Giving You Dawn and Dusk - Chapter 26.2

Liang Shi was woken up by her alarm the next morning.

She had slept quite comfortably. She immediately shut off the alarm, afraid of waking Xu Qingzhu, but when she turned around after silencing it, she found Xu Qingzhu was already gone.

She reached out and felt the sheets—they were cool.

Did Xu Qingzhu not sleep in the room last night?

Liang Shi tied up her hair while thinking and went to the bathroom to wash up.

Today was her first day reporting to Dongheng Group, so she naturally couldn’t go out with a bare face. However, she didn’t put on heavy makeup either—just a simple foundation, lipstick, everyday eyeshadow, and one layer of mascara to make her lashes curl up.

As she was applying mascara, she thought of Xu Qingzhu.

Xu Qingzhu’s eyelashes seemed long and curled enough without any mascara.

Lost in thought, her hand wavered slightly, and the mascara smudged under her eye, leaving a dark streak.

She immediately grabbed a tissue to wipe it off, but the mascara was waterproof and quick-drying.

Wiping it only spread the smudge, making the area under her eye look even darker, as if she had severe dark circles.

Liang Shi: “…”

Even a makeup veteran has bad days.

This is ridiculous.

She looked on the makeup shelf for makeup remover but couldn’t find any.

She returned to the room and searched Xu Qingzhu’s dressing table, not seeing any at first glance.

She had no choice but to pick up the bottles one by one and read the instructions. Many of the cosmetics had no Chinese labeling—they were either covered in Korean or Japanese characters. The easiest one to read was a bottle entirely in English, but Liang Shi saw that it was a lotion.

“…”

Liang Shi sighed in frustration. Just as she was trying to translate the label on the last bottle on the table that looked remotely like makeup remover, the bedroom door was pushed open.

Xu Qingzhu walked in.

Liang Shi: “…”

It’s probably rude to touch someone else’s things without asking, isn’t it?

Under Xu Qingzhu’s watchful eye, Liang Shi felt a slight twinge of self-consciousness.

She held the bottle in her hand and said somewhat awkwardly, “I’m looking for some makeup remover.”

Xu Qingzhu glanced at her, and it was hard to miss the large dark smudge under her eye.

She asked calmly, “Did your eyeshadow run?”

“No,” Liang Shi said. “I accidentally smudged the mascara when I was applying it.”

Xu Qingzhu walked in. “I see.”

She went to the table and pulled a circular box out of a drawer, which Liang Shi had never seen before.

The box opened to reveal neatly arranged makeup wipes that smelled faintly of alcohol.

Xu Qingzhu handed it to her. “The things on the table are all daily skincare products.”

“Alright,” Liang Shi thanked her. “Thank you.”

Liang Shi took the box of wipes into the bathroom. She carefully wiped her under-eye in the mirror, which reflected Xu Qingzhu’s face.

Xu Qingzhu stood right at the doorway, staring straight at her.

Liang Shi: “…?”

She couldn’t help but ask, “Did I kick you last night?”

“No,” Xu Qingzhu said. “You have very good sleeping manners.”

“Then…” Liang Shi couldn’t help herself. “Do you need something from me?”

Xu Qingzhu paused slightly. “Not really.”

Either you do or you don’t. What does ‘not really’ mean?

Besides, she was already embarrassed about messing up her makeup, and now being stared at was unnerving!

Liang Shi took a breath. “Then you…”

“Alright, yes, I do have something,” Xu Qingzhu interrupted her. “I’m going to work today.”

Liang Shi felt relieved. “Oh, I see. Then you should go. Is it to your family’s company?”

Xu Qingzhu nodded. “I finish work at six, but I might work overtime. If I come back late, you don’t need to wait for me for dinner.”

“Okay, I understand,” Liang Shi went along with her. “I’m starting work too. I didn’t like the Human Resources department my Second Brother assigned me to before, so I’m trying out the new department. I should also finish at six, but I suspect the new department will have overtime, so the finishing time is also uncertain. If I’m not back by dinner time, you don’t need to wait for me either.”

Xu Qingzhu nodded. “Alright.”

The conversation went smoothly. Once it was over, Liang Shi continued her battle in front of the mirror.

She didn’t want to remove all the makeup on her face just for a small smudge, so she only used the corner of the makeup wipe. Once the smudge was gone, she would just touch up the foundation. It wouldn’t take too long.

But Xu Qingzhu remained standing at the doorway, not leaving even after they had exchanged all the necessary information.

Liang Shi: “…”

She hadn’t felt this nervous even when being stared at by a dozen cameras for a close-up shot.

