PTBLSI chapter 75

 

As the weather transitioned to autumn, sunshine became scarce. It had been gloomy all day, and when it was almost dark, it finally started raining. The temperature suddenly dropped by several degrees.

But Qi Xi didn’t feel cold. Fu Yanchuan brought clothes to pick him up. Seeing Huang Shilin, who was dressed too lightly and shivering, she was so envious that she swore she had to find a boyfriend.

Cheng Shu stood behind her with his hands in his pockets and asked, “Want me to introduce you to someone?”

Huang Shilin immediately refused with disgust. “Good men in the real world all belong to someone else. I don’t want one!”

Qi Xi had already entered the elevator. As the doors closed, he heard Huang Shilin’s words. The corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously, and he turned to look at Fu Yanchuan. “Sister Huang said you’re a good man.”

Fu Yanchuan couldn’t help but laugh. He had finally advanced from being a “good person” to a “good man” in Qi Xi’s eyes. After leaving the elevator, he casually asked, “Xi Xi, I have something to discuss with people tonight. Do you want to come with me?”

“Is it about work?”

Qi Xi wasn’t uninterested in Fu Yanchuan’s work; he just couldn’t be interested. The documents he usually read looked like heavenly scripts to him. He didn’t really want to go, afraid that he’d fall asleep while listening and embarrass Fu Yanchuan.

Only after they got into the car did Fu Yanchuan answer, “It’s work, but Qiao Ye will be there.”

He was still careful when he mentioned Qiao Ye’s name. He watched Qi Xi out of the corner of his eye. Seeing Qi Xi lower his gaze, he tested him. “You don’t want to go, or you don’t want me to go?”

Qi Xi believed Fu Yanchuan, and he trusted that Fu Yanchuan wouldn’t lie to him. Still, he couldn’t help but compare himself to Qiao Ye.

Qiao Ye was more outstanding, smarter, and taller than him. He didn’t know what he could compare to or what he had that made Fu Yanchuan choose him.

What if Qiao Ye actually liked Fu Yanchuan and wanted to pursue him? Would Fu Yanchuan stop wanting him and choose Qiao Ye instead?

“Xi Xi.”

Fu Yanchuan grabbed Qi Xi’s hand. Qi Xi finally looked up at him, his eyes full of unease.

That morning, Qiao Ye had called him, and they had only talked about project cooperation. His choice of partners wasn’t limited to Qiao Ye’s company, and he didn’t intend to sell Qiao Ye a favor just because they knew each other beforehand.

Before Qi Xi met Qiao Ye, he could never have mentioned Qiao Ye and let Qi Xi slowly forget about the whole “stand-in” thing. But Qiao Ye appeared in front of Qi Xi. He couldn’t make Qi Xi forget, but he hoped Qi Xi wouldn’t keep a thorn stuck in his heart forever.

He agreed to meet with Qiao Ye only so that Qi Xi could understand that he had never had any romantic feelings for him.

If Qi Xi could let it go, he would choose a partner through normal procedures. If not, no matter how suitable Qiao Ye was, he wouldn’t choose him.

However, Qi Xi’s thoughts were too easy to read. Seeing him hesitate, he couldn’t help but think that maybe it would be better to let the name Qiao Ye rot between them.

He leaned toward the passenger seat, cupped Qi Xi’s face, made him turn around, pressed his forehead against Qi Xi’s, and said, “My Xi Xi is outstanding, too. He can even draw! I just like people who can draw.”

Qi Xi finally found something he was better at than Qiao Ye, and he suddenly smiled. “You’re right! I want to go.”

It took Fu Yanchuan a while before he answered, “Okay.”

The meeting place was a business restaurant. Qi Xi followed Fu Yanchuan into the private room. Inside were Qiao Ye and President Shao.

Although he had prepared himself mentally before entering, seeing Qiao Ye again still made him size him up instinctively. He felt that they weren’t actually very similar. On closer inspection, Qiao Ye appeared very calm, like a scene in a Chinese garden—existing quietly like a painting as the changing seasons passed slowly by.

Fu Yanchuan walked to the table and naturally wrapped an arm around Qi Xi’s waist as he introduced him to the two people seated there. “This is my Qi Xi. When I’m not around, he doesn’t eat well by himself. You don’t mind me bringing him, right?”

President Shao’s gaze shifted from Qiao Ye to Qi Xi. The last time he saw Qiao Ye, he sensed that there was a story there. Today, with Fu Yanchuan introducing him to Qiao Ye, President Shao knew he was right. Fu Yanchuan’s meaning was so obvious that it was practically telling Qiao Ye, “My partner is here. Don’t have improper thoughts.”

