…Was it really just a bump? Does chicken soup actually help with that?
These days, every time Chi Zhan heard the doorbell, he felt a visceral sense of dread.
He had tactfully told Zhou Yanxing that his injury was almost healed and that he no longer needed any more supplements. Only then did the mighty President Zhou lower himself to ask a single question: When can you come back to work?
Chi Zhan replied with a sweating emoji: I have to go for a follow-up tomorrow. I can come in the day after, is that okay?
Zhou Yanxing’s response was icy: Mn.
Chi Zhan stared at the chat history.
“……”
Why did it feel like Zhou Yanxing was especially aloof online? Was it just his imagination?
A moment later, the doorbell rang again.
Didn’t he say he’d stop sending things? Why is it still coming?!
Chi Zhan already felt like he was overdosing on supplements, but the stuff was expensive—he couldn’t bring himself to waste it. Honestly, he felt like he’d gained a few pounds from it all.
How many trips to the gym was it going to take to burn this off…
It took him a solid mental warm-up before he opened the door—only to find that it wasn’t a delivery guy, but Tao Ran.
Chi Zhan blinked in surprise.
“You’re home early today?”
Normally, Tao Ran didn’t get back until eight or nine at night, thanks to constant overtime.
Tao Ran stepped inside carrying a bag of fried chicken and cola, sighed, and said, “I got promoted.”
Chi Zhan gave him a once-over.
“That’s good news. Why do you look like you’re about to cry?”
Tao Ran plopped the bag onto the table.
“It’s a long story. I was happy at first, but they only told me after the fact—I’m getting transferred to another city.”
“You’re moving?”
“Yeah, ugh.” Tao Ran sniffled dramatically. “I’m really gonna miss you. You were the first friend I made here. I can’t talk freely with my coworkers, but with you, I can just be myself.”
Tao Ran had been Chi Zhan’s first friend after he moved in. Since they didn’t work at the same company, they could rant about their bosses and share embarrassing work stories without worrying. They both loved gaming and junk food—it had been a match made in heaven from the start.
“But it won’t be immediate,” Tao Ran added quickly when he saw how down Chi Zhan looked. “It’ll probably be a few more weeks before the formal notice comes through. And I’m not moving that far—still close enough to hang out on holidays.”
Chi Zhan didn’t want Tao Ran to go either, but there wasn’t much he could do—it was work, after all.
Tao Ran channeled his sorrow into appetite, tearing into a chicken drumstick with gusto. When he noticed Chi Zhan wasn’t eating, he asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Your injury’s not healed yet? I asked them to go light on the spice.”
Chi Zhan told him about the chicken soup deliveries from his boss. Tao Ran burst out laughing, nearly falling over.
“Your boss… he’s treating you way too well!”
Chi Zhan gave a wry smile.
“Stop teasing. I’m honestly sick of seeing chicken at this point.”
“No joke, I’ve never heard of a boss who cares this much about an employee’s health. And from what you’ve told me about him, he doesn’t sound like the nurturing type at all.” Tao Ran waggled his brows. “You said that whole firing scare was just a misunderstanding, right? I’m telling you—he’s into you. Besides, he kept that gift you gave to the players. If that’s not love, what is it? What, is he your long-lost twin brother or something?”
Chi Zhan almost spit out his drink at that one. He hooked a finger around the cola tab, deep in thought.
“But he’s a romance target. Why would he fall for an NPC? That just doesn’t make sense.”
“You’re not just any NPC,” Tao Ran scoffed. “With that face of yours, you could be a romance target. I swear, you were probably meant to be one, but something glitched and you ended up an NPC instead. Maybe you’re destined for something special.” Tao Ran clapped him on the shoulder, getting oddly fired up. “Fated to end up with one of the targets. Screw the players! If you two get married, you have to tell me—I’m calling dibs on best man!”
“……”
You’re way too deep in this fantasy.
Setting aside how terrifying the idea of Zhou Yanxing liking him was—even if it were true—the System would probably never allow it…
“What’s that?” Tao Ran suddenly spotted something.
A single pink rose stood in a vase on the coffee table.
“Did your boss give that to you?” Tao Ran leaned in eagerly. “It’s gorgeous.”
“No…” Chi Zhan rubbed his forehead. “The restaurant gave it to me.”
After they’d finished dinner, Cen Chi had insisted he take the rose with him, saying, “It’s not from me, it came with the meal. Leaving it behind would be rude.”
Chi Zhan had found the whole thing baffling. He’d wanted to point out that the rose wasn’t from Cen Chi, either—it was probably just a freebie included in some extravagant “annual VIP package.” But in the end, he didn’t bother explaining and just took it.
The moment he picked up the flower, Zhou Yanxing let out a cold snort, his expression darkening even further.
In that instant, Chi Zhan felt like a dumb boyfriend flustered by a drama queen girlfriend…
Tao Ran examined the rose closely.
“I’ve seen this before. When I went on a business trip with my boss abroad, the tycoon we visited grew these exact roses. One stem costs tens of thousands. No way a restaurant would give this out for free.”
“……”
He hadn’t really checked that part of the menu, so he had no idea whether it was actually included.
“Anyway, whoever gave you that flower definitely has feelings for you,” Tao Ran said with a smirk. “That’s more like it—I always thought you must have tons of admirers. Why’s it been radio silence until now?”
Chi Zhan froze.
Thinking back to Doctor Cen’s odd behavior… it had been a little strange. But they’d only met a few times. What exactly was Cen Chi supposed to like about him?
As he mulled it over, Chi Zhan suddenly heard the faint sound of small wheels rolling across the floor. He calmly reached for his phone and gave it a discreet shake. Sure enough, the robot vacuum was headed their way—hovering at a distance like it was eavesdropping.
“Wait, am I seeing things? Is that vacuum moving on its own?”
Tao Ran rubbed his eyes.
Chi Zhan immediately held up a finger to his lips in a “shh” gesture, then shook his head slightly, keeping his tone even.
“Let’s just eat.”
Tao Ran looked puzzled but, sensing Chi Zhan’s serious expression, didn’t press further. Instead, he went back to chewing his next piece of chicken.
