Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Mr. Pan, you are making things difficult for me

Pan Xianchen couldn't sleep, so he called Ning Kai out for a drink. Ning Kai cursed all the way, but still managed to get to Qing Bar in twenty minutes. When he arrived, Pan Xianchen was already drinking. Ning Kai frowned, snatched the glass from Pan Xianchen's hand, and said, "Hu Jingjing won't let me drink. She said I drank a whole aquarium water last time I got drunk."

Pan Xianchen glanced at him and said, "She doesn't let you drink. What does it have to do with me? Give me back the wine."

Ning Kai dodged Pan Xianchen's hand, moving it away from the wine glass, and said, "If you drink, I have to drink with you. It's because we have such a good relationship."

Pan Xianchen didn't mind not being able to get the wine back. He rested his head on his hand and commented on Ning Kai: "Disgusting."

Ning Kai said, "Who's disgusted? I abandoned Hu Jingjing for you, and when I got out of bed, Hu Jingjing told me to just roll over and sleep in your bed."

Pan Xianchen's face was filled with disgust: "It's even more disgusting."

He waved his hand, asking the bartender to bring him another drink, and warned Ning Kai, "Can you please stop mentioning Hu Jingjing? You're just showing off."

Ning Kai rested his elbows on the bar, the wine glass held between his fingers. The liquid swayed, reflecting Ning Kai's playful face. He leaned against the bar with his legs crossed, his right foot tapping the ground. He tilted his head to look at Pan Xianchen and said, "What's wrong with you? Drowning your sorrows in wine? What happened?"

Pan Xianchen tilted his head back, opened his mouth, and swallowed the newly poured wine in one gulp without saying a word.

Ning Kai guessed: "Is he heartbroken?"

Pan Xianchen found it amusing. A broken heart? Had he ever been in one? Did anyone acknowledge him? It was all just wishful thinking. He felt humiliated, his face darkening, and he said nothing. He just kept drinking, pouring himself one glass after another, as if he was just going to get drunk and die.

Ning Kai saw his expression and realized the situation was a bit serious. His tone immediately turned serious. "You want to drink yourself to death here? I don't agree. No one here will collect your body!" He snatched Pan Xianchen's glass again and threatened the bartender again, saying, "If you dare give him another drink, I will fire you immediately! This time, I mean it."

The bartender sensed it and nodded hurriedly, took away the empty wine glass in front of Pan Xianchen, and quickly fled to another place.

Pan Xianchen drank so much and so fast that he felt a little dizzy, leaning against the bar with his hands, like a pile of mud. After a long moment, he smiled and said, "You're right, Ning Kai. Not all stories end with us being together. Mine ends with a BE."

Ning Kai: “…”

He was just joking! Ning Kai hurriedly comforted him: "Don't jump to conclusions. What if things take a turn for the better? Besides, if you break up with one, you can find another one. Whatever kind of sister you want to meet, I'll find her for you!"

Pan Xianchen gave up on himself: "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Ning Kai said, "You want to be a monk? Sure, I'll find you some nuns."

Pan Xianchen: “…”

Ning Kai burst out laughing, patted Pan Xianchen on the shoulder, and said, "It was so heartbreaking when Hu Jingjing and I were on and off, but I still managed to get her in the end. You're more cunning and ruthless than me, so how could you not get her? You two are colleagues, right? You're so miserable now, what will you do when we meet at work?"

Pan Xianchen sat in his own private office, the door closed, invisible to the rest of the department. Occasionally, colleagues would visit him to hand in documents or get signatures. With the buyer meeting imminent, he was so busy as a top once he got to work that he had no time to think about anything else.

At 8 a.m., he was already in the conference room, an internal meeting of the leadership team, briefly discussing the meeting arrangements. Next came a departmental briefing, where colleagues discussed their recent work, progress, and follow-up plans, aligning their efforts on a granular level.

Wen Yu's work was complex and tedious. She had a lengthy presentation PowerPoint presentation, and she spent a long time standing in front of the interactive conference screen. Her colleagues stared at her intently: Peng Yan, Pan Xianchen. She didn't dare meet Pan Xianchen's eyes. Whenever her gaze strayed, she'd always brake in time, as if she had a built-in radar system, always avoiding his gaze.

