Four-Faced Buddha [To My Shore] - Chap 78
Chapter 78 Jealousy
2024-10-13 07:31 Category: Four-Faced BuddhaTurn off the lights
For half a month, You Shulang received a bouquet of roses every day.
Lychee roses are rare and niche, and their flower language is protective love.
The daily delivery of roses thrust You Shulang, a new employee, into the spotlight.
Whether the gazes were well-intentioned or prying, the whispers behind his back, or even some sarcastic remarks made to his face, a wave of emotions surged toward You Shulang.
However… it had no real power. The composed man ignored all whispers and speculations, remaining calm and unaffected.
The flowers were placed in the tea room in the public area. Occasionally, some flower-loving girls would take a few home after get off work, and the next morning, there would be a few more candies or pastries on You Shulang’s desk.
“Bringing Minister You’s flowers home again?”
“Yes.” In the parking lot, a girl glanced at the bright red roses in her hand. “They’re still so fresh. It would be a shame if they were replaced by the new ones that arrive tomorrow.”
“A bouquet of roses every day, I wonder which rich woman has caught the eye of this new Minister You.”
“Does she have to be a rich woman?” the jacquard girl asked with a smile. “Can’t she be a domineering CEO?”
“Hmm~” The two girls were of one mind, their smiles both flirtatious and cunning.
“By the way, according to news from HR, Minister You seems to be getting promoted to assistant to General Manager Qin.”
“I’ve heard about it too, but it seems like President Qin has never created an assistant position before, it just happened out of nowhere… It’s really sweet!”
“I completely agree!” The woman lowered her voice slightly. “Someone like President Qin, who is so whiny and doesn’t understand the hardships of life, should be taught a lesson by someone as calm and strong as Minister You.”
The sound of high heels faded, the gossip faded into the distance, and a hand holding a cigarette, resting on the car window, twitched unnaturally.
When You Shulang got off work, Fan Xiao came to pick him up, his manner gentle and considerate.
“I don’t go that way, I have plans to meet someone tonight.” You Shulang stood a meter away from him, his tone less friendly than that of a regular friend.
Fan Xiaoming was smiling, but his eyes were filled with suppressed emotions. Even though he was pretending with a smile, you could still read a hint of malice in them.
He opened the car door and asked casually, “Who did you meet? Where are you? I’ll take you there.”
Faced with Fan Xiao’s solicitousness, You Shulang remained motionless: “So, from now on, I’ll have to report everything to President Fan?”
Fan Xiao slowed his movements, then closed the car door, forcing a smile: “Then I’ll wait for you at home. If it’s a drinking party tonight, Shu Lang, drink less.”
You Shulang neither refuted nor responded, and walked past Fan Xiao toward the subway station.
Fan Xiao got into the car, slowly touching his wristwatch, glancing at the rearview mirror. Just as the figure in the mirror was about to disappear, he opened the car door and followed…
In a nice, upscale restaurant, a group of men are lamenting about life.
Time is a bastard; back then, we were in our prime.
“You’re not old yet, not even thirty, but you look like you’re about to turn in your grave.”
“Sigh, my appearance may not be old, but my heart is. I spend every day in the lab, it’s the same 365 days a year, and I feel like I’ve become disconnected from the beautiful world.”
“We’re all just research dogs, only we talented scholars like You live a carefree life, indulging in wine and women every day.”
“If Director You is going to be surrounded, it should be by handsome men, not by You Zi.”
Amidst the cheers and jeers, You Shulang, holding his wine glass loosely, smiled faintly: “It’s the same opening line every time we get together. Aren’t you all tired of it?”
Some people still wouldn’t let him off the hook, laughing and joking loudly: “Just admit that you took advantage of your position to touch that young boy’s hand.”
You Shulang leaned back in his chair, casually raising his eyebrows. His voice was deep and drawn out: “If you’re jealous, I can touch your hand right now.”
“Touch one, touch one!” The cheers grew louder. “If you don’t touch one today, you’re not a real man, Youzi!”
The friendship between classmates grew even stronger amidst laughter and playfulness; the room was filled with joy, a testament to our youthful days.
“I have a favor to ask of you all today.” As the noise subsided, You Shulang filled his glass with wine. “I’m planning to change jobs. Are any of your studios or research projects short-staffed? I’d like to lend you some help.”
