My Boss Always Flirts With Me - Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Dinner
Fang Ci put grocery shopping on his agenda and asked He Chi if he wanted to go with him.
“I have a business dinner tonight,” He Chi said.
Fang Ci casually asked, “With a client?”
He Chi: “My partner.”
Fang Ci had almost forgotten that He Chi wasn’t the only shareholder of the company. It was no wonder he had no impression of the partner. It was rumored that the partner had invested capital but was not involved in operations, occasionally acting as a facilitator. In contrast, He Chi had invested less money, essentially providing his technical expertise, and was in charge of internal affairs.
“I’ll have Assistant Shang take you.” He was referring to the operations assistant.
Fang Ci said, “It’s fine if he just drops me off at a nearby bus stop. He doesn’t need to take me all the way home.”
He Chi understood what Fang Ci meant and said, “He knows about our relationship.”
Fang Ci was surprised. He Chi hadn’t mentioned him to anyone at the company. He had gotten used to this and found it was fine, as it saved a lot of trouble. Suddenly having one more person at the company know made him feel a little awkward.
At a traffic light, He Chi stopped the car and said, “I won’t be making your identity public at the company for now.”
Fang Ci said he was fine with it: “Okay.”
He Chi was silent, then, with a hint of explanation, said, “The company’s regulations strictly prohibit office romance. It would be bad for you.”
Fang Ci hadn’t thought about that. Thinking it over, it really wasn’t a good idea, especially having a relationship with one’s superior. The rumors among colleagues would inevitably run wild, making him the protagonist of company gossip, with even more excessive words being used.
For example, someone might say he would stop at nothing for a promotion, no matter the gender. Men would even be cursed at more harshly than women. A normal promotion could easily become an “abnormal” scandalous affair.
So that’s why…
A moment later, Fang Ci thought, But we’re not dating. We’re not violating the rules, are we? It seemed he had found a loophole in the company’s policy.
…
Wei Lin took a deep breath of his home country’s air as he got off the plane, his body and mind relaxing.
To escape his father’s clutches, he had hidden abroad for three months. He had taken advantage of the time his father flew to New Zealand to fly back, a classic timing trick.
It wasn’t his fault. He was the only male heir in the family, and they were always badgering him to study management and technology. But he wasn’t He Chi. He didn’t have the brains to research high-tech and contribute to the future of the country.
He was good at business deals at the dinner table. Being good at business was also a good thing, but his father insisted he was good-for-nothing. In this respect, he was similar to He Chi’s father.
Wei Lin’s hurried return this time was partly for a business deal, but the most important reason was that he heard He Chi was married. It was hard to gossip from thousands of miles away. He Chi was tight-lipped on WeChat and didn’t reveal a thing, and Wei Lin was dying of curiosity.
He had been friends with He Chi since college and knew him well. Despite He Chi’s serious demeanor, he was a real sucker for good looks.
[It’s not easy to go public at our current scale. It would be best to do an overseas acquisition. There are ready-made tech companies in Europe and mature product lines in Southeast Asia. I’ve scheduled a dinner with investors. Let’s get together for a meal.]
He Chi agreed to the work matter without hesitation.
Wei Lin couldn’t resist typing: [Want to bring your special someone along?] But then he thought a business dinner was inappropriate. He edited and re-edited the message on WeChat, but in the end, he deleted it all.
The meeting place was a famous club in the city. The private room was spacious, with a round table in the center for the banquet. The antique decor suited the age of the investors.
Wei Lin arrived first to make the arrangements. People started arriving, and he greeted them at the door, “Uncle Li,” “Uncle Zhang,” and so on. Finally, he saw a few young people enter behind one of the uncles. The one in front was wearing a bright red shirt, had a striking appearance, and raised his eyebrows at him.
Wei Lin’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t control his expression: “Xue Ran, what are you…” He swallowed the rest of his words, mindful of the occasion.
Uncle Li on the side laughed and said, “Ah Ran happened to be with me, so I brought him along. You don’t mind, do you?”
