Chapter 95
Note: Early chapter release. Thank you for the Ko-Fi, Sakuradahl! ◝(ᵔᵕᵔ)◜
In the company, and under the gaze of astonished and thrilled employees, Mu Cai diligently worked for about ten days, allowing himself to immerse fully in his work until the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month.
This day marked the end of the year's work for Galen Technology. Vacation would start the next day. As Mu Cai walked into the office area in the morning, he could feel the peculiar ease and excitement floating in the air, different from the usual atmosphere.
It was a kind of unrestrained aura typical of those who continued to work fervently before the long-awaited break. Affected by such a contagious climate, Mu Cai found his steps to be lighter and more brisk than usual.
As always, he greeted Lin Xingchen, who just fixed his coffee in the break room, and also acknowledged the cubicle workers who had started tapping their keyboards. Then, Mu Cai noticed something seemed off about Li Yu.
While he greeted Mu Cai with a smile, it appeared very flat and quickly disappeared when he lowered his head. Li Yu was naturally a cool and reserved person. Beyond the moments he spent with Mu Cai, where he smiled more, he remained silent and expressionless most of the time.
Although this usually wasn't a significant concern, on a day when everyone else was extremely relaxed and cheerful, Li Yu's aloofness stood out, and it clashed with the mood around him. Being the thoughtful and attentive person that he was, and as the pursued protagonist in this story, Mu Cai naturally picked up on the possibility that something might be bothering Li Yu.
He didn't raise the issue at the time. But when lunchtime came, Mu Cai, as usual, was the first to leave the office. He hurried everyone to go to lunch and ended up walking side by side with Li Yu.
Throughout these ten-plus days, aside from breakfast, he had been eating lunch and dinner in the staff cafeteria together with Li Yu. Li Yu might not be fond of conversing, but he was considerate and attentive. Given the vast variety of food prepared by the cooks in the cafeteria, Mu Cai always had a hard time choosing. It had always been Li Yu who voluntarily helped him deal with this issue.
The cafeteria staff had now become familiar with them. Whenever they saw Mu Cai and Li Yu approaching, they would swiftly fetch two small bowls from the cafeteria cart nearby. As per Mu Cai's direction, Li Yu picked up a bowl of sour soup dumplings and a rice set meal. On the other hand, Mu Cai casually held two small bowls, two pairs of chopsticks, and a spoon.
After they sat down, Li Yu promptly placed both meals side by side on the table. Mu Cai started filling a bowl with soup dumplings, casually asking, "How was your work this morning? Was it all right?"
He had asked Li Yu this question only a few times during the first two days, but not once during the subsequent ten-plus days. He didn't want to impose psychological pressure on Li Yu. When Mu Cai unexpectedly brought up the subject, Li Yu, who was stuffing a dumpling into his mouth, glanced at him from across the table.
Swallowing his dumpling, Li Yu raised his eyebrows and replied with a smile, "It's pretty good. I can already help my team by handling some of the simpler codes."
Mu Cai immediately praised him, "That's impressive, your fast adaptation is commendable!" After complimenting Li Yu, he carefully probed, "You've been working hard during your internship. With the holiday starting tomorrow, you should take time to relax. Do you have any plans?"
It was only towards the end that Mu Cai managed to ask what he genuinely wanted to know. Seeing Li Yu in a bad mood that morning, he speculated that it was possibly because the company was about to take an annual break. Given the protagonist's tragic past, his heart bled for him. He wanted to show some concern.
As anticipated, Li Yu's eyes dimmed. He chuckled lightly before lowering his head, "No plans, just going through it as usual. You don't have to worry about me; I've gotten used to it."
His sharp facial features softened as he closed his eyes, revealing his fuzzy scalp. At first glance, this scene was somewhat familiar.
In the last world, Qin Zhongjun had also once lowered his head in this manner. And Li Yu, shared many similarities with him, the same high-bridged nose, thin lips, and sharp eyebrows.
For a moment, Mu Cai's mind was lost. Coming back to himself, he felt a pang in his heart. The only thing he could do was to awkwardly change the topic, "The company returns from holiday on the seventh day of the lunar new year. When does your school start? Do you want to continue working part-time? The company can provide you with a computer to participate in the project even if you're not physically present."
The man sitting opposite him had shiny eyes reflecting his image. He seemed somewhat restrained and somewhat regretful; his long eyelashes fluttered slightly. Even under the dim light, Mu Cai's hair appeared soft. The whole man seemed like a finely crafted doll, making one anticipate the feeling of holding him.
Li Yu was indeed upset, but his demeanor just then was somewhat staged, as he harbored a small wish to evoke sympathy. Seeing this version of Mu Cai, however, he instantly regretted it. Hurting Mu Cai was like slicing a blade across a soft, exquisite doll, especially since this "doll" was by his side to comfort him.
He hastily responded, "If possible, I would like to continue working part-time because I can learn a lot. But I was wondering if I could lodge here during the weekends?"
"Of course!" Mu Cai answered, "As an employee, you can come back here anytime. The employee cafeteria also provides a small amount of food on the weekends. You're welcome to eat here as well."
As he spoke, he had some inklings about Li Yu's holiday plans. However, there were some preparations that needed to be taken care of, so he kept his guess to himself, choosing instead to savour the deliciously filled dumpling in front of him.
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After lunch, those who wanted to rest did so, while those who desired to work overtime went straight downstairs to the office area.
Mu Cai, who usually doesn't have much to do and tends to relax, would often opt for a siesta. Li Yu, who never worked over lunch, would follow along.
