Chapter 16: You Deserve to Miss Out on the Tofu

"Is the event over? Why aren't you home yet?"

"It just ended, I'm coming back right now." Bai Shuruo couldn't have asked for anything better.

"It's too late, remember to take a taxi back, I'll reimburse you for the fare."

"Okay!"

Bai Shuruo hung up the phone and immediately said apologetically to Zhang Liang, "I'm sorry, Brother Liang, my husband is urging me to go home. I'll join everyone for a gathering next time."

At times like this, the status of being a married woman had its advantages.

The entire department knew that Bai Shuruo was married, so Zhang Liang and the others didn't pressure her and even told her to be careful on the way home.

……

Bai Shuruo did indeed take a taxi home.

At this hour, there were no more subways or buses, and she certainly couldn't risk riding a shared bicycle.

When she arrived home, she saw Han Yangting still in the living room using his laptop to handle some matters. Seeing that Bai Shuruo had returned, he put the laptop down and turned up the living room lights.

Bai Shuruo always felt that Han Yangting must have something to ask her, so she couldn't help but sit obediently beside him.

It was as if she were dealing with a superior.

In truth, she felt a bit mentally exhausted; she had to face countless superiors during a day of work, and after getting off work, she still had to face Han Yangting, a leader who wasn't a leader but was better than a leader.

"Brother Han, I'm off work."

Han Yangting handed her a bottle of purified water from the coffee table and asked, "How did it feel to work all day today?"

"It was quite good, I can adapt to the rhythm and intensity of CG," she said while drinking water.

"Are you getting along well with your colleagues?"

"Also quite good. There's a classmate I know in the same department, and she takes good care of me. She is... a female classmate."

She didn't know why she had to add that explanation.

Han Yangting then said, "Then tell me, what were your gains and shortcomings today?"

"..." Bai Shuruo felt that Han Yangting was a bit too controlling.

But his aura was right there, so she had to say, "Gains... well, of course, I have a preliminary understanding of the workplace. However, my personality is a bit indecisive, and I don't really know how to refuse people."

Han Yangting leaned back on the sofa and asked, "For example?"

"For example, there's an intern who suggested we go to a street food stall after the event ended. I didn't want to go, but I found it hard to refuse."

Han Yangting's handsome face finally revealed a trace of a smile: "You haven't graduated from university yet, so it's normal to have these thoughts. A person who doesn't dare to refuse others often does so because their own ability is not yet sufficient and they lack confidence. Once you improve your abilities, you will naturally be able to refuse to do things you don't want to do."

Bai Shuruo nodded, having realized it.

She first had to improve her own strength.

Han Yangting then looked at her and said earnestly, "Actually, you don't have to work. My savings are enough to support you for a lifetime."

Bai Shuruo immediately refused: "Of course not, I still have to rely on myself. My sister said that a girl must be independent at all times."

Han Yangting nodded faintly.

In his heart, he was thinking: This is my girl.

Seeing that Bai Shuruo was already yawning, he then said, "It's not early, you should go back to wash up and sleep."

Bai Shuruo was indeed sleepy, so she hurried back to her room to wash her hair and bathe.

After coming out, she glanced at the WeChat group; Zhang Liang and the others had also dispersed, which went to show that the late-night snack was indeed boring.

……

Outside in the living room, Han Yangting was answering a call from Ling Feng.

Ling Feng was boisterous, and every time he called, the first sentence was always: "Did you manage to win over the little sister-in-law today?"

The subtext was, did you sleep with her?

The answer to Ling Feng was, of course, still that same sentence: "No."

"Why can't you manage it? Where is your personal charm? Why don't you just pin her against the wall and wall-slam her? You are a bona fide domineering CEO."

"I can't do such childish things."

"Then you deserve not to get a taste of the tofu."

"If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."

"Don't yet, we haven't chatted much. What has the little sister-in-law been busy with lately?"

"Today was her first day of work."

"Work? Is she working as your secretary? That way you two can see each other morning and night, and have more opportunities."

"She isn't qualified to be my secretary yet; she is currently interning at CG."

"Ah? You actually let her start as an intern? Can you bear it? Oh, I know, you're playing at grooming her, aren't you? Han Yangting, oh Han Yangting, I never knew you had such a hobby."

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm tired."

"Han Yangting..." Ling Feng still wanted to say something, but Han Yangting had already hung up the phone.

Turning around, he saw Bai Shuruo nearby.

Bai Shuruo was just thirsty and had come out to pour some water to drink, so he hadn't noticed her.

Seeing him looking at her, Bai Shuruo felt awkward and made small talk: "Brother Han, you're still on the phone so late?"

"It was Ling Feng calling, you've met him." He was also afraid she would misunderstand.

"Oh, him..." Bai Shuruo's misunderstanding deepened.

Calling so late, it was clear their friendship was truly deep.

"Then I won't disturb you two, I... I'm going back to my room to sleep," Bai Shuruo said.

"Wait!" Han Yangting called out to her.

She had just washed her hair, and although she had wiped it, it was still soaking wet.

"Won't you dry your hair before going to sleep?" he asked.

There was a hair dryer in her room, which he had prepared early on.

Bai Shuruo hurriedly replied, "I will dry it; I'll dry it once I go back to my room."

Having said that, she returned to her own room as if fleeing.

After drinking a few sips of water, she took the hair dryer out of the drawer and blew it for a few moments, only to feel her eyelids fighting each other.

Actually, even if she didn't blow-dry it, her hair would dry on its own.

She put the hair dryer down, then lay horizontally on the bed with her head facing outward, letting her long hair hang off the side of the bed to air-dry.

Whenever she was too lazy to dry her hair, this was what she did; it allowed her to air-dry her hair while also being able to sleep.

Not long after lying down, she fell asleep.

Outside, Han Yangting only heard the hair dryer run for twenty seconds, and he couldn't help but wonder: did she really dry her hair that fast?

He listened for a while longer, and once there was no sound left in the room, he simply pushed the door open and went in.

He saw her sprawled out on the bed fast asleep again, her waterfall-like long hair hanging off the edge of the bed; one look and it was clear she hadn't dried it.

He couldn't help but knit his brows again.

If he helped her dry her hair at this time, the sound of the hair dryer would surely wake her up.

He simply brought over a space heater and placed it in front of her hair, turning it to the second setting to let her hair slowly dry in the gentle warm air.

While drying her hair, he looked her over on the bed again.

Because she liked the cool, the top button of her pajamas was unfastened, and as she lay there, one could see the slightly exposed view, as well as the wide hem of her skirt rolled up to her thighs, her long legs fair and smooth.