The employees of Vio Capital stood stiffly in the cold wind for a long time as they watched the car spew out a cloud of exhaust and then drive away, disappearing into the long river of taillights.
The shock that the scene they just saw brought to their hearts was so great that it was difficult to express in words, so they only came to their senses when they could no longer see the exhaust gas from the car.
I don't know who spoke first:
"Isn't this... too skilled?"
"Who says it's not?"
"This is the first time I've seen President Qin be so obedient."
"Don't use the wrong word. I feel horrified when I hear this word applied to Mr. Qin."
"Yeah, I think so too."
"But he was really obedient just now. Assistant Qin didn't even say anything, and he just followed me into the car."
"This is the face of a first love that will make you worry-free for the rest of your life. It's really enviable."
"Come on, you can envy her yourself, I don't envy her. Being treated as a substitute, she will be a substitute until death. What's the point of loving and pampering her? Isn't it sad to live like this?"
"Hey, you're not saying the grapes are sour because you can't eat them, are you?"
"You... you are the one who can't eat the grapes and say they are sour!"
"But it's no wonder that Qin Qing is getting whatever he wants in the company now. Just look at the scene just now. This pillow talk may have made President Qin confused."
“… … ”
The sounds of discussion, carried by the wind and the alcohol, more or less leaked into Luan Qiaoqing's ears.
Luan Qiaoqing stood on the side of the road and curled her lips: "What kind of pillow talk is this? He didn't even get to eat it... He wanted to be blown by the pillow talk, but is he lucky enough to do that?"
Chu Xiangbin happened to finish the last bit of politeness with Junsheng Law Firm. After coming out, he walked to Luan Qiaoqing's side, and these words fell right into his ears.
He glanced over and said, "You seem to be worried about Qin Lou."
"Haha! Who's worried about him? I'm..." Luan Qiaoqing retorted instinctively, turning her head to look at Chu Xiangbin's face. She paused again, feeling a little uncomfortable, "Thank you, thank you for blocking the wine for me tonight."
As she spoke, a suspicious blush appeared on Luan Qiaoqing's face.
Chu Xiangbin's eyes flickered slightly, and then he could only hear a hoarse voice in the wind that was tainted by alcohol and laughed softly, with a hint of teasing and mockery, "It's just a New Year's Eve drink, how come Minister Luan stuttered?"
“—?!”
The embarrassment that Luan Qiaoqing had just felt was immediately washed away by a basin of ice water. She gritted her teeth, turned her head and glared at Chu Xiangbin: "You are the one who stutters!"
Chu Xiangbin didn't play this childish game of elementary school students with her. He just laughed and said nothing.
"… "
Luan Qiaoqing automatically interpreted this laughter as a mockery, and suddenly became even more angry and ashamed.
She glanced back at the direction Chu Xiangbin came from, then turned back, crossed her arms and sneered, "What did Mr. Chu do just now? Did he go to have a friendly exchange with Mr. Yu from Junsheng Law Firm?"
Chu Xiangbin lowered his eyes and looked at her without saying anything, which was considered as his consent.
"From my impression, President Chu wasn't such a person who loved entertainment before, right? Even in the company, why do I feel that your temper has improved a lot since you came back this time?"
Chu Xiangbin looked at her for two seconds, then smiled and turned away. "If you want to ridicule something, just ridicule it directly. Don't beat around the bush. This is not your character, Minister Luan."
Luan Qiaoqing blushed, "You know what kind of personality I have... No, you also know that I am going to laugh at you? I saw that you dared to go against Qin Lou in the company, and I thought you had some integrity. But how come after a trip to Qinrui, even that bit of arrogance has been worn away?"
Chu Xiangbin was silent for two seconds, then raised his eyelids and asked, "Then guess why?"
Luan Qiaoqing choked, "How would I know?"
Chu Xiangbin said softly: "Because I have something to ask for."
"What do you want?"
"… "
Luan Qiaoqing thought for a moment and said, "Equity? I heard that Qin Lou is going to give you a portion of Vio's equity."
Chu Xiangbin sighed silently and did not comment.
