What To Do When The Boss Takes A Liking To You chapter 43
Struck by Thunder
Xu Le stared at the chat interface on his phone, momentarily stunned.
What Lan Qing had just said almost caused his brain to crash, like an old machine unable to function due to aging parts.
While his thoughts lagged, his heartbeat accelerated infinitely.
Although Xu Le was somewhat slow in matters of the heart and not very perceptive, he had always been popular with girls since childhood. From elementary school onwards, he received love letters.
In university, he became even more popular. He participated in many clubs, could play the guitar and sing, was skilled in photography, and was proficient in skateboarding. With his good personality and popularity, he had been pursued by many, and occasionally even experienced peculiar incidents of boys confessing to him.
Speaking of which, he found the experience somewhat amusing.
There was a younger student from his junior year, whom Xu Le met in the guitar club. He was a fair-skinned boy with delicate features, standing just over 1.7 meters tall. Xu Le didn’t know if the boy was gay, but he found him well-dressed and refined. He even wore makeup and sprayed himself with perfume.
However, Xu Le didn’t treat this student as an outsider. Appreciating beauty was a common trait, and there was nothing wrong with boys dressing up. It was better to be clean and fragrant than to be a messy “tough guy” who claimed to be manly but neglected personal hygiene.
Xu Le got along well with this art student. They would occasionally go out for meals together. Since the student was majoring in art, he had a course in film and television storyboard design, which required a foundation in art. So, Xu Le would occasionally seek advice from him. Moreover, as he studied art, he had a good appreciation for photography, so Xu Le would also discuss photography topics with him. Over time, they became quite close.
However, Xu Le only saw this art student as an ordinary, well-liked junior. Sometimes he would pat the student’s shoulder or grab his arm, making the student blush. At that time, Xu Le, who was oblivious, couldn’t sense anything unusual.
It wasn’t until October of the first semester of their senior year in college that Xu Le, due to being too busy, couldn’t participate in guitar club activities. Since it was also time for him to step down, he announced his departure from the guitar club. However, the student hurriedly found him.
The cicadas were chirping sharply, and the weather was still hot and humid. The two of them, hiding under the shade of a banyan tree, were still sweating profusely.
“Senior, are you really leaving the club?” The student’s tone was desolate. He was wearing shorts, revealing his slender legs, with fair skin so smooth that not a single pore was visible. There was also a faint scent of citrus perfume on him.
Xu Le wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and nodded. “Yeah, I’m busy with my thesis lately, and I’m also a senior now. I’ll leave the club to you and Xiao Zhang in the future.”
The student pursed his lips, seeming hesitant as he looked at Xu Le, but he didn’t dare to speak.
Seeing this, Xu Le coughed dryly and reassured him, “What’s wrong? It’s okay. Even if I’m not in the club in the future, we can still maintain our relationship. We can have meals together when we’re free, or play games. Don’t worry.”
“I…” The student clenched his fists, looking at him with a wistful expression. “Am I just your junior?”
Seeing him looking like a distressed little wife, Xu Le was puzzled. He patted the student’s thin shoulder and said, “Uh, you’re also my good friend. Even after graduation, even if we’re far apart, we can still keep in touch!”
Upon hearing “good friend,” the student’s expression almost cracked.
Xu Le’s refreshing and handsome face, his tall and slender figure, made him feel endlessly infatuated, but Xu Le’s obtuseness made him feel embarrassed. So, taking advantage of the secluded place and no one around, the student boldly approached Xu Le, hugged his waist, and was about to bury his head in Xu Le’s neck.
“Senior Xu, I…” Before he could finish his words, he was pushed away by Xu Le. Just as he was about to angrily say something, he saw Xu Le awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “Junior, uh, I’m really ticklish… You startled me by suddenly hugging me.”
The student: “…”
“If you have something to say, just say it. If you encounter any difficulties, and if I can help, I will definitely help you.” Xu Le said seriously, his dark eyes seeming to overflow with sincerity.
“Senior, I… I like you, can we be together?” After the student finished speaking, his delicate face turned red as he looked at Xu Le.
Xu Le exclaimed, his smile stiffening, “What did you say?!”
