PTBLSI chapter 3

 

The hotel room was cheap, so naturally, the conditions were not much better. In the cramped space, aside from a 1.5-meter bed, only a narrow passageway and the bathroom remained.

Qi Xi was worried that 200 wouldn’t be enough to fix his phone. He held the phone up with both hands and prayed to the heavens, hoping it would come back to life and save him from having to pay for repairs.

The orange cat sat in the middle of the bed, watching Qi Xi in the passageway as he flipped and smacked the phone nonstop. After a long while, Qi Xi finally turned around, flopped onto the bed, and asked, “Dasheng, do you think I fixed the phone?”

“Meow.”

“You think it’s fixed, right? I think so too.”

Qi Xi confidently rubbed the orange cat’s head. “Open Sesame…open!”[mfn]“芝麻開機” This is a pun / parody of “芝麻开门” (Sesame, open!), the magic phrase from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. It’s often used online when someone is pretending to activate something magically,[/mfn]

He pressed the power button so hard that it nearly sank in, but the phone screen remained pitch black and wouldn’t light up. He was so angry that he slapped the phone onto the bed. “Useless! Breaking from just one fall! You’re not worthy of being my phone!”

Qi Xi didn’t want to look at the useless phone anymore. He pressed his face into the bed and rolled around a few times when suddenly, his stomach started growling.

He glanced at the orange cat. “Dasheng, are you hungry, too?”

“Meow.”

Qi Xi had always doted on Qi Tian Dasheng. Even if he starved to death, he couldn’t let Dasheng go without cat food.

Fortunately, he had stuffed cat food into his backpack before leaving. He immediately climbed up and poured the cat food into the bowl he had brought along.

But as he watched the cat start eating, he couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

“No, no! Qi Xi, have some dignity!”

However, his stomach showed no dignity whatsoever and growled again. He took out the 242 yuan he had left and hesitated for a long time. In the end, he decided to eat first and talk about the rest later.

Seeing that Qi Xi was about to leave, the orange cat dropped its food and followed him, grabbing onto his ankle.

“Are you scared of being alone?”

“Meow.”

Qi Xi picked up the cat and took it downstairs with him.

The lobby still had the same front desk as before. As he passed by, he greeted the woman at the desk politely. “Sister, aren’t you off work yet?”

The front desk clerk had a deep impression of Qi Xi. Just as she was about to reply, she saw the cat in his arms and her eyes widened immediately. “That’s a cat?”

Qi Xi didn’t understand what was wrong with the cat. He tugged the orange cat’s paw and waved it, saying, “My name is Qi Tian Dasheng.”

When he had checked in earlier, the front desk had been too busy admiring the handsome man to notice the cat. She quickly said, “Our hotel doesn’t allow pets.”

“Why?”

Qi Xi hadn’t expected such a rule. The next moment, he signaled to the cat not to move with his eyes. Then he said to the front desk, “This is actually just a toy. Look! It doesn’t even make a sound!”

The orange cat chose that moment to open its mouth. “Meow!”

Instantly, Qi Xi’s expression shattered, and he laughed awkwardly.

The front desk clerk stood there speechless. She wondered if there was something wrong with this guy’s head. On the other hand, she thought that, since he looked like this, being a bit dumb was okay—it was even cute.

After calming down, she dutifully said, “We have rules. You can’t bring pets. Why don’t you send the cat to a pet shop for temporary boarding?”

“That costs money!”

Qi Xi’s first reaction was that he didn’t have any money. He looked at the front desk and said pitifully, “Sister, Dasheng is very well-behaved. Is that not okay?”

That “Sister” left the front desk unable to respond. Qi Xi continued, “It’s had its shots and won’t run around. I only have two hundred forty-two yuan left, and I haven’t eaten yet. That’s not enough to board Dasheng at a pet shop. Can you please not kick us out? Sister.”

“Alright, alright!”

The front desk clerk felt that if Qi Xi kept talking, he was really going to cry. Considering how Qi Xi had to borrow money just to check in and how strange the man who lent him money seemed, Qi Xi must really be in trouble—otherwise, he wouldn’t be afraid to borrow even a little more.

Softening, she said, “I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything, but you can only stay today. You won’t be allowed to stay tomorrow.”

“Got it. Thank you, Sister!”

After thanking her, Qi Xi looked left and right vigilantly, like a secret agent. Seeing no one around, he quickly hid the orange cat under his clothes and rushed out of the hotel.

This place was some distance from the commercial center. At night, there were hardly any people on the street, let alone roadside stalls. Qi Xi wandered around and found only a 24-hour convenience store.

He went in and carefully picked out two cups of instant noodles, planning to eat one tonight and one tomorrow morning.

However, after finishing tonight’s cup, he stared at tomorrow morning’s portion from the front, back, left, right, and above and below for a long time. In the end, he soaked it too. For a 20-year-old who’s still growing, one cup of instant noodles really isn’t enough.

