Chapter 104:
The alarm rang. Huai Xing looked at the time with half-closed eyes. It was now eight in the morning. The curtains were drawn tightly, and the master bedroom was filled with a faint light. She took a deep breath, propped herself up, and got up to wash up.
Chengshan Mansion was not far from the company. If she didn’t get up early to exercise, she would usually get up at eight-twenty, which was also in time.
And she had woken up twenty minutes early today because she and Chu Wantang had made an appointment last night to have breakfast together.
In the past, when they were working at “Lan Ling,” they would have breakfast together and then go to work together. Now, after five years, they were going to the company together again, so this habit could not be dropped.
While she was brushing her teeth, she stood by the safety rail on the second floor and looked down at the kitchen.
But the door was blocking her view, and she couldn’t see everything. She could only see a section of a calf standing in front of the gas stove. Before the toothpaste foam could fall, she quickly returned to the bathroom.
When she came out again, the breakfast that Chu Wantang had made was already on the dining table.
It was two very light bowls of vegetable noodles. On the plate next to them were also fried eggs and cut oranges.
Seeing her appear, Chu Wantang stood downstairs and waved to her with a smile.
Huai Xing stepped on the stairs and asked with great confusion, “Where did this orange come from?” She remembered that there was none in the refrigerator.
“I bought it on an app. All industries are very competitive now. This fresh food app can deliver at six-thirty in the morning,” Chu Wantang said, going up to meet her. “This orange is sweet, not sour.”
“Did you try it?” Huai Xing asked, coming to her.
Chu Wantang stared at her eyes. “Mm.”
Huai Xing’s smile was radiant. She hooked her arm around her neck and said softly, “Let me try it too.” She licked her lips, but then she frowned. “Why can’t I taste it much? Is my way of opening it wrong?”
Chu Wantang suspected that she was going to be hooked to death by the person in front of her.
She knew that she couldn’t be too anxious about everything now, so she hadn’t chased after her last night and had really stayed in the guest room. The two of them had chatted on WeChat, one upstairs and one downstairs, and had made an appointment to get up early today for breakfast.
But they both knew very well what else there was besides breakfast.
She wrapped her arms around Huai Xing’s waist, leaned closer, and closed her eyes and parted her lips. “Try again, Xingxing.”
Huai Xing received the invitation, and her tongue, with a strong minty taste, slipped into her mouth, savoring it. She was not standing in place, but was slowly moving back as the other followed.
Until Chu Wantang was leaning against the sofa, and Huai Xing was sitting on her lap.
Her palm was on Huai Xing’s waist, and Huai Xing’s fingertips were drawing circles on her neck.
The morning at eight was very fresh, and the sun was not yet scorching, but only had a hint of warmth, lazily sweeping across the city.
They ended their agreed-upon kiss in the warm sunlight.
Huai Xing was lying on top of Chu Wantang, her lips glistening, her breathing slightly uneven.
She raised her wrist and looked at her watch, and said softly, “We have to eat breakfast quickly.”
Chu Wantang smelled the clear fragrance on her and the dimples on her lips couldn’t be hidden at all, and her voice was rich with a smile. “Wasn’t that breakfast just now?”
“An appetizer.”
Huai Xing said, getting up from her embrace and reaching out to pull her. “Hurry up, or we’ll be late.”
Chu Wantang followed her, her tone melodious as she asked, “Then is there a dessert after the meal?”
Huai Xing commented, “You’re too greedy.”
“I’ve always been like this.”
But although she said that, before she left, Huai Xing still symbolically pecked Chu Wantang’s lips as a dessert after the meal.
She then left the apartment with Chu Wantang with a smile in her eyes and went to the B1 floor.
Uncle Tai was driving in the front, and the two of them were sitting in the back seat.
The sounds from all directions on the road rushed into the car. Huai Xing leaned against Chu Wantang, her left wrist raised as she scrolled through the morning news on her phone, and her right hand was intertwined with Chu Wantang’s.
Chu Wantang looked at their intertwined hands with a gentle expression.
This weekend had been very unreal, but at this moment, she was indeed holding Huai Xing tightly. It was not a dream, not an illusion.
Thinking of this, she lifted their intertwined hands and planted a soft kiss on the back of Huai Xing’s hand.
Huai Xing’s scrolling fingertips paused, and she looked at her with confusion, not speaking.
“We have to hold on forever,” Chu Wantang whispered in her ear.
Hearing this, Huai Xing’s long lashes trembled slightly in a place she couldn’t see.
When she looked over, she returned a smile. “Mm.”
