"Knock knock"

"Come in."

With his signature smile on his face, Chu Ge walked into Tong Yaqi's office and casually closed the door behind him.

In his line of sight, Tong Yaqi was bent over her desk, her eyes focused intently on a document, seemingly engrossed in her work with all her attention.

Today, she was dressed in a very office-professional outfit, a maroon silk fitted blouse with tiny silver buttons, and under her collar was a beautifully tied bow made from her shirt's silk edge.

Getting slightly closer to the desk, Chu Ge noticed she wore a simple-style pencil skirt along with a pair of black translucent stockings.

Being alone with Tong Yaqi allowed Chu Ge to be at ease. Seeing Tong Yaqi just glance up, smile briefly at him, and say "Just a moment," he leaned slightly, propped his hands on the desk, and lightly flicked her forehead.

"What's up, no proper greeting when you see me?"

"Can't you see I'm busy? Stop bothering me. If someone comes in, they might gossip. This is the office, can't you be a bit more mindful?"

With Chu Ge's flick, Tong Yaqi raised her head, slightly speechless, and said with some reproach.

Chu Ge flicked Tong Yaqi's forehead again and grinned, "I locked the door. Don't worry, no one can come in."

Instinctively glancing at the door, Tong Yaqi breathed a sigh of relief and poked Chu Ge's forehead with her finger, "You rascal, what brought you to see me today?"

Chu Ge laughed, "If I don't come today, I might not be able to come tomorrow."

Tong Yaqi was puzzled, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"I've been demoted by the chairman, from the dignified deputy minister to her driver."

Tong Yaqi blinked, "You? The chairman's personal driver? You must be joking!"

Seeing Tong Yaqi's incredulous look, Chu Ge scratched his nose, "It's not such a big deal. Why do you need such a big reaction?"

Tong Yaqi was even more amazed and exclaimed, "This isn't a big deal? What's going on?"

Chu Ge nodded helplessly, "It's nothing really. I drove her a few times before, and today she watched us play basketball and asked me to drive her again. Maybe she thought I looked good, handled things well, and was a decent driver, so she demoted me from vice minister."

Initially, Tong Yaqi was too shocked to process the news, but hearing Chu Ge's explanation, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You really know how to flatter yourself. Driving for the chairman is such an honor. You shouldn't be ungrateful. Others would be thrilled to even dream about such a great opportunity, and here you are calling it a demotion. Are you kidding me? You're gaining and acting coy!"

"Come on, is it that exaggerated? You mean this is a good thing?"

"Of course, it's a good thing. Once you're the chairman's closest confidant, don't forget to look after me."

Tong Yaqi was smiling, and her tone was teasing, but inside, she felt a little lost. With Chu Ge no longer at Tianjiao Film and Television, it meant their chances of meeting would surely decrease.

Pretending not to notice the hint of sadness in Tong Yaqi's eyes, Chu Ge laughed, "Director Tong, don't worry. With the relationship we have, if that day comes, you'd be the first I'd look out for. Anyway, I just came to say hello. Should I head out now?"

"You sweet talker. You say it like it's real. Didn't even sit on the sofa and you're leaving already? Do you think I would believe that? I think spending all that time with the chairman, admiring her every day, you'll forget about me."

Hearing Chu Ge's farewell, Tong Yaqi couldn't help but speak with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

For Chu Ge, Tong Yaqi had complex feelings. Although she knew keeping their current relationship was the wisest choice, there was something about Chu Ge that made her feel warm and secure.

Every time she was with Chu Ge, she couldn't help but be drawn to him, unwittingly investing some emotions in him.

Just as Chu Ge was about to turn around, he rubbed his nose when he heard Tong Yaqi and chuckled awkwardly, "I thought you were busy, didn't want to disrupt your work."

"Oh, please. Just an excuse. You're still under my department. Isn't it only proper to report your recent work here?"

Tong Yaqi snorted lightly from her nose, gave Chu Ge a sideways glance, brushed aside her bangs, and showed a slightest hint of dissatisfaction.

Looking at such a Tong Yaqi, Chu Ge couldn't bring himself to leave right away. Once he left, he wouldn't get to see this woman, who had been his superior since returning to Lidu, very often.

With Xia Feifei and Mo Xiaoran, Chu Ge was always restrained, but with Tong Yaqi, he felt completely at ease, exchanging banter freely and easily.

Chu Ge smirked and sat down on the sofa, scratching his head, "So... shall I report my work to Director Tong?"

