After Breaking Up With the Scheming Bad Woman 100

Chapter 100: It’s the Countdown That Doesn’t Count Anymore, Jiejie.

The business trip was not a last-minute decision. Huai Xing had anticipated the birthday scene and had asked Ding Rong to arrange a full schedule of business trips for her in advance. As for the business in Haicheng, it was all handed over to Lu Xianyue.

Lu Xianyue did not ask for the specific reason and let her go on her business trip with peace of mind, reminding her to relax when she should and not to be so tense.

But Huai Xing could not relax. She threw herself into her work, busy from morning to night. Otherwise, she would think of Chu Wantang when she was free.

In fact, she had not cut off contact with Chu Wantang. As soon as it was midnight on the 18th, she had turned off the do not disturb. Chu Wantang had also sent her a photo of her drinking water as usual on this day, as if nothing had happened. She stared at the photo, no longer letting herself go, and told Chu Wantang that she did not need to report to her anymore in the future.

Chu Wantang had agreed and said okay.

Since then, their WeChat conversations had been all about work, and every time they saw each other’s faces, it was in a work video conference.

The design team was getting more and more in sync, and one perfect look after another was finalized, just waiting for the models to try them on before the final round of revisions.

Days passed, and Huai Xing’s business trip was extended a little.

By the time this work was completely finished, it was already August 7th. She had been away for a full twenty days, and that was not enough. The next day, she and Ding Rong went to a relatively poor mountain village to send electric fans, mats, heatstroke prevention medicine, and other supplies to the left-behind elderly.

She had been doing charity work for nearly ten days, and after delivering all the supplies in this area, she finally set foot on her return journey.

A month had passed, and the temperature was several degrees higher than when Huai Xing had left. Haicheng had completely entered the scorching summer, and the entire city was besieged by a heat wave, becoming a huge steamer.

The heat was as if it wanted to peel off her skin, and the bright sunlight was so dazzling that she couldn’t open her eyes. The trees on the side of the street were drooping their branches and leaves listlessly.

Today was Friday, and Lu Xianyue was not at the company. She drove to pick her up.

Even though they had been in frequent contact in the past and had been chatting every day, seeing her in person now was still a different feeling.

Lu Xianyue held Huai Xing tightly for a long while before letting go. Her first sentence was, “You’ve worked hard, Little President Huai.”

Her second sentence was, “You’ve had such a rough trip, but you haven’t gotten a tan at all?”

Huai Xing: “I’ve been doing a good job with my sunscreen.”

“I feel like it’s more about genes. When we went on a trip together before, I got a tan but you didn’t,” Lu Xianyue said, taking one of Huai Xing’s suitcases and saying with great relief, “Alright, alright, you’re finally back. Wuwuwu, my comrade-in-arms. Do you know how much I missed you?”

“I know, I know.”

More than ten minutes later, they got in the car. Huai Xing sat in the passenger seat. On this journey, she had been listening to Lu Xianyue report on some work matters, especially the progress made by the design team.

Now that she was sitting down, she heard Lu Xianyue say, “At least we’ve achieved a phased victory. Don’t forget that there’s a dinner party tonight. I’ll take you back to the apartment now. You can get some good rest and come to the restaurant on time at night.”

Huai Xing propped her head on her hand, yawned, and her eyes filled with moisture.

She answered softly, “Okay, I remember.”

Lu Xianyue looked at her like this and came over to pat her on the shoulder. “I’ll drive a little more steadily. You can sleep for a while. I’ll call you when we get there.”

Not only did she fall asleep in the car, but Huai Xing also fell into a deep sleep again after she had returned to her apartment and changed her clothes not long after.

The familiar bedroom made her feel at ease. She slept until almost six o’clock before she woke up. The window of the master bedroom could see the sunset outside, but it was getting dark very late now, and the colorful clouds were not so brilliant at this time. She stared in a daze for a while before she got up and put on makeup at Lu Xianyue’s reminder.

At six-thirty, she arrived at the restaurant for the dinner party on time.

It was the same one they had eaten at on the day the design team had been assembled, and it was also the same private room. The last time she had come here, it had still been raining lightly outside. This time, the background had become a beautiful orange-red, and the smiles on everyone’s faces were also more brilliant.

“President Huai!” Mo Mo was the first to see Huai Xing and called out.