“You’re not a wanderer, you’re doing a perfectly good job as the office manager, why are you giving it up?”
With a ding, You Shulang’s phone received an email notification. As he opened it, he said casually, “I’m surrounded by boys so tightly that I can’t breathe.”
The email was brief and to the point: Deputy General Manager Qin Zhiyang has rejected your resignation application.
You Shulang looked away from his phone, his smile unchanged: “Maybe I just want to touch the little hands of researchers.”
Although it was a joke, everyone could hear the hint of helplessness in it. They looked at each other, and someone asked, “What’s wrong, Youzi?”
You Shulang stood up and poured wine for each of his classmates: “When I graduated and started working, I had to support my family and younger brother. Now that I don’t have that burden anymore, I want to go back to scientific research.” After walking around, he sat back down in his seat, picked up his glass, and said, “I know I’m just an undergraduate, and my education and experience are not enough, so I don’t ask for a position or salary. I’ll be content just helping you run data and do basic work.”
After a moment of silence, the person who had been making the most noise asked, “No, Youzi, are you serious?”
“Really.” He tapped his wine glass on the table. “I’m begging you big shots to give me a chance.”
The man then started laughing and joking again: “Damn, if you want to touch my little hand, just say so. Why beat around the bush?”
Someone else chimed in: “However, research teams are very particular about seniority. If you only do basic work, you really won’t get much money, you wanderer.”
Another ding sounded, and You Shulang’s phone received another email. This time, it was sent directly by Qin Zhiyang, bypassing the HR department: I won’t send flowers anymore, so you don’t need to resign.
You Shulang turned off the screen and looked up: “I don’t ask for a high salary, I just…”
He was interrupted by the sound of the door being pushed open. A man who had gone out to use the restroom entered with a companion, his voice suddenly rising in a fawning tone: “Classmates, classmate, come, let me introduce you to someone.”
You Shulang raised his eyes, and when he saw who it was, his pupils darkened, and his brows were filled with surprise and coldness.
The tall figure that followed was someone You Shulang wouldn’t mistake even by looking at just a strand of hair—it was none other than Fan Xiao, who was always causing trouble for him!
Fan Xiao was introduced in a very grand manner. At the beginning of his investment, he met many project teams and researchers, and the person who led him into the private room was one of them.
“Mr. Fan is a money-making machine, investing in pharmaceutical projects. Mr. Fan, let me introduce you, these are all my college classmates.”
Fan Xiao smiled modestly, his gaze sweeping over the introductions, but he didn’t linger too long when he got to You Shulang.
He was good at acting like a big shot, and even when he was being fawned over, he wasn’t arrogant. He was gracefully led to the seat of honor and sat down next to You Shulang.
The man beside him had his eyes downcast, his expression indifferent, and he didn’t look at him. Fan Xiao didn’t try to annoy him, but simply asked everyone, “What were you all talking about just now? It sounded quite lively outside the door.”
“Yes.” The man who brought Fan Xiao into the house also found it strange: “I only went out to relieve myself for a short while, and you guys almost ripped the roof off.”
“We’re talking about how a girl who’s far from home wants to touch a boy’s hand.”
The moment he finished speaking, the speaker felt a chill run down his spine from being stared at by several disapproving gazes.
Damn, I forgot there’s a stranger in the house. He lightly slapped his mouth and made a zipping motion.
During this time, no one noticed that the newly entered man’s jaw tightened, and after the corners of his lips curled up, they slowly lifted again.
“Youzi, if you’re not joking, come join my team, even though the pay is low,” one of the people at the table said.
Fan Xiao frowned and turned to look at You Shulang beside him. Seeing the grateful expression on You Shulang’s face, he sincerely thanked him and said, “It’s nothing. I’m already very grateful that I was able to get in with my qualifications.”
“Shulang, why don’t you come to my place?” At this moment, a deep voice interrupted, “Kunzi, your project is already in its mid-to-late stages. Shulang won’t be of much use to you. Our medical school has started a new project and is eagerly seeking talent. If Shulang can come and help me, it will definitely make things much easier.”
The man who spoke sat directly opposite Fan Xiao. He was tall and handsome, with an ordinary but pleasing appearance and a gentle demeanor.
