Reborn as an Aloof Boss, Flirting Everywhere - Chapter 7

In the pond, lotus flowers bloomed in abundance. Schools of goldfish sought refuge under the broad leaves, occasionally darting to the surface and sending ripples across the water.

Inside a pavilion by the pond, an elderly man and a young woman sat on opposite sides of a stone table, engaged in a game of Go with black and white stones.

The white-haired old man, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, paused for a long time before finally placing a stone on the board.

Su Qingmo ruthlessly blocked his path. “You lost.”

The old man fell silent for a moment before slapping his hand down on the board. “This doesn’t count. Let’s restart.”

Su Qingmo looked at him with resignation. “Grandpa, here you go again. I told you from the start I shouldn’t play with you.”

Su Zongguang kept a stern face that looked intimidating, but he was actually a big kid at heart who threw tantrums whenever he lost. “Couldn’t you have gone a bit easier on me?”

Su Qingmo replied decisively, “No.”

Su Zongguang choked on his words, unconvinced. “One more round.”

In the distance, Li Linlin approached quickly with a black folder in hand. “Chairman, President Su.”

Su Zongguang cleared his throat, sat up straight, and gave a solemn grunt of acknowledgement.

Su Qingmo found it amusing. This “old child” would cheat and take back moves in front of her, showing terrible sportsmanship, yet he immediately put on airs as soon as someone else appeared.

“President Su, here is the information you requested,” Li Linlin said, handing over the folder.

Su Qingmo took the folder and opened it. As she read the contents, her brows furrowed involuntarily.

Chu Xiaoyu, Female, 26 years old, currently residing in Country Y…

“What’s wrong?” Su Zongguang asked, noticing her serious expression.

“It’s nothing,” Su Qingmo replied, closing the folder.

Knowing he wouldn’t get an answer from her, Su Zongguang turned his gaze toward Li Linlin.

Li Linlin: “…”

Su Zongguang huffed. “You don’t have to say it; I already know. You’ve been making such a fuss lately all for that girl named Lin Qian.”

Su Qingmo picked up her teacup and took a small sip, not at all surprised by how well-informed her grandfather was.

“First, you bought her company and went to work there; then, you invested in the game she plays. You’ve made quite the scene. So, how’s the pursuit going? Where’s the progress at?” Su Zongguang asked curiously.

Su Qingmo remained silent, her expression cold.

Seeing that he could get nothing out of her, Su Zongguang looked at Li Linlin again.

Li Linlin: “…”

“Speak,” Su Zongguang commanded, his voice dropping.

Li Linlin shot a pleading look at Su Qingmo. Could this grandfather-granddaughter duo stop treating her like the meat in a sandwich?

Under Su Zongguang’s piercing gaze, she had to confess, “President Su and Miss Lin Qian… don’t actually know each other yet.”

Su Zongguang was stunned. “They don’t know each other? After all this time, they’re still strangers?”

Su Qingmo, who had been silent, retorted displeasedly, “What do you mean we don’t know each other? She knows my name, she calls me ‘President Su’ when she sees me, we are friends in the game, and I even have her contact information now.”

Su Zongguang: “…”

Li Linlin: “…”

Facing the two people who looked like they had much to say but didn’t dare, Su Qingmo frowned, stood up in annoyance, and walked away.

Su Zongguang shouted after her, “Aiyoo, with that temperament of hers, I guess it’s no wonder. It’s been so long and the girl still doesn’t ‘know’ her.”

“I mean, she follows her around every day. Even the densest person should have recognized her face by now. But look at her—is being ‘game friends’ something to brag about? Is adding her on social media that rare?”

“I thought she was finally becoming self-aware. When she said she liked girls, I was so worried I couldn’t sleep for nights. But then I thought, it’s better than her being single for the rest of her life, so I came around to the idea. A girl is fine.”

“Now, I’ve come to terms with it, but she’s still stuck in a dead end. I was hoping she’d bring someone home for me to see soon, but her progress is still a big fat zero…”

Su Qingmo was already far away.

Su Zongguang felt his outburst was undignified, so he sat up straight and glanced at Li Linlin.

Li Linlin turned her head away, tactfully pretending she hadn’t seen or heard anything.

Her phone vibrated. Li Linlin checked it and then looked back at Su Zongguang.

