Chapter 32 Nacht "Can't we kiss?"

"There's a new person in the Commerce Department today. Do you know who it is?" A male employee was lying between the workstations of two female colleagues, spreading the source of gossip, "Guess."

The straight-haired female colleague also heard some rumors from the Human Resources Department, "I heard about it too. It seems that the person is a young girl who hasn't graduated yet. She didn't even have two years of work experience, but she went straight into Rokori. There must be someone behind her."

The curly-haired female colleague was whetted by the two of them, and her temper became impatient, "Just tell me directly."

"I just saw a figure yesterday, and he started working today..."

"Tap tap tap..."

A girl walked out of the private elevator for senior management in seven-centimeter high heels. The three or four employees who were talking with their heads down reacted quickly when they saw someone. They shut their mouths and pretended nothing had happened, and continued with their work at hand.

"Come in."

When it was quiet, Quezhan turned to the person behind him and said, "Introduce yourself to everyone."

After hearing Quezhan's voice, the girls waiting outside slowly walked to the work area.

The girl is obviously a college student, with a high ponytail, round glasses, a simple sweatshirt and jeans. She looks neat and clean, and youthful.

"Hello everyone, my name is Congsheng."

He briefly stated what school he went to and what major he studied. After the introduction, he bowed slightly and said, "In the future, I hope to learn work experience from all of you seniors and hope you can give me more guidance."

Yes.

Congsheng is Congjiang's half-sister. Some time ago, Congjiang asked Quezhan to help her find a job. Quezhan looked at Congsheng's academic qualifications and GPA in school. He found that she was from a top-notch university with a good major. Her experience in school was written in many columns on her resume.

Seeing that his major was suitable, and the company's human resources department was recruiting new talents, he let Congsheng join Rokori.

Congjiang's original family is not very good, and his relationship with Congsheng seems to be average.

But it doesn't make sense. She is not the kind of leader who would make things difficult for her employees for no reason. Part of the reason she is doing this favor is out of friendship, and part of the reason is that she is recruiting new people from Rokori in almost all aspects to train them. Maybe she is a talent that can be promoted.

"Sister Quezhan, this is my first day in the company. Is there anything I can do?" Congsheng put the bag on his workstation and seemed to have adapted to the new environment quickly.

The other employees were shocked -

"This girl is not simple, she always calls me sister!"

"She is not a formal employee right after joining the company, right? Help, then what's the point of my one-month internship..."

"I don't like her very much, although she looks innocent and harmless."

The inappropriate name was heard everywhere, but she frowned slightly, "What did you call me?"

It is normal for students to enter the workplace for the first time and do not understand the underlying rules and want to behave.

I just don't know if that address was intentional to indirectly inform colleagues of her relationship with Quezhan, or if it was really unintentional.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Que." Cong Sheng realized that he had said the wrong thing and quickly lowered his head.

"You are still in the internship stage. The specific work will be arranged by Greer. She will guide you."

"Okay, Mr. Ye."

Greer sorted out some basic file data and handed it to Congsheng. Considering that it was her first day here, the data verification of the files was relaxed and had to be completed before the end of work tonight. The progress of each work completion would be recorded in the internship assessment to see whether the internship would be allowed to end early.

After simply assigning Congsheng a few tasks, Greer knocked on the door of the office. When he heard "come in", the woman opened the door and went in to report other work.

"Mr. Que."

Some time ago, the publicity and shooting of the spokespersons for the first batch of new products in the Encre series was successfully completed. Greer elaborated: "The shooting of the spokesperson has been completed, and the planning scheme formulated by the marketing department for it is being promoted. On our side, based on the positioning of the new products in the Encre series, this is the result of the market data analysis and comparison by our employees. The domestic magazine companies we plan to cooperate with are the following."

Que Zan looked through the documents, and the magazine company Levi was among them.

Coincidentally, she knew Levi’s prince Lu Yanxing.

The upcoming magazine shoot for the Encre series should be much easier than the spokesperson shoot. The most important thing is to talk to Levi’s prince about cooperation.

After leaving the Commerce Department's floor, before entering the private elevator, he turned around and looked at the work area.

Congsheng was busy organizing and checking various data in front of the computer. She was a little flustered, but her work attitude was very serious. She opened her phone and sent a message to Congjiang.

