Chapter 45: The Company's Little Perks

After hanging the freshly washed clothes to dry and gathering yesterday’s laundry, Lu Yu carried the bundle upstairs to his room. Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian were each occupied in their own rooms; neither had emerged, and Lu Yu had no intention of disturbing them.

Everyone has their own way of relating to others, and everyone needs solitude now and then.

Lu Yu, for instance, often found himself craving a moment alone—even if it meant simply sitting quietly without thinking or doing anything in particular. Otherwise, his heart would always be restless, unable to find peace.

It’s much like how, every month, women have a few days when their mood dips and they’re inexplicably irritable. That’s when you need to be tactful—never provoke them.

Yet Lu Yu was mistaken.

He hadn’t meant to bother Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian, but it was they who came looking for him.

It turned out both had bathed, applied their face masks, and then put on exquisite makeup together. They were beautiful even without makeup—their fresh, fair faces radiant with youth—but a bit of embellishment made them even more delicate and alluring.

The two entered his room, their eyes sparkling with playful intent, lips curled in faint, enchanting smiles, gazing at Lu Yu with a captivating innocence.

Shi Zixuan was dressed in a seductive pink sailor outfit: sheer crystal heels, pink over-the-knee stockings, a short pink tulle skirt, and a cropped white top trimmed with pink ruffles. A pink silk scarf was wrapped around her neck, and a jaunty sailor hat perched atop her head.

Qin Xiaomian wore a white air force cap edged in blue, a blue-and-white scarf draped loosely at her neck, a white blouse that fell to her waist, a sky-blue miniskirt over light blue stockings, and pale blue crystal heels.

Their outfits were entirely at odds with their usual styles. Shi Zixuan, with her classical features, typically favored elegant, traditional attire, but now she radiated pure girlish charm. Qin Xiaomian, whose looks and style were usually fresh and youthful, appeared uncharacteristically bold and seductive.

The striking contrast left Lu Yu parched with desire. His gaze lingered appreciatively over both of them, especially their long legs and the shimmer of their crystal heels.

The women were clearly satisfied by his reaction, reading the intense longing and possessiveness in his eyes.

It was a pity, perhaps, that they weren’t on a beach with blue skies and white clouds. Or perhaps, it was a relief they weren’t.

A night passed, and all of them had grown in their own ways.

At dawn, the two women awoke to the sound of their phone alarms, their delicate faces tinged with a rosy flush from the night’s affection. Stretching languidly, filled with quiet satisfaction, they returned to their rooms to wash up.

Lu Yu, meanwhile, turned over and continued to sleep, unwilling to wake. Exercise, after all, was good for both body and spirit—but it was truly exhausting. He needed time to recover his strength.

It was past ten in the morning before he woke, still groggy. He reached out on either side, only to find the bed empty.

After a moment’s thought, he remembered that they had likely gone to work already. He struggled to sit up, checked his phone for the time, tossed it aside, and lay in bed a bit longer before finally getting up to wash.

Once dressed, he rubbed his sore lower back and headed to the library.

Lu Yu realized something quite serious: ever since meeting Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian, every time he rubbed his aching back, his desire to study grew ever more urgent. Was this some kind of hidden message?

He pondered for a long time but found no answer. Not every question in life has an answer.

He devoured books on biology and medicine, rediscovering the energy and focus of his old academic self. At five in the afternoon, as the library closed, he borrowed several books to take home.

When he returned, Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian had just come back as well. Without a word, Lu Yu grabbed them both and headed upstairs to change clothes—then downstairs again for a run.

The two women shuffled miserably into the exercise room, hoping to elicit some sympathy and escape their fate. Lu Yu gave each a firm pat.

Shi Zixuan turned to glare at him in shy annoyance, while Qin Xiaomian looked as if she enjoyed it, even wishing he’d do it again.

He hustled them onto the treadmills, set a specific distance for each, and told them they could run or walk, but today they absolutely had to complete the kilometers.

Faced with Lu Yu’s stern insistence, both women surrendered and began to walk slowly on the machines.

Once they got started, Lu Yu went upstairs to change as well, then joined them for a run himself.

