Chapter 14 The Jade Is Unboxed

back to the dorm in a while, let's talk when I get there."Hao Yufan chuckled suspiciously over the phone and lowered his voice: "Tell me, were you with some guy last night Did you spend one passionate...Chapter 14 The Jade Emerges from the Box

Before Li An could react, Yan Luoxi had already hung up the phone, infuriating him to such an extent that his temper flared up. He was about to throw his phone against the wall.

Humph! Why would I throw my own phone If I'm angry, I should go back and confront her directly! This little girl actually dared to hang up on me; she definitely deserves a stern punishment!

Li An squinted his eyes and sneered. He put the phone in his pocket and strode back into the private room, finishing off his drink with a flourish. "Brothers and sisters, you guys continue to enjoy yourselves; I have company matters that need attending to. A client is urgently looking for me, so I must leave first!"

"Hold on!" Ming Zixi stood up in a Peking opera style, stretching his arms wide as if he were about to perform a martial arts move: "Brother, your expression seems off; how can I let you go alone into danger We wish to accompany you!"

“That’s right,” Douzi also stood up and eagerly joined in. “When it comes to battle, the father and son fight together, and brothers stand by each other.”

"What danger am I facing" Li An glared at them both. "I’m going back to the company."

Unfortunately, his intimidation tactics didn’t work on these two who were already quite drunk. Ming Zixi chuckled and said, “Little Li An, don’t try to fool me; your laughter earlier was like that of Ximen Qing’s1. With my extensive experience, I can tell that the phone call just now must have come from a woman and one you hold dear!”

They were often together, so it wasn't uncommon for Li An to take calls from women in front of them. However, this time was different; he had gone out to answer the call while they weren’t around, even giving an explanation that was full of holes—client!

"Woman you hold dear!" The comment made Li An’s anger rise as if his tail had been stepped on. He wished Ming Zixi would disappear into a wall-mounted LCD TV.

Oh God, please let me time-travel to any dynasty and give me something to do—pick up manure or sell myself; just not be around these people!

No one heard Li An's earnest prayer. Ming Zixi was still leading Douzi and others in laughter at his expense. This infuriated Li An further, and he sat down sulking. "I won't go back then. We’ll drink here; I’m not afraid of you guys!"

"That’s the spirit!" Ming Zixi laughed so hard that he was out of breath and patted Li An on the shoulder. “Women are like clothes, friends are like limbs!”

“Right,” Douzi poured a glass of liquor for Li An and pressed him down slightly, whispering: "Li An, tell me quietly, which woman made you fall in love with her"

"Get lost!" Li An shouted. How could he have such troublesome friends!

Yan Luoxi impulsively hung up on Li An's call and then regretted it. Thinking about Li An's stubborn personality, how could he tolerate someone hanging up on him like that!

But she didn't feel too afraid. She wasn't sure if it was because she had grown up and her courage wasn't as small anymore, or if the recent interactions with Li An made her realize his attitude towards her was much better than before.

Since Li An refused to give her leave, Yan Luoxi's plan to see Zhou Guangtao was nearly ruined. She sat gloomily at her desk when suddenly Zhou Guangtao called her proactively, "Luoxi, I'm having a meeting near your company now. After the meeting, I'll come pick you up from work."

Yan Luoxi almost jumped with excitement and was about to agree when she suddenly remembered Li An who might return at any time; if he saw Zhou Guangtao picking her up, it would be disastrous, "Don't wait for me at the company gate. I just started working here, colleagues seeing that wouldn't look good. Park a bit further away and then I'll walk over."

"Sure!" Zhou Guangtao readily agreed; he was understanding and unlike Li An's domineering attitude, Yan Luoxi didn't want to draw public attention due to her boyfriend, which could be understood.

After work, Yan Luoxi didn't wait for He Yufan or Ye Zixin. She hurriedly left the company building while calling them both. Before He Yufan's voice criticizing her as frivolous was over, she had already successfully spotted Zhou Guangtao's black Nissan near the company and then hung up decisively to head towards it.

"What are you running for Is a wolf chasing after you" Zhou Guangtao laughed when he saw Yan Luoxi panting as she got in the car.

She glared at him but didn't say anything. (Translation note: The original text implies that Yan Luoxi silently thought, "Stupid. Isn't it because I'm afraid you're waiting anxiously Or rather, don't want to see you so early!").

Zhou Guangtao started the car and asked, "What do you want to eat"

"I want to buy clothes first," Yan Luoxi eager to show her change after yesterday's experience: I've already improved and become more obedient!

Yan Luoxi's sudden transformation surprised Zhou Guangtao, but it was better than stubborn refusal to change. "Alright, let’s go shopping for clothes then have dinner."

Zhou Guangtao took Yan Luoxi to a high-end clothing mall where the sales staff were very attentive. However, Zhou Guangtao's standards were high; they visited several stores without finding anything that met his approval.

