"Excuse me, which of you is-hang on, let me check."
Inside the office of R&D Team Three on the tenth floor.
As he spoke, the man in black who had just handed Bo Yan the flowers took out his phone, opened his notes, and read aloud, "Xu Lin, Zhu Shenghui, Meng Zhang... Hu Liankai." He looked up. "Are these people here?"
Those whose names he called, led by Xu Lin, had all personally witnessed Bo Yan being kept by a rich woman that morning.
Xu Lin and Hu Liankai belonged to Team Three, while the other four were all from R&D Team Five.
Seeing this group of men in black arrive with Bo Yan as their target, Xu Lin and Hu Liankai positively gloated!
They weren't idiots. Young President He had asked such detailed questions that morning-he must have gone to tattle to the Wen Family's young lady!
Anyone who knew anything about Bo Yan's background knew perfectly well how much the Wen Family's young lady despised this illegitimate son!
Their first reaction upon seeing the men in black was: Now we're in for a good show! Serves you right for putting on airs every day, you bastard. So what if you're good-looking? So what if you're a member of the Bo Family? You're still trampled under our feet!
As for whether Xu Lin and Hu Liankai had any great grudge against Bo Yan, they really didn't.
To others, Bo Yan always presented a gentle, innocent image. He neither fought nor competed, rarely sought the limelight, and hardly spoke.
Unless Bo Yan himself wanted to target someone, his world-weary indifference to everything made it impossible for him to make enemies.
Xu Lin and Hu Liankai simply couldn't stand the sight of him.
Even if Bo Yan was an illegitimate son, he was still a member of the Bo Family, born a notch above them in status. On top of that, his looks were truly striking. The women at work might not show it, but they paid him plenty of secret attention behind the scenes.
Sometimes, jealousy and malice arose for no reason at all.
When the men in black had asked for Bo Yan by name, Xu Lin and Hu Liankai had already messaged the other four in Team Five on WeChat, telling them to hurry over for the show!
It was the lunch break. Upon seeing the messages, those four had said nothing and brought everyone else from Team Five along to watch Bo Yan be humiliated in public!
The four from Team Five had only just arrived when they heard the man in black identify the person behind them!
Shock filled their faces. Flustered and lost, they grabbed Xu Lin, frantically questioning him with their eyes: Holy shit, what the hell is going on?! Didn't you say that young lady was coming to catch him cheating? Why is she sending flowers and lunch?!
Xu Lin panicked a little too, but quickly steadied himself and raised his hand. "I'm Xu Lin." His smile was eager to please. "May I ask what the young lady wants with me?"
Xu Lin refused to believe that young lady would come to back Bo Yan up. This had to be a case of "courtesy before force." She must be humiliating Bo Yan in her own way!
Yes, this was a show of force. That was exactly what it was!
How could the Wen Family's young lady possibly care about a bastard like Bo Yan!
The more Xu Lin thought about it, the more confident he became. He even decided that the young lady must know they had supplied the information about Bo Yan being kept and had come specifically to thank them!
Xu Lin had already started imagining whether the young lady would reward him with a sports car or a house.
While his fantasies ran wild, the man in black smiled and said, "So you're Xu Lin. The young lady does have a message for you. Where are the others?"
Seeing his attitude, Hu Liankai and the others immediately reached the same conclusion as Xu Lin, scrambling to raise their hands. "Me, me, me! I'm Hu Liankai!"
"I'm Zhu Shenghui!"
"I'm Meng Zhang!"
The man in black listened as they gave their names one by one, as though checking off a head count.
Among the others from Teams Three and Five, those with brains thought Xu Lin and his companions were probably in trouble, while those without stood there enviously, believing they had caught the Wen Family's young lady's eye.
As for Bo Yan, he wasn't quite sure what Wen Ning wanted to do, but it probably wasn't the "good thing" Xu Lin and the others were expecting.
When Xu Lin and the others looked at him with the smug faces of petty men tasting success, Bo Yan's expression remained indifferent as he silently cursed them for a bunch of fools.
Sure enough, the very next second, the man in black's face changed like a Sichuan opera performer's, and he became the King of Hell calling names. "Oh, so it's you lot. There's no lunch for you today."
Xu Lin and the others all widened their eyes in disbelief!
Wh-what?
Ignoring everyone's shock completely, the man in black imitated his young lady's sneer. "Our young lady said that rotten trash worse than pigs and dogs doesn't deserve food this good. If you're hungry, our young lady suggests you go lick a toilet."
The moment his words fell, the place went so quiet not even a crow could be heard!
