Chapter 21#
This CEO Fu really had a bone to pick with Tan Xiao.
He and Zhang Xingchuan had known and worked with each other for over ten years. That they could start a business together and keep it going for so many years without falling out meant they were not only true friends who had stood the test of time but also, to a large extent, a community of interests.
Zhang Xingchuan had suddenly found himself a young and beautiful university student as a partner, and it didn’t look like he was just playing around—he was truly smitten.
Was it all over for him?
CEO Fu was not an unrefined straight man like Zhang Xingchuan, who had zero romantic experience.
He had married young, having been with his wife since their school days, and they were very much in love with two children already.
After achieving success in business and accumulating some wealth, he also liked to “spend a bit” now and then to please his wife, and in the process, he had picked up a bit of fashion knowledge. With just one look, he could tell how much Tan Xiao’s low-key, logo-less outfit was worth.
Tsk, tsk, his brother Zhang Xingchuan—who would have thought he was such a big spender!
Usually, he was stingy and calculating, brooding over the purchase of an apartment for ages before finally taking out a loan.
Well, well, working so hard to earn and save, only to keep the money and spend it on this handsome “gold digger.”
Yes, CEO Fu grumbled in his heart, considering Tan Xiao a little “gold-digging gay.” But he had to admit objectively that this “little gay” was indeed very good-looking.
His wife would probably like Tan Xiao too; he had a face that appealed to everyone, a boy who was both pretty and handsome.
The more youthful and beautiful Tan Xiao was, the more lively and humorous, the higher his IQ and EQ, and the more everyone loved him…
The more CEO Fu disliked him. Wasn’t this just the persona of a gold digger?
From CEO Fu’s outsider perspective, this was likely a carefully designed “pig butchering scam” targeting Zhang Xingchuan.
On the first day of the team-building, everyone gathered together. The seats for the two founders were arranged next to each other. The biggest advantage of plateau activities was that there was a perfect excuse not to arrange alcoholic drinks; everyone toasted with tea instead, which was both dignified and healthy.
An executive was giving a speech, which was devoid of substance and very boring.
CEO Fu whispered a few criticisms and then asked Zhang Xingchuan, “Where’s your little Ph.D. student?”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “He went to Wudi Lake.”
CEO Fu’s way of asking unexpectedly pleased Zhang Xingchuan. Exactly, his little Ph.D. student—he was wonderful.
CEO Fu said sarcastically, “I thought you were waiting for some kind of celestial being, but in the end, you found such a little boy.”
“Speak with some conscience,” Zhang Xingchuan said. “Isn’t our little Ph.D. student like a celestial being? I think he’s a fairy descended to earth.”
CEO Fu was speechless and said, “How did you suddenly start liking men? I couldn’t tell at all.”
Zhang Xingchuan crossed his arms and leaned back tactically, saying defensively, “Don’t suddenly tell me you’ve had a secret crush on me for years, or my sister-in-law in the Greater Bay Area will be ready to launch a missile.”
“Don’t say such disgusting things,” CEO Fu said, wanting only to smash the CEO’s love-struck brain. “Don’t you find this little Ph.D. student strange at all?”
“Many things are strange,” Zhang Xingchuan said. “For example, the hairstyle you got—it’s the strangest thing I’ve seen today. Was it pecked out by a Greater Bay Area chicken?”
CEO Fu said, “What do you know? Why are you criticizing? First of all, the ‘Greater Bay Area Chicken’ isn’t a chicken, it’s the Chinese White Dolphin. Secondly, this is called a Caesar cut. My wife heard I was coming for team-building and specifically found a top-tier, hard-to-book stylist to do my hair.”
Zhang Xingchuan gave a minimalist critique: “Ugly.”
CEO Fu took a deep breath. Zhang Xingchuan simply didn’t understand fashion or beauty.
“Don’t you use your brain to think?” CEO Fu said. “How can such a fashionable and perfect boy like the little Ph.D. student possibly take a liking to you?”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “Naturally, because I am a perfect man.”
CEO Fu thought, “Serves you right for being scammed, you average but overconfident straight man.”
“CEO, don’t spend too much money on that kid,” CEO Fu finally gave a kind reminder. “If you spend it sparingly over time, he’ll love you for longer.”
Zhang Xingchuan had long understood what he meant and said, “CEO Fu, please don’t be a sour grapes person. Whether he loves me or not, wouldn’t I know better than you?”
