TGMNDIAR - 17
"The rain has been pouring for a whole day without stopping." Jin Fei stretched lazily, pushing her chair back. "Ah, it's making me not want to go home after work."
Tang Wanan continued to work on her board, pen moving incessantly. "Then just work overtime and wait until the rain stops before going home."
Jin Fei quickly responded, "No, no, no, I was just kidding. I have to go home!"
Tang Wanan burst into laughter.
Jin Fei handed Tang Wanan a piece of cake.
"Brother Bai, do you want some cake?" Jin Fei asked.
Bai Nian hesitated for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "No, thank you."
He had been maintaining the same posture for a long time. When he finally moved, his bones made a slight cracking sound, especially his wrists, which felt sore and swollen.
Tang Wanan tore open the packaging and casually asked, "Where did you get it from?"
"The cute guy next door gave it to me."
Tang Wanan said, "The one with the side-swept bangs and tall stature?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's him, Jiang Yuntao's classmate."
The two chatted away while Bai Nian, next door, continued to work silently, head down, drawing diagrams.
"Bai Nian, you come to my office for a moment," the director of Design Department 2 knocked on the door. "I need to talk to you about something."
Bai Nian showed no change in expression. "Hmm," he responded and left.
Tang Wanan frowned. "What does Old Gao want? He better not be assigning more work to Brother Bai."
Jin Fei, her tongue scalded by hot water, grimaced. "Who knows, it's either something normal or something fishy again!"
She pondered for a moment. "Probably another canceled project."
Tang Wanan sighed. "Old Gao is going nuts. He's dumping all those nitpicky 'canceled projects' on Brother Bai. It's a complete waste of manpower, and I have no idea what he's trying to achieve..."
Canceled projects referred to advance-paid projects that, despite multiple revisions and changes in designers, still failed to satisfy clients.
Typically, even if they know a project may not come to fruition in the end, they'll continue to engage with the client, revising plans and designs to avoid disputes and negative repercussions, hoping the client will eventually withdraw on their own accord and seek another "way out."
These canceled projects are thankless and time-consuming tasks, even if done perfunctorily. Hence, no one likes to take them on. They're part of the mandatory workload rotation, with different people assigned each week.
"Maybe they're just pushing him to resign," Jin Fei whispered. "I heard the boss wants Brother Bai to become the lead project manager next week. If he handles the projects well, he might get transferred to Design Department 1 and even become an associate director."
Design Department 1 handles major projects catering to high-end clients, including celebrities and business elites. The annual commission from these projects is substantial, making it a coveted position for many designers in the firm.
"The boss is quite generous," Tang Wanan remarked.
"Don't you see his background? He's from a prestigious university, has a great reputation, numerous accolades, and extensive experience," Jin Fei counted on her fingers. "Honestly, I don't understand why Brother Bai chose to work here. There are plenty of people vying for that position."
"I remember Brother Bai is from the Capital Star—-," Tang Wanan said.
"Sister Wanan, Sister Fei," someone called out to them.
Tang Wanan and Jin Fei were startled, but their anxiety melted away when they saw it was Jiang Yuntao.
Jin Fei patted her chest, annoyed. "Walking without making a sound, don't you know you could scare someone to death?"
Jiang Yuntao ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry about that. I came to pick up a document. Sister Miao asked for the physical proposal from Group A3."
Bending down, Tang Wanan found the document and handed it over. Jiang Yuntao's eyes flickered slightly. "Thanks, Sister Wanan. By the way, I overheard you discussing Brother Bai just now?"
He asked nonchalant, "I noticed other groups seem to be talking about it too. Does Director Gao not like Brother Bai?"
Jin Fei and Tang Wanan exchanged a glance, then glanced over at him. They replied with a meaningful tone, "Yuntao, we weren't discussing that."
They understood each other: joking around or discussing casually among close colleagues was one thing, but they couldn't afford to reveal anything definitive.
Jiang Yuntao said, "Ah, Sister Fei, I didn't mean to..."
"It's time to get off work," Jin Fei interrupted, glancing at the time and starting to tidy up her desk.
