Chapter 22
Something was off with Murong Cheng.
His parents had sent a box of fresh ginseng fruit from their hometown, specifically asking Chi Yu to have Murong Cheng pick some up. On Sunday evening, after inviting Murong Cheng to his studio, Chi Yu quickly noticed his unusual behavior.
Firstly, he kept zoning out.
Staring blankly at the liquor cabinet, at a painting of towering buildings at night, at the box of ginseng fruit, not bothering to take any, his eyes glued to his phone, constantly checking for messages.
“You’re in love,” Chi Yu declared.
It was a statement, not a question.
Murong Cheng blinked slowly, a blush creeping up his cheeks.
“You’re in love,” Chi Yu repeated, his tone more certain, clicking his tongue. “Tell me, patient, how long have you had these symptoms? Distracted, dazed, soul seemingly tethered to your phone, blushing when called out.”
Murong Cheng’s blush deepened. “Chi Yu!”
“Is it the one from last time? The one who made you so upset you came to the bar to drown your sorrows?” Chi Yu asked, raising an eyebrow.
Murong Cheng’s lips curved into a shy smile. He turned off his phone screen.
“I knew it. There’s no one our little Cheng can’t conquer. So, who is it? A colleague?” Chi Yu continued, then, seeing his silence, raised an eyebrow again. “Don’t tell me you actually went on a blind date?”
Murong Cheng hesitated.
He had gone on a blind date, but his current relationship had nothing to do with it.
Chi Yu’s eyes widened. “You actually found someone on a blind date?”
“No, no,” Murong Cheng quickly waved his hands.
Chi Yu: “Oh. A colleague then? You’re such a homebody. Besides blind dates, you only meet your colleagues. Someone from your department?”
Murong Cheng: “Did I forget to tell you? I almost failed my probationary review after the National Day holiday.”
“What?!” Chi Yu’s voice rose sharply. “They’re so ungrateful! You saved their asses with the promotional image, and they almost fired you? What evidence did they have for your supposed incompetence?”
Murong Cheng: “They didn’t fire me in the end…”
“Oh, good,” Chi Yu relaxed, then looked at him suspiciously. “Wait, you’re trying to distract me. What does this have to do with your love interest?”
Murong Cheng blinked. “I was transferred from Brand Marketing to the CEO’s office. I’m his assistant now.”
“So?” Chi Yu asked. “So you got a promotion instead? And? After all this build-up, don’t tell me you’re dating the CEO.”
A shiver ran down Murong Cheng’s spine.
His friend was too smart. He had guessed it without him even confirming it.
Chi Yu paused. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Murong Cheng simply looked at him, waiting for him to connect the dots.
Chi Yu’s eyes widened. “Wait… isn’t your CEO… Murong Yan from the Murong family? The handsome one who was there when I discussed the contract?”
Murong Cheng nodded, a smile spreading across his face. “Yes.”
Chi Yu stared at him. “Him?”
Murong Cheng grinned. “Yes, him.”
Telling someone his boyfriend was Murong Yan felt strangely satisfying.
He felt a flicker of pride, and a surge of happiness.
“Remember I told you the General Manager of Legal was handsome?”
Chi Yu nodded. “Vaguely.”
“That was a misunderstanding,” Murong Cheng admitted. “I mistook Murong Yan for him.”
Chi Yu clicked his tongue. “So you had your eyes on him all along. Murong Yan… you can address your CEO by his first name?”
“He’s not just my boss,” Murong Cheng said, resting his chin on his hand, his eyes sparkling. “He’s also my boyfriend, Murong Yan.”
Chi Yu rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay. Tell your parents the good news. Our little Cheng is finally off the market. Bring him over sometime. I need to vet him for you.”
Murong Cheng considered this. “Probably not this month. He’s on a business trip. He won’t be back until around New Year’s.”
Chi Yu: “That long?”
Murong Cheng: “He’s been gone for over a week. The trip is about two weeks total.”
Chi Yu: “Why didn’t he take you with him?”
Murong Cheng: “He’s in Europe. I don’t have a visa.”
“Get one,” Chi Yu said, exasperated. “Your boyfriend isn’t just anyone. He’s the CEO of Guangyu. He’ll be traveling constantly. You’ll need a visa eventually. Otherwise, you’ll be in a long-distance relationship most of the time. Besides, aren’t you his assistant? Shouldn’t you be with him?”
“You’re right,” Murong Cheng said, running a hand through his hair. “I should… get one. But I’ve never applied for a visa before. How long does it take? Do you know any expedited services? Actually, if it’s a work visa, I’ll probably need the company to apply for it, right?”
