Just before work let out.
Completely baffled, Xu Yun sent a message to Li Jinshu to ask what was going on.
Xu Yun: [Hey, do you know what's up with Sister Su today?]
She replied quickly.
Li Jinshu: [What's wrong?]
Xu Yun: [I just went to ask for time off, but she didn't seem to be in a good mood. Did something happen?]
Li Jinshu: [It's nothing. You know how it is with women. That time of the month. You get it.]
Xu Yun: [....]
'So she's on her period today?'
He had known her for two years, and this was the first time he'd learned something so private about her.
'No wonder she was acting so strange.'
Besides, he wasn't some clueless single guy anymore. Since Su Mu had always looked out for him, he felt he should show some concern.
So, he ordered a brown sugar fruit juice for her on his phone, then left work early.
'If you're unhappy, go ahead and dock my attendance bonus. I don't care about a few hundred yuan anyway.'
His mom was leaving tomorrow, and he needed to buy her some more clothes, pants, and a bag to take back with her.
She had made a trip to the big city, and he couldn't let her go back and lose face in front of the neighbors.
Back at the office, Su Mu had actually been secretly watching Xu Yun.
She was a little surprised to see him suddenly leave early without saying a word to anyone.
'Did he leave in a huff because of my attitude earlier?'
'What right does he have to be angry?'
'He was the one who hid his identity, pretended to be poor, toyed with my feelings, and treated me like an idiot.'
Just then, the receptionist walked in carrying a warm drink and said, "Manager Su, here's the brown sugar drink you ordered."
"I ordered this?"
Su Mu asked, confused, "I don't remember ordering anything."
"I'm not sure, then. The delivery guy just said it was for you."
The receptionist added meaningfully, "Someone probably ordered it for you, Manager Su. And it's a brown sugar juice, too."
All women knew what it meant to be drinking a brown sugar drink.
Su Mu fell silent.
After the receptionist left, she looked at the brown sugar fruit juice on her desk and guessed it was probably from Li Jinshu.
Only she knew about her period, and she was the only one who would do something like this.
Picking up her phone, she smiled and sent a message.
Su Mu: [Thanks for the brown sugar fruit juice. Tell me what you want to eat tonight when we get home, and I'll make it for you.]
Li Jinshu: [What brown sugar fruit juice?]
Su Mu froze.
[You didn't order it for me?]
Li Jinshu: [No. I'm so busy I can barely keep up. Who has time to order that for you?]
Su Mu: [If not you, then who? Besides you, no one else knows I'm on my period these days.]
A moment later.
Li Jinshu: [Could it be from Xu Yun? I think I might have told him about an hour ago.]
"???"
Su Mu: [Are you crazy? Why would you tell him that! Angryblush.jpg]
Li Jinshu: [He was the one who asked me. He said you seemed to be in a bad mood today, and it just slipped out.]
Li Jinshu: [What, he bought you a brown sugar drink?]
Su Mu: [....]
Li Jinshu: [Su Mu, and you still dare to say he doesn't like you! Fury.jpg]
Su Mu: [....]
She looked at the brown sugar drink on her desk again, a hint of guilt appearing in her eyes.
'Was I a little too harsh on him today?'
Manager Li, who had been rebuffed earlier, saw that Xu Yun had left work early. Finally seizing his chance, he headed for Su Mu's office.
He said, "Manager Su, Xu Yun left work early!"
"Yes, I know."
Su Mu sipped her brown sugar drink, her expression flat. "He already requested time off with me. I approved it. Do you have a problem with that?"
Manager Li: "..."
'That brat Xu Yun really has latched onto Manager Su!'
'She's indulging him this much!'
'Fine, fine, fine.'
'When the boss gets back, I'm definitely going to report both of them!'
'Hmph. How dare he poach from the boss.'
'Xu Yun, you're dead meat!'
...
After leaving the company building, Xu Yun hailed a private car and headed for Jiangshang Mall.
On the way, he sent a message to Ning Qian.
[Are you at work?]
Ning Qian lived in a three-bedroom apartment provided by the company, along with two other colleagues.
She was at home alone, eating and watching an idol drama.
When a message notification popped up on her phone, she picked it up and saw it was from Xu Yun. Her heart couldn't help but start beating faster.
'He's contacting me again.'
Ning Qian quickly composed herself and immediately sent a voice message in reply.
[No, I'm at the dorm.]
Xu Yun: [Oh, I was thinking of finding you to buy some clothes. Since you're not there, never mind. I'll just check out some other stores myself.]
Hearing this, Ning Qian quickly replied: [No, no, it's fine! Where are you? I can come find you. I can shop with you.]
Xu Yun: [Is that okay? I'd be interrupting your time off.]
Ning Qian: [Not at all, I'd love to.]
Xu Yun: [Alright then, let's meet at the entrance of Jiangshang Mall.]
Ning Qian: [Okay, I'm on my way.]
After replying, she put down her phone and quickly started to get ready.
Although being late is a woman's prerogative, she didn't dare hope Xu Yun would wait too long for her.
Fifteen minutes later, she left the apartment, all dressed up.
Since the company dorm wasn't far from Jiangshang, the taxi ride only took about ten minutes to get there.
Xu Yun's eyes lit up as he watched Ning Qian jog over to him from a distance.
This was the first time he had seen her out of uniform.
Her long, coffee-colored hair was partially curled and draped over one shoulder. She wore a gray, off-the-shoulder silk top that revealed her fair skin and delicate collarbones.
On her lower half, she wore a sexy, black, tight-fitting miniskirt that perfectly accentuated her shapely rear.
Paired with a set of black high heels, her figure looked even more stunning.
"Mr. Xu, have I kept you waiting long?" Ning Qian asked, slightly out of breath, as she reached him.
Her ample chest rose and fell with her breathing, a rather eye-catching sight.
"Not at all."
Xu Yun replied with a smile, "I just got here myself. Come on, let's go look around inside."
"Okay."
Walking beside him, Ning Qian asked curiously, "What kind of clothes are you looking to buy today, Mr. Xu?"
"I'm not sure. Why don't you give me some recommendations? You're the professional."
Xu Yun said, "It's mainly to buy a few outfits for my mom. She's in her forties or fifties."
"Oh, so you're buying for your auntie."
Ning Qian said with a smile, "Why don't we check out Louis Vuitton? I think they have a few new styles this year that are quite nice. They should be very suitable for your auntie."
"Sounds good."
With Ning Qian leading the way, the two of them headed toward the Louis Vuitton store.
Along the way, she introduced the various luxury brands on either side of them to Xu Yun.
Ning Qian found it strange that a man as wealthy as Xu Yun didn't recognize many luxury brands.
'Maybe he's never gone clothes shopping by himself before.'
'Men are generally not too concerned about this sort of thing, after all.'
'But he definitely knows about famous watches and luxury cars—the things men like.'
Meanwhile, inside the Louis Vuitton store.
After receiving the "fee" from Zhang Wentao, Wang Qing had eagerly dragged Huang Mengyao to the store to pick out a bag she liked.
But Huang Mengyao had no idea that the money her "best friend" was using to buy the bag had come from selling her out to Zhang Wentao.