Boss, Please Go Easy On Me (GL) - Chapter 21

During lunch with An Yao, Yan Xiaomi kept her head down, occasionally looking up to meet An Yao’s gaze, only to quickly drop her head again. An Yao didn’t know what she was thinking, but it seemed to concern her.

“Do you have to be so timid while eating?”

An Yao raised an eyebrow and smiled. She originally wanted to reach out and rub her short hair, but before her hand reached halfway, Yan Xiaomi had already leaned back. Her hand froze awkwardly in mid-air and was withdrawn two seconds later.

“What is it now?”

An Yao asked with some exasperation, but then she suddenly realized that although Yan Xiaomi was simple-minded, she actually didn’t understand much about her. She didn’t know why she was sometimes happy and sometimes distracted. An Yao couldn’t guess what she was thinking and didn’t want to waste time trying to guess. It would be better to just say what she had to say directly.

“Nothing.” Yan Xiaomi gave a guilty smile. “I just feel like I’m too clumsy and can’t help President An with anything.”

Yan Xiaomi poked the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks. This issue was quite depressing. Although she had been trying her best to do what she could and avoid causing trouble for An Yao, she eventually realized that her abilities were truly limited, and she couldn’t help An Yao much.

But the thing that was most unsettling to her wasn’t this.

From the beginning, when An Yao disliked her, to now being able to have lunch together, a lot had happened in between. Yan Xiaomi felt that treating people with sincerity and receiving the same sincerity in return was truly wonderful. Becoming friends with An Yao would be the best outcome, at least she wouldn’t casually replace her because her ability was insufficient. But now, what could she say?

Yan Xiaomi was quite conflicted. How could she blush and feel shy whenever she saw An Yao? Yan Xiaomi hadn’t dated much in her life, but she was an expert at secret crushes. The moment this emotion appeared, it was captured. This isn’t normal. This is really not normal. Yan Xiaomi, has your brain gone offline?

“I don’t need you to do a lot; just doing the basics well is enough,” An Yao put down her chopsticks and looked at her, still keeping her head down, and said seriously, “You raise your head now, or you’re going to stick it into your bowl.”

Yan Xiaomi immediately lifted her head. Meeting An Yao’s gaze, she involuntarily wanted to look away again. Her heart started beating fast again. This feeling was not good at all. When nervous, a thin layer of sweat even appeared on her forehead.

“Look at me,” An Yao commanded. Feeling that An Yao seemed angry, Yan Xiaomi didn’t dare to disobey. She turned her head woodenly to look at her. An Yao’s face was like a layer of ice, cold and detached, which somewhat extinguished the fire in Yan Xiaomi’s heart, making her feel slightly more at ease.

“Tell me the truth,” An Yao leaned back against the sofa, crossing her arms over her chest, and said quite coldly, “Initially, I really didn’t like you. First, you came in through the back door, then you were restless and timid in your work, and you made mistakes often. But later, I discovered that even a clumsy person like you has a clumsy kind of cuteness. You treat people with sincerity and kindness, and when your IQ goes offline, you’re quite funny. The office is boring, and having you around has made it much livelier, which is good. So, don’t worry too much about work. I’ve got this; what are you afraid of?”

An Yao’s words did not comfort Yan Xiaomi’s desolate heart at all; instead, they made her sadder. So President An kept her around just to be funny and liven up the atmosphere? The value and meaning of her life were just crushed. Yan Xiaomi wanted to cry, but An Yao’s last sentence deeply moved her. When the sky falls, President An is holding it up; what does she have to fear? Yes, what is she afraid of?

“President An, thank you,” Yan Xiaomi couldn’t hold back and suddenly teared up, which startled An Yao. She quickly handed her a tissue. “I didn’t even scold you. Why are you crying?”

“It’s nothing, just touched,” Yan Xiaomi didn’t know why she was crying, but she just felt a lump in her throat and wanted to cry to vent, and also hoped her tears could drown those inexplicable emotions of hers.

“You’re moved to tears by such a small thing. I’m really impressed by you.” An Yao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Yan Xiaomi also started smiling while she was crying. This meal was truly a mix of emotions, but afterwards, Yan Xiaomi felt much calmer. President An has her aunt in her heart and won’t have any ideas about me. My feelings for her are probably just a fleeting delusion that came when my mind snapped. Once this feeling disappears, everything will be back on track. Nothing happened, that’s right, nothing happened, it’s just a little blocked up.

The next day, Li Weisa rushed back from out of town with great fanfare. Her long, wavy hair swayed slightly with her steps. A tight-fitting short dress perfectly highlighted her fiery figure, and her long legs were particularly eye-catching when she walked. Yan Xiaomi was slightly stunned when she saw her.

“Stunned?” Li Weisa took off her sunglasses and asked with a smile, smoothly hooking her chin. “Xiaomi-mi, have you missed me after all this time?”

“Sister Weisa, are you, are you looking for President An?”

Yan Xiaomi avoided her finger. She was in a sensitive period and couldn’t handle temptation, especially since Li Weisa was that kind of fiery beauty who could hook a man’s soul with just a flirtatious glance. Even a woman like her couldn’t help but look twice.

