TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 23

Why?

Xiao Zhuang actually asked why!

Chen Kang, a bit exasperated, said: “How can you be this clueless? Think about it—would a normal person say such strange things? Your brother… probably doesn’t have pure intentions.”

Zhuang Yanyu frowned. He wasn’t happy that someone was calling his brother “not normal.”

But he knew that Chen Kang meant well. He pursed his lips slightly and asked, “What do you mean by not pure?”

Seeing that Zhuang Yanyu hadn’t considered the possibility of other interpretations, Chen Kang hesitated. Should he explain things too clearly?

Some things, once said, would be like opening the door to a new world.

For example, if he told Zhuang Yanyu that his brother might not be straight, and might even have feelings for him…

From then on, Zhuang Yanyu would start wondering about the difference between straight men and gay men, and he might begin paying attention to that group.

The more he paid attention, the more likely he might turn…!

It would be better not to tell him at all. If he didn’t understand the world of gays, then no matter how any man tried to pursue him, Zhuang Yanyu would just see them as brothers. That would make it easier for the other man to give up.

Chen Kang looked at this young man, who was about the same age as his son, and didn’t want him to be tricked by someone.

After some hesitation, Chen Kang said vaguely: “Anyway, stay away from him in the future. He… might be deep-thinking, and also…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Zhuang Yanyu suddenly realized something. He turned to Chen Kang and said: “Mr. Chen, please wait a moment.”

He took out his phone, looked at the call that hadn’t been ended, and brought it to his mouth. “Ah Xi, I’m going to hang up for a moment. Call me when you arrive.”

This was the first time Zhuang Yanyu didn’t wait for Wen Chenxi to reply before hanging up.

After ending the call, Zhuang Yanyu looked at Chen Kang with a serious expression: “Alright, the call is ended. Mr. Chen, you can continue.”

Chen Kang: “…”

Chen Kang stood there, stunned for a moment, and then asked: “You… you didn’t hang up the call just now?”

Zhuang Yanyu, who only realized it afterward, said with slight embarrassment: “Sorry, I forgot.”

Chen Kang asked: “Then the person you were talking to was…?”

Zhuang Yanyu: “It was my brother.”

Chen Kang: “…”

He, a high-ranking executive at a major company, was talking behind someone’s back, trying to convince their good friend to stay away from the person, and it was actually heard by the person involved!

Chen Kang was stunned for a while, then said: “You said your brother would pick you up…”

Zhuang Yanyu: “Yeah, it’s him.”

After a pause, Zhuang Yanyu said seriously: “Sorry, I really forgot.”

Chen Kang: “It’s… it’s fine… I’ll leave now. Let Old Xu stay with you…”

He was afraid that when the other person arrived, they would beat him up.

Chen Kang adjusted his belt, hoisting his hundred-kilogram belly up a little, feeling like he really couldn’t take a beating.

However, just as he was about to turn around and head upstairs to the private room, a black car slowly pulled up at the restaurant entrance.

The car’s headlights shone on the restaurant’s front door, and it turned on its hazard lights, with the yellow lights blinking intermittently.

The car door opened, and a tall, long-legged man stepped out, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit.

The man walked toward the restaurant’s main door.

He was very tall, and the headlights were shining behind him, making it difficult to see his face clearly due to the backlighting.

But as he walked toward them, he carried an aura that was hard to ignore. With every step he took, it made people instinctively feel a slight thud in their hearts.

Of course, this “feeling” was only experienced by Chen Kang.

Chen Kang thought to himself: No way, did Xiao Zhuang’s friend arrive this quickly?

He looked more carefully. Wait, this figure looks familiar.

While Chen Kang was still trying to figure out who this person was and why he felt so familiar…

Zhuang Yanyu, standing beside him, brightened up, his voice filled with joy: “Ah Xi, you’re here.”

Zhuang Yanyu had long memorized his good friend’s physical features and measurements. Even with the backlight, just from the figure, he immediately recognized who it was.

The man, with his long legs, finally approached. The restaurant’s lights on the side illuminated his face.

It was Wen Chenxi.

Chen Kang and Supervisor Xu both inhaled sharply.

“Wen… Wen Zong!”

