Qiao Jin met his gaze for a moment, then looked away. He headed toward the bed. Lu Pingzhang watched him and gestured toward the medicine on the table. “Take your meds.”
Qiao Jin stared at him for a few seconds, then silently broke the tablets apart and swallowed them with water. Without a word, he climbed into bed from the other side and lay down, covering half his face with the blanket.
Lu Pingzhang watched the way his lashes cast faint shadows on his cheeks. He reached over and pulled the blanket down until Qiao Jin’s nose and jawline were exposed—just as elegant and well-shaped as he’d imagined, flowing seamlessly into each other.
Qiao Jin didn’t react. He kept his eyes closed and pretended to sleep.
Lu Pingzhang wasn’t satisfied with just leaving after coming all this way. He waited a bit, but when nothing happened, he stood up and stripped off his clothes in a few swift motions. Then he tugged the blanket—along with Qiao Jin—into his arms.
Qiao Jin opened his eyes and looked at him coldly from under lowered lashes.
Lu Pingzhang covered his eyes with his palm, forcing them shut again, and whispered, “It’s too late tonight. I’m staying.”
Qiao Jin didn’t want things to go further, but as long as Lu Pingzhang didn’t make a direct move, he tolerated a certain degree of closeness.
It was a habit built over three long years—of yielding, of passivity, of carefully contained resistance.
And to be fair, having Lu Pingzhang around did help. His insomnia and nightmares had eased noticeably. Within a few minutes, Qiao Jin had fallen asleep.
Only then did Lu Pingzhang release him. In the dark, he got up and went to the bathroom to relieve the tension that hadn’t subsided since earlier. He stayed there a while longer before returning to bed and pulling Qiao Jin back into his arms, finally falling asleep himself.
—
The next morning, Qiao Jin woke up before his phone alarm even rang. He’d had the best sleep in a long time. It felt like his whole body had melted into a single drop of water resting on a cloud—so light even his hair seemed to float.
Lu Pingzhang was already up, freshly washed and fully dressed, sitting in the chair across from the bed. Who knew how long he’d been waiting there.
Qiao Jin blinked, a bit puzzled, and checked the time—8 a.m.
It was rare for Lu Pingzhang to be this free at eight in the morning. Qiao Jin didn’t say anything and quietly went to wash up.
Maybe it was the solid night of rest, but his cold symptoms had improved. Still, he picked up his meds, ready to take another dose.
That’s when Lu Pingzhang spoke up: “Eat first. Take the meds after breakfast.”
Qiao Jin hesitated and glanced at the time again. Lu Pingzhang added, “So you’re late. Who at the company would even dare give you trouble?”
No one, of course. Even Zheng Rongguang had long since switched sides and become “one of his own.”
Qiao Jin slipped the meds into his pocket, took his down jacket off the hanger, and started zipping it up. “When are my clothes getting delivered?”
Lu Pingzhang’s expression soured at the sight of that jacket, but hearing Qiao Jin’s question took the edge off—mostly because he’d never planned to send the clothes in the first place.
“They’re a mess to sort through. I don’t know what I can touch and what I can’t.” Lu Pingzhang, perfectly groomed, walked to the door and waited. “Get them yourself when you have time.”
Qiao Jin said nothing, lowering his gaze. He zipped the jacket all the way up, then bent his lashes toward the floor as he put on his shoes.
Lu Pingzhang didn’t rush him. “Let me know in advance before you go back.”
Qiao Jin stared at the tops of his shoes for a second, then gave a small nod.
Once he was dressed, Lu Pingzhang finally opened the door. The two of them left together.
Xiao Chang was waiting outside the hotel and opened the car door for them.
Lu Pingzhang motioned for Qiao Jin to get in.
Qiao Jin had been cooperative all morning, and now was no different. He didn’t say much—no need to ruin the progress he’d made.
On the rear seat’s folding tray was a neatly prepared breakfast—for two. Qiao Jin glanced at it but didn’t feel hungry. He leaned against the car window and stared blankly outside.
Lu Pingzhang, meanwhile, picked up the tablet in the car and started reading the news.
When they arrived at the company, Qiao Jin opened the car door without a word. One long leg stepped out first. Lu Pingzhang didn’t even look up, still scrolling. “Take your breakfast with you.”
Qiao Jin paused slightly, then casually grabbed two items from the tray and slammed the car door shut a bit harder than necessary.
It was a touch too forceful and clearly driven by frustration, but Lu Pingzhang showed no reaction—not even a twitch of his eyelids.
Qiao Jin stood by the car, letting the cold wind blow over him until he felt composed again, then finally walked toward the company entrance.
Su Ran stepped out of a parked car nearby and waved. “Qiao, over here.”
Qiao Jin recognized him and walked over. Once he was close, Su Ran handed him a shopping bag. “The clothes are dry.”
Qiao Jin took it. “Thanks.”
He reached into his pocket to transfer the laundry money to Lin Xiao, but couldn’t find his phone. Smiling politely at Su Ran, he said, “Wait a sec.”
He turned back and walked briskly to Lu Pingzhang’s still-parked car. Opening the back door, he reached in and grabbed the phone he’d left behind.
Lu Pingzhang watched him take the phone without a word—not even a glance or a nod—and then, with a solid thud, Qiao Jin slammed the door shut again and headed back to Su Ran.
“I just sent you the laundry money. Make sure you get it,” Qiao Jin said. “Why’d you come? Lin Xiao said he had errands nearby today.”
They were about the same height, and standing together, they looked like two professionals deep in discussion about a company’s future prospects. Even the wind seemed to lift their clean-cut, polished image.
