Chapter 5

Ye Zhiqing’s office was tucked away in a quiet corner. Knowing that Ye Zhiqing preferred peace and quiet, Ruan Yu had specially set aside this office for her.

Apart from necessary work-related exchanges, it was usually exceptionally peaceful.

Inside the spacious office, neither woman spoke, and neither disturbed the other. Edith leaned back against the sofa, her eyes slightly narrowed as she watched Ye Zhiqing with an expression of deep contentment.

Meanwhile, Ye Zhiqing remained focused on her work, automatically ignoring the burning gaze directed at her by a certain someone in the room.

For the upcoming autumn auction in October, Rongbaozhai had planned and prepared twelve special auction sessions. The most anticipated among them was the “Autumn Treasures: Ancient Wonders” series.

Ye Zhiqing carefully examined the items scheduled for the Ancient Wonders series. The first half followed Rongbaozhai’s usual steady, traditional approach, featuring rare antiques such as paintings and calligraphy by renowned historical masters, rare editions of ancient books, stone rubbings and calligraphic works, ceramics, and jade carvings.

There was nothing to criticize about Ruan Yu’s arrangements. However, if they wanted to outperform Hanhai at the autumn auction, these items would probably be far from enough.

Turning the page to examine the arrangements for the second half, Ye Zhiqing discovered that it was completely blank.

She searched her desk but couldn’t find any information about the items scheduled for the second half.

Had Yaya forgotten to bring the documents?

Ye Zhiqing leaned slightly to one side and reached for her phone. Inevitably, her gaze met Edith’s across the room.

Edith’s lips were curved into a faint smile, softening the slight severity of her features. A gentle light shimmered in her deep-set eyes, while her upright, elegant sitting posture perfectly accentuated the dignified, timeless charm of her appearance.

She was breathtakingly beautiful. Never before had anyone struck Ye Zhiqing as quite so stunning.

Edith’s gaze was openly admiring, almost brazen, yet so sincere that Ye Zhiqing couldn’t bring herself to feel the slightest aversion.

Pretending to remain composed, Ye Zhiqing broke eye contact with Edith and turned completely to the side, facing away from her as she scrolled through her phone and called Su Ya.

Su Ya was Ye Zhiqing’s assistant. At Ye Zhiqing’s request, her daily responsibilities were limited to handling document transfers, making her job exceptionally relaxed. She only became somewhat busier when necessary schedules or business negotiations needed arranging.

“Yaya, could you check whether you forgot to bring the information about the auction items for the second half of the Ancient Wonders series?” Her voice was gentle, yet it carried an unmistakable coolness and distance that discouraged others from approaching her too casually.

There was silence on the other end of the line for several seconds.

“Vice President Ye, President Ruan specifically instructed us not to disclose the information about the items in the second half of the Ancient Wonders auction to anyone for the time being.”

“All right, I understand.”

Ye Zhiqing paused. Presumably, Ruan Yu had her own plans. It wouldn’t be too late to ask her about them when she returned.

Seeing that Ye Zhiqing had nearly finished her work, Edith seized the opportunity and suggested they go downstairs for lunch together.

Ye Zhiqing glanced at the time. It was twelve-thirty. She nodded, remembering to tidy her cluttered desk before leaving.

Then the two women entered the elevator, one after the other.

At this hour, most employees were either in the restaurant or the break rooms, so the elevator was empty except for Edith and Ye Zhiqing. They stood at a distance that was neither too close nor too far apart.

As the elevator descended, a subtle, indescribable atmosphere gradually spread between them.

As though hoping to break the awkward silence, Ye Zhiqing pressed the elevator button and asked casually, “What would you like for lunch, Vice President Yi?”

“Dumplings and hutong roast duck.”

Edith answered with complete seriousness, her expression solemn and her tone equally earnest.

She was so serious that Ye Zhiqing was convinced she [unauthorized copy]wasn’t joking. Suppressing a smile, she asked, “How long have you been in Hua Country, Vice President Yi?”

“One week.”

“Have you visited Hua Country before?”

“No.”

“Your Chinese is very good.”

“I hired a Chinese teacher to teach me.”

“Pfft\~”

Ye Zhiqing let out a soft laugh. Although Edith couldn’t quite understand what was so amusing, seeing Ye Zhiqing smile made the curve of her own lips deepen.

