“Click—” The sound of a Budweiser can being opened echoed.

The cool beer slid down Tang Song's throat as he surveyed the venue.

The director with the cat wasn't in sight, but he did notice quite a few girls sneaking glances his way. Some were even taking photos.

“Hey, which pretty girl are you eyeing?” Wen Ruan nudged him with her shoulder. “Was it the shy one who brought you that beer? Want me to introduce you?”

Tang Song chuckled and looked back at her.

Today, her outfit was rather conservative.

She wore sweatpants and a loose T-shirt, which made her look less eye-catching.

Her figure was the classic hourglass type, with a sturdy frame and fuller chest and hips.

The oversized shirt concealed her waistline, giving her a slightly robust look. But her alluring figure still shone through.

“Looked around, but Sister Wen Ruan is still the most beautiful one here.”

Wen Ruan’s lips curled. “I have to admit, you have good taste.”

They huddled together, chatting in hushed tones.

Every so often, a female colleague would bring snacks or desserts over, giggling as they exchanged a few words with Tang Song, leaving Wen Ruan feeling somewhat worn out. The source of thɪs content is NoveIꜰire.net

In a few minutes, Brother Zhang approached with a room key and an ID card.

Wen Ruan thanked him, said goodbye to her colleagues, and led Tang Song upstairs.

On the dark wooden stairs, Tang Song, following behind, glanced up, catching a view of Wen Ruan’s peach-shaped hips. Her loose sweatpants were stretched tightly, forming a perfect curve.

He took a deep breath. Oh man, that’s intense!

They reached the quiet third floor.

Wen Ruan suddenly turned around and caught Tang Song staring intently at her behind.

She covered her mouth, chuckling. “What, little brother, are you having some bold thoughts?”

Recalling her previous tease about “bold thoughts,” Tang Song replied earnestly, “I do, Sister Wen Ruan. Do you want to know?”

“Oh? How bold? An 18?” Wen Ruan raised her brows.

“18? What’s that supposed to mean?” Tang Song was baffled.

Wen Ruan held up her slender index finger.

Following her gesture, Tang Song suddenly understood and felt his heart race.

This mature older sister is not someone a young guy like me can handle.

At the door of Room 311, Wen Ruan hooked her finger at him, her tone soft and inviting, “Come on in, little brother.”

Tang Song took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The room was about 15 square meters, with a small bathroom to the right of the door.

The decor was decent, with a TV, desk, and electric kettle.

Wen Ruan tossed a hot water bag onto the bed and took a deep whiff of the bouquet she was holding, sighing contentedly, “Smells so good. I really like it. It’s too bad there’s no vase here; they’ll probably wilt by tomorrow.”

“I’ll bring you another bouquet tomorrow.”

Wen Ruan looked up and suddenly asked, “Did Lili tell you I like tulips? Did she also tell you I’d be here?”

Tang Song nodded, “Yeah, I heard you weren’t feeling well, so I rushed over.”

Wen Ruan leaned forward slightly, her bright eyes gazing at him, “Do you know what tulips symbolize?”

“Uh…” Tang Song scratched his head, embarrassed.

“Compassion, thoughtfulness, elegance, wealth. And each color has its own meaning too. Red tulips represent a declaration of love.”

“Oh, I see.” Tang Song pursed his lips. “I didn’t know that. To be honest, I don’t know much about flowers. This is actually the first time I’ve bought flowers for a girl.”

Wen Ruan blinked, moving closer and looking him in the eyes, “Really?”

“Absolutely.” Tang Song replied with complete sincerity.

Before, he never paid much attention to this kind of thing, and he and Qian Qian hadn’t been together long enough for him to think about it.

If Hu Mingli hadn’t reminded him, he wouldn’t have thought of buying flowers.

They held each other’s gaze for a long moment, Wen Ruan’s chest heaving softly.

Tang Song felt a thrill, resisting the urge to reach out and hold her.

“I believe you.”

Nodding, Tang Song suddenly seemed to remember something. He pulled a heat patch out of his suit pocket, peeled it open, and stuck it on his arm.

