My Boss Always Flirts With Me - Chapter 27
Chapter 27: A Sweet Tide
Fang Ci tried to hold himself back from tossing and turning in bed, afraid he’d wake He Chi.
This was his first time experiencing something like this, and he didn’t know what to do.
He had thought that when a “flag” fell, it would be grand and deafening, a sweet tsunami. But he discovered that it was actually a little bit sour. It was sweet, too, very sweet, but more than anything, it was the incredible bittersweetness that came with this realization.
Teacher He was so wonderful. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hold out for long. He Chi had never been in a relationship, a true science and engineering straight guy, and yet he was a sharpshooter when it came to hearts.
He buried his face in his pillow and sighed. What now? They had clearly defined their boundaries in the agreement. It felt wrong for him to unilaterally cross the line, and he had no idea what the consequences would be.
It was like a perfectly stable program suddenly developing a bug, leaving the engineer in a panic.
He was that poor engineer.
On WeChat, Shen Liu sent a string of angry emojis like “I’m gonna beat you up,” “I’m gonna pound you to death,” and “Might as well just assassinate you.” He was protesting Fang Ci for waking him up. After the tenth emoji, Fang Ci replied: [Fine, just assassinate me. (Brotherly hand offering a knife)]
Shen Liu finally vented his anger and returned to his normal tone: [Spill it. What’s wrong? What do you mean the flag fell?]
Fang Ci typed and re-typed, deleting and adding words: [I think… I’ve fallen for He Chi.]
Shen Liu’s reply was very cold: […]
Fang Ci: [?]
Shen Liu: [Why “think”?]
Fang Ci’s mind went blank.
Shen Liu: [(Scoffs) Is that even a “think”? You’ve always liked him, haven’t you?]
Fang Ci was startled by Shen Liu’s words. He had only just realized yesterday that he might have fallen for He Chi at first sight, so how did Shen Liu know?
Shen Liu’s fingers flew across the screen: [Something felt off the last time I saw you two.]
Last time? That was back at the dessert shop. Oh, good, good. Shen Liu doesn’t have special powers, or he’d be laughing at me to death. Fang Ci: [What felt off?]
Shen Liu: [You were giving each other meaningful looks.]
Fang Ci: I don’t remember that happening.
Shen Liu: [You were making goo-goo eyes at each other.]
Fang Ci: […Are you playing a word game with me?]
Shen Liu: [What I’m saying is: why did it take you so long to figure it out?] I knew this guy wasn’t normal…
Fang Ci wondered if he was just incredibly slow or if he was so caught up in the situation. Through the phone screen, Shen Liu continued to complain:
[Old Man Qiao used to say: it’s easy to find a bug, but admitting a program has a bug is the hardest part. Do you know what you’re doing?]
Old Man Qiao was their computer science professor. He was in his forties but his hair was so thin he looked like he was in his sixties. He was always looking for faults, but he had a lot of golden quotes. Fang Ci vaguely remembered this saying. He didn’t expect Shen Liu to be able to interpret it, so he asked: [What?]
Shen Liu: [You’re just lying to yourself.]
Fang Ci: […]
Shen Liu was calm and collected: [Can’t see the forest for the trees, Ci-pien. You finally got what was coming to you.]
Fang Ci: […Was I really that obvious?]
Shen Liu: [The way you struggled was beautiful to watch.]
Fang Ci sighed inwardly, his eyes going blank.
Then, Shen Liu’s next words saved him: [Is there a problem with liking your spouse?]
Fang Ci: [No problem… right?]
Shen Liu was right. They were already married. There was no problem at all with liking one’s significant other, especially one who was legally recognized.
What was he struggling for?
However, a relationship wasn’t a one-way street. Even if he was now honest with himself, he couldn’t disregard He Chi’s wishes. He took a deep breath, feeling like the road ahead was long and arduous.
He messaged Shen Liu to thank him, promising to buy him new gear, and then closed his eyes again, tidying up his tangled thoughts.
He liked He Chi, or rather, he had liked him for a long time.
It was clear, unambiguous, and without a second thought.
His face and ears felt a little hot.
…
A Little Bit of Cold and a Whole Lot of Warmth
When He Chi woke up, he saw that the person who had been as happy as a sparrow last night had turned into a little ostrich today.
His whole body seemed lost in thought, and his cheeks were flushed.
He touched his forehead with the back of his hand. Fang Ci moved back two inches, hearing He Chi say, “No fever.”
