Chapter 45. Guan Du interrupted at a very inopportune moment…
Guan Du interrupted the soft and warm silence in the office at the most inopportune time. He looked around, crossed his legs, leaned back on the sofa, and sighed with a smile, "Xiao He is indeed at the age to be dating."
He hinted at the closeness of their relationship in the tone of an elder, subtly reminding them of their intimacy by mentioning the years they had known each other.
Feng Xingyun felt a pang of jealousy, but he remembered the time they had dinner together before, when Liu Duanhe had chosen him. This showed that his so-called old friend and childhood buddy was not all that valuable. He glanced at Guan Du, scoffed, and didn't care.
Liu Duanhe frowned instinctively upon hearing his words, finding them grating no matter how she heard them. "Guan Du, you're only a few years older than me. Don't try to act superior by talking like a 'protector of flowers'."
His tone carried a warning; though the smiling tiger wore a smiling face, its true strength lay in its tigerish nature—its power to intimidate and its sharp edge. Liu Duanhe's attitude was clearly effective.
Then Guan Du toned it down a bit and stopped talking about the topic that was giving him a heart attack. Instead, he brought up the cooperation project that the companies were going to discuss today, trying to steer the conversation back to his area of expertise and ease the tense atmosphere.
After starting, Guan Du paused and asked Liu Duanhe, "Can your boyfriend continue listening, Xiao He?"
Guan Du pointed to the documents on the table and looked at him with a questioning look in his eyes.
Liu Duanhe always kept public and private matters separate. He immediately looked at Feng Xingyun and said apologetically, "I'll have Secretary Wei take you to the lounge. When we have our meeting later, if you need anything, just ask Secretary Zhang in the office. He will meet all your needs. He's the one wearing the blue tie outside."
Feng Xingyun nodded and said, "Okay." But before he left, he glanced at Guan Du with a chilling look in his eyes.
At that moment, Guan Du also slightly raised his eyes, a smile on his lips, but his eyes held the same provocation as before. He could make Feng Xingyun leave with just one sentence, so what else could Feng Xingyun do to change Liu Duanhe's mind?
He felt he didn't know Liu Duanhe very well, so persuading him to change his mind was harder than climbing to heaven, especially on official business.
Feng Xingyun responded to Guan Du's provocation with indifferent contempt. No matter how much they envied, were jealous, or hated him, at least in everyone's eyes he was Liu Duanhe's lover.
Chang Wensheng also shifted from a silent spectator to an active one, casually glancing over the exchange of glances in the air before turning his gaze back to Liu Duanhe.
Liu Duanhe didn't need to turn around; he could roughly guess what was going on just by looking at the expressions of the people in front of him. His curled eyelashes closed slightly, and beneath the light concealment, his eyes turned cold, impatient and indifferent.
Guan Du actually considered him a friend and even started to feel possessive of him. Liu Duanhe thought this was not a good thing. They would have to cooperate in the future. He had never thought of agreeing. After he refused, Guan Du would definitely have some thoughts in his mind and sow the seeds of discord. Perhaps he should give him a warning and make him more aware.
Not long after Feng Xingyun left, the group went to the conference room. The teams from all sides had just arrived, and Liu Duanhe put aside his distractions and quickly got to work.
When Liu Duanhe finished the meeting and came out of the conference room, it was already 12:30. The office staff had all gone to the cafeteria, and the corridors and offices were empty and extremely quiet.
The only sounds in the corridor were his and Secretary Wei's footsteps, one after the other, steady and powerful. He asked Secretary Wei, who was half a step behind, "Has the reservation for Kuishengju been made?"
Secretary Wei, dressed in a suit and tie, nodded and said, "It's already been ordered."
Liu Duanhe said reassuredly, "Have the driver wait downstairs, we'll be down in a bit."
He stopped and tapped the lounge in front of him with his long, slender, white fingers. At such a close distance, he could immediately hear footsteps coming from inside.
"Is Feng Xingyun waiting for me inside?" He confirmed with Secretary Wei.
Secretary Wei glanced at the door, stepped back to make way, and said truthfully, "Yes, Young Master Feng has not come out since he went into the lounge."
Liu Duanhe frowned. Young Master Feng Xingyun had a terrible temper. He knew him well, having been roommates for over a year. Perhaps Feng Xingyun was upset because of what happened with Guan Du that morning.
He was a little troubled, wondering how to be a good boyfriend.
"Secretary Wei, go eat after you send the message. You looked unwell this morning. Is your stomach acting up again? I had Secretary Zhang put some medicine on your desk. See which one you can take. If you need sick leave, come to me for approval."
As Liu Duanhe thought about it, he said to Wei Mingheng that he had noticed Wei Mingheng's pale face during the meeting, which he guessed was due to a stomach ailment. He had arranged things so well and naturally, as if it were just something he did on a whim.
Such meticulousness is unimaginable for ordinary people, relying on keen observation and memory.
