Chapter 45

Chapter 45: The Boss’s Rant Dies Halfway

Lin Jianyuan left HR and slipped right back into his work, picking up exactly where he’d left off before his sick leave.

He checked the project status and frowned. “Wait, I’ve been in the hospital for three days and nothing’s moved? Where’s it stuck?”

Pei Shuo hurried over, sheepish. “Sorry, Yuan-ge. I’ve been swamped these past few days. I haven’t had time to touch your project yet…”

Lin Jianyuan pulled up the handover file he’d uploaded to OA. Only one download.

That “1” was obviously Pei Shuo.

But it didn’t help that Pei Shuo was the one.

Judging by how frazzled he looked this morning, it was clear that while Lin Jianyuan was gone, the kid had been run ragged, sent everywhere like a pack mule.

Lin Jianyuan glanced at Pei Shuo’s screen and saw him editing a document.

It was Jiang Chen’s speech for next week’s meeting.

Typical Jiang Chen.

His own stuff was always urgent. No matter how slammed everyone else was, he’d still demand you drop everything for him.

Rage ballooned in Lin Jianyuan’s chest. He slammed his mouse down and stormed upstairs to find Jiang Chen.

“What the hell is this? I leave for a few days and you treat my team like this?” Lin Jianyuan burst in, furious.

“Huh?!” Jiang Chen sat at his desk, head down, playing on his phone. Lin Jianyuan’s sudden entrance caught him mid-Candy Crush combo—animals popping and combo sounds crackling from his phone speaker.

The cheerful combo jingles clashed with the background chorus of “idiot,” “I’m so done,” and “this job is hell” echoing through the office.

Lin Jianyuan: “…”

His skull went rigid.

He could practically feel his skull harden.

He wanted to headbutt Jiang Chen right there.

And headbutt his damn phone, too.

He wanted to wipe Candy Crush off the face of the earth!

We’re drowning in work, and this idiot is hiding in his office playing Candy Crush!

And blasting it on speaker!

Nothing’s worse than a boss who never works, just makes trouble, and still gets paid more than you.

Lin Jianyuan was about to explode.

Sensing the incoming storm, Jiang Chen scrambled to explain, “No, no, it’s not like that. I wasn’t targeting him—or you. I read your handover file, assigned people to it, didn’t dump everything on your new guy. It’s just peak season now, there’s too much work, and you happened to take sick leave at the worst time…”

Perfect. The classic guilt trip, right on schedule.

So everyone being swamped is all Lin Jianyuan’s fault now.

Because he took sick leave, now no one can cope?

So he’s supposed to work himself to death at his desk, collapse, go mad, drop dead, but never leave his post?

Lin Jianyuan gave a cold laugh and shot back, “But Boss Jiang, if you work the newbies this hard, what if they quit? Not everyone’s a glutton for punishment like me, willing to stick with you through anything.”

Jiang Chen couldn’t help rolling his eyes. “…It’s not like you have to.”

“No way,” Lin Jianyuan said, voice dripping with mock gratitude. “You didn’t let me off even when I was at death’s door. I’ll never forget your kindness. I won’t let you off either.”

Jiang Chen: “…”

Jiang Chen’s face twisted, like he’d just swallowed something foul.

Even after ruining Jiang Chen’s mood for Candy Crush, the balloon of rage in Lin Jianyuan’s chest wouldn’t deflate.

God, he was so done.

Three days in the hospital had finally calmed him down, but one morning back at work and he was already on edge again.

He went back to his desk, took a deep breath, and threw himself into work.

He wasn’t the only one. The whole office was buzzing.

But despite all the bustle, the office wasn’t stuffy at all.

It wasn’t because Ms. Yu, the AC hog, was out—it was the Eye Vines, thick as a jungle, crawling over every wall.

While Lin Jianyuan was gone, the Eye Vines had gone nuclear, exploding everywhere.

Not just the walls—ceilings and hallways were thick with them too.

But the vines were smart.

Wherever people walked, they’d politely part, leaving little paths like shortcuts across a park lawn.

They’d turned the cheap office building into a tropical rainforest fit for humans.

Honestly? It looked pretty good.

Cool and shady in summer. No need for AC in the hallways.

Eco-friendly, too.

At first, Lin Jianyuan was puzzled—could two bags of goji berries really be that potent?

He looked closer and solved the mystery.

The Eye Vines had found the red power cables. Turns out, red wires didn’t just charge phones—they fed office plants, too.

Now that’s eco-friendly.

“It’s not a power cable! It’s a Blood Thread!” the squish toy on his desk huffed. “Can you show some respect for us Aberrants? Blood Thread is at least a B-level entity!”

Lin Jianyuan ignored its worldbuilding rant and buried himself in work.

There’s something strange about working.

You’re annoyed, can’t focus, only held in place by willpower and the need to survive.

But blink, and the whole morning’s gone.

Time flies, like a bird skimming the water—gone without a trace.

And that helpless feeling returns—busy all morning, but nothing to show for it.

It’s not just helplessness.

Crack—

When Lin Jianyuan finally finished his tasks and leaned back to stretch, he heard his spine creak.

Crack—

Bones grinding like a clumsy instrument.

The dull, weird sound echoing in his skull.

“…So tired.”

A long sigh.

But the sigh didn’t come from Lin Jianyuan—it was Pei Shuo.

