Chapter 44

In Bo He's view, her disciple "Chuan Chuan" was getting better and better at acting cute.

Previously, when she thought the other person was a young girl, "Chuan Chuan" was silent and reserved, cherishing words like gold. In the game, he could go half a day without typing a single word or sending a single emoji.

Now that she knew "Chuan Chuan" was a grown man, and about the same age as her, he had conversely become more lively. In the messaging app, he sent one emoji sticker after another, and his calls of "Master" in the game became sweeter and sweeter.

It was as if his true nature had been released, like a rabbit locked up for ten years dashing toward a new world of freedom.

When she opened the chat window, she was greeted by a dozen or so emoji stickers from him.

A fluffy penguin peeked out from behind a wall, asking, "You there?" Then it lay on the ground in a waiting pose, and there was also one of it looking back while eating snacks, looking endearingly clumsy.

With that one smile, Bo He's bit of unhappiness from just now was forgotten, cast to the Nine Heavens.

Peppermint Tea: I'm here.

Chuan Chuan: Working overtime again tonight?

Peppermint Tea: Yep, and you'd never guess, I'm openly and righteously playing games overtime... under my boss's supervision.

Chuan Chuan: Isn't that just what you wanted.

Peppermint Tea: I'm afraid you misunderstand. This kind of 'playing' isn't that kind of 'playing.' Our company is having an internal 'chicken dinner' friendly match, and I was unfortunately drawn into the same team as my boss. Can you imagine, after finally getting through the eight-hour workday, still having to deal with the boss? What kind of torture is that?

Chuan Chuan: Is it that torturous? Can't you take advantage of the favorable position to get in his good graces and have him give you a promotion and a raise?

Peppermint Tea: Just from hearing that, I can tell you've never experienced the pain of dealing with a boss. You must be a boss in real life, right?

Chuan Chuan: No, I just find it hard to imagine that someone like you, who loves gaming so much, would also call it painful.

Peppermint Tea: I love game mechanics that require learning to master, and I love the feeling of defeating enemies through my own effort, but that doesn't include teaming up with my boss. To make him give up on the idea of teaming with me, I deliberately played badly, but he didn't follow the script and instead made me practice overtime. This is simply—

Qin Chuan looked at the neck-slitting, hanging-oneself emoji she sent immediately after and couldn't help but laugh.

Bo He must have been holding it in for a long time, full of grievances, and was taking this opportunity to vent to her in-game disciple.

After all, they were separated by two monitors and thousands of miles. They had never even met, nor did they know each other's real names. Talking about these things with "Chuan Chuan" was naturally much safer than talking to real-life colleagues or friends.

Peppermint Tea: Now, just thinking about going to work tomorrow, and how at six in the evening another round of torture will begin, makes me want to call in sick. For an optimistic and proactive youth like me to have such a negative thought, I must have truly been driven into a corner with no way out.

Chuan Chuan: I think your boss's thoughts are completely different from yours. Maybe you should find a chance to communicate with him properly.

Peppermint Tea: How are they different?

Chuan Chuan: Perhaps your boss thinks you're particularly cute and enjoys spending time with you, so he's looking for excuses to make you work overtime.

Peppermint Tea: That joke isn't funny. I always feel like you're especially lenient towards my boss, always making excuses for him. Are you my disciple or his?

Chuan Chuan: Your boss is a super bastard. That kind of person deserves to choke to death on water and suffocate on air. Maybe you'll go to the company tomorrow and find there's a new boss. Let him end up homeless on the streets and go to hell.

Peppermint Tea: ...

Chuan Chuan: Is that cursing good enough?

Peppermint Tea: Pretty good. Hearing you say that really does make me feel much better, haha!

Chuan Chuan: So how are you going to deal with your boss tomorrow?

Peppermint Tea: Didn't he want to secure top three and advance to top two? I'll just pretend to try hard and end up getting second place.

Chuan Chuan: That only treats the symptom, not the root cause. When your boss sees your potential, he'll just make even higher demands, asking you to secure top two and advance to first. Won't you just have to act again? Isn't that tiring?

Peppermint Tea: Then what should I do?

Chuan Chuan: Cut the Gordian knot. Just show your true strength, carry him to a chicken dinner, and take first place. That way, he won't have any more excuses to make you work overtime.

Peppermint Tea: That seems to make sense too.

Bo He found that she could always gradually relax while chatting with her disciple. No matter how bad her mood was, it would always slowly get better.

To her, "Chuan Chuan" had, without her realizing it, become like dripping water that wears away stone. His importance had grown bit by bit. For the many troubles she couldn't speak of in real life, the small joys, and the wonderful, unexpected surprises, he would always listen patiently and share in them with her.

Bo He knew "Chuan Chuan" was a very guarded person who wouldn't easily talk about himself to others, let alone an online friend. But now, he was slowly beginning to tell Bo He about the places he'd been, the people he'd met, all over the world, to the ends of the earth.

He rarely talked about his real-life profession, but Bo He knew he ran a teahouse, perhaps more than one, so his net worth was naturally not small.

Bo He had never thought about the possibility of their relationship progressing further. It began on the internet, and it would end with them being online friends. A gentleman's friendship was more than enough.

A night of sweet dreams.

The next day, Bo He went to work as usual.

When she arrived at the office, Tang Mi and Fang Ying were already there.

The three of them looked up, greeted each other, and settled down to work.

This was the most ordinary work rhythm for an urban white-collar worker. Underneath the day-to-day tranquility, an undercurrent was surging.

Bo He still remembered the scene of being kicked out of here last time. Although she had adjusted her mentality well enough and wasn't particularly angry or sad at the time, now that she had a chance to do it over, she absolutely did not want to return in failure like last time.

If one could choose, everyone would wish to be radiant and extraordinarily proud.

But beneath the calm and carefree surface, Bo He was inevitably much more cautious.

She still remembered Li Xi's warning before leaving. She maintained a polite but not-too-close distance with Tang Mi. Tang Mi had invited her to meals several times, but Bo He had tactfully refused them all. For this, Tang Mi was a little unhappy, but Bo He would rather offend her than repeat her past mistakes.

"Bo He."

Tang Mi's voice sounded at just the right moment.

Bo He looked up and saw the other woman handing her a folder.

"Help me take this document and make a few copies. Hmm, make it six copies."

These sorts of trivial tasks were what Bo He did in the president's office; they were within her duties. Of course, Bo He could also have refused, and Tang Mi really should have done her own tasks herself, but in the workplace, there aren't always so many 'can's and 'should's. Unless a young lion grows up to be the lion king, it must obey the old lions. Sometimes, the law of the jungle also applied here.

"Okay."

She agreed and got up, took the document to be copied, and on the way, prepared the tea and coffee that the boss and Guan Shen usually liked.

This task was originally done by Guan Shen, but after Bo He was temporarily transferred over, she took it over.

When she returned, Qin Chuan was just turning to come out from inside, and the two almost bumped right into each other.

The cup in Bo He's hand inevitably shook. Scalding hot water splashed out, a few drops landing on the back of her own hand, while a few others splattered onto the other person's suit and neck.

I'm doomed!

Bo He cursed inwardly, already preparing herself to be scolded.

The result—

"Are you all right?"

"Are you all right?"

This sentence, however, came out from both of them in unison.