Chapter 2

Chi Xiting wasn’t seriously injured. He was discharged after three days in the hospital and didn’t feel like going out. He just wanted to be a warm corpse at home.

But no one told him that his coffin would be shared.

Chi Xiting turned over and covered his ears with a pillow, barely reducing the clattering sounds coming from outside his room.

However, it was quite difficult to sleep in this position.

Sigh.

Chi Xiting reached for his phone and glanced at the time.

6:37

He closed his eyes in despair.

For the convenience of his internship, his previous self had moved out of school and rented a place near the company.

It was a shared rental.

Chi Xiting had shared rentals before and didn’t have a good experience. He endured until the lease expired and quickly moved to live alone.

Living alone was slightly more expensive but had no drawbacks.

As for sharing…

The only advantage was it being cheaper.

The noise from his roommate gradually subsided. Chi Xiting patiently waited a bit longer until he finally heard the front door close, and the entire apartment fell silent.

Phew.

Finally over.

Chi Xiting lazily stretched and lay back down, ready to catch some more sleep.

The sky outside had completely brightened. The clear sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, landing on the wooden floor. A few rays occasionally touched Chi Xiting’s cheeks and brows, making him turn slightly.

Before Chi Xiting could fall back into sleep, there was a loud, rhythmic knocking on the door.

The sound was loud and steady, and from the knocking alone, Chi Xiting could sense the impatience and irritation of the person outside.

Woken up again, Chi Xiting groggily opened his eyes, feeling a headache from the persistent knocking.

Seriously.

Seeing no sign of the knocking weakening, Chi Xiting sighed hopelessly while staring at the ceiling, then got up to answer the door.

He opened it to find a man standing outside.

The man was tall, with black hair partially dyed at the tips, wearing a baseball cap. His features were sharp and handsome, with a fierce charm. His brows were furrowed in impatience. When the door opened, he glanced briefly at Chi Xiting and clicked his tongue irritably.

Before Chi Xiting could say anything, the man pushed him aside and walked into the apartment, looking around before asking, “Your roommate left?”

Chi Xiting blinked in confusion, watching the man walk confidently towards his room. His brain quickly processed the situation, finally digging out fragmented memories from a corner.

The man was Chi Heyuan, his previous self’s younger brother.

Unlike his previous self, who was a minor character, Chi Heyuan was more of a third male lead— a computer genius who skipped straight to B University from high school, interned at Chu Corporation in his junior year, was groomed by the head of the technical department, got promoted upon graduation, and eventually became the right-hand man of the main antagonist, Chu Yu. His life was smooth sailing…

Oh, no.

The only not-so-smooth part was probably his brother.

Chi Heyuan sighed deeply as he looked at the messy bedroom, then turned to the still dazed Chi Xiting in the living room and scolded, “Chi Xiting, do you know what time you need to go to work? Keep wandering around and see what happens.”

“Unbelievable.” Chi Heyuan angrily took off his hat and ruffled his hair before reluctantly entering the room to help Chi Xiting pack. “You have ten minutes. Wash up and get dressed!”

Work.

Chi Xiting couldn’t hear those words right now.

The feeling of sudden death wasn’t pleasant.

Though he wanted to forget that sensation, death was too profound for a person to forget.

It was like being chased all night in a nightmare, finally waking up in relief, only to find yourself sitting in an exam room with the invigilator collecting papers while you hadn’t written a single word—a perfect, suffocating feeling of dread.

Chi Xiting followed and took a couple of steps forward, his gaze lingering on the backs of Chi Heyuan for a few seconds before he slowly looked away. He pondered for a moment and then lightly said, “Do I really have to take this shift?”

Chi Xiting didn’t have a good impression of internships.

Maybe it was because his previous internship experience wasn’t very pleasant.

During his internship, there was a reshuffling in his team, a new team leader took over, and many old employees were let go. However, no new recruits were brought in, so he, the intern, had to shoulder the workload.

Earning one person’s salary but doing the work of a whole team, Chi Xiting resigned without hesitation as soon as his three-month internship ended and handed in his internship stamp back at school.

“What do you think?” Chi Heyuan turned back to glare at Chi Xiting, mocking him, “Weren’t you the one begging Dad to find a way to get you into Chu Corporation for an internship? Now that you’re in, you don’t want to go? Don’t throw a fit here, Chi Xiting. Do you think it’s that easy to get into Chu Corporation?”

Chi Xiting paused.

Chu Corporation?

Huh?

