I Secretly Read My Boss' Diary (GL) - Chapter 13

Yan Zhao hadn’t eaten lunch and couldn’t resist the tempting spread in front of her. She dove in, devouring the sweets with relish.

Across from her, Gong Muyu watched Yan Zhao savor the desserts, a wistful smile creeping across her face. The restaurant’s background music played “The Wind Rises” by Wu Qingfeng, his clear, gentle voice transporting her back to the summer she first met the Silly one. Back then, she had been captivated by his radiant smile, which could melt anyone’s heart, and she had become hopelessly entranced.

Thinking back on how long she had pursued him, Gong Muyu felt a pang of bitterness. She longed to ask Yan Zhao if the Gong Muyu from the neighboring dorm room had left no trace in her heart at all.

When she mustered the courage to confess her feelings to Yan Zhao, she had assumed that even if he rejected her, he would at least have the decency to face her in person.

So that snowy night, she stood foolishly on the playground, watching the lights in the dormitory building go out one by one, waiting until dawn for him to show up.

Gong Muyu trudged home through the snow, her hair frosted white. As she packed her bags, she sealed away all her feelings for Yan Zhao, then left her homeland, carrying her burdens on her back.

She had thought that eight years had erased all memories of that silly boy. But when that familiar figure reappeared, all the emotions she had buried came flooding back, overwhelming her before she could even prepare.

Gong Muyu felt a tightness in her chest, the words she wanted to say caught in her throat. The pain in her heart made her eyes grow red, but afraid that the silly boy she had hidden in her heart might see, she turned away to secretly wipe away the tears that had spilled over.

“General Manager Mu, aren’t you going to eat? This cake is delicious!”

Yan Zhao, a smear of white cream still clinging to her lips, pushed the untouched piece of cake toward Gong Muyu, her smile as bright as ever.

“Yes.”

Gong Muyu forced back the tears, her voice trembling as she smiled and moved the plate closer. Though she usually disliked sweets, she endured the cloying sweetness and slowly finished the cake Yan Zhao had pushed toward her.

By the time they finished eating, it was already a quarter past two in the afternoon.

Yan Zhao followed behind Gong Muyu, patting her stuffed belly and letting out a satisfied burp.

“Thank you for the lunch, General Manager Mu.”

Looking at the goofy smile on Yan Zhao’s face, Gong Muyu suppressed the urge to pat her head and simply nodded with a smile.

“You’ve been working hard these past few days. A little reward is necessary.”

Hearing this, Yan Zhao recalled yesterday’s brutal critique of her proposal format. She puffed out her cheeks, silently grumbling to herself about how unpredictable Gong Muyu was.

Still, her harsh criticism hadn’t been entirely in vain; at least she’d scored a delicious meal out of it.

Her mood instantly lifted, Yan Zhao slung her backpack over her shoulders, shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, and skipped after Gong Muyu out of the restaurant.

Gong Muyu glanced back at Yan Zhao bouncing along behind her, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement. She’s nearly thirty, Gong Muyu thought, but she still acts like a child.

“Stop skipping around like that. You’re a grown adult.”

Perhaps because they were no longer in the office, Yan Zhao felt less intimidated by Gong Muyu. She kept her hands in her pockets, tilted her head back to look up at her, and retorted with clear defiance, “Why can’t adults skip around?”

Gong Muyu was instantly speechless at Yan Zhao’s counter-question. She shook her head slightly, her eyes brimming with affectionate exasperation as she rolled her eyes at Yan Zhao. She took hold of the straps of Yan Zhao’s backpack and led her out of the mall before letting go.

As Gong Muyu and Yan Zhao reached the lobby of their company and were about to press the elevator button, Yan Zhao’s phone suddenly rang. When she saw the caller ID, her expression slowly turned awkward.

“Go ahead up, General Manager Mu. I need to take this call outside.”

Gong Muyu immediately sensed the shift in Yan Zhao’s mood. Though she wondered who could affect Yan Zhao so deeply, she knew this was Yan Zhao’s personal matter, and prying would be inappropriate.

