Yes, we're together

After he left, Shen Zhiyi lay straight down on the bed and went to sleep. She felt utterly exhausted every day now. Compared to before, she seemed to sleep even more.

Looking back on her old life, she had, to some extent, been slowly killing herself. When she had no work, she could stay in bed without eating or drinking until she could no longer stand it, then get up and eat some bread to fill her stomach.

Now that she was eating three regular meals a day, she sometimes had the hazy impression that she was normal again. In reality, she still suffered through entire sleepless nights, only taking naps during the day when she could no longer hold out.

The cycle continued like that. Neither the Housekeeper nor Chi Ye knew that she slept during the day because she could not sleep at night.

All the facilities in the lounge were running normally. Chi Ye's office had a distinctly high-tech feel, with the company's products clearly on display.

There were, for example, fully automated appliances operated by remote or voice control, an air conditioner that adjusted itself after detecting the temperature, and a humidifier that kept running as well.

The effective soundproofing and rest mode had a certain sleep-inducing effect.

Chi Ye had been telling the truth when he said he rarely used the lounge. The bed smelled only of desiccant, and Shen Zhiyi drifted off to sleep with that scent around her.

Inside the conference room, everyone wore a serious expression as Chi Ye listened to the heads of the various departments speak.

Once the problem was identified, they would fix the program and run it again to check for any issues. It was a problem that was neither particularly major nor particularly minor.

This BUG was quite difficult to fix. They had come to Chi Ye precisely because they could not find a solution.

After listening, Chi Ye offered no opinion for the moment. No matter how many times the software had been tested in its early stages, nothing unexpected had happened. For a problem to surface only after it had been running this long, those earlier results could only have been a coincidence.

The meeting ended after an hour. After offering his suggestions, Chi Ye also had someone recheck the earlier stages for any existing problems.

As soon as he stepped out, he ran into someone from the planning team on the fifteenth floor who had come looking for him.

They were developing a pastoral farming game and had now run into difficulties. The broad outline was already in place, but they still could not settle on the main character, perhaps because they were unsure about the character's appearance.

If the main character's art was too elaborate, it would not fit the farming style, but if it was too rough, players would find the character unattractive and abandon the game.

The planner was now at a complete loss. They had designed several versions of the character, but none felt right.

Although the game might not attract a large audience once it launched, to them, each game was like a child. They only wanted to make it a little better.

Chi Ye looked through the materials he had brought over. With farming games, most players came to pass the time and build a secluded paradise of their own.

He examined the character. It was too elaborate and did not fit the game overall. The other version was too rough and failed to capture the style.

"Have you considered that the character's style doesn't have to be limited to this kind of artwork?" Chi Ye asked.

The planner paused, then shook his head. "No."

Chi Ye looked a little longer before handing the materials back. "Try switching to another style. If an anime style doesn't work, try a cartoonish anime style. Also, you don't have to limit yourselves to characters. You can add extra storylines.

"Develop each character's backstory properly and add exploration elements. You can create more building designs based on the seasons and solar terms.

"Put together a version along those lines first and see how it looks. Schedule a meeting for your entire project team tomorrow morning. I'll be there."

Chi Ye was responsible when it came to work, but he only gave them pointers. Anything more would have to wait until he saw how things looked tomorrow.

As though he had suddenly seen the light, the planner hurried downstairs with the materials, eager to discuss the idea with the artist. Chi Ye quickened his steps back to his office.

He gently pushed open the door. The office was silent. The lounge door was shut, and he stood outside it, hesitating without making a sound.

Shen Zhiyi was probably still asleep. If he went in now, he would certainly disturb her. After standing there for a while, he turned and went back behind his desk.

Since she was resting, he would work for a while first.

But he had only been seated for a few minutes when his phone rang again. This time, it was his grandfather. He knew what it was about without even thinking, but the Housekeeper had actually held out this long before informing his grandfather. That was hardly efficient.

"Hello, Grandpa."

His grandfather had a cup of tea in front of him. He had just brewed it and had not yet had a chance to take a sip.

The Housekeeper had returned to the Old Residence that afternoon and let something slip after chatting with his grandfather for only a short while. His grandfather could not wait and immediately called to ask him about it.

"So you still remember I'm your grandfather. Things worked out, and you didn't even tell me. If Xu Housekeeper hadn't let it slip today, were you planning to keep hiding it from me?"

Chi Ye chuckled. Sure enough, Xu Housekeeper had been tricked into talking, though he was not angry about it. I'd planned to tell Grandpa a little later. Since he had called to ask, Chi Ye would give him a definite answer.

"I was thinking we'd all meet once Madam Ye gets back. Besides, she's shy around strangers. I'm afraid you'll scare her."

His grandfather bristled.

"You little brat, what nonsense are you talking about? If it weren't for me, would you be with her now? Still, you didn't threaten her, did you?

"Xu Housekeeper told me the girl doesn't seem to pay you much attention. You haven't even talked with her as much as Xu Housekeeper has."

Chi Ye recalled the exchanges between Xu Housekeeper and Shen Zhiyi. One asked whether the food tasted good, and the other nodded and said it did.

Then there were questions about what to eat for dinner, lunch, and breakfast. Shen Zhiyi answered every one with the same two words: "Anything's fine."

So that was what counted as plenty of conversation in Xu Housekeeper's eyes?

He gave a disdainful laugh.

"Grandpa, that's flirting. You wouldn't understand. Anyway, all you need to know now is that we're together. Remember to remind Madam Ye, too. Otherwise, she'll start arranging blind dates for me again. What if Shen Zhiyi finds out and gets angry?"

His grandfather clicked his tongue. Xu Housekeeper had not said they were together, only that their relationship had made some progress. Yet Chi Ye was now directly admitting that they were together.

"You're dating her? Didn't you say you weren't going to date?"

Chi Ye fell silent. He-he was not dating anyone now, either. It was just, just that this was what he said whenever anyone asked. A working partnership was also a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.

He did not explain the misunderstanding. After all, the more real it seemed, the more Madam Ye would believe it.

"So what if I am? Anyway, that's how things are now. I'll bring her home to meet you when there's a chance."

His grandfather laughed, but his tone remained serious.

"Of course we have to meet her. Now that she's with you, you need to learn to cherish her. Don't act like a fool. Put more thought into it, and stop talking as though your tongue is coated in arsenic all day long.

"All right, that's all I wanted to remind you about. You know the usual dating routine. Have dinner, watch a movie, or look at the stars and moon. In short, treat her better, and don't spend all day talking about your games and software."

Chi Ye listened absentmindedly. His grandfather kept repeating the same few things. He nodded as he listened, his gaze falling on the lounge.

"All right, that's all I'll say. I've met Miss Shen twice. She's composed and doesn't talk much, but she doesn't seem like a bad person. If you're serious about her, treat her well. No one in our Chi Family toys with people's feelings. If you let her down, I'll be the first to deal with you."

Chi Ye said, "Got it. Remember to tell Madam Ye."