“Chairman.”

“Speak.”

“President Su says that if you go to see Miss Lin privately, she will never play Go with you again.”

His intentions exposed, Su Zongguang felt a pang of guilt, then suddenly slammed the table. “Who said I was going to see her privately? I wouldn’t go even if I were begged to!”

Li Linlin continued, “President Su also said that if you actually go, she won’t just stop playing Go with you—she’ll also turn that turtle you’ve raised for over ten years into soup.”

Su Zongguang glanced at the turtle slowly crawling nearby and twitched his lips. “Fine, fine! I won’t go. Seriously, she can’t catch the girl herself and won’t let others help brainstorm. What did my turtle ever do to her?”

Li Linlin pursed her lips, stifling a laugh.

Noon arrived.

Lin Qian finally found an opportunity and jogged to catch up with Li Linlin, who had just stepped out of her office.

“Secretary Li,” Lin Qian called out.

Li Linlin stopped and turned around. Seeing it was Lin Qian, she was slightly surprised. “Miss Lin? Do you need something?”

Lin Qian took a deep breath and said, “Thank you so much for taking me home after the company dinner the other day. You left this behind.”

She finished the sentence in one breath and handed over the earring.

Li Linlin looked at the earring and smiled. “This isn’t mine. Also… I wasn’t the one who took you home.”

Lin Qian was stunned. “It wasn’t you?”

Just as Li Linlin was about to say more, someone called her from a distance, forcing the conversation to an end.

Lin Qian said, “Please, go ahead with your work.”

Li Linlin nodded and left; she was indeed quite busy at the moment.

Lin Qian stared down at the earring in her hand, lost in thought. If it wasn’t Li Linlin, who could it be? The Design Director?

While pondering, Lin Qian stepped into the elevator, and someone followed in after her.

Lin Qian glanced sideways and immediately spotted an earring on the person’s left ear. It was light blue—obviously a match for the one in her hand.

She shifted her gaze further to the right and saw the face of the earring’s owner.

Lin Qian’s expression froze instantly.

“President Su,” Lin Qian whispered, her grip tightening on the earring.

Su Qingmo glanced at her and gave a faint grunt of acknowledgement.

Lin Qian bit her lower lip and lowered her head. Her mind was a chaotic mess, and the earring pressed painfully into her palm.

“This is your floor,” Su Qingmo reminded her.

Lin Qian snapped out of her daze and rushed to exit, but the elevator sensor seemed to malfunction. Just as she stepped out, the doors began to close with a mechanical “click.”

“Watch out!”

Her arm was suddenly grabbed, and she fell into a soft, warm embrace. The fresh scent of lemon wafted into her nose.

Lin Qian’s body went rigid. After a split second of shock, she hurriedly stood up straight and pulled away from the embrace.

Su Qingmo asked, “Are you okay?”

Lin Qian nodded, then shook her head. “I’m fine, thank you.”

Su Qingmo gave her a gentle smile.

Lin Qian, however, didn’t dare to look at her at all.

After Lin Qian left the elevator, Su Qingmo looked at her reflection in the doors white shirt, high heels, hair tied back. Does she still think I look “mean” today?

Outside the elevator, it took a long time for Lin Qian’s chaotic mind to start functioning again.

She opened her palm and looked at the light blue earring. With a face full of disbelief, she had to admit the truth: the owner of the earring, the person who took her home wasn’t Li Linlin or the Design Director. It was the CEO, Su Qingmo!

It was the very person she had ruled out first as the most impossible candidate.

So… the honey water and the note were left by Su Qingmo as well?

Good heavens, what on earth did I do? Why would the big boss herself take me home and take care of me?

This feeling of astonishment and trepidation lingered with her all day, until a loud voice nearby snapped her back to reality.

“Time is tight and the client is pushing hard, so everyone will have a tough few days. Once this project is over, I’ll treat you all to milk tea.” The speaker was Director Chen, the man who had taken over Director Liu’s position.

He was in his forties, balding, with a beer belly and a penchant for tucking flowery shirts into his trousers.

“Lin Qian.” Director Chen walked over to her side and tapped on her desk.

Lin Qian scrambled to her feet.

Director Chen smiled kindly. “It’s fine, sit down. Just stay seated and listen.”