Fang Ci pursed his lips and used his hand to cool his face, subtly avoiding He Chi’s gaze.
It had snowed heavily in the morning, and the temperature outside was noticeably colder. Fang Ci put on his hat and gloves, but they still couldn’t block the chill. The two of them got into the car one after the other.
He Chi turned the heat up to the maximum. The temperature inside the car slowly rose, quickly becoming a different season from the outdoors. There was still a lot of snow and ice on the ground. While they were waiting at a red light, Fang Ci saw a cat digging a hole in a snowdrift and crouching inside.
“I thought all cats were afraid of the cold.” Even with the underfloor heating at home, Qiumiu still wanted to climb onto the radiator and had once run into their bedroom.
“Qiumiu has been spoiled,” He Chi said.
Fang Ci said, “When we get home, I’ll bring a bag of snow for Qiumiu to play with.”
He Chi said, “It might get scared.”
Fang Ci: “Really? Can’t we just try it?”
He Chi: “He Yun brought some for it once. It was curious but wouldn’t touch it.”
Fang Ci had to give up. Perhaps a feeling had been touched, and he looked at He Chi.
“What’s wrong?” He Chi asked.
Fang Ci smiled and shook his head, looking back out the window.
The heavy snow covered the roads and trees, a world of silver, masking his cluttered thoughts.
The traffic was a bit heavy today, and they were squeezed between cars, moving very slowly. He didn’t know if they would make it to the office on time. They waited at an intersection for a long time. When He Chi pulled the handbrake, he unintentionally touched Fang Ci’s hand and found that it hadn’t warmed up yet. It was still ice cold.
He asked him, “Are you cold?”
Fang Ci raised his hand to cover his face, feeling the huge temperature difference. He said, “I’m not cold, just my hands are a bit chilly.” He was like this in the winter. He usually stayed inside and didn’t notice, but the weather today was especially extreme, so it was taking longer to warm up.
As the moving traffic stopped, He Chi reached out his hand to him.
Fang Ci froze: Ah, this…
“Put your hand here.”
Here it comes again, the sweet tide is coming. Fang Ci paused for a few seconds before extending his hand. He Chi naturally held it in his palm, and a dense warmth enveloped him.
“Remember to buy a hand warmer.”
Fang Ci didn’t take it seriously and said, “Why would a man buy a hand warmer? Those are for girls.”
“Besides,” Fang Ci winked at him, “don’t I already have one?”
He Chi’s expression didn’t change at all.
The red light didn’t last long, so He Chi could only hold his hand for a little while. The car behind them was clearly getting impatient and honked. He Chi let go of his hand, adjusted the warm air to blow toward him, and reminded him, “Gloves.” He hadn’t gotten Fang Ci’s hint at all.
Fang Ci: “…” Is this man made of steel? How come I can’t flirt with him?
He laughed helplessly, rubbing his fingers together. He listened to him and put his gloves back on.
…
A Little Gift That Meant So Much
They arrived at the company after 9 a.m., a little later than usual. Zhuyun had a clock-in system, and if you were late, you had to submit a report, except for the sales department.
He Chi told Fang Ci to go on ahead and not to worry about it. As he passed Yuan Cheng’s desk on the way to his office, he casually mentioned to him to delete Fang Ci’s record.
Yuan Cheng couldn’t understand why the CEO had to personally tell him about this, but he handled it without asking too many questions. When he opened Fang Ci’s one-month clock-in registration form, he discovered something very strange.
“Shang Assist, come here, quick!” He saw He Chi walk away and pulled Shang Qu over.
“What’s up?” Shang Qu was dragged over with his chair.
Yuan Cheng pointed at the computer screen and said, “Look. Don’t Fang Ci’s work hours overlap with the CEO’s?”
Shang Qu flinched. He couldn’t say anything about being Fang Ci’s personal driver. “Are you playing ‘find the difference’?”
But he couldn’t help being curious. “How can you tell they overlap?”
Yuan Cheng said, “Come on, who do you think I am? I schedule the CEO’s every day. I know when he gets off work and where he goes on weekends better than anyone. Look, there are a few days this month when he postponed his morning meetings and his leaving time also changed. Now look at Manager Fang’s schedule. Like this morning, didn’t they come into the company together?”
Shang Qu was quite dumbfounded. He didn’t realize that the usually carefree Yuan Cheng could be so meticulous.
