This is a question beyond the syllabus.
Xia Yang felt his heart skip a beat and quickly averted his gaze. His Adam’s apple moved involuntarily, and he gulped a few times.
“I’m a bit hungry,” he changed the topic, avoiding the question about the ‘bonus points,’ and looked down at his wrist, which was without a watch. “Shall we go eat?”
Han Yi looked into his eyes, his expression calm as always, and slightly smiled, “Alright.”
They chose a private restaurant for their meal. The place was tastefully decorated with a vintage literary vibe, offering a unique ambiance. The restaurant only served eight tables a day, ensuring privacy.
The private room was on the second floor. As they walked up, Han Yi had already ordered the dishes.
“Truffle abalone rice, caviar crispy pork, Swedish veal, fresh asparagus, seasonal vegetable salad…”
Xia Yang turned his head and looked at him in surprise, “Big boss, don’t you even need to look at the menu? Anyone who doesn’t know might think you’re a human ordering machine.”
“…”
The server couldn’t help but smile and looked at Han Yi with bright eyes. “Mr. Han is one of our VIPs. He’s been here several times, and the dishes he ordered are our ‘best picks.'”
“Oh, so you’re familiar with this place.” Xia Yang smiled.
Han Yi glanced at him without saying much. As if reminded of something, he turned to the server, “What desserts do you have today?”
The restaurant offered two desserts each day, different for every week.
The server quickly handed over a tablet, “Today we have ‘Sweet Love’ and ‘Everlasting Harmony.’ Which one would you like?”
“Both.” Han Yi responded without hesitation.
“Sweet Love,” “Everlasting Harmony,” both sound fitting. Xia Yang nudged him on the arm, whispering, “Did you order these desserts when you came here with someone else?”
“No, those were business meals, so we didn’t order desserts. Today’s a date; it has to be sweet.”
The server who was taking the order suddenly looked at Xia Yang with full envy.
Xia Yang’s ears turned a faint shade of red, feeling like a little rabbit was jumping around in his chest, tugging at his heartstrings.
The big ice sculpture of a boss was becoming increasingly straightforward, openly showing his feelings even in a public setting, with others around.
Impressive.
Their private room was in the innermost part of the second floor. The server had gone ahead to set the table, and the two of them slowly made their way there.
After a few steps, Han Yi asked, “Do you have plans for tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? Yes,” Xia Yang answered honestly. “Tomorrow afternoon, there’s a brand’s New Year fashion show. My agent asked me to join in.”
“Alright.” Han Yi nodded, pulled out his phone from his pocket, and made a call, “Schedule tomorrow afternoon’s meeting.”
Xia Yang was stunned for a moment and turned his head to look at him. The crystal chandelier overhead cast a bright light, as if stars were falling on his shoulders.
“Why are you looking at me?” Han Yi sensed the gaze and turned his head. His deep eyes held a rare tenderness, reflecting the bright starlight.
“Are you arranging your schedule based on mine?” Xia Yang licked his lips, “That’s not like you.”
“Unchanging is boring.” Han Yi looked at him and said, “I used to focus all my thoughts on work, but now I’ve changed my perspective. While work is important, people are even more important…”
Hearing this, Xia Yang felt the little rabbit in his heart bouncing again, more active than before.
He blinked, about to say something when he suddenly noticed a familiar figure emerging from a private room diagonally ahead.
It was his agent, Qi Le!
Damn! Xia Yang widened his eyes and instinctively hid behind Han Yi.
This encounter was far from ideal. If his agent saw him having a rendezvous with the boss, he couldn’t imagine the number of lies he’d have to fabricate.
Moreover, the agent had solemnly warned him before—Han Yi was married, and he should avoid “trying to gain attention” and maintain a certain distance.
At this point, he certainly couldn’t reveal their hidden marriage. Rather than that…
Xia Yang quickly scanned the hallway and, just as his agent looked in their direction, he swiftly dragged Han Yi into the nearest bathroom.
Han Yi: “??”
“Shh—” Xia Yang held tightly onto his arm, standing very close to him. “I just saw my agent. He’s one of the two who just came out of the private room. Let’s hide here for a bit until they’re gone.”
He spoke in a hushed voice, his breath warm against Han Yi’s neck.
“…Did you owe him money?” Han Yi frowned, feeling a bit helpless about hiding in the bathroom.
“No, I would never leave a debt unpaid! I’ll explain more later; they’re coming over now, shh…” Xia Yang placed a finger to his lips and listened intently to the sounds outside.
The footsteps grew closer, along with voices. They thought they would leave once they passed, but unexpectedly, the agent mentioned he needed to wash his hands before leaving.
Xia Yang: “…”
His heart was back in his throat, and he quickly dragged Han Yi further into the bathroom, shutting the door to a stall behind them.
Han Yi: “…”
Han Yi: “…”
What did he do to deserve this?
As the sound of running water filled the room, Xia Yang felt a bit more relieved but still on edge.
What if the agent suddenly decided to use the toilet…
That would be a disaster.
