Category: Love Genius Qian Xiaoke (Page 4 of 7)

       Qian Xiaoke wasn’t a stranger to kissing—he wasn’t that inexperienced.

       Take last time, for instance. When he and Jiang Tongyan had just met, on that big hotel bed, they were kissing pretty passionately.

       But later, Qian Xiaoke thought it over and figured he might’ve still been buzzed from the alcohol. Otherwise, how could he have done something so bizarre?

       Yes, he’d reflected on it. He knew he was odd.

       He was a reserved and pure person—when his head was clear, he wouldn’t just hop into bed with anyone.

       That said, it was exactly because of that time that the two of them ended up with this messy fate.

       But to be honest, kissing Jiang Tongyan was still pretty… comfortable.

       It was like steaming in a sauna. Sure, he only went once a year during company outings—since it was kinda pricey—but that weird, wonderful feeling stuck with him.

       His pores opened, limbs went weak, and he felt pure bliss—he wanted to hit the sauna again.

       Qian Xiaoke felt comfortable like he had turned to little ball of cotton, letting Jiang Tongyan knead and shape him however he pleased.

       As for Jiang Tongyan, he felt like he wasn’t kissing Qian Xiaoke’s mouth but drinking some secret brew Qian Xiaoke had stashed away. No—Qian Xiaoke was the brew, a high-proof liquor that hit hard with one sip.

       Jiang Tongyan was drunk on it.

       Kissing boosts blood circulation—there’s science behind it. Jiang Tongyan wasn’t making it up to trick Qian Xiaoke.

       With better blood flow, his whole state perked up. What started as a ‘treatment’ slowly turned into something tender and sweet.

       Jiang Tongyan had always felt his current problem wasn’t physical. He knew his body—robust as hell! It was purely psychological, sparked by Qian Xiaoke pissing him off back then, leaving him with a mental block.

       A heart ailment needs a heart cure.

       The one who tied the bell must untie it.

       Now, the heart ailment was healing bit by bit, and the person who tied the bell was in his arms. Jiang Tongyan was getting a little c0cky.

        Kissing was really comfortable, but only with someone you liked.

       Of course, Qian Xiaoke didn’t have this awareness. He was just feeling it, while Jiang Tongyan was the only one overthinking and getting all worked up.

       What treatment?

       What doctor-patient relationship?

       Bullshit.

       Jiang Tongyan got it—he was messing around with Qian Xiaoke every day because he liked this little bastard!

       Because he liked this little bastard, kissing became extra meaningful.

       At some point, rain started falling outside, and the sky darkened. Raindrops pattered against the glass window—outside, the temperature must’ve dropped, but the two in the room were burning up.

       The ears were burning.

       The cheeks were burning.

       Qian Xiaoke said, “Jiang Tongyan! You…”

       “Don’t speak,” Jiang Tongyan said, one hand covering his mouth, the other resting on his soft hair. “I’ll ask you a question—just nod or shake your head.”

       Qian Xiaoke’s heart was racing, his brain barely functioning.

       He hadn’t expected that after all his research and prep, none of his tricks would matter—just kissing Jiang Tongyan, and this guy… seemed fine!

       Maybe he was fixed.

       He wasn’t sure.

       Qian Xiaoke’s eyes darted to Jiang Tongyan, waiting for the question.

       “Do you want it?” Jiang Tongyan hadn’t meant to ask this—confessing outright would’ve been way cooler!

       But he was scared, afraid of rejection. A CEO getting rejected? It’s a major loss of face!

       Wanna date me?

       Or wanna do that thing?

       Qian Xiaoke, figure it out yourself—Jiang Tongyan could only get this far with words.

       Jiang Tongyan, this guy, had taken too many emotional losses. He had failed in every relationship he pursued. Anyone would end up with psychological trauma.

       He was already a proud guy, but after constant setbacks, and now with Qian Xiaoke, after being limp for so long, some things just couldn’t be said out loud.

       Jiang Tongyan hoped Qian Xiaoke could read minds, picking up his truest feelings from this simple ‘Do you want it?’

       But obviously, Qian Xiaoke was just an ordinary 27-year-old broke corporate slave. If he could read minds, he would have struck it rich ages ago.

       When Jiang Tongyan asked, Qian Xiaoke hesitated.

       He was torn, unsure what to choose.

       Qian Xiaoke saw himself as a pure and innocent boy.

       Sure, his age didn’t quite fit ‘boy’ anymore, but emotionally, he was still pure.

       Okay, maybe not emotionally pure either—a pure innocent boy wouldn’t have hooked up with a hot stranger he had just met while still tipsy.

       Back then, he could blame the lingering buzz, but now he was stone-cold sober.

       Rationally, Qian Xiaoke knew he shouldn’t.

       But humans are emotional creatures!

       He craved a taste of adult happiness too!

       In those few seconds, Qian Xiaoke was overwhelmed, like he was back in the college entrance exam hall, unsure whether to follow the judgment of reason or the call of emotion.

       Seeing him waver, Jiang Tongyan got nervous. He was terrified his freshly improved state would crash again. He leaned down, kissing Qian Xiaoke through his own hand—basically kissing his own hand back.

       It actually came off pretty romantic and pure, straight out of a BL novel.

       Jiang Tongyan gazed at Qian Xiaoke with tender eyes, but his words were cold and ruthless.

       He said, “I’ll count down from three. If you don’t answer, I’m leaving.”

       He barely got ‘three’ out before Qian Xiaoke threw his arms around his neck. “Gege, hurry up already!”

       Humans are emotional animals—why overthink it? Just go for the joy!

       Later, Qian Xiaoke wrote in his diary:

       I think it’s worth reminding all my friends and family that there are risks and you need to be cautious. When picking partners, be careful—choose someone you really know, don’t be reckless.

       That was his rational takeaway, meant to tell everyone he didn’t endorse one-night stands.

       Beyond the rational summary, he added a deeply emotional line: Jiang Tongyan’s condition improved, and this attending physician felt a tiny bit of joy and relief today.

       Just a tiny bit, because while Jiang Tongyan’s condition was improving, they still couldn’t go all the way.

       The scene had turned super awkward.

       They had scrambled to find a KY substitute in Qian Xiaoke’s place, managed a friendly ‘deep exchange’ before Jiang Tongyan went soft again, and just when it seemed they’d reach an understanding, at the last second, Jiang Tongyan wilted.

       So close.

       After, Jiang Tongyan sat on the bed’s edge, staring at the cold rain outside, smoking a cigarette called ‘sorrow’.

       Meanwhile, Qian Xiaoke, the ever-thoughtful ‘little doctor’, patted his shoulder gently from behind. “Healing takes time—can’t rush it. A little progress each time, and one day, you’ll fire all cannons here with me.”

       Fire all cannons?

       Jiang Tongyan looked at him.

       “Fire all cannons,” Qian Xiaoke said, grabbing his hand, cheering him on firmly. “Keep going—you can do it!”  

       ========

       When Jiang Tongyan left Qian Xiaoke’s place, he felt a bit off.

       His condition had improved, and under his whatever, Qian Xiaoke had even let out little cat-like mewls.

       But he still couldn’t fully satisfy the other, and besides smoking, he didn’t know what else to do.

       It sucked.

       It hurt his pride.

       As Jiang Tongyan stepped out, the rain kept falling. Qian Xiaoke offered to see him off, but he shoved him back inside.

       Qian Xiaoke asked through the door, “Should I send you off to the airport tomorrow?”

       Jiang Tongyan felt something lodge in his throat. He would love for Qian Xiaoke to see him off, but he also felt too ashamed to face him.

       Funny thing—Qian Xiaoke messed up first and caused this, yet now Jiang Tongyan felt he couldn’t hold his head up around him.

       Where’s the justice in that?

       “No need,” Jiang Tongyan said. “Cheng Sen’s sending a car.”

       “…Oh,” Qian Xiaoke said, standing inside, pursing his lips.

       Yeah, true—what could he do if he went? Without a car, it was just a hassle.

       Qian Xiaoke could clearly sense Jiang Tongyan’s mood swings today—starting off happy and excited because things were better, then steadily sinking. It felt rough.

       He didn’t know how to comfort Jiang Tongyan. For the first time, he felt his mouth was too dumb.

       Qian Xiaoke’s nose stung—he genuinely felt bad for the guy.

       After Jiang Tongyan went downstairs, Qian Xiaoke stayed at the door, frozen, like someone had hit his pressure points.

       Meanwhile, Jiang Tongyan stood at the building entrance, watching the pouring rain, thinking he had been a bit rash. In such heavy rain, he would inevitably get wet if he went to the entrance of the community to take a taxi.

       He sighed, feeling impulsive.

       But it was already like this—going back to borrow an umbrella would be even more humiliating.

       Jiang Tongyan pulled out his phone, sent another message to his therapist to confirm their meeting, and even considered a full physical checkup. After sending it, he sighed long again and stepped out.

       The rain was heavy and cold, kinda like that day Lu Yiping¹from Romance in the Rain drama went to her dad for money.

       A few steps out, someone called him.

       This idol-drama-like?

       Jiang Tongyan turned—yep, it was.

       Qian Xiaoke ran out with an umbrella, and stepped into a puddle. He slipped in his flip-flops, and nearly fell flat. Lucky Jiang Tongyan reacted fast, grabbing him into his arms.

       “What are you doing?” Jiang Tongyan frowned at him. “Filming an idol drama?”

       “Yeah,” Qian Xiaoke said, feet and pant legs wet. Since Jiang Tongyan was taller, he had to hold the umbrella high. “It’s pouring—I’ll walk you out.”

       Under the umbrella, they were like a little safe haven.

       Qian Xiaoke looked up at Jiang Tongyan, pulling neatly folded tissue from his pants pocket.

       He wiped the rain off Jiang Tongyan’s face. “So pitiful.”

       Jiang Tongyan looked down at him, and the longer he looked, the harder it was to hold his emotions.

       It sucked, but Qian Xiaoke somehow moved him too.

       The cold autumn rain had chilled Jiang Tongyan, but Qian Xiaoke warmed his heart.

       “A CEO can’t look this lost,” Qian Xiaoke said, realising he really pitied Jiang Tongyan. “People would laugh if they saw.”

       Just as he finished, Jiang Tongyan pulled him into a hug.

       Now it was straight-up idol drama.

       Qian Xiaoke froze, then held the umbrella with one hand and patted his back with the other.

       “There, there, I know you’re upset,” Qian Xiaoke said, coaxing him like a kid. “Sorry—it’s all my fault.”

       As he spoke, Qian Xiaoke’s eyes reddened. He was so mad at himself—it was his fault Jiang Tongyan ended up like this.

       Qian Xiaoke comforted Jiang Tongyan but ended up crying himself. “Sorry… it’s all because of me… don’t be like this… it hurts to see…”

       Both of them were hurting.

       Neither of them felt okay.

       Jiang Tongyan was already down about his body issues, and Qian Xiaoke crying doubled it.

       “Don’t cry,” Jiang Tongyan said. “People might think your husband died.”

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       Qian Xiaoke had known from the start that Jiang Tongyan would leave, but because they met almost every day and talked nonsense every time they met, he had come to see Jiang Tongyan as a colleague, a neighbor, a random somebody—a constant presence in his life. So he had automatically ignored that this person would actually leave, and leave far away.

       He had even overlooked that Jiang Tongyan wasn’t from here at all. This man’s home was in distant New York, America—a place he had never been to and might never go in his lifetime.

       What was New York to Qian Xiaoke?

       To him, it was a place that only existed on a globe or in the news. Before meeting Jiang Tongyan, he had never thought he would have any connection to someone living there. If he had to force a link, it’d be something like ‘we all live in the global village’.

       “To…tomorrow?” Qian Xiaoke was completely unprepared, hit with a feeling of ‘you think there’s plenty of time ahead, but in a flash, it’s goodbye forever’.

       His grip on Jiang Tongyan’s hand tightened unconsciously.

       Jiang Tongyan noticed the change and was secretly pleased. He suddenly felt that Qian Xiaoke might not want him to go.

       “Well,” Jiang Tongyan said, “what’s wrong?”

       Qian Xiaoke’s eyes were dull and lifeless, his head slightly lowered as he looked at their clasped hands, his face full of disappointment.

       “It’s so sudden,” Qian Xiaoke said. “I thought it would be a long time.”

       Jiang Tongyan saw the fluffy bunny’s ears droop. It was cute, but a little heartbreaking. He wanted to comfort him, but then he suddenly glanced at Qian Xiaoke’s pot. “Hey, hey, hey! Water, water, water!”

       Qian Xiaoke hurriedly turned back, lowering the heat.

       His wontons were almost done. This might be the last meal he would eat with Jiang Tongyan.

       Qian Xiaoke couldn’t quite describe how he felt—a sour ache at the tip of his heart.

       He carefully stirred the wontons in the pot with a spoon while thinking it over.

       “Jiang Tongyan,” Qian Xiaoke muttered, “why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

       “…Are you unhappy?” Jiang Tongyan said. “I thought you knew.”

       He really thought Qian Xiaoke knew, since the hotel he stayed at was arranged by Cheng Sen’s company. He had assumed an employee like Qian Xiaoke would have his whereabouts very well.

       “I didn’t know,” Qian Xiaoke said. “I’m in the administrative department. They only tell me things when they need me to run errands.”

       His position was important in a way, but not really—there was a lot about the company he didn’t actually know.

       Qian Xiaoke felt his current mood might be because Jiang Tongyan’s departure was so sudden, leaving him no time to prepare.

       What kind of person was he?

       The type who, once he got close to someone, quickly bared his heart to them.

       Truth be told, Qian Xiaoke had been pretty lonely since starting work. His old close friends were in different cities. Here, his colleagues had their own lives and friends—he hadn’t met anyone he really clicked with. The only person he had stayed decently close to, Zhou Mo, was busier, caught up with career and love, leaving him all alone.

       Qian Xiaoke was someone who liked liveliness, being forced to be alone like this was tough.

       Jiang Tongyan’s appearance had cheered Qian Xiaoke up a lot. Sure, their meeting was a bit indescribable, and every encounter since had been awkward, but Qian Xiaoke really liked hanging out with Jiang Tongyan.

       Taking a clueless rich guy to eat snacks and drink beer had suddenly made his after-work hours way more fun.

       With Jiang Tongyan leaving out of the blue, Qian Xiaoke would be alone again, and it was hard not to feel down.

       Jiang Tongyan stood diagonally behind him, watching him fiddle with the wontons.

       Qian Xiaoke was a simple guy—his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness all showed right on his face. Jiang Tongyan wasn’t truly heartless; he could see Qian Xiaoke didn’t want him to go.

       He poked Qian Xiaoke’s shoulder with a finger. “Just say it if you’ll miss me.”

       “A little,” Qian Xiaoke said honestly, at least more honest than Jiang Tongyan. “When you’re gone, I won’t have anyone to hang out with after work.”

       Jiang Tongyan thought: Well, damn, so in your mind I’m just a playmate!

       But fine, a playmate then—Jiang Tongyan accepted it.

       Mainly because he had no choice; it wasn’t up to him.

       But thinking it over seriously, Jiang Tongyan actually felt he could be happy about this. At least Qian Xiaoke had him in his heart.

       “I didn’t expect that,” Jiang Tongyan said, his mouth incapable of sweet words. “You’ve actually got a heart and would miss me.”

       Qian Xiaoke sighed, pouring the cooked wontons into a big bowl. “Chairman Jiang, is this dinner tonight our farewell dinner?”

       “…Can’t you say something lucky? Farewell what? It’s not like I’m never coming back.” But then it would be months before he could return.

       Jiang Tongyan calculated with his fingers—at least over two months.

       It was only late September now. The soonest he could be back was late November or early December. By then, this city might even be snowy.

       Two months.

       Jiang Tongyan suddenly worried—after two months, would Qian Xiaoke forget him?

       “You’ll come back?” Qian Xiaoke was surprised. “I heard Chairman Cheng say your home’s in New York!”

       Jiang Tongyan eagerly carried the big bowl of wontons to the table, nearly burning his hands into roasted pig hooves.

       “Who says living in New York before means I can’t come back later?” Jiang Tongyan said, twisting his words eight hundred ways. “I didn’t sell myself to America.”

       Qian Xiaoke laughed, grabbing chopsticks and a spoon as he walked to the table, asking weakly, “So when will you come back?”

       “End of the year, probably,” Jiang Tongyan said, glancing at him sideways. “What? Have you secretly fallen for me, counting the days ‘til I’m back?”

       “No,” Qian Xiaoke answered flatly. “I just think you’re pretty fun, and there’s still lots of good food I haven’t taken you to eat.”

       What to say? Jiang Tongyan should’ve rolled his eyes at that ‘no’, but the follow-up sentence somehow moved him a little.

       Liking someone meant wanting to take them to eat all the world’s best food.

       Of course, Qian Xiaoke might not have the money or brains for that—he just saw Jiang Tongyan as a ‘food buddy’.

       “And our treatment’s not done yet,” Qian Xiaoke said, most concerned about this. “If you’re not better, I won’t rest easy.”

       That made Jiang Tongyan awkward.

       He coughed lightly, rubbing his hot ears.

       “Let’s try again later—maybe it’ll work,” Jiang Tongyan said, coming over today with his sneaky little thoughts.

       A bit sleazy, a bit crude, a bit shameless.

       But he really wanted to try—give himself something to hold onto for the next two months. He was leaving soon, gone for two months—couldn’t he snag a little sweetness before going?