Xu Lin and the others' pupils contracted sharply. Only then did they belatedly realize they had landed themselves in serious trouble!
Utterly at a loss and frantic, their first reaction was to plead with the young lady for mercy.
But the man in black ignored them entirely, turning to Bo Yan with a knowing smile. "Sir, your wife is downstairs, waiting to have lunch with you."
Bo Yan withdrew his gaze from everyone's faces.
Their expressions really were a dazzling assortment.
"Let's go," he said, the corners of his lips lifting.
Under gazes filled with shock, confusion, bewilderment, fear and regret, or resentment from across the office, Bo Yan set the bouquet in place and left Team Three with the man in black, taking the elevator.
Before, he had been unable to take an interest in anything around him.
Because he didn't care, whatever these fools said meant nothing to him.
But he found today's little spectacle rather novel.
Growing up, no one had ever stood up for him. The only person who could protect him was himself.
So...
Had Wen Ning heard those rumors and come specifically to protect him?
For some reason, Bo Yan's heartbeat quickened.
His mood, which had been rotten all morning, also showed signs of improving. The closer the elevator's floor display drew to "1," the happier he became, so happy that he even began to feel excited.
Seeing the upturned corners of his lips reflected in the elevator doors, Bo Yan's expression stiffened, and he hurriedly schooled his face again.
He really had been terribly sick lately...
The moment Bo Yan left, the entire office erupted!
Everyone else was wondering when Bo Yan and the Wen Family's young lady had become so close. Only Xu Lin and his companions' legs gave out, sending them slumping to the floor.
The team leader shared their belated fear.
She was already drenched in sweat. If Bo Yan complained about her to Wen Ning, she would be completely finished!
"Team leader, are you all right?" a female colleague beside her asked with concern upon seeing her deathly pale face.
The team leader forced herself to shake her head.
After expressing her concern, the woman tugged another colleague beside her. "I've never seen this young lady before. I hear she's incredibly beautiful! Let's go take a look!"
The team leader's heart gave a heavy thump, and she followed the two colleagues downstairs.
She couldn't rest easy and wanted to see for herself.
Besides, she also wanted to know whether this young lady was putting on an act or really had come to protect Bo Yan.
Xu Lin and his companions had the same thought.
They had to go see. What if there was still a chance things could turn around...
Each harboring their own thoughts, the group took the elevator downstairs in fear and trepidation.
In the neighboring elevator reserved for the president.
Seeing that the floor number was about to reach 1, He Cheng finally couldn't hold back and gave his buddy a heads-up.
Hearing He Cheng say that Bo Yan was being kept, Bo Xubai paused for only two seconds before scoffing. A mistress's child only knew tricks like that. There was nothing surprising about it.
But then he quickly heard He Cheng say that Wen Ning had come to catch him cheating...
Bo Xubai's brows knitted tightly. He kept feeling that something was off.
Ding-
The doors of the president's elevator opened, along with those of the neighboring staff elevator.
Bo Xubai was still wondering what exactly was strange when a figure walked past him.
He Cheng repeatedly urged him to hurry and yanked him out of the elevator.
He had only just steadied himself when a familiar voice sounded ahead.
"Hubby!"
Bo Xubai's temples throbbed. Looking up again, he saw Wen Ning running toward him.
Bo Xubai froze in place.
Wen Ning wore a black velvet haute couture dress. Its design was simple, yet on her it exuded elegance. She wore light smoky makeup unlike her usual look, her eyes alluring and luminous, her red lips so luscious they seemed about to drip. Even the long, straight black hair she usually favored had become large, flowing waves, half swept over her chest and half falling down her back.
Wen Ning looked so radiant that it was impossible to look away.
As she jogged over, even her strands of hair seemed to dance along with her steps.
Her smile was brilliant. Despite how sultry and commanding her makeup was, as she ran over with that radiant smile, Bo Xubai could only think how clean, pure, and lovely this Wen Ning was.
For one moment, Bo Xubai even thought Wen Ning was smiling at him, that she was running toward him.
But in the next instant, everything before his eyes shattered.
Wen Ning stopped a few steps away from him and, her eyes curving, hooked her arm through Bo Yan's.
"What took you so long? I've been waiting ages."
Though it sounded like a complaint, to the onlookers it sounded more like a coquettish pout.
Bo Yan felt somewhat uncomfortable all over.
Sensing that he wanted to pull his arm away again, Wen Ning's mouth twitched. She leaned close to his ear and whispered through gritted teeth, "Give me a little face, bro!"
Bo Yan's back stiffened.
Her fragrance reached him before Wen Ning did.