"There's nothing else. I need to get to work now." Evie finally murmured.
"Alright," Alexander replied.
Evie tried to stand, but Alexander didn't let go.
She turned her head to look at him, then understood. She lifted her head and gave him a quick peck.
Alexander didn't release her because of that. Instead, he deepened the kiss.
Finally, he let her go.
Evie's face was flushed. She stood up and said softly, "I'm going to work now."
"Mm-hmm," Alexander answered.
Evie walked out of his office.
She didn't go straight back to the secretarial room. She went to the restroom first.
After washing her face and hands, she returned to the office.
Ella saw her and asked in surprise, "Evie, are you feeling sick?"
"No, no!" Evie stammered.
"Your face is so red, and you're sweating a lot," Ella said.
"Oh, I just went to wash my face."
"I was surprised. I thought you had a cold sweat or something. It's fine! I just sent a document to your email. Check it, and then you can send it directly to me," Ella laughed.
"Okay," Evie replied.
She sat down at her desk, turned on the computer, and started working.
At first, her mind was still buzzing. She couldn't focus on work. But gradually, she calmed down.
Evie opened the email attachment. It was all in English. She was a bit confused.
It wasn't that she hadn't studied English. In fact, she had passed CET-6 with high marks.
But that didn't mean she could easily read professional English documents now.
"Ella, this is in English," Evie turned to Ella and said.
"Didn't you learn English in college?" Ella asked with a smile.
"Yes, but I'm afraid I still can't understand it all. What if I make a mistake later?" Evie said, a little embarrassed.
"No, it's all simple English. If you see something you don't understand, you can ask me."
"Oh, okay," Evie agreed.
She turned back and started studying the attachment.
Whenever she came across words she wasn't sure about, she looked up the meaning online.
That's how Evie spent the entire afternoon. She finally sorted out the information Ella wanted and sent it to her mailbox.
Because her work efficiency was too low, she hadn't finished what Amy had assigned. She had to work overtime.
She completely forgot what Alexander had told her.
When she received Alexander's call, Evie suddenly snapped back to reality. She realized she hadn't even thought about where to celebrate tonight!
"Hello?" Evie answered the phone cautiously.
"Is it not convenient for you to talk?" Alexander asked, frowning on the other end.
"I'm still working overtime," Evie said.
"You're busier than I am."
"Haha, I haven't finished today's work yet."
"I'll give you half an hour to finish it."
"Ah?"
"Any longer, and I'll deduct ten minutes from your time."
"No, no, half an hour is fine!" Evie replied quickly.
Then, without waiting for Alexander to respond, she hung up directly.
"Evie, what are you doing?" Amy looked up and asked.
"I have an appointment with someone tonight," Evie replied, embarrassed.
"If you can't finish it, you can do it tomorrow. You should get off work first," Amy said.
"I'll work for another half an hour," Evie said with a smile.
"It's up to you."
"Okay, thank you, Amy," Evie replied, then bowed her head and continued working.
Half an hour passed quickly. Evie cleaned up her desk, turned off the computer, and told Amy she was leaving first.
When she got to the elevator, she called Alexander. "I'm off duty."
"I'll wait for you in the parking lot," Alexander answered.
"Okay, I'll be right down," Evie replied. She hung up, entered the elevator, and went straight to the underground parking lot.
After Evie got into the car, she asked Alexander with a smile, "Have you been waiting long?"
"About twenty thousand dollars' worth of time," Alexander replied with a meaningful answer.
"Ah?" Evie looked at him, confused.
Alexander looked at her dazed expression and smirked. "Forget it. I won't hold it against you. You're treating me to dinner tonight."
"Okay," Evie said, then couldn't help muttering, "It's not like it's your money."
Alexander stressed with a smile, "I don't have any secret savings either."
"You don't have any secret savings?" Alexander looked at her with a smile, his expression a bit playful.
"No," Evie nodded.
"What about the red envelopes you received?"
"They're all used up," Evie said with a strong sense of conviction.
"Then let you owe it. You can pay me back when you get your salary in the future."
"Okay," Evie nodded.
Then she felt something was wrong.
She asked, "Who will I pay back to then?"
"How are you paying the bill tonight? That's how you'll pay me back then."
"Oh, I'll swipe my card first, and I'll pay you back when the time comes," Evie replied.
"Fine," Alexander said. "Where are we going to celebrate?"
"Since I'm paying, I'll decide where to go," Evie said after a pause.
She wanted to tell Alexander he could choose anywhere.
But on second thought, if Alexander chose a very expensive restaurant, she would go bankrupt.
Alexander looked at her with a smile, and Evie felt embarrassed.
"It's the boss who's paying. You can go wherever you want."
"Then let's go to the restaurant near the student street," Evie immediately decided.
"Not afraid of running into your classmates?" Alexander joked.
"We don't have to go to the student street itself. Just somewhere nearby."
Alexander smiled, started the car, and drove out of the parking lot.
But Alexander didn't expect Evie to bring him to a snack bar.
"Are you sure we're celebrating here?" Alexander looked at the storefront and asked.
"Don't judge the shop by its size. The food is delicious."
"I doubt it," Alexander replied without expression.
"Don't doubt it. You'll know once you eat it," Evie said, taking his arm with a smile.
"Not trying to save money?" Alexander asked.
"Of course not!" Evie answered with a guilty heart, then finally admitted, "Half the reason, but the food here really is delicious!"
Alexander looked at her, a mix of exasperation and amusement on his face.
"What I'm saying is the truth," Evie pouted.
"I'd better go somewhere else. I don't want to ruin my mood. Is there a better choice around here? If not, it's up to me," Alexander asked.
"Yes, there's one ahead," Evie said immediately.
Alexander nodded and followed her.
They stopped at a restaurant on the corner. "Although the portions here are light, the ingredients are very fresh, and the owner is really nice," Evie recommended.
"Are you here for the food or to see the owner?" Alexander was speechless.
"Of course, I'm here for the food! But a nice owner adds a little extra value, doesn't it? Just like you," Evie said with a smile.