Chapter 14
Perhaps because he was new, CEO Murong didn’t give him any real work. After the whirlwind business trip on Monday and a free morning on Tuesday, Murong Cheng continued his idle existence on the 28th floor.
Murong Yan and Duan Shao came and went, even holding a meeting in the conference room, but they didn’t include him. Duan Shao sent him several templates for meeting minutes. He diligently transcribed the notes from the S City meeting and emailed them to Duan Shao, CCing the CEO. But judging by their busy schedules, neither seemed to have time to review his work. Duan Shao read the email instantly but didn’t reply. CEO Murong didn’t even open it.
Friday afternoon, he received his salary payment notification. He had officially passed his probationary period. Mu Haoqiong, once again, tried to rope him into another group blind date on Saturday.
Last time, they had planned to go to an escape room, but ended up just having brunch, with Murong Cheng leaving early, which, according to Mu Haoqiong, ruined his chances with the two women.
Since Murong Cheng had a legitimate excuse last time – his impending unemployment – Mu Haoqiong decided to try again, arranging another escape room outing with two different women.
Murong Cheng’s small office on the 28th floor was a private space, but his desk faced the door, his computer screen visible to anyone passing by.
Fortunately, the 28th floor was sparsely populated. The receptionist and other staff weren’t allowed to wander around. The only people who might see his screen were CEO Murong and Duan Shao. But those two were always busy and unlikely to notice a lowly assistant slacking off.
[PoorPoor added Cheng, StrawberrySundae, and Jessica to the group chat.]
[PoorPoor: Escape room link %]
[PoorPoor: Is everyone free on Saturday? This escape room has good reviews. Slightly spooky theme.]
[PoorPoor: @Cheng, this is my college roommate and current housemate, Murong Cheng, from S University’s International Economics and Trade program. He also works at Guangyu, as the CEO’s assistant.]
The initial introductions were awkward. Murong Cheng racked his brain for something to say.
[Cheng: Hi everyone, I’m Murong Cheng. Nice to meet you.]
Despite being a stereotypical coder, Mu Haoqiong was surprisingly smooth with women. Although Murong Cheng had promised his parents he would be more proactive, the thought of selling himself to strangers made him uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the two women in the group seemed to feel the same way. “StrawberrySundae” and “Jessica” replied with cute emojis, and the conversation shifted back to the escape room.
[StrawberrySundae: Slightly spooky? Can we choose one without any scary elements? Are you brave, @Jessica?]
[Jessica: I’m not really scared of those things.]
[PoorPoor: How about this one? Escape room link &]
[StrawberrySundae: The previous one seemed more atmospheric.]
[Jessica: I’m good with either.]
[StrawberrySundae: @Cheng, which one do you prefer?]
Murong Cheng clicked on the two links. One was about a series of murders during a ritual, the other about a new police chief solving a case.
He didn’t care which one they chose. He usually just went along with whatever his friends decided. He typed “Either is fine” and was about to send it when someone tapped him on the shoulder.
“Hmm?” He responded absentmindedly.
The person behind him didn’t speak.
He turned around and found himself face-to-face with Murong Yan.
“CEO… CEO Murong…” he stammered, his heart pounding.
It was too late to close the chat window.
But—
He hadn’t seen the CEO all week, and hadn’t been given any tasks. Slacking off was probably expected. And he was discussing weekend plans, not skipping work. It shouldn’t be a big deal, right?
The CEO looked at him, his dark eyes unreadable. His gaze flickered across the chat window on Murong Cheng’s screen before returning to his face.
“Come with me tomorrow. 7:00 am, at the main entrance of your apartment complex.”
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and left.
Tomorrow? Saturday? Overtime? Murong Cheng’s heart sank.
“Yes, CEO Murong!” he called after him.
This was the second time he had canceled on Mu Haoqiong’s blind date plans. The first time was because of work, and now this.
If his parents asked, he would have to tell them that work was interfering with his love life.
Missing the blind date was a minor inconvenience. Waking up early on a Saturday was the real torture. His alarm went off several times before he finally dragged himself out of bed, got ready, and stumbled out the door, half-asleep.