“Ha! Finally…still not full.”

Qi Xi pitifully collapsed onto the bed and wriggled into the middle like a caterpillar, letting out a deep sigh.

Was he really not going back?

If he didn’t, the money in his pocket wouldn’t last him many days at a hotel. What if other hotels didn’t allow cats either?

He didn’t know if he could stay in the school dormitory. What if the dorm didn’t allow cats either?

The orange cat was a stray kitten that he and his mother had found together the year she passed away. The cat had stayed with him the whole time after his mom died. He would never abandon the cat, no matter what.

Forget it. He’d think of something tomorrow.

Qi Xi said he wouldn’t think about it—and he really didn’t. He wriggled around on the bed a few more times, burrowed into the blanket, and quickly fell asleep.

The orange cat jumped onto the bed, grabbed the blanket, and worked hard to cover Qi Xi properly. Then, he curled up in Qi Xi’s arms and fell asleep with a purring sound.

Early the next morning, Qi Xi woke up itching. He scratched until it hurt before opening his eyes. He was dazed for two seconds as he confirmed where he was. Then he saw red bumps everywhere on the skin that had touched the blanket: the back of his hand, his arm.

This wasn’t the first time he’d encountered this situation. The hotel sheets must not have been washed clean. Taking a shower would make it much better.

He immediately stripped and went to take a shower. Halfway through, he remembered the phone number Fu Yanchuan had written on his hand and quickly pinched it to keep it from getting wet.

But after showering, it was still impossible to see clearly.

What should he do?

Qi Xi scratched his head in distress. Then he thought that Fu Yanchuan also had his phone number and would come find him to get his money back.

So, he needed to hurry up and get his phone fixed and wait for Fu Yanchuan to call him.

Thinking about this, Qi Xi immediately put his clothes back on and went out to find a place to repair his phone.

He had to get it fixed and return before 12 o’clock; otherwise, he would have to pay for an extra day. Also, it was Monday, and he had classes. With his phone broken, he couldn’t ask for leave. If the teacher called on him, it would be over.

Fu Yanchuan’s daily routine was as regular as a programmed schedule. He went to sleep at midnight every day, woke up at six for morning exercise, and finished at seven.

When Qi Xi left the hotel, Fu Yanchuan had just finished exercising and was about to shower. Twenty minutes later, he changed clothes and sat downstairs in the restaurant with Fu Zhenrong to eat breakfast.

Fu Zhenrong leaned back in his chair and looked at him. “How is the project with Weisen going?”

He put down the chopsticks he had just picked up and replied, “We’re already discussing the contract. It’s expected to be signed next week.”

“Not bad. But the loss issue of the Hailan Bay Hotel hasn’t been resolved yet. You should also consider whether you’ve been neglecting one thing for another.”

“Understood.”

Fu Yanchuan picked up his chopsticks, ready to eat, when Fu Zhenrong suddenly said, “Clear your schedule for the evening of the day after tomorrow. I’ve arranged a dinner with your Uncle He and the others.”

He didn’t respond. Fu Zhenrong didn’t need a response; he was just informing him.

After breakfast, Fu Yanchuan had two video conferences with overseas branches, then left for work.

As the president of such a large group, he was probably the most punctual person at work. Because of this, his office had the best attendance record in the entire group. Over the course of a year, almost no one was ever late.

Zhou Zhiwei had been one of Fu Yanchuan’s secretaries for 3 years. Today, due to the heavy crowd, she missed the subway. She hurried to work, arriving 1 minute before she would have been marked late. After sitting down, she glanced toward Fu Yanchuan’s office. As expected, Fu Yanchuan had arrived earlier than her.

“Zhiwei, do you know? I heard President Fu is getting married.”

The colleague next to her slid their chair over. Zhou Zhiwei was shocked. “Impossible! Isn’t President Fu a robot? What kind of marriage does a robot need?”

“I’m not joking. I heard it’s the second daughter of the He family. Everyone over there already knows.”

Zhou Zhiwei instantly understood. “An arranged marriage.”

It was said that the He and Fu families had connections going back several generations, and that they still cooperated. A marriage alliance was nothing unusual.

However, the entire secretary’s office knew that there was a photo on Fu Yanchuan’s desk. For a president who lived like a machine, having a photo on his desk was unreasonable enough. Moreover, the person in the photo wasn’t a family member, but rather a young man around 20 years old.

Someone fearless investigated and discovered that the man in the photo was Fu Yanchuan’s college classmate. The two had gone abroad together as exchange students but later that classmate stayed overseas.

Everyone guessed that he was Fu Yanchuan’s unforgettable “white moonlight”[mfn]白月光 (bái yuè guāng) literally means “white moonlight.” It refers to an idealized person from the past—someone the character admires, longs for, or puts on a pedestal, often pure and unreachable. This person is not always an ex or someone they were in a relationship with; more often, they represent an emotional ideal or youthful longing.[/mfn] because when Fu Zhenrong saw the photo, he flew into a rage and threw it in the trash.

