For half a month, You Shulang received a bouquet of roses every day.
Lychee rose is rare and its flower language is protective love.
The roses delivered on time every day pushed the newly hired You Shulang to the forefront.
The kind or prying glances, the whispers behind his back, and even some sarcastic words said to his face, formed a wave and rushed towards You Shulang.
But...it didn't have much power. The calm man blocked out all whispers and speculations, and his emotions were stable and unaffected.
The flowers were placed in the tea room in the public area. Occasionally, some flower-loving girls would take a few home after get off work, and the next morning, there would be a few more candies or cakes on You Shulang's desk.
"Bringing Minister You's flowers home again?"
"Yes." In the parking lot, a girl glanced at the beautiful rose in her hand, "It's still fresh. It would be a pity to replace it with the new one delivered tomorrow."
"A bouquet of roses every day. I wonder which rich woman has favored this new Minister You."
"Does it have to be a rich woman?" The girl with the flower pattern smiled, "Can't it be a domineering CEO?"
"Hmm~" The two girls are in tune with each other, their smiles are both lewd and cunning.
"By the way, the news from the HR department is that Minister You seems to be promoted to assistant to President Qin."
"I've heard that too, but Mr. Qin never seems to have set up an assistant position. It's just out of nowhere... it's so funny!"
"I totally agree!" The woman lowered her voice. "Boss Qin is such a whinny guy who doesn't understand the sufferings of the world. He should be taught a lesson by someone as calm and strong as Minister You."
The sound of high heels gradually faded, the sound of gossip faded away, and a hand holding a cigarette that was resting on the car window moved unnaturally.
When You Shulang got off work, Fan Xiao came to pick him up. He was gentle and considerate in the way he was familiar with.
"I'm not going the same way as you. I have an appointment tonight." You Shulang was one meter away from him, and his tone was not as good as that of an ordinary friend.
Fan Xiao was clearly smiling, but repressed emotions were brewing in his eyes. Even though he was disguising himself with a smile, one could still read a hint of sinisterness.
He opened the car door and asked casually, "Who did you meet? Where is it? I'll take you there."
Facing Fan Xiao's hospitality, You Shulang did not move: "From now on, I have to report everything to President Fan, right?"
Fan Xiao slowed down his movements, then closed the car door, forcing a smile on his face: "Then I'll go home and wait for you. If there's a drinking party tonight, Shulang, you should drink less."
You Shulang neither refuted nor responded, and walked past Fan Xiao towards the subway station.
Fan Xiao got into the car, slowly touched the watch on his wrist, and looked in the rearview mirror. When the figure was about to disappear, he opened the door and followed...
In a nice high-end restaurant, a group of men are lamenting about life.
"Time is such a bastard. We were young and beautiful back then."
"You are not old now, not even thirty, but you are acting like you are about to die."
"Alas, my face remains the same, but my heart is old. I spend every day in the lab, and it's the same 365 days a year. I feel like I'm disconnected from the beautiful world."
"We are all scientific researchers, but only the talented You lives a carefree life, enjoying wine and women every day, and being accompanied by beautiful women."
"Director You, if you want to be surrounded, you have to be surrounded by handsome guys, right, Youzi?"
Amid the noise of the crowd, You Shulang, holding his wine glass loosely, smiled lightly: "Every party starts with the same opening line, aren't you tired of it?"
Someone still didn't let him go, and laughed loudly: "Just tell me whether you have ever used your position to touch the hands of little boys."
You Shulang leaned back in his chair and raised his eyebrows casually, his voice low and long: "If you are jealous, I can touch your hand now."
"Touch them all!" The noises of encouragement grew louder. "If you don't touch one today, Youzi, you're not a real man!"
The friendship between former classmates became more intense amidst laughter and the room was filled with joy, all of which were reflections of our former youth.
"I have a favor to ask of you today." As the noise faded, You Shulang filled his glass with wine. "I'm planning to change jobs. Do you need anyone for your studio or research project? I'll go and help you."
"It's not Youzi, you're not going to be the office director anymore?"
