TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 19

The next morning, Zhuang Yanyu woke up at his usual biological clock’s time.

As he tried to sit up straight, his movement was halted.

Looking down, he saw an arm draped across his waist.

It took a full minute for his groggy brain to recall the events of the previous night.

“I actually fell asleep?” Zhuang Yanyu mumbled to himself.

The arm over his waist was thicker than his own, strong and muscular but not overly so—just the right balance of strength and aesthetics.

Zhuang Yanyu thought back to the data he had collected on perfect body proportions, the most aesthetically pleasing muscle definitions, and so on.

From what he could tell, Wen Chenxi’s physique ticked all the boxes for an ideal build.

He glanced at his own arm, pinched it, and found it slightly soft.

“I need to start working out with A-Xi after this trip,” he decided silently.

Resolved, Zhuang Yanyu gently lifted the arm off his waist and placed it to the side.

That’s when he noticed his current position was a bit… odd.

His head was resting on Wen Chenxi’s shoulder, with the man’s breath lightly ruffling his hair.

The sensation tickled, bringing a faint itch to his scalp.

What puzzled Zhuang Yanyu the most was that he distinctly remembered falling asleep in his own bed. How had he ended up here?

Considering how small the hotel beds were, it wasn’t surprising that Wen Chenxi had held onto him tightly throughout the night.

“I went too far,” Zhuang Yanyu muttered, feeling guilty for having hogged his brother’s bed and forcing him to squeeze in all night.

As he carefully tried to extricate himself from Wen Chenxi’s arms, his movements woke the latter.

Half-asleep, Wen Chenxi instinctively tightened his grip and pulled him back, pinning him in place once more.

Zhuang Yanyu, caught off guard, flailed slightly and reminded him in a muffled voice, “A-Xi, it’s me.”

Wen Chenxi paused, withdrawing the hand that had been resting on Zhuang Yanyu’s back.

Wen Chenxi: “What time is it?”

Zhuang Yanyu: “Seven.”

Wen Chenxi: “Mm.”

Zhuang Yanyu: “You can sleep a bit longer.”

Wen Chenxi didn’t go back to sleep. Instead, he got dressed and joined Zhuang Yanyu in washing up.

Zhuang Yanyu: “You’re not sleeping anymore?”

Wen Chenxi: “I’ll go with you to breakfast.”

After a moment’s thought, Zhuang Yanyu nodded. A nap could wait until after breakfast; food was more important.

Zhuang Yanyu: “Alright.”

It was still early, so the hotel’s breakfast hall was nearly empty.

As Zhuang Yanyu was about to pick a seat, a familiar voice called out to him: “Xiao Zhuang! Over here! Sit here!”

Following the voice, Zhuang Yanyu saw Manager Xu waving at him. The next moment, though, Manager Xu’s expression froze, his hand awkwardly retracting as his face filled with unease.

Manager Xu (internally): Holy crap! Who’s that next to Xiao Zhuang? Why does he look so much like President Wen?!

Zhuang Yanyu casually picked up a light breakfast and walked toward Manager Xu.

Since there weren’t many people, Manager Xu had taken up a four-person table. Zhuang Yanyu, ever the practical thinker, decided it would be wasteful to use another table. Sitting with a familiar face made sense; as more people came in, unoccupied tables would dwindle, forcing strangers to share space.

Once seated, Manager Xu still seemed rattled. “Xiao Zhuang, you scared me half to death just now. Do you know who I saw?”

Zhuang Yanyu: “Who?”

Lowering his voice, Manager Xu whispered, “I saw President Wen! He followed you into the hall! I thought he’d be staying at the five-star hotel next door, in a presidential suite.”

After all, staying in a presidential suite meant you didn’t have to fetch your own breakfast—a private butler handled it all!

Zhuang Yanyu was puzzled: “Why wouldn’t he stay here?”

Before he could finish his thought, the chair beside him scraped against the floor. Wen Chenxi placed his tray down and asked nonchalantly, “What are you talking about?”

Manager Xu choked on his tea. “Cough, cough, cough…”

He coughed so hard his face showed panic, prompting Zhuang Yanyu to hand him a few napkins. “Are you okay?”

Not at all! Not even a little!

Manager Xu covered his mouth with the napkins, sneaking a glance at the big boss sitting calmly beside Zhuang Yanyu.

Yet President Wen seemed completely unbothered, sipping his warm water with no regard for the scene.

