Having said that, her face was already so red it could drip blood, and she buried her head deeply, not daring to look at Jiang Xun again.
Jiang Xun looked at her, both professional and ashamed, and finally couldn't help but let out a low chuckle.
The laughter wasn't loud, but it was like a heavy hammer, striking Mu Qingxue's heart.
She was finished.
She must look like a ridiculous clown.
She had ruined this project.
Just as she was feeling utterly disheartened and preparing to face Jiang Xun's ridicule and expulsion, a hand gently lifted her chin.
Jiang Xun had stood up at some point and was looking down at her from above.
There was no mockery in his eyes, only a deeper, playful look that seemed to want to devour her.
"Miss Secretary."
His voice was low and magnetic.
"Since it's for overtime pay, then you should act like you're working overtime."
He released her hand, sat back on the sofa, and pointed to the glass of water on the table that he had only taken one sip from.
"Now, I'm thirsty."
Mu Qingxue was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted.
This was... the assessment was still ongoing!
She suppressed the shame and the wild pounding in her heart, nodded, and responded in a voice like a mosquito, "Yes, Sir."
She turned and walked towards the kitchen, her steps cautious and deliberate, creating a strange and captivating contrast with the flowing immortal sleeves behind her.
Soon, she returned, holding a glass of warm water at just the right temperature.
She knelt on one knee on the carpet in front of Jiang Xun, holding the water glass high with both hands, offering it to him.
Throughout the entire process, she kept her head down, not daring to make the slightest transgression.
Jiang Xun did not take the water glass.
He just watched her silently.
He watched her shoulders tremble slightly from nervousness, her earlobes redden from shame, and the breathtaking whiteness of her chest rising and falling with her breath.
"Are your arms tired?"
He suddenly asked.
Mu Qingxue didn't understand why, but still answered honestly, "No... not tired."
"Is that so?"
Jiang Xun's voice held a hint of a smile, "But I see you, it looks like you're about to drop it."
As he spoke, he reached out, but instead of taking the water glass, he gently grasped her wrist, which was adorned with a black silk glove.
Mu Qingxue's body stiffened abruptly.
Jiang Xun's fingers were warm, and even through a thin layer of silk, that heat clearly transmitted, causing a fine layer of goosebumps to rise all over her body.
His thumb gently caressed the inside of her wrist.
The skin there was most sensitive.
Mu Qingxue felt an electric current shoot up from her wrist, instantly spreading throughout her limbs.
Her hand trembled, and a few drops of water spilled from the cup, landing on the pristine white skin of her chest, then slowly sliding down that astonishing curve, disappearing into the bottomless cleavage.
"You see."
Jiang Xun's voice, like a devil's whisper, sounded in her ear.
"It got wet."
Mu Qingxue's face exploded with a "boom," completely flushing.
She felt her brain was no longer able to think, only allowing Jiang Xun's fingers to draw circles on her wrist, feeling the increasingly hot temperature.
Jiang Xun leaned down, close to her ear, his voice even lower.
"As an ace secretary, getting the master's documents wet means punishment."
"You say... how should I punish you?"
His breath, warm, sprayed on her earlobe, making the bell on her neck seem to ring even more crisply from the tremor... The night deepened.
On the large bed in the bedroom, black silk gloves, flowing white sleeves, and a lone golden bell were scattered in disarray.
Mu Qingxue curled up in the quilt, like a frightened kitten.
Her body was more exhausted than ever before, as if run over by a heavy truck, every inch of muscle screaming with soreness.
But her spirit was in a strange state of excitement and satisfaction.
That punishment, under the guise of "overtime," once again completely overturned all the understandings she had built over her past twenty-plus years.
Her life was like a rigorous business plan, every step precisely calculated, pursuing the optimal input-output ratio.
But Jiang Xun once again, in the most unreasonable and overbearing way, tore her plan to shreds.
Then, with his body, he wrote her a brand new contract, full of unknowns and heartbeats.
She discovered that "core competitiveness" was not cold data and assets.
Instead, it was his hot breath, his calloused fingers, and that phrase he whispered in her ear again and again, in a husky voice... "Little Secretary."
It turned out that the ultimate "user experience" was not humble flattery and obedience.
Instead, it was to completely let go of herself, abandon her dignity, and, in that crazy indulgence, reach the peak with him.
She turned over and looked at Jiang Xun sleeping beside her.
The man's sleeping face was very peaceful, devoid of the daytime laziness and playfulness, appearing exceptionally handsome.
Mu Qingxue extended her slightly trembling hand, wanting to touch his cheek, but stopped midway.
She was afraid of disturbing his dream.
This man was her "project," her "KPI," her lifelong goal to conquer.
But now, he seemed to have... also become her whole world.
She withdrew her hand, carefully moved closer to him, buried her face in the pillow that still carried his scent, and closed her eyes.
Ding! The loyalty of core family member 'Mu Qingxue' has undergone a qualitative change!
Current favorability: 95 (utterly devoted)!
Ding! Family reputation +250!
...At six in the morning, warm yellow sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the gaps in the blinds.
Jiang Xun slowly opened his eyes; Mu Qingxue beside him was still fast asleep, a lingering blush from last night still on her clean face.
Last night's "overtime" was indeed intense enough.
He shifted his body, and Mu Qingxue immediately curled up like a kitten, instinctively burrowing into his arms.
Jiang Xun looked down at her; even in her sleep, the woman's brows were still furrowed, as if she was still contemplating some business plan in her dreams.
[Good heavens, this is too competitive.]
He gently stroked her long hair, and Mu Qingxue let out a contented hum in her sleep, tightly hugging his arm.
Jiang Xun was enjoying this rare moment of tranquility when his phone suddenly vibrated.
He reached for the phone on the bedside table, and the screen displayed a message from Su Qingyu.
"Little Fairy Boy, are you up yet? Sis is going to give you a big surprise today!"
A string of smug emojis followed.
Jiang Xun raised an eyebrow.
What new trick was this girl up to now?