Shulang? Fan Xiao noticed a detail: everyone in the room called You Shulang “Youzi,” but he was the only one who called him “Shulang.”
The troublemaker got excited again: “I’ll fight anyone who wants my man, but if you, Fan Qinghong, want him, I’ll have no choice but to give up.”
He glanced at Fan Xiao, then wisely shut his mouth, not making the same mistake again.
The man called Fan Qinghong hadn’t said much all night, but he was concise at this moment: “Shulang, you must like the direction of this project. If you agree to come to my place, we can find time to talk in detail. As for the compensation, it will match your contributions.”
Fan Xiao kept glancing at You Shulang out of the corner of his eye. He noticed that after Fan Qinghong finished speaking, You Shulang’s fingertip lightly slid across the glass before he responded.
“Okay, we’ll discuss this in detail when we have time.”
A cold glint flashed across Fan Xiao’s eyes. He reached down to grasp the matchbox in his pocket and smiled gently, saying, “What project is Brother Fan setting up? We businessmen are all a bit materialistic; when we see a good project, we always want to explore the avenues.”
You Shulang suddenly looked at the man beside him, a warning lurking in his eyes.
Ignoring the gaze, Fan Xiao picked up the teapot and calmly and naturally poured tea for You Shulang. Amidst the surprised looks of the crowd, he slowly said, “Besides, there are plenty of projects these days that are just sham projects, defrauding the government of funds. Our Director You doesn’t go to just any lousy place.”
You Shulang: “!!!”
The dinner ended in an extremely awkward atmosphere.
The room, which was just a moment ago lively, is now filled with only oppressive silence.
You Shulang felt that he was like the food on the table, a complete mess.
Fan Xiao destroyed his life step by step, relentlessly taking over and destroying even the corners where he could temporarily breathe.
What does he still possess now? You Shulang leaned back in his chair and pondered for a long time, but ultimately found no answer.
“Shulang, if you want to change jobs, you can come to me. You don’t need to beg them like this.”
You Shulang felt as heavy as lead in his heart. He stood up and walked towards the door, warning in a deep voice, “Fan Xiao, I need to calm down. Don’t follow me, or I will definitely do something you will regret.”
Fan Xiao frowned deeply, his fingers clenching so tightly they cracked, but he didn’t dare to follow rashly, only keeping a distance of three or five steps behind.
As soon as he stepped out of the private room, he saw You Shulang being stopped in the corridor by a middle-aged woman.
The woman, adorned with jewels, did not appear old-fashioned; rather, she retained a certain charm.
Fan Xiao held the matchbox tightly, not daring to approach, but suddenly saw the woman raise a hand and touch You Shulang’s cheek.
“Don’t hide,” the woman standing under the lamp said to You Shulang. “Is that your man staring straight at you? The one Lu Zhen said hurt you deeply?”
You Shulang looked embarrassed and stiffened as he said, “President Shi, what are you doing?”
The woman was an investor whom Lu Zhen had offended. A few months ago, You Shulang had brought Lu Zhen to apologize to her.
“I’ll teach him a lesson for you.” The woman’s hand slid to You Shulang’s neck, her thumb gently rubbing the skin there. “Judging from your expression, he must have bullied you again. I’ll help you make him jealous.”
You Shulang gave a wry smile: “President Shi, I’m gay, and things aren’t that simple between us.”
“So what if he’s gay? Lots of gay men still go out to hook up.” The woman leaned close to his ear and said, “No matter how complicated the entanglement is, as long as he still cares about you, making him jealous is the greatest torment for him.”
The man behind her could no longer contain himself and slowly approached, exuding a dangerous aura.
Fan Xiao held the misshapen matchbox in his hand, a mask-like smile on his face, and stared at You Shulang with his cold eyes: “The unknown person who sent flowers, the young boss of the new company, the affectionate classmate, and this glamorous rich girl, Director You, how many love traps have you cast? Am I the only one who is like a fool, caught in your net the deepest and deceived for the longest time?”
The woman looked at You Shulang’s pale face and spoke before he could. Her soft, white hand slid down You Shulang’s shoulder and arm to his palm, and she took his hand: “Youyou, will you come with me tonight?”
You Shulang heard the sound of the matchbox breaking.
He said, “Okay.”
