Chapter Seven, Xiaoxiao

The sound of a horn urging from behind finally pulled Xiaoxiao's thoughts back to reality. The red light ahead had long since turned green, and even the traffic officer noticed that something was off with Xiaoxiao, glancing over this way a couple of times.

In fact, this statement is not entirely accurate; Xiao Xiao is not simply tough on the outside and gentle on the inside. She possesses an additional layer compared to others. In the words of Zhang Jingzhi, it can be said that Xiao Xiao's steel exterior is wrapped in a thick layer of honey, which invariably attracts a swarm of eager admirers.

The shell appears to be solid, yet often a seemingly casual remark or a fleeting figure in the distance can pierce through this hard-won armor, driving straight into the heart and causing profound pain.

"What happened to Assistant Xiao today? Why does it feel like she's working as if her life depends on it?" Secretary Xiao Liu quietly asked Polly beside her. Polly took a furtive glance at Xiao Xiao, who was smiling and discussing the project proposal with someone, and mysteriously replied, "Not only is she working as if her life depends on it, but her mood is surprisingly good. She has been wearing a smile on her face all day. Could it be that she has started a new romance again?"

And Xiaoxiao clearly belongs to the latter

Xiao Xiao closed her eyes briefly and pressed down hard on the accelerator, and the car finally shot forward

In the morning, Xiao Xiao, as usual, drove her little car to work. Just as she exited the community and reached an intersection, she was stopped by a red light at the stop line. "How frustrating! So close!" Xiao Xiao muttered. Noticing the young traffic police officer standing at the intersection looking her way, she leaned out of the car and flashed him a smile, exaggeratedly saluting him. They were old acquaintances; he had stopped her many times for running red lights.

Xiao Xiao smugly retracted her body back into the car, then glanced at the flashing numbers on the traffic light, feeling that time was passing so slowly. She wondered if she would be late again today. Had she known it would be this slow, she would have preferred to run the red light and be caught by the handsome traffic police officer next time for a lecture instead.

Therefore, even when planning to indulge in drinking today, she has thought of many things

The slightly bitter beer went down, and although it was just beer, I could still faintly feel a wave of warmth in my stomach

Fang Yi smiled and nodded, who said that beauty and intelligence cannot coexist? His female assistant is a typical example of both beauty and intelligence. For some reason, looking at Xiao Xiao, Fang Yi recalled the awkward young man from the night before last. What is wrong with him? Why does he keep thinking about men? Could it really be a problem?

Here, at least no one will see her sadness, no one will witness her tearful cries devoid of any dignity

This is what it means to be lovers; when feelings run deep, only each other remains in their eyes

When that person uttered the words "break up," Xiao Xiao was somewhat taken aback. He said he just wanted to taste the flavor of being in love. The flavor of being in love? It turned out he still did not understand the essence of love. How ironic it was for him to say this when she was willing to give up everything for him!

There are also many times when I always believe that I can be strong, that I can face the outside world with a smile, transforming the tears in my eyes into a faint smile, with my eyes curving and the corners of my mouth lifting.

From the initial anger and sulking to later compromise and tears, Xiao Xiao did a lot—everything she could think of, everything she couldn't think of, everything she should do, and everything she shouldn't do. Yet all of this only resulted in his greater aversion.

For an entire day, Xiao Xiao worked tirelessly, not only resolving the backlog of work from before but also making significant progress ahead of schedule

A woman should not be intoxicated in public, as it is a sign of irresponsibility towards oneself

"Mr. Fang, here are some documents that require your signature, as well as the cases to be discussed at the board meeting this afternoon." Xiao Xiao placed a thick stack of documents in front of Fang Yi

On this day, Xiao Xiao was exceptionally busy, almost too busy to touch the ground, walking with a sense of urgency.

She boredly shifted her gaze to the sidewalk, aimlessly scanning the hurried passersby. Suddenly, it felt as if she had been struck by a heavy blow, and she froze in place. The man appeared in her line of sight unexpectedly, piercing her vision like a needle.