Wen Chenxi still had his phone in hand, showing the call record from the call Zhuang Yanyu had just ended.

Wen Chenxi glanced at Chen Kang, then his gaze landed on Zhuang Yanyu, and he asked, “Have you been waiting long?”

Zhuang Yanyu didn’t look at the phone, but he calculated for a moment, then replied affirmatively, “Just fifteen minutes.”

In reality, he had been 36 seconds late.

But Zhuang Yanyu, being the good brother, rounded down the time.

Wen Chenxi nodded and then put his phone in his pocket. He looked at Chen Kang with a calm gaze, his eyes hidden behind his glasses.

His expression was calm, and there was nothing unusual about his demeanor. But for some reason, Chen Kang couldn’t shake off a faint chill coming from the calm exterior.

Supervisor Xu, standing next to Chen Kang, was also affected. He found himself in an awkward position—neither able to walk forward nor retreat. In the end, he awkwardly said, “Uh… what a coincidence, Wen Zong, you’re also here for dinner…”

Wen Chenxi replied flatly, “It’s no coincidence, I’m here to find Xiao Yu.”

Supervisor Xu, trying to convince himself that it was just a coincidence: “…”

Alright, he figured he should just shut up.

Chen Kang looked even more confused than before.

He glanced at Zhuang Yanyu, then at Wen Chenxi.

Gradually, pieces of their trip from City A to here came together in his mind, and he realized these two had been inseparable the entire time.

At first, everyone thought that Wen Zong was impressed with Zhuang Yanyu’s capabilities. But it turned out…

Chen Kang tried to make one last effort, asking Zhuang Yanyu, “The good friend you were talking about is… Wen Zong?”

“Yes.” Zhuang Yanyu said, somewhat puzzled, “Didn’t I tell you guys?”

Chen Kang, Supervisor Xu: “…”

When did you tell us?

But thinking about it, during the entire trip here, Wen Chenxi had indeed been with Zhuang Yanyu the whole time.

He had been very open about it, and it was just that they hadn’t dared to think too much!

Not long ago, he had told Xiao Zhuang to stay away from their boss, saying that their boss wasn’t exactly normal.

Chen Kang: Alright, I’ll be handing in my resignation tomorrow.

Wen Chenxi, feigning ignorance, asked: “What were you two just talking about? Were you talking about me?”

Chen Kang weakly smiled, adjusting his large belly, and said, “Actually, we were talking about a misunderstanding.”

Wen Chenxi: “Oh? What misunderstanding?”

Chen Kang kindly looked at Zhuang Yanyu: “Xiao Zhuang, it was my misunderstanding. I thought… well, I thought you were deceived by someone. That’s why I said what I said earlier. But now that I know your friend is Wen Zong, I feel reassured! Everyone knows what kind of person Wen Zong is, right?”

Zhuang Yanyu naturally thought his friend was great in every way: “Of course, Ah Xi is a great guy.”

Chen Kang grabbed Supervisor Xu’s hand. “Well, since Wen Zong is here, we’ll head upstairs first. Vice President Zhang from Haigang Group is still waiting for us.”

Wen Chenxi glanced at Chen Kang. If it weren’t for needing to eat with Zhuang Yanyu later, Wen Chenxi might have stayed behind to have a chat with him.

With a look of indifference, Wen Chenxi said, “Go ahead.”

Chen Kang felt like he had been pardoned, quickly pulling Supervisor Xu away.

Once Zhuang Yanyu got into the car with Wen Chenxi, Wen Chenxi’s phone buzzed with multiple new messages.

[Chen Kang: “Bitter Jpg” image]

[Chen Kang: Boss, I really didn’t know it was you.”]

[Chen Kang: I don’t need to write a resignation letter, right?]

Wen Chenxi scoffed but didn’t reply. He simply put the car into gear and drove off.

He had planned to have dinner alone with Zhuang Yanyu tonight and hadn’t brought his assistant, so he was driving himself.

Zhuang Yanyu’s WeChat was also going off frequently.

Wen Chenxi didn’t need to guess; he knew it was likely Supervisor Xu sending the messages.

And as expected, all the messages were from Supervisor Xu.