CEO Fu said, “How am I being ‘sour grapes’? Haven’t you seen how my wife treats me? That’s true love.”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “It’s true love between the little Ph.D. student and me too. You’re just a busybody.”
The two of them were bickering in low voices, and gradually their faces began to show it.
Others couldn’t hear what they were saying but observed their expressions. Oh no, were the two giants of Wen Cheng, who presided over the north and south, about to part ways?
In reality, the two men were competing with each other, trying to prove that their partners’ love for them was 100% genuine.
Naturally, there wouldn’t be any result to this competition; human joys and sorrows are not shared.
CEO Fu only felt that Zhang Xingchuan had fallen victim to a “pig butchering scam,” while Zhang Xingchuan pitied his sister-in-law for marrying someone with a pig’s brain.
Tan Xiao spent a happy day out and returned in the evening, showing Zhang Xingchuan the photos he took at the attractions. He had also met several other university students from Beijing and made plans to go hiking with them the next day.
“It’s a beginner’s route, only about a dozen kilometers round trip,” Tan Xiao excitedly pulled his hiking gear out of his suitcase. “Fortunately, I hesitated before leaving and decided to bring it anyway.”
In terms of planning, he was the polar opposite of Zhang Xingchuan. When Zhang Xingchuan traveled, he would definitely make a detailed guide in advance and determine the itinerary for every moment.
Tan Xiao was not like that. He didn’t make guides for his trips. He followed his heart, checked the weather, and his own mood. He would go to a place randomly, and whatever scenery he encountered, he would appreciate it with a peaceful mind.
Zhang Xingchuan said, “The team-building also has a hiking arrangement. Jiaxin wanted you to join. Since you’re hiking on your own side, will you still go to that one?”
Tan Xiao said, “I’d rather not. You’re all a bunch of old men. Should I go and take photos for you?”
“…” Zhang Xingchuan was about to faint with anger. “Who are you calling an old man?”
“I didn’t include you!” Tan Xiao was tidying things in the dressing room and couldn’t see Zhang Xingchuan’s expression outside. He joked, “Brother, as long as you don’t say anything yourself, no one can tell you’re almost forty. You’re very young!”
Zhang Xingchuan really was about to faint now. “I won’t be thirty-six until July. How am I ‘almost forty’?”
Tan Xiao was just speaking casually and hadn’t expected Zhang Xingchuan to actually mind. He put down his things and poked his head out of the dressing room to look at Zhang Xingchuan.
But Zhang Xingchuan wasn’t truly angry and said, “Say it again, how old am I?”
“Eighteen,” Tan Xiao said, seeing he wasn’t angry, and continued to joke. “The eighteen-year-old handsome CEO has arrived to restore Wen Cheng’s glory.”
Zhang Xingchuan asked blankly, “What’s that now?”
Tan Xiao was amused and said, “Nothing.”
He stopped tidying his clothes. Zhang Xingchuan was sitting on the sofa, and he went over, sitting sideways on Zhang Xingchuan’s lap.
Zhang Xingchuan was caught off guard by him sitting on his thigh. His brain hadn’t reacted yet, but his arms had already automatically circled his waist.
The two stared at each other for a few seconds.
Zhang Xingchuan laughed and said, “You sat down quite naturally.”
Tan Xiao said, “Is this place not for sitting? Then I’ll leave.”
He said he’d leave, but he didn’t actually move, still sitting on the CEO’s lap.
Of course, Zhang Xingchuan wouldn’t let him leave. Before he could stand up, Zhang Xingchuan would first hold him down.
Zhang Xingchuan deliberately played along, saying, “And then?”
Tan Xiao knew he was playing along and also feigned disappointment, saying, “I have to teach you this? Should I kiss myself?”
So Zhang Xingchuan began to kiss him.
Ten minutes later, the two were still locked in a deep, lingering kiss.
Not only was there no oxygen deficiency in this room, but because of the comfortable oxygen supply, Tan Xiao’s sensation during the kiss was even better than before, which gave him a very strong impulse.
“Tomorrow,” Tan Xiao said, “I don’t want to go hiking anymore. Brother, I’m not going.”
Zhang Xingchuan pecked at his lips and asked, “Are you missing some equipment? I’ll find a way to get it all ready.”
“No,” Tan Xiao said. “I feel very good right now. Let’s not wait until you’re finished with your work… um, that is, I want to ‘do that.’ Is today okay?”
