ling Ning replied shalessly.
“Alright, alright. You’ve worked hard recently. Everything okay with school?”
“It’s fine, but your ‘it might get a bit busy’ was a serious understatent. It’s been insane! Are you sure overworking employees like this is even legal?”
The past month had been a whirlwind for Ling Ning. She spent most of her ti shuttling between the company, fashion shows, and magazine offices, with barely any ti to attend school.
Even her birthday had passed in a hurried blur.
Only now did she fully grasp what Qin Qing had ant by “a bit busy.”
Fortunately, her horoom teacher, Bai Jie, had been lenient. Otherwise, her grades might have been in jeopardy. Still, if she didn’t make an appearance at school soon, Bai Jie would definitely summon her for a chat.
It wasn’t like Ling Ning had much choice, though. The seasonal transition ant an increased workload, and she had even completed photoshoots for the upcoming winter season ahead of schedule. Now, she could finally breathe a little easier.
“With most of your work done, you can take it easy for now,” Qin Qing said with a smile.
“I get it, and you should rest too. Don’t push yourself too hard—your health is your real asset~”
Ling Ning said with a resigned sigh. She had told Qin Qing this countless tis, but it always seed to fall on deaf ears.
Over the past month, Ling Ning had often stayed overnight at the company due to work, and Qin Qing was no different, frequently working late into the night. Sotis, Qin Qing would climb into bed while Ling Ning was half-asleep, exhausted from the day.
“I’ll take care of myself~”
“Sure you will. Look at your dark circles—they’re so bad even makeup can’t hide them!” Ling Ning reached out to gently touch Qin Qing’s under-eye area, her concern evident.
“These aren’t dark circles; they’re the latest smoky eye trend, alright?”
Seeing Ling Ning’s frustrated expression, Qin Qing quickly changed the subject. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop. Let’s have dinner together tonight—my treat. How’s that?”
“Of course, you’re treating! Did you think I’d pay for it, as a broke part-tir?”
“Broke part-tir? Ha! That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard all day.”
Finishing her coffee, Ling Ning got up to tidy Qin Qing’s office. Though it wasn’t overly ssy, she habitually straightened up the scattered items.
Watching her, Qin Qing laughed softly. “Ling Ning, why don’t you beco my personal model and secretary after you graduate? It’d make my life so much easier.”
“If there’s work, the secretary does it; if there’s no work…” Ling Ning trailed off, realizing the trap in her words and quickly backpedaled. “Forget I said anything!”
Seeing her flustered expression, Qin Qing’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “If that’s what you want, it can be arranged~”
“N-no thanks! I refuse!”
“That’s a sha.”
Once the office was in order, the two stepped outside, greeted by a refreshing breeze. Ling Ning instinctively tightened her coat. Luckily, she had brought one today; otherwise, she’d be freezing. However, she regretted forgetting to wear tights—the chill nipped at her legs.
“Want to go back upstairs for warr clothes?”
“No need. It’s just a bit of cold. Let’s go.”
Settling into Qin Qing’s car, Ling Ning gazed aimlessly out the window. Many shops already had Christmas decorations up, announcing seasonal sales. Raising an eyebrow, she murmured, “Christmas is almost here?”
From the rearview mirror, Qin Qing glanced at her. “There’s still about a week left. Got any plans?”
“Not yet. I’ll figure it out later.”
“I see.”
“Christmas…” Ling Ning muttered to herself, wondering if she should buy her daughter a gift. And wasn’t Christmas on November 25th? That ant New Year’s was just around the corner too.
Ti really flew.
“Where do you want to eat tonight, Ling Ning?” Qin Qing asked.
“Anywhere’s fine. Since it’s your treat, even a six-dollar spicy hot pot would be okay~”
Qin Qing raised an eyebrow. “Are you hinting at sothing?”
“Of course not, Boss. You’re reading too much into it.”
Shaking her head, Qin Qing couldn’t help but laugh. Over the past month, she had co to know Ling Ning better and realized just how infuriatingly endearing she could be. If not for her strong will…
Then again, was her willpower really that strong?
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Author’s Note:
The rush is real~ Nothing like clearing out backlogs, though it’s bittersweet…
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