My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Sweet Potato. “Prank”

After lunch, at the lobby entrance, Guan Shuyun and Phoebe met face-to-face once again. Aside from a brief exchange of looks, there was no verbal communication. However, as we left, I took the initiative to say a polite goodbye: “CEO Lan, we’ll take our leave first.”

Phoebe faltered for a second before responding coldly, “Mhm.”

It wasn’t until we reached the parking garage that Guan Shuyun grabbed me, asking with a hint of confusion, “Why did you take the initiative to greet her just now?”

Here she goes again. Why does this woman love finding fault so much?

“Because I assumed CEO Lan is your business partner, and saying goodbye is basic etiquette. Is there a problem?”

“Remember this: in the future, if I haven’t spoken, you’d better keep your mouth shut.”

“May I ask, boss, what the reasoning is? I’m a bit slow and don’t quite understand.”

Guan Shuyun stared at me and said pointedly, “Because you are just a junior assistant. In these settings, before your superior has expressed a stance, you have no standing to speak. Furthermore, when there are overlapping personal and professional relationships, you need to be clear about the role you are playing. Only then will you know what to say and when to say it. That is the reasoning.”

Fine, she had a point. I accepted the lecture. “Understood, CEO Guan. I’ll keep that in mind. It won’t happen again.”

I opened the car door for her, but she chose the passenger seat instead, instructing: “Don’t go back to the office yet. Find a place for a walk, then take me back to the Guan estate.”

“Understood.”

When I think of places for a walk, I instinctively think of the Coastal Lovers’ Road. I often go there to sit and think. I drove toward the destination. The weather was a gloomy, damp cold; even the yellowish seawater looked lifeless, though the evergreen plants along the road added a spark of vitality.

After parking, I led Guan Shuyun on a slow stroll along the endless road. She pulled her collar tight, hugging herself. “I told you to find a place for a walk—Shijingshan Park would have been fine—but you brought me to the seaside to swallow the wind. Who’s responsible if I catch a cold?”

I walked ahead leisurely with my hands behind my head. Hearing her complaint, I turned and started walking backward to face her. “The view is wide, the air is fresh, the greenery is good for the eyes, and you can admire the ocean. The road is flat and there are few people. Most importantly, it’s free. Tell me, boss, where else can you get such a deal? I love Lovers’ Road. Even if it’s full of couples showing off their affection at night, it doesn’t ruin the mood.”

“Achoo!”

Guan Shuyun proved with her actions that she was indeed a fragile woman. The sea breeze hadn’t even been blowing for long before she sneezed, followed by a frantic scolding: “I told you I’d get a cold, but you wouldn’t listen!”

I wasn’t wearing much myself, so I couldn’t exactly pull off the move of giving her my coat. Luckily, there was a roasted sweet potato stall nearby. I beckoned to her: “Follow me.”

“What trick are you playing now?”

“Just come!”

She followed patiently. I walked up to the stall and held my hands over the roaster to warm them. “Boss, how much for the sweet potatoes?”

“Nine yuan per jin.”

The vendor held a shovel, and a scent wafted through the air that made me freeze. Looking closer, I saw a pot of roasted chestnuts behind the oil-drum roaster. He smiled and pulled out a plastic bag. “Why not have one? It’s freezing today. A roasted sweet potato hits the spot and warms your hands.”

In an instant, a dull ache hit my chest. Scenes of the past always seem to find the gaps to make one uncomfortable. I ignored the vendor and stared blankly at the chestnuts.

‘Hiss~ Quick, quick… let me rub your ears, they’re burning!’

‘You… like eating these?’

‘It’s winter; sugar-roasted chestnuts are a must! But… I haven’t had them in a long time…’

‘If you like them, why don’t you eat them?’

‘Because… no one eats them with me~’

‘Well… now… you can have that joy again. By the way, let’s go on a vacation soon.’

‘Mhm! I’ll listen to you! So~ have you thought about where?’

‘Wherever it’s warm.’

‘Ha? Since when did my big boss Lan have such low standards? Quick! Give me your hand~’

‘What… are you doing?’

‘Heh~ they’re frozen, aren’t they? Hoo— hoo— warming your hands for you~’

‘You’re so mischievous!’

Just then, Guan Shuyun grabbed my arm and slid her hands into my sleeves for warmth. The icy touch snapped me back to reality. She shoved my shoulder and poked my head with her other hand. “You Feifan, what are you dreaming about?”

My eyes widened as I looked at her, responding a beat too late. “Ah? Oh… nothing… How about I buy you a sweet potato? Even if you don’t eat it, just hold it to keep your hands warm.”

She looked at the oil-drum roaster with a look of disdain. “Can you even eat that?”

“Even if the fairies in heaven don’t know the hardships of the mortal world, they still come down to experience it. You, who grew up with a silver spoon, can surely afford to feel a normal person’s joy once in a while. Try it and you’ll see! Sweet potatoes roasted in these drums are the best! Especially when you eat it with a spoon. If you really don’t want to try, just use it as a hand warmer. When it’s cool, give it to me and I’ll eat it!”

I turned to the vendor. “One, please. Make it a very hot one!”

