Chapter 02

…No way?

Ye Ji’an maintained his composure, retracting his hand and sincerely saying, “Alright, I’ll be careful.”

Liang Xiao put down his smoking pipe, the sharp scent of mint lingering in the air. He nodded, “I’ll head back too. I’ll listen to Senior and not slack off.”

He sounded obedient, taking Ye Ji’an’s earlier words seriously. Ye Ji’an wasn’t a high-ranking leader, nor did he have extensive experience. After years of hard work, he had to shoulder the responsibilities of a superior while also maintaining the eagerness to learn typical of young people. Sometimes he felt that the only difference between him and the regular employees was that he had an independent office. In fact, in this company, making money was the top priority; bureaucratic hierarchies were set aside. For instance, newcomers like Liang Xiao, who excelled in their work, often didn’t truly regard anyone else.

Thus, when Liang Xiao followed him like a child, chattering about work issues on their way back to the office, Ye Ji’an nodded to colleagues he encountered, feeling inexplicably pleased. Even the unpleasant feeling from having his tattoo exposed again faded a bit.

Am I showing off? It felt like when he was a child bragging to the neighbors about his brother’s competition awards. He thought to himself.

That day, Ye Ji’an’s lunch break was as busy as ever.

He first took advantage of the fact that most colleagues were eating to sneak off to a secluded restroom on another floor, observing himself in a white shirt from all angles. Standing two or three meters away from the mirror, he squinted but couldn’t see any tattoos peeking through the fabric. The shirt wasn’t tight-fitting and was thick enough. However, when he stepped closer, pressing against the mirror, he seemed to catch a glimpse of something—like on his shoulder, there appeared to be a faint hint of blue.

Is it just my eyes?

Ye Ji’an returned to the office, feeling a bit defeated, and picked up Liang Xiao’s resume to read. Local, studied abroad since high school, rich extracurricular experiences, graduated with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from an Ivy League school, worked for a year and a half at a venture capital firm in New York, and decided to return to develop his career…

These were all things Ye Ji’an was already aware of.

What he wanted to check was the age.

Sure enough, he was young. Seven years younger than Ye Ji’an.

Ye Ji’an recalled that he had attended Liang Xiao’s interview as a consultant just over two months ago. This person had average Chinese but was clear in his reasoning, and that comfortable confidence left a deep impression on him. In the days that followed, Liang Xiao had been focused on his work, never seeking out trouble, not even asking for leave, so their interactions were limited to discussions in meetings and handovers outside of them. They would only exchange greetings when leaving late together. Occasionally, during group dinners, they sat far apart.

Ye Ji’an’s position had long been fixed, and Liang Xiao had his own group of friends surrounding him, mostly young girls, and quite a few guys he got along with. He couldn’t even crack a crab, yet someone would help him clean up. Ye Ji’an glanced over a couple of times and could only conclude that smart, handsome guys were loved by everyone.

Now, Liang Xiao was staring back at him from a two-inch photo, as if he had included a bright future in that resume. In contrast, Ye Ji’an’s own mundane life seemed to pale in comparison, having wasted seven more years. He closed his laptop.

Alright, he told himself, you’re just being dramatic again.

Then he lay down for a fifteen-minute nap before starting the afternoon’s work.

Reports to the boss were biweekly, and this time it went relatively smoothly, though there was a lot more content to work on. Ye Ji’an returned to the department just after four, distributing tasks before the end of the workday, mentally gazing at the year-end bonus. He planned to head home later, taking advantage of the fresh energy to sort out some documents.

In early autumn in the north, the days were getting dark quite quickly. Through a glass wall, the wind howled outside, and the thirty-plus-story building seemed to sway slightly. Ye Ji’an was oblivious until he heard a knock on the door, snapping back to reality, only to realize it was already past nine.

Most workstations were empty.

Only Liang Xiao stood outside his glass door.

“Come in,” Ye Ji’an clicked save and rubbed his eyes.

Liang Xiao still had a chill about him, holding a plastic bag. “Senior, you haven’t had dinner yet, have you?” He placed the bag on the table and pulled out two boxes. “A thank-you gift from that morning. Please choose one.”

They were ready-to-eat meal boxes from the convenience store downstairs: spicy Sichuan beef and American baked rice.

“No need,” Ye Ji’an said cautiously, maintaining his politeness. “Aren’t you going home?”

“Don’t want to,” Liang Xiao’s reason was simple and blunt. “Choose one.” He was quite insistent.

Ye Ji’an thought for a moment; this person probably preferred Western flavors, so he chose the beef. “Thank you, let’s eat together.”

“No need.” Liang Xiao left him a box of yogurt and walked away.

Ye Ji’an felt a bit tense—was the juice sandwich from a couple of days ago really that easy to guess? He couldn’t understand Liang Xiao’s intentions. After that day, he hadn’t mentioned the tattoo, but today it was brought up again, and it scared him quite a bit… Perhaps it was just a casual remark?

