My Boss Always Flirts With Me - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: A Discussion

After a busy workweek, Saturday was a rare, peaceful day. He Chi didn’t go to the office. He finished replying to his emails at home and casually checked his phone. His WeChat notifications were at 99+, with two-thirds of them from people he knew, all because of his social media post.

The most intense reaction was from his own father.

His father’s messages were aggressive, and when he didn’t reply, he got a dozen phone calls over the past few days. He Chi rubbed his temples, ignoring every single one. He opened WeChat and sent the same response over and over:

[I’m still busy. Getting married was a decision I thought through. I’ll handle my own business, so you don’t need to worry.]

The “is typing” status showed up on the other end, but no words came. His father was clearly furious. It finally stopped a few minutes later, and He Chi tossed his phone aside.

The morning passed quickly. He Chi opened a can of food for his ragdoll cat and made a salad for himself for lunch. As he was chewing on some lettuce, a video call invitation popped up on his phone.

He Chi hesitated for a few seconds before answering.

The screen showed a woman in full makeup, looking lively and direct. “My dear cousin, where’s your new spouse?”

He Chi frowned at the nickname. “We don’t live together.”

The woman looked at him incredulously. “Didn’t you just get married? Why are you living apart? Did they find you boring and dump you in less than 24 hours?”

He Chi found her questions tiresome. “Did he send you to inspect me?”

The woman choked up a bit. “This has nothing to do with your dad.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t blame your dad for being suspicious. You went ahead and got married without telling anyone, and you’re not even living together. Are you planning to use the marriage certificate as a charm to protect your house?”

He Chi’s expression was as placid as still water. “Anything else?”

The woman across from him was speechless. “…”

“I’m hanging up,” He Chi said, and pressed the screen.

The call ended. A few seconds later, a photo was sent. It showed a round table with many people gathered around, young and old. The person in the main seat was his father, and next to him was a young man who appeared to be introduced to his father by an uncle.

[Your dad has strong opinions about your marriage. Don’t let him keep trying to find fault with you.]

He Chi looked at the picture for a few seconds, his face turning cold.

He finished the salad on his plate and, for the first time, sent a reply: [Okay, I got it.]

He Chi exited WeChat, scrolled through his contacts, and found Fang Ci’s number.

…

Fang Ci was lying in bed watching a gaming livestream when he got a call from He Chi. This was the best part of his lazy afternoon. He had been working hard for several months and was completely exhausted. When He Chi’s name popped up on his screen, his first thought was, “Oh no, is it more overtime?”

He answered and realized that wasn’t the case.

He Chi usually got straight to the point, so Fang Ci was a little surprised to hear him hesitate. He took off his headphones and waited.

“Do you want to grab dinner tonight?” He Chi asked.

A hundred thoughts raced through Fang Ci’s mind, torn between work and a date. He finally guessed it was personal and quickly agreed.

He Chi said he’d come pick him up tonight. Fang Ci was surprised and said, “No need, I live pretty far from you. I can just get there on my own.”

He Chi paused, then asked, “By taxi?”

Fang Ci said, “Maybe I can just take the subway?” He didn’t know where they were going yet, but it was still early, and the subway was a nice, slow option.

But He Chi immediately rejected his idea. “I’ll come get you,” he said, in a tone that allowed no argument.

Fang Ci was stunned, then immediately became compliant, giving up the fight and following the instructions.

After hanging up, he rushed to the bathroom to take a shower, changed his clothes, and fiddled with his hair in the mirror. After much effort, it had some semblance of a style. Looking at himself in the mirror, he suddenly smiled. Seriously, he was just going out for dinner, not on a date. Why was he making such a fuss?

In truth, since they signed the agreement, they hadn’t really spent any time together. Their interactions at work were far more frequent than their personal ones. Fang Ci had been trying to put He Chi in the right box, but he could never quite get it right. For example, he felt his heart rate was off just going out for dinner on a leisurely Saturday. It was only normal for a regular person to overthink an invitation from their spouse.

