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墨書 Inktalez
The atmosphere in the conference room seemed to freeze for a moment. Not only were the colleagues stunned, but even Junxi himself was completely taken aback.
Zhou Xuanyu's move was truly unexpected.
"Mr. Zhou... you... you really mean it, right?" Everyone glanced between Zhou Xuanyu and Junxi, seemingly trying to read any hint of truth from Junxi's slightly unsettled expression.
Junxi remained silent; since Zhou Xuanyu had initiated this, it was only fitting that he should conclude it as well.
"Yes, it's true," Zhou Xuanyu replied solemnly, nodding his head.
"Ah!" The group erupted into a cheer that sounded more like surprise than joy, unable to discern the truth behind it.
Junxi knew that within this surprise, the shock far outweighed the happiness.
"Mr. Zhou, congratulations!"
"Junxi, how could you not tell us about such good news?"
"Oh dear, Mr. Zhou, we really lacked insight. We won't tease Junxi anymore."
"…"
Zhou Xuanyu paused for a few seconds.
"I didn't mean to stop you from joking around."
"Huh?"
Everyone was taken aback. What did Mr. Zhou mean? Did he imply that they couldn't joke about Junxi and Zhou Ziyan, but it was okay to joke about Junxi and himself?
As more people entered the meeting, the topic was quickly interrupted. Zhou Xuanyu showed no intention of elaborating further. It seemed he had made his statement, and the rest was up to everyone's interpretation.
Junxi knew that within a day, this news would spread throughout the entire building. By then, her relationship with Zhou Xuanyu would be common knowledge, and wherever she went, she would be unable to escape the whispers.
This wasn't exactly a good thing, but it was something that would happen sooner or later.
If it came out casually like this, then that was fine; at least she wouldn't have to worry about when everyone would find out.
Sure enough, by the afternoon, the entire office was in an uproar.
Those who hadn't heard it firsthand were initially reluctant to believe it but couldn't directly confirm it with Zhou Xuanyu. They had no choice but to ask Xiaolin and a few others who were closer to Junxi to confirm with her directly.
Since Zhou Xuanyu had already put the word out, she naturally couldn't be coy about it. Junxi confidently admitted to Xiaolin and the others that she and Zhou Xuanyu were indeed in a romantic relationship.
"I knew it!" Xiaolin was the first to gloat.
"How did you know? You never mentioned anything before!" Everyone began teasing Xiaolin.
"Could I just say whatever about something I wasn't sure of? Remember last time we went camping? Mr. Zhou put his neck on the line for Junxi when he let a snake bite him! And what about that Baby Anchor incident? If he wasn't interested in Junxi, would he have gone out of his way to make Baby Anchor look bad for her? There are plenty more examples!" Xiaolin counted them off on her fingers.
Hearing Xiaolin's words, Junxi realized that the signs of her relationship with Zhou Xuanyu had actually been evident for quite some time. It was just that everyone had been focused on her and Zhou Ziyan, and no one had expected her true partner would turn out to be Zhou Ziyan's own uncle... This relationship was indeed quite complicated.
"That's it, I used to often play matchmaker between you and Mr. Zhou in front of Mr. Zhou. He won't hold a grudge against me, will he?" Xiaolin suddenly felt something was off and shouted.
Laughter erupted from the crowd.
Junxi laughed too.
"How could he be that petty?"
"Oh dear, he..."
Someone started teasing with an ambiguous tone, and everyone joined in the fun.
"Don't be like that!"
Junxi lowered her head, covering her flushed cheeks with her hands. She didn't notice that in the President's Office, Zhou Xuanyu was smiling in their direction...
Because she had suddenly made her relationship with Zhou Xuanyu public, Junxi felt a bit embarrassed even when she needed to enter Zhou Xuanyu's office for normal document signing.
She couldn't shake the feeling that all the eyes in the office were on her.
Although everyone meant well, she still felt awkward.
As the workday was ending, an urgent document unexpectedly landed in her hands, forcing Junxi to go to the President's Office to get Zhou Xuanyu's signature.
She knocked on the door, but Zhou Xuanyu didn't respond immediately. Standing at the door, she turned around and saw everyone giggling as they watched her.
The feeling was truly indescribable, and Junxi's face involuntarily flushed red.
"Come in," Zhou Xuanyu's voice called out.
Junxi hurriedly pushed the door open and slipped inside.
