4

The woman wore stiletto heels, and her blue plaid suit made her skin look even fairer. Her slightly curled hair was pinned up, and she wore simple hoop earrings.

Luo Li found herself staring at Lu Cixue's ears, remembering the small mole behind them. She had lingered in that spot for quite a while that night…

Luo Li couldn't help but swallow.

"Good morning," Lu Cixue nodded slightly, her gaze shifting to the spacey Luo Li standing behind Liu Yue.

Liu Yue immediately nudged Luo Li in the arm.

"Ah, good morning, Director Lu."

Luo Li snapped back to reality, though the smile on her face still carried a sense of resigned defeat.

Yeah, "avoid her if you can…"

Lu Cixue, noticing Luo Li's nervous expression, said nothing more and simply responded briefly before heading into her office.

Liu Yue exhaled in relief as the door closed behind her. She leaned closer to Luo Li, whispering, "Our director is actually nice, just a bit cold. But be careful—one of the interns couldn't handle her criticism and left in tears."

Luo Li nodded vigorously and returned to her desk. It didn't take long before she had gotten to know her coworkers.

The department had more women than men, and no one seemed to have any issues with her, the new hire. Although a few people did mention that she had the same surname as the chairman, Luo Li deflected with a laugh.

"Luo Li, right? Director Lu wants to see you in her office."

Luo Li was chatting idly with a girl around her age when a neatly dressed woman approached her.

Looking up, Luo Li thought this girl, though young, dressed as formally as the director in the corner office. Very proper and businesslike.

Like boss, like assistant. But at least this one could smile.

"Assistant Ji, does the director have work for her?" Liu Yue, who had just come out of the office, happened to pass by and asked cautiously. She now watched over Luo Li like a mother hen with her chick, worried that Luo Li might get the short end of the stick.

Ji Qiubai just smiled slightly. "I'm not sure."

Luo Li shot Liu Yue a grateful glance before getting up. "Okay, Assistant Ji, I'll head over now."

Ji Qiubai nodded and led Luo Li to Lu Cixue's office.

She had already discreetly observed Luo Li and reviewed the resume Luo Li had submitted. To her surprise, they were the same age.

In Fengyu's pool of applicants, this resume was just barely passable. Even though she knew Luo Li had connections, the decision to place her directly in the department made her curious about this Miss Luo's capabilities.

"Oh, right," Ji Qiubai suddenly stopped and handed Luo Li a freshly brewed coffee and a file box. "Could you please bring these to the director as well?"

Standing at the door, Luo Li took a deep breath, put on a perfectly composed smile, and raised her hand to knock.

But the door swung open from the inside, catching her off guard.

Startled by the sudden movement, Luo Li lost her grip on the items she was holding. The coffee tilted, spilling most of it onto the person in front of her.

…Did she really need to exist in this world?

"I'm so sorry," Luo Li quickly pulled out tissues to wipe the spill, nervously gauging the woman's reaction. "Can I buy you a new one?"

Thank goodness the coffee wasn't hot, but the outfit still looked expensive. Since her parents had demoted her to work in the trenches, they'd been strictly controlling her monthly allowance.

Although her photography work was somewhat recognized in the industry, allowing her to build a small nest egg, it still hurt—both her wallet and her heart. Her relationship with Director Lu had just gotten even more complicated.

"No need," Lu Cixue said, her face expressionless as she took the file box from Luo Li's hands and turned away. "Wait here."

She had only spoken four words to her…

When the door reopened, Luo Li almost tripped over her own feet as she stepped into the office.

The interior was as cold and minimalist as the rest of the office, with not even a single green plant for decoration. The woman seated at the desk was frowning as she reviewed a work report, dressed now only in a white shirt. Sunlight streaming through the window cast a faint golden glow on her.

She was beautiful but uninteresting, much like the stern-faced executives Luo Li had seen in the conference rooms as a child.

The only difference was that this one could turn into a cat.

And she was pretty cute as a cat—definitely cuter than this icy demeanor.

Lu Cixue silently finished reading the report before lifting her gaze to Luo Li without saying a word.

"Director Lu, is there something you need?" Luo Li immediately snapped out of her daze and shuffled over to Lu Cixue's desk, holding the fresh cup of coffee she had just made.

"Luo Li."

Luo Li instinctively straightened up when her name was suddenly called.

"The chairman has requested that you accompany me on a business trip the day after tomorrow. Please prepare accordingly."

Luo Li blinked in surprise. Was her father really going to be this blatant about using connections? He was already sending her on a trip with her superior?

Seeing her hesitation, Lu Cixue asked, "Is there a problem?"

"No, no problem. I just…" Luo Li hesitated, thinking this wasn't the time or place to bring it up, so she forced a smile. "It's nothing. I just wanted to ask if you're free after work today?"

She had to ask—otherwise, she'd be left completely in the dark.

Lu Cixue studied Luo Li's face, hesitating.

She had been very busy lately, working overtime most days. Although she'd just go home and sit by herself afterward…

Something inside her wanted to go, to understand Luo Li's intentions, but a voice in her mind kept warning her to keep her distance.

She wasn't sure if she should indulge herself.

