Chapter 31: Sleeping with My Head on He Jingyue's Shoulder

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The day chosen for the team outing could not have been better.

The sky was high and clear, the clouds light, and the breeze warm and gentle. The sunlight was bright without being scorching—the perfect weather for setting out to sea and walking along the waves.

Under ordinary circumstances, it should have been a thoroughly delightful occasion.

In front of the coach, the members of the Smart Language project team stood in groups of three or five, chattering excitedly with the unmistakable air of people about to enjoy a holiday. The moment Lin Xiaoyu boarded, she claimed a prime seat toward the back and even saved the place beside her for Lu Qiuyi.

She craned her neck and looked around for a long while before asking Zhang Zhiwei in puzzlement, “Huh? Where’s Sister Qiuyi? Wasn’t she the most excited about this a few days ago? She bought several swimsuits and even said she’d teach us how to take influencer-style photos! How come we still haven’t seen her when we’re almost ready to leave?”

Zhang Zhiwei glanced at his WeChat, which showed no response whatsoever. “No idea. I just messaged her too, but she hasn’t replied.”

A few minutes later, Xie Mingxiao, the temporary person in charge of the outing, boarded the coach with a roster and began checking attendance.

“Everyone’s here, right? Driver, we’re ready to—”

“Engineer Xie, wait,” Lin Xiaoyu said, eagerly raising her hand. “Sister Qiuyi isn’t here yet!”

“Oh, Assistant Lu?” Xie Mingxiao pushed up his glasses and answered casually. “She should be coming with He—”

Before he could finish, Lin Xiaoyu, Li Xiang, and several others were already waving cheerfully toward the door.

“Sister Qiuyi, over here! We saved you a seat!”

Lu Qiuyi appeared slowly in the doorway, forcing an extremely strained smile onto her face.

She turned slightly to one side, as though trying to hide something.

The next second, a tall, well-built figure wearing a casual polo shirt followed her onto the coach.

The entire cabin fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, staring wide-eyed at the man who absolutely should not have been there—He Jingyue.

Lu Qiuyi braced herself and explained stiffly, “Well… in order to get closer to everyone and experience the team atmosphere, our general manager, Mr. He, decided to join us for this pleasant seaside trip.”

Inside, she was already weeping rivers of tears.

After a brief deathly silence, everyone began applauding as though vying with one another, their faces filled with the honor of having received an unexpected favor.

Then a young programmer hurriedly vacated his seat. “Mr. He, Assistant Lu, why don’t you two sit here? There’s plenty of room.”

Lu Qiuyi: What kind of person has no sense at all?

Because of his shout, Lu Qiuyi—who had originally intended to part ways with He Jingyue the moment they boarded and hide in some random corner—could no longer easily move elsewhere.

He Jingyue gave a slight nod and said a perfunctory “Thank you,” then naturally lifted his leg and sat down in the window seat.

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Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Lu Qiuyi could only endure the gazes coming at her from every direction and unwillingly take the aisle seat beside He Jingyue.

Originally, He Jingyue had planned to drive there himself and had asked her to accompany him.

She had refused without the slightest hesitation.

Please. The drive to the seaside would take nearly two hours. Who would want to be his private chauffeur and conversation partner?

Besides, this was clearly a department outing. If the two of them traveled separately from everyone else, who knew what sort of rumors people might invent?

But now that they were sitting together like this, was it really any different?

The coach was scheduled to leave at nine in the morning, the same time as an ordinary workday.

After learning that He Jingyue had suddenly decided to join the outing, Lu Qiuyi had barely slept the night before. She could not shake the feeling that he was plotting something.

What was worse, first thing that morning, He Jingyue had summoned her to his apartment with a phone call, claiming that he needed her help choosing a casual outfit.

Honestly, it was ridiculous. Was he too old to have developed any taste? He could not even put together an outfit for a simple recreational trip?

She had originally planned to share snacks with Lin Xiaoyu and the others on the coach, exchange gossip, and play board games.