       “En,” Qian Xiaoke sat down to eat, saying seriously to Jiang Tongyan, “I checked today—impotence means you should eat more kidney-tonifying, essence-boosting foods, like bull’s pen-s, sheep’s pen-s, ginseng, or deer antler.”

       Qian Xiaoke ate a big wonton, not seeing Jiang Tongyan’s expression, chewed, swallowed, then continued, “The good stuff’s too expensive. I’ll save up to buy some for you—don’t rush.”

       “…Cough, no need,” Jiang Tongyan said, torn between laughter and tears. How did this guy manage to be both maddening and cute?

       Jiang Tongyan took a deep breath to calm down, then mumbled, “Just touch me—that’s fine.”

       Though it was probably useless.

       Jiang Tongyan felt Qian Xiaoke’s touches didn’t actually do anything. He kept coming every day, honestly, because he was sleazy, crude, and shameless. He was just taking advantage.

       He had reflected and decided he couldn’t keep this up. It wasn’t something a gentleman would do.

       Jiang Tongyan had resolved—today was the last time. After this, he would wash his hands of it, go back to New York, and see a doctor properly.

       Truly, the righteous path was the hard road.

       Qian Xiaoke sighed. “Well, touching is a must, but you’ve got to have some supplement too.”

       He was worried—worried about everything. So worried he could only eat more wontons to ease the gloom.

       Qian Xiaoke was a little out of shape that night.

       After dinner with Jiang Tongyan, they both showered. They were clean and comfy, then went to the bedroom together.

       The bed was cozy, and after a shower, he should’ve felt good, but Qian Xiaoke couldn’t perk up.

       Jiang Tongyan leaned on the bed while Qian Xiaoke petted him, his touch lifeless.

       Jiang Tongyan asked, “What’re you thinking about?”

       Qian Xiaoke snapped back, muttering, “Nothing, just anxious.”

       Jiang Tongyan licked his lips and said, “I saw a science fact today.”

       “Hm? What fact?”

       “It said… kissing boosts blood circulation,” Jiang Tongyan started setting his trap. “When kissing, the brain releases dopamine and serotonin, triggering lots of adrenaline.”

       Qian Xiaoke said, “Just say it straight.”

       “Though it’s a bit embarrassing, wanna try kissing?” Jiang Tongyan’s ears were not the only ones red at this time; his whole body turned red. “Don’t misunderstand, I don’t mean anything else—just treating a dead horse like it’s alive. What if it works?”

       Qian Xiaoke knelt on the bed, looking at him. His blinking eyes seemed to see everything but were really full of question marks.

       Seeing no response, Jiang Tongyan thought he would refuse, so he quickly explained, “If you don’t want to, it’s fine—I won’t force you. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not—”

       “Let’s try then. It’s not like we haven’t kissed,” Qian Xiaoke said. After all, the day they met, they had done this and that. Without the later mishap, their relationship might’ve gone a whole different way.

       Qian Xiaoke licked his lips. He was serious, like he was doing research, and asked, “How do we kiss? Does it need to be one of those sticky French kisses?”

       Jiang Tongyan was shocked. “You know French kissing?”

       “Read it in novels, but never tried.”

       “…What novels do you read?”

       “Various,” Qian Xiaoke answered solemnly. “After we’re done, I’ll recommend some I’ve liked lately. Remember to download a reading app for the legal versions—if you like them, toss the authors some votes.”

       Jiang Tongyan had no interest in those novels and didn’t get the reading app or thunder stuff—he’d just sighed casually.

       “Shall we start now?” Qian Xiaoke said. “Should I chew gum first?”

       Jiang Tongyan was annoyed—this guy was too talkative. It was just a kiss, yet he had so many questions.

       While Qian Xiaoke wondered if he had brought gum when he moved, Jiang Tongyan pulled him into his arms, flipped him over, and pinned him to the bed.

       Qian Xiaoke sank into the soft bed, blinking innocently up at Jiang Tongyan.

       “You got a bit of that domineering CEO vibe,” Qian Xiaoke said, wrapping his arms around Jiang Tongyan’s neck. “Let’s start, I… mmph…”

       Shut up, Qian Xiaoke!

       To stop him from talking, Jiang Tongyan had no choice but to reluctantly block his mouth with his own.

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T/N:
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       Qian Xiaoke didn’t know how he had upset Jiang Tongyan again. However, since the other party told him to shut up, shutting up was the best choice. After all, listen to advice and you’ll eat your fill¹It implies that taking good advice from others will benefit you.

       The two stood in the elevator. Qian Xiaoke did not say anything more, focusing instead on observing the elevator in his new home.

       He had to admit. The new place… Even the elevator outside looked high-class!

       Tears welled up again. Qian Xiaoke bit his sleeve and felt like he was truly a lucky little boy.

       Jiang Tongyan sulked beside him, inwardly grumbling that Qian Xiaoke had no taste.

       What was so great about a poor kid?

       So many people wanted to marry into wealth and never got the chance!

       He had figured it out—Qian Xiaoke’s brain wasn’t just off; it wasn’t merely a missing screw anymore!

       Leaving the complex, Qian Xiaoke asked considerately, “Chairman Jiang, want to go to the company with me?”

       It seemed like an invitation to travel together, but in fact, he was thinking if Jiang Tongyan was heading to their company too, he could hitch a ride again.

       Qian Xiaoke had plenty of little tricks up his sleeve!

       In the end, he was coldly rejected.

       Jiang Tongyan hadn’t planned to go in the first place, and now, wearing wrinkled clothes with nothing under his pants, he definitely couldn’t. Plus, Qian Xiaoke had just pissed him off—angry people don’t work!

       So they parted ways at the neighbourhood’s gate. Qian Xiaoke said, “See you tonight then.”

       Jiang Tongyan, still unhappy, didn’t respond and walked off.

       Watching Jiang Tongyan’s retreating back, Qian Xiaoke worriedly thought: Tonight’s treatment—I wonder if it’ll work!

       Doctor Qian was really dedicated!

       ===========

       Qian Xiaoke went to work, while Jiang Tongyan returned to his hotel. He took another shower, changed clothes, and called Cheng Sen to get busy with work.

       He was flying back to New York tomorrow, and the project here would be finished today.

       In the end, there wasn’t much important left to do—most things had been handled. Cheng Sen visited him at the hotel and casually suggested celebrating tonight, but Jiang Tongyan made up an excuse about rescheduling.

       Though Jiang Tongyan didn’t say it, Cheng Sen guessed what he was up to.

       A date, obviously—with Qian Xiaoke.

       Valuing romance over friendship—that was Jiang Tongyan for you.

       Cheng Sen asked him, “How’s it going?”

       “I’ll handle the paperwork when I get back, but I won’t be here until year-end.”

       “Who’s asking about that?” Cheng Sen said with a gossipy look on his face. “You and Qian Xiaoke—things going alright?”

       He smiled and said, “You’re leaving—didn’t he cry and beg you to stay?”

       Hearing Qian Xiaoke’s name, Jiang Tongyan instantly turned red from his ears to his neck. “Qian Xiaoke? Who’s that? Progress with what? Why would he cry?”

       Cheng Sen laughed heartily. He waved his hand dismissively and left. “No idea who that is—just some unimportant extra, I suppose.”

       An unimportant extra?

       Better not let Qian Xiaoke hear that.

       But after Cheng Sen left, as Jiang Tongyan packed his bags, he did feel some reluctance.

       Would Qian Xiaoke be reluctant to be apart from him?

       If he knew he was leaving, would he have broken down and cried?

       If he did cry, what then?

       He got serious stuff to handle back there—no matter what, he had to go!

       Did Qian Xiaoke even have a passport?

       Getting him a visa now… he’s so poor—could he even get a U.S. visa?

       Jiang Tongyan packed while his mind ran wild. Meanwhile, Qian Xiaoke was at work, full of energy, sneaking off to the bathroom to study on his phone.

       Studying how to treat impotence.

       So diligent, it could move heaven and earth.

       Near the end of the workday, Qian Xiaoke started thinking about what to eat tonight. Since he and Jiang Tongyan had agreed to meet earlier at his place for the treatment, why not cook at home?

       No instant noodles this time—maybe wontons.

       He was mulling it over when Cheng Sen stepped out of the elevator.

       “Hello, Chairman Cheng!” Qian Xiaoke flashed his pretty eight-tooth smile.

       Cheng Sen glanced at him and casually asked, “Any plans tonight?”

       “Huh? Overtime?”

       “Nah, just asking.” Cheng Sen sauntered back to his office and left him with, “Leave quickly after work—don’t linger around here.”

       Qian Xiaoke didn’t get it. Confused, he sat down, pondering his boss’s words.

       Could it be that… he was going to fire me?

       Qian Xiaoke succeeded in scaring himself to death again.

       After the work ended at six o’clock, Qian Xiaoke didn’t dawdle this time—he left right on time. He had to follow the boss’s orders, after all.

       As soon as he stepped out of the office building, he saw Jiang Tongyan standing there with a bag of fruit, waiting for who-knows-who.

       Pretty handsome.

       “Chairman Jiang!” Qian Xiaoke greeted him politely.

       Jiang Tongyan turned at his voice and glanced at him. “Rushing out the second work ends—if I were your boss, I would be mad at you.”

       Qian Xiaoke pouted, ignoring him.

       Jiang Tongyan wanted to say more but hesitated, switching to, “Let’s go—what’s for dinner?”

       “Huh?”

       “Didn’t you say earlier today?” Jiang Tongyan said. “I came specially for you—don’t tell me you’re bailing on me!”

       “You were waiting for me?” Qian Xiaoke was surprised. “I thought you were here for Chairman Cheng.”

       “The project’s done—why would I need him?” Jiang Tongyan shoved the bag of fruit into Qian Xiaoke’s hand. “Too heavy—you carry it.”

       It wasn’t until they were in the taxi that Qian Xiaoke realised Jiang Tongyan had said, “You carry it.”

       You.

       “Chairman Jiang, you bought this for me?”

       The bag had some apples, a few bunches of gr4p3s, and a couple of gorgeous pomegranates.

       “For a pig.”

       Qian Xiaoke burst out with a ‘pfft’ laugh.

       “Chairman Jiang, I can’t accept gifts without merit.”

       Jiang Tongyan sat in the front passenger seat and was too shy to look back. However, his ears were red like they’d been soaked in chili oil.

       “I said it’s for a pig—you’re owning up to it?”

       “You’ve called me a pig before,” Qian Xiaoke said, holding back laughter as best he could.

       He realised Jiang Tongyan was actually pretty fun—the classic type who says one thing but means another, giving gifts but too embarrassed to admit it. On closer thought, it was kinda cute.

       Qian Xiaoke sat in the back, hugging the big bag of fruit, and heard Jiang Tongyan ask, “So, uh, when I call you a pig, you don’t get mad?”

       “Nope, I’m not angry,” Qian Xiaoke said. “Pigs are pretty cute too.”

       What kind of logic was that?

       Jiang Tongyan was stunned.

       But then he thought, fair enough—nothing Qian Xiaoke said was surprising anymore.

       “So it’s really for me?” Qian Xiaoke poked at the pomegranates, practically drooling. “But I…”

       “Don’t give me that ‘no merit, no reward’ line,” Jiang Tongyan said. “It’s for you; take it. If you don’t want it, toss it when we get out.”

       The driver, who’d been eavesdropping and snickering, couldn’t hold back anymore.  “Don’t toss it!”

       He looked at Qian Xiaoke in the rearview mirror. “Hey, kid, if you don’t want it, leave it in the car—I’ll take it home for my son tonight.”

       Jiang Tongyan shot a glare—not at the driver, but at Qian Xiaoke, the subtext being: Dare to toss it, and I’ll toss you out first!

       Qian Xiaoke obviously couldn’t throw it—nowhere was an option.

       Hugging the fruit, he grinned at the driver. “No way! Chairman Jiang bought this for me—it’s precious!”

       That one line cheered Jiang Tongyan right up, his mood soaring. He was so easy to please!

       They went straight to Qian Xiaoke’s place, stopping at the supermarket downstairs to grab a bag of frozen wontons.

       “Is this okay?” Qian Xiaoke said. “I feel like eating it.”

       “If you want it, eat it,” Jiang Tongyan said. “If you like it, buy a few more packs.”

       Qian Xiaoke laughed. “Almost twenty yuan a pack! Why buy so many?”

       Jiang Tongyan followed him home, muttering, “Don’t be so stingy. Eat what you want—don’t be too hard on yourself.”

       Once inside, Qian Xiaoke told Jiang Tongyan to rest while he changed and ran into the kitchen.

       Jiang Tongyan followed anyway, watching Qian Xiaoke boil water for the wontons, suddenly feeling a bit sentimental.

       “Qian Xiaoke.”

       “Hm?” Qian Xiaoke, in his Pikachu T-shirt, turned to look at Jiang Tongyan.

       “Um… if I left, would you miss me?”

       “Leave? Where are you going?”

       “Back to New York,” Jiang Tongyan said. “Once the project here’s done, I’m heading back.”

       Qian Xiaoke puffed out his cheeks, looking like a little squirrel.

       He thought for a moment and said, “I would really think about you a lot.”

       Jiang Tongyan almost smiled, but then Qian Xiaoke added, “If you leave and I haven’t fixed your problem, wouldn’t that hold you back?”

       “…That’s the only reason you’d think about me?” Jiang Tongyan frowned.

       Qian Xiaoke carefully poured the wontons into the boiling water, suddenly feeling a bit melancholic.

       “Chairman Jiang, I’m really sorry.”

       It was rare for Qian Xiaoke to apologise so seriously, his tone so downcast that it pinched Jiang Tongyan’s heart.

       “Why the sudden apology?”

       “I just feel like it’s all my fault,” Qian Xiaoke said, head down, gently stirring the wontons. “I was the one who made the mistake in the beginning.”

       His sudden seriousness threw Jiang Tongyan off balance.

       Qian Xiaoke had always wanted to apologise to Jiang Tongyan properly but never knew how to say it.

       He had no brain, was dumb, and couldn’t handle anything well.

       Qian Xiaoke pursed his lips. “Chairman Jiang, I know I made a huge mistake, turning you into this. Sometimes I wake up from nightmares about it.”

       Jiang Tongyan sighed, thinking: You’re not the only one.

       “I’ve thought about how this must affect your future relationships.”

       Jiang Tongyan wanted to roll his eyes.

       Qian Xiaoke sighed. “I’ve considered that if you don’t mind, I’d be willing to be with you—I don’t care if you can’t get it up.”

       That line left Jiang Tongyan unsure whether to laugh or cry.

       Jiang Tongyan wanted to say he didn’t mind and that he’d definitely get it up eventually!

       But before he could, Qian Xiaoke muttered to himself, “But then I think, nah, how could you not mind? Who am I? Ugly, poor, uneducated—how could I ever climb up to someone like you?”

       “Huh?”

       “Ugh, if this were a BL novel, I’d be the cannon fodder bottom who never gets love,” Qian Xiaoke said woefully. “Not to mention this is real life—turning into a phoenix from a branch²climbing social status like how Cinderella did? That kind of thing doesn’t exist. I’d better not dream.”

       He turned and held Jiang Tongyan’s hand.

       “Chairman Jiang, I promise I’ll do everything I can to help you regain your confidence as a man before you leave. You’ll go back to New York and shine. Don’t worry—I won’t hold you back!”

       Jiang Tongyan’s hand was squeezed hard, and for a moment, he couldn’t tell if this guy was joking or serious. He really wanted to crack open Qian Xiaoke’s head to see what kind of wiring let him stage an entire drama by himself.

       “Qian Xiaoke.” Though Jiang Tongyan had been mentally roasting him, he somehow got swept into the act too, frowning dramatically as he said, “It’s too late—because tomorrow I’m heading back to New York.”

---

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       Qian Xiaoke hadn’t slept this soundly and comfortably in a long time.  

       Even though he had been living in his previous place for over a month, he still couldn’t fully relax and rest, constantly feeling anxious and on edge.  

       In fact, Qian Xiaoke really envied those who could afford to buy a house. He knew that owning a home wasn’t everything, but for people like him who worked and lived away from their hometowns, renting always came with a sense of drifting, as if nowhere was truly home.  

       But he also understood that, let alone buying a house, with his current financial situation, even being able to rent a decent place was already fortunate. Thankfully, he was lucky enough to have met a good boss.  

       Qian Xiaoke slept soundly, completely unaware that it wasn’t because of his good boss, but because…  

       Jiang Tongyan was woken up by Qian Xiaoke’s alarm—a cheap, old-fashioned alarm clock he had bought online for 12 yuan, with a sound so loud it could practically take a person’s life.

       The moment the alarm rang, Jiang Tongyan jolted awake in shock, almost sending his skull flying up to the ceiling. He sat up abruptly, nearly knocking Qian Xiaoke, who was in his arms, onto the floor.  

       Qian Xiaoke had long been accustomed to the alarm and didn’t react much. The only reason he got startled was because of Jiang Tongyan.  

       “What are you doing?” Qian Xiaoke frowned, his little face scrunched up in confusion.  

       Jiang Tongyan was also in a daze, his nerves frazzled by the alarm.  

       It was Qian Xiaoke who came to his senses first and turned off the alarm.  

       “Why didn’t you leave last night?” Qian Xiaoke tilted his head at him, then raised a hand to rub his eyes vigorously.  

