Treading on the fallen phoenix tree leaves on the street, Ji Mi finally ventured out after spending the entire day cooped up indoors. He shuffled to the nearby recycling station to dispose of his garbage.
Although this area was primarily composed of older residential complexes, it was close to various high-tech companies, resulting in a large population of young residents.
It was already past nine in the evening, but the shopping mall was still open, with the underground boutique supermarket bustling with people.
Ji Mi strolled over, occasionally glancing at his phone.
Twenty minutes after sending a request to Jing, the other party remained online but didn't respond...
Had he been ignored?
When filling out his profile, to conceal his real information, he had found a loophole and uploaded an anime avatar.
Was it too childish, making him unattractive in Jing's eyes? He couldn't help but search for reasons.
Finding no new message notifications on his phone, Ji Mi silently lowered his head.
Although he hadn't expected to have any real encounters on Cute Heart, being ignored or rejected online wasn't particularly embarrassing since no one in real life would know about it.
Still, it was a disheartening experience, especially since he had rarely taken the initiative in social interactions.
"Fresh and delicious whole wheat toast, 20% off for one, 40% off for two!" The loudspeaker repeatedly announced.
Hearing about the discount, Ji Mi snapped back to attention and stopped in front of the food cabinet.
He picked up a bag and checked the production information; it had three days left before expiration.
Originally planning to buy next Monday's breakfast during his walk, he now placed two bags of toast in his shopping cart, preparing for tomorrow's lunch as well.
Passing by the refrigerated section, Ji Mi also grabbed two bottles of discounted fresh milk.
He summarized with satisfaction: "The money-saving combo."
Given his current salary, he could actually afford to splurge a bit.
However, having always lived frugally during his school days, when his classmates went on graduation trips after the college entrance exams, he was researching student loans for tuition fees.
Having experienced financial constraints and the need to be mindful of others' opinions, that anxiety had become deeply ingrained. Even after starting work and having money, he couldn't suddenly change his habits, often subconsciously economizing on himself.
Moreover, he only had a small rented room to call home, and the internet industry was notorious for its frequent layoffs...
A sense of security was the most luxurious commodity, one that Ji Mi had never been able to possess.
"Help, how did Saturday pass so quickly? We have to go back to work the day after tomorrow!" someone complained. "I have to submit revised drafts on Monday!"
Beside her, a young man smiled gently and said, "Don't worry, if the client nitpicks again, I'll help you fire back at them."
They brushed past Ji Mi. There were many couples shopping in the supermarket, with solitary figures like Ji Mi being the minority.
He looked at the product review posts on his phone, isolating himself from the chattering outside world, carefully examining each row of shelves and selecting various daily necessities.
Because he was usually exhausted from work, even weekends often left him drained of energy, so he rarely went out for leisurely strolls.
Taking advantage of this rare outing, he decided to stock up on a batch of items: tissues, milk, shower gel...
He momentarily forgot how heavy these items would be together, and nearly lost half his life trying to carry them back alone.
After putting down the shopping bags, Ji Mi's hands were shaking uncontrollably. He took out his phone to check for unread messages and froze in disbelief.
Apart from the payment receipt, Jing had approved his friend request!
Now his hands seemed to shake even more.
[Hi?] Ji Mi hesitantly greeted.
After sending it, he regretted it.
Wouldn't talking like this be too boring?
However, Jing quickly replied: [Studying in Shanghai?]
Following domestic operating requirements, Cute Heart displayed the user's province on their profile, accessing real-time IP data.
Unless using a VPN, the location wouldn't be wrong.
Ji Mi: [Just graduated this year.]
Jing: [I thought you were a student based on your avatar.]
Was this indirectly saying he was childish?
Ji Mi pursed his lips, his slender fingertips tapping the screen: [I don't want to use my own photo.]
[The machine review isn't very smart, so there are ways to get around it if you want.]
When Jing didn't respond for a while, Ji Mi realized it was already bedtime for most people.
His industry's work schedule involved late nights and late mornings, and he was used to staying up late, but the other person might be going to sleep.
Out of basic social courtesy and self-awareness, Ji Mi didn't say anything more.
