Gilded Rust - YiZhan

Chapter 10 - Empty Spaces

Oblivious to his unease, Mr. Xiao spoke again.

"I've told you that things aren't good between my wife and me..."

Yibo's heart sank, and he wracked his brain for a way out of the conversation, but nothing he could do or say to stop him would come across as polite. He nodded.

"I mean, you've witnessed the call in the office. It's no secret. I try to remain civil for my daughter's sake, but it's not always easy."

He chewed on his lower lip and then let out a loud breath.

"I'm sure you noticed I mentioned my brother's room is used by my wife."

Yibo, who worried he'd been silent for too long, spoke.

"Yes."

Mr. Xiao paused for a long time, a frown creasing his brow. Yibo hoped he would stop there.

"Did you think it was strange?"

Yibo's stomach knotted, and he shifted in his seat. Why was he asking him this? Was this a test? This didn't concern him and was unrelated to the job. Why the need to talk about this? Was he drunk? He didn't think so...

"I... I didn't think anything of it, sir," he said.

Mr. Xiao ran his hand through his hair. He wanted to say something, but Yibo's responses prevented him from doing so. His eyes darted around the room. He swallowed once. Twice. Then he leaned back on his seat, shoulders slumped.

"I'm sorry," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You probably don't want to know about my private life."

Yibo didn't, but although he was socially inept, he at least knew that it would be rude to confirm the man's statement outright.

"If you think it might help me do my job better..."

Mr. Xiao shook his head.

"It's completely unrelated. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought this up."

Abruptly, Mr. Xiao got up from his seat and grabbed his plate and chopsticks. Yibo made to follow him, but the man stopped him.

"It's ok. You can continue eating," he said, acting his joyful self but fooling no one. "I'm going to set these on the counter; you can tidy up the rest when you're done. If you don't know where something goes, you can leave it out for now."

Yibo glanced at the sushi tray. They'd barely made a dent in it.

"What should I do with the rest of the food?"

Mr. Xiao looked at the food as though it had just appeared.

"You can throw it out. It won't keep well in the fridge. I'll be in my office if you need me."

Before Yibo could reply, Mr. Xiao had left the kitchen. Again, he remained still for a moment, expecting him to return, but he soon heard his creaking footsteps on the stairs, followed by the sound of a door closing.

Alone at last, the tension left Yibo's shoulders, but the quick succession of changes in his boss left him bewildered. He hoped this wouldn't repeat daily.

Yibo picked up his chopsticks anew; he had already eaten more than usual but figured he could indulge a bit more. He took a few deep breaths to settle his stomach and ate some more. However, despite his best efforts, he was soon full. Still, so much food remained that it would have been indecent not to eat it.

Such a waste...

Shaking his head, Yibo took the dishes and the platter to the counter and cleaned the dining area after finding a kitchen cloth. This action made him think of Caihong and the restaurant. What was the girl doing right now? Was it a busy Friday? As he pushed the chairs back in, he wished he could teleport and help her.