Dark history

Lin Jingshang tried hard to suppress his laughter, scooped up a large spoonful of yogurt and put it in his mouth: "Alright, thank you for your fresh treat."

Xie Dang nodded in satisfaction and returned to his seat to continue reading the documents.

A little while later, Lin Jingshang noticed a package of beef jerky on Xie Dang's table. The packaging looked familiar; it seemed to be the one he had slipped into Xie Dang's drawer last time and then forgotten to take.

He secretly reached out to touch it, and just as his fingertips touched the packaging, a hand gently pressed down on the beef jerky.

Lin Jingshang looked up and met Xie Dang's expressionless face.

“Mine,” Xie Dang said.

Lin Jingshang protested, "I clearly bought this!"

"What's in my drawer is mine." Xie Dang's logic is impeccable.

That's robber logic!

"Um."

Lin Jingshang: "..." What the hell are you humming about!

He angrily withdrew his hand, watching Xie Dang slowly tear open the packaging, take a bite of the beef jerky, and comment: "The firmness is just right, and the spice flavor is a bit strong."

Lin Jingshang lunged forward and grabbed, shouting, "Leave some for me!"

Xie Dang raised his hand, and Lin Jingshang missed his target, almost falling into his arms.

"Sit up." Xie Dang held up the beef jerky, pressed Lin Jingshang down with his other hand, and a smile flashed in his eyes. "I'll share half with you."

"That's more like it!"

In the end, the bag of beef jerky was divided up through friendly negotiation, mainly due to Lin Jingshang's unilateral reneging.

He chewed on his loot, looked at Xie Dang beside him, and felt nothing but a strong urge to complain.

Being with this person, you really don't have any CEO baggage at all!

---

For some unknown reason, the administration department organized a desk design competition, ostensibly to boost work enthusiasm, with generous prizes and high participation rates.

Lin Jingshang wasn't really interested in the prize, but he couldn't resist his colleagues' encouragement, so he casually arranged the string of pearls, the silly sunflower, and the little fox plushie he won at the company's annual meeting into a pose, took a picture, and handed it in.

Unexpectedly, when the results of the competition came out the next day, he actually won the Most Adorable Contrast Award, and the prize was a Hello Kitty plush toy that was almost half the height of a person.

Lin Jingshang, holding this pink behemoth, dug out a three-bedroom apartment with his toes under the gaze of his colleagues.

He tried to stuff the thing into the locker, but failed.

He wanted to give it to the receptionist, but she politely declined.

He still gritted his teeth and carried it back to his workstation; the dazzling pink color instantly made him the most stylish guy in the office area.

During his lunch break, Xie Dang passed by his workstation, paused, and glanced back and forth between the pink Hello Kitty and Lin Jingshang, who looked utterly dejected.

"Yours?" He raised an eyebrow slightly.

"The prize..." Lin Jingshang said weakly, "I don't want it either."

Xie Dang silently looked at the doll for three seconds and objectively commented: "The color saturation is too high and the design lacks originality."

Lin Jingshang nodded vigorously: "Right! It's hideous!"

"Okay," Xie Dang agreed. "Leave it here with me."

Lin Jingshang was taken aback: "Huh? Put it in your office?"

He imagined a Hello Kitty appearing in the office of a cold, aloof CEO; the image was too beautiful to bear.

"Hmm." Xie Dang had already bent down and picked up the doll. The pink color looked both strange and harmonious against his black suit.

“I have spare space in my office.”

So that afternoon, everyone who went into the president's office to report on their work was struck by the pink Hello Kitty on the sofa.

On the surface, everyone remained calm, but inwardly they were frantically thinking: What new trend is this, CEO Xie? A domineering CEO falling in love with a pink cat?

Every time Lin Jingshang, the instigator, went to deliver documents, he couldn't help but laugh when he saw Hello Kitty sitting on the sofa.

A few days later, Lin Jingshang discovered that someone had drawn a bow tie on Hello Kitty's neck with a black marker. He pointed to the bow tie and looked at Xie Dang behind the desk.

Xie Dang didn't even look up: "I've optimized my image; it looks more dignified now."

Lin Jingshang looked at the Hello Kitty with the bow tie, so bright pink it was almost blinding, and couldn't hold back any longer, bursting into laughter.

Solemn? What does this have to do with solemnity at all!

But it seems a bit more pleasing to the eye now? It's unique now.

---

A new snail rice noodle shop opened downstairs from the company, and the smell was incredibly strong; you could smell it from half a floor away. Lin Jingshang loved it, so at lunchtime he happily ran over and bought a serving to take back to his workstation. He was enjoying his meal when Xie Dang came out of the office, paused, and frowned slightly.

"What does it taste like?" Xie Dang asked gravely, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Lin Jingshang slurped up a mouthful of noodles: "Luosifen! It smells so good! Want some?"

Xie Dang took a half step back: "No need."

"Hey, you really don't know how to appreciate things." Lin Jingshang picked up another piece of food with his chopsticks and deliberately waved it towards him. "Smells bad, but tastes delicious!"

Xie Dang turned around and went back to his office expressionlessly, closed the door, and turned on the air purifier to its highest setting.

Lin Jingshang made a face at the closed door and continued to enjoy his meal.

