Chapter 176

Chapter 176: Trying to Poach from Me, Does Lawyer Ruan Think That Counts as Provoking Me? Huayue Law Firm had an increasing number of cases, and the firm had recently hired another batch of lawyers and paralegals. The HR, finance, and administrative departments had also expanded with a few new employees. As the firm grew in scale, its rules and regulations became more comprehensive as well. Thanks to Jiang Shixu, the firm's employees enjoyed afternoon tea every two or three days, which made the overall atmosphere at the firm much more relaxed and pleasant. Chu Tang could clearly sense that everyone's work enthusiasm had improved significantly recently, and their efficiency had jumped by a large margin. She had to admit, Jiang Shixu's "sucking up" was actually working. The only thing that gave Chu Tang a headache was that Jiang Shixu would come sit at the firm two or even three days out of the five-day workweek. He called it "inspecting work," but in reality, who knew what he was really up to. Every time he came, the women at the firm would get all hyped up like they'd been injected with adrenaline, sneaking glances at him openly and covertly, completely distracted from work. That afternoon, Jiang Shixu came again. He walked into Ruan Chutang's office with ease, sat down on the sofa, and casually poured himself a cup of tea with a relaxed, leisurely posture, as if the firm were his own home. Chu Tang kept her eyes fixed on the computer, writing legal documents without even lifting her eyelids, as if the refined and elegant man sitting in her office were nothing but air. Jiang Shixu sat quietly on the sofa drinking tea. He didn't make a sound to disturb Ruan Chutang's work. The man took a couple of sips, set the cup gently on the coffee table, crossed his long legs casually, and let his gaze rest on Chu Tang. From this angle, he could clearly see Chu Tang's profile. She wore light makeup for work, her long hair clipped back, and a light coffee-colored suit set made her look beautiful with a touch of spirited boldness—intellectual and elegant, yet carrying the aura of a strong career woman. Her skin was fair with a rosy flush, tender like a juicy peach. From the side, her nose bridge appeared even more prominent, and her long lashes fluttered lightly like dancing butterflies. Jiang Shixu's deep eyes fixed on Chu Tang, and his Adam's apple unconsciously rolled. Baby is so beautiful. I want to kiss her. Perhaps sensing the man's burning gaze. Chu Tang turned her head to look at him. Their eyes met in the air. Locking eyes, Jiang Shixu stared directly at Ruan Chutang without any hint of averting his gaze. Chu Tang's typing fingers paused on the keyboard, and her brows furrowed slightly. Unable to hold it in any longer, Chu Tang spoke with some displeasure: "Is President Jiang very free?" "No." The man's tone rose at the end, carrying a hint of delight. "I'm stealing a moment of leisure from work." Chu Tang let out a cold snort. "Is President Jiang worried about our firm? Coming to inspect work every few days." Jiang Shixu looked at her, pressing his lips together before saying, "I am worried, but not about your firm—about a certain someone." "A certain someone?" Chu Tang frowned. Jiang Shixu's thin lips parted slightly. "A certain someone named Lu." "..." Chu Tang was speechless. "Did Lawyer Lu provoke you?" Jiang Shixu asked with a smile: "Trying to poach from me—does Lawyer Ruan think that counts as provoking me?" Ruan Chutang: "..." Silence. The scene froze for a moment, then Jiang Shixu spoke with a smile, a hint of pride in his voice: "But my walls aren't that easy to breach. I've seen that kid with a sour face these past few days—he's probably been rejected." Chu Tang shot him a glare, pointed at a pile of A4 paper on the desk, and said irritably: "If you're really that bored, go help me feed this pile of scrap paper into the shredder." "Alright." The man agreed readily. He immediately stood up, strode over on his long legs, and picked up the pile of scrap paper. But Jiang Shixu didn't leave right away. He leaned in close, lowering his voice to ask: "Lawyer Ruan, you haven't told me where the shredder is yet." He was too close, and the pleasant