The CEO is domineering, the devil Boss is addicted to pampering

Chapter 1309: Yun Rui's sincerity: the pain of self-love

Qi Ruixiang's eyes swept across her computer screen, pausing at her Band-Aided fingertips, his Adam's apple rolling slightly. "Director Yan said you have a backup copy of the project's supplementary agreement?"

"Yes." Yang Xiaotang opened the drawer, pulled out the agreement from the folder and handed it to him. Her fingertips accidentally touched his fingertips, and she quickly retracted them as if she had received an electric shock. "Here."

Qi Ruixiang took the agreement, but did not look at it immediately. He just held it in his hand, his eyes falling on the calendar on her desk.

There were several dates circled in red pen, which were her notes about Yan Wanqing's work content and schedule.

"You just started working, can you still handle this kind of intensity?" He suddenly spoke, his tone lacking emotion.

Yang Xiaotang was stunned, not understanding why he suddenly asked this: "Fortunately, President Yan is very tolerant of me, and I can keep up with you. Don't worry."

"That's perfect!" Qi Ruixiang closed the agreement and raised his eyes with a faint smile. "Director Yan and I are going to discuss the details of the cooperation tonight. Let's talk about the project. Would you like to have dinner together?"

These words were like a stone dropped into a lake, sending ripples through Yang Xiaotang's heart. Her heartbeat quickened, blood rushed to her cheeks, and even the tips of her ears burned.

Eat together? He actually took the initiative to invite her to dinner?

Those expectations that she had forced down were now sprouting up like new shoots breaking through the ground.

She had even begun to imagine the dinner scene—perhaps a quiet Western restaurant, where he would politely pull out a chair for her, ask her what she liked to eat, and...

"I..." She opened her mouth, her voice filled with joy that she didn't even notice. Just as she was about to say "OK", she suddenly remembered another scene.

Thinking of this, my joy was instantly dashed.

"Inconvenient?" Qi Ruixiang raised his eyebrows slightly, and his tone was just the right amount of alienation, as if it was just a casual question.

"No!" Yang Xiaotang waved her hands hurriedly, afraid that he would withdraw the invitation. "I'm free, but... I just don't want to disturb your work conversation."

"Well, you're an assistant. Your job is to help us implement our ideas." Qi Ruixiang's smile deepened, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Director Yan said the Chinese restaurant downstairs is delicious."

Yang Xiaotang lowered her head, looking at her clenched fingertips, trying to calm her breathing. She told herself that this was just a work meal, for the project, and she shouldn't think too much about it.

But my heart still beat very fast, like a frantic deer.

"Where is Wanqing?" Qi Ruixiang looked towards Yan Wanqing's office, the door was ajar.

"Director Yan said she was going to get a document from the car and asked us to go down and wait for her." Yang Xiaotang's voice was very soft, with a hint of cautious flattery.

Qi Ruixiang said "hmm" and turned to walk towards the elevator.

Yang Xiaotang quickly turned off the computer, grabbed her bag and quickly followed, deliberately keeping a half-step distance.

The light in the corridor cast shadows of the two people, which were very long but never overlapped.

As the elevator descended, an awkward silence filled the small space.

Yang Xiaotang stared at the tip of her shoes and could smell the faint scent of cedar on him, exactly the same as in her memory.

She remembered that he had stood beside her like this on the day of the cocktail party, and the smell of perfume mixed with the sweetness of champagne made her heart beat out of control.

With a ding, the elevator door opened. Qi Ruixiang walked out first, followed closely by Yang Xiaotang.

As soon as they left the office building, Yan Wanqing came out of the nearby convenience store, holding a bottle of mineral water. "You guys are pretty quick," she shook the file bag in her hand. "Looks like I'm the one holding back."

"It's okay." Qi Ruixiang took the file bag from her hand and forced a smile, "Let's go to the restaurant."

The three of them walked side by side toward the street corner, their shadows distorted by the setting sun. Yan Wanqing walked in the middle, discussing work with Qi Ruixiang, occasionally turning to talk to Yang Xiaotang. The atmosphere wasn't too awkward.

