Chapter 05 We are just a chance acquaintance
It was early morning when Chi Ke finally completed all the tasks assigned by the ruthless capitalist.
With less than two hours before the two living ancestors arrived, he didn’t have time to go home. So, he slipped into the security booth at the entrance and borrowed the old security guard’s reclining chair to catch up on some sleep.
To be honest, after staying up this late, exhaustion had already broken past its limits—he wasn’t even feeling sleepy anymore.
But when he sent the amusement park manager off in a car, he clearly noticed his heart beating a little too fast. To avoid another case of sudden death from overwork, he had no choice but to force himself to take a nap.
The security guard had been on the night shift. Seeing this young man busy all night, he couldn’t help but feel a little sympathetic. Watching Chi Ke curled up in the chair, he even kindly turned on the heater.
The hands of the clock spun in silent, relentless circles.
At exactly seven in the morning, the alarm rang, and the autumn rain fell on cue.
Chi Ke opened his eyes to see the foggy glass, shifted his position, and rested his head on the desk. He let out a sleepy yawn, buried his face in his arms, and rubbed it unhappily.
So warm.
So comfortable.
I don’t want to go to work.
“The rain’s been going on and off for a week now. Finally looks like it’s about to end,” the security guard sipped his tea and commented. “Tomorrow is supposed to be completely sunny.”
Chi Ke turned his head slightly. His usually cool and indifferent voice was lazy and drowsy from just waking up. “How long is it going to stay sunny?”
“It’ll warm up by four or five degrees. The weather forecast says it will be sunny for the next 14 days.” The security guard, whose son was about the same age as Chi Ke, gave him a look full of elder-like concern. “But the temperature difference between day and night will be big. You really shouldn’t be wearing so little. You’re still young—you don’t want to be hanging out at the hospital all the time, do you?”
At the mention of hospital, a strikingly handsome face immediately surfaced in Chi Ke’s mind.
Personal feelings aside, he had to admit—Ji Qian was good-looking.
The kind of good-looking that left an impression.
Once you’ve seen that face, you can’t forget it.
Chi Ke straightened his back and looked at the wrinkled band-aid on his finger. “You’re right. I’ll buy some apples after my shift.”
The security guard blinked, confused, “Apples? What for?”
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Chi Ke’s eyes curved as he let out a quiet chuckle. He waited for the soreness in his legs to subside before stretching lazily. “Time for work. Thanks for letting me crash here for a few hours.”
***
Chi Ke went to the restroom to freshen up along with disposable toiletries, checked on the parade performers, and then—sporting a pair of massive dark circles under his eyes—returned to the amusement park entrance, awaiting his boss’s grand arrival.
Business was always good at the amusement park. Normally, at this hour, visitors would already be lined up at the entrance, rain or shine.
But the current desolate, empty scene?
All thanks to capitalism.
Because of Leng Yunting’s sudden whim, all the visitors who bought tickets for today nearly made the trip for nothing.
Secretary Sun had originally planned to just issue refunds, but after checking the schedule, Chi Ke found that they could be out of here by eleven, which wouldn’t affect the park’s regular operations.
So, after a twenty-minute negotiation, they decided that Leng Yunting would personally cover the ticket costs for all affected guests, and they’d officially announce that certain park areas needed maintenance, delaying the opening until noon.
This would avoid damaging the reputation of the organizer and they saved on renting the entire park for the day, in the end, the total cost came out to over a hundred thousand less than Leng Yunting’s original budget.
Chi Ke stared at the extra hundred thousand, silently recited the legal codes three times, then repeated ‘I am a law-abiding citizen’ ten times.
With the power of his socialist core values, he successfully suppressed the temptation to pocket the money.
“Assistant Chi, I really envy you. You pulled an all-nighter and still look so good,” Secretary Sun sized him up with admiration. “Not a single wrinkle on your clothes. Did you really not sleep at all?”
Chi Ke glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, confirming his identity by the logo on his suit.
A night had passed. The well-dressed, sharp Secretary Sun was long gone.
