Chapter 79 Can I Stay?

Chapter 79: Can I Stay?

Shanghai had been drenched in rain for half a month straight, but on this weekend day, the weather finally deigned to clear up.

Lin Haoda woke up early in the morning and received an email drafted by the HR assistant—the promotion order that had been dragging on for months was finally confirmed and would be announced on the company intranet on Monday.

In good spirits, he went to the nearby market to buy groceries. Since he was a regular, many stall owners recognized him and had his bags filled before he even lifted a finger.

On his way back, he passed by his usual flower shop and picked up a bunch of freshly cut calla lilies, pure white and tenderly fresh. Once home, he arranged them in a glass vase, placed it in the living room, and the house instantly filled with a delicate fragrance.

Around ten-thirty, the Tong Dong sisters were the first to arrive. The doorbell rang twice; Lin Haoda shook the water off his hands and went to answer it. Tong Dong stood outside, holding a cake insulation bag, her face beaming: "Happy birthday, Team Leader Lin!"

Mei Mei followed behind her, still in her school uniform, clutching flowers and a gift box. She looked a little shy when she saw Lin Haoda, pursing her lips. "Brother Haoda, happy birthday to you."

"Thank you both." Lin Haoda took the cake, flowers, and gifts, freeing one hand to pat Mei Mei's head. "Is it cold out? Come on in, quickly."

The living room had the air conditioning on, warm and cozy. Tong Dong kicked off her shoes and bolted for the bathroom, muttering, "Quick, quick, quick—I've been holding it the whole way!"

Mei Mei neatly placed her sister’s messy tall boots into the shoe rack, then looked up to meet Lin Haoda’s gaze, shyly rubbing the hem of her clothes.

Lin Haoda gestured for her to follow, and the two of them went into the kitchen. He picked a strawberry from the sink, carefully removed the stem, and handed it to Mei Mei to try.

Since the start of the school year, Mei Mei had been promoted to the school’s key class. As a high school sophomore, the academic pressure was heavy, and Lin Haoda hadn’t seen her in a long time.

Mei Mei ate the strawberry while chatting with him, her words gradually coming more freely—mostly about school life. Lin Haoda scraped fish scales with a knife, occasionally responding.

Before Tong Dong had even emerged from the bathroom, Xiao Ye arrived. Unable to step away, Lin Haoda let Mei Mei bounce over to open the door.

The group was mostly familiar faces, seen both in and out of the office. When Xiao Ye saw it was Tong Dong’s sister at the door, he smiled and asked, "Where’s your sister?"

Mei Mei pointed toward the bathroom and told him, "She drank way too much last night."

Xiao Ye changed his shoes, pulled a piece of fruit candy from his bag just for her, and frowned as he closed the front door. "Don’t let your sister drink that much anymore."

Before Mei Mei could respond, Lin Haoda heard his voice and poked his head out of the kitchen. "Xiao Ye’s here."

"Brother Lin." Xiao Ye hummed in acknowledgment, set down his bag, and walked over. "Leave that to me—I’ll help you with it."

He took off his coat as he spoke, tying an apron around his neck.

The sound of water gushing in the bathroom started, and Tong Dong finally appeared, her face pale as a ghost, lips practically colorless.

Lin Haoda had prepared some warm ginger tea beforehand and had Mei Mei wash a cup. Tong Dong’s vision swam, her steps unsteady as she collapsed onto the sofa.

After sipping the tea, Tong Dong finally recovered a bit. She flicked through the TV channels with the remote, finding nothing interesting, so she got up and wandered over to the kitchen to see how the others were doing.

Xiao Ye was holding a ceramic bowl at the counter, whisking eggs. One sleeve kept slipping down his arm, and Lin Haoda couldn’t help because his hands were dirty. Mei Mei, being a young girl, wasn’t comfortable getting too close. Seeing Tong Dong stagger over, Lin Haoda didn’t hesitate to send her to roll up Xiao Ye’s sleeve.

The two didn’t get along well. In the office, even a few extra words could make them both red-faced. Tong Dong pouted and, sure enough, rolled her eyes dramatically behind Xiao Ye’s back before reluctantly reaching out to tug his sleeve.

Startled from behind, Xiao Ye nearly sent the egg mixture flying. He frowned, turning his head to look at her. "Could you be gentler?"

"I'm helping you, and you still complain." Tong Dong impatiently pressed one of his arms. "Master's degree types are just hard to please."

Hearing her sarcasm, Xiao Ye actually laughed. "Your logic is truly beyond normal comprehension."

Lin Haoda sighed, turned off the faucet, and was about to play peacemaker, when Mei Mei tugged at his apron from the side and shook her head at him.

The young girl was level-headed, taking no sides—unfazed by her own sister's argument.

And sure enough, Tong Dong’s temper was like firecrackers. She was just about to square up and have a real fight with Xiao Ye when her face suddenly went white, and she wobbled forward, her lips pressed tight.

Xiao Ye’s eyes locked onto her, his expression shifting. He dropped his chopsticks and reached out to support her lower back. "What’s wrong? Dizzy?"

Tong Dong grabbed his arm and nodded, her voice weak. "Don’t touch me—you’re hurting my waist."

Xiao Ye gave her another deep look, said nothing, and promptly lifted her in his arms, striding out of the kitchen.