President Shao laughed twice as if he were watching a good show. He replied, “Of course I don’t mind. President Qiao, what about you?”

Qiao Ye stared at the arm that Fu Yanchuan had around Qi Xi, smiled, and said, “President Shao, don’t joke around. President Fu and I were classmates in college. Back then, he was so aloof. I thought he’d stay that way for his whole life. I didn’t expect him to find a partner earlier than I did. President Fu, don’t you think so?”

When Qi Xi heard that Qiao Ye no longer called Fu Yanchuan ‘Brother Yan,’ he glanced at Fu Yanchuan.

Fu Yanchuan took off Qi Xi’s coat and hung it up. Then he pulled Qi Xi over and sat him down.

As soon as they sat down, Qiao Ye asked Qi Xi, “You should still be in university, right? What are you studying?”

Under the table, Qi Xi unconsciously grabbed Fu Yanchuan’s hand. Fu Yanchuan immediately placed his hand over Qi Xi’s and held it.

Qiao Ye sat next to him and Fu Yanchuan. Qi Xi tried not to think about anything else. He turned his head to look at Qiao Ye and answered, “I’m not studying right now. I draw. I’m currently working as an animation key artist. Our animation should be released next year. I don’t know if you’ll watch it, but if you’re interested, please support our domestic animation then.”

Fu Yanchuan had been paying attention to Qi Xi the whole time. He was surprised that Qi Xi could chat with Qiao Ye so easily, yet it didn’t feel surprising at all.

Qiao Ye was astonished. “Animation! That’s impressive! I liked animation a lot as a kid, too. I even thought about drawing comics, but my parents thought it wouldn’t lead anywhere, so they didn’t let me learn.”

“Me too.”

Qi Xi immediately found a sense of resonance and relaxed. “My dad said the things I drew were useless, too. He wouldn’t even let me take the art exam for college, so I never formally studied art. I taught myself everything.”

This time, Qiao Ye was genuinely shocked. “You’re not some kind of genius, are you?”

“Not really.” Qi Xi looked away shyly. “Just average.”

Seeing Qi Xi’s shy yet proud expression, Fu Yanchuan couldn’t help but laugh. Without any modesty, he praised him. “Not just anyone can reach your level through self-learning. You’re a little genius.”

Qi Xi immediately elbowed him in the side and shot him a sideways look, lowering his voice. “Don’t praise me like that in front of others!”

Fu Yanchuan pressed Qi Xi’s arm down helplessly. “Alright, alright. I’ll praise you at home.”

Qiao Ye stared at Fu Yanchuan in disbelief. As if Fu Yanchuan’s character collapse wasn’t dramatic enough, President Shao deliberately said, “President Fu, we’ve known each other for quite a while. This is the first time I’ve heard you praise someone like this. When do I get to see your Qi Xi’s paintings, too?”

Qi Xi had drunk with President Shao before and felt that they could be considered friends. He pushed Fu Yanchuan’s hand away, took out his phone, and showed President Shao his drawings. “These are my drawings.”

President Shao originally thought that Fu Yanchuan was praising Qi Xi without principle, but he was stunned at first glance and blurted out, “Very impactful work! My wife would definitely like it. Qi Xi, when can you draw one for me?”

Qi Xi was just about to answer when Fu Yanchuan cut in. “Get in line.”

“President Fu, don’t be so stingy all the time. Right, President Qiao?”

President Shao shifted the conversation to Qiao Ye. Qiao Ye couldn’t quite join in, so he nodded awkwardly. Fortunately, the dishes were served at that moment, and the topic changed.

During the meal, Qiao Ye kept glancing at Fu Yanchuan from time to time. From start to finish, Fu Yanchuan helped Qi Xi pick up food and coaxed him like a child, constantly telling him not to eat too much of this or that because it would upset his stomach, or that something was too tough and not to eat it, then putting it back into his own bowl.

In Qiao Ye’s memory, Fu Yanchuan had always seemed high and aloof. Even when many people said that he treated Qiao Ye specially, he always looked at him with a kind of top-down scrutiny. He had never spoken to him with this kind of attitude or tone before.

Only now did Qiao Ye understand that it wasn’t that Fu Yanchuan didn’t know how to be gentle. It was just that he wasn’t the person toward whom Fu Yanchuan wanted to be gentle.

After Qi Xi finished eating, Fu Yanchuan finally started discussing business. After a round of discussion, they expressed their preliminary intention to cooperate and agreed to talk in detail next time.

“Then I’ll head off first. My wife is coming to pick me up.”

