The next morning, Gu Qingzhou was uncharacteristically late. Jiang Xu sat at his desk cracking melon seeds, counting the time as he ate, his gaze fixed on the door. Seeing this, the little admin assistant peeked over the partition and said, “Designer Jiang, you’re not planning to catch Manager Gu’s mistake, are you? He’s the boss. Even if he’s late, no one would dare say anything.”

Jiang Xu was past caring anyway. Gu Qingzhou had caught him so many times, so what was wrong with him catching Gu Qingzhou once? He dusted the melon seed shells off his hands and scoffed, “You don’t dare, but I do.”

The hour hand was already pointing to nine. So when Gu Qingzhou finally arrived, Jiang Xu, under the pretext of going to the breakroom to make coffee, cornered him.

Jiang Xu deliberately blocked the doorway, the coffee cup in his hand still steaming. Not minding the onlookers at all, he put one hand in his pocket and said meaningfully, “Manager Gu, you’re late.”

The tables had turned, just like the saying goes.

Perhaps remembering being drunk the day before, Gu Qingzhou’s face paled and flushed. It was quite a sight. He didn’t even talk back to Jiang Xu’s provocation. He just gave him a cold look, pressed his lips together impassively, and tried to walk inside without a word.

But Jiang Xu wouldn’t let him have his way. When Gu Qingzhou moved left, he moved left. When Gu Qingzhou moved right, he moved right. He toyed with him like a cat playing with a mouse, until the other man’s face turned white with anger.

A strand of Gu Qingzhou’s neatly combed-back hair fell down messily. The annoyance in his eyes could no longer be hidden, but he couldn't lash out. He looked rather pitiful, as if cornered. In a low, exasperated voice, he said, “Jiang Xu!”

Tsk, he’s much more obedient when he’s drunk.

For Jiang Xu to get a rise out of someone like Gu Qingzhou, who never showed his emotions, was quite an accomplishment. He raised an eyebrow, then stepped aside to let him pass. He leisurely walked back to his own desk and made a sarcastic remark, “Manager, we get our pay docked when we’re late. Shouldn’t you get yours docked too?”

Hearing this, the little admin assistant in charge of attendance stood there awkwardly, not knowing whether to record it or not. Seeing this, Gu Qingzhou silently clenched his jaw. After a moment of silence, he coldly spat out a few words, “...Record it. I’ve been late once this month.”

Anyone with eyes could see that Gu Qingzhou was radiating cold anger. For a moment, they all looked at Jiang Xu strangely. After all, what normal person would embarrass their boss to their face like that?

Li Si'ao hit the nail on the head, pointing out the truth. “Just keep acting up. You’ll be happy when you lose your job one day.”

Jiang Xu wasn’t the type to be subservient. His recent behavior of living with his tail between his legs was purely him giving in to Gu Qingzhou. Anyway, since they’d already torn all pretenses, what was there to be afraid of? With his eyes fixed on the computer, he said without turning his head, “That’s not necessarily true.”

Gu Qingzhou could only manage him at the company now. If he really fired Jiang Xu, the two would go their separate ways, and neither could control the other. It didn’t take a genius to know that he definitely wouldn’t fire Jiang Xu easily.

Superior and subordinate—this was their only connection at the moment.

That morning, a light, drizzling rain fell. The glass windows were covered in winding streaks of water, blurring the reflection of the tall buildings outside. The design industry required inspiration, and Jiang Xu liked this kind of weather. He had a rare occasion to calm down and managed to finish most of the renderings. Unfortunately, the rain stopped before long. The sun rose high, and the temperature was still scorching.

Today, Fang Qia took Fan Jiajia to the furniture mall to select soft furnishings. When they returned, they each held a red Chinese rose. A female colleague they were on good terms with joked with a smile, “Did you two go on a date with some handsome guys? And you didn’t even bring one back for me.”