Secretary Wei's eyes flickered, his lips moved a few times, and a warm feeling washed over him, reviving his previously tired body. In the end, he could only say, "Thank you, boss."
Liu Duanhe always paid such meticulous attention to the needs of everyone around him. Apart from his excessive indifference, Wei Mingheng found it difficult to find any flaws in him. However, Liu Duanhe was good at pretending, so even this minor flaw was hard for others to notice.
The door to the lounge was opened.
The tall man stood very close to Liu Duanhe, his handsome face backlit and shrouded in shadow. Liu Duanhe remained still, carefully observing his emotions.
Feng Xingyun showed no signs of annoyance; on the contrary, his eyes even held an unconscious smile as he gazed down at him.
Even the perceptive Liu Duanhe couldn't help but smile. "Let's go eat first."
His smiling phoenix eyes were as gentle and warm as jade, with a soft, rippling quality.
Although Feng Xingyun's expression remained as indifferent as ever, Liu Duanhe could subtly sense his joyful mood.
He invited me, saying, "We had lunch at a Shandong cuisine restaurant that a friend recommended. Try it and see if you like it."
Feng Xingyun's lips curled up slightly, "Okay, I'm fine with anything, I'm not picky about food."
They maintained a certain distance, walking side by side without physical contact, but their eyes unconsciously looked at each other. Liu Duanhe was habitually taking care of others, while Feng Xingyun subconsciously followed with his gaze. The two were like a truly inseparable couple.
Of course, Liu Duanhe wasn't so easily swayed. He simply relaxed himself. Even the strongest bow needs to be loosened a bit; only with a balance of tension and relaxation can it last. He tried his best to play the role of a lover.
Sometimes Liu Duanhe feels that if there were another world, he might be an actor. For him, acting is as simple as breathing most of the time, something he does effortlessly.
This is a very interesting and wonderful conjecture. When he is alone and there is no one else around, Liu Duanhe often has some wonderful ideas while thinking. Letting his thoughts wander is also a way for him to relax.
Wei Mingheng followed behind them. He took his medicine in the car so that he could be invisible when necessary and not disturb his boss's date. He never thought that Liu Duanhe would have a boyfriend. Looking at the two very well-matched people in front of him, he silently moved a little further away so as not to disturb their love talk.
The unspoken understanding was broken when they arrived at the garage. They got into the car together, and Liu Duanhe subconsciously took out his laptop from the car, intending to work during a break.
But a large, tanned hand pressed it against the screen.
Liu Duanhe looked up and met Feng Xingyun's blatant stare. Liu Duanhe sighed, closed his laptop, and smiled helplessly, "Okay, I think it might be a better choice for me to talk to you."
Feng Xingyun pressed the button on his computer screen completely. "Although the driver is driving very smoothly, it's impossible for it to be as smooth as on land. Over time, this can be bad for your eyes."
He tried to show concern for Liu Duanhe without being sarcastic, and to say what he really wanted to say.
After Feng Xingyun spoke, his heart inexplicably relaxed. He realized that these words of concern were not as shameful or cheesy as he had imagined. After saying the first sentence, the rest came out naturally, all of which were heartfelt expressions of his concern.
Liu Duanhe looked up in surprise, his eyes hazy like autumn rain beneath his eyelashes, misty and dreamy. However, Feng Xingyun knew that these imaginings were just subjective filters and thoughts added by him.
In fact, Liu Duanhe simply glanced at him quietly and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Liu Duanhe is not the kind of workaholic who squeezes his body and time to the extreme just to make money. For him, or for people like him, time is more precious than money, and it is certainly good to use it to enjoy life.
Unable to work, Liu Duanhe decided to learn more about him and happily chatted with Feng Xingyun. Feng Xingyun was surprised to find that Liu Duanhe actually knew quite a bit about car modification, at least more than him, who was just an spectator who occasionally played around with it as a hobby.
Liu Duanhe said calmly, "What you learn from books is definitely not as good as what real professionals do when you actually get hands-on experience."
Few people who are not familiar with him know that Liu Duanhe loves reading in addition to swimming. He started reading when he was a child and was locked at home with nothing to do. He read more and more, and read everything from astronomy and geography to auto repair and welding. Liu Duanhe could read everything with great interest.
This growth was forced upon him, but it also brought him benefits. Liu Duanhe smiled modestly, burying the complex emotions that suddenly arose from the memories.
"If you like, next time you come to my place, you can pick out some books you like to take home."
Feng Xingyun used to think he was pretentious, but now Feng Xingyun thinks that if it is Liu Duanhe, then everything is fine.
Is having real ability considered pretentious? It's called presenting yourself appropriately. If you have real ability, you can demonstrate it, and that deserves praise.
Feng Xingyun now feels that the outside world's evaluation of Liu Duanhe is still not clear enough and is lower than the extent of Liu Duanhe's efforts.
Even though he used to be at odds with him, he had to admit that Liu Duanhe's learning ability was absolutely top-notch, and his diligence and self-discipline were terrifying.
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