Chapter 27

Chi Xiting rarely had a headache, but now he felt one coming on.

To be honest, he didn’t want to take on this project.

First of all, he had been hurt in the past, so he wouldn’t make the same mistake again. Whatever position he was in, he would do the work that was his responsibility. He would never voluntarily take on tasks that weren’t meant for him, no matter who assigned them or what potential benefits they might bring for his future development.

Chi Xiting had already passed the age where he needed to actively take on various tasks to get promoted.

He didn’t care.

He just needed to complete the work expected of him as an “intern”—all the tasks were received through Xing Panpan.

It was formal and reasonable, with no room for error.

But he was indeed quite interested in this project.

—–

In his decades of work, he had never worked on a project in this field, and the client company’s issues and the challenges in the planning proposal were both classic and distinctive.

It was this strange little interest that had led him to actively ask questions in the morning, and now, here he was, stuck in this dilemma.

Chi Xiting weighed the pros and cons for a while, then took out the response he had used earlier to deal with Shen Zhizhe to respond to Chu Yu.

After hearing this, Chu Yu raised an eyebrow and looked at Chi Xiting for a while, seeming thoughtful.

Chi Xiting’s expression remained unchanged, and he calmly met Chu Yu’s gaze, showing no fear of the company’s top leadership.

Chu Yu gave a slight snort, nodded, and said nothing further.

Seeing that Chu Yu understood his hint, Chi Xiting looked away, glanced at the clock in the room, and said, “Mr. Chu, are you hungry? Shall we go out for a bite?”

Chu Yu was a pure workaholic. After returning to the hotel, he had immersed himself in work and missed lunch. Since his boss hadn’t suggested going out to eat, Chi Xiting had to wait patiently for Chu Yu to break away from his work.

He was starving.

Chi Xiting had been so hungry that he had started obsessively scrolling through Meituan and Dianping, almost trying to fill his stomach with sheer willpower.

Chu Yu also glanced at the time and said, “Hmm.”

“Let’s go out to eat.” Chi Xiting blinked, his eyelashes fluttering slightly, and softly said, “I don’t want to eat in the hotel today.”

Chi Xiting’s voice was clear and clean, and when he lowered it, it sounded soft and gentle, almost like he was coquettishly pleading.

Chu Yu paused for a moment, then quickly looked away and focused on the door. After a while, he simply said, “Okay.”

As soon as Chi Xiting got Chu Yu’s consent, a visible expression of joy appeared on his face. He quickly stood up to grab his phone and mumbled, “I checked earlier; there’s a university nearby, and there are plenty of great places to eat around it.”

Food streets were almost a standard feature around every university.

Chu Yu glanced at Chi Xiting and caught the key part of his words.

Around a university?

By now, the sky had completely darkened, and the lights of all the food stalls on the street were shining brightly, like ink splashes on a clean sheet of paper.

All around them were youthful college students and tourists, and the air was filled with the mixed aroma of various street foods.

It was a lively and ordinary atmosphere.

He was still a kid, after all.

Chu Yu silently watched Chi Xiting’s back, feeling that just observing Chi Xiting’s excitement and joy was enough to make him relax.

Liking something was simple and pure.

Chu Yu, who had initially felt discomforted by the noisy and chaotic environment, seemed to have been influenced by Chi Xiting. His unease gradually faded, and his expression softened.

Chi Xiting was genuinely happy.

After all, he hadn’t had the chance to go out like this for so long.

At least ten years had passed since he graduated from university in his previous life. Since then, his life had been filled with work. Working until 10 p.m. was considered early. The repetitive and busy work had drained his desire to enjoy life, and he had drifted apart from old friends. Even when he had free time, it was hard to get friends together.

As for colleagues…

Who would want to see their colleagues on the weekend?

Chi Xiting’s gaze wandered past the nearby shops, and he noticed that the snacks here were nearly identical to those from his previous life—stinky tofu, large sausages, grilled cold noodles, all of which were standard at every night market.

But they happened to hit the spot for Chi Xiting.

He couldn’t help it; he loved junk food.

Chi Xiting quickened his pace a little, intending to buy some stinky tofu, but as he stepped forward, something seemed to remind him, and he suddenly turned to Chu Yu, asking, “Mr. Chu, do you want to try some?”

Chu Yu: “What?”

Chi Xiting gently replied, “Stinky tofu.”

Chu Yu: “… No.”

Chu Yu’s answer was just what Chi Xiting expected. He didn’t insist and turned to queue up for it himself.

In fact, bringing Chu Yu here wasn’t the best idea.

Someone born with a golden spoon in his mouth, a prodigy, how could he possibly like this kind of street food? But…

That’s how it’s written in novels.

Many CEOs who grew up drinking fine wine were astonished the first time they ate this kind of rustic food and ended up loving it.

It was reasonable.

Chi Xiting returned holding a portion of stinky tofu.

The strong aroma of sauce made Chu Yu frown. He looked at the tofu for a second before quickly turning his gaze away, as if even looking at it for too long would dirty his eyes.

