Chapter 26#
Tan Xiao was being incredibly playful and unreasonable, but he also knew in his heart that these little tricks would only work for a moment. Ultimately, they weren’t a real solution, and he shouldn’t bully the “capybara”; serious communication was necessary.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, still holding Zhang Xingchuan’s waist tightly, he looked up and said, “I had already decided to tell you these things back in Shangri-La. I guessed you’d be a bit angry, so I wanted to wait until after my defense.”
Zhang Xingchuan looked down at him, his brows knit together, listening to what he had to say.
Tan Xiao said, “See, now that you’re unhappy, I can still coax you properly. If you had been this angry before my defense, I really wouldn’t have known which side to prioritize. That would have worried me to death.”
Both the defense and coaxing his husband were life-altering events; it was truly hard to choose between them.
Zhang Xingchuan could naturally understand the importance of doctoral studies, and Tan Xiao’s words placed him on a level of importance equal to graduation.
He was very articulate indeed—a silver-tongued Julian.
“Don’t just say sweet words,” Zhang Xingchuan said. “Tell me the point. How were you originally planning to reveal your identity?”
He didn’t particularly want to know how much money Tan Xiao had.
If Tan Xiao were to perform the act of showing him his bank balance now, he would definitely lose his temper on the spot.
Tan Xiao wouldn’t have used such a crude method in the first place.
He wasn’t the protagonist of some face-slapping web novel. Besides, what would he gain by using money to slap his own husband’s face?
If Zhang Xingchuan hadn’t discovered it ahead of time… Tan Xiao would have started from twenty-five years ago.
He would have told Zhang Xingchuan how his mother was pursued by Tan Minhong, how she was abandoned after giving birth to him, and how his fragile but strong mother had played games and negotiated with the Tan family for his sake.
Then Zhang Xingchuan would have asked curiously, “Ah, why? Why does the Tan family have such immense power?”
He would have then solemnly told Zhang Xingchuan, “Have you ever heard of Lorenzo Doria? I really don’t want to admit it, but that wealthy old man also has a Chinese name, which is Tan Minhong.”
Zhang Xingchuan would be shocked. “What? How could that be?”
Tan Xiao would immediately hug him and declare passionately and domineeringly, “Baby, I didn’t tell you the truth because I wanted to protect our love.”
…
Well, now this elaborate plan was completely ruined just because he had asked Zhang Xingchuan to buy him a bicycle.
What an annoying Italian brand. That custom bike was lost long ago; shouldn’t the membership have been automatically cancelled? Why was the cycling club membership for life?
“Don’t get distracted,” Zhang Xingchuan said. “Show me how you were going to display your true noble status. Go ahead.”
Tan Xiao said, “Don’t be sarcastic with me.”
Zhang Xingchuan said coldly, “It’s a wonder I haven’t cursed you yet.”
Tan Xiao said, “Then curse me. But once you’re done, you’re not allowed to be angry anymore.”
Zhang Xingchuan looked at Tan Xiao’s face, trying to think of how to curse him harshly without actually hurting him.
Tan Xiao rested his chin on the line where Zhang Xingchuan’s chest and abdominal muscles met, making a wronged expression as if waiting to be scolded.
What did the Doria family feed their children? How could he grow up to be so handsome?
Looking at that face, Zhang Xingchuan truly loved him in his heart and couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh.
“I’m truly lucky,” he finally just mocked himself. “Just by following my feelings, I managed to unintentionally date a young master from an old money family.”
But those words struck a chord with Tan Xiao. He let go of Zhang Xingchuan and completely dropped his playful act.
Zhang Xingchuan wanted to say something more, but he hadn’t realized exactly which part of his words had stung Tan Xiao.
“Are you more bothered that I didn’t tell you the truth earlier?” Tan Xiao asked. “Or are you more bothered that my family is very rich?”
Zhang Xingchuan was stumped. He had to admit, the young master’s question hit the nail on the head.
