A small candy

Chapter 31: The Boss and Secretary Jian
Jian Ling only asked Dai Wangchu to help her take one day off, and went to work the next day. The first thing she did when she arrived at the company was to take the leave note to the administrative personnel department to cancel the leave.

The temperature rose as the weather cleared up, but as the saying goes, every autumn rain brings a chill, so even when the sun came out, it wouldn't be much warmer. Seeing her slumped over the table, almost dozing off, Dai Wangchu stood up and poured her a cup of hot water. "Why don't you stay home and rest for a few more days before coming back?"

"My efficiency in working at home is too low. I kept my computer on all day yesterday and did nothing." Jian Ling thanked me and drank hot water in small sips from the cup.

Cheng Zhixu also wanted her to rest for a few days and recover before returning to work. She took her temperature this morning and it was completely gone, so she didn't stay home lazing around. However, her runny nose and cough hadn't subsided yet.

By the end of the morning, she had used up half the box of tissues on the table, and the trash can was full of her snot-blowing masterpieces.

Dai Wangchu patted her head sympathetically and told her to keep warm as the temperature might drop further in the next two days.

It was lunch time, and Jian Ling left Dai Wangchu behind as usual and went up to the 48th floor to eat.

In just a few days, Cheng Zhixu's office was filled with many of her things, including a special cup for drinking water every day, a small mirror for checking her makeup after meals and some cosmetics for touch-ups, as well as her pillow and small blanket - sometimes she would take a short nap here.

As soon as Jian Ling entered, Cheng Zhixu took her hand and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

"It's okay, but my runny nose is quite annoying. The trash cans in the office have become my exclusive property." Jian Ling sat down. There were delicious dishes in front of her, but she had no appetite.

Cheng Zhixu first poured her a small bowl of soup and placed it next to her: "If you can't do it, go home."

Jian Ling scooped a spoonful, blew on it, and paused for a moment before raising her eyelids to look at him with a lazy smile: "You've asked for leave three times in a row. Do you still want to do this?"

Cheng Zhixu didn't expect her to refute what he said to her yesterday. He was speechless for a moment, and after a while, he laughed: "Okay, I can't argue with you."

Jian Ling smiled and made a "yeah" gesture, with a proud tone: "Birds of a feather flock together." The more times she talked nonsense with powerful people, the more powerful her tongue became.

The two finished their lunch happily. Jian Ling poured a cup of hot water, took some cold medicine, then picked up her small blanket and pillow, ready to take a nap on the sofa before going back to work.

Cheng Zhixu reached out to hold her arm, lowered his head and whispered, "Don't sleep on the sofa. You'll catch a cold easily. Go to the lounge and sleep."

Jian Ling looked at him in surprise.

Cheng Zhixu touched his nose, put his arm around her shoulders and walked to the north side of the office. He pushed open a door, and behind it was a simply decorated lounge. There was a large snow-white bed, matched with a natural wood bedside table and wardrobe. In the corner stood an amber glass coffee table, on which were placed a few branches of emerald green lucky bamboo in clear water.

That time, Jian Ling had her period and her skirt was soiled. She changed clothes here in a hurry and didn't even take a good look at the furnishings inside.

All of a sudden she remembered that the last time Yuan Xiao suddenly attacked her, if she had thought of hiding in the lounge, why would she have hurriedly crawled under the desk?

Obviously, Cheng Zhixu also realized this.

"I just remembered. I'm not used to taking naps, so I've never used it before." Cheng Zhixu threw the small blanket and pillow in her hands on the sofa and pushed her shoulders inside. "Minglang should send a cleaning staff to clean regularly. The supplies inside are all clean, so you can use them without worry. I'll set an alarm, and I'll wake you up if you can't get up by then."

Jian Ling was still ill, feeling dizzy and a bit sleepy. She couldn't hold herself together during meals, and her eyelids kept drooping. The sight of the bed made her eyes light up like a treasure. However, she still had some concerns, wondering if sleeping here wasn't a good idea.

Before she could figure out the result, Cheng Zhixu picked her up and carried her horizontally, striding towards the bed.

Before Jian Ling could react, her body soared into the air. She couldn't help but let out a small cry of surprise, and subconsciously hugged the man's neck. The skin on the back of his neck was warm and delicate. Her fingers brushed against the short hair at the edge, causing a slight tingling sensation. She curled her fingers and turned her face away.

Cheng Zhixu bent down and put the person in his arms on the bed, keeping the leaning position without moving, his eyelashes slightly drooping, staring at her fair and tender face.

Jian Ling looked at him in confusion: "What?"