Liang Shi couldn’t help herself. “Is there something else?”

Xu Qingzhu shook her head. “No.”

Her reply was frank, but she simply wouldn’t leave.

Liang Shi put her hand down. She asked again, “Do you need to use the bathroom?”

Xu Qingzhu still shook her head. “I can go downstairs if I need to.”

Liang Shi: “…”

Then why are you standing here?

She held back the urge to say this.

Lest she upset Xu Qingzhu and the System added to her bad luck value.

The main issue was that Xu Qingzhu standing there made her nervous.

And when she got nervous, her hand would shake.

This smudge had happened precisely because she was subconsciously thinking of Xu Qingzhu’s eyelashes.

And now Xu Qingzhu was watching her.

Liang Shi gave up. She thought she’d just remove all her makeup and wash her face again.

Just as she turned on the tap, Xu Qingzhu suddenly spoke. “Do you not know how to do makeup?”

Liang Shi: “…?”

“Of course I do!” Liang Shi immediately denied. “My makeup skills are pretty good.”

In fact, she had been a beauty blogger for a while.

Because makeup sessions took so long during filming, she always observed the products on the table.

Later, when she was bored, she would live-stream and chat with fans about useful cosmetics. When she was extremely bored, she even did makeup cosplay.

Though it was mostly cosplay of two-dimensional characters.

She had just accidentally stumbled, and Xu Qingzhu happened to witness it.

Xu Qingzhu walked in. Liang Shi turned off the tap. Xu Qingzhu didn’t say whether she believed her or not. Instead, she took a new wipe from the box.

She folded it twice on her finger.

Then, she looked up at Liang Shi and said, “Look down.”

Liang Shi: “…”

“Huh?” Liang Shi was surprised, but she complied. She bent over slightly, still keeping a distance from Xu Qingzhu. Xu Qingzhu stood on her toes, raised her hand, and placed the folded wipe on Liang Shi’s lower eyelid.

Not an inch too far, not an inch too close.

It perfectly covered the area without blocking Liang Shi’s vision.

Today was Xu Qingzhu’s first day of work. Her attire leaned toward business wear.

She wore a high-waisted black trousers that made her legs look long. The top was a blue-and-white striped fitted short-sleeved top. If worn alone, it would be a crop top, but paired with the trousers, it was just right, only showing a sliver of her skin, subtly revealing her fair complexion. It would pair well with either a blazer or a casual jacket.

Ultimately, clothes depend on the person wearing them.

No matter what she wore, Xu Qingzhu wouldn’t look bad.

More importantly, an Omega’s chest develops slightly after an active heat cycle, and she was wearing a tight top.

With the two of them so close, the softness would inevitably brush against Liang Shi.

Liang Shi’s eyes darted around, inevitably glancing at that softness. But if she lowered her eyelids, she would see Xu Qingzhu’s face.

Xu Qingzhu must have woken up early, as her makeup was already done perfectly—a typical “no-makeup makeup” look.

It looked natural and made her seem innocent.

Xu Qingzhu was standing on her tiptoes, but Liang Shi’s head kept moving up. She unconsciously kept lifting her head.

Seeing that she was about to be out of reach, Xu Qingzhu simply grabbed her collar and pulled her down. Their faces were close again.

Xu Qingzhu’s fingers, separated by the wipe, gently rubbed the skin near Liang Shi’s eye.

Her expression was serious and honest, without a trace of seduction. Her pupils were brown, perfectly reflecting Liang Shi’s face.

She frowned and asked, “Why are you avoiding me?”

Liang Shi: “…”

“I’m not,” Liang Shi’s voice lacked conviction. “I… you…”

She stammered twice.

This made Xu Qingzhu laugh. Her lipstick was a sheer rose color, very moist and visually appealing.

Xu Qingzhu blinked, teasing her with a smile. “I’m not going to kill you.”

Liang Shi: “…”

Liang Shi suddenly thought of a song that was wildly popular before she transmigrated.

A line in the lyrics was frequently changed.

But she liked the original version, which was: “Your eyes are like the evening stars, killing and setting things on fire.”

“I’m not,” Liang Shi swallowed. “Are you… are you finished wiping?”

Xu Qingzhu removed her hand to check, then put it back on. “Not yet. This mascara is good quality.”

Her warm breath was released directly onto Liang Shi’s face, making Liang Shi blush.

Morning is naturally a time when desire is awakened, like spring.

If she were alone, she would naturally pass the morning calmly without distractions. But now there was another person next to her, especially with a face like that.

