Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Lin Xingshu sat at his desk, staring blankly at his packed belongings, his eyes clouded with bewilderment.

He’d been fired—just yesterday.

When he left work yesterday, he received a message from HR. Sister Li had texted him too, saying that his proposal had a critical error, costing the company hundreds of thousands. The company wouldn’t pursue legal action, but they were letting him go. Due to his own work error, he wouldn't get a cent in compensation.

HR gave him a week to complete the offboarding process, transition his projects, and leave the company.

He had worked at the company for so many years, and his proposals had never been problematic. He knew very well—this was Xie Guan’s doing.

Xie Guan’s performance had been Oscar-worthy.

The scene from that night, when Xie Guan had knelt at his door, pleading desperately, was still vivid in his mind. When he saw the vulnerability in Xie Guan’s eyes, he had to admit—he'd felt his resolve weaken. For a moment, he had even considered forgiving Xie Guan.

But he never expected that the very next day, Xie Guan would go through HR to fire him—without batting an eye, completely heartless.

“Lin Xingshu? Lin Xingshu?”

A familiar female voice jolted him from his reverie. He quickly turned to see who it was—his boss, Sister Li.

Lin Xingshu immediately stood up. “Sister Li.”

“Well… Xiao Lin, I got word from the higher-ups. Actually, the proposal you submitted was flawless. The company screwed up during the review.”

Sister Li offered an uncomfortable smile, but Lin Xingshu was stunned. He thought he'd misheard.

“What did you say?”

“Uh… Well, HR just called to inform me. The company has rescinded your termination. Since it was the company’s oversight that led to your wrongful accusation, they want to offer you some compensation…”

Sister Li handed him a document. Still processing, Lin Xingshu opened the folder—it was a transfer notice.

The new position was in the company’s administrative department, the best-compensated department in the entire company.

“Given your seniority and your stellar track record, the company has decided to raise your salary and transfer you to the administrative department. You can report there today.”

Lin Xingshu stared at the transfer notice in his hands, his thoughts reeling.

The administrative department was notoriously the company’s inner circle, stacked with executives' relatives. How could a nobody like him, with no connections, suddenly be transferred there?

Wait… He remembered—Xie Guan was in the administrative department.

Was Xie Guan the one who arranged his transfer?

If his suspicions were correct, then Xie Guan was truly certifiably crazy and needed to see a psychiatrist.

Lin Xingshu said nothing, nodding at Sister Li. After saying quick goodbyes to a few colleagues he was close with, he gathered his belongings and left the department under their envious gazes.

No matter what, this was a golden opportunity—only a fool would refuse it.

The administrative department was on the sixth floor. Carrying a box in his arms, the folder happened to block his view, leaving him unable to see ahead.

*Ding—*

The elevator doors opened. Instinctively, he stepped out with the box—only to collide head-on with someone. The person let out a muffled groan, and with a clatter, the folders in the box scattered across the floor.

Lin Xingshu’s stomach dropped. Anyone who could come to the sixth floor was no ordinary person. As a lowly employee, he didn’t even dare raise his head, immediately bowing in apology. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you!”

The other person didn’t respond to his apology. Instead, the person knelt down and began gathering the mess on the floor. Panic set in Lin Xingshu’s mind, and he quickly knelt down as well.

“Thank you! It’s my fault—you don’t have to clean this up…”

“It’s not your fault. I wasn’t looking.”

A deep male voice sounded beside his ear. Lin Xingshu froze for a second before hurriedly looking up—only to meet a pair of pitch-black eyes.

The other person was staring right at his face. When their eyes met, they immediately flashed a sycophantic grin.

“Xie Guan? What are you doing here?”

Lin Xingshu’s face went stony. He abruptly stood up, frostily eyeing the man across from him.

“Ah Shu… I…”

Caught off guard by his sharp tone, Xie Guan’s muscular frame seemed to deflate. He timidly lowered his eyes, his hands clutching the folders tightly, fingers twisting together like a scolded dog.

Whether intentional or not, his arms instinctively pressed against his body, showcasing his sculpted chest. The fabric of his shirt strained slightly with the movement, hugging every ridge.

Xie Guan seemed to have made a strange choice today—despite the cold, rainy weather, he had unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. From Lin Xingshu’s angle, he could just make out a tantalizing glimpse of pectorals.

Sensing Lin Xingshu’s gaze lingering on his chest, Xie Guan slowly raised his eyes. His gaze flickered for a moment before he quickly lowered his lashes again, exuding an air of false modesty.

For a brief moment, Lin Xingshu even wondered if Xie Guan was doing this on purpose.

He had to admit—Xie Guan’s appearance was undeniably alluring. But he wasn't the type to be easily swayed by looks.

“You’re the one who had me transferred to the administrative department, aren’t you?”

Lin Xingshu got right to it. Xie Guan gave a soft “Mm” in response, peering up through his lashes before reaching out to lightly tug at the hem of Lin Xingshu’s clothes.