He just enlarged Jing's avatar and looked at it for a while, as if admiring scenery, finding it more and more pleasing to the eye.
After a while, Jing asked: [Hongni's technology doesn't seem too bad?]
Ji Mi felt a bit proud: [Yeah, but this one's not that great, I succeeded with just two photos.]
He then defended his colleagues' technical skills, shifting the blame: [Maybe the CEO didn't pay the programmers.]
This time Jing was silent for longer before saying: [I saw in the news earlier that they're changing CEOs.]
Ji Mi paused, not wanting to reveal his own job.
He played dumb: [Hmm, seems like it's just changes in the Interactive Entertainment Business Group?]
Then he casually mentioned: [Wonder what the new president is like, I heard all sorts of exaggerated stories from my friend at Hongni.]
Jing seemed quite interested in this: [Oh really?]
Ji Mi: [Most of the rumors fall into three categories: appearance, private life, and workplace scandals.]
Jing was a bit skeptical: [... There's gossip in all three of these areas?]
Ji Mi sounded somewhat disappointed: [No one's talking about the scandals, but someone got bored and searched for news photos, seems like they found him.]
[He looked really weak in the picture, scared everyone quite a bit. Several people took it as a warning and got gym memberships.]
Jing was very cautious: [Are you sure you didn't mistake someone else for him?]
Ji Mi: [Image]
The photo he sent was from a Hongni interview. Describing the man as "weak" was actually quite an understatement.
In the picture, the man could easily occupy two chairs, clearly overweight due to overwork. His thinning hair showed signs of graying.
Overall, he looked like someone who had been working himself to death for the company for twenty years, his body severely overtaxed.
The nameplate in front of the table read:
[Interactive Entertainment Business Group - Purple Platform Studio Group - President]
Before his promotion to the top position, Delay was indeed the president of the Purple Platform Studio Group under the Interactive Entertainment division.
The basic information matched up, so it wasn't entirely unreasonable for people to guess that this man was Delay.
Ji Mi sighed: [Hongni is very competitive. To become the big boss of the Interactive Entertainment division, I guess your body would end up more or less in this state.]
Jing sensed his dissatisfaction beyond his words: [Does your friend work a lot of overtime?]
Ji Mi didn't dare to be too specific: [We don't talk much about that to avoid crossing confidentiality lines. Usually, we just chat about trivial matters.]
Jing: [Oh, like the big boss's private life.]
Ji Mi couldn't believe the other side wasn't curious: [Don't you want to hear about it?!]
On the other side of the chat page, He Jingyan looked at the conversation and finally managed a slight smile after a long while.
He hadn't expected to be falsely accused just by going online.
The Purple Platform Studio Group was quite large, handling several projects, equivalent to a medium-sized game company with a complex business structure, so there were several presidents.
He had worked with the person in the photo before, who never took care of his health and his appearance had deteriorated by middle age.
The big boss of Interactive Entertainment... body more or less...
In this state...
He Jingyan closed his eyes briefly and typed: [So what's the deal with his private life?]
Ji Mi was happy to join in on the gossip, but although he had been eagerly lurking in the chat groups, he was reluctant to spread others' private affairs.
Moreover, this kind of rumor-mongering was too speculative and could easily fuel rumors. He knew how painful verbal attacks could be.
[I think I'll go rest now, good night,] he said, avoiding the topic.
He waited for two minutes, but Jing didn't wish him good night in return.
Show-off.
Ji Mi grumbled inwardly.
Considering that Jing seemed like a very popular person based on his photo, he understood that the cool guy had the right to be aloof, so he didn't dwell on it.
Ji Mi cheerfully exited the app and got up to take a shower and go to bed.
His usual life was dull and monotonous, but now he had a rare new chat partner, so he was in a good mood.
Things were different on He Jingyan's side.
"Bro, didn't you sleep well at home last night?" He Jingnan asked in shock as he ate his rice noodle rolls.
He Jingyan sat across the long dining table, casually propping his head up with one hand.
He said coldly, "Having to go out and make money to support a 23-year-old giant baby is bound to cause insomnia."
After graduating from university, He Jingnan had been fooling around, unable to get pocket money from his parents, so he would cling to He Jingyan for support.
