Sweetie, don't look at him, kiss me.

Lin Qingmian was awakened by a slight noise coming from the living room.

She groggily opened her eyes and found herself asleep on the worktable in the living room, with a half-finished sketch under her face, a pencil lying on the floor, and the lamp still on.

She propped herself up, rubbed her numb arms, yawned, and then turned her head to look in the direction of the sound.

Ji Linzhou was standing in the entryway changing his shoes, his black coat draped over his arm, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, and his hair slightly disheveled, clearly indicating that he had just returned from outside.

"You're back?" Lin Qingmian's voice was still hoarse and nasal, as if she had just woken up.

Ji Linzhou looked up at her, his gaze sweeping over the faint pencil marks on her face and her plaster cast arm hanging in front of her chest, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"Why are you sleeping here?"

He walked over, bent down to pick up the pencil from the ground and put it on the table. He glanced at the half-finished sketch again—the outline of the skirt in the hues of sunset was beginning to take shape. Although the lines were a bit crooked, they had a unique sense of dynamism.

Ji Linzhou's gaze paused slightly.

He remembered the style.

Six months ago, Fang Shiyang showed him the previous works of this "Miss Who Doesn't Sleep," and it had this flavor—bold, delicate, and with a kind of unconventional and imaginative style.

"I couldn't sleep, so I drew for a while." Lin Qingmian rubbed her eyes. "I didn't expect to fall asleep by accident."

"Your hands are like this, and you're still drawing?"

Ji Linzhou's voice carried a hint of disapproval, but there was no blame in his tone. He took the easel from her lap and placed it on the coffee table: "Go back to bed."

Lin Qingmian said "Oh," and propped herself up to walk towards the bedroom. She stopped halfway there, turned back to look at him, and asked, "Have you eaten?"

Ji Linzhou paused for a moment: "I ate."

"Oh." Lin Qingmian nodded, didn't ask any more questions, dragged her tired body into the bedroom, and threw herself into the soft quilt.

She heard him walking around in the living room, then the sound of the bathroom faucet being turned on, and then the slight sound of slippers on the floor.

She turned over, buried her face in the blanket, and smelled the lingering scent of soft snow on the pillow, her consciousness sinking once more.

When I woke up the next morning, the bedroom door was ajar, and the living room was empty.

Ji Linzhou has already left.

But on the bedside table was a glass of warm water, with a note pressed down beside it; the man's handwriting was still sharp and fluid.

Breakfast is on the table, in the warmer. I'll be back at noon.

Lin Qingmian picked up the note, glanced at it, and unconsciously curved her lips into a slight smile. Then she folded the note and put it under her pillow along with the previous one.

After she got up and washed up, she went to the dining room and opened the warming cabinet—inside was a bowl of millet porridge, two custard buns, and a small dish of pickled radishes.

She sat at the dining table, eating slowly, as sunlight streamed in through the window, making the whole kitchen feel warm and cozy.

My phone vibrated a few times.

It was a message from Fang Shiyang: 【Baby! Great news! The big boss finally has time! He's free this afternoon, do you want to come over? We can discuss the draft and contract in person! I sent him the pictures you showed me last night, and he gave them very high praise!】

Lin Qingmian paused for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at her right arm in a cast, hesitating slightly: "But with my hand injured, it might not be convenient for me to go out..."

Fang Shiyang replied instantly: 【It's okay! Just take a taxi! I'll have the receptionist arrange a wheelchair for you! The boss finally has some free time; if we miss this opportunity, we'll have to wait a long time! To be honest, the boss is actually my direct supervisor; he's usually incredibly busy, so getting an appointment with him is really difficult!】

Lin Qingmian stared at the screen for a few seconds, then finally agreed: "Okay, I'll go this afternoon."

She looked down at her right arm, which was in a cast, and sighed.

Hopefully, this big boss won't mind her disheveled appearance too much.

At 2 PM, Lin Qingmian took a taxi to the Ji Group Building.

She struggled to get out of the taxi, carrying a file bag full of drafts in one hand. Before she could even stand properly, she saw Fang Shiyang already waiting at the gate.

"Baby! Come here, let me help you!" Fang Shiyang greeted her warmly, taking the file bag from her hand and carefully supporting her as she walked inside. "What happened to your hand? Is it serious?"

"I was in a minor car accident and fractured a bone. I'll be fine after a while." Lin Qingmian smiled. "It's nothing serious."

"You're so dedicated!" Fang Shiyang exclaimed. "Even in this situation, you still came to see my boss. I'm touched for your boss."

Lin Qingmian was amused by her, and the two walked into the elevator while talking.

Fang Shiyang pressed the button for the top floor: "The big boss is waiting for you in his office. I told him about your arm injury, and he said there's no need to rush, take your time."

"Your boss... is actually a pretty nice person," Lin Qingmian said casually.

"That's right!" Fang Shiyang said with a smile, "Although he usually seems a bit cold and fierce, he actually cherishes people who are truly talented."

The elevator reached the top floor, and Fang Shiyang led Lin Qingmian through a long corridor, stopping in front of a heavy wooden door.

She knocked on the door, then opened it: "President, they've arrived."

Lin Qingmian followed behind and went inside.

The office is large, with floor-to-ceiling windows covering the entire wall. The afternoon sunlight streams in through the windows, making the whole space bright and airy.

She looked up, her gaze passing over the desk, and saw the person sitting behind it.

Then she froze.

Ji Linzhou was sitting behind that large desk, wearing a dark gray suit, a white shirt, and a tie that was tied neatly. He was holding a pen and writing something on a document.

Hearing the noise at the door, he looked up.

Then his gaze fell on Lin Qingmian, and he paused.

The two people stared at each other across the entire office, and the air remained silent for a full three seconds.

Fang Shiyang was completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere between the two and continued to introduce enthusiastically: "President, this is the Miss Who Doesn't Sleep that I mentioned to you."

"Her name is Lin Qingmian, she's that incredibly talented junior from our school! I've told you so many times, she..."

"The 'Miss Who Doesn't Sleep' you mentioned before..."

Ji Linzhou put down his pen, slowly leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on Lin Qingmian's face, his voice carrying a complex and subtle smile: "It's her?"

"Yes!" Fang Shiyang nodded. "Didn't I send you her draft last time? You even praised it then!"

Ji Linzhou's gaze moved from Lin Qingmian's face to the file folder in her hand, and then back to her face.

The smile in his eyes deepened, and the corners of his lips curved upwards in a barely perceptible arc.

"Miss Who Doesn't Sleep." He pronounced the four words slowly, as if savoring something interesting: "So it was you."

Lin Qingmian's face flushed red instantly.

She gripped the strap of the document bag tightly, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

"I...I didn't know that the big boss Sister Shiyang was talking about was you..." Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible: "If I had known it was you, I definitely wouldn't have come today."

"Why didn't you come?"

Ji Linzhou stood up, walked around the desk, and came over.