Forum-style Extra (Different From the Main Content) 2

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This is my cat, named Mimi, it’s a girl.

She’s fine, I just wanted to show her off.

Ahem, let me first respond collectively to everyone’s questions, and then I’ll explain what happened.

1. About me and the boss:

Our company is located in a certain first-tier city, where the competition is fierce. I didn’t graduate from a 985 or 211,¹In China, universities are often categorized into tiers, and “985” and “211” refer to prestigious university classifications. “985” refers to “Project 985,” which includes top universities in China known for their research and academic excellence. “211” refers to another initiative comprising universities with a high level of academic and research standards. so landing this job was quite challenging. As for the boss, they’re the type of person you can find on Baidu Baike.²Chinese encyclopedia I can’t disclose specific details, feel free to guess. Our boss once made it to the top ten list of a certain entertainment magazine’s Golden Bachelors, quite an experience for them.

2. About why I always emphasize that I’m a straight guy:

I just wanted to highlight the difference in sexual orientation between myself and the boss, to prevent assumptions about me being involved in same-sex relationships. Unexpectedly, it had the opposite effect.

3. About Li XX:

Li XX and I are also fellow townsmen; we have a great relationship. Every Chinese New Year, he comes to my house for dinner and celebrates with me. He’s very good-looking; even as a straight guy, I find him attractive. He doesn’t have any bad habits aside from going to the gym and doing household chores. He’s very considerate, and living with him as a roommate is genuinely comfortable. To be honest, although Li XX looks like a beautiful woman and is tall and slender, he’s quite formidable. I have no idea how he built up those muscles.

4. About the cat:

My cat is really cute, she eats and poop well, stays healthy, and is very lively. She used to be a stray kitten. I sincerely suggest adopting instead of buying. Besides making the occasional mess and having smelly poop, she has no other shortcomings.

That’s all.

I have good news and bad news to share with everyone today. The good news is that boss didn’t mention the suit issue all day, choosing to overlook the past. The bad news is that I managed to make boss angry again.

I genuinely feel that doing favors for the boss is f*ckng sweeter than drawing a red line for oneself. The company’s year-end “Move Employees to Tears” award definitely should include my efforts.

This morning, while I was in the restroom, I caught Li XX tying his tie in front of the mirror. It was the first time I’ve seen Li XX in private wearing a suit and looking extremely handsome. Then he told me he was planning to take a day off today for a blind date.

I was so shocked that I felt like my heart was going to give out. If Li XX goes on a blind date, boss won’t be happy. If boss isn’t happy, he might remember that suit incident. I quickly asked him about the specifics, and Li XX reluctantly mentioned that his jiejie was forcing him to go. My mind was racing at a f*ckng lightning speed, trying to find a breakthrough.

I said, “Have you seen a photo?”

Li XX: “No.”

Me: “Then I’ll go for you!”

At that moment, Li XX gave me a strange look and said, “Ge, did you oversleep and get confused?”

Thinking about it now still makes me mad. I wanted to help him out, and he thought there was something wrong with my head. Pei! Doesn’t recognize a good-hearted person.

I said, “After all, I’m your senior. If I don’t look out for you, then who will? Think about your perfect attendance award.”

Li XX: “Ge, what about your attendance then?”

Don’t even mention it. If I dwell on it further, I might cry.

Please give me some advice in the comments. I’m so worried about the situation between boss and Li XX, and boss still looks at me unfavorably.

Then Li XX went to work happily. Before leaving, he specifically reminded me to handle the blind date matter without making it awkward.

Oh, man, he said he was embarrassed, but his body was still very honest and aimed for perfect attendance.

In my mind, I’m thinking if the girl is nice, I might consider pursuing things further. After all, I’ve sacrificed my perfect attendance award.

Now that I think about it, I’m so f*ckng sweet. After a long time today, I’ve been treated so unfairly inside and out, and I’ve truly moved myself to tears.

I called reception to request leave, and within two minutes, the receptionist came back, saying boss didn’t approve.

In my heart, 10,000 WTFs ran past. Boss completely fails to understand my good intentions, thinking I’m being unproductive. They simply can’t appreciate my efforts, just like Li XX.

The receptionist girl was annoyed by me so much that she directly transferred the call to the boss. Boss was quite angry and bluntly stated that if I take leave today for something as meaningless as a blind date, he’ll fire me on the spot.

At that moment, my acting skills reached their peak. I claimed my mother was forcing me, saying if I didn’t go, she’d skin me alive, which reluctantly made the boss agree.

Later, boss said, “What time is your blind date? There’s a banquet in the evening, and I want to take you there.”

I was torn between happiness and worry. I was glad the boss was voluntarily taking me out to broaden my horizons, an opportunity most people wouldn’t have. However, I was sad because I definitely wouldn’t be able to seize the chance to hug the boss’s thigh. He didn’t want to explicitly state his intentions, so it depended on my perception. Usually, bosses prefer smart employees, and at that moment, I was confident I was one of them.

I said, “I’m sorry, boss, I might not be able to go. How about letting Li XX go instead?”

You guessed it right. Until now, I still can’t figure out what I said wrong. Boss got angry again, saying, “Why bring up Li XX regarding your matters?”

