Chapter 40 part 1
The burn wasn't too severe, and with timely cooling under cold water to reduce further heat damage, the company's doctor arrived to treat it.
Bai He had burn ointment applied to his arm and lower abdomen. After giving instructions, the doctor packed up the medical kit and left. Once again, only Bai He and Qin Yao were left in the bathroom.
"I'll head back to the office now." Bai He kept his head down, his voice carrying an unclear emotion. "Thank you for today."
Qin Yao looked at Bai He's lowered eyelashes, his gaze falling to the treated arm. "Are you sure you're alright? Do you need to take the day off? I can talk to Ji Feng."
"No need, I'm fine." Bai He shook his head, still avoiding Qin Yao's eyes. "I'll be going now."
Turning to leave, Bai He felt like he was fleeing. He didn't dare look into Qin Yao's eyes, yet he could feel the alpha's gaze on him, like a thorn in his back, making him feel exposed. Bai He clenched his palms and quickened his pace to escape.
Bai He wasn't wrong. Qin Yao had indeed been watching him, and even after Bai He had long disappeared, Qin Yao stood motionless.
Finally, Qin Yao stirred. Slowly turning his head, he faced his reflection in the mirror, looking at his own dejected expression.
At that moment, he was even a bit surprised—why was he showing such an expression?
Qin Yao lowered his eyes and raised his hand, his gaze lingering on the fingertips that had just touched Bai He's lips.
Bai He hurried back to the office. Ji Feng, who was on the phone, saw him come in and waved him over after hanging up.
Bai He walked over. "Sorry, Team Leader, I just—"
"No need to apologize," Ji Feng interrupted after he hung up the phone. "How's the injury?"
The team leader knew?
Bai He froze slightly, instinctively glancing at the phone in Ji Feng's hand. Without thinking too much, he simply replied, "It's been treated. I'm fine."
"Good to hear." Ji Feng nodded. "Take tomorrow off to let your arm recover. Come back the day after tomorrow."
"I can still work." Bai He frowned. "Did Qin Yao tell you to give me the day off?"
Ji Feng had already hung up the phone. He set it down and leaned against the desk, nodding. "Yes."
Bai He fell silent, shaking his head. "I'm fine. I don't need to rest."
His tone was a bit firmer than before, though still polite. "Team Leader, I don't want to disrupt the workflow because of me. Besides, my injury really isn't serious."
Ji Feng said nothing, and Bai He continued, "I'll talk to Qin Yao."
It was clear that Ji Feng had just been on the phone with Qin Yao, and Qin Yao had asked Ji Feng to give Bai He time off. Not wanting to take leave, Bai He realized this would put Ji Feng in an awkward position.
Though the team leader didn't seem like someone who would be troubled by such a situation, Bai He still felt bad about it.
He was about to say something more when Ji Feng spoke up.
"The administrative department of the branch office was just established. Headquarters wants to assign some of our people over there." His tone was calm, the same as when handling regular work matters. "We need to send three people from our office. Headquarters is very busy right now and we need to leave capable people here."
Though not very explicit, it was clear: the workload at headquarters was high, and it required top-level team members to stay.
Bai He thought for a moment and then responded, "Can I go help at the branch office?"
Ji Feng glanced at him and nodded. "Alright. Including you, Yi Chen, and Zhao Linyue, the three of you will head out tomorrow. There's a company car to take you. Pack up your things and head over. You'll likely be staying there for a while."
Ji Feng was efficient as ever, his words precise and to the point, without any unnecessary delay. "Once the busy season at headquarters is over, I'll come check on you guys."
Bai He nodded. "Understood."
Being assigned to the branch office came as a surprise, but it was also something Bai He was pleased with.
He could guess that Ji Feng had likely already made up his mind about who to send to the branch office. Bringing it up in front of Bai He might have been because he noticed something going on between Bai He and Qin Yao.
Bai He paused as he was packing his things. His hand instinctively touched his face.
Was it that obvious?
But this way, by going to the branch office, he would have even fewer chances to see Qin Yao.
Bai He felt a bit sad, but deep down, he actually wanted to avoid Qin Yao. He felt he needed time to calm down and think. Maybe Qin Yao was right? Maybe it really was just because of the pheromones?
Bai He stayed silent. Without realizing it, he bit his lower lip hard, and when he came back to his senses, he still felt sad.
There wasn't much to pack. Bai He managed to fit everything into one box. All that was left on his desk was his computer. He sat down, intending to shut it down and pack it, but just then, his phone pinged with a few messages.
They were from Bai Lu.
Bai Lu: *“Brother, I found a place to stay. I’ll definitely come home tomorrow!”*
Bai Lu: *“My phone is charged now.”*
Bai Lu: *“I’ve thought it through. You were right. I shouldn’t trouble you. I’ve grown up now.”*
Bai Lu: *“Thank you, brother!”*
He even attached a picture of his hotel room. After reading the messages, Bai He decided not to reply. He exited the chat and started absentmindedly flipping through apps on his phone, opening and closing them. Eventually, he accidentally opened the home security app.
Bai He froze, taking a moment to remember that this was the home surveillance app.
Ever since installing the app, this was the first time Bai He had opened it. He’d been too busy lately to even think about the security system on his phone.
Gripping his phone, Bai He stared at the screen. The camera showed his living room. The camera could adjust its direction, and to the left was the dining room, to the right was the window ledge.
Bai He watched for a while but didn’t see any sign of the Maine Coon.
He couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
"Did you go to the bedroom?" Bai He muttered quietly.
"Xiao Bai He!" Zhao Linyue’s voice called from the office doorway. "Are you done packing? We need to head out!"
Bai He quickly put down his phone and stood up, putting his computer into the box. Just as he was about to carry it, Zhao Linyue walked over and picked it up for him. "Let me do it. You’ve got an injury."
Bai He was momentarily stunned but didn’t refuse. "Thanks, Lin Yue-ge."
"Let’s go." Zhao Linyue, strong as ever, carried two boxes without breaking a sweat. The two of them went downstairs where Ji Feng and Yi Chen were already waiting. Yi Chen had a lot of stuff, and Ji Feng was helping him load it into the car.
After loading the three of them into the car, Ji Feng reminded them, "When you get there, organize your things first. The head of the branch office's administrative department is Long Qiu. There's only one office for now, and the workload won’t be too heavy."
"Alright, alright, we get it," Yi Chen waved from the car window. "We’re not kids. We’re leaving now."
Ji Feng nodded. "Okay. Send me a message when you arrive."
Bai He and Zhao Linyue also said their goodbyes to Ji Feng. As the car pulled away and the buildings outside started to blur, Bai He stared out the window in a daze.
He was leaving headquarters. His internship was supposed to last a year, and he’d thought he would spend the entire time at headquarters. Now, it seemed likely he would be staying at the branch office long-term.
The car taking them to the branch office belonged to the company, and they watched the scenery along the way. It took over an hour to get there. Bai He remembered Ji Feng mentioning that although the branch office was quite far from headquarters, taking the subway back wouldn't take long.
The branch office was in a great location. Though not in the city center, it was near another district, bustling with traffic and surrounded by towering skyscrapers.
When they got out of the car, they realized the branch office itself wasn’t very tall — only five stories high. Compared to the Jin Yu headquarters, this place felt more like a giant villa.
The company name was prominently displayed nearby, with a flashy sign.
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