Li Yue didn't interact much with Shen Su at work, but his intuition told him that Shen Su wasn't the type to meddle in other people's affairs.
Although there was plenty of gossip about him and Feng Feng, Shen Su was in his position; even if he heard anything, he wouldn't be so bored as to ask Li Yue about it.
Also, Feng Feng's attitude towards Shen Su...
The relationship between the two of them was rather subtle, very much like ex-lovers.
The thought startled Li Yue. Could it really be like that?
He had been at the institute for a long time and hadn't heard any rumors or gossip about Shen Su and Feng Feng. Either he was overthinking it, or these two had done a very good job of keeping things secret before.
A seed of doubt was planted in Li Yue's mind, but he knew Feng Feng's personality well; she didn't like others prying into her privacy. Therefore, even if he was curious, he couldn't ask. He could only observe with his own abilities.
Li Yue finished showering while pondering this question. After changing, he went to Feng Feng's room to find her. As they were waiting for the elevator, they ran into Shen Su and Ji Tong again.
Seeing Feng Feng and Li Yue together, Ji Tong's expression became ambiguous again. She smiled and said to Feng Feng, "Good morning, President Feng! Are you and Li Yue going for breakfast too?"
Feng Feng: "Mm."
No need to ask, judging by Ji Tong's way of speaking, they were also going downstairs for breakfast.
It truly was a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road. In this elevator ride, the four of them were together again. After entering the elevator, Feng Feng instinctively chose a spot farthest from Shen Su. Li Yue observed silently, his gaze deepening.
The elevator stopped at the second-floor buffet restaurant. Feng Feng's greatest fear was Ji Tong saying, "Let's eat together." Fortunately, she didn't. Feng Feng naturally sat down with Li Yue.
Ji Tong and Shen Su's table wasn't far from theirs. Whenever Feng Feng looked up, she could see their table in her peripheral vision. Ji Tong was always so cheerful, and Feng Feng didn't know what she was talking about with Shen Su, but the atmosphere between them was very good.
Li Yue noticed Feng Feng's behavior but didn't expose it. He simply reminded her, "This croissant is quite good. Try it. It should be fresh out of the oven."
Feng Feng came back to her senses at the sound, responded faintly, picked up a croissant, and took a bite. It was indeed fresh out of the oven, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a rich buttery flavor upon tasting.
After finishing breakfast, they had to gather with the main group. Today's activities were golf and an outdoor barbecue. The weather was also great; it wasn't too cold, the sun was strong, the sky was blue with white clouds, perfect for outdoor activities.
Because they were going to be exercising, everyone was basically wearing sportswear, much more casual than yesterday.
Li Yue had been following Feng Feng, and when it came to grouping, they naturally ended up together. Feng Feng learned golf after starting work, for convenience.
After learning for a few months, she got the hang of it and played reasonably well. Li Yue's skills were also good, and as they cooperated, their progress was quite smooth.
However, Ji Tong's side was not so simple. Ji Tong had no prior experience with golf. It was her first time playing by herself, and she didn't even know how to hold the club.
Since Ji Tong didn't know, the task of teaching her naturally fell to Shen Su. He stood behind Ji Tong, wrapping his arms around her body to help her adjust the direction and position of the club, patiently explaining to her.
From Feng Feng's perspective, she couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could see that their interaction was very natural. Shen Su even smiled as he spoke, possibly amused by Ji Tong's small actions. Ji Tong, on the other hand, seemed a little embarrassed.
Feng Feng was supposed to start the next round of golf but couldn't snap out of watching them. This scene was precisely what Li Yue saw. He followed Feng Feng's gaze and naturally saw the interaction between Shen Su and Ji Tong.
Li Yue didn't interrupt Feng Feng. His expression became more meaningful. If it was just suspicion before, now he was almost certain that Feng Feng and Shen Su must have had some secret before.
Shen Su and Ji Tong never shied away from being affectionate in public. They were very open in whatever they did, and coupled with Shen Su's status, even if people wanted to tease them, they wouldn't dare to speak up.
Since they couldn't tease Shen Su and Ji Tong, Feng Feng and Li Yue became the targets of teasing. When the two of them stood together, a colleague smiled and asked, "President Feng is really good to Li Yue. Is there something going on?"
These words happened to reach Ji Tong's ears. Ji Tong immediately looked over, her face filled with intense curiosity, eagerly awaiting Feng Feng's answer.
Feng Feng, with her usual indifference, showed no intention of answering such a question. Finally, Li Yue spoke up, "President Feng is also very good to Zhou Yao."
His words, stopping just short of revealing everything, were enough for others to catch the underlying meaning.
However, the colleague was not satisfied with ending the teasing there. "That's not the same. I've worked with President Feng for several years, and this is the first time I've seen her treat a colleague so well. Li Yue is a bit special!"
These words were met with enthusiastic agreement. It wasn't that everyone insisted on joking about Feng Feng, but from an outsider's perspective, Feng Feng really was quite special to Li Yue.
Before, many people had shown interest in Feng Feng at the institute, but she was very indifferent, sometimes not even saying an extra word. Once, a colleague had directly confessed his feelings to her, only to be very directly rejected. Later, that colleague transferred to another city.
Feng Feng was famously cold and unapproachable. Working with her for years, even if one had genuine feelings, they would gradually be dispelled.
Only Li Yue was the exception. He could be by Feng Feng's side every day, and even at occasions like the annual meeting, he could be her male companion. And Feng Feng's attitude towards him was worlds apart from her attitude towards others.
At this moment, everyone looked at Feng Feng, who had become the focus of everyone's attention, waiting for her answer.
Li Yue was a bit worried that Feng Feng might get angry because of this, but to his surprise, she smiled faintly and said, "He is indeed quite special. You all have sharp eyes."
These words were too ambiguous, and the atmosphere among the crowd intensified. Li Yue himself found it incredible that Feng Feng would say that. Someone who loved to egg others on then said, "Good, good. Nowadays, people love age-gap relationships, don't they? President Feng's iron tree has finally blossomed. Li Yue, your good fortune is yet to come!"
Li Yue: "..."
At this moment, he didn't have the capacity to care about what others were saying; his attention was all on Feng Feng.
Li Yue looked at Feng Feng, and their eyes met. Feng Feng gave Li Yue a faint smile, not obvious, but it struck Li Yue right in the heart. He unconsciously smiled along with Feng Feng, the emotions in his eyes almost impossible to hide.
After the colleagues had teased them for a while, they stopped. Feng Feng and Li Yue continued playing golf. Before Li Yue could ask anything, Feng Feng spoke first, addressing the earlier incident, "Don't take their jokes seriously."
This meant that her own words earlier were also jokes.
It would be a lie to say Li Yue wasn't disappointed, but he couldn't blame Feng Feng for anything. He could only smile and say, "Okay, I understand."
So, they continued playing golf.
"Hey? Shen Su, why are you so distracted?" This was the third time Ji Tong had reminded Shen Su.