Lin Qinghe walked to You Rong's side and frowned when she saw the dark circles under his eyes.
He must have pulled another all-nighter.
She placed the food she had brought down and surveyed the office. She picked up a blanket from the sofa and gently draped it over You Rong.
The air conditioning was on, and it was autumn, so she worried he might catch a chill.
Having done that, Lin Qinghe found herself with nothing to do in You Rong's office. She wanted him to sleep a little longer and didn't intend to wake him. Bored, her gaze swept around and landed on several A4 sheets of paper on You Rong's desk.
The front of the papers seemed to be printed with documents. On the back, You Rong had drawn various chibi versions of her. They were so lifelike that one could tell at a glance who they were.
Lin Qinghe picked them up with interest and became engrossed as she looked.
After an unknown amount of time, You Rong, who had been resting his head on the desk, blinked his eyelids and opened his eyes. He was awake.
When he saw Lin Qinghe sitting on the office sofa, he was stunned, thinking it was a hallucination.
He stared for a long time before finally confirming that it was really her.
You Rong removed the blanket from himself and walked over, asking softly, "Why didn't you wake me when you arrived?"
Lin Qinghe looked up at him. "I saw you sleeping soundly, so I wanted you to sleep a little longer. Look at you... did you stay up all night again yesterday? No matter how important work is, your health is more important. If you fall ill from exhaustion, what will you do?"
You Rong took Lin Qinghe's hand, clasped it, and gently rubbed her palm. "There was a part of the project that needed temporary improvement. It won't happen again." Sudanshu.com
Lin Qinghe tilted her chin slightly and gave a proud hum, her face showing an expression of "that's more like it."
You Rong sat down beside Lin Qinghe and glanced at the A4 paper in her hand. "What are you looking at?"
Lin Qinghe brought the paper to You Rong, a smile on her face. "I'm looking at someone's artwork... Look, why did you draw so many of me? Although they're quite lifelike and cute..."
You Rong glanced at them, his earlobes turning slightly red. He took the papers and put them aside, saying sheepishly, "When I was working overtime at night, I was too tired, so I drew to relieve the fatigue."
"Oh? Is that really why?" Lin Qinghe looked suspicious and raised her eyebrows. "Wasn't it because you missed me that you drew them?"
You Rong pursed his thin lips and said in a low voice, "...Yes, I missed you too."
Lin Qinghe squeezed You Rong's cheek and chuckled. "If you miss me, you can call me. I came to see you, didn't I? Instead of looking at the real me, you drew these pictures to reminisce?"
You Rong was silent for a few seconds before suddenly blurting out, "I can't have you come here often."
Lin Qinghe was taken aback, not understanding. "Why can't I come often?"
You Rong turned his head and looked at Lin Qinghe deeply. "When you come, I lose focus on my work. I want to finish the two projects I'm working on as soon as possible, to fulfill the promise to your brother, and to become your boyfriend sooner."
Lin Qinghe felt a jolt in her heart, a tingling sensation.
They looked at each other, and the atmosphere in the room gradually became ambiguous.
You Rong's large hand affectionately caressed Lin Qinghe's cheek as he leaned closer to her... Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Lin Qinghe's senses snapped back. She instinctively pushed You Rong, who was close to her, away, coughed twice, her eyes darting around, avoiding his gaze. She said, forcing a calm tone, "Heh heh... Someone's calling for you outside. Something must have come up. Hurry and let them in; don't keep them waiting."
You Rong's eyes darkened, and he said in a low voice, "Come in."
He secretly resolved that if the person who entered had something trivial to say, he would kick them down from the building!
The office door was pushed open, and a colleague entered, handing You Rong a document. "Brother Rong, here's the information you wanted. I've brought it."
You Rong narrowed his eyes and said indifferently, "Put it down."
"Okay. If there's nothing else, Brother Rong, I'll be leaving now. I won't disturb you and Sister-in-law, hehe..."
How dare he say he wasn't disturbing them? He already had!
You Rong glanced expressionlessly at the pile of documents on the desk. "Wait. Take these out and cross-reference them with the original materials. Once confirmed, hand them to me before tonight."
The colleague was dumbfounded. "Brother Rong, you're not joking, are you? That's so much material... It would take at least two days to verify. The deadline is..."
"Hm? Do you have an opinion?"
The colleague tearfully picked up the large pile of documents and said with a wry smile, "No... No opinion. I'll go verify the materials now."
With that, he left You Rong's office with a mournful expression.
What had he done to make the usually good-natured You Rong treat him this way?
After the colleague left, Lin Qinghe, who had witnessed everything, shook her head with a helpless smile. "You... Why are you bullying your colleague? You're the one who asked for the documents, and he brought them to you diligently. He didn't make any mistakes."
You Rong said matter-of-factly, his face not blushing, "In the workplace, perceptiveness is also a necessary skill."
"You're quibbling... Alright, I brought you food. You haven't eaten lunch, have you? I'll take it to the pantry to heat it up for you, and then you can eat it quickly."
"I'll go with you."
The colleague who had just left saw them going together and, as he was diligently working, was force-fed a mouthful of "dog food," feeling nothing but envy and jealousy.
After eating with You Rong, Lin Qinghe quietly watched him work in the office until evening. After they had dinner together in the office as well, You Rong finally escorted Lin Qinghe downstairs to her car home.
While waiting for the car downstairs, You Rong held Lin Qinghe's hand tightly, unwilling to let go. It was evident he was very reluctant to part.
The car arrived.
You Rong ruffled Lin Qinghe's hair. "Call me when you get home. Go to bed early tonight. Study hard at school usually."
Lin Qinghe smiled. "Okay! I got it."
"Good, get in the car."
Lin Qinghe bent down to get into the car, then paused. She suddenly turned around, hugged You Rong, stood on her tiptoes, and whispered in his ear, "Work hard! I'll wait for you to become my boyfriend soon!"
After speaking, she quickly let go of You Rong, intending to run to the car. However, You Rong grabbed her wrist.
You Rong looked at her with burning eyes and, with a slight pull, drew her back into his arms, holding her tightly.
He said in a serious and urgent tone, "Two months! Give me two more months... I will definitely become your rightful boyfriend!"
Lin Qinghe: "Mhm, okay... I'll wait for you."
They embraced for a long time before You Rong finally released Lin Qinghe. He watched her get into the car and watched the car disappear from his sight before turning back to the company to continue his work.