Chu Ge nodded, "Mm, look at how much weight you've lost. This summer break, I'll make sure to improve your diet and help you gain five pounds."

This time, Ye Li was all ears, catching every word clearly. Although she was a bit surprised by Chu Ge's agreement, the surprise was overwhelmingly pleasant.

"Thank you, Brother Chu."

Though Ye Li knew she should be more reserved as a girl, she couldn't help but beam with joy. Her delicate face lit up with a crescent-eyed smile.

"No need to thank me. There's no need for formality between us, right?"

Chu Ge shook his head with a smile, though his heart was somewhat torn.

Long ago, the ancestors mentioned, "The graceful and virtuous lady is a noble pursuit," implying that beautiful women have always held great allure for men.

As a man, Chu Ge naturally liked beautiful women, especially someone as kind and gentle as Ye Li, who embodied the ideal of a modest, virtuous beauty.

When he first met Ye Li, Chu Ge treated her completely like a sister, but the more he interacted with her, the harder it became to deny a certain budding affection he now felt.

Bringing Ye Li home was partly because he hadn't found a suitable place yet and partly because of this typically male sentiment.

Chu Ge's feelings were conflicted—he feared he might act on his impulses and hurt this gentle girl, yet subconsciously hoped for something to happen between them, leaving him deeply conflicted.

With a heart full of conflicting emotions, Chu Ge picked up the car, first going to Ye Li's dorm to fetch some of her clothes. They made a detour to the supermarket to buy food and toiletries, then returned home.

Although it wasn't Ye Li's first visit to Chu Ge's home, stepping through the door filled her heart with an indescribable sweetness and happiness, the kind that resembled a couple returning to their shared home.

"Brother Chu, you must be hungry. Let me cook for you."

Upon entering, Ye Li didn't even take a sip of water before putting down the things she insisted on carrying for Chu Ge and heading straight into the kitchen, rolling up her sleeves to get to work.

Twice, Chu Ge tried to help, but each time Ye Li shooed him out, so he didn't press further. He lit a cigarette in the living room, occasionally peeking at Ye Li's busy figure—a truly beautiful sight.

It wasn't that Chu Ge was lazy; he knew doing these things made Ye Li happier.

The truth was, just as Chu Ge thought, Ye Li was skillful and quick as she washed vegetables, her delicate face adorned with a bashful smile full of happiness. As long as she could do something for Chu Ge, she felt joy.

Ye Li had never been in a relationship, yet she felt this must be what being in love was like, right?

Thus, with Ye Li in the kitchen cooking and Chu Ge chatting with her in the living room, time flew by. An hour passed, and several exquisite dishes were laid out on the dining table. A fine sheen of fragrant sweat appeared on her smooth forehead.

"You've worked hard. You must be worn out; here, wipe your sweat."

Seeing Ye Li bringing out the last dish, Chu Ge smiled and pulled a tissue from the box, handing it to Ye Li. He then pulled out a chair for her at the dining table.

Although it was just a simple gesture, it made Ye Li feel even happier. She sat in the chair Chu Ge had pulled out for her, took the tissue to wipe her sweat, and shook her head with a smile, "Thank you, Brother Chu, I'm not tired at all."

Just as Chu Ge was about to sit opposite Ye Li, there was a knock at the door. Chu Ge glanced over and couldn't help but feel a bit speechless. Who had such timing to arrive just when the meal was ready?

With this thought, Chu Ge went to open the door. Meanwhile, Ye Li became a bit uneasy and nervous with the knocking, instinctively biting her lip.

When the door opened, Chu Ge was taken aback. He had guessed it might be Chu Shiyao, Shu Lulu, or Luo Suyun, but he hadn't expected the person knocking would be her.

The woman at the door wore an elegant, fitted suit, her delicate face graced with a gentle smile. Yet, just from looking at her face, Chu Ge couldn't quite tell if she was Qin Ruojing or Qin Ruoying.

"Uh, what brings you here?"

Chu Ge scratched his head, unable to tell who she was, so he simply skipped any formal address.

"What? Not welcoming me? Even though you no longer need to act with me or pretend with my sister, there's an old saying that maintains that business doesn't affect personal relationships. Besides, you're still my employee. Now that I'm at your doorstep, aren't you going to invite me in?"

This demeanor, this tone, and the way she spoke—all seemed like Qin Ruojing.

Moreover, Qin Ruojing had come to help him retrieve things when he was hospitalized, so she knew his address. Qin Ruoying had never been here, so theoretically, the person at the door should be Qin Ruojing.

Chu Ge chuckled, stepped aside, and invited, "Chairman, please come in."

