Where did you go?
These past few days have been the busiest time for the company. My work is finally finished and I'm in the final stages. I don't need to be as busy as before anymore. Everyone is a little more diligent when they come to work. As soon as they sit down, they keep talking. They and their colleagues can't wait to make up for all the things they didn't say before. There is laughter and joy everywhere.
When you arrive at the company, you see employees gathered in groups of two or three, chatting animatedly and even laughing together. This is nothing like the days before when they sat at their desks with long faces, furiously typing away on their keyboards. You raise an eyebrow and glance at the time on your wristwatch: 8:50. That's unusual. Everyone is here quite early today. Even the few who usually clock in right on time are now sitting at their desks chatting.
You chuckled as you stepped into the company entrance; it seems they've had a tough time before.
Good morning, Mr. Chen.
Good morning, Mr. Chen.
Everyone greeted you when they saw you arrive.
As you walked, you nodded to them, but as you were about to leave the employee work area, you paused and turned back.
"Okay, everyone, let's have a short meeting in the conference room at 10 o'clock after everyone is here."
After saying that, you left, leaving a group of people looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Mr. Chen, all the documents are ready."
Assistant Li stood in front of the desk, talking as he placed documents on it, occasionally pushing up his glasses that had slipped down his nose.
If you browse through it casually, you'll see that things are nearing completion; just be careful not to make any mistakes.
"Okay, I understand. Get ready in a bit. I told them before I went to work that there would be a short meeting at 10 o'clock. Also, tell the secretariat staff to attend the meeting."
After you finished speaking, Assistant Li checked the time on his watch again. There were still 30 minutes until 10 o'clock. He nodded in agreement, knowing that 30 minutes would be enough for him to finish what he was doing.
10 o'clock.
The meeting room was already full. You stood on the stage, looking at the employees below who were looking for seats. You clapped your hands to attract everyone's attention, and the meeting officially began.
"Well, the main reason for calling this meeting at this time is to discuss two things, both of which are good news for everyone. First, I have seen how hard everyone has worked on the company's projects day and night recently, and I thank you all for your efforts. It is thanks to your hard work that we have achieved such good results. Thank you for your hard work."
After you finished speaking, give a big round of applause to the hardworking employees in the audience, and they respond enthusiastically.
I see, that's about enough. I clench my fist to signal everyone that it's okay, and then I'll continue.
"The first thing is, I've decided to give everyone a bonus. In addition to overtime pay, all colleagues who participated in this project will receive a bonus ranging from 500 to 3000. I'll trouble the HR department to tally it up and give it to me this week."
Upon hearing this, the employees excitedly clapped and cheered. Who wouldn't want extra money? Hard work pays off, and everyone would be happy to work if they put in the effort and received the reward they deserved.
"Okay, okay, hold on a minute. I know everyone is happy. Now I'll talk about the second thing. Now that things have come to a close, I've thought about it for a few days and decided to take everyone on a five-day team building trip. We haven't decided on the location yet, but it's tentatively set as a famous tourist city in China. Of course, everyone can think of places to go, and in the end, we can raise our hands to vote on the place we most want to go."
Upon hearing this, everyone was completely excited. A five-day trip, plus the weekend, is equivalent to a week's rest. Anyone would be happy to hear something so amazing.
Wow, team building!
"It's team building."
"I want to go to City C. I've heard the food there is delicious."
"If you ask me, Q City is better; the scenery there is absolutely stunning."
Upon hearing about the team-building party, everyone started discussing it animatedly.
"Of course, if any colleagues don't want to go, they can explain that they will receive the equivalent of their vacation days." You added, to prevent some employees from not wanting to go but being afraid to say so.
You chuckled as you watched the scene spiral out of control, then turned to look at the management staff, who were also staring at you with helpless expressions.
It seems everyone has been holding back for a long time, and now that we can finally relax and chat freely, we should definitely have a good exchange.
As I left the meeting room, I could still hear everyone enthusiastically discussing which city would be the best to travel to.
By the time you finish your work, it's already evening.
Pack up your things; you need to leave work early today because you have something to take care of.
A Jewelry VIP Room
A jeweler warmly invites you to sit on the sofa, while another person brings out drinks, wine, and fruit. There are also four small tiers of dessert displays on the side. Then, two designers push open the door and enter, each carrying a thick notebook.
The designer walks in and places two pages of design sketches in front of you, showing different patterns and wearing styles.
"Mr. Chen, these two pages show the diamond ring designs I created over the past few days, inspired by the style you requested..."
The designer explains the content and design meaning of the picture to you while handing you a glass of warm water, because the designs are unique and cannot be shared with others; the person in question must come and see them in person.