woody scent of his cologne drilled straight into Chu Tang's nose. Jiang Shixu's voice was low and sexy, tinged with a hint of hoarseness, and Chu Tang's heart suddenly skipped a beat. He must be doing this on purpose. Chu Tang's face flushed red—out of anger. "That shredder is right there, so big, can't you see it?" Chu Tang's tone was sharp. "Where?" "It's right over there." Chu Tang instinctively turned her head to point, and her lips brushed against Jiang Shixu's lips. Chu Tang suddenly shot up from her seat. "Jiang Shixu!" He had leaned in a little closer just now, which was why her lips grazed his when she turned her head. Chu Tang was a bit angry now. "Can you stop causing trouble here? I'm very busy. I don't have time to mess around with you." Seeing that Chu Tang was genuinely upset, Jiang Shixu backed off a little. He picked up the pile of scrap paper from the desk, his tone carrying a coaxing gentleness: "Don't be angry, Lawyer Ruan. I really didn't see it just now." "Tell that to the ghosts!" Chu Tang's face flushed even redder, and her voice rose a few notches. Jiang Shixu walked over to the shredder not far away and fed the big stack of scrap paper in a few sheets at a time. "Don't be mad, Tangtang. How about I treat you to dinner tonight to make it up to you? At that barbecue place you love the most." "Not going!" Just then, someone knocked on the door. Chu Tang took two deep breaths to steady herself before speaking. "Come in." The visitor was Lu Shuci. The man was impeccably dressed in a suit, a hint of a smile in his long eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses. "Since when does President Jiang do the odd jobs that assistants handle?" Lu Shuci then looked at Ruan Chutang and joked, "Lawyer Ruan, since when did our firm become so capable that we can hire the president of Jiangshi Group to do chores?" Chu Tang was in no mood for jokes. Her expression darkened slightly, her tone carrying displeasure. "Some people just have too much time on their hands." Sensing her bad mood, Lu Shuci paused, the amusement in his gaze receding as he asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did something unpleasant happen?" Before Chu Tang could speak, Jiang Shixu jumped in to answer: "She's busy right now. You came in and interrupted her work—how could she be happy about that?" Chu Tang: "..." Lu Shuci's expression faltered slightly. "Then I'll leave?" "Go ahead." Jiang Shixu waved his hand, clearly dismissing him. "Can you stop making things worse?" Chu Tang said this while looking directly at Jiang Shixu. Jiang Shixu shut his mouth. He stood there silently shredding paper. Lu Shuci looked from Ruan Chutang to Jiang Shixu. Jiang Shixu smiled back at him. Then, suddenly. Lu Shuci caught sight of a trace of red at the corner of the man's lips. That streak of red extended diagonally from his lower lip down toward his chin. Lu Shuci's gaze darkened. His eyes traveled upward to meet Jiang Shixu's, and in those eyes he found a hint of provocation and smugness. Lu Shuci lowered his gaze, all traces of his earlier smile gone from his voice. "Then Lawyer Ruan, please carry on." With that, Lu Shuci turned and left. Jiang Shixu curled his lips and continued shredding paper. Ruan Chutang was somewhat puzzled. What was that look in Lu Shuci's eyes just now? She turned her head and glanced suspiciously at Jiang Shixu. The man was bent over, humming a little tune as he shredded paper, every pore radiating the words "I'm in a great mood." Chu Tang stared at Jiang Shixu, trying to figure out why Lu Shuci's expression had suddenly changed. Sensing her gaze, Jiang Shixu said with a smile, "Your mouth says you don't like it, but your body is being very honest." Chu Tang's face flushed. "What nonsense are you talking about?" "I'm saying your eyes are very honest—you can't help but keep looking at me." Jiang Shixu raised his head, meeting Chu Tang's gaze with an infuriating grin. "What, did your mind go somewhere dirty?" "Who went somewhere dirty? Don't you slander me!" As Chu Tang finished speaking, she suddenly noticed that streak of red at the corner of his lips. In an instant, she froze in place. Her lipstick had rubbed off on him! Lu Shuci had seen it!