At eight fifty-eight, the car stopped in the square outside the company’s small building. At the same time, Lu Xianyue, who was also almost late, also arrived.
Seeing the two of them appear from a car, Lu Xianyue greeted them, “Good morning, Xiao Xing, Director Chu.” She raised an eyebrow and had to say, “Are you two going to work together today? That’s really unexpected.”
Huai Xing answered this question. She walked over and patted Lu Xianyue’s shoulder. “Get used to it.”
Chu Wantang had long since had no “twin trees” opinion of Lu Xianyue. She gradually understood that there could also be intimacy in friendship and replied with a smile, “I’m just hitching a ride with President Huai.”
In the past five years, she had had Su Cheng and Wan Yi by her side. If Huai Xing hadn’t had Lu Xianyue, it would have been even harder.
At least someone had discovered Huai Xing’s pain on the night of her 22nd birthday.
Thinking of this, Chu Wantang’s gaze couldn’t help but fall on Huai Xing, and she was surrounded by guilt.
Seeing that her speed had slowed down, Huai Xing turned her head in the middle of her chat with Lu Xianyue and smiled at her. “Director Chu, please keep up, or you’ll be late.”
Chu Wantang came back to her senses. “Okay.”
It didn’t matter. On Huai Xing’s 28th birthday next year, they could celebrate it together.
…
Huai Xing had been on a business trip for a month and had not fallen behind on the company’s progress in all aspects.
After the big show meeting, she had another meeting about the details of the craftsman studio that had been established in cooperation with the Huaxiu Intangible Cultural Heritage Office before. In a while, Haicheng was going to hold a large-scale intangible cultural heritage-related conference, and Ding Rong had already arranged this work for her.
When she returned to her office, it was already eleven-thirty.
In the past month, the small succulent that she had gotten from Chu Wantang’s office had been watered by Lu Xianyue, and it was growing well.
She stood at the window and stretched, and then touched the succulent.
The door behind her was pushed open, and Lu Xianyue came in.
Lu Xianyue sat down on the sofa with a cup and said with some melancholy, “My sister is moving to my aunt’s place today.” She looked at her friend who had turned around and couldn’t help but ask, “Does it have anything to do with you, Xiao Xing?”
Huai Xing: “It does.”
“What did you two talk about last night? It doesn’t seem like you had a fight.”
“It was Sister Suisui’s decision.”
Lu Xianyue crossed her legs and sighed. “Actually, I can guess a little.” She said with great certainty, “You rejected my sister, right?”
Huai Xing sat down next to her and did not deny it. “I did.”
“So strange…”
Lu Xianyue looked at the ceiling. “If the old lady in my family knew that both of us sisters are lesbians, how exciting would that scene be? She’s been urging my sister to get married before.” She then paused for a few seconds and said with a hint of sadness, “But I thought my sister might have a little hope.”
Huai Xing lowered her eyes. “I have no choice.”
“Aiya, it’s nothing. Feelings are like this. I think it’s very good that you didn’t force yourself,” Lu Xianyue said, relaxing the atmosphere, not wanting it to be so sad. “It’s a very new experience for my sister, such a perfect person, to suffer a little in love. I’m very supportive. Do you know that she’s really so arrogant? It’s always been others who have pursued her, and they’ve never had a chance. When she was in school, she said she had to study hard, and when she entered the theater, she said she had to work hard…”
“It’s a very new experience for her to fall for you. Don’t take it to heart. It’s nothing.”
Huai Xing took a breath and called her, “Xianyue.”
“Hmm?”
Huai Xing just asked with a smile, “Does Sister Suisui know that you’re saying this about her?”
Lu Xianyue: “Haha, don’t tell her.”
She wrapped her arm around Huai Xing’s shoulder. “Actually, what I mean is, I’ll support you no matter what you decide, classmate Xiao Xing. I’m still here.” She clenched her right fist. “If Chu Wantang dares to do anything to you again, I’ll…”
“She’s very good. She won’t do anything to me,” Huai Xing said, but her breathing became a little difficult. She looked at the small succulent at the window. “When she goes back to Jingcheng after the big show, everything will be over.”
Lu Xianyue was silent, not knowing what to say for a moment.
After a long while, she finally parted her lips. “Be happy, Huai Xiao Xing.”
Huai Xing smiled faintly. “I will.” She stood up. “I still have work to do. I’m going to get busy.”
Doing a runway show was really exhausting. It took a lot of time just to confirm the technical coordination, and they also had to increase the preheating on the promotional side.