Fan Jiajia said shyly, “No, isn’t it the Qixi Festival today? On our way back to the company, we saw a little girl selling flowers downstairs. She looked quite pitiful, so Sister Fang and I each bought one.”

Hearing this, everyone suddenly realized. It was only then they remembered that today was the Qixi Festival.

Jiang Xu turned a deaf ear to it. The Qixi Festival didn't have a damn thing to do with a single guy like him. The deadline for the drawings was tomorrow. Everyone was swamped with work; who had the mind to think about that?

Sitting in his office, through the slightly opened gap in the blinds, he could clearly see the situation outside. Gu Qingzhou sat quietly for a moment, then slowly buried his face in his hands. His hungover head was still throbbing with pain, but it was nothing compared to the memories of last night that were flocking back.

He couldn’t say he remembered every detail, but he had some impression of the general course of events. Gu Qingzhou remembered the scene of him hugging Jiang Xu and not letting go. His expression grew uglier, and even held a hint of helplessness.

Before, they were lovers, so a hug was just a hug. But what was this now?

It was just letting Jiang Xu laugh at him...

Gu Qingzhou barely left his office all day. Even when he did, he tried his best to avoid any eye contact or conversation with Jiang Xu. The situation from the past few days had completely reversed; now Jiang Xu was the cat, and Gu Qingzhou was the mouse.

As closing time approached, the sky had already darkened. Everyone was leaving in twos and threes. Li Si'ao's team was still working overtime, doing the final finishing touches. Jiang Xu was almost done with his work when his phone, which was on his desk, suddenly buzzed. He casually glanced at it and saw it was a message from Fang Qia.

Fang Qia: Can you come out for a moment? I have something I want to say to you.

Seeing this, Jiang Xu’s movements paused slightly. He subconsciously looked toward Fang Qia, but she wasn’t looking at him. Instead, she got up from her seat and walked out without looking back.

Jiang Xu’s expression was a little strange. He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the desk, as if pondering something. In the end, he still got up and followed her. Unexpectedly, this caught Li Si'ao's attention. “Where are you going?”

Jiang Xu picked up a cup from his desk and made up an excuse, “I'm going out to get some water.”

Next to the elevator was the stairwell entrance. It was usually empty, and even more so now. After walking out of the office, Fang Qia looked back, only relaxing slightly when she saw Jiang Xu following.

Jiang Xu scratched his hair, looking like he had a headache. “Did you need me for something?”

Fang Qia’s voice was much gentler than usual. She nervously fiddled with her fingers and spoke with a slight stammer, “It’s just... you know today is the Qixi Festival, right?”

Jiang Xu didn't speak, quietly waiting for her to continue.

Fang Qia’s face was a little red. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him. Finally, she took a deep breath, mustered her courage and said, “Jiang Xu, we’re around the same age, and our personalities get along well. I quite like you. My family has been pushing me to get married recently, and I’m at my wit’s end. If you’re willing, could you give it a try with me?”

Fang Qia liked him; people in the office could more or less see the signs. It was just that Jiang Xu hadn’t paid much mind to it. Hearing her words, he fell silent for a moment. Under Fang Qia's nervous yet hopeful gaze, and considering she was a girl, he tried to phrase his words tactfully, “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’re a good match.”

“...”

Fang Qia probably hadn’t expected him to refuse so quickly, without even thinking about it. She stiffened, her face turning pale white. For a moment, the rims of her eyes turned red. Although her family wasn’t extremely wealthy, she had been doted on by her parents as she grew up. Plus, she was beautiful, so she had always been the one chased by the opposite sex. Now, having finally mustered the courage to confess to the boy she liked, she had received such an answer. She felt like she had lost face completely.

Clinging to a last shred of hope, Fang Qia suppressed a sob and asked, “Can't we just give it a try?”

Jiang Xu shook his head, looking away from her red eyes. In a daze, he noticed a figure flash past the corner and couldn't help but frown.