[Supervisor Xu: Xiao Zhuang! How do you know our boss?]

[Supervisor Xu: You must know who he is, right? He didn’t purposely hide his identity to get close to you, did he?]

[Supervisor Xu: Oh, right, I’m being stupid, we were on a business trip together, and the company has a profile. How could you not know?]

[Supervisor Xu: “Tonight… you almost scared the life out of me!”]

Zhuang Yanyu was about to reply.

[Supervisor Xu: “Oh, right, right, you’re with Wen Zong now.”]

[Supervisor Xu: “No need to reply! We’ll talk more when you get back.”]

Zhuang Yanyu sighed and silently closed the WeChat app.

Wen Chenxi glanced at him for a moment, then quickly looked away, focusing on driving. He asked, “Is that from Supervisor Xu?”

Zhuang Yanyu replied, “Mm-hmm.”

Wen Chenxi was silent for two seconds, then asked in a low voice, “Would it cause you any trouble if they found out about our relationship?”

After all, Zhuang Yanyu was still just an ordinary employee with a simple family background. It wasn’t very likely for someone like him to know Wen Chenxi.

But they did know each other. In the eyes of some people with ulterior motives, that might lead to rumors or gossip.

But Zhuang Yanyu, to Wen Chenxi’s surprise, answered with a question of his own: “What kind of trouble would that cause me?”

Wen Chenxi tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. “They might say some unpleasant things.”

“But I actually want everyone to know that you’re my good brother,” Zhuang Yanyu calmly pointed out. “People who want to gossip will always talk. Because of them, should I hide you?”

Wen Chenxi sighed, staring at the road ahead lit by the car’s headlights. He muttered, “I’d actually prefer it if you hid me.”

Zhuang Yanyu didn’t quite hear him, so he tilted his head, looking at Wen Chenxi as if he wanted to ask what he had just said.

Wen Chenxi rolled the window down slightly, letting the wind rush in, and it blew away whatever words Zhuang Yanyu was about to say.

The night in H City wasn’t as lively as in A City. The city’s night lights were sparse, and only the streetlights along the roads formed a line.

Being by the sea, the wind carried the faint scent of sea salt, and the fishing boats along the coast were lined up, their little lights dotting the shoreline, lighting up small patches of the coast.

Zhuang Yanyu gazed out at the coastline through the window. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something. He glanced at Wen Chenxi quietly, as if hesitating to speak.

Noticing this, Wen Chenxi rolled the window up a little to reduce the wind before asking, “What were you going to say?”

Zhuang Yanyu looked at him, pressed his lips together, and said, “Supervisor Xu said… that after I got drunk, I brought back a steel rebar.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Chenxi smiled faintly, his lips curving up. “It’s true. You left it on the bed and even covered it with a blanket for him.”

Zhuang Yanyu couldn’t shake the awkwardness, so he lightly knocked his head against the car window, his tone tinged with annoyance. “It’s a bit embarrassing.”

Wen Chenxi, seeing this, slowed the car down a bit and reached over to gently pull him back. “How could it be embarrassing? I’m actually really touched.”

Zhuang Yanyu looked up at him in confusion. “Touched by what?”

Wen Chenxi brushed Zhuang Yanyu’s slightly messed-up hair, speaking softly, “Xiao Yu, even when you were drunk, you remembered my wish. I’m really touched.”

Zhuang Yanyu naturally responded, “I just have a good memory.”

After a pause, he added, “There’s no need to be touched by that.”

Wen Chenxi nodded. “Alright, then. What do you want to eat tonight?”

Zhuang Yanyu wasn’t very particular about food and usually stuck to light, healthy meals. He thought for a moment and said, “What do you want to eat? I’ll go with you.”

Wen Chenxi said, “Alright.”

Wen Chenxi chose a well-known local restaurant that specialized in H City’s distinctive cuisine. They had some lighter dishes that suited Zhuang Yanyu’s tastes perfectly.

After the meal, the restaurant served a bowl of ice slush for two.

In the middle of summer, after a hearty meal, everyone was sweating a lot. Eating a bowl of ice slush at that moment could cool you down from the inside out.

