Chapter 11

By the time Chi Xiting arrived home, it was almost eight o’clock.

As usual, his roommate hadn’t returned yet, and the whole apartment felt empty.

Chi Xiting turned on the living room light, casually placing the almond crisps and tea leaves he had brought back on the coffee table before heading to his room to gather his laundry.

The apartment was a two-bedroom, one-living-room layout, with Chi Xiting occupying the master bedroom, which had an en-suite bathroom and a small balcony.

It seemed that ever since Chi Xiting moved in, it was implicitly accepted that he would only use the facilities in the master bedroom. The guest bathroom and the large balcony in the living room were completely taken over by his roommate, cluttered with so many items that there was barely any space to walk.

Chi Xiting didn’t really have any complaints about it. After all, when living away from home, a little more tolerance between people could help avoid unnecessary conflicts and disputes.

Besides, they were roommates, so they saw each other frequently.

Oh.

Wait.

That’s not entirely accurate.

In fact, they didn’t see each other that much.

Chi Xiting organized his clothes, took out his pajamas from the wardrobe, and was about to head to the bathroom for a shower when he suddenly heard the sound of the front door opening.

Chi Xiting was a bit surprised. He instinctively glanced at the time. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to take a shower first.

It wasn’t really about social anxiety.

It was just that it felt awkward to go out suddenly without any particular reason.

After thinking for a couple of seconds, Chi Xiting decided to stick with his original plan, taking a shower. Feeling refreshed afterward, he lazily flopped onto his bed. Just as he was about to grab his phone to browse for a while, he suddenly remembered the almond crisps and tea leaves he had left in the living room.

Alright then.

He still had to go out.

Chi Xiting lay on the bed, zoning out for a moment before reluctantly getting up. He slipped on his slippers and left his room.

The lights in the living and dining rooms were both on.

Yuan Yin was sitting on the sofa, lazily cross-legged, watching TV and eating the snacks from the coffee table. When he saw Chi Xiting coming out, he paused for a second, glanced at him, then turned his head away with a slight pout, showing no intention of greeting him.

Chi Xiting’s gaze lingered on Yuan Yin for a few seconds.

Yuan Yin wasn’t very tall, skinny and small, wearing an oversized, somewhat faded striped T-shirt. His hair was long, covering half of his eyes, messy, and his black-rimmed glasses looked clunky, making his already narrow face appear even more gaunt.

Chi Xiting glanced at him before his eyes shifted back to the coffee table.

The bag he had placed on the coffee table earlier had been opened. The tea blocks were carelessly discarded to the side, and the almond crisps, which had once been full, were now almost empty, with only a few crumbs left along with a mess of fragments all over the table.

Chi Xiting furrowed his brows.

Noticing the change in Chi Xiting’s expression, Yuan Yin turned his head to look at him again, his brows furrowing even deeper, and he asked, “Are these your things?”

Chi Xiting didn’t reply. He simply lowered his gaze and continued staring at Yuan Yin.

“Don’t put your stuff on the coffee table.” Yuan Yin scoffed, clearly displeased. “Your room is so big, why put it in the living room? Don’t blame me if I end up eating it.”

Chi Xiting: “…”

Chi Xiting laughed, amused.

Hearing Chi Xiting’s laugh, Yuan Yin seemed to be irritated, as if something poked at him. He glared directly at him and raised his voice a little, cursing, “What are you laughing at?”

Chi Xiting’s expression remained calm, and he replied in a flat tone, “We are sharing the apartment, and only your room is your private space. The living room and dining room are public areas. Is there a problem with me putting my things in the living room?”

Yuan Yin couldn’t sit still anymore and stood up, his thin frame resembling a dry twig. He harshly retorted, “Your room is so much bigger than mine. Is it a problem for me to occupy a little of the living room?”

Chi Xiting’s eyes showed a hint of confusion, as though he couldn’t understand Yuan Yin’s logic.