Cheng Zhixu tilted his head and touched her wrist with his cheek: "How can I get up if you don't let go of my hand?"

Jian Ling's face flushed, and she quickly put down her hands that were around his neck, put them in her arms awkwardly, kicked off her shoes, turned over and rolled into the soft quilt.

Cheng Zhixu pulled the quilt over her, sat by the bed and looked down at her.

Jian Ling closed her eyes, then opened them again after two seconds. She met Cheng Zhixu's dark eyes, rubbed the tip of her nose, and said softly, "Aren't you going to work?"

Cheng Zhixu supported his hands on the sides of her head, and his palms pressed the pillow down. Jian Ling's body froze for a moment. He slowly lowered his neck and kissed her forehead. Then he turned and left the lounge and went to work outside.

The door wasn't closed. Jian Ling was stunned for a few seconds, then touched her forehead with the back of her hand. The spot where she'd been kissed felt like a brand. Unable to conceal her joy, she giggled out loud. Worried about being overheard, she pulled the quilt up high and buried her face in it, closing her eyes and curling the corners of her mouth into a beautiful arc.

After sleeping for about forty minutes, Jian Ling didn't hear the alarm clock, but was woken up by the heat from a hot object.

She opened her eyes and looked at the "object" that was pressed against her in confusion. Then, she suddenly opened her eyes wide. When did Cheng Zhixu...sleep on the bed?
The man beside her had his eyes slightly closed, his sharp features losing their sharpness to a gentle warmth. He had a high nose, a beautifully curved lip, and a smooth jawline. As Jian Ling looked at him, the hairs that had stood up nervously calmed down. She studied his face quietly, wanting to touch his nose but holding back for fear of waking him.

The lounge was completely silent. Jian Ling's throat itched. She tried to hold it in for a long time, but couldn't hold it back. She coughed a few times, suppressing her voice. Sure enough, the next second, she saw Cheng Zhixu, who had originally closed his eyes, move his eyelids and open them.

Jian Ling's eyes dodged, and she gave an apologetic smile: "Did I wake you up?"

Cheng Zhixu put his arm around her waist and tightened his grip. Jian Ling, who was already very close to him, could instantly feel their ribs touching and their breathing intertwined.

She tilted her head back and coughed breathlessly, "Didn't you say you weren't going to take a nap? Why are you lying in bed?"

She didn't know when he came to sleep, she had no idea, let alone if she was snoring. She had a stuffy nose due to a cold, and her breathing was not smooth, so her panting might have become louder and sounded like snoring.

Cheng Zhixu nuzzled her ear with the tip of his upturned nose, and said in a low, vague voice, "I finished reading two documents and came to see if you had kicked off the quilt. But seeing you were sleeping so soundly, I couldn't help but fall asleep too."

Jian Ling complained: "You are being a hooligan."

"Hmm?" Cheng Zhixu snorted.

"You climbed onto my bed while I was asleep. Isn't that a hooligan?"

"Yeah." Cheng Zhixu didn't refute and admitted frankly that he was just being a hooligan.

Jian Ling was speechless. Her eyes fell on the phone on the bedside table and she wanted to pick it up to check the time. But before she could do anything, Cheng Zhixu grabbed the back of her neck and turned her head to face him. He had just woken up, so his eyes were not as sharp as before, a little drowsy. "I didn't do anything, why are you accusing me of being a hooligan?"

Jian Ling stiffened her neck and argued with him: "You admitted it yourself."

Cheng Zhixu stopped arguing with her and told her directly with his actions that if he really wanted to be a hooligan, he wouldn't do it this way.

Jian Ling watched his lips getting closer and closer to hers. She quickly covered his lips with hers and said with a frown, "My cold hasn't healed yet. I don't want to infect you."

She had used this excuse to reject his attempts at intimacy several times yesterday. Cheng Zhixu couldn't stand it any longer and took her hand away, refusing to allow her to argue: "I have a good resistance."

"But...well..."

There was no but. The rest of her words were blocked by Cheng Zhixu, and she could only let out a few weak moans.

Before long, Jian Ling pushed his shoulders hard, and the moment she was relieved, she tilted her head to the side to breathe. She was so uncomfortable that her eyes and nose were red.

Cheng Zhixu stroked the corners of her lips twice with his fingertips: "What's wrong?"

"What do you think?" Jian Ling spoke with a thick nasal tone, "My nose is blocked, and my mouth is blocked by you. I'm almost suffocating."

Cheng Zhixu understood and laughed softly, "Okay, my fault. Then, how about another way...playing rogue?"