When he reached a fork in the road, Qi Ruixiang suddenly stopped.

"I'm going to the flower shop next door to buy some flowers," he pointed to the flower shop on the corner, "You guys go over there and order, I'll be there soon."

"Buy flowers?" Yang Xiaotang's heart skipped a beat and she subconsciously looked at him with a barely perceptible expectation in her eyes.

Qi Ruixiang didn't explain, just nodded to Yan Wanqing and turned to walk towards the flower shop.

Watching him walk into the flower shop, Yang Xiaotang's heart beat faster. Who was he buying flowers for? Was it... for himself? Or...

"He probably prepared it for a client. A partner will come tomorrow." Yan Wanqing spoke calmly, but in her heart she couldn't stop complaining about everything that was happening in front of her!

Yang Xiaotang said "Oh", but her heart seemed to be blocked by something, and she felt depressed.

She followed Yan Wanqing into the Chinese restaurant and found a seat by the window.

When the menu was handed to her, she had no appetite and just flipped through it casually.

"What do you want to eat?" Yan Wanqing's voice brought her back to her senses.

"Whatever, I'm fine with anything." Yang Xiaotang pushed the menu back and looked out the window involuntarily. Qi Ruixiang's figure had not appeared at the door of the flower shop on the corner of the street.

Yan Wanqing ordered a few dishes, all of which were light in flavor. After the waiter left, she looked at Yang Xiaotang's absent-minded appearance and sighed softly: "Xiaotang, something..."

"Director Yan, do you think he will..." Yang Xiaotang interrupted her, her voice a little uncertain, "Will it be..."

Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by the sound of wind chimes at the door. Qi Ruixiang pushed the door open and came in, holding a bunch of white gentian flowers with water droplets on the petals.

But he didn't come alone - he was followed by Gu Yunxi. The girl was wearing a beige dress and he was carefully protecting her, fearing that she would be bumped into by passing guests.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still.

Yang Xiaotang watched Qi Ruixiang walk to Gu Yunxi, naturally take the bag from her hand, and gently brush the dust off her shoulders. His movements were familiar and intimate.

He handed the bouquet of gentian flowers to Gu Yunxi and whispered something, which made the girl smile like a flower, and the dimples at the corners of her eyes looked like they were filled with honey.

It turns out that the flowers were for Gu Yunxi.

It turned out that he was not going to buy flowers, but to pick her up.

It turns out that the so-called "dining together" was a carefully planned drama from beginning to end.

Yang Xiaotang felt his blood freeze instantly, and his hands and feet were as cold as if they were soaked in ice water.

She watched Qi Ruixiang help Gu Yunxi sit down in the empty seat opposite, watched him skillfully pull out the chair for her, watched him pick up the menu and patiently ask her "Do you want sweet and sour spare ribs or squirrel mandarin fish?", watched the tenderness in his eyes almost overflow, as if he was looking at a rare treasure.

Those subtle movements, those gentle looks, and those unintentional cares were like needles, densely piercing Yang Xiaotang's heart.

He didn't want to talk to her or reject her, but to use the cruelest way to make her completely give up.

"Yunxi, let me formally introduce you, Yang Xiaotang. You are now Wanqing's new assistant." Qi Ruixiang's voice was gentle, but with an unquestionable sense of distance, as if he was introducing two complete strangers.

Gu Yunxi smiled at them and said softly, "Hello, we should have met last time." When her eyes fell on Yang Xiaotang, there was a hint of curiosity, but no hostility at all, as clean as a piece of white paper.

It was this cleanliness that made Yang Xiaotang feel even more embarrassed.

She was like a despicable peeping torrent, hiding in the dark and coveting things that did not belong to her. Now she was exposed in public and was so embarrassed that she had nowhere to hide.

"Hello, Miss Gu." Yang Xiaotang lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, her fingertips tightly gripping the tablecloth, her knuckles turning white.