With the interlude over, Gu Qing returned to her usual self, tapping her fingers twice on the table before saying:

"So? Now that you're off work, interested in joining me for a casual meal?"

"No," Yan Feng shook his head and continued, "I'm not hungry right now."

But the woman wasn't ready to give up. Instead, she pouted and said with displeasure:

"Hey, you little lunatic, what's with your attitude? I'm only inviting you out for a meal because I'm worried about your health. Can't you just treat it like a business dinner with another boss?"

Yan Feng looked up at her, thought for a moment, and found her reasoning sound. He stood up and said flatly:

"Are you treating?"

"Of course!" Gu Qing lifted her chin, looking quite proud. "Eat as much as you want, I'll cover it. If it's not enough, I'll charge it to the company!"

"Then I want steak," the man declared righteously. "Starting at a pound."

"No way!" Gu Qing put her hands on her hips, looking very smug. "We'll eat together, starting with a whole cow!"

To read the uncut version, go to [p𝘢wread.com].

…………

The two walked side by side through the office area, heading outside.

Suddenly, Gu Qing spoke up, "By the way, do you want to wash your hair? Honestly, your skin is naturally oily, and without care these past few days, you're almost like a raccoon, with fur as slick as oil..."

Yan Feng's mouth twitched. He touched his head, indeed feeling a bit greasy, but he couldn't go home now and had nowhere to freshen up...

"I'll wait. Tonight, I'll find a hotel to stay at and wash up..."

Upon hearing this, the woman immediately turned her head, staring at him as if he were an idiot, and said clearly, "Are you out of your mind?"

"You think I want to!?"

Yan Feng was speechless, then continued, "If I could go home, I would. Who in their right mind would stay at a hotel when they have a home? And why are you looking at me like that?"

Gu Qing stopped abruptly, pointing to the building next door, "Little lunatic, tell me, what is that?"

Following her finger, Yan Feng glanced at the billboard downstairs and naturally replied, "The hotel next door, what's up? I was planning to stay there tonight."

Gu Qing rolled her eyes at him, sighed, and looked at him like he was a foolish son of a landlord, then asked, "Look at the hotel name again and read it out loud for me!"

"What kind of nonsense are you on about..."

Yan Feng mumbled, turning his head to look across, then said, "Gu Qing Elegant Court, sounds pretty upscale. What's the problem? I really don't get you, making such a fuss over a hotel name..."

"Wait a minute..."

As he spoke, the man seemed to realize something, frowning in confusion, "Why does this name sound so familiar? Gu Qing Elegant Court... Gu Qing... Gu Qing!?"

He suddenly turned to look at the woman, who was brimming with pride, and exclaimed in surprise, "Wait, did you... buy an ad board on purpose!? How much did you take from the company, you spendthrift!!!"

The woman's previously smiling face fell instantly, suppressing her anger, she said word by word:

"My family is in real estate, and we have some hotel chain businesses."

"And then?" Yan Feng still didn't get it, but he could guess a little, mainly because he couldn't believe it.

"And then, damn it, my old man deliberately opened it across the street! You crazy fool, not only crazy but stupid too, huh!?"

Gu Qing cursed, giving the man a hard shove, feeling a sense of triumph, like a serf who had turned over and started singing.

Yet Yan Feng still had a question, one he couldn't figure out no matter how hard he thought:

"Your dad opened a hotel next to your company, so why do you still have the nerve to be late to work every day!?"

"Uh, well... that's... uh, that's not important..."

"Is it really not important?"

"Not important!"

Gu Qing, like a cat with its fur standing on end, retorted while flailing her arms, "Anyway, little lunatic, just come stay with me tonight. It's better than a presidential suite, exclusive to me, the bed is so soft, it's really comfortable!"

"No thanks, I'll just get a regular room," Yan Feng said, then headed towards the elevator.

Watching his back, Gu Qing quickly caught up, not forgetting to glance at the hotel building outside the window, her eyes filled with a stubborn defiance.

Her father opened the hotel across from her company to pressure her, and she liked to sleep in the corner cubicle because of it.

After all, if she sat elsewhere, she could see the things her father could get with a nod, things she could never earn in a lifetime, and that feeling... only she understood.

Fortunately, she's doing well now, really well, but... if she worked a bit harder, maybe it could be even better...

The two entered the elevator together.

In silence, Gu Qing was the first to speak.

"Hey, little lunatic?"

"What?" Yan Feng asked expressionlessly, "If you have something to say, say it."

"I... don't want to pay your salary anymore..."

"Hmm!?"

Gu Qing put her hands behind her back, looking at the puzzled man, a faint smile on her face:

"I'm already 26 this year."

"And then?" Yan Feng's eyelid twitched, having a good idea of what she wanted to say next, so he asked, "Do you have something to say? A speech about being a leftover woman?"

Hearing this, Gu Qing didn't get angry but instead fell silent for a while before saying self-deprecatingly:

"I still keep in touch with many of our female classmates from university. Some are already married, some are posting on social media with their pregnant bellies, and some even have kids who are a few years old. But I'm still... single..."

As she spoke, the woman turned her gaze to Yan Feng beside her and continued:

"Little lunatic... I've waited for you for four years... You're almost 29 this year, right? Approaching thirty, can't you reconsider me?"

Yan Feng wasn't a fool; sitting by the fire, how could he not feel her warmth? But...

The man sighed, unable to look at her directly, and said in a flat tone, "You know about her and me, and in our interactions... you should more or less understand what I mean..."

Pausing, he continued to advise, "You should really find a better man... since university, you shouldn't have waited for a stubborn lunatic like me..."

"Really?" Gu Qing's lips curled into a bitter smile, "But I can't find anyone better than you..."

With a ding, the elevator reached the ground floor. Gu Qing stepped out and said:

"But it's okay... you always call me silly, like a little fool..."

Her elegant figure suddenly stopped, paused, then turned to look at him, year after year, five years, eight years, as always:

"Maybe liking someone makes you foolish..." Gu Qing said nonchalantly, "It's okay, I've been foolish for eight years, I don't mind being foolish a few more days..."