Lin Jianyuan glanced over. Pei Shuo looked like his clone:

Slumped in his chair, limbs splayed, all dignity gone.

No trace left of the fresh-faced drama-star look he’d had that morning.

See what this job does to people?

Three months on the job, and he looked like he’d done thirty years in prison. The light was gone from his eyes.

Worse, when Pei Shuo stretched, Lin Jianyuan could hear his joints crack, too.

Lin Jianyuan nudged him, laughing. “Damn, how old are you? Already creaking like me? Haven’t played ball lately, huh?”

“No time, bro,” Pei Shuo said with a wry grin.

But youth is youth—after two minutes’ rest, Pei Shuo perked up again.

His handsome face regained a bit of its boyish charm.

“You should get some exercise,” Lin Jianyuan said suddenly. “Let’s find a time to play. My roommate likes basketball, too. He’s new to it, but he’s got talent and plays really well.”

“Your roommate??” Pei Shuo sat up so fast the cheap office chair screeched.

Like even the chair’s spine couldn’t take the strain.

Pei Shuo’s lips curled in a teasing grin, eyes sparkling.

Lin Jianyuan eyed him warily. “What?”

“Bro, this roommate of yours,” Pei Shuo snickered, “is that really a roommate, or is that your girlfriend?”

Lin Jianyuan jumped. “How’d you figure that out?!”

Was he that obviously gay after coming out?

Wait, Pei Shuo said “girlfriend.”

So it wasn’t his gay vibes…

Pei Shuo burst out laughing. “Man, I should’ve recorded you. You have no idea how sweet you looked when you mentioned your roommate. Totally smitten.”

Lin Jianyuan coughed, embarrassed. “Was I?”

He almost wanted to touch his own face, see how goofy his smile was.

But that felt a little too gay, so he let it go.

“So I was right?” Pei Shuo leaned in, eyes shining. “Wow! Bro, for real? Last time you said your roommate wouldn’t even add you on WeChat or post to Moments, and now—what, it’s only been a month and you’re together? There’s gotta be a story! Bro, spill!”

Lin Jianyuan was startled.

It really had only been a month?

Maybe… it was a little fast.

Couldn’t blame him—his roommate was just too cute.

Cute enough to make even a half-dead office drone like Lin Jianyuan go “aww.”

No one had expected Lin Jianyuan to suddenly get a girlfriend. The busy office fell silent, then erupted in a chorus of gossip, like frogs after the rain.

“Holy crap, Lin Jianyuan’s off the market? When did that happen? How come I didn’t know?”

“Come on, spill! You got together after a month? Was it love at first sight?”

“When are you bringing her in? Hey, bring your girlfriend to dinner tonight!”

Amid the barrage of questions, Lin Jianyuan caught the key word.

“Dinner?” he asked, surprised.

“Yeah, dinner—oh shit!” Qin Shi, waiting for gossip, slapped her thigh and burst out laughing. “We totally forgot to tell you! I’m dying—none of us remembered to tell you!”

Su Zhiwei, Pei Shuo, and the others exchanged surprised looks, then cracked up too.

Lin Jianyuan: “?”

Pei Shuo was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. “Bro, you got discharged, so everyone wanted to have dinner to celebrate. But we’ve been so busy I forgot to tell you—I thought Qin Shi would tell you…”

Qin Shi: “I thought you’d tell him!”

Lin Jianyuan looked helpless. “So no one told the guest of honor?”

Pei Shuo: “Right!”

Qin Shi: “Right!”

Su Zhiwei and the rest: “Right!!!”

Everyone doubled over with laughter, the office bubbling with joy.

The laughter was so loud that Jiang Chen poked his head out from the second floor.

The moment everyone saw Jiang Chen’s face, their mood soured.

Laughter died instantly.

Jiang Chen: “?”

???

Wait, what were you all laughing at? Why’d you stop when you saw me?

Are you talking behind my back?

Jiang Chen frowned, ready to storm downstairs and chew them out.

But then he caught sight of Lin Jianyuan, radiating murder.

Jiang Chen: “.”

His polished shoe hadn’t even hit the next step before he pulled back.

The boss’s rant died before it began.

Serves him right!

Lunch break came. Everyone put down their work and got up to eat.

Lin Jianyuan was about to stand when Pei Shuo piped up, “Bro, has your takeout arrived? I can grab it for you—I’m heading down anyway.”

Lin Jianyuan smiled. “No takeout today—I brought lunch.”

Pei Shuo: “Oh, okay.”

He had no idea what that meant.

Until Lin Jianyuan put his lunch in the microwave, and an intoxicating aroma filled the office.

The hot, savory smell set the whole office ablaze.

“What is that?!”

“Lin Jianyuan, you brought lunch? Didn’t you always eat takeout—wait, is this from your girlfriend?!”

“Holy shit!”

“Damn!”

“Whoa!”

The lunchbox wasn’t even open, and already the office wolves were circling.

He opened it—and wow.

Everyone’s faces lit up.

Bathed in the glow of food that looked, smelled, and tasted like heaven.

“What is it? What is it?” Pei Shuo’s nose twitched, eyes shining, tail practically wagging into a propeller. “God, that looks amazing! What is it?!”

“Lemon shredded chicken and apple pork chops.”

Lin Jianyuan fought back a grin and said, trying to sound modest, “Smells good, right? My wife made it for me.”