“According to the meteorological department, there will continue to be significant rainfall in the northwestern part of the province from today during the day to tomorrow night. In places like Luoyang, Xuzhou, and Shangdu, thunderstorms and heavy rains are expected. Regarding road travel—”
Xing Yingzhu pressed the remote control, and the local channel on the TV switched to the city’s local news.
Approaching dinner time, almost all local channels were broadcasting regional news. Xing Yingzhu half-laid on the sofa, squinting his eyes, half-listening to the news.
“Shangdu City reminds the public that due to the recent heavy rain, the water level of the Yilo River has risen. Residents in the surrounding areas are advised to take precautions against rain and flooding—”
Xing Yingzhu furrowed his brow slightly, annoyed, and made a disdainful sound.
“Intense precipitation accompanied by thunderstorm weather. Citizens are advised not to wade through or near water and to stay away from high-voltage wires and roadside trees to avoid accidents—”
Coincidentally, as the TV announcer finished the weather segment, a lightning bolt flashed outside the window. A few seconds later, thunder roared. With the windows closed on the seventh floor, raindrops the size of beans pattered on the windows, forming a continuous pattern of water stains.
Xing Yingzhu didn’t like this kind of weather.
Although he liked rainy days, he wasn’t fond of thunder.
The TV host had already finished the weather segment and moved on to local news. Xing Yingzhu tilted his head, listening to the rain outside.
Due to the heavy rain, it was dark outside two hours earlier than usual. It was just around five o’clock, and streetlights were already lit.
The street reporters, covered in thick raincoats and umbrellas, were earnestly reporting the current outdoor situation. Water accumulation on the roads was about half a car tire high, and with this rain, it was likely to continue rising.
Xing Yingzhu’s phone screen suddenly lit up with a brief notification sound. He glanced at it, realizing it was a popup indicating the delivery had arrived.
Ignoring the subsequent “Please rate us with five stars” message, Xing Yingzhu refocused his attention on the TV, listening to the host discussing the potential hazards of outdoor travel in thunderstorm weather.
The phone screen quickly dimmed due to inactivity, and at the same time, the door to Xing Yingzhu’s room was knocked from the outside.
“Boss?” Sheng Zhao’s voice came from outside, “Your delivery is here.”
This time, Xing Yingzhu finally reacted.
Having worked here for two months, Sheng Zhao had been observing Xing Yingzhu while Xing Yingzhu, in turn, observed him.
There had been quite a few administrators in this building throughout the years, and Xing Yingzhu could remember at least ten of them. However, there had never been anyone like Sheng Zhao who got along so well with the residents.
The inexplicable affinity was the most mysterious thing in the world. Looking at an ordinary child, he seemed quite remarkable, no wonder he could submit a resume and end up here.
With thunder rumbling outside, Xing Yingzhu, feeling lazy, flicked his finger, remotely opening the door.
Sheng Zhao had already become accustomed to the routine of delivering food and, this time, raised his hand halfway before realizing there was no one at the door, startling him.
—Is this some kind of high-tech voice-controlled door lock? Sheng Zhao wondered.
“Come in,” Xing Yingzhu said.
Following the sound, Sheng Zhao took a glimpse inside and found Xing Yingzhu draped in a black turtleneck windbreaker, reclining on the sofa. The room had no lights on, but the TV’s brightness illuminated Xing Yingzhu, giving his face a distinct appearance.
Sheng Zhao: “…”
It was strange to him. He had been looking at this face for over two months, yet he hadn’t become desensitized.
Xing Yingzhu had never allowed anyone to step into his room. After hesitating for a moment, fearing he might misinterpret the situation, Sheng Zhao tentatively asked, “Boss?”
This time, Xing Yingzhu finally turned his head, frowned impatiently, and said, “Come in.”
The barren life of a corporate slave still gave Sheng Zhao a subtle intuition. Without waiting for Xing Yingzhu to finish speaking, he decisively stepped into the room.
Xing Yingzhu, a shut-in who hadn’t seen people for ages, naturally didn’t have guest slippers. So, Sheng Zhao had to walk into the room barefoot, casually closing the door behind him.
The layout of the seventh floor was open and bright. As soon as Sheng Zhao passed the entrance, he could see the outline of the room in the faint light.
Due to days of heavy rain outside, Xing Yingzhu’s bath was unexpectedly filled to the brim. As soon as Sheng Zhao stepped in, he was hit by a face full of chilly steam, almost choking him.
“Boss, your room is too damp.” Sheng Zhao frowned, placing the delivery on the coffee table. With humanitarian concern, he said, “Living in such a place all the time, be careful not to get sick.”
Xing Yingzhu ignored him. Slowly, he reached into the pile of takeaway bags, accurately grabbing a cup of milk tea.
Sheng Zhao: “…”
As an adult man, he really couldn’t understand why Xing Yingzhu was so obsessed with milk tea.
“Now that the delivery has arrived, I’ll head downstairs first,” Sheng Zhao said.
“Wait.” Xing Yingzhu stopped him.
Sheng Zhao turned around curiously, about to ask what was going on, but Xing Yingzhu lazily beckoned him with a finger.
For some reason, in this particular situation, Sheng Zhao suddenly remembered Hu Huanyang’s “advice” in the elevator earlier. As a result, the expression in his eyes as he looked at Xing Yingzhu instantly became strange.
—What’s going on? Sheng Zhao wondered suspiciously. Could it be that the boss has unconventional preferences and likes to play on both sides?
