Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 23

The cafeteria was noisy during lunch hour. Xu You sat down, phone in hand, replying to Zhou Siyu. It was hard to turn down a colleague’s invitation.

Zhou Siyu didn’t make things difficult for her. Having witnessed her breaking down in tears the night before due to the stress of struggling to fit into the workplace, he now chose to let her go and gain some experience.

When Team Leader Qian approached with her tray, she saw Xu You smiling, her delicate face glowing with happiness and playful teasing.

“Who are you texting? Your partner?”

Xu You was startled. She flipped her phone over in her hand, her face flushing red as she nodded.

Team Leader Qian sat down, tapping her chopsticks in the rib soup. “Why so shy? I’ve been your age too. But does your boyfriend know-”

“No, she’s a girl. My girlfriend,” Xu You corrected.

“Oh, sorry, I just assumed. Don’t mind me.”

Noticing Xu You wasn’t upset, Team Leader Qian continued, “Our department has been pretty relaxed these past couple of days, well, as relaxed as it can be before a case drops. Does she know you might have to work overtime anytime? Will she understand?”

Xu You thought about it. Compared to Zhou Siyu, who sometimes stayed at the company for a whole week, her own late-night overtime shifts were nothing.

“She knows,” Xu You said, unable to resist sharing a bit more about her relationship. “She’s a few years older than me and has been working for a long time. She’s busy herself, so she gets it.”

Picking up a bite of rice from her plastic bowl, Team Leader Qian sighed wistfully. “That’s nice.”

“Does your partner not understand?” Xu You asked curiously.

“Ah,” Team Leader Qian shook her head with a bitter expression. “We broke up a while ago. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have thought to remind you.”

Surprised by the answer, Xu You hesitated, unsure whether to offer comfort or well-wishes. Team Leader Qian didn’t seem to mind, swallowing her rice before reassuring Xu You not to take it to heart.

By the time the two finished their lunch, the larger group was still chatting animatedly. After returning their trays, Xu You was led by Team Leader Qian to the third-floor break room, where she swiped her employee card and closed the door under her watchful eye.

Once inside, Xu You stood by the door, listening carefully for any movement outside. Confirming that the hallway was quiet and no one was entering or leaving the neighboring rooms, she quietly slipped out and into the stairwell.

She hadn’t been able to have lunch with Zhou Siyu and felt a little guilty. Unsure if Zhou Siyu was in the break room, she cautiously and quickly entered the password, slipping inside without a thorough look. A voice came from nearby.

“Here comes the little thief?”

Zhou Siyu was leaning against the headboard, scrolling up and down on her tablet. The cold gleam reflecting off her silver-rimmed glasses made her look sharp and detached, but the slight upward curve of her lips gave her a touch of warmth.

Xu You changed into slippers and bounced over to the bed. “Wrong! It’s a robber. This is a stick-up!”

She thrust her hand in front of Zhou Siyu, curling her pinky and ring finger to mimic a gun, aiming it right at Zhou Siyu’s face.

The only source of light went out as Zhou Siyu turned off the tablet and tossed it onto the nightstand. In one swift motion, she grabbed the “barrel,” pulling the little bandit and her weapon straight into her arms.

Xu You grinned, gazing at Zhou Siyu’s face so close to hers. “Not scared?”

The “gun” had lost its shape, her soft, pale hand now trapped in Zhou Siyu’s grasp. The little bandit had no choice but to surrender, waiting for her fate to be decided.

“Will you hurt me?” Zhou Siyu pressed her forehead against Xu You’s, their noses touching, forcing Xu You’s eyes to focus only on her.

“Of course not.” Xu You didn’t hesitate for a second. Being this close made it impossible to see Zhou Siyu’s entire face clearly; all she could see were those deep, bottomless eyes.

Dark and profound, the pupils remained still and unwavering, fixed on her, making her inexplicably flustered.

“I swear, mmm-”

The rest of her words dissolved into fragmented murmurs that drifted through the empty lounge. From a distance, a lump could be seen under the pure white bedding, two bodies pressed tightly together. The one beneath slipped her fingers into the other’s dark, long hair, pulling her head closer.

