Chapter 16
It had been a while since Xie Zhang had been to the office, so Xu Yi had scheduled a full day of meetings for him.
The entire secretarial team was scrambling to keep up.
This meeting was an internal development meeting, attended by the heads of the planning, writing, and data teams, all from the design department.
And, of course, Xu Yi, the chief secretary.
Song Jingmo dutifully played the role of Xie Zhang’s shadow. However, whenever he was conscious, the shadow’s shape differed slightly from Xie Zhang’s.
But no one paid attention to shadows.
Especially not in a meeting, a sacred, solemn, and sleep-inducing event.
Song Jingmo was struggling to stay awake.
Xie Zhang sat at the head of the long table, facing a large screen. Xu Yi sat beside him.
The voices droned on, discussing things Song Jingmo barely understood—he’d never been interested in these matters. That was his brother’s domain; he was a pampered young master.
The inky black shadow slumped against the edge of the table, yawning repeatedly, his tendrils occasionally reaching out before being quickly retracted.
He didn’t dare cause any trouble, afraid of drawing attention to Xie Zhang’s unusual shadow.
The company had been in turmoil recently due to Xie Zhang’s strange behavior. Things were just starting to settle down. Another rumor about their CEO being mentally ill or possessed, however outlandish, could be disastrous for their stock price.
If only he and Xie Zhang could be apart for a while.
Then he could be playing games in the rest area instead of listening to this gibberish.
He yawned again.
He liked playing games, not discussing their development.
But since his powers had grown, he’d noticed that, without conscious effort, his shadow tendrils would stray.
Wrapping around Xie Zhang’s ankles was normal enough, but more often than not, they’d target his chest and abs.
At home, it was playful; in public, it was horrifying.
Song Jingmo suspected his own slightly perverse thoughts were influencing Xie Zhang’s shadow.
Determined not to desecrate the sanctity of the meeting room, he fought off the drowsiness, the chibi shadow sitting cross-legged by the table leg, clutching his unruly tendrils, his head bobbing.
Xie Zhang’s voice in the office was completely different from his voice at home…
Song Jingmo clicked his tongue, feeling slightly annoyed.
Although he was still methodical and precise, he was more direct, expressing his opinions clearly, agreeing or disagreeing without hesitation.
Unlike at home, where he was like a silent AI chatbot, unresponsive and uncommunicative.
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. The chibi shadow stood up abruptly and, taking advantage of his small size and the fact that no one was looking under the table, scurried to Xie Zhang’s feet and kicked him hard.
Xie Zhang, mid-sentence, abruptly stopped.
The attendees looked up, confused.
Xu Yi’s eye twitched.
Xie Zhang rubbed the smooth surface of his pen, then calmly continued speaking.
Song-shadow, now clinging to Xie Zhang’s shoe, tugged on his trousers, listening intently, then poked his finger with a shadow tendril.
This time, Xie Zhang didn’t pause. He simply curled his fingers around the tiny tendril.
Mischief sparked in Song Jingmo’s mind.
The chibi shadow crawled up Xie Zhang’s expensive suit pants, reaching his knee.
Xie Zhang’s sudden, subtle shift in expression made the speaker falter.
Song Jingmo had always been bold, a result of being pampered. Beneath his angelic exterior lurked a mischievous little devil.
But his upbringing, filled with love as well as indulgence, had shaped him into a charming young master, not a spoiled brat.
As he grew older, he became more responsible and considerate, but his family knew that once he set his mind on something, nothing could sway him.
And in all these years, the only things he’d defied his parents for were his music and Xie Zhang.
The moment he’d laid eyes on Xie Zhang, he’d known—
This man was perfect for him, even the tiny mole on his Adam’s apple hitting all the right spots. (A reference to personal preferences or fetishes.)
The chibi shadow paced back and forth on Xie Zhang’s thigh.
Xie Zhang’s muscles tensed instantly.
Song Jingmo blinked, his shadow tendril gently tracing Xie Zhang’s leg, patting his knee reassuringly.
Relax, don’t be so tense.
Xie Zhang’s lips tightened, his face expressionless, but his grip on the pen intensified.
Song Jingmo wasn’t planning anything too outrageous, just… testing the limits of Xie Zhang’s self-control and patience.
Who hadn’t indulged in a little fantasy while reading or watching something suggestive?
Emboldened, the chibi shadow crept closer to Xie Zhang’s stomach, reaching out to undo a button on his shirt, beneath his jacket.
Xie Zhang: “…”
Song Jingmo strained his non-existent ears.
A tiny shadow tendril extended from beneath Xie Zhang’s hand, trying to gauge his expression.
It met a pair of dark, intense eyes.
Song Jingmo’s entire being jolted.
Startled, and burned.
Unlike the previous warmth, this time, it was laced with a warning, a hint of aggression.
It was scorching.
Song Jingmo gulped, his non-existent throat dry.
He wanted water.
But he also wanted to play with fire.
No, no, he was pushing it too far.
This wasn’t the right time or place.
He patted Xie Zhang’s leg reassuringly, sliding down his suit pants.
Then he saw the exposed portion of Xie Zhang’s dark socks.
Hmm…
Song Jingmo swore he wasn’t a pervert.
But…
Just a little touch.
Just a tiny, little touch.
His shadow tendril curled, unable to resist. It crept under Xie Zhang’s trousers, lightly brushing against his calf.
Xie Zhang’s expression changed drastically.
Fortunately, the speaker had just finished, and everyone was deep in thought.
Xie Zhang took a deep breath, composing himself, his lowered eyelids hiding the turmoil within.
Xu Yi, who had been watching his boss intently: “…”
He had, in an attempt to appease Song Jingmo, procured a rather extensive collection of… adult material for him, even translating the ones in foreign languages.
So now, his mind was, rather disturbingly, on the same wavelength as Song Jingmo’s.
But he didn’t want to be on the same wavelength.
It was a curse to be intelligent.
And even more so to know too much.
Xu Yi took a large gulp of water, the bitter taste reflecting his inner turmoil.
The problem was, he couldn’t just tell his boss about this.
After a few seconds of agonizing thought, he had an idea.
“Clatter.”
Song Jingmo, perched on Xie Zhang’s shoe, giggling like a mischievous mouse, surrounded by tiny shadow flowers, was startled by the sudden sound. The chibi shadow instantly melted into a puddle.
He stared at the pen that had rolled to the floor, holding his breath.
Then he met a pair of troubled eyes.
Xu Yi’s eyes.
Bending down to retrieve the pen, Xu Yi clasped his hands together and bowed slightly in Song-shadow’s direction.
He muttered something under his breath.
Since the shadow had stretched out, Song Jingmo could hear his hushed words, barely louder than a fly’s buzz.
“Madam Boss, please have mercy, spare us.”
“I’ll burn you all sorts of… adult material later, I promise, the best selection, all complete series!”
“Please, please!”
“Let the boss finish the meeting!”
Song Jingmo: “…”
