What To Do When The Boss Takes A Liking To You chapter 60

Game

The morning sun rose slowly from the horizon, its brilliant and beautiful light turning the shimmering sea into a golden spectacle, like a magnificent painting.

“Click.”

Xu Le held a DSLR, occasionally pressing the shutter to capture the beautiful scenery before him.

“Lele, how did you sleep last night?” Cao Xinyi asked with a smile. That day, she was wearing a beautiful silver sparkling long dress and a sun hat, looking ethereal and very beautiful.

When asked this question, Xu Le felt a bit guilty, “Uh, it was okay.”

Actually, he slept quite well last night. He originally thought he would have insomnia, but unexpectedly, he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

In the morning, when he woke up, he found that Lan Qing had already woken up early. Lan Qing had even washed up and was dressed in a slightly casual shirt and trousers, without a tie, but the buttons were meticulously fastened to the top, not even exposing his collarbone.

“Awake? Then hurry up and wash up, the sun will rise soon.”

Seeing Xu Le still sitting on the bed, hair messy and drowsy, Lan Qing leaned over, lifted his chin, and tapped his nose.

The fingers, freshly washed, felt cool and slightly damp against his skin. Xu Le immediately woke up, “President Lan?”

His expression was initially puzzled, as if asking why Lan Qing was here and why he was seeing him. But quickly, his face shifted from confusion to shock, and finally to astonishment, as vivid as a Sichuan opera face change.

He suddenly looked up at Lan Qing, incredulous, “President Lan? Hiss…”

This time Xu Le wasn’t drunk at all. He clearly remembered the events of yesterday: the fall, the princess carry, the medication, and the kiss. He remembered every detail, especially since his butt was still sore.

“Does it still hurt? Let me see if the injury has improved.”

Xu Le had no choice but to submit and lie down obediently for the injury inspection. The bruises were still a mottled purple, but looked better than last night.

After being pressed and having the ointment applied, Xu Le was fully awake and his face completely red. He wasn’t naturally inclined to like men, and being treated like this by another man, even if it was just applying medicine, was a bit awkward.

After the long process of applying the ointment again, Lan Qing pulled up Xu Le’s pants.

“Don’t get in the water until the ointment is absorbed,” Lan Qing reminded.

Xu Le buried his face in the pillow, muffled an “Oh,” then got up, feeling the cool and refreshing sensation of the ointment on the injured area. His body stiffened a bit, but it felt very soothing.

Feeling Lan Qing’s gaze, Xu Le’s scalp tingled, and he quickly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up.

…………

After enjoying the sunrise, everyone had breakfast and continued with the enjoyable team-building activities. Xu Le still felt a faint pain, which made his walking a bit unnatural at times. However, being naturally playful, he joined the sand volleyball competition with his colleagues.

Teamed up with three female colleagues, Xu Le faced a team of two men and two women, seemingly at a disadvantage.

“Go Lele!” Cao Xinyi cheered with a smile.

“Go Xu Le, we believe in you!”

Xu Le, the youngest employee at the company, was not only handsome and likable but also had a good personality. Many female colleagues treated him like a younger brother, making him a beloved member of the mostly female company.

The two male employees on the opposing team felt a bit envious of Xu Le’s popularity.

One of them complained, “Why are you only cheering for Xu Le? Give us some support too!”

“If you were half as handsome as Xu Le, we’d cheer for you too, hahaha!”

“That’s right, go Xu Le, we’re rooting for you!”

The male employee, feeling his charm was being overlooked, retorted, “Looks aren’t everything for a man, ability matters more. Xu Le, just wait and see, don’t cry when I take the points from you!”

Xu Le’s three female teammates, seeing this, were not happy. One of them, who was more assertive, shot back, “We’ll see who ends up crying,” then turned to Xu Le, “Xu Le, just do your best, it’s okay if we lose.”

Xu Le was confident in his abilities. He excelled in basketball, soccer, badminton, and ping pong. Although he hadn’t played much volleyball, his flexibility, quick reactions, and basic skills made him feel he wouldn’t necessarily lose.

“Don’t worry, Mia, I’ll help our team win!”

Hearing this, the opposing team’s Cheng Qiang smirked and made a mocking gesture towards Xu Le.

Mia was about to retaliate, but Xu Le stopped her, smiling, “Mia, let’s show them our skills.”

Xu Le’s clean, bright smile was infectious. Mia paused, nodded, “Alright, Xu Le, let’s do our best!”

Cheng Qiang, holding the volleyball, glared at Xu Le. Xu Le crouched slightly, muscles tense, watching Cheng Qiang’s serve carefully.

Bam!

Cheng Qiang’s powerful serve was on point. Xu Le felt his wrist tremble from the impact but managed to return the ball.

“Great job, Lele!” Cao Xinyi cheered.

Mia and the other two female teammates were also quite skilled, and surprisingly, the opposing team began to falter.

After losing another point, Cheng Qiang’s face darkened. He didn’t expect his earlier boast to backfire so dramatically.

Xu Le’s agility, jumping ability, and strategic thinking allowed him to handle almost any ball and make tactical plays, securing nearly half of his team’s points.

“Remember to pass the ball to me!” Cheng Qiang signaled to his teammate, who acknowledged with an OK gesture.

Watching Xu Le, Cheng Qiang’s frustration turned into a determined attack. As the ball came, he aimed a sharp shot at an angle he thought was unbeatable.

