After that day, Ye Mu noticed that his boss seemed to be acting strangely.
Chen Mo either ignored him or avoided him, and even discussions about work were now handled through emails rather than in person.
Previously, they would have lunch or dinner together, but now Chen Mo avoided him as much as possible.
This continued for a few days, causing delays in project decisions and leaving Ye Mu increasingly frustrated. This tension even affected his sleep, leading to his late arrival the next morning.
By chance, Chen Mo also arrived late, and they happened to run into each other.
As they took the elevator together, Ye Mu, feeling uneasy, could not figure out why Chen Mo was avoiding him.
Glancing at Chen Mo, Ye Mu asked, “Do I have an odor or something?”
Chen Mo replied flatly, “No.”
Ye Mu looked at him and said, “Then why are you standing so far away?”
Chen Mo leaned against the elevator wall, arms crossed, and casually replied, “Why do you care? There’s room to stand there.”
Ye Mu, holding documents, looked at Chen Mo with a stern expression and said directly, “What’s the deal with you lately?”
Chen Mo, with his hands in his pockets, barely furrowed his brow and said coolly, “Please correct your tone; I’m still your boss.”
Ye Mu, frustrated, suppressed his anger and asked in a low voice, “Then, President Chen, what exactly is it that bothers you about me?”
Chen Mo, pressing the elevator button, responded indifferently, “Regarding work, I’ve heard that your efficiency this week has been quite low.”
Ye Mu, frustrated, said with resignation, “If you could sign the documents faster, would my project be delayed for so long?”
Chen Mo snorted coldly, “You’re blaming me for your own inefficiency.”
Ye Mu felt this was unreasonable, “Aside from work matters, why haven’t we had lunch together recently?”
Chen Mo turned his face away, his handsome features rigid. “Why should I have lunch with you? Can’t I just want to eat alone sometimes?”
Ye Mu narrowed his eyes, “And what about the restroom? Why do you seem to be avoiding me?”
Chen Mo’s expression showed a hint of impatience, “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not avoiding you. I just remembered some unfinished business in the office and left early.”
Ye Mu was about to say more, but was interrupted.
Chen Mo, visibly irritated, said with a sharp tone, “Enough. Can you stop thinking about unnecessary things? Didn’t we have a meeting this morning? Are all the related materials ready?”
As the boss, Chen Mo’s authoritative stance was evident.
Ye Mu closed his eyes momentarily, controlling his temper. He took out a document from his folder and handed it to Chen Mo, “Please sign this authorization form first; I’ll prepare the rest shortly.”
Chen Mo, with a stern face, said nothing. He simply took a pen from his inner jacket and signed the document before tossing it back to Ye Mu.
The elevator doors, which had opened unnoticed, now revealed their presence.
Ye Mu’s face remained expressionless as he slightly lowered his gaze, took the document, and walked out.
Chen Mo watched Ye Mu’s slender, distant figure leave with a hint of frustration. His fair, handsome face showed signs of worry, and his brows furrowed deeply, reflecting his mood.
In the company, everyone was aware of Chen Mo’s bad mood, so everyone arrived at the meeting several minutes early. By the time they entered, they were all seated neatly and waiting.
Chen Mo, realizing his own volatile mood, made an effort to mask his frustration. Adopting his usual impassive expression, he spoke in a deep voice, “Department heads, please report on this month’s work performance and the upcoming work plan.”
“Our marketing department will report first. Overall, this month’s performance is on an upward trend. If we analyze the reasons, we can attribute it to…”
The marketing department’s supervisor was an older woman who loved to ramble. Her lengthy work summary had everyone yawning early in the morning.
Chen Mo frowned as he barely paid attention to her words. He lowered his head to look at the plan on the table, but his eyes unconsciously drifted to the man sitting at the corner of the table.
Ye Mu’s bangs had grown a bit long, covering his forehead and making his chin look even sharper. His eyes were slender and deep, giving off a cool and distant vibe, but with his fair skin, he exuded an indescribable charm.
Perhaps because he had rushed out this morning, a small tuft of hair at his crown was sticking up stubbornly, looking a bit messy.
Normally, Chen Mo would have shown disdain for such an untidy hairstyle at work, but today, for some reason, he found that tuft of hair on Ye Mu’s head quite cute and endearing. He couldn’t help but look at it for a bit longer.
Ye Mu didn’t notice his gaze, focused instead on the documents in front of him, studying a project. Suddenly, someone next to him poked him with a finger.
He turned his head slightly and saw that it was a young woman from the marketing department, Xu Yun.
“Ye Mu, I’m preparing for the graduate entrance exam, and I can’t figure out this problem. Can you help me take a look?” She whispered, keeping her voice low because of the ongoing meeting.
If he remembered correctly, this was Ye Mu’s field of expertise.
Ye Mu glanced at the problem, nodded, and casually took a piece of paper to explain it to her in writing.
