Chapter 6: The President and the Massage Chair 06

The weekend came quickly, and Tang Bin informed his colleagues early that he would be taking the weekend off. Although the company typically followed a two-day weekend policy, everyone was so busy that overtime had become a regular part of their routine.

But Tang Bin hadn’t taken a break for a long time, and no one thought there was anything wrong with him resting.

He had made arrangements with President Shang to meet the next day, and Shang Chengjun offered to pick him up on the way. Everything was settled, and the night before, Tang Bin was so excited that he couldn’t fall asleep.

He felt like he should make a good impression, but he didn’t know how to go about it.

However, he was too tired, and in this state of inner turmoil, he fell asleep under the intense summer heat, having no dreams throughout the night.

The next day, Tang Bin dressed casually in a T-shirt and beach shorts, wearing a white baseball cap and carrying a large backpack as he headed out the door.

Shang Chengjun’s car was already waiting downstairs.

The streets on a day off were as crowded as the morning rush hour. Shang Chengjun drove through the city, making turns and twists until the car finally left the city and the traffic eased up.

By the time they reached a private villa in the suburbs, it was already lunchtime.

Shang Chengjun suggested they have lunch first. The food inside the villa was simple but unique, and Shang Chengjun ordered half a roast lamb, a cast-iron pot of stewed fish, and some rare vegetables and fungi.

When the dishes were brought to the table, it was a large spread.

Tang Bin had been hungry for a while, and now the delicious aromas made his mouth water. He blinked at Shang Chengjun, asking, “President Shang, are any of your friends joining us?”

“No,” Shang Chengjun smiled at him, “It’s just the two of us today.”

As he said this, he used a spare pair of chopsticks to pick out two pieces of lamb, skin and all, for Tang Bin.

“Well, it looks like we ordered too much,” Tang Bin said.

“It’s fine. If we can’t finish, we can pack it up. These are all the villa’s specialties. I wanted you to try them all,” Shang Chengjun replied.

“Thank you,” Tang Bin said sincerely. Shang Chengjun was so kind to him!

Shang Chengjun smiled and said, “Go ahead and eat. It won’t taste as good if it cools down.”

The lamb, with its skin golden and crispy from roasting, was deliciously fragrant and juicy, keeping the meat inside tender and moist. With a dip of cumin dry spices, each bite was incredibly satisfying.

Tang Bin nearly bit his own tongue in his enthusiasm, his cheeks puffing out as he chewed. He couldn’t help but nod vigorously at Shang Chengjun, showing how delicious it was.

Due to his small mouth and thin lips, he looked a bit like a hamster chewing food, puffing out his cheeks.

Shang Chengjun took a napkin, gently wiping the oil from the corner of his mouth, and smiled at him. “I’m glad you like it.”

At this moment, the two of them were sitting very close to each other—although it was a ten-person round table, Shang Chengjun had deliberately chosen the seat next to Tang Bin.

Because they were so close, it was very convenient for Shang Chengjun to take care of Tang Bin while eating.

Pouring water, serving dishes, even wiping his mouth… At first, Tang Bin was so distracted by the delicious food that he didn’t even notice these things.

When he did realize, he also wanted to serve food and pour water for Shang Chengjun, but Shang Chengjun cleverly declined each time.

Shang Chengjun even said, “You eat, I’m happy just watching you eat.”

Tang Bin puffed out his cheeks, eyes wide open, confused and not sure why Shang Chengjun liked watching him eat.

But as long as it wasn’t something unpleasant, it was fine. Shang Chengjun liked watching him eat… whatever the reason, it was nice that there was something he liked.

Tang Bin felt relieved and continued eating with more satisfaction.

In the end, he nearly ended up cleaning his plate completely.

By the time they were almost done eating, looking at the table full of food, with each dish nearly emptied, Tang Bing himself was shocked.

How did he eat so much? Even though Shang Chengjun had eaten too, he didn’t seem to have moved his chopsticks much—how did he manage to finish it all?

Shang Chengjun said, “You’re so skinny, I didn’t expect you to have such an appetite.”

“…” Tang Bin covered his little belly, trembling.

Was Shang Chengjun unhappy that he ate so much?

If given another chance, he would try his best to control himself and not reveal how much he could eat! No matter how good the food was, he would hold back!

