He doesn’t actually have a girlfriend! (1)

Perhaps it was because the holiday had just ended, and many people still couldn’t accept the reality of returning to work tomorrow. Yin Xue watched a drama until two in the morning, while Yue Qianling played games until the same hour.

The reason games were addictive was that they could immerse people into a parallel world, temporarily forgetting the troubles of reality.

For example, tonight, Yue Qianling pushed aside thoughts of Gu Xun and didn’t dwell on the awkwardness between her and Lin Xun. Her mind was filled with strategies on how to kill all 96 players in each round.

Until three in the morning, she tossed and turned in bed, still thinking about how she could have carried the whole team to eat chicken dinner if Luo Tuo hadn’t gotten in her way and blocked her view.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, Yin Xue sneezed and said in dissatisfaction, “Isn’t it supposed to be spring already? Why is it still so cold? I’m freezing.”

With that, she turned over and fell into a deep sleep.

For some reason, spring seemed to come late this year.

The numbers on the calendar kept changing, but the temperature remained as steady as Mount Tai. It wasn’t until early March that a hint of spring appeared.

However, the warm sun didn’t stay for long. The spring cold came back impatiently, and the biting wind felt like scissors, blowing those who had already changed into spring clothes into a fit of sneezing.

It wasn’t until late April that the weather gradually stabilized, and Yue Qianling was finally able to take off her heavy clothes.

Actually, she had been having a pretty good time lately.

The project team hired two more concept artists, which immediately reduced her work pressure. Yin Qin was busy building relationships with the new hires, so she didn’t have much time to pick on her.

^[1]tl: original artist to concept artist

The first draft of her graduation project had also been finalized, and her advisor was very satisfied with it. There wasn’t much that needed to be changed, requiring only some minor adjustments.

Sometimes, she could even have some free time at work to sketch some styles that she hadn’t tried before.

Every night after she got back to the dorm, she would play games with Lin Xun and the others.

Recently, Luo Tuo and Xiao Mai improved a lot, and their ranks were getting higher and higher. The opponents they match with had also become more skilled, making the game experience more exciting than before.

In the midst of gunfire and chaos, Yue Qianling quickly wore off the awkwardness of having made a fool of herself in rejecting Lin Xun. The other party also never brought it up again.

Only in the first few days after the holiday, she often ran into Gu Xun in the elevator, and her heart would be filled with surging undercurrents.

This also led to a period where every time she saw the elevator, she would show complex feelings—

A desire to see him, yet also a reluctance to meet him.

This conflicted emotion showed signs of dissipating only after a long period of not encountering Gu Xun at the company.

However, when Yue Qianling came back to her senses, she was also a little puzzled.

The company wasn’t that big, so how had she not even caught a glimpse of him?

That day after work, Yue Qianling ran into Chen Yin in the elevator.

Chen Yin mentioned the upcoming company team-building event after some time, and Yue Qianling casually asked, “Is the Ninth Business Division going?”

“Of course, they are.”

Chen Yin said, “Normally, our team-building is in June, but because the Ninth Business Division went on a closed-door development for a period of time, it ended just two days ago, so we especially moved the team-building date earlier to let them relax.”

From this conversation, Yue Qianling gathered two pieces of information.

1. The reason she hadn’t seen him for so long was that he had gone somewhere else.

2. They would also be attending the company team-building event this time.

“Oh, I see…”

Yue Qianling, who had never participated in a team-building event, asked hesitantly, “Will the team-building be tiring? I might be on my period those days, so if it’s too tiring, I won’t go.”

“Don’t worry!”

Chen Yin smiled and said, “We just thought that the Ninth Business Division has been busy for so long, so in order to relax, this time, the entire company is going to a hot spring hotel in the suburbs to enjoy two days together. How could it be tiring?”

Yue Qianling nodded, “The company is quite considerate.”

Later, it turned out that Yue Qianling was still too young.

When the team-building was scheduled for the *May Day holiday, almost everyone was dumbfounded.

^[2]*Labour Day in China

How could they be so opportunistic?

Combining the statutory holiday with the fixed team-building activity in the contract, it was really amazing!

However, after a few days of complaining and grumbling, 90% of the people still chose to participate in the team-building. Only those who had already made travel plans couldn’t attend.

On the day of the team-building, the administrative arrangement was to gather at the company at nine o’clock, with a unified vehicle taking everyone to the hot spring hotel.

At seven in the morning, the sun was already shining brightly, but the curtains in the dormitory were still tightly closed, blocking out a single ray of light.

