Wang Jianguo handed over his phone with trembling hands. On the screen, Lin Ze's message was arrogant and glaring:
"To hell with team-building, I'm off to deliver food?!"
"The team-building policy only said no asking for time off, it never said we couldn't leave early."
"Dare to fire me? Severance pay plus emotional distress damages!"
After reading it, Su Qingqing returned the phone to Wang Jianguo with a blank expression.
"You guys carry on," she said coldly. "Go ahead and eat."
"Assistant Liu will be in charge of the rest of the team-building."
With that, she turned and left, her high heels clicking out a sharp, decisive rhythm.
President Su was... leaving just like that?
She wasn't going with them for the team-building?!
............
Bai Weiwei acutely caught the scent of gossip—
After Lin Ze didn't show up, President Su left too.
Could Su Qingqing be going after Lin Ze?
You chase, I flee, and there's no escape for you!
Isn't this the real-life version of "The Overbearing Female CEO Falls in Love with Me" that she had been binge-reading lately?
She whipped out her phone and frantically typed in the group chat with her besties:
[Major bombshell! Our female company CEO has gone off to chase her man for love!]
.……………
Su Qingqing got into the black Maybach, heading in the opposite direction of the resort.
This was another property of hers, just a twenty-minute drive from the resort.
Back home.
Su Qingqing still couldn't ease her mood.
In the past, Lin Ze loved dragging her to soak in hot springs.
But she had been too busy with her studies and part-time jobs.
She never had the time.
Over the past couple of days, she noticed Lin Ze looking unwell, and his neck was hurting.
That was why she organized this team-building event.
Specially arranged at a resort with hot springs.
Two days and one night.
Soak in hot springs, eat some good food, and get a good night's sleep.
But why did he run off?
Yet he actually... ran away?
Did he not like it anymore?
It had only been two years, could his preferences change just like that?
So now............
What did he like?
Su Qingqing suddenly felt a series of cramps in her stomach.
Her stomach ulcer was acting up.
She frowned, forcing herself to open the refrigerator.
The fridge was empty.
She didn't come to this house very often.
Usually, she just kept some of her treasured items here.
Su Qingqing closed the fridge.
She took out her phone, ready to order takeout.
Suddenly, she remembered how, back in college, when Lin Ze found out she had a stomach condition, he had forbidden her from eating sweets.
He told her that porridge was good for the stomach.
He frequently ordered century egg and lean pork porridge for her.
………………………
Meanwhile.
Lin Ze supported the handlebars of his e-bike with one hand, while his other hand tapped rapidly on the screen to grab an order.
"Another order!"
His luck with deliveries today was off the charts!
However, a thought suddenly struck him.
Lately, he had been running into Su Qingqing way too many times by coincidence.
He immediately checked the address specifically.
The pin showed the delivery address was a full twelve kilometers away from Dilin Villa.
Awesome!
The corners of his mouth couldn't help curving all the way up to his ears.
I hope you guys soak until your skin peels off in that hot spring pool!
I'm making a killing today!
Smug and pleased with himself, he pulled out his phone and sent a screenshot of today's delivery orders to Wang Jianguo.
Hehe!
Just wait until I'm counting money until my hands cramp up!
I'll make you guys green with envy!
Work yourselves to death, you bunch of slackers!
He switched the chat interface to the background, opened navigation, and set off toward today's delivery destination: Lulin Villa District.
………………
Lulin Villa District was nestled halfway up the mountain on the edge of the city.
The moment Lin Ze drove into the gates of the villa district, he was stunned by the sight before him.
Trees provided lush shade, and the environment was serene and quiet.
The roadsides were lined with neatly trimmed greenery.
The air was filled with a faint, fresh scent of grass and trees.
With so many trees around, how was there not a single mosquito?
As expected of a nationally renowned wealthy neighborhood.
Lin Ze sighed in admiration.
He boarded the villa district's shuttle cart.
The driver focused intently on driving, flanked by a stern-looking security guard on either side.