       After he finished rubbing his eyes, he accidentally caught sight of a certain part of Jiang Tongyan’s body. Instantly, he let out a soft ‘Hya~!’ and shyly turned away.  

       “What are you ‘Hya’-ing about?” Jiang Tongyan got out of bed, calmly straightening his clothes and pants. “You’ve already touched it, what’s with the innocent act?”

       “That’s different,” Qian Xiaoke chuckled. “That was for treatment. We were in a doctor-patient relationship back then. How can it be the same now?”  

       Jiang Tongyan also laughed. “Then what’s our relationship now?”  

       Qian Xiaoke turned slightly and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Only when he confirmed that Jiang Tongyan had put his pants on did he turn back around.

       “A debtor-creditor relationship,” Qian Xiaoke said. “You still haven’t paid me for crashing at my place before, and now you’ve slept in my new home and on my new bed. I need to calculate exactly how much you owe me!”  

       Jiang Tongyan rolled his eyes where he stood, too speechless to respond.  

       Qian Xiaoke sniffed. “I need to take a shower. I have work later.”  

       He felt like he smelled like stinky tofu. Plus, when he woke up just now, it seemed like his hand had been gripping Jiang Tongyan’s… unspeakable part.  

       Ugh, it was a complicated feeling.  

       “I need a shower too,” Jiang Tongyan shamelessly said. “You got your stinky tofu all over me last night.”  

       “How dare you say that? Who was the one insisting on eating it?!”  

       “I don’t know.” Jiang Tongyan walked out. “I’m showering first!”  

       A new home, a new bathroom, and yet the first person to use it wasn’t the owner, Qian Xiaoke, but the freeloading Jiang Tongyan!  

       Qian Xiaoke was a little unhappy, but in the spirit of being a ‘kind and considerate person’, he lowered his head and let it slide.  

       Jiang Tongyan was secretly pleased and even called out to Qian Xiaoke, “What am I supposed to wear after my shower?”  

       He remembered that Qian Xiaoke should have some of his clothes here. After their first failed attempt at doing it, Qian Xiaoke had left wearing Jiang Tongyan’s clothes.  

       “I’ll look for them,” Qian Xiaoke said. “Hurry up and shower, I need to get to work.”  

       Jiang Tongyan obediently turned and went into the bathroom.  

       Qian Xiaoke really did find the clothes Jiang Tongyan had given him to wear before, but they had been stuffed at the bottom of a box all this time. Though they had been washed, they were a bit wrinkled.  

       He felt a little embarrassed. Not only had he not returned them, but he had let them become like this.  

       Even though he knew full well there was no iron in his house, he still wandered around, hoping to find something to use instead.  

       Before he could find anything, Jiang Tongyan came out.  

       “What are you rummaging around for?” Jiang Tongyan stood there with only a towel wrapped around his waist. “Why don’t you even have a bath towel in your house?”  

       Qian Xiaoke, holding Jiang Tongyan’s clothes in his arms, turned around to look at him. “They’re expensive, and there’s no real use for them. A regular towel is good enough.”

       Jiang Tongyan could not refute it.  

       Their lives were simply too different—they were people from completely different worlds.  

       At that moment, a thought suddenly crossed Jiang Tongyan’s mind: If he and Qian Xiaoke got together one day, would it be Qian Xiaoke accommodating him, or would he be the one accommodating Qian Xiaoke?  

       Could two people from entirely different worlds trying to be together really lead to a good outcome?  

       Jiang Tongyan felt a little lost.  

       But now was clearly not the time to dwell on such thoughts.  

       He said, “Let me put on some clothes first.”  

       Jiang Tongyan covered his important parts with a towel and walked toward Qian Xiaoke. He then asked wickedly, “Why aren’t you feeling shy?”  

       “Why should I be shy?” Qian Xiaoke remained completely unfazed by the so-called ‘macho man stepping out of the shower’ scene. He casually shook out Jiang Tongyan’s shirt and commented, “It’s a bit wrinkled.”  

       His voice dropped toward the end of the sentence—feeling a bit guilty. The shirt was honestly in an embarrassing state, and it was his fault, though not entirely.  

       After parting ways that day, Qian Xiaoke never expected to see this man again. Besides, his own clothes were all cheap market buys. His T-shirts cost twenty or thirty yuan and weren’t anything precious. He could toss them on the sofa without worrying about wrinkles. But Jiang Tongyan’s clothes? Couldn’t touch, couldn’t fold, couldn’t even look at them the wrong way.  

       So this was what brand-name clothes were like? Like this?  

       Having never owned any, Qian Xiaoke was bewildered.  

       Jiang Tongyan glanced at the shirt Qian Xiaoke handed over—wrinkled beyond belief, making his head hurt. But in the end, he reluctantly decided to wear it.  

       He didn’t have much of a choice anyway. It was clear there were no other options.  

       And so, the refined and polished Jiang Tongyan transformed into the scruffy and unkempt Jiang Tongyan.  

       The shirt issue was settled, but another problem arose.  

       “Qian Xiaoke, do you… have large-sized underwear?”

       Now, that was a soul-searching question.  

       Qian Xiaoke pursed his lips and glanced at a certain part of Jiang Tongyan’s body.  

       “You wearing mine… doesn’t seem appropriate.”  

       Jiang Tongyan thought: No way. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t fit into them!  

       With his nearly 1.9-meter height compared to Qian Xiaoke’s 1.75 meters, their sizes weren’t even remotely compatible. If he tried wearing Qian Xiaoke’s underwear, it’d probably cut off his circulation.  

       “Then I don’t have any,” Qian Xiaoke said. “You’ll just have to go without.”  

       Fine, I’ll just accept my fate.  

       Ever since meeting Qian Xiaoke, Jiang Tongyan had been through all kinds of situations. His life experience had definitely been enriched. He figured that one day when he was old and flipping through the memories of his life, the most exciting chapters would all be written by Qian Xiaoke.  

       Qian Xiaoke—what a legend.

       After dealing with Jiang Tongyan, Qian Xiaoke rushed into the bathroom for a quick shower. Since he had no idea where to find a good breakfast stall near his new place and didn’t want to take any chances, he took the initiative to invite Jiang Tongyan to have breakfast at his place.  

       Jiang Tongyan asked, “Do you even have ingredients?”  

       Qian Xiaoke shook the pack of instant noodles in his hand.  

       Jiang Tongyan really wanted to refuse. However, his mouth completely ignored his brain’s protests and blurted out, “Sure.”  

       Excited, Qian Xiaoke rubbed his hands together—finally, a chance to showcase his cooking skills.  

       “Do you have a pot?”  

       Of course, Qian Xiaoke did!

       He had a small cooking pot—worked like a charm, but it was a pity he couldn’t use it at his previous place.  

       Fresh out of the shower, Qian Xiaoke’s hair was still dripping wet as he grabbed the instant noodles and dashed into the kitchen. Jiang Tongyan stood there watching him move around, watching the droplets from his hair slide down onto his shoulders and soak into his shirt. Without realising it, he started to smile.  

       All those thoughts about lifestyle differences.

       All those concerns about coming from different worlds.  

       Suddenly, they didn’t seem so impossible to overcome.  

       Qian Xiaoke’s world was actually kind of interesting. At least right now, Jiang Tongyan didn’t feel like he was accommodating anyone at all.  

       And so, on this fresh and pleasant morning, the two of them shared a bowl of instant noodles—boiled and eaten with spoons because all of Qian Xiaoke’s noodles had been crushed to bits.  

       Qian Xiaoke’s apartment had a small dining area with a modest square table. The two of them sat across from each other.  

       Jiang Tongyan found the whole scene a bit ridiculous—he had never seen anyone eating instant noodles with a spoon before.  

       “What are you laughing at?” Qian Xiaoke looked up at him.  

       “I’m laughing at you,” Jiang Tongyan said. “Laughing at how dumb you are.”  

       “Why are you picking on me first thing in the morning?!” Qian Xiaoke pouted. “Can’t you say something nice for once?”  

       Jiang Tongyan suppressed a smile and looked at him. “What’s there to compliment?”  

       Qian Xiaoke pursed his lips and thought about it. It seemed that there was really nothing.  

       He fell silent, looking dejected as he continued eating his breakfast.  

       Jiang Tongyan hated seeing him like that. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Your cooking skills are actually pretty good.”

       “Huh?”  

       “Huh what?” Jiang Tongyan said. “I just complimented you.”  

       Qian Xiaoke froze for a second, then broke into an arrogant grin. After laughing to his heart’s content, he said, “Jiang Tongyan, you’re such a tsundere!”  

       Jiang Tongyan frowned. “Of course. I’m excellent—why wouldn’t I be proud?”  

       “Not proud¹jiāo’ào! It’s Tsundere²àojiāo!” Qian Xiaoke said. “Don’t you know what ‘Tsundere’ means?”

       Even if Jiang Tongyan didn’t, he wasn’t about to admit it. He couldn’t let Qian Xiaoke think he was an idiot.  

       If a fool thought he was a fool, then what did that make him? A double fool?  

       What kind of nonsense was that?  

       Swiftly changing the subject, Jiang Tongyan asked, “What time should I come over tonight?”  

       “Huh?” 

       “What do you mean by ‘huh’? Don’t think you can get out of this,” Jiang Tongyan said. “Last night, you fell asleep halfway through—I’m keeping track of that debt.”  

       “Oh!” Qian Xiaoke suddenly understood. “Last night was an accident. Let’s start earlier tonight so that I won’t fall asleep again out of boredom.”

       Bored?

       Jiang Tongyan instantly caught onto the key point.  

       “You were bored? While you were touching me?”

       Qian Xiaoke knew he had said something wrong and hurried to coax him. “Ahh, no, that’s not what I meant! I misspoke. You can scold me!”

       He blinked his big eyes at Jiang Tongyan. “If scolding me isn’t enough, you can hit me too!”  

       Faced with this version of Qian Xiaoke, Jiang Tongyan was utterly helpless.

       He was done for. Completely and utterly done for. He had been completely wrapped around this careless idiot’s little finger.  

       For what?  

       What was the appeal?  

       His poverty?  

       His sharp tongue and lack of brain cells?  

       Jiang Tongyan was filled with regret. He should have hooked up with that flight attendant at Zhou Mo’s birthday party. If he had, Qian Xiaoke wouldn’t have had the chance to take advantage of him.  

       But it was too late for regrets. Not only had Qian Xiaoke taken advantage of the situation, but Jiang Tongyan had also sunk into this mess so deep he couldn’t get out.  

       Qian Xiaoke watched the man sitting across from him, whose face was twitching weirdly as he ate. He wondered if something was wrong with him. Should he suggest that Jiang Tongyan go to the hospital for a check-up?  

       Did Jiang Tongyan even have domestic health insurance?

       The two of them sat across from each other, eating breakfast, each lost in their own thoughts—completely out of sync.  

       Once they finished eating and Qian Xiaoke cleaned up, they left the apartment together.  

       As they stepped out, Qian Xiaoke casually mused, “I wonder what kind of neighbour I would have. Hopefully, they’re easy to get along with.”  

       “What kind of neighbour do you hope for?” Jiang Tongyan asked deliberately as they entered the elevator.  

       Qian Xiaoke pursed his lips, seriously considering it. The more he thought about it, the redder his ears became.  

       Jiang Tongyan raised a brow. “What are you thinking about?”  

       His ears were red—surely, it wasn’t something decent! Probably something dirty.  

       Qian Xiaoke smiled shyly. “I’m thinking about my neighbour.”  

       Jiang Tongyan chuckled. “Thinking what about your neighbor?”  

       “I was just thinking… it’d be great if my neighbour were a hot guy,” Qian Xiaoke mumbled, fidgeting with the hem of his T-shirt. “I read a novel once where the protagonist ended up with his neighbour.”  

       Jiang Tongyan instinctively straightened his back.  

       “I like younger tops,” Qian Xiaoke continued. “Ideally, someone in their early twenties, a bright and sunny type. Someone who could go out and set up a street stall with me at night to make money!”  

       Jiang Tongyan’s smile instantly vanished.  

       “Why?” he demanded. “What’s wrong with a mature, successful man? Wouldn’t that save you at least fifty years of struggling?”  

       “That’s not for me,” Qian Xiaoke said matter-of-factly before launching into complete nonsense. “Marrying into a rich family sounds great, sure, but I could never handle the life of a wealthy housewife. Too much pressure! What if they expect me to have kids? I definitely can’t deal with that! I’d much rather be with someone I can struggle and grow with—supporting each other, facing hardships together, and weathering every storm side by side! Chairman Jiang, don’t you think I’m absolutely right?”  

       Jiang Tongyan was so furious he nearly saw red. The urge to strangle this little bastard surged through him.  

       He snapped, “Qian Xiaoke, shut the hell up!”

---

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       The level of stink from the snail rice noodles was nothing compared to real stinky tofu.  

       Jiang Tongyan was sent flying ten meters away by the smell, nearly tumbling headfirst out of the window.  

       Qian Xiaoke, with the stinky tofu in his hand, advanced step by step. Jiang Tongyan looked as if he were a virtuous young woman about to be forcibly taken, his eyes filled with grievance and fear.  

       “Don’t come any closer.”  

       “Oh, come on, just try it!” Qian Xiaoke had ordered quite a bit—not just stinky tofu but also two bowls of rice noodles.  

       He wasn’t that inconsiderate; after all, someone had helped him move, so he couldn’t just buy only one serving of stinky tofu for the other person.  

       He set the rice noodles aside and held a paper box filled with stinky tofu, with two long and thin toothpicks stuck into it.  

       “It’s delicious.” Qian Xiaoke was practically drooling. He had already swallowed about half a litre of saliva and had no patience to wait for Jiang Tongyan. He picked up a toothpick and started eating. “You rich people really don’t know how to enjoy life.”  

       Jiang Tongyan was having a serious existential crisis.  

       Although the snail rice noodles might stink, at least it looked like a normal and edible bowl of noodles.  

       But the thing in Qian Xiaoke’s hands right now—Jiang Tongyan seriously doubted whether eating it would send him straight to the ICU.  

       “Qian Xiaoke,” Jiang Tongyan said, “can’t you eat something more decent?”  

       “This is decent!” Qian Xiaoke retorted. “Just because you haven’t eaten it doesn’t mean you can deny its value. That only exposes your ignorance.”  

       “……” Jiang Tongyan was wounded.  

       “I’m ignorant?” Jiang Tongyan said. “Do you know what school I graduated from? Do you know what I do for a living? Do you know how much I make each year?”  

       “Nope,” Qian Xiaoke said, “but you also don’t know how delicious stinky tofu is.”  

       Jiang Tongyan lost. He realised he would never be a match for Qian Xiaoke.  

       The matchmaking god was incredible—when tying red strings, he truly upheld the principle of ‘one thing conquers another’, demonstrating the utmost professionalism!  

       Jiang Tongyan sighed helplessly, furrowing his brows as he watched Qian Xiaoke ‘savour his delicacy’.  

       “What’s the texture like?” Jiang Tongyan couldn’t help but ask.  

       How could he eat with such relish?  

       The entire room was obviously reeking with the smell.  

       Qian Xiaoke answered honestly, “I’m not very educated, so I don’t know how to describe it well, but anyway, it’s just really tasty.”  

       He thought for a moment and added, “The outside is slightly crispy and charred, but when you bite into it, the inside is incredibly soft and tender.”  

       Qian Xiaoke looked at Jiang Tongyan. “It’s seriously so good.”  

       Jiang Tongyan felt like this description didn’t match the smell at all. He wasn’t convinced.  

       “Jiang Tongyan, you really should learn more about our country’s cuisine,” Qian Xiaoke said. “People like you…”  

       He explained, “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to discriminate against you. It’s just a pity. People like you, who grew up abroad and live such out-of-touch lives, are missing out on so much good food.”  

       Jiang Tongyan glanced at him. “Hey, you got some on your nose.”  

       Qian Xiaoke chuckled sheepishly. “Wipe it off for me?”  

       His hands were occupied—one holding the paper box, the other gripping the toothpick—so he couldn’t do it himself.  

       Jiang Tongyan had no choice but to grab a tissue from the coffee table and vigorously wipe Qian Xiaoke’s nose as if venting his frustration. He rubbed so hard that Qian Xiaoke’s nose tip turned red.  

       With his nose reddened, he looked even more like a rabbit.  

       Kind of cute.  

       Jiang Tongyan was a bit distracted for a moment and felt restless inside. However, with Qian Xiaoke’s mouth full of that awful smell, he couldn’t bring himself to kiss him.  

       “You really won’t try it?” Qian Xiaoke asked sincerely.  

       Jiang Tongyan looked into his eyes and suddenly softened.  

       Ah, men—once they fall in love, their brains stop working. Whatever the other person says, they just go along with it.  

       “Fine… I’ll try it.” His mouth moved before his brain, and Jiang Tongyan knew he was doomed.  

       In truth, he really didn’t want to admit that he had fallen for Qian Xiaoke.  

       This kid had nothing to his name—shouldn’t he be into someone like that flight attendant instead?  

       Jiang Tongyan couldn’t figure himself out, but he couldn’t control himself either.  

       Hearing that he was willing to try, Qian Xiaoke beamed, his eyes crinkling with joy. He looked unbearably cute.  

       How could this man be 27 years old? Jiang Tongyan thought to himself. When Qian Xiaoke tricked him in the beginning and said he was only 20, he really looked that age.