Xu You had already learned to catch her breath between kisses, but when she was finally released, her chest still heaved as she weakly pounded her fist against Zhou Siyu’s shoulder.

In that suffocating moment, her mind went blank. Zhou Siyu could forget everything, focusing only on stealing the air from the other’s lips, pressing her fiercely into her own body.

She caught Xu You’s fist and brought it to her lips, kissing it gently. “You’ve regressed. You need more practice.”

Xu You, lying on top of her, flushed like a freshly boiled shrimp, stubbornly tried to twist away even though she was already trapped in someone else’s grasp.

Seeing her struggle, Zhou Siyu kindly helped her sit up. “I’m free tonight. Wait for me so we can go home together?”

“Okay.” Xu You’s eyes sparkled as she agreed, but then she blinked rapidly, remembering something. “Oh no, the department has a welcome dinner for the new hires. I’m one of them, it wouldn’t be right to skip it. I already agreed this morning.”

Xu You cautiously glanced at Zhou Siyu’s expression. The other’s cheeks were still faintly flushed, but her face had turned frighteningly stern.

“Should I cancel, then?” She reached out to take Zhou Siyu’s hand.

Zhou Siyu pulled away, tugging the duvet up to cover the skin exposed during their earlier intense activity.

“Go to sleep.”

Ugh, the heating wasn’t strong enough, it felt chilly.

Pouting, Xu You got up.

“No need to cancel.”

Before she had taken two steps, a muffled voice came from behind.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Xu You took off her outer clothes, changed into pajamas, and slipped under the covers, burying her fluffy head against Zhou Siyu’s chest. Brightly, she declared, “You’re the best, sis!”

Zhou Siyu patted her round bottom and repeated, “Go to sleep.”

Their sweet midday rest was interrupted by a message from Team Leader Qian. When Zhou Siyu emerged from the lounge, the display showed the neighboring room was empty. Walking to the department, she found Xu You’s seat vacant as well, so she sent a message asking where she was.

The previous night had been exhausting, and Xu You was still half-asleep, assuming Team Leader Qian needed her urgently. The drowsiness vanished instantly as she hurriedly threw on her clothes and rushed downstairs.

The design department was mostly empty, with only Team Leader Qian at her workstation. Xu You took a deep breath and approached. “Did you need something?”

“Nothing urgent. I just noticed you weren’t here.” Team Leader Qian leaned back in her office chair, smiling warmly.

“Oh, I was just in the restroom.” Mentally, Xu You wrung her hands, repenting for the lie.

Team Leader Qian could tell she was nervous. “If it were urgent, I’d call you. You can relax a bit at the company. We’re not in a teacher-student relationship, you don’t need to be so formal with me. Just communicate normally.”

“Okay, I will.”

Even as she agreed, her body instinctively bowed slightly, making Team Leader Qian cover her mouth with a light laugh.

“Is everyone on break?” Realizing she had amused herself as well, Xu You relaxed and asked.

Team Leader Qian glanced around and was about to say she didn’t know when hurried footsteps approached. Her familiar colleagues filed in one after another.

“Xiao Li, you’re too polite.”

“Yeah, you just started your internship and haven’t even gotten your first paycheck, yet you treated us all to coffee. That’s really thoughtful.”

“What’s the other intern’s name again?”

As they chattered loudly, Xu You understood what was happening when she saw Li Rui at the end of the group approaching them step by step, two cups of coffee clearly visible in her left hand.

“Xu You, you’re here too. Sorry, I didn’t get you one,” she said insincerely, batting her eyes at Xu You before taking out a cup of coffee and placing it on Team Leader Qian’s desk. “Sister Qian, this vanilla latte is for you. Sister Hu said you like this.”

Team Leader Qian saw right through her intentions. She picked up the coffee cup and pressed it into Xu You’s hands, then looked up with an apologetic expression.

“Sorry, I’m on my period and can’t drink anything cold.”