It was clearly Zhou Xuanyu who had made the situation so awkward, yet he acted as if nothing was wrong.
"Wait for me after work," Zhou Xuanyu said while signing some documents.
"I won't wait," Junxi firmly refused.
"Why not?"
He paused, looking up at Junxi.
Junxi pressed his lips together tightly, deliberately turning his face away from him.
"What’s wrong?" Zhou Xuanyu suddenly reached out and pulled him closer.
Junxi lost his balance and fell onto Zhou Xuanyu's lap. The position was too intimate, and he braced himself against Zhou Xuanyu's desk, trying to stand up, but Zhou Xuanyu refused to let go.
"Let go of me! What if someone comes in?" Junxi pushed against him.
"You sat down on your own," Zhou Xuanyu replied with an innocent expression.
"I want to stand up now."
"Oh, I'm sorry, my legs aren't something you can just sit on or get off whenever you want."
"You..." Junxi was at a loss for words.
He was clearly being pretentious, yet he spoke with such righteous confidence.
Zhou Xuanyu raised his hand and gently stroked Junxi's lips. "Be good, tell me, why are you unhappy?"
Junxi felt as if he were coaxing a little girl.
In fact, in Zhou Xuanyu's eyes, Junxi's slightly pouting red lips did resemble a little girl.
"Why didn't you discuss it with me before announcing our relationship?"
"What? You're not happy about it?" Zhou Xuanyu raised an eyebrow.
"It's not that I'm unhappy..."
"Then what's the problem?" Zhou Xuanyu interrupted her.
"But I feel embarrassed."
"I'm unmarried, you're unmarried. We have nothing to be embarrassed about."
"But everyone always thinks that Zhou Ziyan and I are a couple." Junxi leaned against Zhou Xuanyu, pinching his earlobe while gently rubbing it and softly saying, "I'm afraid people will find it strange with the three of us."
Zhou Xuanyu grasped her hand and placed it on her knee, feeling a restless itch inside him as her fingers wandered. However, this kind of itch was not suitable for the office.
"It’s precisely because everyone thinks you and Zhou Ziyan are a couple that I need to announce this," Zhou Xuanyu paused, looking seriously into Junxi's eyes. "I don't like your name being associated with another man."
He didn't like it...
Suddenly, she felt quite pleased.
Junxi let out a soft laugh.
"You’re just a jealous man."
Indeed, he was a jealous man, but he hadn’t realized it until now.
After Junxi and Zhou Xuanyu made their relationship public, she clearly sensed a change in how her colleagues treated her. Many who had previously been indifferent began to communicate with her more frequently.
In Xiaolin's words: "These people just want to get familiar with you; they want to establish a connection before trying to get close to Mr. Zhou."
Some took the opportunity to flatter her, while others secretly harbored jealousy.
The revelation of Junxi's background by the Infant Water Spirit at Hengfu Group was once again brought up by some with ulterior motives.
"Look, that's the daughter of Wen Da from back then."
"She’s not bad-looking; no wonder Mr. Zhou seems so infatuated."
"I think she doesn't deserve us in any way, Mr. Zhou."
"…"
Junxi hurried through the restaurant with a tray in hand, but she couldn't shake off the whispers around her.
"Bang!" She bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction, nearly spilling the food from her tray.
"I'm sorry," Junxi quickly apologized. All she wanted was to find a quiet place to eat her lunch, but who would have thought that the restaurant would be a place full of gossip?
"It's fine." The voice that reached her ears was very familiar.
Junxi looked up and was surprised to see Jia Man.
Jia Man had been on business trips for quite some time, and Junxi hadn't seen her in ages. She had tanned a bit, but the proud glint in her eyes was even more vibrant.
"What are they gossiping about?" Jia Man glanced at the group of whispering female colleagues behind Junxi. "This is a place to eat; if you want to talk about others, you should go outside."
The few female colleagues, already intimidated by Jia Man, fell silent at her reprimand.
Junxi stared incredulously at this haughty woman before her.
Jia Man actually came to her rescue? Had the sun risen from the west today?
"The little restaurant has run out of dishes again," Jia Man said, turning her attention back to Junxi.
It seemed she was explaining why she was there.
Junxi smiled at her.
Jia Man showed no surprise at the words of a few female colleagues, indicating that she must have already heard about Zhou Xuanyu's announcement of his relationship.
Junxi still couldn't be sure whether the person in front of her was friend or foe.