The company he’s interning at is Chu Corporation?

Chi Xiting suddenly recalled the figure he saw on the day he woke up.

“What are you still standing there for?” Chi Heyuan frowned as he saw Chi Xiting still standing, “There are seven minutes left. If you make me late too, you’re done for.”

Chi Heyuan glanced at the floor-to-ceiling window, then gave Chi Xiting a sinister look.

Catching the hint, Chi Xiting: “…”

Alright.

It’s one thing if he’s late, but making someone else late isn’t good.

He still had some sense of morality.

When Chi Xiting finished washing up and changing clothes, Chi Heyuan had already made his bed, thrown out the trash, and put the dirty clothes in the washing machine.

“Hang them up yourself when you get back.” Chi Heyuan looked at his watch and said, “Hurry up, we’re going to be late.”

Chi Xiting looked around at his refreshed room, then at Chi Heyuan, who was walking ahead, constantly fixing his hair, and felt a bit puzzled.

The novel didn’t have much about “Chi Xiting,” but it did occasionally mention Chi Heyuan, always implying that the two brothers didn’t get along, that Chi Xiting disliked and rejected his younger brother Chi Heyuan, and Chi Heyuan frowned every time he mentioned Chi Xiting.

But judging by today…

Chi Xiting slowly climbed into the passenger seat, turned his head to look at Chi Heyuan, and asked, “Did you drive here?”

Chi Heyuan frowned, “What else? Your place and mine are in different directions.”

Chi Xiting thoughtfully looked away.

Their relationship seemed fine.

Though Chi Heyuan spoke harshly, he was very considerate in his actions toward Chi Xiting.

Sensing Chi Xiting’s subtle expression, Chi Heyuan’s face darkened, and he asked warily, “What’s with that look?”

“Nothing,” Chi Xiting turned his head innocently and praised, “I think you’re a good brother.”

Chi Heyuan’s brow twitched, and he looked away from Chi Xiting, staring straight ahead with a stiff neck and said harshly, “Don’t disgust me, Chi Xiting. If it weren’t for Mom and Dad, I wouldn’t have come to pick you up.”

Oh.

Right.

That explains it.

—–

Chi Xiting turned back in realization and fastened his seatbelt.

When he was hospitalized, Fu Ning had reminded him to call his parents. He did so that same day and learned that his parents were out of town on a business trip. They were concerned about Chi Xiting’s condition but couldn’t come back immediately, so they kept reminding him over the phone to take care of himself and let them know if he felt unwell.

From the phone call alone, he could tell that his original self’s parents cared deeply for him.

As for now, that care seemed to have materialized in the form of Chi Heyuan.

“Here, eat this quickly.” Chi Heyuan started the car and casually threw a bag of steaming dumplings onto Chi Xiting’s lap, “There’s soy milk too. Be careful not to spill it in my car, or I’ll kill you.”

Having rarely felt familial affection in his previous life, Chi Xiting was momentarily dazed. He looked at the dumplings on his lap for a while before softly thanking him.

Chi Heyuan didn’t have the habit of eating breakfast, so he only bought one portion for Chi Xiting. Hearing the sound of chewing, he turned his head slightly.

He didn’t know if Chi Xiting would like it.

Chi Heyuan’s gaze lingered on Chi Xiting’s face for a few seconds.

Chi Xiting had an outstanding appearance, with delicate features and a pure, clean aura. He wore a simple white shirt, his black hair neatly falling over his forehead. His half-lidded eyes and pale pink lips slowly chewed, unhurried and focused, making the dumplings seem delicious.

Chi Heyuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.

“Did you eat?” Chi Xiting keenly noticed Chi Heyuan’s expression change and asked, “Should I save you a couple?”

Chi Heyuan’s face remained expressionless, “No, I don’t eat breakfast.”

Chi Xiting glanced at Chi Heyuan, didn’t say anything more, and quietly set aside a few untouched dumplings before eating the rest.

Sigh.

He actually didn’t have the habit of eating breakfast either.

In his previous life, working didn’t leave time for breakfast. Every day was like a battle; once he got to the office, he’d have a cup of black coffee and start the morning meeting. After that, there would be small team meetings, and as a director, he occasionally had to attend large meetings at headquarters…

Meeting after meeting, but few of them were truly productive.

So, who invented meetings anyway?

Chi Xiting bit his straw hard and started zoning out.

May the world of novels be free of meetings.

As Chi Xiting swallowed the last gulp of soy milk, Chi Heyuan parked the car.

