What To Do When The Boss Takes A Liking To You chapter 40

The Little Prince of Freedom

The ice-blue pupil, yellow-white fur orange cat, was curled up lazily at the top of the cat tree, serene.

It was very quiet and didn’t like to move much.

With its lazy eyes, it seemed to have a hint of disdain, occasionally twitching its fluffy tail and ears as it looked towards the young man sitting on the floor.

The words he had originally wanted to say were suppressed upon seeing Lan Qing appear on the screen.

“I, um…” Oh no, Xu Le, feeling nervous, almost forgot what he wanted to say.

Especially when facing Lan Qing on the other side of the screen, whether it was intentional or not, and probably due to habit, his slight movement towards the camera indicated that he was carefully listening.

Lan Qing was very superior in appearance, that was undeniable. Placed among people, regardless of height, appearance, or temperament, he could easily become the visual focus. But his aloofness and proud family background made him even more distant from ordinary people.

And when such a naturally prominent yet unreachable person focused on listening to someone, regardless of the gender or age of the speaker, the first feeling they experienced was not surprise at being favored, but rather panic from the oppressive feeling.

Xu Le was no exception.

After all, communicating through text across a screen and video chatting face-to-face were completely different experiences.

He placed his phone on the coffee table, found a stand to position it properly, and only after confirming that he looked presentable in the camera did he cautiously begin speaking, “President Lan, I’m just an ordinary employee. I really don’t need a driver. Could you tell Anthony not to pick me up anymore?”

“Anthony?” Lan Qing’s expression remained unchanged, but there was a hint of confusion in his tone. Then, understanding dawned on him. “I only asked him to take you to this apartment and help you move your things. I didn’t assign him any other tasks.”

Xu Le believed Lan Qing, but he was puzzled. Since Lan Qing hadn’t instructed Anthony to do anything extra, why did Anthony show up to drive him to and from work today?

“Anthony used to be a mercenary. After retiring, he joined a security consulting company as a full-time bodyguard. He used to be by my mother’s side, and was later assigned to me. He has a strong sense of duty; he takes his employer’s tasks seriously. Perhaps I didn’t explain clearly, leading him to misunderstand that you’re his charge to protect,” Lan Qing explained.

“What?” Xu Le’s eyes widened. So President Lan actually assigned a former mercenary to help him move?

A mercenary! To an ordinary person, that’s a figure you’d only see as a cool character on TV. No wonder he found Anthony intimidating; he really was a former soldier from the battlefield.

“It’s just a high-risk profession. There’s no need to treat him differently. If you find it uncomfortable, I’ll tell him not to pick you up anymore.”

Hearing this, Xu Le breathed a sigh of relief but couldn’t help feeling a bit amazed. No wonder President Lan, coming from a wealthy background, could speak so casually about a bodyguard who used to be a mercenary.

Ordinary people would never have such an encounter.

Thinking about finally being able to go to work normally, Xu Le felt relieved.

Although the Range Rover was spacious and comfortable, and Anthony drove very steadily, making it nice not having to squeeze into the subway, he wasn’t used to such “privileges” and felt quite uneasy.

Xu Le had no grand ambitions. Though he had fantasized about becoming rich and traveling the world, living a life of luxury, those were just daydreams. Reality was reality; he had to be practical.

Like now, earning a decent salary to support himself, spending his free time with his cat, watching anime, playing games, occasionally editing videos he liked, and sometimes wandering around the city and street filming interesting videos, he was quite content.

Because he was not a rose waiting to be loved, but a little prince yearning for freedom.

“How are you adapting since Jiang Wan handed over the work to you?” Lan Qing proactively showed concern for his work, making Xu Le even more serious.

“Don’t worry, President Lan. I’ve learned a lot from Jiang Wan jie. She’s an excellent mentor. Today’s work went smoothly, and I’ll ensure the quality of my work in the future.”

While answering, Xu Le straightened his back and his gaze became resolute, even lifting his lean chin slightly. This was a natural response from years of academic training.

However, his eyes were bright and determined, and his tone was clear and clean, giving an impression of sincerity rather than flattery. This earnestness made him seem even more genuine and adorable.

On the screen, there was a probing look in Lan Qing’s eyes that Xu Le couldn’t understand. His tone was gentle as he said, “I believe you can do it well.”

Hearing the praise, Xu Le’s dark eyes brightened, the excitement in them almost overflowing.

Just as he was about to say something, there was a commotion from the direction of the cat tree behind him, followed by a “meow.”

Xu Le turned his head and saw Fa Cai jumping down from the cat tree in a few quick movements and running towards him, grabbing onto his clothes and climbing up to his neck.

“Meow~”

Feeling hot, Xu Le had changed into a sleeveless tank top when he got home. The neckline and armholes were wide, and the cotton material was breathable and comfortable. It was something he bought back in his sophomore year, and despite being washed so many times that it had turned a bit yellowish, it was still his favorite because it was comfortable.

Because it was a sleeveless tank top with a wide neckline and he was thin, his collarbones were quite prominent, rising and falling with his movements, looking lively and attractive. Despite being thin, Xu Le’s arms were lean and well-defined, with a natural, athletic build rather than exaggerated muscles from the gym.

Fa Cai scratched around Xu Le’s shoulders and collarbones, its little paws waving about, pulling his neckline even wider and exposing a small part of his chest, which was getting red from the scratches, looking a bit like ambiguous marks.

“Don’t move! Fa Cai, it really tickles! Hahaha!” Xu Le was very ticklish, and the combination of cat fur and claws made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

Lan Qing remained silent, just watching the cat’s antics through the screen, his deep blue eyes darkening slightly.

“President Lan, please wait a moment. I’ll put it down.” Xu Le remembered the president on the other side of the screen and tried to remove the mischievous Fa Cai from his body.

But the neckline was too wide, and his skin too smooth. Fa Cai’s little foot slipped right into Xu Le’s shirt.

Looking at the sudden bulge in his stomach, Xu Le was momentarily speechless.

“Meow~” Fa Cai kept moving around his chest and abdomen.

Xu Le was extremely ticklish, and the cat’s trimmed claws scratching and dense fur rubbing against him were driving him crazy.

But this lazy cat was being particularly naughty. Wherever Xu Le tried to grab, Fa Cai would slip in the opposite direction, like a slippery eel in a river, making it impossible for him to catch it.

“Fa Cai! I’m getting angry, come out now!”

Xu Le shouted angrily at the cat inside his shirt, accurately grabbing its left front paw, and was about to pull the little troublemaker out when he suddenly felt something strange on his chest.

It was ticklish, warm, and wet.

The little rascal Fa Cai had actually licked him there.

Xu Le’s face instantly turned bright red, as if it were on fire.

The longing for a mother’s embrace is an instinct driven by all mammals, and cats are no exception. But Xu Le was a man, and he and Fa Cai were entirely different species.

Fa Cai licked enthusiastically, but Xu Le was both embarrassed and angry.

Thankfully, there was a layer of clothing in between, so Lan Qing couldn’t see what was happening underneath. However, Xu Le, being ticklish, couldn’t stand it and let out an “Ah.”

Unlike his usual expressions of surprise, this sound seemed like he was being bullied, evoking a kind of endearing helplessness.

On the screen, Lan Qing’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, and then, as if unaware, he asked, “Xu Le, what’s wrong?”