So when Yan Zhao told her to go ahead, Gong Muyu simply nodded.

The elevator was still on the thirteenth floor. When Gong Muyu turned back to look for Yan Zhao, she saw her already heading toward the nearby fire exit. As the elevator reached the first floor and the doors opened, Gong Muyu suddenly heard Yan Zhao’s furious shout from the direction of the fire exit.

Gong Muyu froze mid-step, hesitating. She remained frozen until the sounds from the fire exit stairs ceased. Only then, worried for Yan Zhao’s safety, did she cautiously approach.

Pushing open the door, Gong Muyu was greeted by the sight of Yan Zhao sitting on the stairs, clutching her phone and sobbing uncontrollably.

Gong Muyu froze mid-motion, hesitating for a moment before slowly approaching Yan Zhao and crouching down in front of her.

Yan Zhao, still weeping, looked up at Gong Muyu. She wiped the tears from her face, but more immediately welled up and overflowed.

Amid her sobs, Yan Zhao seemed to hear Gong Muyu sigh. Then, unexpectedly, the older woman wrapped her arms around her.

“Silly, why are you crying?”

Perhaps having held back her tears for too long, Yan Zhao finally found someone to lean on. She collapsed against Gong Muyu’s shoulder and let out a full-throated wail.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Yan Zhao’s crying gradually subsided. She touched Gong Muyu’s jacket, now soaked with tears and snot, and sniffled, her voice thick with congestion, “I’m sorry, General Manager Mu. Let me take this off and wash it for you.”

Hearing Yan Zhao’s embarrassed tone, Gong Muyu knew her mood had stabilized, and she relaxed. She glanced at her shoulder and couldn’t help but find the situation amusing.

“All done crying? Let’s go back.”

Yan Zhao pointed at Gong Muyu’s shoulder, but after a quick glance, Gong Muyu simply took her hand and led her back to the office.

The staff of the Operations Department had already been wondering what the two were doing during work hours. Now, seeing General Manager Mu return with Yan Zhao, her eyes red and swollen, they were all dumbfounded.

Sister V had been about to stop Yan Zhao and ask what happened, but Fang Fang held her back.

“Why are you stopping me? Did that A-Zhao get chewed out by General Manager Mu again?”

“Why would you want to ask? You might get dragged into it too. Just wait until A-Zhao comes out to use the restroom. Then you can ask her.”

Sister V thought this made sense. If Yan Zhao really had been crying from being scolded by General Manager Mu, directly asking her would only embarrass her further and might upset the General Manager.

With this in mind, Sister V gave Fang Fang a grateful smile.

“Hmm, you’re right. I’ve never seen that A-Zhao cry before. I was just worried and acted rashly.”

In the General Manager’s Office, Gong Muyu had just removed her coat and hung it on the back of the chair. Before she could turn around, she heard a knock at the door. She turned to see Zhang Sheng standing anxiously in the doorway.

“General Manager Mu, the order rejection you had A-Zhao handle—it caused a problem.”

Gong Muyu’s expression froze at Zhang Sheng’s words. “What happened?” she asked.

“Because Zhao rejected the order, now everyone in CHI knows about our Qiongyang Shortage. Her supervisor just called to demand we attend a meeting.”

Hearing this, Yan Zhao felt a surge of panic. She stood up from her chair, wanting to speak, but Gong Muyu cut her off.

“Perfect timing. I’ve been looking for an excuse to go to CHI and ask them why they’re targeting us.”

With that, Gong Muyu went to get her coat, which she had just hung up. But when she saw the clear water stain on the shoulder, her expression softened. She reached for a spare coat she kept at the office and draped it over her arm.

Turning to Yan Zhao, she said, “Print out the number of CHI orders we’ve had over the past two years and come with me to CHI.”

Why is it so cold today? Have I been abandoned?!

I hope the students reading this can help by clicking to add it to their collection. Show some love to the orphaned child, mmw~

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