Chapter 70 Part 2

Since neither of them minded, and Runyu Technology had no rules against office romances, those so-called “avoidance measures” didn’t seem all that important anymore.

“True, it saves a minute or two.” Lu Wuqi said with a laugh. She had a pretty good guess as to why.

Lu Wuqi: “Sister, where’d you get this candy? It’s so sweet.”

“I can’t quite remember. I think it was a giveaway at some banquet.” Tang Yuxu frowned, trying to recall. “If you like it, there should be some more in my office drawer. Feel free to take them.”

“Great, I’ll grab some at lunch tomorrow.” Lu Wuqi replied.

Tang Yuxu let out a soft hum, the smile in her eyes growing a touch more obvious.

–

The car pulled into the underground garage. Lu Wuqi got out first, took Tang Yuxu’s hand, and they rode the executive elevator up to the twenty-fifth floor. The process wasn’t exactly secretive, but there weren’t many witnesses.

The driver parked right at the company entrance. Lu Wuqi pushed open the door and stepped out of the president’s exclusive car. She then turned back, reached in, and helped Tang Yuxu out by the hand as they walked together through the company gates.

This scene had absolutely nothing to do with “low-key.” Plenty of employees arriving right on time caught a glimpse of it.

They didn’t have the guts to sneak photos of their president, but after Lu Wuqi and Tang Yuxu disappeared into the executive elevator, most of them whipped out their phones and went wild.

Especially on a certain forum—it was like a skyscraper shooting up from the ground. In just a few minutes, the thread had already stacked up hundreds of replies.

【Aaaah, do you guys know what I just saw? I thought I was gonna be late, but instead I saw President Tang getting out of a car with that person!】

【They were holding hands! President Tang was smiling! She looked so happy!】

【Damn, I didn’t dare snap a pic, but when that person reached out to help President Tang out of the car, it was totally like a knight welcoming a princess!】

【Huh? Shipping already? Isn’t this the company internal forum? Not some CP fan group!】

【Non-shippers having a tough time!】

【Mommy told me not to hang with people of no taste!】

【Fam, case closed—I know who that person is!】

【Who? Who? Who? I got to my desk five minutes early and saw nothing!】

【If I’m not wrong, it’s Ms. Lu from the new team in R&D. That’s the most I can say without getting a mod warning.】

【No way, really her? I didn’t think it was! Whoa!】

【What? Am I the only one who doesn’t know about the new hire in R&D?】

【Yup, just you!】

【So that makes Ms. Lu the nepo baby? Each department has a fixed number of new hires. Her slipping in means someone who deserved it got bumped. That’s so unfair.】

【Kinda unfair, yeah. Runyu Technology is a top company everyone fights tooth and nail to join. One nepo slot means one less spot for real talent.】

【Excuse me, President Tang is the company’s biggest shareholder. What’s wrong with placing her own person? How’s that unfair? You a spy from a rival company stirring shit?】

【Lmao, you live by the sea? Workers gotta worker—do your job and don’t LARP as the boss. Sun’s not even down yet!】

【Just jealousy over Ms. Lu getting President Tang’s favor. Front-poster crushing on President Tang, huh?】

The forum was buzzing with heated debates about Tang Yuxu and Lu Wuqi’s relationship. Meanwhile, in a certain office, Ji Jingjing and Fan Xiaoxiao exchanged stunned looks. Taking advantage of Lu Wuqi being called away by Supervisor Hao, they huddled together and whispered.

“Um, Little Lu, that friend she mentioned yesterday who works at Runyu Technology… that wouldn’t be President Tang, right?” Ji Jingjing said, nearly tripping over her words.

“Probably. Based on when Little Lu got back from lunch. She didn’t just eat with President Tang—they likely napped together too.” Fan Xiaoxiao said, tactically adjusting her glasses.

Gulp. Ji Jingjing visibly swallowed. “So we drank milk tea bought by President Tang’s girlfriend yesterday? Does that count as indirectly drinking President Tang’s treat?”

“Kinda, yeah.” Fan Xiaoxiao glanced at the supervisor’s office. Remembering the extra lipstick mark from yesterday’s lunch, she didn’t argue the “girlfriend” bit.

“Jingjing, we gotta work harder. President Tang putting her girlfriend on our team means she has high hopes for us.” Fan Xiaoxiao said, shifting to a more positive angle.

“If we deliver results on schedule, promotion and raise are guaranteed. This is our big shot.”

Fan Xiaoxiao reminded her: “Jingjing, this is our chance. Our hard work might get back to President Tang through Little Lu. Get it?”

