C15 Kobayashi with Hidden Disease

Ever since Cheng Muze had proudly announced that Liancheng had taken a fancy to a woman in the office and sent in another dim photo from the evening, he deliberately ignored their calls and messages. Tonight, after his shift, he finally had the opportunity to talk to them. The corners of his lips quirked up as he got rid of the airplane mode. Immediately, his phone blew up.

His phone rang for a good ten minutes, and before that, he saw hundreds of missed calls and text messages. As he scanned through them, he saw that his friends weren't too pleased with his little stunt, given that all the messages he had received were filled with curses and pleas that could give an old man a heart attack. Snorting, he placed his phone back on his desk and headed into the bathroom.

Once he was finished with his shower, Cheng Muze wrapped himself with a towel and held a glass of red wine. Logging into his WeChat, he scrolled over to the group chat and noticed that the first two hundred notifications were filled with stickers and exclamation points as they all begged for him to know exactly the beauty who had moved Liancheng's heart.

An evil smirk slid into his features as he shared with them another gossip that had spread across Ming's Enterprise. "Stop asking who that girl is anymore," he typed. "Sister Jian already announced that she had no interest in a man like Mr. Huo."

After the message was sent, he added a sticker of a man kneeling on the ground with tears flowing down its face.

Once the news came out, the group chat erupted into another uproar once more. The group members quickly jumped from their seats as they wailed out in pain for their fallen brother.

"With Fourth Bro's looks and charm, how could any woman reject him? I don't believe it for a second!"

"He's practically loaded with cash, and he doesn't look half-bad either. She must be blind! Is she? But then again, she's quite brave for even saying such daring words to our Fourth Bro!"

"OH! He had finally fallen in love with a woman who couldn't love him back! :( Fourth Bro! I'm here for you. I'll comfort you!"

'HAHAHA, get away, he's mine, mine, mine!"

Soon enough, everyone was already debating why such a simple woman would reject the likes of Huo Liancheng. A few had stated how there was probably something wrong with Sister Jian's eyesight. The others have assumed that she didn't like his cold and unflattering personality. And the next thing they knew, they were already discussing whether there was something wrong with their Fourth Brother, given that they still hadn't seen him with a woman for all the years they had been with him.

"Cheng Muze, yo! Tell me, is Fourth Bro gay? Does that mean I have a chance?"

Cheng Muze grinned as he took a sip from his glass. "Even if he's gay, it's not your turn! It's mine! My secret crush on him would finally come to life! <3"

"Is that so?" Immediately, another message popped up.

Taking a deep breath, he felt the rich fragrance of the wine entering his nostrils. It was as if his movements had slowed down as his head felt light on his shoulders. Unwinding after a long day was truly gratifying. When he spotted the message, he quickly answered, "Of course!"

All of a sudden, a bad feeling stirred in his stomach. Why was the group suddenly so quiet?

Cheng Muze glanced at his phone, and his relaxed and calm expression ultimately collapsed. His eyebrows knitted together as his heart skipped a beat. His fingers trembled as he typed the next few words. He was done! "Fourth Bro! You're here..."

"If I didn't go online, how could I have known you have a crush on me?"

Even if he was just reading them through the screen, Cheng Muze could see the murderous intent wafting from Huo Liancheng's words. Suddenly, the wine he had been drinking didn't seem so good anymore.

"Cheng Muze, I'm giving you ten minutes to appear in my office!"

Then, Huo Liancheng tagged everyone in the chat, "And nothing's wrong with me. If you'd like, you could confront me with them one by one."

Silence had coursed through the group chat. A few seconds ago, the band of brothers was loud and jubilant as they had gone through assumption after assumption, but now, it was as if everyone had suddenly passed out. Cheng Muze cursed under his breath. So much for 'brotherhood'.

After sending the last message, Huo Liancheng logged off from his phone and didn't say anything else. With a sigh, the man adjusted his glasses and put on his suit before dragging himself to the office.

The next day, Jian Yun came by early on purpose. As she stood alone in the lobby waiting for an elevator, a shout echoed across the hall. "Sister Jian! Sister Jian!"

When she turned around, she saw that it was none other than Cheng Muze. He twirled a packaged breakfast in his fingertips, and a small smile spread across her lips. Not refusing, she grabbed the package and thanked him, "You're a lifesaver!"

However, when she looked up, she noticed another person standing beside the young man. His intimidating presence wafted around her, rendering her out of breath. Immediately, the smile on her face froze, and she lowered her head. "President Huo."

The awkwardness in the room had doubled, and Cheng Muze had to suppress a laugh. He glanced at Huo Liancheng, only to see that the man's indifferent features had become colder by the second.

"Assistant Cheng, didn't you sleep last night? You look like a raccoon." The elevator hadn't arrived yet, so Jian Yun took the time to observe his haggard looks. He looked as if he had just gotten out of bed!

"Ugh, we were tossed about by our boss most of the night, so we're exhausted." Cheng Muze yawned, rubbing his eyes. After Fourth Bro had called on him in the office, he had been assigned with so much paperwork that they practically towered all around him. As the memory surged through him, he couldn't help but shudder. That was definitely one of the worst nights of his life.

Jian Yun pursed her lips and subconsciously glanced up at Huo Liancheng.

That was exactly what Cheng Muze wanted. His smile became even more mischievous. "And hey, I already told you to drop the formalties, didn't I?" His eyes glinted. "I'm calling you Sister Jian now, so why don't you call me Brother Ze?"

"You're acting as if we're shooting the Legend of the Condor Heroes!" Jian Yun wrinkled her nose as she swatted his arm away. After seeing his disheveled figure, she found herself more comfortable at his presence. "Are we heading to the palace now?"

"Fine. How about this then? Since I'm usually called Fifth amongst my friends, why don't you call me Fifth Bro instead?" he said in a tone that didn't allow any rejection.

"Do you want to go or not?" Huo Liancheng interrupted their conversation.

Only then did she notice that the elevator doors had already opened. When she looked up, she saw that Liancheng had already gone inside and was staring at her impatiently. She hurried into the elevator, and suddenly felt that things weren't right. Why was he in the staff's elevator? Shouldn't he be in the exclusive one?

"Sister Jian, you haven't answered me yet!" Cheng Muze whined like a little child. He was just about to go in when he noticed Liancheng's narrowed gaze. Immediately, he retracted his foot as if he had been burnt.

"Aren't you joining us?" Seeing that the elevator door was about to close, Jian Yun pressed on the button to open it once more. She furrowed her eyebrows when she saw hesitance grazing his features.

Cheng Muze glanced at Liancheng's hardened face. Remembering his miserable experience last night, he gulped. The last thing he wanted to do was tug at the man's whiskers again, so he waved his hand dismissively. "I–I actually need to go to the washroom," he murmured. "You go on right ahead."

Jian Yun blinked in surprise, but before she could say anything, the elevator door had already closed. She stilled. Although she didn't want to be stuck in the same room as President Huo, it wasn't as if she could do anything about it! It would be far too deliberate if she walked right out of the elevator.

Forget it! Besides, it was just a few floors till she arrived at the HR Department. She could just avoid him more in the future.