Qian Xiaoke was really tired. He slept soundly against Jiang Tongyan in the dark and almost drooled.
When the train was about to arrive at the station, Jiang Tongyan woke him up. He was in a daze after opening his eyes, as if he didn’t know what day it was.
“Wake up.” Jiang Tongyan said, “You should get off at the next stop.”
Qian Xiaoke, who was still not awake, looked at him blankly, and it took him a long time to remember who this person was.
“Remember to pay back the money.” Qian Xiaoke raised his hand and rubbed his mouth.
Jiang Tongyan smiled, “Okay, I will definitely remember, but…”
He glanced at his watch again and said, “When are you going to settle this account you owe me as well?”
“Ah?” Qian Xiaoke raised his hand and scratched his ear, “Am I hallucinating because I haven’t woken up yet?”
Jiang Tongyan leaned back in his chair, looked at him, and smiled, “There’s no hallucination. You leaned on my shoulder to sleep; it’s one yuan per minute, and you slept for… twenty-one minutes. Considering how fated we are, I’ll give you a 10% discount, so twenty-one yuan at a 10% discount is… twenty yuan and seventy-nine cents. I’m generous, so I’ll round it down and charge you twenty yuan.”
Qian Xiaoke looked at him sleepily without saying a word.
When the subway arrived at the station, Qian Xiaoke got up, took his small schoolbag and walked out. Jiang Tongyan followed quickly, “When will you pay the money?”
Qian Xiaoke pretended not to hear and walked out with big strides. He almost tripped when he went up the stairs. Fortunately, Jiang Tongyan was quick and grabbed his arm.
Qian Xiaoke thanked him very politely, and then continued to go up the stairs ruthlessly.
Jiang Tongyan followed him with a smile, and the more he looked at him, the more interesting he felt.
As the saying goes, when you are interested in a person, it means… you are in danger.
However, as a person who grew up abroad, Jiang Tongyan did not know these ‘common sayings’ very well. And so far, he did not realise how ‘dangerous’ it was.
With a smile on his face, he followed Qian Xiaoke, like a subway pervert.
Qian Xiaoke exited the subway station and continued walking towards home with an indifferent stride, pretending not to hear the calls of the people behind him. No matter how the people behind him called, he pretended not to hear.
Can’t hear, can’t see, who is that person? I don’t know.
Qian Xiaoke felt as if he were walking on air. Never before had he desired so much to have the skills of Qinggong1similar to parkour.
On the way from the subway station to Qian Xiaoke’s home, Jiang Tongyan passed by Jiang Tongyan’s hotel. Jiang Tongyan took a look, did not go in, and continued to follow Qian Xiaoke.
This time Qian Xiaoke panicked.
What kind of person was Qian Xiaoke? He was a very vigilant person.
Ordinary people should refrain from trying to take his money and avoid taking advantage of others.
This society was very dangerous; not only do girls living alone need to pay attention to their safety, but boys also need to protect themselves.
Usually, Qian Xiaoke would be very cautious and careful to see if there were any strange people around before going home. After all, a ‘young man’ like him could easily attract the attention of criminals.
For Qian Xiaoke, getting robbed and r4p3d was unforgivable, and he must nip this possibility in the bud.
When he realised that Jiang Tongyan had passed by his hotel without entering and followed him, he panicked.
Qian Xiaoke slowed down and looked back at Jiang Tongyan.
“Sir, you have been following me since I left the subway station. May I ask, what’s the matter?” Qian Xiaoke started to play the innocent passerby again.
Jiang Tongyan was already familiar with his routine and was too lazy to play along with him, so he said directly, “You owe me twenty yuan. I’m here to collect the money.”
“…You are blackmailing me.” Qian Xiaoke was dissatisfied.
“But you did lean on my shoulder.”
“I…” Qian Xiaoke suddenly had an idea, “You have no evidence.”
Jiang Tongyan really had no evidence.
He lost his phone, and he didn’t even have a photo. How could he prove that Qian Xiaoke had slept on his shoulder for twenty-one minutes?
Qian Xiaoke smiled smugly, “Speechless, huh?”
He poked Jiang Tongyan’s shoulder with his finger, “Young man, you are still too young!”
After that, Qian Xiaoke happily left, leaving Jiang Tongyan alone in frustration.
“Hey.” Jiang Tongyan called out to Qian Xiaoke’s back.
Qian Xiaoke turned back, “First, I am not ‘hey’!”
He snorted, “Second, I don’t know you, don’t talk to me!”
After that, Qian Xiaoke ran away, fearing the man would catch up and ask for money.
When Qian Xiaoke ran into his own neighbourhood, he finally calmed down and realised something very important. Whether he really owed Jiang Tongyan twenty yuan was another matter, but Jiang Tongyan did owe him eight yuan!
Eight yuan!
With eight yuan, he could buy two packs of Shin Ramen!
Two packs of Shin Ramen are two meals!
Qian Xiaoke lost a lot!