       Qian Xiaoke seemed like the kind of cheerful boy who had been well-protected and never faced hardships, but in reality, he was no delicate greenhouse flower—he was a tenacious little blade of grass striving upward with all his might.

       Jiang Tongyan looked into his eyes, and his own heartbeat went completely out of rhythm.  

       “Then you feed me.” He even set conditions. “If you feed me, I’ll eat it.”  

       Qian Xiaoke laughed. “How can such a grown man still act so childish?”  

       Even though he said that, he still fed him.  

       It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The smell was overwhelming, but the taste was undeniably amazing.  

       This was a completely different experience from eating snail rice noodles, and Jiang Tongyan was once again shocked.  

       “Well?” Qian Xiaoke asked eagerly. “Isn’t it delicious?”  

       Jiang Tongyan was too embarrassed to admit it. He was someone who cared a lot about saving face!  

       “It’s just… pretty average.”  

       “Then I won’t give you any more,” Qian Xiaoke said. “I’ll finish the rest myself.”  

       “…Give me another piece,” Jiang Tongyan leaned in. “Don’t be so stingy!”  

       Qian Xiaoke dodged and laughed. Somehow, the two of them ended up playing a game of cat and mouse around the apartment like a couple of fools.  

       They teased each other all the way through their very late dinner.  

       After cleaning up, Qian Xiaoke opened the window to air out the smell, then turned to Jiang Tongyan and asked, “Are you leaving?”  

       He could swear he wasn’t trying to chase him away—he was just asking since it was already so late.  

       But when Jiang Tongyan heard it, it sounded exactly like he was being kicked out.  

       Unhappy, he grabbed his keys and stormed toward the door, radiating frustration from head to toe.  

       Qian Xiaoke was completely baffled. “I was just asking! Why are you mad? If you don’t want to leave, just stay! I didn’t say anything!”  

       Jiang Tongyan had already stomped all the way to the doorway. He turned around and snapped, “Qian Xiaoke, you’re a liar!”  

       “What did I do now?!”  

       “You know what you did!”  

       “What did I do?” Qian Xiaoke was genuinely clueless.  

       He had spent the whole day moving, he was exhausted, and his brain wasn’t exactly the sharpest to begin with. Now, it was barely functioning, and yet Jiang Tongyan was making things difficult for him.  

       Qian Xiaoke also felt wronged!  

       “I don’t know,” Qian Xiaoke admitted. “I’m not smart—don’t make me figure it out.”  

       “Oh, so you do know you’re stupid.” Jiang Tongyan sulked, throwing a silent tantrum.  

       Now, both of them felt aggrieved.  

       Qian Xiaoke was frustrated because he had no idea what had set Jiang Tongyan off. He realised that being around rich people was like ‘serving the emperor’—you never knew when they’d suddenly flip out for no reason.  

       And Jiang Tongyan? He was upset because Qian Xiaoke had said before that he would let him cuddle him every day. Still, today, after he had waited outside the apartment complex for so long, worked hard to help him move, and even helped him clean up—this brat was just sending him away at the end of the night?!  

       Is he even human?  

       Qian Xiaoke, do you have a heart?!  

       Qian Xiaoke turned toward the door and saw Jiang Tongyan still standing there, looking utterly betrayed.

       “Just say what you want directly,” Qian Xiaoke said. “You already called me stupid, so why are you still beating around the bush?”  

       Jiang Tongyan thought about it and realised he was right. Qian Xiaoke was someone who thought in straight lines, so hints wouldn’t work on him.  

       So, even though he found it incredibly embarrassing, Jiang Tongyan still pointed at his crotch and said, “You haven’t done it today.”  

       This was Qian Xiaoke’s duty!  

       Jiang Tongyan absolutely wasn’t just trying to take advantage of him!  

       Absolutely not!  

       Qian Xiaoke stared at him, first confused, then burst out laughing.  

       Jiang Tongyan was so mortified that he wanted to hoist him up and throw him straight out the window. He barked, “Qian Xiaoke, shut up right now! If you keep laughing, I’ll kill you!”  

       Qian Xiaoke rolled around on the couch and laughed so hard he could barely breathe.  

       “You won’t kill me,” Qian Xiaoke said between gasps. “Murderers have to pay with their lives! I’m not worth you throwing your life away for—HAHAHA!”  

       Jiang Tongyan realised that Qian Xiaoke had completely figured out his personality by now.  

       “Fine, laugh all you want. I hope you laugh yourself to death.” Jiang Tongyan fumed. “You’re such a liar. You owe me so much, and you’ll never pay it all back in this lifetime!”  

       With that, the angry Jiang Tongyan turned around, ready to storm out—only for Qian Xiaoke to grab him and pull him back.  

       “Alright, don’t be mad,” Qian Xiaoke coaxed, not even meaning to act cute but somehow still managing to sound exactly like he was. “I’ll do it, okay?”  

       “I didn’t ask you to do it.”  

       “Right, you didn’t ask me. I’m the one taking initiative.” Qian Xiaoke grinned. “This is my duty.”  

       He patted Jiang Tongyan. “Here or in the bedroom? I read online that you need to be as relaxed as possible for the best results. You should probably lie down in the room.”  

       Of course, Jiang Tongyan wanted to lie down, but he had to act reserved.  

       “Is your bedroom even clean enough for me to lie in?”  

       “You slept in my old apartment just fine, so don’t pretend to be a germaphobe now.” Qian Xiaoke dragged him toward the bedroom. “Come on, come on, let’s get this over with so I can wash up and go to bed. I’m exhausted!”

       Qian Xiaoke led the way, and Jiang Tongyan trailed behind, staring at the back of his head with a dumb smile on his face.  

       He was so stupid, Jiang Tongyan thought. He really should stay away from him. If he spent too much time with him, his IQ might drop too.  

       But thinking was one thing—Jiang Tongyan’s biggest talent was saying one thing while doing another.  

       Once they entered the bedroom, Jiang Tongyan lay down first.  

       Qian Xiaoke climbed onto the bed and started massaging his shoulders and arms, even ruffling his hair a bit.  

       Jiang Tongyan commented, “Your massage technique is… a bit wild.”  

       “Does it feel good?” Qian Xiaoke asked. “I learned it online.”  

       Jiang Tongyan didn’t dare to answer. If he praised him, it would hurt his own pride. If he complained, Qian Xiaoke might get mad. The best choice was to shut up.  

       Finally, after waiting the whole night, Jiang Tongyan got his long-awaited ‘daily touch’.  

       Qian Xiaoke remained committed to his ‘saving the dying and the wounded’ philosophy, performing his task with great ‘professionalism’ and care.  

       But he was really exhausted today. He started kneeling on the bed, but slowly, slowly, he ended up lying down, too. Once he was down, his eyelids got heavier and heavier, and within minutes, he dozed off—still holding onto Jiang Tongyan.  

       Jiang Tongyan turned his head to look at him, caught between amusement and exasperation. He couldn’t bear to wake him up, and he was too greedy to leave. So he simply closed his eyes as well.  

       Neither of them took off their clothes, and the position they ended up in was anything but normal.  

       In the middle of the night, Qian Xiaoke shifted in his sleep, moving closer to Jiang Tongyan. As soon as he did, Jiang Tongyan woke up and instinctively pulled him into his arms.  

       And that was how Qian Xiaoke spent the first night in his new home—sleeping soundly with Jiang Tongyan, wrapped in each other’s warmth. The only problem was that the air still carried a faint trace of stinky tofu.

---

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       Jiang Tongyan actually really wanted to persuade Qian Xiaoke to throw away those things that would definitely be useless in the future. Keeping them only took up space—what was the point?

       However, he couldn’t find a good reason to make him throw them away. Should he just bluntly say he was renting the place and wouldn’t kick him out? That would be ridiculous!  

       “Alright, you’re really something.” Jiang Tongyan hoisted the rolled-up bedding, tied with a rope, onto his shoulder. “Anything else? If not, let’s get going.”  

       He was waiting to touch it.  

       Qian Xiaoke grabbed a suitcase in each hand, turned around to look at Jiang Tongyan, and laughed so hard he nearly fell backward. “You look like a migrant worker coming into the city right now, and one that doesn’t even know how to do anything!”  

       “…Can you talk less?” Whatever little unspoken feelings Jiang Tongyan had were instantly shattered the moment Qian Xiaoke opened his mouth.  

       “For real, hahahaha!” Qian Xiaoke laughed like a big goose. “You’re hilarious!”  

       “Alright then, since you think I’m funny, I won’t carry this for you.” With that, Jiang Tongyan pretended to put it down.  

       “Hey!” Qian Xiaoke quickly set down his own suitcases, ran over, and put the bedding back on Jiang Tongyan’s shoulder. “I won’t say it anymore. You’re the most handsome!”  

       A wise person doesn’t suffer immediate losses—since someone was helping him, Qian Xiaoke was, of course, going to behave.  

       As the two of them carried their luggage out, they happened to run into the guy who lived in the partitioned room, whose occupation was unclear. Another person was following behind him, and it was obvious what they were here for.  

       Seeing Qian Xiaoke moving out just like that, the guy sighed with envy, “Having a partner is so nice. I’m afraid I’ll never have that in this lifetime.”  

       Qian Xiaoke was startled and quickly clarified, “No! There’s nothing between us!”  

       The other party just smiled, said no more, and took the stranger back into his room to go about their business.  

       Jiang Tongyan, who had gone out first, didn’t hear their conversation and was waiting outside, urging him, “Qian Xiaoke! Hurry up! We still have things to do later!”  

       Feeling wronged by the misunderstanding, Qian Xiaoke pouted as he walked out.  

       Jiang Tongyan asked, “Now what? Who upset you this time?”  

       “You,” Qian Xiaoke replied. “What kind of eyesight does that guy have? How did he even see us as a couple?”  

       The moment he said that, in the dimly lit corridor, the tips of Jiang Tongyan’s ears secretly turned red.  

       Jiang Tongyan asked, “What… exactly did he say?”  

       As he asked, his tone even carried the tiniest hint of shyness.  

       But Qian Xiaoke was too dense to notice.  

       “Why are you so curious about this?” This time, it was Qian Xiaoke’s turn to rush him. “Hurry up, hurry up! Didn’t you say you had things to do later?”  

       As Jiang Tongyan was pushed to go downstairs, he thought: I do have things to do later, but so do you!  

       Just like that, with Jiang Tongyan’s ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘help’, Qian Xiaoke successfully moved into a brand-new and beautiful studio apartment.  

       This was Jiang Tongyan’s first time coming here. Before Cheng Sen rented out these two units for him, he had shown him photos and videos. Originally, Jiang Tongyan had wanted to come check it out in person, but work kept him too busy to leave, and he hadn’t even gotten the keys yet.  

       But that was fine—he hadn’t gotten the keys before, but now he was here.

       The residential complex was nice—Jiang Tongyan was quite satisfied.  

       The building was nice—Jiang Tongyan was fairly satisfied.  

       When they got off the elevator, they saw that each floor had only two apartments, meaning this entire floor had only the two of them as neighbours—just the two of them, uniquely paired.  

       Jiang Tongyan was extremely satisfied.  

       “What are you smiling about?” Qian Xiaoke asked curiously while unlocking the door.  

       “Nothing,” Jiang Tongyan said. “I was just thinking—Cheng Sen really is a good boss, setting you up with such a decent apartment.”

       “Yeah!” The moment this topic came up, Qian Xiaoke’s eyes lit up. “Chairman Cheng is really such a good person!”  

       Jiang Tongyan sneered inwardly: What a joke! The real good person is standing right in front of you!  

       Of course, he absolutely couldn’t let Qian Xiaoke know that he was the one renting this apartment, nor could he let her find out that their company didn’t actually have any “Outstanding Employee Awards”—this was a ‘love’ reward.  

       Otherwise, how embarrassing would that be? Where would Jiang Tongyan put his face?  

       Jiang Tongyan was a proud man. Even when he wanted to do something nice for someone, he had to go through eight hundred detours just to make sure they wouldn’t find out.  

       Who knew what he was even trying to achieve?  

       Once inside, Qian Xiaoke was beyond excited as he enthusiastically introduced his new home to Jiang Tongyan.  

       The living room—”This sofa is so soft! So comfy!” Qian Xiaoke said. “And there’s even a TV! I tested it—it works!”  

       The bedroom—”Look at this bedding set! It has a rabbit pattern!” Qian Xiaoke said. “And the bed is super soft too! Kinda like the one in that hotel you stayed at before!”  

       The kitchen—”This is my favourite part! I can finally cook for myself!”  

       Jiang Tongyan asked, “You can cook?”  

       “Of course! I’m great at cooking,” Qian Xiaoke declared. “It’s just that the kitchen in my old shared apartment was too inconvenient which affected my performance.”  

       Hearing this, Jiang Tongyan was somewhat impressed. So, Qian Xiaoke wasn’t a completely useless idiot after all.  

       “What can you cook?” Jiang Tongyan set down the bedding from his shoulder and looked at him with a smile. “Tell me.”  

       He was already prepared to hear a list of impressive dishes. Instead, Qian Xiaoke replied, “Braised beef noodles, pickled mustard noodles, chicken and mushroom noodles, spicy braised beef noodles…”  

       “…Hold on.” Jiang Tongyan was full of question marks. “Why do these all sound so familiar?”  

       “You know Master Kong?” Qian Xiaoke grinned. “That’s my personal master chef.”  

       Jiang Tongyan rolled his eyes so hard they nearly hit the ceiling. Without a word, he reached out and flicked Qian Xiaoke’s forehead.

       “Cut it out,” Jiang Tongyan warned. “If you don’t start talking properly, I’m going to—”

       “Huh? What?” Qian Xiaoke picked up the bedding, ready to stuff it into the wardrobe.  

       Looking at his innocent, clueless expression, Jiang Tongyan couldn’t even bring himself to finish the threat.  

       Ah, man… Soft-hearted is your name.  

       Jiang Tongyan was moved by his own tenderness and was touched by himself in that very moment.  

       Qian Xiaoke saw him spacing out, ignored him and carried the heavy bedding into the bedroom on his own.  

       Jiang Tongyan followed, glancing at the bedding set—it was actually quite nice.  

       That was something he had specifically asked Cheng Sen to take care of. Not just the new bedding set, but new properly sized blankets and pillows had all been prepared. He was worried that if Qian Xiaoke moved in, he might end up sleeping on his old mattress, which was probably infested with god-knows-how-many dust mites.  

       Watching Qian Xiaoke busying around, Jiang Tongyan asked, “Have you eaten dinner?”  

       “Nope.” Qian Xiaoke answered while unpacking. “After work, I came here to clean up first, then went back to move my stuff.”  

       He looked up. “What about you?”  

       For a split second, Jiang Tongyan felt… almost flattered. This kid actually cared about him!  

       “I’m hungry.” Jiang Tongyan said. “What should we do?”  

       Qian Xiaoke glanced at him, then rummaged through a suitcase and pulled out two packs of Master Kong braised beef noodles.  

       “I can make you some instant noodles?” Qian Xiaoke offered. “But they got crushed just now.”  

       As he spoke, he vigorously shook the instant noodles in his hand, and it rustled. Judging by the sound, they were probably crushed to bits.  

       “…You eat it yourself.” Jiang Tongyan sulked and sat to the side. He wanted real food.

       After watching Qian Xiaoke for a while, he asked, “Do you know how to order delivery?”  

       Qian Xiaoke continued organising his stuff. “What kind of question is that? Who doesn’t? I’m not an idiot!”  

       Jiang Tongyan suddenly felt targeted.  

       “I don’t know how.” He said with a straight face. “I’m from abroad. I don’t know how—so what?”  

       Qian Xiaoke could’ve used this golden opportunity to tease him, but considering how Jiang Tongyan had helped him move today, he figured he should at least be nice to him just for today.  

       He smiled. “It’s fine. That’s… kind of cute.”

       Qian Xiaoke was hungry too, but normally, he would have just skipped the meal, gone to bed early, and saved the money.  

       He saved money and lost weight—what a win-win situation.  

       But today was different. Jiang Tongyan was here, and he had helped him move. He should show some appreciation.  

       Qian Xiaoke might be broke, but he wasn’t clueless about basic social etiquette.  

       “I’ll order takeout,” Qian Xiaoke said. “You helped me move, so dinner’s on me.”  

       Jiang Tongyan was instantly delighted.  

       He loved being treated by Qian Xiaoke, though he rarely got the chance.  

       A penny-pincher willing to spend? This was a once-in-a-millennium miracle!  

       “Alright, you said it,” Jiang Tongyan grinned. “What are we having? Spicy hotpot or snail rice noodles?”  

       Sitting cross-legged on the soft carpet, Qian Xiaoke opened the takeout app.  

       “Let’s try something new,” he said. “I know you like those, but we can’t eat the same thing all the time.”

       He scrolled through the options, then suddenly smiled. “Okay, I know.”  

       He placed the order in record time, then put his phone down and continued unpacking.  

       “What did you get?” Jiang Tongyan asked.  

       By now, he had some faith in Qian Xiaoke’s food choices—after all, the spicy hotpot, barbecue, and snail rice noodles he’d introduced him to had all been pretty good.  

       “It won’t be fun anymore if I tell you,” Qian Xiaoke said. “it’s something you’ve never had before anyway.”  

       Jiang Tongyan immediately felt a surge of anticipation.  

       As they waited, he joined in on organising the apartment. Under Qian Xiaoke’s directions, he obediently placed manga books here and set the alarm clock there.  

