My Boss Always Flirts With Me - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Picking Someone Up

Just before the end of the workday, Fang Ci said goodbye to He Chi and left.

The shop was easy to spot, with wind chimes hanging on the door. Shen Liu had gotten off work even earlier than him and was already waiting at a table.

“Why did you suddenly decide to meet for dinner today? Not spending your two-person world with your guy?” Shen Liu said, crossing his arms and giving him a sarcastic look.

As far as he knew, there was a wall between married people and singletons. It was even difficult to play games together. He had heard their conversation yesterday and felt that Fang Ci was being “managed,” though he wasn’t sure if that counted as a kind of restricted happiness.

Fang Ci scooped up a large spoonful of ice cream and put it in his mouth. The cold air rushed to his head, and he calmly replied, “There’s no two-person world.”

Shen Liu was confused. “Did you two have a fight?”

Fang Ci: “We don’t fight.”

He had thought about it for a long time before going to bed and decided to tell Shen Liu that he and He Chi had signed a marriage agreement. He wasn’t looking for advice, just someone to share his journey with, just like when they used to discuss math formulas or product parameters together.

Shen Liu never expected today’s gossip to be so explosive. His mouth opened wider and wider. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

Fang Ci raised an eyebrow. “What’s there to joke about with something like this?”

Shen Liu’s face was a picture of disbelief. “But you didn’t have to do that. You’ve got plenty of people chasing you.” He had only known they had a flash marriage, thinking that even a month or a week of dating could lead to a marriage of passion. He never thought it could be this ridiculous.

He counted on his fingers, holding them in front of Fang Ci’s face. “Let’s not count middle school. In high school, three people from our class confessed to you. I saw at least three from the class next door, right? And the love letters… I don’t even know how many. And that person who was flirting with you in college, and that guy who won second place in the college computer competition—he was about to transfer schools for you!”

“What kind of era is this that you’re signing a romance contract?!”

Fang Ci corrected him. “Marriage agreement.”

Shen Liu’s eyes widened. “Isn’t it the same thing?”

Fang Ci hadn’t expected Shen Liu to be so emotional. “Have some ice cream and calm down.”

Shen Liu just couldn’t understand. “So, what’s your relationship like now?”

Fang Ci said, “Ambiguous, just so-so.”

He added, “We treat each other with respect.”

Shen Liu: “…” After a moment of silence, it was hard to imagine such a relationship existing in modern society. He thought such a description only applied to forced marriages of the super-rich.

“Don’t you two have any common hobbies or interests?”

Fang Ci said, “On Saturdays, we work out and watch movies. On weekdays, we go to and from work together and talk about our jobs.”

It sounded normal. Shen Liu said, “Isn’t that what people do when they’re dating?”

Fang Ci: “For other people, yes. For CEO He, these are all work-related.”

Seeing that Shen Liu didn’t understand, Fang Ci explained, “The only thing he really cares about is work. Once he considers something part of his job, he’ll complete it very seriously. For example, if you compare marriage to two people co-founding a company, you need to maintain a good status and relationship. Whether it’s eating together or watching a movie, for him, these are all ‘operational strategies.'”

Shen Liu: “You know him pretty well…”

Fang Ci took a sip of water. “Yes. We reached a consensus on this when we signed the agreement. And I’ve seen his record on the table.”

Shen Liu: “…What record?”

“His work schedule.” A “to-do list,” in short. Fang Ci had glanced at it in the study. A few lines of text were peeking out from under a notepad, listing his work arrangements for the past few days. Watching a movie was also on it.

It was neatly written and had a red checkmark, indicating the progress he had made. It made Fang Ci feel both endearingly meticulous and helpless.

Shen Liu stared at him with an alien-like expression. “So you two just handle your relationship like a business every day?”

“Why did you marry him? To be responsible for him? Or because he’s so handsome it’s offensive to gods and men?”

Fang Ci said, “Because he’s so handsome it’s offensive to gods and men.”

Shen Liu was speechless. He asked, “You don’t like him?”

Fang Ci was stunned. He didn’t nod or shake his head. He said, “We said it when we signed the agreement. Neither of us should fall for the other. It should be simple.”

Shen Liu: “Ci-tian, this is what I’m thinking…” He thought for a long time and then slowly voiced his opinion.

Fang Ci: “?”

“He’s not normal, and you might have some issues, too. You two are a match made in heaven.”

Fang Ci: “…”

“Tell me the truth, did you two sleep together again?” Shen Liu’s face became serious.

A trace of embarrassment crossed Fang Ci’s face, and then he shook his head.

Shen Liu was dumbfounded. Three seconds later, he slammed the table. “! You sleep in the same bed every day and nothing? Is he impotent!?”

The wind chimes at the door rang. Fang Ci sensed something and turned to look at the entrance.

A tall figure stepped through the door, his eyes immediately fixed on their table. Fang Ci’s spoon clattered into his cup.

Shen Liu followed his gaze and almost bit his own tongue.

It was the other person from Fang Ci’s wedding photo!

“What’s your guy doing here?” Shen Liu suddenly felt nervous as the man walked closer. His presence was no joke. He was even more intimidating in person than in the photo.

Fang Ci: “I don’t know.” He thought he had mentioned the name of the restaurant, but He Chi hadn’t said he would come.

Shen Liu almost wanted to stand up, but realizing his action, he awkwardly sat back down.

The man had already reached Fang Ci’s side and politely greeted Shen Liu. “Hello.”

Shen Liu swallowed. “Oh… hello.”

The man looked down at Fang Ci. “Did I interrupt you?”

Shen Liu quickly replied, “No, not at all. We were just chatting. You’re not interrupting.”

Fang Ci asked, “Are you done with work?”

“Yes,” the man replied. “I texted you, but you didn’t reply.”

Fang Ci flipped his phone over and saw that the silent mode he had turned on last night hadn’t been switched off. Besides the 99+ group messages, his chat with He Chi was at the top with a red notification dot. He Chi had sent him six WeChat messages.

Fang Ci looked confused. Without reading them carefully, he asked, “Is it about the project?”

He Chi: “No.”

He paused. “I wanted to say I was just passing by and decided to stop in.”

Fang Ci: Okay.

Shen Liu: “…”

He quickly reacted and stood up. “Well, Ci-tian, I guess we’ll call it a night. We can hang out again another time.”

Fang Ci nodded. Before he left, he finished the last of his ice cream. He Chi glanced at the bowl in his hand and pursed his lips.

Shen Liu walked behind them and saw He Chi turn to Fang Ci and ask, “Are you cold?”

Fang Ci: “The wind is a bit strong.”

The tall, handsome man in front of him seemed to pull a magic trick, taking a white hat out of his pocket and placing it on Fang Ci’s head, meticulously adjusting it for him.

Fang Ci reached up and touched the soft fluff on the edge of the hat, brushing against the man’s fingertips. He smiled and said, “I haven’t worn a hat in a long time.”

“It’ll block the wind. You can take it off once we get to the car.”

Fang Ci nodded, and the two walked out side by side.

Shen Liu followed slowly behind them, his gaze lingering on the couple for a moment, his face full of speechless bewilderment.