Chapter 14

「You are good towards everyone and not just me.」

–

It was Monday when Huo Sheng returned to his usual state.

During the morning meeting, Cheng Yan noticed that Huo Sheng’ was in better shape and his usual smile was back. This made Cheng Yan really happy.

This happiness was quite evident that even Liang Chen, who was asking Cheng Yan for help, said, “What is it that is making you feel this happy.”

Cheng Yan looked at her and only shook his head.

Liang Chen asked again, “By the way, did your mom arrange a blind date for you?”

Cheng Yan was wordless at her fast change of topic. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but slowly nod his head.

Liang Chen laughed and said, “So you really do have one.”

The sound of laughter attratched the interest of Miao Yu. She quickly asked, “What? What’s so funny?”

Liang Chen looked at her and truthfully said, “Blind date.”

“What? Cheng Yan went on a blind date?” Miao Yu was very surprised.

Liang Chen laughed as she waved her hand. She explained, “No, it was me. I went on one before.”

“Huh?” Miao Yu was even more shocked this time. “Assistant Liang, do you even need a blind date? I thought that…” She glanced to the side and stopped in mid-sentence.

“You thought what?” Liang Chen asked.

“I thought a person as talented as you wouldn’t have to go to blind dates.” Miao Yu continued, “But what’s your type? Someone like Brother Sheng?”

“Hm…” Cheng Yan doesn’t seem to hate this topic and answered, “Someone like Brother Sheng is quite suitable for marriage, but nevermind about dating.”

“Why? You’re implying quite a lot of things here.” Miao Yu said.

Liang Chen leaned next to Miao Yu and whispered in her ear, and then Miao Y blurted out with disbelief, “Isn’t that a so-called ‘scumbag’ characteristic?”

Cheng Yan looked over.

Miao Yu also stared back.

Cheng Yan knew that Miao Yu wasn’t going to talk so he looked at Liang Chen.

Liang Chen and Miao Yu bursted out laughing. Liang Chen said, “Look at your terrified face. We were only saying that Brother Sheng is kind to everyone. It’s a compliment.”

Cheng Yan relaxed a little, but he couldn’t stop himself from going over the idea of Huo Sheng “being nice to everyone”, confirming that his previous thoughts were all a misinterpretation.

Liang Chen chatted for a few minutes before leaving with the backup information that she told Cheng Yan to transfer.

Miao Yu, who remained, looked at Cheng Yan with a full face of smile. After a while, she leaned in, “Cheng Yan, you’re the best. You keep a distance with everyone and it shows your uniqueness.” Then she shrank back.

This stunned Cheng Yan as he began to worry about whether he had been a little too friendly with Huo Sheng or not.

He couldn’t tell what those days when he would deliberately stay late until night will suggest in the eyes of others.

With this one remark, Cheng Yan didn’t go to the tea room

When Miao Yu returned, she looked at him strangely as he had returned early. “Cheng Yan, are you feeling sick?”

“I’m not,” Cheng Yan looked up, “why?”

Miao Yu blinked. “You don’t usually take lunchtime naps1. You’re doing it so suddenly so it’s a bit strange. It’s like someone breaking their habit out of nowhere.”

Cheng Yan stared at the table and sat there in silence, thinking that Miao Yu was right. Then he thought, he was just a nobody and they probably haven’t noticed anything. He lay on the table once again and muffled, “It’s nothing, I just want to take a rest.”

Ever since Huo Sheng mentioneed at the morning meeting that he wanted to bring the project’s deadline forward a little, everyone has been tense.

Cheng Yan was very quick with his progress since he had been working overtime.

When Fatty knew about it, he couldn’t resist the urge and threw his stuff over to him and gave him a glorified excuse, “The time’s getting tight so just help me out. We’re all colleagues after all.”

Cheng Yan knew what Fatty was thinking but he didn’t refuse. He took it in silence, treating it as a part of his work.

When it was nearly time to finish work, Huo Sheng suddenly called Cheng Yan to the office.

When Cheng Yan saw the message, he thought it would be about Fatty or some problem about work. However, he saw Huo Sheng sitting in the office and talking on the phone when he pushed through the door.

He stood in the office upright for a few minutes, waiting for Huo Sheng to finish before looking at him.

Huo Sheng smiled and apologised for making him wait. Then he asked, “Are you busy at the moment?”

Cheng Yan shook his head honestly. “Is something wrong?”

Huo Sheng answered, “The higher ups suddenly want to hold a meeting so I can’t get off work. It’s something personal. I want to ask if you could help me pick up my daughter?”

Before Cheng Yan could speak, he continued, “I was going to ask Liang Chen instead, but she’s on a business trip. I called her and she told me she wouldn’t be able to come back yet.”

“You only need to pick her up and play with her for a while. I’ll come find you guys when I finish work.” Huo Sheng was quite sincere when he spoke. “Is it convenient for you?”

“I, I don’t have any experience in taking care of children.” Cheng Yan said tactfully.

Huo Sheng thought that he was politely refusing him. He was about to say that it was okay but Cheng Yan spoke once again. “Please can you give me the address. I will call you if I have any problems.2”

Huo Sheng smiled and took a pen and a piece of paper from his table. He wrote the address and his phone number and gave it to Cheng Yan.

Cheng Yan looked at it. It was a private kindergarten that is not too far from his apartment in Linjiang District.

When he arrived at the entrace of the private kindergarten, Cheng Yan was quite nervous. It was his first time meeting the child, and the photo he had only seen of her could only be vaguely remembered.

Right after he had arrived at the entrace, a teacher holding a chubby little girl asked quietly, “Are you Mr. Cheng Yan?”

Cheng Yan nodded and looked down.

He saw a little girl, who was pouting and looked reluctant, tugging at the teacher’s hand wanting to pull away.

The teacher crouched down and told her something, which Cheng Yan couldn’t hear clearly. After they were done, the little girl carried her school bag. Her face instantly scrunched up, as if she was about to cry.

Cheng Yan and the teacher were flustered. Cheng Yan who was panicking didn’t know what to say.

Coincidentally, Cheng Yan’s phone rang. He picked it up and heard Huo Sheng’s gentl voice, “I only have two minutes. Give the phone to Xiao man, I’ll talk to her.”

Cheng Yan gave her the phone and watched as the little fellow cried out with a “wah”, all the while she was calling him dad.

She calmed down after awhile and wiped the tears on her face with the back of her hand. She nodded, “I’ll go with brother.”

Cheng Yan was stunned.

What? “Brother”?