Zhang Xingchuan was supposed to participate in two days of team-building activities. They both tacitly understood that they would wait until his work was over, either tomorrow night or after, to do “that.”
Zhang Xingchuan planned it that way because they would have more time. Wonderful things should be done slowly and experienced in detail.
Tan Xiao thought that way because he saw many people online saying the first time has a high failure rate. He thought Zhang Xingchuan wanted to leave some time for trial and error.
“Let’s try today first?” Tan Xiao noticed that Zhang Xingchuan was also a bit impatient and suggested, “In case it doesn’t work out, we can try again tomorrow. We’ll have a ‘collection of wrong answers’ to refer to.”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “Teacher Tan, are you giving me a mock exam here?”
Tan Xiao said, “Are you going to take it or not? If not, I’m going to play games.”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “Don’t use reverse psychology on me.”
Tan Xiao asked, “Then what should I use?”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “Say something nice.”
Tan Xiao called him, “Brother.”
Zhang Xingchuan, the “J” type person who loved planning so much, tore up his schedule on the spot.
The wind on the plateau at night was very loud. The front window faced the distant snow mountains, and the back window was the vast meadow.
As the wind swept past, clumps of spring grass surged like waves.
The next day, in the restaurant, Jiaxin saw Zhang Xingchuan coming to breakfast alone and asked, “Where’s Tan Xiao? Has he already left for the hike?”
Zhang Xingchuan told a blatant lie: “He had too much fun yesterday and got altitude sickness in the middle of the night. He has to rest today.”
“Is he okay?” Jiaxin was a bit worried. “I’ll go see him later.”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “No need. You go on with your business. Go quickly, work hard, and mind your own business.”
Jiaxin didn’t understand why, but seeing the CEO wouldn’t let her go, she went to her business first, taking a moment to message Tan Xiao to show her concern.
Tan Xiao had just woken up and was lying on the bed playing with his phone. He received Jiaxin’s greeting and learned that Zhang Xingchuan was telling everyone outside that he had altitude sickness.
How could he spread rumors like that? Tan Xiao was slightly dissatisfied but thought about it and decided not to hold such a small matter against his new “husband.”
He also sent messages to the new friends he had made plans with for the hike yesterday, explaining that he was unwell and couldn’t go.
As it turned out, those people hadn’t gone either. One of their partners really did have altitude sickness, and the other clumsy students were busy taking care of them, now accompanying them in the hospital for oxygen.
The other party asked: “Did you get altitude sickness too? You really shouldn’t have run around by the lake yesterday, even jumping and skipping for photos.”
Tan Xiao hadn’t jumped or skipped, nor did he have altitude sickness, but he had to say: “I really shouldn’t have.”
Other party: “Get some good rest. Let’s meet again back in Beijing.”
Tan Xiao: “Sure.”
These were undergraduate students from another university in Beijing.
Tan Xiao was about to close the dialog box when the other party asked: “Do you have a girlfriend?”
Why ask this? Tan Xiao didn’t reply immediately.
Other party: “We posted yesterday’s photos on WeChat Moments, and a female classmate saw them. She wants to get to know you (she’s an 8/10 beauty!).”
Tan Xiao typed a few words, thought about it, deleted the typed “Thanks, I already have someone,” re-edited a message, and sent it.
Tan Xiao: “To tell you the truth, I actually just got married.”
After a long while, the other party sent back a shocked emoji with its jaw dropping.
Tan Xiao burst out laughing while lying on the bed.
If not for various practical considerations, he actually really wanted to run out right now and announce to everyone he knew that he had [Bleeped] with the person he liked last night.
He and Zhang Xingchuan had successfully “bonded” and formally become a factual couple.
Although the process of “bonding” couldn’t be described in detail, he could describe it succinctly to his friends: “Friends, do you understand what ‘superbly shocking and delicious’ is?”
CEO Fu with his Caesar cut saw Zhang Xingchuan alone and came over to have breakfast with him.
Zhang Xingchuan gave him a meaningful smile, thinking about how to show off the major life event he had accomplished last night.
CEO Fu was uncomfortable with his smile and said, “Is there something wrong with you?”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “I’m in a good mood. Even your ugly hair looks a bit better now.”
“I heard the little Ph.D. student has altitude sickness?” CEO Fu said gloatingly. “How pathetic, he can’t even get out of bed.”
Zhang Xingchuan caught the opportunity and said, “Yes, my doing.”
Three seconds later, CEO Fu spat out his coffee.