Cradling the exquisitely packaged takeout in his arms, he felt like a VIP being escorted.
…………………
"We've arrived."
The driver's voice interrupted Lin Ze's train of thought.
He jumped out of the vehicle as if granted a full pardon, watching as another security guard followed him right toward the villa.
He couldn't help muttering inwardly:
This isn't delivering takeout at all. It's practically escorting a prisoner!
You guys might as well just carry it inside for me and save me the trouble!
Lin Ze stood in front of the villa door.
He took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.
Yet, no one answered.
When the doorbell was pressed for the third time, the heavy door slowly swung open—
Lin Ze immediately put on his professional smile.
When he saw the person standing before him, he froze in place as if struck by lightning, and his voice stuttered:
"Hello, your out... takeout?!"
Su Qingqing's pale face was likewise written all over with shock.
The two of them locked eyes, and the air instantly froze.
Lin Ze's inner defenses collapsed.
What kind of cursed fate is this?!
Old Heaven, are you deliberately messing with me?
Out of a city of millions, you just had to make me deliver takeout to her?!
Such a clichéd plotline of enemies crossing paths had to happen to me!
Su Qingqing's gaze drifted between his bright yellow delivery uniform and the food box, her voice carrying a hint of weakness: "You......"
Lin Ze awkwardly squeezed out a smile.
"President Su, what a coincidence! I never expected you were the one who ordered the takeout."
Su Qingqing weakly leaned against the doorframe, her voice as light as a feather: "Yeah, I never expected it either, and you're the one who delivered it yourself."
"Haha, just getting some exercise," Lin Ze forced a laugh, though inside he was nervous as hell, his back already soaked with sweat.
Mainly because he had just ditched company team-building.
And now his moonlighting gig happened to run right into his top boss.
If this situation wasn't handled well, the consequences would be unimaginable!
Fumbling clumsily, Lin Ze handed over the food box. "Enjoy your meal! Please remember to leave a five-star review!"
With that, he turned around and prepared to slip away.
"Clack!"
The door behind him was immediately shut.
His steps paused for a fraction of a second.
Something's wrong...
Su Qingqing's complexion today was excessively pale...
"Get in the cart quickly, you can't loiter here."
Urged by the security guard, Lin Ze had to quicken his pace.
He strode rapidly back to the shuttle cart.
………………
Behind the door.
Su Qingqing felt as though all her strength had been drained; clutching the takeout bag with both hands, she slowly slid down the door panel and sat on the floor.
Only after making sure Lin Ze had left did she slowly let out a breath.
She stood up and pushed open the ajar bedroom door—
The entire wall was plastered with candid photos of Lin Ze.
His profile while working diligently at the company.
His sleeping face during a lunch break.
His back view while buying coffee downstairs...........
Every single photo recorded the trivial moments of his life, freezing the longing she never dared to speak aloud.
Su Qingqing hugged the takeout box tightly to her chest, burying her face in her knees, her eyelashes trembling slightly in the shadows.
Just a hair's breadth.............
Another hair's breadth and her secret would have been exposed...
She didn't dare to imagine how Lin Ze would react if he had actually stepped inside just now and seen all these photos.
No!
He must never find out.
………………
On the other side, Lin Ze had just arrived home when he received a message from Wang Jianguo.
After reading the content, his fur instantly stood on end:
He roared at the phone screen: "Wang Jianguo, you moron!"
"You're only telling me such a life-or-death piece of news now?!"
You made me walk right into the firing line!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Why keep a teammate who stabs you in the back like this around for the New Year?!
With a swipe of his finger, he directly blocked him.
....................
Meanwhile, Wang Jianguo was happily admiring the Moments feed of a newly added pretty girl's WeChat.
When he received Lin Ze's message and went to reply, he suddenly noticed the notification that he had been blocked.
He was completely dumbfounded:
"What the hell! What did I even do wrong?"
Do colleagues just block each other like that?
Isn't this way too absurd?!
………………