Chapter 57: Continuing the Cold War

She nodded slightly, as if suddenly enlightened, her brows relaxed and her eyes opened, a faint smile blossoming through the haze, brushing aside the stray hair by her ear. "I've finally waited for you," she murmured, "Brother Tang."

Mo Zhicheng stood stunned, a whiteness before his eyes. Tang Pei took the cashmere coat from the table, every movement calm and gentlemanly. He handed it to her. "Sorry to have kept you waiting so long."

The woman lazily stretched, shedding her timidity before him, seeming utterly at ease. She smiled, accepted the coat, stood and slipped it on. "It's all right. I spent the afternoon drafting a proposal, got so tired I fell asleep for a while."

"Are you hungry? Tonight, let me treat you."

"How can I accept that?"

"It's my apology. In my dictionary, making a woman wait this long is terribly impolite."

She listened, then touched her lips with a quiet smile. "That's your dictionary, isn't it?" She went on, "In mine, waiting for Director Tang is an honor."

Tang Pei paused, then laughed, amused by her words. "Heh, you’ll have to owe me that meal then. Gives us a reason to meet again. And honestly, I rather enjoy you owing me."

"What, does that make you feel like a capitalist, relishing the unique sense of achievement in exploiting the masses? No," she laughed, "I forgot, these days 'new money' is all the rage."

Laughter rippled through the spacious cubicle, dispelling the silence all around. Only that patch of light remained, like a small orange lamp flickering in the night, illuminating the darkness. When she finished tidying up and switched off the lights to leave, the two finally noticed Mo Zhicheng standing not far away, watching them sidelong. Who knew how long he had stood there, or what he had overheard.

The smile at her lips slowly faded, glancing past his cool gaze, she became utterly serene. Tang Pei looked toward Mo Zhicheng. "President Mo, is there anything else you need me to do?"

"No," the man murmured.

Tang Pei glanced at Lily of the Valley; now they were heading to dinner, but with President Mo present, it seemed somewhat inappropriate. He pondered for a moment, just about to invite him, when Mo Zhicheng smiled faintly and said only, "You two go ahead."

As he turned away, his handsome face darkened.

Mo Zhicheng had his own private elevator, while Tang Pei and Ye Linglan waited beside the staff elevator. Linglan stood not far from him; with him present, neither Tang Pei nor Linglan spoke. For a while, the silent air seemed to sink deeper and deeper, so still it sent a chill through them. Linglan watched the changing numbers above the buttons, wishing only to leave as soon as possible. Mo Zhicheng looked sideways, observing the woman's quietness, his expression unchanged.

Mo Zhicheng glanced at her, watching her silent composure. Her head bowed slightly, as if deliberately trying to escape something. During the waiting, Mo Zhicheng lowered his head and lit a cigarette, the smoke curling around him as he inhaled and exhaled quietly.

Ding—

The staff elevator opened, followed by the sound of footsteps and the sharp click of high heels on polished marble.

"President Mo, we'll be going then," Tang Pei said. Mo Zhicheng looked up at them. The woman nodded in farewell, then immediately withdrew her gaze to look ahead.

Ding—

Mo Zhicheng watched as the elevator doors slowly closed, gazing at the woman through the narrowing gap until the doors separated them entirely. Only then did he come back to himself. When he lowered his eyes, a thick layer of ash had gathered at the tip of his cigarette. He snuffed it out, pressed the elevator button, and strode away.

***

Linglan arrived home a little after nine. She flung herself onto the mattress, eyes closed, resting. After dinner with Tang Pei, she hadn't let him drive her home; instead, she took the bus alone.