Chapter 539

Room 501, Building 8, Xingchen Huayuan Residential Complex.

"Whirrr—"

The warm air from the hairdryer dispersed the steam on the mirror, and Cheng Qiuqiu wiped away a small patch with her palm, revealing her cold, elegant face, still carrying a hint of sleepiness.

Her orange-brown, slightly wavy long hair became fluffy and soft under the heat of the dryer.

A scent of sweet, fruity shampoo wafted from her hair.

Last night, when she returned here with Yao Lingling, it was already the early hours of the morning.

Lingling was like an enthusiastic little squirrel, bringing her brand-new pajamas, unopened toiletries, and a soft towel.

The two of them lay on the same bed and talked for a very, very long time.

They chatted about everything from design to gossip, from work to gourmet food, and she didn't even know when they had fallen asleep.

This was likely the first time in her life she had slept in the same bed as a friend.

The fiery and enthusiastic Lingling was restless in her sleep, occasionally draping her legs over her.

But she didn't feel repulsed; instead, wrapped in that vibrant and lively vitality, she felt a long-lost sense of harmony and warmth.

She walked out of the bathroom.

At a glance, she saw that energetic back on the floor mat in the living room.

Yao Lingling was in the middle of a high-intensity glute and leg workout.

Sweat had soaked through her sports vest, and her tight fitness leggings outlined her full, curvaceous hips perfectly.

She was full of healthy, exuberant vitality.

"Done with your shower, Qiuqiu!" Hearing the movement, Yao Lingling immediately stopped, turned around, wiped the sweat from her temples with a towel, and broke into a brilliant, cloudless smile.

"Mm," Cheng Qiuqiu replied softly.

"It's almost eleven o'clock now, this meal of ours has basically become brunch," Yao Lingling said with a laugh, sticking out her tongue. "Wait for me, I'll go take a quick shower and change, it'll be fast!"

"It's fine, no rush."

Because the company had provided an extremely lavish late-night snack after the livestream last night, the two of them weren't particularly hungry at the moment.

Yao Lingling tidied up her things, and the two of them went downstairs together.

Walking through the old residential complex, which was full of the atmosphere of daily life, the late autumn morning carried a crisp chill.

The autumn wind was desolate, swirling up the fallen leaves on the ground and making a "rustling" sound by their feet.

Yet Yao Lingling was like an indefatigable little sun, excitedly introducing her to the surrounding environment the whole way, from which supermarket had the freshest vegetables to which corner milk tea shop was having a sale. After walking for a while and making two turns, the two of them arrived at a small breakfast shop.

"Boss, two bowls of vegetable tofu, two egg pockets, and four wild vegetable buns!" Yao Lingling ordered with practiced ease, then used the jar on the side to scoop two small dishes of free pickles for each of them.

Soon, the steaming hot breakfast was served.

Looking at Lingling's enthusiastic and thoughtful manner, and listening to her chattering arrangements.

A warm current surged in Qiuqiu's heart, and she felt herself becoming more cheerful.

She ate quietly, listening to Lingling share various gourmet foods and interesting anecdotes.

After a while, Qiuqiu suddenly spoke up: "Lingling, have you three always rented here together?"

"Mm-hmm, yeah. We started right after graduation. Back then, Shumin and I were at the same company, and Jiahong was preparing for the civil service exam. This place is close to school and the environment is familiar, so we just kept living here."

"Now that you've all changed jobs, do you have any plans to move?"

Lingling paused, then swallowed the bun in her mouth and said truthfully: "Yeah! Jiahong and Shumin are at Huashang Apparel now, the benefits are great, and their company also provides a housing subsidy.

The lease for this place we're renting expires next month.

Actually, we've been looking recently, but we haven't found a suitable one yet."

This was a very realistic problem.

When they first graduated, everyone started from scratch and could just make do.

But now that their jobs were stable and their salaries and benefits had increased significantly, they naturally wanted a better environment.

Hearing this, Qiuqiu was silent for a moment, looked at Lingling, and finally gathered the courage to ask: "Then—can I rent with you guys?"

Lingling was stunned and blinked: "Aren't you living with Gao Zong?"

"Senior—is also going to move soon, and besides," Qiuqiu's gaze dimmed slightly, "it's a bit inconvenient for her."

Lingling made an "oh" sound, seemingly understanding something, and her eyes dimmed a little.

But she immediately returned to her enthusiastic self.

She grabbed Qiuqiu's arm and said excitedly: "Okay! Of course you can! Then let's pick a suitable complex together! The four of us can just rent two apartments across from each other, and we can hang out all the time! You and I can rent a three-bedroom, and turn one of the rooms into our design studio, put in drawing boards, mannequin models—"

Yao Lingling became more excited as she spoke, as if she had already seen their wonderful future life.