Cold sweat trickled down Wei Lin’s back. He gave a forced laugh and said he didn’t mind, then took out his phone from his coat pocket and sent a message:
[Xue Ran came too. I didn’t know anything about it. It has nothing to do with me!]
He Chi didn’t reply, probably on his way.
Wei Lin opened a bottle of wine and chatted with the crowd. He had been around this kind of thing since he was a child and was an expert at dealing with these old hands. That Uncle Li was very close to Xue Ran’s father and was introducing Xue Ran to the people at the table. He kept a smile on his face, observing with a cold eye.
“They are all young talents. Ah Ran has known He Chi for a long time. He went abroad for a while and just came back.”
Xue Ran, in front of others, didn’t act as unseemly as he did in private. He raised his glass and replied, “The timing wasn’t great.”
As they were chatting and just getting started, He Chi arrived.
He was wearing a black suit, with his coat draped over his arm. A hint of cold wind followed him in, and his steps paused as he entered. His gaze swept over Xue Ran and landed on Wei Lin.
Wei Lin spread his hands at him under the table.
He Chi nodded slightly, greeted everyone, and took a seat to the left of one of the investors.
Everyone in the room was a well-known figure in the business world. Even the waiter pouring wine instinctively lightened his footsteps.
…
Shang Qu picked up Fang Ci outside the office building. He was surprised and curious to receive He Chi’s message. No one in the entire company had ever seen He Chi’s new partner. The anonymous guessing game on the company forum had gone on for several rounds, but it was all just speculation.
When he saw the person in real life today, he was stunned for several seconds. He never expected that CEO He’s partner was not a young master or miss from a major conglomerate, but a subordinate from the same company. They had even met at the company, but their interaction was limited to just that.
Shang Qu maintained his professionalism, concentrating on his driving. Only occasionally, unable to resist, would he glance in the rearview mirror.
Fang Ci had headphones around his neck and was wearing a white down jacket with the dark blue letters “Easy” on it. He looked fresh and full of energy, not at all like a tech company manager.
The sunlight completely disappeared outside the window, and the streetlights came on. The light and shadows fell on his face, making the early winter seem warm and pleasant.
Completely different from CEO He’s style, Shang Qu thought.
“Could you please drop me off at Rongfa Supermarket on Central Guang Road?” Fang Ci asked politely.
“Of course.” They were indeed two completely different individuals. At least in all the years Shang Qu had been with He Chi, the word “supermarket” had never come up.
Fang Ci was listing groceries on his phone. Eating vegetables was healthy, but he was really craving carbs! After finishing the list, he asked Shang Qu, “Do you also eat Western food more often?”
Shang Qu said, “I eat Chinese food at home. When I’m on business trips, I eat Western food more.”
Fang Ci felt a little awkward. He had been trying to subtly ask what He Chi liked to eat. He couldn’t just keep buying leafy vegetables at the supermarket. He quickly decided it was better to just ask He Chi directly.
Perhaps he was busy, but He Chi didn’t reply for a long time. Fang Ci, helpless, decided to buy based on what was already in the fridge.
Having been an assistant for many years, Shang Qu was good at reading people. He had a rough guess and said carefully, “CEO He often eats Western food. On business trips, he almost always orders salads or dishes with cod and shrimp. I just followed suit and ate Western food too.”
Cod, shrimp? Fang Ci instantly thought of He Chi’s cat.
He wasn’t sure if He Chi really liked them, but it wouldn’t hurt to buy a few ingredients.
Because of this little interlude, Shang Qu felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity between the two and took a few more glances at Fang Ci.
Fang Ci entered the supermarket. Shang Qu, worried there would be too many things, stayed to help him with the cart. The items on the list were put into the cart one by one, piling up. Fang Ci stood in the seafood section. After putting in He Chi’s share, he picked up a bag of crayfish tails and then saw a large lobster. He had been craving it badly lately.
