What To Do When The Boss Takes A Liking To You chapter 44
Cushion-Cut Red Diamond
Under the soft lighting, the diamonds in the display case sparkled brightly, reflecting dazzling brilliance.
The main attraction of the exhibit was a cushion-cut red diamond weighing 9.3 carats.
The facets of the red diamond refracted a stunning play of light under the illumination, making the entire gem look like a red star in an endless night sky, dreamily beautiful.
Seeing Lan Qing standing by this red diamond for a while, the exhibition hall manager with deep-set eyes and a high nose bridge smiled and introduced, “This red diamond comes from the natural diamond mines of Golconda, India. It’s graded as the rarest deep fancy red. Mr. Lan, don’t you think it’s beautiful?”
“It is indeed beautiful,” Lan Qing responded softly, his deep blue eyes fixed on the diamond, his gaze profound with a touch of barely noticeable tenderness.
“Red diamonds symbolize passionate and eternal love. Their charm lies in this meaning. It hasn’t been put up for auction yet, but if you’re interested, we can reserve it for you.”
“If you need it,” the manager repeated, his tone polite and his smile solemn.
This was an exceptionally rare top-grade red diamond, estimated at millions. For a jeweler, seeing such a diamond even once in their career was a stroke of luck.
Lan Qing remained silent, but the manager waited patiently.
The red diamond, symbolizing passionate and eternal love, dazzled under the spotlights, its facets flaunting incomparable beauty, seemingly haughtily waiting for someone to claim it.
After a long pause, Lan Qing finally spoke calmly, “Hold this diamond for me. I’ll take it when the time is right.”
Leaving the jewelry exhibition hall, with the manager respectfully seeing him off, Lan Qing got into the back seat of the Bentley waiting at the door.
Qin Yaguan had sent him a few messages.
【Vanya, the cat you brought back a while ago, is it that intern cat?】
【The one you adore so much that you had several people take special care of it.】
Qin Yaguan also sent a picture, a screenshot from a video on A Station, clearly showing the blue-eyed orange cat Fa Cai. Although the owner Xu Le didn’t appear in the video, the username in the top left corner was “Uncle Le,” who else could it be?
Lan Qing didn’t hide the truth from his sister, replying briefly with “Yes.”
Qin Yaguan quickly responded, questioning: 【Didn’t you dislike cats the most before? You said they were troublesome. No, you hated all clingy and delicate pets.】
【What’s this, my dear brother? Are you being kind just for that cute intern kid?】
【You’re 26, still single and alone. Are an old tree blossoming?】
Qin Yaguan bombarded him with a series of messages, causing Lan Qing to frown slightly, especially at the last phrase, “old tree blossoming,” which made his usually calm and composed demeanor waver for a moment.
He and his sister had very different personalities. Qin Yaguan was now indulgent and arrogant, while he was steady and reserved. However, in their childhood, their roles were completely reversed.
Qin Yaguan was three years older than Lan Qing. During their childhood, she was the quiet and demure young lady admired by everyone, whereas Lan Qing was mischievous and often got beaten by their father, Pavel. It wasn’t until they entered their teenage years that their personalities gradually changed.
Lan Qing quickly replied: [I’m only 26, not at the “old tree blossoming” age yet. As for the cat, at least it doesn’t annoy me.]
He remembered the first time he saw Fa Cai, it was cradled in Xu Le’s arms, looking as bewildered as the intern. Although it had tiny sharp claws, it retracted them when facing him, cautiously meowing in a way that seemed to be both flattering and endearing.
Lan Qing didn’t like these pampered little creatures, simply because they were troublesome to care for and spending time with them felt inefficient. But this cat was cherished by Xu Le.
Therefore, he could treat it a bit special.
Seeing this cat reminded him of the video from the day before yesterday.
In the video, the little intern’s face was flushed with a slight embarrassment.
The spot where the cat had scratched and licked was beautifully swollen, making the small wound nearby look pitiably delicate.
Even his usually clean and handsome face had a subtle, indescribable allure.
It was a look that, though not deliberately enticing, somehow made one want to tease him.
Qin Yaguan replied with a mischievous panda emoji.
Lan Qing’s usual phone didn’t have the A-station app, only the most basic communication software. Since he didn’t bring his frequently used tablet, he downloaded the A-station app.
After logging in, he indeed saw Xu Le’s latest video.
It was short, less than a minute long, mostly showing Fa Cai drinking milk. Fa Cai sipped happily, and in the last few seconds, Xu Le’s hand appeared, gently patting Fa Cai’s little head.
