Chapter 73: Sick Leave. Why go to work when even his wife was missing?

He Guan quickly brushed aside the thoughts and made his way home.

As he approached his apartment building, he noticed someone waiting for him under the streetlight. His first thought was that it might be Lou Dongzang.

A second glance revealed it was Yan Xu.

He Guan approached, carrying his beer.

As footsteps neared, the man looking up towards his apartment window under the lamp turned around and called out, "Mr. He."

He Guan's face remained expressionless, betraying neither pleasure nor irritation. He asked, "What are you doing here?"

Yan Xu: "Mr. He, I brought flowers. There was no space to keep them at the office, and since they belong to you, I took the liberty to bring them over."

He Guan: "How many are there? Will there be space for me in my home tonight?"

Yan Xu: "Yes, aside from the bunch I'm holding, there's just one more trunkful. I assume your place can accommodate them?"

He Guan: "Let's go then and bring them in together."

Yan Xu: "Alright."

By the time the two of them had arranged all the flowers, it was almost 11 p.m.

He Guan, sweating profusely, quickly washed his face and sat on the sofa, striking a rare casual conversation with Yan Xu: "You're still working during your personal time, aren't you tired?"

Yan Xu shook his head: "Not at all. Working alongside you is quite stress-free."

He Guan chuckled and cracked open a cold beer on the sofa.

Yan Xu looked around, remarking, "Your new place is lovely."

Handing the freshly opened beer to Yan Xu, He Guan took a sip from the froth on his hand and responded, "Yeah, it was supposed to be our marital home."

Yan Xu queried, "It's not anymore?"

He Guan replied, "My partner has gone missing."

Wisely, Yan Xu chose not to pry further.

He Guan still carried the faint scent of barbecue. Even though it had mostly dissipated at the police station, now, as he lifted his arm to drink, the aroma lingered faintly.

Disliking the smell, he leaned back against the sofa and took slow sips of his cold beer before declaring, "I won't be going to work tomorrow."

Yan Xu began, "But the company..."

Annoyed, He Guan interjected, "If I say I'm not going, then I'm not. How can I work when my wife is missing? I'm not going."

Yan Xu, bemused by his childish outburst, tried to reason, "But without you, there's so much at the company..."

He Guan cut in, "Don't I have you? You can act in my stead for a few days. The company stamp is in the third drawer on the left. I'll give you the key."

This proposition left Yan Xu flustered, "How can that be? Please keep the key and come to work. The company can't function without you."

Tiredly, He Guan responded, "It'll have to. It won't collapse without me."

Yan Xu, taken aback, queried, "What?"

He Guan explained, "I have to... look for my wife. Can you please step up these few days for me?"

His voice, wearied and drained, sounded as if every word required all his strength, each syllable pushed out with effort.

"...Alright, you should go. I'm exhausted."

After the rain, in the night, the breeze flowed gently through the north and south balconies, casting moonlight onto the floor.

Half of He Guan's face buried in a cushion, flush from intoxication.

At that moment, the soft curve of his cheek moved subtly with the muscles of his mouth, the shadow concealing his expression.

Yan Xu couldn't discern if He Guan had smirked or was holding back tears, so he just pursed his lips.

All he could hear was He Guan's weary voice.

"I'm not in the mood, spare me the chatter."

Yan Xu hesitated, then finally picked up an empty can from He Guan's table, saying, "Alright."

He Guan: "Remember to close the door."

Yan Xu: "Yes."

*

Over the next two weeks, He Guan was nowhere to be seen at Xingyu.

Just as he had mentioned, Yan Xu exercised authority on his behalf. Any document requiring He Guan's personal review was directly delivered to his home.

As for He Guan himself...

He was nursing a hangover.

The first few days, there was just a faint scent of alcohol in the room.

A week later, the place was littered with bottles of all sorts – indiscriminately chosen, from fine wines to cheap liquors.

The spacious apartment felt like it was soaked in a vat of alcohol, as if even its corners were drenched.

Every time Yan Xu delivered documents, he'd take it upon himself to tidy up the bottles.

But if he lingered even a moment too long while cleaning, he'd be scolded by the man inside.

"What are you cleaning up? Deliver what you have and leave! Or better yet, bring me two more bottles of liquor!"