Listening to her plans, the heart that had been hanging in Qiuqiu's chest finally settled down securely.

She was actually very afraid of being alone, and even more afraid of renting an apartment by herself. Lingling was undoubtedly the most suitable person.

In that case, she wouldn't have to worry about being under Senior's nose with Tang Song—

The guilt stemming from "immorality" was also greatly reduced.

Just, she wondered what Senior and Tang Song were doing right now?

10:00 AM.

Zhuxi Residential Complex.

Sunlight passed through the gaps in the thick curtains, casting a bright beam of light into the room.

On the bed, Gao Mengting lay lazily like a cat that had had all its bones removed, covered by a crumpled quilt.

She moved slightly, feeling sore all over, without even the strength to lift a finger.

Tang Song hovered above her, looking down at her face, which was still wet with tears and full of pleas for mercy.

A deep smile curled the corners of his mouth.

Then he felt a bit helpless.

His partner's body was truly too sensitive.

Clearly, she was the one who initiated the provocation, but she lasted less than five minutes before completely surrendering.

The rest was entirely him unilaterally "torturing" her.

If he were an ordinary man, the sense of achievement would definitely be maxed out.

But for him, whose endurance was now as high as 84, this was truly "unsatisfied," not even counting as a warm-up. Gao Mengting turned her head and buried her burning cheeks into the pillow.

Her voice was intermittent, with a crying tone: "I'm not in good shape today—let me rest for a while, just a while..."

Looking at his partner, who had been bullied into such a pitiful state.

Tang Song sighed and patted her round, perky hips.

He rolled off the bed.

"You get some good rest, I have things to do, so I'm leaving. I'll be at the company this afternoon, you don't need to worry, you can sleep a bit more." "Mm~" Gao Mengting could only let out a weak nasal sound, too lazy to even open her eyelids.

Tang Song got dressed, and before walking out of the bedroom, he leaned down and kissed her sweat-dampened cheek lightly before striding away.

Just as he walked out of the unit door.

He saw Liu Jiayi standing next to the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

She was wearing a black autumn/winter outfit with a high-neck knit sweater underneath, standing quietly in the desolate autumn wind, looking both beautiful and cold.

"Tang Zong!"

"Click—" The iconic carriage-style doors were gently pulled open by her.

Tang Song nodded slightly, bent down, and sat inside.

"The TC Club in Changanjie."

"Yes."

Accompanied by the roar of the engine, the wheels rolled over the fallen leaves on the ground, making a crisp sound.

The car slowly drove out of the Zhuxi Residential Complex.

Nearly half an hour later.

It slowly came to a stop in front of a quiet and beautiful small building.

Tang Song stepped out of the car.

The club manager, who had been waiting at the entrance, immediately came up to greet him, a warm and respectful smile on her face.

"Mr. Tang, hello."

"Hello."

"Zhao Zong is waiting for you in the multi-functional entertainment hall on the fourth floor," the female manager said, turning to the side and elegantly making a "please" gesture, leading the way herself.

Tang Song followed her through the luxurious and quiet corridor, his gaze taking in his surroundings.

According to the beautician, this place had been gifted to her by Secretary Jin as a welcoming gift.

The interior decoration was impeccable, and the environment was elegant and exquisite; it could be said to be one of the top high-end private clubs in Yancheng.

Taking the private elevator, they went straight to the fourth floor.

There were no other guests around, and it was so quiet that they could only hear their own light footsteps.

The female manager led him to the door of an entertainment hall marked "Starry Sky Room," bowed slightly, and said: "Mr. Tang, please go in. If you need anything, you can call me via the internal line at any time."

"Okay, thank you."

Tang Song smiled, gently pushed open the heavy door, and walked in.

The first thing that caught his eye was the soft and high-tech ambient lighting in the room.

Immediately after, he saw the beautician curled up in a dark green single sofa.

She was wearing a loose, pink-orange home T-shirt and matching shorts, revealing a large expanse of smooth and delicate skin.

A head of supple, wine-red long hair was draped casually over her shoulders, making her look peaceful and sexy.

Tang Song's gaze fell involuntarily on her wine-glass legs, which had a faint luster under the lights.

Must say, the beautician's friend's legs were truly beautiful!

"Song Ge! You're here!"

Seeing her boyfriend walk in, a brilliant smile immediately bloomed on Zhao Yaqian's beautiful face.

She dropped the controller in her hand, ran over barefoot like a cannonball, and threw herself directly into his arms.

Tang Song smiled and caught her steadily.

