The Daily Struggle of a Corporate Slave 10

Chapter 10

Pei Songji’s first thought was that he was still dreaming. He bit his lip.

It hurt.

This wasn’t a dream.

The warmth of the body in his arms was too real.

His second thought was to carefully extricate his arm from under Jing Ciying’s head and check their clothes.

Jing Ciying was still wearing his work clothes. Pei Songji was in his pajamas, fully dressed. Nothing had happened.

His arm, having served as Jing Ciying’s pillow, was numb.

But he ignored the discomfort, his mind racing, trying to recall the previous night.

Perhaps due to the alcohol, his memory was blank.

Only fragmented images flashed through his mind, adding to the confusion rather than clarifying anything.

He had a headache.

Normally, he would wake Jing Ciying to give him a massage, but today was different. He couldn’t even face him.

Although nothing had happened, unsettling images lingered in his mind, making him question whether he had taken advantage of Jing Ciying.

Since taking over Pei Group, he had faced numerous challenges, believing himself immune to emotional turmoil. But today, he realized he had simply been untouched by those events.

He was unsure how to handle this situation.

His mind raced, a jumble of thoughts.

His headache worsened.

He reached up to rub his temples when he heard a slight movement beside him. He turned to see Jing Ciying waking up.

Jing Ciying opened his eyes.

He had slept soundly, his mind reluctant to leave the comfort of sleep. He felt disoriented.

He was used to waking up stiff and cold on the hard cot in the hospital. This comfort was unfamiliar.

Wait.

He focused his gaze, meeting Pei Songji’s eyes.

Realization hit him like a lightning bolt. He bolted upright.

His mind screamed at him to get out of Pei Songji’s bed, but his body refused to cooperate. He sat there, frozen, staring at Pei Songji.

They stared at each other for a moment, then Pei Songji broke the silence, getting out of bed to change his clothes.

Jing Ciying finally regained control of his limbs, scrambling out of bed, his legs still shaky.

He didn’t know how much Pei Songji remembered, but he couldn’t let the awkward silence linger. He took a deep breath, summoning his professional composure. “You were drunk last night, Mr. Pei. You wouldn’t let me leave. I was going to wait until you fell asleep, but I fell asleep too. It was my fault.”

Pei Songji didn’t respond, dressing himself, which was unusual.

Jing Ciying wondered if his boss’s OCD was triggered. He mentally prepared a solution.

If Pei Songji was upset about the bedding, he would offer to pay for cleaning.

But he couldn’t afford a new bed.

Pei Songji finished dressing and headed to the bathroom.

Even after all these years, Jing Ciying couldn’t decipher his thoughts.

He didn’t seem angry, but not entirely un-angry either.

Jing Ciying followed him, unsure what to do.

“Mr. Pei.”

Pei Songji stopped but didn’t turn around.

“I’m truly sorry about last night. I’ll arrange for the room to be cleaned and disinfected immediately.”

He waited for Pei Songji’s response, but he remained silent.

The silence stretched, feeling like an eternity.

Finally, Pei Songji spoke.

“No need.”

He continued walking, then paused and turned back. “I want buttered milk toast for breakfast.”

“Certainly, Mr. Pei.”

Jing Ciying knew this meant the incident was forgiven. He quickly left the room, relieved, but also surprised by Pei Songji’s unexpected leniency.

After breakfast, they went to the office together.

But they had to go to Huaisi to finalize the contract details. Jing Ciying asked for a short leave to change his clothes.

Appearances mattered in business. Wearing yesterday’s clothes, especially after sleeping in them, would be disrespectful.

Pei Songji, his memory of the previous night now mostly clear, didn’t want another encounter between Jing Ciying and Ji Shuhuai. He readily agreed, even arranging for his driver to take Jing Ciying home.

Jing Ciying showered and changed quickly.

Despite having eaten breakfast, perhaps due to the emotional rollercoaster of the morning, he felt slightly dizzy. He bought a cola on his way back to the office.

When he arrived, Pei Songji’s office was empty.

The chief assistant informed him that Pei Songji had already gone to Huaisi.

But…

He checked the time. It was much earlier than their scheduled meeting. Why the rush?

As he hesitated, the chief assistant said, “Mr. Pei asked me to tell you that you don’t need to go today. The chairman is coming, and he wants you to take care of him.”

Jing Ciying, relieved to have a task, readily agreed.

He didn’t want to go to Huaisi anyway, fearing another awkward encounter.

He focused on preparing for the chairman’s visit. Having spent so much time around Pei Songji, he was familiar with Elder Pei’s preferences and prepared everything accordingly.

He relaxed. Elder Pei was a kind and amiable man, much easier to please than Pei Songji.

He waited in the office, but it wasn’t until nearly noon that Elder Pei arrived.

“Xiaoying,” Elder Pei greeted him with a smile.

“Chairman.”

Elder Pei looked around the office. “Where’s Songji? Doesn’t he know I’m coming?”

“He had to step out for something urgent, but he’ll be back soon. Please have some tea, Chairman. This is your favorite Peacock Green tea cake.”

