You Should’ve Said Earlier that you’re Such a Little Flirt! - Chapter 25

People always forget their disguises when they are most relaxed.

Xu Qingqiong felt this vividly.

Lin Konglu’s scalding tears fell onto her bare back, burning so hot that she couldn’t help but shiver slightly.

Xu Qingqiong was puzzled. She wanted to cry because of a physiological reaction, but why was Lin Konglu crying?

She couldn’t help but prop herself up on her arms to look at her.

When a cold person sheds tears, it’s a significant event—like a flower drenched in rain. Because it is rare, it is precious, and it makes one feel even more startled by its beauty.

For a split second, this scene suddenly overlapped with her recurring dreams.

Xu Qingqiong almost thought it was an illusion. Her breathing quickened as she sat up, kneeling in front of her. She stared intently, reaching out a finger to wipe the tears away. “What’s wrong?”

Ever since Xu Qingqiong asked that question, Lin Konglu had frozen, remaining motionless. However, her eyelashes still bore traces of moisture, and her gaze held a flicker of guilt and annoyance.

The fingertip became damp with the salt of her tears.

Xu Qingqiong didn’t know why Lin Konglu was crying, but she knew how to comfort her. After thinking for a moment, she reached out to take the box from the cabinet.

Having had her first experience, she was much more fluid in unpacking it this time.

But before she could slide it onto her own finger, Lin Konglu grasped her wrist, rubbing it gently, and leaned in to kiss her again.

Xu Qingqiong didn’t have a steady seat and was suddenly pushed over.

Her attention was diverted. She didn’t notice when the item was taken from her hand and placed onto another finger.

By the time she realized it, she was already sitting on Lin Konglu’s lap. Lin Konglu patted her waist, telling her to relax a little.

Fine then.

In the end, Xu Qingqiong had to give up her idea of being the “Top” (1) and settled for lying back and enjoying it.

In her daze, as their warm bodies touched, Xu Qingqiong felt that Lin Konglu’s movements weren’t as gentle this time—as if she were deliberately trying to hide something.

And, what was wrong with Lin Konglu?

…

When she woke up the next day, it was already late. The spot beside her was empty.

She got out of bed and saw a breakfast set out on the kitchen island along with a butter latte.

They had gone to sleep very late last night, and making butter sauce was time-consuming.

Xu Qingqiong glanced at the time—it was only 9:00 AM. She wondered if Lin Konglu had slept at all.

She took a sip of the latte. It was rich. She then took a bite of a piece of fragrantly toasted bread.

She probably hadn’t noticed it herself, but her habits were quietly changing; Lin Konglu was changing her.

Her mind drifted aimlessly until she suddenly remembered Bafu’s question about the wedding delay.

Actually, if the wedding hadn’t been postponed, the venue, the dress, and the rings hadn’t even been decided… just thinking about it was a headache.

Moreover, Lin Konglu’s family seemed very traditional and followed strict rules; there had to be three wedding dresses.

She hadn’t been to the office for the past two months, and her only contact was Barfu.

After finishing breakfast, she prepared to head to the company.

On the way, she suddenly received a call from Cong Yun.

During these two months, Cong Yun had called often, but Xu Qingqiong used the wedding preparation as an excuse to hide the truth, saying she had no time to spare.

Cong Yun had always been carefree. She grew up in a smooth environment, pampered by her parents and an older sister. She didn’t need to shoulder family responsibilities and acted without inhibition.

She was scattered and free, living happily but without much sense of duty—carrying a certain romantic, childish air.

So, even though Cong Yun was several years older than her, Xu Qingqiong quietly kept everything from her and didn’t ask for help.

Besides, this was her own business. By the same token, if Lin Konglu hadn’t found out, she wouldn’t have told Lin Konglu either.

Cong Yun sprawled across a table and asked, “Qiong, want to go for a drink? I haven’t seen you in forever, I miss you.”

Xu Qingqiong tactfully declined: “I have to go to the office today.”

Cong Yun compromised, her tone a bit gloomy, “Then how about a bar near your company?”

Xu Qingqiong didn’t drink and had no interest.

But Cong Yun loved drinking; she didn’t just love alcohol, she loved hitting bars and nightclubs. Previously, there had been incidents where she went to a hotel with someone after drinking…

Xu Qingqiong refused without hesitation.

Cong Yun was disappointed and muttered, “I haven’t had a drink in so long.”

