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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