"Shall we have lunch together?" Jia Man said, shaking her plate. Some food had spilled out, suggesting that the collision earlier was unintentional on Jia Man's part.
"Sure." Junxi nodded generously and chose a nearby empty table to sit down.
Jia Man followed her.
"I heard the good news about you and Mr. Zhou," Jia Man said with a bright smile as she took her seat. "Congratulations."
"Thank you." Junxi remained composed, as she felt that Jia Man had more to say.
Jia Man took a few bites of her meal and then looked up at Junxi.
Junxi focused on her food, deliberately ignoring Jia Man's meaningful gaze.
"By the way, did you know that Mr. Zhou had a lover who almost walked down the aisle?" Jia Man suddenly asked.
Junxi's chopsticks trembled in her hand as she abruptly looked up at Jia Man.
Lin Jingming? How did Jia Man know about Lin Jingming?
"You..."
Junxi had always known that Jia Man was not simple, but she never expected that Jia Man would be connected to Lin Jingming.
Jia Man calmly took a bite of her food.
"I just heard about it," she said.
Naturally, Junxi did not believe her words.
"Do you know her?"
"Who?" Jia Man countered.
Junxi frowned.
Seeing that Junxi seemed to be successfully thrown off balance, Jia Man stopped pretending. She dropped her chopsticks and rested her chin on her hand, looking at Junxi.
"Don't be nervous."
"Who exactly are you?"
"I'm me. What are you afraid of?" Jia Man smiled, her eyes curving beautifully. Despite her beauty, Junxi felt a chill as she looked at her.
Junxi didn't want to engage with Jia Man any longer and had lost her appetite for food. She picked up her lunch box and walked toward the restaurant's exit.
"Wen Junxi!" Jia Man called out to her. "I'm just reminding you not to forget about that woman."
Junxi had been somewhat distracted all day, and Jia Man's meaningful reminder left her feeling uneasy.
"Sis, why is this dish so bland?" Jun Xuan complained after taking a bite of the food Junxi had prepared.
Junxi snapped back to reality. "Is it bland?"
She picked up a piece and tasted it herself.
Bland? It was more than that; she had completely forgotten to add salt.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I forgot to put in salt," Junxi quickly said as she stood up with the plate. "Wait a moment, I'll go re-cook it."
"No need," Jun Xuan said as he snatched the plate from her. "I'll just add some salt."
Jun Xuan didn't want to hand the dish back to his sister because he feared that if she went into the kitchen, she might add sugar instead of salt.
This wasn't the first time such a situation had occurred.
Junxi didn't resist; she truly didn't want to do anything right now and felt incapable of doing anything well.
"Sis, is something going on?" Jun Xuan suddenly stopped at the door and turned to look at her.
Junxi immediately shook her head.
Ever since the incident at home, although Jun Xuan hadn't said much, Junxi could sense that her younger brother was no longer the naive child he once was. He had become sensitive and suspicious, losing his sense of security at the slightest disturbance.
Her brother was very much like her.
"Don't worry. It's fine," Junxi reassured.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Did you and Uncle Xuan Yu have a fight?"
Just as Jun Xuan finished speaking, the doorbell rang.
Speak of the devil. Junxi walked over to open the door, and sure enough, Zhou Xuanyu was standing outside.
"Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?" Junxi asked, looking at Zhou Xuanyu, who was holding a laptop and had his tie slightly loosened, appearing to be off work.
"The documents weren't complete, so it was canceled last minute." Zhou Xuanyu leaned against the door frame with his elbow for a moment. "What? Aren't you going to let me in?"
Realizing this, Junxi quickly stepped aside to let him in.
Zhou Xuanyu reached out and pinched her cheek, smiling lightly.
"Uncle Xuan Yu, have you eaten?" Just then, Jun Xuan came out of the room, holding a plate of stir-fried dishes and enthusiastically inviting Zhou Xuanyu to join their dinner.
"No. Is there enough for me?"
"Yes. I was wondering why my sister made so much food; turns out she was counting on you!" Jun Xuan revealed Junxi's secret while running into the kitchen to serve Zhou Xuanyu some rice.
Watching the two affectionate men before her, Junxi felt that in Jun Xuan's heart, Zhou Xuanyu had already surpassed her in status.
"I forgot to add salt to the dish today, Xuan Yu Uncle, you should give it a try, but don't complain about the taste," Jun Xuan pushed the failed dish in front of Zhou Xuanyu, forcing a difficult-to-swallow expression.