Xu Qingqiong said casually, “Quit drinking lately?”

“No…” Cong Yun shook her head, clearly not in a good mood.

Seeing her strange state, Xu Qingqiong said, “How about I accompany you tonight after I get off work?”

Cong Yun said, “Tonight won’t work, I…” She paused, hesitating. “Forget it, it’s nothing.”

“Whenever you want to hang out later, I’m at your service.”

After hanging up, Xu Qingqiong messaged Lin Konglu, telling her to wait for her at lunch. She planned to discuss the wedding and other matters.

She returned to her desk.

Having disappeared for two months, her desk was piled with a mountain of discarded files; at first glance, it looked like a ruin.

No doubt the supervisor’s doing.

She was in a good mood today and didn’t want to argue, so she started tidying up.

Xiao Mi appeared beside her at some point, silently helping her carry away several stacks of waste paper.

After managing to clear a small space for herself, Xu Qingqiong stopped organizing. She checked the time; it was almost time for her lunch date with Lin Konglu.

Xiao Mi looked hesitant and nervous, her tone unnatural. “Qingqiong, there’s something I want to tell you.”

Xiao Mi’s application to transfer last month had been approved. She had messaged Xu Qingqiong about it then; she was moving to another workgroup this week and was currently doing some wrap-up work.

Xu Qingqiong originally wanted to refuse, but seeing Xiao Mi’s tense face, she assumed it was an important work matter.

Stopping her movements, she nodded. “Okay.”

At the end of the hallway, Xiao Mi stood opposite her, still hesitating as various thoughts circled her mind.

She actually wanted to try confessing to Xu Qingqiong.

Given Xu Qingqiong’s personality, if she really had a partner, why had they never appeared? She claimed she was getting married, but no one had ever seen the fiancé; it sounded more like an excuse.

So she wanted to try.

Even if she was rejected, she had to try.

According to Xu Qingqiong’s personality, they had many chances to interact at work, yet Xu Qingqiong remained lukewarm toward her. If she didn’t try now, there would be no chance later.

Thinking of this, Xiao Mi gritted her teeth and made up her mind, nervously tugging at her hem. “I’m going to the new group next week. Thanks to you for that previous project… can I treat you to a meal?”

Xu Qingqiong was distracted. “What?” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar figure appear at the end of the hall. She looked over, and it was indeed Lin Konglu.

The impression of the drunk Lin Konglu from last night was still fresh, but now, in her shirt and suit with sleeves casually rolled up, she looked capable and cold.

A slight smile played on Xu Qingqiong’s lips. She took out her phone to message her, indicating she should wait a moment.

Lin Konglu saw the message, cast a glance in her direction, and stood still.

Xiao Mi was comforted by that sudden smile and nervously repeated her request.

Xu Qingqiong heard her and declined decisively. “No need for a meal. You helped me before too.”

She glanced at the time. “Anything else? If not, I’m leaving.” Lin Konglu was waiting for her.

“Qingqiong.” Xiao Mi took a deep breath, summoning her courage. “I like you.”

Xu Qingqiong froze, looking up in a daze. “Ah?”

Hearing those words, Lin Konglu, who had been waiting, turned and walked away.

Xiao Mi’s voice wasn’t loud, but the hallway was empty and quiet; the sound carried. Lin Konglu must have heard.

She wasn’t worried about Lin Konglu being angry, but she felt awkward. Seeing the empty spot where Lin Konglu had been, her heart panicked.

If it hadn’t been for the unexpected wedding delay, they would already be legal wives.

In short, Xu Qingqiong felt an inexplicable guilt, a strange sensation of being “caught.”

She wanted to chase after Lin Konglu immediately, but Xiao Mi was still waiting for an answer.

“Thank you for your feelings.” She felt a bit of a headache, explaining quickly, “I’m getting married soon, you know that.”

Though Xiao Mi’s voice was weak, she was uncharacteristically persistent. She asked, “But you don’t even have an engagement ring.”

Xu Qingqiong was stunned by the question. Their decision to marry was rushed, and there was no romantic foundation between them. Naturally, they had never considered rings—forget couple rings or engagement rings, they hadn’t even picked out wedding bands.

Xiao Mi asked again, “How can you prove it?”

“…” Prove what? She was going crazy. She couldn’t exactly drag Lin Konglu over to prove it.

