Xia Qiqi always felt that there was... well, something unpleasant between her and Xiao Nanchen.
But since they were colleagues at the same company, couldn't they just get along?
Every time, she felt like she was debasing herself by approaching Xiao Nanchen.
She gritted her teeth.
With her personality, she wouldn't back down just because someone disliked her.
Whether Xiao Nanchen liked her or not, she wouldn't care about someone so unimportant to her.
"What is it?" Xiao Nanchen's voice was cold.
His tone was purely professional, as if he were addressing any other colleague.
Xia Qiqi didn't answer. Instead, she walked right up to Xiao Nanchen's desk and placed a shopping bag on it. "For you, as an apology."
Xiao Nanchen frowned.
"That night when I got drunk and threw up all over you?" Xia Qiqi felt a bit awkward.
Just thinking about that night was embarrassing.
Later, lying in bed, she thought about how disgusted a germaphobe like Xiao Nanchen must have felt.
She, who rarely had trouble sleeping, spent an entire weekend tossing and turning.
Her mind was filled with visions of Xiao Nanchen's utter disgust.
So, eventually, she couldn't take it anymore and went to the mall to pick out clothes as an apology gift for him.
"No need." Xiao Nanchen coldly said, "You can take it back."
"But I've already bought it," Xia Qiqi felt herself getting riled up.
Did Xiao Nanchen really need to be so unpleasant towards her?
"You can return it, then."
"I, the esteemed Miss Xia, never return purchases..."
"That's your problem, then." Xiao Nanchen looked at Xia Qiqi, his tone icy.
Xia Qiqi gritted her teeth and glared at him fiercely.
If it weren't for her wrongdoing that night, she would have gladly dumped that trash can all over this jerk right now.
In the past, she just found Xiao Nanchen annoying, always hanging around her.
But she had never been so irritated with him that she wanted to physically assault him.
She struggled to control herself. "Whether you accept it or not is up to you. But as far as I'm concerned, I've apologized for that night, so we're even."
Xiao Nanchen's expression remained unchanged.
So, Xia Qiqi just wanted to cut ties with him.
He knew very well that what she feared most was owing someone a favor.
But that was her problem.
He had no obligation to cater to her feelings right now.
To put it bluntly:
Why should he make sure she felt better?
He had no such duty at the moment.
Xiao Nanchen watched as Xia Qiqi threw out those words and turned to leave.
She clearly feared his rejection.
Xiao Nanchen pursed his lips.
He picked up the shopping bag and tossed it straight into the nearby trash can.
Xia Qiqi turned back at the sound.
She saw that Xiao Nanchen had thrown away the clothes she bought without even looking at them, and the trash can was too small, so the bag ended up lying next to it, the can itself tipped over.
Xia Qiqi felt a surge of anger rise up to her throat.
Yet Xiao Nanchen calmly picked up the desk phone and said, "Please send the cleaning lady in to help me dispose of this trash."
Trash?!
Who the hell was trash!
How dare Xiao Nanchen call her trash!
How dare he call her belongings trash!
She gritted her teeth and stormed over, picking up the clothes Xiao Nanchen had tossed aside without a second glance, then angrily left.
She must have been cursed to even consider apologizing to him.
That dog Xiao Nanchen didn't deserve such treatment from her.
She should have just thrown up right in his face that night.
Served him right to be disgusted.
The door slammed shut with great force.
Xiao Nanchen glanced up.
His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed down all his emotions.
...
Back in her own office, Xia Qiqi was fuming.
Fuming, fuming.
She must have been out of her mind to try and appease that dog Xiao Nanchen.
She must have been out of her mind!
Xia Qiqi's face was contorted with anger.
She felt like storming into Xiao Nanchen's office and getting into a brawl with him any minute.
She wanted to beat him to a pulp, beat him to a pulp, beat him to a pulp...
The phone rang.
Xia Qiqi snapped out of her fantasies of assaulting Xiao Nanchen.
She checked the caller ID, took a deep breath to calm herself, and answered, "Ziming."
Nie Ziming had planted informants around both Xia Qiqi and Xiao Nanchen.
So, he was aware of their every move.
He had immediately received word that Xia Qiqi had gone to Xiao Nanchen's office early that morning, although she had stormed out furiously. But ultimately, Xia Qiqi had taken the initiative to approach Xiao Nanchen, which was not a good sign.
He said, "Let's have dinner together tonight."
"But didn't you say you've been really busy with work lately?" Xia Qiqi was surprised.
Ever since the incident with Gu Group using fake documents to obtain loans, Nie Ziming had been working overtime without pay to make up for his mistake, so they hadn't had dinner together in a long time.
"Today is a special occasion," Nie Ziming stated directly.
Xia Qiqi frowned.
Then it dawned on her, "Your birthday."
Just a few days ago, she had clearly remembered, but today Xiao Nanchen had made her so angry that she completely forgot.
"Yes."
"I've made dinner reservations. We'll eat out tonight."
"Okay." Xia Qiqi readily agreed, excitedly asking, "What gift would you like?"
"Having you is enough."
"Really?" Xia Qiqi asked.
"Really," Nie Ziming said firmly.
"Well, if you say so." Xia Qiqi grinned mischievously. "Then I won't prepare anything at all."
"Fine."
The two exchanged a few more sweet nothings.
When Xia Qiqi hung up, her mood had improved significantly.
She figured that rather than letting Xiao Nanchen rile her up, she might as well spend more time with Nie Ziming.
After all, Nie Ziming was her life's destination.
As for Xiao Nanchen, he was just... a passerby.
...
Xia Qiqi had skipped out on work that afternoon.
No one batted an eye when she did - they were all used to it.
Xia Qiqi went straight to the formal wear section of the international mall.
It was Nie Ziming's birthday today, and she wanted to give him a huge surprise.
That "having you is enough" line - wasn't that just a grown-up's... hint?
So she had decided that on Nie Ziming's birthday, she would gift him herself.
She selected an especially sexy lace spaghetti strap dress and wore a white fox fur coat over it, concealing her sensual figure and lending her an air of sophisticated beauty, as well as a playful cuteness, while also keeping her warm.
After all, Qingcheng had already entered winter.
She didn't want to catch a cold while gifting herself.
Her soft hair cascaded over her shoulders, styled and made up by professionals to give her the alluring look of a little temptress.
Xia Qiqi wore a pair of towering black crystal-studded high heels, instantly elongating her proportions to make her look slim and statuesque.
In terms of beauty, she wasn't exactly breathtaking.
But in terms of charm, she had never lost to anyone.
That seductive figure, that aura of sensuality.
Without even speaking, she could truly, captivate the masses.
