Chapter 689

Zheng Ru, mindful of Comrade Comrade Xiao Zhao's presence nearby, rolled her eyes at Zhao De and whispered, "Pfft, I didn't say that. My mom just saw wrong, that's all."

"I'm just joking. How could I ever presume to climb the social ladder with you?" Zhao De whispered back with a mischievous grin.

Having so casually buttered Zheng Ru up, she felt a surge of delight. She arched her brows, pursed her lips at him, then lowered her head, whispering shyly, "What are you saying? My mom said if you're free, you should come over to my place."

"Sure, I'll go when I'm free," Zhao De said with a chuckle. Just then, Comrade Comrade Xiao Zhao, who had been working with his head down, noticed that Zheng Ru seemed unusually enthusiastic toward Zhao De, who had only started working at the office yesterday, and cast a strange look at her.

Zheng Ru, who had been leaning against Zhao De's desk with a coy, fidgety demeanor, clearly sensed Comrade Comrade Xiao Zhao's odd gaze from nearby. She rarely acted this shy and reserved, and realizing she was appearing out of character, she reined in her bashful smile, composed herself, and looked around the office. Feigning surprise, she said, "Why hasn't Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian come to work yet? No wonder the office is so quiet."

Zhao De remembered that he had arranged for Comrade Comrade Xiao Zhao to take Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian home last night, so he turned and asked, "Comrade Comrade Xiao Zhao, you took Brother Xia home last night, right? Is he alright?"

"Brother Xia was drunk last night," Comrade Comrade Xiao Zhao said with a smile.

"That guy usually doesn't show up late," Zheng Ru speculated. "It's very likely he got too drunk last night and slept through the time."

"Very likely," Zhao De nodded, agreeing with her assessment.

Zheng Ru suddenly squeezed out a sly smirk and lowered her voice: "If that Lan person next door finds out Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian hasn't shown up yet after being late for so long, heh, I doubt Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian will have an easy time." Zheng Ru sounded somewhat gleeful at the prospect.

"Shh, Division Chief Lan is coming," Comrade Comrade Xiao Zhao whispered, having suddenly heard the sound of high heels clicking on the floor from the next room.

The name "Division Chief Lan" truly struck fear into the hearts of the Planning Division staff. Upon hearing she was coming, Zheng Ru scrambled back to her seat from Zhao De's desk in a panic. Zhao De also hurriedly grabbed the file on the Planning Division from his desk and opened it. They all began to put on a show of working, while secretly keeping an eye on the office door.

Comrade Comrade Xiao Zhao had heard correctly. First came the "clack-clack-clack" of high heels approaching from afar, and a few seconds later, Division Chief Lan stood at the office door. She wore a milky-white short-sleeved shirt, a black knee-length skirt, flesh-colored stockings, and black high heels—an intellectual and feminine look. If one ignored her cold, aloof face, her tall, graceful figure would have been enough to fascinate men and make women envious. But the expression she wore, frozen in place, made her seem like a lifelike ice sculpture: beautiful and charming, yet so cold that no one dared to approach.

Division Chief Lan's proud, icy eyes scanned the Planning Division office. As if she had heard their whispering, she had come specifically looking for Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian. Finding him absent, she asked in a cold tone, "Where is Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian?" Her arrogant demeanor made it unclear who she was even addressing.

Zheng Ru sometimes had a temper and didn't like to curry favor with Lan Mei, so she kept her head down, pretending to be busy as if she hadn't heard a thing. Seeing that no one else was moving, Zhao De immediately put on a smiling face and said, "He... he's stuck in traffic and hasn't arrived yet. He should be... be downstairs soon."

"Tell him to come find me in my office the moment he arrives!" Lan Mei left this instruction and turned back to her own office next door.

Once Lan Mei left, the Planning Division, which had been silent as the grave, regained a bit of life. Zheng Ru lifted her head, slightly furrowing her willow-leaf brows, and whispered to Zhao De, "We were just talking about Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian and she shows up. Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian is in for it today. But you're quite thoughtful of others, aren't you? Even saying he was stuck in traffic." Zheng Ru's lips curled into a sly smirk, as if she weren't entirely satisfied with his defense of Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian. He had realized since his first day yesterday that Zheng Ru detested old hands like Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian who liked to suck up to superiors and form cliques. He felt the same way, though, in truth, he wasn't much different from Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian—always saying things he didn't mean for personal gain—but at least he wasn't as obvious or annoying about it. His reason for speaking well of Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian in front of them was also ulterior: on one hand, to create the impression that he was a colleague who would stand up for his own; on the other, to make Division Chief Lan think he was considerate of his department peers. His motives, however, were subtle and not easily detected. "If I say he's late because of traffic, maybe Division Chief Lan will think it's excusable," Zhao De said with a straight face.

"I've only been working here a few days and haven't been late, so I don't know what measures Division Chief Lan takes against latecomers," Zheng Ru said. "Comrade Comrade Xiao Zhao, have you ever been late?"

Comrade Comrade Xiao Zhao shook his head: "No."

"Maybe Division Chief Lan came over just now because she heard us talking about Xia Xia Xia Xia Jian in the next room," Zheng Ru leaned in and whispered. "It seems we have to be careful from now on. We can't be too loud here, and we definitely shouldn't gossip about her. It would be a disaster if she heard us."

Because Zheng Ru had leaned over toward Zhao De to whisper, the collar of her work uniform, which had two buttons undone, naturally dipped, and the beautiful scenery inside was laid bare to Zhao De's eyes. That pair of snow-white, firm breasts, cradled by her bra, sagged slightly, with nearly half of them exposed—white, tender, and incredibly alluring. Zhao De was so tempted he felt as if he were about to drool. He ignored Zheng Ru's words, momentarily losing his composure as he stared straight at her neckline, admiring the white, fragrant breasts within.

Only after she finished speaking did Zheng Ru notice him staring at her neckline with a lecherous, silent gaze. Suddenly realizing what was happening, she immediately covered her collar with her hand, straightened her back, gritted her teeth, glared at him fiercely, and turned away. Having been seen so thoroughly, the usually bold Zheng Ru felt her heart racing, and her face burned with a fiery sensation. As she fell silent, the Planning Division became deathly quiet.

Seeing her so quiet, Zhao De knew she must be shy. If it hadn't been for the sudden appearance of Baldy Zheng last night, he would have already tasted those white, tender breasts with his mouth, not to mention having explored every inch of her skin and the secret garden between her legs. Thinking of last night, Zhao De felt quite regretful. He had missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the chances of conquering Zheng Ru were becoming increasingly slim.