After a while, she put away her laptop and left, more enthusiastic than when she left work.

After returning to the office and sitting down, Ye Yinuo caught up with her from behind, held the back of her chair and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Wen Yu asked back.

"You're not feeling well, tell me, what happened?"

"What's wrong with me? Did I give a bad report at the meeting just now? Or did something go wrong?"

Ye Yinuo stared at her for a while and said, "Your report was very good, without any mistakes. But what is the relationship between you and me? Can't I see that there is something wrong with you? What's going on between you and Mr. Pan? It seems that the auras between you two are not right."

Wen Yu lowered his head and remained silent.

Was it really that obvious? She spoke fluently at the meeting, without a single stutter. She walked off the stage with her head held high, and once seated, she resumed taking notes on her laptop, appearing completely absorbed.

Ye Yinuo said, "When you were reporting, Mr. Pan kept staring at you. But you didn't even look at him. I felt like his eyes were about to burst into flames. There must be something going on between you two, right? Otherwise, why would he look like he wanted to eat you?"

Wen Yu: “…”

She hadn't expected that. Seeing Ye Yinuo's curious expression, Wen Yu casually evaded the question, "Maybe he's jealous of my good speaking skills. Some leaders are like that, very petty."

Ye Yinuo: "..."

"You're kidding me. Forget it." Ye Yinuo rolled his eyes and sat back in his seat angrily.

At lunchtime, Peng Yan came to look for Wen Yu. She had some work details to explain to Wen Yu, and Ye Yinuo was listening. Suddenly, Peng Yan stopped talking. Ye Yinuo followed Peng Yan's gaze and looked at Wen Yu. Wen Yu was eating with her head down, her face showing absent-mindedness.

Peng Yan said, "Shouldn't I be talking about work while you're eating? Is it affecting your appetite?"

Ye Yinuo kicked Wen Yu under the table. Wen Yu came back to his senses and said, "Yeah."

Peng Yan: “…”

Ye Yinuo: "..."

Peng Yan smiled, stood up with the finished plate, and said, "Let's talk about it later."

During lunch break, Wen Yu was called to the tea area by Peng Yan. Peng Yan took out a can of beautifully packaged tea, opened the lid, tore off the packaging, took out a cup, and brewed tea.

"This isn't just any Dahongpao. It's definitely different from the cheap tea we get at work. It shouldn't be brewed this simply, but the conditions here are so poor, so we have to make do." Peng Yan took the teacup from Wen Yu and brewed one for her as well. Then, smiling, she handed it to her and said, "Try it. The flavor is quite different."

Wen Yu took a cautious sip. The tea, with its mineral sweetness, made her mouth water. The pleasant aroma of dry tea lingered, and the layered texture of rocky flavor gradually spread. The tea tasted slightly astringent before quickly mellowing to sweetness. It was indeed different from ordinary tea.

Peng Yan observed her changing expression and explained, "Monks at Tianxin Temple in Wuyi Mountain use tea to heal illnesses. Dahongpao is the king of Wuyi teas and is considered the Buddha's tea. Sipping it is like experiencing the tempering of time and fate. Brewing with boiling water imparts a richer aroma. Even after seven infusions, rock tea still retains its fragrance. This is the fusion of the tea ceremony and spiritual cultivation."

Wen Yu held the teacup and looked at Peng Yan.

Peng Yan said, "You're so smart, you should understand what I mean. People are like tea leaves, constantly soaked in boiling water. Wen Yu, I don't care what happened to you. I need you to adjust your work state immediately. I always believe in your professional ethics and professional ability. Please don't let me down."

Peng Yan left with the teacup. Wen Yu felt a wave of embarrassment. She had thought she had disguised herself well, but in reality, she hadn't escaped Ye Yinuo's observation, nor had she escaped Peng Yan's scrutiny. Just now, Peng Yan's gentle gaze enveloped her, as if tolerating all her inappropriate behavior.

When reporting in the conference room, Peng Yan looked at her with this kind of eyes, as if saying to her: You concealed it well, but this is not the work attitude you should have.

Wen Yu went to the bathroom to wash her face. After coming out, she went to Peng Yan's desk and said, "Sister Yan, please take a look. If there is no problem, I will hand it over to Mr. Pan." She was holding the freshly printed materials in her hand, and the upper left corner was neatly and carefully clipped with a binder clip.