Of course, that wasn’t important. Shang Qu composed himself and quickly replied, “Now that you mention it, it does look similar to CEO He’s. But that’s not right, is it? The AP department has been so busy these past few months, so it’s normal for them to leave later than before, right? It’s also normal for them to leave after the daily reports are done, isn’t it?”
Yuan Cheng was speechless. He thought about it and felt it was a reasonable explanation. “Hmm, you’re right. Oh well, I was just guessing. Why are you so worked up?”
Shang Qu felt relieved and smacked him with a sheet of A4 paper. “Get back to work.”
Yuan Cheng stopped talking.
He had another task today and really needed to be more efficient. Shang Qu was organizing the meeting report and had given him the task of distributing the anniversary gifts. Even though the two of them were in charge of business and operations, when things got busy, they didn’t divide the work so strictly.
The anniversary gifts were for the employees, symbolizing another year of growth with the company. They were given out once a year and were usually products made by their own company or by their partners.
“This year, the gifts for the ladies are pink hand warmers and for the men, a mechanical gaming keyboard,” Yuan Cheng informed He Chi.
He Chi’s eyebrows twitched. He looked up and asked, “Which company are they from, and how many?”
He Chi had never asked for such details before, and Yuan Cheng was stunned for a moment. Just as he was about to report the numbers, He Chi took a call and told him to wait a moment.
The call lasted about five minutes. After he hung up, Yuan Cheng said, “One is from our partner smart home company, and the keyboard is our own.”
“Double the amount of everything according to the number of employees,” He Chi said.
Yuan Cheng: “Huh?” Does that mean everyone gets both?
“Not enough inventory?”
Yuan Cheng: “We have enough, but the hand warmers might not arrive until the afternoon. Also, are we giving pink hand warmers to the men? Isn’t that a bit… inappropriate?” He, a big man, felt a little awkward about it. The ladies probably wouldn’t like a black keyboard either.
He Chi: “Change the men’s hand warmers to black. And choose a suitable size and color for the ladies’ keyboards. Distribute them today.”
He then asked, “Will the black ones look cool?”
Yuan Cheng’s mouth hung open. “…Huh?”
“They’re okay, I guess,” he replied after a moment’s pause. After all, even on the coldest days, he would just shove his hands in his pockets and walk a little faster.
He Chi looked down to continue his work. “You can go now.”
…
The Small Details
Fang Ci was discussing the product launch with his team members. The R&D was entirely up to the engineers. The things that came after, like product marketing, channel distribution, and fan meet-and-greets, were where they had to put in the effort.
Fang Ci planned to invite some famous people from China to help with the launch. They could be from the tech or esports industries. Cheng Wen and Xiao Zhu had already compiled a list.
“The top three people need to be booked in advance. They’re hard to get, and the highest quote is already in the three million range, but the promotional effect is excellent.”
“I recognize this person. Isn’t this the captain of the esports team DEC?” Fang Ci saw the third person’s name and felt it was familiar.
Xiao Zhu said, “Yes, their team just won the Asian Cup, and their value has skyrocketed. I heard their manager is a total beast.”
Cheng Wen: “He’s quite handsome, no wonder he has so many fans. Wow, over nine million.”
Fang Ci looked at this person several times and asked, “Our budget can’t handle this, right?”
Cheng Wen: “Can we try to fight for it with CEO He? We’ve already spent so much on R&D. We can’t fall behind on promotion, can we?”
Fang Ci said, “How about we combine a few options from the top, middle, and bottom tiers? We don’t have to focus on the top-tier celebrities. They might not all have an opening, and coordinating schedules would take time.”
Cheng Wen: “Oh, why are you trying to save money for CEO He? This money shouldn’t be saved like this. Look at the launches for Kilby and Knotts. They’re broadcast live globally, and they spend hundreds of millions of dollars. We can’t even spend tens of millions. Isn’t that a bit too cheap?”
Fang Ci laughed. “Why don’t you ask CEO He if he can allocate a few hundred million dollars, and you can bet your next ten years of bonuses on it? We either all make a lot of money or we all fail?”
When he mentioned bonuses, Cheng Wen chickened out. He didn’t dare to take that gamble. “I’m just doing this for AP’s sake. If we really can’t, then we can just pick one of the top three. Young people like them anyway, so we can at least secure one.”
Fang Ci thought the same. It was better to settle for something less than ideal than to risk all the company’s money.
