PTBLSI chapter 61

 

On Monday morning, Fu Yanchuan returned from his run, but Qi Xi was still asleep. Since Qi Xi said he wanted to spend more time with him last time, he had been sleeping in his room with the middle-aged-to-elderly orange cat. Every night, the cat slept at the foot of their bed. As soon as Fu Yanchuan moved, the cat would get up and stare at him.

Last night, Qi Xi had reminded him repeatedly to wake him up this morning. After Fu Yanchuan finished showering, he sat outside Qi Xi’s blanket and stared at him for a long time before finally speaking up.

“Xi Xi, time to get up.”

Fu Yanchuan’s breath brushed against Qi Xi’s nose, making it itch. He turned over uncomfortably but was blocked by Fu Yanchuan’s hand braced beside his neck. In anger, he stretched lazily and hugged that hand.

“Still want to sleep?”

Fu Yanchuan lifted his hand and placed it on Qi Xi’s face. Qi Xi naturally rubbed against his palm and drowsily opened his eyes to look at him.

“Brother Yan, is it light out yet?”

He leaned down and kissed his lips lightly. “If you want to sleep, sleep a little longer.”

Suddenly, Qi Xi’s sleepy mind remembered what he had to do today. He sat up abruptly, bumped into Fu Yanchuan’s head, and fell back down.

“That hurts.”

Fu Yanchuan was hurt too, but he didn’t care about himself. He moved Qi Xi’s hand aside, looked at his forehead, and gently rubbed it with his palm. “It’s still early. You don’t need to clock in on time, and he’s not your boss. You don’t need to worry about being late. Understand?”

“How can that be? People will dislike me if I do that.”

Qi Xi had always been very punctual. He brushed Fu Yanchuan’s hand off his forehead and suddenly remembered hitting him. He hurriedly reached out to touch his forehead. “Brother Yan, did I hit you hard?”

“Mm, right here.”

Fu Yanchuan grabbed Qi Xi’s hand, moving it half an inch to the side. Locking his gaze onto Qi Xi, he said, “Kiss it.”

Qi Xi lifted his neck and leaned over to kiss Fu Yanchuan’s forehead. Feeling that this wasn’t effective enough, he stuck out his tongue and licked it.

Fu Yanchuan’s body stiffened for a moment. Qi Xi fell back onto the bed and laughed proudly. “Does it not hurt anymore, Brother Yan?”

Fu Yanchuan let out the breath that had been stuck in his throat and pulled the mischievous person up. Qi Xi instantly wrapped his arms and legs around him. Fu Yanchuan naturally held him and carried him straight into the bathroom.

After breakfast, he went to pick out clothes for Qi Xi and watched him change. Then he fixed his hair.

In front of the mirror, he pressed against Qi Xi and lifted his casually drooping hair, revealing his whole face. He stared, stunned.

“What’s wrong? Does my hair look ugly when it’s up?”

Qi Xi was facing away from the mirror and turned to look. Fu Yanchuan pressed his face against Qi Xi’s to stop him, messed up the hair he had just fixed, and put a hat on him.

Qi Xi wondered if his hair really looked that bad, but Fu Yanchuan told him seriously, “When you get there, don’t be afraid of anyone. You are the core of this project. You can decide everything.”

“Brother Yan, you sound like those brainless fans online. Obviously, the director is the core.”

Qi Xi didn’t understand what he meant. Fu Yanchuan didn’t want to explain the relationships behind it either and only reminded him, “Just remember what I said. Don’t let yourself suffer. Don’t pay attention if others chat you up either. They’re not important, understand?”

“Alright! I know. I’m already Qi Xi that nobody dares to bully now. If someone bullies me, I’ll tell you, and you’ll help me bully them back.”

“Mm.”

Following Fu Yanchuan’s lead, Qi Xi leaned back against him. Standing on tiptoe, he pressed close to Fu Yanchuan’s lips and asked, “Then can we go now?”

Fu Yanchuan felt this clearly meant he didn’t to want leave. He pulled Qi Xi over, kissed him deeply until his breathing became erratic, and then tidied his clothes again.

“Alright.”

Fu Yanchuan had already been to Cheng Shu’s office once after receiving the investigation results. It was just a studio in an internet entertainment industrial park. There were fewer than twenty staff members total. The place was small and simple. The only good point was that it was decorated nicely, and there were two cats—Qi Xi would probably like that.