H City, being a tropical city, became a haven for ice slush and cold drinks at night.

Seeing that Zhuang Yanyu was also sweating a lot, Wen Chenxi pushed the ice slush toward him. “Try it. It’ll cool you down and quench your thirst.”

Zhuang Yanyu looked at the bowl of ice slush but didn’t touch it. Instead, he said to Wen Chenxi, “Most people misunderstand that ice helps with thirst in the summer.”

Wen Chenxi raised an eyebrow.

Zhuang Yanyu, worried Wen Chenxi might not understand, continued to explain, “Drinking ice water can temporarily lower our body temperature, but it also accelerates blood circulation, which in turn raises our body temperature again. After a while, we end up feeling even hotter and thirstier. Also, ice slush isn’t very healthy. It can cause gastrointestinal problems. The most important thing is, you never know if the tools and water used to make it are clean. Anyway, it’s best not to eat ice in the summer. Drinking warm water is the healthiest and most thirst-quenching… hmm.”

Before he could finish, a spoonful of ice slush was suddenly fed into his mouth.

Zhuang Yanyu paused.

The sweet ice slush melted in his mouth like ice cream, and the cold sensation immediately made him feel much cooler.

Forget whether it was scientifically proven or not, but at this moment, he definitely felt less hot.

And… it was sweet.

Sweet food is known to stimulate dopamine release, which makes people feel happier.

Zhuang Yanyu moved his mouth and glanced at Wen Chenxi.

Wen Chenxi, with a hint of a smile in his eyes behind his glasses, asked, “Still hot?”

Zhuang Yanyu obediently replied, “Much better.”

“You’ve sweated a lot. I wanted to help you cool down.” Wen Chenxi asked again, “Is it good?”

Zhuang Yanyu paused for a moment, then had to admit, “It’s good.”

Wen Chenxi put his spoon down and said, “If you’re not feeling so hot anymore, how about we take a walk by the beach and enjoy the breeze?”

Zhuang Yanyu nodded. “Sure.”

Wen Chenxi signaled for the waiter to bring the check.

After settling the bill and preparing to leave, Wen Chenxi glanced down and saw that Zhuang Yanyu hadn’t moved from his seat.

Wen Chenxi: “Do you want to sit for a while longer?”

Zhuang Yanyu’s gaze unconsciously fell on the bowl of ice slush he had only taken one bite of.

Wen Chenxi followed his line of sight and saw the ice slush.

The slush was mango-flavored, topped with finely shaved snow, like pure white snowflakes falling on a bright, golden mountain peak—exquisite and visually appealing, making one’s appetite stir.

Wen Chenxi raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

“Actually… it’s not that you can’t eat ice in the summer,” Zhuang Yanyu’s voice suddenly became a little evasive. “Scientific studies show that having ice once in a while doesn’t harm the body.”

Wen Chenxi stifled a laugh.

Zhuang Yanyu, feeling a bit guilty, added, “We can’t waste food, right?”

Wen Chenxi couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore. He thought about how seriously Zhuang Yanyu had just explained that you shouldn’t eat ice in the summer, like a little fish giving a lecture, then looked at him now—suddenly acting so eager to eat the ice slush. The contrast was so obvious.

Wen Chenxi’s cold, stern expression softened like the melting slush, a light breeze blowing, mixed with the sound of his deep, pleasant laughter.

Zhuang Yanyu felt inexplicably embarrassed and lowered his head, his ears turning red.

After a while, Wen Chenxi finally stopped laughing, sat back down, and pushed the ice slush toward him, saying in a serious tone, “Yes, you’re right. We shouldn’t waste food, and we don’t eat it every day, so it won’t affect the body.”

Zhuang Yanyu generously said, “Let’s each have half.”

Good things should be shared with good friends.

Wen Chenxi nodded. “Alright, you go ahead. After you’re done, I’ll have the rest.”

Zhuang Yanyu immediately lowered his head and started eating.

Ice slush, unlike normal food, doesn’t need chewing—it melts in your mouth as soon as it touches.

Zhuang Yanyu could clearly feel the temperature rise in his mouth as the ice slush slowly melted, surrounded by his body heat.