They had two rounds of meetings to confirm the theme of the launch and the guests they wanted to invite. For the product introduction, Fang Ci had to write his own speech. He still hadn’t figured out how to present a one-hour-long speech.
While he was outlining, he heard a commotion at the door. It was Yuan Cheng handing out the anniversary gifts. The girls were more enthusiastic about the gifts. Xiao Zhu put down her pen and volunteered to bring them back for everyone. When she got to Yuan Cheng, she realized she couldn’t carry them all herself.
“They’re so cute,” Yuan Cheng said, pulling a cart, and handed her a hand warmer first.
It was pink and fluffy. Xiao Zhu touched it several times.
Yuan Cheng took out a keyboard. Xiao Zhu and a few other girls exclaimed about the price. “My god, CEO He is so generous!” Even the mechanical keyboards their own company made weren’t cheap.
“Two for each person?”
Yuan Cheng nodded, and a cheer went up.
“Thank CEO He, not me,” he said, pushing the cart around the cubicles.
Soon, Fang Ci also noticed the change in the gifts. The black hand warmer in the box was perfect for tucking into a coat pocket.
One of the men nearby was a bit shy and said he would take it home for his wife. Yuan Cheng said, “Hey, if you’re giving it to your wife, I can get you a pink one. CEO He personally picked the black ones for the men. Don’t you think it’s cool?”
Fang Ci looked down and touched the fluff on top. His heart was filled with sweetness.
Yes, it’s very cool.
Ah, so sweet.
Where did this angelic partner come from? Fang Ci’s heart felt like a little bunny, happily rolling around.
He took a picture of the hand warmer and posted it on WeChat Moments, with a very simple caption: [Today’s gift (little sun) (cute smile)]. He couldn’t post about his marriage to He Chi, the sparrow brooch was too precious to post, but the hand warmer was just right.
Many people liked the post one after another. Those who knew the inside story, like Shen Liu, sent a face of disdain: [Pfft! Pfft, pfft, pfft!]
Those who didn’t just envied the company’s good benefits.
WeChat dinged. Fang Ci saw a message from his family.
Mother: [Nice (thumbs up)] She probably understood the reason Fang Ci was showing it off. She was half an insider.
But his mom didn’t just leave a comment on his post. She also messaged Fang Ci privately, “How are things going with your partner?”
Fang Ci replied: [Pretty good.]
Mother: [That’s good. When are you bringing him home for dinner?]
Fang Ci: [Okay, when he has time.]
Mother: [Is he that busy?]
He Chi was indeed very busy. Fang Ci wasn’t sure about a gradual plan, but they had only been together for a little over a month, so he thought there was no need to rush.
His mom asked a few more caring questions, and before she left, she asked Fang Ci: [Have you finished the things I bought for you two last time?]
Oh no, he had forgotten about the things at home. His mom still didn’t know they were living together. So he replied: [Not yet.]
His mom seemed to have just thought of it and didn’t say anything more.
Afraid he would forget again, Fang Ci messaged He Chi on WeChat, saying he had to go back to his own place after work.
A little later, he saw He Chi reply: [I’ll go with you.]
Fang Ci sent a little bunny nodding emoji.
…
Making a Home
When they got off work, He Chi went to the underground parking garage first. Fang Ci finished packing his things before going down. When he opened the car door, he found the car was already warm.
Just as warm as the hand warmer in his pocket, Fang Ci could hear the sound of pink bubbles popping.
Stop it, stop it, he tried to control his wandering thoughts.
He should think about what he needed to get this time.
Fang Ci had only brought some of his luggage when he moved. He could take a few more thick clothes with him.
When they arrived at his building, he got out of the car to direct He Chi to park. A neighbor from the complex recognized him. “Isn’t that little Fang?”
Fang Ci said, “Uncle Guo.”
The uncle from next door who often gave him things was in his fifties. He Chi got out of the car and met him. Uncle Guo, being a friendly person, asked, “Is this your friend?”
Fang Ci nodded, and heard him say, “I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.” Fang Ci guessed it was probably in a financial magazine. It was better not to introduce him.
This apartment building was very densely populated, completely different from He Chi’s complex. All along the way, He Chi saw Fang Ci greeting all sorts of people, including a neighbor’s older brother and children coming home from school.
As they neared the door, He Chi asked, “You know all these people?”
Fang Ci nodded. “A lot of people who work in the CBD live here. We work close to each other, so we occasionally run into each other and get to know each other over time.”