Peng Yan flipped through it for a few seconds and nodded, "No problem. Hand it in."

Wen Yu entered Pan Xianchen's office.

Pan Xianchen sometimes wore glasses while working, but today he wasn't. Wen Yu stood in front of him and called out, "Mr. Pan."

"Um."

Pan Xianchen stared at the computer screen, ignoring her for the moment. She waited, her eyes fixed on the computer. A long silence fell in the office. After a moment, perhaps because he could no longer bear the silence or because he had finally finished his work at the computer, Pan Xianchen finally said, "Bring it here."

Wen Yu handed over the materials.

Pan Xianchen watched her hand reaching out and then taking it back, continuing to use it as a stick to poke it there, and suddenly a surge of anger rose in his heart for no reason.

Are you pretending not to know him well?

From the first time they met at work until now, she hasn't looked at him once.

Colleagues he knew in the elevator greeted him, casually asking what he had for breakfast. Wen Yu, tucked away in the back corner of the elevator like an ostrich, also looked down at the ground. Looking for money on the floor, huh? You'll find it if you look around a bit, right?

Pan Xianchen chatted calmly with his colleagues, his eyes fixed on Wen Yu's reflection on the elevator wall. He observed her expression and eyes, but she seemed completely oblivious, playing the role of a completely invisible person in the elevator.

Pan Xianchen sneered in his heart.

Who can't act? He didn't look at Wen Yu any more, and walked straight out of the elevator, leaving her with a cold back.

In the meeting room, she escalated even further. She was clearly the one reporting to him, clearly expected to be humble and respectful, yet she didn't make eye contact with him the entire time. He spent his weekends at the bar, drinking like a fool. When he saw Wen Yu again after returning to work, she was completely fine. Not only was her report flawless, it was even more impressive than that of her colleagues.

How dare she?

Is it really that indifferent?

Pan Xianchen felt unworthy. He scanned Wen Yu's submission, flipping through the pages, trying to find any flaws. But there were none. Her materials were as neat and clean as she was now, and there were no mistakes.

He threw down the pages with a bang, waved to Wen Yu in a very unpleasant manner, and said, "No problem. You can go now."

Wen Yu nodded: "Okay, Mr. Pan."

The door closed and Pan Xianchen laughed in anger. He was actually the clown.

He casually picked up a pen from the table and threw it toward the door. It landed with a clang. Suddenly realizing it was the pen Wen Yu had given him, he hurried over to pick it up, uncapping it to check if the nib had warped. The inside was intact. He then walked back to the table, casually pulled a piece of A4 paper from the printer, and began writing and scribbling on it with the pen. The ink flowed smoothly. The pen was intact.

He put the pen aside, picked up a black gel pen distributed by the company, and slammed it against the door again.

Wen Yu had no idea Pan Xianchen was sulking in her office. After submitting her materials, she went to report to Peng Yan and then returned to her desk to continue working. In the afternoon, her colleagues automatically agreed to work overtime, and Xiao Zheng was sent out to buy food. Ye Yinuo licked his lips and said wistfully, "Boss Pan isn't treating us?"

Peng Yan tapped her head and said, "Are you addicted to taking advantage of your boss?"

Ye Yinuo curled his lips regretfully and stared at Wen Yu regretfully.

Wen Yu said, "Why are you looking at me? You are not allowed to take my food later."

Ye Yinuo was so angry that she couldn't speak. She kept muttering in her heart: "Women who have quarreled with men are so scary! They won't even let me pick up food!"

She looked towards Pan Xianchen's office with a wronged look on her face. The door to Pan Xianchen's office was tightly shut. He hadn't come out since he went in at noon. Was he in seclusion practicing? Ye Yinuo thought about it, then said to Peng Yan with a guilty conscience, "Sister Yan, Mr. Pan probably hasn't eaten yet, right? Do you want Xiao Zheng to buy him some too?"

Peng Yan said, "I've already talked to Xiao Zheng about it. I bought it."

"Wow! Sister Yan, you are so thoughtful!" Ye Yinuo flattered with starry eyes, and then glanced at Wen Yu next to her, thinking: Unlike some women, when they become cruel, they are harder than anyone else.

