My Boss Always Flirts With Me - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: A Biting Sweetness

He Chi, uncharacteristically, had insomnia. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The room felt so stuffy that he put on his pajamas and went to the study. The study was still mostly filled with his things—various reference books and documents. But occasionally, you could see traces of Fang Ci, for example, the German dictionary in the bookshelf. Fang Ci would look through it a few nights a week, and there was still a bookmark tucked inside. A dictionary has no narrative to read, yet his gaze, sweeping over the spines, still unconsciously stopped on it.

He took it out, held it, and slowly flipped through the pages. The pages seemed to hold a fresh lemon scent, the one from the shower gel they always had at home. Every time Fang Ci finished showering, he smelled like this, and when mixed with his unique scent, it was truly distinctive. The night magnified his senses, creating an illusion. The familiar scent grew stronger the further he flipped. The corner of his eye twitched. He brought the book closer, took a small sniff, and confirmed his sense of smell wasn’t failing him. The scent had permeated the bookmark. The simplest paper bookmark, with a bit of thickness, had a lingering fragrance in its faint creases. He couldn’t tell if it was part of the paper’s design or a scent it had accidentally picked up.

He stared for a moment, then shifted his gaze. The page with the bookmark was full of words starting with ‘L.’ He only glanced at it, but his eyes landed on the third word and stayed there.

“‘How do you say ‘like’ in German?’ ‘Liebe.'”

The definitions for the other words were simple, but for this one, many examples and adjectives were used to describe it, taking up a quarter of the page. It seemed that even the three languages of Chinese, English, and German weren’t enough to accurately summarize it. A feeling of sour, swelling pressure suddenly filled his heart, like a balloon being inflated. It made him feel light and helpless. He wanted to grab it but didn’t dare, afraid of popping it by accident. He had ignored this kind of emotion for so long that he had forgotten this side of himself even existed. The side that would lose sleep over a single sentence from someone, that would hesitate and feel lost because he couldn’t see through a relationship. He often told Fang Ci, “Don’t be afraid.” Was he the coward all along?

Luckily, there were only two days left until Fang Ci came back. All problems would have their corresponding answers. He put the dictionary back into the gap in the bookshelf.

…

On Saturday, a business meeting was scheduled. He Chi needed to meet with Mr. Chen, an investor in his fifties. They arranged to meet at a golf course. Accompanying him was the investor’s wife, a woman of a similar age, dressed in sportswear.

“Hello, President He,” Mr. Chen greeted him warmly, introducing his family. “This is my wife. She heard we had a meeting and insisted on coming along to meet a talent like you. I hope you don’t mind?”

He Chi naturally wouldn’t mind a small thing like this. He replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Mrs. Chen’s smile was warm and amiable. By age, she was an elder, but her personality was lively, without the typical temperament of a senior: “My husband is always talking about you in front of me. It used to be difficult to travel between countries, but I’ve finally got a chance to meet you this time. Mr. He, you don’t look thirty. People would believe you if you said you were twenty.”

Before He Chi could speak, Mr. Chen chimed in jokingly from the side: “People who start their own companies don’t like being called young. Thirty is the perfect age.”

Mrs. Chen laughed and patted his shoulder. “Look at you, saying that. Do you want to add a few more years to your own age?”

Mr. Chen let out a hearty laugh. Their playful back-and-forth livened up the atmosphere. He Chi wasn’t good at setting a mood in private, so with Mrs. Chen there, it was much more relaxed. Otherwise, the two businessmen would likely have spent the entire afternoon just talking business.

Mr. Chen was an advanced player and was good at golf, but Mrs. Chen was a novice. She pestered Mr. Chen to teach her the moves. After an hour, Mr. Chen got tired and asked He Chi to help instruct her.

“It’s not right to trouble President He,” Mrs. Chen said.

He Chi was neither overly enthusiastic nor overly cold. After all, he had to be respectful to a business partner, so he politely pointed out a few more things to note. They were simpler and easier to understand than what Mr. Chen had said, and the effect greatly surprised Mrs. Chen. When she’d had enough, Mr. Chen got back on the course, and Mrs. Chen retreated to the side, standing next to He Chi to watch.

“Look at him, so dramatic with his movements. He’s not afraid of throwing out his back,” Mrs. Chen said, wiping her hands with a wet towel, her eyes still on her husband.

He Chi replied, “Mr. Chen’s form is very standard.”

Mrs. Chen smiled. “He’s always loved to show off, even when he was young.”

He Chi gave her a look, seemingly not quite understanding the meaning of “showing off.” The smile on Mrs. Chen’s lips didn’t fade. “It’s only because I’m here that he’s putting so much effort into his swing. If I weren’t watching, he probably wouldn’t bother with such a small score.”

Before she had even finished speaking, Mr. Chen in the distance raised both hands and gave them a thumbs-up. Mrs. Chen was delighted. “See? What did I tell you? Wasn’t I right? He’s just showing off for me.”

Perhaps because of his different perspective, He Chi couldn’t see a huge difference. He only thought that Mr. Chen looked very excited, in better spirits than usual.

“I heard from old Chen that you’re married?” Mrs. Chen brought it up again, asking.

He Chi nodded.

Mrs. Chen said, “That’s a shame. I should have told you about today’s arrangements sooner so you could bring your partner along. It’s all old Chen’s fault.”

