Paper Lover At Old Town Bookstore Chapter 41
byToday is peaceful enough
When he returned to the office, Lin Zhiqing was sorting out the negotiation minutes on the computer. When he saw me coming in, he immediately got up and reported: “Brother Song, the core terms have been sorted out. Check to see if there is anything missing.”
As soon as I took the file, my phone vibrated. The words “Song Zhili” danced on the screen. The call type was a video call.He paused with his fingertips, hesitated for two seconds, and then walked to the tea room with better sound insulation and pressed the answer button.
The moment the screen lit up, his face came into view.The background is the floor-to-ceiling windows of the hotel, and outside the windows is the night view of an unfamiliar city, with neon lights flashing.
He was wearing a dark shirt with two buttons loosened at the collar. He had lost his coldness in the workplace. There was a hint of unnoticeable fatigue in his brows, but there was urgent concern in his eyes: “Did the negotiation go well?”
His voice came through the receiver, softer than usual, no longer paranoid and strong as before, more like a partner who simply cares about his work.
I leaned against the wall and kept my tone businesslike: “It went very smoothly. The core terms were all agreed upon. He Pingan proposed a compromise plan of a dual-track model to resolve the differences in offline distribution.”
Hearing this, his tight jawline softened slightly, and a glimmer of understanding flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t mention He Ping’an, and just asked: “Xing Qingru didn’t make things difficult for you, right?”
“No,” I shook my head, avoided his gaze, and looked out the window, “It’s all about professional contacts, and we’re all talking about work.”
In the video, he was silent for a moment, his fingers caressing the edge of the phone unconsciously, his eyes locked on mine, as if he wanted to see my emotions clearly through the screen: “Are you… okay?”
This sudden concern made my heart tighten, and I straightened my back subconsciously: “It’s pretty good, the work is progressing. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go deal with the documents first.”
I could feel the disappointment in his eyes, but I didn’t want to dwell on it any more.Without waiting for his response, he hurriedly said “goodbye” and hung up the video call.
The moment the phone screen went dark, the only thing left in the tea room was my slightly rapid breathing.
His concern was like a thin needle, gently piercing the calmness I had deliberately maintained, causing those suppressed emotions to surge again – he was obviously on a business trip, but he was still thinking about this negotiation. He might have even anticipated the impasse and told He Ping’an in advance.
But the deeper this thought becomes, the more suffocating I feel.I am a straight man, and it was he who forcibly broke my bottom line. Now, how can I end this entanglement that spans identity and sexual orientation?It was already dark when the black Bentley drove into the courtyard of the villa halfway up the mountain.
Xing Qingru opened the car door, walked straight into the living room, took off her high heels and threw them in the hallway. Her cool makeup was softened a bit under the warm yellow light, but she still had a lingering strength.
He Pingan followed closely, placed his briefcase on the low cabinet, walked forward naturally, took the suit jacket from her shoulder, and traced his fingertips across her shoulder blades with a familiar and intimate gesture.
“Tired?” His voice was much lower than in the conference room, with a lingering warmth, and he was completely different from the calm and reserved assistant during the day.
Xing Qingru leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes and rubbed his eyebrows: “Fortunately, Song Qiusheng is harder to deal with than I thought.”
She paused and suddenly chuckled, “On your side, that compromise plan was just right. It not only gave me a step forward, but also didn’t embarrass Song Zhili’s people.”
He Ping’an sat down next to her and stretched out his hand to massage her temples with just the right amount of force: “My husband told me in advance that Director Song has a stubborn temper and will only end up in a stalemate when confronted head-on.”
“Song Zhili is really interested in him.” Xing Qingru opened his eyes, a trace of amusement flashed in his eyes, “It was obviously his cooperation, but he decided to avoid it on a business trip and let Song Qiusheng come to meet him. He also specifically asked you to keep it secret. Even a fool can see this protective thought.”
She grabbed He Pingan’s hand and rubbed his palm with her fingertips: “Tell me, does Song Qiusheng know that in Song Zhili’s heart, the relationship between uncle and nephew has long ceased?”
He Ping’an looked down at her, his eyes full of indulgence: “Mr. Song’s thoughts have always been hidden deeply. But looking at Director Song’s reaction today, it seems that he is not interested in Mr. Song’s specialness, and even resists it.”
He paused and added, “Furthermore, I see that there seem to be light marks on Director Song’s neck, as if… left behind after intimacy.”
Xing Qingru raised his eyebrows and said with interest: “Oh? Forced?”
“Most likely.” He Ping’an nodded, “You and I both know Mr. Song’s paranoia. He will never let go of the person he wants. It’s just that Director Song seems to be a straight man. I’m afraid this pull will not end so easily.”
Xing Qingru chuckled lightly, leaned into He Pingan’s arms, and traced his jawline with her fingertips: “Never mind them. As long as our cooperation can advance.” She raised her head and kissed the corner of his lips, with a lazy and ambiguous tone, “On your side, when you looked at me in the conference room today, your eyes were quite calm.”
The calmness in He Ping’an’s eyes instantly faded, and he was filled with passion. He leaned over to hold her in his arms, and his voice was low and hoarse: “Outside, of course, I have to keep my rules. Only when I come back here will I dare to be unruly to you.”
The lights in the living room gradually dimmed, and an ambiguous atmosphere filled the air.
The moonlight outside the window shines in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, outlining the entangled figures of the two – no one would have thought that the superiors and subordinates who cooperated tacitly in the mall during the day would be such close lovers in private.And what kind of waves will their secret relationship cause in the entanglement between Song Zhili and Song Qiusheng?