Paranoid Boss Always Wants to Possess Me CHAPTER 23

Chapter 23: Li Qi’s Sudden Disappearance

Chen Jiamu could never have imagined that their next meeting would be years later.

One night changed everything.

Song Jin and Li Qi disappeared from Beicheng overnight, and Li Qi’s phone became unreachable…

The change was too sudden; Chen Jiamu’s mind went blank, unsure what to do.

It wasn’t until Chen Cheng told him that Song Jin wanted to divorce Li Ru, and when he refused, she had fled overseas with Li Qi…

“She went abroad, that’s… good…”

Chen Jiamu stared into the distance, muttering. His usually bright eyes were dull, as if he’d lost a precious treasure…

“Hah, I thought he considered me a friend.”

“Turns out, I was being delusional.”

After Li Qi’s departure, it rained all night in Beicheng, as if washing away all traces of his presence…

Time flew, and four years passed…

“Hey, what are you thinking about? Just slacking off, huh?”

In a prominent high-rise building in Su City, Chen Jiamu was staring at a message from Chen Cheng when a harsh voice interrupted him.

Chen Jiamu was about to get angry, but upon seeing the man’s face, he suppressed his anger, glancing at him lazily.

“It’s lunchtime, let’s order takeout.”

“You’re so rich, you can afford takeout. Unlike me…”

The man’s bulky figure swayed in front of him. Chen Jiamu inwardly rolled his eyes.

If it weren’t for trying to win over that woman, he wouldn’t have come all this way from Beicheng to work so hard.

Seeing Chen Jiamu ignore him, the man gave a few more sarcastic remarks before leaving.

“Idiot…”

Muttering under his breath, Chen Jiamu continued reading Chen Cheng’s message.

【Song Jin is back in China. Looks like it’s about the divorce from Li Ru.】

Seeing that name, Chen Jiamu felt a sense of detachment. How long had it been since he’d heard Song Jin’s name? If Song Jin was back… then he…

Li Qi should be back too…

Li Qi’s sudden disappearance had left a permanent scar on his heart, reminding him repeatedly that all his efforts had been a joke…

【So she’s back.】

【I mean, Li Qi is back too.】

【Oh.】

Chen Cheng had witnessed the extent of Chen Jiamu’s devastation at Li Qi’s disappearance.

His calm reaction now made Chen Cheng feel like he no longer cared.

Chen Jiamu didn’t want to discuss Li Qi further. When he thought of Li Qi, he remembered the secret base…

Back then, he thought he had truly entered Li Qi’s heart. He’d been overjoyed, only to realize he was the complete fool…

Exiting the chat with Chen Cheng, he opened his pinned chat.

After Li Qi left, he drifted through Chengda University, later meeting a woman named Zhang Xin during a visit to another school.

She was beautiful, exactly his type. He thought she would be easy to pursue, but he’d been chasing her for two years with no success.

To avoid him, she even moved to Su City, a thousand kilometers from Beicheng. Driven by competitiveness, he applied for a job at her company after graduation.

He constantly showed his affection, but she was difficult to win over. After six months, she finally agreed to a date.

However, he understood the appeal of playing hard to get. So, he deliberately ignored her for a while, and she immediately became more attentive.

While they hadn’t officially become a couple, they were essentially acting like one.

But he could only hold hands; nothing more…

He messaged Zhang Xin to ask if she wanted to have lunch together. Two minutes passed, and she didn’t reply.

“Tsk…”

Grumbling, Chen Jiamu stretched at his desk. He glared at his desk’s location – he wanted to beat up the manager.

When he joined the company, he had deliberately concealed his identity, pretending to be a poor graduate. The manager looked down on him and placed his desk near the restroom…

Every day, he was bombarded with the stench of the restroom’s… biological weapons…

To remain low-profile, he endured it silently, planning to reveal his identity after winning Zhang Xin over.

Now, after all this time, he was still sitting near the toilet…

Damn, is this woman made of steel?

He cared so much for her; shouldn’t she be moved to tears and confess her love?

Shaking his head helplessly, Chen Jiamu checked his phone again. Zhang Xin still hadn’t replied.

Forget her. Taking a deep breath, “Cough… cough…”

Chen Jiamu forgot his proximity to the restroom and was choked by the smell, coughing and gagging.

“Damn it, idiot!”

Chen Jiamu grabbed lunch downstairs and returned to the office, vaguely hearing his colleagues gossiping.

“I heard the new boss is treating everyone to dinner tonight.”

“Really?”

“Is the new boss handsome?”

“Yeah, Zhang Xin told me.”

“She? How does she know? Could it be…”

“Shh, be quiet, she’s coming.”

The gossip stopped abruptly. Chen Jiamu awkwardly shrank back, pretending to work.

The new boss is treating everyone to dinner?

He wasn’t going; it was just a bunch of old men. What was there to celebrate?

“Jiamu, the new boss is having a banquet tonight. You absolutely can’t miss it, otherwise, the boss will be angry, and the manager will get scolded.”

Chen Jiamu was happy to see Zhang Xin, but not her message.

What did she mean the boss would be angry, and the manager would get scolded if he didn’t go?

“I’m just a small fry; I don’t have that much power.”

Chen Jiamu disliked company gatherings, and Zhang Xin knew this. But remembering the manager’s words, she bit her lip, her voice soft, “Maybe it’s not about the boss being angry, but…”

“But I want you to come?”

Zhang Xin was exceptionally beautiful, with skin like jade, a small, delicate face, and large, sparkling eyes.

Her lips were slightly pursed, her eyes slightly downcast. As a man, Chen Jiamu found her irresistible; Zhang Xin rarely acted this way.

Chen Jiamu relented. His anger from being stood up at lunch dissipated somewhat. “Fine, I’ll go.”

Chen Jiamu had handsome features; the boyish look had vanished, replaced by maturity and restraint.

Hearing his agreement, Zhang Xin immediately smiled.

They looked great together, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, often the subject of office gossip.

But their relationship was purely platonic; Zhang Xin was, however, quite close to the manager…

That evening, Chen Jiamu arrived at the company’s location. He saw several familiar faces inside, who waved to him.

“Xiao Chen, here, here, we’ve been waiting for you.”

The man who had been sarcastic earlier was exceptionally enthusiastic. Chen Jiamu felt a sense of foreboding… a banquet of sorts…

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