In fact, it wasn't just him; most of the younger generation in the family were under He Jingyan's protection to some extent.
The cry of "Big Brother" was sincere, as He Jingyan was truly admired, revered, and relied upon by them.
He Jingnan had no objection to his cousin's description and quickly changed the subject, keeping his tail between his legs.
"How did your online dating go last night?" he asked.
He had intended to lighten the mood, but as soon as the words left his mouth...
Why did the atmosphere seem to get even heavier?!
He Jingyan replied concisely: "I added an anime fan."
He Jingnan nearly spat out his food: "So that's your type?"
He Jingyan scoffed: "It was just a slip of the finger. That person started spouting nonsense as soon as they opened their mouth."
He Jingnan got excited: "What do they look like? What information is on their profile? Let me see!"
He Jingyan glanced at him, unmoved, and didn't cooperate.
"I have way more experience than you. Sometimes I can tell at a glance whether someone's a pure love warrior or a promiscuous scoundrel."
He Jingnan sat down next to him and said earnestly: "Just trust me this once!"
Seeing that He Jingnan was about to go crazy with curiosity, He Jingyan couldn't be bothered to keep resisting. He unlocked his phone and opened the person's Cute Heart profile.
"Holy crap? You've definitely encountered a scumbag!" He Jingnan said with certainty.
He Jingyan: ?
Even fortune-telling requires at least considering one's birth date and time.
Mi's profile was practically empty, with almost no useful information. How could he be categorized so quickly?
"There's not much on the profile, it looks like they don't use this app much, but they've bought an annual membership! The app's only been online for a few days and they're already a paying user!"
"The annual membership features are all for playboys. You might not know, but things like the friend limit, the number of match recommendations, are all higher than for regular users."
He Jingnan said this while gesturing with his hands.
"If he's not casting a wide net, why would he need this kind of service? To do charity for Hongni?"
He speculated further: "Could it be that he's a Hongni executive like you, coming to inspect the kingdom?"
The other person didn't even know what he looked like, so he definitely couldn't be connected to core management. He Jingyan denied this possibility.
He Jingnan asked: "Did he contact you again this morning?"
He Jingyan took back his phone: "No."
"That further proves he has plenty of potential love interests in his pond, too many to even keep track of," He Jingnan said. "If you're too dull, you won't attract his attention."
He Jingyan sneered dismissively: "I'm not going fishing, why would I hope for him to pick me?"
He Jingnan: "."
Having rarely returned to Hong Kong, He Jingyan called the housekeeper and gave some instructions about household matters in person.
In the afternoon, he went with his cousin to visit an uncle who was hospitalized for recuperation, and then was detained by that person's children, who repeatedly invited them to stay for dinner and chat.
The social niceties always drained one's energy. He Jingyan maintained a flawless exterior, but inside he was bored to death.
Returning home and taking off his jacket that reeked of smoke and alcohol, Noah called.
"A few GMs here in Shanghai came to find me, thinking of organizing a welcome dinner for you, also to get to know faces. What do you think?"
He Jingyan couldn't be bothered with more social engagements: "I'll arrange one-on-one reports with each group after I complete the onboarding process. I'll get to know everyone then."
"You're going to scare them to death," Noah said helplessly. "By the way, have you booked your flight?"
He Jingyan had already planned everything: "I'm flying from Hong Kong to Shanghai tomorrow, should arrive in the afternoon. You all carry on with whatever you need to do."
Noah suggested: "Since you're not here and Ji Mi doesn't have much to do, why not let him pick you up at the airport?"
The name mentioned was still unfamiliar. He Jingyan paused for half a second before remembering who Ji Mi was.
"The administrative department has assigned a driver," he refused Noah's arrangement.
"I think I'll go to the apartment first. Tell the secretarial office to prepare, and have the operational project milestone progress plan sorted out by Friday."
Saying this, Noah wasn't sure when the boss would come to the company, so he didn't notify anyone to make special preparations, busy with the tasks at hand.
Ji Mi had rarely enjoyed such a carefree weekend, with no work pop-ups and no need to go back for overtime.
