Volume One, Chapter 10: Darling, Will You Let Me Stay with You Tonight?
Shen Wei was the head of the Marketing Department, one of the few remaining veterans in the company. Ever since the chairman’s incident, internal power struggles within the company had grown increasingly fierce. Shen Wei had originally intended to stay out of it, knowing better than anyone the chairman’s temperament. She detested intrigue and scheming above all else.
But recently, rumors had surfaced that the chairman might never return. Faced with this uncertainty, Shen Wei was forced to consider his own future. Just then, his secretary brought him some news.
The head of Human Resources had personally received two newly hired employees with extraordinary courtesy. Shen Wei initially paid it no mind, assuming they were simply relatives of someone important. But upon further investigation, he was shocked to discover these two had been placed there by the matriarch herself.
Since stepping back from day-to-day affairs, the matriarch rarely intervened in company matters. For her to personally get involved and insert these two meant they must be exceptionally distinguished. Realizing the gravity of their connection, Shen Wei knew he had to treat the matter seriously—especially since these two were now his subordinates.
Lost in thought, he was startled when the office door opened.
“Director Shen, Mr. Lin and Mr. Jiang, I’ve brought them here,” the secretary said with a smile.
“Good, please have a seat,” Shen Wei invited them in.
“I called you here today because…” he began.
Half an hour later, Lin Chen and Jiang Yao left Shen Wei’s office utterly bewildered. Before the meeting, they had been anxious, expecting some important instructions from their department head. As new recruits and mere cogs in the machine, meeting the department chief was nerve-wracking.
However, after half an hour of conversation, all Shen Wei talked about were trivial matters. In summary, his message was simple: whenever you face any difficulty in the company, come to me—I will support you.
Back at their desks, Lin Chen couldn’t help but vent, “What’s going on? Is this world really this surreal? The department head calls us in and treats us like royalty. Does your cousin really have that much influence?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. If my cousin had that kind of clout, would he still be a lowly employee?” Jiang Yao retorted.
“If not your cousin, then who else? The HR chief personally handling our onboarding was already strange enough… and this guy is even weirder,” Lin Chen said, wracking his brain trying to understand what was happening.
“Whatever it is, Director Shen is taking us out for dinner tonight. Let’s feel out the situation then,” Jiang Yao suggested.
“Good idea.”
---
After work, the two returned to their dorms to change into more formal attire before heading to the meeting. Upon arrival at the hotel, they were stunned by the lavish decor—sumptuous and grand.
In a place like this, even ordering a glass of plain water would probably cost a hundred yuan. As lowly employees, they would never dare set foot here unless invited by the boss. Their entire monthly salary might not cover this one meal.
“What the hell is Director Shen up to, inviting us to such a fancy place?” Lin Chen whispered.
“Who knows what’s in his mind? Maybe he’s taken a liking to you and wants to ‘sell your charm’ tonight?” Jiang Yao teased.
“Shut up. Your butt’s no better than mine. Besides, if he liked me, he’d invite me alone. Why bring you along too?”
“Then there’s only one reason left—he likes us both.”
“Get lost!”
---
By the time they arrived at the private room, Director Shen had been waiting for some time, which made them feel even more honored. During the meal, Lin Chen and Jiang Yao tried several times to probe Shen Wei, but he consistently blocked them, saying this was about bonding, not work. This only piqued their curiosity further.
After downing several bottles of foreign liquor, Shen Wei finally smiled and revealed the real purpose: a rare opportunity for a business trip and study, with the spots awarded to both of them.
Hearing this, Lin Chen cursed inwardly. For such a trivial matter, why all the fuss? Why the drinking and forced bonding? It was like taking off one’s pants to fart—completely unnecessary. He was nearly sick from the harsh taste of the liquor.
---
The dinner ended after ten at night. Jiang Yao hailed a cab to return to school. Lin Chen, however, suddenly remembered he hadn’t gone to see Xu Mi yet. Slamming the car door shut, he waved Jiang Yao off.
“You go back yourself. I still have to see my wife,” he slurred, staggering toward the hospital.
---
By the time Lin Chen arrived at the hospital, it was already eleven o’clock at night. The nurse on duty looked surprised to see him.
“Coming to see your wife this late?”
“Yeah,” Lin Chen replied, hiccuping. “How’s she doing? Is she behaving?”
“She’s doing well,” the nurse said, stepping out from the station to steady him. “You’ve had so much to drink—why come all this way? Your wife’s just lying there; she’s not going anywhere.”
“That won’t do. We promised to visit her, so I had to come. Even if it rained knives from the sky, I’d still be here.”
The nurse shook her head, amused. “You two are something else. You’re like a couple married for luck, but your bond is stronger than some real couples. No wonder everyone ships you two.”
“I don’t need your help. I can walk on my own. If my wife sees you holding me up, she’ll get jealous.” Drunk, Lin Chen gently pushed the nurse aside.
The nurse was speechless, cheeks puffed in mock indignation. “I really admire you—good intentions met with ungratefulness!”
---
Lin Chen entered the ward and sat beside the bed, still hiccuping before he even spoke.
“Wife, sorry I’m late today. There was a company event.”
“Wife, do I smell like alcohol? You must hate it, right? I don’t like drinking either. I think all alcohol tastes terrible—whether it’s baijiu or foreign liquor. I don’t understand why so many things have to be discussed over drinks. Take Director Shen, for example. He just wanted me to go on a business trip, but he had to wait until after a night of drinking to tell us. What a bad habit!”
“Hic!”
Lin Chen hiccupped again.
“Wife, it’s been a whole day—did you miss me?”
“You probably didn’t miss me, but I thought about you all day…”
He cupped her face gently.
Smack!
He kissed her cheek. But instead of pulling away, he pressed her closer, resting partly on the bed with his face against hers.
“Wife, I don’t want to leave tonight. Can I stay and sleep with you?”