Chapter 9: When to Get Married 9
Ning Qingqing accepted the call, and Shen Zhiqian’s profile picture appeared.
He must have just finished a meeting, still in his suit, his tie impeccably tied, with large floor-to-ceiling windows in the background.
Seeing the water droplets on Ning Qingqing’s hair, Shen Zhiqian frowned. “Qingqing, why are you wet? Didn’t you bring an umbrella in the rain?”
Ning Qingqing nodded. “It rained suddenly, and no ride-hailing cars accepted my order, so I took the subway.”
Shen Zhiqian’s tone immediately became serious. “Didn’t I tell you, if I’m on a business trip, you can call my driver to pick you up?”
Ning Qingqing adjusted her hair in front of the video and shook her head. “It’s okay, it’s very close, I’ll just walk a little faster.”
Shen Zhiqian seemed still angry, his tone still serious. “Qingqing, the whole company knows we’re together, you don’t need to worry about what others say.”
Hearing this, Ning Qingqing didn’t know how to respond. Did Shen Zhiqian know what the company was saying about her?
That she was losing influence, that what wasn’t hers, even if she got it, would eventually have to be returned!
Even today’s delivery of the contract was the clearest evidence of the change in the company’s atmosphere.
In the past, she wouldn’t have needed to deliver the contract herself. Even if she did, because of license plate restrictions on the legal department’s car, the marketing department would have lent their car.
“Okay, I’ll call your driver from now on.” Ning Qingqing felt uncomfortable being all wet, she just wanted to go home quickly and not dwell on this topic. “Zhiqian, when are you coming back?”
Hearing Ning Qingqing ask about his return date, Shen Zhiqian’s brows relaxed. “The signing is tomorrow morning, I’ll be back right after.”
His lips curled up. “Qingqing, I miss you, do you miss me? There’s a dinner tomorrow afternoon, arranged by Uncle Chen, he’s coming from Nancheng, let’s go together after work.”
Ning Qingqing quite liked Uncle Chen from Chen’s Technology, she always felt that she could learn a lot from talking to him, so she nodded. “Okay.”
Shen Zhiqian said, “Then go home quickly, send me a message when you get home, and remember to take a hot bath right away.”
Ning Qingqing agreed. “Okay.”
She didn’t go to the company, as it was already very late, she could scan and archive the contract tomorrow, so she went straight home.
At the subway exit, Ning Qingqing bought an umbrella. Although the rain was blocked, the temperature had dropped several degrees after the rain.
Her clothes were mostly dry on the way, but they were still slightly damp, and the cold wind made her shiver.
Upon arriving home, Ning Qingqing first opened the file bag, confirmed that the contract wasn’t wet, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she took a bath, sent Shen Zhiqian a goodnight message before bed, and then opened WeChat.
She saw Gu Youchen’s jokes again.
The memories of that night at the bar suddenly flooded back. Ning Qingqing recalled the hazy scene and quickly switched to her contacts.
She saw a number in her contacts: “Joke Writer Who Loves Tiramisu”.
Ahhh, what was she doing then? Did Gu Youchen see this note?
Ning Qingqing couldn’t bear to look, especially since she seemed to have sent him her number!
She switched back to WeChat, considering whether to like and comment on Gu Youchen’s post, but as she read the jokes, the corners of her lips rose.
Several of the jokes were hilarious!
On her second reading, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Since she was in her own bed, Ning Qingqing even laughed until she rolled around in the covers, then liked all of Gu Youchen’s posts.
Then, she silenced her phone and slept soundly.
That night, Gu Youchen came out of the shower and checked his WeChat again, this was the eleventh time.
The notification of 9 new comments popped up, he quickly clicked in, and found that Ning Qingqing had liked all the jokes he posted that evening, not a single one missed.
Only today did he realize that WeChat Moments could set group visibility. On his screen, there was only one person in the group.
The group name was a flamboyant heart shape.
The next day, Ning Qingqing entered the contract information and organized the other unfinished contracts she had.
She realized that since the New Year, except for statutory holidays, she hadn’t taken a single day off.
The projects she was in charge of were nearing completion, and the new projects were still under investigation. Even if they started, it would be a month later.
Ning Qingqing looked at the folder in front of her and suddenly had a strange feeling—
It was like a hint, a hint that everything could end just like that.
At lunchtime, her colleague Wang Qian looked at Ning Qingqing’s slightly flushed cheeks and asked curiously, “Qingqing, did you put on blush today?”
“No,” Ning Qingqing rotated her stiff neck, suddenly realizing that she had been busy all morning, her mind had been focused on finishing her work as quickly as possible, now that she had relaxed, she felt sore all over.
“Are you catching a cold? Your voice sounds off,” Wang Qian said, reaching out to touch Ning Qingqing’s forehead. “Ah, you seem to have a fever!”
Ning Qingqing also realized that she didn’t feel well, and she didn’t have much of an appetite, she ate a little, and the medicine she had ordered was delivered.
