Chapter 2

「I can’t tell you, nor anybody, this secret happiness.」

–

“Hello everyone, my name is Huo Sheng.” The surrounding clapped.

From beyond the window, the sunlight of summer was so intense that it was glaring. Something shook Cheng Yan only then did he slightly collect his thoughts. Subsequently, he felt Miao Yu beside him nudged his arm, whispering, “Cheng Yan, time to clap.”

It then occurred to him that he was standing in a meeting on a Monday morning, with only him looking foolishly blank. Thus he quickly lifted a smile and clapped.

When it was over, Miao Yu stopped Cheng Yan before they returned to their seats, anxious about what had happened. She whispered, “How big are your guts to daydream during the first day that our section chef is transferred here. That was the wrong time to do that. Aren’t you worried that he’s going to be dissatisfied with you?”

When she finished, a clacking of high heels meeting the floor sounded from behind.

Miao Yu turned silent, and then she saw the assistant transferred together with the section chef hastily walking towards them. She patted Cheng Yan’s shoulder and even teased him, “Ah Yan, you’re in another league. Chief Huo had just been transferred here and you’re already not giving him any face. What are we going to do with you in future, hm?”

Cheng Yan was muddleheaded to begin with, so when he was told that, he stepped back before he could react and murmured, “No, no I didn’t. I didn’t mean to.”

Knowing that he had reflected on his mistake, she casually grinned, “It’s fine, Chef Huo is not that petty.”

Miao Yu was surprised at how she was acting familiar with him, so she couldn’t work out what sort of relationship they have. And just when she was about to greet her, the assistant extended her hand to her, cheerfully introducing herself, “I’m Liang Chen, Chef Huo’s assistant, your new colleague, plus Ah Yan’s childhood friend.”

“Childhood friends?” Only then did Miao Yu understand. She abruptly looked back, “So that’s why you looked so stumped. I was thinking that you knew the new section chief.”

Cheng Yan softly nodded without voicing which one is true. After a moment of silence, he told Liang Chen, “Why didn’t you tell me in advance that you were transferred here.”

“I wanted to give you a surprise.” A dimple appeared when Liang Chen gleamed. She openly took his arm as if they were brothers.

People around them peeked at the, and when Cheng Yan was aware of this, he said, “By the way, you don’t need to see the chef?”

She loosened her hold as if she had suddenly remembered something. She clapped towards everyone, “Chef Huo said he’ll invite everyone for a gathering tonight, so make sure you’re free at that time. ”

This caused a short burst of cheers, and Liang Chen couldn’t add a few more words before she was called away by someone.

After she was gone, the office swiftly returned to how it was before.

Miao Yu stealthily shuffled her chair, “Hey, Cheng Yan, let me ask you a question.”

“What?” Cheng Yan took a small step back and questioned.

“Is it because…” Miao Yu looked with suspicion and then narrowed her eyes, “You have a beautiful childhood friend that you don’t have a crush on anybody?”

“No.” Cheng Yan instantly said.

Fatty Wang sitting from their opposite became impatient hearing this. He quickly stood up, “Then does Assistant Liang have a boyfriend?”

“Well… She probably doesn’t.” Cheng Yan was unsure this time.

The fatty was immediately joyful. Miao Yu originally didn’t believe his denial, but when she heard his uncertainty her scepticism was put at ease. She moved her chair back and continued her work.

The surrounding was finally quiet. Cheng Yan stared blankly at the monitor

The fact that Liang Chen was going to be transferred here shouldn’t have been a surprise. It was not because Liang Chen told him anything. It was because their company had given them a notice that Huo Sheng may be assigned here last week.

At that time, to Cheng Yan who was only able to see Huo Sheng occasionally on the elevator, that was a message he couldn’t afford to anticipate. After all, he knew that once he had anticipated, his emotions would become uncontrollable as if he was staking everything on a gamble.

Yet, when he saw him in the morning, he would be lying if he didn’t feel secretly happy.

It’s true, and it was a lot. But he can’t express that, not to Liang Chen, and not to Huo Sheng.

And that was similar to this: If Liang Chen and Huo Sheng passed through the corridor near their office, he can only use the whiteboard near the door as an excuse to take a few seemingly inadvertent peeks through the mirror.

Summer at Rong was as flaming hot as last year. Before it was even lunchtime, Fatty Wang had already quietly taken out his phone to search for nearby restaurants.

Cheng Yan was scanning many documents when he saw Fatty Wang raise his head and smiled until his chin was about to drop. He then waved to someone behind him.

Cheng Yan turned around, and as expected, Liang Chen was walking towards him. Without waiting for her to invite him for lunch, he asked, “You don’t need to eat with the chief at noon?”

Liang Chen immediately guessed what Cheng Yan was thinking. She smiled, “Chief Huo needed to do something, what? If you don’t want to eat with your old classmate, you don’t have to show it so clearly, right?”

His disapproval was stuck in Cheng Yan’s throat. Before he could voice it out, Fatty Wang asserted with a “no”, straight up answering for him.

Because of his reply, even Miao Yu’s attention was drawn and she scorned in her mind how embarrassing that was. Fatty Wang once again said, as if he can’t read the atmosphere, “Assistant Liang, why don’t we eat as a whole instead. We haven’t ordered any food yet. You can’t just single us out.”

With that said, Liang Chen can only agree.

Luckily, Liang Chen has been an assistant for quite a long time so she was able to continue the conversation. After lunch, Miao Yu had a new light on her so she couldn’t resist asking anymore, “Are you two really good friends?”

This question made Liang Chen giggle. As she picked up a cup and peered at Cheng Yan, she said, “You’re probably talking about how different our personality is. Ah Yan had always been like that. He never liked talking since young, but…”

“But what?” Miao Yu promptly inquired.

“It took me many years of being acquainted with him to get used to his personality, “ she smiled, “or else I wouldn’t even be friends with someone like that. He can even bore someone to death when you just met him.”

Everyone, even Cheng Yan, laughed.

Maybe it was like that, Cheng Yan didn’t deny. His personality has always been hatefully lukewarm. He also knew that even back then, especially during school when the majority of people mix with each other—he can’t.

Someone with nothing exceptional and timid as him couldn’t even mix even the slightest. As he grew up, this was only made better from slowly getting in touch with people, but this doesn’t mean that everything is well.

Gatherings like this one today always made him hard to fit in. A four-person lunch at noon was fine, but when it was time to finish work, his objection had grown stronger.

They had reserved a place at an internet-famous restaurant. It was slightly far so many of their colleagues decided to carpool.

Miao Yu was invited to one of the cars, but before she left, she asked Cheng Yan, “What transport are you getting? Do you want to go with us?”

Cheng Yan saw that there were a lot of people, but he didn’t want to burden her so he found an excuse, “I have something I need to do, so I’ll go once it’s done.”

Miao Yu didn’t suspect him and only said, “Then I’ll see you there.”

Cheng Yan, who was staying, sighed. He became lost in his thoughts as he nonchalantly tidied up the files. He then came downstairs, prepared to take the train there.

But he didn’t foresee that once he came down, he would see a black car stop by the entrance.

The window rolled down and sitting in the front seats were Huo Sheng and Liang Chen.

Afterwards, Liang Chen smiled, “Ah Yan, let’s go together?”