Leaving the private room, on the way back in the car, Lu Jiaying rolled down the window and rested her head on it, letting the wind blow, looking quite uncomfortable.
She hadn't even eaten a few bites of food. From the moment she sat down, she had been pulled into conversations and forced to drink by two people. It was no wonder she felt unwell after drinking so much on an empty stomach.
The buttons of the suit jacket she had worn all day were undone, and her hair, which had been pinned up all day, was a bit loose. A few strands fell down in the wind, so Lu Jiaying simply let her hair down.
She lay there in such a casual and relaxed posture, looking at the streetscape outside. From Jiang Jingyu's perspective, she seemed to have become a few years younger in an instant.
Like a little girl earnestly exploring the outside world.
Not knowing what to say to her, after driving for a while, Jiang Jingyu asked, "Ms. Lu, are you feeling unwell?"
Lu Jiaying shook her head, "I'm alright. Just a bit nauseous and my head feels a little dizzy. It might take a while longer to fully kick in."
"...You have quite a good tolerance for alcohol. If it were me, I would have passed out long ago at your pace."
"There's no choice. Being colleagues with this group of people. You'll develop a tolerance sooner or later."
"I used to hear people talk about certain workplace rules, workplace harassment. Is what they did considered harassment to you?"
Lu Jiaying turned to look at him. After a two-second glance, she leaned back in her chair and smiled.
"It's hard to define. That's their cunning part."
"If you call it harassment, they haven't done anything substantial. If you say it's not harassment, it makes you feel disgusted. But you can't do anything about them. Middle-aged greasy men are truly a peculiar breed."
Jiang Jingyu felt her hardships once again.
Such a large marketing department, requiring her to manage everything inside and out.
Not only did she have to face business pressures and challenges from subordinates, but she also had to deal with the social dynamics of other departments.
Jiang Jingyu really wanted to ask her if she was tired, if she felt the meaning of life was in being so busy every day.
After organizing his thoughts for a moment, when he turned to look again, Lu Jiaying had actually fallen asleep against the chair.
Jiang Jingyu drove the car to the address she had given and parked. Lu Jiaying was sleeping soundly.
He couldn't just sit in the car with her all the time, so he could only gently wake her.
"Ms. Lu, Ms. Lu? We're home, wake up, Ms. Lu."
Lu Jiaying's face was flushed. As he got closer, he could smell a faint scent of alcohol.
With the alcohol taking effect, sleeping so soundly, he might not be able to wake her. Jiang Jingyu had to get out and pull her.
Perhaps a bit of fresh air would wake her up.
He opened the car door, grabbed one of Lu Jiaying's arms, draped it over his shoulder, and pulled her out.
"Wake up, we're home. Get out of the car, Ms. Lu."
Lu Jiaying finally slowly opened her eyes.
Her sleepy, disheveled appearance, with her hair down, lacked her usual assertiveness. Instead, she looked a bit dazed and cute. Jiang Jingyu was caught off guard and was charmed by her.
Wearing high heels and a work skirt, getting out of the car was a bit inconvenient.
She instinctively placed her other hand on Jiang Jingyu, gripping his shirt, and stumbled out of the car.
The two were very close. From the angle of the road, it even looked like Jiang Jingyu was holding her.
Their skin touched, and a feeling of unfamiliarity and trembling spread through him. Jiang Jingyu's scalp tingled.
Fortunately, Lu Jiaying struggled to break free from him the next second, putting distance between them.
Jiang Jingyu recalled the feeling from just now and secretly cursed himself for being perverted.
As soon as Lu Jiaying pulled away, she stumbled towards the ground. Before he could finish cursing himself, Jiang Jingyu grabbed her again.
"Walk properly!"
"My shoes, my shoes are uncomfortable..."
Lu Jiaying stumbled and kicked off her shoes.
"Hey, hey, hey..."
Jiang Jingyu picked them up for her while supporting her as they walked.
Lu Jiaying's vision was spinning, and illusions flickered. She couldn't see where the door lock was, and after reaching up several times, she couldn't find the fingerprint sensor.
Jiang Jingyu had to take her hand and place it there.
As their hands touched, he realized how soft, small, and delicate her hand was.
Her nails weren't polished, but they were neatly trimmed, full, and lustrous, looking very beautiful.
The door lock opened, and as they entered, Jiang Jingyu found the switch and turned on the light.
This was his first time entering a loft apartment.
It had two floors, and while it seemed spacious, the total area was only over sixty square meters.
The advantage was the high ceiling. The upper floor served as the bedroom, but without walls, offering no privacy, with two beds placed openly. The lower floor was the living room.
After standing at the entrance and observing the room layout, he led her towards the sofa, preparing to leave.
Before they reached the sofa, Lu Jiaying pushed him away again.
"I can do it. I can do it myself, let go."
As she spoke, she began to take off her suit jacket.
Underneath the suit was a white camisole, and inside the camisole, she wore breast petals. Even though nothing was visible, Jiang Jingyu was startled and instinctively turned his head away.
"Then, Ms. Lu, since you can manage on your own, I'll be leaving."
He turned to leave, and Lu Jiaying, still groggy, stumbled towards the sofa.
"I'm so thirsty. Get me a glass of water."
Jiang Jingyu, afraid of seeing something he shouldn't, or having inappropriate feelings, refused.
"I don't know where the water is in your place, pour it yourself."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud bang from behind, accompanied by Lu Jiaying's cry of pain. He turned his head.
Dizzy, Lu Jiaying had bumped into the coffee table. The fruit bowl was knocked over, and fruit scattered everywhere.
She was crouching on the ground, clutching her knee in pain.
Her arms and exposed shoulder blades were slender and fair.
Looking at her state, Jiang Jingyu felt it was inconvenient, but he couldn't abandon her. After a moment of struggle, he ran back.
"Are you alright? Where did you hit yourself?"
Lu Jiaying was helped up by him and sat on the sofa. She rubbed her forehead tiredly.
"My head hurts so much, I'm so dizzy... I'm dying of thirst, get me water."
"Where is the water?"
"The water is... are you an idiot?"
He was helping her for free late at night and was being scolded?
Jiang Jingyu felt like a fool for the first time in his life.
But considering she had drunk too much, he wouldn't argue with her.
He got a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Just as Lu Jiaying reached out to take it, a wave of nausea surged.
"Ugh..."
Jiang Jingyu quickly kicked the trash can by his feet towards her.
She leaned over the trash can and vomited violently.
Heh, what a smell.
Jiang Jingyu stepped back a few paces, watching her vomit to her heart's content. She sat on the floor, exhausted, her head resting on the sofa.
"Water."
He handed her the water again.
Lu Jiaying rinsed her mouth, took a few sips, and then turned to lie down on the floor.
"Hey, hey. The floor is so cold, and you haven't showered yet. Go wash up and sleep in bed."
But she had reached the limit of her exhaustion and couldn't hear anything. She had fallen into a deep sleep as soon as she said it.
Jiang Jingyu pulled and called out to her. After a long while, realizing he couldn't wake her no matter what, he had no choice but to carry her to the bed.
Then, imitating how their mother took care of them, he grabbed a towel and wiped her hands and face. He bagged the trash multiple times before closing the door and leaving.