“If you’re in a hurry, get a tourist visa first. He can help you with the work visa later,” Chi Yu said, scrolling through his contacts. “I know someone who handles visas. He can expedite the process. It usually takes over a week, I think. I’ll ask him. Why the sudden urgency?”
Murong Cheng licked his lips. “If it’s fast enough… maybe I can fly to Europe and surprise him!”
He acted quickly. That evening, he had gathered all the required documents for the visa application.
The thought of seeing Murong Yan sooner filled him with excitement and anticipation.
However, a few days later, his happiness was shattered.
He had just returned from lunch and was about to take a nap when Yan Xiaoling burst into his office, her face pale with panic.
“Ah Cheng, something’s wrong!”
As the receptionist for the CEO’s office, Yan Xiaoling was always calm and composed. But today, she was clearly distressed, almost tripping in her high heels.
Murong Cheng quickly stood up. “Xiaoling-jie, what happened?”
“Can you contact CEO Murong?” she asked urgently.
Contact CEO Murong again? What time was it in Europe? He hesitated, pulling out his phone.
“Forget it, there’s no time. Come with me, we need to leave,” she said, already gathering his things from his desk.
“What? What’s going on?” he asked, bewildered.
Leave? Why? Was Murong Yan married? Had he unknowingly become the “other man”?
His mind raced as Yan Xiaoling grabbed his bag and practically dragged him out of the office.
“Come on!”
The elevator descended from the 28th floor and stopped on the 8th.
“Go to Manager Xu’s office and wait. I’ll explain later. I need to go downstairs to greet someone!” She shoved his bag into his hands and stepped back into the elevator.
Greet someone? Who? Was Murong Yan back? But if he was, why send him to the 8th floor?
He looked up, confused, just as Xu Yayun looked up from her desk.
“Manager Xu…”
“You’re back,” she said, seemingly unsurprised, pointing to the chair across from her. “Have a seat. Let me just finish this email.”
He sat down, suppressing his questions, and pulled out his phone.
The company forum was quiet. He messaged Mu Haoqiong.
[Cheng: Is something happening today?]
[PoorPoor: What do you mean?]
[Cheng: Is there an important meeting today?]
[PoorPoor: You’re the CEO’s assistant, and the CEO and his secretary are both away. You’re the top dog now. Shouldn’t I be asking you about important meetings?]
Murong Cheng: So Mu Haoqiong didn’t know either.
He glanced at Xu Yayun, who was still focused on her computer, then messaged Murong Yan.
[Cheng: Yan-ge, when are you coming back?]
It must be morning in Europe, and Murong Yan was probably busy. He waited, but there was no reply.
Just as he was starting to feel restless, Xu Yayun finally looked up.
“Ah Cheng, stay in Brand Marketing for a few days,” she said, rummaging through a stack of documents. “Here’s the distribution plan for next year’s new product. Take a look and give us your feedback.”
Her tone and behavior reminded him of how she used to find excuses to give him work when everyone else treated him like the CEO’s brother.
Her expression was calm and reassuring, but he still felt uneasy.
Yan Xiaoling’s panic earlier, the urgency of his relocation to the 8th floor, the lack of response from Murong Yan… had something happened to the CEO?
He called Murong Yan directly, bypassing Duan Shao, right in front of Xu Yayun.
His breath hitched, his face paling as the phone rang. No answer. He tried again.
Still no answer. He tried calling his international number.
Nothing.
Xu Yayun walked over to him.
“CEO Murong must be busy…” she said, her voice uncertain.
“What’s going on, Manager Xu?” he asked, his eyes reddening with fear and worry.
Xu Yayun carefully chose her words. “I don’t know the details. Xiaoling just told me to have you stay here for a few days.”
He didn’t believe her. He stared at her. “Manager Xu.”
She sighed. “I heard… this is just hearsay, mind you… that CEO Murong has been reported for alleged illicit dealings with a government agency during the new product launch. Lingyu Group and the authorities are investigating.”
“What?” His eyes widened in disbelief.
“That’s why Xiaoling sent you down here. You’re the closest person to CEO Murong, and he and Mr. Duan are both abroad. She was afraid they would question you,” Xu Yayun explained, handing him a glass of water and patting his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Guangyu is a big target. These things happen. With CEO Murong in charge, we’ll be fine. And you should trust him. The company wouldn’t do anything illegal.”
“Will this affect our current operations?”
“It’s hard to say. Depends on how long the investigation takes. But—” Xu Yayun frowned. “With CEO Murong abroad, it’s difficult to predict. But don’t worry, he must be aware of the situation. And please, don’t spread this around. The investigation is confidential until there’s concrete evidence. Leaking this information could damage the company, and even Lingyu Group.”
Murong Cheng nodded. “Okay, Manager Xu.”
Did Murong Yan know? What would he do? Would he fly back immediately?