“Who’s looking for her? That workaholic.” Although she said she wasn’t looking for her, her eyes couldn’t help but glance at the office, a little secret that Yan Xiaomi found amusing.

“Sister Weisa, what are you carrying?” Yan Xiaomi glanced at the bag in her hand, which looked like it held clothes.

“Oh, this? It’s a dress for your President An. Help me give it to her.”

Li Weisa naturally handed the bag to Yan Xiaomi, her eyes still looking toward the office.

“Why don’t you give it to her personally?”

Yan Xiaomi didn’t take it. She suddenly felt that Li Weisa’s behavior in front of An Yao was also very abnormal. With her previous experience, she immediately made an association: Could Sister Weisa like President An? This… seemed possible. Her heart sank with a thud. She wanted to say, What a strong love rival, um… what the heck? Do I like President An too? No, no, no, that’s impossible. I’m imagining things again, imagining things.

Seeing Yan Xiaomi hesitate to take the bag, Li Weisa retracted her hand. “Forget it, I’ll go myself.”

Yan Xiaomi remained frozen there, spacing out even after Li Weisa entered the office. Once her imagination started, it wouldn’t shut off. The key was, how did she even think about liking An Yao?

One voice anxiously said: If President An were a man, I would definitely have liked her a long time ago, but President An is a woman. How can I like President An?

Another voice coldly said: Liking a person is inherently non-gender-specific. Whether you like someone depends on your emotions, not the person’s gender.

The two voices argued incessantly in her mind. Yan Xiaomi felt like she was going crazy. On one hand, she felt it was normal to like An Yao, and on the other hand, she felt why like her when there’s no future? However, this feeling of liking her not only didn’t subside but grew stronger, especially when thinking of An Yao’s gentle gestures and expressions, which made her mind even more chaotic…

“Xiaomi-mi,” Li Weisa’s sweet voice pulled her back to reality. Yan Xiaomi came to her senses, realized she was daydreaming again, quickly sat down, and hurriedly started sorting documents, casually asking, “Is Sister Weisa leaving now?”

“Don’t you want me to stay?” Li Weisa leaned on the desk with one hand, smiling at Yan Xiaomi. She wasn’t used to Li Weisa being so close and so enthusiastic, so she leaned back. “No, if Sister Weisa has things to do, go do them.”

“Boring,” Li Weisa stood up, looked at her, and then glanced at the office, sighing, “Truly, an boring superior leads to an boring subordinate.”

The sourness was clearly overflowing. She guessed President An must have said something cold and indifferent that made her unhappy. Yan Xiaomi suddenly felt that falling in love with An Yao was a very cruel thing. She was clearly right in front of her but separated by a layer of ice. Getting close would freeze your passion. It felt like no matter what, she could never fully melt her.

Seeing Li Weisa, Yan Xiaomi had a feeling of what it was like after she had fallen for An Yao, or perhaps she was even worse than Li Weisa. At least Li Weisa could bravely talk to An Yao, argue when unhappy, and play together when happy.

What about her? What would happen if she really liked An Yao?

“Who are you thinking about? So spaced out?” Li Weisa hooked her chin and said cheekily, “Be careful, I’ll tell your President An that you’re thinking about men during work.”

“I, I’m not thinking about men,” Yan Xiaomi didn’t know why she was so agitated, her expression was a little shifty.

“Oh?” Li Weisa raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Not thinking about men, then you must be thinking about women.”

Yan Xiaomi’s heart dropped with a thud. She felt the shame of having her thoughts discovered by someone else. She kept her head down for a long time, not daring to look up at Li Weisa, afraid she would see her flushed face.

The office door suddenly opened. An Yao stood at the doorway, looking coldly at Li Weisa and asking, “Is there anything else?”

This scene is so familiar!

“Yes,” Li Weisa gently placed her hand on Yan Xiaomi’s head and rubbed it. “Xiaomi-mi, my birthday is on the 23rd. You and An An must come.”

Yan Xiaomi didn’t dare to look up and could only nod repeatedly. An Yao frowned slightly at her timid appearance.

The sound of high heels moving further away was heard. Yan Xiaomi breathed a sigh of relief. Before she could look up, she heard the familiar sound of high heels again. An Yao had walked over. She dared not look up even more, afraid An Yao would see her bright red face, and also afraid that her heart rate would accelerate even more.

Yan Xiaomi pretended to be calm and started sorting things, but all her composure flew away when An Yao’s hand touched her head. She didn’t panic, she just froze there.

When Li Weisa touched her head, it was a deliberate, teasing movement, meant to mess up her hair, and the force was greater. But when An Yao touched her hair, it was very light and gentle, and it stimulated her sensitive nerves—a comfortable, slightly tingling sensation.

“If you don’t want to go on the 23rd, you don’t have to,” An Yao said lightly, not noticing her small internal drama at all.

“Why wouldn’t I go?” Yan Xiaomi suddenly looked up, then lowered her head after meeting An Yao’s gaze, and asked softly, “Is President An going?”

“I am going.”

“Then I’ll go too. Anyway, I’m just idle at home. It’s better to go out and have fun together.”

“Suit yourself.”

An Yao lightly patted her head and turned to go back to the office.

Yan Xiaomi didn’t know where she got the courage, but she suddenly looked up and asked, “President An, does Sister Weisa like you?”