The comments were filled with, “Fa Cai is so cute,” “I want to kiss Fa Cai,” “Such a good kitty,” and half of them were, “Your hand is so pretty,” “Why isn’t our hubby on camera?” “Show your face,” teasing Xu Le.
With every comment like the latter, Lan Qing’s expression grew sterner.
He first liked Xu Le’s video, then habitually chose a pleasing gift icon to send. After that, he discreetly downvoted all the excessively flirtatious comments.
Suddenly, a new comment appeared under the video.
War God in the Cornfield: [Hey, Lele’s new son is so cute, I’m your godfather now, Fa Cai, call me godfather!]
Seeing the avatar, Lan Qing’s eyes narrowed slightly. He remembered this “War God in the Cornfield” was Xu Le’s college roommate, and their relationship seemed very good.
Not just good, but overly intimate.
Last time, this “War God in the Cornfield” even boldly claimed in Xu Le’s live stream that he wanted to marry Xu Le and treat everyone to a banquet…
Thinking of this, Lan Qing’s expression grew colder. Looking at “War God in the Cornfield’s” comment, he unhesitatingly downvoted it.
Outside the glass curtain wall, sunlight streamed onto the spacious desk, reflecting off a few decorative Q-version figurines and making the greenery on the desk look even more vibrant.
Xu Le sat at his workstation, looking a bit listless.
His workload wasn’t heavy and he wasn’t being rushed, so he had plenty of time to daydream and slack off.
Usually, he was full of energy at work, except during the overtime period under Zeng Junhua’s pressure. Rarely did he look this disheartened.
He couldn’t help but glance toward Lan Qing’s office. It was empty and seldom visited, and Lan Qing himself rarely came to MissOK.
That day, according to Lucy, because MissOK was in its initial startup phase, President Lan was only acting CEO for this period. Once the company stabilized, headquarters would send someone else to take over this position.
This meant he would see President Lan even less in the future, not to mention he was just a small employee with little chance of interacting with someone of such high status.
Thinking of this, while some colleagues felt relieved, Xu Le had a vague sense of melancholy.
His mind kept replaying the words Lan Qing said to him in the video that day.
He felt a bit stuck, like there was a heavy stone in his heart, causing confusion and helplessness.
It was as if there was an invisible, resilient layer of gauze between him and the truth or answers, which he couldn’t see through or break.
He sighed and rested his head on the desk, absentmindedly fiddling with a small cactus until a sudden sharp pain in his finger brought him back to reality.
“Hiss—” He removed the cactus thorn from his finger and wiped away the little bead of blood with a tissue.
While examining his wound, someone suddenly rubbed his head.
“It’s lunch time, aren’t you eating? Hey? Lele, what happened to your hand?” It was Jiaxin, her voice charming and crisp.
Xu Le quickly shook his head, “It’s nothing, Jie, let’s go eat together.”
Jiaxin, ever perceptive, noticed his distracted state immediately, “You look troubled, is something bothering you, or is work not going well?”
Xu Le perked up, flashing a bright smile, “No way, really, it’s nothing. Let’s go, Jie, I’m starving!”
The company cafeteria offered a wide variety of excellent dishes that day. Seeing the food, Xu Le instantly forgot his worries, picking several of his favorite dishes and a bowl of soup.
The auntie at the window still piled Xu Le’s tray full, almost forming a small mountain.
He continued to sit with Cao Xinyi and Jianxin, which was convenient for chatting and gossiping.
“Xiao Lele, I noticed you haven’t been yourself all day. Usually, you’re the most enthusiastic about eating! If something’s bothering you, tell us; maybe we can help?” Jianxin said, sipping her soup and raising an eyebrow.
Cao Xinyi nodded, “Yeah, yeah, if nothing else, we can give you some advice.”
Xu Le felt a bit embarrassed. He couldn’t possibly say that he suspected President Lan had feelings for him, right? Or should he take a roundabout approach to ask indirectly?
He opened his mouth, hesitated, and then opened his mouth again, “Uh, do you guys think President Lan has someone he likes, or has he always been single?”
“Why are you suddenly curious about President Lan’s love life?” Cao Xinyi was a little surprised.
Xu Le coughed lightly, “Just curious. President Lan is good-looking and comes from a good family. I’m sure many people like him, right?”
“You sure are nosy, Xiao Lele,” Jianxin teased, raising her eyebrows and stirring her soup with a spoon, “To be honest, even I was a bit smitten with President Lan at first, but I didn’t have the courage to approach him.”
“How should I put it, President Lan looks cold, but his heart is even colder. Plus, his status is high, so liking him is useless. He wouldn’t spare anyone an extra glance.”
Hearing this, Xu Le’s dark pupils slightly contracted.