Chapter 35

Chi Xiting hesitated in front of the elevator, glancing around at his surroundings. The CEO’s office occupied an entire floor. On the left was a long hallway, while on the other side was a reception area.

Chi Xiting turned left, walked through the hallway, and noticed a small sign on the right with delicate characters engraved on it.

— CEO’s Office

Chi Xiting glanced at it and was about to look away when a woman in business attire opened the door and came out.

The woman was very attractive, with a tall and slender figure, fair skin, and her long hair neatly held up with a hair clip. She carried a tablet, and her well-manicured fingers were polished with transparent nail polish, making her appear both competent and elegant.

She bumped into Chi Xiting head-on and paused for a moment. Then, with a professional smile, she greeted Chi Xiting naturally, “Chi Xiting, right? From the marketing department?”

Chi Xiting remembered seeing Zhou Shan before.

At the previous routine meeting, she had appeared on the 27th floor with Chu Yu.

“Yes,” Chi Xiting replied.

Zhou Shan continued, “Are you here to see Mr. Chu?”

Chi Xiting nodded.

Zhou Shan glanced at her tablet, seemingly checking Chu Yu’s schedule. After confirming something, she raised her eyebrows and said to Chi Xiting, “Mr. Chu has a meeting soon. How about you come back later?”

It wouldn’t be good to just wait in the office.

Chi Xiting hesitated, about to agree, when the door to the CEO’s office made a sound.

Chu Yu’s voice followed.

“Chi Xiting,” Chu Yu’s voice wasn’t loud, as if just to remind Chi Xiting. Seeing Chi Xiting look over, he returned to the office.

Zhou Shan was stunned for a moment, looking back at Chu Yu, then back at Chi Xiting, blinking as she glanced at her schedule.

Chi Xiting scratched his chin, feeling oddly peculiar inside. After withdrawing his gaze from Chu Yu’s office, he met Zhou Shan’s eyes.

Zhou Shan’s eyes were full of bewilderment and disbelief.

The meeting was scheduled for 9:40, and it was already 9:30. According to Chu Yu’s habit, he would prepare in advance. She would also, following Chu Yu’s routine, handle all matters ten minutes before the meeting to avoid any overlaps.

She was now going to remind Chu Yu about the meeting, but now…

Zhou Shan watched with a complex expression as Chi Xiting walked into the CEO’s office.

Should she still remind him?

While Zhou Shan was still hesitating outside, Chi Xiting had already walked into Chu Yu’s office.

It was Chi Xiting’s first time there. Entering, he instinctively looked around the environment.

An entire wall opposite the door was floor-to-ceiling windows, the glass clean and bright. The morning sunlight climbed along the edges, scattering inside, casting a sparkling light on the floor and desk.

Chu Yu sat at his desk. Seeing Chi Xiting enter, he merely raised his chin slightly, signaling Chi Xiting to find a place to sit.

Chi Xiting had become adept at interpreting Chu Yu’s expressions, almost knowing what Chu Yu meant with just a glance.

This skill had been honed through years of working.

After all, a widely circulated saying goes:

“The more capable a person, the less they talk.”

To show their capability, many leaders stopped speaking plainly, their verbal skills diminishing, relying entirely on interpretation.

Sigh.

You have to guess.

Those who guess correctly advance, those who guess wrong remain stagnant.

Chu Yu probably just spoke less.

But he was concise.

To facilitate the conversation, Chi Xiting sat opposite Chu Yu, his gaze briefly landing on the desk as he sat down.

Chu Yu hadn’t brought back the previous coffee cup. Now, a simple yet elegant coffee cup was placed on the desk.

Noticing Chi Xiting’s gaze on his coffee, Chu Yu naturally asked, “Want a taste?”

Chi Xiting felt more at ease in front of Chu Yu now. Since Chu Yu had offered, he nodded slightly, saying, “Sure.”

His cup of life-sustaining water might not be enough to get him through the day.

Seeing Chi Xiting agree, Chu Yu nodded, tapping something on the tablet in front of him before shifting the topic, “Didn’t sleep well last night?”

Chi Xiting: “It was fine. I went to bed early and got up early.”

Chu Yu asked, “Early to bed?”

They had gotten home around 2 AM, how could that be considered early?

Chi Xiting pursed his lips modestly, and said tactfully, “I went to bed at 5 AM and got up at 8 AM. Isn’t that a form of early to bed, early to rise?”

Chu Yu: “…”

No wonder he was drinking coffee first thing in the morning.

The office door was knocked.

After Chu Yu responded, Zhou Shan came in with the coffee. Her gaze moved between the two sitting at the desk before placing the coffee in front of Chi Xiting, softly saying, “It’s still hot. Be careful.”

Chi Xiting thanked her.

Zhou Shan stood up straight and looked at Chu Yu. After hesitating, she still said, “Mr. Chu, you have a meeting at 9:40. What do you think…”

Chu Yu lifted his eyes to look at Zhou Shan and said, “Alright.”

Seeing that Chu Yu knew, Zhou Shan didn’t overstep. She nodded slightly and then turned to leave the office.

Chu Yu then asked Chi Xiting, “What will you do tonight?”