Freiheit: [On the first day, the little girl performed well. 】

The person on the other end was typing, and replied: 【Thank you so much, Zhanzhan. I don’t know how to thank you/hug.jpg】

A Jiang: 【Don’t worry, I didn’t tell my family about our relationship. I just told them that the company wanted to recruit and let Congsheng give it a try. 】

Cong Jiang said she didn't mention it...

Quezhan couldn't understand. Since Cong Jiang didn't mention their friendship, logically speaking, from Cong Sheng's perspective, she was her leader. But how could she call her leader "sister" when she just met?

The little girl's mind is hard to understand.

Not taking it as a big deal, he continued typing on the screen: [The party is almost time, have you and AngAng arrived yet? Ah

Jiang: [Hurry up, hurry up. Ah

Jiang: [Angang is the organizer of the party, so he might be the first to arrive. 】

Freiheit:【She is the most anxious. 】

Quezhan smiled after typing. There was no problem at work, so she pressed the button for the private elevator to get off.

However, behind her where she couldn't see, Congsheng turned his shoulder to look back in the direction where Que Zhan left, his eyes seemed thoughtful and cold.

All the enthusiasm I had when I first met you has faded.

As for why she called Quezhan "sister" as soon as they met, it was because on the way back after the interview yesterday, she saw her stepsister Cong Jiang and Quezhan walking together, arm in arm, behaving very intimately.

The Cong family was just one of the most ordinary and inconspicuous common people, with no power, no influence, no wealth, and no fame. How could she be able to marry such a noble god or Bodhisattva as Queshan? Her good sister did not know how to take advantage of him.

After joining a well-known company like Rokori, do you want her to leave again?

impossible.

-The

pool party was held at the Hillside Hotel, one of the global hotel chains under the Pei family industry.

Xun Ang is the organizer of this party, and he mainly organizes it for Que Chan. He knows that her wedding is coming soon, and the purpose is to both "send off" singles and "retain" singles.

Last time in Qing'ai, she wanted to have a great time, but unfortunately the protagonist was not there. This time, with the help of Pei Mo's relationship, she found a bigger place and could definitely have a great time.

Quezhan arrived at the hotel entrance with Congjiang. The former drove the car and the latter took a taxi, and they happened to arrive at the same time.

After entering the hotel, the two of them looked for someone according to the room number sent by Xunang. As soon as they reached the door, they were swallowed inside one after another.

"bring it on."

Xunang held a bikini in each hand and indicated with his eyes that all the ones on the bed were there, so they could be picked any one. "Zhanzhan, Ajiang, just pick whichever one you like. I just ordered these last week, and there are many styles."

Quezhan was shocked and wanted to laugh when he looked at the various swimsuits on the bed. He picked up a bikini from the bed at random. It had lace edges and a Tyndall blue hue. The fabric was very small and the size was about the size of two palms.

She frowned slightly: "This is a bit too revealing..."

Xun Ang: "Baby! This suits your figure very well. It's the 21st century. Can't you be more open-minded? You have such a great figure, of course you should be open and frank. I recommend you wear this."

Cong Jiang was also dragged by Xun Ang to choose a swimsuit. She was not as enthusiastic and open-minded as Xun Ang, so she chose a more conservative one.

Unable to resist Xunang's persuasion, she chose a mint-colored swimsuit. The top has two thin straps, one hanging around the neck and the other around the back, which need to be tied manually. The U-shaped metal decoration on the chest is located in the center, cleverly serving as the connection point of the clothes, slightly gathered to make the chest look fuller. The matching pair is a pair of panties and a drawstring skirt, perfectly showing the curves of the body.

After getting on Quezhan's body, Xunang sighed in admiration, and was blinded by lust. He raised his hand and pretended to pinch her waist.

It was like it was tailor-made for her.

A few of them walked all the way to the outdoor swimming pool. The sky darkened, and the blues were mixed with a faint gilded light. The water in the pool was bright blue, and the cool breeze was pleasant.

All kinds of wine and beverages are displayed on the shelves, colorful and eye-catching.

Looking around, I found that the party decorations such as flowers, balloons, and ribbons were all around the swimming pool, creating a perfect atmosphere.

"Here." Pei Mo waved to Xun Ang.

