The Devious, Seductive Older Woman Has Been Plotting to Get Me for a Long Time - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: A Distance Perfect for Kissing

Yingxing Headquarters.

Chu Yingqiu pushed open the door to her office, and as always, her assistant was waiting to the side. Opening the newly arrived documents, she nodded at the assistant. “Let’s begin.”

“President Chu, someone is here to see you.” The assistant hesitated, uncharacteristically failing to launch straight into the report.

Chu Yingqiu’s face remained expressionless. “Who is it?”

“The lady’s surname is Tan. She claims to be an old friend of yours.”

“I see.” Chu Yingqiu grew thoughtful and rose to head toward the guest room.

The guest room was generally reserved for important corporate clients; ordinary visitors were expected to make appointments and wait in the lobby. Given that the woman claimed to be a friend and possessed Chu Yingqiu’s private WeChat, the assistant had hesitated but eventually allowed her in.

Chu Yingqiu walked down the hall to the guest room, while her assistant discreetly waited outside. The person on the leather sofa wore a red suit that didn’t look overly gaudy on her; paired with her charming and audacious features, she looked noble and elegant.

“It’s certainly not easy to get a meeting with President Chu these days,” Tan Yishu laughed.

Seeing that it was her, Chu Yingqiu sat down nearby, her tone turning relaxed. “Something the matter?”

Tan Yishu surveyed her surroundings, the decor was minimalist but grand, and everything was arranged with orderly precision. She nodded. “No wonder you were so determined to come back. The environment here is certainly better than abroad.” She paused, sitting up straighter with a look of extreme curiosity. “By the way, have you met the person you’ve been thinking of?”

Chu Yingqiu went slightly stiff, then pressed her lips together. “Returning means we were bound to meet eventually.”

So she has already seen them, Tan Yishu thought. Driven by curiosity, she wanted to press further, but seeing the other woman’s cold expression, she felt a trace of trepidation. They had met during the year Chu Yingqiu was studying abroad, and over time, they had become close enough that Tan Yishu learned that even someone as cold and proud as Chu Yingqiu had someone she held dear in her heart—someone she could never forget.

Unfortunately, despite Tan Yishu’s many attempts to fish for information, Chu Yingqiu had never revealed a single detail. Looking at her attitude now, she assumed it was just like before—she wouldn’t talk easily.

Tan Yishu smiled helplessly. “Then let’s get down to business. Have you been doing better lately?”

Chu Yingqiu said calmly, “The same as always.”

Tan Yishu’s tone grew disappointed. “I thought that after returning home and seeing the person you wanted to see, you would improve.”

Chu Yingqiu frowned slightly, clearly disagreeing. “It has nothing to do with anyone else. It’s my own problem.”

Tan Yishu gave a dry laugh. “Indeed.”

The brief inquiry concluded. As she picked up her bag and prepared to leave, she didn’t forget to add, “Don’t forget to keep taking those medications.” Chu Yingqiu nodded slightly in agreement, and a moment later, Tan Yishu’s bright and striking figure vanished from sight.

Chu Yingqiu sat silently in the room for a while. She prided herself on maintaining a calm demeanor in most situations, but Tan Yishu’s question had stirred ripples in her heart that she hadn’t expected.

—”Have you met the person you’ve been thinking of?”

Taking leave to stay home was incredibly comfortable, even if she did nothing but lounge around, it was far better than the tense, stifling atmosphere of campus. Xiang Shuxing lay slanted on the sofa, eating potato chips while watching a variety show. Life was blissful, that is, until Chu Yingqiu called.

The phone rang for the third time before she lazily answered. “What’s up?”

“Have you eaten lunch yet?”

She didn’t know why, but hearing the woman’s cold, calm voice made Xiang Shuxing instinctively sit up straight and stow away her bag of chips. “Not yet.”

In reality, she had planned to skip lunch and just fill up on chips.

“I’ve ordered some porridge to be delivered to the house. Remember to go get it later.”

“Mhm, okay.” Xiang Shuxing replied obediently. After she answered, there was no more small talk from the other end; she heard the familiar beep-beep of the line disconnecting.

