Shen Han pressed the doorbell repeatedly, his frustration mounting as the house's owner took their time answering. His legs ached from standing too long, and the blazing sun threatened to roast him at any moment. He was about to press the bell again when the door swung open, revealing his best friend's irritated face, Li Wei, who looked far from pleased by the constant noise.
"Can you wait a moment? You'll disturb my neighbors," Li Wei shot back, clearly frustrated. Shen Han stuck out his tongue playfully, ignoring his friend's scolding. Despite his annoyance, Li Wei opened the door wider, allowing Shen Han to step inside.
The moment he entered, Shen Han's eyes lit up as they landed on Xiao Huang, Li Wei's two-year-old son, sitting on a carpet surrounded by his toys.
"My adorable nephew!" Shen Han squealed, dropping to the floor and scooping Xiao Huang into his arms. He peppered his chubby cheeks with kisses, laughing as his giggles filled the room. Xiao Huang's laughter was infectious, making him forget the heat and his earlier irritation.
"Keep an eye on Xiao Huang for me, will you? I'm cooking, but I'm almost done," Li Wei said, disappearing into the kitchen. Not wanting to sit idly, Shen Han followed him, still holding Xiao Huang. The kitchen bore the signs of Li Wei's earlier cooking frenzy, with ingredients scattered around.
"How did your job interview go?" Li Wei asked without looking up, his hands busy chopping carrots and radishes into neat cubes.
Shen Han hesitated. The job interview was the reason he had come to Li Wei's house in the first place. He sighed. "It went terribly. I'm sure I won't get the job."
"You applied at the place I recommended, right?"
"Yes."
"Were the questions hard?" Li Wei asked, placing a lid on the simmering soup pot.
"Not really," Shen Han replied shortly.
"Then why are you so certain you won't get the job?"
"Because I met Jia Wen," Shen Han admitted with a grimace.
"WHAT?!" Li Wei's sudden outburst startled both Shen Han and Xiao Huang, the latter bursting into tears. Shen Han glared at his friend before walking away to soothe the crying toddler.
Rocking Xiao Huang gently, Shen Han made funny faces in an attempt to calm him. Slowly, the tears stopped, and Xiao Huang nestled against his, sniffling softly.
"You really met Jia Wen? Tell me everything!" Li Wei demanded, shaking Shen Han by the shoulders.
"Wei-ah, calm down and focus on your son first!" Shen Han retorted, exasperated.
Rolling up his sleeves, Li Wei took Xiao Huang from Shen Han, his practiced movements soothing the child instantly. Shen Han watched in silent admiration. If only he hadn't let his ego get in the way three years ago, maybe he'd have his own version of happiness like Li Wei—a family to love and cherish.
But could he truly handle it? Shen Han wasn't sure. The thought of marriage and husband both thrilled and terrified him.
His musings were interrupted when Li Wei dragged him to the sofa. Xiao Huang was now peacefully asleep on a small foldable bed nearby.
"So, did you really meet Jia Wen?" Li Wei pressed.
Shen Han nodded slowly. "He hates me, Li Wei. He wouldn't even look at me," he confessed, his voice heavy with pain. He vividly remembered Jia Wen's cold indifference, as if he were nothing more than an insignificant speck of dust.
Considering how he had treated him, it would be strange if he didn't hate him. In fact, Shen Han would question his sanity if he bore no grudge against him.
"I heard the company belongs to him now," Shen Han continued. "Oh, you should see him, Li Wei. He's even more handsome and commanding than before." Despite himself, a smile crept onto his face as he recalled Jia Wen's striking features.
Li Wei gasped. "You're still in love with him, aren't you?"
Shen Han's smile turned bitter. "Unfortunately, he despises me. And because of that, I'm sure he won't let me work at his company."
His voice carried a certainty that left no room for doubt. This wasn't just an assumption; it was an undeniable reality he had to accept.
"What you did was wrong, but you still have to stay optimistic," Li Wei encouraged.
"Thank you for trying to cheer me up," Shen Han said sincerely. He appreciated Li Wei's efforts to lift his spirits, but he was also painfully aware of the mistakes he had made and the bridges he had burned.
After a heartfelt conversation, Shen Han declined Li Wei's invitation to stay for lunch. He came over to let it all out and get some things off his chest, and now that he had, he felt it was time to leave. He kissed Xiao Huang's forehead softly and bade Li Wei goodbye.
Walking to the bus stop, Shen Han fanned his face against the heat. His hand instinctively reached for his phone, and with a sigh, he unlocked it, hoping to distract himself from the swirling thoughts in his head. The screen lit up, showing a list of notifications, most of them unimportant.
He scrolled through, absentmindedly tapping on his email inbox. His thumb froze when he saw it—an email from JS Corp.
It's probably just a rejection letter, he thought, his heart sinking a little. He'd already braced himself for that possibility. Still, something pushed him to open the email.
His eyes skimmed the subject line, then the first few lines of the message. We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for the position... Shen Han blinked. He read it again. Then a third time, just to be sure. His breath caught in his chest.
No way.
He rubbed his eyes, his pulse quickening as he reread the email once more. There it was in black and white. He had actually gotten the job. His mind briefly went blank as the weight of it hit him. For a moment, he couldn't believe it.
As the news sank in, he let out a small scream of joy.
His reaction drew curious stares from the people around him, but for once, Shen Han didn't care. The sheer exhilaration of being accepted—at Jia Wen's company, no less—was overwhelming.
Nothing, he thought, could make him happier than this.