"Ah, I still have work; I can’t leave now."
"No need to wait for me, I don’t even know how long I’ll have to work; it might be very late. Go ahead and eat."
"Sigh, don’t bother picking me up. I’ve timed it, I should be able to catch the last subway and get home safely. Okay, enough talking, I’m hanging up now, goodbye."
Even Bai Yixuan, as mild-tempered and amiable as he was, was getting a bit impatient. After Ling Chuxia hung up the phone, he complained, "Xiaxia, how is it that you, an assistant, are busier than me, the general manager?"
Ling Chuxia seemed to choke up for a moment, unsure of how to respond.
Bai Yixuan suddenly had a thought, his dark eyes growing intense. Speaking into the phone, word by word, he began, "Xiaxia, tell me, is someone bullying you? Are they intentionally dumping all the work on you?"
He understood that newcomers were often bullied; this was something he wasn’t oblivious to.
"Not at all, not at all," Ling Chuxia quickly denied, her voice soft in response, "Everyone is very nice to me; no one is bullying me."
"Then... why are you busy so late every day? I really wasn’t aware that our huge company needed a junior assistant to work such heartbreaking overtime every single day."
Bai Yixuan was always gentle, refined, and patient in front of her. This was the first time Ling Chuxia heard him speak in such a vexed and mocking manner, and she couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
Hearing Ling Chuxia’s laughter, Bai Yixuan grew even more annoyed. "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing, I just find it funny that you, as the general manager, aren’t happy to have such a dedicated employee who works overtime every day without expecting overtime pay."
"Xiaxia!" Bai Yixuan’s voice sank.
Ling Chuxia slightly suppressed her laughter, took a deep breath, and her voice became more serious, "Alright, Brother Xuan, I know you’re concerned about me, but I really don’t feel tired or overworked. I quite job, so I want to learn quickly and familiarize myself with it so that I can stand on my own two feet in the future."
She paused, then with playful mischief in her eyes, she blinked and the tone of her voice lightened again, "I can’t be an assistant for the rest of my life, can I?"
Bai Yixuan wanted to say more, but Ling Chuxia interrupted him, speaking directly, "Alright, alright, I get it. How about this: the weekend is in a couple of days. Let’s make a dinner plan then, okay?"
"Are you sure? Last week, I don’t know who stood me up, and the week before, someone else bailed on me."
Bai Yixuan’s complaints streamed unceasingly into her ears, and Ling Chuxia quickly said, "I’m sure, definitely, absolutely sure. If I flake again, I’m... I’m a pig!"
After hanging up the phone, the smile on Ling Chuxia’s face collapsed. She stared blankly at the huge stack of files on her desk, a trace of self-mocking laughter slowly crossing her eyes.
Yes, she was indeed very busy, but, she was busy on purpose.
Only by being extremely busy could she avoid having time to think about Shi Che. Only by being extremely busy would her brain be filled with work, rather than the person she shouldn’t be thinking about.
That way, she could soon completely forget him, right?