Dazed, Lin Qian obediently sat back down.

“Here’s the deal: you used to report your work to me, right? Starting today, you’ll report directly to President Su. She’ll walk you through the specific arrangements,” Director Chen explained.

Lin Qian nodded instinctively in agreement, but then a beat later, her brain caught up: “Huh?”

Why on earth would a lowly advertising copywriter like her report directly to the biggest boss in the company?

Director Chen patted her shoulder. “Don’t panic. President Su is paying extra attention to this current project and wants to handle certain things personally. It’s not just you; Xiao Yan is the same.”

Xiao Yan was also a copywriter. Lin Qian usually handled general advertising copy, while Xiao Yan managed the daily updates for the official blog and various social accounts.

Knowing that Xiao Yan was in the same boat made Lin Qian feel a little better.

As soon as Director Chen left, she heard a wail from Xiao Yan sitting across from her: “We finally got rid of that lunatic Liu and got a kind director, and I thought the good days had finally arrived. Now my work is being handed straight to President Su? The gods want me dead!”

A colleague nearby laughed while offering mock comfort: “Look on the bright side—working under the big boss makes it easier to get promoted.”

Xiao Yan shot a look at the colleague, who was grinning like a flower. “Are you serious? You don’t know my skill level?”

Lin Qian was equally worried. She looked at the draft only half-finished on her computer, then at the box where she had carefully stored the earring, and her entire mood plummeted.

4:00 PM, President’s Office.

Su Qingmo glanced casually at the initial draft Xiao Yan had submitted. Her face remained expressionless, her voice cool. “Rewrite it.”

Xiao Yan trembled. “Understood.”

Su Qingmo didn’t look at her; she continued processing other work while adding airily, “I don’t give people third chances. If your second draft is still at this level, I will replace you immediately.”

Xiao Yan’s hands tightened instinctively. She felt wronged but didn’t dare show it, only nodding submissively. “Yes, President Su. I will revise it thoroughly.”

Su Qingmo gave a cold grunt. “You may go.”

Xiao Yan turned to leave. When she reached the door and saw Lin Qian waiting outside, she shot her a look that said, Good luck—you’re going to need it.

Lin Qian habitually bit her lip.

It’s over.

Xiao Yan had just been lectured like that, and her own skills weren’t even as good. Once she handed in her draft, would she be sent straight to HR to collect her final paycheck?

Maybe she shouldn’t go in yet. She should revise it again and wait until it was slightly less terrible before submitting it.

Just as Lin Qian was about to turn back, Su Qingmo—who had been buried in her work—suddenly looked up toward the door.

Their eyes met.

Panic surged in Lin Qian’s chest.

Su Qingmo raised an eyebrow and set down her documents. “Why are you standing at the door? Come in.”

Lin Qian’s lip turned pale from being bitten. She forced herself to walk inside, the draft in her hand already starting to wrinkle from her tight grip.

She presented the draft with both hands. “President Su, this is the initial advertising draft I wrote.”

Su Qingmo took it but didn’t look at it, setting it aside instead.

Lin Qian swallowed nervously. Why set it aside? Does she already know it’s a mess without even looking?

Su Qingmo’s eyes curved slightly. “Have a seat.”

Lin Qian sat down, her back ramrod straight and her hands placed primly on her knees, habitually biting her lip again.

Su Qingmo picked up the draft and flipped through it. As she read, she said in a soft tone, “Don’t be so nervous. I’m actually quite easygoing; I won’t snap at you.”

Lin Qian blinked, then nodded blankly.

Su Qingmo looked up at her and chuckled. “I really am not mean.”

Confused, Lin Qian gave a stiff, formal reply: “Yes, President Su.”

Su Qingmo: “…”

Su Qingmo stopped talking and silently read the draft. Unlike the way she had skimmed Xiao Yan’s work, she was clearly being much more thorough with this one.

Seeing how long Su Qingmo was taking, Lin Qian felt a sense of impending doom. But just as she prepared herself for a scolding, Su Qingmo spoke up quite kindly.

“Who do you think the primary target audience for this project’s product is?” Su Qingmo asked.

“Young people between eighteen and thirty,” Lin Qian answered.

Su Qingmo nodded and spread the draft out in front of her. “Then do you think this style of copy will attract them, or drive them away?”