The stiffness and awkwardness that had characterized their previous interactions gradually faded away.

“You’re quite humorous, Vice President Yi.”

Ye Zhiqing took a small step backward and tilted her head slightly to look at Edith. Her smile reached her eyes, as beautiful as a read the original at bailiantales.comflower suddenly blooming across a snow-covered wilderness.

“Am I?”

Edith’s gaze was filled with undisguised affection and earnest attention.

Time seemed to stand still.

Their gazes met, intertwined, and lingered, each woman clearly seeing her own reflection in the other’s eyes. An unmistakable sense of delight passed between them.

Ye Zhiqing had to admit that Edith was the first person who had made her feel so remarkably comfortable in such a short time.

So comfortable, in fact, that she always unconsciously overlooked Edith’s various breaches of propriety, along with the strange fluttering sensation deep within her heart.

Yet afterward, she would invariably regret it, finding herself caught between conflicting feelings.

A rich, delicate fragrance drifted through the narrow space, entering through her nose and seemingly spreading into her mind, making her thoughts sluggish and slow.

The two women gazed deeply into each other’s eyes. Their alluring red lips parted slightly as they gradually drew closer.

Closer still…

The next instant, accompanied by a piercing alarm, the elevator jolted violently. The overhead lights went out at once, and a sudden sensation of weightlessness followed as the elevator plunged downward.

“Mm!”

Ye Zhiqing was thrown heavily to one side. An excruciating pain shot through her back and ankle, and fine beads of cold sweat instantly covered her forehead.

Edith reacted immediately. Bracing herself against the wall, she wrapped one arm tightly around Ye Zhiqing to protect her while gripping the handrail along the side of the elevator with the other.

“Zhiqing, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

Her voice was deep and powerful, conveying unwavering determination and reassurance.

Ye Zhiqing clutched Edith’s collar tightly. Quickly regaining her senses, she groaned in pain and said, “Hurry, press the emergency stop button, then press every floor button!”

Bang!

Another violent jolt shook the elevator before it finally came to a stop.

After breathing a slight sigh of relief, Edith quickly sensed that read the original at bailiantales.comsomething was wrong. She switched on her phone’s flashlight and saw Ye Zhiqing bent forward, leaning against her in an awkward, curled-up position.

Her gaze instantly turned cold.

Edith bent down, intending to lift Ye Zhiqing into her arms, but Ye Zhiqing refused.

A soft, delicate hand pressed against Edith’s chest. Her voice was still trembling slightly.

“Help me sit down against the wall. We need to figure out how to get out first.”

The light from the phone was too weak for Edith to determine the extent of Ye Zhiqing’s injuries. After a moment of hesitation, she carefully supported Ye Zhiqing’s upper body and helped her sit down.

Edith then quickly located the emergency telephone and called the number displayed beside it…

Once everything had been taken care of, Edith crouched beside Ye Zhiqing. With extraordinary care, she slipped her right arm behind Ye Zhiqing’s back and lifted her firmly into her arms.

It was a domineering, unmistakably possessive embrace.

Her slightly husky voice sounded beside Ye Zhiqing’s ear, her warm, moist breath brushing against it.

“Put your arms around my neck. You’ll be more comfortable.”

Ye Zhiqing’s reply was barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz.

“Put me down.”

Never having been treated this way before, Ye Zhiqing felt helpless and embarrassed. An indescribable heat surged through her body, seemingly offering temporary relief from even the pain of her injuries.

Edith acted as though she hadn’t heard. Instead, she tightened her embrace and repeated, “Hold on tightly around my neck.”

Her attitude was firm and uncompromising.

Unable to refuse, Ye Zhiqing gently wrapped her arms around Edith’s neck.

In the cramped, dark space, her other senses became extraordinarily acute. Ye Zhiqing could clearly feel Edith breathing. She could even sense the firm, beautifully defined muscles wherever their bodies pressed together…

A thin layer of sweat formed on her skin.

Ye Zhiqing thought she must have gone mad.

Their current situation made her terribly uncomfortable. She closed her Read on BaiLianTaleseyes, hoping only that the rescuers would arrive as soon as possible.