Feng Qing watched Sheng Yan's eagerness, blinked without showing any expression, ignored his suggestion, and turned to Assistant Qi. "There's no need for special treatment. Just take the bus with the others."
Sheng Yan closed his mouth resentfully. "..." She always ignores me!
Assistant Qi nodded and didn't say anything else. "Okay, then meet at the company gate at eight tomorrow morning."
Just as Assistant Qi left, Feng Qing was about to get off work and go home. Sheng Yan took the elevator with her, and both explicitly and implicitly expressed his desire to send Feng Qing home.
Finally, before getting off the elevator, Feng Qing turned to look Sheng Yan in the eye. "It was because you said you could help me that I decided to choose you. This doesn't mean there's any other possibility between us." Her eyes were pure yet cold, looking directly into Sheng Yan's eyes without a trace of warmth. "Moreover, I don't think something that happened so long ago would affect your mood when you see me now. Even if it could, please control yourself. I don't have the time or energy to play young people's games with you."
That brief two - month period couldn't have been such an unforgettable past.
She knew that perhaps because she was in the wrong back then, he couldn't forgive her, which was why he was so awkward and strange. But she didn't want Sheng Yan to be trapped in past emotions. If he couldn't handle these emotions well, it would only make their work and interactions difficult.
The nonchalant aura around Sheng Yan gradually faded, and under Feng Qing's gaze, he became more and more serious.
"But I still have something to ask you." Sheng Yan said. "Can you give me the answer that I didn't get last time?"
Feng Qing once again thought of the situation at the alumni reunion. That day, Sheng Yan had rushed to take her out of the banquet hall, only wanting to know if what she said to Cheng Ji was true, if she was as heartless towards him as she was towards Cheng Ji.
"Sheng Yan, I hope you understand that whether I did or didn't back then, five years have passed, and everything has changed. And in this changed present, all the past is meaningless."
She spoke resolutely, leaving no room for hope for Sheng Yan.
Maybe she was indeed as heartless as Sheng Yan said, but perhaps this was the only way to make Sheng Yan give up.
Sheng Yan couldn't stay in the past forever, and neither could she.
Sheng Yan endured his emotions, his chin trembling. She didn't even bother to lie to him. What right did he have to laugh at Cheng Ji?
Compared to Cheng Ji, maybe he was even more ridiculous. "You really haven't changed at all. I can't see a trace of human emotion in you. You're just a cold - blooded monster!"
Sheng Yan quickly threw his rationality out of the window and retaliated against Feng Qing with sharp words, lacerating Feng Qing word by word.
He wanted Feng Qing to feel his pain, even if it was only a fraction of what he felt.
Feng Qing's hand gripping her bag tightened gradually. A cold - blooded monster. So that's what she was.
It's okay, Feng Qing convinced herself. All of this was her own choice, and it was reasonable for her to be blamed like this. But just because the person blaming her this time was Sheng Yan, she couldn't let this blame really hurt her.
She was Feng Qing, and she wouldn't be swayed by such emotions.
Soon, she smiled under Sheng Yan's angry and resentful gaze. "You're right. I'm probably such a monster. So you'd better never expect a monster to love you."
As Feng Qing said this, the elevator reached the basement. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Feng Qing walked out without any hesitation, not caring about Sheng Yan's emotions as he stood there.
Sheng Yan watched her leaving back, the unwillingness and resentment in his eyes like a volcano about to erupt. For all these years, he had hated her every day. He had thought that one day her heart would be warmed, but now it seemed that Feng Qing's heart was made of stone.
***
After the unpleasant parting the previous day, Sheng Yan and Feng Qing ignored each other throughout the entire team - building activity.
Feng Qing hadn't joined the company much earlier than Sheng Yan, so the people in the marketing department were equally unfamiliar to both of them.
Sheng Yan sat alone, while Assistant Qi sat with Feng Qing. During the whole journey to the mountain resort, the two of them were studying some company data.
Although the others seemed to be on vacation, they still didn't dare to slack off, fearing that the president's hard work would make them look even lazier.
Fortunately, after getting off the bus, Feng Qing asked Assistant Qi to put aside work and have a good time.
Originally, there was going to be a barbecue in the garden at night, but Feng Qing was so sleepy that she didn't even get up at night and missed the barbecue party.
Even though Feng Qing wasn't there, the competition between Sheng Yan and Assistant Qi continued. To be precise, it was Sheng Yan's one - sided competition.
Assistant Qi helped grill the barbecue. Just because someone praised his barbecue, Sheng Yan got jealous and took over the grilling job.
After everything was grilled and everyone sat down, the ever - present chatting activity in team - building was well - organized by the marketing department employees.
"It's a pity that the director didn't come and can't taste the barbecues grilled by Assistant Qi and Assistant Sheng." A female supervisor spoke up, and someone else immediately picked up the conversation.
"The director said that he has to spend his free time with his wife and child, so he specifically asked the general manager for leave, and the general manager approved it."
"The director has always been so loving to his wife and family. I wonder when we can find a good man like him." Supervisor Lin's envy was so strong that she couldn't even taste the delicious barbecue. Her gaze suddenly fell on Assistant Qi and Sheng Yan beside him.
It was said that Assistant Sheng was still young, and although Assistant Qi was a few years older, he didn't seem to be wearing a wedding ring.
Most of the employees in the marketing department were female and almost all single. Soon, like Supervisor Lin, they started to have ideas about Assistant Qi and Sheng Yan.
"Assistant Sheng and Assistant Qi should still be single, right?" As soon as Lin Ling asked this question, the other employees began to chime in.
Everyone's attention was focused on Sheng Yan and Assistant Qi. Assistant Qi was even more straightforward than Sheng Yan. He smiled maturely and calmly. "I already have a child."
Sheng Yan beside him suddenly widened his eyes, his mood a bit complicated for a moment.
"When did Assistant Qi get married? It seems like we never saw you take any marriage leave or anything."
Lin Ling's work didn't necessarily have a long - term connection with Assistant Qi, but since she joined the company, she had seen Assistant Qi in the company almost every day, and she had never noticed Assistant Qi being away from the company for a long time.
Assistant Qi still just smiled and didn't answer this question directly. "Why are we suddenly talking about me? " He nudged in Sheng Yan's direction with his elbow. "Assistant Sheng is so handsome. Don't you guys want to ask him something?"
All the gazes suddenly shifted to Sheng Yan. Sheng Yan looked at Assistant Qi speechlessly.
He had just been imagining Assistant Qi's private life and feeling sorry for him, planning not to target him anymore.
Bah!
"Although I'm single now, I have someone I like. So I'm sorry, ladies, I can't accept your affection." Sheng Yan quickly explained, eager to clear up any misunderstandings before everyone's gazes became even more enthusiastic.
Assistant Qi curled his lips and raised his eyebrows knowingly. "Could it be that the person Assistant Sheng likes is the general manager?"