As they left the private room, on the way back in the car, Lu Jiaying opened her car window, resting her head on it to feel the breeze, looking rather unwell.
She had barely eaten any food. From the moment she sat down, she had been cornered by two people, constantly talked to and plied with drinks. Drinking so much on an empty stomach, it was no wonder she felt terrible.
The buttons of the suit jacket she had worn all day were undone, and the hair she had pinned up all day was a little loose. A few strands fell down in the breeze, so Lu Jiaying simply let her hair down.
She rested in this casual, relaxed posture, looking at the streetscape outside. From Jiang Jingyu's perspective, she seemed to have instantly become several years younger.
Like a little girl earnestly exploring the world outside.
Not knowing what to say to her, after driving for a while, Jiang Jingyu asked, "Ms. Lu, are you feeling unwell?"
Lu Jiaying shook her head, "I'm alright. Just a little nauseous, and my head feels a bit dizzy. It might take a while longer to fully kick in."
"…Your alcohol tolerance is quite good. If it were me, I'd have been completely out by now, doing what you're doing."
"It can't be helped. Being colleagues with this group of people. Eventually, one's tolerance will be trained."
"I've always heard people talk about certain workplace rules, certain workplace harassment. Is what they did considered harassment towards you?"
Lu Jiaying turned to look at him. After a two-second glance, she smiled and leaned back in her chair.
"It's hard to define. That's their cunning part."
"If you call it harassment, they didn't do anything substantial. If you say it's not harassment, it still makes one feel disgusted. But you can't do anything about them. Middle-aged, greasy old men are truly a peculiar species."
Jiang Jingyu once again felt her difficulties.
Such a large marketing department, requiring her to manage everything inside and out.
Not only did she have to face business pressures and challenges from subordinates, but also deal with the social obligations of other departments.
Jiang Jingyu really wanted to ask her if she was tired, if she felt the meaning of life when she was so busy every day.
After organizing his thoughts for a moment, when he turned to look again, Lu Jiaying had actually fallen asleep leaning back in her chair.
Jiang Jingyu drove the car to the address she provided, parked it, and Lu Jiaying was still sleeping soundly.
He couldn't just sit in the car with her forever, so he had to gently wake her.
"Ms. Lu, Ms. Lu? We're home, wake up, Ms. Lu."
Lu Jiaying's face was flushed, and when he got closer, he could smell a faint aroma of alcohol.
With the alcohol taking hold and sleeping so soundly, he feared he wouldn't be able to wake her, so Jiang Jingyu had to get out and pull her.
Perhaps the cool air would wake her up when they got out.
He opened the car door, grabbed one of Lu Jiaying's arms, draped it over his shoulder, and pulled her out.
"Wake up, we're home. Time to get out, Ms. Lu."
Lu Jiaying finally slowly opened her eyes.
Her face was still hazy with sleep, and her disheveled long hair gave her a dazed look as she looked at him, a far cry from her usual commanding presence. Instead, she looked somewhat endearingly clumsy. Jiang Jingyu, caught off guard, found her momentarily cute.
Wearing high heels and a work skirt, getting out of the car was a bit inconvenient.
She instinctively put her other hand on Jiang Jingyu, grasping his shirt, and stumbled out of the car.
The two were very close, and from the perspective of the road, it almost looked like Jiang Jingyu was holding her.
Their skin touched, a strange and trembling sensation passed through him, making Jiang Jingyu's scalp tingle.
Fortunately, Lu Jiaying struggled to break free from him a second later, creating some distance.
Jiang Jingyu recalled the feeling from just now and silently chided himself for being perverted.
The moment Lu Jiaying pulled away, she stumbled, about to fall. After chiding himself for less than a second, Jiang Jingyu grabbed her again.
"Walk properly!"
"My shoes, my shoes are uncomfortable…"
Lu Jiaying stumbled and kicked off her shoes.
"Hey, hey, hey…"
Jiang Jingyu picked them up for her while still supporting her as they walked back.
Lu Jiaying's vision spun, and phantoms danced before her eyes. She couldn't see where the door lock was. She reached up several times but couldn't find the fingerprint sensor.
Jiang Jingyu had to guide her hand to the sensor.
As their hands touched, he realized her hands were incredibly soft, small, and tender.
She didn't have nail polish, but her nails were neatly trimmed, plump and lustrous, looking very beautiful.
The door unlocked, and they entered. Jiang Jingyu found the light switch and turned on the lights.
This was his first time entering a loft apartment like this.
It was two stories, appearing spacious, but the total area was only a little over sixty square meters.
The advantage was the high ceiling. The upper floor was the bedroom area, but it had no walls, offering no privacy whatsoever, with two beds casually placed there. The lower floor was the living room.
After glancing at the room layout from the doorway, he guided her towards the sofa, preparing to leave.
Before they reached the sofa, Lu Jiaying pushed him away again.
"I can do it. I can do it myself. Let go."
As she said this, she began to take off her small suit jacket.
Underneath the suit jacket was a white camisole, and breast pads were attached inside the camisole. Even though nothing was visible, Jiang Jingyu was startled and instinctively turned his head away.
"Then, Ms. Lu, since you can manage yourself, I'll be going."
He turned and walked towards the exit. Lu Jiaying, still drowsy, stumbled towards the sofa.
"I'm dying of thirst. Pour me a glass of water."
Jiang Jingyu, afraid of seeing something he shouldn't or having any inappropriate feelings, refused. m..oΓg
"I don't know where the water is in your place, pour it yourself."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud "bang" from behind, followed by Lu Jiaying's wail. He turned his head back.
Dizzy and disoriented, Lu Jiaying had crashed into the coffee table. The fruit bowl was knocked over, scattering fruit everywhere.
She was hunched over on the floor, clutching her knee in pain.
Her exposed shoulder blades and arms were slender, fair, and tender.
Jiang Jingyu, looking at her disheveled state, knew it was inconvenient, but he couldn't bear to abandon her. After a moment of hesitation, he ran back.
"Are you alright? Where did you hit yourself?"
Lu Jiaying was helped up by him and sat on the sofa. She rubbed her forehead wearily.
"My head hurts so much, I'm so dizzy… I'm dying of thirst, give me some water."
"Where's the water?"
"The water is… are you an idiot?"
He was helping her for free late at night and now he was being scolded?
Jiang Jingyu felt like a masochist for the first time in his life.
But considering she had drunk too much, he decided not to argue with her.
He got a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Just as Lu Jiaying was about to reach for it, a wave of nausea washed over her.
"Ugh…"
Jiang Jingyu quickly kicked a trash can near his feet towards her.
She leaned over the trash can and vomited violently, losing all her composure.
"Phew, what a smell."
Jiang Jingyu stepped back a few paces, watching her vomit until she was done. She sat weakly on the floor, her head resting on the sofa.
"Water."
He handed her the water again.
Lu Jiaying rinsed her mouth, drank a few sips, and then turned to lie down on the floor.
"Hey, hey. The floor is too cold, and you haven't showered yet. Go wash up and sleep in bed."
But she had reached her limit of exhaustion and couldn't hear anything anymore. If she said she was going to sleep, she fell fast asleep.
Jiang Jingyu tried pulling and calling her. After a while, realizing she couldn't be woken up, he had no choice but to carry her to the bed.
Then, mimicking how his mother cared for them, he tossed a towel and wiped her hands and face. He bagged up the trash several times, and only then did he close the door and leave.