The colleague let out a "heh," and Qi Sui only heard him stand up and walk toward her again.
To be fair.
The office didn't treat her too badly. Occasionally running errands meant just going up and down to deliver documents, and there was certainly no workplace bullying.
She was typing on the keyboard, replying to messages from other departments, while also diverting her attention, slightly turning her head to show she was listening.
The colleague: "Xiao Qi, how about this? Could you help me out? I still have a lot of work on my hands. I've mostly finished the main body of this document, so you can handle the rest of the checking and revision. Since you've already met LEO, it should be easier for you to talk to him."
He tossed this out lightly, but asking Qi Sui to do the revision meant she would have to go through the entire project again from scratch. Everyone said they were busy, but who didn't have a mountain of work?
Qi Sui sighed.
She stopped typing, turned around, and stared at him calmly for a moment before speaking, with hesitation and deliberation: "Engineer Song—"
Before she could say anything, Engineer Song patted his chest and interrupted, "How about this: you hand over some of the planning department's work to me, and you help me with this document. Is that okay?"
The planning department was Qian Jin's department.
At the thought, Qi Sui remembered the message she hadn't replied to on her phone. She slowly nodded.
"Alright."
Engineer Song beamed and handed her the document, looking relieved.
Leaving Qi Sui sitting in front of the computer, staring blankly.
Her phone vibrated twice. She picked it up and opened the message. "Sui Sui, it's A Jin's father's birthday in a couple of days. How should we celebrate this year? Should we two go to your place?"
Qi Sui thought back, searching her memory.
Qian Jin was a late-born child. His father was nearly seventy. Qi Sui had always handled his birthday smoothly every year, but this year was an exception.
She tapped the screen and decided not to tell Qian Jin's mother for now—about their broken relationship.
No, she mocked herself, there wasn't much feeling to begin with, so how could it be broken?
And Qian Jin's sexual orientation made her head spin. Just thinking about it was both disgusting and troublesome.
Wheat Ear: "He's on a business trip these two days. I'll talk to him when he gets back."
The old woman on the other end slowly sent a blooming flower emoji, completely unaware that her usually gentle and kind daughter-in-law's words were now full of indifference.
She had better just focus on work for now.
Qi Sui calmed down, flipped through the document, and also borrowed the company's annual brochure to read through. She did find a few issues.
She looked up and opened her mouth to ask Engineer Song, but suddenly thought of the deputy general manager's eyes on the 19th floor—
Half-closed, but staring straight at her, with a look that seemed unshakable even when showing weakness.
Maybe...
She should ask him first?
Qi Sui's fingers hovered over the landline phone, then withdrew.
"7459"
She wrote down the questions she wanted to ask on a piece of paper. The hoarse voice came from the other end of the line, but it sounded much thinner.
"Hello, Deputy General Manager. Do you have a moment? I'd like to discuss the issues with the document we just had."
There was a second of silence on the other end, then he asked, "From the third floor?"
Then he asked, "Weren't you supposed to handle it?"
Qi Sui didn't want to explain the intricacies of workplace dynamics, so she simply replied, "I'm responsible for it now."
There was a vague rustling sound of clothes rubbing together on the other end, and the man's low voice said, "Hold on."
He seemed to be writing something down.
"3651?"
Qi Sui paused, realizing he was jotting down her extension number.
"Mm, yes."
"Whatever questions you have, ask me now. I'll be going for a meal later."
"Sure, Deputy General Manager. It's like this—"
He interrupted, "Just call me LEO."
Qi Sui: "Mm... Alright. It's like this."