Zhou Xuanyu took a bite, chewed a few times, and commented, "It's not bad."
"Not bad? Xuan Yu Uncle, are you sure your taste buds are working?"
"Wen Junxuan, you are really something today!" Junxi shot a glare at her brother.
Jun Xuan ignored Junxi, looking at Zhou Xuanyu with a sigh. "I should have known you two were in cahoots. No matter how bad my sister's cooking is, you'd still say it's delicious. I get it, she's eye candy."
"Eye candy? You understand that?" Junxi said, half-amused and half-exasperated.
Jun Xuan patted his chest. "Sister, I'm almost an adult now; can you please be a bit more open-minded?"
Junxi was left speechless, clearly defeated by her brother's words.
Zhou Xuanyu watched the sibling banter with interest, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Junxi was deliberately avoiding his gaze. Although she still served him good food from her bowl, she wouldn't look at him.
The meal was a mix of lively chatter and quiet moments.
After finishing dinner, Junxi went to wash the dishes while Zhou Xuanyu and Jun Xuan whispered about something outside. When she came out, she overheard Jun Xuan telling Zhou Xuanyu, "My sister is in a bad mood today; make sure to comfort her later."
That kid! When did she ever say she was in a bad mood? Although, truth be told, she really was feeling down…
Zhou Xuanyu didn't ask why; he simply nodded in agreement.
"What are you two talking about?" Junxi gently interjected.
Jun Xuan saw her coming out of the kitchen and immediately stood up, quietly leaning towards Zhou Xuanyu's ear to say, "I'm heading back to my room now. I won't disturb you."
Zhou Xuanyu gave an OK gesture.
Once Jun Xuan returned to her room, the living room fell silent.
Zhou Xuanyu sat on the sofa, not moving, simply gazing at Junxi as if waiting for her to come over.
"I'm a bit tired; I want to sleep first," Junxi casually made an excuse, hoping to send Zhou Xuanyu away.
She knew that Zhou Xuanyu disliked her mentioning Lin Jingming, and she herself was also afraid of hearing even the slightest news about that woman.
After all, she was the one Zhou Xuanyu had loved. Even if it was in the past, she was still someone he had cared for deeply—someone who had captured his heart before she did...
If she continued to be alone with Zhou Xuanyu today, she felt she would inevitably ask about it.
"Come here," Zhou Xuanyu patted the spot next to him.
Junxi thought for a moment and walked over. She intended to sit on the sofa, but as soon as she settled down, Zhou Xuanyu pulled her onto his lap.
He had been fond of holding her this way lately.
"What did Jia Man want to talk to you about?" Zhou Xuanyu got straight to the point.
So he knew that Jia Man had sought her out.
Junxi shook her head, suppressing the name she wanted to ask about.
"Did you say anything?"
"Really?"
"Really."
"You didn't say anything? You cook without even adding salt?" Zhou Xuanyu changed the subject.
Junxi felt embarrassed and immediately retorted, "That's a different matter."
Zhou Xuanyu smiled, finally showing some energy.
He pressed her head down and kissed her lips.
"No secrets between us."
Zhou Xuanyu had heard from Galen that Jia Man had gone to a restaurant to have Chinese food with Junxi. Recently, Galen had taken a keen interest in Jia Man's movements and had been reporting back to him, whether intentionally or not.
This was a struggle between the two women, and Zhou Xuanyu didn't want to get involved. However, hearing Junxi's name today piqued his interest slightly.
Why would Jia Man invite Junxi for Chinese food? The two of them were not exactly on friendly terms… It wasn't until he arrived here and heard Jun Xuan mention that his sister was in a bad mood that Zhou Xuanyu connected the dots. He became more certain that Jia Man was up to something.
If it came down to a confrontation, Junxi would not stand a chance against Jia Man. Therefore, he needed to understand what Jia Man's angle was.
"I'm afraid if I tell you, it will upset you," Junxi said, rubbing Zhou Xuanyu's hand and playfully nuzzling against his chest.
When it came to Lin Jingming, she had her own experiences. She still remembered the last time she brought him up; his dark expression had been terrifying, as if a storm was about to break. It was a thorn embedded in his heart, and she dared not touch it again.
"It's okay, go ahead," Zhou Xuanyu said, patting Junxi on the back as if encouraging her.
"Jia Man was talking about... Lin Jingming."
Junxi felt Zhou Xuanyu stiffen for a moment.
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