Seeing Lu Cixue's silence, Luo Li cleverly didn't give her the chance to refuse. "I'll send you the location later. If you're available, I'd appreciate it if you could join me."

Feeling quite pleased with herself, Luo Li returned to her desk, where the girl next to her leaned in. "How did it go? She didn't give you a hard time, did she?"

If Luo Li had gotten scolded for slacking off on her first day, the girl worried that the still-untested Luo Li might not handle it well.

"No, it was fine. Is there anything I can help with?" Luo Li smiled, eager to keep herself busy.

The girl next to her, Chen Ting, who had only recently become a full-time employee, handed Luo Li a thick stack of forms, gratefully saying, "Really? Could you help me cross-check and enter these data? There's no rush—just finish by Wednesday. Thanks!"

It wasn't anything particularly important—just the kind of busywork that was perfect for interns.

Luo Li stared at the huge stack, her eyes widening. "That much?"

Chen Ting replied, "It's not that bad. These are all compiled survey data. When I was an intern, my mentor made me do all the compiling myself."

Chen Ting sighed. "I even got scolded by the director for being too slow."

Luo Li's fear of a certain woman deepened.

Was it really necessary to be that harsh on an intern? And all the employees here were top graduates from prestigious schools. If they struggled to survive, what chance did she, a newbie, have?

"But Director Lu is really impressive. Otherwise, she wouldn't have become the department director at just twenty-six." Chen Ting said, her eyes shining with admiration.

Was this workplace brainwashing?

Luo Li spent the entire morning glued to her computer, entering data. At noon, Jing Yao called to check in on her, and the two arranged to meet at a nearby restaurant for lunch.

After hearing about Luo Li's adventures, Jing Yao clicked her tongue. "Fate really does work in mysterious ways, but I have to say, an office romance can be pretty thrilling."

Luo Li absentmindedly chewed on her straw. Honestly, she had only had a passing interest in Lu Cixue before. The reality was so different from what she had imagined that she had no idea how to interact with her now.

Even tonight's meeting was more about feeling obligated to take responsibility than anything else.

"What if… I mean, what if we don't have feelings for each other?" Luo Li asked her friend seriously. After all, the woman sitting across from her was a seasoned player in the dating game.

Back in school, she had broken more than a few hearts.

Jing Yao waved it off. "Then you just move on. Dating is about being happy. It's not like you're bound for life."

Jing Yao suddenly paused, looking at Luo Li in shock. "Don't tell me you think just because you two slept together, you have to get married? Come on, she probably didn't even think twice about it!"

This little prude… Was she innocent or just gullible?

Luo Li stammered, unable to find the right words.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something strange in the way Lu Cixue looked at her—something complex that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Miss Luo?" A familiar voice suddenly interrupted from behind.

Ji Qiubai had spotted Luo Li from afar. As Lu Cixue's assistant, she was well aware of Luo Li's identity, so it wasn't surprising to see her at this restaurant.

What did surprise her was seeing Luo Li sitting with the woman across from her.

"Assistant Ji? Are you here for lunch too?" Luo Li noticed the takeout bag in Ji Qiubai's hand and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Did she have to work through lunch as well?

"I've already eaten. This is for Director Lu." Ji Qiubai's eyes met those of the elegant woman across from Luo Li, who was staring at her with an amused look, like a wolf eyeing a rabbit.

Why did she suddenly feel uneasy?

Luo Li checked the time—it was already after 1:00 PM.

"She hasn't eaten yet?"

Ji Qiubai shook her head. "No, the director is still in a meeting. She sent me out halfway through, so I thought I'd grab her something."

Jing Yao sipped her lychee soda, clearly noticing the concern on Luo Li's face.

"You're a real chameleon, Assistant Ji," Jing Yao suddenly remarked.

Luo Li turned to Jing Yao, confused by the comment.

Since when did this person know Ji Qiubai?

Ji Qiubai, unperturbed, replied with a smile, "In the workplace, we all play our roles. Miss Jing, enjoy your lunch."

With that, she said a quick goodbye to Luo Li and left.

Luo Li was shocked. She never would have guessed that Assistant Ji could be so sharp, especially with someone like…

"How do you two know each other?" Luo Li asked.

Jing Yao, watching Ji Qiubai's retreating figure, smiled. "It's a long story. Do you have this Miss Bai's WeChat?"

"Huh?" Miss Bai?

When Luo Li finally dragged herself back to her desk, it was already 2:00 PM. At this hour, the office was still relatively empty.

After sitting for a bit, Luo Li got up and, holding her bag, made her way to Lu Cixue's office. The door was slightly ajar, and inside, the director stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, staring out into the distance.

There was an inexplicable loneliness about her.

The lunch Ji Qiubai had brought was untouched, likely cold by now.

"Um—" Luo Li called out, trying to get Lu Cixue's attention.

Lu Cixue turned, surprised to see her. "Is there something you need?"

Luo Li froze, her eyes locked on Lu Cixue's face, her heart suddenly racing.

She was wearing a pair of silver-framed glasses, and the eyes behind the lenses seemed softer, making Luo Li want to lose herself in them.

It must have been the orange juice she drank earlier—how else could she think Lu Cixue looked gentle?

Without thinking, Luo Li blurted out, "Do demons get nearsighted too?"