The next day, however, Fu Yanchuan put out a new photo. Fu Zhenrong couldn’t keep throwing it away, so he stopped bothering.

A colleague beside them sighed. “President Fu is actually quite pitiful. No matter how capable, handsome, or rich he is, what good is it if he can’t be with the person he likes? My favorite couple is going to have a bad ending.”

Zhou Zhiwei didn’t offer an opinion. She picked up the folder and went to Fu Yanchuan’s office. It was Monday, and she needed to check his schedule for the week.

Fu Yanchuan was sitting at his desk. When he heard a knock, he replied, “Come in.”

“President Fu, do you need to make any adjustments to this week’s schedule?”

Fu Yanchuan thought of what Fu Zhenrong had said that morning. Looking at the schedule, he saw that there was a cooperation meeting the afternoon of the day after tomorrow that would most likely last into the evening. He lightly tapped the desk twice with his fingertips.

“No.”

“All right.”

Zhou Zhiwei put away the folder and was about to leave when someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

A colleague entered with two people behind him. He reported to Fu Yanchuan, “President Fu, the chairman sent these two. They’re here to see you about something.”

Fu Yanchuan examined the document in his hand and asked casually, “What is it?”

“President Fu, we’re from Luoyi Suits. Chairman Fu entrusted us to take your measurements and customize formal wear.”

Fu Yanchuan finally raised his eyes. “What formal wear?”

“Your engagement formal wear.”

In an instant, his gaze turned cold. The people across from him immediately lowered their heads and explained, “Our customization cycle is usually two months. Your ceremony is early next year. If we don’t start now, it will be very difficult to meet the deadline.”

Fu Yanchuan didn’t respond. The people across from him probably understood the situation and tried to play the victim. “President Fu, we’re just following Chairman Fu’s instructions. We hope you can understand; otherwise, we won’t be able to explain ourselves.”

“Measure it.”

Fu Yanchuan suddenly pressed the photo of Qiao Ye down on the desk and walked out from behind it.

Even without looking, Zhou Zhiwei could feel Fu Yanchuan’s restrained gaze. She exchanged a look with a colleague and quietly slipped out.

She didn’t dare gossip anymore, but her colleague immediately told the private group that Fu Yanchuan was having formal engagement wear made. Before long, everyone knew that Fu Yanchuan was getting married.

A nearby colleague leaned over again. “Zhiwei, were those people just now really here to make wedding clothes for President Fu?”

“It’s an engagement.”

“What’s the difference!” the colleague cried. “My ship is really going to break up!”

Zhiwei felt her colleague had read too many novels. In the business world, Fu Yanchuan was decisive and unstoppable. If he really loved someone, how could he have done nothing for so many years except put a photo there?

But the colleague strongly disagreed, saying that love was nothing like doing business. Love was humble and torturous.

“That’s a love-brain. President Fu wouldn’t be like that!”

As soon as Zhou Zhiwei finished speaking, she received a message from Fu Yanchuan:

[All of today’s work schedule is canceled.]

Zhou Zhiwei confirmed the meaning of the message again and again, unable to believe that Fu Yanchuan was really skipping work. In the 3 years since she joined, this was the first time.

A colleague saw the message and said, “See! President Fu must be forced into marriage but can’t let go of his white moonlight, so he can’t bring himself to work!”

1 minute later, Fu Yanchuan walked out of the office without looking back.

No one knew that he had bought a red supercar that had been parked in the group’s garage and never driven. Fu Zhenrong said the car wasn’t steady enough and forbade him from driving it.

But today, he drove it out. He just wanted to defy Fu Zhenrong.

Unfortunately, the eye-catching sports car couldn’t go fast while weaving through city traffic. He impatiently waited at traffic lights, stopping and going.

In the end, the car stopped outside the hotel where Qi Xi was staying.

Qi Xi had finally gotten his phone fixed. The screen cable had simply been knocked loose, but he didn’t realize that. When paying, he told the boss that he only had two hundred yuan, so the boss reluctantly charged him that amount for the repair and received his thanks for being a good person.

After restarting the phone, the first thing he did was ask the school for leave. Then, he messaged his online friend who always introduced him to part-time work and asked if there were any commissions he could take.

Then, he looked at the blurry writing on his palm and wondered why Fu Yanchuan hadn’t called him yet.

By the time he realized it, he had already walked back to the hotel entrance. He saw a red supercar parked by the roadside, attracting a crowd of onlookers. Curious, he went over to take a look, but he didn’t understand what was so special about the car.

So, after just one glance, he left.

Fu Yanchuan watched Qi Xi through the car window. Only after Qi Xi entered the hotel did he pick up his phone and dial Qi Xi’s number.

Qi Xi saw an unfamiliar number, the last four digits of which were all 6666. Thinking it might be a scam, he hung up immediately.

 

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