The man's voice was hoarse, his meals were delivered regularly by Yan Xu. With disheveled hair, he sat on the bed, irritably kicking the bedside table.

Yan Xu had no choice but to obey.

He knew the anger wasn't directed at him, which only deepened his sense of helplessness and sorrow.

On the 20th and 21st of May, Yan Xu brought all the flowers sent for He Guan to the apartment, unpacking them one by one and temporarily storing them in an empty glass container.

He didn't know what the container was meant for. Since no new occupants seemed to be moving in, he took the initiative to fill a glass tank with flowers, added water, and changed it daily.

On the fourteenth day, as Yan Xu entered, he sensed something was amiss.

The flowers in the glass tank were dead.

The man on the couch turned his head upon hearing the noise, his eyes cloudy, he murmured, "You're here."

Yan Xu: "Yes, Mr. He."

He Guan, rubbing his scruffy chin, said, "What do you have for me to review today? Hand it over."

It's rare to see him not drinking.

Yan Xu handed over the documents, set down his briefcase, and began tidying up the room for him.

The bedroom was a complete mess.

The sheets were crumpled in a heap, and a pillow lay strewn on the floor. Describing the scene as 'chaotic' would be an understatement, given the likely disheveled state of the owner come nighttime.

Yan Xu tidied the wine bottles into a corner—He Guan wouldn't let him throw them away—opened a window to let in some fresh air, and accidentally touched He Guan's phone on the bedside table.

The lock screen displayed a silhouette from the back.

It must be the lover He Guan often spoke of.

He stared at the phone for a while, lost in thought, until a voice outside jolted him back to reality.

By the time Yan Xu was done tidying and emerged, the documents had been signed. The person who'd signed them sat transfixed by the large digital TV screen in front of him.

The TV was off, the black screen reflecting He Guan's dejected figure.

His gaze was distant, and it took a while before he finally focused on Yan Xu, murmuring, "...Let's go."

In the previous two weeks, during Yan Xu's regular visits, He Guan had never spoken to him like that, often just ignoring him.

Yan Xu stood still for a long time, then asked, "Mr. He, are you asking me never to return?"

He Guan replied, "Mm."

Yan Xu: "Are you resigning?"

He Guan: "Whatever."

Yan Xu: "If there's anything troubling you, you can talk to me..."

Suddenly, a pillow flew through the air, landing in Yan Xu's arms.

He Guan roared, "Can't you understand plain language?! There's no more work to do! I don't care, just leave me alone!"

Holding the Donald Duck pillow tightly, Yan Xu took a few steps toward He Guan, knelt halfway, and said, "Mr. He, aren't you concerned about Nolimit anymore? They're about to debut next month."

"You've been running around for them these past days. Isn't this the moment you've been waiting for? We should at least..."

He Guan suddenly cut him off, "Yan Xu, do you like me or love me? Why tell me all this?"

Yan Xu was momentarily speechless.

After a long pause, he finally said, "No, it's just that if you leave, I..."

Even as he answered, he realized he was lying.

He Guan asked again, "Have you ever liked anyone?"

Yan Xu was caught off guard by the sudden change in the topic but instinctively responded, hoping to appease He Guan, "Yes..."

He Guan asked, "What would you do if he disappeared?"

After a long pause, Yan Xu answered, "...I can't even imagine."

With a cold laugh, He Guan retorted, "Can't even imagine that. I don't converse with people lacking imagination."

Yan Xu remained silent.

Desperately, He Guan exclaimed, "Don't come back here! The disappearance of Lou Dong is devastating enough; seeing you every day adds to the torment. I won't end my life!"

"I just... I just can't function at work anymore! They keep asking me to work... Isn't it cruel of you? Wait for the board to interrogate me. Or hire someone else! Just go... Just leave!"

"Why pity me here... I'm not pitiable! Just go, can't you?"

"Can't you just leave?"

His voice cracked towards the end. Covering the lower half of his face, he choked up, unable to speak.

Through the gaps in He Guan's fingers, Yan Xu noticed tears slowly forming.

Drop by drop, until they flowed through the gaps.

With difficulty, Yan Xu said, "I've officially arranged a medical leave for you. It's for a month."

He Guan ignored him.

