Chapter 20

In the last life, I committed too many sins, so in this life, I have to get up early for work.

When the alarm went off, Chi Xiting’s mind flashed with eight hundred excuses to ask for leave, but after thinking about it, none of them seemed reasonable.

Ugh.

Chi Xiting stared at the ceiling for a while, then suddenly remembered the message Shen Zhizhe had sent him last night.

Chi Xiting: “……”

Perhaps it was a habit from his past life that he hadn’t gotten rid of; even though the work pressure wasn’t as intense now, Chi Xiting still had trouble sleeping because of some unknown work-related worries.

That’s the fate of a corporate slave.

It won’t change no matter how many lifetimes pass.

Chi Xiting sat up and glanced at his phone. It was only a little past six, and Chi He Yuan hadn’t called him yet, so he leaned back on the bed, scrolling through his phone. Just as he received an online reminder, Fu Ning sent a “Good morning” message.

Chi Xiting coldly replied: “Good morning? Who is actually having a good morning?”

The bright and sunny Fu Ning, full of “positive energy,” completely ignored Chi Xiting’s negative comment and replied, “Hold on to your original dream and make each day meaningful. ☀️”

Chi Xiting: “……”

Such an AI-like quote.

Isn’t this just a pure AI warrior?

Fu Ning didn’t stop.

Fu Ning: “Every morning is a new beginning. Give yourself a beautiful good morning…”

Chi Xiting: “No sending nonsense during workdays😄”

“Xiting,” Fu Ning suddenly sighed, “I think I’m quite cultured, but how did I end up as a workhorse? I spent so many years studying for this.”

Chi Xiting cruelly replied, “Stop saying stuff like that. You were born to be a workhorse, you just happened to study for a few years.”

Fu Ning: “……”

Such aggressive remarks.

Sure enough, you can’t touch Chi Xiting’s bad mood in the morning.

“What’s wrong with you?” Fu Ning asked, returning to his usual self.

Chi Xiting briefly told Fu Ning about what had happened last night.

His frustration wasn’t just about the unknown notification for today; the atmosphere of staying at home yesterday also made him feel troubled and confused.

He doesn’t have the original body’s memories, and his understanding of everything is based on Fu Ning’s explanations. However, Fu Ning is just a friend of the original body and doesn’t know much about the family, so he can’t give Chi Xiting a clear answer.

He doesn’t understand.

He can’t understand why he and Chi Heyuan are brothers but their relationship is so distant, while Chi Heyuan clearly dislikes him but seems very used to taking care of him.

He also doesn’t understand the attitude of Chi Ye and Lu Yanzhao toward him.

They are so biased toward him, like a compensatory affection, almost directing all their attention and love to him, as if afraid he wouldn’t feel it, almost writing “We love you” on his face, without caring whether Chi Heyuan would think too much or feel unbalanced because of their favoritism.

“Well…” Fu Ning was silent for a while before speaking, “You don’t have to think too much. Uncle and Aunt have always treated you well, it’s just that you…”

It’s just that you don’t accept it.

Fu Ning didn’t finish the sentence.

He also doesn’t understand what Chi Xiting is thinking.

His parents are so good to him, but he always feels like they don’t love him enough. Whenever he faces them, he always puts up defenses, speaking with sharp words. Chi Ye and Lu Yanzhao could hurt him with just a casual comment.

He is also keen on comparing himself to Chi Heyuan. After learning that Chi Heyuan was interning at Chushi, he insisted on finding ways to get himself into Chushi too, using every possible method to get there.

Chi Xiting blinked a couple of times, seemingly waiting for Fu Ning to finish the sentence, but a sudden knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

Chi Heyuan didn’t enter but shouted through the door, “Chi Xiting, are you up? I’m leaving.”

Chi Xiting instinctively checked the time.

—–

It was 6:34.

Chi Xiting: “…”

Before Chi Xiting could respond, he vaguely heard the sound of a slap on the head from outside, followed by Lu Yanzhao’s voice.

“How do you speak to your brother? Go away.”

After that, Lu Yanzhao lightly knocked on the door and gently coaxed Chi Xiting to get out of bed.

Chi Xiting felt a bit strange, but couldn’t put his finger on why. After fiddling with his phone for a moment, he messaged Fu Ning, “Let’s leave it at that, I’m leaving.”

After finishing his morning routine and opening the door, Chi Xiting immediately saw a full table of breakfast.