The next morning, the three of them went to the company together—a rare occasion that made both women quietly happy. Qin Xiaomian clung to his arm all the way there, only letting go at the entrance, and Shi Zixuan wore a smile the entire journey.

Inside, Lu Yu parted from the two and went to his own office. Liu Shichang dropped in to greet him, and Lu Yu took the opportunity to ask about the movie tickets, instructing him to distribute them by noon so as not to waste time.

Liu Shichang nodded and left to make the arrangements.

Lu Yu spent the morning skimming the books he’d borrowed the day before but hadn’t read yet. At lunch, he joined Liu Shichang, Zhou Jing, and several other managers, checking in on their recent work.

Everyone seemed to be managing well, except for Zhou Jing, who’d had little to do since they acquired the cosmetics company.

Lu Yu remarked, “Getting paid to hang around and relax every day isn’t good enough for you?”

“Just wait,” he continued. “There may not be much to do now, but soon enough you’ll be busy—don’t complain when the time comes.”

Zhou Jing laughed, saying she wished she had more to do. These days, she spent her time idling in the office, so free it was almost excessive.

Everyone else laughed, saying she didn’t know how good she had it.

After lunch, the movie tickets Liu Shichang had arranged for that morning arrived, and the departments were organized to collect them. Presumably, Deng Qiang’s team was doing much the same.

Staff picked up as many tickets as they needed and were delighted.

Especially on the company’s official microblog for Pink White Black, the account Pink White Lady—no one knew which employee ran it—posted a photo of a thick stack of movie tickets with the caption:

“The boss just suddenly asked me to see a movie together tonight, and it’s ‘Urban Lovers’—a romance film. Is he hinting at something? Should I say yes? Waiting online, it’s urgent…”

Fans of the company’s official account quickly responded:

“You’re just dreaming!”

“If he’s asking you out, what’s with all those tickets?”

“I don’t care if he’s asking you out, I just want to know when your products will be back in stock! It’s been four days and sixteen hours since the last flash sale.”

“@Su Yihan, come quick, there’s a creep coming to see you.”

Netizens teased Pink White Lady, and some even poked fun at Su Yihan, who had tried several times to buy products but failed every time. Some fans even started betting in her comments on which attempt she’d finally succeed.

That afternoon, Lu Yu finished reading his books in the office, checked the time, then left for the library—returned his books, read another, and finally made his way to the cinema near his home.

In front of the theater was a small plaza where a young woman was singing and playing guitar. There were a few scattered bills in her guitar case and a QR code card beside it.

Lu Yu recalled a joke he’d seen online—about beggars near train stations now carrying QR codes—and he couldn’t help but find it amusing to see one here, though he knew these situations were hardly comparable.

He was simply reminded of a joke, nothing more.

He waited for Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian, sitting on the edge of a flowerbed, listening to the young woman’s song.

She played and sang with a certain charm. Lu Yu watched her more closely and thought there was indeed a unique beauty in a woman who could play the guitar. At first glance, she wasn’t especially striking, but the longer he observed her playing, the more she seemed to possess an indescribable air.

He was so absorbed in her music that he didn’t notice Shi Zixuan calling until his phone rang. He answered, told her he was at the plaza in front of the cinema, and soon spotted both women approaching.

Lu Yu stood and waved, then walked over to the singing girl’s guitar case, took out his phone, and transferred a thousand yuan via the QR code—not a large sum, but a gesture of appreciation.

Qin Xiaomian watched him curiously and whispered, “You’re not trying to flirt with that girl, are you?”

Lu Yu knocked her lightly on the head. “I haven’t finished playing with you yet; I’m not interested in anyone else for now. You’re far more entertaining.”

Qin Xiaomian grinned. “No, no, I think Zixuan’s more fun. When she calls you daddy, it’s just hilarious.”

Shi Zixuan rolled her eyes in exasperation. Recalling Qin Xiaomian’s unique traits from the other day, Shi Zixuan secretly began plotting: next time, should she and Lu Yu tie her up and see if she still finds it so funny?

And so, an ordinary day faded into evening.