The office was unusually quiet after lunch, and Lin Xinyi settled into a café not far from He Corporations' building. Jiang Rui, from the partner company, had suggested meeting here to finalize details on their joint marketing project.
Xinyi sipped her coffee, scanning through the presentation notes on her tablet. Jiang Rui leaned back, smiling casually, his tone warm and familiar. "You always know how to make a meeting productive... and fun."
Xinyi smiled lightly, tapping her pen. "Let's just get the numbers right first. Fun comes after deadlines."
It wasn't the first time she'd met Jiang Rui outside the office. He was courteous, easy to talk to, and professional, yet the ease with which he joked occasionally triggered something faint in her mind — a memory of glances exchanged, meetings attended, and the awareness that He Zhiyuan had noticed him before. She pushed the thought aside. It's just coffee. Professional.
Meanwhile, back at the office, Zhiyuan noticed her empty cubicle. He frowned slightly and typed out a quick message. Xinyi, lunch break over?
Before he could send it, his attention was caught by two employees whispering near the printer. "Did you see? Director Lin went to have coffee with President Jiang. Just the two of them."
Zhiyuan's expression tightened imperceptibly. Coffee... with him? And she didn't tell me. A faint edge of jealousy flared, though he forced himself to remain calm.
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When Xinyi returned later, rain speckling her blazer, Zhiyuan was leaning against her desk. Calm. Too calm. Arms crossed. Eyes stormy.
"You went out... for coffee," he said quietly.
She tilted her head, smooth and composed. "Yes. Jiang Rui wanted to go over the project in detail. Just work."
He stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the faint warmth from his body. "Just work," he repeated slowly. "You've been spending a lot of 'just work' moments with him lately."
Xinyi's lips quirked in a restrained smile. "Zhiyuan... it's professional. You know that."
He exhaled, low and controlled. "I know. But... seeing you laugh at his jokes, nod at his words... it's hard not to notice."
She met his gaze evenly, heart pacing. "I was laughing at his suggestions for the project. Not... him."
"Still," he murmured, leaning just slightly closer, "it's difficult not to feel..." His voice trailed, shadowed by something she had learned over years of marriage: when he trailed off like that, his control was slipping.
Xinyi swallowed, maintaining her poise, though a pulse of warmth crept up her chest. The office noise seemed to vanish, leaving only the quiet storm between them.
Hours later, Xinyi remained at her desk, finishing the report. Rain pattered harder against the window. Zhiyuan appeared in the lobby, umbrella in hand, waiting silently. His expression betrayed nothing... yet every inch of his posture spoke of contained tension.
By the time she packed up, Zhiyuan was waiting at the lobby, umbrella in hand. His expression was unreadable, calm on the surface, but Xinyi could see the flicker of lingering irritation in his eyes.
"You're staying late," he said, voice quiet but firm.
"I had to finish the report," she replied evenly, sliding into the passenger seat.
The drive home was silent at first, both lost in thought. Then Zhiyuan's hand brushed hers, tentative, seeking reassurance. Xinyi didn't pull away.
As soon as the door closed behind them at home, the tension broke. Zhiyuan pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers in a long, fierce kiss, one that left Xinyi breathless. She tried to push him back.
But the look in his eyes, the possessiveness, the restrained anger — it was enough to make her surrender to the inevitability. By the time they reached the bedroom, the rain outside was a distant rhythm compared to the storm they created between them.