Paper Lover At Old Town Bookstore Chapter 22

Someone seduced her

I stood up suddenly, grabbed a project requirement form that I had just received from the table, and strode towards the stairs without even having time to greet Lin Zhiqing.The wooden steps were being stepped on, and every step seemed to be stepping on emotions that had been suppressed for a month – I didn’t want to hide anymore, let alone watch others occupy the position that should belong to me.

As soon as he reached the workstation area on the first floor, he heard Yang Changwen’s laughter: “Xingruo, your idea is so wonderful. I’ll treat you to milk tea later!” He was facing Xu Xingruo sideways, his elbow resting on the edge of the table, the distance was a bit too close.Just when Xu Xingruo was about to respond, he looked up and saw me. A flash of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he subconsciously moved to the side to distance himself from Yang Changwen.

I walked straight over and put the demand list on the table between the two of them. My tone was undeniable and calm: “Xu Xingruo, for this urgent demand, please give me a preliminary feasibility analysis within half an hour.”

Xu Xingruo stood up quickly and said, “Okay, Mr. Song.” There was a little bit of panic in his voice, and he lowered his head and started to look through the demand list, completely losing the calmness he had when discussing with Yang Changwen just now.

The smile on Yang Changwen’s face froze, he stood up and smiled awkwardly: “Hello, Mr. Song.”

“Are you Yang Changwen?” I looked up at him with a cold gaze, “As an intern, your first priority is to complete your own work, and don’t always disturb your colleagues during working hours.” Yang Changwen’s face turned red instantly after saying this, and he opened his mouth but did not dare to refute, and sat back at his desk angrily.

I didn’t look at him anymore, my eyes fell on Xu Xingruo’s tense profile, and my tone softened a little: “If you don’t understand anything, just go upstairs and find me.” After saying that, I deliberately paused for two seconds before turning and walking towards the stairs.

When passing by Lin Zhiqing, he winked at me and laughed in a low voice: “Mr. Song, you are so good. You can solve it with just one sentence.” I didn’t respond, but it felt like a big stone had been lifted from my heart. The depression I felt when I saw Yang Changwen approaching her now turned into secret pleasure – it turns out that as long as I want, I can easily draw her attention back to me.

I had just taken two steps up the stairs when Xu Xingruo’s soft voice came from behind me, with a bit of hesitation but very clear: “Mr. Song, you have misunderstood.”

My steps suddenly stopped, and I turned back to look at her.She stood next to her workstation, still holding the demand list in her hand, her brows slightly furrowed, her cheeks flushed with nervousness, but she still mustered up the courage to continue: “Chang Wen didn’t bother me. We were discussing the modules we were jointly responsible for, and he helped me a lot.”

These words were like a basin of cold water, instantly extinguishing the joy just now, and my heart suddenly tightened.I stared at her clear eyes, trying to find a trace of joking in them, but her eyes were open and even a little protective – this was something I had never seen before.

Yang Changwen sat next to him, with a bit of pride on his face, but he pretended to be humble and said: “Mr. Song, I took the initiative to ask Xingruo for advice. She is more familiar with the company’s procedures than I am.”

“Really?” I said coldly and glanced at the two of them, “It’s okay to discuss work, but you have to be careful.” After saying that, I didn’t look at Xu Xingruo’s eyes that dimmed instantly, turned around and walked upstairs quickly. The sound of the wooden stairs seemed to be laughing at my pretentiousness.

Back in the office, I threw the demand list on the table irritably.One month apart, what happened?She used to only let down her guard against me when gossiping, but now she would contradict me in front of me because of another intern.Lin Zhiqing followed up and said, “Mr. Song, look at this… Intern Xu seems to be getting along well with Yang Changwen.”

I didn’t say anything, and tapped my fingertips on the table unconsciously. In my mind, I repeatedly replayed the way Xu Xingruo defended Yang Changwen just now, and her words, “He helped me a lot.”Jealousy and unwillingness surged up, mixed with a hint of panic—did I really miss something?

I paced irritably, clutching my phone with my fingertips. The message just sent by Lin Zhiqing was still on the screen – Xu Xingruo has been pestered by Yang Changwen for advice this month, and he has been accompanying him to work overtime several times.

“A month ago, she complained to me that Yang Changwen was not her type. Why are she protecting him now?” I whispered to myself, my tone full of unbelievable aggrievedness.When we were chatting about gossip in the tea room, she leaned on the edge of my table, wrinkled her nose and said, “Yang Changwen is too outgoing, I like someone more calm.” Her cheerful and candid look is still as clear as yesterday.

Lin Zhiqing stood aside and cautiously added: “Maybe it’s because you haven’t seen her much this month, and Yang Changwen always comes to help, so you’ve become familiar with her after just two visits?”

“Can you overturn what you said before if you are familiar with it?” I stopped suddenly and looked out the window in the direction of the workstation area on the first floor. I happened to see Yang Changwen handing Xu Xingruo a beautifully packaged bread, and she smiled when she took it.That smile was like a thorn, pricking my heart.

Am I too tolerant?Was I held back by the president’s words?Or am I just “avoiding suspicion” by default, making her feel that I don’t care about her at all?Countless questions came to mind, mixed with strong jealousy and regret.I thought that as long as I held the bottom line, I could get closer after the storm passed, but I didn’t expect that people’s hearts would change so quickly that I didn’t even have a chance to react.