Guardian Chapter 82

For administrative purposes, off-site work requires the logistics department to arrange transport. Before the sun rises, Zhu Hong and Lin Jing head to No. 4 Bright Avenue to find w.a.n.g Zheng. As they enter the front door, they see their Chief curled up on the sofa, still in his pajamas, and covered in a thick wool jacket.

Da Qing is crouched in front of the sofa, contently licking its paws in the face of a bowl with only the carca.s.ses of fish in it.

Zhu tiptoes and whispers, "Why is he sleeping here? Isn't it cold, will he catch a cold?"

She turns up the air conditioning, and takes off her down jacket to cover Zhao with it.

After the New Years celebrations, Lin has gained weight as if he were hit by an air gun. Stroking his big fat dumpling of a chin, he says, "Not going home during the New Year is a sure sign of trouble. Either he is getting married against his will, or getting separated against his will."

He is just about to go on, but Zhao wakes up with messy hair and heavy dark circles round his eyes, and throws a menacing glare Lin's way. He demands succinctly, "Shut up, f.u.c.k off!"

Lin has always been foul-mouthed. After two seconds of silence, he can't help but continue, "No way, how do you stand this guy... when your wifey wakes you up for breakfast, is that what you say as well?"

Zhao grabs a small plant nearby and hurls it towards him with a loud bang to follow.

Da Qing and Zhu stare at each other in silence, and Lin flinches as well... seeing that Zhao seems truly mad, this foul-mouther silently gets a broom to sweep up the aftermath, mumbling, "Amitabha, the blessing is in the breaking."

Da Qing hops on to the couch, and paws Zhao on the shoulder, "Oi, you okay?"

Zhao takes two deep breathes, and falls back down, sinking his face into Shen's clothes. Zhao only realised this problem after he left; the collar is encompa.s.sed by that person's clean and pleasant scent.

After a good while, Zhao mumbles, "I'm fine... Lin Jing you can put that down, I will clean up. I wasn't mad at you... I just don't feel well, let me lay here for a while. Go do your work."

Da Qing's whiskers quiver; Zhao rudely pinches the hair on its head, and pats the fat cat on the b.u.t.t half-heartedly, "If you're free help me do some research on the Book of Primeval Secrets."

"Freeloading on your cat ancestors." Da Qing huffs with discontent, "What about my red packet? What about my lucky money?"

Zhao, with his eyes still shut, scrambles to find some cash in Shen's jacket, and stuffs it under the cat's collar, "Is your skin really that thick? No-one can afford it if you got a penny for every year you've been on Earth, old man. Go on, shoo."

Da Qing tries to claw at his clothes, but Zhao blocks it agilely, and as Da Qing's claws make contact with warm human flesh, they retract. Yet, a white mark is left on Zhao's arm.

Having lost the right to grind its claws... Da Qing runs off with steam, thinking that this big b.a.s.t.a.r.d Zhao Yunlan has used this high-cla.s.s, elegant cat like a fare box on a bus.

Since there are so many customs during the New Year, and most of the SIU staff is inhuman, each having their unique ways of spending the New Year, official work days usually only begin after the 15th. During the day, No. 4 Bright Avenue is practically empty. Zhao is still upset about Shen, and sleeps till a little before noon.

When he wakes up, the black cat is gone. All is quiet in the office. Zhao takes up the down jacket which almost fell to the floor, and dusts it. He soon realises, as he opens his eyes, that he wore a pair of leather shoes without socks, as he was in a hurry to leave. He feels a bit cold.

Then, Zhao soon sees a pair of boots he often wears, with a pair of socks stuffed inside, sitting on the floor next to him. A set of neatly ironed clothes are placed on the sofa, underwear folded on the inside, and on top are his phone, keys and wallet... but that person did not bring a jacket; he probably wanted Zhao to keep the jacket he's worn before.

Someone suddenly says, "Professor Shen brought those over. I was gonna wake you, but he didn't let me."

Zhao sees Zhu Hong at her desk, wasting time on the web.

"Where is Shen?"

"He's gone." Zhu looks away from the monitor.

Zhao's voice is a little coa.r.s.e, "Where to? What else did he say?"

"Oh, he said: 'It's cold outside, go home when you're done working, you won't see him at your place, he is going back to his place'." Zhu repeats back what Shen said, and then continues, "Then he left, probably went back home... so why did the two of you pick a fight during the New Year?"

Zhao does not answer. He knows where "his place" really is: not what Zhu thinks. As he thinks of this, it hurts like there is a knife to the heart; before others, he keeps a straight face.

After a while, Zhao sits up and puts on his socks. He heads to the toilet to change, and hurriedly wash up. Arms against the sink, he stares into the snow-white porcelain, and then buries his face into the freezing water.

For a moment, he dares not to think about Shen. For the first time in his life, just thinking about that certain someone seems to eat away at his heart.

He stays in the toilet for a long time, and Zhu starts to worry. She knocks, "Chief Zhao, you okay?"

Zhao replies, and wipes his face. He shaves carefully in front of the mirror, and then stands upright and gets out.

He knows hurting never solves any problem. He must figure out what is going on.

Zhu awaits him at the door. She struggles to say something, but Zhao asks nonchalantly, "Anything to eat? I'm hungry."

"The canteen must have some food, you wanna go there?"

Zhao nods, and walks to the second floor. Zhu is shocked... the normal Zhao would sit at his desk and go "get me a bowl of congee", rarely would he condescend to go to the canteen by himself.

Zhao gets a regular breakfast set from the canteen, and silently sits down to eat. His entire person is in an eeriely peaceful state. Zhu follows him quietly, thinking that even if the sky were to collapse, he would probably just look up for a bit, and keep eating his congee. She gets even more scared.

Then, as Zhao finishes all his food, and finally feels a bit of warmth in his limbs, he looks to Zhu and says, "Why are you at work?"