Zhao Yaqian took the opportunity to leap lightly, her long, plump legs skillfully wrapping around his waist, and she hung onto him tightly like a koala.

"Mua~ I missed you so much~ mua"

Her voice was sweet and pleasant, carrying undisguised joy and deep love.

As she spoke, she planted one loud kiss after another on his face.

Tang Song's gaze gradually softened, and he kissed the beautician deeply.

The two of them were intimate for a while before slowly pulling apart.

Zhao Yaqian was still holding his arm, her watery eyes sparkling.

Tang Song pointed at the screen, "Playing games?"

"Waiting for you to play together." A look of anticipation flashed in Zhao Yaqian's eyes, "I just checked, Steam has a lot of new two-player games, look, this 'It Takes Two' has super high ratings!"

"Okay, I'll play with you."

Tang Song pulled over the sofa next to them, sat down, and took the controller Zhao Yaqian handed him.

The two of them leaned together and began to clear levels in various bizarre and fantastical scenes.

"Oh! Song Ge, pull me quickly! I'm going to fall!"

"You go over there and step on that switch first! Only then can I get across!"

"Wow! This boss is so ugly! Hit it! Hit it!"

Zhao Yaqian was playing with extreme focus.

Sometimes she would gasp because of nervousness, and sometimes she would excitedly hug Tang Song's arm and jump up and down because they successfully cleared a level.

With Tang Song, she wore all her emotions on her face, like an innocent and lively child.

The room was filled with her crisp laughter, occasional screams, and the crisp "click-clack" of the controller buttons.

Before they knew it, the beautician had turned and sat on Tang Song's lap, curled up in his arms.

While directing him, she was randomly pressing buttons on the controller herself.

The sound of the game grew quieter, but their breathing became increasingly rapid.

Tang Song had already been stirred up by his partner earlier, and now, feeling the elastic skin of his beautician friend, as well as the unique fragrance on the girl, mixed with perfume and a faint body heat.

His blood surged.

He threw the controller aside, hugged the beautician tightly, and felt the intoxicating touch of her body.

Zhao Yaqian bit her pink, tender lips, and a flush of intoxication rose on her face.

The temperature in the air rose sharply.

On the screen, the two small doll characters had long since fallen off the cliff because no one was operating them.

The words "GAME OVER" flashed by, and then the screen went black.

The pink-orange shorts hung on a corner of the display screen.

Zhao Yaqian's snow-white, slender wine-glass legs began to sway in the air.

Under the reflection of the ambient lights, they radiated a charming, milky halo.

At noon, the two of them, tired from playing, went to the private room on the top floor.

They enjoyed an exquisite Italian home-style lunch.

Zhao Yaqian excitedly helped him cut his steak, chattering about how impressive the background of the chef here was.

Just then.

"Ding-a-ling—" The phone rang suddenly.

Tang Song picked it up and looked at it.

His eyebrows raised slightly, and he answered the phone, "Hello? Zhang Lei."

Come to think of it, they hadn't really been in touch since that last meal.

Mainly because both he and Zhang Lei were very busy.

Zhang Lei had just joined the Zhongcheng Group and was still in his probationary period, basically running around for business every day.

"Hello, Tang Song." Zhang Lei's obviously exhausted and low-spirited voice came through the receiver, "Is it convenient to talk now?"

"Convenient, what's wrong?"

Zhang Lei was silent for a few seconds before saying: "Are you free tonight? I want to find you for a drink and chat."

Tang Song keenly sensed the abnormality in his voice and immediately said: "Sure, where? Do you want me to arrange it?"

"Let's go to that Tianji BBQ shop from last time." Zhang Lei's voice carried a hint of bitterness, "I still have some money left on their membership card."

"Okay, see you tonight then."

"Mm, bye."

Before hanging up, Tang Song couldn't help but ask: "Zhang Lei, did something happen?"

Zhang Lei on the other end paused for a moment and sighed heavily: "Let's talk when we meet tonight, it's pretty shitty. I'm embarrassed to even tell you, sigh."

Hanging up the phone, Tang Song's eyebrows furrowed.

He could clearly feel that Zhang Lei on the other end was in a very low mood.

When they met last time, he was still high-spirited, talking about how he was going to show his talents at the Zhongcheng Group, talking about the beautiful female colleagues in the finance department, and also talking about his various plans for the future, full of drive.

It was obvious that something had happened.

The few days he spent with Zhang Yan in Yangcheng had reminded him of many simple and pure memories from junior high school.

Manga, handheld consoles, basketball, and skipping class—

He also happened to really want to see his former good buddy.

Have a drink with him and have a good catch-up.