Today he slept until he naturally woke up. He got up to read papers, and in the evening, he greeted Jing.
[Do you need to work tomorrow?] His words seemed to hide a sigh, seeking empathy from others.
Jing: [No need.]
Ji Mi: "..."
He said, a bit unhappily: [Oh, I shouldn't have asked.]
Jing: [Is your work very painful?]
Ji Mi mumbled: [It was a bit before, but I recently changed to a new job. I don't know what the boss is like yet.]
Jing's tone was a bit strange, like consolation but also like a cold laugh: [It shouldn't be too broken.]
After saying this, he persisted with the topic that was interrupted last night.
[Speaking of which, what's the gossip about the private life of that new business group president?]
This time, Ji Mi's refusal was very obvious: [It's not good to gossip about others behind their backs.]
While photos could at least provide some basis for support, this was purely hearsay.
At the same time, He Jingyan clicked his tongue, his curiosity piqued, wondering how to get the other person to tell the truth.
He had just finished running and showering, a clean towel draped over his broad, sturdy shoulders, as he stood silently by the sofa in the flower hall.
Having never interacted with online friends like this before, he turned to Baidu for help.
The suggestions that came up included threats and enticements, gentle persuasion and persistence, indirect probing, and so on.
Given that he and this Mi person weren't familiar yet, there was a risk of being unfriended, so anything too annoying was definitely out.
The remaining effective methods were just...
Acting cute and coy, playing the green tea bitch.
He Jingyan exited the search page with a blank expression, not forgetting to give this answer a negative rating before he left.
Five minutes later.
Ji Mi's phone vibrated with a message from Jing.
[I won't take it seriously, just want to hear casually, is that okay?]
[I think I might have been a bit excessive, I'm sorry. If it's troublesome, you can ignore me.]
Ji Mi: ?
Although the tone was gentle, the more he looked at it, the stranger it seemed. Why did it suddenly feel like someone enduring humiliation for a greater cause?
If that's how it was going to be...
Ji Mi bit his lip and, as if possessed, gave an answer.
[Others say he's suspected to be gay.]
Although his description was restrained, this piece of information was still quite impactful.
He Jingyan lowered his eyes to see this line of text, read it three times to make sure he understood it correctly.
Then he couldn't help but start to reflect...
When did he start liking men??!
He had no prejudice against niche orientations, but that didn't mean he could accept having facts about himself distorted.
Having received such inconceivable content for two consecutive days, He Jingyan frowned, wondering what kind of bizarre image these people in Shanghai had of him.
After landing in Shanghai and being picked up by the driver in a business car, He Jingyan was still puzzled about how he could be seen as gay.
Originally, he had planned to settle his luggage, but now he suddenly changed his mind.
"Please take me directly to the campus," He Jingyan instructed.
While taking out his work badge, he said: "Just send the carry-on luggage to the apartment, the property manager will come to collect it."
The driver was a kind middle-aged man who casually expressed concern: "So busy? Don't tire yourself out."
He Jingyan replied: "I want to see what the company looks like now first."
The driver adjusted the temperature and air flow in the back seat, laughing heartily.
"Haha, the buildings in the campus are built very beautifully, you can tell at a glance that the feng shui is also very good," he said.
He Jingyan curled his lips slightly, being carefully attended to, his demeanor not showing the slightest unnaturalness.
He struck the perfect balance between haughtiness and politeness, displaying the good upbringing of someone from a strict family background.
While his appearance was so gentlemanly and graceful, what he was pondering wasn't so elegant.
In his heart, he answered: What kind of feng shui could breed a group of gay testers?
And with a 100% error rate at that.
·
HongNi Campus One, top floor.
"Little Mi, why the long face?" Noah patted Ji Mi. "Who made you angry?"
Ji Mi was very troubled now, his expression as if his soul had left his body.
"I bought whole wheat toast to save money, but every bite is torture," he confessed. "There's not a hint of sweetness or milk flavor."
He had never tried this flavor before. He bought two packs that day and didn't want to waste them, so he didn't throw them away. But eating them filled his stomach with bitterness.
Seeing this, Noah wanted to laugh. He didn't expect Ji Mi to be troubled by such a thing.