He Chi asked, “What does ‘Brother Yuan’ do?”
Fang Ci was stunned for a moment before replying, “He’s also a developer, software development.”
“And the one who called you ‘Brother Ci’?”
This time, it took Fang Ci a while longer to think before realizing. “That’s a neighbor’s kid who goes to elementary school nearby.”
He Chi nodded.
Wow, he’s asking a lot of details. Could he want to know about my social circle? He doesn’t seem like someone who has this much time on his hands.
Or… could he be jealous? No, no, that’s impossible.
“Anything else you want to know?” Fang Ci automatically put it down to the first possibility.
He Chi: “Did you buy this place yourself?”
Fang Ci said, “No, it’s my family’s. My parents weren’t used to living here, so they left the place for me.”
He typed in the password. The moment the lock clicked open, Fang Ci suddenly froze.
“Wait a minute!” He swept into the room like a gust of wind, blocking He Chi at the door.
He had forgotten if he had tidied up the place!
But his place couldn’t possibly be like He Chi’s, no matter how much he cleaned. He just shoved the things on the surface into the cabinets. It wasn’t very messy, really.
He Chi waited for five minutes at the door before Fang Ci opened it again.
“Do you have slippers?”
Fang Ci brought out his father’s slippers. He Chi was about 187 or 188 centimeters tall, a good half a head taller than him, so their shoe sizes were naturally different.
“I haven’t tidied up in a while,” Fang Ci said, telling him to wait in the living room. “Just wait a second for me.”
He Chi didn’t sit down. He looked around the small room, which was full of traces of Fang Ci’s life. He had once guessed what Fang Ci’s style would be. It might be different from his, but he hadn’t expected the difference to be so huge.
His life was based on minimalism. The fewer furnishings in his house, the better. He didn’t even have a coffee table. Each room had its own functional area, with a consistent black, white, and gray color scheme that exuded a sense of simplicity and technology, just like his definition of Zhuyun:
Making life simpler and simpler.
But Fang Ci was different. Even in the same simple white clothes, sitting on a white couch, he still looked exceptionally soft. What’s more, his own home was not just white.
The beige couch was draped with a ripple-patterned blanket, and a fluffy yellow rug was laid under the coffee table. Leaf-vein paintings hung on the wall, a small wine cabinet was in a corner, and a cloud-shaped lamp hung over the dining table. It wasn’t messy, but it made you feel full inside, especially when you came in from the cold in winter. The first glance was just warm.
In the room, Fang Ci’s rustling sounds were like a little hamster. He Chi leaned against the bedroom door and saw him trying to stuff another down jacket into his suitcase. He stopped him and said, “You don’t need to bring so many. Just buy a new one.”
Fang Ci stopped. “This one’s also new.”
He Chi: “Did you buy it?”
Fang Ci blinked. “My dad bought it for me.”
He Chi: “Mm. I didn’t buy it, so it doesn’t count.”
It was so serious, so direct to the heart. Fang Ci tried his best not to laugh out loud, and he squeezed out an “Oh,” putting the jacket back obediently.
He Chi’s gaze went past him and landed on the figurine and the photo frame on the desk. He Chi had never seen the figurine before. This was also his first time seeing the family of three in the photo frame.
When Fang Ci finished tidying up and stood up, he noticed He Chi’s gaze and picked up the photo to show him. “My parents. They’re both teachers.”
He Chi looked at it for a moment and said, “You look a lot like your mother.”
Fang Ci smiled. “Right? Everyone in my family says that.”
The word “mother” moved He Chi’s heart.
Fang Ci pushed his luggage out the door. He Chi watched the bedroom go dark again and asked him, “Aren’t you taking the figurine and the photo?”
“Huh?” Fang Ci turned around. “Can I?”
He Chi went over and took both items out. “Take them home.”
Fang Ci’s heart instantly melted.
…
A New Home
The two of them got back into the car.
Outside the window, the moon and stars were already in the sky. The streetlights passed them by. The car left Fang Ci’s neighborhood and headed towards another home. Fang Ci suddenly had the feeling of “going home.” For some reason, this feeling was particularly clear today.
Before, he couldn’t have said it. They were just living together. But now it felt like his own familiar home.
They were still a few kilometers from their destination, but He Chi didn’t take the usual route. Instead, he made a turn and drove to a large warehouse-style supermarket nearby. This supermarket was in a high-end residential area and was membership-only. To make things easy, Fang Ci didn’t usually come here for groceries.