Everyone looked over, and Huai Xing curled her lips at them. “Long time no see.”

“President Huai, you’re finally not just on the screen.”

Huai Xing’s gaze swept around, and she didn’t see Chu Wantang. She walked towards Lu Xianyue and smiled. “What? Didn’t Little President Lu tell you that I was coming tonight?”

Lu Xianyue raised an eyebrow. “I kept this news very tight. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be enough of a surprise.”

Someone laughed. “Surprise, surprise! Very surprising!”

Compared to a month ago, the atmosphere was better now. It could be seen that after these days of getting along, they had become more familiar and trusting of each other, and they no longer looked as if they were “fighting alone” as before.

Huai Xing sat down next to Lu Xianyue, listened to everyone’s chattering, and took a sip of the plain water on the table.

As they were chatting and laughing, the door was pushed open, and a waiter came in to set the table.

Huai Xing’s expression was a little disappointed, and she retracted her gaze.

The next second, just before the door was about to close, a hand pushed it open again, and the gap became wider and wider.

Chu Wantang was wiping her hands with a handkerchief and came in with a grin. “I’m sorry. I went to wash my hands. I’m late.”

“Director, you’ll have to drink three glasses as a penalty in a while,” Rao Kai said.

“Three glasses of orange juice is fine.”

Chu Wantang responded to everyone’s teasing, put away her handkerchief, and came to the empty seat on the other side of Lu Xianyue and sat down, without any private communication with Huai Xing.

Last time, she had been sitting on the side, and this time, Lu Xianyue, who was sitting between the two of them: “…”

Her gaze would fall on Huai Xing for a while, and then she would lean over to talk to Chu Wantang. Even if she was slow, she could feel the strangeness of the atmosphere. She would not ask about the specific situation and could only keep it in her heart for the time being.

“President Huai, what’s the plan for the future?” someone asked about the progress of the big show.

Huai Xing had been on a business trip for a month, but she had not fallen behind on the progress of the big show at all. She answered with a faint smile, “The confirmation and tracking of the media and guest list. There will also be a final technical coordination meeting next week, and we also need to increase the preheating of social media. In a little while, we can have a full rehearsal.” She raised her water glass. “Thank you again, everyone, for your contribution to ‘Silk Season’s’ big show this time. You’ve all worked hard.”

Mo Mo had had a little to drink and said, “We’re not the ones who have worked the hardest.” She looked at Chu Wantang and said very sincerely, “The one who has worked the hardest is the director. The core idea was proposed by her, and she was the one who revised the drawings day and night… Aiya, Teacher Chu, I really want to follow you for the rest of my life. It’s so satisfying to work under you.”

The other few colleagues: Oops, I was a step too late to flatter her.

Huai Xing pressed her lips together and looked at Chu Wantang openly for the first time tonight.

She gave Chu Wantang a faint smile. “Director Chu, you’ve worked hard.”

Chu Wantang looked back at her. A few seconds later, she forcefully tore her gaze away, then shook her head, and also took a glass to clink with hers.

She said with a smile, “It’s all what I should do, President Huai.”

Only then did Lu Xianyue let out a light sigh of relief. In the past month, Huai Xing had not been at the company, and she had also had more and more contact with Chu Wantang.

Naturally, she understood why Huai Xing had liked Chu Wantang back then. Not to mention that Chu Wantang’s external conditions were so superior, she was serious and focused at work, and the problems she proposed could be solved quickly. Her business ability was a cut above others. It would have been strange if she hadn’t liked such a person when she was young.

Feelings were originally a matter between two people. It was best for her as a friend not to interfere. But on the day she had let it slip to Chu Wantang about what had happened on Huai Xing’s 22nd birthday, she had never mentioned anything about Huai Xing in front of Chu Wantang again, even though Chu Wantang had not asked her.

Now that the tense atmosphere had finally relaxed a little, Lu Xianyue also raised her glass. “Let’s look forward to next month’s big show! Cheers!”

After the dinner, it was still early, but there was only a sliver of sunset left in the sky.

There was still a lot of heat in the air, so someone suggested going to a nearby bar to continue. The most difficult stage was already over, and the next step was to constantly adjust the details. They could relax a little on the weekend tomorrow and the day after.

When they invited Huai Xing, she smiled faintly and politely declined. “I’m sorry. I just came back from a business trip. I still need to get some good rest.”