With a ding, You Shulang's phone received an email reminder. He clicked on it and checked it while saying in a leisurely voice: "I was surrounded too closely by the boys. I couldn't breathe."
There were few words on the email, but it was clear at a glance: Deputy General Manager Qin Zhiyang rejected your resignation application.
You Shulang turned his gaze away from his phone, his smile still unchanged: "Maybe I just want to touch the researchers' hands."
Although it was a joke, everyone could hear some helplessness in it. Looking at each other, someone asked, "What's wrong, Youzi?"
You Shulang stood up and poured wine for his classmates one by one: "I used to work after graduation to support my family and my younger brother. Now that I don't have this burden, I want to do scientific research again." After turning around, he sat back in his seat and picked up the glass. "I know I'm just an undergraduate, and I don't have enough academic qualifications and experience, so I don't ask for a position or salary. I'll be very satisfied if I can help you run data and do basic work."
There was silence for a while, and the person who had been making the most noise asked, "No, Youzi, are you serious?"
"Really." He knocked his wine glass on the table, "I beg you guys to give me a chance."
The man started to laugh again: "Fuck, if you want to touch my hand, just say it directly, why beat around the bush."
Someone else chimed in: "But the scientific research team is most concerned with seniority. If you only do basic work, you really won't get any money, you kid."
Another ding sound, and You Shulang's mobile phone received another email, but it was sent directly point-to-point by Qin Zhiyang, bypassing the HR department: I won't send flowers in the future, and you don't have to resign.
You Shulang turned off the screen and raised his eyes: "I don't ask for a high salary, I just..."
He was interrupted by the sound of a door being pushed open when he was halfway through his words. A man who had gone out to take a shower came in with his companion, and his voice suddenly rose with a flattering enthusiasm: "Classmates, classmates, come on, let me introduce someone to you."
You Shulang raised his eyes, and when he saw who it was, his pupils sank, and his brows were filled with surprise and coldness.
You Shulang would not have mistaken the tall figure that followed him in even if he only looked at the hair. It was Fan Xiao who acted wildly on him every day!
Fan Xiao was introduced in a very grand manner. At the beginning of his investment, he came into contact with many project teams and scientific researchers, and it was one of them who brought him into the private room.
"Mr. Fan is the God of Wealth, and he invests in pharmaceutical projects. Mr. Fan, let me introduce you to some of my college classmates."
Fan Xiao smiled modestly, his eyes wandering around following the introductions, and when he came to You Shulang, he did not linger for too long.
He was good at pretending to be a big shot, and he did not act arrogant when being worshipped. He was leisurely led to the upper seat and sat next to You Shulang.
The man beside him lowered his eyes, his expression was dull, and he didn't look at him. Fan Xiao didn't want to get in the way, but just asked everyone: "What were you talking about just now? It felt lively outside the door."
"Yeah." The man who brought Fan Xiao into the house was also surprised: "I just went out to relieve myself for a while, and you almost blew the roof off the house."
"We were talking about Youzi wanting to touch boys' hands."
As soon as he finished speaking, the person who spoke was stared at by several dissatisfied eyes, which made his scalp tingle.
Damn, I forgot there was someone else in the room. He slapped his mouth lightly and made a zipper-like motion.
At this moment, no one noticed that the man who had just come in tightened his jaw, lowered the corners of his lips, and then slowly lifted them up.
"Youzi, if you are not kidding, come to my team. It's just that the salary is low." said someone at the table.
Fan Xiao frowned and tilted his head to look at You Shulang beside him. Seeing his grateful expression, he thanked him sincerely, "It's okay. I'm already very grateful that I can get in with my qualifications."
"Shulang, you should come to my place." At this time, a deep voice interrupted, "Kunzi, your project has entered the middle and late stages, and Shulang can't play a big role in your place. Our medical school has set up a new project and is eager to recruit talents. If Shulang can come to help me, it will definitely be twice the result with half the effort."
The man who was speaking was sitting right opposite Fan Xiao. He was tall, with an ordinary face, but he was good-looking and had a kind temperament.
Shu Lang? Fan Xiao noticed a detail: everyone in the room called You Shu Lang "Youzi", but he was the only one who called him "Shu Lang".