He drove Qi Xi downstairs. He had originally planned to take him upstairs, but he firmly forbade it. As they were getting out of the car, Qi Xi warned him, “If you send me up, I’ll be reluctant to leave, and I won’t be able to help you get back down.”

He had no choice. He pulled him over and kissed him once more. “I’ll come pick you up tonight.”

Qi Xi answered, slightly breathless, “Mm. I’m going in. Bye, Brother Yan.”

Fu Yanchuan didn’t move at all, just watched Qi Xi enter the building. For a moment, he wanted to chase after Qi Xi, take him back, hide him away, and make him rely only on him and belong only to him.

He suddenly took a deep breath, forced himself to look away, leaned back against the seat, and stared at the car roof. No matter how much he denied it, he and Fu Zhenrong were fundamentally the same. They both carried the same despicable, selfish genes.

But he didn’t want to ruin Qi Xi the way Fu Zhenrong ruined his mother, robbing Qi Xi of the life he should have had.

Qi Xi found the address that Cheng Shu had given him. He cautiously peeked inside from outside the door. Despite what Fu Yanchuan said, he believed this was his first formal job. He couldn’t help but feel nervous. He clenched his hands tightly and silently practiced how he would greet people once he went in.

“Qi Xi?”

Cheng Shu saw an absurdly expensive car drive away downstairs and guessed that Fu Yanchuan had sent Qi Xi. Sure enough, when he came out of the elevator, he saw Qi Xi.

Qi Xi was startled by the sudden voice behind him. He turned around and saw Cheng Shu. Quickly, he said, “Director Cheng, hello.”

Seeing how nervous he was, Cheng Shu deliberately relaxed his tone. “We don’t have that many rules here. Just treat it like home. Also, if you don’t mind, you can call me Shu-Gege[mfn]Gege (哥哥, gēge) is a Chinese term that literally means “older brother.”[/mfn]. Everyone does.”

“Oh, Shu-Gege.”

Qi Xi didn’t think about whether it was appropriate. Since Cheng Shu had told him to call him that, he did.

Cheng Shu lightly patted his shoulder and went inside first. “Come in.”

Qi Xi hurried to follow him, but the first person he saw after entering called out to Cheng Shu. “Boss, you’re here so early today?”

Weren’t they calling him Shu-Gege? A question mark popped up in Qi Xi’s head.

Cheng Shu replied, “Call everyone together. I’ll introduce our key animation artist.”

The other person immediately looked Qi Xi up and down, his eyes widening in shock. “Holy shit! You’re this handsome?”

It was the first time Qi Xi had heard someone say he was handsome so directly. His face instantly turned red, and he subconsciously hid behind Cheng Shu.

The other person’s expression became even more exaggerated. He used the files in his hand to cover the lower half of his face and said, “Oh my god! Right on target! Boss, you never said Teacher Qi Xi was this young and cute.”

“Tone it down. You’ve already scared him.”

“I—I didn’t.”

Qi Xi thought of Fu Yanchuan’s words. He gathered his courage, stepped forward, and said with a red face, “My name is… Qi Xi, please…please take care of me.”

“You mean take care of you, right? I’m Huang Shilin. Everyone calls me Old Huang.”[mfn]Normally, people say “請多關照” or “請多指教,” which both mean something like “please take care of me” or “please guide me,” similar to how you’d politely greet others in a new environment. Qi Xi accidentally says “指照,” which is incorrect and sounds like he mixed the two phrases because he was flustered. Huang Shilin gently corrects him by saying “是關照吧？” (“You mean 關照, right?”)[/mfn]

Seeing that Huang Shilin wasn’t much older than him, Qi Xi asked curiously, “You’re not old. Why are you called Old Huang?”

“Some Huang is not that Huang. As for ‘old’? You figure it out yourself!”[mfn]This line plays on the fact that 黃 (Huang) can mean both a surname and the color yellow, which in slang can also imply something “lewd” or “adult.”[/mfn]

Cheng Shu felt that if they kept going, they’d corrupt Qi Xi and that Fu Yanchuan might come after them. He quickly interrupted, “Driver Huang, shut up! He just turned adult.”[mfn]In Chinese internet slang, “司機” (driver) is used to describe someone who tells dirty jokes or makes suggestive comments.[/mfn]

Qi Xi explained, “I’m twenty.”