The other person was very meticulous in his work, with a mature way of thinking, clearly not as confused as other fresh graduates...
But in private, he was still quite childish.
After Noah finished laughing, he instructed, "I have a meeting with the marketing department at noon, and the others will probably be busy too. Stay here and keep an eye on things."
Ji Mi gave him an OK gesture but asked curiously, "When will Delay roughly start his position?"
"It's uncertain these couple of days, things are chaotic. I guess by Friday," Noah speculated.
Ji Mi nodded after hearing this, secretly letting his imagination run wild.
He felt like he had become a doorman since coming here, and wasn't sure if he'd turn into a babysitter once Delay took his position...
During lunch break, the top floor was very quiet, with none of the secretaries having returned.
Ji Mi diligently kept watch, dozing off at his desk for a while.
He woke up right on time, then lazily stretched, feeling his legs had gone a bit numb from sleeping. He got up and strolled around the top floor.
Passing by a room with its door half-open, Ji Mi suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Hey, you're..." he blinked.
The man before him was only about 25 or 26 years old, with a handsome face.
He wore a thin black hoodie, which, although it didn't have a brand logo, was clearly expensive judging by its material and cut. It looked cool and comfortable in the October weather.
He was about 187 cm tall, with a typical model's physique, exuding a sharp and intense aura, strikingly handsome.
Ji Mi hadn't expected to run into anyone at this time.
Moreover, the man was actually poking at the goldfish in the CEO's office!
"Why are you so brazen?" he looked at the man in bewilderment.
Thinking the man was a secretary or admin staff, he kindly reminded him.
"These goldfish were a gift from the leader of Marketing Team Two. Noah told us not to play with them, in case they die before Delay arrives."
The man, who had been casually leaning against the display cabinet, slowly straightened up at these words.
Just as Ji Mi noticed him, he too was looking at this newcomer.
Beautiful, innocent, upright...
And eyes that betrayed thoughts of "I like to tease little fish too."
While he was observing, Ji Mi moved over and carefully picked up the fish tank with both hands.
"If there's a fatality, be careful not to anger the boss," Ji Mi said softly.
His mischievous smile made him look quite playful, as if he'd found an accomplice.
"But there are cameras here. You can pretend to change the water for the fish and take it to the sink to play. That way, it won't be traced back to you."
The man followed him to the sink: "You seem quite experienced at this?"
Ji Mi's eyelashes curved as he smiled: "I don't have much to do on Fridays, so I've become buddies with these fish."
The man opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but reluctantly closed it again.
After a while, watching Ji Mi engrossed in admiring the goldfish, he couldn't help but say: "This really is a nice place."
"Yeah, yeah," Ji Mi nodded, looking very obedient, his eyes not moving an inch from the fish tank.
He said, "By the way, I haven't seen you much before, though I haven't really gotten to know everyone in the secretarial office yet."
The man replied, "I happened to be away for the past few days."
Ji Mi finally raised his head at this, blinking slowly.
"Is that so? I'm Ji Mi, the new technical assistant," he extended his hand politely.
The man shook his hand cooperatively: "I heard you transferred from the programming team. How do you feel about this assistant position?"
Ji Mi didn't really have a concrete feeling about it yet, but he had collected a lot of bittersweet stories about this position.
He said, "According to what's said online, it's like a slave driver and his little treasure. I'm the miserable long-term worker."
After his clear, sweet voice finished, he added, "But you know, each situation is different. I don't know how it'll be for me yet. By the way, what should I call you?"
"People usually call me Delay. I'm the new CEO and Executive Chief of the Interactive Entertainment Business Group."
"My real name is He Jingyan. 'Jing' as in scenery, 'Yan' as in delay."
He Jingyan's voice was low and cold. His sneer didn't seem frivolous or frightening, but extremely annoying.
"I may not have the surname Zhou (which sounds like 'week' in Chinese, referencing the earlier 'slave driver' joke), but as for you, well, each situation is different."
He spoke in an affected manner, imitating Ji Mi's earlier words, then pointed at the fish in front of them.
His words contained a hint of gritted teeth, yet sounded more like teasing and joking.
"Go ahead and change the water for your buddies, little treasure."