Jiang Yuntao swallowed the unfinished words, his smile stiffening slightly. "Alright, Sister Fei, see you later."
–
When Bai Nian returned to his workstation, half an hour had passed since work was over.
Tang Wanan was preparing to leave but stopped when she noticed Bai Nian. "Brother Bai, Director Gao didn't have anything important to discuss with you, did he?"
Bai Nian lifted his eyes and replied in a gentle tone, "No, just some drawings to review."
Tang Wanan couldn't help but say, "Bai Nian, you actually don't need to bother with those dead-end projects. They're all difficult clients; no matter how much you revise, they're never satisfied."
Bai Nian was slightly taken aback. "Dead-end projects?"
Tang Wanan leaned in and explained for a moment.
Bai Nian pondered for a moment. "So that's what it is."
Tang Wanan sighed. "Exactly, you could just brush them off."
Bai Nian reassured her in a warm tone, "It's okay, it won't take much time, and there have been successful projects too. It's not wasted effort."
Tang Wanan was shocked. "Successful? Really... How many?"
Bai Nian roughly reported a number.
Tang Wanan: ?!
How can he be so amazing!
Impressive!!!
–
Bai Nian was quite fortunate; he bumped into a public shuttle for the S89 route just as he descended the stairs.
Inside the shuttle, the noise was deafening, and it was crowded and chaotic, as everyone was trying to get home after work.
Bai Nian found a corner and tightly grasped the handrail to steady himself.
Buzz—his light brain vibrated.
Bai Nian struggled to find a gap and opened his optic brain.
He received a reply from Xu Mu for the message he sent earlier.
[Bai: I might be an hour late getting home tonight. If Ye Ye cries or fusses, just have Kaduo take him back.]
[Xu: Okay.]
[Xu: Ye Ye is very well-behaved. He hasn't cried or fussed. He just misses you. Why haven't you returned yet?]
[Xu: Don't worry. Here's a photo.jpg]
Bai Nian's fingertips paused as he saw a photo of Ye Ye laughing while holding a ball.
[Bai: I saw it. Thanks.]
[Xu: Hmm, be careful on the road. It’s raining quite heavily. Take your time, no rush.]
Bai Nian pursed his lips and finally typed out a single word—
[Bai: Okay.]
He closed the chat window, letting out a sigh of relief.
Setting aside Xu Mu's strange hobby, the young man was indeed a very kind and gentle person.
Ye Ye seemed much livelier with the young man's company, often beaming with smiles.
Bai Nian had been worried about Ye Ye's potential discomfort or any unforeseen accidents due to not being able to adapt on Wei De Planet. But now it seems... those concerns had never materialized, thanks to the presence of the young man.
"How many times have I told you! Boys don't cry! Is it shameful! If you keep crying, I'll kick you out!" A rough male voice shouted, "I'll count to three, three, two... still crying, huh! Shameful!!"
There was a loud bang, sounding like something heavy hitting the ground.
Inside the spacecraft, there were screams, pleas, and curses, creating a chaotic scene.
Bai Nian frowned, barely pushing through the crowd, heading towards the center of the commotion.
After finally squeezing into the front row, his frown deepened—
A boy of about seven or eight years old was sitting on the ground, with a slap mark on his face, tears streaming down, crying uncontrollably.
"Still crying!" The man's voice was loud, his face and neck turning red, his eyes unfocused, speaking incoherently, "Crying, crying, you little brat, if you cry, I'll hit you until you stop crying..."
As he spoke, he forcefully kicked the boy.
Bai Nian's expression turned cold, ready to step forward.
At this moment, the public spacecraft happened to arrive at a station, and the cabin door made a "ding" sound, slowly opening on both sides.
The man grabbed the boy and dragged him towards the door. The boy, dressed in shorts in this weather, cried out in pain as his knees scraped against the floor.
The man paid no heed to the pouring rain outside, fiercely throwing the boy out and grumbling, "You little brat... cry all you want, cry again and I'll throw you out! Acting like a silly little girl, I... I'll show you..."
Bai Nian also wore a stern expression and followed without hesitation.
…
"Do we have to eat by the door?" Xu Mu squatted down helplessly, locking eyes with Ye Ye, "It's so windy, you'll catch a cold."