I WTF-ed at that time. How does boss have such an unconventional way of thinking?

Then, I thought maybe they argued, so I said, “Li XX usually seems quite well-behaved, but his personality can be quite explosive…”

Boss hung up on me directly.

What on earth is happening ah? I must be extremely unlucky. Is there a great god who can understand boss’s mindset? If this continues, that suit, which Mimi scratched, will be beckoning me again.

For those who say the boss likes me, think about it carefully, ok? A rich second-generation returnee³Someone who worked/studied overseas and returned to China. from a wealthy family, would they even consider a rough man like me? Before yesterday’s incident, boss and I had no interaction whatsoever. If not for this issue, I wouldn’t even think the boss remembered me. Li XX has always been the apple of the boss’s eye. Since he joined the company, boss has praised him during meetings. Boss seems to prefer men like Li XX—fair-skinned and good-looking.

Ai, whatever I say now, you guys will only hahaha, and 666, or you’ll say that I’m gay.

The girl from the blind date had a good personality and appearance. We chatted for a long time, discussing everything from poetry to life goals. We even watched a movie, and I got bored and fell asleep, which was a bit embarrassing. After having dinner with her in the evening and planning to part ways, guess who I saw?

That’s right! It was my boss! What a small world.

Just as I stepped out of the restaurant, he stopped his Lamborghini right in front of me, rolled down the window, and said, ‘What a coincidence.’

I quickly greeted the boss.

It was quite a coincidence. But I remember not being that close to the boss. Why did he come over to greet me so deliberately?

The girl from the blind date almost screamed out. She grabbed my arm and said, “Isn’t that the person from TV? He’s actually your boss?”

I’m a little embarrassed, but I have to bite the bullet to deal with boss.

Boss said, “XXX (that’s me) and I have a business banquet shortly. I’ll take him with me now. Could you please go back on your own?”

Have you ever experienced what awkwardness feels like? It’s the kind of awkwardness where you’re hesitant even to check your phone, just waiting for the boss to break the silence.

As soon as I got into the car, there was an awkward silence between boss and me. It had been several winters since either of us had seen snow.⁴It suggests that just as the absence of snow for multiple winters feels strange or unfamiliar, the uncomfortable silence between them also feels unusual or awkward, emphasizing the unusualness of the situation or the discomfort they are experiencing in their interaction. Despite having the car heater on, the temperature inside was freezing, making me shiver. After a while, boss finally said, “How’s the girl?”

I reckon even he was trying to find something to talk about, considering the uncomfortable atmosphere. Wanting to ease the tension, I replied that I thought she was quite nice.

As a result, the atmosphere became even more awkward than before, and it seemed like boss wasn’t very pleased. I sneakily glanced out the window and realized the route looked somewhat familiar—It was actually heading towards my house. I asked, “Boss, aren’t we going to the banquet ah?”

It was the first time I smelled smoke on the boss. I’ve been off cigarettes for a while, but this scent triggered some cravings. He seemed quite annoyed and mentioned that he canceled the business banquet.

Do you guys know what this means? The boss would rather offend people than go to the business banquet. This definitely indicates something unusual is going on ah!

I asked, “Then, why…”

Boss glared at me. Although I don’t know what’s going on until now, I still wisely chose to shut up.

I said, “How did you⁵Formal ‘you’ was used. know where my home is ah?”

Boss replied, “Li XX told me.”

I was so thrilled that I almost jumped out of my seat. Truly impressive of the boss to catch on so quickly (although I was a pig teammate⁶A poor teammate who makes mistakes or only cause trouble for the group. before).

Boss asked, “Why are you so happy when I mention Li XX?”

At that moment, I was solely focused on being happy. But upon reflection, I’ve noticed many issues. Boss’s behavior was too strange. There was even a fleeting moment when I felt like the boss didn’t like Li XX at all.

That’s the part I can’t wrap my head around. If boss doesn’t like Li XX, why would he disregard my suit? I don’t think boss is the kind of wealthy person who casually throws money around.

Boss continued, “Your parents are in XX City, right? It’s quite far from here. Besides you, I assume you don’t have any relatives or acquaintances nearby. How was your blind date arranged?”

I pondered for a while, trying to find a way to explain without revealing anything about Li XX, but I couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation. Seeing me silent, the boss said, “Is lying to me fun?”

I realized I couldn’t possibly give away anything about Li XX ah. I quickly apologized to my boss, but boss was still very displeased.

I can’t help but think, I’m really in deep sh*t.

When I got home, I found out that despite my efforts to protect Li XX, he had already sold me within the company. It means that boss already knew about me substituting for Li XX on the blind date, yet he made me apologize for half a day.

I never want to see them again in my life.

All day long, I’ve been in a state of not knowing what was happening, not understanding why the boss was upset, and despite my busyness, I wasn’t comprehending what I actually done. This kind of perplexity.

It’s truly mentally exhausting.

Just now, boss actually sent a message asking me to sort out the work missed due to today’s leave. I have to work late into the night. If there are any questions, please ask directly, I’ll respond after I finish work tomorrow.