Chapter 45 Team Building: He's almost my boyfriend.
The sky was clear and the air was crisp, with not a cloud in sight.
This was a perfect day for outdoor team building that Tang Yi carefully selected based on the weather forecast.
Even though he hadn't slept all night, Zhang Minglang still got himself ready early and drove to her building as agreed.
"So early?"
Tang Yi pushed open the heavy iron gate of the building, and when she caught sight of the familiar license plate, her voice rose, clearly showing some surprise.
Seeing her again so suddenly caught Zhang Minglang completely off guard.
It was like a song that suddenly burst into song without any intro, catching him completely off guard.
He gave a reserved, low "hmm".
Tang Yi looked no different from usual, just like when she went to work every day.
He thought about yesterday with mixed feelings.
Am I the only one still reminiscing about that rainy afternoon outside the bookstore, that distance that couldn't have been closer?
Are you still waiting for someone? Why aren't you leaving?
When Zhang Minglang heard her voice, he came to his senses and realized that Tang Yi was already sitting in the passenger seat.
Same angle, same two people.
Tang Yi turned her head and looked at him with her beautiful eyes.
He felt as if something was blurring his vision, and the scene from yesterday overlapped with his own in a daze.
It was raining outside, but the car was warm and cozy inside. Tang Yi's eyes were bright and clear, and her hair was dripping wet.
"Mr. Zhang?"
Tang Yi waved to him.
Zhang Minglang suddenly realized what was happening.
He coughed lightly without a word, barely managing to pull himself back from those boundless memories, and haphazardly turned the car key to start it.
Tang Yi took in his inexplicable absent-mindedness and panic. She raised an eyebrow, lowered her head, and her long hair covered half of her face.
Out of the corner of his eye, Zhang Minglang could only see the tip of her pert nose.
Her upturned lips were not visible.
The car quickly arrived in Orange County. They had arrived earlier than their colleagues' bus.
Tang Yi had nothing to do and happened to need to deliver books to the Juxian Elementary School, so she simply asked Zhang Minglang to take her to the school gate.
The car was turned off, and before Tang Yi could even unbuckle her seatbelt, she heard a crisp "click" sound from the driver's seat.
She looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Zhang Minglang had already unbuckled his seatbelt. When he saw her looking at him, he looked up at her with a puzzled expression.
Tang Yi looked at the clasp he was still clutching in his hand: "Are you going too?"
Zhang Minglang let go, and the seatbelt slipped out of his hand and quickly retracted back into place.
He dusted off his hands: "Of course, I'll also take this opportunity to examine your charity plan."
Thinking of something, he moved his face closer to Tang Yi and said in a low voice, "Besides, isn't this the assessment period? I have to perform well, right?"
A handsome face suddenly loomed large in front of her, but Tang Yi wasn't intimidated and didn't back away.
She boldly scrutinized his face from top to bottom, her gaze fixed on every inch of his skin as if she were squeezing lemon juice into a bar while keeping an eye on the horizon.
Zhang Minglang was naturally unwilling to admit defeat.
He stared intently at Tang Yi's eyes as they traced the contours of his face, as if afraid of missing even the slightest emotion.
"Is facial appearance included in the assessment score?"
He spoke, as if whispering in her ear.
Tang Yi's gaze shifted from his lips back to his eyes.
Just as Zhang Minglang was about to give in, his ears burning from her intense gaze, Tang Yi seemed to finally decide to let him go.
She slowly shook her head, her red lips parting slightly.
"No, that doesn't count. Otherwise, it would be too high."
After saying that, she turned around, opened the car door, and got out. The fragrant ends of her hair brushed against Zhang Minglang's nose as she moved, the slight tickling sensation making him squint.
What's the meaning.
Is this a subtle way of praising his good looks?
Zhang Minglang remained in the same position, but his mind was racing.
After confirming that she seemed to really mean it, Zhang Minglang belatedly felt shy.
He lowered his head, gently covering his forehead with one hand, his shoulders trembling with the soft chuckle.
Looking through the car window, Tang Yi's tall figure was already walking further and further away from the teaching building.
