**Chapter 12: “Must Be Single for Too Long…”**
About half an hour later, the on-duty doctor came out of the examination room and reminded Cheng Yixiu that he could go in.
“Boss, you forgot to take off your belt,” Lin Siyi kindly reminded him again.
“Hold on, can you hold my clinic card for me first?”
Then Cheng Yixiu swiftly unbuckled the metal clasp of his black leather belt, skillfully pulled it out from his waistband, folded it, and handed it to Lin Siyi.
For some reason, Lin Siyi felt that the scene in front of her looked quite… vivid and alluring?
Even though a few minutes had passed since she watched Cheng Yixiu enter the examination room, that moment still lingered in her mind.
Lin Siyi thought to herself, “I must have been single for too long to be so thirsty, actually daring to covet my boss’s good looks.”
Just then, the phone Cheng Yixiu had left in her bag started ringing.
Initially, Lin Siyi didn’t plan to answer the call, as picking up someone else’s phone could easily lead to misunderstandings. However, after the first ring stopped, the caller persistently called again.
Lin Siyi took out Cheng Yixiu’s phone from her bag and saw the name “Cheng Yijia” displayed on the screen. Judging by the name, it was likely a sibling or relative of her boss.
Just as she was mentally preparing to slide the call button, the caller hung up.
Lin Siyi: “…” What a coincidence.
Until Cheng Yixiu came out of the examination room after tidying up his clothes, the caller didn’t call again.
Lin Siyi quickly informed him, “Boss, you had a call earlier, but I didn’t answer it. It rang twice, so it might be urgent.”
“Really? Let me see the phone.”
Cheng Yixiu took the phone, entered the passcode, and found the missed call list. He saw it was from his sister, Cheng Yijia, and remembered his niece Shen Yu coming to him late at night a few days ago. He was conflicted about how to phrase things.
While his mind was in turmoil, he saw Lin Siyi take out his watch from her backpack. Cheng Yixiu naturally reached out to take it, followed by his belt.
Holding the phone made it difficult to put on the belt with one hand, so he intended to put the phone in his pocket first.
Coincidentally, the phone screen was still on Cheng Yijia’s number display, and Cheng Yixiu hadn’t closed it before putting it in his pocket.
Because his finger accidentally touched the dial button, the call was quickly connected on the other end.
Cheng Yijia: “Ah Xiu, why didn’t you answer my call earlier? Is something wrong?”
Unaware, Cheng Yixiu continued talking to Lin Siyi while putting on his belt, “Bring me my wallet and keys too.”
Cheng Yijia: “Ah Xiu?”
Still no response.
But Lin Siyi, with her keen hearing, reminded Cheng Yixiu, “Boss, there seems to be a sound coming from your pocket.”
“Really? Let me check.”
He took out the phone and saw it was in a call with his sister.
“…” Cheng Yixiu unbuttoned the first button of his collar and cleared his throat, “Sis, what’s up? Hmm, I might have accidentally dialed you when I put the phone in my pocket.”
“You rascal, can’t I call you for no reason? But I do have something to discuss. It’s about Shen Yu. She came back a few days ago and told me you’ve recently got a girlfriend, but she clearly doesn’t believe it.”
“And then yesterday at noon, I received a text about a large transfer from my phone. She used my secondary card, and the spending alerts are sent to my phone. I asked her where the money went, and she gave me a random excuse.”
“I was still worried, so when she went to the bathroom last night, I secretly checked her phone records. It seems she’s hired a private detective to monitor you. You should be careful if you notice someone following you…”
Cheng Yixiu was already too distracted to listen to the rest, his tone incredulous, “No way, sis, Shen Yu is getting worse. This isn’t a solution. Hiring someone to follow me is too much, and who knows what else she might do.”
Cheng Yijia: “But we can’t really send her to a mental hospital, can we? The psychologist’s evaluation was stable until this incident with you.”
“By the way, is it true that you have a girlfriend?”
Cheng Yixiu glanced at Lin Siyi and lied through his teeth, “Yeah, she’s with me at the hospital for a check-up. I’ll bring her over for you to meet another day.”
Cheng Yijia was surprised, “Oh my, I can’t imagine Dad’s reaction to this. You gave up inheriting the family business to start your own, and you even told him not to expect you to carry on the family line.”