Quezhan also looked in the direction. There were two men and a woman next to Pei Mo. The one with his back against the whale swimming ring was Lu Yanxing. In front of Lu Yanxing...

She walked closer to take a closer look. The man's profile was cold and handsome, his eyes half lowered. The warm light from the poolside reflected on his facial features, making them more distinct. She also saw the small mole under his left eyebrow.

This little mole is very familiar to me. I was attracted to it the first time I saw him. Thank you, thank you Xianshen... ?

No surprise.

He and Lu Yanxing are both Pei Mo's friends. How could it be possible that they would not meet in someone else's place?

"Brother, this is the first time I see you..."

A faint voice reached Quezhan's ears. After looking carefully again, she recognized that the girl who was speaking was Xie Ling.

"Qezhan."

Meng Xie also saw Quezhan.

The original team that Xun Ang mentioned is still the original team, Meng Xie, Meng Ye, plus Xun Ang and Cong Jiang. The team that Qing'ai was going to set up is now complete.

Pei Mo called Xun Ang, and she went there first.

Quezhan knew that Cong Jiang was afraid of water, so he got her a swimming ring in the rest area and asked her to put it on. She sat on the edge of the swimming pool to test the water temperature. It was neither cold nor hot. She bent her legs and entered the pool.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Quezhan looked at the two brothers standing side by side in the water and felt like a lamb in a tiger's mouth. "Could it be that you are so mad at me because I cancelled the show last week?"

Before Meng Xie could say anything, Meng Ye took the first step to speak and said no.

Compared to this, he wanted to know more about what she did on the day she didn't come to Qing'ai.

Que Zan: "After the press conference that day, I went to a bridal shop to try on wedding dresses. After that, I accompanied my grandmother to the theater. It was already evening when I finished my work. I only remembered it when I saw the message sent by Ang Ang."

Meng Ye concentrated. She went to try on wedding dresses...

"Mr. Que!"

Lu Yanxing's shout just interrupted what Meng Ye was about to say. Seeing the man dragging a swimming ring over with the demeanor of a wanton and casual young man, she felt that it was a coincidence that they bumped into each other again, just like the time when they held a party at Qing'ai. The two parties merged into one, and the atmosphere was so lively.

But he folded his arms and did not refuse.

After all, it was someone else's place. Besides, she and Lu Yanxing still had a cooperation to discuss.

"We're almost there, how about playing a game?" There was a round thing lying on the swimming ring that Lu Yanxing pulled over. He took it down, threw it into the air with one hand, and it landed in his other hand with ease. "Have you ever played water polo? There are eight of us, split into two groups, and it's best of three?"

There were eight people because Cong Jiang was not counted. She was afraid of water. In high school, she was used to being bullied by her classmates who splashed water on her. The trauma could not be shaken off, and she dared not do any major sports in the water.

"Mr. Lu, if I win, you have to agree to one condition of mine."

Que Zhan was very purposeful and brought the matter of cooperation to the table directly. Since she could meet him today, she simply said it. Lu Yanxing was too playful and ran out every few days. By the time she wanted to find him again, she probably wouldn't be able to see even a hair of his head.

"Shen, your wife is negotiating the terms. If I win, don't say that I am ruthless." Lu Yanxing smiled.

Xie Xianshen raised his eyes, and his joking words sounded cold: "A defeated general."

Lu Yanxing: Hey, he is not a loser, right?

Eight people, divided into two groups.

Quezhan, Xie Xianshen, Meng Ye and Xie Ling are a group.

Xun Ang, Pei Mo, Meng Xie and Lu Yanxing form a group.

The two groups are located in the south and north venues respectively.

On the south side of the field, Xie Xianshen looked at Que Zhan who was moving and guarding the left area, getting farther and farther away from him, and getting closer and closer to Meng Ye. He sneered, without avoiding anything, and walked to a distance behind Que Zhan, separating the two of them.

"What are you doing?" Quezhan turned around and found Xie Xianshen standing behind him. He frowned and said, "Go over there, there's no one guarding it."

It was obvious that he was trying to chase him away.

He said in a slow and deep voice: "Lu Yanxing is good at playing water polo, can you catch it?" "

Who are you looking down on? I should be worried that being in the same group with you will lower my chances of winning or losing." But she felt a surge of anger in her heart, and she retorted to him in Xuyi, then leaned over and talked to the person behind him, "Meng Ye..."