Chu Yu’s topic changed quickly. Chi Xiting had to take a moment to remember he was still in a situation without a place to stay.

His rented place wasn’t cleaned yet. He’d probably have to go over the weekend to sort it out.

Moreover, after that incident, he didn’t want to go back to that house for the time being, nor did he want to stay under the same roof with Yuan Yin.

However, the rental contract was for six months, and he had only been living there for less than a month. If he terminated the lease now, it was likely that he wouldn’t get his rent back.

Then he would have to spend more time looking for a new place.

What a headache.

Chi Xiting was slightly lost in thought, lightly biting his lip. He reached out to pick up the coffee from the table, took a sip, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

The coffee had a rich aroma, with a faint hint of hazelnut fragrance. The temperature was just right, and the coffee itself was dense yet light, with a slightly bitter taste that left a long, pleasant aftertaste.

It was a completely different experience from the coffee he bought at the downstairs café.

Chi Xiting’s preference was very obvious. When he tasted something delicious or had a good drink, he could hardly hide his satisfaction, with his clear, bright eyes practically filled with delight.

While he could be meticulous in his work, he was completely unguarded when it came to his feelings about food.

Chu Yu’s gaze lingered on Chi Xiting’s eyes for a moment before he slowly looked away, his hand idly tapping the coffee cup handle on the table.

—-

After swallowing the coffee, Chi Xiting responded to Chu Yu’s question, “I haven’t decided yet. Maybe I’ll stay at my parents’ house for a while.”

He didn’t really have many options.

Either go home or stay with Chi Huyuan.

It wasn’t very likely that Chi Huyuan would take him in, so he would have to go back to his parents’ house.

Chu Yu hummed in acknowledgment and didn’t probe further into Chi Xiting’s private matters. After checking the time, he said, “I’ll have Zhou Shan send you the information about the Ruifeng project later.”

Chu Yu paused for a moment before adding, “If you need anything else, feel free to come to me.”

Chi Xiting obediently nodded to show he understood.

Since Chu Yu had a meeting to attend, Chi Xiting left after finishing his coffee.

Though he didn’t quite understand why he had gone upstairs in the first place.

Chi Xiting touched his earlobe, quickly replaying his experience upstairs in his mind.

It seemed he didn’t do much.

So why was he called up? To drink coffee?

Perplexed, Chi Xiting stepped out of the elevator and headed straight to the C Group office. As he rounded a corner, he passed the break room.

Seeing the break room door open, Chi Xiting glanced inside and saw a group of interns gathered around a table, chatting and slacking off.

“This whole thing is strange. I can understand taking Huo Youshen, but why take Chi Xiting?” a girl questioned. “When I heard about this, I thought it was absurd.”

“Exactly, the people who should go didn’t, and the ones who shouldn’t have did,” another girl added.

“The ones who should go? Are you talking about Li Yang? Was she originally chosen?”

“Yes, Yang Yang is so excellent. Normally, she would be considered,” the girl muttered. “What’s Chi Xiting’s background?”

Wu MuLiang opened a can of cola with a hiss, drawing everyone’s attention.

“What’s his background?” Wu Mulian sneered as he took a sip of cola, then continued, “Do you know what school he went to? Haha.”

Seeing everyone curious, Wu MuLiang scoffed, “M City University of Technology, not even a 211 school, just an average institution.”

Wu MuLiang had specifically looked into Chi Xiting’s background, focusing on his university. Knowing it was an average one, he found it ridiculous.

How could someone with such a degree get into Clushi?

Is Clushi’s threshold that low now?

What did their high degrees count for then?

“Really? An average university?” a guy exclaimed. “Then how did he get hired? My friend from Z University got rejected.”

Although Z University wasn’t as prestigious as B University, it was still a top-ranking university in the country.

Wu MuLiang lazily swirled his cola, “Why else? Probably connections. Otherwise, how could he get into Chushi, stand out in meetings, and now be taken on a business trip with Chu? Who knows what’s next…”

Before Wu MuLiang could finish, a clear female voice interrupted from the doorway.

“Chi Xiting, what are you doing here?”

Everyone in the break room instinctively looked over. Seeing Chi Xiting standing at the door, they fell silent, and some even blushed in embarrassment.

Li Yang, looking puzzled, glanced at Chi Xiting and then at the group of interns huddled together, asking, “What’s going on? Why is everyone gathered here?”

Chi Xiting shrugged, his expression unchanged, “I don’t know.”

Wu Mulian’s face turned pale, gripping the cola can tightly. After biting his lip, he harshly accused Chi Xiting, “Do you have any manners? Eavesdropping on others?”

Chi Xiting looked at Wu Mulian with a puzzled expression, seemingly unable to understand how someone could have such thick skin.

Talking behind someone’s back and then blaming them for it?

Seeing Chi Xiting’s strange look, Wu Mulian’s anger flared even more, “I’m talking to you! Can’t you speak? Lost your voice?”

Chi Xiting’s expression remained unchanged, unfazed by Wu MuLiang’s words. He calmly retorted, “I can’t respond. How could someone like me from an average university dare to answer someone with your high qualifications?”

Wu MuLiang: “…”

What?

Was that a sarcastic jab at him?