When Fang Ci was mentioned, He Chi’s eyes softened slightly. He said, “It’s not Mr. Chen’s fault. My partner is on a business trip and hasn’t returned yet.”

Mrs. Chen laughed. “You two are both very busy people. Well, maybe next time.”

Mr. Chen hit three consecutive shots on the lawn, moving further away from them. Mrs. Chen watched for a while and then continued to chat with He Chi. Ladies are always particularly interested in topics of love. She asked about his partner’s age, job, and so on, and was slightly surprised to find out it was a man, and only a department manager at the moment. Although same-s3x marriage was no longer a taboo, people in their social circle inevitably considered maximizing their interests. Even if same-s3x partnerships were becoming more popular, there was still a tendency to prefer a well-matched union between a man and a woman.

“He must be very outstanding.” She kept her own doubts to herself and felt a little more impressed at the moment.

He Chi said, “Yes, he is very outstanding.” He paused, then added, “And he’s also very cute.”

Even the most composed person’s tone changes when they talk about their loved one. The contrast was even stronger with He Chi. Mrs. Chen smiled and couldn’t help but become more curious. “Do you have a photo?”

He Chi froze for a moment. Mrs. Chen assumed He Chi was unwilling, so she didn’t press. “Never mind, I just asked. Maybe there’ll be a chance to meet him in person someday.”

He Chi’s brow furrowed in a way that was hard to notice. He realized he… didn’t have a photo of Fang Ci.

“Seeing you now reminds me of when old Chen and I first got married. It’s great to be young,” Mrs. Chen said, turning her gaze away.

He Chi was a little stunned by her words. He pursed his lips and asked, “What did you mean by ‘the way you are now’?”

Mrs. Chen said, “Huh?” It took her a moment to understand what he meant. She said, “What else could it be? Of course, it’s the look you get when you’re happy just by mentioning the other person.”

He Chi was silent, not responding.

Mrs. Chen smiled again and said, “That’s why they’re called the ‘person on your heart.’ It’s someone who has grown inside your heart and can easily stir your emotions. Before old Chen and I got married, people always said he was too cold and serious. Look at him now.” She raised her chin and gestured toward the lawn.

On the small slope, Mr. Chen had just finished his last shot and was walking down, taking two steps at a time. His face was full of smiles. As he passed the caddy, he even chatted with him enthusiastically, like a general returning victorious from battle—full of spirit and with no hint of his former “coldness.” He Chi felt that sour, swelling sensation again. This time it wasn’t just in his heart but also rose into his eyes. He curled his fingers and rubbed his brow.

In front of him, Mrs. Chen went to meet Mr. Chen and hugged him. On a very ordinary afternoon, they simply played a game of golf. They had been married for decades, yet they still couldn’t stop themselves from smiling when they saw each other. He Chi stood by a chair with his hands in his pockets, watching them. His heart felt quiet, yet it wasn’t a waveless calm. It was more like the stillness before a massive storm.

The brief gathering ended with business as usual. After leaving the golf course, the three of them had dinner together, discussed the timeline for the company’s IPO, and then parted ways. Before leaving, Mrs. Chen gave He Chi a gift. “I won’t give you yours now. This is for your partner. I hope he likes it.”

He Chi thanked her. “I’ll give it to him when he gets back.”

Mrs. Chen nodded, waved at him, and walked downstairs arm-in-arm with Mr. Chen. He Chi stood at the top of the stairs and watched them walk out the main door.

Returning to his seat, he slowly finished the wine in his glass. Just as he was about to stand up, a waiter stopped him. “Sir, please wait. A designated driver has been arranged for you. You’ll have enough time to go downstairs in five minutes.”

He Chi nodded. He put down his jacket but didn’t sit down again. Instead, he walked to the end of the hallway. The wine had made him slightly tipsy, giving him a faint headache, but it wasn’t a bad feeling. In his slightly dizzy state, he thought of Fang Ci. The night was deep. Through the glass, he saw himself taking out his phone.

Most people have more than one pinned chat on WeChat: family, important friends, work groups. But his pinned chat only had one person. Only Fang Ci. He suddenly wanted to hear his voice. The voice call went out. One second, two seconds. The ringing in the interval felt extraordinarily long. The moment it connected, he looked up and suddenly froze.

The lights in the hallway were bright, while the night outside was deep. The window glass was shaped into a mirror by the light source, clearly reflecting his features, with every subtle expression restored. He saw the curve of his own lips, a softness he had never seen before, spreading from his lips to his eyes. All of this was just because he had heard Fang Ci’s voice.

What is a ‘person on your heart’?

It’s the restless tossing and turning in the deep of the night. It’s the unexpected happiness. It’s the scent of lemons in a memory. It’s him quietly rolling over in your heart, making you feel completely flustered. Is this what it is?

“When are you coming back tomorrow?” He closed his eyes, his eyelids feeling a little hot.

On the other end of the phone, Fang Ci didn’t answer right away.

“Yuanyuan?”

“I’m not coming back.”

He Chi froze, his eyes snapping open.

Fang Ci said, “You said that the other two weeks could be changed into vacation, but you didn’t say the vacation had to be spent back in the country. I want to learn more at the Southeast Asia company, so I’ve applied for a short-term employment position. I’m not planning to go back, Teacher He.”