Chapter 43: Night of Thunder and Rain

Chapter 43: Night of Thunder and Rain

At the company, Liang Xigui instructed his secretary to summon the head of the Human Resources Department to his office.

Knock knock—

"Enter."

A young man with an executive slicked-back hairstyle walked in; he was Sun Rui, the HR manager. "President Liang, you called for me?"

"Take a seat."

Sun Rui pulled over a chair and sat across from Liang Xigui, feeling somewhat uneasy. He wondered why his boss would suddenly call him in.

"Tomorrow, someone will come for an interview. He's my personal assistant, and the employment contract has already been signed. You just need to go through the motions."

"Understood, President Liang." He didn't expect his boss to play such games.

After a moment of consideration, Liang Xigui added, "Don't give him any special treatment. It doesn't matter if you're strict."

What a twist in the plot. Could it be that they weren't in that kind of relationship? Was this person being forced upon them by someone else? Was the boss hinting at getting rid of the person?

"I understand." He was determined to complete this secret mission well, hoping to earn his boss's favor.

"Hmm, you may leave now. Focus on your work." Liang Xigui dismissed him after giving his instructions.

Upon hearing these words, Sun Rui instantly felt relieved. He was certain that his assumptions were correct. This was indeed a hint to properly handle the task.

Tan Xing spent the entire afternoon curled up on the sofa watching TV dramas. His rapid language improvement was largely due to their influence. To understand the masses, one must immerse themselves in what the masses consume.

The room suddenly grew dim as Tan Xing looked outside. Rolling clouds had obscured the sky.

Raindrops began to fall, gradually forming a curtain of water. The wind danced wildly amidst the rain, as if the world had turned upside down, revealing its inherently vicious side.

The little dog seemed terrified of the thunder, leaping onto the sofa and desperately squeezing into Tan Xing's embrace. Tan Xing picked it up and covered it with a blanket.

"Don't be afraid, Star. I'm here." Tan Xing whispered soothingly.

Just like when his mother held him gently while he was sick as a child, he was now offering the warmth he had always yearned for to the little dog in his arms.

Aunt Song skillfully went to the balcony to close the windows and then turned on all the lights inside, dispelling the darkness with warm, soft light.

Tan Xing was momentarily dazed. This was the first time he truly felt a sense of belonging in this world. It was this apartment that provided him with a haven from the storm.

"Aunt Song, the rain has lessened. You should go back now. There's some leftover food from lunch. I'll just reheat it."

"That won't do. It doesn't matter if the rain is heavy; I have an umbrella."

"What about Little Grandson? Won't Aunt Song's little grandson be scared alone at home?"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Song hesitated. Her grandson was still young, and he would surely be frightened being alone at home during this time.

"Well, then, Aunt Song will make you some fried rice."

"It's alright, Aunt Song. I'm an adult; I won't starve myself to death."

Tan Xing thought about what ready-to-eat food was left in the fridge. After all, he wasn't picky about food; he could eat anything.

Aunt Song was pushed towards the entrance, and Tan Xing softly urged her, "Alright, you can finish work early today."

"Yes, yes, Young Master, you must eat well and not let yourself go hungry. If there's anything you don't understand, give me a call. Those appliances can be dangerous."

Tan Xing's ears were nearly calloused from hearing these words. How could he be so foolish as to hurt himself while cooking?

Aunt Song changed her shoes, put on her raincoat, and left the apartment. Tan Xing smiled as he watched Star frolic around on the floor. He wasn't that lonely after all; he still had Star.

Beep beep— The phone rang.

"What's wrong, Mr. Liang?"

"Nothing. Have you eaten yet?"

Tan Xing recounted how he had asked Aunt Song to leave earlier and mentioned that he would heat up some food later.

Liang Xigui frowned disapprovingly as he listened to Tan Xing. "I'll bring food back later. Eat some snacks if you're hungry to tide you over."

"Mr. Liang, you should focus on your work. I'm not very hungry."

Tan Xing watched as the rain outside grew heavier. If Liang Xigui returned now, he would definitely get wet climbing the stairs.

"Alright, I'll be done soon." Liang Xigui responded as he stood up, grabbed his coat, and headed out.

Thunder rumbled intermittently, and Tan Xing decided to hold Star tightly, turning up the TV volume to its maximum in an attempt to drown out the sound of the thunder.

Dozens of minutes later, knock knock—

Struggling with Star in his arms, Tan Xing walked to the door and opened it to find Liang Xigui standing there.

"You open the door without checking who's knocking?" Liang Xigui's expression was not good.

Tan Xing was taken aback. In this peaceful world, would someone really break in to do something bad?

Liang Xigui sighed. As he entered and changed his shoes, he began imparting safety knowledge to Tan Xing. He genuinely couldn't fathom how Tan Xing had survived this long.

"I understand. I was wrong, Mr. Liang."

Tan Xing's attitude of admitting his mistake was excellent. Liang Xigui decided to temporarily let it go, intending to continue observing him in the future.

"I won't let anyone steal Mr. Liang's valuables and important documents." Tan Xing added.

Liang Xigui felt a surge of old blood rise to his throat; he had indeed underestimated Tan Xing, whose shocking remarks seemed to grow more impressive by the day.

"Take these meal boxes to the dining room and lay them out. Wash your hands and get ready to eat." He wouldn't engage with this person; only interacting with such a troublemaker would shorten his life.

Tan Xing took the meal boxes and then turned around to find a clean towel before heading towards Liang Xigui. "Mr. Liang, your hair is damp in that spot."

Liang Xigui glanced at him, taking this as Tan Xing's apology. Once again, he forgave him in his heart.

"I'm going to take a shower. Eat first if you're hungry." He took the towel and casually wiped himself.

Tan Xing nodded and walked to the dining room, where he opened each packed meal box one by one and arranged them neatly. The food was still warm, probably because it was placed on a plate before being brought back.

Looking down, he saw the puppy rubbing against him. Tan Xing remembered he hadn't fed it yet. "I forgot about you. Come here, I'll make you some food."

Tan Xing walked to a corner of the living room, opened the bag of dog food, filled Star's bowl, and mixed in a few treats.

When Liang Xigui came out after his shower, he saw Tan Xing sitting at the dining table without touching his chopsticks. "Not hungry?"

Tan Xing smiled and said, "Waiting for Mr. Liang to eat together."

"Eat when you're hungry; there aren't so many rules." Liang Xigui sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and put a piece of vegetable in his mouth. Tan Xing also picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

Seeing a box full of shell-covered crawfish, Tan Xing hesitated for a second before moving his chopsticks away. It didn't look appetizing at all.

"Don't like crawfish?"

Liang Xigui noticed his movement. He thought Tan Xing would enjoy them based on his taste, intending to buy some spicy ones but changed his mind and chose garlic-flavored instead.

Hearing the name of the dish, Tan Xing found it strangely named, "Is it good?"

Liang Xigui raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. He put on a disposable glove nearby, peeled one for Tan Xing, and handed over the crawfish meat.

"You'll know once you try it."

Tan Xing cautiously accepted it. Looking at the meat inside, there was nothing strange about it. He put it in his mouth and savored it carefully, surprised to find it delicious.

Afterwards, Tan Xing learned to peel the crawfish himself, unable to stop eating.

And just like any proud cat owner who has found a delicacy for their feline master, Liang Xigui felt a sense of pride rising in his heart.