Chapter 17 Her Gaze Unconsciously Followed His Figure

Chapter 17: Her Gaze Unconsciously Followed Him as He Left

Under Gao Youhe's watchful eye, after getting more food, Lu Yingxiao didn't finish it quickly this time. She ate slowly, savoring each bite.

After finishing, she sent two photos to the group.

One was a photo of her tray with food before eating, and the other was a photo of the empty tray after eating.

Both photos included the time and her location.

After sending the photos, Lu Yingxiao immediately followed up with a text message: "Reporting to Monitor Youhe, it took me 8 minutes and 35 seconds to eat this time."

Gao Youhe: "You rock, Sis-in-law! Here's a 'little red flower' for you!"

"Flower.jpg"

Lu Yingxiao: "Thank you, Squad Leader Youhe. I'll keep trying my best!"

Gao Youhe: "I believe in you, Sis-in-law."

Gao Yan remained silent in the group, not saying a word, nor had he shared anything about his own meal.

Lu Yingxiao frowned tightly.

She felt bad for Gao Youhe, who should be carefree but instead had to worry about an adult's health. She decided to check on Gao Yan for Youhe's sake.

The door to the small private room was open.

From her seat, Lu Yingxiao had a view into the room.

In the about ten-square-meter room, only Gao Yan sat.

He seemed to have finished eating; there was no food on his tray. Gao Yan was frowning slightly at his phone.

After a moment, he raised his phone and started taking a picture of the empty tray.

After taking the photo, his slender fingers danced nimbly across the phone screen, likely sending the photo and typing a message.

As soon as his fingers stopped, Lu Yingxiao's phone vibrated. A message arrived in the group from Gao Yan. He posted his own update in the same format.

Gao Youhe also praised Gao Yan in the group. Lu Yingxiao felt, however, that Gao Youhe's praise for Gao Yan was more procedural, not very heartfelt. Because after praising Gao Yan, Gao Youhe enthusiastically praised her again in the group: "Another little red flower for Sis-in-law! Sis-in-law set a great example for Brother."

Lu Yingxiao: "Shy cat emoji.jpg"

"Yingxiao, who are you messaging? You haven't stopped smiling." Xia Huaimeng had finished her meal.

Looking up and seeing Lu Yingxiao constantly on her phone, she asked curiously.

After half a day together, Lu Yingxiao had gotten used to Xia Huaimeng's enthusiastic but sometimes overfamiliar personality.

She replied, "My sister."

Xia Huaimeng: "You and your sister must be really close. Although I don't have a biological younger sister, I have cousins around my age, but we're not nearly as close as you two seem."

Lu Yingxiao: "Relationships between people depend on fate."

Before meeting Gao Youhe, she hadn't been this close with anyone either.

She had always been rather a loner, completely focused on work.

Shengzao Construction Company's lunch break was from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM. It was just after noon when they finished eating.

On the way back to the office, Xia Huaimeng asked Lu Yingxiao, "Do you nap at noon? I just got my new folding bed, so you can use my old one."

Lu Yingxiao: "Okay, thank you."

Xia Huaimeng: "Why so polite? If anyone should be thanking someone, I should thank you for being so tolerant, putting up with my chattiness and my lack of boundaries."

Lu Yingxiao smiled, "You're quite self-aware."

Xia Huaimeng proudly puffed out her chest, "Although in our secretarial office, I'm considered the least ambitious one, but anyone who can get into the secretarial office must have some savvy, right? I saw that you were easy to get along with and didn't mind me being friendly, so I dared to let loose and show my true personality."

Lu Yingxiao: "That means we're quite compatible and have fate on our side."

Xia Huaimeng affectionately linked arms with Lu Yingxiao, "So, can we become good friends?"

To be honest, the term "good friend" was quite unfamiliar to Lu Yingxiao.

Since she was six years old and started shuttling between various relatives' homes, she had been too busy with studies and survival to make friends.