He felt that this was not okay, so he frowned and walked home while thinking. He was thinking that no matter what, he had to get the eight yuan back.
====
Qian Xiaoke didn’t sleep well all night.
There were two reasons that affected his sleep. One was that the couple next door did not sleep at night and communicated their feelings through alternative sports all night, and the second was that he was thinking about his eight yuan.
When he got up the next day, Qian Xiaoke was listless, and his legs hurt.
He took a shower, packed up, and went out early.
As usual, he bought an egg-filled flatbread at the breakfast stall at the neighbourhood entrance and ate while walking to the subway station. When he passed Jiang Tongyan’s hotel, he stopped for half a minute, and his mind was full of the eight yuan.
This morning, the subway was unexpectedly crowded. He was squeezed into a corner and almost couldn’t get off the train.
Qian Xiaoke recalled again about last night, and the feeling of Jiang Tongyan encircling him made him feel quite at ease.
As he thought of this, Qian Xiaoke felt that it was great to have money. If one day he became rich, he had to hire a handsome guy who was taller and stronger than Jiang Tongyan as a bodyguard so that he would not be afraid of being squeezed by people when taking the subway in the future!
Wait!
Qian Xiaoke suddenly had an epiphany: Who takes the subway when you’re rich? Get the Maseratis and Rolls-Royces lined up!
Qian Xiaoke, who was dreaming, arrived at the company and clocked in for work. He had forgotten about the ‘eight yuan’ until he ordered takeout at noon, and then it came to his mind again.
Cheng Sen happened to pass by at this time and was about to go out to pick up Zhou Mo for lunch.
Qian Xiaoke asked tentatively, “Chairman Cheng, don’t you have any client meetings today?”
Cheng Sen looked at him, puzzled, “Why? Are you asking for leave?”
The company originally had two receptionists, but the girl resigned last month, leaving only Qian Xiaoke. If Qian Xiaoke took a leave, he might need someone to help keep an eye on the front desk’s work.
“No, no, no.” A leave? How is that possible? If he took a leave, his money would be deducted money, okay?
Qian Xiaoke quickly explained, “I’m just asking. If you have guests today, I can prepare tea in advance!”
“Oh, no,” Cheng Sen walked to the elevator, “I’m going out this afternoon.”
In an instant, Qian Xiaoke was filled with sorrow.
No guests, which meant he wouldn’t see Jiang Tongyan today.
If he couldn’t see Jiang Tongyan, then, his eight yuan…
“By the way,” Cheng Sen suddenly turned back and said to Qian Xiaoke, “Chairman Jiang called me this morning and said he lost both his wallet and phone last night.”
When Qian Xiaoke heard the words ‘Chairman Jiang’, his eyes began to sparkle like a cat’s in the night, the gleam in his gaze practically blinding the person in front of him.
“Which Chairman Jiang?” Qian Xiaoke asked knowingly.
“That one…” Cheng Sen smiled, “The project director from New York, he may have to stay here for more than a week.”
Cheng Sen’s mobile phone rang, it was Zhou Mo calling.
“It’s inconvenient for him to lose his mobile phone. How about this, you go to his hotel this afternoon to find him and take him to buy a new one? The company will reimburse the mobile phone money.” After saying that, Cheng Sen walked towards the elevator, “Chairman Jiang is our important partner. Take good care of him for me.”
After Cheng Sen gave instructions, he entered the elevator without waiting for Qian Xiaoke’s response.
Qian Xiaoke’s mind was full of question marks, thinking: Hotel? Am I going to the hotel where Jiang Tongyan is staying again?
Cheng Sen had already left, and Qian Xiaoke was still in a daze.
Two minutes later, the phone at the front desk rang.
“Hello, Senqi Limited…” Qian Xiaoke hadn’t finished saying the company’s name when he heard a smiling voice on the other end, “Qian Xiaoke?”
This voice sounded familiar.
Qian Xiaoke: “… It’s me.”
“I’m Jiang Tongyan,” Jiang Tongyan was sitting on the sofa in the hotel with his legs crossed at this time, calling Qian Xiaoke with the hotel phone, “Just now Cheng Sen said that you will come to pick me up to buy a mobile phone later, is that true?”
Qian Xiaoke was a little entangled.
He didn’t really want to meet Jiang Tongyan, but if he didn’t meet, he wouldn’t get his eight yuan back.
“Chairman Cheng has ordered so.”
“Okay, just right.”
Okay? What’s okay?
Just right? What’s just right?
“I haven’t eaten yet,” Jiang Tongyan said, “When you come, pack some food for me downstairs, and we’ll go buy a mobile phone after we’ve eaten.”
Qian Xiaoke: “…I only promised Chairman Cheng to accompany you to buy a phone, but I didn’t say I would accompany you to eat.”
“Who said you have to accompany me to eat?” Jiang Tongyan laughed, “I mean, you buy it for me and bring it up. I’ll eat, and you watch.”
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