Luan Qiaoqing thought he agreed, and curled her lips in disdain, "I didn't expect you to be so stubborn... Although Vio's shares are now worth much more than five pecks of rice, you don't lack the ability or money. Why are you so depressed?"
"Minister Luan is now persuading me to switch to another company in my capacity as the head of the HR department of VIO?"
Luan Qiaoqing choked, "I didn't say that." After two seconds, she reacted and raised her eyebrows, "You are my immediate superior - how can I control you?"
Chu Xiangbin smiled and nodded, "It's rare that you still remember. I really can't tell from the way you usually talk to me."
"Why do I have to call you 'Greetings, Mr. Chu' respectfully?" Luan Qiao side-glanced at him.
Chu Xiangbin smiled, "No need, you can just call me by my name."
"… Why are you so easy to talk to all of a sudden?"
"You are Qin Lou Song Shu's sister. I have something to ask for and I want to stay in Vio. Shouldn't I flatter you?"
Luan Qiaoqing pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized something. She patted Chu Xiangbin on the shoulder with a smile, "Okay, Xiao Chu, you're aware of it."
Chu Xiangbin raised his eyebrows, "...Xiao Chu?"
"You said it's okay to call me by my name, so why not call me like this?"
"… "
Chu Xiangbin was silent for a long time, then slowly smiled.
His eyes were dark.
"Okay, of course. ... You can call me later."
"?" Luan Qiaoqing turned around in confusion, "What did you just say? Your voice was too soft and I didn't hear it clearly?"
Chu Xiangbin raised his hand and said, "Nothing. I'll be your driver and take Minister Luan home."
Luan Qiaoqing was about to refuse, but then she thought that she had to consolidate the advantage she had taken, lest Chu Xiangbin pretend to have forgotten it the next day.
She smiled, a proud smile.
"Okay, let's go, Xiao Chu."
"… "
Chu Xiangbin lowered his eyes and smiled, then led Luan Qiaoqing to where he had parked the car.
The other side.
In the special car sent by the company to pick up Qin Lou.
Qin Lou drank silently tonight out of jealousy, and he did drink a little too much.
I followed Song Shu into the car completely on instinct - the shower gel and body lotion Song Shu used had the most familiar scent of water lily mixed with sandalwood, while the shampoo had the scent of violet.
So when he smelled the scent, he instinctively felt that the net he had been guarding for several years had finally caught the clam shell, and he followed the scent and closed the "net cage" in.
Then Song Shu led him into the car, and he leaned on her shoulder and fell asleep again.
Song Shu had rarely seen Qin Lou drunk. The first time she saw him was on the day he returned to China and started working at the VIO office. She was groping in the dark on the 23rd floor, feeling scared. She didn't even bother to pay attention to what he looked like when he was drunk.
At this time, there were only the two of them in the car besides the driver. With nothing else to do, Song Shu turned his head and quietly looked at the eyes of the man who was sleeping on his shoulder.
Putting aside Qin Lou's crazy temper, this man was born with an extremely handsome face. Song Shu had never seen a photo of his biological parents, but he expected that with such top genes gathered together, they must be a combination of a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
When he was asleep, his eyes were quietly closed, so the most eye-catching feature was his straight and slender nose, which, together with his cold white skin, looked as if it was carved bit by bit out of the most precious mutton-fat jade.
When a madman calms down, he actually looks more like a sleeping beauty...
Song Shu thought to himself, and unconsciously raised his finger, following his line of sight, slowly sliding down the curve of the man's nose through a centimeter or two of air.
Song Shu suddenly came to her senses halfway through sliding. After her eyes became clear again, she looked at her hand still raised in the air, feeling a little amused: it must be because I have been with Qiaoqiao for too long recently, and her infatuation is almost contagious to me.
Song Shu thought so and prepared to withdraw her hand - but before she could really move away, a shadow flashed before her eyes, and then her wrist was clamped tightly.
Song Shu was stunned for a moment, then he raised his eyes and met a pair of dark eyes.
The owner of the eyes was still leaning on her shoulder. Seeing that Song Shu had no intention of struggling, Qin Lou curled the corners of his mouth and slowly stood up.
