When Qin Chuan finished speaking, he suddenly noticed that Chun Tao and Xiao Li, who were standing beside him, were looking at him in surprise, and the previously lively office became very quiet, the atmosphere becoming somewhat strange.
"Did... did I say something wrong?"
Qin Chuan was a little confused. Even with his two lifetimes of experience, he didn't know what had happened to make the office atmosphere so peculiar all of a sudden.
"You... you're so naughty!"
"Pervert!"
Just then, a shy and coquettish voice sounded. Qin Chuan finally realized where he had gone wrong.
This was not more than twenty years later, but 1998.
Internet slang and flirty talk were not popular at all. What he had said, which seemed normal to him from his future life, was likely to be considered harassment in this era.
"Cough, cough, Boss, do you have any water in your office? I'm thirsty!"
To ease the awkward atmosphere, Qin Chuan quickly changed the subject.
"Oh... yes! Yes! I'll pour you some..."
Li Ya also calmed down from her embarrassment and quickly took a new cup from the cabinet behind the desk.
"Boss, why bother pouring water? It's lunchtime now. Why don't we take Qin Chuan out to a restaurant to eat?"
Chun Tao was also a very clever person. Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, she quickly spoke up.
Li Ya, who had just touched the thermos, paused and then turned around, saying happily, "That's right. Qin Chuan, you haven't had lunch yet, have you? Let's go now!"
"Okay, it happens that I promised Chun Tao and Xiao Li that I would treat them to a meal. This meal is on me, and no one can snatch it from me!"
Qin Chuan was eager for this, at least it would prevent him from being embarrassed on the spot or being mistaken for a pervert.
They left as soon as they said it. Li Ya quickly put on her coat, concealing her mature and alluring figure once again. The four of them went downstairs together.
"Beep beep!!"
After going downstairs, the taillights of a Santana parked downstairs flashed twice with a crisp sound.
Qin Chuan noticed it was a Santana. Although it looked a bit old, it was very clean and shone black.
"Boss, is this your car? I haven't seen you drive it before?"
"It was lent out before and returned just a couple of days ago," Li Ya said. She suddenly her eyes flickered and asked Qin Chuan, "Can you drive?"
"Yes, what's so difficult about that!"
Qin Chuan answered casually. To his surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, he found Li Ya, Chun Tao, and even Xiao Li looking at him in astonishment.
Xiao Li even looked at him with admiration.
This completely baffled Qin Chuan. He reflected, could it be that he had said something wrong again?
"Qin Chuan, you can drive too? That's amazing!"
Xiao Li exclaimed with admiration, her eyes sparkling.
Qin Chuan was suddenly enlightened. In this era, especially in an 18th-tier small town, being able to drive was definitely a high-class skill, as many ordinary people had never even touched a steering wheel.
An ordinary car would cost tens of thousands of yuan or even more. What family could afford it?
"Here, then today at noon, you'll be driving us three ladies to the restaurant. What do you call this? Gentlemanly demeanor!"
Upon hearing that Qin Chuan could drive, Li Ya straightforwardly handed over the car keys, her eyes flickering.
Qin Chuan didn't hesitate. He quickly opened the car door, got in, skillfully started the engine, released the handbrake, stepped on the clutch, engaged the gear, and the Santana started smoothly.
"Yay!"
Xiao Li and Chun Tao, sitting in the back seat, let out excited cheers. Li Ya sat in the passenger seat, and soon the Santana drove out of the factory gate.
Outside the gate, under a large willow tree, two men were smoking with worried expressions, full of anxiety.
Suddenly, seeing the Santana driving out, Zhang Long and Wu Erma were stunned. They recognized it as Li Ya's car.
While they were in a daze, the Santana had already sped away, and they could only see its rear.
"I... I think I just saw Qin Chuan driving?"
Zhang Long murmured softly.
"I saw him too, and Li Ya was sitting in the passenger seat!"
Wu Erma had better eyesight and said with certainty.
"Where are they going? What should we do?"
"I don't know!"
Both were very confused, weak, and helpless. After much deliberation, they decided to wait where they were.
No matter where Li Ya and Qin Chuan went, they would eventually return to the garment factory.
Half an hour later, in a private room of a relatively high-class restaurant in the county town, Qin Chuan, Li Ya, Chun Tao, and Xiao Li were seated. Plate after plate of delicious dishes were served.
As the saying goes, "Three women make a play." Coupled with Qin Chuan, who was good at creating a lively atmosphere, bursts of happy laughter echoed. Occasionally, Qin Chuan would tell a risqué joke, making all three women blush, like delicate buds about to bloom.
"Boss, I'll toast you with a soft drink. Thank you for visiting my parents in the hospital!"
"You're so thoughtful!"
Qin Chuan raised his drink and said to Li Ya beside him.
"Aren't we friends? It's nothing to worry about!"
Li Ya smiled indifferently, her every move exuding a mature and alluring charm, truly a seasoned older sister.
"By the way, Qin Chuan! Stop calling me Boss, Boss. When others call me that, I feel it's normal, but only when you say it, it always feels a bit awkward."
Suddenly, Li Ya said seriously.
"Then what should I call you?"
Qin Chuan asked, confused.
"Call me Jie!"
Li Ya blurted out almost instinctively, "Haven't you already called me that before?"
"Okay, then I'll call you Jie from now on. It will make our relationship seem closer!"
Qin Chuan was not shy. "Jie, it's like this, actually, besides thanking you for visiting my parents, I have a small matter to discuss with you today."
"Is it about those two unscrupulous vendors, Zhang Long and Wu Erma?"
Before Qin Chuan could finish speaking, Li Ya interrupted.
Qin Chuan was slightly stunned. "How did you know?"
Li Ya put down her chopsticks and elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I saw those two when we were leaving!"
"And I don't think you're treating me to a meal just because I visited your parents in the hospital. You, my friend, are always driven by profit, and you've always been a bit wary of me."
As she spoke, Li Ya's beautiful eyes fixed intently on Qin Chuan, her gaze making him somewhat embarrassed.
"That's not true! Why would I be wary of you?"
"You think I'm trouble, a powerful opponent."
Li Ya chuckled, looking as if she saw through everything.
Qin Chuan's eyes narrowed slightly, a vortex swirling in the depths of his dark pupils...
If Li Ya's earlier guess about his intentions had only slightly surprised him, this time it elevated to seriousness.
Looking at the mature and alluring older sister before him, Qin Chuan felt it was necessary to re-evaluate Li Ya, to reassess her.
This woman was not simple at all. He had underestimated her before.