“No,” Chi Xiting said, puzzled, “Buddy, my rent is twice as much as yours.”

Could the master bedroom and the second bedroom really cost the same?

When Chi Xiting first rented the apartment, he had paid a few hundred extra because he couldn’t bear Yuan Yin’s constant sob stories and bargaining.

Moreover, the utilities were shared. Chi Xiting had hardly used the living room, dining room, or kitchen, yet he still ended up paying more for the utilities.

Yuan Yin was speechless. His face turned red, and he opened his mouth several times but couldn’t utter a word. He could only glare at Chi Xiting before turning around and going back to his room.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang.

It seemed like he was venting his frustration by slamming the door.

Chi Xiting glanced at the closed door and the mess on the coffee table, feeling exhausted.

As expected.

The problems of co-renting were starting to show.

Are there any normal roommates left in this world?

Sighing, Chi Xiting didn’t have the patience to clean up for Yuan Yin. He grabbed the remaining almond cookies and tea and returned to his room.

—-

After the commotion, Chi Xiting lost his desire to eat snacks. He put the items on the table and left them untouched, throwing himself on the bed and going back to his phone.

About half an hour later, Chi Xiting faintly heard some movement in the living room.

Yuan Yin seemed to have come out, making the sound of slippers scraping the floor. After a while, it disappeared, followed by a disdainful snort.

He probably thought Chi Xiting wouldn’t take his leftover snacks.

Chi Xiting changed his position, no longer paying attention to the sounds outside the door, and focused on watching videos.

Chi Xiting didn’t go out over the weekend, spending the entire time lying at home, playing on his phone and watching TV shows. When he got hungry, he ordered takeout. After eating, he took a short walk, did a little cleaning, and then returned to his happy place: lying in bed.

After two days of blissful solitude, Chi Xiting felt like his energy was at an all-time high.

No work, no socializing, no going out — it was truly heaven.

Chi Xiting reluctantly enjoyed his last evening of freedom.

Monday, as expected, was the worst day of the week.

As the saying goes, the year’s plan starts in spring, and the week’s trouble starts on Monday.

The alarm clock woke him up, and after sitting up in bed, he blankly stared for a while, then slowly got up, brushing his teeth and glancing at himself in the mirror.

Just a few days ago, he had been full of energy and smiling, but now he looked like a stranger to himself.

Forget the workaholic image — it was all the same after a few days at the office. Everyone turned into a zombie.

Chi Xiting brushed his teeth, quickly washed his face, ran his fingers through his hair, and left the house, returning to the daily grind.

Work.

By the time Chi Xiting arrived at the company, he could already feel something was different.

The resentment from all the employees on Monday was thick in the air — it felt like it could fuel ten evil swordsmen.

Chi Xiting bought two buns and a bottle of yogurt from the convenience store downstairs before heading up to punch in.

He was perfectly on time.

Not a minute more, not a minute less.

Looking at the “Clock-In Successful” prompt, Chi Xiting felt very satisfied as he made his way upstairs.

The atmosphere on the 27th floor was even more solemn than last Friday.

The entire floor was quiet — so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Chi Xiting even unconsciously lightened his steps as he got off the elevator.

The C group office was also very quiet.

Everyone was already seated, and as soon as Chi Xiting entered, everyone instinctively looked up. Upon realizing it was him, they immediately relaxed and nervously returned to staring at their computers.

Chi Xiting: “…”

Chi Xiting had trouble assessing the situation. He could only sit silently at his desk.

Compared to everyone else, Chi Xiting was much more relaxed. He opened his laptop, glanced at his report PPT and documents, quickly jotted down some thoughts, and then turned his attention to the Sports Weekly, lazily reading.

Time passed quickly.

Before long, it was almost 10 o’clock.

The closer it got to 10, the heavier the breathing in the office seemed.