“Coming right up! I’ll pick a nice one… this one okay? Perfect for the hand… that’s 0.63 jin…”

Guan Shuyun watched the old-fashioned beam scale with curiosity. I fumbled in my pocket and handed the vendor a twenty-yuan bill. As he looked for change, I hesitated while looking at the chestnuts, then decided: “Keep the change, give me some chestnuts too.”

“Sure thing.”

I handed the sweet potato to Guan Shuyun. She held it, unsure whether to eat it or not, sniffing the bag. “It does smell good.”

She saw me weighing the chestnuts and felt puzzled. “Did you not get enough at lunch? Buying so many chestnuts.”

I tucked the bag of chestnuts under my arm and used a small plastic spoon to peel the skin of the sweet potato. A puff of sweet-scented steam rose up. I scooped a bit of the potato and held it to Guan Shuyun’s lips. “Quick, try it!”

She leaned back, staring at me suspiciously for a long time, then gathered her courage and took a bite. I saw her eyes brighten. The taste had clearly satisfied her.

“Well? Didn’t I tell you?”

“It’s good.”

“Here, take the spoon and eat it yourself. Be careful not to burn yourself.”

She didn’t stand on ceremony anymore. Seeing how good it was, she ate as we walked, completely ignoring her image, and stopped complaining about the cold. Noticing I was only peeling the chestnuts but not eating them, she tugged my arm and pointed her spoon at the bag. “You’re a strange one. Peeling them but not eating.”

I had no appetite for chestnuts. To be honest, nothing tasted like anything to me right now. I only bought them out of a sudden sense of nostalgia.

“I’m not hungry right now.”

“Well, since you’ve peeled them, I’ll have a taste.”

She reached into the bag like she was snatching something, popped a chestnut into her mouth, and her eyes lit up again. “Delicious.”

I held my hand out to her. “Reimburse me.”

Guan Shuyun was stunned, snapping back unhappily, “Should we just go Dutch on lunch and deduct it from your salary then? I just lost five million to you and didn’t even blink; what’s wrong with eating twenty yuan worth of your stuff!?”

“I was joking. You took it seriously.”

“Joking? You look like you’re counting every penny.”

I didn’t feel like bickering. I checked the time; it was past 2:00 PM. “It’s about time. I’ll take you back to the estate.”

“Fine.”

The post-lunch walk was brief, but unexpectedly lighthearted.

…

Back at the Guan estate, the butler was already waiting by the car. As soon as Guan Shuyun stepped out, he reported respectfully, “Miss Qiao Xin is already in the living room waiting for you.”

Guan Shuyun didn’t react immediately. She was still holding the leftover chestnuts. She looked at me silently, likely calculating whether she should bring me to see Qiao Xin. Finally, she decided: “Go back to your room and rest. Wait for my notification.”

I watched them walk away toward the living room. Knowing that there were hallways at both ends and surely bodyguards on duty, overhearing their conversation would be nearly impossible. I instinctively looked down at the ring on my finger. A thought flashed through my mind, and I immediately twisted the gemstone to the right, activating the recording function.

Then I realized—Guan Shuyun’s bag was still in my hand. I looked around to ensure no one was watching, then turned and quickly slipped the ring into a hidden compartment of her clutch. It was a dangerous gamble to play tricks under Guan Shuyun’s nose just as a fragile trust was being built. If caught, the consequences would be dire, and the plan would fail entirely.

Composing myself, I called out: “CEO Guan!”

She stopped and turned, popping a chestnut into her mouth. She stared at me impatiently. I ran over to her and held the bag out. “Almost forgot your bag. Here. There’s a difference between an assistant and a bag-carrier, isn’t there? Though what I’m doing isn’t much different from an errand girl.”

She snatched the bag. “I’m warning you, don’t be ungrateful. I’ve treated you quite well.”

As she turned to leave, I grabbed her arm and snatched the bag of chestnuts back from her. “Leave a few chestnuts for me.”

“Look at you, getting stingy over a few chestnuts!”

“Hey… you have to let me at least taste them… honestly…”

She ignored me and left. Letting out a breath, I found a secluded spot in the garden to secretly call Yu Xiao.

“You Feifan! You finally remember to contact me? You left Lin Chen behind and spend all day at Guan Shuyun’s. What are you thinking?”

As soon as the call connected, Yu Xiao started ranting. I didn’t explain, only giving a brief instruction: “Remember the ring you gave me? I’ve switched it to listening mode. Send me the audio from the device later.”

“You’re in the lion’s den alone just to steal some secrets?”

“I don’t have time to explain, you’ll know later.”

“Fine. I support you, but you must be careful. Protect yourself.”

“Don’t worry. Keep this a secret; don’t even tell Yumeng. Email me the audio later.”

“Understood. Do what you need to do; I’m behind you 100%.”

…

Back in my room, I was restless. The plan felt good in the moment, but how to get the ring back was now a massive problem. I don’t know how much time passed, but while I was lying on the bed racking my brain, there was a knock at the door. I held my breath and stood up.

Opening the door, I saw Guan Shuyun leaning casually against the frame. In all the days I’d lived here, this was the first time she had come to my room. She said quite amiably, “The annual gala is tonight, isn’t it? Come and help me pick out a dress.”

It seemed she hadn’t found the ring. I tested the waters by retorting, “Why not let Qiao Xin pick? You’re really giving me face by letting a ‘country bumpkin’ like me choose.”