Jian Ling's brain was starved of oxygen, and before she could recover, she felt the hem of her sweater rub against her waist, something firmly pressed against her skin. Her breathing became even more erratic than before, and all her senses were focused on her waist: something unfamiliar, trembling, intense... something climbing up like a vine, tightening around her. Even though her mouth and nose were clearly not covered, she still found it difficult to breathe, as if she were in a closed space filled with hot water.

I don’t know how long it took, but everything receded like the tide and returned to calm.

"Jian Ling." Cheng Zhixu's voice was hoarse. He leaned forward and nudged her jaw. "Are you stupid?"

"you……"

As soon as Jian Ling opened her mouth, she realized her voice was hoarse, so she shut her mouth and just stared at him. Her eyes were not very lethal, and her cheeks were flushed, which made her look more charming and innocent.

Cheng Zhixu whispered something in her ear. Jian Ling turned her head away from him and said, "Get up. I'll do it myself..."

Cheng Zhixu lifted the quilt and stood up, turning his back so he didn't look at her. Jian Ling glanced at the back of his head warily, her hand quickly reaching behind her back, fumbling to buckle it, her fingertips trembling. She had never seen Cheng Zhixu like this before, and apart from shyness, she didn't feel any fear or timidity, because she knew he was a man of measure.

"I'm fine." Jian Ling pulled the hem of her sweater and straightened it, speaking in a low voice.

Cheng Zhixu stared at his hands for a long time, curled the corners of his mouth, and turned to look at her.

Jian Ling didn't look at him. She lowered her head and quickly got off the bed, put on her shoes, grabbed the phone on the bedside table, and saw that the lunch break was over, so she ran away in a hurry.

-

Two days later in the afternoon, Cheng Group and Junlan officially signed a contract and established a friendly cooperative relationship.

Mr. Xu from Junlan had to fly to Washington in the evening. A project there had gone wrong, so he asked Shen Qinghe to entertain Cheng Zhixu on his behalf.

Shen Qinghe had previously mentioned politely that she would invite Cheng Zhixu to dinner after the matter was completed. Now with Mr. Xu's words, the dinner seemed much more legitimate, and Cheng Zhixu would probably not refuse.

Shen Qinghe stood up, holding the documents. After bidding farewell to Mr. Xu, she smiled at Cheng Zhixu, "Then let's set it at the restaurant where we discussed things that afternoon? This is a good opportunity to discuss the follow-up matters with you."

Cheng Zhixu was not picky and said directly that it was no problem.

Shen Qinghe left first. Before the dinner started, she had to go back to the company to deal with an urgent matter.

Cheng Zhixu had nothing else to do, so he took out his phone and sent a message to Jian Ling, whose name was "猪圆玉润": "I have a dinner party tonight, so I won't be taking you back to the apartment."

Jian Ling hadn't finished get off work yet, so she took the time to reply with a short "OK".

Cheng Zhixu was about to put down his phone when he suddenly remembered the girl's jealousy last time and decided to inform her in advance: "With Shen Qinghe."

The other party was probably busy, so after waiting for a few minutes, Jian Ling replied to him: "Are you serious?"

There was no way to avoid discussing serious matters at the dinner table, so Cheng Zhixu did his best to give her a sense of security in his own way: "...How about you come too?"

Jian Ling wasn't sure what the "dinner party" he was talking about was like. If there were many high-ranking officials there, it would be a problem as to what identity she would go with him. Jian Ling bit her lower lip for several seconds, thinking about asking first, "Besides her, was there anyone else?"

Cheng Zhixu replied quickly: "There is also a vice president, Jun Lan."

Jian Ling didn't know anyone from the other company, so the impact shouldn't be significant. She pondered for a moment, undecided, and continued to ask Cheng Zhixu, "If I go, how will I tell anyone? After all, it's a formal dinner, and I'd be embarrassed."

Cheng Zhixu guessed what she was thinking. He wanted to go with her, but he didn't want to expose their relationship. She was really going to give him a hard time.

Cheng Zhixu chuckled: "Secretary?"

Jian Ling chuckled: "Then it's settled! Boss Cheng, I'm Secretary Jian now, not your girlfriend, so don't get it wrong."

Boss Cheng rubbed his brows and said, "...I got into the role pretty quickly."

Before Jian Ling could continue, she received a message: "I'm not going to talk to you anymore. My supervisor is here and I have to get back to work!"

Cheng Zhixu: “…”

　Cheng Zhixu: Boss and secretary? That's great.

　　Jian Ling: Hehehe (#^.^#)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)