My Boss Always Flirts With Me - Chapter 51
Chapter 51: Encouragement
The press conference countdown was at 12 hours. Manager Fang, who had been so confident and said he wasn’t nervous a few days ago, was now proven wrong.
He went to bed early to get some sleep, but he didn’t expect his mind and eyes to be wide awake. They were more energetic than ever. He stared at the ceiling, which seemed to be filled with words, reminding him that the challenge was coming.
Even after He Chi finished work, he still wasn’t sleepy at all.
He tried to not affect He Chi and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. But He Chi seemed to be able to read his mind and leaned against the headboard, asking him, “Are you nervous?”
This question shattered his thin veil of pretense.
Fang Ci sighed and opened his eyes. He said with a hint of sorrow, “Teacher He, please don’t remind me. My hands and feet are already numb, and my scalp is tingling from being so nervous.”
He Chi said, “I can understand.”
Then he added, “I was like this the first time I went on stage, too.”
Fang Ci had heard him talk about this before, but he didn’t really believe it. He had watched He Chi’s first speech. From beginning to end, he stood as firm as a pine tree, spoke clearly and fluently, and even added many vivid examples. He looked completely at ease. There was no sign of nervousness at all.
He Chi glanced at him and said, “Is your mind constantly going over the script and the process, feeling like something will go wrong tomorrow but you can’t figure out what, and feeling like you haven’t finished something, but when you think about it carefully, you’ve actually done everything?”
Fang Ci: “…” Okay, he believed him. Please, boss, don’t keep going. You’re more annoying than the little bug in my stomach.
Fang Ci moved closer and humbly asked, “Is there any way to fix this?” There were only 11 hours left. If he didn’t sleep, the sun would be up soon.
He Chi said, “My method probably won’t work for you.”
Fang Ci stared at him, blinking his eyes. “Teacher He, please tell me anyway.”
His voice was uniquely soft and cute. He Chi lowered his eyes and looked at the clingy student, Yuan Yuan. His expression also softened. He said, “Adjust your mindset.”
“How?” Fang Ci was confused.
He Chi said, “Just think, ‘It’s okay if I mess up tomorrow. The company hasn’t gone public yet, so it won’t affect the stock price.'”
Fang Ci: “…” Is this really a solution, or just giving up?
He Chi said, “You can also think of a few ways to mess up the press conference.”
Fang Ci was stunned for a few seconds, even more incredulous. “Are you serious?”
He Chi’s eyebrows raised slightly, and there was a smile in his eyes. He said, “Think about it.”
Fang Ci didn’t believe it at all, but he still tried to follow his train of thought. He said, “The teleprompter and the background LED screen break down tomorrow, and the process goes wrong temporarily…” He couldn’t continue. It all sounded so unlucky.
But He Chi continued to ask him, “Can you fix it?”
Fang Ci: “I’ve memorized most of the script, so I don’t need the teleprompter. If the LED screen breaks, I can still use the physical product to demonstrate. If the process goes wrong, I can just continue as planned. If a guest is missing, I’ll find someone to fill in.”
As he went through it, he suddenly realized that he had a solution for every problem he could anticipate. Even if something went wrong, it didn’t seem like a big deal, at least not as serious as he had imagined.
The chaotic thoughts in his mind quickly disappeared, and his tense nerves relaxed.
“Did it work?” He Chi asked.
Fang Ci held the corner of the blanket and said, “It worked pretty well.”
He Chi: “Mhm, that’s good.”
Fang Ci then asked, “Is this like fighting fire with fire?”
He Chi glanced at him and said, “It’s about controlling variables and using the elimination method to remove extra variables.”
Okay. A rational CEO giving a rational answer. Giving up or fighting fire with fire were behaviors that would never be used on him. After sighing with emotion, Fang Ci asked one last question, “This is a great method. Why did you say it wasn’t suitable for me?”
He Chi: “When I organize my thoughts, I choose to reduce my sleep time to stay in an excited state. This isn’t suitable for you.”
Fang Ci: “…That’s true. I definitely can’t do it if I don’t sleep.”
“Go to sleep if you’re tired.” He Chi also lay down.
Fang Ci burrowed into his arms. He purposely got closer tonight. The room was very quiet at night. He could hear Teacher He’s heartbeat, which was steady and powerful, and also very hypnotic.
He Chi’s arm was on his waist, and he lightly and rhythmically patted him, like he waså“„ coaxing a child to sleep.
Fang Ci noticed it and said, “Teacher He, you should sleep. I can fall asleep on my own.”
He Chi closed his eyes. His hand was lighter, but he didn’t stop. “You sleep first.”
He had to say that this trick really worked. Fang Ci buried his head in He Chi’s shoulder. He was about to tell him not to worry about him, but he was soon lulled to sleep.
In his dream, he still received Teacher He’s unwavering “goodnight.”
The next morning, the alarm clock went off two hours earlier than on a normal workday. Fang Ci used to sleep in for ten more minutes, but he didn’t dare to today. He got up as soon as the alarm went off.
His suit had already been delivered. After he washed up, he changed his clothes. In the mirror, he and He Chi were wearing the same black suits with one white and one black shirt underneath. When they stood together, Fang Ci realized that the styles of their jackets were similar.
He Chi gave him a tie. The color was subtle, with a silvery-gray hidden pattern. Fang Ci took it and tied it in a few quick motions.
He had already learned how to tie a double Windsor knot.
“Teacher He, does this outfit look good?” Fang Ci faced the mirror, but his gaze was on He Chi.
He Chi: “It’s perfect.”
This sentence had many meanings: The outfit looks good. You’re in a great state. The Fang Ci who is ready to face the challenge is also perfect.
He Chi’s gaze lingered on the tie for a moment. He reached out and took the silvery-black clip from his own tie and placed it near the thick end of Fang Ci’s tie.
Fang Ci recognized the style of the tie clip. He often saw this small metal design in He Chi’s speeches in recent years. It represented the more mature He Chi who was in charge of the company.
“Good luck,” he said.
Fang Ci looked at him for a long time and then smiled. “Thank you, Teacher He.”
In addition to the tie clip, Fang Ci also brought the brooch He Chi gave him, but he didn’t pin it on his clothes. He put it in his pocket instead. It was too valuable, and he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. He wanted everyone to only focus on the product itself.
But the brooch was also very important because it was the dream He Chi gave him.
He had the dream and the courage, so he would definitely do a good job.
After getting ready, he looked at himself in the mirror, took a deep breath, and left the bedroom. He Chi followed behind him.
The two of them put their documents in their bags and walked to the living room. He Chi put on his coat, but then he saw Fang Ci suddenly turn around and kiss him.
He kissed him on the cheek.
He Chi looked at him, a little surprised and a little confused. They rarely kissed in this spot. Fang Ci pursed his lips and smiled. “The others… are on credit. I’ll give them to you when I get back.”
He Chi looked at him and said, “Okay.”