Xu Qingqiong took a step back to maintain distance, her tone serious. “I really am getting married soon. There’s no need to prove that to you.”

“Besides, we’ve only known each other for less than two months. Do you really know me? You only like the parts of me I show. My flaws, my bad habits, the side I don’t want to show others—you don’t know any of that. Can that really be called ‘liking’?”

It was just like her and Lin Konglu. Even though they got along harmoniously, she couldn’t say she fully understood Lin Konglu, nor could she say she loved her.

“Anyway, thank you again for your feelings. I’ll invite you to the wedding when the time comes.”

Having finally gathered the courage to confess, Xiao Mi hadn’t expected this result.

Xiao Mi sniffled, her tone low. “I understand.”

She added, “Can you give me a hug? Just as ordinary friends.”

Xu Qingqiong shook her head and backed away. “Sorry.” She immediately ran toward where Lin Konglu had disappeared.

As she turned the corner, she found Lin Konglu standing not far away, quietly watching her.

She breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “Oh, you didn’t leave?”

“Did I interrupt your ‘good thing’?” Lin Konglu stood with her arms crossed, her tone icy.

Xu Qingqiong was taken aback by the tone. “What ‘good thing’?”

Lin Konglu remained cold and silent.

Xu Qingqiong couldn’t help but complain in her head: What’s with this attitude? Her face is cold enough to freeze someone to death.

She had been crying in her arms last night, and now she was this cold. Xu Qingqiong paused, suddenly finding this contrast quite interesting.

“Hey,” she poked Lin Konglu’s shoulder, teasingly. “Are you jealous?”

Lin Konglu finally turned to look at her. “…”

After a few seconds, she said coldly, “No.”

If no, then no—why be so fierce? It seemed like a “protesting too much” situation that raised suspicions.

Xu Qingqiong frowned, staring into her eyes. “But you didn’t have this attitude last night.”

Reminded of last night, Lin Konglu instantly felt a surge of shame and anger. “Enough.”

“Alright, I won’t say it then.” Xu Qingqiong teased her on purpose. “Then you can’t make things hard for her. Don’t fire her.”

Lin Konglu’s expression turned cold again. “You’re overthinking. I don’t have that kind of power.”

Xu Qingqiong suddenly remembered some office gossip she’d heard—that Lin Konglu wasn’t recognized by the Lin family until she was a teenager. Lin Shuhai still hadn’t shown any intention of letting her take over the company. She wondered if he had other plans.

At the time, Xu Qingqiong hadn’t taken the gossip to heart; it had flashed by without much thought.

But thinking about it now, it seemed to be true.

Compared to someone like Cong Yun’s sister, Cong Yueqing, who started learning at the company as a teen and entered the management track right after college, Lin Konglu’s situation was different. Cong Yueqing had rotated through departments and was quickly given major projects and decision-making power.

In Ses, Lin Konglu didn’t have much real authority. Many projects seemed to be finalized by her on the surface, but in reality, major corporate decisions were still made by Lin Shuhai and the board. She couldn’t interfere at all.

During these two months, Xu Qingqiong had occasionally seen Lin Konglu’s workload.

It was tedious and cluttered, taking up massive amounts of time. Her phone rang constantly.

A company leader should be making strategic decisions, not executing minute details. Being bogged down by repetitive work for a long time erodes judgment and loss of control over direction.

If Ses was a ship, Lin Konglu should be the captain, directing the helmsman and controlling the speed.

But currently, Lin Konglu was more like the helmsman—working herself to the bone—while Lin Shuhai had no intention of stepping down.

Lin Konglu probably really hadn’t slept all night. Her eyes were bloodshot, with faint dark circles underneath. She looked a bit fragile.

Xu Qingqiong couldn’t bear to tease her further. “I was joking. I shouldn’t have said that.”

She then used a coaxing tone as if talking to a child. “I’m sorry, don’t be mad, baby.”

Lin Konglu finally lifted her eyelids to look at her, appearing utterly incredulous. Her pupils dilated, and her cold mask began to crack.

Seeing the redness spread from her neck toward her cheeks, she quickly swiped Xu Qingqiong’s hand away and turned to walk ahead.

Xu Qingqiong thought she was angry again and watched her back with a bewildered gaze.

Isn’t this how you coax a kid? Lin Konglu is harder to please than a toddler.

Can’t even call her ‘baby’ once?

Support You Should’ve Said Earlier that you’re Such a Little Flirt!