But now that this imposing deity was planted beside her, the three rows of seats around them were as silent as a grave. Even the normally boisterous Lin Xiaoyu sat upright, pretending to admire the scenery outside.

The culprit himself, meanwhile, was leaning comfortably against the back of his seat with his eyes closed, resting.

The coach was frighteningly quiet. Combined with the fact that she truly had not slept well the previous night, its steady hum became the perfect lullaby.

Within minutes, Lu Qiuyi could no longer resist her drowsiness. Fuming one moment and nodding off the next, she eventually squeezed her eyes shut and slowly drifted to sleep.

The coach entered the outskirts, where the road became somewhat uneven.

After rolling over a particularly bumpy patch, the vehicle swayed.

Lu Qiuyi lost her balance in her sleep. Her head tilted to one side and, completely unconsciously, came to rest lightly against a solid, warm shoulder.

He Jingyue’s closed lashes trembled almost imperceptibly. Beside his ear came the soft, even rhythm of her breathing, accompanied by the faintest hint of snoring.

He could feel her hair brushing against the skin of his neck, causing a slight tickle.

But he did not open his eyes, nor did he push her away. He merely adjusted his posture so that she could lean more comfortably.

Then he maintained that position, allowing the fuzzy little head to rest against his shoulder for the entire remainder of the journey.

When they reached their destination, the coach stopped in a parking lot beside the beach.

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After sleeping, Lu Qiuyi felt refreshed, and her mood had improved considerably.

She could hardly wait to get off the coach and breathe in the free sea air.

In the blazing summer heat, with sand, waves, beer, and barbecue—now that was the true pleasure of life!

The moment they saw the beach, the colleagues who had been somewhat dispirited under the pressure of their boss’s presence on the coach instantly came alive. Their excitement was visible to the naked eye as some began taking photographs and others cheered.

Unlike companies that used the banner of team building as an excuse to hold meetings somewhere else, leaving everyone unable to properly enjoy themselves, the Smart Language project team had a wonderfully relaxed tradition when it came to outings.

Aside from the bonfire party and barbecue arranged for that evening, most of the time was left free for everyone to do as they pleased.

The moment He Jingyue got off the coach, he received a work call and walked some distance away to deal with it.

Seeing this, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, and the atmosphere became even livelier.

Lu Qiuyi walked with Lin Xiaoyu and the others toward the seaside guesthouse they had reserved, carrying their luggage.

Along the way, Lin Xiaoyu and Li Xiang exchanged meaningful glances for quite some time. Finally, Lin Xiaoyu moved closer, lowered her voice, and gave Lu Qiuyi a thumbs-up.

Her expression was extraordinarily complicated, blending admiration, sympathy, and the excited thrill of having witnessed spectacular gossip.

Lu Qiuyi thought: How strange. My colleagues have turned into people I do not recognize.

Completely bewildered, she asked, “What is it?”

“Sister Qiuyi,” Lin Xiaoyu said. “Didn’t you notice? You spent the entire ride sleeping with your head on Mr. He’s shoulder!”

Lu Qiuyi: !!!

Had she? How did she have absolutely no idea?

She tried hard to remember. She vaguely recalled that when she woke up, the underside of her cheek had felt somewhat uncomfortable, as though it were pressing against something hard. But at the time, she had been too focused on escaping He Jingyue’s side as quickly as possible to think about it. She had simply climbed to her feet and followed the crowd off the coach.

She had actually slept with her head on He Jingyue’s shoulder?

How was that possible? He Jingyue was a man with severe cleanliness issues and an obsessive-compulsive streak. How could he possibly have tolerated her drooling on his expensive clothes?

“It’s absolutely true!” Lin Xiaoyu interrupted her shock, still shaken by the memory. “We happened to turn around and see it. It nearly scared us to death. Good heavens!”

“And the most important thing is—” Li Xiang chimed in, her tone even more incredulous. “Mr. He didn’t push you away! We thought you were done for. Could it be because—”

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