Originally, I had my own nest where I could buy some wine to take back, lock the door, and drink to my heart's content alone. The next day, when I woke up, the headache would naturally replace the heartache. However, now that Chu Yang is temporarily staying with me, Xiao Xiao had no choice but to open this room at the hotel by herself

Several beer cans, around seven or eight, were scattered on the ground. Xiao Xiao wiped the tears from her face, and inadvertently brushed some onto her lips, which had a slight bitterness of beer. No wonder she had consumed so much alcohol, Xiao Xiao thought, it turns out some had already started to spill out.

Xiao Xiao did not notice the reactions of her colleagues around her; she only wanted to keep herself busier, to make the smile on her face appear more natural, to prevent that gentle smile from flashing before her eyes, and to stop the hands that were lightly clasped together from gripping her heart tightly.

I once was so innocent! Xiao Xiao thought, throwing away the empty beer can in her hand, and casually picking up another can from the ground. With a "pop," she opened it, and the foam bubbled out, followed by a "hiss" as it burst in the air, just like her love

Many times, one feels that their heart is hard enough, and their skin is thick enough. The past can be mentioned in a casual tone, and experiences that once brought laughter or tears can now flow from one's lips as jokes.

"Why are you working so hard today?" Fang Yi asked with a smile

Xiao Xiao only felt a wave of dizziness in her head, as if her heart was being tightly gripped by those two hands, to the point that it could almost drip water. No, the heart cannot drip water; what can drip is only blood

Xiao Xiao has always considered herself a very rational person; one could say that ever since that incident, she has become an even more rational individual. In everything she does, she ensures to leave herself an escape route, and in every endeavor, she remains vigilant against unforeseen circumstances.

There are no dishes, and the alcohol is consumed particularly quickly. In just a short while, three or four cans have already been discarded on the ground. The effects of the alcohol have not yet set in, but the smiling faces before me have become clearer, as if frozen in that day many years ago

Just as I came out of the restroom, my phone rang. It took me quite a while to grab it. When I pressed the button, I heard Chu Yang's voice: "Sister Xiao Xiao, I forgot to bring my keys. When will you be back?" Chu Yang asked

When love is no longer present, your tears are no longer the pearls in his hands, but rather the annoying muddy water on a rainy day. Yet, oh woman, you are blinded by the so-called love, always unable to see clearly.

In this world, there are some women who prefer to wrap everything in fragility, such as men, and even their own hearts that have become as hard as iron; while there are other women who always like to encase themselves in a steel shell, blocking out the men from the outside, guarding their vulnerable hearts.

Time has flown by so quickly, it has been five years. Why does it still hurt when it pricks the eye? Xiao Xiao felt somewhat puzzled

Fang Yi's headache finally subsided today. He drank too much alcohol the night before last, which caused him to suffer from a headache all day yesterday. Reflecting on that absurd incident, he couldn't help but feel a mix of laughter and tears. He never expected to actually develop an interest in a young boy, and even more amusingly, that young boy managed to escape right under his nose!

Seeing the thick stack of items, Fang Yi couldn't help but frown. It was just the beginning of the workday, yet she had already arrived. She had never been this proactive before.

People often say that first love does not understand love; in fact, it is more accurate to say that youth does not understand love. Youth often confuses passion with love, and passion, no matter how intense, always has its past.

He remains the same, always wearing a gentle smile on his face, even when he utters the words "break up" with that same smile, gazing affectionately at the woman beside him. The two hold hands, whispering to each other, occasionally breaking into knowing smiles, as they walk hand in hand past the car, completely oblivious to the person inside.

As Xiaoxiao sat on the carpet of the hotel and opened the first can of beer, she wondered why, after so many years, it still hurt like this when she saw it. Why, after all this time, did the knife remain so shiny, without even a hint of rust? It was truly incomprehensible.

Xiao Xiao raised her eyebrows, glanced at Fang Yi, and said: "With such a high salary, shouldn't you work hard to justify it?"

On this day, Xiao Xiao smiled particularly sweetly

Fang Yigang had just picked up the coffee that his secretary had brewed when his beautiful female assistant rushed in like a gust of wind

She stumbled a bit as she got up from the ground, swaying as she walked towards the bathroom. The only downside to drinking beer is that one always has to run to the toilet, Xiao Xiao muttered angrily.

Xiao Xiao noticed a hint of red appearing on the dark face of the traffic police officer, who pretended not to see her and turned his head away. She suddenly felt very good today, teasing the traffic police officer; hehe, this is not something just anyone would dare to do