RKNDL chapter 7

An invisible barrier seemed to form between the two of them. Outside the barrier, the world was bustling with noise; inside, it was dead silent.

Xie Zhinan sat uneasily, his discomfort growing. He wanted to leave again. Testing the waters, he moved his foot slightly. This time, there was no resistance—Wen Yun’s leg had been withdrawn.

He let out a sudden breath of relief, convincing himself it had all been an illusion.

There’s no way Wen Yun could’ve done something like that.

Feeling that this was a silent permission to leave, Xie Zhinan cautiously raised his head to gauge Wen Yun’s expression.

Wen Yun was still staring at him with an indiscernible look, his expression seemingly even colder.

But considering Wen Yun always carried a detached demeanor, Xie Zhinan couldn’t be sure if he was upset.

And if he was, Xie Zhinan had no idea whether it was his fault.

He could never figure out what Wen Yun was thinking.

A faint, sour bubble rose in Xie Zhinan’s heart. It popped, leaving behind an almost imperceptible trace.

He thought to himself, We’ve already agreed to treat each other as strangers.

Gripping his tray tightly, Xie Zhinan lowered his eyes. His long lashes cast shadows over his eyelids as he murmured, “Mr. Wen, I’m done eating… I’ll head back to work now.”

Wen Yun didn’t respond.

Silence probably meant approval.

Xie Zhinan slowly, cautiously, and as inconspicuously as possible, began to move. But just as he shifted his leg, Wen Yun’s calm voice asked, “Are you very busy?”

His tone was truly calm and indifferent, as though it was just a casual question.

But Xie Zhinan detected something—a subtle aggression, almost imperceptible dissatisfaction.

He hesitated, uncertain. He wasn’t good at picking up on others’ hostility, often failing to notice it altogether.

Perhaps it was a defense mechanism; being overly sensitive to harm wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

But this time, he caught a trace of Wen Yun’s dissatisfaction, faint as it was.

Xie Zhinan paused mid-motion, hesitating. Slowly, and with the slightest turn, he looked at Wen Yun.

Wen Yun’s expression remained blank, but those deep, pitch-black eyes fixed on him unwaveringly.

Xie Zhinan couldn’t decipher anything from them.

Maybe I’m just imagining things.

Deciding not to dwell on it, Xie Zhinan answered the question. “…I had some unfinished work from this morning.”

In truth, the work was done. It was just an excuse, and after replying, he felt a pang of guilt, avoiding Wen Yun’s gaze.

Wen Yun had always been sharp at catching lies, especially his. Xie Zhinan was terrible at lying—every attempt got exposed, though he could never figure out why.

He worked hard to keep his expression neutral, even as his heart threatened to leap out of his chest.

Wen Yun stared at the sudden blush on Xie Zhinan’s ears, remaining silent for a long time.

Maintaining this half-standing posture for so long had left Xie Zhinan’s legs slightly numb. He shifted his ankle, and a prickly pain spread like needles piercing his skin, causing him to frown.

The silence was finally broken. Wen Yun lowered his lashes and, in a low, indifferent voice, said, “Then go handle your work.”

As if he hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

Xie Zhinan let out a sigh of relief, finally raising his head to look at Wen Yun. “Goodbye, Mr. Wen,” he said.

Wen Yun’s thin lips moved slightly as he replied, “Goodbye.”

Xie Zhinan hurriedly carried his tray and left.

….

The next day, Xie Zhinan didn’t go to the company cafeteria. In fact, he planned not to go there for the foreseeable future.

He really did like the company cafeteria—there were a variety of dishes, the chefs were skilled, and the food was delicious.

Most importantly, it was free.

But now, he decided to eat at one of the restaurants downstairs instead.

Their company was in the city center, so there were plenty of restaurants nearby, as well as a few convenience stores.

Xie Zhinan had never liked eating at these places. They were always crowded at noon, requiring him to wait in long lines, which was troublesome.

