My Boss Always Flirts With Me - Chapter 1
Chapter 1: The Agreement
“Manager Fang, do you have any additions for the smart software upgrade section?”
Inside the conference room, Chen Yu finished his report and was waiting for Fang Ci’s feedback. The two of them were from different departments, working together to develop the new-generation AP smart device. Privately, the departments weren’t on the best terms, but they had to be civil for work.
Fang Ci was young and had just been promoted from product manager to project manager, so he was often looked down on. The AP was his first project, and the first to be launched by this team.
Normally, Fang Ci was meticulous and stayed late every night to ensure everything was perfect. But today, his team members felt their manager was a bit distracted. After Chen Yu’s question, Fang Ci even fell silent for over ten seconds.
Seeing a slight look of disdain appear in Chen Yu’s eyes, a team member reached out to discreetly nudge Fang Ci. But Fang Ci simply smiled and finally spoke:
“The selling point of this device is gaming, so I have nothing to add about the software. But what about the hardware? The report from last month mentioned the touch sampling rate needs to be improved, and I haven’t seen any adjustments to that specific item.”
Chen Yu froze.
Fang Ci acted as if he didn’t notice and continued, “I hope you can provide an adjustment plan for me this week.”
His tone was polite, but the content made everyone nervous. Chen Yu’s right eye twitched, and he nearly slammed the table. “An adjustment plan? How can I get that done in a week!?”
Fang Ci maintained his friendly smile, about to respond, when the glass conference room door was suddenly pushed open. Business assistant Yuan Cheng walked in and, to everyone’s surprise, sat down in the chair in front of Fang Ci.
He looked around for a moment and said, “Boss He sent me to check on everyone’s progress. Please continue.”
Everyone was stunned. A team member behind Fang Ci whispered, “What’s going on? The CEO’s office never attends internal product meetings before.”
Fang Ci gave a strained laugh.
Chen Yu was the most uncomfortable. His rising anger was forcefully suppressed, and his expression changed completely.
Because of this interruption, the normally three- to four-hour meeting was cut in half. Yuan Cheng nodded approvingly. “Everyone is very efficient. Old Chen, just do as Manager Fang said. His suggestion is spot on.”
Chen Yu’s face turned green and then white, looking like a mute person who just ate a bitter gourd.
As everyone left the conference room, Fang Ci grabbed his laptop and followed closely, but a voice from behind called him.
“Manager Fang, Boss He would like you to come to his office.”
Fang Ci’s back stiffened. The person who had just been so confident in the meeting instantly deflated.
“I still have a few things to do. Can I go a bit later?” he negotiated with Yuan Cheng.
Yuan Cheng glanced at his watch. “Boss He has another meeting in half an hour, so… probably not.”
Fang Ci: “…”
He couldn’t refuse, but he couldn’t bring himself to go immediately either. He reluctantly told Yuan Cheng he’d be there “in a moment” and then scurried into the break room, claiming he needed a cup of coffee to wake up.
The break room had both capsule and hand-ground coffee machines. He planned to spend fifteen minutes grinding beans and five minutes brewing coffee, timing it perfectly so he would arrive just before Boss He’s next meeting was about to start. That way, they wouldn’t have time to talk much.
After a few rounds of mental preparation, he felt a little better.
The rich aroma of coffee filled the air. He took a sip and found it a bit bitter.
“Need some milk?” a voice suddenly said beside him.
“Thank you…” Fang Ci turned his head, the rest of the word catching in his throat.
The man who had appeared beside him was more than half a head taller. Sunlight filtered through the blinds, falling on his broad shoulders.
With his hands wet, he had rolled up his shirt sleeves to his forearms, revealing the firm lines of his muscles, with veins subtly popping out as he moved.
The empty break room filled with the scent of coffee created a strange, intoxicating atmosphere, like multiple elements colliding in a chemical reaction. It made him think of bodies intertwined on crisp cotton sheets, a hint of ambiguous air, and sweat filled with a powerful pheromone, forcefully penetrating the depths of his soul.
A familiar ache in his bones flared up again, startling Fang Ci. He felt a desperate urge to find a hole to hide in.
“Come to my office.”
Fang Ci was stunned. “…But don’t you have a meeting?”
“It’s been postponed.”
Fang Ci had no way to escape. He had no choice but to follow him into the CEO’s office, one step at a time.
The man in front of him, his boss He Chi, didn’t seem to be in a hurry. He sat down and flipped through some documents. Fang Ci’s heart beat erratically, his eyes fixated on He Chi’s fingers.
In the two years since he graduated, Fang Ci had rarely felt this lost. He was adaptable, and life’s big and small events always had some sort of routine.
