The building was put into operation, and Yisi Technology officially settled in the business circle south of Jiang'an.
Congratulatory flower baskets extended from the main entrance of the building to the inside and outside, filling both sides of the outer walls. In the visitor lobby on the first floor, a welcoming flower path was erected along the long carpet.
Xiang Yue Communications sent three flower baskets, one representing the company, one representing the entire sales department, and the last one representing only Xiang Mingzhang personally.
Shen Ruozhen was wearing a black suit and a Flora brooch on his lapel. The flaws had been repaired and the re-inlaid gems were still shining.
He stopped in front of the flower basket sent by Xiang Mingzhang. There were clusters of flowers and green branches and leaves. He reached out and pulled out a blooming red rose and sniffed the heart of the flower.
The sales department is on the sixth floor, the pre-sales consulting department is on the seventh floor, and Shen Ruozhen works on the same floor as the sales department. His office is the most spacious, with a cool and clean gray and white tone, and a large window facing the river view not far away.
On the desk was a crystal-cut title plaque—President of Operations.
Shen Ruozhen didn't have a strong feeling about titles. No matter whether they were high or low, what he did for Yisi wouldn't increase or decrease anything. He even moved the name tag a little bit and placed a small vase facing himself with red roses in it.
The desk was very wide and long, similar to Xiang Mingzhang's desk. Shen Ruozhen opened the bag, took out a photo frame and placed it next to the monitor.
The photo in the frame was taken at Xiang Yue’s Shenzhen branch. He and Xiang Mingzhang stood side by side in the corridor, their smiles just the right intensity.
Someone knocked on the door, and Shen Ruozhen said, "Come in."
Zhou Kesen pushed the door open and said, "The company's system has been debugged. You can try logging in later."
Yisi and Xiang Yue connected last year, and the systems of both sides were optimized for compatibility. Now they have been changed to run independently, and data migration has to be done again. Shen Ruozhen said in admiration: "It was done so quickly."
Zhou Kesen and his engineers started working on it in advance and finished it yesterday. They tested it in the company for half the night, went home in the early morning to take a shower, change clothes, and then came to work again.
Shen Ruozhen turned on the computer and said, "Uncle Sen, you have to take care of yourself."
"I'm fine." Zhou Kesen was in high spirits, mainly because he was happy. "Please report any problems you have in the next two days and I'll have someone solve them as soon as possible."
Shen Ruozhen sent a meeting notice within the system. Everyone had just moved in and needed to sort out various issues.
There is a shortage of staff at the moment, and many things need to be done personally. After the meeting, Shen Ruozhen went straight to meet clients, and it was dark when he returned to the company.
Everyone else had left work, but Shen Ruozhen did not close the office door. He sat in the large swivel chair and unbuttoned the suit that had been binding his waist all day.
His chest opened slightly and his whole body suddenly relaxed, but he remembered that Xiang Mingzhang had hugged him in front of everyone.
Their chests were pressed together, their waists were touching, their arms were wrapped around their shoulders, and it was impossible to tell whether it was a hug between work partners or close friends.
Shen Ruozhen rubbed his temple. That hug would probably lead to some ambiguous gossip, but it wouldn't be considered a rumor because their affair was absolutely true.
When he raised his eyes, the red roses looked particularly gorgeous under the light, adding a touch of liveliness to the cold office environment. Shen Ruozhen's gaze wandered to the photo, staring at Xiang Mingzhang's face.
“How long can a rose bloom?”
He smiled to himself, and felt that he had rested enough. He held the mouse and clicked on the document of the Human Resources Department. After processing it, he left the building until the early morning.
Yisi needs to recruit new people, the business team needs to establish a new training and assessment mechanism, and ongoing projects need to be promoted. Shen Ruozhen has endless work to do every day. He dares not leave his phone for a moment. Only when he falls asleep late at night can his body and mind rest.
Xiang Mingzhang never contacted him, knowing that he was busy and he was busy too, and they knew the limits and did not interfere with each other.