Moreover, he was picky with food. He disliked dry foods like bread, biscuits, and fried chicken; sweet foods like cake, cheese, and cream; cold foods like rice rolls, sushi, and kimbap; and even disliked pungent foods like garlic, cilantro, and houttuynia. He also avoided food that was difficult to eat, such as shrimp that needed peeling, crabs with shells, and fish with bones.

This list was by no means exhaustive.

To make matters worse, he had a slight tendency toward decision paralysis.

After wandering around the area downstairs without deciding what to eat, he started missing the cafeteria.

Sure, the cafeteria sometimes served dishes he didn’t like, but with so many options, he could always find something to eat—

Not to mention, their curry beef brisket and pork chop rice were exceptionally good.

After pacing back and forth twice, Xie Zhinan eventually walked into a nearby convenience store and picked up a small box of instant noodles.

At least instant noodles were cheap, he thought, feeling slightly comforted.

As he headed to the checkout, Xie Zhinan turned his head and saw a familiar figure entering the store.

Xie Zhinan: “…”

At this point, Xie Zhinan couldn’t help but wonder if their company’s new boss had too much free time.

He’s like a shadow following me everywhere, Xie Zhinan thought, grumbling silently.

Just as he was lost in his complaints, Wen Yun suddenly looked up, his dark eyes locking onto Xie Zhinan’s like a hunter spotting prey.

Startled, Xie Zhinan instinctively turned and hid himself.

But as soon as he did, he realized something was wrong.

What kind of normal subordinate hides at the mere sight of their boss?

It was the very definition of a guilty conscience.

Xie Zhinan felt a mix of regret and frustration, silently hoping Wen Yun wouldn’t think too much of his odd behavior.

That way, he might feel slightly less embarrassed.

But alas, disappointment was inevitable.

Wen Yun not only locked onto him the moment he entered the store, but he also strode directly toward him with his long legs.

Xie Zhinan kept his head down, pretending to be busy choosing other snacks, putting on a facade of focus.

It wasn’t until Wen Yun stopped beside him, so close that Xie Zhinan could catch the faint woody scent of his cologne, that Xie Zhinan took a deep breath, steeling himself. He acted as though he’d just noticed him and feigned surprise, saying, “Mr. Wen.”

Unfortunately, his tone betrayed him—it was dry and lacked confidence.

Wen Yun, showing no mercy, looked down at him and said blankly, “Xie Zhinan, that’s so fake.”

Xie Zhinan stayed silent, putting on another show of being busy searching for snacks.

Wen Yun asked, “What are you doing?”

“…Buying… buying lunch,” Xie Zhinan stammered.

Wen Yun glanced at the item in Xie Zhinan’s hand—a random pick—and asked coolly, “You’re buying a soft-boiled egg you don’t even like?”

Xie Zhinan looked down and realized he was holding a packet of soft-boiled eggs.

Soft-boiled eggs were on his list of disliked foods—he didn’t like anything half-cooked.

Xie Zhinan: “…”

He found Wen Yun incredibly annoying. Did he have to point it out?

They were supposed to pretend they didn’t know each other!

Feeling frustrated, Xie Zhinan silently put the soft-boiled eggs back on the shelf. As soon as he did, another hand with well-defined joints reached out and picked them up again.

Xie Zhinan: “?”

He turned his head in confusion.

Wen Yun, completely at ease, said, “I’m going to eat them.”

Xie Zhinan stared blankly for a moment, unsure what to say. He felt something was off about the whole situation, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Wen Yun clearly had a higher tolerance for undercooked foods than he did, so eating soft-boiled eggs was perfectly normal.

Was it, though?

Why take the one he had put back?

…And why was Wen Yun even having lunch in a convenience store?

As Xie Zhinan carried his cup of instant noodles to the register, his mind remained foggy. Wen Yun followed behind him with a triangular rice ball in hand.

While waiting in line, Xie Zhinan couldn’t help but glance back at Wen Yun. Wen Yun noticed his gaze and asked, “What are you looking at?”

Xie Zhinan pursed his lips but couldn’t hold back. In a small voice, he asked, “Is that all you’re eating?”

