PTBLSI chapter 38

 

The sofa was the only piece of furniture in the room that wasn’t cold and hard. Although it was gray, it was soft. Especially when the two of them were stacked together, Fu Yanchuan was sank into it.

Qi Xi leaned down and put all his weight on Fu Yanchuan. Instantly, Fu Yanchuan sank even deeper, as if they were both going to be buried in the sofa.

Qi Xi pressed his lips against Fu Yanchuan’s lips, remembering what he had asked him to do before. He deliberately asked, “How do you want me to kiss you?”

But Fu Yanchuan’s response wasn’t what he expected. His tone carried a smile as he said, “Up to you.”

Qi Xi was very dissatisfied. “Why are you like this? I didn’t answer like this when you asked me.”

“Then what do you want?”

“I’m the one asking you.”

Fu Yanchuan looked at Qi Xi as if he truly cared about the kiss. He couldn’t help but say, “Stick out your tongue.”

Qi Xi obediently and carefully stuck out his tongue. Fu Yanchuan pressed against the back of his neck, bringing them closer. He slightly opened his lips, catching Qi Xi’s tongue and forcefully curling it into his mouth.

The next moment, Qi Xi felt as if he had fallen into a warm bed; his senses reacted uncontrollably. Even though Fu Yanchuan was the one who had asked him to kiss, Qi Xi completely fell under his control.

“Brother Yan, I’m going to—”

Qi Xi finally got a bit of air and quietly confided in Fu Yanchuan, though he was too embarrassed to say it aloud.

Fu Yanchuan pushed him up, straightened his sweater, wiped the moisture from his lips, and said, “Go eat.”

“Oh.”

Qi Xi replied disappointedly and climbed off Fu Yanchuan. Then he suddenly remembered and asked, “Should I go tell Manager Xu that the contract can be signed now?”

Fu Yanchuan was surprised that Qi Xi was still thinking about the contract. He pulled Qi Xi up and said, “No rush. Go eat.”

After eating, Qi Xi couldn’t wait any longer and immediately went to tell Xu Chen about the contract.

Xu Chen had finally finished work and was playing a couple rounds of games when he received some work messages. Frustrated, he kept messing up in the game and losing. He hated all those people who didn’t understand the hardships of being a worker.

After talking with Xu Chen, Qi Xi relaxed and began preparing to sketch. He laid out the paper, sat at the easel, and looked at the plan Xu Chen had sent him.

It was a themed event, and his painting would serve as the main promotional material, used for all related atmosphere packaging and extended visuals. The theme was “That is a dream,” which required combination three elements: New Year’s, the vast universe, and dreams.

After thinking for a long time, he ran over to Fu Yanchuan’s desk. Leaning on it, he asked, “Brother Yan, what’s your dream?”

Fu Yanchuan suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked up at Qi Xi, but he couldn’t answer.

Qi Xi asked, confused, “You don’t have a dream?”

He truly had no dreams. From the time he was old enough to understand, he had known that he would be the heir to the Fu family. Everything he learned was how to become a qualified “ruler” and lead the Fu family to accumulate more wealth.

No one had ever told him about dreams or said that he needed one.

There was a time when he desperately wanted to escape this life, so he left for another country with Qiao Ye. There, he did many things he had never done before: fighting, racing, wasting his youth, money, and time; acting recklessly; and living a drunken, dreamlike life.

But he wasn’t happy. He didn’t feel liberated; he didn’t know what he was doing. He doubted whether this life was better than his original one and wondered if he truly wanted this kind of life.

Later, when Qiao Ye wanted to pursue a freer life and asked if he wanted to go with him, he refused.

Perhaps, during his growth process, he had long lost the ability to pursue certain things, like a robot with a programmed routine. No matter what he did, nothing would change. Even if he lived the most reckless life, he still couldn’t gain freedom. So, he returned to the life that had been dictated for him.

“Brother Yan?”

Qi Xi saw Fu Yanchuan freeze suddenly, crawl straight over the desk, and roughly push his computer aside. He sat there himself, stepped on Fu Yanchuan’s chair, leaned down, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Fu Yanchuan told him, “I don’t have a dream.”

