Our Love, A Public Service - Chapter 37
Chapter 37
The voices seemed to be arguing. Ning Qian stood there, frozen, a cup of coffee in her hand. Should she go over?
As she hesitated, a crash echoed through the air – the sound of shattering glass. Ning Qian put down her coffee cup and hurried towards Wen Jin’s office. Without even knocking, she pushed the door open.
Ning Qian’s sudden appearance interrupted the argument, silence falling over the room.
Shards of glass littered the floor, along with a bouquet of roses that seemed to have been thrown there angrily. The atmosphere was incredibly tense.
Wen Jin’s face was pale, her body trembling slightly as she confronted the man. Ning Qian had guessed correctly; the broken glass must have been Wen Jin’s doing. She had never seen Wen Jin so angry.
“Get out.” Wen Jin spat out the word, as if even saying anything more was repulsive.
Just then, two security guards rushed into the office. “Sir, please leave.”
The man suddenly yelled, “I’m her husband!”
Wen Jin’s voice remained cold. “Get him out of here.”
Ning Qian had walked in on quite a scene.
After a brief struggle, the man finally left. Only Wen Jin and Ning Qian remained in the office, looking at each other, both wanting to say something, yet neither knowing where to begin.
In the end, Ning Qian didn’t say a word, turning and leaving. Their marital problems were none of her business.
Wen Jin leaned against her desk, taking a deep breath, then, as if nothing had happened, went back to work.
Meanwhile, in the office opposite, Ning Qian stared blankly at her computer screen. Ever since Wen Jin started inviting her for drinks, she had sensed that Wen Jin had something on her mind. Now it seemed it was likely related to her husband. But Ning Qian didn’t want to know about Wen Jin’s marital problems; she was married, someone else’s wife, so why did she lead Ning Qian on that night?
The lights in both offices remained on all night.
Chi Jia had recently developed a love for working overtime. Even with a bad cold, her colleagues thought Miss Chi was obsessed with money. But Chi Jia was just trying to distract herself; whenever she was heartbroken, she would focus on making money. Look, she was so poor, how could she have time for romance?
Ning Qian saw Chi Jia still in the office as she was leaving.
“Chi Jia, not going home yet?”
“Director Ning, I still have some work to finish.”
“Have dinner first, it’s on me tonight.”
Chi Jia was surprised, but figured they had become closer after drinking together that night. “Okay.”
Since Chi Jia still had to work, Ning Qian took her to the café on the first floor.
Halfway through their meal, Ning Qian suddenly brought up Jing Rui. “Actually, Jing Rui and I are quite close.”
When Chi Jia took on the café project from Jing Rui, she knew Ning Qian and Jing Rui knew each other. That night, it must have been Ning Qian who called Jing Rui. Ning Qian probably knew about her and Jing Rui.
“Mmm.” Chi Jia simply hummed in response.
“That night, I was at her place, I had a bit too much to drink, and she took me back. Don’t misunderstand, Jing Rui and I are just ordinary friends.” Ning Qian continued explaining, regardless of whether Jing Rui had explained it to Chi Jia or not, she wanted to clarify things from her side.
Ning Qian didn’t want to cause trouble for others because of herself. It was because of her kind nature that she was often the one getting hurt.
Chi Jia chewed her food slowly, realizing it was a misunderstanding… She smiled faintly. “Director Ning, you might be misunderstanding my relationship with Miss Jing.”
Ning Qian looked at Chi Jia for a moment. These two were truly a match made in heaven, both stubborn and unwilling to admit their true feelings. Saying they weren’t “like that” now, yet calling each other’s names so intimately when drunk.
“I shouldn’t pry into your personal matters, but I just want to say, Jing Rui… she cares about you quite a bit.” After a moment of awkward silence, Ning Qian smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore, let’s eat. It’s good to be passionate about work, but don’t forget to have dinner, even if you’re working overtime.”
“Thank you for your concern, Director Ning.”
After dinner, Chi Jia returned to her office and found a few boxes of cold medicine on her desk. She looked at them, puzzled; she hadn’t bought these.