Lin Qian fell into thought.

Su Qingmo continued, “If I’m not mistaken, this content follows the style Director Liu preferred. However, she has resigned. You don’t need to write in that style anymore. I am different from Director Liu; I won’t interfere too much, because professional tasks should be done by professionals.”

Lin Qian looked up, stunned for a moment.

She had heard “You’re just a lowly writer” far too often from Director Liu. This was the first time she had ever heard someone use the word “professional” to validate her.

She had been shot down so many times that she had stopped believing she was a professional at all.

“I understand, President Su,” Lin Qian replied. It was still a formal, stiff answer, but her tone was noticeably brighter.

“Look here.” Su Qingmo pointed to a section of the draft.

Lin Qian leaned in, and at the same time, Su Qingmo leaned in an inch closer.

Lin Qian caught a faint scent of lemon—a fresh, clean fragrance like someone fresh out of a bath.

“I’m sorry!” Lin Qian hurriedly pulled back.

She hadn’t expected Su Qingmo to move closer so suddenly, causing the gap between them to shrink too much.

Su Qingmo looked at her. “What are you sorry for?”

Lin Qian: “Huh?”

Su Qingmo: “Come closer. If you’re that far away, how am I supposed to talk to you?”

Lin Qian nodded dumbly and moved back. Again, she smelled the lemon.

Su Qingmo pointed at the text, speaking softly and gently as she discussed the work with her.

Lin Qian’s mind wandered slightly. Su Qingmo had a very pleasant voice. With a voice like that, she probably sings beautifully, she thought.

Lin Qian stole a glance at her. Her skin was as smooth as jade, and the overhead light cast a soft halo around her.

Finally, her gaze landed on the earring on Su Qingmo’s left ear. She hesitated, debating whether to take this chance to return the other earring and thank her for taking her home that night.

“Does that make sense to you?” Su Qingmo’s voice was gentle, carrying not a hint of pressure.

Lin Qian snapped out of it and nodded quickly, forcing her attention back to the work.

Su Qingmo talked while Lin Qian listened obediently, occasionally offering an “Mhm” or an “Okay.”

By the time she left the office, she still hadn’t found the courage to mention the night of the dinner.

The moment she got back to her desk, Xiao Yan rolled over in her chair. “Why were you in there so long?”

Lin Qian’s expression was wooden. “Was it long?”

Xiao Yan: “It’s been half an hour! I was kicked out after two minutes. How did you stay in there for so long?”

Lin Qian glanced at the time on her computer. It really had been thirty minutes; it was almost time to clock out. It was strange—she hadn’t felt like it was an ordeal at all.

“You weren’t being lectured for half an hour, were you?!” Xiao Yan looked at her with pure pity.

Back when Director Liu was around, Lin Qian was yelled at constantly. It was mostly because Director Liu loved flattery, and since Lin Qian was blunt and literal, she never knew how to say the “right” things.

This time, Xiao Yan naturally assumed that Lin Qian being in there for thirty minutes meant she was being torn apart.

Lin Qian wanted to explain: “No…”

Before she could finish, Xiao Yan patted her shoulder. “I thought I had it bad, but you’ve got it worse. You poor thing.”

With that, Xiao Yan rolled away.

Lin Qian didn’t try to explain further. She looked toward the President’s office in the distance.

Lectured? No. On the contrary, she had learned a lot and felt a sense of clarity. She had even picked up a bit of her long-lost confidence.

Lin Qian gathered her thoughts, opened Word, took a deep breath, and began to write.

Her fingers clattered against the keyboard. Compared to her usual state of getting stuck for a minute after every two words, the ideas were flowing perfectly now.

She had never written a work assignment this smoothly.

She didn’t even realize it was past quitting time until the draft was finished. When she checked the clock, it was already 8:00 PM.

Looking around, her colleagues were all gone. She was the only one left in the quiet, empty office.

Lin Qian stretched and let out a long sigh of relief while looking at her completed work.

For the first time, she felt a little happy about work even a little reluctant to leave.

Since the office was empty and she was in a good mood, she let out a bit of the relaxed personality she usually only showed at home, softly humming a song to herself.

As she hummed, she looked up, only to see Su Qingmo leaning against the doorframe not far away.

The song died instantly in her throat.

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