Chapter 47 Nausea

Chapter 47 Nausea

The next day, the first light of dawn filtered through a thin curtain, casting dappled sunlight into the room.

As soon as his internal clock kicked in, Qin Zhan woke up. It was around 7:50 AM. He got up to steam two buns and drank a carton of milk nearing its expiration date from the convenience store before tidying up and heading to work.

Due to past events, he had paused his internship without submitting any resignation letter, making it difficult for the company to contact him during that period.

The company only learned about his situation from his professor, discovering that he had been hospitalized for over a week. Although the internet gaming industry is high-pressure, the young workforce creates a good atmosphere. The project leader admired his abilities and did not hold his previous absence against him, simply asking him to return when he was ready.

Walking from his residence to work took about half an hour, and he was always the only one to arrive at his workstation on time each day.

Not long after Qin Zhan sat down, others started trickling in, greeting him as they arrived. Qin Zhan merely nodded in response, and those around him were accustomed to his personality.

"Qin Zhan, do you know we're getting a new intern?"

"No."

"I heard from them that the team leader interviewed her. She's a girl, and she's very pretty."

Qin Zhan showed no reaction, merely acknowledging with a nod.

The person beside him ran a hand through their hair. Despite knowing Qin Zhan for so long, chatting with him remained challenging.

After a while, the person who had spoken to him earlier turned to chat with someone else once they sat down.

"Do you know the team leader mentioned a new intern?"

"Yeah, I heard she's quite beautiful."

"Finally, a second woman in our group." The person pretended to cry, wiping away tears. "If I had known, I would have gone into graphic design. Why is front-end development all men?"

"If you went into graphic design, you might be gay."

"Get lost, don't stereotype."

"What are you guys talking about?" Another woman walked in wearing short-heeled shoes, carrying coffee and a paper bag, and plopped down.

"Sis Li, he's complaining about the lack of women in our group. He's excited about the new beauty."

Sis Li rolled her eyes. "Get lost, she won't be for you."

The group chatted animatedly, but Qin Zhan remained silent, focused on his computer. It was hard to tell who was full-time and who was an intern.

...

At eleven o'clock, there was a knock on the door.

Everyone except Qin Zhan turned to look. Their team leader stood at the door with a girl beside him, sporting a bun, wearing a white shirt and black trousers. She smiled and greeted everyone as they turned to look.

"This is our new intern, from C University, named Xiaomin."

"Hello, everyone."

The girl was poised and confident, introducing herself to everyone. Only Qin Zhan showed little reaction, his glasses catching the screen's reflection as he glanced briefly at the door.

"You can sit next to Qin Zhan. He's also an intern but has been here longer. You can ask him if you have any questions." The team leader pulled out the empty seat beside Qin Zhan.

"Okay."

Xiaomin greeted Qin Zhan as she sat down, but he seemed distant and cold. The screen's light reflected off his glasses, adding to his aloof demeanor. He merely nodded in acknowledgment of her greeting.

Xiaomin quickly bonded with the team. In the internet gaming industry, interests align, and her friendly nature helped her fit in quickly. Due to the successful completion of the last project, they even finished early and the team leader announced a dinner to celebrate and welcome the new intern.

Dinner was at a Japanese restaurant in the city center, quieter than the bustling main street.

The team leader welcomed everyone, letting them choose their food and ordering a few bottles of sake.

Initially, they talked about work, but soon the conversation shifted to games, recent hot topics, and more. Everyone except Qin Zhan joined in enthusiastically. He listened quietly, responding only when directly addressed.

Xiaomin occasionally stole glances at Qin Zhan, quickly looking away politely.

Growing up, she had a peculiar preference. Most girls in her class liked athletic, slightly rebellious boys, the most popular type in school. But she preferred brooding, isolated ones. Whether it made her seem immature or overly influenced by angsty literature, she found these types deeply attractive.

Seeing Qin Zhan today surprised her; he perfectly matched her taste. His sharp nose bridge, glasses, and tight-lipped expression exuded a cold allure that she found intriguing, almost blurring the line between reality and fantasy.

"But now I barely play games anymore, just digital digestion."

"I just want to sleep when I get home, maybe watch some anime or TV."

"It's been tough... Xiaomin came at a good time, right after the hardest part."

Xiaomin laughed after eating a piece of eel, her dimples showing. "Yes, perfect timing."

As they spoke, the door slid open, and a server guided a group to their seats. Sis Li glanced over, noticing four or five guys dressed in trendy brands and luxury wear. One of them paused upon seeing their table.

"Can we change seats?"

"There are only two-person tables available, sir."

Chen Xian had already seated himself on the tatami mat and looked at Zhou Liao in confusion. "Why do you want to change?"

Zhou Liao took a deep breath. The man sitting diagonally opposite them had glanced briefly, almost imperceptibly, before returning to his soup.