What stood before him now could only be described as ‘a suit-wearing Secretary Sun.’ [mfn]Something along the lines of: Secretary Sun, who was previously polished and professional, no longer looks as put-together.[/mfn]
God knows how he slept, but his clothes were a wrinkled mess.
Chi Ke was a still and light sleeper. Once he took off his jacket, his inner clothes would naturally stay neat.
While answering Secretary Sun, he kept things simple and to the point, “I took off my clothes before sleeping.”
Secretary Sun: “?”
His voice cracked: “You sleep naked?!”
Chi Ke: “.”
The corner of his mouth twitched, “Yeah. Stripped completely naked and slept right in the middle of the road.”
Secretary Sun frowned, “Assistant Chi, are you messing with me?”
Chi Ke gave a sarcastic smile, “What, you actually thought I slept naked?”
Secretary Sun let out an awkward “Oh.”
If it were anyone else saying this, he wouldn’t have believed it. But when Assistant Chi joked, he did it with such a deadpan, serious face—it was pretty intimidating.
Hell, if he claimed he came back to life, people might actually question modern science.
Realizing this, Secretary Sun burst out laughing, “Assistant Chi, that was a nice joke!”
But Chi Ke didn’t think so. He was usually polite to the point of being silent. The only times his restrain fails and his words end up being more direct is when he is utterly exhausted.
Counting his previous life work schedule, he hadn’t had a proper rest in two weeks. Forcing himself to stay alert, he subtly dodged Secretary Sun’s friendly shoulder pat, opened his umbrella, and stepped out from under the eaves, “Time to start.”
Secretary Sun followed his gaze—
A sleek black Maybach arrived on schedule, flanked by two escort vehicles. The moment all three cars stopped, a group of private bodyguards poured out of the front and back cars. Two of the tallest ones each held an umbrella, standing on either side as they opened the rear door.
One could actually see the invisible ‘Grand Welcome to CEO Leng’ written on their faces in bold letters.
First to step out was Leng Yunting. Dressed in a tailored grey suit beneath a wool coat, he was just as strikingly handsome as ever. After stepping out, he stood still for a moment, adjusting the non-existent wrinkles on his collar.
Chi Ke couldn’t quite guess what he was doing.
His best guess? Posing.
Next to step out was Xu Lemian. Even though it was only late October, the guy was already bundled up in a padded coat, his delicate face tucked into a high-neck sweater, looking absolutely pitiful.
Based on the story setup, the protagonist shou was supposed to have a sense of ‘fragility’ at this moment.
Chi Ke stared at him for a while but failed to find anything fragile. He looked more like a carefully nurtured jasmine being taken out of the greenhouse for a fresh air.
Seems like Leng Yunting really took good care of him during the early courtship phase.
And then—
Huh?
Chi Ke’s eyelashes trembled. He stared in disbelief at the man stepping out of the front passenger seat.
Why was the doctor here?
Ji Qian had completely changed his appearance from last night.
His hair was neat and combed, black jeans paired with high-top sneakers [mfn]type of shoe that extends above the ankle, providing extra support and coverage compared to low-top or mid-top sneakers[/mfn], and a light grey jacket adorned with a delicate white ceramic orchid brooch—he looked just like a fresh college graduate.
“Assistant Chi.” Holding a transparent umbrella, Ji Qian stood out against the sea of black suits and dark umbrellas. Walking against the flow of people, he made his way toward Chi Ke, “Good morning.”
Hearing the same person say ‘Good morning’ and ‘Good night’ within a span of less than eight-hours felt strangely novel to Chi Ke.
“Morning,” he nodded in greeting, “Doctor Ji, why are you here?”
Ji Qian blinked. “I—”
“This morning, Mianmian had a slight cough,” Leng Yunting, standing not far away, answered on his behalf. “I called him, and since he had nothing better to do, he decided to tag along.”
Then, he added, “Assistant Chi, include Doctor Ji’s consultation fee in today’s expenses.”
Chi Ke understood immediately. Giving up a perfectly good Sunday to pull an all-nighter and still voluntarily working overtime—turns out, it was all for Xu Lemian.
He couldn’t even make fun of it.