He hadn’t minded waking up early for classes, but after getting used to a 9-to-5 schedule, this was painful. And what was so important that Murong Yan needed him at this ungodly hour?
He was still half-asleep when he stepped out of the building and was jolted awake by the cold.
The temperature had plummeted overnight. Yesterday had been late autumn; today was definitely winter.
“Achoo!”
He hadn’t even reached the main gate when he sneezed.
His thin jacket offered little protection against the near-freezing temperature. But going back to change into a down jacket… he glanced at his phone. 6:58 am. Too late.
It was probably just a meeting. He would be chauffeured around, staying indoors. He wouldn’t freeze to death.
He sniffled and continued walking.
Waiting at the gate wasn’t the usual black Rolls-Royce, but a silver-gray sports car with a trident emblem. Still half-asleep, he couldn’t identify the make.
Murong Yan was in the driver’s seat, the window partially lowered. Seeing the CEO, Murong Cheng quickened his pace and got into the passenger seat.
“Morning, CEO Murong!”
Compared to his thin jacket and hoodie, the CEO was wearing a thick black cashmere coat, looking warm and comfortable.
“Hmm,” the CEO replied, starting the car.
Instead of driving towards the company, he drove onto the highway, heading out of the city.
Where were they going? Murong Cheng was filled with questions, clutching his laptop, too hesitant to ask.
After about half an hour, the car stopped in front of a small building surrounded by open fields. Although the grass was mostly yellow and dry, the scenery was pleasant.
It was a golf club.
Was Murong Yan taking him golfing?
Murong Cheng was taken aback.
No, that couldn’t be right. He was probably there to serve the CEO, as a caddy.
But did golf require caddies? Surely he wasn’t expected to retrieve the small balls?
This was his first time at a place like this. He nervously followed Murong Yan inside.
He initially worried about embarrassing himself and the CEO with his lack of golfing skills, then realized the golf course was outdoors! He would freeze in his current attire!
Inside the three-story clubhouse, instead of heading straight for the course, Murong Yan led him to the restaurant on the third floor. They were seated at a reserved table by the window, and a steady stream of breakfast dishes arrived.
Having skipped breakfast, Murong Cheng happily ate his fill, then followed the CEO downstairs to the locker room on the second floor.
Murong Yan entered a VIP private locker room with two separate areas: a walk-in closet filled with golf attire for all seasons, and a lounge area with a leather sofa and a simple vanity.
Murong Yan selected two items of clothing and handed them to Murong Cheng, who stood there for a moment before realizing he was meant to change.
The good news: he wouldn’t freeze outdoors. The bad news: the clothes looked expensive, and he was terrified of damaging them.
A caddy loaded two sets of golf clubs onto a golf cart. Murong Cheng and Murong Yan drove to the teeing ground.
Several people were already there, presumably the CEO’s guests. Murong Cheng followed the CEO, nodding politely to everyone.
He understood that the real purpose of such outings was socializing, not the actual game.
As the CEO’s assistant, his role was to be discreet, observant, and readily available when needed.
However, Murong Yan didn’t seem to mind his presence. After exchanging greetings, Murong Cheng gathered that this wasn’t a business meeting but a casual gathering of friends. The man standing closest to Murong Yan addressed him as “Yan-ge,” not “CEO Murong.”
“New secretary, Yan-ge? Where’s Xiao Duan?”
Murong Cheng perked up, eavesdropping.
But Murong Yan just gave a noncommittal reply and changed the subject.
Although slightly chilly, the weather was pleasant. The sun was warm but not scorching. They took turns hitting their balls, gradually moving across the vast green expanse.
With a coach present, Murong Cheng also attempted a few swings. However, it took him several tries to hit the small white ball, and he quickly fell behind Murong Yan and his friends.
He chased his ball across the course, and just as he was about to reach a sand trap, he saw Murong Yan and his friends driving back towards the clubhouse. He followed, joined them for lunch, and then they returned to the city.
Changing back into his own clothes, Murong Cheng felt relieved. But as he passed an open window in the clubhouse, he sneezed.
Murong Yan, who had just left the locker room, returned and emerged with the windbreaker Murong Cheng had been wearing.
He handed it to Murong Cheng, his gaze fixed on him.