On Friday morning, the marketing department came up with an idea. They felt that they couldn’t waste the two faces of President Huai and President Lu and asked them if they could appear in a vlog about the preparations for the big show. It didn’t have to be very detailed.
Lu Xianyue said, “I don’t have to appear. President Huai can participate alone. I’ve already appeared in the video when the ten-million-fan blogger came to shoot the suburban silkworm and mulberry factory before.” She winked at Huai Xing. “Just let President Huai do it.”
Huai Xing knew what Lu Xianyue meant.
On the surface, Lu Xuerong had let the two of them manage the company together, but in fact, they both knew that Huai Xing had more power. Lu Xuerong had said before that she could make decisions unilaterally without consulting Lu Xianyue, but when Lu Xianyue made a major decision, she had to find her, and she couldn’t continue without her consent.
This was also the result of the training in these years. Lu Xianyue had worked very hard, and Huai Xing had worked even harder.
So Lu Xianyue hoped even more that this appearance would be by Huai Xing, the core of the company.
Besides, Huai Xing had put in a lot of effort for this big show.
To this, Huai Xing accepted the task. “Alright.”
The marketing department immediately sent over a pocket camera and equipment, which could be held in the hand or clipped to the collar.
But Huai Xing didn’t have much experience in filming vlogs. At most, she would take pictures, and most of them were landscape photos. Now that she suddenly had to film a documentary-style video, she looked at the form that the marketing department had listed and sighed for a moment.
The form asked her to first go to the design team’s office to film the designers’ work and take the opportunity to interview the designers. Even the questions were marked.
She sent a message to Chu Wantang: [I’m coming to your office to film a video in a while.]
Chu Ruan Tang: [Isn’t there a photographer recording?]
Huai Xing: [I have to film a vlog from my perspective.]
Huai Xing: [I also have to film the models’ training and so on later.]
Chu Ruan Tang: [Okay, I’ve already told them. I’ll wait for you.]
Huai Xing set off from her office with the pocket camera. As she passed through the public area outside, some of the shy employees avoided the camera one after another, and then they watched as their boss knocked on the door of the design team’s office.
Huai Xing went through the process, greeted the few designers outside, and asked them one by one about this runway show.
For example, the source of inspiration, the design concept, and so on.
After the interview outside ended in a light and cheerful atmosphere, she knocked on the director’s office door. After getting permission, she pushed open the door and went in.
Chu Wantang had long been used to all kinds of cameras, but seeing Huai Xing like this, she still found it hard to suppress the corners of her lips.
She composed herself, propped her chin on her hand, and called out as if in surprise, “President Huai.” She asked, “Is there anything you need?”
“No,” Huai Xing said, filming the office environment. She came to Chu Wantang’s side and stood there, a very close distance. She held her hand forward, aimed the camera at the two of them, and asked very seriously, “I’d like to ask Director Chu what you’re most looking forward to about this big show.”
Chu Wantang answered very officially, “What I’m personally most looking forward to is…”
The content she said was rich enough and vivid enough to raise everyone’s expectations for the big show.
After a series of questions, Chu Wantang spoke with ease.
The last question came from Huai Xing’s own selfish motives. She asked, “Why did Director Chu come to ‘Silk Season’ to apply for this temporary design director position?”
Chu Wantang turned her head to look at her, the corners of her lips curling up. “The first reason is that this show is a challenge for me. The second reason is that ‘Lan Ling’ and ‘Silk Season’ have a cooperation…”
“But more importantly, it’s because of a person, a person who is very important to me. I feel that she needs me, so I came.”
Their gazes were stuck together, inseparable.
Huai Xing pressed her lips together and asked, “Then do you know the main reason she threw out the hook?”
“I don’t know…”
“She knew you would come. She knew that you were the one who was afraid of thunder, and there are too many thunderstorms in Jingcheng in July and August,” Huai Xing said, helplessly revealing her hidden love. She looked at Chu Wantang’s eyes. “But there aren’t that many thunderstorms in Haicheng in July and August, only two or three.”
Chu Wantang was stunned for a few seconds, surprised and speechless.
After she had reacted, she pressed her forehead against Huai Xing’s waist and asked in a low voice, “Can we stop recording, Xingxing?”
Huai Xing glanced at the tightly closed blinds by the door and said with a smile, “It’s okay. I’ll delete this part. Only we will know.”
With that, she placed her left hand on the back of Chu Wantang’s chair, lowered her head, and under the camera’s recording, she kissed Chu Wantang’s cheek and said softly, “It’s Friday today, and it’s hot on the weekend.” She made an invitation. “Does Director Chu want to go to Yunqi Yuan with me to escape the heat?”