At this point, this was true love.
Unfortunately, the main character was destined to be with the main lead.
In his mind, the theme song of The Guest [mfn]This is just my guess- ‘The Guest’ probably means the 2018 kdrama, with its theme song lyrics going something as, ‘You in my fantasy, you are always smiling at me…’‘ But I can never reach you, no matter how much I call out to you…’, if it’s something else, do let me know, I’ll make the changes[/mfn] started playing.
Chi Ke gave Ji Qian a sympathetic look before turning away.
Ji Qian: “?”
Why did he look at me like that?
Was it just his imagination, or was there a hint of sympathy in that glance?
Was he… pitying me for working for over thirty hours straight?
The more Ji Qian thought about it, the more convinced he became. Feeling oddly pleased, he mused to himself—This guy is actually pretty kind.
He jogged a few steps to catch up, wanting to whisper something in Chi Ke’s ear. But their umbrellas got in the way, so he had to lower his voice instead.
“Actually, I’m not here for Xu Lemian.”
Five steps ahead, Leng Yunting suddenly turned his head, “What did you say?”
Ji Qian: “…I didn’t say anything.”
He kept darting meaningful glances at Chi Ke, ‘Come on, let’s share an umbrella and secretly roast the boss!’
Chi Ke: “?”
He had heard the words but failed to grasp the intent behind Ji Qian’s exaggerated winks.
Ji Qian furrowed his brows so much that they nearly cramped, but seeing no reaction, he sighed in defeat. “Forget it,” he muttered. “Tacit understanding takes time. We’ll get there.”
Chi Ke finally asked, “What did you say?”
“I said,” Ji Qian pointed at Chi Ke’s black umbrella, “let’s share one?”
He was never one to beat around the bush.
Chi Ke finally got his meaning and felt a little exasperated. The boss was just ahead, and he dared to gossip so openly—was he not afraid for his life?
After a brief hesitation, Chi Ke nodded, “Come over, then.”
On a normal day, he would never share an umbrella with someone—being that close would be unbearable. But the umbrellas provided by Zhen Ting Corporation were enormous, big enough for two grown men to walk side by side without touching. And Ji Qian had asked so straightforwardly that rejecting him outright would seem rude, making things awkward.
Chi Ke didn’t go out of his way to be friendly, but he also didn’t want to make unnecessary enemies.
Ji Qian grinned and swiftly folded his umbrella, stepping under Chi Ke’s. They strolled leisurely behind their boss.
“You wouldn’t believe what happened this morning,” Ji Qian complained, covering his mouth. “The way he called me, I thought it was an emergency. I even got dressed in a hurry—then he just asked Xu Lemian to cough into the phone to let me know the seriousness! I swear, I’ve coughed more than him when I had a fried egg stuck in my throat.”
Chi Ke’s lips curved slightly, “President Leng gets flustered when he cares.”
Ji Qian’s relationship with Leng Yunting was different from his own. Ji Qian was both a friend and a subordinate, so he could get away with a bit of complaining. Plus, he was certain Chi Ke wouldn’t rat him out.
If a mere assistant backstabbed someone like Ji Qian, even if it caused a fallout with Leng Yunting, the Ji family’s second young master had a hundred ways to make his life miserable.
As for Ji Qian’s attitude toward Xu Lemian, Chi Ke couldn’t quite figure it out. He could only blame it on the fact that, at this stage, the doctor has not yet fallen deeply in love with the main character. But he probably wasn’t far from it.
He had seen too many love brains. He wasn’t about to play along. When the time came and Ji Qian was head over heels, what if he suddenly remembered all the bad things Chi Ke had said and turned against him?
He had been navigating the corporate world for years, and his motto was ‘stay cautious, stay sharp’.
His career must not be ruined by some love-struck fool.
Ji Qian had no idea what was going through his mind. He just scoffed, “He gets flustered and we suffer.”
Chi Ke pursed his lips and swiftly deflected the conversation, “So, if you’re not here for the patient, then why?”
Ji Qian hesitated, then lowered his gaze, “Do you want the truth? It might be a bit inappropriate.”