He fidgeted anxiously. “Is there anything I can do?”
Xu Yayun looked troubled. “You haven’t been the CEO’s assistant for long. You’re not familiar with the details.”
So he could only wait.
Murong Yan was in trouble, and he couldn’t do anything.
He had never felt so helpless.
He had always been a mediocre student, lacking clear goals and specific skills. He had gotten into Guangyu by pretending to be the CEO’s brother and had spent most of his time slacking off. Even after becoming the CEO’s assistant, he hadn’t taken his work seriously. Now, when Murong Yan needed him, he could only hide and try not to be a burden.
Seeing his distress, Xu Yayun tried to comfort him. “Don’t worry too much. Everything will be fine. After all, our CEO is Murong Yan, a legend in the business world.”
He forced a smile. “Yeah.”
Xu Yayun handed him the documents again. “Here’s the distribution plan. Take a look. Maybe you’ll have some valuable insights. You can sit at your old desk, across from Zou Xun. Let me know if you have any questions.”
He took the documents and nodded.
Back at his old desk, he couldn’t focus.
Murong Yan wasn’t replying to his messages or answering his calls. Neither was Duan Shao. Even Yan Xiaoling had stopped responding. He had no idea what was happening on the 28th floor.
After lunch break, the lights in the office came on. Zou Xun looked at him with surprise and confusion.
“Ah Cheng, you’re back?”
He forced a smile, pretending nothing was wrong. “Manager Xu asked me to review the distribution plan for next year’s product.”
Zou Xun blinked. “Next year’s plan?”
He nodded, avoiding her gaze.
The Brand Marketing department was unusually noisy that afternoon.
Two months ago, during the product launch, everyone had been busy with business trips and meetings. Now that the Light City Go launch was over, the office was more lively.
His desk was near the aisle, and people kept passing by. He could sense their curiosity, their desire to chat. But he couldn’t discuss the situation on the 28th floor, and his mind was too preoccupied to engage in small talk.
Unable to sit still, he left the office. No one seemed to care about his attendance anyway.
Outside the SKYLINE building, he tried calling Murong Yan again.
Still no answer.
He had last spoken to Murong Yan yesterday, who mentioned being in Germany. He searched for flights to Germany.
He didn’t want to do anything but be with Murong Yan. He was worried, he wanted to help, and he… missed him.
The longing was overwhelming. He wished he could fly to him immediately.
The next flight to Germany was tonight, but he didn’t have a visa.
Dejected, he wandered aimlessly through the streets, ending up near Chi Yu’s studio.
It was late. The artist should be awake by now. He trudged upstairs and rang the doorbell.
He heard rustling sounds from inside, then the door opened.
“What are you doing here?”
Chi Yu, wearing pajamas, looked surprised but let him in.
He noticed Murong Cheng’s pale face. “What happened?”
Murong Cheng shook his head silently.
“What’s wrong with Murong Yan?” Chi Yu asked, turning on the lights.
Murong Cheng hesitated, unsure whether to tell him about the situation on the 28th floor. He looked up and noticed a red mark on Chi Yu’s neck.
“You…”
Chi Yu followed his gaze and looked down at himself, then hurried to the mirror.
He touched his nose sheepishly. “So… what were you saying about Murong Yan?”
Murong Cheng: “Are you seeing someone?”
Chi Yu turned away, embarrassed. “Not officially.”
Murong Cheng: “Someone from the bar?”
Chi Yu nodded. “Yes. Tell me what happened.”
“He’s in trouble. I want to go to him,” Murong Cheng said, sighing heavily.
“Then go. Did you get your visa?”
“I don’t know. I submitted the application a few days ago.”
Chi Yu: “Did you check the status? I asked my contact to expedite it. It should be ready.”
Murong Cheng pulled out his phone and checked the application status, not expecting much.
To his surprise, the visa had been approved. His passport was being delivered and would arrive within an hour.
“It’s approved?”
Chi Yu looked at his phone. “Yep.”
Murong Cheng: “So I can go as soon as I get my passport?”
Chi Yu: “Technically, you can leave in an hour.”
Everything was happening so fast. He opened a flight booking app.
It would take an hour to get to the airport, plus two hours for check-in… he could still make the flight to Germany tonight.
But the last-minute ticket was almost full price, even economy class costing a small fortune.
His phone buzzed. A message from Chi Yu.
A money transfer. 50,000 yuan.
Murong Cheng was stunned.
Chi Yu: “Go to him if you’re worried. Your heart’s already there anyway.”
Murong Cheng: “So… I should go?”
He checked the visa status again.
It was being delivered. He could fly to Germany tonight to see Murong Yan.
Chi Yu smiled and nodded encouragingly. “Go. Be safe.”