Zhang Minglang stopped laughing, turned around, opened the door, and followed after carrying the bookshelves that were in the back row.
"Aunt Yang, I thought you were taking a break today."
Tang Yi stood straight outside the office door. She reached out and knocked on the door, smiling as she spoke to Yang Yuanyue, who was engrossed in her work.
Yang Yuanyue heard the familiar voice and looked up in surprise.
"You're here! Come in, come in and sit down!"
She got up to pull Tangyi, but suddenly felt a large shadow appear in front of her.
She looked up and saw a man much taller than Tang Yi standing behind her, holding a large cardboard box in his arms.
The two were both dressed in khaki-colored clothes. One was slender and the other had broad shoulders and back. Upon closer inspection, the two were a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
The man seemed to have jogged all the way here, and was now slightly out of breath, leaning against the door frame to rest.
Zhang Minglang finally caught up with her. He put the box on the ground, put his hands on his hips, turned his head to look at her, and said in a suggestive tone, "Examiner, why are you walking so fast without waiting for me?"
He called out to Tang Yi, panting, his breath hitting her ear, which was hidden behind her hair, making her earlobe tickle.
Yang Yuanyue had already approached when Tang Yi nudged the man's hard abdomen behind her with her elbow, stopping his "outrageous remarks".
Yang Yuanyue looked up at Zhang Minglang, took Tang Yi's hand, and asked, "Xiao Yi, who is this...?"
Zhang Minglang covered the spot where Tang Yi's elbow had just touched him with one hand, and stretched out his other hand, grinning, "Hello, I'm Tang Yi's..."
"boss."
Tang Yi turned her head and interrupted him with a smile.
Zhang Minglang looked at Tang Yi with a forced smile, and nodded as if he had given in to the situation.
"Yes, I am her boss."
Zhang Minglang put on a smile again, squeezing out each word through gritted teeth.
Okay, after all, she wasn't wrong.
Aside from being superiors and subordinates, they really don't have any relationship now.
If I had to say something...
He looked at Tang Yi, who was standing beside him, exuding a charming and gentle aura.
Zhang Minglang lowered his head and smiled.
Ambiguous relationship?
Soon-to-be boyfriend and girlfriend?
Examiner and...examinee?
His ears turned red again, much to his dismay.
Yang Yuanyue invited, "Come in and sit down, don't just stand there outside."
Tang Yi sighed and walked forward, but didn't forget to turn around and grab the man who was standing there, seemingly lost in thought, his face slightly flushed.
Zhang Minglang's burning hot palm was suddenly stuffed into a cool, smooth hand.
He was startled and looked down.
A section of Tang Yi's wrist slipped out from the long sleeve of her shirt jacket, dazzlingly white in the sunlight.
Looking in that direction, her entire palm was gently resting on the back of his broad hand.
It resembles a piece of cool, translucent Hetian jade.
He couldn't remember how Tang Yi led him to sit down, or how she let go of his hand.
Tang Yi smiled beside him, chatting casually with Yang Yuanyue.
But he couldn't hear clearly.
His entire mind was still filled with that strange sensation, and only one sentence kept circulating in his mind like a barrage of comments:
With such a strong and calm personality, how can her hands be so soft?
"...I'm relieved that the children are doing well. If the mental health clinic is truly effective, I will find a way to keep it running."
Yang Yuanyue patted Tang Yi's hand with heartache and gratitude: "You've worked so hard, really so hard. You've already done so much for the school, don't push yourself too hard, especially at work."
Tang Yi joked, "Then I'll have to discuss that with my boss."
She turned to look at the proper-looking boss sitting next to her.
Zhang Minglang felt her gaze, snapped out of his daze, and looked at her blankly.
Tang Yi smiled and repeated their casual conversation.
Zhang Minglang straightened up instantly and said to Yang Yuanyue as if to make a promise, "Don't worry, I will definitely arrange Tang Yi's work properly."
Yang Yuanyue was amused by his expression. She smiled at Tang Yi with her eyes crinkling, "I'm relieved that you and the boss have such a good relationship. Oh, my daughter has also found a job recently. If her boss is as good as this one, I'll be completely at ease."