Ji Jingjing caught on quick, tossing aside the forum’s fairness drama. She nodded solemnly.

“Got it. Whether we can buy a place in Yang City depends on nailing this project!” Ji Jingjing said. “Oh, right—how’s your progress? Wanna swap and test for bugs?”

“Sure, sending you the code.” Fan Xiaoxiao nodded and dove back into work.

Meanwhile, in Supervisor Hao’s small office.

“That’s a novel idea, but can you handle the core code solo? No one’s used that framework in the industry. It’s risky for us, and there’s no precedent to reference.” Supervisor Hao said carefully, though his eyes on Lu Wuqi shone brightly.

“If it’s just the absolute core part, I can finish in half a month.” Lu Wuqi gave a rough timeline, then smiled at Supervisor Hao.

Lu Wuqi: “Supervisor Hao, isn’t R&D all about innovation? Without the guts to try, our team shouldn’t even be under R&D.”

“Fair point. What if I have Little Ji and Little Fan assist you? Speed it up?” Supervisor Hao asked.

Lu Wuqi thought for three seconds, then shook her head. “Help would boost speed, but I’d need one or two weeks first to shift their mindset. Overall, it’d take longer.”

“But Supervisor Hao, core code alone is hard to test. Better have Little Ji and Little Fan write supporting programs. In half a month, we combine and test.” Lu Wuqi suggested.

Supervisor Hao furrowed his brow, weighing the half-month risk.

“Just the two of them for support?” Supervisor Hao asked after three minutes.

“Enough.” Lu Wuqi nodded.

“Alright, call them in. Let’s have a quick meeting.” Supervisor Hao wasn’t old; he still had the drive.

It was just three people trialing for half a month. He could cover any delays with a month of overtime if it flopped.

Ji Jingjing and Fan Xiaoxiao froze when called in, thinking their private chat had been busted and this was a scolding.

Realizing it was about work, their faces turned serious.

“It’s doable, but Little Lu, how confident are you in writing the core code?” Fan Xiaoxiao asked, pushing up her glasses with a scrutinizing gaze at Lu Wuqi.

“Ninety-five percent.” Lu Wuqi gave a conservative estimate.

She wasn’t the newbie with just a smattering of algorithms anymore. She’d seriously studied programming and related fields for a lifetime.

If Lu Wuqi went all out, she could snag the R&D director spot easily and hold it firm—maybe even tech-share into shareholder and board status.

But Lu Wuqi had no such ambitions. Next step after board was hoarding shares to become chairwoman.

Her sister was already the major shareholder and chair. Lu Wuqi wasn’t brain-damaged or a workaholic reincarnate, so no need to grind. Just show enough value to keep Runyu at industry forefront.

Hearing Lu Wuqi’s assurance firsthand, Fan Xiaoxiao and Ji Jingjing exchanged looks, then agreed to write the supporting code for later testing.

Lu Wuqi was President Tang’s girlfriend—Tang had to know her plans, right?

No explicit no from President Tang meant trust in Lu Wuqi. They could afford half a month.

If it worked, they’d be core team, promotions waiting!

–

The discussion dragged on. Too immersed, Lu Wuqi forgot the time. By the time they wrapped up and left the small meeting room, it was already 12:20.

She picked up her silenced phone—two unread messages jumped out.

Tang Yuxu: Still busy?

Tang Yuxu: Waiting for you in the lounge.

Lu Wuqi shut down her computer, replied while heading for the executive elevator.

Lu Wuqi: Done now. Got too into the meeting, missed your message, Sister.

Lu Wuqi: [Crying Cat Head Meme]

Tang Yuxu: No worries. Food’s still hot—perfect timing.

Lu Wuqi: On my way, Sister! One minute!

Lu Wuqi noticed someone sneaking behind her but ignored it. She swiped her card with a straight face, boarded the executive elevator, and headed to the top-floor president’s office.

“See? Told you it’s Lu Wuqi. Out of the five new hires, only three are women, and she’s the prettiest and youngest.”

“Whatever, doesn’t matter to us.”

“How not? We’re all in R&D—might run into her at a department meeting.”

“Or another possibility: after she goes full-time, give it a bit, and she becomes your boss. Better start sucking up then.”

“This sounds so sarcastic. You’ve been working for five or six years and only got two raises. You should learn to find the problems with yourself instead of being jealous of others.”

The group’s discussion was very quiet. There were only five of them altogether, yet they somehow argued their way into three different opinions. That was pretty bizarre. After all, even with so many people on the forum, there were mainly just three prevailing viewpoints.

–

Lu Wuqi had no idea that the R&D Department employees were still passionately debating her during their lunch break. Even if she did know, she wouldn’t have taken it to heart.

