Chapter 51

A secretary in a suit and leather shoes stood quietly in a corner of the first floor, waiting respectfully.

The moment he saw Su Ruoyun, the secretary immediately stepped forward, walking with steady steps, and walked toward her with a smile. He stopped a few steps away from Su Ruoyun and asked politely: "Are you the Boss Lady of the 'One River Tobacco' tea house?"

Su Ruoyun nodded, her voice soft but steady: "Yes, that's me."

"Please this way, follow me." The secretary in the suit extended his palm, making a 'please' gesture, then turned and led her toward the elevator.

Arriving at the elevator entrance, he reached out and pressed the up button. When the elevator door slowly opened, he blocked the elevator door with his right hand and turned to let Su Ruoyun enter first before following her in.

Polite and courteous, the basic principles of being a secretary.

The elevator carried the two of them up through the municipal building until it stopped at a certain floor. With a crisp "ding," the elevator door slid open slowly.

The secretary turned sideways, raised his hand to signal, and led her along the corridor. Her footsteps were light and silent. She was taken to a certain leader's office.

Secretary: "The leader is still outside handling some matters, please trouble the Boss Lady to brew the tea first."

Su Ruoyun smiled: "Okay."

After speaking, she placed the tea set and tea leaves on the table. She had brought a Yixing clay teapot set. Yixing clay teapots can maintain the aroma and taste of the tea leaves, making the tea soup more mellow and soft.

By the time Su Ruoyun had brewed the tea and the tea aroma was wafting in the office, the municipal leader appeared at the office door, followed by two people. The secretary raised his hand to open the door for them.

In the quiet office, a slight sound came from the door. Su Ruoyun was focused on the teapot in her hand and didn't pay much attention.

Until the familiar male voice fell into her ears, her breathing stalled, the movement originally focused on the teapot stopped, and she lifted her eyelids to glance at the door silently.

The familiar figure came into view, tall and straight, in a suit and leather shoes.

With just one glance, Su Ruoyun quickly withdrew her gaze, lowered her eyelids, trying to hide the ripples in her heart, and focused her attention back on the tea in front of her. The sense of familiarity with the Cullinan she had seen in the parking lot earlier surged into her heart again.

The first to see Su Ruoyun was Qi Zhiwen, who was in front. The moment he saw her, he inadvertently glanced back at Huo Jingcheng, and then walked inside expressionlessly.

Huo Jingcheng also didn't expect to see Su Ruoyun in the municipal building. His eyes flickered, and then returned to normal.

When the tea was brewed to its best state, Su Ruoyun tidied up the desktop and prepared to leave.

The leader stopped talking to Huo Jingcheng and Qi Zhiwen, turned to Su Ruoyun, and said politely: "Sorry to trouble you."

Hearing this, Su Ruoyun raised a shallow smile on her lips and responded softly: "It's no trouble. Please enjoy, I'll be going now."

After receiving a nod from the leader, she walked toward the door. When she brushed past Huo Jingcheng's figure, their gazes met for a moment in mid-air. Su Ruoyun withdrew her gaze calmly.

Stepping out of the office door, she felt a sticky sensation in her palm. She turned to look at the secretary standing beside her, raised a polite smile, and asked him: "Hello, I'd like to wash my hands, may I ask where the restroom is?"

The leader had already returned to the office, so the secretary naturally couldn't keep accompanying Su Ruoyun. He pointed her in the direction of the restroom, and after signaling to her politely, he turned and returned to the office.

After Su Ruoyun washed her hands clean and left the restroom, as soon as she stepped out, she saw the man standing in the corridor. There was only one way to the elevator, so she had no way to avoid him and had to pretend not to see him as she prepared to leave.

Sure enough...

She was blocked by Huo Jingcheng again.

"Do you like the silk strings?"

Su Ruoyun did not respond to this question, expressionless, and asked: "When are you going to take the things away?"

Huo Jingcheng had a smile on the corner of his mouth, his tone lazy: "This is an apology gift for you, why would I take it away?"

"I said, I don't need it. Either you come to the tea house to take it back yourself, or give me an address, and I'll mail it back to you."

"Didn't you just go to Xiyuan last time? Forgot so soon?"

Huo Jingcheng was talking about the time 'Panda' got lost.

Before Su Ruoyun could answer, he asked again: "If I go to the tea house, are you welcoming?"

His gaze was fixed on the girl's crimson lips, and he couldn't help but lower his head bit by bit, the distance between the two being pulled closer bit by bit.

Seeing this, Su Ruoyun frowned and raised her hand, preparing to slap him hard. Just as the slap was about to land, Huo Jingcheng stopped abruptly, barely an inch from her face, not moving forward. On the other side, her raised hand was also grabbed by him.

The man's low and somewhat lingering, hoarse voice was like a soft but powerful silk thread, winding around her ears: "I have to have a meeting with the leader later, give me some face."

"If you want face, don't get so close to me. If you get this close, aren't you just asking for a slap?"

"If I don't get this close, how can I help you pick off a hair?"

Pick off a hair?

Su Ruoyun was momentarily stunned, her brows furrowing unconsciously, and she looked up at the man in front of her with a puzzled expression.

She saw Huo Jingcheng lower his hand, gently pinch her shoulder, and pick up a black silk hair.

That thin, soft black hair was deliberately placed in front of Su Ruoyun's eyes, floating back and forth, as if mocking her 'wishful thinking'.

Huo Jingcheng laughed in a low voice, appreciating her expression with leisure, his tone carrying a bit of nonchalance and teasing: "What exactly are you thinking?"

Su Ruoyun's cheeks flushed red. She reached out and snatched it, then let go, letting the hair fall to the ground, arguing reasonably: "You could have just told me?"

Huo Jingcheng dragged out an "Oh~" with deep meaning, leaned closer and said: "Then can I tell you next time I want to kiss you?"

Su Ruoyun wanted to scold him directly, but her eyes inadvertently caught the person standing by the wall, and she stopped her words immediately.

As the words fell, the air gradually fell silent. After a long while without a response, Huo Jingcheng followed Su Ruoyun's distant gaze and looked back halfway, only to see Qi Zhiwen leaning against the wall, 'watching the fun'.

Seeing both of them staring at him, Qi Zhiwen hurriedly raised both hands in a 'surrender' gesture, "I didn't see anything, I didn't hear anything, you two carry on."

The words drifted into Su Ruoyun's ears. Her apricot eyes widened, her face showing obvious annoyance. She raised her hand and pressed it hard against Huo Jingcheng's shoulder, pushing him back without mercy.

Her gaze swept past Qi Zhiwen, and she turned back to scold Huo Jingcheng: "You dead pervert."

After Su Ruoyun's figure disappeared, Qi Zhiwen shrugged and spread his hands: "This time, it's none of my business."