Chapter 101
Note: Early chapter release. Thank you for the Ko-Fi, Sakuradahl!
Just as Li Yu thought, he promptly acted on it.
Luckily, such kind of competitions were usually held on weekends, and today was a Saturday, making leaving much more convenient. If it hadn't been for participating in the school competition, he would have taken the bus home as soon as his classes ended yesterday afternoon.
Li Yu’s face wore a cold expression, but actually, he was restless inside. He barely paid attention to who got second and third place, casually hearing some unfamiliar names, probably seniors from his major.
Only when the invigilator finally announced the results of the competition, once Li Yu joined the school team chat group, did he hastily head towards Galen Technology.
Even though it was just a small school competition, being able to stand out from three to four hundred people and entering the school team, representing the school in future competitions, was a joyous event for Li Yu. It was proof that he had made the first successful step on his intended path. Yesterday, before he took a leave from Mu Cai for the school competition, he had chosen to keep his participation a secret, just to be safe. Now victorious, Li Yu was already eager to share his joy with Mu Cai.
He squeezed onto the always crowded bus, his mood as excited as a bird flying under the clear sky. Even the normally unpleasant smell inside the bus could be disregarded.
However, all of Li Yu's good feelings vanished when he arrived at the bustling Central Business District, rode the elevator, and stepped into the office area of Galen Technology.
Because as soon as he glanced into the compartmentalized office enclosed by transparent glass, he saw Lin Xingchen, one hand propped on Mu Cai's desk, leaning over and speaking to Mu Cai, who was sitting in the chair.
The grown man sported an expensive shirt, his tie loosened around his neck, and with his fully grown, towering frame, he nearly engulfed the slender young man within his self-constructed space. The immaculate young man wore a puzzled look on his face, looking up at the other with a revealed stretch of vulnerable yet beautiful chin and neck line.
It looked like a scene right out of an urban office romance drama.
Unconsciously, Li Yu’s hand at his side clenched tightly.
He hadn't yet had a chance to greet his colleagues in the cubicles. He had entered almost silently. Some of his project team colleagues had already begun to notice him. Just as one was about to greet him, he was softly tapped by a girl with a ponytail wearing glasses.
“What are you hitting me for?”
“Shh! Don't you see Li Yu is looking at something?”
Upon hearing the girl with glasses say this, the puzzled colleague followed Li Yu's gaze, and took in the scene inside the boss's office. Not only him, but other members of the project team also began to sense the unusual atmosphere. They lifted their heads to pinpoint the source of the problem, then, collectively, their eyes lit up.
Sigh! Coming to the company to work overtime on such a clear, leisurely weekend was too depressing! Luckily for them, today they had the privilege of witnessing such a riveting scene reminiscent of a palace drama on-site! The accumulated frustration from the past few days seemed to get a bit of relief!
Living right upstairs in the residential area, with their milk tea at hand, the tasks long completed, the chubby geeks who were chasing palace dramas on their computers sprawled all over their chairs were thinking about how comfortable their current situation was.
Li Yu, however, didn't care about the thoughts of those geeks. Or rather, ever since he stepped in, his eyes hadn't registered the existence of his sneaky colleagues peeking from the cubicles. Now, all eyes were on the two people inside the single-room office.
Basking in the sunlight, Mu Cai, dressed in a casual striped shirt, looked like he had descended from heaven as a sacred angel. He seemed to be saying something to Lin Xingchen, but the computer on Lin's desk was closed, so it didn't seem like they were discussing work. Coupled with their rather intimate poses, Li Yu's thoughts began to stray in an unfavorable direction.
He took silent, agile steps like a cheetah eying its prey, waiting to strike—stealthily approaching them. He gently pushed open the glass door.
At that moment in the cubicles, colleagues craning their necks to watch the scene suddenly elongated their necks like geese, leaning in even further to witness the spectacle from the side.
Lin Xingchen and Mu Cai's conversation filtered intermittently through the door:
"...Since you plan to change your ways and turn over a new leaf, perhaps it's time for Young Master Mu to abandon the habit of pampering his little lovers as well."
"...Brother Chen, I think that's my personal matter, and you shouldn't..."
"What shouldn't I do? Has Young Master Mu forgotten who is really paying my salary?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Cai couldn't help but become a little nervous.
Who else could be paying Lin Xingchen's salary if not his elder brother?
Although after this trip home for the New Year, Mu Cai had fully realized that his elder brother adored him. On the very day he went home, he had spent more than 3,000 yuan on toys for his little nephew, and Mu Hong had immediately transferred him 10,000 yuan, telling him that this was an additional allowance on top of his regular monthly pocket money and that he should accept it. But the thought of his brother's stern face and furrowed eyebrows once he found out about this matter still sent a chill down Mu Cai's spine.
Mu Cai didn't notice that the office door had been quietly cracked open, and that someone was standing frozen at the entrance.
Instead, he asked tentatively, "What did my brother say to you?"
Lin Xingchen loosened his already slack tie, revealing a glimpse of the collarbone he usually concealed so meticulously. His face always bore a confident smile. "Nothing much, just gave me a few tasks. But Young Master Mu, it’s time for you to settle down. Stop thinking about keeping... someone else, especially don’t do something absurd like sending your lover into the company."
