"Why are you blushing?" Pei Shaoze looked at her coldly. Su Banxia cleared her throat, glanced at the time, and forcefully pushed him away. She stood up awkwardly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "The kids need to go to school. I'll see them off." "I knew Secretary Su couldn't wait either." "..." Su Banxia shot him a displeased glare, then quickly walked away. She was truly afraid that if she stayed with him any longer, she wouldn't be able to control her own racing heart. Just moments ago, when he had leaned in close, Su Banxia could clearly feel her heartbeat skip a beat.
After hurriedly seeing off the two children, Su Banxia returned to the villa, but a sense of unease crept into her heart. She tiptoed, trying to slip back into her room. Unexpectedly, her little movements didn't escape Pei Shaoze's notice. He spoke calmly, "The kids are gone. Shouldn't we take care of what needs to be done?" "Wh-what needs to be done?" "What do you think?" Pei Shaoze reached out and pulled her into his embrace, leaning close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her face. "Well... I, I suddenly remembered I need to buy some essentials for Guoguo and Haohao this afternoon. I..." Su Banxia gave an awkward smile, shifting her feet as if to make a getaway. Pei Shaoze curled his lips slightly without a sound, his arm tightening around her so she couldn't move an inch. "P-President Pei..." "Call me Shaoze!" Su Banxia swallowed hard and reluctantly forced out two words: "Shaoze..." "Is that how you treat my name—without any feeling?" Pei Shaoze was clearly dissatisfied. "Sha-Shaoze!" Su Banxia gritted her teeth, shooting him an indignant look as she struggled to break free from his embrace. Pei Shaoze frowned coldly. "If you don't want me to deal with you right now, stop moving!" Hearing this, Su Banxia immediately stilled, her eyes darting around as she searched for an excuse to escape. "President Pei, aren't you going to work today?" "Do you want me to leave that badly?" Pei Shaoze asked flatly. Sensing the shift in his tone, Su Banxia quickly shook her head and forced a smile. "Of course not. I just worry that if you let tasks pile up, you'll have to work overtime and it'll be tough." "So you're saying you're worried about me." Pei Shaoze nodded with satisfaction. "Who's worried about you?" Su Banxia muttered under her breath, her voice too low for Pei Shaoze to catch. Glancing at his watch, he let out a faint chuckle. "Let's go." "Where?" Su Banxia was baffled, completely unable to follow his train of thought. "Haven't you been saying you're bored out of your mind at home and want to work?" Su Banxia froze for a moment, then it clicked, and her face lit up with joy. "So you're agreeing to let me come back to the company?" "If you want to stay home forever, I wouldn't mind. I can support you." "No, no, no—thank you!" Su Banxia quickly stood up, making her determination clear. "If you really want to thank me, do it another way—like giving yourself to me?" Pei Shaoze's voice was dripping with allure. Su Banxia instinctively stepped back, her smile growing distant. "President Pei..." "Hmm?" "Sha-Shaoze, I'm already a mother of two. I just want some peace and quiet now." Pei Shaoze looked her up and down, then said coolly, "Let's go. It's getting late."
Riding in Pei Shaoze's car, Su Banxia returned to Dingcheng Group. Facing the familiar surroundings, she felt a mix of emotions she couldn't quite name. "Banxia?" Yan Xin was surprised to see her. "President Yan." Su Banxia greeted him politely with a faint smile. Pei Shaoze frowned at their interaction, a chill flashing in his eyes. "President Yan, shouldn't you be in your own department? What are you doing out here? Is your workload too light?" "I was just about to bring you a contract to sign." Yan Xin smiled lightly, handing the document over. "Now that it's delivered, you can leave." Pei Shaoze dismissed him bluntly. Yan Xin understood the hint, said a quick goodbye to Su Banxia, and left the office. "Since Secretary Su is back at work, you'll have to follow the rules. Here, all these files are your tasks for today." Pei Shaoze pointed coldly at the mountain of papers on the desk. "...Okay." Su Banxia was stunned. She couldn't figure out what had gotten into this man again—why was he throwing a tantrum out of nowhere?
By the time Fang Shiqing learned that Su Banxia had returned to work, it was nearly noon. After some thought, she decided to go find her. The misunderstanding between them couldn't be left hanging forever. "Banxia." Fang Shiqing knocked softly and entered after hearing a response. "What's up?" Seeing who it was, Su Banxia's demeanor turned slightly distant. Fang Shiqing cleared her throat awkwardly. "I heard you're back at work, so I came to check on you. Want to grab lunch together?" "I'm afraid..." "Banxia, it's been so long since we've spent time together. Let me treat you today." Fang Shiqing smiled gently. "Look at all these files on my desk. How can I find time to eat?" Su Banxia gestured to the papers, politely declining. "I'll help you sort through them so you can have a proper lunch. You've always had a weak stomach—skipping meals will only hurt you more." Fang Shiqing started to reach for the files. Su Banxia frowned slightly, watching her bustle about with a twinge of discomfort. Before she could think of a way to refuse, the office door was suddenly pushed open. "Secretary Su, there's a business lunch today. Get ready and come with me. I don't want any more slip-ups this time." Pei Shaoze's voice was cold, laced with a clear warning. "Well..." Fang Shiqing lowered her eyes, biting her lip, saying nothing. Pei Shaoze glanced at her sidelong. "Manager Fang, care to join?" "No need. I just came to see Banxia. Seeing her doing well is enough." Fang Shiqing's smile stiffened, and she quickly left. Watching her retreating figure, Su Banxia couldn't help but sigh inwardly. "Avoiding things like this won't solve anything." Pei Shaoze remarked casually from the side.