Sweet as Honey and Sugar - Chapter 15:
Chi Jiayi was visibly more nervous than He Qingrou.
She straightened her back at once and greeted with formality,
Good afternoon, Director Lin.
Lin Nai glanced at them briefly, nodded slightly, and answered with her usual calm indifference.
He Qingrou happened to look up right at that moment, and their eyes met.
Lin Nai’s lips curved faintly, just a hint of a smile, before she turned and walked into her office.
Chi Jiayi caught that fleeting expression and, thinking the smile was meant for them, tugged on
He Qingrou’s sleeve with a whispering exclamation that Director Lin seemed to be in a great mood
today. She said she had never seen her smile before and that she
looked surprisingly beautiful when she did.
He Qingrou only murmured an absent-minded agreement.
Chi Jiayi checked her watch and said she had to get back downstairs before her supervisor caught
her slacking. She asked if He Qingrou was free after work, tugging at the stiff collar of her workshop
uniform. She had just come up from the production floor and still needed to
change before her afternoon report.
He Qingrou told her she would come find her later.
Chi Jiayi patted her shoulder, grinning mischievously as she teased that they would talk after work.
He Qingrou didn’t respond. She waited until Chi Jiayi disappeared into the elevator before turning
toward the design department. Through the glass, she saw Lin Nai close her office door,
her slim, pale fingers catching the edge of the frame as it clicked shut.
A sudden wave of heat flushed across He Qingrou’s face,
as if she were standing under the scorching noon sun of midsummer.
When she stepped into the design department, she hadn’t even sat down before
Yao Yunying came over to tell her that the gearbox proposal had been approved.
Across the room, Wan Keyin nearly burst with excitement, gripping his pen like a victory flag,
his grin so wide it almost hurt to look at. Still, with the deputy manager and others nearby,
he kept his joy contained.
He Qingrou felt a quiet happiness herself. After all those late nights of overtime,
their efforts had finally paid off. She thanked Manager Yao sincerely,
grateful both for her guidance and for the opportunity.
Yao Yunying smiled faintly and said that the bonuses would be transferred at the end of the month.
The exact amount wasn’t confirmed yet and wouldn’t be too high since they had taken over
midway. She told He Qingrou to explain it clearly to the rest of the team and to stay discreet.
Too many eyes were watching, she warned. Being too proud would only draw jealousy.
He Qingrou nodded and promised she would.
Yao Yunying seemed satisfied and walked away.
Wan Keyin leaned over the divider, grinning from ear to ear, saying that the team wouldn’t hold
back at the hotpot dinner she had promised and that he would bring his girlfriend along.
He Qingrou said that was fine, that he could bring family too if he liked.
He laughed and said she was too generous but maybe they would keep it simple.
She smiled faintly. At that moment, her phone screen lit up. It was a message from Lin Nai.
The photo she sent showed a list of names and numbers. It was the bonus list.
At the top of the list was He Qingrou’s name.
Next to it, 68,000 yuan.
The others had 26,000.
She froze for a moment, surprised. She had not expected so much, especially after the reductions.
She knew project-based bonuses could be large, but the most she had ever received before was a
few thousand, and those had taken months to earn.
No wonder people in the office were jealous enough to bleed.
Thinking of that, she felt a faint unease. When Yang Shuncheng came back one day,
the first thing he would probably do was come after her. If she hadn’t intercepted that project,
the payout would have easily reached six figures for him.
Still, 68,000 yuan was almost half a year’s salary for her.
She closed the photo and sent back a brief message saying she had received it,
followed by a smile emoji.
After a long pause, Lin Nai replied that the work was well done.
He Qingrou felt a strange flutter at the simple praise and answered that
it was thanks to everyone’s effort.
Lin Nai sent another message saying that the auto show was only a few days away and that the
headquarters team would arrive Sunday morning around ten. She told her to be prepared.
He Qingrou replied that she understood.
There were no more messages. Lin Nai was probably busy again.
He Qingrou put her phone away and returned to work.
When the day ended, she went to find Chi Jiayi, and they met at a small café near her apartment.
They sat by the window, chatting idly over coffee.
Chi Jiayi asked if she was secretly seeing someone.
He Qingrou said no, without hesitation.
Chi Jiayi laughed softly and told her that her eyes gave her away, pressing to know who it was.
He Qingrou denied it again, her voice a touch uneasy, and quickly changed
the subject by asking how things were with Chen Mingxing.
Chi Jiayi sighed and said it was the same as always, that Chen Mingxing
hardly spoke to her anymore, maybe because she was busy in the United Kingdom.
He Qingrou looked at her knowingly and said that she already understood the reason.
Chi Jiayi blinked, pretending not to.
That night, He Qingrou said quietly, I saw everything.
Chi Jiayi stiffened and tried to act calm, fingers tightening around her cup, eyes shifting nervously.
He Qingrou asked directly if they had done it.
Chi Jiayi’s face went crimson. She muttered that she wished they had.
He Qingrou said she had seen Chen Mingxing leaving, her clothes in disarray.
Chi Jiayi looked away and admitted under her breath that they had almost done it.
He Qingrou stared at her, surprised, saying she was braver than she thought.
Chi Jiayi protested that she hadn’t been the only one, that she never would have dared alone.
He Qingrou asked if that meant both of them had wanted it.
Chi Jiayi stammered, saying yes, both, that He Qingrou knew what she meant.
He Qingrou frowned slightly, asking if Chen Mingxing had really agreed.
She had chased her for months with no progress; Chen Mingxing had
always seemed firm and distant.
Chi Jiayi said that otherwise she would never have dared touch her.
He Qingrou wasn’t convinced. She took a sip of her coffee, thinking for a moment
before telling her not to lose her head.
Chi Jiayi nodded, staring down into her cup, saying she knew what she was doing.
He Qingrou didn’t believe her. If she truly had control, she wouldn’t still be tangled up in it.
But she let it drop.
After finishing their coffee, they went to a nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner.
When they stepped out, they happened to run into Wu Jin.
Wu Jin greeted them with a smile, saying what a coincidence it was,
that she hadn’t even noticed them earlier.
Chi Jiayi greeted her cheerfully and explained that they were just out for a casual stroll.
Wu Jin had helped her before, so they were still on friendly terms.
Wu Jin said she was there with a friend and asked if they wanted to join her for a drink.
Chi Jiayi agreed immediately, tugging on He Qingrou’s arm,
saying there was a nice bar just ahead and they should go sit for a while.
Wu Jin smiled and agreed.
He Qingrou hesitated. She didn’t want to go, but for Chi Jiayi’s sake, she couldn’t refuse.
The bar was loud and crowded, lights flashing across the haze of noise.
They sat near the entrance. Chi Jiayi drank two glasses before going to the restroom, leaving
He Qingrou and Wu Jin alone.
He Qingrou, who still needed to drive, didn’t drink. She wasn’t close to Wu Jin either,
so she sat quietly.
It was Wu Jin who finally spoke, but the music was too loud to hear her clearly.
He Qingrou frowned and shook her head, signaling that she couldn’t hear.
Wu Jin leaned close, her breath brushing against He Qingrou’s ear,
and whispered if she liked the flowers.
They were suddenly close, close enough to look intimate. He Qingrou instinctively shifted back,
tilting her head away. Out of the corner of her eye,
she caught sight of a familiar figure standing by the door.
Even in the dim, flashing lights, she recognized her instantly.
Her heart skipped a beat.