When they invited Chu Wantang, she also smiled faintly and politely declined. “I still have a video conference with ‘Lan Ling’ tomorrow. I won’t be going with you.”

Lu Xianyue waved her hand. “You guys have fun. Be careful. I’ve heard before that no one wants to be with their superior. If we really went, you would also be uncomfortable. The next dinner will be at the celebration dinner on the night of the big show.”

And so it was settled. The subordinates went their separate ways.

Lu Xianyue turned her head. Before she could ask if Chu Wantang was going back to the apartment, Chu Wantang shook her own phone and pointed to the car that had arrived on the side of the road, saying, “President Lu, President Huai, I’ll be leaving.”

“Okay.”

Huai Xing and Lu Xianyue walked to the side of the car, not looking over there. But her peripheral vision noticed Chu Wantang opening the back seat door and getting in.

The car drove away, and the tense breath seemed to have been freed at this moment.

“Let’s go, Xiao Xing,” Lu Xianyue said, opening the car door. “I’ll get the gift you bought first when we get back. I’ll take Wen Shiwei’s share to her. She’s working overtime again tonight. I’ll go and find her later.”

…

After being away for a month, Huai Xing had bought some gifts for her friends.

Some of the gifts were not bought, but were handmade products that the old people had given her when she was doing charity work, some small wood carvings, stone carvings, and so on. She had brought them all back properly.

Seeing her, Lu Zhenyue came over and hugged her, sighing, “Xiao Xing, it’s really been a long time.”

“I won’t be on a business trip again in the short term,” Huai Xing said, hugging her back with a smile and patting Lu Zhenyue on the back.

After putting the gift in Lu Zhenyue’s hand, Huai Xing returned to her own apartment.

She stared at the other gift in the box, thought for a moment, and still went upstairs to wash her hair and take a shower first, to wash away all her fatigue.

As the night grew deeper, she watched “Robot Dreams” again. The gift was still lying on the coffee table.

When the movie’s end credits had finished playing, she took out her phone from the side. She did not send a message to ask, but instead picked up the box, changed into her outdoor slippers, and left the room.

In less than twenty seconds, she was standing in front of a room on the 11th floor, the warm light covering her whole body.

She did not enter the password directly, but raised her hand and rang the doorbell, took a small step back, stood up straight, and tensed her nerves.

In the time it took to take a breath, the door opened.

It was hot, and Chu Wantang’s pajamas had been changed to a slip. Her hair was also tied up. Seeing Huai Xing, the few mischievous strands of her hair swayed, and she asked with a smile, “President Huai, is there anything?”

“I bought some gifts on my business trip,” Huai Xing said, handing the box forward and looking directly at her smiling eyes. “Here’s one for you.”

Chu Wantang took it. “Thanks.”

It was unclear what was in the box, but it was a little heavy.

“Then I’ll be leaving,” Huai Xing said, unable to adapt to this stiff atmosphere, and wanted to escape again.

Chu Wantang: “Wait.” She held the door with one hand. “Do you want to come in and sit for a while? Wan Yi is not here tonight.”

After she finished speaking, she felt that it was not right and quickly added, “I mean, she went to find her friends in Haicheng.”

Wan Yi had been staying in the guest room on the first floor all this time.

Huai Xing blinked and finally nodded. “Okay.”

Chu Wantang turned around. After she had changed her shoes at the door, she followed her in.

The sensor lights at the bottom lit up again, welcoming the long-unseen guest.

Huai Xing washed her hands and sat down on the sofa, casually picking up a book that was placed at the side. Chu Wantang was reading some serious literature.

She did not turn the page, just stared at the words, but she couldn’t read a single word. It wasn’t until Chu Wantang had seriously opened the box and all the gifts were exposed to the air that she couldn’t help but look over and say, “Some of the gifts were bought in the city. The other few stone carvings and wood carvings were given by the old people when I was doing charity work.”

Ding Rong had had the company’s people upload the charity photos to the brand’s forum and official website, and Chu Wantang had seen them all.

And in those photos, Huai Xing was wearing a straw hat. It was hot in the summer, and there were many mosquitoes in the countryside. You could see the sweat she was shedding and the mosquito bites. She had felt heartache on her end of the phone, but she had not said a single word to Huai Xing outside of work.