“Take them after dinner. It’s cold outside, dress warmly when you leave.”
Chi Jia turned around; it was Qin Dong. She looked at the medicine. “Thank you. How much do I owe you?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve seen you working overtime a lot lately. Don’t push yourself if you’re not feeling well, and don’t stay too late, it’s not safe for a girl to go home alone at night.”
“Okay…”
It was raining when Chi Jia left work. Just as she was wondering what to do, someone held an umbrella over her, not the person she truly liked, but timely nonetheless.
Qin Dong offered to drive her home, and Chi Jia didn’t refuse.
Unconsciously, Chi Jia and her former crush had become closer again. These days, when Qin Dong asked her out for dinner, she agreed; when he asked her to watch a movie, she also agreed. Just like the ambiguous stage before a couple officially gets together.
Chi Jia no longer resisted Qin Dong’s advances, not because she had regained her old feelings, but because she needed a distraction. She wasn’t playing with Qin Dong’s feelings; feelings could be nurtured, and she had liked him before, after all.
It was better to be realistic; how many earth-shattering, once-in-a-lifetime loves were there in reality? Most relationships started from the mundane, and perhaps, that mundanity would last a lifetime. Could such a relationship not be considered true love? Chi Jia felt she had been too frivolous about relationships in the past, having had enough of the drama and games. Now, she would either not date at all, or she would be serious about it.
So, realistically speaking, Chi Jia thought Qin Dong was a good dating prospect. He was, after all, the most eligible bachelor in the company, and he was sincere, gentle, and patient in his pursuit, a thousand times better than some people.
Christmas Eve was just two days away, and Chi Jia had a performance at N Bar, several songs. Ning Qian had mentioned that it was a pity she hadn’t heard Chi Jia sing lately, so Chi Jia had specifically invited her. Ning Qian had agreed to come and support her.
Late at night, Jing Rui, after finishing her work, leaned back in her chair to rest. Christmas was approaching, and she had some free time these days. She wondered if she should ask Chi Jia out.
Jing Rui’s gaze fell on a new guitar in the corner of her study. A few days ago, during a business trip abroad, someone in her group who knew about musical instruments had taken them to a guitar shop. Thinking of Chi Jia, she had casually asked which model would be suitable as a gift for a girl.
And then she bought it, although she wasn’t sure if she would actually give it to Chi Jia.
She often thought of Chi Jia in unguarded moments, just like now. Lately, she had been thinking about Ning Qian’s words, and she couldn’t deny that Ning Qian had a point.
Jing Rui picked up her phone, thought for a moment, and decided to call Chi Jia. The guitar could be an excuse; wanting to see her was the real reason.
Just then, Ning Qian called, telling her about Chi Jia’s performance on Christmas Eve and asking if she was going.
Jing Rui said she would.
The bar was packed on Christmas Eve, the festive atmosphere lively and cheerful.
Ning Qian sipped her wine, glancing at Jing Rui. “Dressed up so nicely, who are you trying to seduce tonight?”
Usually, when she asked Miss Jing out for a drink, she was often too busy, but as soon as she mentioned Chi Jia’s performance, she was more than eager to come. Honestly, Ning Qian had never seen Jing Rui so interested in any other woman; Chi Jia was definitely special.
“You should drink less, don’t want you ending up in the hospital with a stomach ulcer again.”
Ning Qian didn’t hold back. “I’m in a bad mood, can’t I even drink now?”
As soon as Chi Jia took the stage, just like before, Jing Rui’s gaze was drawn to her.
Under the spotlight, Chi Jia’s smile was bright and cheerful.
Chi Jia’s smile was captivating, and Jing Rui realized that although Chi Jia smiled often, she rarely smiled like that at Jing Rui.
Ning Qian’s attention was still on her drink and her own troubles. Occasionally glancing up, seeing Miss Jing’s expression, she felt like she was looking at her past self, when she was hopelessly in love with Wen Jin. That was a dangerous look in her eyes.
“Is it that difficult to admit you’ve fallen for her?”
Jing Rui looked down, not replying, clinking glasses with Ning Qian.
“Jing Rui, I bet you’re in love with her.”
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