Just when Cheng Qiang thought he had secured the point, Xu Le adapted quickly, twisting his lean body and making a beautiful dive to save the ball.

“Mia!” Xu Le shouted.

Mia, near the net, easily sent the ball over with no one on the opposing side to block.

The crowd erupted in cheers at the impressive play, with Cao Xinyi leading the chant of “Xu Le’s” name.

Cheng Qiang’s face was almost livid.

Xu Le raised his arm to wipe the sweat off his forehead, but ended up smearing sand all over his face. It was only then he realized that his dive just now was too intense, getting sand all over him. He casually brushed the sand off his body.

“Lele, you looked so cool catching the ball just now. I even took a picture of you!” Cao Xinyi said happily, waving her phone at him.

Xu Le smiled knowingly, made a gesture, and then continued focusing on the game.

Mia patted his shoulder, “Xiao Xu, you’re really good at volleyball. Did you learn it before?”

“I was very interested in sports during college and was good at most common ball games, including volleyball.” Xu Le was quite happy to have his athletic ability recognized.

“No wonder, you look like you have an athletic background. Let’s arrange a badminton match sometime.” Mia said with a smile.

“Sure!” Xu Le’s dark eyes lit up, looking very sincere.

“No wonder Jiaxin and the others like you. You’re really likable.”

Xu Le laughed heartily and looked at the other side with fighting spirit, “Mia, let’s keep it up and try to win the prize—a paid day off!”

Their beach volleyball match had a prize. The winning team would get a day off with pay.

“Don’t speak too soon. The game isn’t over.” Cheng Qiang sneered.

The match was best out of three. Xu Le’s team won the first round, and they were now at match point in the second round. If they won the second set, Xu Le’s team would be the winners.

Xu Le was eager to start, and he responded, “Don’t worry, we’ll win the second match too.”

Cheng Qiang sneered and discussed tactics with his teammates, his face stern.

The whistle blew, and the match began.

This time, Cheng Qiang’s team targeted Xu Le specifically. They all aimed at Xu Le because if they could break his spirit, they had a great chance of evening the score.

Although this tactic was somewhat unscrupulous, it was indeed effective.

Xu Le had good stamina, but he had already expended most of his energy in the first round. Under the siege of the four opponents, he gradually showed signs of fatigue and missed several balls in a row.

“Lele, keep it up! Cheng Qiang, you guys are going too far, targeting just one person!” Cao Xinyi couldn’t stand it anymore, her usually good-natured temper showing rare anger.

Many colleagues watching the game started to comment, and Cheng Qiang’s face turned almost as black as the bottom of a pot.

What do they know? He didn’t break any rules; it was just a common tactic in the game. They were just pitying Xu Le because he was better-looking. The more his colleagues said, the angrier Cheng Qiang became, which instead spurred his competitive spirit. With the advantage of having an extra strong male player, Xu Le’s team was forced into a more embarrassing position.

The more people cheered for Xu Le, the more Cheng Qiang felt a surge of resentment, hitting the ball with increasing force.

With a “bang,” the exhausted Xu Le, after receiving the ball, fell hard to the ground, landing on his back. His butt was already bruised, and this time, the impact was severe enough to turn his face pale.

But he quickly got up and continued to play despite the pain.

Seeing that Xu Le was struggling, Cheng Qiang was delighted. They were already ahead in points, but he wanted to crush Xu Le’s spirit, so he didn’t hold back at all.

As a result, the exhausted Xu Le got hit several more times while trying to catch the ball and fell twice, ending up covered in dirt.

“Cheng Qiang, you’re going too far!” Mia couldn’t stand it anymore and shouted angrily.

Cheng Qiang sneered, “Weren’t you bragging just now? I’m not breaking any rules. If you really care about him, he shouldn’t be playing.”

Xu Le was panting, though the pain made him want to grimace, he maintained his expression and forced a smile, “Mia, I’m fine, let’s continue.”

Cheng Qiang snorted, “At least you act like a man.”

Xu Le pulled himself together a bit, but the continuous attacks from Cheng Qiang’s side soon overwhelmed him again.

In the final crucial moment, Cheng Qiang’s eyes gleamed. He planned to give Xu Le one last unforgettable shot.

Bang!

The volleyball flew into the air, spinning rapidly, with fierce force that almost exhausted all of Cheng Qiang’s strength, leaving his palm numb.

A smug smile appeared on Cheng Qiang’s lips. This shot was intended to humiliate Xu Le, making him face a devastating defeat.

Xu Le’s dark, clear eyes reflected the volleyball flying straight at him, but he didn’t have the strength to catch it or the energy to dodge it.

“Xu Le, watch out!” Mia shouted in panic.

In an instant, Xu Le instinctively closed his eyes and raised his arm to block. Better to hurt his arm than his face.

Just as he was about to take the hit, a strong hand grabbed his arm, and he was pulled into a solid chest.

Xu Le smelled a familiar scent, a dominant yet faint cool fragrance.

In the sunlight, Lan Qing’s pale skin almost glowed, and his superior, chiseled features were even more striking. Despite the hot weather, his presence seemed to cool the surrounding air.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Lan Qing casually tossed the volleyball to Mia, his blue eyes glancing indifferently at Cheng Qiang.

“This game is over.”