Manager Xu eventually managed to stop coughing, though he looked a bit dazed.

Why is President Wen sitting with us?!

Neither he nor Xiao Zhuang were close to him!

But wait… President Wen followed Xiao Zhuang into the hall.

Manager Xu’s eyes widened. Had he overlooked something?

Xiao Zhuang rode in President Wen’s car to the airport, sat next to him in the front row on the plane, and came to the hotel in the same car.

Could it be that Xiao Zhuang and President Wen…?

Manager Xu was still processing this when Wen Chenxi spoke again: “Where are we meeting with the Harbor Group representatives?”

Manager Xu instinctively replied, “Good morning, President Wen. The meeting is at their office, which is nearby. We’ll leave at 9:30.”

Wen Chenxi: “Mm. Is everything prepared?”

Manager Xu: “Yes… At 8:30, we’ll have a pre-meeting to review the details and organize all the materials.”

Wen Chenxi nodded, saying nothing more, and didn’t speak to Zhuang Yanyu either.

Manager Xu stole another cautious glance at the two.

Neither of them said a word, leaving him wondering if he’d overthought things.

Perhaps President Wen was just checking in on the project.

And as the project’s core figure—Xiao Zhuang!—it wasn’t odd for President Wen to ask about preparations.

Unaware of Manager Xu’s thoughts, Zhuang Yanyu focused entirely on his meal. He was never one to chat while eating, preferring to chew and swallow slowly, savoring each bite.

While others might finish in a few minutes, Zhuang Yanyu consistently spent 20 minutes on meals, no matter the location.

Seeming to sense Manager Xu’s discomfort, Wen Chenxi left after finishing his breakfast. He spoke to Zhuang Yanyu briefly in a low voice before heading back to his room.

As soon as Wen Chenxi left, Manager Xu exhaled in relief, slumping against his chair.

His reaction was so obvious that Zhuang Yanyu, halfway through his meal, glanced at him curiously.

Manager Xu gave a weak laugh. “Hahaha, it’s nothing. I was just nervous…”

Zhuang Yanyu, having just finished chewing, responded calmly, “Nervous about what?”

Manager Xu: “That’s President Wen! Aren’t you nervous around him?”

“Why would I be?”

Manager Xu stared into Zhuang Yanyu’s clear, earnest eyes, genuinely puzzled by the question.

He quickly realized it made sense. Xiao Zhuang was always like this. Even when their department manager spoke to him, his expression never wavered.

So perhaps… he had indeed been overthinking things?

Manager Xu chuckled awkwardly to himself. “I guess it’s just me! I’ve always found people in high positions intimidating. They’re so commanding…”

His voice trailed off as he thought, And to think, I almost assumed… something unspeakable.

The last sentence went unsaid; it would have been embarrassing to voice it.

Outside of matters concerning his close friends, Zhuang Yanyu rarely exhibited curiosity. Since Manager Xu didn’t explain, he didn’t ask.

After breakfast, they returned to their rooms to pack up, finishing just in time for the 8:30 meeting. Using the hotel’s conference room, the team discussed the detailed process and collaboration arrangements. By 9:30, they set off together for Harbor Group.

City H had emerged as a rising domestic tourist destination in recent years. Surrounded by the sea on three sides, it currently boasted one major pier and two smaller ones for docking. However, as tourism continued to flourish, the piers were overburdened daily with cargo and passenger transport.

Thus, the provincial capital made a decisive move to include City H in its urban development plans. They proposed constructing a super-large container freight port and a high-capacity passenger terminal. The goal was to position City H as a key maritime hub, requiring cutting-edge facilities with immense capacity.

Advanced automated ports, however, rely heavily on high-tech solutions. As the primary contractor for the project, Harbor Group had to collaborate with other companies since they specialized in construction and lacked high-tech expertise.

Azure Technologies, armed with the most advanced technology available, entered the scene. The two companies hit it off immediately, with discussions going smoothly and both sides expressing strong enthusiasm for the partnership.

After wrapping up the meeting, Harbor Group, acting as the host, courteously treated them to lunch. In the afternoon, they were taken to visit the site designated for the new port’s construction. Following that, the hosts offered a local sightseeing tour, and the afternoon quickly slipped away.

After dinner, the hosts, led by Deputy General Manager Zhang and his assistant, brought the group to a well-known local KTV. They booked a large private room.

