Chapter 177

Chapter 177: President Jiang, Have You Heard the Saying? "Did you do that on purpose?" Chu Tang's face was flushed red—this time from embarrassment. That was just an accident! An accident! Lu Shuci wouldn't think the two of them were secretly kissing in the office, would he? It wasn't that she was afraid Lu Shuci would feel uncomfortable—she genuinely didn't want anyone to misunderstand her relationship with Jiang Shixu. No matter who that person was. Jiang Shixu tilted his head slightly to look at her. "What?" "You definitely did that on purpose!" Chu Tang gritted her teeth. "You deliberately leaned in close so I could kiss you, knew you'd gotten lipstick on yourself, and intentionally let Lu Shuci see it—right?" Jiang Shixu shrugged, a smile curling at the corner of his lips. "Wanting to kiss you is real, but I honestly didn't know I'd gotten lipstick on me." "Stop pretending." Chu Tang let out a cold snort. "If you didn't know, then why did you smile at Lu Shuci just now?" Jiang Shixu looked completely innocent. "Did I? I didn't mean to smile, you know. I got to kiss my baby, and I was so happy I couldn't help but smile." "Jiang Shixu!" Chu Tang had reached her limit. She grabbed a box of tissues from the desk and hurled it at him. Jiang Shixu caught it with lightning-fast reflexes. "Hey, I'm right here!" The man smiled, his dark eyes shimmering with scattered light. "Who's your baby? Don't call me that—I hate frivolous people!" Chu Tang glared at Jiang Shixu, pointing at the office door. "Now. Immediately. Right this second. Get out!" "Fine." Jiang Shixu saw that the tissue in his hand had also been shredded to pieces, and obediently walked toward the door. "Next time you need help with something, you can still call me." Chu Tang huffed angrily. "Get out!" He exited the office. Jiang Shixu came face-to-face with Yu Jiaojiao. "Hello, President Jiang." Yu Jiaojiao smiled and greeted him, but when she saw the lipstick on the man's lips, she suddenly froze. "Hello." Jiang Shixu was in a great mood. "President Jiang, you..." Yu Jiaojiao hesitated, as if about to say something. Jiang Shixu knew exactly what was going on—he was fully aware that the lipstick on his lips had been spotted. But he pretended to know nothing, gave a slight nod, and walked away. A gleam of gossipy excitement suddenly lit up Yu Jiaojiao's eyes. Her heart was racing with excitement. Amazing! President Jiang and Lawyer Ruan kissed! The ship I'm shipping is saved! As Jiang Shixu waited for the elevator, Lu Shuci happened to be heading out for business. Lu Shuci walked over carrying his briefcase. When he saw Jiang Shixu, his tone carried a hint of sarcasm. "President Jiang certainly has good spirits, rushing over here to play errand boy for us." "What's wrong with being an errand boy?" The smile in Jiang Shixu's eyes didn't diminish in the slightest. "The fact that she lets me run errands shows our relationship is close—she can boss me around however she wants. Why doesn't she make you run errands? It means your relationship isn't that intimate. She's too embarrassed to make you do odd jobs, don't you think?" Lu Shuci: "..." He'd never seen anyone so good at gaslighting themselves. Lu Shuci curled his lips in what looked like a smile, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "President Jiang certainly knows how to joke." The elevator arrived. The doors opened, and the two men stepped in together. "President Jiang, have you ever heard the saying?" The reflective surface of the elevator walls mirrored Lu Shuci's strikingly handsome face. "The waterside pavilion gets the moonlight first." Jiang Shixu smiled nonchalantly. "Then has Lawyer Lu heard another saying? A rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its own burrow." Lu Shuci was momentarily stumped. But he quickly recovered. "Grass is grass. Compared to turning back for old grass, that's harder to swallow—tasteless. But the grass by the burrow is something you've never tasted—it's fresh." In the cramped space, the atmosphere between the two men was charged and hostile—neither willing to yield to the other. Jiang Shixu smiled. "Oh? Is that so? I don't see it that way. Someone who's rejected you once will reject you again. No feelings means no feelings. Likewise, someone you've loved once will fall in love with you again—because love is love, and not loving is not loving." Lu Shuci's lips pressed into a rigid line, his pupils dark as an unfathomable abyss. "President Jiang is that confident?" Lu Shuci's tone turned cold. "How does a heart that's been hurt once heal? To love someone with your whole heart, only to have that person wound you deeply—who would be foolish enough to give them a second chance to break their heart again?" The smile at the corner of Jiang Shixu's lips cooled. He said no more. Soon the elevator reached the basement parking level. The doors opened. Jiang Shixu stepped out first. Lu Shuci, his face grim, walked out slowly. Jiang Shixu, we'll see about this. ... After work on Friday, Chu Tang packed up and walked out of the office, coming face-to-face with Lu Shuci. Lu Shuci's expression was as calm as ever. "Lawyer Ruan, there's something I think I should clarify with you. Otherwise, it'll keep nagging at me." "What is it?" Chu Tang asked. "It's not convenient to talk here." Lu Shuci said. "Would you like to take a walk in the nearby park? We can talk as we walk." Chu Tang looked at Lu Shuci—he seemed to genuinely have something important to tell her. She hesitated, then nodded. "Alright." In April, it got dark later in the evening. Just past six in the evening, the last glow of the setting sun was gradually fading. There was already a hint of warmth in the air. Chu Tang wore a light gray thin suit, her long hair pinned up at the back of her head, with a few loose strands by her ears lifted by the evening breeze—messy yet carrying a certain beauty. Lu Shuci's breath caught slightly at the sight. He walked beside Ruan Chutang, the two side by side. Ruan Chutang looked straight ahead, unaware of the affection in the man's eyes beside her. "Lawyer Lu, what did you want to talk to me about?" Chu Tang's tone was as usual. "About what I mentioned last time—my aunt wanting to set us up." Chu Tang paused almost imperceptibly. "Honestly, I don't feel that way either. My aunt was just playing matchmaker recklessly, and I was afraid it might make you uncomfortable." Lu Shuci spoke with a hint of apology. "I see you as a business partner and also as a close friend in life. I don't want that matter to create distance between us. After thinking it over, I felt I should just be clear about it." Chu Tang let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief. "Since you feel the same way, I'm relieved. I was worried..." "Worried about what?" "Nothing." Chu Tang's tone carried a lightness. "You think the same as I do—business partners, and friends in life." Lu Shuci's voice was gentle and calm. "If my aunt tries to set us up again and asks you out, you can just decline directly." "Mm, alright." "Lawyer Ruan, do you have a younger sister around the same age as Tian Tian?" Chu Tang asked, "How old is Tian Tian this year?" "She'll turn seven in a little over a month." "Then she's about a year and a few months younger than my sister." "That's pretty close." Lu Shuci said, "How about letting them get to know each other? Kids—having another playmate is always good. After all, we're adults, there's a generation gap with children. No matter how well we get along with them, it can't replace friends their own age." Chu Tang agreed with that. Jiaojiao had been undergoing psychological therapy recently—would having a friend be beneficial for her condition? "I'll ask when I get back." Chu Tang said. "My sister has been going through something recently. I need to first confirm she's not opposed to making new friends before I can give you an answer." "Alright."