Chapter 8#
Chapter 8#
The restaurant Zhang Xingchuan brought Tan Xiao to was also reservation-only, specializing in Cantonese morning tea. For the lunch slot on the second day of the Lunar New Year, there were no vacancies since early morning. Zhang Xingchuan had contacted the account manager in advance and pre-charged a sum of money online, so they smoothly got a reserved private room upon arrival.
After the dishes were served, Tan Xiao tried a few and was very satisfied, saying, “I haven’t been to this one yet. I like Cantonese cuisine.”
Zhang Xingchuan observed and found that he liked sweet things, so he added egg tarts and dried tangerine peel red bean soup.
“I thought your tongue was broken,” Zhang Xingchuan said. “Turns out you can tell good from bad.”
The CEO could be quite mean-mouthed occasionally.
Tan Xiao didn’t indulge him and said, “I might need to burn some joss paper tonight.”
Zhang Xingchuan said in bewilderment, “What?”
Tan Xiao sighed and said, “The little seafood in that seafood risotto last night surely died with their eyes open. I feel bad about it and need to perform a rite of passage for them.”
Zhang Xingchuan was holding his chopsticks and wanted to poke Tan Xiao with them, but considering there were food oil stains on them, he finally restrained himself.
Tan Xiao spoke up solemnly for his sense of taste: “My tongue is super sensitive.”
The waiter had just poured the brewed tea—a very fragrant Phoenix Dancong. Tan Xiao was still feeling smug and, without paying attention, picked it up and drank, getting a real scald from the tea. He hastily put down the teacup and fanned his mouth with his hand to cool it down.
Zhang Xingchuan asked the waiter to bring over a glass of plain cold water.
Tan Xiao held the cold water in his mouth for a while, and the pain gradually passed. It was nothing serious.
He mocked himself: “Scalding my mouth while eating—I’m truly hilarious.”
Zhang Xingchuan then said in a gloating tone, “Now that sensitive tongue is really broken.”
Tan Xiao also said in an encouraging tone, “Great! If Brother Xingchuan cooks again tonight, this ‘zaizai’ (kid) won’t be able to tell how bad it is.”
“…” Zhang Xingchuan decided to find time to improve his cooking skills.
After eating and going home, the afternoon sun made people feel warm. The weather in Beijing had been surprisingly good these past two days. The second day of the New Year was the day of “Rain Water” (a solar term), and although spring was still stepping forward, it already felt like April.
“Scarborough Fair” was playing on the car stereo. Tan Xiao, in the passenger seat, whistled along to the melody, his mood as bright as the sunshine filling the sky.
Zhang Xingchuan drove through the festive streets hung with lanterns and Chinese knots. It was truly an extremely pleasant Spring Festival.
On the third day of the New Year, the Wencheng CEO’s office resumed work. Special assistant Jiaxin arrived on time. After a long while, the workstation of the intern, Tan Xiao, was still empty.
Because Tan Xiao was going to the Finance Division after the New Year, and the Finance Division’s business wasn’t directly related to travel and tourism, it wouldn’t start work normally until the eighth day. It was fine whether Tan Xiao came before the eighth or not.
The special assistant thought he might not be coming and felt a bit of regret and reluctance to see him go.
She had just processed some emails when she saw Tan Xiao hurrying in from outside. Seeing her, he smiled apologetically: “Went back to school to get my laptop, so I’m a bit late.”
He had left Zhang Xingchuan’s house early in the morning and gone back to school to change clothes and get his ID badge and computer.
The special assistant said, “Did you go out to play during the New Year?”
“No.” Tan Xiao naturally wouldn’t say he had spent the New Year at the CEO’s house. He said, “A friend invited me to his house for the New Year.”
Taking this male college intern as a younger brother, the special assistant asked mischievously, “Is it a girlfriend or a boyfriend?”
Tan Xiao replied with a sincere gaze, “A beautiful, sincere, and generous good friend.”
Seeing that he didn’t want to go into detail, the special assistant, having a sense of boundaries, didn’t press further. She took a red envelope from her bag and gave it to him, saying, “Good luck in the Year of the Horse!”
Tan Xiao received it with both hands and said, “Gongxi Facai (May you be prosperous)!”
Zhang Xingchuan arrived relatively late. After getting to the company, he first went to the technical department, then the product department, paying attention to the business and also caring for colleagues working overtime. He gave a few “pep talks” and handed out several rounds of red envelopes before going upstairs after eleven o’clock.
On the first day of resuming work, the colleagues in the CEO’s office each had their own tasks. Few were at their workstations. There was no one around Tan Xiao. He helped the special assistant modify a few reports, and with nothing else to do, he sat there slacking off and writing his paper.
Zhang Xingchuan stood behind him for a while, but he didn’t notice.
He had left early in the morning and didn’t let Zhang Xingchuan give him a ride. Returning to school, he had changed into a “workplace rookie” look—a light-colored semi-high-neck base shirt with a denim shirt over it. It was fresh and lively, and very suitable for his current intern status.