The noisy mouth got excited again: "I will fight for the Youzi with anyone who competes with me, but you, Fan Qinghong, want someone, so I can only hand him over to you."
He glanced at Fan Xiao, shut up at the right time, and did not make the same mistake again.
The man called Fan Qinghong had not said much the whole night, and at this moment he was also concise: "Shu Lang, you must like the direction of this project. If you agree to come to my place, we can find time to discuss it in detail. As for the treatment, it will match your efforts."
Fan Xiao kept glancing at You Shulang out of the corner of his eye. He noticed that after Fan Qinghong finished speaking, You Shulang's fingertips gently slid across the glass before he responded.
"Okay, let's find some time to talk in detail."
A hint of coldness flashed across Fan Xiao's eyes. He lowered his hand to grasp the matchbox in his pocket, and said with a gentle smile: "Brother Fan, what project did you set up? We businessmen are all vulgar. When we see a good project, we always want to explore the way."
You Shulang suddenly looked at the man beside him, with a warning in his eyes.
Fan Xiao ignored the gaze, picked up the teapot, and calmly and as a matter of course filled You Shulang with tea. In the surprised eyes of everyone, he slowly said: "Besides, there are so many projects that are selling dog meat under the guise of sheep meat and defrauding state funds. Our Director You will not go to any rubbish place."
You Shulang: "!!!"
The dinner ended in an extremely awkward atmosphere.
The room that was bustling just now is now filled with depressing silence.
You Shulang felt that at this moment he was like the food on the table, a mess.
Fan Xiao destroyed his life step by step, and even the corner where he could take a temporary respite was occupied and destroyed without any effort.
What do I have now? You Shulang leaned back in his chair and thought for a long time, but he still didn't get the answer.
"Shu Lang, if you want to change jobs, you can come to me. You don't have to beg them so humbly."
You Shulang felt as heavy as if his heart was filled with lead. He stood up and walked out the door, warning in a deep voice: "Fan Xiao, I need to calm down. Don't follow me, or I will do something that you will regret."
Fan Xiao frowned, his fingers clenched so tightly that they made a creaking sound, but he did not dare to follow rashly, and only followed from a distance of three or five steps.
As soon as he walked out of the private room, he saw You Shulang being intercepted in the corridor by a middle-aged woman.
The woman was covered in jewels, but she didn't look old-fashioned and still had some charm.
Fan Xiao held the matchbox in his hand, not daring to move forward, but suddenly he saw the woman raise her hand and touch You Shulang's cheek.
"Don't hide." The woman standing under the lamp said to You Shulang, "Is that man staring at you from behind your back your man? The one that Lu Zhen said hurt you deeply?"
You Shulang looked embarrassed, and said stiffly, "Boss Shi, what are you doing?"
The woman was the investor whom Lu Zhen had offended. A few months ago, You Shulang took Lu Zhen to apologize to her.
"I'll help you teach him a lesson." The woman's hand slid to You Shulang's neck, and her thumb gently rubbed the skin there. "Looking at your expression, you must have been bullied by him again. I'll help you piss him off and make him jealous."
You Shulang smiled bitterly: "Mr. Shi, I'm gay, and it's not that simple between us."
"What's wrong with being gay? Aren't there many gays out there just cheating for sex?" The woman leaned over and whispered in his ear, "No matter how complicated the entanglement is, as long as he still cares about you, making him jealous is the greatest torture for him."
The man behind him finally couldn't hold back any longer and walked slowly towards him with a dangerous aura.
Fan Xiao held the shapeless matchbox, held up a mask-like smile, and cast a pair of cold eyes at You Shulang: "The unknown person who sent flowers, the young boss of the new company, the affectionate classmate, and this glamorous rich sister, Director You, how many love nets have you cast? Am I the only one who, like a fool, has been entangled the most deeply in your net and deceived the longest?"
The woman looked at the pale You Shulang and spoke before he did. Her soft, white hands slid along You Shulang's shoulders and arms to his palms and held them. "You You, will you come with me tonight?"
You Shulang heard the sound of a matchbox breaking.
He said, "Okay."