The two communicated for a long time.
The image of LEO changed from what Qi Sui initially thought—unquestionable, or somewhat domineering—to something else. He was surprisingly respectful of others' ideas and very good at communicating and expressing himself. Qi Sui's suggestions were not meaningless; on the contrary, they often made him ponder for a long time.
The man cleared his throat. His voice, thick from inflammation, was severely distorted over the landline.
"If there are no other issues, let's take a lunch break first. Come to the 15th floor at 3 PM. You'll sit in on the international department's regular meeting."
"Mm, okay."
Qi Sui put down the phone, picked up the honey water that had been neglected beside her, and took a sip to soothe her throat.
Her female colleague Guan Guan patted her on the shoulder and asked, "Done? Want to go out to eat with us?"
Qi Sui shook her head, patting her backpack. "I brought my own."
"Wow, you're so virtuous," Guan Guan praised her with slight exaggeration, her eyes dropping to her left hand, and a slight smile curling on her lips.
"Hey, I've never asked you, Sui Sui, are you married? How come you're wearing a ring?"
Qi Sui instinctively curled her fingers. The small diamond ring sparkled on her left ring finger, and everyone's eyes in the office fell on her clenched fist.
She mumbled vaguely, "Mm, mm... I'm married."
Engineer Song exclaimed loudly, "Wow, do all beauties marry young?"
Guan Guan laughed at his strange tone, and the whole office joined in.
"Xiao Qi is pretty; it's only right she married early. Engineer Song, you can wait a couple more years."
Guan Guan's gaze returned, her tone ambiguous. "I've never really seen your husband. When will you bring him to meet us? We've been colleagues for so long, and I feel Sui Sui is the most mysterious person in our office."
Engineer Song chimed in, "Hey, really. How come such a beautiful wife doesn't even get picked up after work?"
Qi Sui barely managed to curl her lips into a polite smile. Her face was fair and gentle, with a few strands of hair hanging by her cheeks, her lips a light pinkish white. She looked serene, as if she didn't mind everyone discussing her family like this.
"He... is usually busy. We rarely see each other, and I don't want to bother him."
"Oh, oh, alright. Maybe another time," Guan Guan said cheerfully, followed by a few colleagues, all bustling together.
Someone mentioned, "I didn't expect Xiao Qi to be married. You can't even tell."
Guan Guan said matter-of-factly, "Of course. I saw her ring on the first day, just never had the chance to ask."
"Oh, but why have we never seen her husband?"
"Who knows," Guan Guan shrugged. "These days, things between couples are complicated. She doesn't strike me as someone who can keep a man."
"Hiss, you mean..."
Guan Guan grinned and shook her head. "I don't know, I don't know. Don't say anything."
"Oh dear, looks like being pretty doesn't help much..."
The office emptied out, leaving only Qi Sui alone. The quiet space strangely made her feel much more at ease.
She leaned her head on one hand, reread the document, recorded the problems she had summarized, saved the document on her phone, then sighed in relief. She took her lunchbox to the break room, heated it up, and hurriedly took a few bites.
Her phone vibrated in her coat. By the time she sat back down at her desk, the social app had fallen silent again.
Internal company policy discouraged using personal communication tools for work, so Qi Sui knew exactly who the message was from.
Husband: "What do you want to talk about?"
Husband: "My dad's birthday is next week. I told my mom we'll have a meal together. Have you picked the place? Still at Cuiyueju? I remember you're a member there. Make sure to pick some decent dishes."
Husband: "My aunt and uncle are coming too. Book two more rooms. If it's too late, they can stay at our place. Make sure everything is arranged."
Qi Sui scanned his messages quickly. There was not a single word of concern for her. Her gaze was frighteningly cold.
She tapped on her phone screen and only replied with two short sentences:
Wheat Ear: Not decided.
Wheat Ear: We'll talk when you get back.
Then she set her phone to Do Not Disturb mode.
There was still some time before the meeting. She lowered her head and dealt with some of the accumulated processes. After making sure everything was done, she picked up her documents and notebook and slowly walked to the 15th floor.
She happened to run into LEO coming down the stairs. He looked hurried, as if he had just finished something, followed by a tall figure.
Medium-long hair, glasses, slender waist and long legs. Even in a stiff professional suit, she didn't look outdated.
LEO walked quickly, completely unconcerned about the woman following him. He only stopped when he saw Qi Sui and motioned for her to follow him.
Qi Sui obediently followed.
The woman with glasses glanced at her, her eyes falling on the nameplate on Qi Sui's chest, then quickly looked away.
The meeting soon began.
The crowd was dense, so many that Qi Sui thought the entire international department was present.
She and the woman with glasses sat in the front row. Above them, LEO stood by the podium. His expression was calm, his gaze on the audience as if looking at a bunch of cabbages.
He spoke concisely and clearly, summarizing the content of the new project. When he finished, the woman beside Qi Sui raised her hand and even gave a few appreciative applause.
LEO's eyes swept from left to right. Qi Sui noticed his gaze pass over her face, then slightly squint. The sharpness dissipated a little, revealing a hint of feline laziness.