Of course, Xing Yingzhu had no idea how boldly the intern was speculating about him. His patience lasted only three seconds before running out. Annoyed, he made a clicking sound, straightened up, extended his arm, and lightly hooked Sheng Zhao’s collar with his index finger.
Sheng Zhao: “!!!”
Sheng Zhao was utterly shocked, and countless barrage comments flashed through his mind.
—What’s happening? He wondered suspiciously. Is the boss hinting at some unspoken rule of the workplace? Should I push him away immediately? But why would the boss, who looks so good, resort to such tactics? Maybe he’s the dominant one, but judging by his face, he could easily be pursued by a crowd even if he’s the submissive one—
“Sheng Zhao,” Xing Yingzhu spoke slowly.
Sheng Zhao nervously looked at him.
Xing Yingzhu withdrew his hand, flicked his index finger with his thumb, and asked, “What’s this smell?”
Sheng Zhao: “…”
All the sarcastic comments in his mind came to an abrupt halt. Sheng Zhao, with a speechless expression, grabbed his collar and smelled it, putting in considerable effort to catch a faint lingering aroma of food.
“Is his nose a dog’s nose?” Sheng Zhao muttered softly to himself. “Can he really smell this?”
Who knew that Xing Yingzhu not only had a keen sense of smell but also excellent hearing? Holding the lukewarm cup of milk tea, he glared at Sheng Zhao.
Every time Sheng Zhao felt the boss’s gaze on him, he couldn’t help but feel a chill down his spine, inexplicably guilty. Quickly and imperceptibly straightening his back, he answered, “Maybe it’s from when I steamed egg custard for lunch?”
“You can cook?” Xing Yingzhu asked.
“A little bit,” Sheng Zhao didn’t know why Xing Yingzhu suddenly asked this, but he honestly replied, “Simple dishes, just dormitory recipes.”
Xing Yingzhu fell silent for two seconds and then said, “That’s good. It smells nice. Make me a portion too.”
Xing Yingzhu’s tone was so matter-of-fact, as if it were perfectly reasonable and expected. It was so much so that Sheng Zhao didn’t immediately realize what was wrong. Instead of asking, “Why should I cook for you?” the first thing he blurted out was, “Do you have a kitchen here?”
“Go straight behind you on the right,” Xing Yingzhu said.
“No, wait.” Sheng Zhao belatedly realized, “You already ordered takeout.”
“It’s cold,” Xing Yingzhu said. “And it got spilled inside.”
Sheng Zhao: “…How did you know without opening it?”
Xing Yingzhu probably found the question too “stupid” to bother answering. He averted his gaze, continuing to watch the news. It seemed he had taken a sip of the milk tea and unconsciously started rotating the cup.
Suspicious, Sheng Zhao watched him for a while, then, unwilling to believe it, opened the takeout bag and checked the food container.
However, as Xing Yingzhu had said, everything inside had been spilled, with vegetables and rice mixed together. It did indeed seem difficult to swallow.
Considering that Xing Yingzhu might have experience in ordering takeout, Sheng Zhao reluctantly accepted defeat and asked, “…Do you have anything in your fridge?”
“Yes,” Xing Yingzhu said.
Sheng Zhao didn’t really want to cook for Xing Yingzhu. It was different from his role as a doorman, involving more personal boundaries. However, he occasionally felt guilty about receiving a salary for a job that left him so idle every month. So, whenever Xing Yingzhu occasionally asked, he couldn’t easily refuse.
The thunderstorm outside showed no signs of weakening. The rain was getting heavier, even a bit frightening to listen to.
Sheng Zhao turned on the lights, took out four eggs from the fridge, and casually looked out the window as he spoke, “Feels like Shangdu City has never seen such heavy rain. It’s eerie.”
After saying this, Sheng Zhao regretted it. He was used to chatting casually with people, forgetting for a moment about Xing Yingzhu’s personality. He felt that Xing Yingzhu might retort with something like, “Even a grown-up is afraid of rain; you’re really pathetic.”
But today, for some reason, perhaps due to the sun rising from the west, the Xing Yingzhu on the other side of the living room made a sound of agreement, saying, “Indeed.”
—What’s going on? Did he undergo a transformation?
Puzzled, Sheng Zhao couldn’t help but wonder. So, he stretched out from the kitchen to take a look at the living room.
The local news on the TV had ended, replaced by an unfamiliar brand’s TV shopping channel. Two presenters, a man and a woman, were vigorously promoting the exquisite, elegant, and profound features of their flagship watch, their voices on the verge of going hoarse.
Seemingly annoyed by the noise, Xing Yingzhu frowned slightly, decisively turned off the TV.
After the TV’s static noise disappeared, the sound of rain outside became exceptionally clear. The torrential rain hit the window, and the fragile window seams creaked with the wind. Layers of water streaks flowed down the glass, and after staring for a while, it became unclear whether the rain was inside or outside.
Xing Yingzhu remained in the same position, his gaze shifting from the TV to the window. He indifferently watched the heavy rain outside, as if pondering something in his mind.
Just as a lightning bolt streaked across outside, a thin strip of white light fell on Xing Yingzhu’s right eye, resembling a shallow scar.
Sheng Zhao, peeking from the kitchen suddenly froze, feeling like the light had flashed past so quickly that he seemed to have seen a vertically slit pupil.
Startled, he looked again, but there was nothing unusual. Xing Yingzhu still had his lazy demeanor, and his eyes appeared perfectly normal.
—Maybe the lighting was too dim, and I misread it, Sheng Zhao thought.