As soon as the name came out, Xie Xianshen grasped her wrist tightly from underwater, and his grip increased in strength, and the lines on her arms became tighter and tighter.

She was startled and stunned, and her expression changed slightly before his eyes. He found it amusing, "You called him again?"

Quezhan suddenly thought he had heard wrongly, "I can call whoever I want, and you want to control this, right?"

She shook her hands to struggle against the force around her wrist, but her resistance made it tighter. She couldn't escape, and her other hand was stuck in his wrist and pushed, but that insignificant resistance couldn't move him.

Taking advantage of the point where their bodies were touching, Xie Xianshen grabbed her arm.

He looked at her and said, "I don't want to hear it."

He didn't want to hear her say another man's name.

Quezhan didn't care whether he wanted to listen or not. While he was stunned, Lu Yanxing threw the ball and shouted loudly: "I say, you two, can you please consider our feelings when you are flirting? Do you want to play the ball or not?"

Xun Ang smiled slightly: "You have this experience. If you have time, teach it to Zhanzhan's husband."

"Ang Ang!"

"Just kidding, baby, don't be angry, okay."

When Quezhan shouted, Xun Ang immediately "admitted his mistake" to coax him.

The game begins.

On the north field, Lu Yanxing kicked the first goal. He was experienced and had a strong momentum, so he fell towards Xie Ling's position by inertia.

The little girl only played land sports and was not good at water sports at all. She was about to raise her hand to hit the water ball back, but she lacked skills and her hand went off target. A second before it fell into the water, someone stood in front of her and used both hands to push the ball away.

"Mr. Lu, you use eight out of ten of your strength when you enter the court. Don't you know how to be gentle and considerate to a little girl?"

After saying that, he glanced at Xie Xianshen.

The hidden meaning of these words is not just for him.

The ball almost hit Xie Ling. She raised her eyes and looked at Que Zhan who was blocking her way. She felt a mixed feeling in her heart.

Why was she protecting her when it was obvious that she didn't treat her well?

Lu Yanxing laughed and said it was a mistake, and the game continued.

Halfway through the game, on the south side of the field, Que Zhan and Xie Xianshen were the main players.

Although she didn't want to admit it.

The ball was thrown over again, and Quezhan and Meng Ye were taking the same route. They both wanted to catch the ball, but their movements were counter-attacking. She couldn't control her steps well and slipped at the bottom of the pool, staggering and lying on her back.

"Are you okay?" Meng Ye gave up catching the ball and caught her from behind.

With a "splash", the ball fell into the water. In the first game, Lu Yanxing's team won.

The resistance in the water was quite strong, but when she fell over, the swaying surface of the water created ripples and pushed her into his arms.

Her back was pressed against the man's chest, fitting snugly together. Given the size difference between the two people, it looked to others like he was holding her.

"It's okay."

That touch made her heart rise to her throat, but she calmed down and stood up, the knot of her swimsuit on her back gently brushing against his ribs.

It's a bit itchy, a very close touch.

Meng Ye wanted to help Quezhan to stand up, but Xie Xianshen came to them, snatched Quezhan from Meng Ye with a cold face, "You pulled her in front of me, don't you know how to avoid suspicion?"

"Why is Mr. Xie so nervous?"

Quezhan was originally in his hand, and now the warmth was gone, he could still feel it, "If I don't help her, what if Sister Zhanzhan drowns."

Quezhan also scolded Xie Xianshen for being sick, "Meng Ye just helped me, can you please not make such a face?"

"Shen Shenshen, hurry up, the next round is about to begin."

Seeing that the young couple was emotionally unstable and tense, Lu Yanxing acted as a peacemaker in time to stabilize the situation.

During the next two rounds, Que Zhan discovered that Xie Xianshen was always around him, and even Xie Ling came around and circled around him.

"..."

What do you think of her, a national treasure?

After three rounds, the game is over.

Lu Yanxing, who was good at playing water polo, was beaten badly by Xie Xianshen.

His buddy was angry, and he wasn't stupid enough to not notice it. Pei Mo and the others communicated with each other through eye contact, and he understood immediately.

Young Master Lu was tortured to the point of grimacing. He lost the game, and the conditions proposed by Quezhan came in handy, "Mr. Lu, I admit defeat. After the party..."