Others could tell that Shang Chengjun was just joking, but Tang Bin was genuinely scared.

His eyelashes fluttered nervously, and he looked at Shang Chengjun in panic, afraid that he would be disliked for eating too much.

Shang Chengjun noticed his anxiety and realized he shouldn’t have said that. He quickly explained, “…Maybe it’s because you consume so much energy thinking, so you need the fuel.”

“I’m not upset that you ate a lot. I’m just worried that your stomach can’t handle it. If you like this food, we can come here often.”

Poor President Shang, calculating his age, was so nervous and careful about saying so much to someone for the first time.

“R-really?” Tang Bin blinked his watery eyes, looking at Shang Chengjun with a pitiful expression.

“Really,” Shang Chengjun said firmly. “If you want to eat here again, I can bring you anytime.”

In fact, the villa was just one of the many investments Shang Chengjun had made with a friend who had a background. The friend provided the land, and Shang Chengjun covered the other expenses—it was a business worth a few million. Shang Chengjun saw it as a place for his own enjoyment and to entertain friends. If Tang Bin liked it, he could even give it to him.

But the little one didn’t yet understand his intentions. As someone who had never been in a romantic relationship, Shang Chengjun felt that things had to be done slowly.

—His real identity couldn’t be easily revealed, and the idea of love at first sight was quite vague. Shang Chengjun didn’t even have a legitimate reason to pursue him yet.

But, stepping back, he was happy just to be with the little one. Other things… he wasn’t in a hurry.

After the meal, Shang Chengjun took Tang Bin on a tour around the villa. The two of them picked some ripe, fresh fruit from the trees, grown especially for the villa. The fruit had fewer pesticides than what was sold outside and tasted more flavorful.

After washing everything and packing it into a bag, Shang Chengjun finally fulfilled his promise—he took Tang Bin to the dam to fish.

Fishing requires patience, and at first, Shang Chengjun was worried that Tang Bin might not like it, especially since young people these days often lack patience.

However, when he initially invited someone to join him, he was a bit nervous, and his mind just went blank, thinking only about fishing. It was only after his friends teased him that he realized his oversight.

Fortunately, Le Yang agreed.

Now that they were here, Shang Chengjun felt that no matter what, they had to sit for a while.

Although his heart was filled with anxiety, fearing that Tang Bin might find it boring, the truth was that Tang Bin actually enjoyed the environment very much.

There weren’t many people near the dam at this moment, as most people wouldn’t want to fish in the middle of the hottest time of the afternoon during the summer. Not only do people find it too hot, but even the fish probably can’t be bothered to swim.

But Tang Bin wasn’t afraid of the heat.

The quiet surroundings and the beautiful environment of the mountains and water made him feel as if he had returned to the time before he became a spirit.

In fact, he didn’t remember much about his life before he became a spirit—when he was a flower, he had no real awareness.

But he did remember the sound of the breeze rustling through old trees and the crisp sound of mountain spring water flowing and colliding. Back then, everything seemed slow, and time felt frozen, just like this very moment.

He hadn’t felt this way before, but ever since being busy all day, rushing between the company and home, he suddenly realized how beautiful such quiet days could be.

He sat quietly, tilting his head slightly, and couldn’t help but inhale the fresh air of nature with a little sniff. Then, he gently stroked the old tree above them, which was shading them, and silently greeted it with a subtle movement of his lips.

From the side, Shang Chengjun was first taken aback by the young man’s handsome, and peaceful expression blending so well with the tranquil surroundings. Then, he noticed his clear, bright eyes, and suddenly felt curious. He began looking around as well—

It was as if the young man’s gaze had brightened and refreshed the entire scenery around them. Shang Chengjun hadn’t thought much of the view before, but as soon as he started seeing the sky and land the way Tang Bin saw them, he suddenly felt they were so fresh and beautiful.

“…What are you looking at?” Shang Chengjun looked around and finally focused his gaze on Tang Bin, unable to resist asking.

“I’m looking at the scenery. It’s so beautiful here,” Tang Bin replied.

Then, he politely looked in Shang Chengjun’s direction, only to suddenly realize that Shang Chengjun was looking at him with that gaze that made him blush again!

—

Not defeated by the outdoor heat, Tang Bin turned red in the face from Shang Chengjun’s gaze.

