Chapter 47: Puppy Band-Aids

Chapter 47: Puppy Band-Aids

Song Feifei smiled as she put her phone away, turning to Tan Xing and saying, "Get ready, we're going out soon. Remember to apply some sunscreen; the sun is strong outside, don't get sunburned."

Tan Xing nodded. He had never used sunscreen before, but he figured it didn’t matter much for a man to get a little tanned, so he didn’t take any protective measures.

Once everyone was gathered, they naturally split into several groups and boarded the company’s dedicated vehicles. Not knowing anyone else, Tan Xing followed Song Feifei onto one of the cars.

The car was filled with girls who chattered nonstop from the moment they got in, discussing everything from recent fashion trends to new releases by major designers. There wasn’t a topic that Tan Xing could contribute to.

Song Feifei, sitting in the front passenger seat, glanced at the rearview mirror and immediately noticed Tan Xing quietly sitting in the corner. She decided to shift the conversation towards him.

"Tan Xiaoxing, how did you manage to become President Liang's personal assistant?"

The car fell silent as everyone turned to look at Tan Xing. They were all curious but hadn’t wanted to pry, and Song Feifei’s question opened the floodgates.

"Tan Xiaoxing? Is that your name? How cute! When were you born? You look so young, like my little brother. Are you interested in switching to our publicity department?"

Questions flew around Tan Xing as the group bombarded him with their curiosity. Some sharp-eyed girls noticed his ears gradually turning red, realizing that this handsome man was actually quite innocent and shy.

"My name is Tan Xing. I was born in '98. I'm not interested in switching jobs; I like being President Liang's personal assistant."

Tan Xing stammered through his answers, momentarily overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of so many women. In Qing Kingdom, he rarely spent time with women, and when he did, it was usually at crowded banquets. He had never been alone with them like this.

Photos of Tan Xing were being frantically shared across various small groups within the company. Many random employees came forward to share sightings of Tan Xing around the office, proving that life was full of unexpected observers.

Upon arriving at the event venue, the men were assigned to unload various equipment from the trucks and bring them to the entrance, while the women waited at the entrance to receive the items and transport them to designated locations. Then, they would work together to set up.

Tan Xing struggled a bit as he received the equipment from the crew, making sure to walk a few extra steps to place the items down so the women could wait in the shade.

Under the scorching sun, Tan Xing made trip after trip, moving the equipment without noticing that his fingers had been cut by the box corners until a careful girl pointed it out.

"It's nothing, just a small scratch," Tan Xing waved his hand dismissively.

The girl frowned disapprovingly. "What do you mean it's nothing? Some of that equipment has rust spots. What if you get tetanus?"

In the end, Tan Xing was forced to stop working. The area was relatively remote, and there was no pharmacy nearby. One of the girls pulled out a pack of band-aids from her bag, providing a makeshift first aid treatment.

Tan Xing lifted his hand and stared curiously at the pink kitten on the band-aid. The girl assumed he felt embarrassed about using a pink one and quickly explained, "Xiao Xing, don’t mind it. I bought them without thinking much, just based on my own preferences."

"I don’t mind, it’s cute. Where did you buy it? I want to buy the puppy version; I have a little dog at home." Tan Xing said with an embarrassed smile.

This smile triggered the maternal instincts of the female colleagues once again, confirming that men who possess feminine traits and respect women are indeed very likable.

"I’ll buy it for you; there’s a store near my neighborhood."

"Then I’ll give you the money."

"Haha, okay."

This little episode was quickly forgotten as everyone began the official indoor exhibition setup. Tan Xing, lacking expertise in these matters, was directed to simply move things around. Everyone was full of energy and enthusiasm.

"Not at the company?" Liang Xigui paused in flipping through documents, looking up at his secretary.

The secretary’s heart skipped a beat, feeling inexplicably guilty under his boss’s gaze, a true test of employee composure.

"Yes, President Liang. Mr. Tan is working with the publicity department today. He went with the publicity staff to the exhibition venue to help set up."

Liang Xigui glanced sideways at the window outside. With such intense sunlight, he wondered if Tan Xing would get sunburned or feel tired.

"Alright, I understand. You may leave."

During lunchtime, Tan Xing grabbed a box of food and found a corner to sit in. Suddenly, Liang Xigui called him.

Tan Xing scanned the people around him, noticing that no one was paying attention to him, "Mr. Liang?"

"Mm, have you eaten yet?"

"About to eat."

"What are you having?"

Tan Xing lifted the lid of his lunchbox and described the dishes of the day, his voice involuntarily rising when talking about his favorites, revealing his thoughts openly.

Taking advantage of a pause in Tan Xing’s speech, Liang Xigui casually asked the question he really wanted to know, "Are you tired?"

Tan Xing didn’t directly answer the question, instead telling him about the happy moments he had experienced with his colleagues that day and the sense of accomplishment he felt when completing tasks.

Liang Xigui understood Tan Xing’s answer: he was tired, but also very happy.

Their call ended abruptly due to a sudden short meeting on Tan Xing’s end. Liang Xigui looked down at his half-eaten lunch, suddenly losing his appetite.

"The babies, your workload will be light this afternoon. We’ll finish up in no time and head back to the company. Let’s go!"

After explaining the task assignments, Song Feifei gave another motivational pep talk.

As she predicted, the afternoon’s work was indeed much lighter, and they finished early. Sitting in the car on the way back to the company, Tan Xing leaned against the window, enjoying the breeze. It was pure bliss.

Back at the company, Song Feifei found Tan Xing with aloe vera gel in hand, scolding him with a mix of frustration and concern, "Tan Xiaoxing, did you even apply sunscreen? Your nose is peeling, do you know that?"

Tan Xing reached up to touch it, feeling a sting like saltwater on a wound, but he didn’t think much of it. "It’s fine, I don’t rely on it to make a living."

Liang Xigui “coincidentally” came to inspect the work in the publicity department, where everyone was diligently typing away on their keyboards.

Tan Xing, however, was being forced to apply icy cold aloe vera gel to his face. "You should listen to me; applying this will make it better right away."

Liang Xigui was caught off guard by the scene before him. Tan Xing was tilting his head back like a little cat getting his face wiped, and the woman in front of him was still smiling and chatting. The world was truly dramatic enough.

Tan Xing also noticed the familiar figure and instinctively struggled to get up, but unfortunately, Song Feifei's strength was no ordinary kind, pinning him firmly in place.

"Can't you stop ruining that handsome face of yours? I'm really at my wit's end," Song Feifei rolled her eyes, disliking the careless treatment of good looks.

Watching Liang Xigui turn and gradually walk away, Tan Xing's danger radar kept spinning; he absolutely couldn't let someone leave under such unclear circumstances, or he would surely be in trouble when he returned to the apartment.

Taking advantage of Song Feifei's momentary distraction, Tan Xing suddenly stood up, "I have something else to attend to. This sunburn should be fine now, thank you."

With those words, Tan Xing rushed after Liang Xigui, noticing him entering the restroom. Just as he was about to follow and confront him, he was pulled into a stall.

"Liang... Mr. Liang?" Tan Xing steadied himself, tilting his head slightly to look at Liang Xigui, his clear eyes appearing innocent and adorable.

Liang Xigui hummed in acknowledgment, reaching up to touch Tan Xing's damp nose, "What's this?"

"Aloe vera gel." That was what it was called, wasn't it?

Liang Xigui observed that Tan Xing's face had darkened considerably, with peeling skin on his nose, clearly indicating sunburn.