Winter was the season for baking, roasting, and frying.
He held up the lobster to compare it, and it was bigger than his face.
He also snapped a photo and sent it to He Chi, telling him he had bought cod and shrimp. He Chi still didn’t reply.
He put his phone in his pocket and went to the checkout.
On the other end of the phone, He Chi was feeling a bit impatient.
Most of the people at the table were elders. They liked to beat around the bush, mixing business with personal matters, which made him uncomfortable. Especially since these people knew his father, they mentioned his marriage, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
“I heard He Chi got married. Why didn’t you bring your partner?”
He Chi said indifferently, “It’s not very convenient.”
“Your dad said the other day that Uncle Zhang should introduce his son to you, but I didn’t expect you to get married so quickly.”
He Chi frowned, remembering the photo his cousin He Yun had sent. Wei Lin quickly interjected, “That was ages ago.”
“Oh, who settles down so young these days? If you ask me, you should have waited. There might have been someone better later.”
He Chi’s expression turned cold.
Everyone seemed to have just been joking and didn’t continue the topic, instead moving on to financial investments. But He Chi was already feeling disgusted.
He looked down at his phone, which vibrated slightly, and saw the message from Fang Ci. He was holding a lobster, his smile bright, his eyes curved. Behind him were rows of supermarket shelves. It wasn’t as luxurious as the club’s private room but was fresh and bright everywhere.
There was no toasting and drinking, no small talk to be had.
He suddenly wanted to go home.
Just like that, in a split second, going home became like a streetlight on the street, illuminating his heart with a sudden thump. Everything on the table seemed hazy and unreal.
He put down his wine glass and, for the first time in his life, interrupted an unfinished investment proposal.
“I’m sorry, I have something at home. I must take my leave.”
The conversation among the crowd came to a near-halt. Xue Ran looked at him several times, his expression astonished.
He Chi didn’t like social events, but he always attended when necessary. He was always restrained and disciplined, sticking to the topic at hand, and giving face to these elders. They had never seen him look so unenthusiastic, and even visibly annoyed.
“Being newly married really is different, CEO He,” a young man next to Xue Ran said with a smile.
He Chi: “It really is.” Everyone was stunned that he actually agreed.
Wei Lin saw him get up and chimed in, “Uncles, let’s continue. We’ve pretty much covered the business. Let’s drink, let’s drink.”
Before leaving, He Chi drank the wine in his glass in one gulp: “Thank you all for your hard work on the investment proposal. The drinks tonight are on me.”
Everyone exchanged pleasantries and watched He Chi leave.
A few minutes later, the older ones went outside for some fresh air, leaving the young people at the table.
Wei Lin watched everyone walk away, then sat back down with a cigarette. There were people at the table who were close to Xue Ran and couldn’t help but offer advice, though their way of advising made Wei Lin uncomfortable:
“Ah Ran, if you really want to pursue him, just wait until he gets divorced. It probably won’t be long. How can He Chi be in a relationship?”
Someone else said, “We haven’t even seen his partner after all this time. They must not have a good background and don’t dare to bring them out. They’ll probably break up in a few days.”
Wei Lin couldn’t take it anymore: “Hey, stop talking nonsense behind people’s backs. If this gets back to He Chi, do you still want to work with him in the future?”
“I was just saying. Who would say anything?”
Wei Lin threw his cigarette butt down and sneered, “I would.”
“…”
“His partner is still sitting right here.”
…
He Chi drove fast, at least faster than he usually did after work.
As expected, the lights were on at home.
When he entered the house, he smelled something spicy. The cat, Qiumiu, was curled up by the door, its face buried in its butt. It looked up at him when it heard the noise. He Chi petted its head and walked toward the kitchen.
He saw Fang Ci wearing an apron and holding a bowl of noodles, eating. He was so engrossed that he didn’t hear He Chi approach.
“What are you eating?”
Fang Ci was startled, and the noodles in his mouth went “gulp” down his throat.