As a student, tests had standard answers. Coding was a skilled trade. Even when he transitioned to managing projects, the process was fixed. Only the incident last Saturday was a complete black swan event.
It was embarrassing to say, but it happened—he had slept with his boss, He Chi. In the most adult, literal sense of the word.
He woke up on Sunday in a panic. He had drunk too much at the Saturday night banquet and couldn’t remember what happened, but his body did. The whole thing was just too bizarre.
He slipped away before He Chi woke up, needing to calm down.
But one day wasn’t enough. He had to go to work on Monday and face He Chi. If they were strangers, he could have just treated it as a one-night stand, but they weren’t. It was complicated.
His only hope was that He Chi had no memory of it.
He Chi seemed to genuinely not remember, because the first thing he said was about work:
“I’ve processed the email about adding team members last week. Check your inbox.”
Fang Ci continued to stare at his fingers, silently, and replied, “Okay.”
“The product upgrade proposal is due tomorrow.”
Fang Ci was eager for the conversation to end and nodded. “Okay.”
He Chi seemed to have more to say. “Write a report on pipeline business expansion. Can you have it for me this week?”
Fang Ci: “Okay.”
“Did you have a good weekend?”
Fang Ci: “Okay.”
Huh? His eyes suddenly widened, looking at the person in front of him.
He Chi sat formally at his desk, his hands clasped on the surface. The blue light from his computer screen reflected in his eyes, making them look deep and unreadable, as if he were discussing something as mundane as work.
Fang Ci’s mind was completely blank. In a last-ditch effort, he held onto a shred of hope and asked, “What are you talking about?”
He Chi replied, “Saturday, the Spencer Hotel, room 402.”
Fang Ci was completely cornered.
Seeing Fang Ci turn into a mummy, He Chi didn’t delve into the details of that night. Instead, he picked up a document from his desk and handed it to him, saying, “I have a draft of an agreement here. It’s a bit rushed, but I hope you can give me an answer as soon as possible.”
Fang Ci suspected it was a resignation notice and severance package. He took a deep breath before reaching out. But the document’s thickness felt wrong.
He looked down and was stunned to see the words “Marriage Agreement” in large letters.
The paper felt like it was on fire in his hands, a 108-degree burning sensation shooting from his fingertips to his forehead, turning his mind into a puff of white smoke. This was far beyond anything Fang Ci had imagined. His vision blurred, and he could barely read the words.
“Is… are you joking?” he asked with difficulty.
He Chi raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like it?”
Fang Ci: Uh, well, no, you really… don’t.
He Chi looked at him so seriously that Fang Ci began to sweat. He reluctantly lowered his head to scan the document, but in his current state, it was impossible to “read and analyze rationally.” So he took a different approach and asked, “Is it urgent?”
“Yes.”
Fang Ci was dumbfounded. Then he heard He Chi say, “I believe marriage and relationships shouldn’t take up too much of a person’s life. It can be more efficient. The sooner we settle these matters, the sooner we can get back to work. Don’t you agree?”
Fang Ci: “…”
He was truly an entrepreneur who started his own business at a young age. His words sounded strange, but also somehow made perfect sense. Fang Ci was defeated again and obediently sat on a nearby sofa, trying his best to overcome the pressure and read the somewhat bizarre document carefully.
He actually managed to read it. The clauses were clear and straightforward. For example, they wouldn’t pry into each other’s private lives, giving them freedom. If either of them met someone they liked in the future, they could consider separating, provided they discussed it. It even said that He Chi’s money could be managed by him.
All in all, the agreement seemed to favor him.
From a purely contractual perspective, it was an excellent agreement. The responsibilities were clearly defined, and every clause was based on realistic details, even planning for a way out if either of them had a change of heart.
Fang Ci had always been cautious about relationships. He had no specific standards. He had a crush in college, but it was just a fleeting feeling. After graduation, he was too busy with work to date, so he was a “single since birth” in everyone’s eyes.
To end his single status was a big question. Getting married so soon after a one-night stand was crazy, but if it was to He Chi, it didn’t seem so bad.
Plus, the sensual memories from that night lingered in his mind, and he even had a shameful sense of anticipation…
Fang Ci searched his mind but couldn’t find a reason to refuse.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed He Chi seemed to be watching him. Fang Ci’s heart tightened. He took a deep breath and said, “I’ve read it.”
He Chi raised an eyebrow, waiting for his answer.
“I agree.”
He Chi nodded. Then Fang Ci added, “But as for daily expenses and an allowance, you don’t need to give me anything. We can go Dutch.”
He Chi paused slightly. “Generally, a shared financial account is important in a marriage.”
Fang Ci thought to himself that their kind of impulsive marriage wasn’t “general.” He replied, “My salary is enough for my needs, and I don’t have many expenses.” He figured it would be the same after they were married.
