Chapter 55: This Damn Face-Judging World

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: This Damn Face-Judging World

"I’m screwed!"

"I’m going to be late!"

Gu Yizhou muttered to himself as he threw on his clothes.

He must have dozed off again when his phone alarm went off, because the time had just slipped away.

After a quick wash-up, Gu Yizhou left the apartment with a slice of bread in his mouth, grabbing his backpack and helmet on the way out.

As for Xiaobai, Gu Yizhou didn’t have time to worry about it. Besides, it was used to this by now. It would come back on its own in the evening.

He rushed out, went down to the complex’s underground parking garage, and sped off toward the office on his beat-up, second-hand CFMOTO 450SR.

...

By the time he arrived at the office, it was already around nine-thirty in the morning.

As expected, Gu Yizhou was late.

After clocking in with his fingerprint at the entrance, he hurried inside.

"Yizhou, why are you so late today?"

The young lady at the front desk asked in surprise when she saw Gu Yizhou.

"Uh..."

"Sister Xiaomeng, morning~"

Gu Yizhou gave an awkward smile. "I overslept."

"Oh, oh, your supervisor isn’t here yet. Hurry on in."

Shen Meng said to Gu Yizhou, "I’ll fix your late clock-in for you later."

"Okay, thanks, Sister Xiaomeng."

Hearing this, Gu Yizhou thanked her again and walked into the office.

Watching Gu Yizhou’s retreating back, Shen Meng shook her head and then looked away.

After reaching his desk, Gu Yizhou casually hung his backpack on his chair and plopped down.

"Well, well, what a rare sight!"

"I never thought I’d see the day our dear colleague Gu Yizhou, who’s only ever early, would actually be late!"

He had barely settled into his seat when He Mingyi scooted over from the side.

Gu Yizhou shot him a glance and said with a wry smile, "Overslept."

"Uh... Overslept?"

He Mingyi leaned in close to his ear, a sleazy, suggestive grin on his face. "Don’t tell me you were out in some back alley ’rescuing’ a fallen maiden last night, were you?"

Gu Yizhou: "..."

He gave He Mingyi a deadpan look and retorted irritably, "You think I need to do that?"

"You, on the other hand... you seem to know a lot about it. Don’t tell me you’re a regular, you punk?"

"Er..."

Hearing this, He Mingyi’s expression froze.

He couldn’t help but flip Gu Yizhou the middle finger.

"Screw you!"

"Am I that kind of person? I’m the picture of righteousness! Careful, or I’ll sue you for slander!"

He Mingyi spouted nonsense with a perfectly straight face.

Gu Yizhou just shook his head helplessly, not bothering to argue with him anymore.

"I..."

Just as He Mingyi was about to say something more,

CLAP CLAP CLAP...

Chen Dongchao, the leader of Team Three of the Second Financial Analysis Department, stood up and clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. Then he announced, "Everyone, I’ve just received a notice from upstairs. All personnel from the Second Financial Analysis Department are to go to the main conference room on the eighth floor for a meeting."

"Right now. Everyone grab your meeting pamphlets and laptops and follow me upstairs."

After speaking, Chen Dong picked up his laptop and prepared to leave.

An uproar swept through the group.

"Team Leader, a big meeting at this time? Is something going on?"

"Yeah! And in the main conference room, no less! That must mean it’s not just our department, but the entire finance division having a meeting, right?"

"Is the company making another big move?"

...

Everyone in Team Three, their faces filled with curiosity, started chattering.

"You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

"I don’t know either. Just follow me!"

Chen Dong retorted irritably upon hearing their questions.

After that, the large group headed for the door.

As they passed the front desk, Shen Meng happened to be walking in from outside, carrying a bag of breakfast.

"Uh..."

She paused for a moment when she saw the crowd, then asked, "Where are you all going?"

"Sister Xiaomeng, we’re going to the eighth floor for a meeting!"

He Mingyi replied with a huge grin.

The way his eyes crinkled as he desperately tried to curry favor looked incredibly cheap.

Ugh.

However, everyone in Team Three was already used to He Mingyi acting like a total simp. They just pursed their lips without saying much.

He Mingyi didn’t care in the slightest about the strange looks from the others!

’What does this bunch of single losers know!’

’After all, Shen Meng is the belle of the finance division! In the entire division, her looks are easily top three!’

’Once I win her over, they’ll be green with envy!’

"Sister Xiaomeng, you haven’t had breakfast yet?"

With this thought buoying his spirits, He Mingyi continued to suck up to Shen Meng with a grin. "Why didn’t you say so earlier? If I’d known, I would have brought an extra portion for you on my way to work."

"Huh?"

Shen Meng only seemed to register his words then.

"Oh, right!"

"Yizhou, this is for you!"

She walked up to Gu Yizhou and stuffed the breakfast she was holding into his hands!

He Mingyi: "?????"

Gu Yizhou: "Uh..."

"Sister Xiaomeng, what’s this...?"

Caught completely off guard, he asked in a daze.

"Oh, you came in pretty late this morning, so you probably didn’t have breakfast, right? Skipping breakfast is bad for your stomach. I just went and bought this for you. Eat something to tide you over!"

Shen Meng gave Gu Yizhou a small smile.

"Ooooh~"

"Something’s going on here!"

"Xiaomeng, I didn’t eat breakfast either! How come I don’t see you buying one for me?"

"Yeah!"

"Xiaomeng, we didn’t eat breakfast either! Our stomachs are feeling bad too!"

...

Seeing this, the group started to hoot and holler.

Hearing this, a light blush appeared on Shen Meng’s pretty face. She shot the jeering crowd a glare and snapped, "Shoo, shoo! If you want to eat, go buy it yourselves!"

"Wooo...!"

At her words, the crowd erupted in a chorus of teasing boos.

It was just as they thought!

Her true intentions lay elsewhere.

Amidst the crowd’s teasing jeers, Shen Meng, her face bright red, turned to Gu Yizhou and said, "Yizhou, make sure to eat something to tide you over, okay? I’m going to get back to work!"

With that, she hastily slipped away.

"That’s a first!"

"Our Sister Xiaomeng actually got shy!"

"Hahaha..."

Seeing this, the group burst into loud laughter.

"This damn world is all about looks!"

Even He Mingyi, standing to the side, commented mournfully with a heartbroken expression.

"Uh..."

Throughout the entire exchange, Gu Yizhou hadn’t been able to get a single word in.

Meanwhile, Song Sisi and the few other women standing next to him had, for some reason, rather dark expressions.

He looked down at the bag of breakfast in his hands and shook his head with a feeling of helplessness.

"Yizhou, you really live up to your title as Team Three’s eye candy!"

"Skips breakfast for one day and someone brings it to him. I’m so jealous!"

"Yeah, I’ve never had a girl buy me breakfast!"

"Me neither!"

"So jealous!"

Then the group turned back to tease Gu Yizhou.

Of course, none of them meant any harm, but even so, Gu Yizhou still felt a bit awkward.

"Come on, guys, give me a break. I’m thin-skinned, so stop teasing me!"

"It’s just colleagues helping each other out. Don’t get the wrong idea!"

He explained, sounding a little helpless.

DING~

Just then, the elevator doors opened.

When the group got a clear look at the person inside, they instantly fell silent, as if someone had hit a pause button...