Liu Can winked as she finished saying this.
Qiao An, fully leaning into the moment, widened her almond-shaped eyes in a display of surprise: "What?"
Liu Can lowered her voice: "Lin Xi once saved President Gu’s life, so he decided to offer himself in return."
A flicker of emotion stirred in Qiao An’s heart.
So, was Gu Jingxing with Lin Xi because the Lin Family was leveraging a debt of gratitude? She wondered what exactly had happened back then to warrant the term "life-saving."
Qiao An wanted to ask more, but just then, a waiter brought over their food. The atmosphere was broken, leaving her with no choice but to focus on her meal.
After lunch, the two returned upstairs. A meeting was scheduled after the break, and as a complete newcomer, Qiao An shouldn't have been eligible to attend. However, Liu Can wanted her to gain some exposure, so she brought her along.
As soon as they entered, Qiao An realized Gu Jingxing was sitting at the head of the table. At work, he was cold and focused; just by sitting there, he cast a heavy, oppressive weight over the entire conference room.
Qiao An pretended to be looking down at her documents, watching him out of the corner of her eye. Thinking of Liu Can's comment about him "offering himself," she couldn't help but let out a cynical smirk. She hurriedly used her papers to shield her face, unaware that every move she made was being watched from the head of the table. Gu Jingxing frowned as he studied her for a few seconds before looking away.
When the meeting ended, the attendees filed out. Liu Can had to attend a smaller meeting with the General Manager, Qin Han, so Qiao An headed toward her own desk.
Halfway there, her phone vibrated. Qiao An picked it up and saw a new friend request.
"Jing" wants to add you as a friend.
Qiao An: "..."
How to put it? It was slightly satisfying.
Qiao An clicked "Accept" immediately. Without waiting for him to greet her, she fired off a message: "Brother, you finally added me back!"
On the other end, Gu Jingxing stared at the screen. The second after Qiao An accepted the request—
"But I love you, Brother. I gave my first time to you, and from now on, I only want you."
It was followed by three red lipstick kiss emojis. The messages from a few days ago flooded his screen, and before his expression could darken, another one arrived.
"Brother, you finally added me back!"
Gu Jingxing regretted adding her.
Qiao An waited for quite a while, but he didn't reply.
*Hmm?* Did he delete her again?
Qiao An narrowed her beautiful eyes and typed: "Brother, did you need something from me? [Cute fox circling animation]"
This time, Gu Jingxing replied quickly: "Don't cause trouble at the company."
Qiao An rolled her eyes and tapped away at her screen: "Of course not, I'm working hard. Didn't you see how focused I was during the meeting just now? Since I love you so much, naturally, I’ll take good care of your company too."
She clicked send.
System notification: The user is not your friend.
A string of red exclamation points appeared.
Qiao An: "..."
*Dammit!*
Suppressing the urge to throw her phone, Qiao An darkened her expression, set the phone to silent, tossed it aside, and bowed her head to organize her files.
She was busy for the entire afternoon. It wasn't until quitting time that she realized she was absolutely exhausted. No wonder people called it "corporate serfdom"—this was definitely a day in the life of a slave. When she stood up from her chair, she even felt a bit dizzy.
After tidying up her things, Qiao An prepared to leave. To her surprise, just as she reached the door, she saw Lin Xi walking toward her.
Lin Xi was wearing a loose, raw-white linen long-coverup over a simple, elegant black slip dress that draped perfectly. She looked both ethereal and dignified—perfectly in line with her public persona.
*Hmph,* an untouchable, pristine white lotus flower.
Behind her trailed four or five men in black suits carrying packages.
Lin Xi stopped at the entrance. When she saw Qiao An, she couldn't quite hide her surprise: "Miss Qiao?"
Qiao An suppressed the sarcasm in her smile: "Hello, Miss Lin. You can call me Qiao An. Should I call you... Sister Xi?"
Lin Xi looked at Qiao An, then at the staff badge clutched in her hand, and then at the logo for the Business Department: "Alright, Qiao An. Are you... working in the Business Department?"
"Yes. Today is my first day, I didn't expect to run into you, Sister Xi."
Lin Xi remained silent for a few seconds before returning to her gentle, serene smile: "I'm here to bring everyone dinner. I heard the Business Department is starting to get busy with the mid-year sale, and everyone might be working through the night."
As she spoke, she waved her hand, and the bodyguards immediately carried the food containers into the work area.
"Are you heading out?"
"I was going to, but since you brought us dinner, Sister Xi, I definitely have to show my appreciation. I think I’ll… stay and work a little longer!" Qiao An smiled and followed Lin Xi into the office area.
Lin Xi walked straight toward the General Manager’s office, while Qiao An went to her own desk. A food container was already sitting there. Qiao An opened it and found Japanese cuisine. It wasn't a large portion, but it was elaborate and clearly expensive. She had really spent some money.
Thinking of what Liu Can said at lunch—that Lin Xi was an artist and a philanthropist—a cynical look returned to her eyes. Even if you peeled the skin and drained the blood of the Lin family, their flesh would still be black and their hearts rotten. Philanthropy? Ha.
Lin Xi chatted with the General Manager for a moment before leaving. Qiao An watched her get into the elevator and head to the top floor. She took out her phone and messaged Yan Shi: "Does Lin Xi often come by to reward the staff for working overtime?"
While waiting for Yan Shi’s reply, Qiao An stood up, entered the elevator, and pressed the button for the top floor.
Yan Shi replied quickly: "Yes, how did you know?"
"She came to the Business Department to bring everyone dinner."
"She’s very good at winning people over," Yan Shi typed. "In the years I’ve been here, I’d estimate she brings food to various departments four or five times a month. She’s earned quite a lot of favor. Even though President Gu hasn’t said anything publicly, everyone already accepts her as the lady of the house."
Qiao An frowned: "Doesn't Gu Jingxing mind?"
"Why would he mind? They're a married couple."
Qiao An lowered her gaze and shoved her phone back into her pocket.
Reaching the top floor, Qiao An stepped out of the elevator. She saw Lin Xi walk into the CEO’s office, the solid wood door closing silently behind her. Qiao An hesitated, then turned and went to the terrace, staring at Gu Jingxing’s door through the window.
Soon, Lin Xi poked her head out, said a few words back into the office, and left with her bodyguards.
Qiao An waited for the elevator to go back down before walking toward the office. She knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Qiao An pushed the door open and entered. Gu Jingxing was looking down, signing documents. He didn't look up when he heard the door: "What is it, did you forget something?"
He had mistaken her for Lin Xi.
Qiao An closed the door and leaned back against it: "That’s right. I left my heart here with you, Brother."
Gu Jingxing looked up, his gaze already filled with disgust: "Why are you here?"
Qiao An walked toward him. Gu Jingxing’s office was massive, likely over two hundred square meters. Aside from the luxuriously decorated reception area in the front, the back third of the space served as his workspace. A long ebony desk sat empty, save for a simple computer and a pen holder. Gu Jingxing sat in the center, documents arranged by his hand. Behind him, a massive floor-to-ceiling window overlooked the entire financial district of Haicheng.
It was already dark out. The city lights below, combined with the endless flow of traffic on the elevated roads, brought a rush of bustling, metropolitan energy.
Qiao An walked up to the desk, braced her hands on the surface, and leaned forward slightly. As she moved, the wide neckline of her top dipped, revealing the white camisole underneath and the soft, undeniable curves of her figure.