Tan Xiao didn’t press for an answer. He had enough patience to wait for Zhang Xingchuan to respond. This wasn’t a simple question to answer.
He pulled Zhang Xingchuan’s hand, making him sit down beside him.
“I have to say sorry to you first,” Tan Xiao turned sideways, looking at Zhang Xingchuan seriously, and said, “But I really didn’t mean to hide it from you. I was born in China, and I’ve spent most of my growing years here as well. Except for my mom and her relatives, I’ve never let any outsider know about my family background. I’ve developed a habit; hiding these things is almost a part of my instinct. It allows me to perceive the world naturally, make friends normally, and makes it easier for me to get along with everyone.”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “I understand.”
He could understand that. He didn’t want to hear these obvious reasons; it was perfectly reasonable for the young master to hide his identity.
Tan Xiao had friends all over the world; his WeChat contacts probably numbered in the hundreds if not a thousand. He could always find something interesting in everyone and would befriend anyone he met, yet he felt compelled to hide his family background from everyone.
Zhang Xingchuan just wanted to hear Tan Xiao talk about him. Was he the same as “everyone else”? Was he merely one of the “outsiders” passing through?
Tan Xiao felt he really should start by solemnly apologizing to his boyfriend.
He said very seriously, “Zhang Xingchuan, I am truly sorry.”
Zhang Xingchuan’s expression changed instantly.
Tan Xiao was confused. Did he say something wrong?
The two stared at each other for a moment.
Zhang Xingchuan asked hesitantly, “What are you going to say?”
Tan Xiao was also a bit hesitant. “I… I’m just apologizing to you.”
Zhang Xingchuan: “…”
Tan Xiao was still bewildered. “What’s wrong?”
“You,” Zhang Xingchuan’s heart had practically skipped a beat just then, “don’t call me by my full name for no reason.”
Tan Xiao opened his mouth. He really hadn’t expected that to scare anyone. He found it funny and said, “What did you think I was going to say by calling you by your full name? I just wanted to sound more serious.”
That was indeed very serious.
Given Zhang Xingchuan’s age and professional experience, he was rarely called by his full name in daily life. Once he was, it usually meant something big was happening.
He almost thought Tan Xiao was suddenly calling him that to say some kind of farewell. Zhang Xingchuan, the young master has had enough fun, bye-bye.
“Brother, CEO,” Tan Xiao understood and changed his address. “CEO Brother, can you forgive me?”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “I’m not blaming you, and I’m not angry.”
Tan Xiao observed his expression, confirming he was telling the truth.
The sky cleared and the rain stopped; Dr. Tan was back in top form.
“You shouldn’t have blamed me anyway; it was all fate’s fault,” Tan Xiao said. “It was fate that had me born into the Doria family, and fate that led you to meet me. If you want to blame someone, blame fate.”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “What about that apology? Is this the attitude for an apology?”
Tan Xiao started acting like a rascal again. “Since you’re not angry anymore, let’s just talk properly.”
They were both sitting on the edge of the bed. Tan Xiao had turned sideways to face Zhang Xingchuan to apologize, and now that it was done, he lay down right on Zhang Xingchuan’s lap, even turning so he was lying face up.
Zhang Xingchuan hadn’t expected him to change moods as quickly as flipping a page in a book; he hadn’t realized before that he was such a little rascal.
“What is this?” Zhang Xingchuan said. “Did I tell you that you could lie down?”
Tan Xiao had never lain on the CEO’s lap like this before. He assessed his current posture and said, “I feel like a femme fatale bringing ruin to a nation.”
Zhang Xingchuan was truly exasperated. How could they have a proper conversation like this?
To prevent the “femme fatale” from falling off his lap, the “tyrannical CEO” moved further onto the bed so the “femme fatale” could lie more comfortably.
Tan Xiao did indeed find it very comfortable. The CEO loved running, so his thigh muscles were hard and elastic, and his abs were firm. He was truly a delicious-looking CEO… Wait, was this the time to be greedy?
