For the first time, Jiang Cheng showed a guilty expression.

Director Lu relaxed as soon as he heard Shen Que’s name, and with a quick slurp, he finished the noodles he had half-eaten.

Director Lian also relaxed and continued eating.

Director Lu looked at Jiang Cheng, who was getting up, and advised, "Sit down and eat; the post office is closed by now."

"Besides, when your Director Shen sees you, he just... um... let me think of the word..."

Director Lu paused for a long time and still couldn’t find a word to replace "silly."

"Forget it, I couldn’t think of it!"

Jiang Cheng glanced at Director Lu and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Your advice is really great."

"Haha, right! I think so too!"

Director Lu agreed smoothly.

Then he said cheerfully, "Indeed, spending a lot of time with you has had some impact on my personality."

Jiang Cheng was amused by Director Lu.

Is this your way of calling me thick-skinned?

"I’m going out for a bit."

Jiang Cheng didn’t want this matter to linger on her mind.

"Where are you going? Wait! I’m coming with you!"

Director Lu hurriedly got up and said anxiously, "It’s late at night, and you shouldn’t go out alone, young lady."

Director Lian quickly echoed, "The Director is right."

Finally, the three of them quickly finished dinner and went out together.

The Foreign Trade Guesthouse was close to the Foreign Trade Department, so the three of them arrived quickly.

As soon as Jiang Cheng walked in, she already greeted four or five people and started talking.

While the three were going upstairs, Director Yan, who was on duty, came down and asked excitedly, "Did you secure that order?"

For the first time, Jiang Cheng didn’t know whether to put her foot down or pull it back.

Why does it feel like "money" is written all over my face?

"Director Yan, it’s okay to have dreams, but wishful thinking isn’t great."

Jiang Cheng stepped up firmly.

She had nothing to be embarrassed about!

The orders she carried were worth millions!

Upstairs, Director Yan suddenly realized that he might have been a little abrupt.

"Sorry, do you need something?"

Jiang Cheng nodded, "I need to make a call to the S City Machinery Factory."

"Oh? Sure! The phone is in that room." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Director Yan stepped aside, his mind racing.

Machinery Factory?

Is anyone among these foreigners doing business with the Machinery Factory?

Perplexed, Director Yan looked to Director Lu for guidance and asked humbly, "Does the Machinery Factory have products?"

Director Lu put on a profound look, "They have a very important project."

"Life’s major events" are indeed important.

Misled by Director Lu, Director Yan not only believed it but also told others not to disturb Jiang Cheng.

At that moment, Jiang Cheng was alone by the phone, dialing the S City Machinery Factory.

Waiting...

"Hello, S City Machinery Factory..."

"I’m Jiang—"

Before she could finish the name, the operator on the other side yelled excitedly, "Jiang Cheng is on the line! Jiang Cheng is calling!"

Jiang Cheng felt even more guilty.

That voice?

Looks like the operator suffered a lot under Shen Que’s pressure.

Jiang Cheng guessed right.

On Shen Que’s first day, he asked three times if he had any calls.

The operator replied no.

The next day, when Shen Que asked again, the operator said there was a call, and the director visibly brightened up, but... it wasn’t from Jiang Cheng.

After answering the call, Shen Que’s mood dropped significantly.

The frightened operator almost wanted to cry: What does the director want exactly?

In the days that followed, Shen Que pretended to casually drop by every day until the operator finally realized the crucial point.

It wasn’t the right person calling.

Ever since the operator understood, they wished every night before bed: Hope Jiang Cheng calls!

Finally, the call came.

"Hello—Jiang Cheng, my dear sister, please don’t hang up. I’ll cover your phone bill myself if I have to!"

"Don’t hang up, the director is coming right away!"

The operator was online, pleading humbly.

"The director is here!"

With that announcement, a magnetic voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Cheng Cheng..."

The sudden term of endearment made Jiang Cheng show an uncomfortable and disdainful expression.

Before she could speak, Shen Que’s concerned and slightly pained voice came through:

"Are you tired?"

Those words, "Are you tired?" made Jiang Cheng, who originally wanted to make jokes to downplay the situation, instantly feel a lump in her throat.

A slightly nasal "Mhm" slipped into Shen Que’s ear, filling his heart with tenderness.

"Where are you staying now? I’ll ask a friend in Sea City to send you something, okay?"

Shen Que’s nearly coaxing tone gave Jiang Cheng a bit of the pampered tone she usually didn’t have.

"What kind of things?"

"Some food, and herbal foot soak packs that work really well. They’ll make sure you sleep soundly tonight."

Shen Que spoke slowly.

He listed bit by bit what he had prepared for Jiang Cheng and who he would call to send them.

In the large office, only Jiang Cheng was there.

The cold environment was gradually filled by Shen Que’s words, warming her heart like spring.

Jiang Cheng sat in the chair, listening to Shen Que, replying with "Mhm" from time to time.

Relaxed in a way she never had been before.

Listening to the breathing on the other end of the line, Shen Que reminded, "You can’t sleep here, you’ll catch a cold."

"Okay."

Jiang Cheng indeed felt a bit drowsy.

She patted her face, regained a bit of alertness, and started talking.

This time, it was Shen Que’s turn to listen.

Jiang Cheng talked about the foreign guests from MD, the sales of defective products, and Rose’s order...

Shen Que listened carefully, listened attentively, listened with heartache.

In just a few days, she had managed to accomplish so much.

The results were good, but what Jiang Cheng had to invest to get here couldn’t be measured.

Toward the end of Jiang Cheng’s talk, she asked, "By the way—"

"We don’t need it."

Shen Que interrupted Jiang Cheng’s unspoken apology.

Jiang Cheng felt reassured but still said, "I feel the need to say it; love is a two-person matter, it can’t always be you sacrificing."

"Not calling you right away was my mistake, it won’t happen again."

The look of tenderness on Shen Que’s face was something Jiang Cheng had never seen before; he held the receiver with pride in his heart.

This is the Jiang Cheng he loves!

They chatted a bit more, Jiang Cheng told Shen Que about when she’d probably return, promising to call before she did.

Shen Que advised Jiang Cheng to take good care of herself.

After more than half an hour on the call, they finally hung up.

After hanging up, Jiang Cheng took a deep breath, radiating a pink aura of romance.

As she opened the door to leave, Director Yan, who was waiting, frowned.

So happy?

Spoke for so long... something doesn’t seem quite right.

Director Lu was the first to ask, "Is Director Shen okay?"

"He’s fine, really good."

Upon hearing that, Director Lu immediately showed a proud little expression and said, "I told you so!"

Jiang Cheng promptly gave a thumbs up.

"You’re wise and brilliant, a sage of a thousand miles!"

Having learned a bit of Jiang Cheng’s tricks, Director Lu flicked his head with pride.

"Of course!"

Director Lian covered her mouth to hide a chuckle, while Jiang Cheng laughed openly.

The only one completely perplexed, Director Yan, felt that what the three discussed was entirely different from what he imagined?

Where did it go wrong?