Lin Xingchen, who used to be a workaholic never indulging in midday breaks, had also recently been joining them in the dormitory rest area. The sudden change surprised the project team, leaving them wondering whether it was the allure of the boss or the intimidating presence of the newcomer that had managed to pull the 'demon king' Lin out of his 'demon realm'.
There was a two-hour break at noon, and they still had an hour and a half left after lunch. As they had plenty of time, Mu Cai decided not to take a nap immediately but to browse on his mobile phone for a while.
Just as he settled himself on the bed, there was a gentle knock on the door.
Occasionally, people would seek him out during the noon break. Without giving it much thought, Mu Cai opened the door to find Lin Xingchen, dressed in a shirt and trousers, standing outside.
Normally, Lin Xingchen didn't look for him during the rest period, and their usual interactions in the office were mostly about company matters. Was there something he hadn't done properly, or had there been an issue with his older brother?
With a bewildered expression, Mu Cai asked, "Brother Chen, you're looking for me? Is there something you need?"
Lin Xingchen raised an eyebrow, "Can't I find you if there's nothing going on?"
Mu Cai: "…"
This line was so familiar that he didn't know how to react. Was he supposed to, like a character in a TV series, hurriedly reply "No, no"?
Seeing the puzzled look on Mu Cai's face, Lin Xingchen couldn't help but laugh before explaining, "Alright, I came over to ask if you need me to give you a ride this afternoon? I have to deliver some materials to President Mu today, and I can take you along the way. If I remember correctly, you should be going home around this time of the year."
The "President Mu" mentioned here was naturally Mu Cai's brother, Mu Hong, the chairman of the Iris Group.
Mu Cai waved his hand, smiling and saying, "No need, Brother Lin. I'll let my brother know."
Lin Xingchen didn't expect to be turned down. After all, Mu Cai did indeed go home around this time in previous years, and Lin Xingchen had given him a ride before.
He had originally wanted to take this opportunity to have a good conversation with Mu Cai and strengthen their relationship. He hoped to change his image in their last meeting before the end of the year, but it didn't go as planned. Lin Xingchen pursed his lips, and the restraint he had honed in the business world ensured that he didn't reveal his disappointment. He simply said, "That's fine. If you need anything, feel free to let me know."
Mu Cai obediently nodded and then sincerely expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Brother Chen, for taking care of me and helping me. I hope you'll continue to look after me in the coming year."
Although he was still clueless about many things, with Lin Xingchen's help, Mu Cai had indeed started to make progress.
The man standing at the door had a beautiful appearance and looked up at him with sincere gratitude in his eyes. Lin Xingchen's mood, which had been somewhat unhappy due to the rejection, instantly vanished, and he smiled, "Alright, let's have a pleasant collaboration in the coming year."
The two chatted for a bit at the door before Lin Xingchen took his leave. As he watched the door close, he turned around and saw a figure peeking out from the room next door.
Li Yu, who had been caught eavesdropping, showed no awareness that he had been caught and displayed no shame on his face. He stared emotionlessly at Lin Xingchen, his cold and stern appearance seemed quite unfriendly.
Lin Xingchen didn't like this guy, first and foremost, because of his appearance.
He didn't have the softness of Mu Cai; at first glance, he seemed like a smelly and hard stone in a pit. Most importantly, his taste in people was exactly the same as Lin Xingchen's, so their targets overlapped.
Lin Xingchen, of course, was not pleased that someone else was coveting the person he was interested in. Fortunately, he had already investigated the other party's family situation. An orphaned student from a poor background who got accepted into the prestigious S university's elite program. His story was surely inspiring and touching, but he was certainly not a good candidate for marriage.
Someone as soft and naive as Mu Cai needed a person who could care for him, not someone who needed him to look after him. Even if Mu Cai might be temporarily blinded by Li Yu's good looks, in the end, it will end like Mu Cai's past relationships — they'll break up soon.
As Mu Cai matured and grew older, he would realize who was truly the right person for him.
So there was no need to rush things.
With that in mind, Lin Xingchen glanced at Li Yu and walked away.
Li Yu stood at the door, his hand clenched into a fist at his side was now even tighter.
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As soon as it hit six in the afternoon, all the employees couldn't hide their excitement. Once Mu Cai emerged from his office to announce the official start of the holiday, they were like birds released from a cage. They picked up their packed belongings and, without looking back, ran off flapping their wings.
The office was emptied rapidly. After being rejected by Mu Cai at noon, Lin Xingchen didn't linger. He greeted Mu Cai and simply went to deliver documents to President Mu.
In the blink of an eye, only Mu Cai and Li Yu were left in the office.
The usually bustling office area now seemed a bit empty and cold, with only the sound of the water flow from the aquarium and the occasional rustling noises from Li Yu tidying up.
They were alone.
This realization sent a thrill of happiness through Li Yu. Although he knew these moments would soon end, since he had heard that Mu Cai was going home today, he wouldn’t stay here for much longer. But Li Yu was happy anyway; even if it meant spending a few more minutes alone with Mu Cai, he would enjoy those minutes.
It was only after everyone in the office had left that Mu Cai walked over to Li Yu.
Li Yu, whose head was dizzy with happiness, finally came to his senses. He realized that Mu Cai seemed to have something to say, something that couldn’t be heard by others.
His heart pounded, thumping fast.
Then, he saw the angel-like face of the person in front of him, smiling at him, with his lips parting softly. His eyes seemed to contain a magical force that captured Li Yu's soul completely:
"Do you want to come to my house for the New Year? I have already talked it over with my parents and elder brother."
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Author's Note:
Concubine Li: I am going to meet the Empress Dowager and the Regent in the palace. I feel unworthy of this honor!
The outcome of this situation will determine if Concubine Li can ascend to the rank of consort!
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