ROBEPTQ chapter 7

How did he respond just now?

He said, “I’ll go back and discuss with the chief editor.”

It felt like when a classmate invited him to play, and all he said was, “I’ll go back and ask my mom,” sounding both hesitant and evasive.

Bai Sijun wished he could find a hole to bury himself in.

He saw Mei Yuchen squinting his eyes, lips tightly closed in a straight line, and stammered, “Of course, it’s not about discussing your orientation with him. I, I…”

In the end, he didn’t say anything and just said, “I’m going to work,” then fled from the villa as if escaping.

And due to the panic, he even walked away in Mei Yuchen’s coat and the scarf he had just put on.

He absentmindedly rubbed his forehead. That scene just now was undoubtedly the most foolish moment of his life, without a doubt.

He walked towards the community gate with a defeated look. If he turned his head at this moment, he would see Mei Yuchen standing on the second-floor terrace, watching him walk away.

Even after boarding the subway, Bai Sijun’s mind was still in chaos. He had seen many homosexuals in movies and TV shows, but encountering one in real life was a first.

It turns out that homosexuals are not the stereotypical effeminate type, at least Mei Yuchen is not at all like that. He couldn’t imagine Mei Yuchen liking men at all.

Now looking back, maybe there were signs from their first meeting.

Mei Yuchen asked him about the sensitivity of his nipples. What normal man would pay attention to another man’s nipples?

Bai Sijun recalled the words he had just read and involuntarily inserted himself and Mei Yuchen into the scenario, and images of Mei Yuchen lying on his chest appeared in his mind…

What was he thinking?!

He quickly retracted his thoughts, realizing that his lower abdomen was getting warm, and he quickly tightened his legs.

He knew he couldn’t think about it anymore, but the scarf and coat emitted Mei Yuchen’s scent, making him feel like he was suffocating. He loosened the scarf a bit, barely catching his breath.

After calming down, his thoughts drifted in a strange direction.

Do homosexuals need to fulfill the obligation of marriage and having children? They don’t have to face the dreaded Aunt Flo.

Thinking about it, he felt a bit envious.

Bai Sijun suddenly felt that Mei Yuchen had opened a door to a new world for him, and this was the second time.

The first time was when he discovered that his nipples could be so sensitive.

He felt like he was going crazy. He forced himself to think about work.

So Mei Yuchen still had no intention of writing a new work. What he wrote overnight was just to make him give up.

What did Mei Yuchen mean by saying “got it” last night? It left him anticipating for nothing.

Bai Sijun sighed with a headache. It seemed that this boss’s shield had not been broken at all.

Asking the editor was naturally impossible. He only had this job now, and he could almost imagine that the editor would say he couldn’t do anything right and suggest resigning.

Although Mei Yuchen said their editor was bluffing, even if it was a bluff, it was enough to make him afraid.

If he had to choose between facing the editor and Mei Yuchen, he would rather choose Mei Yuchen, so he had to continue dealing with this boss.

After the subway entered the city, more people gradually filled the carriages. It was the peak commuting time, and the carriage quickly became as crowded as a can of sardines.

Bai Sijun gave his seat to a pregnant woman. From their conversation, it seemed they were going for a prenatal checkup, and her husband was protecting her belly.

The couple looked very loving, and Bai Sijun couldn’t help but daydream. Maybe one day, he could find a good woman, and he might be willing to live such a life.

But the bloody Aunt Flo appeared before his eyes again…

He seemed to be developing a psychological shadow.

During the rush hours of commuting, people often forget the etiquette of letting others off before getting on. Bai Sijun squeezed through the crowded train to the platform, regretting not taking a nap in Mei Yuchen’s house earlier, at least to avoid this busy time.

Checking his phone, it was just after nine. Going to the office to clock in should save his half-day’s wages, only counting as being late.

At this moment, his phone suddenly vibrated. Bai Sijun saw the words “Editor” on the screen and suddenly had a bad feeling.

Normally, if he took a leave, they shouldn’t be calling him unless it was a matter only he could handle.

Answering the phone, the editor’s tone was serious: “Come back to the office immediately.”

“What happened?” Bai Sijun asked instinctively.

“We’ll discuss it when you get here.”

The office building was right next to the subway station. Bai Sijun returned to the office with a troubled mind. The editor was surprised to see him so quickly.