…
Later, Xu Le naturally didn’t agree to the student’s proposal. After all, he didn’t have any feelings for boys, let alone any feelings beyond friendship for that student. So, the student had to leave disheartened.
Until now, the two had not contacted each other again.
This was also Xu Le’s first encounter with a friend who liked the same gender. Although their friendship was forced to deteriorate, it ended in disappointment.
Therefore, although Xu Le vaguely speculated about Lan Qing’s words just now, it didn’t seem like he would like men at all!
The student had fair skin, but Lan Qing was of mixed race, so he was even fairer; the student often blushed, and his behavior was a bit different from ordinary boys, such as being more delicate when eating, having a smaller appetite than ordinary boys, and walking more… well, “gracefully.” It’s not that he was particularly good at posing or anything, but his steps were smaller and more focused on aesthetics. As for Lan Qing—
Xu Le pondered for a moment, shuddering. The other party’s presence was indeed formidable, and his steps were steady and firm. He exuded the kind of… aggressiveness that girls loved, so much so that when Xu Le first met Lan Qing, he imagined him as the villainous boss from an anime.
When it came to fashion and appearance, the junior dressed exquisitely and charmingly. Although President Lan was also meticulously groomed from head to toe, he exuded an air of nobility and composure. His look didn’t simply strike as “good-looking”; rather, it commanded such presence that one barely noticed his attire and only saw his imposing demeanor.
Additionally, both the junior and President Lan wore perfume. The junior’s perfume was usually a sweet, fruity scent with rich floral notes, while President Lan’s was a faint, woody fragrance that was almost undetectable unless you were very close. There was also an elusive quality to it, perhaps a hint of aggression? Xu Le, not knowledgeable about perfumes, could only sense it was distinctly different.
Summarizing it all, Xu Le found that while President Lan and the junior seemed similar, upon closer reflection, they were worlds apart.
If President Lan were really gay, shouldn’t he be like the junior—exquisitely beautiful and eliciting a desire to protect? But President Lan was the complete opposite!
Thinking about this, Xu Le felt confused again, stuck in a cycle of thinking it was true but doubting it at the same time.
Just as he was lost in thought, his lonely cat jumped off the coffee table and nestled into his arms, rubbing its head against his long neck.
Xu Le couldn’t help but feel ticklish from the furry touch.
“Hey, Fa Cai, you’re a boy. Don’t act so coquettishly, okay?” Although Xu Le said this, he couldn’t resist lowering his head and kissing Fa Cai’s round little head several times.
Nothing beats having a furry lord like Fa Cai. Holding him made all worries disappear!
“Fa Cai, do you think President Lan could possibly mean that? He doesn’t seem like my junior at all. How could he possibly like men? But why did President Lan say those things to me? Did I misunderstand him, or did President Lan misunderstand me?”
Xu Le muttered to Fa Cai, but Fa Cai’s response was only a paw swipe at his face and a delicate “meow.”
“Meow~”
Fa Cai’s pupils were round and large, icy blue and watery. When he stared at Xu Le like that, it was unbearably cute.
Xu Le couldn’t help but pet Fa Cai for several more minutes, making him meow in irritation before he finally released him.
“Come to think of it, it was President Lan who saved you and bought you all this food, drinks, and toys. So, President Lan is sort of your half-owner too.”
Xu Le squeezed Fa Cai’s little paw pad. “Stay put, I’ll get you some milk. Don’t make a mess.”
“Meow~” Fa Cai watched him eagerly, not moving an inch.
Taking out a bottle of lactose-free milk at room temperature, Xu Le poured a little into the cat dish, and Fa Cai eagerly ran over to lap it up.
“Drink slowly, don’t rush.”
Fa Cai almost buried its face in the dish, making constant slurping sounds.
As Xu Le put down the milk bottle and petted Fa Cai’s back, a sudden thought struck him.
It was the last thing President Lan said before hanging up the video call.
“You sang well last time. Goodbye, Xu Le.”
Xu Le felt like he’d been struck by lightning.
What? President Lan actually…watched his last live stream?
Author’s Note:
President Lan: Have you considered that I might really a “top”?