“Don’t touch my stomach.” Zhang Xingchuan was ticklish. If he didn’t stop him, he’d be laughing soon. “Keep talking about your problems.”
“What else is there to say?” Tan Xiao said. “I can’t think of anything else to confess. It’s just this one thing.”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “What do you mean, ‘just this one thing’?”
“Then what else do you want to know?” Tan Xiao said. “Ask me, and I’ll tell you everything.”
In truth, Zhang Xingchuan didn’t have much to ask. It was indeed just this one thing.
A lot of money was involved, but the matter itself was that simple.
Aside from his family background, Tan Xiao couldn’t hide a single thing. Within a few days of meeting, he had spilled all his own secrets like a bag of beans.
This was also one of the reasons Zhang Xingchuan was so shaken after discovering his identity. A person who seemed to have no secrets was actually hiding a colossal one.
Zhang Xingchuan didn’t have much curiosity about the Doria family. How much wealth this European noble family, which started in shipping, had retained, and how much capital they had developed in modern society, would undoubtedly be an unattainable figure for an ordinary person like him. Besides, if he really wanted to know, he could Google it, check Wikipedia, or even look up the annual reports and financial data of shipping companies on Bloomberg or Reuters.
In short, this wasn’t really a problem between him and Tan Xiao.
Zhang Xingchuan also thought of how to answer Tan Xiao’s question from earlier.
“What I care about most isn’t that you hid it from me, nor how much money your family has,” Zhang Xingchuan said.
Tan Xiao had been playing with a button on his shirt. Hearing this, he stopped and looked at him quietly, waiting for him to continue.
Zhang Xingchuan said, “When I went to the school today and came back without seeing you, I said it was because I didn’t want to affect your mood after your defense. Actually, I was afraid to see you.”
Tan Xiao asked, “What were you afraid of?”
“I was afraid,” Zhang Xingchuan looked down at him and said, “that once everything was out in the open, if you weren’t the person I thought you were, what would I do?”
What if the real Tan Xiao wasn’t the person he had fallen in love with? What should he do then?
Breaking up is a simple action. But can feelings be taken back so easily?
This was Zhang Xingchuan’s first love; he had no experience dealing with such a problem.
Tan Xiao said, “And then? You’ve seen me now. Am I the same or different?”
“I don’t know.” Zhang Xingchuan looked down at him, a bit of confusion in his eyes. “You tell me. Was the ‘you’ I thought I knew… was that really you?”
Tan Xiao had wondered how Zhang Xingchuan would answer that question.
Whether he cared more about his honesty, or more about the Doria family’s wealth—he could have accepted either answer, as long as Zhang Xingchuan spoke his true thoughts.
He already liked Zhang Xingchuan enough to be willing to face problems together with him.
If it were a question of honesty, he would truthfully answer all of Zhang Xingchuan’s doubts. He had never told a single lie in their relationship; he could withstand any of Zhang Xingchuan’s scrutiny.
If it were a question of wealth, he would bring up his decision to renounce his inheritance rights in the future. That decision wasn’t because of Zhang Xingchuan or anyone else; it was something he himself had never wanted.
Tan Xiao truly didn’t think he was that innocent, for instance, right now.
He was still thinking about how to find a balance between human nature and money, while Zhang Xingchuan only wanted to confirm if he had loved the wrong person.
Clearly, Zhang Xingchuan was the more innocent one between them.
To be loved by an innocent person was an indescribably wonderful feeling.
Tan Xiao, resting his head on Zhang Xingchuan’s lap, felt inexpressibly good. His brain was rapidly secreting happy hormones, making his body feel light. He felt a need for some excitement.
“Will you kiss me?” He was too lazy to move now, smiling as he invited Zhang Xingchuan. “Zhang Xingchuan, I’m serious. I want to kiss you.”
The CEO was still filled with sadness over encountering a major hurdle in his first love, while the young master was truly treating himself as a femme fatale.
“Do you have any heart at all?” Zhang Xingchuan was extremely dissatisfied.