This person had two different styles of looks for work and for going out. When he came to work, he looked the part.
During the New Year, that peacock blue velvet pearl shirt he wore, paired with black floor-length pants—if a stranger were met wearing that, the straight-male programmer Zhang Xingchuan would have suffered from “fashionista phobia” on the spot.
However, Tan Xiao’s personal aura was prominent. His skin was glowingly fair, his hair was brilliantly black, his face was handsome, and he was tall. Wearing trendy clothes, it was the person wearing the clothes; he wouldn’t be overshadowed by the brilliance of the clothing. He was just very beautiful.
Are “little gays” naturally more fashionable? Or is it that Tan Xiao is exceptionally good at dressing up personally?
Zhang Xingchuan had very few “gay” samples to observe, so it was hard to draw an accurate conclusion.
He didn’t disturb Tan Xiao and left after watching for a while.
Tan Xiao noticed then. Turning his head, he only saw the CEO’s back as he walked into his office.
As soon as the CEO sat behind his desk, he received a WeChat message from Tan Xiao.
Tan Xiao: Did the CEO just catch me slacking off while on the clock?
Zhang Xingchuan looked out. Tan Xiao waved his phone at him from his workstation.
Zhang Xingchuan soon received a reply from Tan Xiao: The CEO won’t report you to HR.
Tan Xiao enjoyed himself at his workstation for a while.
He didn’t disturb the CEO further. There must be a lot to do on the first day of resuming work.
Zhang Xingchuan was indeed very busy. Entrepreneurs generally have personalities that can’t stay idle. He had given himself three days off during the New Year and unexpectedly had a peach-blossom-spring-like experience for those three days.
Now that he was back at the company, the CEO quickly switched back to his “competition king” state, and his desire for work had broken through the sky.
Thus, it came to the eighth day of the New Year. Tan Xiao packed his things and went to the Finance Division.
When Zhang Xingchuan had free time and remembered, he found that the temporary workstation for Tan Xiao had already been taken by another young person newly recruited by the CEO’s office.
Through the partition glass, Zhang Xingchuan looked at the workstation that had changed occupants, and a little bit of a sense of loss rose in his heart.
Tan Xiao was being taught how to do things by Vice President Sun of the Finance Division.
He had met this Vice President Sun before. On the first day he accidentally met Zhang Xingchuan in the elevator after starting his internship at Wencheng, Vice President Sun was with Zhang Xingchuan.
With Tan Xiao coming over now, the winter internship was already half over. Vice President Sun truly couldn’t think of a suitable position to place him in.
If he were an ordinary intern, he could just be given some random work. But this was someone with a connection to Zhang Xingchuan, parachuted in from the CEO’s office—perhaps he was here to be the CEO’s “ear and report.”
Vice President Sun felt it was inappropriate to hand him over to someone else, so he decided to lead him personally.
Wencheng had a person in charge who loved being a Bo Le (talent scout), so the overall atmosphere of the entire company was meritocracy.
Vice President Sun was also a man of action, an Ivy League MBA with Wall Street experience, excellent work ability, and a decisive character.
Tan Xiao liked him well enough after working with him for a few days. Vice President Sun was good in every way, except for his poor temper—unpredictable and a bit paranoid. Even though he did his work well, this personality was also very easy to find annoying.
Then Tan Xiao definitely still liked Zhang Xingchuan more.
Although he was content to be a “salted fish,” he was essentially very fond of learning, and his brain was truly smart. Within a few days, he was like a fish in water with Vice President Sun as well.
Vice President Sun initially suspected Zhang Xingchuan of having ill intentions. He wasn’t a member of Wencheng’s startup team; he had joined after Wencheng went public. His understanding of Zhang Xingchuan wasn’t that deep yet. Being naturally suspicious, he hadn’t found any negative behavior from Zhang Xingchuan yet, but he often suspected the CEO might be “kind-faced but dark-hearted.”
After observing Tan Xiao closely for a few days, Vice President Sun found that this prospective PhD in finance from Tsinghua was truly useful. His professional ability went without saying, and he was also exceptionally discerning, capable, and well-spoken. He was loved by everyone in the department. When taken to other departments to discuss matters, he was particularly able to earn face for the Finance Division.
The CEO handing over such an intern to him was definitely a sign of full trust in the Finance Division and himself.
So the CEO should still be a good CEO.
Zhang Xingchuan had also heard that Tan Xiao was performing very well in his new position. Even Vice President Sun, who always looked at the world from a dark perspective, gave Tan Xiao a very sunny evaluation.
Sometimes he wanted to see Tan Xiao, but there was no suitable opportunity or reason.
It wouldn’t be good for the CEO to call an intern to his office for private chats for no reason.
In the blink of an eye, the Lantern Festival arrived.
Zhang Xingchuan received a WeChat message from Tan Xiao: Happy Lantern Festival!
This might be an insincere group message. He didn’t reply immediately.