Looking at the bag of chips beside her, she thought, Thankfully Chu Yingqiu didn’t see this, or she would definitely be angry. She scanned the room and decided she would hide the empty packaging in her room’s trash bin later to avoid being caught snacking while ill.

With her plan set, she settled back onto the sofa to enjoy her show. About fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang, followed by the voice of the delivery driver. Reluctantly, she interrupted her show again to retrieve the meal.

Usually, things like porridge were prone to spilling, so she prepared herself for a mess as she opened the packaging. To her surprise, the porridge was sealed perfectly with no sign of a leak. Furthermore, there was an extra item: when she opened it, she found it was the Eight-Treasure Lotus Seed Soup she had ordered from that specific restaurant before.

She had loved that dish back then. Had Chu Yingqiu remembered her preferences? Not only had she remembered, but perhaps out of concern that the porridge would be too bland, she had specifically ordered this as well. The Eight-Treasure Lotus Seed Soup was sweet and refreshing, perfect for someone recovering from illness—not too greasy or heavy.

As the warm, soft porridge slid down her throat, a wave of warmth surged through her stomach. Xiang Shuxing lowered her eyes, feeling a strange, unfamiliar emotion take root in her heart.

Night deepened by the time Chu Yingqiu finished her company work. Returning home, she was taken aback to see a huddled figure on the sofa. She stepped forward slowly; the person sleeping on the sofa remained oblivious, a blanket having slid halfway off. Chu Yingqiu leaned over to pick it up, tucking it in gently.

Suddenly, the person’s brows twitched, and the next moment, her eyes opened slowly, still heavy with sleep. Chu Yingqiu asked softly, “Why are you sleeping out here?”

“You’re back,” Xiang Shuxing said instinctively.

Freshly woken, her voice was soft and her eyes hazy. She looked exactly like someone who had been waiting specifically for her return. Chu Yingqiu gazed at her, her expression softening. “Did you eat the porridge at noon?”

After a moment of clarity, Xiang Shuxing pulled herself together and turned her face away, tucking back some messy strands of hair. “Mhm.”

Her throat stung with a fiery pain the moment she spoke. She realized something was wrong and tried to clear her throat, but the pain remained, making her voice raspy. Xiang Shuxing panicked and clamped her mouth shut. She guessed that the chips she’d eaten at noon had exacerbated her lingering sore throat.

Thankfully, she hadn’t said much, so Chu Yingqiu probably hadn’t noticed anything off. But Chu Yingqiu kept talking, asking if she’d taken her medicine and what she wanted for dinner; she couldn’t just keep saying “Mhm” and “Oh.”

The woman quickly caught on. “What’s wrong with your throat?”

“It’s nothing,” Xiang Shuxing lied, laughing it off. “It’s probably just because I haven’t drunk enough water today.”

The person before her was clearly not as easy to fool as she’d hoped. After walking around the living room, Chu Yingqiu headed upstairs and walked straight into her room. Xiang Shuxing didn’t even have time to stop her. “Hey! Don’t you know it’s rude to enter someone’s room without permission?”

Chu Yingqiu ignored her protest, glanced around the room, and quickly spotted the chip packaging in the trash bin. “What is this?” she asked, expressionless.

Since she’d been caught, she could only bite the bullet and confess. Xiang Shuxing’s eyes darted around, clearly guilty. “I saw the chips were about to expire, so I just…”

“Your flu hasn’t even cleared up yet. No wonder your throat is hurting again.”

Xiang Shuxing didn’t say a word. Chu Yingqiu sighed helplessly and pointed to a spot. “Stand there and don’t move. I’m going to see if your throat is inflamed.” She reached for a flashlight.

Xiang Shuxing couldn’t help but take a half-step back. “Don’t make a fuss. You’re not a doctor, what could you possibly see?”

Chu Yingqiu didn’t listen, clicking on the flashlight as her fingertips brushed against Xiang Shuxing’s jaw.

“Open your mouth.”

The woman’s fingertips were cool, touching her lightly. Xiang Shuxing’s breath hitched; she wanted to pull away, but her jaw was tilted up firmly. Their gazes were locked, impossible to avoid. She watched Chu Yingqiu’s beautiful face draw closer, magnifying until it stopped, the distance between them was no more than two fingers’ width.

For some reason, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind:

It’s a distance perfect for kissing.