Divorcee O Finds Me Irresistible - Chapter 8

Xu Qing thought arriving at the office at 2:30 AM was already bizarre enough. But as she passed the Section Chief’s office, she noticed the light was still on, a sliver of eerie glow seeping through the slightly ajar door.

It’s 2:30 AM! she wondered. Did someone forget to turn off the lights and close the door?

Curious, Xu Qing pushed the door open a crack to peek inside. The heavy, old door creaked loudly, making her heart race. The office was empty, but the Section Chief’s computer screen remained lit.

The vast building was plunged into an eerie silence, the corridors pitch-black, the atmosphere chillingly oppressive. Xu Qing could hear her own pounding heartbeat. After carefully checking the Section Chief’s office, she turned around and collided with a dark figure. Two terrifying lights glared from where its face should be.

Xu Qing gasped, stumbling backward and slamming the door open. In the office’s dim light, she finally made out what stood behind her—

The lights were merely reflections from the lenses of glasses. Though the features were distorted by the glare, the vacant stare was unmistakable. Xu Qing cautiously asked, “…Leader?”

“Ah, it’s you, Xiao Xu! You scared me half to death! I thought you were a burglar,” the middle-aged man, nearing fifty, said with a pale face and a crooked smile, patting his chest. “What are you doing here so late instead of sleeping at home?”

In the darkness, Xu Qing’s pupils dilated. After calming herself, she replied, “I haven’t finished the report you asked me to write a few days ago, so I came to the office to work overtime.”

“Hmm,” the man glanced at his glowing digital watch, his eyes widening in surprise. “Working overtime at this hour? Xiao Xu, your dedication to your work is truly admirable!”

Xu Qing forced a dry laugh. “Not at all, sir. You’re still working in the office so late yourself, setting such a fine example. Of course we should follow your lead and work hard.”

“Oh, it’s not what you think!” The man tugged at his waistband, clearly having just returned from the restroom. He walked past Xu Qing and plopped down on the leather sofa in the office, looking utterly dejected. “My wife and I had a fight, and she won’t let me go home. I have nowhere else to go, so I’m stuck spending the night here. This is killing me!”

Xu Qing secretly chuckled, feigning shock. “The Leader’s Wife is going too far!”

“Exactly! That’s why I envy you unmarried young people so much. You’re so free and independent. Look at me—I haven’t been home in three days, and no one in my family will stick up for me. All they do is nag: ‘Nearly fifty and still just a Section Chief? You’ll retire as a Section Chief! Others get villas as benefits, but you only get a small apartment. My family just takes their frustrations out on me.'” The man slumped sideways on the sofa, clutching a blanket. He picked up his thermos from the floor, took a sip, and grinned sheepishly. “I shouldn’t be burdening you with this, but my heart aches. I’m really suffering.”

Xu Qing: “……”

“Back in our day, we joined the unit right after graduating from junior college. It’s not like now, where you need at least a master’s degree. You even studied abroad. If even young people like you can’t find a way forward, what hope is there for someone like me who’s worked here my whole life? If only I’d bought a few more houses when I was younger. Money is the only way to hold your head high—that’s the truth.” The man placed his glasses beside him on the sofa, as if he’d just been rambling in his sleep, and promptly drifted off again.

Xu Qing closed the door behind him and returned to her office to slack off.

After the day’s events, she wasn’t tired at all. She brewed a cup of coffee, found a movie, and settled in to enjoy it.

The office’s internet speed was terrible, and her computer kept freezing. A movie that should have taken two hours to watch stretched until dawn without finishing.

Xu Qing grew increasingly frustrated. She had repeatedly reported the office’s outdated computers to her superiors, arguing that they severely hampered work efficiency. But perhaps because of her low rank, her requests for upgraded equipment were consistently denied.

She considered buying her own, but that would violate official procedures and risk being discovered, so she never acted on the idea.

That morning, while the office was empty, Xu Qing tried to take a nap. But as soon as she reclined in her chair, her mind drifted to the Omega girl staying at her home. If something urgent happened, she would call me, right?

It would be nice to call her when I wake up, just to thank her.

Xu Qing checked her phone every half hour, which meant she hadn’t gotten any proper rest, leaving dark circles under her eyes.

“Xiao Xu, still working on the report?” the Section Chief asked cheerfully as he walked in, his eyes widening in surprise. “Good heavens, you’ve got panda eyes! You’re truly dedicated!”

Xu Qing mumbled groggily, “You bet.”

The man smiled warmly and handed her a form. “Remember when you asked about getting a new computer? I got you a fixed asset application form. Fill in the specs you want, and I’ll get it signed off by the higher-ups. This time, it’s sure to be approved!”

Having only been with the company for two months, Xu Qing was stunned by this special treatment. “Thank you, sir,” she stammered.

“Don’t mention it,” the man replied. “You’ve been working so diligently—you deserve it.” He leaned closer and whispered, “About what I told you about my wife last night… don’t tell anyone else. I was half-asleep and just rambling nonsense!”

Xu Qing smiled sweetly. “Of course!”

“You’ve been working hard. Keep it up! Send me the report when you’re done.”

“Yes, sir!”

Sneaking out to slack off in the middle of the night, discovering her superior’s secret, getting praised for her diligence, and even getting a new computer—was this some kind of luck?

Just yesterday, she was the one getting fined by traffic police, the one whose fiancée had called off the engagement, the one Madam Min had fiercely criticized. But today, everything had changed.

Xu Qing prepared to fill out the form, checked the equipment for a while, and unconsciously typed two words into the box: Bai Lu.

