Chapter 45 [VIP]
In the early morning, before the sunlight had even brought its scorching heat, Jiang Zhuochen was fast asleep, nestled in a warm down comforter. A few strands of hair fell across his forehead, rising and falling gently with his breath.
The bedroom door opened silently, and Xu Xing, already dressed, stood there. His perfectly tailored dark gray suit accentuated his tall and imposing figure. He walked to the bedside, bent down, and gently stroked the cheek of the sleeping man with his fingertips.
"Time to get up."
Jiang Zhuochen mumbled something indistinctly, then, still annoyed by being disturbed, huddled deeper into the covers, trying to avoid the light and sounds from the outside world.
Xu Xing was very patient. He slid his fingertips down and pinched his earlobe: "If you don't get up soon, breakfast will get cold."
Jiang Zhuochen's eyelashes trembled a few times, and he opened his eyes with difficulty, revealing a pair of hazy, watery eyes. He blinked, and it took him a while to focus on Xu Xing's face.
"...What time is it?" The voice was hoarse and soft, as if the person had just woken up.
"7:35." Xu Xing glanced at his watch. "Twenty minutes to wash up, is that enough?"
Jiang Zhuochen struggled to sit up, swaying from side to side. The blanket slipped off his shoulders, revealing his slender upper body in loose pajamas. He rubbed his eyes and yawned slightly.
Why did you call me so early when you were going to the company?
"I'll take you with me." Xu Xing said succinctly, reaching out to lift him from the bed, feeling the other's soft body lean against him. "Hurry up, I've squeezed the toothpaste onto your teeth."
Jiang Zhuochen was groggily pushed into the bathroom, only fully waking up when the warm water splashed on his face. He looked at his disheveled hair in the mirror, then glanced at the blue toothbrush on the sink, which already had toothpaste squeezed on it, and belatedly realized that he was going to Xu Xing's company today.
Wait a minute, why would he go to Xuhang Company? He doesn't work there.
The question lingered in his mind, and he hopped down to the first floor in his soft-soled slippers, ready to ask again.
Xu Xing was sitting at the dining table reading financial news on his tablet, a cup of coffee beside him. When she saw him come out, her gaze lingered on his still-dripping hair for a second, she frowned slightly, but said nothing, simply pushing a plate of muffins piled with fresh berries in front of him.
"Change your clothes after you finish eating. I've prepared a new set for you; it's on the chair in the dressing room."
Jiang Zhuochen was interrupted and forgot the question he was going to ask. He subconsciously nodded in response, sat down, picked up his fork, and ate quickly and hastily, not even bothering to wipe the crumbs off his mouth.
Xu Xing put down his tablet, took out a tissue, and reached out his hand very naturally. Jiang Zhuochen noticed this and quickly reached out to grab the tissue and wipe himself haphazardly, unaware that the other person paused for a moment and then slowly withdrew his hand.
In the walk-in closet, a light beige soft white cotton shirt and matching trousers were meticulously ironed and draped over the back of a chair.
Jiang Zhuochen came out after changing his clothes, which fit his body perfectly. He tugged at his cuffs somewhat uncomfortably, his discomfort visibly obvious; he had never worn such formal attire before.
Xu Xing leaned against the door of the dressing room and looked him up and down when he came out.
"come over."
Jiang Zhuochen obediently walked over, and Xu Xing pulled him closer, skillfully straightening his slightly folded shirt collar. His fingertips inadvertently brushed against the skin on the side of Jiang's neck, bringing a cool touch. Then he led Jiang to his dressing room, took out a dark blue brooch, and pinned it on him.
The whole process was quick, and Xu Xing's expression was focused and calm, as if he were doing something very ordinary.
Jiang Zhuochen froze, forced to breathe softly, yet the chilling scent of cedar still assaulted his senses. His thoughts gradually stalled, and in the belated moment he looked away, he could even see the other's lowered eyelashes and tightly pursed thin lips.
"Alright." Xu Xing adjusted the brooch one last time and patted him on the shoulder. "Let's go."
Even after getting into the car, Jiang Zhuochen was still a little dazed, his fingers unconsciously stroking the delicate brooch that gleamed in the sunlight.