Five minutes before 10, Fang Ben knocked on the office door. Seeing everyone looking at him, he pointed outside and said, “Let’s go to the big meeting room. Hurry up.”

The dust settled.

A few people who had been hoping for a last-minute cancellation of the meeting were left speechless. With grim faces, they slowly stood up and made their way toward the meeting room.

Chi Xiting closed his laptop and stood up. He saw a few interns gathered together, quietly discussing something, as they clustered together and walked out.

Seeing Chi Xiting looking at them, Li Yang waved at him, signaling him to join.

“How are you all doing?” Ren Jiajia looked visibly nervous, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke.

Li Xin didn’t look much better either. She couldn’t even manage a smile but still pretended to be calm and said, “It’s fine. We’re just interns, so Manager Shen’s expectations shouldn’t be too high for us…”

I hope it won’t be too high.

Li Xin’s gaze became vacant, and her attention drifted directly to the conference room.

She had been in the office for almost two days now. Even though she hadn’t seen Shen Zhizhe yet, she could feel his intimidating presence from the way the others in the office reacted to him as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

Chi Xiting just listened without saying anything.

Li Yang also looked thoughtfully at the road, not speaking much along the way.

Before long, they arrived at their destination.

The large conference room was spacious. Upon opening the glass door, the first thing to catch the eye was a large electronic screen, already lit up with the words “Marketing Department Monday Meeting” in bold letters.

—–

In the center of the conference room was an oval-shaped meeting table, with a row of chairs placed along the walls. The overall layout was neat and simple.

A few people were already seated at the table, setting up their laptops and adjusting the smart amplifier in front of them. After nervously pinching their fingers, they looked up at the large screen in front, fidgeting with anxiety as they shook their legs.

As soon as Chi Xiting stepped into the room, Fang Ben, who had sharp eyes, noticed him. When Chi Xiting looked over, Fang Ben smiled and pointed to the row of seats against the wall.

Chi Xiting nodded, understanding that those seats were reserved for the interns.

“Let’s sit here,” Chi Xiting said to Li Yang. “We’ll sit over there.”

Li Yang nodded in response and turned to inform the other interns.

After Chi Xiting and the others sat down, other interns from different teams gradually arrived. They only gave a brief glance at the central conference table before being directed to sit at the side.

Chi Xiting’s gaze wandered around the room, first looking at the electronic screen, then at the interns sitting across from him.

Right across from him was a familiar face.

Huo Youshen.

Chi Xiting’s gaze lingered on Huo Youshen’s face for a second before he looked away, completely unaware that at the exact moment he shifted his gaze, Huo Youshen had also looked over.

It was already past 10:05. The conference room was filled with people, yet the room was so quiet that only the sound of short breaths and the faint clicking of mouse buttons could be heard.

The door to the conference room was pushed open again.

Everyone instinctively turned their attention to the door.

Under everyone’s gaze, Shen Zhizhe stepped inside.

Unlike the casual state Chi Xiting had seen him in last Friday, Shen Zhizhe appeared much more serious at the office. He wore a black suit, his hair meticulously styled, his brows slightly furrowed. As he entered the conference room, he briefly scanned the room. The environment, which had been a bit chaotic upon seeing him, immediately became silent.

Chi Xiting blinked, following Shen Zhizhe with his gaze for a moment.

“Manager Shen.”

“Manager.”

“Good morning, Manager Shen.”

The employees in the conference room greeted him one by one. The chatter continued until Shen Zhizhe sat down at the head of the conference table, and the voices gradually faded away.

The room fell silent again. Everyone’s expressions were tense, and a few veteran employees from the Chu family exchanged subtle glances, silently signaling each other.

Shen Zhizhe was in a bad mood.

Shen Zhizhe glanced at his watch, raised an eyebrow, and said, “It’s getting late. Let’s get started.”

“The order of reports is up to you,” Shen Zhizhe said, looking around at the employees. His tone was indifferent. “Or should I decide?”