He Chi seemed to find this logical and said, “Okay, we’ll go with that for now. I believe that’s Clause Five. I’ll expand on it in a supplemental agreement for modification.”
Fang Ci nodded. The two of them quickly reached an agreement on getting married and had a detailed discussion. Ten minutes later, He Chi put down the document and extended his hand from across the table, saying, “Pleasure doing business with you.”
Fang Ci stared at the hand, his eyes wide. “…”
He Chi quickly came to his senses and withdrew his hand, a hint of awkwardness on his face. “My apologies.”
Fang Ci quickly waved his hands. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Once we sign, we have to fulfill the contract. And I’ve always thought marriage is like starting a company; you’re partners in a business. You’ve been very thorough and have done an excellent job.”
“Thank you,” He Chi smiled after hearing this. “I agree completely with your view on marriage. I think so too.”
Was this a strange sort of understanding? Fang Ci nodded vaguely. With everything seemingly settled, he said, “I’ll go back to work now.”
He Chi replied, “Alright.”
As Fang Ci was about to leave, He Chi stopped him. “Do you have plans tonight?”
Fang Ci was taken aback. The awkwardness that had just faded came back in full force. He hesitated for a second, then replied, “Sorry, I already have plans.”
He Chi said nothing more. He had thought since they had signed the agreement, they should go out for a meal. He wasn’t sure how couples arranged things, but clients always went out to dinner after closing a deal, so it was probably similar. But since Fang Ci had an engagement, he didn’t press it and decided to reschedule.
Then Fang Ci told him the reason. “I have a blind date tonight. The matchmaker and my elders are involved, so it’s hard to push it off.”
He Chi expressed his understanding.
Fang Ci opened the door to leave again, and He Chi suddenly asked, “What time?”
Fang Ci replied, “7 PM.”
He Chi considered it. “I can drive you.”
Fang Ci: “You don’t need to bother. I can just take a taxi.”
He Chi: “It’s no trouble. I’m going to see a client tonight anyway.”
Fang Ci: Oh, so it’s on his way. Okay, then.
At 6:30 PM, the two of them, for a rare change, left the office at the same time. He Chi’s car was in the underground garage. There weren’t many people around at this hour. A few people said hello, and Fang Ci waited until they were completely out of sight before getting into the car.
He Chi’s car was the latest electric model, and its design was different from a gas car. Fang Ci sat in the passenger seat, fumbling for the inside buckle of the seatbelt. He Chi leaned over to fasten it for him. Fang Ci felt the wave of heat wash over him and didn’t dare move.
“Thanks,” Fang Ci said after he was buckled in.
He Chi replied, “You’re welcome.”
The drive was silent. He Chi listened to the radio to stay updated on traffic conditions and plan the best route. Fang Ci stared out the window at the city lights, lost in thought. Neither of them spoke.
The drive from the company to the restaurant only took half an hour. After thanking He Chi repeatedly, Fang Ci went inside for his date.
The girl for his blind date walked in right after him. Fang Ci recognized her and greeted her at the door. He Chi, with his window down and one hand on the steering wheel, opened his Bluetooth connection and happened to catch a glimpse of the scene.
After watching for a moment, the first thought that popped into his head was “mismatch.” In terms of looks alone, the blind date wasn’t a good match for Fang Ci.
It was then that he noticed Fang Ci wasn’t wearing the same outfit as on Saturday. He had changed into a casual suit with an open-collared shirt underneath. The suit accentuated his waist, which was subtly curved and slender, yet firm in the darkness.
The distant city lights flickered, and He Chi forcefully pulled his mind away, cutting off the more vivid images that were forming in his head.
He didn’t leave immediately. He glanced at his watch, turned up the radio, and leaned back in his seat, waiting patiently.
Ten minutes later, the restaurant curtain rustled, and the girl who had just gone in ran out. Then with another rustle, Fang Ci followed her out quickly.
The girl’s figure disappeared into the night, and Fang Ci spotted He Chi’s car.
Fang Ci’s steps faltered. He looked confused, wiped his chin, and leaned his head in. “Boss He, why are you still here?”
He Chi reached over and opened the car door to let him in. He handed him a tissue and said, “I was waiting for you.”
Fang Ci was surprised. As he wiped the tea off his face, he said sheepishly, “Sorry for the delay. But how did you know I would come out?”
He Chi: “I guessed.”
Fang Ci rubbed the corner of his suit. Ah, he felt so lame.
“What about now?” He Chi’s voice held a hint of amusement as he suddenly spoke up.
Fang Ci looked at him, and heard him ask, “Do you have time to grab a bite to eat together?”