C8 Are You on a Blind Date with Director Huo?

While the chat group was bursting with questions, the instigator, Cheng Muze, was off enjoying the silence. With a cigarette in his mouth and an unbuttoned shirt, he leaned back against the leather seat and scanned the documents in his hands.

No one in the chat would dare ask Huo Liancheng directly, and the man never bothered to look at his WeChat. It was the perfect app to divulge the big news. After all, without his knowledge, they've already been placing bets as to when their Fourth Brother would get the woman or the man (according to their suspicions) of his dreams.

There were still five minutes left before his shift ended, and Cheng Muze had finally finished all of his work for the day. He glanced at his watch and grabbed his jacket from the desk. However, just as he was about to leave, the intercom phone rang. He turned his head, pretending not to have heard it, but the phone just kept ringing. Having no other choice, he picked it up.

After all, he, of all people, should know the dire consequences awaiting him if he didn't pick up the phone.

"Yes, Fourth Brother?"

"Let's have dinner tonight," Huo Liancheng answered.

"I can't tonight. I have an appointment."

The phone had fallen so silent that he could almost hear a pin drop. A bad feeling settled deep inside him that he quickly found a way around it.

"How about we all go together then?" he asked tentatively.

At his offer, the other man hung up the line.

Cheng Muze couldn't help but stroke his chin in contemplation. Huo Liancheng had been in his office this entire time, so he must have heard that Jian Yun would be joining them. Could it really be that Fourth Brother has been taken by the young woman? If not, why else would he be taking other people's glasses and eating with them? This just wasn't like him.

Jian Yun had been so engrossed in her work ever since she came from the 28th floor. When she was finally finished with typing up all her documents into her computer, she glanced at her phone to see over ten message notifications in her WeChat.

She was about to open them when Wu Wenjing came rushing over. With her narrowed eyes and raised eyebrows, she leaned against her desk. "Yun, did you just head up to the 28th floor?"

"Yes." Jian Yun winced as if she was in pain. Ever since she had returned to her desk, it seemed that her action had only driven everyone crazy than calmed them down, and she was beginning to regret it.

"Well, did you see President Huo?" Wu Wenjing clapped her hands together, wanting to dig her hands in the office's biggest gossip.

"Nope." Jian Yun grabbed her coat and aimed to leave as quickly as possible. She didn't even want to mention Huo Liancheng or even hear his name ever again. The last thing she needed was for anyone to misunderstand her situation even more.

"Come on, aren't we like sisters? Why aren't you telling me the truth?" she whined. Not satisfied with her answer, Wu Wenjing snatched the strap of her handbag, refusing to let Jian Yun go.

"Stop messing around! I'm meeting with someone tonight!" Not wanting to stay in the company any longer, she pulled the bag from her friend's tight grip before turning to leave.

Wu Wenjing gasped, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. "With who? President Huo?"

"No, I don't even know him!" Jian Yun rolled her eyes. Her friend was always like this. Whenever Wu Wenjing had set her mind onto something, she would stop at nothing to find it. Although that was a good attribute to have in the workplace, it definitely didn't favor her now.

"Is it another blind date then?" She pursed her lips. "If that's the case, then I'm going with you, just in case you get paired with another bastard."

When Jian Yun had arrived at work that morning, Wu Wenjing was the first one to notice that gauze wrapped around her wrists. It was only through her repeated interrogation did she found out about Jian Yun's horrendous date the night before. If her friend was going on another one of those blind dates, then she might as well accompany her to make sure that nothing else would happen.

Jian Yun originally wanted to refuse, given that she was meeting with Cheng Muze, the executive assistant to the CEO. But knowing fully well that Wu Wenjing might make another fuss about it, she had no other choice but to swallow her words and nod.

Besides, this might even be a good opportunity to spray all those rumors down the drain. This way, if anyone were to question her nonexistent relationship with the CEO again, Wu Wenjing could jump to her rescue.

"Let's go then!"

Taking the elevator all the way to the first floor, Jian Yun noticed how many of her colleagues would glance at her from time to time. Some would even point their fingers at her as if she had just committed a grave crime. She held back a sigh. It seemed that this gossip would never end at this point. Maybe Liancheng did what he did to imbalance her footing in the company. Either way, she must not allow herself to be discouraged.

"Have you noticed how those men were looking at you?" As they were heading towards the exit, Wu Wenjing nudged her. "I swear, you're so pretty. Why would you even wear those glasses? They're literally blocking half your face!"

"Well, you're also pretty. Why do you have to put on so much make-up? They're literally blocking your entire face," she teased back.

"Au contraire, they're actually enhancing my features. Your glasses, on the other hand, skews them up." Wu Wenjing was actually a sight for sore eyes, although, she was a bit on the plus side. With her tall figure, men were more intimidated in approaching her. It didn't help that she'd wear bright and dressy clothes every day as if she were heading to a party.

As they talked and laughed, they soon reached the roadside. Jian Yun glanced up to see a Mercedes-Benz gliding towards the company gates. Just as she was about to step out of the way, she saw Cheng Muze waving at her from the driver's seat.

She waved back. When the car stopped, she opened the passenger door, only to see stacks of books trashed around the leather seat.

He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "You should sit at the back, Miss Jian."

"Sure." She shrugged, not thinking too much into it. As Jian Yun got in, she glanced up and motioned Wu Wenjing to follow her lead. "My friend's coming with me. Is that okay?"

"The more the merrier I say!" Cheng Muze beamed. "I even brought a guest over myself."

"Hmm?" Realizing that something was up, Jian Yun turned to the side to see Huo Liancheng sitting behind the driver's seat with an expressionless look on his face. Her heart screeched to a stop.

She hadn't noticed that he was there, and that had happened twice in a span of two days! Jian Yun shivered under the cold night air, fidgeting at the mere sight of him.

There was just something about Liancheng that gave off a sense of danger to anyone around him. Her arms stiffened to her sides, as her feet edged closer to the door.

However, she steadied herself. She wasn't going to be scared off like that. Besides, Muze had already invited her in. It would be far more embarrassing to leave like this.

Jian Yun had just sat down when a powerful force barreled into her. It was none other than Wu Wenjing. She squeezed into the car and turned around, only to have her jaw dropped at the sight of their boss seating in the backseat. If this were any other time, she would've snapped a photo of her friend and laughed at her, but right now, she shared Wu Wenjing's sentiments.

At her sudden weight, Jian Yun plopped backward. In an instant, Huo Liancheng reached for her falling figure and supported her in his arms. The warmth of his chest pressed against her back, and she shivered.

The street lamps beside them lit up, gradually pouring light into their dim surroundings and reflecting her bright gaze. Her eyes were like a pool of neon colors, one that could make anyone fall at first glance.

The pair stared at each other for a long time, like a pair of animals pining for food. Although she couldn't see much of his face, his dark orbs were enough to pull her deeper into his hold. She sucked her breath, stilling under his grasp.