“Dad’s just old-fashioned. Besides, you took over the family business, and you have two nephews to help you.”
“True, but Shen Yu’s situation is worrying me. I’m really concerned about what I’ll say to her late parents if something happens to her.”
“Sis, you’ve done more than enough for Shen Yu. Even though her parents helped you back then, you’ve raised her as your own daughter all these years. You’ve truly done your best.”
Cheng Yijia: “I’ll find a chance to talk to her again. Don’t let her know you found out about the detective. Hopefully, when she sees the truth, she’ll let go and pursue her own happiness.”
“But you promised to bring your girlfriend home, so don’t back out. I can’t wait to tell Dad the good news.”
Cheng Yixiu couldn’t help but rub his forehead, “You don’t have to be in such a hurry.”
Cheng Yijia: “How can I not be? Gu Zhaoyang, who’s your age, posted his wife’s pregnancy report on social media this morning. You’ve been single for so long, wasting your ‘eligible bachelor’ title. My brother is so outstanding, handsome, and capable of making money. There’s no reason for you to still be single.”
“Alright, I have an international meeting starting soon, so I’ll talk to you later.”
Beep beep beep…
Cheng Yixiu sighed and turned to Lin Siyi, who was waiting nearby, “Let’s go. We can see the doctor now.”
The female doctor carefully examined the scans on the computer, “Your disc is fine. There’s nothing unusual on the scans. It’s probably just a muscle strain. I’ll prescribe some heat patches for you to use for a few days.”
Lin Siyi couldn’t help but chime in, “Doctor, shouldn’t he take some medication too?”
The female doctor explained, “Painkillers aren’t really necessary, but you can take some glucosamine supplements to prevent joint cartilage damage.”
“Please prescribe some for him. This was my fault, and for safety’s sake, he should take some supplements.”
After leaving the clinic, they went to the pharmacy to get the medication before heading to the outdoor parking lot.
Lin Siyi offered, “Boss, since your back is injured, let me drive you home.”
“You can drive? I always see you on an electric scooter.”
“I got my license during my freshman summer. I used to drive my mom’s car around a lot. I can definitely drive you home, no worries.”
Hearing her mention her mom, Cheng Yixiu remembered something, “I never see your mom around when I come and go.”
“Well, I live alone now.” Lin Siyi paused for a moment before continuing, “And my mom has passed away.”
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s okay, it’s the truth. You didn’t know before, and it’s not like you did it on purpose.”
To avoid awkwardness, Lin Siyi quickly changed the topic, “Boss, I’ll bring you the patches I bought from the pharmacy yesterday. They’re really effective. I used two on my lower back today and felt no discomfort.”
Appreciating her sincerity, Cheng Yixiu couldn’t refuse, “Alright, bring them over later. But you don’t need to cover the medical expenses. It’s not much. Consider it offset by the patches.”
Lin Siyi, “How can I accept that?”
Cheng Yixiu chuckled, “You were bold enough to negotiate your salary during the interview. What’s there to be embarrassed about?”
Lin Siyi: “…” That was in the past. Can’t you forget it? Besides, isn’t it normal for employees to fight for their benefits?
“But you’ll have to drop me off at the office first. I planned to work overtime this afternoon, but since things turned out this way, I need to grab some materials to work from home.”
“No problem. Make sure to sit tight. I’ll go up with you and maybe lend a hand.”
“Oh, and I need to stop by the supermarket later. Could you wait in the car for a bit?”
“Mind if I join you?”
“Of course… that’s fine.”
“Then drive to the office first. There’s a supermarket on the way back, and I need to pick up some essentials too.”
“OK.”
Even on the weekend, some people were voluntarily working overtime at the company. Yuan Yafang from the research department was one of them. She had been out on business for the past few days and, seeing Cheng Yixiu with a pretty girl, naturally thought of the recent company rumors.
Rumor had it that Mr. Cheng personally hired a beautiful assistant.
When Cheng Yixiu instructed Lin Siyi to wait in the main office area for a moment, Yuan Yafang approached her, “Hi, I’m Yuan Yafang. I haven’t been in the office these past few days, so you probably haven’t seen me.”
“Hello, I’m Lin Siyi.”