Human body temperature is really strange—this is something he couldn’t experience as a system.

He could distinctly feel the temperature change inside his mouth, as it was gradually being assimilated by his body.

This sensation, oddly enough, made Zhuang Yanyu, who had once been a cold chip, feel somewhat addicted.

So this is how human body temperature works—it’s incredibly fascinating and hard to resist.

But Zhuang Yanyu still remembered that he was supposed to share half with his friend. So when there was only half left, he stopped eating.

Wen Chenxi wasn’t shy either. He took the spoon that Zhuang Yanyu had used and started eating.

At first, he was worried that Zhuang Yanyu might not be able to stop once he started eating and might end up consuming too much. But the little fish was very disciplined.

Zhuang Yanyu was a little taken aback. “That’s my spoon.”

Wen Chenxi casually replied, “It’s fine.”

Zhuang Yanyu blinked. “Oh.”

Wen Chenxi noticed that Zhuang Yanyu accepted the situation quickly without thinking there was anything strange about it. Meanwhile, the sweet ice slush in his mouth had turned sour.

Ah, maybe the steel bar bent, but this fish is still straight.

After finishing the ice slush, the two of them walked by the sea for half an hour before heading back to the hotel room.

Wen Chenxi observed Zhuang Yanyu closely. Even though it was Zhuang Yanyu’s first time eating ice, he seemed fine. There were no signs of discomfort.

By the time they actually went to sleep, it was already past 11 o’clock.

Before turning off the lights, Zhuang Yanyu couldn’t believe the time on his phone. He checked again to confirm it was indeed 11.

Zhuang Yanyu sighed softly. “The human body really adapts quickly.”

The two beds were still side by side. Since they were so close, Wen Chenxi overheard Zhuang Yanyu’s words and couldn’t help but smile. “Why this sudden remark?”

Zhuang Yanyu quickly mumbled, “I just find it strange that I’m not that tired right now.”

Before, he had to eat at 6:30, study at 8:00, and go to bed by 10:15.

But now, just after a few days on a business trip, all those habits had vanished.

Wen Chenxi smiled. “It takes at least 21 days to develop a good habit, but a bad one can form in just one day.”

Azure Technology had conducted a survey regarding mobile phones.

In today’s world, countless people were grappling with the same issue: they spent a month trying to go to bed early and wake up early, but if they stayed up late just once, they’d immediately slip back into the habit of staying up late.

Wen Chenxi poked his dimple. “Even if you’re not tired now, it’s still better to stick to the old habit of going to bed early and waking up early. It’s better for your health.”

Zhuang Yanyu replied, “I know.”

Zhuang Yanyu was always someone who practiced what he preached when it came to health. He pulled the blanket over himself and muttered, “Going to sleep.”

Wen Chenxi: “Mm, Xiao Yu, good night.”

Zhuang Yanyu: “Good night.”

–

The next day, Azure Technology once again sat down with Harbor Group in the conference room to discuss pricing.

This time, Zhuang Yanyu, who had been invisible in the past few days, became proactive.

Not only did he raise the quote by one point, but he also included a minimum guarantee in the agreement.

The people from Harbor Group were stunned.

Just yesterday, the price was this one, and now, after just one day, it had gone up. Shouldn’t the price go lower the more you negotiate? Why did it go up with him?

Vice President Zhang was so angry that he couldn’t contain himself. Even though Zhuang Yanyu was the core person in charge of the program, he could no longer hold back and, bypassing Zhuang Yanyu, spoke to Chen Kang. “Mr. Chen, we didn’t agree on this price yesterday, so how come it’s suddenly changed? This isn’t how business is done.”

Chen Kang calmly replied, “But didn’t you all reject the price yesterday?”

Vice President Zhang hurriedly responded, “We didn’t reject it. I said we needed to go back and discuss it with our boss before making a decision.”

Chen Kang remained calm. “Mm, we also discussed it with our superiors. They felt my price was too low, so we came up with today’s price.”

Vice President Zhang: “But we agreed on this price yesterday…”

At this point, Vice President Zhang was no longer focused on whether to bargain the price down. He was just hoping to bring it back to the price they had agreed on yesterday and was grateful if he could manage that.