       The two of them got along surprisingly well, almost like a couple moving in together for the first time.  

       Of course, that was just Jiang Tongyan secretly entertaining himself with the thought. He would never say it out loud. To give Qian Xiaoke ammo to make fun of him? No way.

       Jiang Tongyan had a plan. He was going to win Qian Xiaoke over with his charm—make him fall helplessly in love, and then when he finally came running with a teary-eyed confession, Jiang Tongyan would ‘graciously’ accept.  

       That would be dignified.  

       There was no way he’d be the one to say: Uh, so, I kinda like you… wanna date?  

       Absolutely not.  

       For one, his pride wouldn’t allow it. And second… every time he’d confessed to someone in the past, without exception, they had all ended up falling for Shen Huiming instead.  

       It was a curse.  

       Even though life had been going well lately, Jiang Tongyan hadn’t forgotten about that particular misfortune.  

       Fate had burned him before—he wasn’t about to take that risk again. He had learned to be cautious.  

       By the time they finished unpacking, the doorbell rang. Their takeout had arrived.  

       Jiang Tongyan was excited—only to nearly have his soul *blasted* out of his body the moment he opened the door.  

       “Qian Xiaoke! What the hell did you order?!” The stench was even stronger than snail rice noodles. “Did you order actual shit?!”  

       Qian Xiaoke jogged over, happily took the food from the startled delivery guy, and politely thanked him before shutting the door.  

       “Hey, what are you yelling for!? You’re scaring the delivery guy!”  

       As he opened the takeout bag, Jiang Tongyan had already jumped ten meters away.  

       Qian Xiaoke grinned. “It’s stinky tofu! This place is the most authentic one—it’s delicious. Seriously, you should try it!”

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T/N:
So actually the real raw censored Master Kong(a noodle brand) for some reason, so when Qian Xiaoke said, “Braised beef noodles, pickled mustard noodles, chicken and mushroom noodles, spicy braised beef noodles…”
Those are actually the instant noodle flavours instead.
I might be wrong for this one, because the raw literally just gave me □□ and I only found what’s censored by combing through the chapter’s comments. Fingers crossed, it’s really talking about Master Kong…

---

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       Qian Xiaoke believed that hard work would always pay off. When the company suddenly offered him free accommodation, he saw it as the greatest reward for his dedication!  

       When he was called into Chairman Cheng’s office, he was informed, “This is a reward for outstanding employees. But just like salary confidentiality, this must be kept secret. If word gets out, the reward will be revoked.”

       Although Qian Xiaoke didn’t quite understand why such a reward had to be kept confidential, he nodded firmly and vowed never to speak a word of it.  

       With tears in his eyes, he left Chairman Cheng’s office, clutching the address and keys in his hands.  

       After he left, Cheng Sen made a call to Jiang Tongyan. “He’s moving in tonight.”  

       Jiang Tongyan replied, “Thanks.”  

       “What about you? When are you moving?”  

       “I’m not.” Jiang Tongyan said, “Our project is wrapping up soon. My flight to New York is the day after tomorrow.”  

       Cheng Sen chuckled. “Are you really willing to leave?”  

       Willing or not, he had to go.  

       Jiang Tongyan thought to himself—he wasn’t the kind of person to let a fluffy rabbit disrupt his work schedule.  

       He, Jiang Tongyan, was a career-driven CEO.  

       “My flight ticket has been booked. Once I’m back, I’ll start the resignation process,” Jiang Tongyan said. “But I won’t be back for a while—probably by the end of the year.”  

       It was only late September now. After handling his resignation and tying up other loose ends, even if things moved quickly, he would be busy until winter.  

       He suddenly realised it might be quite a while before he saw that fluffy rabbit again. That thought was…  

       Better left unsaid.  

       “Alright, don’t worry about things here. I’ll keep an eye on them for you.”

       “What exactly are you keeping an eye on?”

       Cheng Sen laughed. “Qian Xiaoke, of course! If any suspicious people show up around him, I’ll report to you immediately so you can rush back and eliminate your competition.”

       “…What nonsense are you talking about?” Jiang Tongyan scoffed, his words firm—at least firmer than certain other things at the moment. “Stop making up things of me!”

       Jiang Tongyan’s blatant denial was so amusing that Cheng Sen, still on the call, leaned back in his chair laughing. Qian Xiaoke at the front desk outside, wondered if his boss had secretly inhaled laughing gas.

       But a laughing boss was always better than an angry one. When the boss was happy, everyone under him benefited.  

       This dormitory was proof of that.

       Normally dedicated to his work, today Qian Xiaoke found it tormenting to stay at the office. He couldn’t wait to see his new place and to escape that rundown apartment that had been under police surveillance for who knows how long.  

       It wasn’t that he was ungrateful for his ‘faithful wife through hardshipe¹Qian Xiaoke treated the home as his partner through hardship‘—but that ‘faithful wife’ had made his life unbearable.  

       After enduring the day of torment, the moment the clock hit the end of his shift, Qian Xiaoke was the first to punch out and rush into the elevator.

       His coworkers were stunned. “A miracle! Qian Xiaoke is the first one off work!”

       He grinned sheepishly, offering no explanation. When someone asked if he was off to a date, he nodded enthusiastically.

       Yes! 

       A date with his new dormitory!

       Qian Xiaoke raced toward the apartment like he had wheels of fire under his feet. The location wasn’t too far from the company. In the past, he had to transfer multiple times on the subway and dealt with a tedious commute. This time, it was just three stops, followed by a short three-minute walk.

       Standing at the entrance of his new residential complex, Qian Xiaoke was completely stunned.

       This place was seriously high-end. So high-end that even entering required a keycard.  

       Keycard for the main gate. Keycard for the building entrance. Keycard for the elevator.

       It was the first time Qian Xiaoke had ever lived in a place like this, and suddenly, he felt like he had become a rich man!  

       ‘Rich man’ Qian Xiaoke walked out of the elevator with excitement, only to notice that each floor had just two units. As he walked toward his apartment door, he inserted the key and stole a glance at the neighbouring unit, wondering what kind of person lived there.  

       A coworker, maybe?  

       Earlier, he had asked Cheng Sen if anyone else was staying in these company-provided apartments, but Cheng Sen had simply said, “That’s not something you need to worry about. Everyone has their own unit; no one will disturb you. Don’t ask too many questions.”  

       Being the obedient employee he was, Qian Xiaoke took that advice to heart. He wasn’t about to ask unnecessary questions—what if annoying his boss meant losing the apartment?  

       That would be an absolutely foolish mistake.  

       But when he stepped inside, he was completely dumbfounded.  

       When Cheng Sen first mentioned a dormitory, he had imagined something like a shared space with colleagues, similar to a university dorm. Later, when he heard it was an apartment, he assumed it was a shared unit with separate bedrooms—still impressive, considering the company was footing the bill for a place that probably cost thousands a month.  

       But this—this was a fully furnished one-bedroom apartment.  

       He stood frozen in the doorway, too afraid to step inside.  

       Completely inexperienced with this environment, Qian Xiaoke trembled as he pulled out his phone from his small backpack and sent a message to Cheng Sen: “Chairman Cheng, are you sure you didn’t give me the wrong address and key?”  

       At the time, Cheng Sen was still at the office, waiting for Zhou Mo to drop by. Seeing the message, he called Qian Xiaoke directly.  

       “What’s wrong?”  

       “This—this—this doesn’t make sense!” Qian Xiaoke stammered. “A fully furnished one-bedroom apartment?!”  

       Cheng Sen was full of questions. “What about it?”  

       “It’s too much!” Qian Xiaoke exclaimed. “Chairman Cheng, are you planning to sell me off to Africa?”  

       “…What?” Cheng Sen thought Qian Xiaoke might be crazy, “What are you talking about?”

       “I can’t think of any other reason,” Qian Xiaoke insisted. “I just spent three minutes reviewing my entire career, and I’m certain—I haven’t done anything particularly outstanding for the company. Unless… unless you’re shipping me off to Africa, I really can’t figure out why you’re being this generous to me.”  

       Well, actually, he had considered one other possibility—Could it be that Cheng Sen has taken a liking to me? Is he trying to keep me as a personal pet?  

       But he didn’t dare say that out loud.  

       He couldn’t make such assumptions about his boss. And more importantly—he couldn’t make such assumptions about his best friend’s husband!

       “Our company has no business in Africa,” Cheng Sen said, both amused and exasperated. Suddenly, Jiang Tongyan’s fondness for this guy seemed much easier to understand. In Jiang Tongyan’s rigid and structured world, someone like Qian Xiaoke was completely out of the ordinary—so much so that he was practically ther4p3utic.

       “Besides, you’ve contributed more than you think.”  

       Not just a little—his contribution was huge.  

       For years, Cheng Sen had tried convincing Jiang Tongyan to return and join him in expanding the company, but Jiang Tongyan had hesitated, dragging it out for nearly two years. Only recently had he finally agreed.  

       Jiang Tongyan might insist he was coming back for filial reasons, but in Cheng Sen’s eyes, the biggest reason was undoubtedly Qian Xiaoke.  

       “Really?” Qian Xiaoke’s eyes lit up. “What did I do?”  

       Obviously, there was no way Cheng Sen was going to tell him that.  

       “I’m busy, so I won’t talk too much. The apartment should be fine—just live there.” With that, he hung up.  

       Holding his phone, Qian Xiaoke remained frozen at the doorway, still in disbelief.

       He stepped into the apartment, glanced around, and felt as if he had been struck on the head by a giant embroidered ball—just like that, he had married into wealth.

       Thankful for the company.  

       Thankful for the boss.  

       Thankful for fate.  

       Qian Xiaoke thoroughly cleaned the apartment, marvelling at how spotless it was as he worked.

       He had no idea that the agency had already hired a cleaner to deep-clean the place before renting it out. In his experience, agencies never provided such good service.  

       Of course, he wouldn’t know—because the agencies he had dealt with were the kind that might disappear halfway through a transaction.  

       After tidying up, Qian Xiaoke checked the time. Although it was already dark outside, he decided to rush home immediately so he could move in that very night.  

       Dashing into the subway station, he felt as if he was spreading his wings to embrace a new life. He was so overwhelmed with emotion that he nearly shed a ton of tears on the spot.

       When he returned, he spotted a tall man standing outside his residential complex from a distance.  

       Jiang Tongyan was undeniably handsome—impossible to overlook. He was standing there, watching a street vendor grill oysters and his brows furrowed as if he were conducting some kind of experiment.

       “What are you doing here?” Qian Xiaoke ran over, his mood so bright that even the tone of his voice lifted.  

       Jiang Tongyan certainly wouldn’t tell him that he had been waiting there on purpose—to help him move, to let him give him a little pat.  

       How embarrassing!  

       “Just taking a walk,” Jiang Tongyan said casually. “Where have you been messing around? Why are you only getting back now?”  

       “You’re the one messing around! I was tidying up my new place!” Qian Xiaoke said proudly, straightening his back and puffing out his small, flat chest as he spoke.

       Jiang Tongyan chuckled. “Oh? Who’s so blind that they actually decided to support you?”

       “What are you talking about?” Qian Xiaoke glared at him. “I’m an outstanding employee! Chairman Cheng arranged a dorm for me! The place is great, and the apartment is beautiful.”  

       Seeing how happy he looked, Jiang Tongyan figured he must really like the place, which put him at ease.  

       He laughed. “Outstanding employee? Can’t tell.”  

       “There are plenty of things you can’t tell about me.” Qian Xiaoke waved him off. “No time to chat—I need to go back and move my stuff.”

       Jiang Tongyan followed him, and Qian Xiaoke turned back. “What are you doing?”  

       “What, you don’t need help moving?”  

       Qian Xiaoke was slightly surprised.  

       “You’re this nice?”  

       “Not really,” Jiang Tongyan said. “I’m still not fully healed. Helping you move gives me an excuse to check out your place—so you don’t run off on me later.”  

       Qian Xiaoke thought that made sense. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to have Jiang Tongyan over for a visit in the future.  

       “Alright then, come along.” It was just right that there was one more person to help him move, so it would be easier for him to move.

       In fact, Qian Xiaoke didn’t have much to pack. He didn’t own many clothes and never wasted money on unnecessary items, so packing was quick—just two suitcases and he was done.  

       Jiang Tongyan glanced at his things. “Do you really need to bring that old, ill-fitting bedding? Doesn’t your new place already have fresh bed linens?”  

       Qian Xiaoke immediately caught on to the important details. “How do you know there are new ones?”  

       When he had cleaned the apartment earlier, he had discovered that the bedroom was already set up with brand-new bedding—a four-piece set with adorable little rabbits, which he absolutely loved. A note had been left stating that the bedding was fresh, washed, dried, and sanitised, ready for use.  

       Jiang Tongyan had accidentally let the cat out of the bag. He quickly covered, “I was just guessing. Wait, there really is new bedding?”  

       “There is!” Qian Xiaoke was still easily fooled. “But I still need to bring my own. If Chairman Cheng ever stops letting me stay in the dorm, I’ll have to find my own place. I might need them then.”  

       Thrifty and practical.  

       Thinking ahead.  

       Qian Xiaoke felt like he was truly, truly doing a great job!

---

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       Jiang Tongyan had experienced many joyful moments in his life. Or rather, apart from those unsuccessful love stories, he was like a fish in water in every other aspect.

       Though it might sound shameful to say, he had grown up in a wealthy and loving family, where family members cherished one another. With such a background, there was hardly anything that could suffocate him with worry—happiness, on the other hand, was plentiful.

       Especially for Jiang Tongyan. His grandfather had taught him from a young age to be grateful, to respect and appreciate everything. With that mindset, he had lived most of his life quite well.

       But if he were to name his ‘happiest’ moment…

       Nowadays, advertisements weren’t even allowed to use the word ‘most’. People, especially cautious businessmen like Jiang Tongyan, avoided using those words whenever possible, lest they left themselves open to criticism.

       He wouldn’t casually label anything or anyone as ‘the most’ either—making absolute statements so easily was a foolish thing to do.

       However, the moment Qian Xiaoke asked him to recall the happiest time of his life, his rationality was immediately shattered by a flood of memories. The scene that popped into his mind was that day when he and Qian Xiaoke had been tangled up naked in bed.

       Well—only the first half. Because the second half was one of the most painful memories of his life.

       After thinking carefully for so long, this ‘most’ was the conclusion he came to.

       Jiang Tongyan subconsciously recalled that afternoon when Qian Xiaoke was lying naked on the bed, completely at his mercy. 

       At that time, he hadn’t yet known that Qian Xiaoke’s name was Qian Xiaoke, nor did he know that this guy was Cheng Sen’s employee. And he definitely hadn’t known that, not long after, they would experience something utterly suffocating.

       At that time, he just thought that this guy was soft and seductive—if only his mouth could be sewn shut.  

       As Qian Xiaoke continued his ‘treatment’, he was muttering, “Relax, relax. The more nervous you are about this kind of thing, the greater the psychological pressure, and the greater the psychological pressure—” 

       Qian Xiaoke stopped.

       His voice and movements stopped together.

       Jiang Tongyan was still lost in his memories. The first encounter was always beautiful. Back then, Qian Xiaoke didn’t seem as annoying as he was now. 

       “Jiang Tongyan.”

       Jiang Tongyan didn’t respond. He was busy blushing.

       “Jiang Tongyan!”

       Still no response—he was too busy savouring the Qian Xiaoke in his memory. 

       “Jiang Tongyan, for god’s sake!” Qian Xiaoke’s sudden sharp cry finally yanked Jiang Tongyan’s soul back into his body.

       “Look!” Qian Xiaoke excitedly grabbed Jiang Tongyan’s arm and shook it. “There’s a reaction! Holy shit, Big bro, you’re finally working again!”

       Jiang Tongyan looked down and saw that his ‘brother’, who had been in a state of depression, seemed to have straightened up slightly. At the same time, he heard Qian Xiaoke beside him wiping away non-existent tears and saying, “Look at it; it opened its eyes happily.”

       Jiang Tongyan had never been to school in China and had never studied Chinese well, so naturally, he didn’t know what the ‘opened his eyes happily¹comes from the famous Chinese essay Spring (春) by Zhu Ziqing. In the original text, it describes the way the earth and nature wake up joyfully as spring arrives’ was.

       He only knew that he seemed to have really reacted.

       “Go on!” Jiang Tongyan was excited, “Hurry up, strike while the iron is hot!”

       Qian Xiaoke felt that he was right, and this kind of thing must be done while the iron was hot!

       He reached out his hand again, but the other party stopped again.

       “…Why is this?” Qian Xiaoke frowned.

       The surge of male confidence Jiang Tongyan had just felt was instantly shattered into dust. The moment Qian Xiaoke spoke, it was like a breeze blowing out a flickering candle.

       Jiang Tongyan looked down, his face full of sadness and disappointment.

       This was like someone giving him a piece of candy—just as he took a bite, they snatched it away and smacked him across the face.

       Honestly, it would have been better if they hadn’t given him the candy in the first place.

       The room, which had just been filled with excitement, now fell into heavy silence again.

       Qian Xiaoke felt this was not okay, so he said, “No worries, this is a good sign. The fact that it lifted a little proves there’s hope!”

       Jiang Tongyan frowned slightly, feeling heavy-hearted.

       “Come on, we got this!” Qian Xiaoke was full of energy, leaving Jiang Tongyan speechless.