After smoothly arriving at the president’s office, Lu Wuqi made her way familiarly to the lounge’s living room. There, she saw four dishes and a soup arranged neatly on the table.

“Sorry, Sister. I’m twenty minutes late.” After sitting down, Lu Wuqi offered a sincere apology. Then, very naturally, she picked up a piece of crispy pork and held it next to Tang Yuxu.

“Sister, can I use this as my apology?” Lu Wuqi blinked her big, watery eyes and started acting cute.

Tang Yuxu’s fingers on the table twitched slightly. She directly opened her mouth and bit into it, chewing slowly.

“It’s fine, but you can’t apologize like this next time.” Tang Yuxu swallowed the food in her mouth. “At the very least, you have to treat me to dinner as atonement.”

“Okay. Next time I’m late, I’ll treat Sister to dinner.” Lu Wuqi smiled.

What kind of atonement was this? It was practically a reward—a reward of a two-person dinner~

Lu Wuqi didn’t follow any “no talking while eating” rules when dining with Tang Yuxu. Before Tang Yuxu could even ask, Lu Wuqi proactively shared her ideas.

Tang Yuxu listened attentively, humming from time to time as she tried her best to understand what her little girlfriend meant.

However, technology wasn’t Tang Yuxu’s strong suit. She could only grasp the general idea.

“Not a bad idea. Since your supervisor gave you the opportunity, go ahead and give it a bold try.” Tang Yuxu said. “Don’t worry about failure. Every project has to go through failures before it succeeds.”

“Sister, don’t worry. This idea isn’t something I came up with on the spot. I already tried it back in university.” Lu Wuqi smiled, her expression brimming with confidence. “It was just that I didn’t have enough time or manpower back then, so I couldn’t keep going. This time, I have both time and people. I’ll definitely succeed!”

“Alright then. Should I start preparing your bonus?” Tang Yuxu gazed warmly at her little girlfriend. She really liked seeing her so full of energy.

“It’s a bonus for our entire project team. If we succeed, it won’t just be my achievement.” Lu Wuqi’s cheeks puffed up slightly. “Of course, if Sister wants to give me some exclusive reward, I’d be more than willing.”

“Exclusive reward? Sure.” Tang Yuxu picked up a piece of meat and placed it in her little girlfriend’s bowl. “What kind of reward do you want?”

“Um, anything at all?” Lu Wuqi asked in return.

“As long as it’s not too much.” Tang Yuxu made her promise. If her little girlfriend’s idea really came to fruition, Runyu Technology would undisputedly claim the top spot in the smart home sector.

“Then I want one full night of Sister’s time.” Lu Wuqi quickly came up with her request and voiced it. “Sister, if my concept succeeds, from dusk till dawn, you’ll have to do whatever I say.”

“You’re sure you want this as your request?” Tang Yuxu arched her brow slightly. Did her little girlfriend have some new ideas or tricks up her sleeve?

“Yes, that’s exactly it.” Lu Wuqi nodded firmly.

Lu Wuqi wasn’t after money or power. She didn’t need any material rewards.

In that case, all Lu Wuqi needed was happiness. And right now, the thing that made her happiest was zero-distance cuddling.

Being led by Sister in those intimate matters was certainly enjoyable, but deep down, Lu Wuqi had a competitive streak. She needed to seize an opportunity to turn the tables!

“Alright, I promise.” Tang Yuxu agreed without a second thought.

It was just fooling around with her little girlfriend for one night. Nothing major could come of it.

“Really?” Lu Wuqi’s eyes lit up.

“Of course.” Tang Yuxu nodded. There was no need for her to joke about something like this.

“Great! Then pinky promise with me, Sister.” Lu Wuqi set down her chopsticks and extended her pinky finger.

Tang Yuxu felt like laughing. The gesture seemed a bit childish, like something kids in kindergarten would do.

Still, Tang Yuxu hooked her own pinky around Lu Wuqi’s. She even pressed her thumbs together to seal it.

“Is this good enough?” Tang Yuxu asked.

“Perfect.” Lu Wuqi happily withdrew her hand. “Once the testing passes, don’t forget to honor our deal, Sister.”

With an exclusive reward all her own, she could probably push herself a little harder. What was originally planned for fifteen days, she could aim to finish in ten workdays.

As for the subsequent coding, she’d just teach the team more. She needed to speed up the group’s progress.

It was already August now, so she’d aim to have results by November. Lu Wuqi happily schemed in her mind.

It lined up perfectly with Sister’s birthday in November. She could make it a special birthday gift.