The car smoothly drove into the company's underground parking garage's private elevator entrance. The elevator doors slid open slowly, and Xu Xing stepped out first, with Jiang Zhuochen following half a step behind him.
From the moment Jiang Zhuochen stepped into the president's private elevator until it reached his office floor, within just a few dozen seconds, he felt countless gazes, some direct and some indirect.
He was puzzled. There had been some people who were enthusiastic towards him before, but never on this scale, and never like this... fanatical. It was so exaggerated that he thought he had become the person in charge of the company someday, otherwise why would his own president ignore him and just keep smiling at him?
As soon as the elevator doors opened, the secretaries and assistants who had been talking quietly or walking briskly outside immediately fell silent, stood up straight in unison, and greeted the president respectfully: "Good morning, President."
When everyone's gaze fell upon Jiang Zhuochen behind Xu Xing, they couldn't help but brighten for a second, and then their smiles became even more enthusiastic than when they were greeting the CEO. "Good morning, Mr. Jiang."
"Good morning...? You guys..." Jiang Zhuochen hesitated, it had only been a day or two since he last visited Xu Xing's company, what's wrong with these people?
Xu Xing gave a faint "hmm" and walked straight to his office without stopping. Jiang Zhuochen followed behind him, and when he turned around, he could vaguely see one or two people waving at him.
Inside the president's office, Secretary Liu was reporting the day's schedule to another secretary. Her speech was steady, professional, and efficient, but out of the corner of their eyes, they couldn't help but glance at Jiang Zhuochen, who was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window gazing at the scenery.
After Xu Xing took off his suit jacket, the casual outfit and the overall style and texture of the two seemed remarkably consistent. However, when they noticed the brooch on his chest—a brooch that matched the color of the CEO's suit and looked strangely familiar—their eyes flickered.
Now that everything is out in the open, isn't it perfectly acceptable to call her "President's Wife" in private?
While listening to the report, Xu Xing waved to Jiang Zhuochen and said after he came over, "Play by yourself for a while. There are books on the bookshelf, and the tablet is charging on the sofa. Watch a movie if you're bored. Don't wander around."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the two secretaries to hear clearly. The familiarity and naturalness in his tone, and the unquestionable arrangement, didn't sound like he was speaking to an ordinary friend.
“I didn’t run around last time, wasn’t that your company too?” Jiang Zhuochen said softly to defend himself. “I will definitely let you know if I’m going out.”
After saying that, she obediently walked to the sofa and sat down.
The two secretaries, who were carrying valuable information, were in a terrible predicament. After the president finally nodded and let them go, they disappeared in a flash.
Soon, starting from the secretariat, the entire top floor and even the ground floor learned through various internal secret channels that something was wrong with the two.
Their CEO is especially noticeable.
Throughout the morning, subordinates came and went, but Xu Xing maintained his usual high efficiency in handling work, listening to reports, and issuing instructions, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents and speculations around him.
The technical director pushed open the door to report on the testing of a new system. He looked hesitant because the system needed to be connected to the projector in the president's office, and the cable was a bit short, making it inconvenient to plug and unplug.
Jiang Zhuochen was holding a children's storybook and was laughing happily just looking at the pictures. Hearing a noise not far away, he looked up and found himself sitting on the sofa near the projector. Seeing this, he threw the storybook aside and volunteered to help.
He wasn't familiar with the interface of this advanced device, and while fiddling with it, he almost broke the cable.
The technical director raised his hands in mid-air, his heart pounding. Just as he was about to step forward, Xu Xing, who was sitting behind his desk, stood up.
He walked a few steps to Jiang Zhuochen's side, said nothing, and did not let the technical director take over. He naturally bent down and took the data cable from Jiang Zhuochen's hand, his warm fingertips inevitably brushing against the other's hand.
"This interface has a latch, you have to do it like this." Xu Xing's voice was deep and patient as he gently guided Jiang Zhuochen step by step. "Press it lightly before pulling it out, align it when you put it back in, and you'll hear a sound when you do."