Chi Xiting noticed this and, with good sense, turned the tofu so it was out of Chu Yu’s sight. He politely asked, “Mr. Chu, would you like to try?”

Chu Yu coldly replied, “No.”

“Alright.” Chi Xiting nodded helplessly, his eyes now looking at the tofu with a slightly bright expression. He spoke in a low voice, “Then I’ll just have to eat it myself.”

Chu Yu glanced at Chi Xiting and, with keen insight, caught the light in his eyes. He gave a faint, amused snort and said casually, “Try pretending to be disappointed again.”

Chi Xiting: “…”

—-

Strong and Precise Aggressiveness

What Shen Zhi Zhe said last time was indeed correct.

Chu Yu’s proficiency in Chinese was quite impressive.

Perhaps because he hadn’t eaten all day and there were so many delicious things on this street, Chi Xiting’s appetite was quite impressive tonight. He kept buying food as he walked, but his eating pace couldn’t keep up with the buying pace, and soon his hands were full of food.

It was as if he suddenly remembered something, and Chi Xiting suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Chu Yu, who was following behind, also stopped, looking at Chi Xiting in slight confusion, asking, “What’s wrong?”

“We’re in trouble,” Chi Xiting looked at Chu Yu with a heavy expression. “We forgot about Huo You Shen again.”

This made Chu Yu silent as well.

Chu Yu was usually someone who disliked trouble, and with his usual busy schedule, he didn’t focus on many unimportant matters, so he tended to overlook things.

Like forgetting about Huo You Shen twice in a row.

It wasn’t that Chu Yu did this intentionally.

It’s just that he didn’t think about it.

When Chi Xiting mentioned it, both of them awkwardly felt a bit guilty. After a while, Chi Xiting decided to take action, saying, “I’ll send him a message and bring him some food.”

Chu Yu didn’t say anything in response.

Chi Xiting lowered his head to take out his phone from his pocket, but as he bent down, he saw that both of his hands were already full of food. He pursed his lips for a moment, then adjusted the arrangement to free up one hand to take out his phone.

Before Chi Xiting could start working on it, Chu Yu spoke up: “Give it to me.”

Chi Xiting looked up in surprise.

Chu Yu slightly raised his chin, and his hand, which had been in his pocket, came out. His well-defined fingers slipped through the plastic bag handle.

Although careful, Chi Xiting still felt Chu Yu’s fingertips lightly brush against his own. Then, their fingertips met, and a soft, faint tingling sensation spread from their fingertips all the way up, causing Chi Xiting’s heart to tighten slightly.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Chi Xiting quickly withdrew his hand, and the plastic bag that had been in his hand was now perfectly in Chu Yu’s hand.

Now, it was hard to refuse.

Chi Xiting glanced at Chu Yu and saw him looking down at the bag in his hand. His brow furrowed slightly, but he didn’t say anything, just gave Chi Xiting a light glance, signaling him to continue.

Chi Xiting came to his senses and nodded. He lowered his head to take out his phone and sent a message to Huo You Shen. After waiting for a while, there was still no reply.

Seeing this, Chi Xiting turned to Chu Yu and said, “He hasn’t replied. I’ll just buy him something randomly and bring it back.”

Chu Yu hummed in acknowledgment but didn’t say anything further.

When Chi Xiting reached for the things in his hand, Chu Yu slightly shifted to the side and softly said, “I’ll hold it.”

Chi Xiting blinked, “But I feel bad.”

Chu Yu remained expressionless, “How will you eat if I don’t hold it for you?”

Chi Xiting, who hadn’t had a chance to eat yet: “…”

Fine then.

Chi Xiting gave in. He didn’t dare oppose his superior, allowing him to “lower his status” and be his delivery boy. After eating and drinking his fill, he raised his eyes to look at Chu Yu ahead.

When Chu Yu went out, he wasn’t wearing a jacket, just a simple white shirt and trousers. His figure was tall and slender, and his steps were steady and measured. Apart from the food he was holding, he seemed more like he was in a magnificent banquet hall rather than on a lively, bustling street.

Dignified, but also wrapped in the constraints and loneliness of someone in a high position.

Chi Xiting glanced at him and raised his voice slightly, “Mr. Chu.”

Chu Yu turned around.

Chi Xiting pointed to his hand and said, “Give me the fruit salad. I’m a bit tired of it.”

Chu Yu: “…”

Chu Yu wasn’t interested in the street food, so after accompanying Chi Xiting for a while, he went to a mall and had a simple meal before packing some noodles to take back to Huo You Shen.

Chu Yu paid for everything.

Chi Xiting watched Chu Yu pay, casually glancing at the balance in his WeChat account, and was immediately stunned by the amount.

Damn.

So rich?

Chi Xiting suddenly felt that the mango he was eating wasn’t as sweet anymore.

—–

After paying, Chu Yu turned around and looked down at Chi Xiting, signaling him to get the noodles for Huo You Shen.

Chi Xiting’s mind was still lingering on that string of numbers. After a moment of daze, he reached out to grab the noodles, and he heard Chu Yu’s voice.

“You can report the money you spent tonight to the finance department.”