He felt he was overthinking and being too trivial, like a middle-aged woman. He might as well eat something to fill his stomach. He reached out to touch the meal box; it was cold. Looking up, he saw the person who had delivered the food already eating at his workstation, and it smelled quite good.

Ye Ji’an carried the meal box out of the office. “Is it hot yet?” he approached Liang Xiao.

“No,” Liang Xiao looked up at him, putting down his spoon.

“The convenience store has a microwave, and we do too. Xiao Li from the General Affairs Department hasn’t told you?” Ye Ji’an pointed towards the pantry. “Remember to heat it up next time; otherwise, how can you eat this cheesy meat sauce?”

As he spoke, he picked up the baked rice box and headed towards the pantry with his spicy beef, Liang Xiao following behind him. “I don’t really know how to use a microwave.”

“Ah?” Ye Ji’an turned back.

Liang Xiao’s eyelids twitched, looking quite uncomfortable. “I thought this kind of box would explode if put in.”

“It won’t. This is microwave food,” Ye Ji’an laughed. What does this person usually eat? He didn’t seem like the type to cook. He wondered what American fast food was like. But then again, the box was covered in dense Chinese characters, and Liang Xiao’s life experiences and work content only ensured he was proficient in English. His speech was often too fast for him to keep up, so Ye Ji’an could somewhat understand.

“Set it to this level; generally, ninety seconds is enough,” he patiently instructed.

Liang Xiao nodded seriously.

After more than ninety seconds, both of them had steaming meal boxes. Ye Ji’an turned off the lights in the pantry and returned to the office, this time Liang Xiao took the initiative to follow him, seemingly wanting to eat together.

So Ye Ji’an glanced at the chair on the other side of the desk. “Have a seat.”

But Liang Xiao didn’t move. “Are you very concerned about the tattoo, Senior?”

Ye Ji’an was taken aback, quickly regaining his composure. “Thank you for keeping it a secret,” he sat back in his cushioned chair, smiling wearily. “Others would be shocked if they found out; it’s too out of place.”

“Not at all, I think it’s beautiful.” Liang Xiao set down his meal box, resting his fingertips on the surface of the desk.

Well, this time it wasn’t just “cool,” but “beautiful.” This was the first time Ye Ji’an had been described in such a way.

“Actually, I regret it a bit.” He raised his eyes.

Just then, he met Liang Xiao’s gaze. Under the bright white lights, those thin single eyelids looked quite spirited. He heard Liang Xiao say again, “Don’t worry, Senior, I’m not the type to publicly disclose others’ privacy. I know you’ve been hiding it hard; I remember you wore long sleeves in August, right?”

“Not really.”

“I want to get a tattoo too.” Liang Xiao sighed, “But I haven’t figured out what to get.”

“You better think it through; otherwise, you’ll want to remove it every day,” Ye Ji’an didn’t want to see a promising young man make the same rookie mistake he did. “Just like I do now.”

Liang Xiao raised an eyebrow.

“I’m planning to get part of it removed during my vacation.” Ye Ji’an added.

“That’ll hurt, right? With such a large area, it might not come off cleanly, and if not done properly, there could be accidents,” Liang Xiao frowned, his thin lips pressed together as he recalled, “Last year’s news, in Korea, someone’s skin got all rotten, with black and yellow blisters forming along the lines of the removed tattoo, pus making the skin semi-transparent, and just a touch would break it, like in a sci-fi film where someone got poisoned by aliens.”

That description was too vivid and graphic, sending chills down Ye Ji’an’s spine. He felt his face must not look good. “You’re right, but what you said earlier wasn’t wrong either,” he secretly twisted his stiff knee. “From a distance, it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but up close, I realize the areas close to the skin do look a bit different.”

Ye Ji’an wasn’t sure if he had expressed himself clearly, but Liang Xiao clearly understood immediately. “Then don’t let others get too close to you,” he said earnestly, “except for me.”

“Sorry, I was joking. Please relax a bit,” he picked up his baked rice, slightly bowing. “I still have some data to analyze; Senior, please continue your work.”

Ye Ji’an silently watched him, his legs instinctively clamping together under the desk. This was a sign of tension, like when the General Manager spoke at the head of the table, vaguely mentioning his department.

Why does this kid always give him the same oppressive feeling as his boss? He was clearly polite to the point of being methodical. Ye Ji’an felt he was being cowardly. So what if the whole company knew how many heavy metal bands he had tattooed on him?

Well, that would only make him want to die more.

“Good luck, don’t stay out too late,” he maintained his superior’s demeanor.

As Liang Xiao was walking to the door, he turned back at the sound of Ye Ji’an’s voice. “By the way, what does Senior usually do during the year-end physical examination?”

“I go to the hospital near my home and then bring the report back.”

“I want to go with you.”

“With me?”

“Because I have a secret too, and if the physical examination reveals it, but if Senior knows my secret, you won’t be so afraid of me, right?”

With that, he flashed a bright smile and pushed the door open to leave.