g pushed aside, he didn't say anything, just smiled and asked, "What are your plans for the afternoon""There's no arrangement." She was supposed to go see other elders with her uncle and Lu Kuò today,...Song Jingye had never spoken for so long, let alone with such heartfelt emotion. But these feelings had been brewing inside him for a long time, and naturally, they spilled out. After speaking, he felt as if a blockage had been lifted, and even his breathing felt easier.

Chen Ning's hand was still held in his, their fingers intertwined unknowingly. As he had said, their love was like the roots of a tree in the mud; deeply entangled long before they saw any sign of blossoming.

So who confesses first doesn't really matter, she said. Her love might be humble, but it's also powerful and unbreakable.

At this moment, their hands clasped together, their eyes locked, a tide of emotions surged between them. If not for the fact that they were on the street, they would have kissed each other again.

They looked at each other for a moment, then both burst into laughter.

"Us, are we now boyfriend and girlfriend" Song Jingye asked, sounding like a lovestruck teenager.

Chen Ling immediately felt that her uncle might really be as stupid as he claimed.

She was afraid the fool might change his mind at the last minute, so she nodded hastily and gave a positive answer: "Yes, we're boyfriend and girlfriend."

That's good.

They just kept walking down the street, neither of them feeling tired or thinking about taking a cab. They walked for what felt like forever and ended up at her apartment building.

Just as his heart had calmed down, it began to stir again, faintly. He didn't let go of her hand, and she didn't seem to want to let go either. They didn't even stop walking, taking the elevator straight to her home.

As she opened the door, then closed it behind them, he and she stepped into her home. With the sound of the closing door, those unspoken yearnings could no longer be contained, bursting forth, eager to explore each other.

There were no lights, the vision was dim, and there was only the growing sound of each other's breathing in the air.

But at the last moment, Song Jingye stopped, leaning against her side, his voice tight: "Next time."

Chen Ning woke up, but her heartbeat remained rapid.

Song Jingye said with a tinge of regret, "Next time there's a promotional event, I must participate."

Chen Ling replied with a hint of embarrassment, mixed with amusement. She pulled the blanket beside her over herself and let out a soft "hmm."

Song Jingye was suppressing his impulse with immense willpower. To be honest, it wasn't pleasant; it required more willpower than any high-intensity training session he'd ever endured.

He could feel the blood in his body rushing towards a single point, but he couldn't, wouldn't do anything that might hurt her.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "Where is the restroom"

Chen Ning pointed towards the bathroom. Worried that he wouldn't be able to find it in the dim light, she was about to turn on the light.

"Turn off the light," he rasped, stopping her, reluctant to be seen like this.

Chen Ling laughed this time, truly: "Uncle, are you shy"

In the dim light, he managed to gently tap her forehead with perfect accuracy, then left her with a tall figure disappearing into the shadows.

He came out after waiting for a long time.

But he didn't walk back to her bed, just stood there and said, "See you tomorrow."

Although it's just three simple words, they sound a bit out of touch, but actually they are very gentle, with a hint of reluctance.

"Okay." Chen Ling replied, without lingering. She was afraid that it would happen again like before – him being uncomfortable and her feeling uncomfortable as well.

Only after he left did she suddenly realize how foolish she had been, there was a 24-hour pharmacy outside.

That night, sleep wouldn't come easily. I was too excited; my mind buzzed with activity.

It's already past midnight, and I received a message from him on WeChat: "Send me that photo of you from when you were in college."

He was referring to the photo taken of her at the school gate on her first day of school.

She flipped through the folder and sent it.

Song Jingye replied with a question mark after receiving it, and then asked, "Where is the person"

The photo only shows the stone monument at their school gate, with no sign of her.

"That's the photo I sent you back then, there wasn't me in it originally."

Song Jingye's dialog box, after typing for a long time, finally sent two words: Idiot!

Whoever wants a picture of this tombstone.

Chen Ling replied: "Next time, let's find some time to go back to school and retake the picture together."

"Well, get some rest."

"Uncle, good night."

"Good night."

After saying goodnight, I could finally fall asleep. I had beautiful dreams all night.

The next day, waking up and remembering last night, I couldn't help but smile again. My steps to work felt much lighter.

On the way, they met Xu Haichen and Tao Kaiyan again. The three of them went to the dining hall together for breakfast.

Chen Ling couldn't hide her excitement, a constant smile playing on her lips. Even Tao Kaiyan, who was usually indifferent towards her, noticed and asked, "What good news Why are you so happy"

"Do you have it" She lightly tapped her own face, trying to calm herself down and stop smiling foolishly.

"Yes," Tao Kaiyan said.

Xu Hachen then had an understanding expression on his face, smiled without saying a word.

Chen Ling didn't dare to say anything, after all, she didn't know how to make Song Jingye's identity public. She and Song Jingye should both be careful with their words at work and not bring their private affairs into it.

She didn't say anything, and Tao Kaiyan didn't ask any more questions. He quietly ate breakfast beside her.

"How are things going" she asked Xu Haichen.

"It's not a big deal, the leader has talked about it and I also took some psychological tests." Xu Haichen said very casually, seeming to not care at all.

"That's good, I know you're fine." Chen Ling replied.

Many things can't stand scrutiny. Once a small opening is torn, the crack will only get bigger. Because of her argument with Song Jingye before, she has been paying special attention to information related to Xu Haichen these past few days. She gradually heard about the investigations into his past at the company, which was roughly that he had been a particularly rebellious problem teenager before high school and only suddenly changed for the better after high school.

This doesn't affect Chen Ninghui and his relationship, on the contrary, she has a clearer understanding that for a problematic teenager to improve, it requires a tremendous amount of effort.

She seemed to understand now why Xu Haichen had taken special care of her since their freshman year. He had once said they were alike, and over the years, she finally understood what he meant.

After finishing their meal, the three people returned to their workplace from the dining hall and busied themselves with their respective tasks.

Their work is closely tied to international affairs, with news from all over the world flooding in across various time zones. Chen Ling returns to what matters most to her: the war in country X, whether the government has been taken over by counter-revolutionaries

But news related to [country x] is scarce, all I know is that the government is still resisting and hasn't fallen completely.

She didn't know if she would be sent back to work once the war ended, nor what arrangements were being made for Teacher Zhang's work afterward.

She has been assumed to be Mr. Zhang's person at her workplace, and naturally, she will be given priority when there are work arrangements. This leaves her feeling both happy and apprehensive.

I was so busy that I didn't have time to check my phone until noon. Then, I got a message from Song Jingye: "Going to dinner at the squad leader's place after work today. Zheng Ke and Zhang Ni are also coming."

"Okay," she replied.

"Allow me to formally introduce you."

(Chapter 1. The story of Kyono and Lemon is just beginning, it's only just reaching the part I want to write, it won't be over so soon, haha.)her servants in matching uniforms behind her, capturing the essence of a wealthy family's staff perfectly.Yao Yao was just scrolling through her phone when she was startled by the sudden sound. Lookin...