“Do we need to buy something?” Fang Ci asked.
He Chi seemed to be considering his words. “If we were to redecorate the house, what would you like to add?”
Fang Ci was confused. “Why would we redecorate?”
He Chi seemed to have no idea how to reply, so he just said, “The house is for both of us. You can do what you want with it.”
Fang Ci didn’t know why He Chi would think of this and bring him here. Since this morning, or even last night, his heart had been floating in an incredible, even a little bewildered, whirlwind.
He Chi, on the other hand, was like a tree, silently growing on the ground, quietly catching him and surrounding him with his strong protection.
The marriage agreement can be amended at any time, and the house can be decorated however you want…
He hadn’t done anything earth-shattering, but it was resonating loudly in Fang Ci’s heart.
He felt like a failure. Hearing those words, his nose actually started to sting.
What the heck? Has Teacher He really never been in a relationship?
“Let’s go.” He Chi held out his scarf and hat for him. Fang Ci said, “Mm,” and got out of the car, following him.
They walked side by side in the night. Fang Ci looked up at the man beside him.
“What’s wrong?” He Chi noticed his gaze and asked.
Fang Ci smiled and shook his head.
He Chi couldn’t remember the last time he had gone to a supermarket. As far as he could remember, he had never gone with his family. He watched as Fang Ci skillfully grabbed a shopping cart, asked an employee for directions, and walked straight to the third floor.
“Hurry up,” Fang Ci called out to him.
“Help me push this,” he said, handing the cart to him.
He Chi had already taken off his long down jacket. He was still wearing a long wool coat underneath. Even in this setting, he looked like he was walking a runway. The shopping cart had become a fashionable accessory. It didn’t look out of place; it looked unique.
Cool and expressionless, yet he followed closely behind. If Fang Ci couldn’t reach something, he would step in. With a long arm, he would grab it. The warehouse shelves were tall and plentiful, but the two of them worked together seamlessly, quickly filling half of the cart.
He Chi noticed that Fang Ci was already familiar with the routes and locations and had even made a list in his phone’s notepad. He knew exactly where to go back to find items.
“Let’s get a rug for the living room. What color do you think would be good?” Fang Ci didn’t plan to buy large furniture. He could order a coffee table and chairs online. He could pick out things he could take with him first.
He Chi said, “Yellow.”
“What about a sofa cover? A knitted one for winter and we can change it to a thin one in the summer.”
He Chi said, “Beige is good.”
Fang Ci nodded, checking his list and looking for the shelves.
They bought soft furnishings like blankets and cushions and then went to the food and fresh produce section. This supermarket’s food section was huge, about two or three times the size of a regular supermarket. Fang Ci hadn’t planned on buying ingredients but couldn’t help himself.
He first went to the cod section and bought He Chi’s favorite ingredients. As he was packing, he looked back and didn’t see He Chi. He wasn’t in a hurry. He carried the bag and looked around, finding him in the shrimp section.
He Chi was on the phone. In front of him was a bag of crawfish tails. He said, “Hold on,” to the person on the other end, and put all the bags on the table into the cart.
Fang Ci was afraid he was busy, so he automatically took over the cart, but He Chi shook his head. He didn’t let go and pushed it forward with one hand.
Fang Ci felt that He Chi was especially charming in that moment.
He had seen him command attention and he had seen him be serious and focused in the office. Now he was seeing the most ordinary side of him, but it was the most touching.
His heart was swelling. He couldn’t say a word. All the way to the checkout, he didn’t make a sound.
He Chi was always busy, but his work was different from his employees. He was either in meetings or on the phone dealing with all sorts of problems. He hadn’t been idle this whole time, and three calls had already come in, but he didn’t show any signs of annoyance, and his hands were still busy.
Finally, he hung up the phone. He noticed Fang Ci’s unusual silence and turned to him and said, “My apologies.”
Fang Ci smiled. “You just do your thing. The more business the company has, the better our prospects are. It means our salaries are secure.”
He Chi had a faint smile in his eyes.
Fang Ci saw that he was already at the checkout, taking things out of the cart. He hesitated whether to pay, thinking it might seem too formal, and finally decided against it. He could “return the favor” with a few home-cooked meals.
With He Chi’s movements, he finally seemed to notice the colors of the blankets.
The tide that had just been suppressed surged up from the corners again.
“Sir, do you need anything else?” the clerk asked politely.