"Stop it, sir. What do you want to do? My schedule is very tight later on, and I'm busy with a lot of things. If you want me to help you, you might as well ask your husband."

"..."

Quezhan smiled fakely. He had expected it long ago: "I know you're very busy, so I put forward conditions to you while playing games."

"Free two hours tonight, and let's talk about the cooperation between Rokori and Levi."

Lu Yanxing is playful and feels tired when he mentions work, but he happens to be the one in power at Levi, and he can't turn a blind eye to some project cooperation.

Turning sideways, he met the gaze of Xie Xianshen behind Que Zhan. The man had cold brows and eyes, no expression, and looked at him flatly. He didn't say a word, but his eyes were full of threats.

Young Master Lu was scared and nodded quickly and said yes.

But I was happy.

After the game was over, he took two bottles of wine from the bottles on the pond, one for himself and one for Xunang.

Xun Ang toasted with her, "Baby, you are so handsome when you play basketball. I really regret that I am not a man. If I were a man, I would have to marry you."

This was just adding fuel to the fire, but Quezhan smiled calmly, "Who says women can't be married? It's not too late for you to propose to me now."

Hearing this, Pei Mo was the first to disagree, "Shen, your wife is trying to steal the marriage."

Lu Yanxing laughed so hard that he fell backwards. Xie Xianshen drank a glass of wine indifferently, and the color of the wine was the same as the one Quezhan was holding.

What Quezhan noticed was not him, but Xie Ling beside him. She walked over and handed Xie Ling a bottle of wine. Xie Ling looked up at her, but did not take the bottle of wine. Instead, he asked the question that she had been thinking about and wanted to know the answer to, "Why are you nice to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"At the beginning of the first game, you blocked the ball for me." Xie Ling puzzled: "Because of your sister-in-law's identity?"

"What does this have to do with identity? I'm closest to you, I can't just watch you get hurt."

Xie Ling was choked by this sentence. It seemed that her initial impression of Quezhan had changed quietly.

At first, she mistakenly thought that she was a third party who interfered in other people's relationships. Later, at Disney, at the family dinner, and now, she found that this woman was really open-minded and would not be prejudiced against her because of trivial matters in the past.

Is this the reason why Big Brother chose her?

If so, she seemed... also attracted by her uniqueness.

That time at Disney, Xunang remembered Xie Ling's ingratitude towards Quezhan, and said in a cold voice: "Sister, are you not happy about my kindness to you?"

Xie Ling has a stubborn personality, like a hard thorn.

When he heard this, he didn't have time to think. He stood up and left without looking back.

Quezhan looked in the direction Xie Ling left. It seemed that something had fallen on the road she walked. When she got to the place, she found that it was Xie Ling's cold silver bracelet, which looked very expensive.

I was a good person and chased after him into the hotel, but I couldn't find him anywhere.

The little girl doesn't look tall, but she walks very fast.

Just as he was about to go back the same way, as soon as he raised his foot, the knot on his back suddenly loosened.

"!"

Not only the one on the back, but also the one around the neck broke free.

Quezhan quickly covered his chest to prevent his clothes from falling off. There was no one around, so he had to find a place to deal with it.

As she was feeling a little embarrassed and anxious, her wrist was suddenly covered by a cold temperature. Before she could react, Xie Xianshen appeared beside her and took her into a dressing room with his broad hand.

Quezhan looked around and saw that it was a changing room, and it seemed to be a men's changing room.

"Clothes." Xie Xianshen reminded her.

"..." Quezhan asked him to turn around, "How can I do it if you just look at me like that?"

"We've done more intimate things in bed." Xie Xianshen helped her recall, and said lightly: "Are you still shy about this?"

"Say it again!"

Quezhan was annoyed. Seeing Xie Xianshen turned around, she began to fiddle with the thin straps of her swimsuit.

But both knots were undone. She protected the front with one hand, and the other hand was unable to tie a knot on the thin belt. The most important thing was that she tried twice without success, and her arms were pulled back behind her back and she had cramps.

"...hiss." She frowned in pain, blaming herself for using too much force when playing with the water polo.

Xie Xianshen didn't completely listen to Quezhan's words. When he heard her cry of pain and saw that she was having cramps and couldn't fix her clothes, he pressed her shoulder with one hand and asked her to turn around.