Murong Cheng took a step back, waving his hands. “No, thank you, CEO Murong.”
Murong Yan frowned slightly. “Put it on if you’re cold.”
Murong Cheng was about to protest when he sneezed again. “Achoo! I’m really fine…”
He looked up and noticed the CEO’s increasingly impatient expression.
He shrank back. “Okay… thank you, CEO Murong!”
He would wear it home, wash it, and return it later.
With the extra layer, he was almost as warm as if he were wearing a down jacket.
During the drive back, Murong Yan was still driving, and Murong Cheng sat in the passenger seat. Although it felt strange having the CEO as his chauffeur, the sports car looked expensive, and he wasn’t a confident driver, so he didn’t offer to drive.
They had left early, and it was only mid-afternoon when they returned to the city. Mu Haoqiong and the two women had just finished lunch and hadn’t reached the escape room yet.
Murong Cheng messaged Mu Haoqiong.
[Cheng: You guys haven’t started yet? I’ve finished my workday and I’m about to head home.]
[PoorPoor: Perfect timing! Come join us!]
Mu Haoqiong, clearly unaware that Murong Cheng was in the CEO’s car, sent a voice call.
Murong Cheng glanced at the CEO, lowered the volume, and answered the call.
“Hello?”
“Where are you? Home already? I’ll send you the address. We decided on this escape room, it’s not far from our place. You can still make it.”
Mu Haoqiong didn’t wait for a reply, already assuming his participation.
“Let me check. I’ll get back to you,” Murong Cheng whispered and hung up, clicking on the escape room link.
If the CEO let him off work, he could change clothes and join them. He had already stood Mu Haoqiong up once. He didn’t want to do it again unless absolutely necessary.
The escape room they chose wasn’t spooky, but it looked interesting.
He checked the estimated travel time and was about to reply when Murong Yan cleared his throat.
Murong Cheng’s heart skipped a beat.
Did the CEO have other plans? His precious Saturday…
“Drop you off at your apartment complex?” the CEO asked after a moment.
So his workday was over. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, please. Thank you, CEO Murong!”
“Are you going out later?” the CEO asked.
Murong Cheng hesitated. “Yes, I have plans with friends. A… blind date.”
He didn’t know why he had blurted that out.
But it was probably for the best. If it was a blind date, the CEO couldn’t possibly object, right? This was a major life event. His boss couldn’t let work interfere with his personal life.
However, for some reason, the atmosphere in the car seemed to have cooled considerably.
The CEO didn’t reply, and the conversation ended awkwardly.
The CEO probably wasn’t interested in his love life. Murong Cheng licked his lips nervously.
It wasn’t a weekday, so the traffic was light. They quickly reached his apartment complex.
“I’ll be going then. Thank you, CEO Murong!” He said goodbye and pressed the button to open the car door.
Nothing happened.
Huh? Strange.
He pressed it again, harder.
Still nothing.
“CEO Murong…” He turned to the CEO for help, worried about breaking the car.
The CEO’s long fingers rested on the lock button, but he didn’t unlock the door.
“CEO Murong?” Murong Cheng asked again.
What was this? Didn’t he want him to leave? Was he asking for payment?
He chuckled at the thought.
“Murong Cheng,” the CEO suddenly said, “Duan Shao might send you a document later. Help him organize it.”
His face fell. So there was more work!
“Okay…” He couldn’t refuse, no matter how reluctant he felt.
But “later” could mean anything. He would ask Duan Shao. If it wasn’t urgent, he could still go to the escape room.
As if reading his mind, Murong Yan glanced at him.
“Don’t go out this afternoon. You woke up early. Rest at home.”
This was the longest sentence he had ever heard the CEO utter.
“Okay, CEO Murong,” he replied automatically.
Wait… what did that mean?
Not go out? Was he being ordered to stay home and wait for work?
If it was urgent, wouldn’t the CEO have stressed the importance? But if it wasn’t urgent, why give it to him, a clueless newbie? Wouldn’t it be faster for Duan Shao to do it himself or assign it to someone else?
Something wasn’t right.
He had a feeling the CEO’s intention wasn’t to make him work.
Was he… simply preventing him from going on a blind date?