Zhuang Yanyu interrupted him, “The contract hasn’t been signed, the deposit hasn’t been paid, and the agreement isn’t clear. Let’s not talk about whether anyone confirmed anything yesterday. Even if it was confirmed, I can change it whenever I want.”

Vice President Zhang forced a smile and said, “Engineer Zhuang, you’re just a systems engineer. You don’t understand the market, but you can ask Mr. Chen. The market is really tough right now…”

Zhuang Yanyu: “Oh.”

Yesterday, they said that as long as he told the company the cost could be lower, they would listen to him.

Now, they were saying he didn’t understand the market and that Mr. Chen needed to step in.

However, Chen Kang sat there silently, leisurely rubbing his big belly, looking like he was letting Zhuang Yanyu call the shots.

Seeing this, Vice President Zhang felt frustrated and puzzled.

What was going on with the people from Azure Technology?

Wasn’t Chen Kang supposed to be the head of the project?

Why did it look like Chen Kang was now deferring to Zhuang Yanyu?

What Vice President Zhang didn’t know was that since last night, when he discovered that Zhuang Yanyu’s best friend was their big boss, he no longer dared to oppose anything Zhuang Yanyu suggested.

What if this pricing was set by the boss himself?

Moreover, the price was being raised, not lowered, and it wouldn’t harm the company’s interests, so of course, he was more than happy to let Zhuang Yanyu take the lead.

This meeting ended on an unhappy note.

Another day passed.

Over at Harbor Group, they were speculating that perhaps the issue of a kickback discussed between Vice President Zhang and Zhuang Yanyu had upset Zhuang Yanyu, which was why he had raised the price.

So, Harbor Group told Vice President Zhang to step aside and sent another vice president to negotiate.

But Zhuang Yanyu remained firm, unwilling to accept any price changes.

Harbor Group was frustrated. They were the ones discussing the project, they were the client, and they were supposed to be the ones in charge, so why were Zhuang Yanyu and his team acting so tough?

They decided to let Zhuang Yanyu’s team cool their heels for a few days and even deliberately approached other tech companies that did systems engineering, pretending they were looking for other partners.

Seeing Harbor Group’s actions, one of the engineers accompanying them got anxious. “It looks like Harbor Group is negotiating with other companies. Do you think the deal is going to fall through?”

Chen Kang comforted him, “Don’t worry, just follow Xiao Zhuang. Whatever he says, we’ll do.”

The engineer was confused, “Wait, Mr. Chen, aren’t you the project leader?”

By the fourth day, Wen Chenxi had completed his work and was preparing to return to City A.

Zhuang Yanyu then told everyone, “We’re leaving too.”

Was that it? Just leaving?

Weren’t they going to try to salvage the cooperation?

Everyone felt uncertain, but seeing that Wen Chenxi wasn’t upset and had even booked them all first-class tickets, they secretly felt uneasy.

They all thought they had been busy for nothing and had wasted Mr. Wen’s money. As they were about to head to the airport, everyone’s mood was downcast.

Even Chen Kang and Supervisor Xu, who knew a bit more about the situation, started to worry.

Several times, they thought about asking Zhuang Yanyu if he really planned to give up on cooperating with Harbor Group. Was this what Mr. Wen meant?

Zhuang Yanyu noticed everyone’s disappointment but wasn’t the type to offer comfort. He could only look to Wen Chenxi for help with a pleading gaze.

Wen Chenxi scanned the group and slowly said, “Don’t forget where you’re from. If Azure Technology can’t give you confidence, then who can?”

Chen Kang cleared his throat and said, “Ah, these kids are just worried they’ll end up empty-handed…”

Wen Chenxi’s voice was calm as he replied, “The technology is in our hands, that’s our confidence. If you’re worried the deal will fall through, you should worry more about whether Xiao Yu is going to leave the company.”

Wen Chenxi lifted his eyes slightly, and under his frameless glasses, his gaze locked with Zhuang Yanyu’s. He smiled faintly, “After all, there are many potential partners, but there’s only one Xiao Yu. He’s the foundation of this project.”

Hearing this, everyone’s attention immediately shifted to Zhuang Yanyu, and they quickly surrounded him.

