Stealing The Wind But Not The Moon [Completed]

79. Are You Tasting The Coffee Or Your Emotions?

Since Chu Zhichen started working at Xiangyue, he had been frequently working overtime. These ten days could be considered as a long vacation, and he was tired of resting.

He arrived at the company early on Monday.

The secretary's room had been locked the whole time, and the air inside was stagnant.

Chu Zhichen opened the window and turned on the dehumidifier, then proceeded to revive the drooping gladioli plants. After all, they were a gift from the president, and it would be difficult to explain if they withered.

After tidying up, Chu Zhichen logged into the office system and found that the combined to-do list of both Xiangyue and Yisi departments had accumulated more than 200 tasks.

Efficiently categorizing them into "urgent" and "not urgent," he tackled most of them in one go. As work hours approached, colleagues from his department started arriving one after another.

Chu Zhichen was on his way to get a report from the marketing department when he was intercepted by Peng Xin in the office area.

Having just returned from vacationing in Bali, the project team members were still sporting tanned skin. Chu Zhichen smiled and asked, "How was your trip?"

Everyone was still buzzing with excitement, but unfortunately, Chu Zhichen couldn't join in the conversation.

Peng Xin received a notification from Xiang Mingzhang that he would be taking Chu Zhichen on a business trip. Reluctant to object, he sympathetically expressed, "Secretary Chu, you've been working hard. We all vacationed together while working on projects. You have to keep working."

Chu Zhichen felt a bit embarrassed. He was going on a business trip, and indeed, he was feeling quite weary from his workload.

The supervisor handed him a bag and said, "Secretary Chu, I brought you a special product from Bali. I can't guarantee its authenticity, though."

Chu Zhichen was pleasantly surprised. "Thank you, I appreciate it."

Everyone had brought gifts for Chu Zhichen to compensate for his inability to join the vacation and to reciprocate for the gifts he always brought back for everyone whenever he went on a business trip.

He had accumulated quite a large box, which Chu Zhichen placed back in the secretary's room. While leaving the door slightly ajar, Ling Qi came by alone and said, "Secretary Chu, I also brought you a gift."

"Come in," Chu Zhichen replied.

Ling Qi held out a box. In the past, when Chu Zhichen was still relatively new, they sat next to each other and had a close relationship. However, as Chu Zhichen became the secretary and his responsibilities grew, Ling Qi felt a sense of distance.

Of course, Chu Zhichen, with his keen intuition, understood that interpersonal dynamics were bound to change over time. He preferred to go with the flow and said, "Why didn't you give it to me earlier?"

"There were so many people around, I didn't want to make a fuss," Ling Qi explained. "The sweeping robot you gave me was quite expensive. I've been looking for an opportunity to return the favor, but I didn't know when your birthday was."

Chu Zhichen took the box and replied, "I don't accept expensive gifts."

"It's not expensive," Ling Qi assured him. "But I picked it out carefully. As long as you don't mind, it's just a small gesture of courtesy—"

Outside the room, Xiang Mingzhang walked by with his coat and briefcase. Seeing that the door was open, he was about to greet Chu Zhichen when he heard the sincere yet seemingly empty three words, "It's really lovely."