novelraw Chapter 139: Why Do You Smell Like a Man?
Chapter 139: Why Do You Smell Like a Man?
After a night of torrential rain, the temperature plummeted. Su Lingzhi instinctively wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped out of the villa.
Behind her, Fu Yinli was holding her coat, draping it over her shoulders, and escorted her to the car.
All the way to the company building, he held her close, their body temperatures gradually blending, reaching the same warmth.
Su Lingzhi escaped from his embrace, "I’ll head up first."
"Okay."
Under his gaze, Su Lingzhi walked slowly towards the building.
Upon reaching the top floor, she saw Secretary Yao coming out of the pantry with coffee.
"Lingzhi, you..."
Su Lingzhi’s eyes showed no emotion as she nodded slightly at her and then walked towards her office.
The recent events were triggered by their gossip, yet she didn’t blame them. But oddly enough, seeing her return, why did Secretary Yao look guilty?
As she was about to fetch water, she happened to encounter Secretary Yao.
"What’s up?"
"You didn’t come to work yesterday; I was worried something happened, so I came to check on you."
"I had some family matters yesterday, so I took a leave."
Secretary Yao’s expression paused and suddenly became speechless.
Su Lingzhi bypassed her, deliberately darkening her expression, and headed to the pantry.
If expected, she thought Secretary Yao would follow her, yet on the way back from fetching water to her office, she didn’t see her.
Puzzled for a moment, Su Lingzhi pushed open the office door.
Could it be she was overthinking? Secretary Yao didn’t know her boyfriend was Fu Yinli?
The task at hand was heavy, so she stopped dwelling on it and threw herself entirely into fashion design. In the next half-day, she only interacted with Assistant Shen.
At nine in the evening, surprisingly, she encountered Pei Xu at the company.
"President Pei." Su Lingzhi greeted him politely.
"Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival, and the company has a day off. Are you going back to your grandfather’s?"
Su Lingzhi replied, "Yes, I’ll go back for a visit. Is President Pei going back to his hometown for Mid-Autumn?"
Pei Xu nodded.
"Then if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back first."
"Okay."
Pei Xu watched her leave, a shadow passing through his gentle eyes.
Incidentally, Lili’s birthday is also on Mid-Autumn Festival. Su Lingzhi stood in front of the apartment’s floor-to-ceiling window, calling her grandparents.
Originally just an ordinary day, but the festival imbued it with the significance of reunion. Su Lingzhi rose early from bed, prepared gifts, and took off towards the old hutong.
The two elders were overjoyed to see her return and asked about her recent situation.
They were shocked to hear she worked at Lindxu, especially regarding Pei Xu’s status.
"Indeed, he’s accomplished a lot. He used to be so diligent, always studying at home, never going out. Now, starting from scratch, he’s become the boss of a big company. Isn’t that impressive?"
Su Lingzhi didn’t make any remarks on this.
Granny Du sighed, "It’s just a pity; the parents can’t see it."
Su Lingzhi wondered, "Why?"
Granny Du replied, "They’re gone. After his mother passed away from childbirth, none of the family had good days, and in the end, only Pei Xu was left alone."
Hearing about Pei Xu’s plight, Su Lingzhi felt deeply sympathetic.
The atmosphere suddenly turned a bit heavy.
Grandpa Du pondered for a moment, shifting the topic, "Well, it’s a festival; let’s not talk about others’ family affairs."
He turned to Granny Du, "Old woman, weren’t you going to make Beijing-style mooncakes? Let Zhizhi experience it."
Granny Du laughed excitedly, "It’s Zhizhi’s first Mid-Autumn Festival with us this year..."
In previous Mid-Autumns, it was always at restaurants with the family. Since the grandparents preferred boys, she’d be the one ignored at meals, only her parents would pay attention to her.
Since childhood, she’d longed for her grandparents’ love. Over time, her expectations diminished to the point she no longer cared.
Now, the warmth of home is given by her grandparents, and she cherishes it greatly.
While Su Lingzhi was assisting, Grandma happened to mention that cousin would come over, and just as she mentioned it, she heard her cousin’s voice coming from outside.
Soon, she appeared in front of them.
Her cousin Du Shanqi is an English teacher at a public affiliated elementary school, cheerful and talkative. When speaking, her tone naturally rises, giving off a sense of approachability.
After exchanging pleasantries with the two elders, Du Shanqi hugged Su Lingzhi, "Lingzhi, long time no see."
Indeed, it’s been a long time. On the day of the Su Family’s recognizing banquet, she wasn’t there; she was abroad traveling at that time.
"What’s this male scent on you, in a relationship?"
Su Lingzhi blushed, raising her arm to sniff herself, "I am in a relationship; can you even smell that?"
Du Shanqi assumed an experienced expression, gossiping, "How far have you two progressed?"
Su Lingzhi was about to reply, but her gaze inadvertently caught the deep looks of the two elders. Du Shanqi followed her gaze over, promptly skipping the topic, "Should I knead the dough? I’m going to wash my hands."
But the two elders took it to heart, worrying about it.
After lunch, Grandpa Du called her alone into the yard to sit, "Shanqi said, is it true, you’re in a relationship?"
Su Lingzhi nodded.
Regarding matters of romance, she wasn’t sure of her grandparents’ attitude, but they seemed to have taken on responsibility for her.
"When did it start?"
"It’s been nearly four months since we officially started dating."
"Four months..." Grandpa Du murmured, frowning at her, "The recent cancellation of the marriage alliance with the Jiang Family, does that have something to do with him? What’s his background, family’s situation like? How far have you two progressed?"
They had always thought she didn’t want to be arranged into a marriage by family, resisting the wedding. Little did they know there were other stories...
Su Lingzhi, for a moment, didn’t know how to reply. Revealing Lili’s identity might frighten them, leading to misunderstandings.
After contemplating for a while, she organized her words, speaking, "Grandpa, I did refuse the marriage alliance because of my boyfriend, but fundamentally, I don’t want to marry someone I don’t love. My relationship with my boyfriend is quite stable. He’s from Beijing; when there’s a chance, I’ll bring him back to meet you both someday."
Afterwards, she clutched at her clothes, cautiously observing his expression.
A phrase like "bring him back to meet" clearly indicated the current status of their relationship.
Grandpa Du suddenly became solemn, "Back then, I said no matter what decision you make, I’ll support you. But your marriage must have my and your grandma’s approval. Nowadays, you don’t even need the household registration to get married; don’t let us be unaware when you’re deceived or sold, understand?"