President Shao hurriedly grabbed his coat and left. Fu Yanchuan asked Qi Xi, “Are you full?”

Qi Xi didn’t understand what they were talking about; he had just been eating by himself. Without realizing it, he let out a small burp. “This place isn’t as good as Uncle Li’s cooking.”

“Then we won’t come next time.”

Fu Yanchuan picked up Qi Xi’s coat, helped him put it on, and then told Qiao Ye, “President Qiao, we’re leaving too.”

Because of the rain, the valet service was slow. Qi Xi and Fu Yanchuan waited at the entrance for the valet to bring the car. Qiao Ye came out and waited with them.

There was a flowing water feature at the entrance with fish in it.

While waiting, Qi Xi, standing close to Fu Yanchuan, got a bit bored. He noticed a cat by the water trying to catch a fish. He couldn’t help but let go of Fu Yanchuan to tease the cat.

Qiao Ye stood two steps away from Fu Yanchuan. He noticed that Fu Yanchuan’s eyes had been on Qi Xi the whole time. When Fu Yanchuan’s gaze finally shifted to him, he politely asked, “Is something the matter?”

Qiao Ye laughed lightly. “Nothing. I’m just surprised. You can care about someone like this, too.”

Fu Yanchuan stared at him expressionlessly. Qiao Ye continued, “Back then, you actually knew, right? I was always trying hard to become the kind of person you admired. At the time, I thought that as long as I kept resisting everything around me, you would keep watching me. Now, I realize I was thinking too much. You actually never—”

“Xi Xi!”

Before Qiao Ye could finish, Fu Yanchuan suddenly rushed toward Qi Xi.

While teasing the cat, Qi Xi slipped and almost fell into the decorative fish pond. Fortunately, Fu Yanchuan caught him in time, startling the restaurant staff.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Fu Yanchuan checked Qi Xi’s limbs. Suddenly, Qi Xi slipped his hand into Fu Yanchuan’s coat and pressed it against his waist. “Fu Yanchuan, the water is really cold.”

“Let me see.”

As he spoke, he pulled Qi Xi’s hand out of his coat, held it in his own hands, and blew warm air onto it. Just then, their car arrived, and Fu Yanchuan led Qi Xi out.

Qiao Ye kept staring at Fu Yanchuan. As he left, Fu Yanchuan didn’t even look at him again. It was Qi Xi who turned back to say goodbye. “President Qiao, we’re heading off. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

Qiao Ye waved as he watched Fu Yanchuan open the car door for Qi Xi. He then held Qi Xi’s hand and warmed it for a while before going to the driver’s seat.

Back then, many people said that Fu Yanchuan liked him. At that time, he seemed to look down on everyone, but he was slightly different around him. At first, he also thought that Fu Yanchuan liked him.

But no one knew that he had once taken the initiative to confess his feelings to Fu Yanchuan — and been rejected. That day, Fu Yanchuan had been drinking. The next day, he never mentioned it again. He thought that Fu Yanchuan had been drunk and didn’t remember anything.

Looking back on it now, maybe Fu Yanchuan hadn’t been drunk and remembered everything. It was just that Fu Yanchuan had never liked him.

What he remembered most clearly was their first winter abroad. It was the first time he’d seen snow that heavy, and he was excited to build a snowman. When he returned, his hands were red from the cold. Subconsciously, he reached for Fu Yanchuan’s hand, but Fu Yanchuan avoided him and handed him a pair of gloves instead.

Seeing Fu Yanchuan warm Qi Xi’s hands now, he finally understood. It wasn’t that Fu Yanchuan was shy. Someone with such strong self-control, like Fu Yanchuan, could never be shy about holding someone’s hand.

As the car drove off, Qi Xi stared at Fu Yanchuan for a long time and suddenly asked, “What were you two talking about just now?”

Fu Yanchuan first felt flustered, then caught a hint of jealousy, and instantly felt smug. He answered, “I didn’t hear clearly. I was watching you play with the cat.”

Qi Xi neither believed nor disbelieved him, but the corners of his mouth lifted anyway. “I was just asking casually. I don’t really want to know.”

Fu Yanchuan nodded. “I’m the one who really wants to tell you.”

“Then tell me again—you only love someone who’s one point seven nine meters tall, can draw, has an orange cat, and is about to turn twenty-one?”

“I only love someone who’s one point seven nine meters tall, can draw, has an orange cat, and is about to turn twenty-one.”

Qi Xi suddenly smiled at him. “What a coincidence. That’s me, isn’t it?”

“Yes, you’re exactly what I love most. So I only love you.”

“You too.”

The car drove through the rain and into the vibrant nighttime atmosphere.

 

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