“It’s a bit cool now, but once it heats up, I’ll give it to you.”

Hearing this, Wen Ruan’s lips quivered, feeling deeply touched.

Tang Song then pulled out a packet of ibuprofen from another pocket, his voice gentle, “I also brought you some painkillers. You ate too much and had too many cold things at lunch, didn’t you? You must be in a lot of pain now. Just a second.”

He got up, went to the table, checked the electric kettle, and filled a paper cup with water.

After opening the ibuprofen packet and pushing out two tablets, he handed them to her along with the water. “Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that relieves pain by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis. It won’t work instantly, but it should help soon. Just hang in there.”

“Thanks.” Wen Ruan bit her lip, accepting the medicine and obediently swallowing it.

On the surface, she appeared calm, but inside, she felt like her heart was exploding.

Ahhh! This guy! You’re killing me here!

“I’ll be back in a minute; just need the bathroom,” Wen Ruan’s voice was a bit hoarse. She grabbed her pads and went to the restroom, closing the door firmly.

Leaning against the door, she closed her eyes, listening to her own heartbeat.

After a while, she returned, her expression calm.

Tang Song peeled the now-warm patch from his arm and glanced at her abdomen, suggesting with a bold grin, “Sister Wen Ruan, should I help you put it on? My hands are really warm.”

Wen Ruan hesitated slightly but didn’t refuse.

She stepped in front of him, lifting her loose T-shirt slightly to reveal her toned, healthy waist.

Her muscles formed a smooth, attractive line down her abdomen, contrasting with her full chest and curvy hips.

Noticing his gaze, Wen Ruan flexed her muscles a bit, making a defined “川” shape appear, extremely enticing.

Years of fitness and self-discipline had given her this figure, and she was proud of it.

Tang Song licked his lips and placed the heat patch on the outside of her pants, over her lower belly.

Wen Ruan bit her lip, adjusted her shirt and pants, and exposed her underlayer.

This time, Tang Song’s eyes were fixed as she lifted her shirt again.

“Directly on the inner layer will be the warmest.”

Tang Song took a deep breath, his senses filled with her scent and unspoken thoughts.

“Hurry, I’m cold.”

Tang Song slowly reached out and carefully pressed the patch down, smoothing it out, pressing again and again, and couldn’t resist touching her toned abs.

A layer of goosebumps rose on her skin.

Wen Ruan forced herself to sound indifferent, “Feels good?”

“It’s great!” Tang Song nodded sincerely. “Could I press it a bit longer?”

“Hmph, dream on.” Wen Ruan turned around, hiding the blush spreading across her face, “Come on, I’ll show you your room. If you don’t like it, we can ask to change.”

---

Outside, the rain had stopped, and the air felt crisp and refreshing.

The team-building dinner that evening was lively, featuring an array of grilled meats and hot pot ingredients, all fresh and abundant.

Some colleagues even brought along their significant others, while others had their pets in tow. Tang Song joined in on a few group photos.

After dinner, he played games like Pictionary and Time Bomb with everyone, adding to the fun.

Perhaps it was the painkillers and heat patch working their magic, but Wen Ruan’s stomach felt much better, so she joined in for a while. Her smile didn’t leave her face the entire time.

At around 9 p.m., Tang Song pulled Wen Ruan over to a small gym on the second floor.

They watched a movie together while he worked out on the elliptical machine.

He had no choice—his fitness mission required him to work out for an hour at the gym each day for the next 10 days. Tonight, he was just putting in some light effort to meet the requirement.

Unlike the bustling atmosphere elsewhere, the gym was quiet—a perfect spot for the two of them to spend time alone.

Wen Ruan snapped a picture of him during his workout and shared it in her friends' group chat.

She captioned it, “A disciplined guy who loves exercising and doesn’t miss a single chance to improve himself. I almost feel ashamed.”

Hu Mingli: Awkward.jpg

Hu Mingli: “Our President Tang... such a straight-laced guy! There’s a gorgeous girl right next to him, and he’s just exercising??”