Wen Yun flipped his hand, revealing the packet of soft-boiled eggs in his palm. With a blank expression, he said, “And this.”

Xie Zhinan: “…”

He quickly turned back around.

At the register, Wen Yun’s triangular rice ball and soft-boiled eggs ended up placed alongside his instant noodles. The cashier hesitated and asked, “Are you together?”

Wen Yun replied, “Yes.”

The cashier looked at Xie Zhinan again.

Xie Zhinan had no choice but to nod stiffly. He pulled out his phone for payment, planning to grab his noodles and leave immediately to eat back at the office.

The company did stock plenty of snacks, including instant noodles, but not this particular flavor.

While Xie Zhinan was distracted for a couple of seconds during payment, Wen Yun handed the noodles and rice ball to the store staff for preparation.

Xie Zhinan opened his mouth to say something, but Wen Yun gave him a sharp glance, his expression as cutting as a blade. “What?”

Something in Xie Zhinan’s instincts, like a small animal sensing danger, told him to back down. He slowly closed his mouth, shook his head timidly, and said, “…Nothing.”

In the end, they ended up sitting by the window, eating together.

Xie Zhinan fidgeted in his seat, feeling restless and uncomfortable. He hadn’t even taken a bite of his noodles yet; it felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Wen Yun asked coldly, “Do you want me to ask the staff to get you a different chair?”

Xie Zhinan: “…”

He immediately lowered his head and started stirring his noodles, the sticky, bright red strands making squelching sounds. He muttered, “N-no need.”

Wen Yun glanced at his vividly red noodles, frowned slightly, and got up.

He’s leaving?

Xie Zhinan stole a glance out of the corner of his eye, but the triangular rice ball and soft-boiled eggs were still on the table.

He couldn’t tell whether he felt relieved or disappointed.

After a moment, Wen Yun returned just as Xie Zhinan took his first bite of noodles. Through the glass window, a coworker happened to walk by, and Wen Yun sat down next to him at the same time. Startled, Xie Zhinan inhaled sharply and began coughing violently.

Wen Yun handed him a bagged item. Xie Zhinan, eyes watery from coughing, caught a blurry glimpse of what seemed to be a milk carton and refused, saying, “…I don’t drink milk.”

Oh, right. Milk was another item on Xie Zhinan’s list of dislikes—he thought it tasted too “milky.”

Troublesome.

Hard to please.

Wen Yun pierced the straw into a carton of yogurt and shoved it into Xie Zhinan’s hand. “It’s yogurt. Peach flavor.”

Only then did Xie Zhinan take the straw between his lips and drink. After a few gulps, the cool yogurt soothed the burning on his tongue and throat.

He stuck out a small portion of his tongue, exhaling to dissipate the heat.

Like a little puppy.

The “puppy” kept his head down, as if throwing a small tantrum, and mumbled awkwardly, “…Thank you, Mr. Wen.”

You could call him naive, and he truly was.

You made him pay for lunch, yet he still thanked you.

Xie Zhinan stared blankly at the bowl of noodles in front of him, seemingly lost in thought.

Wen Yun tilted his head to look at him, but didn’t rush him.

After a while, Xie Zhinan finally seemed to muster up enough courage. Slowly, he turned his head, looking at Wen Yun with a hint of pleading in his eyes. He said, “…Can we sit a little further inside to eat?”

There were tables and chairs by the wall where they wouldn’t have to face passersby directly.

When Wen Yun had returned earlier, he had briefly noticed a company employee walking by, but hadn’t paid much attention to who it was.

Now, pairing that memory with Xie Zhinan’s tentative request, the situation became much more amusing.

Wen Yun almost laughed in exasperation. “Xie Zhinan.”

When someone calls your full name, it always feels a bit eerie. Xie Zhinan stared at him, dazed, and made a small sound of surprise.

“Is it really so embarrassing to be seen with me ?” Wen Yun met his gaze, his eyes sharp, as if inspecting him.