The young woman, who was nearsighted, leaned in close to see the text more clearly, their shoulders nearly touching. From a distance, they appeared somewhat intimate.
Chen Mo half-squinted his dark eyes at the pair, feeling a prickly irritation in his chest as he watched. His slender, pale fingers held a pen, tapping it incessantly on the table, producing a rhythmic thudding sound.
Ye Mu, who was writing at the table, noticed this and glanced at Chen Mo, pausing for a moment before continuing to explain the problem to the young woman.
Chen Mo’s mood worsened. Just as he was about to say something, the marketing department’s supervisor interrupted him.
“President Chen, do you think this proposal is feasible?”
Chen Mo furrowed his brow, his expression unchanged as he shifted his gaze away. His voice was magnetic and deep as he changed the subject, “I heard your department recently hired a new person?”
The old supervisor found this odd but responded, “Yes, her name is Xu Yun. She’s here at the meeting today.”
“Stand up, let me see.”
Xu Yun, who had been listening to Ye Mu’s explanation, panicked when she suddenly heard her name and immediately stood up.
“Hello, President Chen…”
“Hmm,” Chen Mo gave her a cursory glance and coldly said, “Why don’t you analyze the proposal your supervisor just discussed?”
Xu Yun was stunned, not knowing the specifics, and stood there dumbfounded, unable to utter a word.
The boss’s stern expression discouraged anyone from stepping in to help, leaving the room in an oppressive silence.
The young woman stood there for so long that her face turned red, and she was on the verge of tears.
Seeing that she was sufficiently flustered, Chen Mo didn’t press further and gestured for her to sit down. His lips tightened as he said, “Focus during meetings. If I catch you like this again, you won’t need to stay here.”
His tone was harsh, and Xu Yun quickly nodded, her eyes brimming with tears as she gathered her books from under the table.
Chen Mo remained indifferent, his face stern as he continued, “Which department is next?”
“Oh, our finance department will report now…”
The data from this department was relatively complex and not particularly pleasant to listen to. Chen Mo lazily flipped through a few pages of the documents on the table, feeling bored, and casually glanced again in the direction of the corner.
After what had just happened, the employees in the meeting room were much more attentive, listening carefully without whispering. However, someone still had the nerve to pass notes.
Chen Mo squinted, trying to identify the source, and found that the notes were being exchanged between Ye Mu and a young man from the business department named Li Ning.
That alone would have been tolerable, but what annoyed him was that the two were also chuckling occasionally, which only made him more irritated. He almost couldn’t resist throwing the stack of documents on the table at them.
“That’s all for today. Each supervisor, send me the electronic reports before the end of the day.”
He said this as he stood up and walked over to Ye Mu’s desk, frowning down at him. Finally, he coldly said, “You, come to my office.”
Without waiting for a response, he left the room silently.
As soon as the door closed, the looks directed at Ye Mu were tinged with sympathy. The boss had been in a foul mood lately, and it seemed like someone was about to become his outlet.
“Good luck, man,” Li Ning shook his head and couldn’t help but pat Ye Mu’s shoulder in sympathy.
Ye Mu, however, remained calm, collected his materials, and left the room.
He arrived at the CEO’s office and knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
A response came quickly from within.
Ye Mu pursed his lips and pushed the door open.
Chen Mo was sitting at his desk, staring straight at the computer screen, his face cold as ice. His words were sharp with a hint of chill, “What’s going on with you lately? Why are you getting so close with people from other departments?”
Ye Mu lowered his eyes slightly, unsure why he was being asked this, but he answered truthfully, “Just regular interactions, part of the job.”
Chen Mo looked down, his tightly pressed lips showing his displeasure. “Stop playing these games with me. Why is it that you don’t build relationships with those old department heads, but instead focus on the young, attractive ones?”
Ye Mu frowned, unsure of Chen Mo’s intentions. After a moment, he asked cautiously, “Are you accusing me of having romantic interests at the company?”
Chen Mo casually jotted a few notes on the documents, replying as he worked, “Aren’t you?”
Ye Mu was at a loss for words, his eyes half-closed in exasperation. “No.”
Chen Mo, not looking at him, said coldly, “You know yourself better than anyone.”
Ye Mu, expressionless, asked, “So, why did you call me here?”
Chen Mo tapped the desk with his pen and said in a deep, magnetic voice, “Consider this a warning. No inappropriate relationships at the company, or you’ll face disciplinary action.”
Ye Mu found the baseless warning irritating and chose to remain silent. Sometimes he really didn’t want to deal with Chen Mo.
Chen Mo frowned, seeing Ye Mu’s lack of response, his temper flaring. “What, can’t you comply?”
Ye Mu continued to ignore him, merely observing.
Chen Mo’s irritation grew, and he snapped, “What are you staring at? Do you think I’m insane?”
Ye Mu remained silent, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something but ultimately kept quiet.
Yes, you are insane.
Author’s Note: Little Chen Mo’s Inner World:
I don’t know why, but everyone seems like a rival to me.