Chi Heyuan was already sitting at the table, tilting his head while looking at his phone and shoving a bun into his mouth. Hearing the door open, he turned to glance at Chi Xiting and mumbled, “Hurry up, I have an early meeting today, need to get there early.”

“Early meeting?” Chi Xiting sat down beside him, casually peeling an egg, “Does Clushi have an early meeting culture?”

Early meetings are a bad habit.

They hold a meeting early in the morning, taking turns to share work achievements, talking about future plans, and then just sitting there listening to the leader paint grand pictures—it’s truly a waste of time…

“No,” Chi Heyuan finished his coffee, crossing his legs. “Our department head arranged it.”

Clushi’s work is too busy now, and they rarely manage the lower departments. It’s more of a delegation of power, letting the subordinates manage things themselves.

The head of the tech department was the first to “respond” and had the most ideas, so he changed Chushi’s management model to run the department in his own way.

Chi Heyuan laughed mockingly.

Even someone like him, who just entered the workforce, knows what to do and what not to do. He didn’t expect the department head to be so restless, maybe because life had been too smooth for him in recent years.

Chi Xiting shrugged and threw him a “good luck” look, then focused on his breakfast.

He wasn’t interested in or able to understand the power struggles among the company’s leadership. No matter what tricks people played, weren’t they all working for someone else? Whether they were new or old, they were all just employees. What’s the difference between them?

Find a job, work as an employee, and enjoy the life of an employee.

That should be every worker’s slogan.

Since Chi Heyuan had to attend the early meeting and needed to arrive half an hour earlier, Chi Xiting, who didn’t have a car and didn’t want to take the subway for too long, reluctantly got into Chi Heyuan’s car, becoming part of the early rush hour.

Halfway there, Chi Heyuan suddenly remembered he forgot something and told Chi Xiting to go ahead to the parking lot while he returned for it.

—-

After Chi Xiting agreed, Chi Heyuan turned around and returned. When he opened the door, he saw Lu Yanzhao cleaning the dining table.

“Where’s Dad?” Chi Heyuan asked.

Lu Yanzhao seemed surprised that Chi Heyuan had returned. She replied that he had gone to work and then shifted the conversation to him.

“Why are you back?” Lu Yanzhao asked, looking over him, but when she didn’t see Chi Xiting, she furrowed her brow, “Where’s Xiting?”

Chi Heyuan took off his shoes and entered the room, heading straight for the desk to grab his Bluetooth earphones without looking back, “I just came back to grab something, he’s old enough, he can’t get lost, can he?”

Lu Yanzhao: “Maybe.”

Chi Heyuan: “…”

Chi Heyuan turned around helplessly, looking at Lu Yanzhao, and said seriously, “Mom, Chi Xiting is already not young, he’s an adult now. There needs to be limits to indulgence. Plus, you guys really…”

You really don’t owe him anything.

Seeing Lu Yanzhao’s expression souring, Chi Heyuan’s voice grew quieter, and he swallowed the rest of his words. After a sigh, he changed his tone, “Alright, alright, I’ll grab what I need and go back to find him. I’ll make sure he gets to the company safely.”

Lu Yanzhao stared at him for a while before sighing softly, “Heyuan, your father and I are getting older, and there are many things we can’t help you with anymore.”

Chi Heyuan’s eyelids twitched heavily.

“Especially Xiting. Your father and I do owe him something and really want to make it up to him,” Lu Yanzhao’s voice was soft, filled with guilt. “Xiting is sensitive and has a lot on his mind, and sometimes I really don’t know what to do for him to believe that your father and I have never shown favoritism. We really want you two to get along…”

Chi Heyuan couldn’t stand such talk, so he quickly tapped his head twice to appease Lu Yanzhao, saying, “I know, I know. I won’t overthink it. Don’t worry.”

Chi Heyuan had always been carefree and didn’t really care about this. As for Chi Xiting…

It’s hard to say for the old Chi Xiting, but the current Chi Xiting…

Chi Heyuan didn’t exactly dislike him.

“I really have to go,” Chi Heyuan pressed the door handle, “I’m going to be late.”

“Okay.” Lu Yanzhao walked a few steps with Chi Heyuan and then thought for a moment before reminding him, “At the company, try to help Xiting as much as you can. He just joined the company, so he’ll definitely have trouble adjusting.”

Chi Heyuan ran a hand through his hair, rubbed his eyebrow for a moment, and after a while, nodded in agreement.

By the time Chi Heyuan reached the parking lot, it was already a little after 7:00.