The next day at noon, Lin Jingshang wanted to eat mala tang (a spicy hot pot dish), and casually ordered one for Xie Dang as well. When placing the order, he specifically wrote in bold and large letters for Xie Dang's order in the remarks section: 【No cilantro!!!】

When the takeout arrived, he opened Xie Dang's portion and saw a lush green expanse with cilantro piled up like a small mountain.

Lin Jingshang was furious and took photos to confront the merchant.

Xie Dang appeared behind him without his noticing, and looking at the bowl of cilantro, he actually reached out and took it.

"Hey! Don't eat it, I'll have them redo it!" Lin Jingshang quickly stopped them.

"No need." Xie Dang had already picked up his chopsticks, stirred the cilantro and spicy hot pot together without changing his expression, and then put a mouthful of food into his mouth.

Lin Jingshang stared in disbelief: "You...you don't eat cilantro, do you?"

He clearly remembered that Xie Dang would always pick out the cilantro when they ate together before.

Xie Dang swallowed slowly before speaking, "You can eat it."

"So you used to be picky!"

"Troublesome." Xie Dang took another bite. "The tone of your note was too excited."

Lin Jingshang: "..."

I was just worried you'd eat something you didn't like!

He angrily opened his spicy hot pot, which lacked cilantro, and took a big bite of the fish ball.

This guy is definitely getting revenge for yesterday's snail rice noodles!

Petty!

After a while, Xie Dang transferred a few shrimp balls from his bowl to Lin Jingshang's bowl.

"What?" Lin Jingshang looked up.

"Compensation," Xie Dang said calmly.

Lin Jingshang looked at the extra shrimp balls in his bowl, then at Xie Dang across from him who was seriously eating his cilantro hot pot, and his little temper instantly disappeared.

He picked up a shrimp ball and stuffed it into his mouth: "Next time I'll order you some snail rice noodles, without the pickled bamboo shoots."

Xie Dang paused, looked up at him, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "No need."

Lin Jingshang couldn't help but burst into laughter.

---

Springtime often brings drowsiness, especially for Lin Jingshang. During his afternoon nap, he slept soundly on a chair on the small terrace, his head nodding off until it finally tilted to the side and rested on Xie Dang's shoulder next to him.

Xie Dang looked down at the fluffy head on his shoulder. Lin Jingshang was fast asleep, a suspicious, glistening trace still hanging at the corner of his mouth.

Xie Dang stared at the shimmering water, his brows furrowing slightly as he pondered how to deal with this biological pollution.

He gently moved his shoulder, trying to shake the person awake.

Lin Jingshang grunted in dissatisfaction, snuggled closer, and slept even more soundly. Inevitably, his drool ended up on Xie Dang's expensive shirt.

Xie Dang: "..."

He raised his hand, hesitated for a moment, and adjusted his posture to make Lin Jingshang more comfortable. Then, he took out his phone and expressionlessly snapped a picture of the head on his shoulder and the water stains on his shirt.

Lin Jingshang's phone rang, and he groggily opened his eyes, only to find himself leaning against Xie Dang. He was instantly jolted awake and jumped back half a meter.

"I'm so sorry! I fell asleep!"

He apologized hastily, but then he caught a glimpse of a small, dark water stain on Xie Dang's shoulder, and his cheeks instantly turned bright red.

"I...I'm drooling?!"

Xie Dang didn't say anything, but turned the phone screen towards him.

The screen showed evidence of his innocence: him drooling while leaning on Xie Dang's shoulder, in high definition.

Lin Jingshang felt like he wanted to die. He lunged forward to grab the phone and delete it: "Delete it now!"

Xie Dang raised his arm, easily dodging the attack: "Evidence needs to be preserved."

"Why keep it?!" Lin Jingshang was on the verge of tears. "I'll wash your shirt! Dry clean it! Please, just delete it!"

Xie Dang put away his phone, stood up, straightened his shirt, glanced at Lin Jingshang's flushed cheeks, and said calmly, "I can consider it, depending on your performance."

After saying that, he picked up his coffee cup and left.

Lin Jingshang stood there, watching Xie Dang's retreating figure, feeling both angry and ashamed. He had lost all face in his entire life today.

In the afternoon, with a nervous heart, he sent a message to Xie Dang.

[Lin Jingshang]: Shirt...do you really not need me to wash it?

[Xie Dang]: Already handled.

[Lin Jingshang]: That photo...

【谢宕】: Temporarily stored.

Looking at the words "temporarily stored," Lin Jingshang felt like a pitiful little thing whose weakness had been exploited.

Just before he was about to leave work, he received a local package. Inside was a U-shaped neck pillow, gray-black in color, and made of a very comfortable material. There was also a card inside the box with the following message: "[Support, effectively prevents neck strain and secretion contamination.]"

The signature consisted of only one word: Thank you.

Lin Jingshang hugged the neck pillow, looking at the card with its precise wording and a hint of sarcasm, feeling both amused and exasperated.

He picked up his phone and started typing angrily.

[Lin Jingshang]: Received the pillow! Thank you! (gritting teeth.jpg)

[Xie Dang]: You're welcome, please make good use of it.

Lin Jingshang buried his face in the soft neck pillow, smelling its clean scent, and couldn't help but secretly smile.

Okay, I'll take this one since it's actually quite comfortable.