My Boss Always Flirts With Me - Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Friction
That night, Fang Ci, after his shower, burrowed into the comforter. He had spent a bit longer than usual in the bathroom, and the steam had left his head feeling heavy. The thought of sleeping in the same bed as He Chi made his mind race with various thoughts, but then a rope named “overtime” was placed around his neck, leaving him feeling suffocated. He felt He Chi was to blame for this.
Didn’t He Chi know that talking about work right before bed was a gloomy thing to do? He probably didn’t. As a CEO who calculated every minute, He Chi likely only thought about work when he wasn’t sleeping.
Fang Ci rubbed his head, unsure whether to laugh or cry. He could only repeat to himself: “I chose him, and it’s not like I didn’t know his habits. We’re in the ‘running-in’ period, so it’s normal to have differences. It’s okay.”
He took a few deep breaths, re-establishing his correct outlook on life and values, then put on his pajamas and lay down calmly.
Perhaps it was because it was a day off, but despite He Chi’s talk of work, he didn’t actually do any. The small desk lamp flickered on and off. Fang Ci, huddled in his comforter, wrestled with his thoughts, his heart alternately lifted and then gently set down by He Chi. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep in a daze.
In his sleep, he thought he heard a soft “goodnight,” like a feather landing on his temple.
He slept well, a rare good night’s sleep.
The next day, Fang Ci was woken up by his alarm. He usually set it 15 minutes early so he could snooze a little. The alarm rang a few times and then stopped. He snuggled against his pillow. The comforter was warm in the early winter, making him not want to get up. The temperature was especially comfortable today, like hugging a warm stove. With a sigh of contentment, he wrapped himself around it, his face pressed against the pillow.
A moment later, the alarm rang again. The “pillow” moved and stroked his hair. Fang Ci’s brain froze for a moment, then went completely blank. He woke up abruptly from his dream. Wait, where did this ‘pillow’ come from?
He blinked, now fully awake, and stiffly moved back almost half a meter.
He Chi’s arms were now empty.
They were sharing a comforter, and a cool draft slipped through the gap. He Chi opened his eyes, and their gazes met.
Fang Ci gave an awkward smile and forced out a “good morning.”
He Chi hummed, his voice hoarse from just waking up. From Fang Ci’s angle, he could see He Chi’s slightly bobbing Adam’s apple, which had a tiny red mole on it. It was incredibly masculine. Fang Ci swallowed, noticing that a certain part of him was getting a little too “spirited.” A few more glances and he might get a nosebleed.
He cursed himself inwardly: Look at you, what a mess! He quietly moved further away.
He Chi was the first to get up, walking around the bed to the bathroom. Fang Ci, with half his face covered, only relaxed when he saw He Chi disappear through the door. He ruffled his hair in frustration. How was he going to get through these days?
The house was quiet, with only Qiumiu meowing. Hearing a noise, it sat by the bathroom door and watched him. Fang Ci, holding his toothbrush, greeted it, then turned to the mirror to brush his teeth, his gaze fixed on his own neck. He felt He Chi’s Adam’s apple was more prominent and pronounced than his own.
After brushing his teeth, He Chi was changing clothes in the bedroom. Fang Ci went to the kitchen to find something to eat. Despite his usual laziness, he was serious about food, especially on weekday mornings. His fridge was usually stocked with steamed buns, soy milk, and wontons, otherwise, he’d be exhausted or starved by lunchtime.
He Chi’s fridge was huge, a double-door model, but Fang Ci didn’t have high hopes. As expected, it only contained bread, eggs, various salads, and… several rows of bottled water. As a product manager, Fang Ci looked at the rows of bottled water and wanted to rename them: “Dewdrop.”
A phoenix doesn’t perch on just any tree, nor does it drink from just any spring.
He resignedly took out the only ingredients and made two sandwiches. The runny egg was sprinkled with black pepper, and he added cheese and lettuce. The colors were nice, but the taste was a bit bland. It was edible.
He Chi came out after getting dressed and saw Fang Ci with his back to the stove. Two sandwiches were on two plates, along with hot milk. He paused with his hand on a cufflink and walked over.
Hearing the sound, Fang Ci turned his head. “I just threw them together. I’m not sure if they’re to your taste.”
He Chi concealed the surprise in his eyes and said, “Thank you.”
The sandwiches were still warm. The two of them sat down across the table from each other.
“Do you usually eat breakfast?”
“Rarely.”
Fang Ci nodded, thinking the conversation was over, but He Chi added, “I used to when I was a student. It’s been rare since I started working.”
Fang Ci: “Starting a business must have been exhausting, right?”
He Chi: “In the beginning, there weren’t enough hours in the day. It’s much better now.”
A simple breakfast, a simple conversation. He Chi’s mood visibly brightened. He couldn’t remember the last time he had breakfast like this. Maybe he’d had an exquisite dim sum with some business contacts, or maybe he’d rushed to a meeting with something in hand. Either way, it was definitely not like this, talking about unrelated things and finishing a meal together.
After they finished and cleaned up, Fang Ci suggested they go grocery shopping after work.
He Chi said, “Okay.”
Then he added, “If we don’t have to work late.”
Fang Ci: “…Okay.” Great, now he was reminded of yesterday’s conversation.
In the car, He Chi was on a long phone call with a business partner. It was inconvenient for Fang Ci to speak, and he even felt it was inappropriate for him to be in the car. When the call ended, Fang Ci said, “If you have something else to do, I can take a taxi to the office myself.”
He Chi didn’t immediately understand. “Why would you say that?”
Fang Ci explained, “It’s not appropriate for me, as an employee, to be present for discussions about internal company operations and management.”
He Chi mused for a moment and said, “It’s fine.”
He emphasized, “We’re married.”
Fang Ci didn’t know how to respond. They had a marriage certificate, true, but their daily interactions weren’t that simple.
Seeing that he wasn’t speaking, He Chi looked up at the rearview mirror and saw that the person in the reflection seemed a little distracted.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, blurring one half of Fang Ci’s face. They were sitting very close, their elbows occasionally touching. He Chi could see the fine hairs on Fang Ci’s cheek.
Fang Ci usually dressed in a casual, sporty style, and in the sunlight, he looked even younger, like a college student. It was as if He Chi only now truly realized Fang Ci was a few years younger than him.
He usually interacted with older people; the investors who could control projects were all in their 40s and 50s. Casual conversation was rare in his life, let alone trying to guess what others were thinking. He thought of his cousin’s son, who was younger and had his own ideas. To communicate with him, you couldn’t use a commanding tone. You had to guide things and talk a little more to get a back-and-forth conversation going.
Fang Ci was noticeably down, and He Chi could sense it. To be precise, he’d had this feeling since they went to bed last night. He’d been all smiles when he first moved in, but his expression changed before bed. How to describe it? It was a “cautious” feeling. Maybe he had said something wrong?
“What I meant just now was that, professionally and personally, you can listen. You’re a product department manager, and the next step up is getting involved in company operations. You can also participate in discussions between my partner and me about management issues.”
Fang Ci was stunned, and his lips trembled. He Chi realized he had not only failed to achieve his “back-and-forth” goal but had moved even further away from it. Fang Ci’s mood was visibly lower.
A question mark appeared in He Chi’s mind.