With that, he turned his head slightly, his gaze casually drifting toward the doorway.
The hand that Li Yu had on the doorknob tightened, veins popping on the back of his hand. It seemed as if in the next second, he could tear down the glass door in front of him with his bare hands.
This scene stirred excitement among the people in the cubicles, who were listening in like a gaggle of geese.
Has Brother Lin finally reached his limit?! Is he finally going to declare war on his love rival?! Is he finally going to openly move in to steal the girl under his rival's roof?!
When Li Yu first joined the project team, the employees, having heard quite a few rumors about their boss, believed that Li Yu was Mu Cai's secret lover. Thus, their initial impression of him was rather average. However, they soon discovered that their boss was quite different from the person described in the rumors. He was humble, polite, strikingly beautiful, generous, and considerate. Who wouldn't like such a benefactor? It wouldn't be unusual at all for Li Yu to have that kind of mindset, as many people would be eager to date him! If they had his good looks, they would naturally want to give it a shot!
Moreover, since the boss started living in the company, he had never done anything out of the ordinary with Li Yu during working hours. At most, they would have meals together. Work-wise, there was no special treatment, and Li Yu himself was highly capable. The project team members gradually stopped thinking about the possibility that the new colleague was the boss's secret lover, and they merely enjoyed watching him through the glass every day. This unspoken relationship gradually sank into silence.
Now that Lin Xingchen had spilled the beans, the metaphorical windowpane had been shattered, and it was unclear how the boss and Li Yu would react.
The necks of the geese-like employees in the cubicles had stretched out so far that they were just short of emitting screeching quacks to fan the flames.
Mu Cai hadn't expected Lin Xingchen to be so blunt, especially asking such a question in his office. Although he felt a little embarrassed, he quickly clarified, "Brother Chen, I think it's a misunderstanding. Li Yu and I are not in that kind of relationship. I brought him to the company because I knew he had a difficult family situation, and I happened to be able to help..."
Lin Xingchen interrupted him, staring into Mu Cai's star-like eyes with a dangerous undertone in his low voice, "CEO Mu, are you telling me that you have not considered keeping him?"
Mu Cai: "..."
Mu Cai was silent.
He himself had no such intention, but the original owner of his body did! Although Mu Cai was now playing the original owner's role, and the plot was a bit off track, he still wanted to stick to the script as much as possible. After all, aside from following the plot, Mu Cai was at a loss for what else he could do. He came to trigger the energy field, not to specifically experience a different kind of life. He wanted to return as soon as possible, considering that his body had almost deteriorated the last time he had to lie down for so long.
Seeing Mu Cai's silence, Lin Xingchen's eyes darkened, "Do you like younger, good-looking people? You are quite young, and it's not good to be so fond of beauty. I think you would be better suited to someone older and more mature..."
His advice hadn't finished when a knock sounded on the glass door.
Relieved, Mu Cai quickly looked towards the door but found himself choking the moment he saw Li Yu standing there. He felt stuck for the first time, not knowing what to say, and an embarrassing blush spread quickly across his face.
The person sitting in the chair, with soft black hair draped around his ears and shining eyes fixed on him, looked embarrassed. His face was flushed, his charming lips slightly parted, and he looked hand-footedly like a small kitten that had done something wrong, trying to escape his predicament by acting cute.
Despite the raging anger in Li Yu's heart, it all went out when he caught Mu Cai's glance. He had never been angry at Mu Cai, just upset about his thoughts. But now, his anger was directed at Lin Xingchen.
This undesirable man had the audacity to propose himself while belittling him, just because he didn't fit Mu Cai's taste!
Li Yu said coldly, "Boss, I have something to say to you."
Mu Cai took a deep breath.
After all, it was his fault. He nodded, his ears still red as if they were bloody rubies, "Okay."
At this moment, Lin Xingchen, who was about to comment, saw Mu Cai giving him a look, saying, "Brother Chen, please step out."
Lin Xingchen paused and turned to look at Mu Cai, only to see that the young man's gaze had already turned determined.
He pursed his lips, straightened his clothes, and walked past them. As he passed, he took a special look at Li Yu, seeing that his face was overcast, and his rage was almost visible on the top of his head.
Lin Xingchen quietly lamented, young people were indeed impulsive. Once he left, this man might do something out of line.
As he reflected on this potential opportunity, Lin Xingchen strode out of the room with a self-satisfied smile on his face.
However, he'd barely taken a few steps out of the office when he heard gasps and the faint sound of a shriek from the cubicles' direction.
Quickly turning around, what Lin Xingchen saw left him shocked. Li Yu had one hand on the back of Mu Cai's head, the other clutching Mu Cai's slender, alabaster wrists, as he plunged into an intense kiss with him!
________________________
Author's Note:
Concubine Li: The palace is fraught with danger and crawling with strange and nefarious creatures. On occasion, it is necessary to employ risky strategies to break the stalemate.
Senior Minister Lin: Quick, save the Emperor!
Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter
No comments:
Post a Comment