Now, suddenly seeing that Huai Xing had also brought back a gift, she reached out her hand, touched these souvenirs, and said with a smile, “Very cute.”

She picked up one of the strangest-looking wooden carved flowers and said, “I like this one the most.”

“…” Huai Xing stared at the flower she had learned to carve and began to wonder if Chu Wantang had seen through her.

She was calm on the surface, put down the book, and just smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Thank you, Little President Huai, for the gift. I will keep it well.”

“You’re welcome,” Huai Xing said, standing up. “It’s a little late. I’ll be leaving.”

“Do you want to see the sketches?”

Chu Wantang put the gift back in the box and also invited again, “The final sketches of those looks are still in the study. It will be very different from looking at the electronic version.”

Huai Xing looked at her eyes and had no choice but to nod.

Chu Wantang had been living here for more than a month, and the things in the study were the most abundant. The desk was full of finished sketches, and there were also fabrics of various colors.

She handed a stack of sketches to Huai Xing, then pulled out a chair, motioning for Huai Xing to sit down and look, while she herself leaned against the desk, her single arm propped on the desk, and with the light, she looked down from Huai Xing’s forehead, past Huai Xing’s smooth, satin-like nose, until she came to Huai Xing’s petal-like lips.

A month. They had not seen each other for a full month.

She had followed the rules set by Huai Xing and had not sent her water photos, and had only chatted with her about work.

But the more she suppressed it, the more her longing churned, as if she had returned to the time when she couldn’t find her. Every night, she had to persuade herself for a long time that Huai Xing would come back from her business trip this time, and only then could she fall asleep peacefully.

Now that she was back, right in front of her, she felt a lot of unreality again.

Huai Xing was flipping through the sketches. She had already seen them many times on the electronic version, but she still had to sigh that every one of them was in line with the concept she had proposed. As she looked, she said, “The ‘Four Seasons’ theme is clear. I’ll go and see the version with the models on Monday.”

“Mm,” Chu Wantang said, restraining her scorching gaze.

Huai Xing flipped through the sketches three times before putting them back. She looked up and said to Chu Wantang in a business-like manner, “Mo Mo and the others are right. You’ve worked the hardest.”

“I get paid to do my job.”

“Then you should rest early, Director Chu. You still have a video conference with your company tomorrow,” Huai Xing said. She felt that the air in the study was a little enclosed, and the atmosphere was too similar to the night of the thunderstorm. An undercurrent was churning wildly, and she was preparing to leave for the third time.

This time, Chu Wantang did not try to keep her. The dimples on her lips were revealed. “Okay. It is a little late. You just came back from a business trip.”

Huai Xing stood up and did not speak.

Chu Wantang was still leaning against the desk and had not stood up straight.

Huai Xing could have passed by on the other side, but she didn’t. Instead, she was going to leave from in front of Chu Wantang.

Just as their figures overlapped, Chu Wantang’s free other hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her towards herself.

Their eyes met, and Huai Xing did not avoid Chu Wantang’s scorching gaze.

A dozen or so seconds later, she still had the strength to ask softly, “Is there anything else, Director Chu?”

“It still counts, right?” Chu Wantang said, leaning closer and touching the tip of her nose. What she was asking, the two of them knew very well.

Huai Xing’s long lashes drooped slightly, and their breaths, after a month, finally intertwined, inseparable.

The distance between their lips was so close that it seemed only a tissue could be placed there.

But no one went a step further.

Huai Xing was clutching the fabric at Chu Wantang’s waist, her palm sweating, and her answer was slow to come.

She thought of the month they had been separated, of the times when she didn’t need to speak in the video conference, her attention was always on Chu Wantang. She thought of the stickiness under her when she couldn’t sleep at night. She thought of the time when she was doing charity work and sending supplies, and she saw someone carving something, and she also went up and said she wanted to learn to carve a flower.

This flower would not wither.

It wasn’t until the carving knife had accidentally pricked her fingertip that she had clearly realized that trying to let go of Chu Wantang by being in contact with her was almost impossible for her.

It wasn’t that five years was not enough. Even if it were fifty years, she might not be able to do it.

“It doesn’t count anymore,” Huai Xing said, and she felt the person in front of her stiffen—

She then added in a low voice, “It’s the countdown that doesn’t count anymore, Jiejie.”