Since there was no clear theme, he’d just treat it as a date.

After he was ready, he went back to his room to play two games. As he was picking up equipment, he glanced at the watch on his desk. Time felt both slow and fast. He opened the group chat, put on his headphones, and listened to the constant sounds, like a countdown.

The person on his team was his best friend since childhood, Shen Liu. They had been busy with their projects and hadn’t seen each other in a while, so they’d agreed to play a few rounds in the afternoon. Their college roommates were also in the game.

Shen Liu called him “Porcelain,” and he called Shen Liu “Sapling.” Their in-game IDs hadn’t changed. The four of them rushed forward. After a round of shooting, Shen Liu opened his mic and called for him to follow from behind a container. “Damn it, those bots are so bold? Get the level 3 armor, and let’s find a car and rush out. I’m gonna loot some dead guys today.”

Fang Ci didn’t say anything. Shen Liu was the loudest in the group chat, yelling, “Porcelain, get in the car, now!” He yanked the two other teammates and brushed past Fang Ci.

The people in the car had a clear division of labor, shooting people and yelling into their mics. Only Fang Ci remained silent. Shen Liu ran into the poison circle and hunkered down for a bit. He seemed to sense something was off and asked Fang Ci privately, “Porcelain, what’s wrong? You’re usually the most aggressive player, but today you’re acting like a wilted eggplant. Did your boss give you a hard time?”

Fang Ci’s answer was ambiguous. He glanced at the time again. Shen Liu kept rambling, convinced his spirit had been broken. “If you have a problem with the project, just dump it on someone else. What’s the big deal?”

“The most important thing for a single man is to be happy. I’ll treat you to a drink another day!”

“Sapling.”

Shen Liu had just thrown a grenade at a staircase when he heard Fang Ci suddenly call out. The two of them were leaning against a wall, with explosions all around in their headphones.

“What is it? Take out this wave with the 8x scope, and we’ll win this for sure!”

Fang Ci said, “I got married.”

BANG! With a loud explosion, Shen Liu was headshotted by a small squad that appeared out of nowhere. His curse lingered in the air: “F*ck, are you a spy sent by the enemy team to kill me?!”

Fang Ci: “…” There was chaos ahead, and he didn’t dare to stay and fight. He quickly got into a car and sped towards the smaller circle. He managed to win the game with low health, while Shen Liu was still cursing.

Shen Liu’s ID disappeared from the list, and a voice call came in. Fang Ci took a deep breath.

“Were you just doing that on purpose? You can’t do that to me, man. We’re not even in a competition.” Shen Liu complained frantically.

Fang Ci paused, then replied, “I really wasn’t.”

Shen Liu: “…I don’t believe you.”

Fang Ci turned on the video and showed him his marriage certificate. Shen Liu’s expression went from “yeah, right” to “what the heck” to “holy f*ck.”

“You idiot, are you serious?” Shen Liu’s eyes went wide. He ran his hands through his hair. “I remember we were just drinking last month, celebrating being single for life. And now you’ve done this? It’s like you pulled a person out of thin air!”

Fang Ci said, “Something like that. A shotgun wedding.”

Shen Liu: “Do your parents know you’re this wild?”

Fang Ci: “…”

Shen Liu: “Okay, now you have to pull one out of thin air for me, too.”

Fang Ci laughed. “Keep dreaming!”

It took Shen Liu half an hour to process the news. He was finally convinced but still found it hard to believe. It was tough for a brother to find a partner before him. They had promised to be single forever, but Fang Ci had betrayed the cause and fled. So, representing the organization, he interrogated him:

“Male or female? How old are they? What do they do? Where are they from? Are they rich?”

Fang Ci answered smoothly. He Chi’s background was top-tier in the marriage market, with nothing to fault. He didn’t know why he wanted to tell Shen Liu about the marriage, perhaps to share his feelings, whether they were happy, joyful, or just a mess.

After listening, Shen Liu was quiet for a long time before finally managing to say, “Then… congratulations?”