The atmosphere in the office was tense. Both the editor and the deputy editor had unpleasant expressions. Bai Sijun dared not make a sound. The editor asked, “The book signing event you and Li Lan prepared, who moved the new books to the warehouse?”

Bai Sijun was stunned and answered, “It was me.”

He remembered clearly that Li Lan had said her back was not good, so she couldn’t lift heavy objects. That’s why she asked him to move the five hundred new books that had been delivered to the warehouse.

The editor, with a stern expression, said, “Last night’s heavy rain soaked all the new books that were supposed to be signed tomorrow. What do you suggest we do?”

“Soaked?” Bai Sijun couldn’t believe it, widening his eyes. “Aren’t the books stored in the bookstore’s warehouse?”

“There’s a leak in one corner of that warehouse, and they never store anything there,” the deputy editor explained. “The bookstore staff said they had informed you about it.”

“I haven’t heard about this,” Bai Sijun frowned. “And where’s Li Jie?”

The main character of tomorrow’s signing event was the popular mystery writer Qi Jun, and Li Lan was Qi Jun’s editor. Although Bai Sijun was not the type to refuse work, it didn’t mean he was a pushover.

The responsibility for this matter obviously didn’t fall on him, and he didn’t believe the editor would pin the blame on him.

With an aggressive tone, the editor said, “She resigned.”

“What?!”

“The bookstore staff contacted Li Lan early in the morning, and she knew this matter was serious, so she didn’t come to the company directly,” the deputy editor said.

Bai Sijun took a cold breath. He never liked Li Lan, a woman in her thirties who liked to delegate tasks to him and “forgot” to pay for his milk tea eight out of ten times. As a grown man, he felt embarrassed to ask a girl for money, so he could only console himself by thinking of it as treating her.

Now, this person not only caused trouble but also dragged him into it.

The editor continued, “You are the one who knows the situation of the book signing event the best. You must take responsibility for this.”

The anger surged in Bai Sijun’s heart. He just helped move some books; what does it mean that he knows the situation best? He didn’t even talk to Qi Jun, how is he supposed to handle this signing event? And under these circumstances?

Bai Sijun had the words of retort at the tip of his tongue, but in the end, he suppressed the anger and asked, “Can’t the marketing department handle this?”

The editor replied, “The most critical issue now is that we don’t have books. You need to have the books for them to market. How can they promote something without the books?”

Bai Sijun took a deep breath and said in a negotiating tone, “Can’t we reschedule the signing event? Even if we contact the printing factory to rush more copies, it may not be in time.”

“No,” the editor said decisively, “We’ve been promoting the signing event for two months. How can we suddenly change the time the day before? Do you want our colleagues to laugh at us?”

Bai Sijun clenched his lips, thinking he might as well resign. After all, he couldn’t get Mei Yuchen’s manuscript, and in the end, he would still have to endure humiliation.

However, at this moment, the deputy editor patted him on the shoulder and said, “Xiao Bai, just try your best. You can transfer the new books from other bookstores. It might be troublesome for you to run a few more errands.”

Bai Sijun remained silent. The deputy editor’s suggestion was a viable option, but going to other bookstores might not be well-received, and he didn’t know how many disdainful looks he would have to endure.

Seemingly aware of his hesitation, the deputy editor continued, “This incident is actually a good opportunity for personal growth. If you handle it well, it shows that you are indeed capable. In the future, we can entrust Qi Jun’s new books to you. What do you think, boss?”

The deputy editor looked at the editor, and the editor nodded, saying, “That’s right. If you solve this, Qi Jun’s books will be handed over to you in the future.”

The thought of resigning was at least halted. Bai Sijun consoled himself, believing that crises represent opportunities. Let’s trust this saying for now.

After coming out of the editor’s office, Bai Sijun walked to the window and called Li Lan. As expected, no one answered.

Zhao Lin walked over with a water cup and asked, “How is it? Are you managing it okay?”

Bai Sijun shook his head and said, “Just doing my best.”

“Keep it up,” Zhao Lin patted his shoulder. “Publishing books is tough, but when you see the affirmation from readers, you’ll feel that it’s all worthwhile.”

“Yeah,” Bai Sijun replied. “But I haven’t even done my own book yet.”

Zhao Lin comforted him, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ve been through the same.”

Bai Sijun sent a WeChat message to Li Lan, asking for the opening speech for the signing event. However, he didn’t send the message because Li Lan had unexpectedly blocked him.