       “Hey, don’t make that face!” Qian Xiaoke really couldn’t stand Jiang Tongyan like this. He was used to them constantly bickering, used to Jiang Tongyan strutting around with his arrogant attitude, nitpicking everything. This dejected version of him was unfamiliar and unsettling.

       “Don’t be like this, don’t be like this.” Qian Xiaoke helped tie his bathrobe back up and coaxed him like a child. “Don’t be sad. These things take time, you know?”

       “…Qian Xiaoke.” Jiang Tongyan looked at him with a pitiful expression. “Do you think maybe that was just a last flicker before death?”

       “…Hey!” Qian Xiaoke slapped Jiang Tongyan on the back, “What nonsense are you talking about? Pah pah pah!” Seeing him like this, Jiang Tongyan suddenly laughed.

       “Why are you so confident?” Jiang Tongyan still felt depressed, and he felt that his future was hopeless.

       “Do you not have confidence in yourself?” Qian Xiaoke wiggled his fingers at him. “Look, the situation isn’t great, but it’s not completely useless either!”

       Qian Xiaoke smiled, “I just realised—my hands really are magical.”

       Jiang Tongyan shot him a sidelong glance. “Saying all that, you were just praising yourself, huh?”

       Qian Xiaoke let out a goofy laugh, then smacked him hard on the back again. “Friend, stop being so gloomy. If there’s a problem, we solve it. And if we can’t, there’s always a doctor.”

       Jiang Tongyan really didn’t want to see a doctor.

       That would be humiliating.

       If he went, people would ask: Handsome guy, what’s wrong with you?

       He replied: Doctor, I can’t get hard anymore.

       It was so embarrassing. If words got out—Jiang Tongyan might as well just disappear from the world.

       “I just think that no matter how bad things are, they always get better eventually,” Qian Xiaoke said. “Everyone has hurdles in life. You just have to get past them.”

       Jiang Tongyan wasn’t sure why, but something about what this guy said actually comforted him.

       “Qian Xiaoke, I just realised…”

       “Ah? What?” Qian Xiaoke blinked at him with a completely innocent face.  

       Jiang Tongyan chuckled, reached out, and ruffled his hair. “Nothing.”

       Qian Xiaoke pouted, “Crazy.”

       It’s true, wasn’t this a mental illness?

       Jiang Tongyan thought to himself—he was definitely sick in the head.

       “By the way, I have something to tell you.” Jiang Tongyan said, “I suggested to your Chairman Cheng that they should arrange for you to move into a company-provided dorm soon.”

       “Huh?” Qian Xiaoke was shocked.

       “Don’t huh me,” Jiang Tongyan said, “Go home and pack your things. It should be in the next few days.”

       After he finished speaking, he stood up and straightened his twisted robe, “Just go, go. Do what you need to do; don’t disturb my sleep.”

       “Huh? Why didn’t I know about this?”

       Jiang Tongyan stuffed Qian Xiaoke’s small backpack into his arms. “There are plenty of things you don’t know. Now go, go, go home!”

       Qian Xiaoke was practically shoved out of the hotel by Jiang Tongyan. Standing at the door, he clutched his small backpack with both hands, looking utterly bewildered. To passing strangers, he probably seemed quite pitiful.

       However, Qian Xiaoke was only dazed for a brief moment before snapping out of it, then nearly cheered as he ran out of the hotel.

       Since Qian Xiaoke left, Jiang Tongyan had been leaning against the door, peering through the peephole to watch him. He observed Qian Xiaoke’s changing expressions and saw the guy flitting away like a little swallow. He couldn’t hold back a laugh.

       He walked to the window and soon saw Qian Xiaoke running out of the hotel and running towards his home.

       Qian Xiaoke was truly a fascinating person. When he was happy, it had a contagious effect—just watching him could make others happy, too. This was what Jiang Tongyan thought at this moment.

       Seeing Qian Xiaoke leave so joyfully, all his previous gloom vanished. He felt like he was floating on a cloud of color.

       He picked up the phone and called Cheng Sen.

       “Calling me this late, what do you want?”

       “What are you up to?” Jiang Tongyan asked, “Do you have time now?”

       “I’m having dinner with my Baby,” Cheng Sen said, “I’m busy.”

       “…Do me a favour,” Jiang Tongyan said, “Help me find two apartments next to each other.”

       Cheng Sen burst into laughter, “Got it.”

       “I haven’t explained it yet. What do you get?”

       Cheng Sen laughed, “Your intention is written on your face.”

       He said, “I thought Qian Xiaoke was not your type.”

       “…Cheng Sen! What’s wrong with you?!” Jiang Tongyan roared, “Who said that? What does this have to do with Qian Xiaoke? Stop talking nonsense!”

       Cheng Sen laughed so hard he nearly fell out of his chair. Zhou Mo came over and muttered in disgust, “Who is that on the phone? Sounds like they’re on drugs or something.”

       “Jiang Tongyan,” Cheng Sen said, He’s fallen for Qian Xiaoke but won’t admit it.”

       Zhou Mo let out a surprised, “Ouch”. He leaned over to the microphone and asked, “Old Jiang, you are not pursuing Suo Yang anymore?”

       Suo Yang?

       Who is Suo Yang?

       Jiang Tongyan was in a trance for a moment, and then he remembered that Suo Yang was his ideal blind date partner!

       “I’m too busy recently,” Jiang Tongyan lied, “I haven’t had time to make an appointment with him.”

       “I don’t think you need to make an appointment,” Zhou Mo said, “He’s busy too and has no time to deal with you.”

       Jiang Tongyan pouted, deciding he didn’t want to waste any more words on this couple.

       “Cheng Sen, please arrange the rental for me as soon as possible, preferably in the next two days, fully furnished and ready to move in.”

       “So urgent?” Cheng Sen said, “Even if you’re coming, it won’t be until the end of the year, right?”

       “It’s just… ugh, don’t ask so many questions. I’ll pay. Just help me out.”

       Cheng Sen, who had seen through everything, agreed, and after hanging up the phone, he contacted a familiar real estate agent.

       Jiang Tongyan stood by the window, contemplating for a long while before lighting a cigarette.

       He found that he hadn’t been smoking much lately—because he hadn’t been feeling stressed.

       Although rich people were much happier, they occasionally had ‘little melancholy moments’—like when someone else snatched their crush away. Usually, at times like that, Jiang Tongyan would smoke.

       But since he met Qian Xiaoke, he almost quit smoking.

       It was good, amazing even.

       Qian Xiaoke was really an amazing person.

       Jiang Tongyan chuckled with the cigarette between his lips. Ash fell onto the windowsill, and he casually blew it to the ground.

       This time, he wasn’t smoking because he was upset. As for why?

       That’s a secret.

       He wasn’t about to let anyone know what he was thinking.

---

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       Qian Xiaoke didn’t really want to ask Jiang Tongyan for money; he just wanted to change the subject.

       “Be careful.” Seeing Jiang Tongyan bump into the table, he sent a caring words, “Don’t break the table, it’s fragile.”

       “… You’re crazy!” Jiang Tongyan yelled at him, “Is it as valuable as a broken table like yours?”

       Qian Xiaoke said, “I’ll have to pay for the table if it’s broken.”

       “What? Are you afraid of breaking it?”

       “That’s your own doing; what does it have to do with me?” Qian Xiaoke’s logic was meticulous, leaving Jiang Tongyan speechless.

       It was past six now. Qian Xiaoke usually got up at six-thirty, washed up in a daze, returned to the room to be in a daze for a while, and went out at seven. He always kept his routine well, but today, he was woken up by Jiang Tongyan a bit earlier.

       “Are you leaving?” Qian Xiaoke asked.

       As soon as Qian Xiaoke finished asking, he suddenly had an idea and said with a smile on his face, “Are you going to our company later? Directly from here? Taking a taxi? Can you give me a ride?”

       Jiang Tongyan sneered, “You really know how to take advantage of a situation.”

       If there’s an advantage to be taken and there’s a chance to turn the tables on him, of course, Qian Xiaoke wouldn’t miss out on such an opportunity.

       “Rest assured,” Jiang Tongyan adjusted his clothes, saying, “Even if I go back to the hotel first, I won’t give you a ride anyway.”

       Qian Xiaoke pouted, “Scumbag.”

       “Why am I a jerk now?” Jiang Tongyan felt extremely wronged.

       “What do you think? You stayed here overnight, didn’t pay for the room, and you won’t even give me a ride.” Qian Xiaoke said, “If you’re a scumbag, then who isn’t?”

       This logic was too powerful, so powerful that Jiang Tongyan had nothing to say and left quickly.

       He opened the door, and Qian Xiaoke said, “Do you need me to see you off? Do you know how to get out?”

       Just as he was talking, the neighbour who had been howling all night also opened his door.

       Qian Xiaoke had met that neighbour several times, so they could be considered ‘acquainted’. When the other party saw him, he looked at Jiang Tongyan again and smiled knowingly, “Hi, good morning.”

       Qian Xiaoke felt he might misunderstand something but before he could explain, Jiang Tongyan had already left.

       It was pitch dark.

       It was filthy and chaotic.

       It was a mess.

       It was a group of rabble.

       Jiang Tongyan didn’t want to stay here for another second.

       After he left, Qian Xiaoke went through his usual morning routine, leaving at seven for work, buying an egg-filled pancake outside the neighbourhood, and eating it all the way to the subway station.

       Everything was going on in an orderly manner, and there was no difference just because there was one more person sleeping at his home last night.

       However, this was just Qian Xiaoke’s opinion.

       In Jiang Tongyan’s opinion, he had something important to solve.

       Jiang Tongyan first returned to the hotel to shower and then had a meal. After finishing his work, he saw it was almost time, so he picked up the phone and called Cheng Sen.

       Cheng Sen had just arrived at the company and was checking his emails. He saw that it was Jiang Tongyan calling, and he smiled when he picked up the phone, “Up so early? Are you coming over this afternoon?”

       “Something’s up.” Jiang Tongyan said, “Are you at the company?”

       “Yeah.”

       “Okay, then wait, I’ll come over.”

       Since Jiang Tongyan was back in the country for a project, Cheng Sen thought he was coming to discuss work, but to his surprise, Jiang Tongyan was in such a rush for something else.

       It was ten in the morning when Jiang Tongyan arrived at Cheng Sen’s company. As soon as he walked out of the elevator door, he saw Qian Xiaoke sitting at the front desk.

       Qian Xiaoke said naively, “Good morning, Chairman Jiang!”

       When Jiang Tongyan saw him, he avoided his eyes for no apparent reason. He dared not look directly at him, and he knew why.

       He waved his hand as a greeting and went straight to Cheng Sen’s office.

       Qian Xiaoke was too lazy to pay attention to him. He watched him walk away and then continued to do what he had to do.

       When Jiang Tongyan passed by Qian Xiao’s front desk, he stole a glance at him from the corner of his eye. When he walked to the corner, he took the opportunity to turn his head and look at Qian Xiaoke.

       He watched him, but Qian Xiaoke paid him no mind.

       Jiang Tongyan pouted and muttered in his heart: Ungrateful brat!

       Jiang Tongyan arrived at the door of Cheng Sen’s office, and Cheng Sen was waiting for him.

       “What’s wrong?” Cheng Sen asked, “What happened?”

       “Something’s up.” Jiang Tongyan said, “Does your company provide dormitories for employees?”

       “Huh?” Cheng Sen was about to get him some water, but this question threw him off, “What dormitories?”

       “A lot of your employees are from out of town, right?” Jiang Tongyan sat on the sofa, “Do you manage them all?”

       Cheng Sen didn’t understand what he meant at first and thought he was talking about himself, “If you come over, I will definitely arrange something for you.”

       “That’s not what I’m talking about.” Jiang Tongyan said, “That’s all easy to say.”

       “Then what are you talking about?” Cheng Sen realised after asking and stood there with a cup, looking at him and smiling.

       “What are you smiling at? It’s so creepy.” Jiang Tongyan reached out to take the water cup, “Don’t look at me like that.”

       “Who are you speaking up for? Qian Xiaoke?” Cheng Sen looked like he saw through everything, “What did he say to you? That kid’s getting bold, even daring to complain about the company.”

       “What complaints!” Jiang Tongyan said, “That’s not it. He didn’t say anything.”

       Cheng Sen smiled, Then what’s this about?”

       “Just asking,” Jiang Tongyan said, “I went to his place yesterday and took a look. That place is not habitable at all. If you live there for a long time, you will become a psychopath.”

       He glanced at Cheng Sen, “You wouldn’t want your employees to be psychopaths during their employment, would you? That would be terrifying!”

       Cheng Sen leaned on the table and looked at him meaningfully, “It doesn’t matter. If he becomes a psychopath and goes crazy, we can just fire him. It’s not a big deal.”

       When he said this, Qian Xiaoke happened to come to deliver a package to Cheng Sen and stood at the door and knocked softly.

       Cheng Sen smiled when he saw him, “Xiaoke, perfect timing. I want to ask you something.”

       “Sure, ask away!” Qian Xiaoke was just another person in front of Cheng Sen and Jiang Tongyan. When he stood in front of his boss, he was as well-behaved as a harmless little white rabbit. But when he was with Jiang Tongyan, he turned into a crazy rabbit.

       “Say, if an employee goes crazy, can we keep him?”

       Qian Xiaoke was shocked, “Who? Who went crazy?”

       Gossiping is a must. Even in front of the boss, if there’s gossip to be had, it must be had.

       “You.” Cheng Sen laughed, “Tongyan just said your living environment is so bad it could drive you crazy. We’re wondering if the company can continue to employ someone with such an unstable mental state, what do you think?”

       Qian Xiaoke turned around and glared at Jiang Tongyan when he heard it. The anger in his eyes had soared to Jiang Tongyan’s forehead.

       Qian Xiao: “Jiang Tongyan! Do I owe you something?”

       Jiang Tongyan thought for a moment, “It seems like you do. Have you not paid back the 20 yuan before?”

       Qian Xiaoke heard, “It’s so hard to get a stable job! Why are you doing this to me?”

       Jiang Tongyan clicked his tongue, impatiently saying to Cheng Sen, “Why are you scaring him? Could you not start trouble?”

       Cheng Sen drank water and laughed at them, thinking these two people were interesting.

       “By the way, Xiaoke, what’s going on?”

       Qian Xiaoke was full of rage but managed to hold it in front of the boss.

       “Well, there’s a package for you.” Qian Xiaoke handed the package to Cheng Sen. When he walked out, he kept looking at Jiang Tongyan viciously.

       Jiang Tongyan felt uncomfortable under his gaze, and rolled his eyes and looked out the window.

       After Qian Xiaoke left, Cheng Sen laughed, “You two get along pretty well.”

       “Who? Who gets along with him? Don’t slander me.”

       “If you don’t get along, why come here this morning to talk about this?” Cheng Sen said, “We don’t manage employees’ private lives, nor do we ban office romances. Your coming here in a while won’t affect anything.”

       “Can you stop this?” Jiang Tongyan seemed unhappy, “Who wants an office romance with him? I wouldn’t stoop so low to fall for a mad rabbit with no looks, no brains, no quality!”

       Jiang Tongyan didn’t feel like talking to him anymore. He stood up to leave, “Even if I were to date, I’d go for that person, what’s his name, the one Zhou Mo introduced, someone with style, grace, eloquence…”

       Jiang Tongyan turned around to see Qian Xiaoke standing at the door again.

       “Why are you back?” Jiang Tongyan was dumbfounded.

       He recalled what he just said, pretty sure Qian Xiaoke heard it all.

       But so what if he heard? Was anything he said untrue?

       He wasn’t afraid!

       However, when Jiang Tongyan saw Qian Xiaoke staring at him with a dark expression, he still couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.

       What was he afraid of?

       He didn’t know.

       Of course Qian Xiaoke heard everything—he had no looks, no brains, and no character.

       He remembered every word!

       Qian Xiaoke ignored Jiang Tongyan and said to Cheng Sen, “Chairman Cheng, Manager Guan came looking for you earlier and asked if it was convenient to see you.”

       “Okay, let him in.” Cheng Sen glanced at the dumbfounded Jiang Tongyan, not even bothering to mock him, “Tongyan, you’re done here, right? Then let’s talk about other things in the afternoon, I have a guest to entertain now.”

       Jiang Tongyan raised his hand and rubbed his eyebrows, “Alright, you get busy, I’ll come back this afternoon.”

       He walked out, following Qian Xiaoke with a dejected expression.

       This was the second time he got caught bad-mouthing someone behind their back, and Jiang Tongyan felt genuinely ashamed.

       He watched as Qian Xiaoke smiled and brought the person who came to see Cheng Sen in and then exited through the door. He watched as Qian Xiaoke didn’t spare him a glance and walked past him, treating him like he was nothing. His heart was clogged with panic.

       “That… Well…” Jiang Tongyan stood at the front desk, saying to Qian Xiaoke, “Just now… I’m sorry.”

       Qian Xiaoke was really angry, and he felt so wronged.

       He thought he had been quite good to Jiang Tongyan, aside from the misunderstanding that made things awkward, he had always been like a ‘benevolent father’ figure, yet Jiang Tongyan spoke of him like that in front of Cheng Sen.

       Speaking ill of him was one thing, but trying to get Cheng Sen to fire him was another.

       Qian Xiaoke felt so wronged that tears were about to burst out.

       Seeing Qian Xiaoke ignoring him, Jiang Tongyan rubbed his hands awkwardly: “I really didn’t do it on purpose.”