Yan Luoxi rarely shopped and had no experience buying clothes. Seeing Zhou Guangtao frowning with a look of difficulty on his face, she pointed at a white dress casually, "How about this one"

"No, this one is too sheer; it's not suitable for the workplace."

"What about that floral dress then" Wang Zhangzhu pointed to another dress.

"That one is too fancy and doesn't suit your temperament."

"We all wear uniforms at our company. Actually, you don't need to go out of your way to buy dresses for me; I rarely get a chance to wear them."

"But you still have to go to work, come back after work, and sometimes meet clients outside; you can't be in uniform everywhere."

Ha! As if a tea lady like me would ever meet any clients! Yanluoxi felt dejected thinking about her crimson uniform; she had no idea when she'd get out of that dark place!

Zhou Guangtao finally picked out a set for her, "Try this on."

Yanluoxi saw it was a silver-grey dress with a simple design, very conservative except for the delicate lace at the neckline and cuffs, hinting at fair skin.

She came out of the changing room wearing it, and the salesperson immediately praised her, "Miss, you are naturally beautiful, but now your skin looks even whiter! Sir, you have excellent taste!"

Zhou Guangtao looked at Yanluoxi for a moment, then walked over to casually tuck her hair behind her ear with his hand and used her own hair clip; her delicate neck was immediately revealed. In the mirror, she appeared as fair-skinned as snow, eyes like ink dots, elegant and graceful, perfectly complementing the dress.

"Ah! Miss, you look so beautiful!" The salesperson couldn't help but exclaim; women really need grooming—this girl is a hidden pearl; with just a little adornment, she shines like jade, emitting a warm glow.

Zhou Guangtao looked around and picked up a pair of shoes from the side. He squatted down in front of Yanluoxi, "Try these on."

The salesperson tried several times to take over for Zhou Guangtao, who was helping Yanluoxi put on her shoes, but seeing their comfortable interaction, she hesitated.

Zhou Guangtao held Yanluoxi's ankle, taking off and putting on the shoe for her. She felt his warm, broad hand at her ankle, causing a tingle in her heart.

In fact, when she accidentally lost a shoe as a child, and when he went to her house every morning to wake her up, he would hold her ankle to help her put on the shoe.

Zhou Guangtao steadied Yan Luoxi. Dressed in a suit, he stood beside her. The man was tall and handsome, while she was delicate and elegant; they made an exceptionally well-matched couple, almost like a painting come to life.

The store staff murmured their approval softly, even those who entered the shop to buy clothes couldn’t help but stop to watch in admiration and nod with praise.

Still dazed, Yan Luoxi took some time to regain her senses. Seeing all the people looking at them, she hurriedly pushed Zhou Guangtao away and went into the fitting room to change back into her clothes.

Rare was the opportunity for Yan Luoxi to want to buy clothes; Zhou Guangtao picked out several more sets for her without hesitation. Moreover, he paid with his card. Seeing how expensive these clothes were, Yan Luoxi’s heart pounded but thinking of He Yufan and Ye Xinxin’s lessons learned, she let him have his way.

After buying the clothes and having a meal, Zhou Guangtao drove Yan Luoxi back to school. She said goodbye to him as usual, leaning in for a light kiss on his cheek.

Zhou Guangtao suddenly reached out and hugged her close, passionately kissing her lips. Yan Luoxi didn’t know why but felt inexplicably anxious; she raised her hand to push Zhou Guangtao away forcefully.

After pushing him away, Yan Luoxi immediately regretted it. He was her boyfriend after all. Although their previous intimate actions were limited to holding hands and hugging once in a while with the most they did being kissing foreheads, it was normal for two people dating for two years to take things further.

She couldn’t look at Zhou Guangtao’s face; she lowered her head, saying softly, “S-Sorry… I’m just nervous…”

"Stupid girl, it's alright. As long as you're not scared," Zhou Guangtao stroked her cheek gently with his right hand and said tenderly: "I haven’t had enough time to spend beside you in the past; this time when I go back to headquarters, I’ll try applying for a position that doesn’t involve overseas work so I can have more time to be with you."

"Yes," Yan Luoxi nodded obediently and wrapped her arms around Zhou Guangtao’s waist.

The next day at work, wearing the new dress Zhou Guangtao had bought for her, Yan Luoxi was in high spirits despite He Yufan's constant praise and criticism. Every girl loved beauty; Yan Luoxi was no exception.

Li An was infuriated by Douzi and Ming Zixing yesterday and decided to stop working after getting them drunk, resulting in all three of them passing out from excessive drinking.

His head ached today due to the previous night's heavy drinking; his mood was also poor. He saw a slender figure outside the president’s office and paused for half a second before subconsciously calling out to her as she was about to disappear, "Yan Luoxi!"hou Guangtao quickly shifted his gaze to his wristwatch, "I’m running out of time... I have to leave now!"Seeing the flustered Zhou Guangtao leaving, Yan Luoxi wanted to burst into laughter but tears...