After entering society, she was busy with work, her mind filled with thoughts on how to earn more money, and had even less inclination to make friends.

In the past, she also felt she didn't need friends.

But now, she said to the eagerly expectant Xia Huaimeng, "Well, if nothing unexpected happens, we will become good friends."

Xia Huaimeng: "Good friends go shopping together on their days off. How about this Saturday, we go out and stroll around?"

Lu Yingxiao: "Saturday won't work. I have plans with my sister on Saturday. How about Sunday?"

Xia Huaimeng: "That works too. I usually go out on Saturdays and laze at home on Sundays. Changing things up sounds good."

Back in the office, Xia Huaimeng took out her old and new folding beds and set them up at her and Lu Yingxiao's workstations.

"Don't think this folding bed is old, but it's super comfortable to sleep on. I bought a new one not because the old one was bad, but mainly because the shopping platform happened to give me a discount coupon for a folding bed. Not using it felt like a waste since the discount was pretty good."

Lu Yingxiao lay down on the folding bed to try it out properly. "You really are good at picking things. Normally, I'm not used to sleeping on folding beds, but lying on this one, I feel like my whole body is gently supported by it. I started feeling sleepy very quickly."

Xia Huaimeng: "Right? It's super comfortable to sleep on, isn't it? You don't need to buy one; you can use this folding bed."

Lu Yingxiao: "Okay."

The air conditioning was on in the office. Xia Huaimeng only had one blanket.

Fortunately, their workstations were next to each other, and the two folding beds were also side by side. Xia Huaimeng shared half of her blanket with Lu Yingxiao and casually patted Lu Yingxiao's body a couple of times.

Because her mother had always patted her to sleep like that since she was little, over time, she learned the habit and would instinctively pat someone or something.

Perhaps mothers all over the world have similar ways of lulling children to sleep. Xia Huaimeng's gentle pats also reminded Lu Yingxiao of her own mother.

Tucking her in, gently patting her body.

After falling asleep, Lu Yingxiao dreamed she had returned to her childhood, drowsily lying next to her mother as her mother patted her body, lulling her to sleep.

Having had a good dream, Lu Yingxiao woke up with a smile on her face, looking refreshed and energetic.

After "working" for an hour in the afternoon, Lu Yingxiao took the materials she had organized in the morning and reported to Wan Hui, "Sister Wan, I've finished organizing all the materials."

Wan Hui: "That was fast?"

She checked the materials Lu Yingxiao had organized, which were neatly sorted and clearly presented, making it easy to quickly locate any needed file.

Wan Hui was generous with her praise. "Nice work. That was quick and thorough."

Lu Yingxiao offered a modest smile.

Wan Hui took a folder from her desk and handed it to Lu Yingxiao. "There's a meeting on the South City project in fifteen minutes. Look over these to get up to speed, then come with me to the conference room."

Xia Huaimeng had told her that when first joining the secretarial office, every secretary initially gets assigned to organize materials. Those who finish on the same day are given other tasks the next day—perhaps learning to coordinate the CEO's travel, meetings, and daily schedule, or drafting various notices and handling more trivial matters. Getting to sit in on a meeting right away, so far besides Lu Yingxiao, only Tian Tian had managed it, having also finished organizing her materials ahead of schedule on her first day.

This was a sign that Wan Hui thought highly of her.

It also proved Xia Huaimeng hadn't been lying; Shengzao Construction Company wasn't like the exploitative companies Lu Yingxiao had worked for before, companies that overworked staff and offered no path for advancement.

A transparent company meant its leadership was transparent too.

Just as she was thinking this, she saw Gao Yan emerge from his office in the distance.

Before, in situations where she didn't need to interact with Gao Yan, Lu Yingxiao wouldn't actively look his way. Now, however, her gaze instinctively followed him.

She watched him meet up with Special Assistant Chen, and the two of them entered the elevator together.