       “Which one was on purpose then?” Qian Xiaoke looked up and asked expressionlessly, “Was it not intentional to bad-mouth me, or not intentional to get Chairman Cheng to fire me? Jiang Tongyan, I’ve been trying to make it up to you, why do you have to treat me like this? Do you really hate me that much?”

       The two of them seemed to be acting in an idol drama, and Qian Xiao’s eyes turned red as he spoke.

       Jiang Tongyan never thought it would turn out like this. When he saw Qian Xiaoke was about to cry, he panicked.

       He quickly grabbed tissues from the desk, holding them out to catch Qian Xiaoke’s tears.

       Qian Xiaoke found his action silly and burst into laughter.

       “Annoying!”

       Jiang Tongyan saw him laughing and secretly let out a sigh of relief, “Yes, okay, good, I’m annoying.”

       Qian Xiaoke pouted and didn’t say anything.

       “Don’t cry,” Jiang Tongyan said, “It really wasn’t intentional. How about this, I’ll treat you to dinner tonight, hotpot or street barbecue, your choice, okay?”

       Qian Xiaoke looked up at him. He pursed his lips and muttered, “Is that all I’m worth to you?”

       “Huh?” Jiang Tongyan genuinely didn’t know how to soothe someone, always saying the wrong thing.

       Qian Xiaoke said, “Eat spicy hotpot and also barbecue.”

       He sniffed and said, “Tonight, I want to eat snail noodles!”

       Although Jiang Tongyan didn’t know what snail noodles were, he agreed readily, saying to Qian Xiaoke, “Okay, whatever you want to eat.”

       He looked quite doting like this.

       Jiang Tongyan found that Qian Xiaoke was actually quite easy to coax. Just give him delicious food, and he wasn’t picky. He didn’t need Michelin-starred restaurants, just street food would do.

       He asked, “But, what is this snail noodle?”

       Qian Xiaoke shook his head and sighed, “You rich people are so ignorant!”

       Jiang Tongyan conceded, whatever Qian Xiaoke said today, he’d accept. He didn’t know how, but Qian Xiaoke had him wrapped around his finger. Life was indeed mysterious.

       “Then see you in the evening?” Jiang Tongyan said, “I have an appointment with Cheng Sen to discuss something in the afternoon. I guess the meeting will last until quite late. Will you wait?”

       “Why not, I’ve got nothing else to do.” Qian Xiaoke had nothing else to do anyway.

       Jiang Tongyan’s mood inexplicably improved, not even knowing why.

       After Jiang Tongyan left in a good mood, Qian Xiaoke sat there, happily checking the time. He also didn’t understand his own feelings, it was like there was a little bird in his heart, flapping its wings, making him restless, eager to fly.

       Maybe it was because of the snail noodles tonight, or because Jiang Tongyan was treating, he’d order an extra large bowl with ten quail eggs!

       Cheng Sen had no idea what had transpired outside, unaware of what ‘deal’ his partner had struck with his employee. After finishing his business meeting, he finally sent off the legendary guest who was extremely obsessed with cleanliness just before noon.

       Normally, if a client was still discussing business by noon, Cheng Sen would definitely invite them for a meal. But Manager Guan was different—he had a cleanliness obsession and couldn’t handle eating food from outside. Especially in the past couple of years since getting a partner, he had to go home for every meal.

       After seeing off the guests, Cheng Sen turned around and looked at Qian Xiaoke who was laughing foolishly.

       “What’s up? So happy?” Cheng Sen smiled and walked over, leaning against the front desk and asked, “Have a girlfriend?”

       Qian Xiaoke was shocked, “Chairman Cheng! How dare you say such a thing! It’s ruining someone’s reputation!”

       Cheng Sen laughed loudly, “Just asking casually, why are you so nervous?”

       He tapped the table lightly with his fingers, “Where do you live now?”

       Qian Xiaoke frowned and said nervously, “Chairman Cheng! Don’t believe the slander of the wicked!”

       “Hmm? Who’s the wicked one? What slander?” Cheng Sen laughed, “Don’t be nervous, just asking.”

       “Chairman Cheng, you must believe me, although the place I’m living is bad, living there won’t affect my mental health! It’s quite sunny there!” Qian Xiaoke explained, “And I’ll move out in another month and a half, although I won’t be able to rent a nice place, but it’ll be fine! You have to believe me, Chairman Cheng!”

       Cheng Sen looked at him, a little amused. As a boss, he really never asked about the employees’ private affairs, but now listening to Qian Xiaoke’s words, he realised how hard it must be for those who came to work from out of town. Their monthly salaries might be high, but the rent was even higher.

       “Okay, I understand.” Cheng Sen walked back thoughtfully.

       Qian Xiao had wanted to ask what he knew, but trying to guess what the boss was thinking was pointless. No matter how much he guessed, he would never figure it out. And if he had to guess, he knew better than to ask too much—asking would only have increased his chances of bad luck.

       During the lunch break, Qian Xiaoke thought about having a ‘big meal’ in the evening, so he bought a piece of bread and sat there. While eating the bread and playing a mobile game, Jiang Tongyan returned.

       Jiang Tongyan originally agreed to meet with Cheng Sen in the middle of the afternoon, but he was really bored in the hotel, so he came early.

       As soon as he got out of the elevator, he saw Qian Xiaoke playing mobile games and eating bread there and suddenly felt he was so pitiful.

       He was not even having a proper meal for lunch.

       So miserable.

       ‌It was pitiful to see him.

       “What are you doing?” Jiang Tongyan looked at the time, “Are you busy now?”

       Qian Xiaoke looked up at him, “Busy.”

       “… What are you busy with? Busy playing games?”

       “Busy eating!” Qian Xiaoke said, “It’s my lunch break, not taking clients.”

       Jiang Tongyan wanted to ask this man to go downstairs to eat together. He was purely pitiful for Qian Xiao, but this kid didn’t appreciate it, so he just left.

       Jiang Tongyan rolled his eyes and turned away.

       Qian Xiaoke looked up at him, ignored him, and continued to eat bread and play games.

       Not long after, Jiang Tongyan returned with a packed lunch box in his hand.

       Qian Xiaoke ignored him until Jiang Tongyan put the lunch box in front of Qian Xiao.

       “Leftovers, eat it.” Jiang Tongyan said, “A reward for you.”

       Qian Xiaoke looked up and said to him, “Your leftovers are so neat?”

       “If I say it’s leftovers, it’s leftovers!”

       Qian Xiaoke pouted, “Then I won’t eat! You have a mysophobia!”

       Jiang Tongyan was happy, “What’s wrong with you kiddo? You are picky when I give you food.”

       “Although poor, but I have dignity, okay!”

       “…” Jiang Tongyan turned away, took a deep breath, then turned back, “Fine, I bought it for you.”

       Qian Xiaoke hadn’t finished the bread yet and looked at him while biting the bread.

       “What are you looking at? Just eat it.”

       “Then I won’t eat.” Qian Xiaoke said, “I won’t accept something for nothing. I can’t eat your food without knowing why.”

       His eyes lit up, “Unless you want to poison me?”

       “Why would I have the time for that? Who are you? Why would I want to poison you?” Jiang Tongyan said, “I just feel sorry for you, eating bread for lunch.”

       Qian Xiaoke stared at him and didn’t move.

       In the end, Jiang Tongyan gave in first.

       “Consider this your medical fee,” Jiang Tongyan said, “Did you not do that for me yesterday?”

       It was self-inflicted humiliation!

       Why did he have to bring that up?

       Jiang Tongyan bit off his tongue in hatred.

       Qian Xiaoke was upset, but he smiled. He put down the bread and opened the lunch box.

       “Alright, if you put it that way, I’ll accept it.” He opened it and exclaimed in surprise, “Wow, rich people are really something!”

       This restaurant had just opened recently, and Qian Xiaoke had passed by it several times. He looked at the promotional boards but never dared to go inside.

       One meal, four dishes, a mix of meat and vegetables, all colourful and aromatic!

       Qian Xiaoke said, “Chairman Jiang, you were really not that bad. Just for this meal alone, I’ll definitely give you a good massage tonight!”

       “What do you want to massage?” Cheng Sen walked out of the office.

       Jiang Tongyan gave Qian Xiaoke a glare, and Qian Xiaoke quickly shut up.

       This was Chairman Jiang’s secret, a wound that would bleed if touched.

       “Nothing,” Jiang Tongyan said, “Where are you going?”

       “I was going to ask you, why are you here so early?” Cheng Sen glanced at the lunch box in front of Qian Xiaoke and knew why Jiang Tongyan had come so early, “Have you eaten?”

       “No.” Jiang Tongyan thought: I was busy buying food for this ungrateful brat! And this little bastard still didn’t appreciate it!

       “Together?”

       “Let’s go.”

       Cheng Sen turned his head and asked Qian Xiao, “Xiaoke, let’s go eat together?”

       Qian Xiaoke almost choked and waved his hand quickly.

       Cheng Sen laughed and took Jiang Tongyan downstairs.

       In the elevator, Cheng Sen said, “If you’re going to pursue someone, do it properly; don’t act so weird all the time.”

       “Who am I pursuing?” Jiang Tongyan’s eyes almost popped out, “Who’s acting weird?”

       Cheng Sen just smiled without saying more, enjoying the drama and encouraging them to continue.

       Jiang Tongyan then had a meeting with Cheng Sen and the project team that lasted the whole afternoon.

       At around 4:00, they left the company to check out a site. Before leaving, Jiang Tongyan secretly told Qian Xiaoke at the front desk, “Wait for me to come back.”

       The two of them seemed to have a bit of that secret romance vibe.

       Qian Xiaoke got off work at six. Jiang Tongyan thought he’d be back by then, but they encountered some issues, and by the time they were resolved, it was almost six. Cheng Sen invited the project team to dinner, but Jiang Tongyan made an excuse to leave quickly.

       Cheng Sen didn’t stop him because he had guessed where he was going.

       On the way back from the site, Jiang Tongyan got stuck in traffic. He wanted to call Qian Xiaoke to let him know he was almost there but realised he didn’t have Qian Xiaoke’s number.

       That was awkward.

       Jiang Tongyan didn’t want to ask Cheng Sen because it was embarrassing, and he wanted to save his pride.

       He was really anxious as if his buttocks were growing grass on the way, making the taxi driver stop and turn around to look at him. The driver almost wanted to recommend a hospital for haemorrhoid treatment.

       Jiang Tongyan was very anxious, but Qian Xiaoke was waiting patiently.

       He didn’t really want to go home; the office environment was much better than his place.

       Jiang Tongyan rushed into the office building, waited anxiously for the elevator, and once inside, he watched the floor numbers. He took deep breaths to calm himself before the doors opened.

       When the elevator door opened, Qian Xiaoke looked up.

       “You’re back.” Qian Xiaoke was so calm, and then he continued to play games with his head down.

       Jiang Tongyan originally imagined that Qian Xiaoke was anxiously waiting and jumping up and down in the company. However, he didn’t expect that it was all in his head.

       “What are you doing?” Jiang Tongyan came over, “Still playing?”

       “Almost done.” Qian Xiaoke said, “I’m really good at this.”

       Jiang Tongyan really didn’t get what was so impressive about playing a match-3 game. If he had the ability to make him hard, now that would be truly impressive!

       “Okay, stop playing, pack up and go, I’m starving.”

       Jiang Tongyan urged, but Qian Xiaoke insisted on finishing this game.

       In fact, Jiang Tongyan was never a patient person. There were not many people who could make him wait.

       But he actually stood there and waited for Qian Xiaoke to play games, which was unbelievable.

       After finishing, Qian Xiaoke put away his phone contentedly, picked up his small backpack, and followed Jiang Tongyan off work.

       When the two walked into the elevator, Qian Xiaoke said, “Do you think we might suddenly have a power outage and get stuck in the elevator?”

       “…Qian Xiaoke, what’s in your head? Can’t you think of something good?”

       Qian Xiaoke laughed and apologised obediently.

       Fortunately, they did not encounter a sudden power outage or get trapped in the elevator. They walked into a snail noodle shop very smoothly.

       As soon as they entered the door, Jiang Tongyan frowned and rubbed his nose hard, “What’s this smell? Is this place sanitary? Can we eat somewhere else?”

       He found out Qian Xiaoke liked this kind of dirty, smelly food. What kind of person was he?

       Qian Xiaoke said, “This taste is authentic! You know, you will understand when the snail noodles come up.”

       Jiang Tongyan didn’t understand; he had never eaten this thing before.

       Jiang Tongyan stood there and ordered a portion of the snail noodles and then found a place to sit by the window.

       Jiang Tongyan was a little overwhelmed by the smell in the room. He wanted to take his head off and put it outside the window.

       At this moment, he didn’t know what was coming; when the snail noodles arrived, the smell would be even more pungent!

       Jiang Tongyan swore that he would never eat with Qian Xiaoke again!

       “What the hell!”

       When the waiter brought a bowl of deluxe snail noodles, Jiang Tongyan’s brain was about to explode.

       Are you sure there is no shit in it?

       Are you sure this thing is edible?

       Are you sure Qian Xiaoke is not deliberately messing with him?

       Jiang Tongyan rolled his eyes so hard he nearly fell out of his seat.

       Qian Xiaoke said, “I told you, rich people have no experience; this stuff is delicious.”

       “… This is a question of whether you have money or not.” Jiang Tongyan said, “Normal people would want to eat shit, right?”

       “You are the shit one! Can’t you be more civilised?!” Qian Xiaoke was annoyed; how could one insult snail noodles like that? This was one of humanity’s greatest inventions!

       Jiang Tongyan said, “If that’s the case, I’ll pay for it. You can have as many bowls as you want, but I’m leaving.”

       “No way!” Qian Xiaoke slammed the table, “You promised to have dinner with me!”

       The two people were shouting here, attracting the attention of the people around them. Those who saw thought they were a couple quarrelling.

       Jiang Tongyan, “Keep your voice down, keep your voice down, it’s embarrassing.”

       It was a Chinese virtue not to make noise in public places.

       Qian Xiaoke obediently lowered his voice, “Try it! It’s really delicious.”

       He added, “Snail noodles smell bad but taste amazing!”

       Jiang Tongyan was frowning, trying to distance himself.

       He felt like he couldn’t wear these clothes anymore; he was covered in the smell after sitting there for a while.

       Qian Xiaoke really wanted Jiang Tongyan to try it; missing out on this delicacy would be living in vain!

       Qian Xiaoke persuaded earnestly, “Chairman Jiang, remember the hotpot we had? You were hesitant at first, but you liked it after trying, right?”

       Seemed like it.

       “Also, you resisted the street barbecue at first, but who ate so much last night?” Qian Xiaoke said, “I used to blame and discriminate against you. You rich people are like this, going in and out of high-end restaurants all day but missing out on the real delicacies of the world.”

       Qian Xiaoke mixed the snail noodles in the bowl, “Do you know what the most important thing in life is?”

       “Being happy?”

       “Exactly!” Qian Xiaoke said, “The most important thing in life is daring to challenge oneself. As a seven feet tall, strong man, isn’t it embarrassing to go out and say you’ve never had snail noodles?”

       “Well,” Jiang Tongyan said, “I’m not seven feet tall.”

       “Huhh?” Qian Xiaoke was full of question marks. “In ancient times, ‘seven feet’ was roughly equivalent to ‘seven inches’ now. Calculated, it’s about 1.7 meters,” Jiang Tongyan said. “I’m almost 1.9 meters.”

       “…That’s not the point!” Qian Xiaoke said, “It’s embarrassing not to have eaten snail noodles!”

       Jiang Tongyan looked at him, “Yes, it seems like no one around me has tried them.”

       “Then you should definitely try them!” Qian Xiaoke said, “Think about it, they haven’t tried it, but you have. Wouldn’t that make you look cool? More well-informed?”

       Jiang Tongyan actually wanted to say that they would not be comparing this. No one would give him a thumbs up and say ‘awesome’ from the bottom of their hearts just because he had eaten snail noodles.

       However, seeing Qian Xiaoke so seriously and earnestly in recommending this stinky thing, Jiang Tongyan was actually swayed.

       “Try it.” Qian Xiaoke said, “If you don’t believe me, I’ll eat some first.”

       Qian Xiaoke picked up a clump of noodles with chopsticks, slurping it down with evident enjoyment, good enough for an advertisement.

       Jiang Tongyan had already adapted to the taste a little bit at this time. He felt it was not as pungent and unbearable as at the beginning. Seeing Qian Xiaoke eating so deliciously, he even began to doubt whether he was really ignorant and did not know how to appreciate food.

       Jiang Tongyan looked around. Everyone was eating this thing, and everyone was eating with a flushed face.

       Try it?

       Maybe he should just try it.

       Jiang Tongyan picked up the chopsticks hesitantly.

       Sometimes, once the door to this new world was opened, incredible things would happen one after another.

       From the day Jiang Tongyan met Qian Xiaoke, he had stepped into a world he’d never known before–the ordinary, lively world of common people.

       Jiang Tongyan came from a wealthy family for generations. He was a real ‘golden’ young master and had been living a life of luxury since he was a child. He had always eaten the best steaks, drunk fresh milk, frequented high-end restaurants, and had a private car to ferry him around.

       He was the epitome of a pampered life.

       However, he was not overly spoiled except when dealing with Qian Xiaoke, where he often lost control of his temper. In front of others, he was always the epitome of grace, though his love life had never been smooth.