Qin Ruojing nodded, intending to take a pair of slippers from the shoe rack, but noticed Ye Li by the dining table just as she followed Chu Ge's lead, pausing in surprise and slightly halting her movement.

Immediately afterward, Qin Ruojing turned to look at Chu Ge, a hint of teasing in her expression as she said, "I was wondering why our President Chu wasn't welcoming me. Turns out there's a guest at home. Is it inconvenient for me to come in now? Should I come back another day?"

When the door opened to reveal the graceful figure behind it, Ye Li felt somewhat uneasy. After hearing such a teasing remark, a blush instantly spread across her delicate face. She hurriedly stood up instinctively, her hands twisting together.

However, in her flustered state, Ye Li didn't notice Qin Ruojing's mention of "President Chu."

Chu Ge glanced amusingly at Qin Ruojing. "Alright, since you're already here, there's no point in being pretentious. It's not like I could really kick you out. Come on in."

"Haha, I was just being polite."

Qin Ruojing giggled as she entered the room, openly giving Ye Li a once-over.

Being scrutinized by Qin Ruojing made Ye Li inexplicably feel guilty, as if she had done something wrong. She twisted her hands tighter, bit her lip, and dared not meet Qin Ruojing's gaze. She opened her mouth but couldn't utter a word.

Qin Ruojing smirked and turned to Chu Ge, who had closed the door, and chuckled, "And who might this be?"

"A friend of mine, Ye Li."

After introducing, he said to Ye Li, "Ye Li, let me introduce you. This is our boss, the chairman of Tianjiao Group, Qin Ruojing."

Qin Ruojing smiled and walked over to Ye Li, extending her right hand, "Hello."

"Hello."

Even though Ye Li knew there was nothing to feel guilty about and tried her best to remain calm, learning the other party's identity made their aura even more formidable.

That feeling made her unable to meet the other's eyes. She timidly said "hello," and when she reached out and shook hands with Qin Ruojing, her palm even started to sweat a little.

Qin Ruojing's smile widened, and when Chu Ge returned to the table, she casually sat in the chair next to him. With a smirk, she said teasingly, "Chu Ge, impressive. You just moved back from my place this morning, and already you've got a hidden beauty in your house?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Ge was speechless and amused, realizing he'd been tricked again. This wasn't Qin Ruojing at all but clearly Qin Ruoying.

Given Qin Ruojing's personality, it wasn't strange to say the previous words, but this particular one she definitely wouldn't say.

The same words, when heard by Ye Li, turned her face a bit pale. Her lips were instinctively bitten under her pearly teeth, something in her heart seemed to have been suddenly withdrawn, leaving her unspeakably uncomfortable.

"Qin... Miss Qin, no, it's not like that, I..."

Ye Li forced a smile and hurriedly began to explain.

However, before Ye Li could finish speaking, Chu Ge playfully flicked Qin Ruoying on the forehead with a laugh, shaking his head, "Xiaoying, are you addicted to tricking me? Look at how you scared our little Ye Li, what nonsense are you talking about?"

"Hehe, brother-in-law, I just thought it would be fun."

Since her ruse was revealed by Chu Ge, Qin Ruoying didn't bother pretending anymore. She rubbed her forehead, stuck her tongue out at Chu Ge, and then turned her gaze to Ye Li, chuckling.

"Sorry, I was just joking with you earlier. Let me introduce myself again, the chairman of Tianjiao Group, Qin Ruojing, is my sister. I'm her twin sister, Qin Ruoying."

Qin Ruoying's smile once again left Ye Li a bit stunned. Instinctively, she said "it's okay," but as soon as she finished, she realized something was wrong and blinked blankly.

"You... you just called Brother Chu 'brother-in-law'?"

Qin Ruoying nodded matter-of-factly, "Yeah, what's wrong?"

Ye Li's expression turned even more unnatural, her heart swamped with a complex mix of feelings. Chu Ge, on the other hand, could only roll his eyes, giving Qin Ruoying's head another playful knock.

"Xiaoying, stop teasing her. Seriously, what's your reason for coming here?"

Qin Ruoying giggled. "Brother-in-law, really, can't I come to see you for no reason? I just felt so unused to you not being home, so I came over to hang out, and maybe stick around for a meal. Seems like I came right on time. I'll go grab a bowl and chopsticks."

Saying that, Qin Ruoying walked into the kitchen, as if she were at her own home, naturally grabbing a set of bowls and chopsticks and returning to sit beside Chu Ge.

Watching the playful banter between Chu Ge and Qin Ruoying, Ye Li found it increasingly difficult to understand what was happening or what was being said.

Moreover, her women's intuition vaguely sensed that Qin Ruoying seemed to have some sort of guardedness against her, leaving her with a very complicated and chaotic feeling in her mind.

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