The “capybara” was rarely seen this furious. Why was he the only one looking miserable here? The young master of the wealthy family had no heart whatsoever.
The CEO said, “You, the young son of an old-money capitalist, only know how to seek pleasure in the moment. What exactly do you take me for?”
Tan Xiao said fearlessly, “What else could I take you for? Brother, boyfriend, husband—you choose.”
“…” Zhang Xingchuan said, “Don’t touch my belt. Did I tell you that you could unbuckle it?”
Tan Xiao’s hands were restrained, but his mouth could still chant, “Great worker! There is a choice before you now. You can do whatever you want to the young son of the old capitalist, anything you desire. Do you really not want to?”
Zhang Xingchuan: “…”
His reaction was far too swift and direct. Tan Xiao immediately burst into laughter. What a deeply ingrained sense of struggle.
On a night in late May, spring and summer were locked in a lingering embrace to complete their natural handover.
Tan Xiao, the newly-promoted “femme fatale,” had already decided to abdicate. He really didn’t have the stamina for it; once he lured the “tyrannical ruler” over, he couldn’t handle him at all. He’d try to avoid such self-immolating acts in the future.
“Are you a dog?” Zhang Xingchuan said. “Look at how you’ve bitten me.”
Tan Xiao said, “I’m a horse. Next time I’ll kick you away.”
Zhang Xingchuan inspected the “little horse.” It was a bit excessive, and he felt slightly embarrassed. “Are you okay?”
Tan Xiao said, “What do you think?”
While blaming Zhang Xingchuan, he also clung to him and wouldn’t let go. Not out of personal need, but because he knew for certain that Zhang Xingchuan liked him this way the most.
Zhang Xingchuan, in this regard, had a completely traditional straight male mindset.
If Tan Xiao asked him after each time to transfer some shares of Wen Cheng to him, he would probably seriously consider how to achieve it indirectly. To him, the union of body and soul meant no distinction between them; everything he had should be shared with Tan Xiao.
The reverse, however, didn’t hold true. He only needed Tan Xiao as a person to belong to him.
Whether it was the university student Tan Xiao or the young master Julian, it was all the same.
Holding Tan Xiao in his arms, he asked, “Are you Tan Xiao, or Julian Doria?”
Tan Xiao said, “Whoever you want me to be, that’s who I am now.”
“Not just at this moment,” Zhang Xingchuan said. “I mean in the past, now, and in the future.”
Tan Xiao said, “In the past I was a happy university student, now I’m a doctor of finance, and in the future I’m going to be Ultraman.”
Zhang Xingchuan laughed. “You just had to be flippant to be happy.”
Tan Xiao said, “Who told you that you had to talk about life with me at a time like this?”
“No matter what we talk about, just talk to me,” Zhang Xingchuan’s voice was very gentle. “Tan Xiao, I miss you very much.”
The last time they met, Tan Xiao had only been Tan Xiao. During the days they hadn’t seen each other, Tan Xiao’s image in his heart had changed drastically several times.
Now that they were actually together, he was certain that Tan Xiao hadn’t changed at all. What had been constantly changing during that interval was only his own state of mind, affected by his perception.
In his imagination, it was as if he had already parted ways with Tan Xiao many times.
This was a true reunion after a long separation.
Tan Xiao was the kind of person who, once he liked someone, would actively empathize with them. Once he empathized, his emotions would be many times more abundant than the person concerned.
That was the case now. He felt the loss Zhang Xingchuan had experienced during this time, and his heart ached.
He leaned in to kiss Zhang Xingchuan, then whispered some “corny” sweet talk in his ear.
Of course, the “corny” sweet talk of a post-2000s kid was quite trendy and amusing to an unrefined straight man like Zhang Xingchuan. Coming from Tan Xiao, it felt even more alluring.
Zhang Xingchuan pushed Tan Xiao down once more. This time, it wasn’t the working CEO pushing down the young master of a wealthy family.
It was Zhang Xingchuan and Tan Xiao, two natural persons, uniting in a passionate and sincere embrace.