Zhang Ziqi: “I’m speechless...”

Zhang Ziqi: “Honestly, I thought you two would already be in bed together by now.”

Wen Ruan replied with a laugh: “You guys have such wild imaginations. Don’t make us sound so sleazy!”

By 10 p.m., Tang Song finished his workout and walked upstairs with Wen Ruan, chatting along the way.

At the third-floor staircase, Tang Song suddenly stopped and invited her, “Sister Wen Ruan, I’ve been making great progress with my fitness routine. My muscles are really shaping up. Would you like to come to my room and give me some fitness tips?”

“‘Fitness tips,’ huh…” Wen Ruan muttered, smirking as she playfully patted his chest. “Kid, lay off the Korean dramas and get some sleep.”

With a teasing smile, she turned and sauntered down the hallway.

Tang Song sighed, but as he ascended to the fourth floor, he noticed a figure standing by the window, smoking.

The figure was tall and lean, dressed rather formally.

It was the director with the cat that Hu Mingli had shown him a photo of.

Hearing footsteps, Wang Liyu turned around, locking eyes with Tang Song with a complex expression. But upon seeing that Wen Ruan wasn’t with him, he visibly relaxed.

Tang Song nodded politely, about to head to his room.

“Hey, Tang Song!” Wang Liyu suddenly called out.

“Hm?” Tang Song looked back at him in confusion.

“How long have you known Wen Ruan?”

Tang Song thought for a moment. “A little over half a month.”

Wang Liyu stubbed out his cigarette and replied softly, “Got it. Thanks.”

…

Inside Room 311.

After washing up, Zhang Xintong applied a face mask and grinned at Wen Ruan, who was sitting on the bed, lost in thought.

“Sister Wen Ruan, your boyfriend came all this way to keep you company, and you just left him alone like that. Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

Wen Ruan rested her chin on her knees and mumbled, “Is it?”

Zhang Xintong nodded, “Of course! And by the way, Hu Yike is staying on the fourth floor too. She’s been all over your boyfriend, piling food on his plate during dinner. If I didn’t know any better, I’d bet she’s bold enough to knock on his door tonight.”

Hu Yike was the short-haired girl in her early twenties, fresh-faced and adorable.

Wen Ruan’s heart skipped a beat, a battle waging in her mind.

After hesitating for a moment, she took a deep breath and sent Tang Song a message: “Hey, little brother, what’re you up to?”

“Ding dong”—the notification sounded.

It was a photo.

She clicked to open it and saw that it was Tang Song in the bathroom, holding a roll of toilet paper.

Wen Ruan bit her lip and replied, “If you miss me, just say so—don’t make it so obvious.”

“Ding dong—”

Tang Song: “I miss you.”

The corners of Wen Ruan’s lips lifted, and she jumped up, letting her hair down. She began rummaging through her bag for a change of clothes.

Zhang Xintong looked at her curiously. “What’s up, Sister Wen Ruan?”

While changing, Wen Ruan replied, “I just remembered Tang Song left his suit jacket with me. I’m going to bring it over to him.”

“Are you coming back tonight?”

“I’ll probably chat with him for a bit, so I’ll be back later. Go ahead and sleep first.”

…

“Knock, knock, knock”—a knock echoed at the door.

Tang Song, just stepping out of the bathroom, raised an eyebrow. “Who is it?”

“It’s me.” The voice was soft, but Tang Song recognized it instantly.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly went over to open the door.

There stood Wen Ruan, wrapped in his suit jacket, her face glowing as she looked up at him.

“You said you missed me, so here I am to see if it’s really as bad as you say.” She smiled and stepped inside.

Taking off the jacket, she revealed a snug T-shirt underneath, then sat down on his bed, her legs pressed together, smooth and flawless as porcelain.

Tang Song let out a long breath and slowly walked over, his eyes trailing up and down her curvy figure.

Their eyes met, and Wen Ruan’s lips curled in a teasing smile.

Bending down, Tang Song placed his hands gently on her shoulders, leaning closer, savoring the warmth of her lips and the sweetness of her breath.