Mei Mei was about to follow, but Lin Haoda quickly caught her. The two exchanged glances, and Lin Haoda curved his lips. "Mind your own business."

Mei Mei immediately responded with an "I get it" expression and turned back to peeling her garlic.

They were having a hotpot today, decided by a vote in the group chat last night. Xiao Ye had suggested a clear broth with some medicinal herbs, but Tong Dong insisted on going against him—she wanted tom yum, with the other half of the pot filled with spicy Sichuan peppercorns. Luckily, Lin Haoda had prepared for all possibilities and bought a mushroom-based white broth as well.

Tong Dong slept in the guest room for less than an hour before the pot was set on the table. The smell woke her up through the door; she slid off the bed barefoot and sneaked into the living room, only to be caught by Xiao Ye, who dug out a pair of fleece-lined winter slippers for her.

The ingredients were prepped, waiting only for everyone to arrive. The four of them sat around the table eating fruit until, halfway through, Tong Dong said she was hungry, and Xiao Ye got up again to pan-fry some lamb chops for her.

"Xiao Ming hasn’t arrived yet," Lin Haoda said, checking the time and reaching for his phone. "Maybe something happened on the way—I’ll give her a call."

"Oh, give it a rest, don’t call." Tong Dong spat out a fruit pit, unconcerned. "It’s probably another fight with her boyfriend again."

"Xiao Hu?" Lin Haoda was a bit surprised, setting his phone back down. "Aren’t they doing okay?"

Tong Dong laughed at that. "Oh, dear Team Leader Lin, you don’t date yourself, so you see everything as too simple."

"Really?" Lin Haoda hesitated, his voice dropping. "I thought Xiao Hu was… pretty decent."

After all, if he hadn’t pulled Xiao Ming into his project team, the two might never have met.

Xiao Ming was cute and soft-natured. When she first started dating, Lin Haoda was always worried she’d be bullied, so he’d occasionally invite Xiao Hu out for coffee to drop a few hints.

Seeing Lin Haoda’s expression darken, Tong Dong stopped laughing and stumbled over her words. "It’s just… stuff between couples—no one can really explain it."

Just then, Xiao Ye pushed through the kitchen curtain to come out, and Tong Dong quickly deflected onto him. "Right, Mr. High-Achiever?"

"I’m not familiar with it." Xiao Ye lifted his eyelids, then paused for two seconds before speaking again. "But when I came into the neighborhood earlier, I did see Xiao Ming sitting in her boyfriend’s car."

Lin Haoda silently glanced at the clock on the wall—that was a while ago. If she’d arrived but hadn’t come up, it was probably because they were fighting.

For a moment, no one spoke. Only the bubbling sound of the mushroom broth on the stove filled the room.

He thought, no way, and just as he put on his coat to head downstairs and find her, the doorbell rang with a "ding-dong."

The door opened to reveal Xiao Ming.

She stood there, holding a huge unicorn-shaped preserved flower in her arms, smiling softly. "Happy birthday, Brother Haoda."

Lin Haoda was taken aback, instinctively looking behind her.

Tong Dong and Xiao Ye stood behind him, momentarily silent. Xiao Ming was skinny to begin with, struggling to balance the massive bouquet

Today is a friend gathering. Lin Haoda flat-out banned drinking alcohol, so everyone has a small glass of orange juice, no one's worried about getting tipsy.

Even though Xiao Ming was in a low mood, Tong Dong and Meimei took turns cheering her up, and she gradually started to smile. Xiao Ye was considerate, and he opened a crab for each of them. Tong Dong deliberately pretended to be sharp-tongued and found fault with him, saying things like "a claw is missing" and "the crab roe leaked out." Xiao Ye didn't dare talk back, which had Xiao Ming laughing so hard her eyes crinkled.

Halfway through the hotpot, Lin Haoda went to the kitchen to cut lamb. He heard the doorbell and called out for someone to get it.

Everyone assumed it was Xiao Ming's boyfriend chasing after her, so they nudged her toward the door.

But when the door swung open, everyone froze. In the doorway stood a tall, impeccably dressed man. Even in the dim hallway, his shoes had a mirror shine.

He had handsome features, a faint smile, and a clear, warm voice: "Hello, I'm looking for Hao Da."

They all exchanged glances and turned away. Meimei heard his voice and called toward the kitchen: "Hao Da, your friend is here."

Lin Haoda came out while wiping his hands, somewhat surprised: "Is there someone else coming?"

He looked up and saw Pei Mingyi, who was blocked at the door.

He opened his mouth, then walked over, "Little President Pei, you... how come you're here?"

Pei Mingyi smiled at him. His silk tie shimmered under the light, and his eyes were slightly lowered, like a devoted male lead stepping out of a TV drama.

"You're celebrating your birthday today, how dare you not call me?"

He pretended to be angry, but the smile in his voice did not diminish at all. His heart and eyes were full of the person in the door frame: "Even as the dignified Little President Pei, I had no other choice; even if it's embarrassing, I had to come find you in person."

Tong Dong didn't dare to breathe, standing motionless by the shoe cabinet. She didn't expect to be right in the middle of such a juicy moment—she excitedly grabbed Xiao Ming's arm.

"Hao Da, happy birthday."

Pei Mingyi stepped into the door, walked up to him, and asked in a low voice: "Can I stay and join your party with your friends?"