One of the twenty-four solar terms, the third solar term of autumn.

What a beautiful name.

Xu Qing instinctively glanced at her phone—

Why hasn’t she contacted me yet?

At 5:05 PM, Madam Min’s call arrived punctually, timed perfectly to coincide with Xu Qing’s shift ending, demanding she come home immediately.

“I have other plans. I won’t be home tonight,” Xu Qing said.

“What plans? Is your work unfinished?” Madam Min’s tone was aggressive. “If work isn’t done, you can finish it tomorrow. But what if your fiancée elopes with someone else?!”

Xu Qing remained indifferent. “What can I do? I’ll just wish them well.”

“What’s wrong with you? She’s your fiancée! Don’t you even know how to fight for her? How could I have such a spineless daughter?” Min Se snapped. “Ever since you were born, they determined you’d be an Alpha, so I raised you like a son. Xu Qing, you’ve always been so obedient, never disappointing us. If word gets out that your fiancée ran off with someone else, what will your colleagues at work say? They’ll laugh at you!”

Xu Qing smiled faintly. “Let them laugh. Is marriage really all it’s cracked up to be? I’m perfectly fine as I am. Even if I don’t marry, it’s not the end of the world. I’m still young; I’ll definitely meet someone I like someday…”

“I can’t explain this over the phone. Stop talking nonsense and come straight home after work. Your father and I are waiting for you, and your uncle is here too. We’re discussing how to get you some closure. Just hurry home!” Min Se hung up abruptly, cutting off Xu Qing’s protests.

Xu Qing’s “I’m not going” went unheard. Helpless, she sighed where she stood.

Do I really have to be this obedient?

Always bending to their will, letting them revel in controlling their children, letting them save face in front of relatives and outsiders?

But what other choice did she have?

The Young Miss’s situation had to be resolved sooner or later, and Xu Qing wanted to clear the air with them completely.

As she prepared to keep her appointment, a notification popped up on her phone, catching her attention.

A message from an unknown number:

“Hello, this is Bai Lu, whom you helped last night. I’m deeply grateful for letting me stay at your place. Do you have time now? If so, I’d like to treat you to a meal.”

Xu Qing replied almost instantly: “Yes, what time?”

—”Whenever is convenient for you?”

Xu Qing: “I’m free anytime. How about 7 PM? I’ll pick you up.”

After sending the message, she waited about ten minutes before Bai Lu replied: “Okay, I’ll wait for you downstairs in the community.”

Only then did Xu Qing’s anxiety completely subside. She reread her messages repeatedly, summarizing a few points to remind herself:

First, don’t reply too quickly. Don’t let her think you’ve been waiting for her.

Second, keep your messages brief and avoid being too forward.

It was only 5:23 PM. Xu Qing could easily cycle there by 6 PM, so why agree to meet at 7 PM?

What was she supposed to do for the next hour to kill time?

Aaaah!

Adding a third point:

Never arrive too early for a date. Don’t let the other person think you care too much.

I should go to the mall first and pick out a gift to bring, Xu Qing thought as she left her workplace. But as soon as she stepped outside, she saw—

Traffic police?!

Damn it, are they living at our gate now? Why aren’t they ticketing anywhere else? Why just this intersection?

Forced to experience Shengyuan City’s rush-hour subway, Xu Qing watched two packed trains pass by. Realizing she was running out of time, she braced herself and squeezed onto the third.

After transferring once, she finally emerged from the subway station at nearly 7 PM.

How did I manage to be late with so much time to spare? Xu Qing never imagined this could happen. She bolted out of the station.

At exactly 7 PM, her phone rang. Xu Qing answered, apologizing profusely, “I’ll be there soon! Just wait a little longer. I just got off the subway.”

“I just got off too,” Fu Shuang replied softly. “Sister, are you wearing a white pinstripe shirt today?”

Xu Qing stopped, holding her phone up as she scanned her surroundings.

Fu Shuang had her hair in a high ponytail and wore a crisp chiffon blouse, looking refreshed and capable, as if she had aged several years overnight.

She was right behind Xu Qing, laden with bags, waving to her. “I saw you running past earlier and almost thought I had the wrong person!”

Xu Qing, flustered and desperate, tried to regain her composure, knowing her disheveled state had been witnessed. “I was worried you’d be waiting for me,” she said, forcing a calm tone.

“It’s alright,” Fu Shuang replied in her soft, gentle voice. “I thought I was going to be late. I’m so glad I ran into you here.”

Xu Qing noticed Fu Shuang carrying a notebook bag and a bag that seemed to contain daily necessities. “Is that heavy?” she offered. “Let me help you with that.”

“Thank you,” Fu Shuang said. “Someone stepped on my foot on the subway, so I can’t walk very fast. Would you mind waiting for me?”

Xu Qing took everything Fu Shuang was carrying, including a yellow backpack. As she accepted the backpack, something moved inside the transparent window.

Xu Qing nearly dropped it in shock.

“It’s my cat,” Fu Shuang said in her gentle voice. “Please be careful not to drop it.”

Xu Qing: “……”

“How did you get the cat on the subway?” Xu Qing couldn’t help but ask.

“I begged the security guard, and he let me sneak it in,” Fu Shuang explained. “There are still many kind people in the world.”

Xu Qing stared at Fu Shuang, who seemed to have brought all her belongings. For a moment, she was bewildered.

There are indeed many kind-hearted people in the world, Xu Qing thought, but I have no intention of becoming one of them.