Chu Corporation’s headquarters was located in the central CBD of B City, where many industry-leading companies gathered. Surrounded by commercial buildings, the Chu Corporation building soared into the sky, its grandeur blending with the azure, blue sky, occupying the best geographical location in the most prosperous commercial area.

During the morning rush hour, many businesspeople hurried into the building. Contrary to TV shows where everyone wears suits and ties, most people dressed comfortably and simply, grabbing a couple of buns from the convenience store downstairs before rushing to clock in at their companies.

Chu Corporation’s working hours are very standard: nine-to-five, five days a week, with a flexible clock-in system. If you’re ten minutes late in the morning, you can just leave ten minutes later in the afternoon. The system is quite humane, without penalties for being a minute late.

However, Chi Heyuan worked directly under the head of the tech department, who was a stickler for punctuality. Though Chi Heyuan was daring in other aspects, he didn’t dare to risk being late.

Chi Heyuan glanced at his watch, frowning slightly. It seemed he hadn’t accounted for the traffic well, and it was almost time to clock in.

“Hurry up,” Chi Heyuan urged Chi Xiting, quickening his pace and pulling ahead.

Chi Xiting quickly followed, and they both entered the Chu Corporation building.

The building’s interior was simple and luxurious, with smart devices everywhere. Before Chi Xiting could take a good look around, Chi Heyuan pulled him to the elevator area to wait.

There weren’t many people in the elevator area, possibly due to the flexible clock-in system. Most people, even close to the clock-in time, weren’t in a rush but had already switched to work mode, occasionally glancing at their phones to handle matters.

Chi Heyuan adjusted his hat in front of the elevator door and said without turning around, “We’re not on the same floor. Be mindful of where you’re going and don’t rely on me to remind you about everything.”

“Okay,” Chi Xiting nodded obediently, glancing around the elevator area.

Next to the elevators was a small compartment with another elevator, marked with a sign in neat, elegant characters:

— For Senior Management Use Only

Chi Xiting glanced at it and then looked outside again.

The weather was nice, with the morning sun filtering through the clouds and the lush sycamore trees, casting dappled light onto the building’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

Outside the windows, many people were rushing around for work, carrying bags, holding phones, with faces showing either the anxiety of being late or the usual numbness and weariness of office workers.

Chi Xiting murmured, “No wonder they all seem like NPCs; even their being late for work follows the same script.”

“…”

Chu Yu paused in his steps.

“President Chu?” Zhou Shan asked in confusion when Chu Yu stopped.

Hearing Zhou Shan’s voice, the employees in the elevator area turned to look, their eyes lighting up when they saw Chu Yu, and they quickly greeted him.

“President Chu.”

“Good morning, President Chu.”

“President Chu.”

Chi Heyuan also greeted Chu Yu politely, subtly tugging at Chi Xiting’s clothes.

Hearing Chu Yu’s name, Chi Xiting instinctively turned to look at him, pausing when their eyes met.

Chu Yu was very tall, standing at the boundary between the elevator area and the corridor. His features, highlighted by shadows, were indifferent. His eyebrows were sharp, his nose high and straight, with a pair of half-rimmed gold glasses, thin lips, and a hard, cold curve to his mouth.

As he noticed Chi Xiting’s gaze, Chu Yu slightly turned his head, locking eyes with Chi Xiting.

Chi Xiting looked up, his thin eyelids creating a shallow crease, his eyelashes trembling slightly but not breaking the eye contact.

President Chu.

Chu Yu.

Chi Xiting remembered this name.

The novel’s villainous big boss, the author’s true “favorite son,” given as much attention as the protagonist, even having more personal charm, which led to the protagonist’s fans berating the author for half the serialization. Eventually, the author reluctantly wrote Chu Yu’s death.

No wonder he’s the author’s favorite.

Chi Xiting thought.

So handsome.

“Good day, President Chu.”

Chi Xiting snapped back to reality and greeted Chu Yu openly.

Chu Yu’s gaze lingered on Chi Xiting’s face for a few seconds before he responded indifferently.

Zhou Shan, knowing Chu Yu’s busy schedule and his usual disregard for trivial matters, especially regarding employees he’d only met once, was surprised when Chu Yu looked at Chi Xiting for a while. She quickly spoke up, “President Chu, this is…”

Before Zhou Shan could finish, Chu Yu spoke.

His tone was steady, unhurried, deep, and magnetic, sounding mature and sexy, though still inherently cold.

“Are you healed?”