Chapter 286: Chapter 286 - 282: Desire Is a Double-Edged Sword

Shi Su wondered if she’d see an icy face if she went in at this time. After all, it was working hours, and... maybe it wasn’t a good time to interrupt.

She looked at the shopping bag in her hand with a conflicted expression.

That secretary, or whatever Miss Fu’s name is, even invited him to a French restaurant just now...

Isn’t the boxed meal and noodles I bought from the convenience store a bit... half-hearted?

While Shi Su was debating whether to go back and repack some food or just head home to avoid disturbing him, her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket.

She took out her phone and saw a WeChat message from Jing Jihan.

Jing Jihan: [Aren’t you coming in?]

Shi Su: ???

How did he know she was here?

Jing Jihan is so busy; he couldn’t possibly always be watching the cameras in the company’s front plaza, and her meeting with Zhou He downstairs was just accidental. Could Zhou He have called to tell him?

It doesn’t seem like Zhou He would be so chatty either...

Shi Su hurriedly ran to the president’s office door with the shopping bag. Since she was already discovered, she simply pushed the door open quietly without knocking and walked in. She saw Jing Jihan sitting behind his desk—the same person, with the same posture and working state as before—but the moment she entered, his gaze shifted straight to her. Seeing her wrapped in a scarf and hat, carrying the shopping bag, there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Oh my goodness, if I had known you’d find out, I wouldn’t have hidden. It’s so hot." Shi Su turned back to see the man looking at her with leisurely interest, hurriedly took off her hat, and let out a long breath: "It’s cold outside, but your company is so warm. The air conditioning in the corridor isn’t set low either, no wonder the little secretary was wearing so little just now."

Upon hearing this, Jing Jihan paused and gave her a half-glance: "So, is your point that the company is too warm, or that the secretary is wearing too little?"

Shi Su: "..."

She coughed and cleared her throat: "Neither is important, what’s important is whether there is a place to cook here?"

As she spoke, she hurriedly picked up the shopping bag she had just put on the office sofa, taking out the boxed meal and noodles to show him: "Since I’m already here, if you haven’t eaten, I can cook you a bowl of noodles, it’s not much trouble. I happened to buy quite a few seasonings and vegetables just now."

Jing Jihan looked at the things in her hands: "You came to my company to cook noodles?"

Shi Su handed the boxed meal in her other hand towards him: "Or you could eat the boxed meal, if there’s a microwave. But who knows if the convenience store box meals have preservatives? Do you have a break room here?"

She looked around as she spoke.

Indeed, she saw that on the left side of the office, there was a hidden door matching the color of the wall, with a file and bookcase nearby. Though not blocked by the shelf, it indeed wasn’t easy to notice the door without looking carefully.

She pointed in that direction and gave him a questioning look.

Just then, Jing Jihan received data files from the United States that he needed to read immediately. He glanced at it and said: "Inside is indeed a break room, I can eat anything, no need to specifically cook. You can go in and rest, and sleep here if you’re tired."

Seeing that he had important things to take care of, Shi Su didn’t say more to avoid disturbing him and went directly into the break room with the shopping bag, pushing the door open. As she entered, the lights came on instantly. With one look, she saw the unexpected space inside his office.

The Yu Jing Group office building occupied a large area, with not many offices on this floor. But the assistant office and the president’s office were large, with many functional rooms. She thought this was just a small break room with a bed and necessary facilities, yet the space was comparable to a normal apartment of over 200 square meters.

She closed the door behind her, walked in, and placed the shopping bag on the kitchen island, then looked around.

Compared to Kaixing Mansion, while not as big, this 200-plus square meter break room was indeed quite large...

Maybe because it was in the company, the surrounding privacy was higher than Kaixing Mansion, and soundproofing was good too. But Jing Jihan probably didn’t sleep at the company often, or maybe hadn’t slept here for a long time, as the fridge was empty, completely barren.

Luckily, she had bought spices and other things, otherwise, it would be the proverbial trying to cook a meal without rice.

Twenty minutes later, Shi Su came out from the break room with a steaming bowl of savory egg noodles.

This time she was cautious, avoiding walking in on him during a meeting or other situation, and deliberately looked at what Jing Jihan was doing when she opened the door. Seeing him standing at the floor-to-ceiling window, on the phone, probably with overseas partners or someone important as he was speaking English. His calm, deep voice was not loud in the night, yet pleasant to the ear.

Shi Su quietly placed the freshly made noodles on his desk where he would see them when he was done with the call. Ensuring not to disturb him, she glanced at him again discreetly, seeing he wore a dark gray shirt and a well-tailored suit pants, holding the phone in one hand and the other in his pocket. Having lived in the United States for years, she understood the conversation’s importance and didn’t continue to eavesdrop, turning back into the break room.

In the group chat, Jun sent a message: [@Su, you’re such a friend-abandoner, leaving us all behind. Did you go see Mr. Jing?]

Shi Su replied: [@Chujia, look after Jun and make sure she doesn’t drink too much.]

Chujia: [Timidly saying, Jun is already quite drunk, I can’t stop her...]

Shi Su chuckled, bantering with them briefly in the chat, then turned her gaze to the break room door again.

Running to Yu Jing Group was unexpected for her too, originally intending to stay downstairs shortly, yet now she’s ended up in Jing Jihan’s office break room.

Abandon friends for romance?

Jing Jihan is such an absolute beauty... It’s understandable to forget friends just this once.

Beauty is like a knife above our heads, who says only men succumb to it.

Women do too.

But what was she thinking just now when she bought beer at the convenience store?

Shi Su took out the two cans of beer from the shopping bag on the kitchen island, staring at them silently for a moment.

...

Ten minutes later.

Shi Su crept to the break room door, secretly opened a crack, and peeked out, seeing he seemed not done with work yet. She then leaned her forehead against the door frame, scratching the door with her finger in a bit of frustration.

Darn.

Jing Jihan faintly heard something, turned and saw Shi Su peeking through the door crack, her eyes glazed with a touch of tipsy grievance as though neglected—