Qi Xi didn’t understand. “Why don’t you have a dream? I have so many.”

Fu Yanchuan stared straight into Qi Xi’s eyes, which he said were like shining stars, and said, “When I was little and sick, I dreamed of having superpowers so that I wouldn’t have to stay in the hospital all the time. I could go wherever I wanted—”

“—and when others called me stupid, I dreamed of waking up smart enough to always get first place on exams, so no one would ever call me dumb again.”

“I also dreamed of building a castle for myself when I grew up. Only people who liked me would live inside. Everyone inside would praise and worship me. I would be the most powerful person in the world.”

“I also dreamed of painting every scene in the universe that no one had ever seen!”

For a moment, Fu Yanchuan seemed to see stars in Qi Xi’s eyes. He asked Qi Xi, “Can something unrealistic count as a dream?”

Qi Xi said firmly, “Of course it counts! A dream is the best thing you wish for. It doesn’t matter if you can achieve it. As long as you have it, just thinking about it makes you happy. Isn’t a dream about doing something that makes you feel satisfied and happy?”

Fu Yanchuan stared at Qi Xi in silence for a long time. Suddenly, he hooked his arm around Qi Xi’s neck and pulled him close.

Qi Xi asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

Fu Yanchuan lifted the corners of his mouth uncontrollably and told Qi Xi, “I’m very happy right now.”

Qi Xi smiled because it was the first time he had seen Fu Yanchuan smile like this. It was so beautiful that it made him a little dizzy. He cupped Fu Yanchuan’s face with both hands and pressed down. “Is it because of me that you’re so happy?”

Fu Yanchuan nodded slightly, his eyes instantly curving into a smile. Qi Xi asked, “Then do you have a dream now?”

Lost in Qi Xi’s eyes, Fu Yanchuan didn’t answer. Qi Xi asked, “Can I help you think of one?”

“Okay.”

Qi Xi thought seriously, studying Fu Yanchuan’s face over and over until inspiration struck. “I think you look unhappy sometimes. Your dream should be to be a Yanchuan who can be happy whenever he wants!”

Fu Yanchuan was stunned. Qi Xi continued, “I’ll help you make it happen. Whenever you’re unhappy, tell me, and I’ll cheer you up. How about that? Isn’t it great?”

At that moment, it felt like a huge crack had been pried open inside Fu Yanchuan.

He had lived 28 years. For the first time, someone said they would make him happy. For the first time, someone gave him a dream. The crack in his heart sparkled like the stars. He couldn’t help but lean toward Qi Xi and softly reply,

“Okay.”

Qi Xi smiled. Fu Yanchuan looked at him, his heart beating uncontrollably, like a drum. His hand stroked Qi Xi’s neck as he bit his lip and kissed him.

“I know!”

Qi Xi suddenly pushed him away and jumped down from the desk. “Brother Yan, wait a moment before kissing again.”

Fu Yanchuan watched as Qi Xi ran back to the easel, picked up the brush, and began to paint quickly. He lost interest in doing anything else, his eyes unblinking as he watched Qi Xi.

Qi Xi was very focused while painting. The initial draft was unexpected. At first, Fu Yanchuan couldn’t understand what Qi Xi was drawing. Once the draft was mostly complete, however, he was stunned by Qi Xi’s work once again.

Qi Xi had painted a scene of a sea of stars with humans, planets the size of people, and strange creatures running along the star river toward a place representing dreams. The colors were rich and gorgeous, and the whole scene was full of joy, positivity, and fearless forward momentum.

Fu Yanchuan finally understood what was special about Qi Xi’s paintings. It wasn’t about personal opinion or the painting’s quality, but rather the incredibly strong emotions it conveyed. There was the overwhelming love bursting forth from the canvas and the boundless, upward-growing vitality.

Qi Xi’s art naturally conveyed resonance to anyone who viewed it.

The lock that had restrained Fu Yanchuan was pried open. It was as if he had lived in darkness for many years and suddenly caught a glimpse of light.

What had restrained him wasn’t his life. Freedom isn’t doing reckless things—it’s having a heart that can grow upward without being swallowed by darkness or confined.

What should he do? He had truly found an incredible treasure.

 

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