Yan Xu continued, "We're now in the third week of your leave. They'll debut next Thursday of the fourth week."

He Guan stayed silent.

Receiving no response, Yan Xu stood up and headed for the door.

He knew better than to gawk at He Guan's vulnerable state, but he found it hard to resist the urge to look back.

As Yan Xu's hand reached for the doorknob, about to look back, he heard He Guan's voice, "Aren't you leaving?"

Picking up the plastic bag by the door, Yan Xu replied, "I'm leaving now."

He Guan had always been sharp, especially now.

In the bag were once blooming flowers that had been closely packed in a glass vase.

Now wilted and sullied, they languished in the simple plastic bag, mixed with dirty water. Yan Xu carried them outside and threw them into the community trash can.

Only a muffled sound remained.

After discarding the flowers, he looked up at the person awaiting him, with a serene gaze.

The glare reflected off his glasses, hiding his triumphant eyes behind the summer sunshine.

Yan Fengqing asked, "How is he?"

Yan Xu hesitated for a while before responding, "...He's fallen apart."

*

After Yan Xu left, He Guan sat dazed on the sofa for a long time before starting to clean up the room.

Pushing aside his weariness, he closed all the curtains, turned on the ventilation system and lights. Instantly, the scent of alcohol in the house lightened.

Yan Xu's position seemed perplexing, but one certainty was that he was in touch with Yan Fengqing.

As to whether Yan Fengqing and Lou Junxian belong to the same interest group, only time would tell.

This was only He Guan's speculation.

Yan Fengqing appeared to have a wider reach than Lou Junxian. Upon He Guan's arrival, there were a couple of occasions when Yan Fengqing took the initiative to observe He Guan directly.

Even the matter with Tong Jiaqi seemed like a conspicuous trap set by Yan Fengqing, presumably to assess any potential threat from He Guan.

Ever since He Guan settled in Xingyu, this scrutiny ceased. Only Yan Xu remained by his side, monitoring his movements.

Were it not for He Guan's insights into the narrative, he might not have discerned the underlying malintent—which seemed distinct from that of Lou Junxian.

It's as if they were evaluating his worth.

All He Guan had to do now was wait and see if Lou Junxian would approach him after discovering the mishap.

As he vacuumed the house, He Guan also checked Weibo on his phone.

A host he contacted a few days ago introduced him to someone nicknamed "Fish", responsible for financial matters. After two days of interaction, she proposed a meeting to review the accounts.

A smart move by the police.

Penetrating the management of the Lou family conglomerate was extremely challenging. If they were to make a move, Xingyu would undoubtedly be the starting point.

However, the case with Jing Jiahao indicated that Lou Yingjie was quite alert to such matters.

Jing Jiahao was just a director. Replacing him was expected. But his immediate supervisor was untouchable.

Even if deemed incompetent, they remained immune.

That person was related to one of Lou Yingjie's comrades. Their position seemed intentional and optimal for placement.

Therefore, using Chi Yu, a newly arrived director whose removal wouldn't cause significant harm, as a pawn seemed apt.

If He Guan's suspicion was correct, this person named "Fish" would be Chi Yu.

Between sending flowers with a card, managing finances in He Guan's fan group, and the coincidental name collision, it all seemed to align.

This was the most prominent clue on the surface, one that was plainly in front of him.

If not for this, He Guan really wouldn't know where else to seek relevant information.

He hoped his judgment was accurate.

He Guan looked at himself in the mirror, studying the stubble that had grown over several days, and touched it.

It felt prickly.

Before they began dating, He Guan would regularly shave, yet he never saw Lou Dongcai doing the same.

However, Lou Dongcai was always neat, even taking it upon himself to clip his nails instead of letting He Guan help.

It was through such minute details that He Guan realized that Lou Dongcai cared about his appearance in front of him, only grooming when He Guan wasn't around.

A fleeting memory made the man in the mirror sigh deeply.

Where are you?

I hope you're okay.

He Guan had to head out. Quickly shaking off these thoughts, he shaved, took a shower, and headed downstairs in the middle of the night.

Their meeting spot was a bustling snack street near the beach—

The very beach where he and Lou Dongcai once watched the blue luminescence.

He Guan stopped in front of a barbecue shop, looking up at its sign.

Orange Barbecue Shop.