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Qi Bai Cha pocketed two spheres of light, intending to first deliver Fu Ming Ye's phone to him. The matter of outsiders and the system could wait.
In any case, it was a minor issue, far less critical than Fu Ming Ye's work.
As Qi Bai Cha entered the company lobby, the receptionist immediately stood up and greeted, "Mr. Qi!"
Everyone in the company recognized Qi Bai Cha. Due to his immortality, he seldom left images of himself in the world, so as not to stir up complications. Being the partner of the country's wealthiest man made him the focal point of media attention.
Qi Bai Cha had mentioned to Fu Ming Ye his distaste for publicity. Fu Ming Ye thus pulled strings to prevent Qi Bai Cha's photos from being publicly disseminated, sheltering him securely from prying eyes.
Yet Qi Bai Cha wasn't entirely antisocial. He occasionally visited the company to bring Fu Ming Ye lunch and had met the company staff.
Everyone at the company knew the CEO's partner. Fu Ming Ye had even held a special meeting where even the building's security and cleaning staff were summoned. They rushed into the meeting room, expecting some urgent matter, only to see a large wedding photo of the couple displayed on the big screen.
Fu Ming Ye made it clear that this was his newlywed spouse. He emphasized that everyone should recognize Qi Bai Cha's face and never obstruct him, let alone snap covert pictures for online sharing—or else they'd be fired.
He was more serious about this than any business matter.
All the employees stared at the exquisitely beautiful young man in the photo, thinking, "As if we could forget a face like that…"
With such ethereal good looks, a single glance could seal your fate for life.
They collectively stood up and applauded, congratulating CEO Fu on his blissful marriage, proclaiming the couple as a match made in heaven.
Fu Ming Ye was delighted and handed out generous red envelopes to everyone.
...
Given the prior arrangements, Qi Bai Cha's path through the company was naturally unhindered and warmly welcomed.
Dressed casually, the young man stood in stark contrast to the suited personnel in the office. Yet, he exhibited no discomfort or vulnerability—rather, he strolled around as if he were an elegant nobleman touring his own estate.
Face and disposition determine everything—a truism in action.
Female employees who caught sight of the young man walking by their office window found themselves momentarily breathless, sending furtive glances to their colleagues.
The colleague who turned to look was also captivated by the slender and upright figure.
A moment of silence descended upon the office, broken only when Qi Bai Cha had walked far enough away, erupting into a burst of hushed discussion.
"Mr. Qi is here. Is he delivering lunch to Mr. Fu again?"
"Certainly! Mr. Qi is just too wonderful—handsome, gentle, and caring. I used to think no one was good enough for our dashing and wealthy Mr. Fu, but now, I'm not sure whom to envy more."
"Their love is celestial. I totally ship them!"
The newest female employee was utterly perplexed. She quietly asked a neighbor, "Who was that man who just walked by?"
"That's Mr. Qi, Mr. Fu's spouse. They're officially married," a colleague responded, winking conspiratorially. "Well, isn't he handsome?"
"So that's Mr. Fu's spouse," she mused, still reeling from her fleeting glimpse. "Mr. Fu always looks so stern and intimidating that even a glance scares me. How do they manage?"
"Mr. Fu may be stoic with us, but he's incredibly gentle with Mr. Qi. Just last time, despite having already eaten, Mr. Fu devoured every bit of the meal Mr. Qi brought. It's like a love story out of a novel!"
The female employee nodded in agreement, silently adding another couple to her list of "ships."
"Mr. Qi, you're here. Shall I inform Mr. Fu?" Linda bowed slightly.
"No need," Qi Bai Cha replied. "I've come to bring him his phone."
Linda figured as much. Among husbands, there was no need for formalities like appointments.
"Then, I won't disturb you."
Qi Bai Cha nodded in acknowledgment and proceeded effortlessly toward the CEO's office.
Hearing footsteps in the corridor, Fu Ming Ye waved his hand, making a pile of black scrolls, filled with divine script for myriad wishes, disappear from his desk, replacing them with corporate documents.
He lowered his head, feigning concentration on his work.