Nearly twenty days passed in a flash, and Yisi had settled everything. However, Shen Ruozhen still did not relax and shifted his main energy to the project at hand.
Working overtime at night, he made a cup of black coffee, but it was too hot before he drank it. Aunt Tang came with an insulated lunch box to give him a midnight snack.
Sympathizing with Shen Ruozhen's hard work, the family cooked supper every night recently and asked the driver to deliver it. He asked, "Aunt Tang, why are you the one making the trip today?"
Aunt Tang took the coffee away, opened the lunch box, brought a pot of soup and two cod crab and phoenix eye dumplings, and said, "There are leftovers every day. I will supervise you."
I couldn't eat much when I was tired, so Shen Ruozhen took the bowl of soup. It was stewed with yam and pear, and it smelled sweet.
The cell phone suddenly rang. It was Xiang Mingzhang calling.
Shen Ruozhen put on the headset and answered: "Hello?"
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "Are you still busy?"
A familiar voice flowed into his ears, gentle and powerful, caressing his tense nerves. Shen Ruozhen suddenly relaxed: "Not busy, eating."
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "What did you eat?"
Shen Ruozhen described it as: "It's bland."
Aunt Tang glared at him and pointed at him, "You just like to eat watery soups. You frown if there's even a little bit of oil in the soup, but you don't mind the coffee oil. You drink it like water all day long."
Shen Ruozhen accepted the lecture with a smile. It was inconvenient to speak in front of his elders, and he couldn't say anything too extreme. After a while, he said indifferently: "The rose has completely wilted."
Xiang Mingzhang said, "It's been a long time, remember to throw it away. If it rots, it will attract bugs."
Shen Ruozhen said: "This is the first time I have received red roses in my life. I am reluctant to throw them away."
Xiang Mingzhang chuckled: "Mr. Shen, are you hinting that I should continue to send it?"
Fortunately, the place was large, and Aunt Tang went to the sofa in the reception area. Shen Ruozhen lowered his voice and asked politely: "You can come and deliver it yourself."
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "Why?"
Shen Ruozhen said nothing and scooped a spoonful of soup and drank it. His tutor did not allow him to make any noise, but he deliberately made a little noise.
Xiang Mingzhang urged: "Speak."
Shen Ruozhen sighed softly, leaving people in suspense: "No need to say, I'm tired."
Xiang Mingzhang was not so easy to deal with, and said, "I am tired too. I received an invitation to a banquet from the Chu family today. Please apologize to Mrs. Chu for me. I won't go."
He was watching the morning news and wasn't listening carefully. He didn't care about it at the moment and said, "See you this weekend."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I won't go—"
Shen Ruozhen interrupted: "I'll wait for you."
The weather in early summer was warming up noticeably, and the scenery in the Chu family garden was just right. On Saturday, the carved iron gate was wide open, and a set of tables and chairs were arranged on the lawn.
Among the guests were Yisi’s senior executives, business partners who had cooperated for many years, and Lawyer Lei who had worked hard for months.
Xiang Mingzhang arrived not too early and got off the car carrying a small box of cream cake.
He was always the guest of honor, and just like when he first came to the Chu family last summer, he stood in the corridor waiting to be greeted.
Shen Ruozhen stood on the steps of the porch, wearing a white cotton shirt, looking dignified and bookish. There were branches and vines entwined around a pillar nearby, and a piece of green vine hung down and brushed against his shoulder, making him look particularly refreshing.
Mrs. Chu was in the garden and said enthusiastically, "Mingzhang is here."
Xiang Mingzhang called out "Auntie" and his eyes drifted towards Shen Ruozhen. He looked her up and down several times before saying, "I'm sorry for delaying you on the way to get the cake."
Mrs. Chu was full of joy: "It's not too late, but the cake is a little small, I think it's only enough for one person."
"It's not that I'm stingy." Xiang Mingzhang said, "You have to be specific when trying to please people, otherwise they will look down on you."
Shen Ruozhen came over silently, and after hearing Xiang Mingzhang's nonsense, he made up a story: "Guests need to register."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Then please sign for me. Do I need a gift?"