He Chi turned to ask Fang Ci. Their eyes met, and there was a moment of silence. Fang Ci licked his dry lips and lowered his eyes.
“No, thank you,” He Chi said to the clerk.
“Okay.”
They left the checkout counter. He Chi suddenly stopped. Fang Ci heard him say,
“We can kiss when we get home. There are too many people here.”
“!”
Fang Ci’s face was so hot he could have steamed shrimp. He didn’t say a word to He Chi all the way home.
What? He hadn’t said he wanted to kiss him. He hadn’t! Fang Ci watched the window and repeated it in his mind.
When they opened the door, Qiumiu ran up and sniffed the bags. With its soft paws, it patted the bags, looking left and right. Fang Ci picked it up and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, I didn’t buy anything for you.”
Qiumiu seemed to understand and started struggling in Fang Ci’s hands, its cat face full of unhappiness.
Fang Ci laughed, taking a bag of dried fish from one of the bags. “Ta-da! What’s this? Is this a treat for a certain cat?”
Qiumiu’s meow changed to a soft, pleading sound.
Fang Ci couldn’t stop laughing. He put two pieces in its food bowl before going to sort out the other things.
The blankets wouldn’t take long to dry clean. Because the material was so good, they felt soft and smooth to the touch. He took them out with the intention of getting to work right away. He quickly tidied up the living room and ordered a coffee table and new light fixtures online.
With a little more color, the living room finally didn’t look like a conference room anymore. Fang Ci collapsed onto the couch.
He had also bought a small, detachable calendar decoration. Since it was detachable, it needed to be assembled. He sat up again and looked at the instructions.
“Are you sleepy?” He Chi handed him a glass of water.
Fang Ci stared at the instructions. “Not sleepy. I want to get all these things in their places. I probably won’t feel like moving tomorrow.”
He had assembled a computer and taken apart a phone in college. A small decoration was nothing. He Chi watched him disassemble and assemble it.
“Does it look good?” Fang Ci held it up for him to see.
He Chi nodded, but he only glanced at it before his eyes slid down to Fang Ci’s lips, which had a few drops of water on them.
Fang Ci correctly set the date. From now on, the numbers would automatically display. He was satisfied and placed the calendar on the small table.
“Okay, time for bed.” Fang Ci was about to get up.
He Chi suddenly pulled him back.
“Is there something you haven’t done yet?”
Fang Ci looked around. The food was in the fridge, the blankets were spread out, and he had already taken a shower. For a moment, he was confused. “What?”
He Chi just stared into his eyes.
It was very strange, but Fang Ci understood in an instant. Oh my god, he won’t let me live. This kind of serious, enticing attack, who could resist?
He pursed his lips again.
He Chi asked him, “Do you want to?”
Do you want to kiss?
Fang Ci’s hands and feet wanted to curl up. He suddenly chickened out, even though he had been quite bold before. He gently pushed him away. “Let’s go to sleep.”
But his wrist was held tight. He Chi’s eyes were deep. “Didn’t you want to just now?”
Why do we have to discuss this problem?! Fang Ci was like a little paper person who had been poked and set on fire. He was red all over. He didn’t want to show it too much, so he imitated He Chi, putting one hand in his pocket and trying hard to hold back. “Not really.”
“Whatever.”
He Chi raised an eyebrow. “Whatever?”
The room was so quiet they could hear each other’s heartbeats. Fang Ci felt like he was suffocating.
“Look up.” He Chi gave him a command.
Fang Ci looked at the person in front of him again. One second, two seconds… and then he was enveloped in the scent of mint, covering him completely.
His legs went weak, and he was about to fall when He Chi supported him. They tumbled onto the sofa, which was padded with the new cushions. He was caught in the fluff, and in He Chi’s lips and teeth.
He Chi was getting more skilled each time. How had he evolved? Did he automatically update like a system?
Fang Ci was amused by this thought, and He Chi’s movements made him a little bolder. He bit He Chi’s lip.
He Chi froze after this action. There was a moment of stillness that Fang Ci recognized as his thinking state. He Chi looked at his eyes, one hand pushing his stray bangs up, as if he wanted to see his whole face, and asked, “Are you okay with sexual activity within a marriage?”
There was no time to be shy. Fang Ci’s mouth moved faster than his brain. He heard himself say,
“Yes.”
He Chi picked him up.
Qiumiu jumped onto the sofa, its big eyes looking at them curiously.
He Chi said, “Let’s go somewhere else.”