“What? Xiao Zhuang is thinking about quitting?”

“No, no! Brother Zhuang, please don’t leave!”

Zhuang Yanyu was used to being the center of attention but wasn’t accustomed to being surrounded by so many people. He suddenly felt a bit flustered. “I—I’m not leaving!”

Afraid they wouldn’t believe him, Zhuang Yanyu’s voice became more insistent, “Really!”

The team regained their confidence, no longer concerned about the cooperation with Harbor Group, and happily got into the car to head to the airport, preparing to return to City A.

On the way to the airport, Zhuang Yanyu, still worried that Wen Chenxi might not believe him, earnestly told him, “I’m not leaving. Wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be.”

Wen Chenxi looked at him intently, “Wherever I am, that’s where you’ll be?”

Zhuang Yanyu nodded. “Yes, I joined the company for you. If you weren’t at Azure Technology, I wouldn’t have even applied for the job.”

Wen Chenxi was genuinely surprised by this, “You came to the company for me?”

Zhuang Yanyu, embarrassed, nodded.

It turned out that before he transmigrated, he had only seen the profile of his best friend and was told to figure things out himself.

He had even said that his transmigration wasn’t about his friendship with Wen Chenxi but with someone else.

Looking back now, Zhuang Yanyu thought that this was indeed the case. He wasn’t inhabiting someone else’s body—this body was his reward for retiring.

If his resume had been too impressive, it would have attracted too much attention, and relationships would have been complicated.

That’s why his resume stated he had graduated from a regular university.

The more ordinary the background, the easier it was to blur the lines of relationships, keeping people in the “there’s someone with that name, but not really familiar with them” category.

Of course, once he transmigrated here, there was no turning back. Now, both he and his father were just ordinary people, capable of aging and dying like anyone else.

Wen Chenxi silently looked at the boy in front of him.

The boy’s eyes were truly beautiful, filled with the brightness of stars. His long, curled lashes resembled knights guarding those stars, long and dense, and his gaze beneath them was sincere and intense—an emotion that only existed for him.

This unique, exclusive feeling was just like the words he seemed eager to express at this moment—he was here for himself.

Wen Chenxi suddenly reached out and placed his hand over the boy’s eyes.

Zhuang Yanyu froze for a moment, startled by the sudden gesture, his body leaning back slightly until he was resting fully against the back of the seat.

He blinked, adjusting to the sudden darkness. “Ah Xi?”

Wen Chenxi felt the soft touch of the boy’s long lashes brushing against his palm, like gentle little feathers.

His voice was a little low and hoarse. “Don’t say things like that again.”

Zhuang Yanyu didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

Wen Chenxi repeated, “You came to the company for me.”

Zhuang Yanyu replied, “But that’s true.”

Wen Chenxi: “Even if it’s true, don’t say it again.”

Zhuang Yanyu: “Why?”

Wen Chenxi’s voice softened a little. “Because it makes me misunderstand.”

Even though he knew that wasn’t what Zhuang Yanyu meant, he still felt a stirring at those words.

Zhuang Yanyu: “?”

Misunderstand what?

He was just speaking the truth and not lying.

Wen Chenxi rubbed the boy’s head, then took his hand off his eyes.

Zhuang Yanyu blinked as the light returned and looked at Wen Chenxi sitting beside him.

Wen Chenxi, in front of him, rubbed his head again.

Zhuang Yanyu covered his head and scooted back a little, looking at him with an expression that seemed to want to say something but held back.

Didn’t people always say you shouldn’t mess with a man’s head?

Wen Chenxi curled a finger at him. “Come a little closer.”

Zhuang Yanyu didn’t move, still covering his head.

Wen Chenxi raised an eyebrow and smiled. “I’m not messing with your hair anymore. I need to ask you something.”

Only then did Zhuang Yanyu scoot a little closer.

Wen Chenxi asked, “Did you know about me before joining the company?”

Zhuang Yanyu nodded. “Mm.”

Wen Chenxi: “How did you find out?”

Zhuang Yanyu vaguely replied, “I read some materials.”

Wen Chenxi guessed it was probably online information or news, so he didn’t press further.