Mrs. Chu tactfully walked away. The garden was too noisy. Shen Ruozhen took Xiang Mingzhang into the villa, and it suddenly became quieter.
Xiang Mingzhang asked, "Don't you need to greet guests in the corridor?"
Shen Ruozhen replied: "I'm just waiting for you."
The dining table and coffee table were filled with desserts and snacks. Xiang Mingzhang picked up the portion he bought and said, "I'm thirsty. Is there anything to drink?"
Juice and tea were all available, and Mrs. Chu had also hired a professional bartender. Shen Ruozhen asked, "What would you like to drink?"
Xiang Mingzhang pretended not to care: "Vodka."
Shen Ruozhen looked up and met Xiang Mingzhang's playful gaze. They were in a quiet corner of the living room, the curtains were blown up, and the sunlight fell between them.
The smile in Xiang Mingzhang's eyes faded and turned serious, as if he wanted to make up for the gap of nearly a month since they last met. He did not look away at all. Shen Ruozhen blushed when he was looked at, and hurriedly went to get two glasses of champagne.
When others came to greet them, the two of them nodded in response. After drinking champagne and quenching their thirst, no one wanted to socialize, so Shen Ruozhen took Xiang Mingzhang to the second floor to laze around.
In the bedroom, the door to the terrace was open, and the Steinway was covered in a patina.
Xiang Mingzhang put down the cake, walked to the piano stool and sat down. He opened the piano cover and started playing a series of notes.
Shen Ruozhen thought it was pleasant to the ears and sat next to him. He had hardly touched a piano before and asked, "Is it difficult to learn a piece of music?"
"Not difficult." Xiang Mingzhang lifted up one of Shen Ruozhen's hands and placed it on the piano keys to measure. "The fingers are long and the span is wide enough."
Shen Ruozhen said: "Does it mean that you have talent?"
Xiang Mingzhang agreed with him: "Yes, he can play Tchaikovsky."
Shen Ruozhen said: "Don't fool people."
Xiang Mingzhang put his arms around Shen Ruozhen's waist, pulled him closer, moved forward again and again, pinched his waist and held him on his legs.
The skeleton of an adult man can't be that small. Shen Ruozhen was stuck between Xiang Mingzhang and the piano, like a trapped beast with nowhere to hide. He said, "I'd rather not learn it."
Xiang Mingzhang didn't force her, but he didn't let her go either. He hugged Shen Ruozhen from behind and said, "You know I'm not interested in drinking."
Shen Ruozhen said: "Not in Tchaikovsky either."
Xiang Mingzhang chuckled and sniffed the smooth skin on the back of Shen Ruozhen's neck. They hadn't seen each other for so long, and Shen Ruozhen refused to answer his questions over the phone. So he just asked directly, "Do you miss me?"
There was a garden downstairs, and the guests' laughter and conversation could be clearly heard. Shen Ruozhen looked out towards the terrace and felt exposed to everyone.
Xiang Mingzhang turned Shen Ruozhen's body around and was able to pick her up with just a bend of his legs. He twisted her waist and said, "Tell me, do you miss me?"
Shen Ruozhen felt pained: "I invited you to be my guest, aren't you being too presumptuous?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "It's a great day, I'm here for you, you should show your hospitality."
Shen Ruozhen accidentally touched the piano keys, and the bass was shocked. He suddenly withdrew his hand and climbed onto Xiang Mingzhang's shoulder. Just then, Xiang Mingzhang raised his face and his thin lips touched his cheek.
"What flavor of cake?" Shen Ruozhen turned around and asked.
Xiang Mingzhang said: "The lychees you like."
Before Shen Ruozhen kissed him, she closed her eyes first, pretending that she was not being frivolous in front of the piano.
On the lawn under the terrace, Lawyer Lei was talking to Mrs. Chu.
The sunlight was strong. Mrs. Chu frowned and looked a little puzzled: "What did you say your name was... Shen Ruozhen?"
(End of this chapter)