Chapter 124: Work

Approaching noon, An Tong sorted the documents she was responsible for into the filing cabinet. As she closed the cabinet door, her phone rang.

Just then, a colleague behind her asked, "An Tong, are you eating lunch with us?"

The young man who extended the invitation was named Liang Xu, a senior in college. It was said that he was working this part-time job during winter break to save money to buy his girlfriend an expensive designer handbag as a birthday gift.

An Tong pulled out her phone and said indifferently, "Sorry, I need to take this call first."

Liang Xu whispered that it was no rush and turned to ask another part-time colleague.

With her phone still buzzing, An Tong walked to the corner of the archives and answered with a smile, "How do you have time to call me?"

"Took you long enough to answer. Still busy?" The man’s deep, rich voice sounded exceptionally magnetic and pleasant through the receiver.

An Tong leaned her shoulder against the wall, scuffing her toes on the floor. "No, I was just talking to a colleague."

"Then come down. The tea house on the seventh floor."

An Tong’s eyes brightened. "Okay."

She immediately declined Liang Xu’s invitation and hurried to the elevator.

...

At the tea house on the seventh floor, An Tong followed the waiter to a private booth behind a water feature. Upon entering, she saw the man sitting alone at a square table, his well-defined fingers holding a porcelain cup, sipping tea leisurely.

An Tong sat down beside him, tilted her head, and smiled faintly. "When did you get here?"

"Just arrived." Rong Shen picked up the inverted cup from the tea tray and poured her some tea, gesturing for her to look at the menu.

An Tong opened the menu and asked casually, "Which floor do you work on?"

"The top floor." The man set the hot tea beside her, crossed his long legs, and leaned back comfortably. "Want to go up and see?"

An Tong’s eyes flickered. "Can I?"

"Yes." Rong Shen gently stroked her hair, his voice low. "Anytime."

An Tong curled her fingertips and tentatively asked, "Are you really not planning to see any other patients?"

The man raised an eyebrow. The girl continued to mutter to herself, "Although music therapy hasn't become widespread in the country yet, it's your area of expertise. It feels like such a waste if you have nowhere to utilize it."

Rong Shen’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and his thin lips curved into a profound arc. "Worried that my talent will go unrecognized?"

"A little." An Tong nodded. "I heard Cheng Feng mention before that you are always organizing meetings and reviewing document processes. Those are all clerical tasks, not your field of specialization."

In An Tong’s heart, Rong Shen’s capabilities and demeanor were much more suited for the management level, where one could command and strategize; he really shouldn't be buried in a clerical position.

As she finished speaking, the booth fell into an eerie silence.

...

"I've ordered, you..." An Tong noted the dishes she wanted, but as she looked over, her heart skipped a beat.

The man before her was resting his head on his hand, his distinct, three-dimensional features filled with a soft smile. He leaned there, his relaxed posture exuding a sense of lazy nonchalance.

Rong Shen gazed at the fleeting shyness on An Tong’s face and traced her jawline with his bent finger. "What time do you get off work tonight?"

"Not sure yet. If there's no other work scheduled for the afternoon, I should be out early."

"Hmm. If you get home early, send me a message."

"Okay."

...

At three o'clock in the afternoon, with An Tong's help, the documents for Liang Xu and the others were organized ahead of schedule and placed into the filing cabinet as required.

Seeing this, the administrator had little to say and waved them off, signaling they could leave for the day. This position was temporary, meant only for organizing documents; once the thousands of files in the archive were processed, the part-time work would conclude. Therefore, the administrator was not as strict as they would be with permanent staff.

Downstairs, An Tong prepared to hail a taxi back to Yue Mansion. She had messaged Rong Shen, but after nearly half an hour with no reply, she figured he was busy.

Just then, Liang Xu pulled up the hood of his cotton coat, rubbed his hands, and asked, "An Tong, how are you getting home? Subway or bus?"

"I'm taking a taxi."

Liang Xu gave a thumbs-up, acting impressed. "Rich."

An Tong explained calmly, "There are no subways or buses near my home." She hadn't intended to go through the trouble of having Ling Qi pick her up, as it felt like making a mountain out of a molehill.

"Uh... alright then, we'll head off. See you the day after tomorrow." Despite his words, Liang Xu wondered to himself just how remote she lived if it wasn't served by public transit.

After saying goodbye, An Tong took a taxi back to Xiangzhang Yue Mansion.

...

Near six o'clock in the evening, An Tong was fast asleep on the living room sofa. An’an was curled up on her chest, occasionally licking her cheek with a small tongue.

The lights were off. Rong Shen stood near the sofa and, seeing this scene, couldn't help but smile. He leaned over to pick up An’an and set her on the floor, then checked An Tong’s forehead with his fingertips. The young girl rarely slept in the living room; if she wasn't sick, she must have been exhausted from work.

Seeing that her temperature was normal and her breathing even, Rong Shen sighed silently, took off his coat, and covered her with it.

An Tong slept deeply, oblivious to it all.

It wasn't until she felt like she was floating like a duckweed that she struggled to wake up. An Tong pouted with sleepy eyes, her voice weak, "So tired..."

The rocking sensation stopped abruptly. As her consciousness returned, she realized something was off. Before her was Rong Shen’s handsome, captivating face. Beside her were his broad, sturdy shoulders.

An Tong: "?"

She instinctively straightened her waist, realized where she was, and her sleepiness vanished instantly. Right now, Rong Shen was carrying her—more accurately, he was holding her in his arms in a classic bridal carry.

An Tong was stunned for a long moment before she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck. "I can walk myself..."

"Weren't you just complaining about being tired?" Rong Shen didn't put her down, treading up the stairs as if they were flat ground.

"I don't know what happened." An Tong smoothed her chest with her palm, frowning thoughtfully. "It felt like something was pressing down on me the whole time; I might have had a nightmare..."

The culprit behind the nightmare was currently squatting by the food bowl, eating.

The man looked down at her, his tone doting yet helpless. "Remember to sleep in your room next time. With the little one in the living room, if it clings to you, you won't sleep soundly."

An Tong looked downstairs in a daze. "Oh, I see."

After saying this, she looked back at Rong Shen. Gazing at his handsome face so close to her own, she asked uncomfortably, "Am I heavy?"

Rong Shen stepped onto the final stair and paused to meet her eyes. "Not heavy. You're too thin."

An Tong not only looked slender, but she was also quite light in weight, feeling almost weightless in his arms.

The hallway on the second floor was dim, with warm orange light bathing them both, creating an overly aesthetic, ambiguous atmosphere.

An Tong tightened her hold on his neck and whispered in protest, "I'm not that thin; I just have a small frame."

The subtext was: I have everything I should have.