Chapter 56: It Feels So Comfortable to Be With Her

“I actually had plans tonight, but I’ll call and cancel. We can reschedule for another day.”
“No wonder!” Mo Zhicheng nodded, a soft laugh escaping his lips.
“What do you mean?”
“I noticed she’s been waiting for you outside,” he replied, arching an eyebrow, his gaze drifting through the pristine glass toward the stark, white light outside. “It seems she’s been waiting for quite a while.” He glanced at the time in the lower right corner of the computer screen and added deliberately, “Over two hours now.”
Tang Pei turned, following Mo Zhicheng’s gaze. For a moment, he was startled—how did President Mo know that Linglan was waiting for him, and with such certainty? A vague suspicion flickered: had President Mo kept him here on purpose tonight? Before he could collect his thoughts, he heard the man across from him ask with a gentle smile, “You never answered my question the night of the banquet.”
“What question?” Tang Pei’s confusion deepened.
Mo Zhicheng rubbed his brow and asked quietly, “Did you know her before?” He set down the pen in his hand, his smile faint. “You seem quite familiar.”
Meeting Mo Zhicheng’s gaze, Tang Pei answered with a wry smile, “President Mo, all these years working under you, I’ve learned that in my position, I need to appear familiar with everyone. I know I don’t just represent myself, but the entire image of ‘Sky City.’” His words were measured, careful as always with Mo Zhicheng. “Actually, the first time I met her, she accidentally walked into the men’s restroom. I’ve never seen a girl so oblivious in a men’s room—head down, eyes red, cleaning dirt off her clothes. The impression stuck with me. Her clothes were a mess; she nearly missed her interview. I thought, what a streak of bad luck this girl has.”
“—”
“So I helped her out, almost without thinking. But what impressed me more was how animated she became when she spoke. It’s a kind of quiet confidence, not arrogant, just… pleasant to be around. Maybe it’s the nature of our work, but it’s rare to meet someone like that—a colleague who doesn’t make you feel pressured. Around her, things just feel natural.”
Mo Zhicheng watched as the corners of Tang Pei’s lips curved unconsciously, but his own expression grew somber. “Is that so? No wonder she held my face and called your name.”
Tang Pei was jolted back to the present, surprised. Before he could respond, Mo Zhicheng snapped his laptop shut. “If you have plans, go ahead.” He stood, retrieving his coat from the rack and slipping it on smoothly. “We’ll discuss the proposal tomorrow.”
Tang Pei rose at once and followed him out of the office.
As Mo Zhicheng passed by the woman, he paused without meaning to. He looked at her slender figure slumped over the desk, her sleeping face illuminated under the white lamp.
The gentle light cast ambiguous shadows across her features. Her delicate lashes fanned down, her breathing steady in deep slumber. Even in sleep, a faint sigh lingered on her lips.
—Her animated way of speaking, that quiet confidence. She was easy to be around. Perhaps it was the work environment, but it was rare to find someone like that—a colleague who didn’t make you feel stifled. With her, everything felt effortless.
Tang Pei’s words lingered in the silence as Mo Zhicheng pulled himself from his thoughts and strode away with long, decisive steps.
“Linglan, Linglan!” The man’s gentle voice sounded from behind. Mo Zhicheng couldn’t help but pause, turning his head to look back. Under the lamp, the two figures—a man and a woman—seemed a perfect match, as if made for each other. Perhaps it was the sound of his voice that woke her.