"Hey..."

"Don't move. If you keep struggling you might get hurt."

It seemed like an order that could not be disobeyed and Quezhan became obedient, because cramps were really painful and his body was out of control as if its parts were being disassembled.

Two thin straps, the one that Xie Xianshen tied around his neck first, the slender straps were wrapped around the man's straight long fingers, circled half a circle on the joints, and brushed against his fingertips.

As he moved, the warmth of his fingertips brushed the back of her neck, then left immediately.

Quechan felt a little awkward. When he was putting the thin strap around her back, he touched her spine. The temperature of his fingertips didn't seem so cold anymore. It was a very light touch, but it seemed to have hit her sensitive spot.

I couldn't help but take a small step forward, and my neck and shoulders shuddered slightly.

Xie Xianshen noticed her movements and looked down.

There was water on her body, with drops hanging on her shoulders and neck. Because of her movements, the water drops flowed down the curve of her waist, slid across her snow-white skin, and finally sank into the mint green.

After the knot was tied, he put his arms around her shoulders again and asked her to turn around, their eyes meeting.

"Where did he touch you?"

It took her a moment to understand what he meant. She had already explained it, and she didn't want to repeat it a second time.

She turned aside and was about to leave, but then there was a dull, heavy thud, and his arm suddenly crossed her neck, as if a knife was placed on her neck.

"Didn't I already say that?" Quezhan's back was pressed against the cabinet door, with no way to retreat. "Meng Ye just helped me. It's normal to have contact."

Seeing that Xie Xianshen still didn't let her go, she compromised on the surface: "What answer do you want to hear?"

She just said whatever he wanted to hear, and she was too lazy to argue anymore.

"I don't want to listen now."

Hearing the name he didn't want to hear again, Xie Xianshen's patience was exhausted, and he stared at her coldly: "I want to do it more."

Quezhan's body stiffened. Do, what?

"You're crazy... um...!"

Before she could finish her words, just half a second later, Xie Xianshen grabbed her jaw with one hand and forced her neck back by inertia. The man in front of her pressed over and covered her lips with an extremely aggressive kiss.

The string in her mind snapped, her pupils dilated a little, her eyes widened, and she subconsciously raised her hands to resist.

Unexpectedly, the numbness in the cramped hand had not completely subsided, so he could only use one hand to hold his shirt against his collarbone and struggle to distance himself with his arms.

But she was no match for the strength of an adult man, and her struggles were completely inadequate in front of him. On the contrary, the more she struggled, the stronger the arm behind her waist became. He pressed his fingertips on the sensitive spots on her back, neither too hard nor too soft, and pushed her waist into his arms.

"...Hmm."

The man pinched Quezhan's cheeks with his palms, forcing her to open her mouth, and kissed her without stopping.

Coming out of the swimming pool, his hair was half wet, and the shaky water drops in his hair hit her cheek due to the angle of their posture, splashing a small area of ​​water, and strands of water fell on her eyelashes.

It was at this moment that he deepened the kiss, and took the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth. While kissing her, he sucked on the tip of her tongue, absorbing the intertwining of their tongues in a trance.

The violent struggle made Quezhan's heart tremble. In order to escape from the predicament, she pushed his hand away and retreated after gritted her teeth.

The two men retreated apart, leaving a tiny silver line between their lips, but when the distance was far enough, the line broke.

"Xie Xianshen!"

She didn't know what was wrong with him. He suddenly kissed her because Meng Ye helped her?

The reason is ridiculous.

"Are you fucking having a seizure?"

He was indeed having a seizure. He had wanted to kiss her on his wedding day, but he did it today, and it felt pretty good.

Her lips are soft.

"We've already done it, why don't you give me a kiss?"

Xie Xianshen leaned closer to her, lightly stroking the red on her lips with his fingertips. When he touched her, she turned her head away, not wanting to look at him, let alone say a word to him.

But his strong attitude was revealed again. He held her chin and forced her to face him. He took advantage of her unpreparedness and kissed her again. "Why are you crying again?"

There were still tears in the corners of her eyes, and I felt pity for her.

With a "click", the door of the locker room was pushed open.

Meng Ye was standing by the door. When he looked up, he saw the two people kissing. It was as if he had accidentally entered the most forbidden place.