nycdaug Chapter 45 Cohabitation
Chapter 45 Cohabitation
Soon, a nearby hot pot restaurant delivered several induction cookers, along with various sliced meats, tripe, and fresh vegetables. They even thoughtfully provided several boxes of different flavored broths.
When the aroma of hot pot filled the office area of the technical department, the group of programmers who had been staring intently at their screens and typing away at their keyboards finally took a moment to look away.
Even so, they hurriedly put the food they wanted into the pot and returned to their workstations to continue coding, as if if they paused for even a second longer, the inspiration for the Zelda physics engine in their minds would vanish.
"You guys... sigh, eat whatever you want. If you're not full, just have the hot pot restaurant deliver more, and the boss will reimburse you."
Tang She shook his head helplessly. This group of people had been completely brainwashed by the grand vision of "The Legend of Zelda," and they were working even harder than he, the lead planner.
After settling the group of "scrolling kings" in, Tang She turned around and returned to Ren Wei's office.
In the office, Ren Wei had already tidied up the documents on her desk and was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with her car keys, looking at the night view of Binhai City.
Hearing the door open, she turned her head and asked softly:
"Is everything settled in?"
"Yeah, I barely ate anything, but I'm coding even more enthusiastically."
Tang She shrugged helplessly.
"Senior, I'll be heading off work now. See you tomorrow."
With that, Tang She turned around and prepared to make a run for it.
For some reason, ever since that unexpected kiss at the orphanage on New Year's Eve, he has always felt an inexplicable sense of guilt when facing Ren Wei.
He felt even more guilty than when he was an undercover agent for Uncle Ren.
"etc."
Ren Wei's cold voice rang out from behind, causing Tang She's steps to stop abruptly in mid-air.
"What's wrong, senior? Is there any other work to tell you?"
Tang She turned around, forcing a businesslike smile on his face.
Ren Wei walked up to him, looked him up and down, and spoke in a calm tone that revealed not a trace of emotion:
"It's so late, the subway has long since stopped running. And it's raining heavily outside. Didn't the air conditioner in your pigeonhole break down last week? Aren't you afraid of getting cold?"
Tang She's heart skipped a beat. He had indeed casually complained in the break room last week that the apartment's air conditioner was broken and the landlord was slow to fix it, but he didn't expect his senior to remember it.
"Oh, it's alright, I'm in good health, I can just cover myself with two more blankets. If it really doesn't work, I'll take a taxi back."
Tang She waved his hands repeatedly, his intuition screaming an alarm, telling him he absolutely could not continue down this path.
"Take a taxi? In this weather, you'll have to wait at least an hour to call one."
Ren Wei remained unmoved, her gaze fixed directly into his eyes.
"Move in with me."
Tang She was so frightened that he took half a step back.
"Senior, this...this isn't quite appropriate, is it?"
"What's inappropriate about it? You're the lead planner at Tangren Games now. Team Two still needs you to guide the direction, and Team One's 'Zelda' project can't do without you. If you get sick and delay the project's progress, will you bear the loss?"
"No, senior, let's keep things separate."
Tang She swallowed hard, trying to reason with him.
"I'm a person of principle. Although we're a couple in front of our elders, I'm very clear about my place. I'm just a shield for someone who gets paid to do something. Living together is crossing that line!"
After listening, Ren Wei's lips curled into a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown:
"Crossing over? Tang She, have you been watching too many idol dramas? My apartment is over 300 square meters, with plenty of empty rooms. I'm letting you move in to save you commuting time, so you can create value for the company anytime, anywhere. What, what kind of unhealthy thoughts are you having?"
"No, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!"
Tang She blushed and tried to defend himself.
"Even sleeping in separate rooms won't do. A man and a woman alone in a room together—if word gets out, it'll damage your reputation, senior. If someone sees us, this whole thing will really go on! No, no, absolutely not!"
Tang She brought up the powerful figure of Ren's uncle, attempting to discourage Ren Wei from making a move.
However, Ren Wei simply sighed softly, walked to her desk, took out a document from the drawer, and waved it in her hand.
"Tang She, have you forgotten something? This is an additional investment agreement that my father just signed a couple of days ago. You got two sets of start-up capital of 20 million from him, which is what you call 'dowry'."
Ren Wei deliberately emphasized the last two words, a sly glint in her eyes.
"What do you think my dad would think if he knew you took 20 million from him and then refused to even live under the same roof as me?"
No, they didn't mention this when they took the money. How come there's this part of the most popular online marriage scam?
Ren Wei approached step by step, so close that Tang She could feel her breath.
"At that time, he will not only withdraw his investment, but also send you to jail. Suspected of defrauding 20 million, that's enough to keep you in jail for life. Moreover, you planned to invest this money in the company. When the funding chain for 'The Legend of Zelda' is cut off, all the hard work of those brothers who stayed up all night writing code will be wasted."
That was absolutely a killer move.
Looking into Ren Wei's clear yet oppressive eyes, Tang She felt all his words of resistance stuck in his throat.
He knew his senior was just trying to scare him, and that Uncle Ren wouldn't actually send him to the police station, but he still understood the saying, "He who eats another's food is bound to him, and he who takes another's money is bound to him."
He gritted his teeth and made a final struggle.
"Then I'll pay the rent! Even if I rent you a guest room, we should keep clear accounts even between brothers!"
"Whatever."
Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Ren Wei's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible triumphant smile.
Half an hour later, Tang She, carrying his meager luggage, stood in front of Ren Wei's upscale apartment in the city center.
Stepping into this room that felt both strange and familiar, Tang She took a closer look at the house for the first time.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows lies the bustling neon-lit night view of the coastal city.
The interior decoration was minimalist yet understatedly luxurious, with a huge leather sofa, an open kitchen, and a game collection cabinet that took up an entire wall. Tang She could only complain that the lives of the rich were too decadent.
"Your room is at the end of the hallway, turn right, and has a private bathroom."
Ren Wei changed into slippers and casually pointed in a direction.
"Eat whatever you want from the fridge, the washing machine is on the balcony."
After explaining all this, Ren Wei went straight back to her master bedroom and slammed the door shut.
Standing in the empty living room, listening to the howling wind and rain outside the window, and looking at the meager luggage bag in his hand, Tang She suddenly felt as if he had been transported to another world.
They're living together now?
He sighed and dragged his luggage toward his room.
The room was large and the bed was soft, a hundred times more comfortable than his pigeon coop.
Lying on the soft bed, Tang She stared at the ceiling, his mind replaying the strawberry-flavored kiss from New Year's Eve and the "tricks" his senior had been using tonight.
"Whatever, I'll just have to make the best of it. As long as I hold my ground, what can she do to force me?"
Tang She secretly cheered himself up, completely forgetting the forceful kiss on New Year's Eve.