Come on, What Kind of CEO Chases His Roommate Back to the Country? - Chapter 31

On Monday morning, as Pei Song stepped out of his room, he saw Shi Yancheng already waiting for him in the hallway.

“Your tie is crooked.” Shi Yancheng stepped forward, his long fingers deftly adjusting the tie with a smooth yet precise motion.

Pei Song caught a faint whiff of his cologne and unconsciously slowed his breathing.

“Done.” Shi Yancheng took a step back, smoothing out the wrinkles on Pei Song’s suit. “You look much more presentable now.”

“Thanks,” Pei Song muttered.

Shi Yancheng parked the car outside the SNK building.

“What’s your plan for today?” Pei Song unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to look at him.

Shi Yancheng glanced at a billboard on the roadside and casually said, “Going to see giant pandas.”

“Really?” Pei Song’s eyes lit up. “Then you have to check out He Hua. She’s now the honorary cultural and tourism director of City C!”

“He Hua?”

“That’s Hua Hua, the giant panda,” Pei Song explained with a smile. “She’s super popular now! She even appeared at the Spring Festival Gala! If you’re lucky, you might catch her munching on bamboo and striking a pose.”

Shi Yancheng watched as Pei Song revealed a rare, childlike excitement, his lips curling slightly.

Pei Song quickly composed himself, took a deep breath, and said, “I’m heading in now.”

As he walked into the building, Shi Yancheng started the car but didn’t drive toward Chengdu Panda Base.

Lin Yuwei took Pei Song on a tour of various departments, introducing him to key personnel.

By the time they returned to the marketing department, Zhou Feng was holding a morning meeting with some colleagues.

“This is our new colleague, Pei Song,” Zhou Feng introduced with a smile. “He has extensive overseas experience in restaurant management and will be handling the expansion of our dining brands.”

Pei Song nodded in greeting to each colleague. When he was introduced to Liu Yan, the man merely shot him a cold glance, not even bothering with a polite smile.

“Li Ming,” Zhou Feng called over a young man, “Help Pei Song get familiar with the business.”

Li Ming exchanged a look with Liu Yan before readily agreeing. “Got it, Mr. Zhou.”

However, in the days that followed, Li Ming deliberately avoided Pei Song. Whenever Pei Song approached him, he always claimed to be busy and casually tossed him a few outdated documents instead.

Pei Song wasn’t in a hurry. He quietly sorted through the materials himself, sales reports, market research, competitive analysis, and development plans, gradually piecing together the department’s operations.

At the golf course, Shi Yancheng was leisurely swinging his club with Hans, the vice president of SNK.

“I heard you’re officially taking office next month?” Hans spoke in German. “Congratulations.”

“You’re too kind,” Shi Yancheng replied coolly.

“By the way,” Hans smiled meaningfully, “that kid, Pei Song, I’ll make sure to take good care of him for you.”

Shi Yancheng paused mid-swing. “No need for special treatment. He got into SNK on his own merit.”

Hans looked intrigued. “Didn’t expect you to be this invested in a newcomer.”

“He has potential,” Shi Yancheng said flatly. “But I want him to grow on his own.”

Hans chuckled and shook his head. “It’s rare to see you change your mind and come to China. When your father told me, I couldn’t believe it!”

Shi Yancheng didn’t respond, his focus locked on the distant hole.

During lunch break, Pei Song went to the break room for water and overheard Liu Yan talking inside.

“SNK really takes in just anyone now, even those from bankrupt families.” Liu Yan scoffed. “I heard his failing restaurant in Country D was about to close, so he came crawling back here.”

“Really?” someone asked.

“Of course! You guys don’t know about his family’s mess, do you?” Liu Yan lowered his voice. “His dad’s drowning in debt, and even his uncle got dragged into it.”

A knock on the doorframe interrupted him.

“Liu Yan, you seem to know a lot about my family,” Pei Song said calmly.

The break room fell silent.

Pei Song stepped inside, his voice still gentle but his gaze ice-cold. “I’ve heard things about you too… like how you climbed the ranks at your last company by tattling on coworkers, only to be ostracized and end up here.”

Liu Yan’s face twisted. “What nonsense are you talking about?!”

“Oh? Nonsense?” Pei Song smiled slightly. “Want me to call your former manager to confirm?”

“You… You!” Liu Yan stammered in fury.

Li Ming rushed in. “Come on, we’re all colleagues. Let’s not argue.”

“There’s nothing to discuss,” Pei Song said coolly. “Just a friendly reminder, Liu Yan, watch your mouth. I don’t like unnecessary drama, but I’m not an easy target either.”

“Liu Yan was just casually talking…” Li Ming forced a smile.

Pei Song ignored him, turning to leave. Before stepping out, he added, “Oh, and Liu Yan? Next time you spread rumors, do your homework first. Wouldn’t want to step on a landmine by accident.”

Silence filled the break room.

Liu Yan was both furious and shaken. He hadn’t expected Pei Song, who seemed easy to bully, to strike back so decisively.

Back at his desk, Pei Song was reviewing past project cases when his phone vibrated.

A message from Shi Yancheng: “He Hua is off today.”

Pei Song chuckled. “Then let’s go together another day?”

“Okay,” Shi Yancheng replied simply.

Putting away his phone, Pei Song refocused on work.

That evening, Pei Song arrived home only to learn that Shi Yancheng had already booked a hotel and would be moving out the next day.

He froze for a moment. “Why so sudden?”

“I’ve been staying here long enough. It’s time to move out,” Shi Yancheng said matter-of-factly. “Besides, I need to meet some friends, and a hotel is more convenient.”

Pei Song realized that it made sense. Shi Yancheng had his own social life and couldn’t always host people at his home.

“But Mom’s gotten used to you eating dinner with us…” Pei Song tried to find an excuse.

“I already spoke with Auntie,” Shi Yancheng replied without looking up. “She’s fine with it.”

Pei Song fell silent, unable to find a reason to make him stay.

“I’ve made all the arrangements,” Shi Yancheng added. “No need to worry. The hotel’s close to SNK, so it’ll still be easy to see you.”

“…Can you still come over for dinner sometimes?” Pei Song asked hesitantly.

“We’ll see. I’ll be busy for a while.”

That was just like Shi Yancheng. Once he made a decision, nothing could change his mind.

“Need help packing?”

“No, I’ll do it myself.”

Standing at the doorway, Pei Song watched as Shi Yancheng swiftly packed his things, a strange emptiness settling in his chest. He had gotten used to coming home and seeing him there.

The next day, Pei Song was slightly distracted at work, already planning to visit Shi Yancheng in a couple of days.

“Pei Song, come in for a moment.”

Zhou Feng knocked on his desk. Inside the conference room, several documents were laid out.

“There’s an important project I want you to handle,” Zhou Feng said, flipping through the files. “It’s the rebranding of ‘Jin Shang Xuan,’ a restaurant chain our company recently acquired.”