Chapter 111: You Little Brats, Listen to Me

Da Dan instantly pressed his lips together, eyeing Zhang Dongsheng with deep wariness and hostility.

Er Dan looked at his older brother, then cocked his head at the grinning Zhang Dongsheng and blurted out, “Uncle, don’t you have a home? This is our family’s business—what’s it got to do with you? Are you the kind of person who sticks your nose into other people’s business just for fun?”

“Hey now! Watch your mouth, you little rascal!” Zhang Dongsheng leaned against the wall, looking at the two kids with a lazy air. “She’s definitely abandoned you two.”

That hit a nerve. Er Dan shot him a look of disdain. “How do you know our mom doesn’t want us anymore? You sound so sure—maybe it’s because your mom didn’t want you?”

Zhang Dongsheng was left speechless for a moment. He straightened up and frowned at Er Dan.

Er Dan continued, “Uncle, did your mom ever tell you any stories?”

Zhang Dongsheng: “…”

Why are all of Chen Lie’s kids so annoying!

Er Dan pressed on, “Uncle, how long do you think ‘a long time’ is?”

Zhang Dongsheng fell silent. He really shouldn’t have wandered over here today!

“My mom’s only been gone two days. Doesn’t it take two days just to go back and forth by train? So if she’s gone three or four days, even four or five, that’s totally normal!” Er Dan finished, grabbing Da Dan’s hand and looking up with an earnest little face. “Uncle, do you not even know that business trips require taking the train? Is it because you don’t have a job and haven’t seen the world?”

Before Zhang Dongsheng could say anything, the two of them took off running, hand in hand, leaving him behind cursing under his breath.

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Su Qinghu woke up from the heat that morning. Opening her eyes, she saw the source of warmth beside her—and the hand draped across her stomach. She was momentarily stunned.

So the reason she woke up hot… was thanks to this guy.

“Chen Lie?”

Su Qinghu called out softly.

Chen Lie’s eyes snapped open. He stared at Su Qinghu, so close at hand, and froze.

He knew Su Qinghu was pretty, but this was the first time he’d seen her from such a close distance.

She was… even prettier up close.

For some reason, he suddenly felt nervous. His fingers curled reflexively, and just as he realized something was off and was about to look, Su Qinghu grabbed his hand.

“Chen Lie,” Su Qinghu’s dewy face was tinged pink from the heat, “if it were winter, I wouldn’t say anything. Do whatever you want.”

“But it’s summer now,” Su Qinghu lifted his hand, but couldn’t budge it, so she said helplessly, “so, could you please move your hand?”

It’s way too hot for any flirting~~

Chen Lie quickly withdrew his hand and sat up, looking at Su Qinghu, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Su Qinghu didn’t look at him. She just picked up the watch she’d taken off last night and checked the time.

Not even six o’clock.

Should she get up and wash, or go back to sleep?

After a moment’s thought, Su Qinghu chose the former. Forget it, it’s too hot to sleep anyway. Might as well find a local breakfast spot and chat with the locals over breakfast—maybe she’d pick up something useful.

Su Qinghu got up to wash. Chen Lie jumped out of bed and started doing push-ups at lightning speed. By the time Su Qinghu came out, his back was soaked with sweat, but otherwise, he didn’t seem out of breath.

Physical fitness…

Hmm, not bad.

“I’ll go wash up!” Chen Lie caught sight of her slender, pale legs, his muscles tensing for a moment. He quickly sprang up and went to wash.

Su Qinghu raised an eyebrow, withdrew her gaze, and changed into her now-dry clothes.

When Chen Lie came out, Su Qinghu had already been leaning boredly by the window for a while, gazing outside.

“Do you have any plans later?” Su Qinghu asked without turning around.

Chen Lie replied, “I’ll take you back first, then come back to report in.”

Su Qinghu nodded. She’d thought he’d take her straight back to the guesthouse, but to her surprise, he first took her to a local breakfast shop he clearly knew well.

After breakfast, Su Qinghu grew curious. “Aren’t you here on a business trip? How come you know the local food so well?”

“I’ve been here quite a few times,” Chen Lie said, shielding her as they boarded the bus.

The bus was crowded, but Chen Lie used his body to create a space for her, keeping her from bumping into anyone.

Once on the bus, Su Qinghu fell silent.

First, it was noisy and she’d have to raise her voice to be heard. Second, someone on the bus was eating egg buns or something, and the mix of sweat and food smells made her not even want to breathe, let alone talk.

When they got off, Chen Lie walked Su Qinghu to the guesthouse entrance. As she gave him a look that clearly meant “you can go now,” he pursed his lips and said, “Go ask your supervisor when you’ll be leaving.”

Su Qinghu laughed, “Why? Planning to escort me all the way to the train station?”

There was a teasing glint in her eyes.

“Just go ask,” Chen Lie didn’t answer, only said, “I’ll wait for you here.”

Su Qinghu studied him for a moment. Seeing how serious he looked, she began to doubt her own suspicions.

But—

“Alright, I’ll go ask now.” Su Qinghu didn’t press further and headed upstairs.

Upstairs, the doors to Sister Li and Yuan Hang’s rooms were still closed, with no sounds coming from inside. Su Qinghu guessed they were still resting and didn’t knock, heading straight downstairs.

The supervisor’s room was one floor below.

Su Qinghu knocked a few times before a voice answered.

The door opened. The supervisor didn’t seem surprised, just stepped aside to let her in.

Su Qinghu pretended not to notice. “Supervisor, when are we heading back?”

“Come in and let’s talk. As for when we’re leaving, I still have a few things to figure out. For now, I’d like your input—tell me what you think.” The supervisor didn’t answer her directly, just opened the door wider. “You young people have quick minds.”

Su Qinghu: …Has the supervisor lost his mind? Why the sudden compliments?

“My mind’s not that quick. It’s mainly because Sister Li and Yuan Hang taught me well,” Su Qinghu replied with a faint smile. “If you can’t solve it, there’s no way I could alone. How about I go get Sister Li and Yuan Hang, and we can brainstorm together?”

“They’re both old hands at the company, but their minds aren’t as sharp as yours. Xiao Su, I think you have real potential for promotion, but—” The supervisor paused, “Let’s talk honestly, it’s just too hot today.”

Su Qinghu: …Wow, workplace unspoken rules? Even in this era?

“Xiao Su, I really think highly of you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been so strict with you before,” the supervisor said blandly. “I only nitpick with people I want to cultivate.”

Su Qinghu: Here it comes, the PUA routine!

“People need to be flexible, Xiao Su. You have to adapt to everything.” The words were loaded with meaning. “You have great qualifications, but you haven’t stood out at the newspaper. Don’t you want to know why?”

Su Qinghu: “I know.”

Supervisor: “Oh?”

“My qualifications are good, and my abilities are good too. As for why I haven’t stood out at the paper—” Su Qinghu paused, then gave a haughty smile. “That’s because I don’t want my talent to overshadow my beauty!”"