His thin lips moved slightly, his voice was hoarse due to alcohol, and there was a hint of his personal temperament - a very crazy smile.
"Little clam, did you want to do something to me while I was asleep just now?"
Song Shu's wrist was held, but she showed no emotion. She just looked at him quietly with her eyes downcast. After staring at him for about five seconds, her expression finally changed a little.
Song Shu raised his eyebrows slightly, "Were you pretending to be drunk before?"
"No." Qin Lou denied.
"Then why are you awake now?"
"I'll sober up if I hold you." Qin Lou said calmly, "And to be precise, I'm not sober enough now."
"?"
"I know what I'm saying and doing, but they don't quite follow my brain's instructions." Qin Lou paused, "It may be that my brain is a little overexcited right now."
Song Shuqing narrowed his eyes, not knowing whether he was judging the credibility of Qin Lou's words.
Qin Lou did not resist, and simply leaned sideways against the backrest of the leather seat, allowing Song Shu to look at him.
After a moment, Song Shu lowered his eyes and nodded, "Okay. Can you let go of my hand now?"
"… "
Following Song Shu's gaze, Qin Lou's eyes also fell on Song Shu's wrist which he was holding.
Qin Lou looked at them for two seconds, raised his eyes, and blinked innocently: "I said, they don't listen to my brain now."
Song Shu: “.”
Song Shu had always known that if Qin Lou acted like a rogue, she would not be able to argue with him. Grabbing his wrist was not a big deal, so Song Shu simply let him do what he wanted.
Song Shu was a little tired after accompanying Chu Xiangbin's team members to work from afternoon to evening. Qin Lou stared at her quietly from the side. Song Shu was used to it and just relaxed and leaned back on her chair.
"Where are we going?" Qin Lou suddenly asked after the car was silent for a while.
Song Shu looked out the window.
The driver who had been pretending to be a wooden man in the driver's seat finally raised his eyes and glanced at the rearview mirror carefully, "Boss Qin, I'll take you two back to the company."
Qin Lou was silent for two seconds before slowly frowning, "Go back to the company?"
"yes."
"I'm not going back to the company." Qin Lou turned his head away, and spoke in a low voice with a lingering sound, obviously speaking to the person next to him.
Song Shu looked back at him, "Where are we going?"
Qin Lou's eyes lit up, "Aren't you going to visit your uncle at Yu's house?"
Song Shu was silent, "It's not suitable to go today, and Uncle Yu doesn't want to see you."
"I don't want to see their family yet." Qin Lou sneered, then came closer, "Little clam, I'll go home with you."
"…?" Song Shu was stunned.
Qin Lou winked at her.
After parking the car in the parking space, Song Shu looked at the small light that was lit in front of the townhouse not far away in the night and sighed deeply.
—She must have been possessed by a ghost, which is why she agreed to come back with Qin Lou.
Before getting off the car, Song Shu reminded him seriously: "I understand why you want to come here today, but if you really want to leave a good impression on them, then remember to control your alcohol. Otherwise, you will end up making things worse. Don't blame me for not reminding you in advance."
Qin Lou drooped his eyelids, looking aggrieved, "Do I make you worried?"
Song Shu looked at him for two seconds, hesitant to speak, and finally said honestly: "Think about it yourself. When it comes to getting along with elders, when have you ever behaved in a way that people can trust?"
Qin Lou: “…”
Qin Lou immediately put away his previous grievance and turned to the driver, "Wait in the car, I'll call you if there's anything."
The driver didn't know how the topic suddenly came to him. He nodded blankly and watched their boss get out of the car with his assistant as if nothing had happened.
This trip home was a spur of the moment decision. Walking along the gravel path from the parking area to the townhouse, Song Shu had been thinking about how to express himself so that this "surprise" would not turn into a shock when Qin's parents opened the door.
As she was thinking, she noticed that the footsteps beside her seemed to slow down.
Song Shu stopped and looked back, "…What happened?"
Qin Lou looked at the yard of the house that was linked to Qin Qing's villa and frowned slightly. "The last time I came here, I didn't remember there were so many golden and silver osmanthus trees planted in this yard?"