“About what happened that day… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to treat you like that. Actually, it was because…”

Before he could finish, Lin Xingshu slapped his hand away, snatched the folder from his grip, and took two steps back, his eyes icy.

“I already told you—I don’t want to see you again. Why fire me, only to transfer me to the administrative department? Xie Guan, what exactly are you trying to do?”

“I didn’t fire you—it was… it was the other Xie Guan. Ah Shu, I like you. I really, really like you.”

Xie Guan’s eyes begged. He wanted to move closer but hesitated, aborting the movement awkwardly. The corners of his eyes were already red.

“Ah Shu, do you remember? When you were sick, I took care of you. I cooked for you. That night, you had a fever all night and refused to go to the hospital. I sang to you, coaxed you to sleep…”

“So now you’re admitting it?”

Lin Xingshu barked a humorless laugh. “Weren’t you the one who claimed you couldn’t cook? Who said you’d never stepped into a kitchen your whole life? Xie Guan, what’s wrong with you? If you’re sick, go see a doctor, will you?”

“Ah Shu, you’re so smart! You guessed it—I really am sick!”

Lin Xingshu was stunned by his words, gaping at Xie Guan.

He truly had no idea how to respond to that.

Xie Guan’s expression grew increasingly excited, his previously dull eyes now bright with an unsettling fervor. He looked like someone whose mental state had taken a turn for the worse.

“After that day, I realized something was wrong with me. I went to the hospital… The doctor said I have dissociative identity disorder. The person who argued with you that day wasn’t me—it was the other Xie Guan…”

Lin Xingshu eyed him like he'd grown a second head.

"Xie Guan, I really didn't expect you to make up such lies just to reconcile."

"Do you think this is some TV drama?"

"Ah Shu, it's true—I can prove it! I have the medical diagnosis... I swear, that guy will never appear again..."

Lin Xingshu ignored his desperate pleas and walked off without looking back. Xie Guan tried to chase after him to explain, but before his hand could even brush the hem of Lin Xingshu's clothes, the latter turned his head coldly:

"Don't touch me, and don't bother me. Otherwise, you'll receive my resignation letter tomorrow."

With that, Lin Xingshu walked away without hesitation, leaving Xie Guan standing alone, his hand still frozen mid-air. After a long moment, he finally lowered it in disappointment, hiding the hurt in his eyes.

It's okay. The fact that Ah Shu was willing to speak to him at all meant there was still hope.

He just needed to be more patient. Like Shi Zheng had said, Ah Shu would surely forgive him eventually!

Xie Guan kept telling himself, cautiously trailing behind Lin Xingshu's footsteps—though not too closely, keeping a careful distance. His gaze, full of longing, remained fixed on him.

At least that was something... he could still see the person he loved every day.

*

"Ah Shu, why aren't you replying to my messages? I brought you fruit at lunch, but you didn’t eat it..."

"Ah Shu, are you taking the subway? It's too crowded. Let me drive you home, okay?"

"What are you having for dinner? Takeout isn’t healthy. I can drive you home, and we can stop by the supermarket to get ingredients. I’ll cook for you."

At the company entrance, Xie Guan kept chattering behind him like an excited bird, his expression desperately eager to please, getting odd looks from passing employees.

"Your birthday is coming up... I’ve prepared a gift for you..."

Lin Xingshu finally couldn’t take it anymore. He stopped abruptly, and Xie Guan, not expecting it, nearly bumped into him before hastily stepping back, his eyes suddenly brightening.

"Ah Shu... are you finally willing to talk to me?"

"Xie Guan, haven’t you caused enough trouble?"

Lin Xingshu spoke with his back still turned, his voice low. Xie Guan flinched, the hope in his eyes fading once more. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, too scared to say anything.

He didn’t want to anger Lin Xingshu further.

He didn’t want Lin Xingshu to hate him.

"I don’t need your insincere concern. If you keep following me, I’ll quit tomorrow. I mean it."

Rain drummed loudly on the umbrella. Xie Guan murmured something, his voice so soft it was drowned out by the rain.

Lin Xingshu took a deep breath, closed his eyes briefly, and strode forward without another word. Behind him, Xie Guan’s footsteps finally ceased.

For some reason, a strange ache twisted in his chest—empty and hard to name.

Against his will, his steps slowed. He snuck a glance back.

In the distance, beneath the heavy rain, Xie Guan stood frozen under his black umbrella at the company gates.

Amid the bustling crowd of commuters, he remained there, silent. His eyes were red and watery, like he was about to cry, yet his dark gaze still stayed locked on Lin Xingshu, unwilling to let go.

He wore only a thin shirt. The wind tugged at his shirt, making him shiver—his body, his lips, everything trembling like a lost puppy.

For a fleeting moment, Lin Xingshu felt a sharp sting in his chest, sending jolts of pain through him.

Clenching his jaw, he forced himself to turn away and picked up speed toward the subway station.

He couldn’t give in now.

No way.