The second time Tang Yi heard her mention her daughter, she congratulated her, saying, "Last time you told me she was busy with the fall recruitment season, and she found a job so quickly. Congratulations!"
Yang Yuanyue waved her hand: "I didn't pay any attention to her. She called me after her last interview, crying and saying that the interviewer asked her really difficult questions..."
She spoke of her daughter with eyes full of pride.
Tang Yi didn't even quite hear what she said next. She just looked into her eyes, her expression softening, even showing a hint of envy.
When has such loving and proud eyes ever appeared in Ms. Chen Lian's eyes?
She lowered her head and rarely spoke, mostly listening.
But she didn't feel as bad as before.
Perhaps it's because she's grown up, or perhaps it's also because...
Tang Yi turned her head and met Zhang Minglang's gaze, who had been watching her the whole time.
Her eyes held both sorrow and gratitude.
The tragedy lies in the naive hope that parents will change, only to repeatedly disappoint, hurt, and doubt oneself.
I'm grateful; thank you for what he said to Sun Yuyang in the bar back then:
"They are your parents, not you."
Tang Yi now has the courage to face everything and the confidence to give up everything.
She had to admit, of course, that it was all thanks to him.
Thanks to him using every beautiful word he could think of to tell her she deserved it;
Thanks to him, who always walked in front of her and firmly reached out his hand to her.
Zhang Minglang keenly sensed the subtle change in Tang Yi's emotions. He softened his gaze and looked at her tenderly, as if using his eyes to provide her with incredibly strong support.
"mom!"
A clear, crisp female voice came from outside the door, and everyone in the room turned to look at it.
"Zhenzhen, you've come at the perfect time! Come, let me introduce you to your sister Xiaoyi."
Yang Yuanyue waved to her with a smile.
The sunlight outside was so bright that it created a halo of light above everyone's heads, making it impossible to see the faces of the people who came in.
Tang Yi only recognized her when she stood right in front of her.
Before she could even show any surprise, the other person exclaimed, "Secretary Tang?!"
Tang Yi nodded in a friendly manner: "Fang Zhen."
"You two know each other?" Zhang Minglang quietly watched the unfolding events before him, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Tang Yi.
"You interviewed the new employee who joined after the holiday, don't you remember?"
Fang Zhen then turned her gaze to the man sitting quietly to the side.
I should have looked away, because what I saw gave me a huge shock: "President Zhang?!!"
Seeing her expression as if she'd seen a ghost, Zhang Minglang couldn't help but find it funny: "Am I that scary?"
Fang Zhen stammered, not daring to utter a sound.
Yang Yuanyue stood there stunned, unsure of how to react.
Tang Yi got up and found Fang Zhen an empty seat for her to sit down before patiently explaining the whole story to everyone.
"I never expected that we would all know each other," Tang Yi said with a sigh after explaining everything.
No wonder I felt that Fang Zhen looked very familiar when I first met her.
Unexpectedly, she turned out to be Yang Yuanyue's biological daughter.
Seeing that Fang Zhen was somewhat reserved and hesitant after recognizing her and Zhang Minglang, Tang Yi considerately got up to say goodbye.
Seeing her get up, Zhang Minglang also got up and busied himself carrying the boxes of books outside the door into the office.
"Why are you leaving so soon?" Yang Yuanyue looked very reluctant to see them go.
Tang Yi shook her head: "We didn't leave. We're here today for our department's team building activity. Xiao Fang, you can join us if you'd like."
Fang Zhen nodded repeatedly, like a chick pecking at rice.
Yang Yuanyue rubbed her cold hands, then looked at Zhang Minglang outside the door, who was busy moving books with several male teachers, and lowered her voice: "That boy, I think he's nice. Tell me the truth, is he your boyfriend?"
Tang Yi followed her gaze.
Zhang Minglang had just finished moving a stack of books and straightened up, his fluffy short hair swaying in the air. His tall figure, bathed in the warm yellow sunlight, looked exceptionally reliable.
Noticing her gaze, he turned to look at her and gave her a bright smile.
Tang Yi looked at him and said softly with a smile, "It'll be soon."
He's almost my boyfriend.
Author's Note: The final two steps! [doge emoji]
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