LA ⋆ Chapter 2: Illicit Melon

The floor-to-ceiling window was mostly blocked by curtains, leaving the room slightly dim.

Cheng Ai leaned out from behind the man, his brow slightly furrowed in the backlighting, his expression far from pleasant.

How could anyone be pleased at being interrupted during something like this.

Cheng Ai released the man in front of him and said to Sheng Yao: "You go out first."

"Oh, oh, oh, okay, okay!" Sheng Yao nodded frantically, though his mind was already fried, crackling with static. He was still mindful of the ten-minute optimal tasting window. He had to deliver the coffee while it was hot. "Drink it while it's warm. The boss said it's not as spicy once it cools down."

Under two gazes laden with unclear meaning, Sheng Yao stepped forward and placed the coffee and cake on Cheng Ai's desk. In the instant their eyes crossed, Sheng Yao caught a glimpse of something incomprehensible in Cheng Ai's gaze. As for the other man, Sheng Yao got a clear look at his face. He was a rather handsome man, one Sheng Yao had never seen before.

Every step felt like walking across a bed of burning coals and blades, such agony! A mere few meters, yet it felt like crossing ten thousand mountains and rivers. Back, back, back, back, back! Sheng Yao retreated quickly, and with this retreat, who knew if it would be for a lifetime.

Out at the workstations, a few heads were craning forward, eager to watch the drama unfold.

Sheng Yao came out and closed the door, standing respectfully at the threshold. His heart was still unsettled, his mind replaying the scene he had just witnessed, and he suddenly became acutely aware of how tactless he had been, which made him wince inwardly.

Faint cricket-like sounds drifted from behind the door.

Sheng Yao stood motionless, eyes on his nose, nose toward his heart, and strangely found himself growing calm.

Everyone had always loved this kind of murky, unclear, ambiguous, illicit drama, just like those distant aunts and uncles who never kept in touch always loved asking him how things were going between his father and the mistress-turned-stepmother. Everyone had also never treated him as an ordinary assistant.

Not until today, seeing this man, did Sheng Yao suddenly understand.

He actually knew that his colleagues had opinions about him sharing an office with the president. As an assistant, he wasn't the most efficient at getting things done, not the most practiced at social finesse, not the best at reading people in negotiations, and he wasn't even the best at drinking, something requiring no real skill. But Cheng Ai insisted on using him, and somehow he had this privilege.

He firmly believed his strength lay in being honest, reliable, and error-free, diligent, clever, and eager to learn. Though not a perfect all-rounder, he was at least a six-sided one. On the civil side, he could complete his assistant duties in an orderly manner. On the martial side, he could drive, run errands, and fix the printer. Even if Cheng Ai suddenly said he had fallen in love with jianbing, Sheng Yao could go learn to make them on the spot.

From inside the office came what sounded like an argument, though the soundproofing meant he couldn't hear it clearly.

Sheng Yao looked toward the glass, where a blurred mirror reflected a blurred face.

Since childhood, people had always told him he was good-looking. Sheng Yao believed good looks couldn't fill a belly, so they were useless, and he had never paid much attention to his face. He tried to make out his own features in the blurred reflection. He had indeed heard idle gossip about this face in relation to Cheng Ai. But he had no mind for what others thought. The one signing his paychecks was Boss Cheng.

Now it seemed the legitimate partner had shown up, and his own workstation might have shaken their relationship.

The people outside were going to be delighted by the drama.

When Chen Siyu pulled open the door, he caught sight of Sheng Yao's face tilted slightly upward to the side.

He had heard the guy had been working here for three years and still had no office air about him. Tsk, how infuriating.

Chen Siyu appraised Sheng Yao's fair face beneath his short black hair. His brows and eyes were gentle, his dense and long lashes lowered, obscuring the light in his eyes and making him seem unthreatening. Probably from being in the sun downstairs, his nose tip and cheeks had a slight flush. The midday sunlight scattered gold across the floor of the room, and this person stood perfectly straight in the light.

Perhaps noticing Chen Siyu come out, Sheng Yao stiffened slightly, pressed his lips together, and after a moment said, "Sorry for the interruption."

"Ha, just as I thought… never mind." Chen Siyu let out a scoffing laugh. "Cheng Ai wants you to come in."

"Okay." Sheng Yao agreed, and spared a thought that the boss's partner was truly a man of outstanding talent and bearing.

It's fine. Worst case he loses the job. Life is nothing but displacement anyway. He's used to it. He can still struggle on, and besides, this work experience looks good on a resume. He just needs to make up a reason for leaving.

After some self-reassurance, Sheng Yao walked in with a composed expression. The curtains had been pulled open. Cheng Ai sat in his rotating boss chair, biting the straw of the spicy chili oil coffee.

Impressive. He was drinking it without changing expression. The boss really was the boss.

Being fair about it, Cheng Ai was very good-looking. Even if he liked men, he wasn't the type of nouveau riche who needed to spend money to prey on pretty boys. Someone like Cheng Ai should have plenty of people throwing themselves at him.

Huh?

Sheng Yao, Sheng Yao, what are you thinking about.

Cheng Ai suddenly slid forward in his chair, elbows planted on the desk, and abruptly looked up at Sheng Yao, his eyes black as an abyss.

Sheng Yao's heart suddenly tightened, and he felt as if he had thorns in his back under the piercing gaze of those eyes.

Cheng Ai had excellent bone structure, his features sharp and distinct, the line from his jaw to his neck nearly perfect. He was tall and slender, about five or six centimeters taller than Sheng Yao. Occasionally when Sheng Yao helped him tie his tie, he would unconsciously feel a sense of being surrounded, of pressure.

So now, even though Sheng Yao was standing and Cheng Ai was sitting, it was as if Cheng Ai was the one looking down from above.

"President Cheng, is there anything you need?" Sheng Yao broke Cheng Ai's gaze.

Cheng Ai slowly withdrew his probing and judgmental gaze and tossed the grape cheesecake onto the desk, in front of Sheng Yao.

"I don't eat this."

What a grand gesture over a slice of cake. Scared me half to death.

"Okay, I'll take it away right now."

Sheng Yao took the grape cheesecake back to his workstation, the position just to the left-front of Cheng Ai's leather throne, a spot easily monitored for slacking off. Though Sheng Yao generally didn't slack, and even if he did sometimes, Cheng Ai wouldn't say anything about it.

Yes, wouldn't say anything even if he did slack.

Sheng Yao was too lazy to use a spoon, so he just put on gloves and picked up the cake and started eating it directly. At the same time, he opened a job recruitment page on his computer. He couldn't let his social insurance and benefits lapse. Better to cast a wide net and be prepared. What if Cheng Ai just felt awkward bringing it up in person after three years of working together and planned to have HR handle it behind the scenes?

Several departments had been downsizing recently. Sheng Yao had a very bad feeling.

Sigh, his heart ached again thinking about the enhanced benefits package Cheng Ai had been giving him.

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