“That’s about the same.”

Cheng Shu was afraid that Fu Yanchuan would come after him to settle the score, but everyone in the studio was an experienced “2D veteran.”[mfn]二次元老司機: slang for people very experienced in anime/ACG culture (often implying dirty jokes or adult memes)[/mfn] He told Qi Xi earnestly, “From now on, try not to listen to their nonsense. Especially if you don’t understand something, don’t ask. There’s no point.”

Qi Xi nodded, not really understanding, then followed Cheng Shu inside.

The office was completely different from what he had imagined. When he was young, he had visited his dad’s company and Fu Yanchuan’s office. Both were filled with neat, orderly workstations.

But here, his first impression was that it wasn’t an office at all. It felt more like someone’s home. There were no uniform, tidy workstations, just casually placed desks, snacks and drinks everywhere, green plants filling the space, a meeting room that looked like a living room, and even two cats.

Could an office really be like this?

Qi Xi looked around as he followed Cheng Shu into the living room–like meeting room. One by one, the others came in and filled the surrounding sofas. There were more than a dozen people.

Cheng Shu spoke up: “This is Qiyueqi that I mentioned to you before—Teacher Qi Xi. Everyone, give him a warm welcome.”

Qi Xi sat stiffly, feeling nervous like an elementary school student. Since he had never seen a scene like this before, he sprang up all at once and stood there like a pillar as everyone applauded.

Cheng Shu was startled. “Don’t be nervous. It’s just so everyone can get to know you.”

“Oh.”

Qi Xi sat back down. As soon as his butt touched the sofa, however, he stood up again and recited, as if reading from a script: “Hello, everyone. My name is Qi Xi. I’m twenty years old. This is my first time working on an animation production. There are many things I don’t know yet. Please don’t dislike me. I’ll study hard and try not to make mistakes… thank you.”

He had rehearsed this speech countless times before coming. After he finished, everyone fell silent. Worried, he asked, “Did I say something wrong?”

Although no one had met Qi Xi in person when the project was finalized, everyone had seen his drawings, so they weren’t completely unfamiliar with him.

They were just surprised that Qi Xi was so young—but not at the same time. Paintings so full of emotion, so unrestrained and intense, could probably only be created by someone who hadn’t yet been beaten down by society.

Someone spoke up: “No, no. I’m Li Yuan. I’m twenty-eight and in charge of special effects.”

After that, the others followed with their introductions.

“My name is Zheng Zhenghao, thirty, in charge of running errands.”

“I already introduced myself earlier—Huang Shilin. I’m the one truly in charge of running errands. If you need anything, you can come find me.”

“And what is Old Huang’s age?”

“Does a beauty’s age get told to just anyone?”

The atmosphere immediately relaxed. Qi Xi seriously memorized everyone’s names and positions and finally stopped feeling nervous.

The last one to introduce himself was Cheng Shu. “I don’t need to introduce myself, do I? Everyone, go back to your places and start working. Qi Xi, I’ll show you your spot.”

“Yes.”

Qi Xi stood up at once, thinking that everyone was about to get busy. But then he saw someone lying on the sofa playing games, someone going to feed the cats, and someone else starting to eat.

Confused, he asked Cheng Shu, “Shu-Gege, is work always like this here?”

“Not always. The project hasn’t officially started yet, so everyone’s free right now.”

Qi Xi nodded, somewhat understanding, and followed Cheng Shu to a separate room partitioned off at the very back.

One wall inside was lined with cabinets full of paints and drawing paper. To the left was a complete set of computer equipment for drawing. On the right were traditional drafting tables and a seat cushion like the ones he was used to.

“How is it? Satisfied?” Cheng Shu pointed inside and asked.

Surprised, Qi Xi asked, “This is my place? All of it?”

“Yes, and there are two other key artists, too. Once the project starts, they’ll coordinate with you.”

Qi Xi instantly felt amazing again. “Thank you, Shu-Gege. I’ll work hard. I really like this place, too.”

Cheng Shu thought it would be strange if he didn’t like it. Everything inside had been personally specified and approved by Fu Yanchuan. He hadn’t expected Fu Yanchuan to be this meticulous with Qi Xi. Most people simply couldn’t reach this level. It could be called excessive indulgence.

But, looking at Qi Xi, Cheng Shu didn’t find it completely incomprehensible. Especially considering that bit of basic male instinct, it was even easier to understand.