He demonstrated it once, then turned to look at the other person: "Got it?"
Jiang Zhuochen nodded, a little embarrassed, "I understand."
Xu Xing then handed the wire back to him, watched him complete the operation correctly, and then rubbed the back of his head.
The whole process was incredibly natural, filled with an intimate atmosphere that outsiders couldn't easily blend in. The technical director stood to the side, his expression shifting from surprise to realization, and finally settling on a barely suppressed "I understand" smile.
After the test, the director packed up his things and respectfully left the president's office, leaving the two of them alone.
Once the door closed, the office returned to silence. The two continued with their own tasks without disturbing each other. Jiang Zhuochen glanced at the time and realized that he didn't feel bored at all.
After finishing a storybook, his eyes felt a little dry, so he lay down on the sofa, opened his tablet, and randomly selected a movie to play. While watching the movie, he felt hungry and secretly glanced at the small refrigerator in the corner of the office.
Xu Xing was in a video conference, his expression cold and stern, babbling a bunch of words in a language Jiang Zhuochen couldn't understand. But this man seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; during a break in the conference, he turned off his microphone and stared straight at Jiang Zhuochen.
"Don't eat anything cold on an empty stomach. I'll have someone get you some fruit to tide you over. Lunch will be served soon."
Jiang Zhuochen retorted, "Then why did you drink iced coffee on an empty stomach first thing in the morning?"
Xu Xing smiled slightly. "Okay, I won't drink it anymore."
After he finished speaking, he dialed his assistant's internal line and did everything before casually turning back to his computer screen to continue the meeting.
Jiang Zhuochen held his water glass, sensing something was wrong. Everything in the company, including the boss, was acting strangely. It was a pity his spiritual energy was severely depleted; otherwise, he could have performed a couple of rituals to exorcise the ghosts.
The assistant who received the call took a deep breath, her heart already pounding like a screaming chicken. This wasn't just being oblivious to others; it was practically the blatant prelude to an official announcement!
The president's seemingly unintentional actions and every glance these past few days have been silently declaring ownership and intimacy to everyone. His completely open and undisguised attitude has only reinforced this suspicion among his subordinates, who are now just waiting for someone fearless enough to go and gather intelligence.
After a last-minute international video conference ended, Xu Xing pressed the internal phone. "Cancel the appointments after 4:30 pm and prepare the car to go to the Art Innovation Center."
"Yes, President." Secretary Liu's voice was as steady as ever, but she immediately added, "Should we prepare some drinks for you and Mr. Jiang to take in the car?"
Xu Xing paused for a moment, glancing at Jiang Zhuochen, who was dozing off on the sofa again. "An Americano, a cup of hot milk, and a cake."
"Okay, I'll arrange it right away."
Jiang Zhuochen slowly woke up upon hearing his name, rubbing his sleepy eyes as he sat up. "Want to go out?"
"Okay, I'm going to the Arts Innovation Center to check on a project's progress." Xu Xing closed his laptop, stood up, grabbed his suit jacket from the back of his chair, and put it on. "You're coming with me."
"Oh." Jiang Zhuochen stood up, rubbed his eyes, and then straightened his clothes, which had become a little wrinkled from sleeping.
Xu Xing walked over and very naturally reached out to smooth out the wrinkles in his clothes on the back of his back. He then casually pressed down the few strands of hair that were sticking up from his sleep. Although it didn't have much effect, it had a kind of clear cuteness to it.
"What's so funny?" Jiang Zhuochen clearly caught the fleeting mischievousness on the other's face. He pressed his hand to the top of his head and said fiercely, "I'm going to the restroom."
A few minutes later, the two walked out of the office one after the other. The employees outside immediately straightened their backs and started working seriously, but their peripheral vision kept a close eye on the two moving figures.
Xu Xing walked steadily, with Jiang Zhuochen half a step behind him, holding the paper bag containing hot milk and cake that Secretary Liu had just brought over.
A note from the author:
This article will be available for purchase tomorrow! Since the editor isn't working this weekend, and I just applied for it, the post is a bit rushed. Update schedules will be adjusted starting next week. Thank you so much for your support!
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