As he spoke, he swiftly put a coat on the other person and placed a hat on their head.
Ye Ye pouted, "Not cold... just here... waiting for Daddy..."
As he spoke, there was a hint of a sob in his voice.
Xu Mu's brow furrowed, hastily embracing Ye Ye, "Hey, why are you crying again? Alright, alright, we won't leave, we'll eat here."
Ye Ye buried his face in Xu Mu's shoulder, trembling as he said, "Not crying... Ye Ye is strong..."
"Yes, Ye Ye is strong."
"Dad... will come back... sob, come back..."
"Of course, he will definitely come back."
"Ye Ye is good..."
Xu Mu continued to coax, "Hmm, when your Daddy comes back, I'll tell him that Ye Ye is the best, that you've been eating well and waiting for him."
Ye Ye showed a smile and whispered, "Yes, Daddy is right."
"So, should we eat now?"
Ye Ye nodded vigorously, "Yes."
Originally, the robot Kaduo had prepared the meal, but Ye Ye turned his head and said he didn't like it. No matter how Xu Mu coaxed him, Ye Ye refused to eat.
Later, Xu Mu asked if Ye Ye wanted to eat what he cooked. After hesitating for a moment, Ye Ye nodded in agreement.
So, with Nades's guidance, Xu Mu stumbled as he started to cook—
Of course, most of the steps required Nades's strong assistance to complete.
Ye Ye didn't need to be fed during the meal; he could eat by himself, one bite at a time.
In order to accompany the child, Xu Mu wrapped himself in a big cotton-padded jacket and sat at the door to eat, blocking his body in front of Ye Ye to resist the cold wind.
The cold wind on the rainy day penetrated into the bones, as if it could penetrate into the marrow.
"Daddy!" Ye Ye suddenly stood up, about to run out.
Xu Mu acted quickly, catching the bowl and placing it properly.
He also turned around, "Brother Nian, on the way—"
The rest of the words got stuck in his throat.
Bai Nian stepped back, indicating to Ye Ye that he was dirty and couldn't be hugged.
He looked up at Xu Mu and said softly, "Sorry, Ah Mu. Because something happened, so I came back late."
"Brother Nian..." Xu Mu walked forward.
Bai Nian was soaked all over, was extremely embarrassed, with a pale face, lips tinged with purple, water marks remaining on his face, and a drop of water rolling from his chin, disappearing without a trace.
He didn't have a coat, only wearing a thin black turtleneck, tightly clinging to his body, revealing the faint outline of his skeleton, with a slender figure, a waist so thin it seemed it could snap with a pinch.
Xu Mu's jaw tightened, a muscle twitching at the corner of his lips, and he said in a deep voice, "What happened? You..."
The next moment, he stopped speaking abruptly, quickly taking off his own coat and firmly wrapping it around the other person.
"Are you very cold? Hurry, go take a shower now." Xu Mu took the person in his arms without resistance, not forgetting to reassure Ye Ye.
"Ye Ye, you behave and stay with Keduo for now, you can hug your Daddy later."
Ye Ye's mouth slightly opened, looking bewildered, but still subconsciously responded, "Okay..."
"Kaduo, open the door," Xu Mu said.
Just like that, Bai Nian was pushed into the house by Xu Mu, urged to shower quickly.
He came to his senses, "Don't worry, I..."
Xu Mu raised his index finger to his lips, gesturing for silence, "Brother Nian, don’t say anything else, hurry and take a shower."
Bai Nian: "Okay..."
Xu Mu was worried about the other person, so he followed closely behind, insisting on seeing him enter the bathroom before feeling at ease.
"Ah Mu," Bai Nian suddenly spoke up.
"What's wrong?" Xu Mu's spirits lifted. "Do you need any help or..."
Bai Nian whispered, "Don't follow me, I need to go to my room to get clean clothes."
Xu Mu: "..."
He looked away, licked his lips, and quietly moved backward, pretending to be busy looking around, but feeling extremely embarrassed.
"Alright, okay, you go ahead, I, I'll wait for you outside in the living room."
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