About thirty minutes later, just as Shen Jianxi was starting to feel sleepy, Ji Zhaoyun returned to the office.
Hearing the door open, the young girl rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking over with a hazy gaze.
"You're back." Her voice was incredibly soft.
"Mm," Ji Zhaoyun replied coldly as he sat down in his office chair. "Miss Shen, if you have something to say, please speak directly. I'm very busy."
With such a distant attitude, if not for the affection that had just fluctuated, she might have actually been fooled.
Shen Jianxi chuckled inwardly, as if she hadn't noticed his odd behavior. She pulled a chair over and sat opposite him, cradling her chin in her hands as she examined him closely. "It's nothing, I just missed you. It's fine, you do your work, I won't bother you."
As she spoke, she gripped the armrests of his chair tightly, conveying that he couldn't get rid of her.
Seeing her expression, Ji Zhaoyun sighed helplessly and lowered his head, saying nothing more.
Ji Zhaoyun quickly got into his work. He scanned the documents in his hands at a rapid pace, his brow furrowing and then relaxing in turns.
They say a man who is focused on his work is the most attractive, and Shen Jianxi wholeheartedly agreed.
Her upper body remained still, but her toes stretched forward.
Beneath the large desk, vines quickly climbed the great tree.
The man reading the documents froze, the thin paper crinkling in his hands.
"Stop messing around!" Ji Zhaoyun's low voice reprimanded, but it didn't scare her. Instead, it emboldened the foot under the desk.
Seeing her toes inching higher, a vein throbbed on Ji Zhaoyun's temple. He couldn't help but restrain the troublesome jade foot.
His large palm clasped her ankle, and the sensation beneath his fingers made him caress it a few times. Sudan Novel Network.
A knock sounded at the door, and before Ji Zhaoyun could speak, a soft female voice called out, "Please come in!"
The person outside pushed the door open, and Ji Zhaoyun quickly released his hand.
A delicate laugh reached his ears. He paused for a moment, maintained his stern expression, and looked at the newcomer.
The Head of Finance glanced at Shen Jianxi and, at his CEO's signal, began his report.
He had no idea what his usually serious CEO was enduring under the desk at that moment.
Shen Jianxi's teasing made him unable to focus on anything else. He barely managed to hear the report, and for the first time, Ji Zhaoyun dismissed someone without giving instructions.
As soon as the person left, he shot up. His intimidating aura made the little girl afraid to be mischievous anymore, and she cowered in her chair, trembling.
Ji Zhaoyun picked her up as if she were a chick and tossed her onto the bed in the lounge, irritably loosening his tie.
"Uh, you, aren't you busy with work?" the young girl asked hesitantly, her face pale.
Looking down at the person on the bed, Ji Zhaoyun smirked sarcastically. "Isn't this what you wanted?"
Although he said this, he stood by the window without making a move, and they gazed at each other in silence.
The lounge fell quiet for a few minutes.
After a while, 77 couldn't stand it anymore. Although it knew Ji Zhaoyun couldn't hear it, it couldn't help but whisper, "Are you two playing chicken? Is this man impotent?"
Shen Jianxi coughed and ignored it.
"Hmm... it seems you're a bit busy today. Perhaps I should leave." As she spoke, she started to get up.
But as soon as she was about to get off the bed, Ji Zhaoyun reached out and pushed her back down. Then he stood rigidly to the side, like a guardian spirit.
Shen Jianxi looked at him, then at the floor. She got up again, but just as she stood up straight, he pushed her back down.
She got up again, he pushed her back. It was a cycle.
Ji Zhaoyun didn't say a word, but every time she tried to get up, he pushed her back down.
Shen Jianxi: ...
"Are you sick?" she finally blurted out. After all these back-and-forths, her brain felt like it was churning. Was this man playing some kind of game?
Hearing her finally speak, Ji Zhaoyun stopped pretending to be aloof. "Don't you have anything to explain?"
Shen Jianxi tidied her hair, her legs crossed, disregarding the loosened sash of her clothes.
"I did date Shen Xingzhi, but we broke up in front of you. Is there anything else that needs explaining?"
Seeing her casual and unconcerned demeanor, Ji Zhaoyun felt a surge of anger rush to his head. "What about before? You were dating me while simultaneously seeing him. Do you think that doesn't need explaining?"
Shen Jianxi chuckled softly. "When I was dating you, did we confirm our relationship?"
Ji Zhaoyun was speechless. "...No."
At that time, they had been dating, but it was merely his personal feeling that both sides had tacitly agreed. They hadn't explicitly confirmed their relationship.
"And now? Have we confirmed our relationship?"
"...No."
Shen Jianxi pouted, got out of bed, and smoothed down her skirt.
"That's settled then."
"It's not like I have no one else. If you, Mr. Ji, are really that bothered, then we just won't contact each other." With that, she walked towards the door, counting down in her mind as she went.
Three.
Two.
One.
"Wait!"
She'd done it! A smile flickered in Shen Jianxi's eyes, but she didn't stop walking.
A powerful tug forced her to halt. She turned back to look at the anxious man, her face displaying impatience. "Mr. Ji, let's part on good terms. Don't delay me from looking at male models."
The grip on her wrist tightened, and the man's voice was laced with gritted teeth. "You find one, and I'll blacklist one."
"...9, you're 6."
Ji Zhaoyun: "..." His carefully gathered emotions were scattered. He rubbed his forehead in exasperation.
"I just care that you lied to me. But as you just said, we weren't a couple at the time, so it doesn't count as lying!"
Shen Jianxi: "...So?"
Ji Zhaoyun knew he was losing face, but he was afraid that if he clung to his pride too much, he might lose his wife. He could only grit his teeth and continue. "So it's not too late for us to confirm our relationship now."
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
As he said this, he felt a weight lift from his heart, and the oppressive feeling of the past two days dissipated.
The young girl was young and playful, which was normal. He just needed to keep a close eye on her.
Shen Jianxi pondered for a moment. Only when his heart began to race again did she nod. "Alright, I agree."
Ji Zhaoyun finally relaxed.
77: "Beep! Affection points +12. Ji Zhaoyun's current affection level is 57."
"Oh, right. I put something on your desk. Look at it after I leave!"
Ji Zhaoyun knew exactly what she had left, but he still nodded with feigned righteousness.
It wasn't until he sent her home that evening that he returned to the office. Using a flashlight, he precisely retrieved the envelope from under the documents. Fighting his excitement, he opened it and froze when he saw the emojis on the paper.
Ji Zhaoyun expressionlessly put the paper back into the envelope.
Truly impressive.