Deputy Zhang, in high spirits, opened several bottles of aged wine. “Mr. Chen, Engineer Zhuang, Engineer Wang… Here’s to us! From now on, we’re colleagues. Let’s toast to a great partnership!”

In business, drinking was unavoidable. Chen Kang and Manager Xu were already used to it and clinked glasses confidently, downing their drinks in one go.

Only Zhuang Yanyu hesitated, holding his glass of red wine uncertainly.

He had never had alcohol before.

He had considered trying it once at Wen Chenxi’s house, but in the end, Wen Chenxi had stopped him.

Deputy Zhang, aware that all the automation programming had been done by the young engineer, treated him with respect despite his youth. “Engineer Zhuang, if you’re not a drinker, just this one glass will do. After that, I won’t press you. We’re not the type to force anyone to drink—just a gesture of goodwill is enough. What do you say?”

Hearing this, and feeling curious about what alcohol tastes like, Zhuang Yanyu decided to give it a try. He downed the glass in one go.

The wine tasted slightly bitter at first, followed by a faint sweetness. It wasn’t particularly enjoyable, and Zhuang Yanyu didn’t quite understand why so many people liked drinking.

Deputy Zhang clapped his hands in delight. “Well done! Don’t be fooled by Engineer Zhuang’s youth—he’s straightforward and bold!”

Manager Xu, concerned, asked, “Xiao Zhuang, have you ever drunk before?”

Zhuang Yanyu shook his head. “No.”

Manager Xu advised, “If you’ve never drunk before, better not drink any more. I’ll order some juice for you.”

Zhuang Yanyu: “Thank you.”

When the juice arrived, however, he didn’t drink it. Instead, he sat there staring off into space, seemingly lost in thought.

While the others chatted, drank, and envisioned the future, he remained in a daze.

As a core member of the project, Deputy Zhang couldn’t let him stay bored, so he approached to start a conversation. But Zhuang Yanyu didn’t respond, staring fixedly at the wall.

Manager Xu, noticing, exclaimed, “Oh no! Has Xiao Zhuang gotten drunk?”

Deputy Zhang: “That’s unlikely—he only had one glass.”

“But he just said he’s never had alcohol before.” Manager Xu patted Zhuang Yanyu on the shoulder. “Xiao Zhuang, are you drunk?”

Slowly, Zhuang Yanyu turned his head, staring at Manager Xu for a few seconds before speaking deliberately: “Have you mastered cloning techniques?”

Manager Xu: “…”

Deputy Zhang, embarrassed, muttered, “He’s definitely drunk…”

Frowning, Zhuang Yanyu asked seriously, “How did you learn it?”

This wasn’t some cultivation world, after all.

The group didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Manager Xu, ever the caretaker, quickly said to Deputy Zhang, “Deputy Zhang, let’s call it a night. It’s his first time drinking, and he might feel unwell. Better let him rest.”

Deputy Zhang waved it off. “Sure, sure. Tomorrow, I’ll treat you all to our local specialties.”

And so, the group disbanded.

The KTV wasn’t far from their hotel, so Manager Xu suggested walking back, giving Zhuang Yanyu time to sober up. Everyone agreed.

About 800 meters into their walk, they passed a construction site. Suddenly, Zhuang Yanyu veered off and headed straight toward the site.

“Xiao Zhuang!”

They couldn’t stop him and could only watch as he ran to the edge of the site and grabbed hold of some rebar sticking out.

Chen Kang shouted, “Xiao Zhuang, what are you doing?”

With a hazy expression but a serious tone, Zhuang Yanyu said, “Take it back.”

“Take what back?”

Zhuang Yanyu pointed at the rebar. “This.”

The group exchanged baffled glances. Take rebar back? 

Zhuang Yanyu explained, “My brother wants this.”

The group was even more confused. What kind of brother asks for rebar?

Ignoring their bewilderment, Zhuang Yanyu began trying to pull the rebar out of the ground. However, it was embedded in cement and wouldn’t budge.

Frustrated, he mumbled, “It won’t come out. I can’t pull it out.”

The group stared at him in disbelief.  

—  

Author’s Note: 

PS—  

Drunk Fishy: For my brother, I would climb a mountain of knives or walk through a sea of fire, and this is just a piece of rebar!

Wen Chenxi, unjustly criticized: … I appreciate the sentiment, thank you.

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