Chi Xiting froze again.

Damn.

What a great boss.

So thoughtful.

I should’ve eaten something more expensive.

Chi Xiting patted his already full stomach, realizing there was no more room, and gave up on the idea of eating anything else.

I have to admit.

Chu Yu was really generous and rich.

Chi Xiting followed behind Chu Yu, looking at the creases on his clothes for a while, then spoke quietly, “Mr. Chu.”

Chu Yu looked over.

Chi Xiting sincerely said, “Can you transfer me some money? I’ll exchange it for thanks.”

Chu Yu: “…”

“Can you take on the Ruifeng project?” Chu Yu smiled slightly and countered, “I’ll exchange ‘thank you for your hard work’ for you.”

Chi Xiting: “…Mr. Chu, your request is a bit rude.”

Chu Yu: “You’re not bad either.”

Chi Xiting closed his mouth.

The two of them fell into a silent, “scheming” walk back to the hotel.

Seeing that the noodles were getting soggy, Chi Xiting quickened his pace, wanting to hand over the noodles quickly and then go back to shower and rest.

He was exhausted, and now he needed to recover by lying down in bed.

The decor on the 18th floor was almost the same as on the 23rd floor, except the rooms on the 18th floor were a bit larger. There was a long corridor in the middle, with rooms on either side. Between each pair of rooms, there was a small passage to store things and block out noise.

Chi Xiting walked ahead, looking down at his phone. He wanted to ask where Huo Youshen’s room was, but when he opened his phone, he saw that his messages from half an hour ago hadn’t been replied to. He thought that asking now probably wouldn’t get an answer, so after hesitating for a moment, he was about to turn and ask Chu Yu what to do. Just then, he spotted a familiar figure not far ahead.

A slender man was leaning against the wall, one hand nervously pressing against the wall, the other hand hesitantly resting on the chest of the man standing in front of him. From just the side profile, you could tell that the man’s features were delicate and handsome.

As for the other man…

Chi Xiting sneaked a glance and realized it was Huo Youshen, the person he had been looking for.

Damn.

Chi Xiting blinked, his gaze rapidly moving between the two men not far away. Without needing anyone to say anything, even a blind person could tell there was some ambiguous tension between them.

Wait a minute.

Didn’t they just come to M city yesterday?

And now Huo Youshen is…

What?

Chi Xiting froze, feeling the weight of the bag he was holding increase instantly.

Overthinking it.

Who needs a bag right now?

As a grown adult, Chi Xiting wisely took two steps back. Just as he was about to turn and pull Chu Yu away, he heard Chu Yu speak.

“What’s…”

Before Chu Yu could finish his sentence, Chi Xiting, noticing that Huo Youshen was about to look back, quickly put his hand over Chu Yu’s mouth. Then, with a quick movement, he shoved Chu Yu and himself into a nearby alley, blocking their presence.

The alley was narrow, just enough to fit two people.

The safety distance between them was almost nonexistent as they stood facing each other, pressed so closely that they could feel each other’s breath and the accidental warmth of skin touching.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat intimate and ambiguous.

Chi Xiting’s soft hair brushed against Chu Yu’s neck again. This time, Chu Yu didn’t move away, feeling the brief tingling sensation as the hair brushed his neck and then disappeared.

It was light and fleeting.

Chu Yu lowered his gaze to look at Chi Xiting.

Chi Xiting was shorter by half a head. When Chu Yu looked down, he could see the dense black hair on the top of Chi Xiting’s head, with a small swirl and a few strands of hair sticking out in various directions.

—-

After a long silence, Chu Yu finally spoke and asked the question he hadn’t finished earlier: “What’s wrong?”

“This is a bit complicated to explain,” Chi Xiting hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.

Chu Yu replied, “…Make it short.”

Chu Yu clearly wasn’t buying the vague reason.

Chi Xiting pressed his lips together and quickly described what he had just seen to Chu Yu.

“So why are we hiding?” Chu Yu pursed his lips, calmly and rationally focusing on the key point. Behind his glasses, his eyes showed a rare flicker of emotion.

Chi Xiting quickly racked his brain but couldn’t think of a good reason for them to be hiding.

Maybe he just didn’t react in time?

Besides, people were flirting, and if they suddenly walked over, it wouldn’t be good for any of the four of them. Moreover, Chu Yu’s position was special as Huo Youshen’s superior.

It was like running into the headmaster while having a crush at school.

“I didn’t react in time,” Chi Xiting honestly admitted his mistake.

Chu Yu didn’t respond, still frowning slightly, his eyes behind the glasses showing a cold, slightly displeased look, as though he wasn’t happy with the current situation.

“But to play devil’s advocate…” Chi Xiting hesitated before continuing, trying to find a reason to save face.

Before he could finish, Chu Yu’s cool voice interrupted. “Don’t play devil’s advocate. Just say it here.”

Chi Xiting blinked in confusion.

Chu Yu lowered his gaze, looking at how close their bodies were pressed together, and gave a cold smile. “Now, do you still want to back away?”

Chi Xiting: “….”