Fang Ci said, “…Thanks.”

They were silent for a moment. Then Shen Liu said, “That guy you’re with has such good credentials. You said he’s a very career-driven elite. I haven’t dealt with many people like that, but someone who can get to that position probably has eight hundred tricks up their sleeve. Just be careful not to get played.”

Fang Ci didn’t mention that He Chi was his boss. Aside from their professional relationship, they had no connection. Oh, wait, except for that night.

“It’s not that serious yet,” Fang Ci said casually.

Just then, a message from He Chi popped up. Fang Ci quickly switched screens and said, “Okay, I have to go now. I’ll treat you to a drink another day.”

Shen Liu “tsked.” “Fine, fine. I can tell you’re going on a date. Go on, hang up.”

Fang Ci raised an eyebrow. As the screen went dark, he saw his eyes smiling. He forced his lips down, trying to make his face look less joyful.

He Chi: [I’m downstairs at your place.]

Before leaving, Fang Ci took one last look in the mirror and even spritzed on some perfume.

…

He Chi was still impeccably dressed, similar to his work attire. A black shirt hugged his muscles, outlining his sharp physique. Over it, he wore a long, dark wool coat, exuding an elite aura. Fang Ci couldn’t help but remember Shen Liu’s words.

To be played…

No way. His boss was the epitome of self-restraint.

The restaurant He Chi chose was very close to Fang Ci’s place. It was a French restaurant. French cuisine was all about the atmosphere. They ordered a set meal and didn’t order wine since He Chi was driving.

“This place has good food. You should give it a try,” He Chi said as he handed the menu back to the waiter, wiping his hands with a warm towel. Even this simple action was done with impeccable grace. Fang Ci was mesmerized.

“Do you usually like French food?” He Chi asked.

Fang Ci said, “I’m okay with anything.” Although he preferred hot pot and crawfish, Western food was nice once in a while. He could also tell that He Chi preferred Western food over Chinese. Their last meal was Italian, and today was French. Both meals included a salad, low on oil and salt. His diet was indeed very healthy.

He Chi nodded.

There was a bit of a wait before the dishes arrived. Fang Ci asked, “What made you want to come out and eat today?”

He Chi paused for a moment. “There’s something I wanted to discuss with you.”

Fang Ci listened attentively. “Go on.”

He Chi carefully chose his words. “My family found out we’re living apart, and they’re skeptical about our marriage.”

Fang Ci was surprised. “The marriage certificate is real.”

He Chi: “Yes.”

He didn’t elaborate, but Fang Ci understood. Their process was unconventional, and it confused his family.

When people get married, at least both sets of parents know. From the engagement to the wedding banquet, every step is a public event witnessed by relatives and friends. Their kind of sudden, no-frills marriage was bound to make their families freak out.

It was normal for them to be skeptical.

Fang Ci suggested, “How about we have a meal with them together? Would seeing us in person make things better?”

He Chi: “My family situation is complicated. We can’t meet anytime soon. My father is very strong-willed and won’t believe it easily.”

Fang Ci didn’t quite understand his family dynamics. “What would happen if they don’t believe you’re married…?”

He Chi raised an eyebrow. “He’ll keep introducing me to the children of his business partners.”

A red alarm blared in Fang Ci’s mind. He immediately put a big X on that idea. That wouldn’t work at all. The whole point of getting the marriage certificate was to have peace and quiet. Not just for He Chi, but for him too; he already had a phobia of blind dates.

“What do we do then?” He couldn’t think of any other solutions.

He Chi then said, “I have an idea.”

Fang Ci nodded, listening as He Chi continued, “Would you be willing to move in and live with me?”

Fang Ci was stunned. “…Huh?”

He Chi: “I believe it’s more convenient to live together after marriage. After all, a marriage certificate is legally binding, not a charm to ward off evil.”

“Do you think you can agree to this?”

Fang Ci seemed to be completely taken aback. He opened his mouth but no sound came out.