       Or rather, it had been completely smooth.

       In short, Jiang Tongyan never imagined he’d one day sit in an unremarkable street-side shop eating something that smelled this bad.

       What he didn’t expect was that this thing was actually delicious!

       “Why?” Jiang Tongyan couldn’t fathom how something could smell so bad yet taste so good.

       “Amazing, isn’t it?” Qian Xiaoke smiled and raised his eyebrows at him, “Try the peanuts in it, they’re amazing, my favourite!”

       Qian Xiaoke was thrilled, feeling like he’d contributed to promoting the cause of the snail noodles business today!

       Jiang Tongyan was once again amazed; this stuff wasn’t just edible; it was delicious.

       Spicy hot pot, roadside barbecue, snail noodles. He suddenly found that Qian Xiaoke was right, and he was a friend who could be deeply befriended—the premise is that Qian Xiaoke was mute.

       After eating, the people came out, and the breeze blew. The ‘wonderful’ smell of snail noodles was everywhere, which made Jiang Tongyan roll his eyes again. Jiang Tongyan, who had eaten and then destroyed the bridge, once again disliked the taste.

       “It stinks.”

       “It’s okay.” Qian Xiaoke said, “I’m happy.”

       Jiang Tongyan looked at him with a question mark on his head, thinking and wondering what there was to be happy about.

       “Chairman Jiang, do you have any plans later?”

       “What do you want to do?” Jiang Tongyan suddenly got nervous.

       Qian Xiaoke was full, standing there rubbing his bulging belly and said, “I practised a little this afternoon.”

       “Ah?”

       “I’ll give you a massage.” Qian Xiaoke said, “If you have nothing to do later, I’ll go back to the hotel with you and give you a massage.”

       Jiang Tongyan was shocked.

       “Qian Xiaoke! Are you serious?”

       “Of course, your disease hasn’t been cured yet.”

       Jiang Tongyan was starting to question his life.

       “Let’s go,” Qian Xiaoke said, “It’s been more than an hour.”

       “…During work hours?”

       Qian Xiaoke stopped and smiled awkwardly and said, “Well, you will tell Chairman Cheng, right?”

       Jiang Tongyan sneered, “It depends on my mood.”

       “So, are you in a good mood now?” Qian Xiaoke’s eyes sparkled, looking at Jiang Tongyan with pure innocence.

       “Neutral,” Jiang Tongyan pretended, “Neutral.”

       “Then if I perform a musical duo for you, will you be happy?”

       Jiang Tongyan laughed out loud, “You also know to do musical duo? Can you do it alone?”

       Qian Xiaoke looked at him and smiled, “See, you’re laughing, which means you’re in a good mood. You won’t tell Chairman Cheng then!”

       Such powerful logic left Jiang Tongyan speechless!

       “Let’s go,” Jiang Tongyan waved and called a taxi, “I’m impressed by you.”

       Qian Xiaoke followed behind and continued to ask, “So what you mean is that you are in a good mood now, right?”

       “Yes, yes, if you keep talking, I definitely won’t.”

       Hearing what he said, Qian Xiaoke immediately shut up obediently.

       Back at Jiang Tongyan’s hotel, as they walked in, Jiang Tongyan started to question his life choices again: What was he doing? Was this not better than seeing a psychologist? Why was he messing around like this with Qian Xiaoke?

       Meanwhile, Qian Xiaoke followed behind like a little assistant, reviewing in his mind what he needed to ‘study’ next.

       Hold it first, then gently and tenderly…

       It would be best to say things like ‘You’re so great’ or ‘You’re so big’ to boost confidence during the process.

       Qian Xiaoke really prepared for the lesson!

       They went upstairs together and entered the suite.

       This time, when Qian Xiaoke walked into this suite again, he had a new appreciation for the place.

       3688 for one night, which was 688 more than his rent for a month!

       Luxurious!

       It’s too luxurious!

       Qian Xiaoke put his schoolbag aside and then heard Jiang Tongyan say, “Let’s take a shower first.”

       “Okay.”

       “You go too.”

       “Huh?” Qian Xiaoke was startled, “Do you want to shower together? That’s not part of the treatment!”

       “Shower together, my head.” Jiang Tongyan said, “I’ll use this bathroom, you use that one.”

       He removed his clothes and walked to the bathroom, “You’re covered in that smell; you’ll stink up the whole room.”

       Qian Xiaoke smelled himself, and indeed, not only his clothes but even his hair smelled of snail noodles.

       He trotted off to take a shower, feeling somewhat embarrassed, but then he thought, he had already done those things with Jiang Tongyan. Although it was ‘unfinished and ended halfway’, they had already seen each other naked. 

       There was no need to be shy.

       So, Qian Xiaoke took a comfortable bath.

       After he finished his bath, he was fragrant and soft. He walked out in a clean bathrobe hanging in the bathroom and said to Jiang Tongyan happily, “It’s so comfortable. This is the perfect time for grown-ups to do what grown-ups do!”

       Jiang Tongyan was in a good mood after taking a bath, but when he heard Qian Xiaoke’s words, he felt that the other party was mocking him.

       He stood by the window sipping tea and turned back angrily, but seeing Qian Xiaoke looking all rosy and warm, he felt an indescribable surge of desire.

       Qian Xiaoke sat on the bed and patted him, “Chairman Jiang, come on, let’s get started.”

       It was late and after the massage, he could go home.

       Or so Qian Xiaoke thought, but in Jiang Tongyan’s eyes, this gesture looked like an invitation for something else, something very intimate.

       Jiang Tongyan’s heartbeat suddenly quickened. He realized that whenever he was around Qian Xiao now, he would constantly experience that strange, inexplicable feeling—something similar to… the feeling of a crush.

       This was simply wonderful.

       He didn’t like fools or sharp-tongued people.

       But here he was, his mind and body out of his control, sitting obediently next to Qian Xiaoke.

       Qian Xiaoke tilted his head to look at him, “Then let’s get ready.”

       Jiang Tongyan’s heart beat fast, and he felt that the blood in his body was flowing backwards.

       Given the situation, shouldn’t it be enough?

       Qian Xiaoke didn’t notice his unusual behavior; instead, he calmly began his ‘treatment’.

       With the heart of a healer, Qian Xiaoke maintained his integrity and composure at this moment.

       Qian Xiaoke said, “Chairman Jiang, relax, take a deep breath, and imagine the happiest moment of your life.”

       The happiest moment?

       Jiang Tongyan’s face instantly turned red.

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T/N:
It’s long right? It feels like the chapter is excitingly long right?
This chapter is 2-3x longer than usual (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)
I’ll try to keep the 1x/week update but this chapter makes me quite tired because it’s long, lmao
So forgive me in advance if I didn’t post anything next week ><

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       Qian Xiaoke thought Jiang Tongyan was a bit amusing.

       “You’re not my boss, so how do you know my boss will pay?” Qian Xiaoke said. “If I were Chairman Cheng, I wouldn’t be friends with you.”

       Jiang Tongyan wasn’t in the mood to bicker with Qian Xiaoke about trivial matters. Right now, he felt like he had stirred up a hornet’s nest.  

       “This is just unbelievable,” Jiang Tongyan said. “We’re all neighbours living here, can’t those young couples behave a bit?”

       “Young couples?” Qian Xiaoke said, sitting there with a perfectly calm demeanour. “Not at all. The tenant of that room is a guy, and he brings back a different person every day.”

       “…Then we really have to move!” Jiang Tongyan was about to explode. “What’s wrong with you, Qian Xiaoke? No, what’s wrong with all of you?”

       “What? Who’s all of us?”

       “He’s behaving like that, and none of you neighbours are calling him out?” Jiang Tongyan felt like he was turning into a walking of thousands of whys. He looked at Qian Xiaoke, his head full of question marks. “Hasn’t anyone talked to him? No one’s doing anything?”

       “We have, but it’s useless,” Qian Xiaoke said. “Everyone living here is like an unwanted stepchild. The landlord’s nowhere to be found, and the agent’s unreachable. What can we do?”

       If there was a way out, who wouldn’t want to leave this place?

       Besides, calling the police wasn’t an option either. Did they have any evidence that the guy was engaged in something improper? No. Plus, if they really did call the police, once the authorities saw the state of this place, that’d be it. No one would be able to stay here, and they’d probably lose their rent money, too. In the end, they’d be the ones who suffered.

       Qian Xiaoke said, “We poor people have a lot of things we’re helpless about.”

       The noise outside was giving Jiang Tongyan a headache. “How are you so calm?”

       “I’ve gotten used to it.” Qian Xiaoke opened a drawer and pulled out a small plastic bag full of earplugs. “Want to try, Chairman Jiang? They work great.”

       Irritated by the noise, Jiang Tongyan took the earplugs and, under Qian Xiaoke’s patient guidance, put them on.

       The world suddenly became quiet, and even Qian Xiaoke in front of him seemed more endearing.  

       Sure enough, if Qian Xiaoke were mute, he’d be an adorable, likable little guy.  

       What a pity…

       With the earplugs on, Jiang Tongyan felt the world was a much better place. He could finally calmly inspect Qian Xiaoke’s ‘bedroom’.

       This ‘bedroom’ was really nothing to write home about.

       The room was quite spacious for Qian Xiaoke, but for Jiang Tongyan, it was so small he could barely stretch his legs.

       The window was tiny—Jiang Tongyan guessed even sunlight had to struggle to squeeze through.

       The desk by the window was the kind of old, rickety wooden school desk he’d only seen in vintage TV dramas. The paint was peeling, and it wobbled with the slightest touch.

       On the desk was an air conditioner that was supposed to be white but had turned yellow. Jiang Tongyan asked, “Does that AC even work?”

       “It does,” Qian Xiaoke said, “but I don’t use it. Keep your voice down—why are you yelling so late at night?”

       “Huh?” Jiang Tongyan’s ‘huh’ was thunderously loud.

       Frowning, Qian Xiaoke reached over and removed his earplugs. “Dude, lower your voice!”

       Jiang Tongyan had forgotten he was still wearing earplugs.

       “I said, does your AC even work?” Jiang Tongyan tilted his head to look at the filthy, outdated AC unit hanging there. It looked like turning it on would release toxic gas.

       “It works, but I don’t use it much. I only turned it on once or twice during unbearably hot summer days,” Qian Xiaoke said. “It’s too noisy.”

       “Alright, if you can avoid using it, don’t use it.” Jiang Tongyan put the earplugs back on and continued his ‘inspection’.

       Qian Xiaoke’s bed wasn’t great either.

       The bed wasn’t small, but it didn’t look comfortable. Jiang Tongyan couldn’t understand how Qian Xiaoke could live such a rough life.  

       “What’s this?” Jiang Tongyan took out the earplugs and said to Qian Xiaoke, “You don’t even have a properly sized bedsheet?”

       Qian Xiaoke avoided eye contact, looking a bit embarrassed.

       He did live a rough life, but it was all to save money.

       The bed was a double bed that came with a mattress when he rented the place. The mattress was mediocre—so mediocre it even had a few cigarette burns in it. But that wasn’t a big deal. He could make it more comfortable by laying a mat and covering it with a bedsheet. But, of course, he didn’t.

       Qian Xiaoke couldn’t bring himself to spend money on the mattress. Right now, the bed was covered with the single-sized bedding he’d used back in college.

       Back then, he had two thin, single-sized mats to switch between. Even now, he used the same setup: a single mat on one half of the double bed, with the other half piled with clothes and random odds and ends.

       Jiang Tongyan, frustrated, said, “So sloppy!”

       Qian Xiaoke pouted, “A set of bedding is expensive.”

       “Cut back on a few bowls of spicy hot pot, and you’d save enough.”

       “I only eat ten yuan spicy hot pot usually, it’s cheap, don’t lecture me.”

       Jiang Tongyan turned his head, saw Qian Xiaoke looking wronged, and waved his hand, deciding to drop it.

       Jiang Tongyan felt he was truly a good person, too soft-hearted.

       He turned around, intending to compliment the room to make Qian Xiaoke happy, but all he saw was an old, tattered sofa.

       How bad was this sofa?

       It was one of those leather sofas from who-knows-what era, with the surface ruined and the springs sticking out.

       Jiang Tongyan asked, “Why haven’t you thrown this thing away?”

       Qian Xiaoke patiently taught this clueless boss Jiang about the ways of the world, “It’s left by the landlord if you throw it away, they’ll deduct it from your deposit when you move out! Idiot!”

       “…Oh.” Jiang Tongyan learned something new, albeit useless, and didn’t even argue about being called an ‘idiot’.

       “Why don’t you put your clothes in the wardrobe?” There was clearly a wardrobe in the room, albeit small, but not so small as to justify leaving clothes on the bed.

       Qian Xiaoke sat on the edge of the bed, swinging his skinny legs, “Take a look yourself.”

       Jiang Tongyan wasn’t in the habit of rummaging through other people’s things, but with the owner’s permission, he couldn’t refuse.

       He walked over and pulled the door…

       “Damn!” The door fell off.

       Jiang Tongyan jumped, “Why didn’t you tell me it was broken?”

       Qian Xiaoke burst into laughter, falling back onto the bed, “If I told you, it wouldn’t have been funny, hahaha!”

       Jiang Tongyan, with a dark expression, turned to look at Qian Xiaoke, feeling the urge to hire a hitman.

       An eye-roll from Jiang Tongyan made Qian Xiaoke shut up.

       After looking around, there wasn’t a single part of the room that satisfied Jiang Tongyan, with the noise from outside being the most irritating.

       He put his earplugs back in and went to the window to enjoy the breeze.

       The autumn night’s wind was quite pleasant. Although Jiang Tongyan kept complaining about Qian Xiaoke’s place, now that he was full and tired, sitting by the bed to catch a breeze felt pretty good.

       Feeling comfortable, he didn’t know when he fell asleep.

       Qian Xiaoke was originally sitting cross-legged, playing a mobile game. He was about to complete his puzzle game.

       After being tired from playing, he turned around to find Jiang Tongyan asleep, looking quite comfortable.

       Holding his phone, Qian Xiaoke quietly called out, “Jiang Tongyan!”

       The sleeping figure didn’t move, like a dead pig.

       Qian Xiaoke stared at him for a while, then clicked his tongue.

       Jiang Tongyan was really handsome, good-looking, good physique, and rich, but his personality and sexual prowess were lacking.

       Lying beside him, Qian Xiaoke felt pity for him for the umpteenth time.

       An apple bitten by God, what a pity.

       Qian Xiaoke felt a sense of compassion for Jiang Tongyan, sighed, and mumbled, “Life is hard, treasure what you can.”

       The next morning, Jiang Tongyan woke up feeling disoriented. He first looked at the ceiling and then at the person beside him, snoring away.

       Everything seemed off.

       “Shit!” Although Jiang Tongyan was never one for good temper around Qian Xiaoke. His upbringing prevented him from swearing, but he couldn’t help it this morning.

       Qian Xiaoke was startled awake, jumping up from the bed.

       “Huh? What?” Qian Xiaoke was still groggy, his world not yet awake.

       Jiang Tongyan looked at him, “What’s going on?”

       Qian Xiaoke, still sleepy, continued to doze off sitting on the bed.

       Jiang Tongyan grabbed his shoulders, shaking him melodramatically, “Wake up!”

       It was no use.

       Unless it was time for work, nothing could wake Qian Xiaoke up.

       “Qian Xiaoke!” Seeing no response, Jiang Tongyan got an idea, “There’s a thief in your house!”

       Qian Xiaoke shuddered, “Where?”

       He reached under his pillow and pulled out a kitchen knife, which scared Jiang Tongyan stiff.

       “…Qian Xiaoke, let’s talk this out, what are you doing with that?”

       Qian Xiaoke, holding his knife, looked around, not seeing any thief, only Jiang Tongyan cowering in the corner.

       “Where’s the thief?” Qian Xiaoke asked.

       Jiang Tongyan took a deep breath and took the knife from him.

       “You sleep with that under your pillow?”

       “Of course,” Qian Xiaoke said, “We pretty boys are in danger; if someone breaks in to rob or worse, I need something to defend myself.”

       Jiang Tongyan wanted to mock his ‘pretty boy’ comment. ‘Pretty boy’ my foot, ‘madman’ would be more fitting.

       But seeing the rickety door that looked like it would fall apart with a kick, having a knife for self-defence seemed reasonable.

       “There’s no thief,” Jiang Tongyan said, “Why am I here?”

       “…Did you lose your memory?” Qian Xiaoke said, “You fell asleep here last night.”

       Jiang Tongyan hadn’t lost his memory, “I’m asking why you didn’t let me sleep on the bedding!”

       Why was Qian Xiaoke on the bedding while he was lying on a pile of clothes?

       Who knew if they were even clean?

       Qian Xiaoke pretended not to understand, got off the bed, and stretched.

       “Chairman Jiang, pay up.”

       “Huh?”

       “You stayed here last night, I need to charge you,” Qian Xiaoke said, “My place isn’t comparable to your five-star hotel, so I’ll give you a discount. How much is a night at your place?”

       “3688.”

       Qian Xiaoke raised his hand, digging in his ear, “How much?”

       “3688,” Jiang Tongyan said, “What’s wrong?”

       Qian Xiaoke took a deep breath, reminding himself he wasn’t anti-rich.

       “Okay, since we’re good friends, you stayed here last night, so 368 yuan will do.”

       “I’ll give you nothing!” Jiang Tongyan stood up abruptly, only to bump his waist on the table corner.

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