Time was really tight.

Chi Heyuan quickly walked to the driver’s seat and waved at Chi Xiting, signaling him to get in the car.

Chi Xiting hadn’t even fastened his seatbelt when Chi Heyuan stepped on the gas.

Perhaps because they were in a hurry, Chi Heyuan didn’t say much during the drive. He kept his lips pressed tight and his eyes focused on the road, only slightly relaxing when waiting at red lights, but he didn’t speak to Chi Xiting.

Chi Xiting glanced at Chi Heyuan a few times, vaguely sensing something was off.

Chi Xiting was always smart and perceptive, and after years in the workplace, he had sharpened his ability to read the room. Even just observing Chi Heyuan’s expression, he could tell that Chi Heyuan’s mood had changed.

Why?

Wasn’t he just going back to grab something?

Maybe it was because it was early.

After all, even the most cheerful person will have a grumpy face on during the morning rush.

Chi Xiting aimlessly wondered for a while, but probably because he got up too early, his brain hadn’t fully kicked in. After thinking for a moment, he shut down and fell asleep in the passenger seat.

After rounding the last turn, they arrived.

Chi Heyuan glanced at the passenger seat in his peripheral vision while making the turn and saw that Chi Xiting had already closed his eyes, looking deeply asleep and peaceful.

Chi Heyuan: “…”

He used to think he was carefree, but Chi Xiting was even more carefree than him.

Impressive.

He could actually fall asleep like this.

Chi Heyuan, who had been in a bad mood because of Lu Yanzhao’s words, suddenly felt much lighter. After parking the car, he leisurely stared at Chi Xiting’s sleeping face for a while. After thinking about it, he quickly took out his phone and snapped a photo. He didn’t even check how it turned out before slipping the phone into his pocket and kicking Chi Xiting’s leg.

“Hey, we’re here,” Chi Heyuan said in an unkind tone.

Chi Xiting, who had been peacefully napping, was a little groggy when woken up. He opened his eyes, looked at Chi Heyuan, and asked in confusion, “What is it?”

“What else could it be?” Chi Heyuan unbuckled his seatbelt, got out of the car, and said to Chi Xiting, “Work.”

Chi Xiting’s brain, which had been offline, finally activated upon hearing the word “work.”

“…”

If he had known he’d arrive at the company as soon as he opened his eyes, he wouldn’t have opened them.

Although Chi Xiting had napped in the car, he still hadn’t fully recovered from his lack of sleep. Coupled with his frustration about working, his mental state wasn’t great.

And now he had to go to the manager’s office to see Shen Zhizhe.

Damn.

Even worse.

Chi Heyuan rushed off to the technical department meeting.

It was still early, so after punching in, Chi Xiting slowly made his way upstairs. When he entered the office, he was surprised to find that half of the staff was already there, sitting at their desks, focused on writing plans.

Such a group of workaholics.

How terrifying.

—-

Chi Xiting had no intention of joining them. He checked the time and saw that there were still 40 minutes until 9:00, so he decided to waste a little more time.

As he walked through the hallway toward his desk, he heard a brief knock on the door of the C Group office.

Chi Xiting instinctively turned his head and saw Shen Zhizhe standing at the door with one hand in his pocket. When their eyes met, Shen Zhizhe waved at him.

Chi Xiting: “…”

Damn it.

It was just the start of work, and now he was being called.

Seeing that everyone in the office was looking at him, Chi Xiting clenched his fist but still reluctantly walked toward the door.

When Chi Xiting approached, Shen Zhizhe didn’t wait at the door like an idiot. He turned around and walked back to his office, leaving the door open for Chi Xiting.

Shen Zhizhe sat at his desk, covered the documents on the table, and said, “Close the door.”

Chi Xiting walked in with a blank expression, then turned around and closed the door.

“Good morning.” Shen Zhizhe pointed to the chair in front of him with a smile and said, “You came pretty early today.”

Looks like he was forgiven for replying late yesterday.

Seems like he still cares about what he said.

He even knows to come to the office early.

“Good morning.” Chi Xiting sat down and said coldly.

Shen Zhizhe’s smile faded. He rubbed his chin and thought for a moment, then said with a puzzled tone, “How come such a simple greeting sounds like you’re ready to face death?”

“…” Chi Xiting remained expressionless. “Just know that. Don’t say it out loud.”

We’re all adults here.

It’s impressive enough that his mental state can stay stable for even one minute.