It was the kind of scene that drew attention—several employees heading into the building visibly slowed their pace.
“I had to come this way anyway. It was on the way. We’re both your friends, aren’t we?” Su Ran, completely at ease under the curious stares, joked, “Forget the money. Just treat me to a meal sometime.”
Qiao Jin smiled, letting it go without argument.
Su Ran took a step back and looked him over, eyes crinkling with a smile. “You really pull it off—dashing as ever. Looks like we really do wear the same size.”
Inside the car, Lu Pingzhang watched this scene unfold and finally couldn’t take it anymore. He shoved the door open and stepped out, slamming it shut even louder than Qiao Jin had earlier.
The moment he appeared, his presence was undeniable. His perfectly pressed slacks cut sharply through the breeze, and he looked like he carried a blade.
Su Ran’s gaze shifted past Qiao Jin. Qiao Jin followed his eyes and saw Lu Pingzhang getting out of the car. He quickly said to Su Ran, “We’re gonna be late. Let’s catch up another time.”
Su Ran hesitated for a beat, glanced at Lu Pingzhang, then nodded. “Alright, go on.”
Qiao Jin turned around and walked up to meet Lu Pingzhang before he got too close.
Lu Pingzhang had to slow down since Qiao Jin was partially blocking his path. He watched as Su Ran got back into his car, then turned his head, jaw tight. “What did he want?”
Qiao Jin opened the tote bag for him to see. “Took my clothes to the cleaners yesterday. He was passing by and brought them over.”
“Passing by?” Lu Pingzhang asked, his tone dark.
“Yeah,” Qiao Jin’s voice wasn’t exactly pleasant either. “All my clothes are still at your place. If they’d been sorted out earlier, I wouldn’t have had to scramble like this.”
He always knew how to handle Lu Pingzhang—never needed to rehearse it. Just a furrowed brow, a sharp word, and that was enough.
Lu Pingzhang frowned back at him. Qiao Jin stood there with the bag in one hand and breakfast in the other, looking visibly irritated.
From the moment Lu Pingzhang barged into his room last night until now, Qiao Jin’s patience had been chipped away bit by bit, and now the fire inside was starting to burn.
More employees were looking over now—several already recognized Lu Pingzhang.
It had been ages since the elusive boss made a public appearance, and now he was here outside a branch office first thing in the morning. In less than a minute, word would spread like wildfire.
Qiao Jin swallowed down his temper, held onto the last shred of his composure, and turned to walk into the building.
Lu Pingzhang watched his retreating figure. Just before the hem of his coat disappeared around the corner, he followed him inside.
Every employee they passed straightened their backs, fixed their smiles, tidied their desks—putting on their best game face for the big boss.
But Lu Pingzhang didn’t tour the departments or even glance at the open office floor. He went straight to the HR Director’s private office—Qiao Jin’s.
Qiao Jin tossed the tote onto his desk, then slammed the breakfast down beside it. In a few quick movements, he shrugged off his coat and flung it onto the sofa.
Then, turning to face Lu Pingzhang, who had followed him in, he demanded, “What are you trying to do here? Didn’t we already agree the other night?”
Lu Pingzhang stared at the uneven rhythm of his breathing and the rising fury in his eyes.
But before he could say anything, there was a knock at the door, cutting through the tension.
Yu Feng poked his head in, looking for Qiao Jin—and spotted Lu Pingzhang as well.
He hadn’t met the man in person before and hesitated for a moment before saying to Qiao Jin, “Director Qiao, would you like some hot milk?”
Qiao Jin looked at him, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw both Lu Pingzhang and the untouched breakfast on the desk.
Yu Feng followed his line of sight and immediately realized the situation. “Sorry, I thought you hadn’t eaten. I’ll just… let you get back to it.”
He quickly shut the door behind him. The room fell silent again.
Qiao Jin closed his eyes just as Lu Pingzhang’s voice erupted, low and seething: “First it’s a ‘friend’ delivering clothes, then it’s an ‘employee’ bringing you breakfast. Qiao Jin, you’re asking what I’m doing? I should be asking you—are you trying to start a rebellion?”
Qiao Jin didn’t need to guess—every employee outside was definitely eavesdropping by now.
He took two deep breaths, then replied, still in a strained tone, “They’re just friends and coworkers.”
Lu Pingzhang gave him a look that felt like he saw straight through him.
“There’s nothing else going on,” Qiao Jin said firmly, staring directly at him. “You can ask anyone you want—I’ve got nothing to hide.”
Lu Pingzhang stared back, face dark. “You’re not working today. Come with me.”
He turned toward the door, expecting Qiao Jin to follow as usual. But Qiao Jin stayed put.
Lu Pingzhang’s expression grew thunderous. He turned back and grabbed Qiao Jin’s arm to pull him along.
“Lu Pingzhang,” Qiao Jin called out sharply. When he got no response, he yanked his arm free from that vice-like grip. “I told you—don’t touch me!”
“If I can’t touch you, then who can?” Lu Pingzhang’s temper—barely held in check since last night—finally exploded. He stormed over and click—locked the office door.
Qiao Jin instinctively stepped back at the sound.
But before he could steady himself, Lu Pingzhang was already in front of him, grabbing his arm again. Without giving him a chance to resist, he dragged Qiao Jin past the couch and desk, straight into the office’s private lounge, and threw him onto the sofa bed.
“Lu Pingzhang—!”
Lu Pingzhang tore off his jacket, yanked his tie loose, and pressed Qiao Jin back down just as he tried to sit up. His voice low and intense: “Now tell me—can I touch you?”
Leave a Reply