Chapter 036 (1/2)
The Complete Guide to the Use and Care of a Personal Assistant
Translator: Jury
Editor: NomNom
First Published on Chaleuria
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Chapter Thirty-six
“Let go,” Ling Miao said coolly.
Su Yuyang had thought that Ling Miao would make a scene—that Ling Miao would break free of him then jump up and point at his nose and call him a bastard, or pick up something nearby and fling it at him.
But Ling Miao did neither of those things.
Ling Miao’s abnormal reaction made Su Yuyang frown. While Su Yuyang was thinking, his grip on Ling Miao gradually went slack. He didn’t notice this, but Ling Miao did.
Ling Miao withdrew his hand from Su Yuyang’s. It happened in a split second, but Su Yuyang clearly felt Ling Miao’s skin leaving his fingertips.
Su Yuyang’s reaction was slow, and only when Ling Miao had turned and walked toward W&S’s door did he regain his senses.
“Xiao Miao!” Su Yuyang’s legs were long and he only needed to take two steps forward to catch Ling Miao. On reflex, Ling Miao struggled, but he accidentally used too much strength and punched Su Yuyang right in the chest.
The sound of a fist meeting flesh intermingled with the pained sound that emanated from Su Yuyang’s mouth, and Ling Miao’s footsteps slowed.
Ling Miao didn’t turn around. Su Yuyang didn’t waste this chance. He walked in front of Ling Miao and looked downward at him.
Ling Miao’s head was lowered so that Su Yuyang couldn’t see his expression, but his shoulders were shaking slightly as if trying to hold back the sorrow in his heart.
Su Yuyang placed both hands on Ling Miao’s shoulders and Ling Miao sneered coldly. Su Yuyang quickly withdrew his hands, as if he’d been pricked by something spiky, and left them hanging awkwardly at his sides like he didn’t know what to do with them.
Whoo—Ling Miao took a deep breath as if trying to encourage himself, then raised his head and met Su Yuyang’s glimmering eyes.
Su Yuyang’s gaze trembled. Like a puppet on strings, he raised his hands, but under Ling Miao’s disdainful gaze he lowered them again to his sides.
Ling Miao’s eyes were red and tears shone in his eyes, but a cold smile lay on his lips.
Su Yuyang didn’t know how to describe Ling Miao’s expression.
Pained? Frustrated? Dejected? Disdainful?
All of the adjectives Su Yuyang knew flew around his mind, but he couldn’t find one that matched Ling Miao’s expression.
“Heh heh.” A soft mocking laugh slipped from Ling Miao’s lips and Su Yuyang’s gaze retracted a little. As he looked at Ling Miao, the regret in his eyes grew more intense.
Ling Miao swiped a hand across his face. This gesture was clearly meant to conceal something, but Su Yuyang couldn’t laugh, even though before he would have taken every opportunity he could to mock Ling Miao.
“Su Yuyang, what the hell kind of expression is that?” Ling Miao laughed candidly. His entire being radiated a nirvana-like serenity and calm.
Su Yuyang couldn’t reconcile the person in front of him with the Ling Miao in his memories, or even the Ling Miao of five minutes ago. But Su Yuyang was also very self-aware and knew that the change in Ling Miao definitely wasn’t because of him.
In that case, such a change in Ling Miao only had one explanation—Ling Miao was putting on a front.
The more indifferent Ling Miao seemed to be, the more bitter the pain Su Yuyang felt in his heart.
Ling Miao angled his chin as if he didn’t care that his neck would grow stiff. His gaze was fixed on Su Yuyang’s face; Su Yuyang had lowered his head, not willing to miss even the slightest change in Ling Miao’s expression.
The two gazed at each other with the intensity of lovers, but also like enemies in a standoff in which neither was willing to concede.
Feng Ji sat to one side and admired the picture of them facing off. In his hand was a cup of coffee; he seemed extremely relaxed.
“Sorry, Ling Miao.” In the end, Su Yuyang was the one to relent. Ling Miao’s smile grew wider.
“If you want to go, I…”
“I’m not going any more,” Ling Miao smiled and said.
Ling Miao walked to Feng Ji’s side and sat down. He picked up the cup of coffee, seemingly indifferent to whether Feng Ji had already drunk from it, and took a sip. He said with satisfaction: “Of course, if you want to dissolve our employment contract, I have no objections. Mm, if the contract is dissolved, I’ll certainly leave your house, and at that time you’d better not hold my things hostage.”
“I…” Su Yuyang was completely defeated. He didn’t want to rebut Ling Miao’s words—it wasn’t that he couldn’t, he just didn’t want to.
Su Yuyang only said, ”I—” and didn’t continue. Ling Miao’s head was still turned to look at him, as if waiting for his next words. Su Yuyang met Ling Miao’s cold eyes, a frustrated smile surfacing on his face.
“Let’s go home,” Su Yuyang said gently. A muscle in Feng Ji’s face twitched involuntarily.
Su Yuyang’s tone and gaze were both too gentle, like a frozen stream starting to flow again after being touched by the spring wind.
It was the gentleness one might show to a lover, but Su Yuyang was using it on his assistant.
Feng Ji understood something—he was an outsider in this situation and saw many things more clearly than Su Yuyang himself did. But from the start he’d made up his mind not to interfere with Su Yuyang and Ling Miao, so he chose to stay silent.
Su Yuyang picked up the groceries Ling Miao had put on the table. His other hand reflexively reached for Ling Miao’s hand but Ling Miao avoided it and Su Yuyang’s hand caught only air.
Without surprise or disappointment, Su Yuyang smiled at Feng Ji and said brightly, “I’m going back. I don’t know when we’ll see each other next.”
“Very soon.” Feng Ji’s smile was radiant.
A cold breeze blew across the back of Su Yuyang’s neck. He shuddered and asked in a shaking voice, “If you have something to say, say it. Don’t hem and haw. Are you a toad?”
“Remember the black bag I gave you before?” Feng Ji reminded Su Yuyang.