Chen Xian followed his gaze and saw Qin Zhan. He knew Qin Zhan worked at a big company, having heard about it last semester. Not seeing him for a while made this encounter awkward, given what his friends had done. He tugged Zhou Liao's sleeve and cleared his throat.

"Xiaomin, that table is really handsome," Sis Li whispered.

Xiaomin noticed too. They were indeed handsome, but her preferences were different. Still, she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, they are."

"Young and vibrant college guys, they're great. Makes me want to go back to school."

The team leader nearby coughed twice, signaling that several men were still sitting there. Xiaomin laughed and said, "Not really. You'd be hard-pressed to find one like that out of a hundred in college."

"Actually, Xiao Qin isn't bad either, just a bit quiet."

Their tables were side by side, both on bamboo mats, with only enough space between them for two people to stand. Whatever was said could be heard clearly if one listened carefully.

At Zhou Liao's table, almost everyone knew Qin Zhan, except for one person who had met him through racing later. One of them was the same person who had helped Zhou Liao at the bar years ago. He didn't react much, as he always followed Zhou Liao's lead, but Zhou Liao's attitude seemed strange to him.

Zhou Liao no longer had the arrogant demeanor he used to; instead, he seemed evasive, restless, and constantly rubbed his fingers against the water glass.

Qin Zhan wasn't surprised to run into Zhou Liao here, after all, this was the city center where Zhou Liao often hung out. In the past, Qin Zhan rarely ventured into the five urban districts. He knew where Zhou Liao lived, not far from the convenience store where he worked. However, their homes were on opposite sides of the store, which stood between the rich and poor areas.

Zhou Liao had been shuttling between the hospital and home for a long time and had only recently started going out frequently. Meeting now wasn't surprising.

"By the way, Xiaomin, have you ever been in a relationship?" Sister Li asked what the male colleagues, who had graduated just a few years ago, were most curious about. "I bet a lot of guys chase after you, since there aren't many girls in software engineering."

As soon as Sister Li finished asking, the male colleagues immediately focused their attention, especially the one who had been talking about Xiaomin since entering the office that morning. He already thought she was pretty, and now he perked up even more.

"Of course I've been in a relationship, but it ended a year ago, and he wasn't from our major." Xiaomin blinked her eyes. "You know, most guys in software engineering are... well... a bit unkempt? I prefer someone cleaner and more put-together."

Xiaomin spoke tactfully and then added that she was referring to most, not all, to avoid any misunderstandings.

"I get what you mean. I didn't date anyone during my four years in college." Sister Li took a sip of soju. "What do you think of Qin Zhan? He may be quiet, but he's tall and always well-groomed. And if you look closely, you'll see that Qin Zhan is quite handsome, though maybe not many dare to stare at him, haha."

Qin Zhan frowned slightly when the conversation turned to him.

"He is pretty good," Xiaomin nodded in agreement.

The team leader, intrigued by the gossip, chimed in. Usually, Qin Zhan barely spoke ten words a day, mostly communicating work requirements via the company messaging system.

"Right, has Qin Zhan ever been in a relationship?"

"No," Qin Zhan finally spoke, his tone indifferent, as if discussing something mundane.

"Definitely not! Who could handle such a cold personality?"

The team leader, emboldened by alcohol, probed further, "Have you ever liked anyone?"

Everyone expected him to refuse to answer, but Qin Zhan replied straightforwardly, his tone indifferent.

"No."

"Smack!"

A plate fell to the ground, spilling teriyaki sauce onto the bamboo mat. Chen Xian glanced at Zhou Liao reproachfully; Zhou Liao had been poking his chopsticks into the dish, and now it had spilled.

"What are you doing? You almost got it on my pants."

Chen Xian pulled out a napkin, and a server immediately came over with a cloth to clean up. "It's okay, we'll take care of it."

The others didn't pay much attention, assuming Zhou Liao had knocked it over accidentally. They continued the previous conversation: "Oh, right, did you hear that Yao Hao is into guys now?"

"What do you mean by 'into guys'?" Chen Xian hadn't caught on yet.

"It means he's messing around with guys, not just girls. He says it's fun and wants me to try it too."

Chen Xian looked disdainful. "Are you bisexual or something?"

"No, I just want to know what the difference is."

"If you do it, you're gay, right? Yao Hao must be gay now, right? He used to have a girlfriend, but we haven't heard about her in a while." Another colleague joined in, "Last time I played cards with him, a guy who looked neither male nor female left with him, and that guy was wearing makeup."

"Respect, but don't understand," Chen Xian commented.

"Being gay is fine, it's 2023, just playing around."

As he finished speaking, Zhou Liao suddenly chimed in, his tone full of disgust.

"Hooking up with guys, isn't that disgusting?"