My Boss Always Flirts With Me - Chapter 58

Chapter 58: External Help

Naturally, Wei Lin also heard the news about AP’s successful IPO. He was busy that day and couldn’t attend the press conference, which he found quite regrettable. His brief collaboration with the AP department was one of his few workplace memories, and he treasured it. After the press conference, he specifically chose a day to visit Ziyun Tech to give gifts to his “colleagues.”

Of course, for some inexpressible reasons, he had also prepared a big gift bag for Fang Ci.

When he arrived at the AP department’s cubicles, he was stunned. The place that was usually bustling with people was now incredibly quiet; at least half of the people were gone. The only one he could talk to was Xiao Zhu.

Wei Lin walked over, tapped on the desk, and asked, “Hello, where is your team?”

Xiao Zhu was watching anime and was startled when he appeared. “Brother Lin?”

She took off her headphones and said, “The team members are all on vacation.”

Wei Lin was taken aback. He thought about it and realized that was right; employees worked on a project basis and often took time off after a busy period. Sigh, what was I thinking?

“Is your manager also on vacation?” he asked curiously.

Xiao Zhu replied, “No, he went on a business trip to Southeast Asia.”

Wei Lin’s eyes widened. “That sounds tough?”

“It really is,” Xiao Zhu said. “The team member who was originally scheduled fell ill, and Manager Fang didn’t want to delay the trip, so he went instead.”

Wei Lin asked, “How many days will he be gone?”

Xiao Zhu replied, “About three weeks.”

Hmm? Wei Lin’s first reaction was disbelief. He blurted out, “President He was willing to let him go?”

“Huh?” Xiao Zhu didn’t understand. She paused, then asked, “Why wouldn’t President He be willing?”

Wei Lin snapped back to reality, realizing his phrasing was wrong and he’d almost let something slip. He quickly laughed it off. “I just feel bad for Manager Fang. He finally finished his work, and now he can’t even rest.”

Xiao Zhu nodded. “It’s true.”

Wei Lin continued, “I brought you all gifts. I’ll leave them with you for now. Could you help me give them to everyone when they return?”

Xiao Zhu was flattered. “Thank you so much.”

After sorting out the gifts, he scrolled through his Moments feed. Both He Chi and Fang Ci’s Moments had been disturbingly quiet for the past two months. He Chi was understandable; he was someone with strong boundaries and never talked about his private life with outsiders. If it weren’t for their families knowing each other, he might not even know if He Chi had parents.

But Fang Ci was the strange one. Before he got married, he had a new post every week; he’d even take screenshots and post cute emojis when he won a game. His most recent post, though, was about the company’s anniversary gift…

From carefree to silent, Wei Lin got goosebumps.

He hasn’t been bullied by He Chi, has he? he muttered to himself.

That can’t be. He Chi wouldn’t go that far, Wei Lin immediately overturned his own thought.

With nothing to do at the moment and He Chi unavailable to talk, he pulled up a chair and messaged Fang Ci, sending a simple greeting.

[How’s the weather in Southeast Asia?]

Two minutes later, Fang Ci replied: [It’s good, I’m wearing a short-sleeved shirt.]

He then sent him a picture of the street scene, with people walking by in colorful clothes.

Wei Lin typed: [Remember to wear sunscreen. One year I went on vacation and came back with a layer of skin peeled off from the sun.] He then enthusiastically recommended a sunscreen to him, saying, “I bought it locally, it’s very effective.”

Fang Ci sent a nodding emoji.

Wei Lin stared at the emoji for a while, hesitated, and then asked: [You’re on a business trip, He Chi didn’t say anything?]

Fang Ci sent a question mark, and Wei Lin immediately recalled the message.

Never mind. I shouldn’t pry into He Chi’s private affairs. Although he was curious about the progress of the “contractual marriage,” it was better to be a bit more discreet.

[It’s nothing, just be safe.]

Fang Ci didn’t reply, and Wei Lin thought their conversation was over. Just as he was about to switch to his game interface, the chat box lit up again. Fang Ci sent a message:

[Brother Lin, do you have He Chi’s cousin’s contact information?]

Wei Lin was taken aback. He replied: [I have her WeChat. What’s wrong?]

Fang Ci: [Could I trouble you with something?]

[Go ahead.]

Fang Ci: [Could you leak the news about my long business trip to her?]

Wei Lin let out a hiss and sat up straight. [Why?]

Fang Ci’s request seemed strange. He didn’t ask for He Yun’s WeChat himself but instead wanted Wei Lin to pass on the message. It was a bit illogical. Wei Lin subconsciously wanted to take a screenshot and send it to He Chi to ask about the situation, but Fang Ci’s next sentence stopped him in his tracks.

[My “agreement relationship” with He Chi has run into a bit of a problem. This small favor is very important, you really have to help me.] It was followed by a “little bunny bowing” emoji. The short message contained an immense amount of information, fully activating Wei Lin’s radar. His gossip-loving heart and sense of justice were burning fiercely.

He just knew that stubborn guy, He Chi, must have done something! He almost immediately decided not to tell He Chi.

[Okay, I’ll let her know. Is there anything else I can help you with? Are you sure you don’t need her WeChat?]

[No need, this is good.]

Wei Lin agreed.

Fang Ci didn’t say anything more, and Wei Lin didn’t ask for details. He clicked on He Yun’s WeChat and went for it. For him, it was no trouble at all. He could help little Fang Ci and secretly make He Chi look bad. It was practically an act of chivalry, making his bl00d boil with excitement.

On the other end of the phone, Fang Ci walked out of the office building to get some air. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, but luckily, there was shade on the side of the road, so it wasn’t too hot.

