I Fell In Love With My Friend's Younger Brother Who Has A Low Sense Of Presence. - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Goodnight, President Nan

Su Shixiao, who had temporarily moved out of the Art Department, arrived at the project team’s office. He had just sat down when the female colleague next to him slid her chair a few steps over to him. With a sinister smile, she asked, “Xiaoxiao, how about going out with our President Nan?”

“How did you know?” he asked, puzzled.

“Our President Nan posted on WeChat Moments.” The female colleague looked at him with envy. “You’re actually brave enough to go on a trip with President Nan. That’s impressive.”

“Huh?” He looked at her blankly. “What’s impressive?”

“You’re actually brave enough to go on a trip with such a fierce President Nan.” The female colleague lowered her voice and said, “Anyway, I definitely wouldn’t dare go.”

Su Shixiao tried his best to redeem Nan Yanzhou’s reputation. “President Nan is a nice guy, not a tough one.”

The female colleague looked at him pitifully and patted his shoulder comfortingly. “You’re the only one who would say that.”

Su Shixiao: “…”

As he prepared for his lunch break, he arrived at Nan Yanzhou’s office door, holding the iPhone he had deliberately left behind the day before, and knocked.

Nan Yanzhou lowered his head from the documents without looking up. “Come in.”

Pushing the door open, he saw Nan Yanzhou working diligently. He walked over to him and placed the iPad on his desk. “I’m here to return the iPad. I’ll send you the drawing when I’m free in a few days.”

Nan Yanzhou’s gaze fell on the iPad before he glanced up at Su Shixiao’s face. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of Su Shixiao’s cold, handsome figure and face.

He pushed the iPad toward him. “No need to return it. If you think it’s useful, take it. I don’t use it much anyway.”

Su Shixiao smiled, then refused with a hint of disdain. “Thank you, but your iPad isn’t any better than the one I have at home.”

“I’ll buy you whichever iPad you like,” Nan Yanzhou said, frowning slightly.

Hearing this, his heart warmed, and his smile widened. “Well, buy it for my birthday as a present.”

Nan Yanzhou: “Okay.”

Su Shixiao: “By the way, President Nan, work hard and don’t go out to play again this afternoon.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want me to play.” Nan Yanzhou checked the time. “Would you like me to go out for lunch?”

“Okay.”

Nan Yanzhou had been working diligently at the company all week, except that he always asked Su Shixiao to have lunch with him and go to the rooftop with him.

Assistant Cheng was stunned to see President Nan like this. President Nan usually stayed at the company for no more than three days, but he hadn’t skipped work all week. Had he turned over a new leaf?

Assistant Cheng couldn’t figure it out, so he gave it a second thought. It was best that President Nan was working hard; it would make his job easier.

That evening, Nan Yanzhou dragged Su Shixiao out for dinner and dropped him off at his door. As Su Shixiao was about to open the car door and get out, Nan Yanzhou grabbed his wrist and asked, “When will my painting be finished?”

Su Shixiao sat back down, a few seconds before he realized what he was talking about. He scratched the edge of the seat and explained softly, “I’m busy with my graduation project lately. I’ll work on it when I have time, okay?”

“Of course,” Nan Yanzhou noticed the caution in his tone. He leaned closer, rubbing his slender hand through his hair. “But I’ll punish you by letting you go out with me when you have time.”

Su Shixiao stared at him without blinking, and replied seriously, “Okay.”

“See you next Monday.” Nan Yanzhou withdrew his hand and watched him get out of the car.

After getting out, Su Shixiao turned around and said, “Mr. Nan, see you on Monday.”

With that, he left. Nan Yanzhou watched him disappear before driving off.

“Mom and Dad, I’m back.” Su Shixiao walked into the house and saw his parents sitting on the sofa chatting.

“Xiaoxiao’s back,” Yan Jiaxin asked with a smile. “You didn’t come home for dinner tonight. Did you eat out with someone else?”

Su Shixiao: “Yeah.”

Yan Jiaxin moved a seat for him to sit over. “Xiaoxiao, come help me pick out a birthday present for Xiaobei. Since your birthdays are close, I’ll buy yours as well.”

His birthday and Xiaobei’s birthdays are two days apart.

“Yeah.” He sat down next to his father.

Su Ningge shifted his position. “What birthday gift does Xiaoxiao want?”

Hearing this, Su Shixiao thought for a moment and said, “Anything’s fine. I don’t have anything in particular.”

“Xiaobei wants a new sports car lately, and we’re thinking of buying him one.” Yan Jiaxin didn’t know what to buy him. His son was so indifferent, so indifferent that he didn’t particularly like anything. It seemed like whenever he bought them a gift when they were little, he’d just take the leftovers and never complain. “Do you want one too?”

Su Shixiao nodded. “Anything’s fine.”

“What brand do you prefer?”

“Anything’s fine. I don’t know about that.”

If Nan Yanzhou saw this, he’d think their interactions were awkward.

Su Shizhi, watching them from the corner with a glass of hot water, his expression growing increasingly heavy. Before, when he wasn’t paying as much attention to Su Shixiao, he hadn’t seen any problems with their relationship. But as he paid more attention to him, he noticed a certain distance and stiffness in his interactions with his parents and grandparents, lacking the intimacy of family.

His heart was aching. He felt bad for Xiaoxiao. Were they really neglecting Xiaoxiao because they favored Xiaobei too much? Or was it because Xiaoxiao had always been so sensible? Probably a little of both.

It was time to find time to have a good talk with Mom, Dad, Grandma, and the others about this. He couldn’t let this go on. Otherwise, when Xiaoxiao was completely disappointed in them, they wouldn’t have any chance to make amends.

Su Shixiao returned to his room and immediately took a shower. He then worked on the drawings for his graduation project for an hour. He couldn’t help but pull out his phone to start scrolling through short videos. A few minutes later, he received a message from He Junsui.

He Junsui: Sunday is the day Feiqing returns to China.

He Junsui: We’re planning a welcome party for her.

He Junsui: She asked me to ask if you were coming.

Yu Feiqing was also their high school friend. After graduating, she went abroad to study.

Yuanxiao: Why didn’t she ask you herself?

Yuanxiao: Come.

Su Shixiao: Of course my high school friend is going.

Su Shixiao: Send me the address.

He Junsui: Just ask her. I don’t know.

He Junsui: Maybe she’s embarrassed.

He Junsui: I haven’t decided yet. I’ll send it to you tomorrow.

Yuanxiao: Yeah.

He suddenly thought of Nan Yanzhou, a smile flickered in his eyes, and he sent him a message.

Yuanxiao: Mr. Nan, good night.

Nan Yanzhou, who was sitting in a corner of the bar drinking with his friends, saw his phone light up on the table. He glanced over and saw a message from Su Shixiao.

He felt a faint joy in his heart, a smile on his face, and he replied good night.