He couldn’t help but feel a little helpless. After others learned about his status, they wanted to marry him. But after this guy saw his profile, all he wanted was to be friends, to be his brother.

When they arrived at the airport, just as they were preparing to check in, they saw people from Harbor Group rushing toward them.

“Mr. Wen! Mr. Chen! Why are you leaving? We haven’t finished negotiating the cooperation yet…”

Harbor Group was utterly frustrated.

After failing to reach an agreement with Azure Technology on the pricing, they had tried to find other tech companies.

But the other companies had all said they couldn’t do such a system right now and needed more time to research…

Harbor Group was now desperate. How come Azure Technology could do it, but they couldn’t?

The other companies were just as frustrated. “If you think Azure Technology is so great, go talk to them! If I were that good, I’d be working at Azure Technology, not here. Don’t you know they’ve poached most of the talented people already?”

Harbor Group returned empty-handed.

As soon as they got back to their company, they heard that the higher-ups had met with the CEO, emphasizing that the port must be built as an automated port with emerging technologies. This dock was going to be the testing ground for the domestic industry.

When the CEO heard that, he immediately realized they had to negotiate with Azure Technology. After finding out that the team was about to leave, he panicked and rushed over to stop them.

Seeing the panicked, sweaty manager, Wen Chenxi slightly raised his chin and gestured to Chen Kang, signaling him to take Zhuang Yanyu into the first-class lounge to rest first.

“Mr. Wen… Engineer Zhuang, Mr. Zhuang!”

The person tried to chase after them, but Chen Kang blocked the way.

With a smiling face, Chen Kang said, “Sorry, we’re heading back to City A today.”

“But the project…”

Chen Kang quickly changed the subject, “How about this? You can prepare the agreement and contract that Mr. Zhuang mentioned, and then come to City A to meet us. We can talk about the costs in more detail when you’re here, how does that sound?”

When the person heard that the cooperation was still possible, they immediately agreed.

In an instant, the roles were reversed: Azure Technology was now the primary party, and they became the secondary party, having to go to City A themselves for the talks.

Everyone thought to themselves: “If we had known, why did we even come to H City? Just like Mr. Wen said, Xiao Zhuang is their foundation! After all, only Xiao Zhuang knows how to make this system! Even though the price went up, they still had to come!”

Only Zhuang Yanyu secretly felt happy: “Traveling with my brother—mission complete √”

Back in City A, it had been a full week.

Zhuang Yanyu first divided the local specialties he had bought into four portions. One was sent to the bus station to the driver, to take back to Old Zhuang in the countryside.

One portion went to Zhou Quan, at the service center, as he was more familiar with him.

Friendship maintenance progress +1

The remaining two portions were for Li Xi and Ji Zhiyuan, which he gave to Wen Chenxi to bring back.

Getting into the best friend circle progress +2

After distributing the specialties, Zhuang Yanyu sent a WeChat message to everyone to inform them.

Old Zhuang, as usual, was very touched:
“Xiao Shi is so awesome! You must be tired and skinny by now! Come back this weekend, and I’ll cook you chicken!”

Zhou Quan was shocked:
“Brother Zhuang, you actually brought me local specialties! Ahhhh, I love you! You must remember to bring them next time!”

Li Xi was very serious:
“Thank you, Xiao Zhuang, I really like it. Let’s go fishing together next time, and I’ll treat you to a meal!”

Ji Zhiyuan continued to complain:
“At least Xiao Zhuang has a conscience, remembering to bring me specialties. Thanks, Xiao Zhuang~ Old Wen, though, has no conscience. He didn’t even say a word when he came back. Does he still think of me as a brother?”

Zhuang Yanyu finished reading the three messages and calmly closed their chat window, leaving only Ji Zhiyuan’s conversation open.

He stared at Ji Zhiyuan’s message, a faint sense of pride stirring inside him—one that no one else knew about—

 Of course not!
Now, I’m Ah Xi’s best brother.
And you… are already part of the past.

–

Author’s note:
Zhuang Yanyu: “Do you understand what ‘the past’ means?” (cold face)
Ji Zhiyuan: “What the hell?”

—

TN Note: This was an extremely long chapter…whew..

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