He didn’t expose what Fu Yanchuan had done, only saying, “Today is mainly for getting familiar with everyone. You can do whatever you want. If you’re bored, you can also go back.”

“Go back?”

Qi Xi immediately refused. “I just got here. How can I go back? Can I draw here?”

“Go ahead and draw.”

“Thank you, Shu-Gege.”

Cheng Shu retreated to the doorway. As he watched Qi Xi start drawing the moment he picked up the brush, Cheng Shu realized that, once Qi Xi held a pen, he entered a transcendent state. Qi Xi didn’t need to think much when drawing—there was no pause at all. Everything seemed to naturally form under his brush.

After watching for a long time, Cheng Shu finally understood what Qi Xi was drawing. It was the story from the script:

A boy who was drawing. The contents of his drawing appeared around him. His expression wasn’t one of surprise or fear, but rather a breathtaking joy that bordered on madness.

This differed somewhat from how Cheng Shu had imagined the story, but in that instant, he felt that Qi Xi’s interpretation was even more moving. He couldn’t help but feel excited.

At that moment, Fu Yanchuan was extremely anxious. In the days before, when Qi Xi was home, he was fine. But today, it was as if he had developed separation anxiety—he was anxious during meetings and discussions. He didn’t want to reveal his intense need for control to Qi Xi, so he endured it and didn’t call him, which made him even more anxious.

Finally, he held out until the afternoon. He calculated that Qi Xi was about to finish work and drove early to wait for him downstairs.

Qi Xi received Fu Yanchuan’s call and asked Cheng Shu if he could leave work early. After Cheng Shu agreed, Qi Xi hurriedly grabbed his bag and rushed downstairs.

Huang Shilin saw Qi Xi running urgently toward the front desk and asked Cheng Shu, who was about to leave, “What’s up with Teacher Qi?”

Cheng Shu, who had seen the same car in the morning, answered, “His boyfriend came to pick him up.”

“He has a boyfriend?”

Huang Shilin was shocked into silence. “What kind of man could deserve Teacher Qi Xi? He’s such a cute, handsome guy with both looks and talent!”

“Looks like Driver Huang isn’t that sharp either. You still didn’t guess it.”

Huang Shilin immediately thought of Fu Yanchuan, who had visited last week. Her eyes nearly popped out. She never imagined that one day, gossip about a wealthy family would appear right beside her!

When Qi Xi saw Fu Yanchuan’s car downstairs, he ran over, opened the door, got in, and excitedly told Fu Yanchuan about his day.

“Brother Yan, let me tell you, their office is really special. It’s totally different from yours. It looks like a home. They even have two cats. One is called Jingang, and the other is called the Mauritius Cat because its fur is so long that you can barely see the cat. But everyone calls it Ermao (Fluffy No. 2).”

Fu Yanchuan drove the car out with a blank expression, quietly listening to Qi Xi talk.

“I have my own workspace, all by myself! Isn’t that amazing? Shu-Gege is really nice to me. Sister Huang was afraid I wouldn’t know where to eat lunch, so she took me out, and Shu-Gege praised the drawing I did today and said I had a lot of ideas. I was embarrassed by the praise.”

Fu Yanchuan glanced at Qi Xi out of the corner of his eye but still didn’t speak. Qi Xi didn’t notice his mood at all and told him every detail of his day until they got home.

After entering, Fu Yanchuan stood still. Qi Xi changed his shoes and was about to leave when Fu Yanchuan suddenly pulled him over. He pinned Qi Xi tightly against the wall.

“Brother Yan?”

Qi Xi finally realized that Brother Yan seemed unhappy. But whenever Fu Yanchuan was unhappy, he never said anything; he just stared at him without blinking.

Qi Xi guessed the reason. “Are you hungry?”

Fu Yanchuan didn’t react. Qi Xi continued, “Did your dad come looking for trouble again?”

Fu Yanchuan finally moved. He bit Qi Xi’s lip and demanded in a hoarse voice, “Call me Gege.”[mfn]Qi Xi usually calls Yanchuan 檐哥 Yan-ge, which I translate as “Brother Yan.” However, in this context, Yanchuan wants Qi Xi to call him “gege” instead, because Qi Xi uses “gege” with Cheng Shu (Shu-gege), which sounds more intimate.[/mfn]

 

---

You can read the full completed story here with instant full access. ✨