Seeing Chu Ge seated on the sofa, Tong Yaqi stood up from behind the desk, walked over to Chu Ge's side, and smirked, "Let me think, where should you begin your report?"

Chu Ge also laughed, "Of course, I'll listen to you completely. You're the director, after all. I'll start the report from wherever you want me to."

"Then... let's start with that basketball game you guys had. I'm really curious about your Operations Management Department, this dark horse."

"The basketball game, huh? It's really nothing, our Operations Management Department is just awesome."

"You're not modest at all."

Just as Chu Ge was about to say something, there was a sudden "knock, knock" at the door.

Tong Yaqi frowned slightly and rubbed her forehead in a bit of exasperation, turned around to open the door. It was the head of the Legal Department, who consulted with Tong Yaqi on some work matters before leaving.

Although the head of the Legal Department didn't even enter the room, it still affected Tong Yaqi's mood. She looked at Chu Ge, who was looking helpless on the sofa, and before she could say anything, the phone rang again, with someone else seeking her advice on work issues.

After hanging up the phone, Tong Yaqi was completely frustrated, while Chu Ge just smiled more helplessly.

"How about this, do you have time this evening? Why don't I make it up to you with that meal I owe you, and then you can give me a good work report?"

"If it's someone else, it's hard to say if I'd have time, but since it's Director Tong inviting me, I'd push aside even the biggest matters."

"Alright then, after work, can you wait for me in the office for a bit?"

Chu Ge nodded with a smile and left Tong Yaqi's office.

All afternoon, Chu Ge stayed in the Operations Management Department office, as if nothing had changed. Before he knew it, the quartz clock on the wall pointed to five o'clock, and it was time to finish for the day.

Feifei, Mo Xiaoran, Lu Gang, and others were packing up while laughing and chatting as usual, and they all said "bye" to Chu Ge as usual. But Chu Ge didn't leave his seat, responding to his colleagues' voices with a smile while teasing the ornamental fish above the fish tank with his fingers.

After a brief lively moment, the office soon became empty, leaving only Chu Ge.

After sitting quietly for a few minutes, Chu Ge stood up and looked around.

Lu Gang's wastebasket sat quietly on the ground. Chu Ge had once put a trash bag from there over Lu Gang's head.

The ceiling was spotless now, but once, a spider had fallen into Mo Xiaoran's collar.

The surrounding walls were snow-white, though a big fire had occurred here, and Chu Ge had kicked a big hole in the wall, which now seemed almost gone.

With a subtle smile on his lips, Chu Ge picked up a broom and carefully swept the office floor, then used a clean cloth to wipe each colleague's desk, and replaced everyone's trash bags with new ones from the wastebaskets.

His first encounter with Lu Gang started with these trash bags, and after so long, he finally took out the trash for Lu Gang. Presumably, Lu Gang will be quite happy when he sees it tomorrow, right?

Throwing the bags of trash into the big trash bin in the bathroom, Chu Ge then washed the mop and carefully mopped the office floor.

Soon, Chu Ge heard the rhythmic sound of high heels tapping on the floor coming from the doorway.

Looking up, Tong Yaqi was already standing at the entrance, with an expression that carried a touch of softness, and a hint of peculiarity.

"Wait for me a bit, I'm almost done mopping."

"Didn't expect you to be so considerate."

"There are a lot of things you wouldn't expect from me."

Chu Ge smiled faintly, lowered his head again, and continued to mop the floor carefully.

Watching Chu Ge's slightly curled lips and focused profile, Tong Yaqi felt increasingly reluctant to see Chu Ge leave. Even if tidying up a room and cleaning the floor were small things, under such circumstances, not everyone would do what Chu Ge did.

Even if Chu Ge seemed indifferent on the surface, at crucial moments, his actions always proved that there was always a part of him that was delicate and soft inside.

After mopping the office floor, Chu Ge intended to leave a note for his colleagues, to write something, but after hesitating for a moment, he realized he really didn't know what to write.

So he decided to let everything be left unsaid.

Shutting the Operations Management Department office door, Chu Ge and Tong Yaqi walked into the elevator.

During the descent of the elevator, Tong Yaqi's gaze was fixed on Chu Ge's face, a gentle look that no one else at Tianjiao Film and Television had ever seen.

Feeling Tong Yaqi's gaze, Chu Ge couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache.

This woman, could she be actually falling for me too?

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