I Secretly Read My Boss' Diary (GL) - Chapter 18

November 30th, my birthday.

Today I turned 22. Before cutting the cake, my parents and relatives all crowded around, urging me to make a wish.

I never used to believe in this kind of thing, but this year I actually did make a wish. When we were finished, my mother asked if I was in a relationship. I didn’t deny it, because in my heart, Silly really is mine.

Mom asked me what the person I liked was like. Suddenly, I remembered her crouching at the school gate, choking back sobs while munching on a grilled sausage with gusto. Without thinking, I blurted out, “A fool.”

Mom clearly didn’t expect this response. After a moment of surprise, she chuckled. When I returned to school after lunch, she took my hand and said only one thing: “Since you have someone you like, it’s time to work on your temper.”

I know I’m not easy to get along with, but after meeting Silly, I’ve been slowly changing myself.

Back at school, when we were dividing the cake, I deliberately saved a piece of her favorite flavor for Silly. My roommate seemed to notice something, her gaze lingering on me as if she wanted to say something.

Pretending not to notice, I turned away from her probing look and focused on watching Silly savor the cake with delight.

As if sensing my gaze, Silly looked up and gave me a sweet smile. Unable to resist, I smiled

“I think this birthday is probably the happiest I’ve had since I was born.”

*******

Today’s diary entry seemed unusually long, clearly reflecting the writer’s exceptionally good mood.

In her dream, Yan Zhao speculated as she flipped through the diary. At the bottom of the last page, she found a cartoonish drawing of a little girl with a ponytail, holding a cake and smiling with eyes that curved into crescents.

Yan Zhao gently stroked the drawing, finding the character’s goofy charm endearing. Yet, she also felt a strange familiarity about the girl, though she couldn’t quite place where she had seen her before.

Just as she was about to turn the page, her fingers barely touched the next sheet when she felt a light touch on the back of her hand.

Startled awake, Yan Zhao bolted upright, hearing the rustle of fabric as she sat up. Turning around, she realized she was still wearing Gong Muyu’s beige trench coat, which she’d draped over herself before falling asleep.

Could Gong Muyu have come back earlier?

Yan Zhao checked her phone—it was already past quitting time.

The sky was completely dark, the streetlights blazing outside. Inside the office, only a small desk lamp remained lit.

Tomorrow was the Double Festival, and Yan Zhao had been burning the midnight oil for the past few days, working overtime to meet deadlines. In the afternoon, when she finally got a rare moment of leisure, she couldn’t resist the urge to rest her head on the desk and fall asleep.

Waking up and looking out at the empty Operations Department hall, Yan Zhao’s eyes flickered as she sat back down, a wave of abandonment washing over her.

After a moment of silence in her chair, Yan Zhao carefully folded Gong Muyu’s jacket and placed it in a bag. Just as she was about to pack her things and head home, she heard footsteps in the corridor. Yan Zhao looked up to see Gong Muyu pushing the door open, carrying two takeout meals and two cups of hot coffee.

Noticing Yan Zhao awake, Gong Muyu’s expression shifted. She turned to switch on the lights, masking her fleeting disappointment with the movement. She carried the food to the table and set it down.

“Awake? I went out and got some food. You should join me.”

“General Manager Mu, why didn’t you wake me?”

Yan Zhao picked up her bag, bracing herself for a reprimand. She hadn’t expected Gong Muyu to say nothing about her sleeping on the job during work hours.

“I wasn’t in the office this afternoon, and you were sleeping on the job?”

Hearing Gong Muyu’s words, Yan Zhao felt so regretful she wanted to slap herself. She knew their new leader detested wasting time during work hours, and her earlier question had essentially been a tacit admission of guilt.

Yan Zhao secretly glanced at Gong Muyu’s expression, relieved to see no sign of anger. She must not be mad, Yan Zhao thought. Otherwise, she would have confronted me immediately and told me to pay the fine directly to the Finance Office after my vacation.

“You folded my clothes for me? Thank you.”

Gong Muyu glanced at the clothes Yan Zhao had stuffed into a plastic bag, then took them and placed them on her desk. Seeing that Yan Zhao had finished packing her things and was ready to leave, Gong Muyu pushed the takeout she had just brought over to Yan Zhao’s desk.

“I can’t finish all this anyway. Stay and eat first. I’ll drive you home after.”

Yan Zhao initially wanted to refuse, but the tantalizing aroma of the takeout rice simmering in the box made her stomach growl despite herself.