Neither physiologically nor psychologically could she resist.

Just as Liang Shi was holding her breath and about to run out of air, Xu Qingzhu finally pulled away, releasing her collar and smoothing out the fabric.

She threw the used wipe into the trash bin. Her cool voice was as indifferent as ever. “All done. Just touch up the foundation and reapply the mascara.”

“Okay, thank you,” Liang Shi said, feeling like she had just narrowly escaped death.

Xu Qingzhu stood to the side and asked, “Do you need me to help you apply mascara?”

Liang Shi: “…No.”

Absolutely not.

“I’ll go out now,” Xu Qingzhu said. “Come down for breakfast when you’re ready.”

Liang Shi: “…”

She was a little surprised. Why was Xu Qingzhu being so kind to her?

Before she could figure it out, Xu Qingzhu walked to the door, then turned around and hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Liang Shi.”

Liang Shi had just taken out the mascara and was grateful she hadn’t started applying it yet. She turned back and answered, “Mhm?”

“Thank you,” Xu Qingzhu said.

Liang Shi: “?”

//

It wasn’t until she went downstairs for breakfast that Liang Shi understood the reason.

Xu Qingya had vividly recounted the events of that night to Xu Qingzhu, though she skipped the part about what happened in the room. She only said that Liang Shi rushed in without hesitation to save her, and then patiently coaxed her when she was drunk and making a scene in the car.

Then, Liang Shi hired a family doctor and stayed up all night to take care of her.

Liang Shi admired Xu Qingya’s storytelling ability.

She also admired Xu Qingya’s effort to embellish the story and highlight her good deeds.

Both Liang Shi and Xu Qingzhu had to go to work. Xu Qingya hadn’t started school yet and was still staying at their house.

Liang Shi and Xu Qingzhu went back to the room to gather their things.

Liang Shi felt she was slightly more knowledgeable, so after checking her own things, she reminded Xu Qingzhu, “Remember to bring your documents. They’ll need them for check-in.”

Xu Qingzhu nodded. “Okay.”

Just before leaving the house, Xu Qingzhu hesitantly asked, “When you brought me out that day, did you see Weiwei?”

Liang Shi was surprised. “No. Zhao Xuning went to rescue her. She should be fine, right?”

She had checked the time when she entered the room; it was 10:10.

Even if she had been injected with an aphrodisiac, that amount of time was only enough to take off clothes and share a kiss. They couldn’t have done anything more intimate, could they?

So she leaned towards the belief that Bai Weiwei was fine.

“What’s wrong?” Liang Shi asked.

Xu Qingzhu shook her head. “I can’t reach Weiwei.”

“What about Zhao Xuning?”

“I can’t reach her either.”

“I’ll try,” Liang Shi said. “I’ll ask Zhao Xuning what happened and let you know.”

“Alright,” Xu Qingzhu paused. “Thank you.”

Liang Shi: “It’s nothing.”

She felt Xu Qingzhu was saying “thank you” too often.

But none of that mattered.

It was Liang Shi’s first day at a job in an unfamiliar field, and she was looking forward to it.

She didn’t drive the million-yuan Porsche. She offered it to Xu Qingzhu, but Xu Qingzhu declined.

Liang Shi chose a silver-white car from the garage, estimated to be worth around two hundred thousand yuan—the most low-profile one in the garage.

Xu Qingzhu was also driving a car worth around two hundred thousand.

Neither of them wanted to be too high-profile.

They drove out together, parting ways on Tinglin Road.

//

Dongheng Group headquarters was not too conspicuous among the CBD buildings.

Liang Shi took her documents to the Human Resources Department to check in. The colleagues there had all seen her before.

Specifically, they had seen the original host.

Their impression of her was poor—an arrogant rich young lady with bizarre clothing and a bad temper.

But Liang Shi wasn’t here to change their impression. She quietly registered her information, and then the department head called the head of the Magazine Department to come and collect her.

As soon as he finished speaking, a furious roar came through the phone. “What new recruit are you dumping on us? Can she not read a map or an alphabet? Someone who can’t even find their own department should be fired immediately. Our Magazine Department doesn’t want her.”

Clank.

The phone hung up.

The Human Resources Department head looked at Liang Shi, embarrassed and scared, worried that the rich young lady would throw a tantrum and smash the office. He stammered for a while, unsure how to proceed.

Liang Shi didn’t make it difficult for her. She smiled. “I’ll go by myself.”

The department head said, “Ah?”

She paused. “How about I take you there?”

“No need,” Liang Shi said. “You’re busy. I can read, so I’ll find it myself.”