“Qingqing, why don’t you take the afternoon off?” Wang Qian poured her a glass of water. “The rest of the contracts aren’t that urgent.”
Ning Qingqing took the medicine. “It’s okay, I want to finish it early.” Her birthday was only a week away, and she didn’t know if she would still be at Shen’s after her birthday.
Wang Qian didn’t know her plans, and smiled, “Then lie down and rest for a while. Hey, other bosses’ wives are the ones giving orders, you’re like a workaholic!”
Ning Qingqing smiled but didn’t speak.
After a short nap, she continued to organize the contracts.
She coded and classified the archived files, and marked the key dates for the ongoing contracts.
Unknowingly, it was already past 5 pm. The sound of a man’s footsteps approached. Ning Qingqing didn’t look up, thinking it was a colleague, until she heard someone say, “Hello, Mr. Shen.”
She looked up and saw Shen Zhiqian standing in front of her desk.
He casually draped his jacket over his arm, and leaned directly over Ning Qingqing’s screen. “What’s my little bee busy with?”
Ning Qingqing saved the Excel spreadsheet in front of her. “Are we going to the dinner now?”
Shen Zhiqian nodded, but still asked suspiciously, “It’s the middle of the month, do you need to organize reports?”
Ning Qingqing’s heart skipped a beat, but her face showed no emotion. She shook her head. “I’m afraid it will be troublesome to organize it later.”
Shen Zhiqian didn’t think much of it, he stood up. “Let’s go, Uncle Chen is some distance away, it takes 40 minutes to drive.”
Ning Qingqing nodded and got up to pack her things.
However, she hadn’t felt anything while sitting, but now that she relaxed and stood up, she felt dizzy.
She lost her balance and instinctively grabbed onto something nearby. Shen Zhiqian quickly caught her, one hand around her waist, the other holding her arm.
Even through the fabric of her shirt, Shen Zhiqian could feel Ning Qingqing’s arm temperature.
He immediately frowned, one hand still on Ning Qingqing’s waist, the other supporting the back of her head. Leaning down, Shen Zhiqian rested his forehead against Ning Qingqing’s to feel her temperature.
“Why are you so hot?” He straightened up. “Qingqing, you have a fever, we need to go to the hospital immediately!”
Then, in the sight of everyone present, Shen Zhiqian hooked Ning Qingqing’s bag over his arm and directly scooped her up in his arms, striding out.
Everyone present watched this scene, covering their mouths, various speculations swirling in their hearts—
Mr. Shen seems to care a lot about Madam, who said that Ning Qingqing would lose her status after Si Luoqing came?
It seems the position of boss’s wife is still very uncertain!
Shen Zhiqian carried Ning Qingqing down in the private elevator. Ning Qingqing felt uncomfortable. “I just stood up suddenly, maybe it’s low blood sugar, I checked my temperature, it’s 38.2 degrees, not too high, quickly put me down.”
Shen Zhiqian didn’t let go, seeing that they were almost on the first floor, he warned her, “Behave yourself, or I’ll kiss you in front of the receptionists!”
Ning Qingqing immediately stopped moving. At this moment, she seemed to remember that Shen Zhiqian had threatened her like this in school.
A wave of sadness welled up in her heart, followed by emptiness.
Why did it become like this? She used to tell him everything, but now, so many emotions ferment in her heart, she didn’t even have the urge to say them.
“Just have the driver send me to the hospital, don’t keep Uncle Chen waiting,” Ning Qingqing said.
Shen Zhiqian’s jawline tightened. “Ning Qingqing, try saying that again?”
Knowing that she couldn’t win against him, Ning Qingqing remained still, letting Shen Zhiqian continue to hold her princess-style, carrying her out of the lobby.
Along the way, she could see the shocked and gossiping expressions of the receptionists from the corner of her eye. She didn’t need to think to know that after today, her colleagues would probably revert to their previous attitudes towards her.
This is reality, this is human nature.
In the car, Shen Zhiqian called Uncle Chen. “Uncle Chen, I’m really sorry, Qingqing suddenly got a high fever, I’m sending her to the hospital now… I can’t make it today, I’ll personally go to Nancheng to apologize to you another day… Haha, thank you Uncle Chen for your concern, Qingqing misses you too, I’ll take her to Nancheng to see you later…”
Hanging up the phone, Shen Zhiqian rested Ning Qingqing’s head on his shoulder. “Rest for a while, I’ll call you when we get to the hospital.”
They were very close, Ning Qingqing could even see Shen Zhiqian’s distinct eyelashes and the deep eyes beneath them.
His eyes were full of tenderness, the same as before, seemingly unchanged.
Perhaps because of this tenderness, or perhaps because of her illness-induced vulnerability, the emotions she had suppressed for so long finally broke through. She looked up, met Shen Zhiqian’s gaze, and asked word by word:
“Zhiqian, we’re going to get married, right? Have you considered when exactly?”
Author’s Note:
Well, a girl taking the initiative to ask such a question, Qingqing has really used up all her restraint and courage~
PS, breakup this week~