Local people were gathered together, smoking. Seeing him approach, they enthusiastically greeted him. A colleague chatted with him in broken English: “You seem to be in a good mood. Is there something good happening?”

Fang Ci touched the corner of his lips, put his hands in his pockets, and said, “Maybe so.”

The colleague nodded, seemingly understanding, and out of politeness said, “Good luck!” Here, this phrase was a common catchphrase, but every time Fang Ci heard it, he still felt a sense of warmth.

Just like how every winter is followed by a spring of blooming flowers.

The flowers in Southeast Asia were beautiful. As soon as Fang Ci got off the plane, he bought himself a bouquet of blue roses and placed them in his temporary hotel room, making it the first splash of color of spring.

In stark contrast to his environment, He Chi’s life had returned to its former state. He tried to dedicate all his time to work, with meetings scheduled from morning till night, but his life still inevitably fell into monotony and boredom.

The first day, this feeling wasn’t very strong. He just started work earlier and finished much later. It wasn’t until Yuan Cheng reminded him that he realized it was nearly 10 o’clock. In the past, he would have already finished his evening routine and be ready for bed, or perhaps be chatting with Fang Ci for a while.

He was slightly dazed. Yuan Cheng asked, “President He, are you staying at the company tonight?”

The CEO’s office had a lounge, but He Chi rarely used it. Unless he was so busy he couldn’t leave, he would always go home.

“No.”

Hearing that, Yuan Cheng said, “Okay, President He, please drive safely tonight. I’ll be heading back now.”

He Chi nodded slightly.

As the last few employees left, only the lights in the corridor remained on in the company.

He Chi turned off his computer and took the elevator to the underground parking garage.

The car lights flashed. The smart system recognized the owner, loaded the route and daily information, and a gentle voice chimed, reminding him to fasten his seatbelt. He reached out to adjust the rearview mirror. In the dim light, his eyes and brows were reflected, along with the empty passenger seat.

No matter how he adjusted the angle, he couldn’t see the “little one” next to him.

Although he knew it was only temporary, He Chi’s hand on the steering wheel still paused. He pursed his lips, forcing himself not to look at the empty seat beside him.

At this time, there was little traffic. While waiting at a red light, He Chi glanced at WeChat a few times. Shareholders and investors had invited him to dinner over the weekend. He initially declined with a voice message, but after a moment’s thought, he accepted. His recent schedule was missing a few must-have items, and he couldn’t quite process it.

After another intersection, he couldn’t help but look at his phone again. The pinned WeChat chat still had no new notifications. The conversation on the page was still stuck on the message “Landed.”

That was the only message since yesterday.

Is he too tired from work?

I’ll ask him when I get home.

As he was thinking this, the car drove into the residential complex.

The house was pitch black. As he passed a parking spot, a car honked its horn. He frowned and slowed down.

Seeing him approach, a woman in a red Prada suit got out of her car, carrying a bag and standing in front of the door. With big wavy hair and a wide-brimmed hat, she was as exaggerated as a character on a roadside billboard.

He Chi got out of his car and locked it. His brow furrowed then relaxed as he recognized the person. He said, “Why are you here?”

The woman lifted her hat brim, revealing her captivating eyes. She stood on the bottom step, scanned him up and down, and got straight to the point: “I heard you lost your wife, so I came to confirm it.”

He Chi: “?”

“Who told you that?”

The woman smiled. “Mind your own business about where I got the news.”

He Chi sighed helplessly, his hands in his pockets. “He Yun, what time is it?”

The woman, called by her full name, didn’t even flinch. “11 PM, the start of nightlife.”

He Chi gave her a faint glance and entered the house. He Yun followed right behind him.

The entryway lights turned on. He Yun looked at his back and said, “Still the same as ever.”

Once the living room lights were all on, He Yun saw the sofa and the carpet, and her delicate eyebrows raised.

She lived far away and rarely came to the city center. Plus, their family didn’t keep in touch much, with everyone living their own lives, so they saw each other even less. If it hadn’t been for this sudden event, she wouldn’t have made a special trip, even though she was the only one in the family who was relatively close to He Chi.

It wasn’t that the two of them or their families had any friction; it was just their personalities. She loved a lively atmosphere, while He Chi only loved work. She used to complain that He Chi was like a block of ice and that his home had no warmth.

“The color scheme is quite nice.”

He Chi turned his head and saw her wandering over to the sofa and feeling the cushions. Qiuqiu jumped onto the sofa, circled her arm once, and then, realizing she wasn’t a familiar person, ran off again.

He Yun paid no mind to the cat’s departure. She sat on the sofa and said, “You have a bit of a knack for living, don’t you? I always said your house should have more beige, that black and white is too monotonous.”

He Chi wasn’t used to having outsiders in his home, especially since He Yun was sitting in Fang Ci’s usual spot. This made him feel very uncomfortable. He held back his emotions and said, “Fang Ci chose it.”

He Yun: “I could tell.”

Qiuqiu meowed, crouching beside He Chi. He Chi looked down at it, and Qiuqiu wagged its tail.

He Yun was still looking around. He Chi’s tone was a little cold as he asked, “Do you have something else to say?”

He Yun raised an eyebrow. “What, am I taking up too much space?”

He Chi was speechless.

He Yun stood up and said, “Give it to me.”

He Chi: “?”

He Yun: “Push Fang Ci’s WeChat to me.”

He Chi couldn’t understand her request.

He Yun glared at him. “Are you an idiot? With another person helping you keep in contact, if anything really happens, they can help you discreetly check things out,” she said.

“Don’t you need investors and external help to run a company?”