Song Shu followed Qin Lou's gaze.
I don't know when a small greenhouse was built in the yard next door. It looks like the insulation effect is very good. Under the on-lit greenhouse lights, you can really see small dots of light golden yellow and white flowers dotted among the green leaves on the trees.
Song Shu was surprised. "It's a bit strange. Grandpa Zhang likes flowers and plants, but Grandma Sun doesn't like them very much. This kind of large woody plant is the first time I see them planting it."
Qin Lou narrowed his eyes slightly. "It should have been specially transplanted from another place and professionally cultivated. Otherwise, it would be impossible for it to bloom so fragrantly even in the greenhouse at this season."
Song Shu: "You seem to be very familiar with them?"
Qin Lou looked back and gave Song Shu a deep look, "Qin Liang likes it."
Song Shu was stunned.
At this moment, as the two looked at each other, a certain emotion or premonition passed through their minds.
This corner of the alley was quiet for a few seconds.
Outside the vast night, the sounds of music and crowds marking the approaching New Year's Eve were blown in from far away.
Song Shu tucked the loose hair behind her ears and held Qin Lou's hand. "Maybe you're just overthinking it."
Qin Lou was silent for two seconds, then smiled slightly coldly, "It would be better."
"Should I knock on the door?"
"..." Qin Lou thought of the main point of this trip. He took a deep breath and slowly adjusted his mood. "Okay."
Song Shu pressed the doorbell outside the courtyard.
After a while, the small loudspeaker next to the doorbell made a sound of being connected, and Mei Jinghan's relatively gentle voice came out from it: "Hello?"
"Mom," Song Shu said, "I'm back."
"—Nannan?" Mei Jinghan asked in surprise and joy, "Why did you come back so suddenly without telling mom? Wait a moment, mom will go out and open the door for you."
"… "
Almost as soon as the doorbell was hung up, the main door of the villa was opened. Mei Jinghan walked down the steps and quickly walked along the path in the yard to the outside of the gate.
Before she opened her mouth, she saw Qin Lou next to Song Shu.
"Hello, Auntie." Qin Lou's behavior at this time can definitely be described as gentle and respectful, holding the gift box he prepared on the way here, with his head half lowered. Even his hair was "well-behaved".
Mei Jinghan came back to her senses, glanced at Song Shu with some resentment and helplessness, and then opened the door, "Qin Lou is here too? You guys came together, and you didn't even call to let me know in advance. There's nothing prepared at home."
"No need to prepare, we've already eaten at the company dinner. Didn't I tell you this during our previous phone call?" Song Shu took Mei Jinghan's hand, his brows slightly curved.
Mei Jinghan said: "You hung up the phone in a hurry, and didn't even tell me you were coming?"
"It was a spur-of-the-moment idea. I didn't expect it would end so early." Song Shu explained with a smile.
Mei Jinghan didn't say anything else, but just turned around to look at Qin Lou who was following them obediently, "Qin Lou, you are wearing so thin, hurry into the house."
"Thank you, Auntie. I'm fine."
The three of them exchanged greetings as they walked up the steps and entered the entrance hall from the main gate of the villa. While Qin Lou and Song Shu were changing their shoes, Mei Jinghan suddenly remembered something as she walked in. "Oh, yes, there are guests at home, and they are a generation older than us. It's just right that you came to say hello."
Song Shu paused, "What guest?"
"They are the old couple next door whom you call Grandma Sun and Grandpa Zhang. They moved to the same city with their son and daughter-in-law this winter. The house has been sold and a new old man moved in. He is a very friendly person, but he seems to live alone without a companion. It's Chinese New Year, so it's lively with many people around. Your father and I specially invited him to have dinner with us tonight."
"… "
The new old man who lives alone, the timing, and the golden and silver osmanthus trees that look expensive in both variety and cultivation...
Song Shu and Qin Lou looked at each other.
Before they could ask anything, they heard the voice of Qin Yuzheng talking to someone in the corridor leading from the living room to the tea room next door.
"It should be my daughter who is back..."
As the voices were spoken, Qin Liang's figure appeared in their sight.