Volume 1 Chapter 9: Honey Baby?

“Let me give you a new name. But what should I call you?”
“Baby?”
“Darling?”
“Honey?”
“Sweetheart?”

If this were before, Lin Chen would never have uttered such cheesy terms. But because he had been taking care of her every day these past few days, a deep affection had formed between them, compounded by feelings from their childhood. That was why he could bring himself to say those names out loud.

Still, even so, he found it a bit cringe-worthy, enough to give him goosebumps...

Meanwhile, on the hospital bed, Xu Mi’s condition wasn’t much better. Although she hadn’t woken up yet, upon hearing those names, her cheeks flushed faintly, and her body trembled slightly.

It made sense—after all, she was a woman about the same age as his mother, from a much more conservative time!

“Hey, wife, why is your face turning red? Can you hear me?”

Lin Chen always felt that Xu Mi could understand what he was saying. Otherwise, why would she react so strongly whenever he mentioned his mother? But Dr. Zhang insisted that these were subconscious reactions, so Lin Chen wasn’t entirely sure if she could truly hear him.

Yet at this moment, seeing her response, Lin Chen became even more convinced that Xu Mi was reacting to the outside world.

With that thought, a mischievous idea suddenly sparked in his heart.

“Wife, honey, sweet honey...”

Baby, darling, sweetheart...

“Can I give you a kiss? If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as consent.”

Lin Chen clearly saw Xu Mi’s body tremble uncontrollably after hearing this request.

But he ignored it.

Leaning down, he kissed her cheek.

*Smack!*

After the kiss, Lin Chen even wiped his mouth with a flourish.

“Wife, you smell so good! How come even when you’re sick, you still smell so sweet? Hehe, does this mean we’ve kissed now?”

“Wife, do you know why I kissed you?”

Because I’m really torn right now.

On one hand, I want you to wake up soon—it’s everyone’s wish after all.

But on the other hand, I don’t want you to wake up. If you do, will you still want me as your little husband?

After all, there’s nearly a twenty-year age gap between us. You’re my mom’s close friend, so this... this is like an insurmountable chasm standing between us.

So, I kissed you. Even if you wake up and don’t want me anymore, at least I’ll have this kiss to remember...

Ah!

Does this sound like I’m being a simp? But I’m happy to be your simp, wife. No, no, that’s not simp—it’s called romance!”

“Well, enough of this mushy stuff. Talking too much is sad. Let me tell you about work... I got the job! I’m working at Honey Bio now. My colleagues treat me well, and the pay is good.

But after starting work, I’ve become incredibly busy—so busy I barely have time to think about you.

Anyway... I have to get up early tomorrow, so I can only come see you after work from now on.”

After saying this, Lin Chen kissed Xu Mi’s cheek once more, then reluctantly left the ward.

...

By the time Lin Chen returned to the dormitory, it was already ten at night.

His good friend Jiang Yao was lying on his bed, chatting on the phone with his girlfriend.

Seeing Lin Chen come in, Jiang Yao hung up and jumped down from the upper bunk.

“Lin Chen, you disappear right after work and said you don’t have a girlfriend anymore?”

He then sniffed the air.

“Wait, why don’t you smell like a girl’s perfume? You smell like disinfectant instead. What exactly have you been up to?”

Lin Chen was at a loss for how to explain.

After stammering for a while, he growled, “Why do I have to report to you? Buzz off!”

...

The next day, during lunch break at the company, Jiang Yao invited his cousin out for a meal at a decent Sichuan restaurant downstairs.

They couldn’t drink much since they had to work in the afternoon, so each only had a bottle of Tsingtao beer.

“Cousin, thank you so much for helping with the job. If it weren’t for you, the two of us wouldn’t have found such good positions.” Lin Chen raised his glass, gratitude shining on his face.

Zhou You raised his cup and drained his beer in one gulp.

After a burp, he said, “Brother, I didn’t really do much, just put in a good word...”

“Cousin, your recommendation was very effective. The starting salary was supposed to be 8,000, but they bumped it up to 12,000 and even gave us a private office.”

Zhou You looked utterly frustrated.

Damn!

He’d been working for four years and only earned 12,000 himself.

How on earth did these two kids manage that?

Comparing yourself to others is infuriating!

Sighing deeply, he changed the subject:

“We’re all family here, no need for formalities. I’ve been at the company longer, so I know a bit about how things work. If you have any questions, just ask me.”

“Great! I was about to ask. I heard from other colleagues that the company’s situation is pretty dangerous right now. What’s really going on?” Lin Chen asked.

“Oh, that... I’ve heard something too. The company was preparing to go public, but suddenly the process stopped. Some say the chairman is seriously ill and hospitalized, even in critical condition. Others say the chairman got into trouble and fled abroad.

But no one knows the exact truth—it’s all top-secret. What’s true is that the chairman hasn’t appeared at the company for two months.”

“Is that so... What kind of person is the chairman?” Jiang Yao asked.

“She’s a strong woman and incredibly beautiful. I caught a glimpse of her from afar once. Honestly, she’s stunning—much more beautiful than any TV star.”

“Really?”

Hearing this, Jiang Yao couldn’t help but feel hopeful. “I wish I could see her someday.”

“There will be plenty of chances in the future. But there’s one thing I need to warn you about.”

“What is it?” Lin Chen and Jiang Yao asked in unison, turning to Zhou You.

“Rumor has it the chairman might never come back. Because of this, the company’s upper management is embroiled in intense factional struggles and alliances. My warning to you is...

Don’t take sides lightly. Don’t take sides lightly!”

Zhou You repeated the last sentence twice for emphasis.

“Why not?” Jiang Yao asked, perplexed.

“The chairman hates scheming and political games the most.”

“But isn’t she not coming back?” Jiang Yao pressed.

“I have a feeling she will. So be very careful about picking sides. If you choose the wrong one, you risk being purged.”

“Got it. Thanks for the warning, cousin.”

Lin Chen and Jiang Yao exchanged looks and committed this advice to heart.

...

After lunch, the three returned to the office to continue working.

But as soon as they got back to their desks, the head of the marketing department—who was also their immediate supervisor’s personal secretary—knocked on their door.

“Lin Chen, Jiang Yao, come with me for a moment.”