Thinking of this, Xia Yang moved closer to Han Yi, tugging on his sleeve and whispering strategy into his ear—
“Whatever you do, don’t let my agent see us together. If he knocks and wants to come in, just tell him the stalls are full and everyone’s having stomach issues. Make him find another bathroom.”
Han Yi: “…”
Han Yi: “If everyone’s having stomach issues, won’t that ruin this restaurant’s reputation?”
“Ah, just in case! But if he doesn’t come in, then all’s well!” Xia Yang muttered, pulling on his sleeve. Han Yi took a deep breath, feeling increasingly displeased.
“I’m regretting coming to this restaurant.”
Though the restaurant was elegant and the bathroom was clean with no strange odors, he’d never had to hide in a bathroom like this before.
It was absurd.
Completely absurd.
But looking at Xia Yang, who looked like a little quail, weak and helpless, with misty eyes, Han Yi felt a wave of affection and stayed with him, waiting in such a place.
Absurd or not, he endured.
Several minutes passed. The water stopped, and the sound of a hand dryer hummed. Footsteps gradually faded…
Until they were out of earshot, Xia Yang finally let out a long breath, leaned against Han Yi’s shoulder.
“So tired…”
Han Yi: “.”
“But at least we got through it,” he quickly lifted his head, smiling at Han Yi. “Let’s eat a bit more to celebrate getting through this ordeal.”
Han Yi: “…”
He felt his appetite waning.
Outside, the coast was clear. The agent had indeed left. Han Yi, expressionless, washed his hands at the sink, and they walked out of the bathroom one after the other.
As soon as they exited, they ran into the server who had taken their order.
“Mr. Han, there you are! I wondered where you’d gone.”
“Mm.” Han Yi lowered his eyes, adjusting the wrinkles Xia Yang had crumpled into his clothes, and led him toward their private room.
The server stared at their backs for a few seconds, then glanced at the slightly ajar bathroom door. Suddenly, an indescribable image popped into his head.
Interesting, this boss looked so calm and collected, not at all like someone with overindulgence issues.
Who would have thought he’d be so indulgent and daring?
In the private room, as they waited for their meal, Xia Yang sincerely apologized for the recent “emergency evasion.”
“Sorry, Han Yi, for making you experience a few minutes of discomfort,” he awkwardly scratched his head and explained, “About this… it’s a long story. My agent somehow heard that you were married and thought I had a thing for you, so… Actually, what I did today was to protect our cover.”
“I understand,” Han Yi took a sip of tea, his expression softening. He put the cup down, turned to Xia Yang, and said, “Now that I’m pursuing you, we don’t need to keep the cover. Or, I could make your agent more transparent and tell him the truth about my partner’s identity…”
“No, no need,” Xia Yang hurriedly stopped him, shaking his head repeatedly. “Maybe… let’s wait a bit. I’ve got a lot going on with work right now. Once things settle down, I’ll plan how to handle this.”
Han Yi’s gaze lingered on him for a moment before nodding, “I’ll follow your lead.”
Xia Yang shyly thanked him, grateful for his understanding and support.
*
After spending the day together, they returned to the villa as evening approached.
Assistant Xiao Jun came over to deliver the outfit for tomorrow’s event. Xia Yang took it back to his room to try it on.
Han Yi had some emails to deal with and followed him upstairs. As soon as he entered the study, his phone rang; it was the business director.
[Business Director Liang Mao]: Sorry to bother you, Mr. Han. This morning, a representative from a show contacted me about a potential collaboration with our company for a workplace reality show called “Fresh to the Workplace: Idols.”
Han Yi glanced at the message, typing a response—”Decline.”
Just as he was about to send it, he seemed to remember something.
He recalled that Xia Yang had mentioned he would participate in a reality show called “Fresh to the Workplace: Idols,” a workplace experience reality show where the guests would intern at some major corporations.
With this in mind, he pressed his lips together, deleted the text in the chat box, and replied:
[Han Yi]: Go on.
[Business Director Liang Mao]: I refused. You previously mentioned that our company, being in the industrial sector, shouldn’t get involved in other circles’ messy affairs, especially activities in the entertainment industry. Our brand is already well-known, and we don’t need this kind of exposure.
[Business Director Liang Mao]: Besides, I skimmed through their proposal, and most of the guests aren’t very famous, except for one named Xia Yang who has some recognition.
[Business Director Liang Mao]: Oh right, this Xia Yang starred in our company’s cruise advertisement a while ago and it went viral.
[Han Yi]: I’m aware of Xia Yang.
[Han Yi]: You were too hasty in declining.
The chat box at the top displayed “The other party is typing…” for a long time before new messages appeared.
[Business Director Liang Mao]: My apologies, Mr. Han, I didn’t think it through. So, what do you suggest?
[Han Yi]: The world is evolving, and times are changing. While we focus on our main business, we can also participate in activities from other circles. Tell the show representative that we can collaborate on this workplace reality show.
[Han Yi]: But I have one condition: Xia Yang must intern at our company.
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