The department head: “…”

She had a sinking feeling that Miss Liang was only holding back from trashing the HR office and would wait until she got to the Magazine Department to break things there.

She silently lit a candle for the hot-tempered head of the Magazine Department.

Liang Shi left and took the elevator up to the twelfth floor.

The twelfth floor was in chaos. The newly established department was understaffed, overworked, and the responsibilities of each sub-department were not yet fully defined. Although the hired department head was an editor-in-chief with years of magazine experience, she had previously worked in print media, which was almost completely disconnected from new media.

The company’s senior management was paying close attention to this department, hoping to use it to gain a share of the new media magazine market and establish their own publicity channel.

They had an editorial meeting with the General Manager that afternoon, but they were still completely lost.

All the proposals submitted by the planning department were rejected by the department head.

Liang Shi walked in and immediately heard the furious voice from the phone again. “Are you all pigs? You graduated from prestigious universities and have three years of experience in digital publication, yet you submit topics like this? How are we supposed to use these? These are all topics that have been written to death! Who is going to read them? And this one, relying on sensationalism for traffic. Do you have any journalistic integrity left? We have an editorial meeting this afternoon, and you can’t even finalize the most basic stuff! What’s the point of the meeting?”

Everyone was huddled together for a meeting. The desks were all empty.

Only one little girl was sitting on the edge, reading a fairy tale book.

The little girl looked about the same age as Lingdang. The external noise was unbearable, yet she remained engrossed in her book.

Liang Shi stood there for ten minutes, unnoticed.

Until the department head said, “You have half an hour to submit new topics. We need to move on to the next step quickly. Alright, meeting adjourned.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and scattered like birds.

One girl with a round face looked back and saw a stunning beauty. She was momentarily stunned.

The girl turned back and said, “Chief, we have a new person.”

The department head’s hair was severely pulled back, slick with too much gel. She adjusted her glasses, her eyes scanning Liang Shi. “Are you the new recruit?”

Liang Shi nodded. “Yes.”

The department head stared at her for a moment. “Are you here to be a model?”

“No, I’m here for copywriting or interviewing,” Liang Shi said.

“What did you major in?”

“Chinese Language and Literature.”

“Which school?”

Liang Shi really didn’t want to say the name of the original host’s third-rate university, but she had no choice. “Guangliu University.”

Everyone in the office was stunned.

How did someone with such a terrible academic background get into Dongheng?

Everyone present had graduated from top universities in the country.

Their gazes toward her were tinged with disdain.

Liang Shi didn’t care. The department head paused. “Then you’ll join the copywriting team.”

Liang Shi’s desk was also on the edge, right next to the little girl. She had virtually no work to do all morning.

She sat there bored until noon. Going to the cafeteria for lunch caused quite a stir. She quickly ate and returned to her desk.

Just before the afternoon work started, she went to the restroom.

Soon, a group of people walked in.

The restroom in every office is a place for gossip, and Dongheng was no exception.

She recognized the voices as belonging to people from the Magazine Department.

It was Liang Shi’s first day, and she hadn’t memorized everyone’s faces yet.

They initially discussed her, wondering how someone with such a garbage academic background managed to get into Dongheng.

“I heard at lunch today that she has quite a powerful backing. Even our General Manager Liang has to defer to her.”

“No way? Then what is she doing in our Magazine Department?”

“Remember that office in the Human Resources Department that’s now a meeting room? That used to be her office.”

“No kidding. A background hire.”

“Those kinds of people are the worst. They can’t do anything, but you can’t criticize them.”

“…”

They gossiped for a while. Liang Shi had heard enough and was about to leave, but someone suddenly gasped.

“What’s wrong?” someone asked.

“Chen Liuying’s agent jumped off a building,” the person said. “They were just taken to the hospital.”

“Who? That Chen Liuying who became famous overnight? The one known as the Number One Alpha Subduer?”

“Yeah. I saw the exposé. Apparently, her agent went to Huayue International to entertain investors for her, got… you know, assaulted, and couldn’t take it, so she jumped.”

“The entertainment industry is just like that. But looking at it this way, Chen Liuying is no good either.”

Liang Shi’s ears perked up, listening to their discussion.

Chen Liuying, the person who would later remove the original host’s scent gland, had appeared.

She was a celebrity.

Liang Shi took out her phone to search. The results were all today’s trending news.

Everyone was discussing the incident of Chen Liuying’s agent jumping off a building. Liang Shi scrolled down the screen, her brows suddenly knitting together.

Chen Liuying’s agent was—Bai Weiwei.