Chapter 288: YOU THINK I COULDN’T FIGURE THAT OUT MYSELF?

The rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed throughout the rehearsal studio as Guiying walked confidently down the runway, his posture remaining impeccably straight.

At the same time, the tailored coat draped over his shoulders swayed naturally with every measured step, earning another approving nod from Shao Mingye as the camera shutter clicked in rapid succession.

"Again," Shao Mingye said after lowering the camera to review the latest photographs, his gaze carefully examining every detail before settling back on Guiying.

"Your pace is consistent, but you’re relaxing your shoulders slightly before completing the turn. The audience probably won’t notice, though the camera certainly will."

Guiying nodded obediently before making his way back to the starting position, fully prepared to repeat the routine without complaint.

Still, he had barely taken two steps when the vibration of a mobile phone resting on a nearby chair interrupted the music reverberating throughout the studio.

Bai Zichen, who happened to be standing closest, casually picked up the device before walking over and holding it out with a smile.

Guiying instinctively assumed the caller could only be Liuxian, causing his eyes to brighten almost immediately as he reached for the phone.

Yet, the excitement that had appeared on his face disappeared just as quickly the moment he looked at the screen.

Fu Pei.

Guiying blinked once before staring at the caller ID for several long seconds, his expression gradually changing from confusion to dawning realization as an uncomfortable silence settled over him, making Bai Zichen glance at him curiously without interrupting whatever train of thought had suddenly seized him.

"...Oh no."

The murmur escaped before he could stop himself as he lightly pressed his fingers against his forehead, finally remembering that somewhere in the middle of sending Liuxian off, he had completely forgotten about taking one very important person along with him.

He had left Fu Pei behind.

Not because he disliked the man or intentionally ignored him, but because he had been emotionally downcast that his recently assigned personal assistant simply... slipped his mind.

The phone vibrated again.

Guiying stared at it with growing guilt as he imagined Fu Pei sitting alone with an itinerary that no longer matched his employer’s whereabouts, calling again and again without receiving an explanation, and for the first time since accepting the assistant, he genuinely wondered whether the usually composed man had finally reached the end of his patience.

Bai Zichen noticed the increasingly complicated expression on Guiying’s face and tilted his head in confusion.

"Is something wrong?"

Guiying slowly nodded before letting out an embarrassed sigh, his grip on the phone tightening ever so slightly as he accepted the call.

"...I think someone’s about to scold me."

Guiying stared at the vibrating phone as though it were a ticking bomb before finally gathering enough courage to answer it, silently praying Fu Pei hadn’t worked himself into too foul a mood.

"...Hello?"

He didn’t even finish the greeting before a string of profanity exploded from the other end of the call, causing him to instinctively pull the phone several inches away from his ear as Fu Pei’s unmistakably annoyed voice echoed through the speaker loud enough that even Bai Zichen could hear the occasional curse.

"Guiying, are you actually fucking serious? Today’s my first goddamn day,y and you already forgot I exist. Do you know how stupid I looked walking over to the main house this morning just for Aunt Chen to tell me you’d already fucked off without me? I stood there wondering whether I’d somehow been fired before I’d even started working. Tell me honestly, did Liuxian hit you over the head or were you born this hopeless?"

Every sentence only made the guilt sitting in Guiying’s chest grow heavier because none of it was exaggerated in the slightest.

He could vividly picture Fu Pei arriving at the main residence on time, ready for his first day, only to be told by Mrs. Chen that Guiying had already left, and somehow that image made him feel even worse than the relentless cursing pouring through the phone.

"...I’m sorry," he admitted quietly, rubbing the back of his neck with an embarrassed smile that looked more pitiful than apologetic. "I genuinely forgot. Things have been so hectic these past few days that my brain completely skipped over today being your first day."

Fu Pei answered with a disbelieving scoff before muttering another colorful curse beneath his breath, clearly unconvinced that such an excuse could justify forgetting an entire human being.

"No shit you forgot. You think I couldn’t figure that out myself? I’ve met people who lose their wallets, their keys, even their damn passports, but you’re the first idiot I’ve ever met who misplaced an assistant. Congratulations, Guiying. That’s actually impressive."

Standing only a few feet away, Bai Zichen watched Guiying endure the verbal assault without offering so much as a single excuse, finding it oddly amusing that someone had managed to reduce the usually composed model into repeatedly nodding at a phone while accepting every insult thrown his way like a guilty schoolboy being lectured by a teacher.

Guiying didn’t even attempt to argue because, if he were being honest with himself, every jab Fu Pei landed was deserved.

Fu Pei finally paused long enough to take a breath. However, the silence lasted barely a second before another irritated click of his tongue came through the speaker, making it abundantly clear that he still wasn’t over being forgotten on the very first day of work.

"Forget it," he muttered before cursing under his breath again. "I’ve already spent half my morning looking like a complete dumbass. Just send me your location."

Guiying blinked. "...My location?"

Fu Pei let out a dry laugh. "No, your fucking horoscope. Of course your location."

He sounded genuinely offended by the question, as though Guiying had somehow managed to become even more hopeless in the span of a few seconds. "It’s my first day, isn’t it? Unless you’ve suddenly decided you don’t need an assistant anymore, I’m coming over."

The words caught Guiying slightly off guard.

From the moment the call connected, Fu Pei had done nothing but curse at him, roast him, and remind him just how spectacularly he’d messed up, yet not once had he complained about the job itself or suggested going back to the staff quarters.

He’d simply accepted that his employer was an idiot, vented his frustration accordingly, and immediately returned to thinking about work.

A helpless smile found its way onto Guiying’s face. "...I’m at TongShu."

"I know where TongShu is," Fu Pei replied with another impatient scoff. "Do you think I’m asking for the building so I can admire the architecture? Send me the exact location before I end up wandering around looking for your dumb ass."