“Good.” Elder Pei’s smile widened. “You’re so thoughtful, unlike that rascal.”

Jing Ciying chuckled, recognizing the flattery. “Mr. Pei is busy with important matters. I can only handle these small tasks. I can’t compare to him.”

Elder Pei laughed, and they chatted amiably.

But Elder Pei clearly had a purpose beyond casual conversation. After a while, he said, “By the way, Xiaoying…”

“Yes, Chairman?” Jing Ciying maintained his smile, his heart pounding.

As Pei Songji’s personal secretary, he was privy to many private matters.

But his professional ethics prevented him from disclosing anything, even to Elder Pei.

However, Elder Pei was Pei Songji’s grandfather. He couldn’t refuse him outright. He had to be tactful.

And although Elder Pei seemed affable, he was a seasoned businessman. Deception wouldn’t work. Jing Ciying was caught in a difficult position, bracing himself for the questions.

To his surprise, Elder Pei asked, “You’re always with Songji. Have you noticed anything unusual about his… romantic life?”

“Romantic life?” Jing Ciying feigned ignorance. “What do you mean, Chairman?”

Elder Pei, knowing his discretion, got straight to the point. “Does he have someone he likes?”

“Well…”

Jing Ciying pretended to think, then the door opened.

Pei Songji entered, interrupting their conversation. “Grandpa, you’re here.”

He gestured for Jing Ciying to leave.

Confused, Jing Ciying excused himself and closed the door.

Why did he have to leave?

He knew Pei Songji wasn’t involved with anyone.

Unless… something had changed?

Surely not. He would have known if Pei Songji was dating.

Then why?

He didn’t pry. A secretary’s first rule was to mind his own business.

He didn’t know what they discussed, but when they emerged, Pei Songji looked tired.

Jing Ciying brewed him a fresh pot of tea.

As he was about to leave, Pei Songji stopped him. “Is Secretary Liang working tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Jing Ciying replied.

The Huaisi deal was almost finalized, so they would resume their rotation.

“Is there a problem, Mr. Pei?”

“No,” Pei Songji said quickly, then added, for some reason, “That’s good.”

Jing Ciying was puzzled but didn’t question it.

He was just happy to have tomorrow off. He planned to visit his sister. He hadn’t seen her in two days.

He went straight to the hospital after work.

Looking at his sister’s frail form, a wave of sadness washed over him.

Aunt Liu had taken good care of her, but he could see her health deteriorating.

Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t stop it.

Perhaps because of the recent events, a sense of hopelessness crept into his heart. He quickly suppressed it.

He couldn’t believe he had even entertained such a thought.

Anger flared.

Anger at himself.

Even though no one else knew what he had been thinking, he fled the room, unable to face his sister.

The cooler air outside cleared his head, intensifying his guilt.

How could he even consider giving up? They had endured so much, things were getting better, how could he even think of giving up?

He must have been out of his mind.

“Xiaoying,” a voice called out.

He looked up to see Ji Shuhuai, emerging from the next room, just like their previous encounters at the hospital.

But… wasn’t Lu Mi dead?

Had the past few weeks been a dream?

“Mr. Ji?” he asked, surprised. “You…”

He looked towards the next room. The light was on, but he couldn’t see inside from where he stood.

Ji Shuhuai, sensing his confusion, smiled. “I couldn’t sleep, so I came here. He was here for so long, I keep expecting to see him, so…”

Jing Ciying’s heart ached for him, unable to offer any words of comfort.

His own fleeting thoughts of despair seemed absurd now.

His sister was still here. That was a blessing in itself.

In the face of death, everyone was equal. No amount of wealth could bring back a lost loved one.

He understood the helplessness, but he didn’t know how to console Ji Shuhuai.

Ji Shuhuai broke the silence. “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet.”

“Me neither,” Ji Shuhuai said, extending an invitation. “Since we’re both here, let’s have dinner together.”

Ji Shuhuai seemed composed, but Jing Ciying sensed he was putting on a brave face. He couldn’t refuse, and his own guilt made him reluctant to return to his sister’s room. He readily agreed.

They left the hospital together.

Ji Shuhuai took him to a French restaurant.

Jing Ciying had often accompanied Pei Songji there, but this was his first time as a guest.

He hesitated, knowing the prices.

But Ji Shuhuai didn’t give him a chance to refuse, quickly ordering their meals.

Jing Ciying sat down, feeling strangely self-conscious.

Being in this familiar setting reminded him of Pei Songji.

Although unlikely, he instinctively looked around, relieved not to see him.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Shuhuai asked, noticing his unease.

“Nothing,” Jing Ciying shook his head.

Ji Shuhuai didn’t press further, changing the subject.

He was knowledgeable and witty, quickly capturing Jing Ciying’s attention.

They were engrossed in their conversation, oblivious to Pei Songji and Chu Yang entering the restaurant.

“Hey, isn’t that your secretary?” Chu Yang said, spotting the two men by the window.

Pei Songji followed his gaze and saw Jing Ciying, sitting across from… Ji Shuhuai.

Huh?