Yuhan sat in the waiting room, heart pounding, waiting for the results. When the door opened, it was as if his heart stopped.
The sharp-eyed lady from the interview earlier stepped out.
"All the selected candidates will be called out," she announced coolly. "You will then proceed to the final evaluation with the CEO, where she will personally pick her assistant."
She handed a file to Su Mei, who began calling out names. Yuhan's gaze followed her lips, but unlike before, her usual bright smile was gone. A pang of heartbreak hit him, he braced himself for the worst.
Su Mei called out four names. Each one sank Yuhan deeper into despair. She even pressed her lips together dramatically, as if sharing his sadness, which only convinced him it was over. By the time she finally called his name, Yuhan was so numb he walked forward thinking they only wanted to clarify something, not that he had been chosen.
"I guess you aren't that smart after all," the lady from before suddenly said, her lips curving into a sly smile.
"Zhang Meiyue," she introduced, stretching out her hand. "Assistant director and head of Team A, Designers. Nice to meet you."
Yuhan stared, blinking in confusion before hesitantly shaking her hand. He quickly glanced at Su Mei, who was now grinning ear to ear, barely holding back her excitement.
"Su Mei was right," Meiyue added, sliding one hand into her pocket while swinging the folder casually in the other. "You'll do just fine."
She walked away with effortless elegance, leaving Yuhan stunned in her wake.
The moment she was gone, Yuhan and Su Mei squealed in unison, clutching each other as they jumped in place like kids who had just won a prize.
The moment Yuhan stepped out of the company, he pulled out his phone and dialed Li Hao's number.
Inside the pharmacy, Li Hao was bent over a patient's arm, carefully dressing a wound. He trapped the phone between his ear and shoulder, still working as he answered.
"Guess what?" Yuhan's voice came through, brimming with energy.
"You found money on the street?" Li Hao replied instantly.
"No."
"Your girlfriend finally wants you back?"
"Li Hao!" Yuhan groaned, exasperated.
Li Hao smirked, enjoying himself. "What, then?"
"I got selected for the final round," Yuhan said, his tone suddenly quieter, almost unbelieving.
The q-tip slipped from Li Hao's hand. "Really?!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the small room. The patient flinched in surprise as Li Hao jumped in place.
"I'm treating you tonight at Li Na's place. Bills on me," Yuhan declared, finally smiling.
"Alright!" Li Hao beamed, sounding like he'd been waiting his whole life for someone to say those words.
Yuhan and Li Hao stepped into the restaurant, the warm smell of spices and fried dishes wrapping around them like a welcome hug. They made their way straight to the counter and plopped down in front of it.
"What's the occasion?" Li Na, the owner, asked with a raised brow as she leaned across from them.
Yuhan scoffed, grabbing the glass cup and gulping down water like he'd just crossed a desert.
"What's the occasion that you're seeing your little brothers?" Li Hao teased, and both he and Yuhan leaned closer together, pulling exaggerated cute faces like mischievous kids.
"Serve us your best dish—and alcohol!" Yuhan declared, lifting a hand dramatically as if he were making an imperial decree.
Minutes later, food and drinks came, and Yuhan dug in like a man possessed. After only a few glasses, though, his cheeks flushed red and his eyes glazed. Li Na and Li Hao exchanged a look of pure disbelief.
"…That's it? He's already drunk?" Li Na muttered, watching Yuhan sway in his seat.
"Apparently," Li Hao sighed, one arm steadying his friend before he toppled over completely.
"What's the occasion, really?" Li Na asked again, folding her arms.
"It's a very long story…" Li Hao said, exhaling dramatically. Then, in a burst of energy, he launched into his explanation, speaking at lightning speed, hands flailing, acting out every part like he was on a stage play.
Li Na blinked, completely lost in the blur of words. "...What?" she said flatly when he finished.
"This is starting to feel like revenge," drunk Yuhan slurred, swaying in his seat with a sloppy smile as he looked at li na.
Li Na glanced at him, forcing a grin.
"Chen Zixuan!" Yuhan suddenly bellowed, startling nearby customers. He grabbed a knife and dramatically stabbed the crab in front of Li Hao. "I'll destroy him like this! Like this!" He stabbed again with gusto, then turned to Li Hao with a boyish grin.
Li Hao's face twitched. "Can you not—"
"My Yue Yue…" Yuhan whimpered, and just like that, the fury melted into tears. His head dropped to the table as he sobbed loudly.
"I swear," Li Hao muttered, gripping Yuhan's shoulders, "if you embarrass me any further, I'm leaving you here." He tried to haul him upright, but Yuhan only beamed at him through watery eyes.
"Awwwn, he's so cute," Li Na cooed, clasping her hands together. "I'm having cuteness aggression!"
"Then you take care of him!" Li Hao snapped, shoving Yuhan gently in her direction.
But Yuhan was already back in his own world. In the cab ride home, he clutched Li Hao's face with both hands and started singing off-key. "You are my life… you are my world…"
Li Hao glared, trying to peel his hands away. "Yuhan, shut up before I—"
Too late, Yuhan had turned to the driver, rubbing his shoulder and winking, then seconds later was pressing his cheek to the cold glass window, giggling like a child.
"Every man and his cross," Li Hao muttered, resigning himself as he watched his friend cycle between serenading, weeping, and hysterical laughter.