Yin Xue had a stable biological clock, so she woke up in a daze at this time. When she saw a long-haired woman sitting in the room, she was startled awake.

When she came to her senses, she realized it was Yue Qianling sitting there, styling her hair. Yin Xue almost threw a pillow at her.

“Yue Qianling, do you know it’s terrifying to sit there so early in the morning?!”

Yue Qianling turned to look at her, smiling, “Awake? Don’t you sleep in during the holiday?”

“You scared me awake!” Yin Xue sat up in a huff, calmed down for a moment, and then asked, “No way, are you putting on makeup today?”

Yue Qianling started applying foundation, carefully examining for any flaws in the mirror, and casually asked, “Why not?”

“You might as well sleep for a while longer.” Yin Xue said, “Besides, Gu Xun already has…”

She didn’t finish the last few words.

Yue Qianling’s fingers paused for a moment, then she pulled out a stiff smile.

“Don’t worry about the life of a beauty.”

“You haven’t given up, have you?”

Yue Qianling said gloomily, “You’re thinking too much. Just because he has a girlfriend, should I look like a mess?”

Even though she woke up early to put on makeup, it wasn’t really to attract Gu Xun’s attention. After all, he wasn’t single anymore.

It was just that subconsciously, she still wanted to present herself as refined and beautiful in front of Gu Xun.

She wouldn’t go out of her way to approach him now, but that didn’t mean she could neglect her image. After all, they work in the same company and attend the same university after work. No matter where they met, if she looked haggard and sloppy, even if Gu Xun didn’t care, she herself would be upset for several days.

When they arrived at the hot spring hotel, everyone split up into departments to play. The hotel was so big that even if they wanted to bump into each other, it wouldn’t be an easy task.

It wasn’t until dinner time that everyone gathered in the restaurant.

When Yue Qianling was changing in her room, she unexpectedly received a call from her thesis advisor, and they talked for a while. She had to talk for a while, so she told Huang Jie to go ahead and eat without waiting for her.

So when she went downstairs, the restaurant was almost full.

Yue Qianling didn’t know which table her department was sitting at. As she looked around and slowly walked inside, someone suddenly called her when passing by a table.

“Yue Qianling?”

She turned around and blinked in surprise.

It was the boss calling her.

The boss waved at her, “Come over and join us.”

As soon as these words were said, almost everyone at that table was looking at her.

Under the gaze of so many people, Yue Qianling quickly scanned the table.

There were nine people, and besides the boss, the only one she knew was Gu Xun.

Coincidentally or not, the only empty seat was between the boss and Gu Xun.

What was this?

Good things never come when they should and they come galloping when they shouldn’t.

But since the boss had spoken, Yue Qianling naturally couldn’t refuse.

She nodded and walked towards the empty seat, smoothing her skirt as she sat down. She greeted the boss first, then turned to nod at Gu Xun.

Gu Xun looked calmly over, his eyes shining platinum under the bright lights.

In the brief eye contact, Yue Qianling’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, but she restrained herself and withdrew her gaze.

“You’re graduating next month, right?”

The boss had a bit of alcohol and looked lazily at Yue Qianling, her eyes were meaningful. “Any plans after graduation? Do you plan to stay in the company?”

Where do you get off asking that?

Could I really say to your face that I want to leave?

“Of course, I want to stay.”

Yue Qianling took a deep breath, keeping her calm expression. She blew a rainbow fart without batting an eye. “After all, there is no better platform in the industry than our company.”

The boss laughed and poured herself another drink, asking, “Then why did you resign at the end of last year?”

Yue Qianling: “……”

Before she could catch her breath, the boss continued, “Why did you want to come back after just a few days?”

At that moment, Yue Qianling felt the eyes of the entire table focusing on her again.

Even Gu Xun next to her seemed to be looking at her.

Perhaps the boss just mentioned it casually, but Yue Qianling felt like she was rolled in a wok.

She had told Gu Xun that the boss wouldn’t let her go and forced her to stay.

The lie was exposed on the spot, and Yue Qianling wished she could crawl under the table.

But she felt that Gu Xun’s gaze was still on her, making her uneasy and restless.

During the silent two seconds, who knows what kind of torment she was enduring.

“Of course, it’s because…” Yue Qianling paused, then opened her mouth with great difficulty, “I was young and foolish.”

“Oh, I see…”

The boss shook her head with a smile.

Yue Qianling breathed a sigh of relief, and the tension in her back finally eased.

The next second.

“I thought it was because a handsome guy joined our company, and you couldn’t bear to leave.”

“……!”