A few days ago, you sent them Chen Peiyuan's finger size so they could make a men's diamond ring according to your requirements. You came here today to take a look and decide which style you want. As you look at these styles, your hand unconsciously touches the diamond ring on your right ring finger, thinking. You haven't taken it off since Chen Peiyuan put it on you that day, so today is a good day to make a comparison.
The designer clearly noticed your movement. He pointed to a rhinestone pattern in the picture and said that this one matches the one you have in your hand better.
"Let's decide on this one and this one first, and see how they go."
You pointed to the one he just mentioned and another one with auspicious clouds and diamonds. Let's decide on two for now.
After finalizing the details with the designer, you agreed to see the finished product next week and then left.
When you came out, it was completely dark. You had just finished dealing with something and felt very relaxed.
When he drove home, Chen Peiyuan wasn't there; the room was dark and deserted.
At this time in the past, Chen Peiyuan would have already prepared the dishes and placed them on the table, waiting for you to come downstairs for dinner.
You feel a little strange that he's not home at this time today. Maybe something happened and he's been delayed. Usually, he's already waiting for you in your office before you even get off work. You thought he had nothing to do all day, but you didn't expect him to be too busy to come home today.
You turn on the light, take your phone out from your clothes, and press the buttons twice, but the screen remains black and won't turn on. It's out of battery, and you don't know when it went out. You suddenly remember to check your phone before leaving get off work to see if there are any messages you need to handle. A big notification pops up showing that the battery is less than 20%, but you were in a hurry to leave and didn't have time to charge it. You don't use your phone much anyway, so you didn't charge it.
You put your phone on the sofa to charge, thinking about making some instant noodles, but it seems you're out of them. There used to be a housekeeper, but since you started living with Chen Peiyuan, he's been the one preparing the meals. He's afraid to let you into the kitchen because of your cooking skills. For a moment, you can't think of anything to eat. You wish you had bought dinner before you went home, but your phone is dead, and you don't know if you'll even have time to eat. Thinking about this, you can't help but sigh. It's the 21st century, and even a CEO has to worry about what to eat for dinner.
Just then, my phone started buzzing and vibrating; those few minutes had turned it on after charging.
Multiple chat messages scrolled across the screen in an instant, almost causing the phone to lag.
When you pick it up, you see more than 20 missed calls from Chen Peiyuan and 99+ unread messages crammed onto the phone screen.
You were shocked; you hadn't expected that Chen Peiyuan would make so many phone calls in just a few hours after your phone was turned off.
Chen Peiyuan called again immediately, and you quickly answered. Before you could even speak, a low voice filled with suppressed anger came from the other end.
"Chen Yulan, where are you right now? You're not replying to my messages or answering my calls. Do you know how many times I've called you? Do you know how anxious I am?"
Chen Peiyuan's series of questions were like a barrage of tennis balls, hitting you on the head one after another, leaving you completely bewildered.
"Lanlan, say something! Why won't you speak?"
Chen Peiyuan's voice grew louder and more urgent, and the wind whistling in his breathing began to howl urgently.
You felt a tightness in your chest after Chen Peiyuan yelled at you.
"Chen Peiyuan, I'm home."
"beep."
The other party hung up on you immediately.
You stand quietly in place, holding your phone. After that inexplicable conversation, you don't really feel like eating anymore.
Ten minutes later, you sat on the sofa and watched Chen Peiyuan walk in.
This scene looks familiar, as if it happened not long ago. Today, the opponents have been switched, but Chen Peiyuan is the one who looks disheveled. He is panting heavily, and large beads of sweat slide down his face to his chin and finally drip to the ground. Half of his shirt is soaked with water and clings tightly to his body. It looks like he walked in looking disheveled, and he was so anxious that he forgot to take off his shoes.
As soon as Chen Peiyuan entered, he glanced around at you to make sure you were alright, then sat down next to you and habitually took your hand.
But you avoided his touch, and his hand brushed against yours and landed on the sofa. He paused, looking at his empty hand and then at you.
You remained expressionless, turning your head to the side to avoid eye contact with him.
Chen Peiyuan grabbed your hand again. This time you didn't dodge and let him grab it. His hand was wet, which made your hand wet too. You moved your hand uncomfortably. Chen Peiyuan thought you wanted to shake off his hand, so he gripped your hand even tighter, forcefully separating your fingers and interlocking your fingers.
His voice was hoarse, his tone softened, and he squatted down in front of you, asking you with red eyes.
"Lanlan, please don't ignore me. I'm worried about you. I've been waiting for you in the office for so long, but you're not answering your phone or replying to your messages. I'm going crazy with anxiety. I asked them, but they all said they didn't know where you went."
You were being pressured by him. He looked up at you, and you didn't know what he had been through. Now his peach blossom eyes were bloodshot and he didn't look good at all. His eyes were also red, as if he could cry at any moment.
You felt a pang of sympathy, but then you remembered what he had said before and your heart ached again.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