A little later, Xiao Zheng returned with his lunch. His colleagues, utterly famished, rushed to grab the lunch boxes. Peng Yan took them for Wen Yu and Ye Yinuo, handing them over. Ye Yinuo took them and thanked Peng Yan. Peng Yan then handed the other two boxes to Wen Yu, saying, "One for you, and the other to Mr. Pan's office."

Wen Yu:?

Ye Yinuo stared and watched the show.

Wen Yu said, "Why should I go?"

Peng Yan said, "If you have any opinions, keep them to yourself. Just go if I tell you to. Don't say anything."

Ye Yinuo became excited.

Wen Yu knocked on Pan Xianchen's door, lunch box in hand. When the door opened, Pan Xianchen saw her and said simply, "What's up?"

"Mr. Pan, your lunch box."

Pan Xianchen looked critically at the lunch box in Wen Yu's hand, then looked back at Wen Yu and said, "Why are you suddenly giving me food? I won't eat it."

"Haven't you eaten yet? Sister Yan asked me to bring it to you."

“No.”

Wen Yu was speechless for a moment. She couldn't just take the lunch box back with her. She didn't try to convince Pan Xianchen anymore, but just put the lunch box on his desk and left.

Pan Xianchen said to her back, "Come back."

Wen Yu turned around and saw Pan Xianchen had already opened the lunch box lid and snapped open the disposable chopsticks. He held the chopsticks, frowning as he stirred the food. He said, "Is the rice cooked? It looks hard. What kind of dish is this? It's black and full of oil. Do you have any other dishes? Go get me another one."

Wen Yu: “…”

Pan Xianchen urged, "What are you standing there for? Go quickly."

After a while, Wen Yu brought in another box lunch and said, "Mr. Pan, the number of boxes is the same as the number of people. Everyone is already eating, so there is nothing else to exchange. This box is mine, please exchange it with me."

"Hmm." Pan Xianchen took it, opened it and started eating.

Wen Yu: “…”

Peng Yan's order consisted of only a few dishes, and everyone's lunch boxes were similar. Wen Yu's box, in particular, contained the same dishes as the one for Pan Xianchen. The person who had been complaining a moment before was now quite easygoing, eating quickly and without a word.

Wen Yu watched Pan Xianchen eat in silence. As he ate, Pan Xianchen said to her, "Don't just stand there. Eat too."

Two lunch boxes were now on Pan Xianchen's desk. He was eating one, while he'd opened the other, an identical box, and placed it next to it. Wen Yu didn't move. How was she supposed to eat? Was she supposed to snatch food from someone's mouth? She licked her lips and reminded Pan Xianchen, "Mr. Pan, my meal..."

Pan Xianchen glanced at the lunch box next to him and said, "Bring over a chair, sit down and eat."

“…”

Wen Yu was embarrassed: "Isn't this bad?"

Pan Xianchen smiled faintly: "What's wrong with it?"

"My colleagues are all eating out, how can I eat here? I want to eat out too."

"You haven't eaten with me?"

Pan Xianchen looked at her coldly. She said, "...I have eaten."

"Finally admitting it? I thought we were strangers." Pan Xianchen mocked her, "Hurry up and move the chair."

There was a reception chair in front of Pan Xianchen's desk, but Wen Yu still didn't move. She turned away and said awkwardly, "...Didn't we break up at the gate of the community that day?"

How dare she bring this up?

Pan Xianchen looked at her amusedly and said, "Yes, we broke up. We have no relationship now except that of superior and subordinate. But I don't want to eat alone tonight, so I want to find a subordinate to eat with me, and that subordinate is you. Do you have any objections?"

Wen Yu was speechless, staring at him dimly. After a moment, she said, "Mr. Pan, you're giving me a hard time."

"Having a meal with me is just making things difficult for you? I've made things difficult for you so many times before, why didn't you tell me?" Pan Xianchen looked impatient and didn't want to eat anymore. He just crossed his arms and looked at her.

"Boss Pan, since we are in a superior-subordinate relationship, we should keep our distance. Especially since it's still working hours."

Good one to keep your distance.

Finished playing with him, now I need to start keeping my distance.

Pan Xianchen felt like a jerk, humiliated by her once again. He gritted his teeth, nodded, and said, "Okay, as you wish."