Seeing this, Fang Qia’s heart sank to the bottom. She didn’t say anything more, turned around, forcefully wiped away her tears, and walked straight past him, leaving.

Jiang Xu thought it would be bad if Li Si'ao saw, so he didn’t go back in with her. Instead, he lingered in the breakroom for a long time before walking into the office. By that time, Fang Qia had already packed her things and left, and Li Si'ao had also shut down his computer, ready to go.

Jiang Xu casually asked, “Are you done?”

Li Si'ao glanced at him, seeming to want to say something, but didn't. He just nodded and said, “Yeah, I’m leaving first. It’s getting late, you should head back soon too.”

Jiang Xu looked at the time; it was already past eight in the evening. He pulled out his USB drive, put it in his bag, and was about to leave when he noticed the light in the manager's office was still on. After a moment's thought, he walked over and said mischievously through the door, “Still not leaving? This building is haunted at night. Last month someone jumped from the building opposite, and they couldn't be saved.”

After speaking, Jiang Xu casually turned off the main lights and waited for the elevator by himself. However, less than a minute later, Gu Qingzhou walked out from inside, his expression as cold as ice, as usual, not even looking at him.

Jiang Xu glanced sideways at him. “Yo, Manager, you really were in there. Sorry, I accidentally pulled the main switch just now. It was pitch black, you didn’t fall, did you?”

Half of Gu Qingzhou’s side profile was illuminated by the light, fair and translucent like jade, but his eyes were too dark and gloomy, letting in no light. He looked at him and said, “If you like turning off the lights so much, then from now on, you'll be responsible for turning off the lights and locking up the company after work.”

Jiang Xu hated doing this kind of thing the most. He took a piece of bubble gum from his pocket and threw it into his mouth. “How long are you going to keep targeting me?”

Hearing this, Gu Qingzhou looked down at the time, then retightened the slightly loose strap of his watch. “The company's retirement age is sixty. Let's see which of us can last longer.”

As they spoke, the elevator arrived. Jiang Xu walked in first. Gu Qingzhou didn’t seem to want to ride with him. He glanced at the number two elevator next to them, which was still under maintenance, and stood silently without moving.

Jiang Xu jutted his chin, gesturing for him to look at the stairwell. “Nineteen floors. If your body can handle it, you can walk down yourself.”

Gu Qingzhou wasn't an idiot. Why should he inconvenience himself for Jiang Xu's sake? Besides, if anyone should be taking the stairs, it should be Jiang Xu, why him? Seeing that the elevator doors were about to close, he quickly ducked inside.

The elevator was small. They stood on opposite sides of a corner, neither speaking to the other. When they reached the fifteenth floor, a couple walked in. The girl was holding a large bouquet of flowers, unable to hide the smile on her face, silently enhancing the festive atmosphere of the day.

Gu Qingzhou was not used to being too close to strangers and impassively shifted to the side. He heard the girl grumble to her boyfriend, “Why spend so much money on flowers? It’s such a waste, they’ll just wither in a few days.”

The boy smiled. “It's the Qixi Festival.”

Gu Qingzhou listened quietly. For some reason, he subconsciously glanced at Jiang Xu, then quickly retracted his gaze, but not before the other man noticed.

Jiang Xu was chewing gum, and said nonchalantly, “What are you looking at? It's not like I haven't given you gifts before. They were cheap, but it's the thought that counts, right?”

One year on Gu Qingzhou’s birthday, Jiang Xu had taken off the cross earring from his left ear and given it to him. Unfortunately, Gu Qingzhou didn't have his ears pierced back then, so he could only take it out to look at it from time to time. Even so, it couldn't be denied that he was happy. It was as if his own efforts had finally been answered, that this relationship was no longer a one-man show.

But in all these years, it seemed that this one earring was the only thing he had ever received from Jiang Xu...

And it was fucking bought from a street stall for twenty yuan.