Chi Ke tilted his head slightly, “Hmm…”.
He was 183 cm tall, but Ji Qian was even taller—probably close to 190 cm.
Doctors have to keep their heads down for long hours during surgery. Being that tall, wasn’t he more prone to spinal issues? Chi Ke instinctively rubbed his neck in sympathy.
Such a poor corporate slave.
“You’ve been working all night, but knowing Leng Yunting, I doubt he’ll let you go home and rest.” Ji Qian looked ahead, speaking softly, “I couldn’t sleep either, so instead of staring at the ceiling, I figured I’d come find you.”
“…”
What’s going on?
The content of the conversation was a bit beyond the scope.
Chi Ke suddenly regretted sharing the umbrella.
After a moment of silence, he coldly replied, “Doctor Ji, we’re not that close.”
Ji Qian laughed, “See? I knew it’d sound too forward.” Then, he spread his hands helplessly saying, “But I am different from Leng Yunting, I am a straight man. Don’t worry and please don’t misunderstand, it’s just, …Assistant Chi do you know the feeling of ‘hit it off at first sight’?”
This topic seemed to bring them very close in an instant. So close that he was a little flustered.
Chi Ke subconsciously resisted this kind of conversation with a stranger when he knew nothing about him, so his next words were full of thorns, “Aren’t you a doctor”
Ji Qian noticed from the corner of his eye that he was not looking at him, so he lowered his head and asked, “Why?”
“Aren’t doctors supposed to be atheist who believe in science above all?” Chi Ki sneered, “And you still believe in faith?”
“This,” Ji Qian chuckled, “I used to think so too. But then something happened, and now I feel like everything is…”
“Hm?”
“…Fated.”
“…”
Just then, the dark clouds in the sky suddenly scattered. The abrupt sunlight dazzled Chi Ke’s eyes, forcing him to stop in his tracks.
Sunrise often came in an instant.
It happened too fast. Ji Qian, caught off guard, walked a few steps ahead before realizing he was in the sun. He quickly stepped back under the umbrella.
But Chi Ke closed it, “The rain stopped.”
Ji Qian instinctively reached out his hand—no raindrops.
“Assistant Chi!” Leng Yunting called from a distance, “The sun’s out. Go get a parasol [mfn]would a ‘sunshade umbrella’ be a better word here? Do let me know your thoughts[/mfn]—Mianmian’s skin is too delicate to get sun-burned.”
Ji Qian mouth twitched, “This guy…”
Before walking away, Chi Ke interrupted him lightly, “Dr. Ji, materialism is a great philosophical concept.” [mfn]Materialism is a significant philosophical concept that asserts everything in existence is composed of physical matter, rejecting supernatural explanations and emphasizing empirical understanding of reality. – Google[/mfn]
“This whole ‘hit it off at first sight’ thing? It’s usually just an illusion. We just ‘met by chance’.”
Ji Qian stood there for a while, watching his retreating figure.
Then, suddenly, he smiled.
“Well, even so… it’s still fate.”
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T/N: Hope you enjoyed reading the chapter! I have a few announcements to do:
Do follow along:
1. From this week onwards, we are going with a fixed schedule of 2 chapters every week, i.e. Every Tuesday and Saturday, a new chapter will be released.
2. The next chapter will be available as a paid advance chapter on Ko-fi. It will still be released according to the schedule on the site, the ‘advance’ chapters are there for anyone who would like to read it ahead of schedule. For now, chapter 6 is there on Ko-fi, and the coming Saturday when I post chapter 6 on the site, chapter 7 will be available on Kofi. (The acronym for this novel is: DBAG)
3. We will also be having a ‘Goal’ on Ko-fi, which upon meeting, I’ll be doing a mass release of a minimum of 3 chapters with the maximum depending on my stockpile.
4. Since this is my first time doing advance chapters, I am just sticking with a single advance chapter ahead of my regular scheduled chapters on the site. I am also thinking of doing a bundle of 5-10 advance chapters, but that’s for the future. For now, we will be sticking with what I mentioned above.
Thanks a lot for reading!
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