Looking up, she saw Gong Muyu already seated at her desk. With no choice, Yan Zhao sat down obediently, opened the box, and took a bite.

“General Manager Mu, why are you still here so late? The holiday is tomorrow. Aren’t you going home?”

“Mm, a client is about to start another bidding process soon. I need to finish preparing the proposal today, so I’ll be leaving a bit later.”

Gong Muyu spoke without turning her head, her eyes fixed on the computer screen. As if struck by a sudden thought, she turned to Yan Zhao, who was crunching on rice crisps, and said, “I’ve already prepared most of it this morning. Just wait a moment for me.”

Seeing Yan Zhao obediently nod, Gong Muyu turned back to her work.

Bidding was a major event. Yan Zhao tried to minimize the noise of her chewing, careful not to disturb Gong Muyu.

Her gaze drifted to the coat Gong Muyu had draped over the back of her chair. Yan Zhao paused mid-chew, remembering how Dong Wan had snuck into the General Manager’s Office earlier to chat with her. A twinge of resentment stirred within her.

Though the weather was cold and Dong Wan’s concern for her well-being was genuine, there was no excuse for using Gong Muyu’s coat. Fortunately, Gong Muyu hadn’t noticed. Otherwise, Dong Wan would have been in hot water for casually borrowing someone else’s belongings.

“Are you not going home for the holiday?”

Yan Zhao, who had been happily devouring her meal, looked up at Gong Muyu’s question. Meeting Gong Muyu’s keen gaze, she paused for a moment before nodding.

Yan Zhao lowered her head to swallow her food before saying, “Mm, my hometown is quite far from Huaqing. I wouldn’t be able to stay long anyway, and there’s nothing pressing, so I don’t feel like going back.”

Gong Muyu sensed Yan Zhao’s subdued mood when discussing the topic and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret for bringing it up.

“I’ll probably be working overtime at the office during the holiday. If you don’t have anything else to do at home, why don’t you come over and help out for a few days?”

Hearing this, Yan Zhao’s already low spirits darkened further, and the savory aroma of her rice pot suddenly lost its appeal.

She had worked tirelessly to finish her reports, hoping for some leisure time during the holiday. Now, with a single sentence from Gong Muyu, all her efforts had been undone, leaving her feeling sick to her stomach.

But she had already declared her intention not to return home. Coming up with another excuse would only make Gong Muyu dislike her even more.

Selling myself for a single rice pot meal? There’s probably no one in the world as stupid as me.

Yan Zhao scowled, her cheeks puffed out as she held a mouthful of congee rice, seriously considering spitting it back at Gong Muyu.

“What’s wrong? Do you have other plans for your vacation?”

After a long silence, Gong Muyu couldn’t resist turning to look at Yan Zhao beside her.

Seeing Yan Zhao’s cheeks bulging with congee rice, a regretful expression on her face, Gong Muyu swallowed hard. After watching her for a few seconds, she couldn’t resist poking Yan Zhao’s cheek.

Yan Zhao jumped in surprise, her eyes widening as she nearly leaped out of her seat. Her mouth was stuffed with too much rice. Struggling to swallow, her neck strained, and her face flushed crimson.

Gong Muyu hurriedly offered her coffee to help Yan Zhao wash it down. But when Yan Zhao gulped down several mouthfuls and recovered, Gong Muyu realized she had handed over the cup she had already been drinking from.

Seeing Yan Zhao’s bright red lips pressed against the same spot where hers had been moments before, indecent images suddenly flashed through Gong Muyu’s mind. Her face burned with heat, and she quickly averted her gaze.

“General Manager Mu, what’s wrong? Why is your face so red?” Yan Zhao leaned closer, her breath puffing against Gong Muyu’s ear.

“Is it?” Gong Muyu asked, pressing her hand against her cheek. It was indeed warm. Avoiding Yan Zhao’s gaze, she tossed the pot onto the running air conditioner.

“It’s probably because the air conditioning is set too warm. Being blasted by it for too long can do that.”

Yan Zhao nodded and continued eating her meal.

After Yan Zhao finished eating and went to the restroom, Gong Muyu finally brought her hand away from her face and ran her fingers along the rim of the paper cup. Remembering that Yan Zhao had shared this cup with her earlier, she felt a burning sensation in her heart.

Listening for any sound from Yan Zhao in the restroom, Gong Muyu picked up the cup and took a sip.

Cold coffee usually tastes awful, but for some reason, this cup was surprisingly delicious.

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