Chapter 16
Due to his illness, the CEO granted him a full week of sick leave.
Duan Shao responded with three exclamation points.
Feeling slightly guilty, Murong Cheng discreetly asked Mu Haoqiong how many sick days were typically allowed.
Mu Haoqiong, after expressing concern for his health, thought for a moment.
“Two or three days, I think. But in the few months I’ve been here, no one in the R&D department seems to take sick leave. These guys work overtime and still find time to hit the gym. Iron wills, I tell you.”
“Cough, cough…” Murong Cheng coughed, changing the subject. “Any progress with those girls you met on Saturday?”
“Oh, you missed out. They were both nice. One of them works near Guangyu, and we were going to have lunch this week. But…” Mu Haoqiong sighed. “Light City Go’s promotional campaign ramped up again. We’re busy fixing bugs, no time for lunch, let alone dates.”
“That’s good,” Murong Cheng said absentmindedly, then quickly clarified, “I mean, it’s good that you’re getting along with them, not the overtime part.”
“Yeah, I know,” Mu Haoqiong yawned and waved. “I’m going to bed. This job is exhausting. You’re still sick, so get some rest. Don’t stay up late.”
Having an unexpected holiday should have been a good thing.
But Murong Cheng wasn’t happy.
By the third day, he was restless, unable to eat or sleep, thinking only of returning to work.
He wanted to see Murong Yan.
He wanted to be near him, hear his voice, see his focused gaze.
Wanting to return to work during sick leave just to see your boss. How ridiculous.
He had fallen for his boss. How ridiculous.
It was so absurd that he didn’t know who to confide in.
He didn’t even dare post about it on the anonymous forum.
This was a secret.
A burning secret he would carry to his grave.
But keeping this secret while longing for the person he couldn’t have was agonizing.
His fever had subsided, and his cough was better. Unable to stay home any longer, he went to FISH BAR, where Chi Yu worked, before nightfall.
The bar wasn’t open yet. He had dinner at McDonald’s upstairs and played games on his phone until it almost ran out of battery before Chi Yu finally arrived.
“What’s up? What’s going on with you lately?”
He hadn’t seen Chi Yu in over a month and was taken aback by his appearance.
It was still Chi Yu, his beautiful face unchanged, his slender figure the same, but his style was completely different.
“Cough, cough… what’s with the wilderness man look?” Murong Cheng asked, his eyes narrowed in disapproval.
Chi Yu’s stubble was long and unruly. His light brown hair was also longer, the roots showing dark against his scalp. His pants were shapeless and yellowish, resembling pajamas. The only decent item of clothing was his dark red down jacket.
Chi Yu shrugged, pushing his hair out of his face. “It’s just a part-time job. Why bother dressing up?”
Even dressed like this, Chi Yu was still undeniably handsome.
With his face, no one would care about his clothes. Or rather, his face drew all the attention, leaving no room for noticing anything else.
“Why are you here?” Chi Yu asked, entering the bar, turning on the lights in the bar area, and tying up his messy hair.
Even tied up, his hair still looked messy, but at least it was out of his face.
“Can’t I visit you without a reason?” Murong Cheng sat at the bar, tapping his fingers on the counter, lost in thought.
“Do you look like you have nothing on your mind?” Chi Yu scoffed, not bothering to press further. He mixed a sparkling juice drink and placed it in front of Murong Cheng.
Murong Cheng took a sip and frowned. “I came to drink, not for soda water.”
“Oh, our little friend wants to drink? And you say nothing’s wrong?” Chi Yu raised an eyebrow, mixing a low-alcohol orange cocktail.
The cocktail was bright and smelled of oranges, but it tasted bitter.
Like his longing for Murong Yan.
He grimaced and swallowed, feeling his cheeks flush.
He slowly sipped his cocktail. As the bar filled up, he understood why Chi Yu was dressed like this.
Chi Yu moved to the other side of the bar. A man lingered nearby, following him wherever he went.
The dim lighting and the crowd obscured the man’s face, but Murong Cheng could see he was tall, about the same height as Murong Yan, with a slender build, also wearing a dark coat.
Chi Yu’s body language radiated annoyance, the clinking of bottles and glasses barely audible over the music.
The man reached across the bar, trying to grab Chi Yu’s arm. Murong Cheng jumped off his stool, ready to intervene, but Chi Yu pulled away and walked off.
The man answered a phone call and then reluctantly left.