Tan Xiao soon sent another one: The restaurant has tangyuan today. Have you eaten them? I’ll pack a portion and bring it up to you.
Only then did Zhang Xingchuan reply to him: Not at the company. Out on business. Having lunch outside.
Tan Xiao: Oh, okay.
Zhang Xingchuan: How have you been lately? Is the Finance Division fun?
Tan Xiao: It’s alright. I also have many things to learn. Thank you, President, for caring about my work.
Zhang Xingchuan went silent again.
Tan Xiao waited for a while, looked at the dialog box, and wondered if his wording was too distant and the CEO didn’t want to talk to him.
He had already discovered that Zhang Xingchuan really liked “sweet talk.”
Tan Xiao: I was joking with you, Brother (Gege).
Zhang Xingchuan had received a call and took it first. After finishing the call, he looked at WeChat… Was Tan Xiao coaxing him? You’re “turning the sky upside down,” zaizai.
Tan Xiao was dining alone in the staff restaurant. He had finished his meal and was waiting a bit bored for Zhang Xingchuan to reply to his message.
He actually missed Zhang Xingchuan a bit and wanted to find him to play, but knew Zhang Xingchuan didn’t have much free time.
Zhang Xingchuan replied to him: Took a call. Happy Lantern Festival.
Tan Xiao thought about it and still wanted to go find him.
Tan Xiao: Are you coming back to the company in the afternoon? Can I go upstairs to find you after work?
Zhang Xingchuan was out on business today, and the business car was on the road.
Sitting in the back row, he read Tan Xiao’s message word by word absent-mindedly and began to think about his work appointments for the next two days, wondering where he could squeeze out a slot.
The phone screen had been lit for a long time and automatically turned off. When he was about to reply to Tan Xiao’s message, he saw a handsome, smiling face on the darkened screen.
You’re smiling so cheaply, Zhang Xingchuan, he thought in self-evaluation. Is it really that exciting that Tan Xiao wants to find you to play?
Zhang Xingchuan: Tomorrow then. Come to my office at noon. Let’s have lunch together.
Tan Xiao: Yay, see you tomorrow!
The next morning at 11:30, Zhang Xingchuan finished his scheduled tasks and specifically cleared a large block of lunchtime, waiting for Tan Xiao to come up and find him.
Tan Xiao came for the appointment, happily going upstairs. He ran into the special assistant and chatted outside for a while before knocking on Zhang Xingchuan’s office door.
Zhang Xingchuan had already seen him through the partition glass talking to the special assistant. The soundproofing was good, so he couldn’t hear the voices, but from the mouth movements, he knew he had been calling her “Sister Jiaxin” for a long time, though he didn’t know exactly what was said.
Just now, the CEO had already had a working lunch for two delivered, and it was placed to one side.
As soon as Tan Xiao entered, he said, “Smells so good. What’s for food today? I’m starving.”
He had been an “assistant” to the CEO’s special assistant in this office for a while and had even helped the administrative lady deliver the CEO’s meal to Zhang Xingchuan. Compared to the staff restaurant buffet, it wasn’t more luxurious, just more healthily balanced.
Zhang Xingchuan said, “Then why did you dawdle for so long?”
Tan Xiao came over and sat down, feeling wronged: “When did I dawdle? I came up immediately after work.”
Zhang Xingchuan thought to himself, I saw it all. I saw it, you know?
“What were you chatting with Jiaxin about just now?” the CEO said, unknowingly speaking with a hint of “sourness” (jealousy). “Chatting so happily.”
Tan Xiao caught a bit of it but didn’t look deeper into it, thinking Zhang Xingchuan was joking with him. He explained, “Sister Jiaxin’s brother wants to learn fencing. I have some equipment I don’t use and promised to give it to him.”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “You’ve also learned fencing?”
Tan Xiao said, “A little bit.”
Tsinghua had a fencing club. Zhang Xingchuan knew this and asked, “Are you in the fencing club?”
“No,” Tan Xiao said. “I didn’t learn it in a school club. I learned it for fun when I was bored before.”
It was back when he returned to his home in Europe every winter and summer vacation and was assigned many boring school tasks, including fencing lessons.
Zhang Xingchuan’s mind automatically associated Tan Xiao wearing a fencing suit and holding a foil; he should be very handsome.
“Don’t you play anymore?” Zhang Xingchuan felt a bit of regret and asked, “Why give away your equipment?”
Tan Xiao said, “I still play occasionally. Sister Jiaxin’s brother is only ten years old. I can give him the number two foil and matching protective gear that I don’t use.”
“You practice épée?” Zhang Xingchuan was a bit surprised. Most amateur fencing players start with foil.
Tan Xiao was also a bit surprised. He didn’t expect Zhang Xingchuan to know about this. But this was Zhang Xingchuan; it wasn’t surprising for him to know anything.
He now had a blind recognition of Zhang Xingchuan—it could be called a “Zhang Xingchuan full affirmation.”