—Well, 'feigning' might be incorrect. He was genuinely focused on work.
To this Dark God, managing these wishes was his job. Perusing human financial statements and project plans was what he considered idling.
A lazy deity by nature, the Dark God was perhaps the world's first God of Wishes. In earlier eras, when other wish-granting gods were yet unborn, he lounged in his temple, asleep. As other gods diligently fulfilled their roles, he still slept. And as many gods fell, he remained unmovable in his slumber. Yet, lately, he was becoming a workaholic, eager to fulfill as many wishes as possible to amass power.
Worldly laws dictate that mortals can't live forever. There's no elixir for immortality, and it can't be crafted. He must become strong enough to transcend worldly restrictions to grant Qi Bai Cha eternal life. As a last resort after all other means had failed, he needed to prepare on all fronts.
Until now, among the myriad deities, the only one who had ever managed to break the world's laws was the Supreme God of the realm of gods.
Their world, within the context of the countless universes, is still too young to have given birth to a deity capable of breaking the laws of nature.
The clearer Fu Ming Ye is about this, the more anxious he becomes.
He is uncertain if he can find a way to grant eternal youth before Qi Bai Cha succumbs to age or illness. Time is running out.
Had he known that he would come to love someone this much, he wouldn't have squandered the countless years of his past in idle indolence.
Preoccupied with his regrets, Fu Ming Ye barely takes notice when someone enters the room.
Assuming it's Linda's new assistant, he doesn't bother to look up. "Make me some tea," he says, intent on calming his nerves.
Qi Bai Cha raises an eyebrow. Is he being mistaken for an assistant?
Seeing the man before him engrossed in documents, his brows knitted in concentration, Qi Bai Cha surmises he must be grappling with some work-related dilemma.
Fine, he'll let it slide.
Silently, Qi Bai Cha begins to steep the tea. Instead of using tap water from the office dispenser, he materializes the purest snow water from the heavenly mountains, known for its calming effects. Consumed regularly, it can even prolong life.
He finishes making the tea and places the cup before Fu Ming Ye.
Fu Ming Ye takes a sip, freezing as he recognizes the distinct sweet and refreshing taste.
It tastes exactly like the tea Qi Bai Cha makes.
Only then does he notice that the hands of this new assistant are rather elegant—well-defined joints, slender, and fair. They are strikingly similar to Qi Bai Cha's hands.
"Is it good, Mr. Fu?" the new assistant asks.
Fu Ming Ye looks up, and upon recognizing the young man's face, almost spills his tea. Hastily setting the cup down, he stands and offers his seat. "Qi Bai Cha, when did you get here? Please, have a seat."
"I don't mean to interrupt your work," Qi Bai Cha says, taking a phone out of his pocket. "I took the wrong phone this morning. I came to retrieve mine."
Fu Ming Ye takes his phone from his own pocket and inspects the case. "You're right; we did switch them."
They exchange phones, and Qi Bai Cha asks, "You seemed troubled when I walked in. Are you facing challenges at work?"
"Is it that obvious?" Fu Ming Ye queries.
"Yes," Qi Bai Cha replies, casting him a sidelong glance.
"I do have some minor issues, but it's nothing major," Fu Ming Ye says, smiling.
The problem is, indeed, major. He adds silently in his mind.
"In that case, I won't worry," says Qi Bai Cha, gracing him with a smile. "I'll take my leave now."
"So soon?" Fu Ming Ye instinctively wants to keep him longer.
"I have class this afternoon," Qi Baicha says.
With no good reason to keep him longer, Fu Mingye can only express his reluctant farewell: "Take care on the road."
Qi Baicha nods, turns around, and walks away.
Fu Mingye watches him go, then leans back into his chair. Suddenly, his desk is awash with a fresh stack of black folders.
He takes a deep breath, forcing himself to dive back into work and to listen to the incessant dark thoughts that irritate him.
On the other side, Qi Baicha, who has just stepped out of the office building, appears aloof.
He actually doesn't have class in the afternoon. But he needs to completely deal with the system and the trans-dimensional traveler, as well as fix the temporal loophole through which they came.
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