Murong Cheng walked over to Chi Yu, his voice filled with concern. “Was that guy harassing you? Shouldn’t the security do something?”
Chi Yu brushed his hair out of his face. “It’s fine. These types lose interest quickly. He won’t be back.”
Murong Cheng looked at him. “Is that why you’re dressed like this?”
“I don’t care. I can always quit. But I don’t want to cause trouble for the owner,” Chi Yu glanced towards the door. “Looks like he had something urgent and left. He probably won’t be back tonight.”
“Does this happen often?” Chi Yu seemed experienced in handling such situations. Murong Cheng frowned. “Maybe you should find a different job.”
“No need,” Chi Yu shook his head. “You, on the other hand, should be careful. You look…”
He trailed off.
Murong Cheng: “What?”
Chi Yu: “Easy to deceive.”
“What?” Murong Cheng rolled his eyes, pushing his empty glass forward. “Fill it up. With alcohol.”
Chi Yu smiled wryly. “Wait.”
He meticulously prepared the drinks, the ice clinking musically in his hands.
Murong Cheng rested his head on his hand, feeling drowsy.
Or perhaps it was the alcohol.
Still recovering from his cold, he was easily tired. Although Chi Yu had given him the lowest-alcohol cocktail, his tolerance was so low that even one drink affected him.
When Chi Yu returned, Murong Cheng was slumped over the bar.
His soft hair fell forward, his long lashes fluttering slightly.
Chi Yu mixed himself a Martini, placed a glass of warm water in front of Murong Cheng, and sat down beside him.
“Tell me, what happened?”
Murong Cheng, his cheeks flushed, picked up the glass and downed the water in one gulp, seemingly not noticing it wasn’t alcohol. “Another one.”
Chi Yu poured him another glass of water. “Here.”
Murong Cheng blinked blearily. “Chi Yu.”
Chi Yu: “Yeah?”
Murong Cheng: “That guy who was bothering you earlier, do you like him?”
Chi Yu looked at him, bewildered. “Of course not.”
Murong Cheng: “Do you like anyone?”
Chi Yu shook his head. “No.”
Murong Cheng: “Then why don’t you like him?”
Chi Yu: “Plenty of people like me. Does that mean I have to like them back?”
He was right. Chi Yu had always been popular. But Murong Cheng had never seen him reciprocate anyone’s feelings.
Yes, liking someone didn’t guarantee they would like you back.
The words hit Murong Cheng hard.
He lowered his head, his lips curving into a dejected frown.
Sensing his mood, Chi Yu leaned closer. “What’s wrong?”
“Is there more alcohol?” Murong Cheng mumbled.
Chi Yu sighed. “You’re drunk.”
Murong Cheng protested, “I’m not.”
Chi Yu pushed the water towards him.
Murong Cheng glared at him, his beautiful eyes filled with displeasure. “That’s water.”
Chi Yu chuckled. “You noticed.”
Murong Cheng: “I’m not stupid.”
He pushed the glass back. “I want alcohol. Chi Yu, make me a drink.”
“One last drink, then,” Chi Yu turned and went back to the bar.
He poured only half the usual amount of alcohol into the cocktail.
Murong Cheng watched him, then started scrolling on his phone.
He was probably drunk, searching for Murong Yan online.
Nine out of ten search results were related to Guangyu.
Murong Yan, the brilliant young entrepreneur of the Murong family.
Young entrepreneur Murong Yan.
The chosen one, Murong Yan.
The aloof and mysterious Murong Yan.
He scrolled quickly, looking for a photo.
He hadn’t had a chance to take a picture of the CEO yet.
He finally found one, a blurry photo of Murong Yan’s back, taken by an entertainment news blog.
He zoomed in, trying to confirm it was him.
It seemed to be.
He saved the photo. Then he saw the headline.
#Guangyu CEO Spotted with Popular Actress, Sparking Romance Rumors
His breath caught in his throat. He froze, his phone slipping from his grasp and falling to the floor.
Chi Yu returned with his drink and bent down to pick up the phone.
“Here’s your drink. Now tell me, what’s going on? From what you said earlier, does our little Cheng have a crush?”
Tears welled up in Murong Cheng’s eyes. He couldn’t speak. He grabbed the drink and downed it in one gulp, then started coughing.
The coughing fit brought tears streaming down his face.
Chi Yu patted his back, but Murong Cheng’s eyes grew redder.
Yes, he had a crush.
His first crush.
But it seemed… his first love had already ended.