In order to hide this sudden change and not let Shang Chengjun notice his “impolite reaction,” Tang Bin jumped up quickly, grabbed a fishing rod, and said, “President Shang Zong, let’s, let’s fish!”

When Tang Bin was a flower, the place he lived and the people there didn’t kill living things or eat meat.

However, Brother Koi had once told him that everything has a spirit, and everything exists in balance. Every living being and object has its own fate.

Although Tang Bin remembered this saying, he didn’t fully understand its meaning.

“One day, when you become a human, you’ll eat meat and drink wine. Your little bit of energy won’t change the ecological balance,” Brother Koi had told him.

Tang Bin still didn’t understand, but he remembered those words.

So later, when they caught two fish that were the same species as Brother Koi, and Shang Chengjun instructed the kitchen to steam one and braise the other, Tang Bin couldn’t help but think of Brother Koi’s earnest advice.

Of course, in the end, those two fish mostly ended up in his stomach, and Tang Bin began to worry about his eating habits.

If he got used to eating like this, wouldn’t he be hungry every day at work…?

“So, you’re so skinny because you used to eat a lot, but now you eat very little?” Shang Chengjun had clearly noticed this issue and asked, thinking it over.

Tang Bin, holding his full stomach: “Mm.”

“The takeout near the office is really expensive, and going out to eat is both far and time-consuming, plus there’s the cost of transportation…” Tang Bin counted on his fingers why he had never had a full meal.

Recently, he had been eating most of his meals at work, which wasn’t cheap. Tang Bin had inherited the previous owner’s frugality, and every time he ordered takeout through the app, he felt a pang in his heart.

“Is takeout really expensive?” Shang Chengjun asked, clearly someone who rarely had to order food himself.

“Very expensive!” Tang Bin nodded. “Back when the rice balls and rice washing apps were competing, they’d even offer discount coupons. These days, they don’t even have those anymore!”

“…”

The more Tang Bin spoke, the more hopeless he felt. When he was a flower, it only needed a bit of nourishment to survive, and the uncle he parasitized was strong and generous, always selflessly supplying him with nutrients. He never imagined that after becoming human, having a full meal would be so difficult.

So difficult that he had to work over ten hours a day just to maintain his life, and even then, it wasn’t guaranteed he’d be able to maintain a good quality of life, because he also had to buy a house, get married, have children, and so on.

Being human was so exhausting.

As he thought this way, his train of thought was interrupted by Shang Chengjun’s pleasant low voice.

Shang Chengjun said, “I understand now.”

Tang Bin, confused: “Huh?”

Shang Chengjun, with a concerned look, said, “I understand the situation you’re talking about. Don’t worry, I’ll resolve it for you soon.”

Tang Bin: “???”

He seemed even more confused.

After dinner, Shang Chengjun didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving. He took Tang Bin with him to the back mountain to soak in the hot springs.

As the boss, Shang Chengjun naturally had his privileges. He had a private hot spring room that was not open to the public, so the facilities were all brand new, and the water quality was very clean.

The room was divided into an inner and outer area. The inner room had the hot spring pool, while the outer area was a small lounge with a small bed and a sofa, plus a mini bar stocked with a variety of drinks and alcohol.

Shang Chengjun walked to the bar, took two wine glasses, and opened a bottle of wine that looked stylishly packaged. He handed it to Tang Bin and said, “Go ahead and take your clothes off.”

“…Oh.”

Tang Bin had never soaked in a hot spring before. In fact, even after spending some time here, he hadn’t even used the public baths.

But he was always obedient, especially to the male lead.

When Shang Chengjun told him to take his clothes off, he did just that. While Shang Chengjun was pouring the wine, Tang Bin had already stripped off all his clothes.

“President… Shang Zong…”

Shang Chengjun looked up sharply, and his hand, holding the wine bottle, trembled slightly.

The young man’s porcelain-like skin looked even more alluring under the orange light. He slightly hunched over, instinctively covering his important parts with both hands. His gaze was fixed and a bit embarrassed, giving off a sense of naivete that was hard to describe.

Caught off guard, Shang Chengjun felt like his heart had been hit hard, and his body responded almost immediately…

His throat went dry, his blood rushed to his head. Just as he was about to lose control, he heard the young man hesitantly call him again: “President Shang…”

“The wardrobe has new swim trunks, you can put on a pair.”

Of course, you don’t have to wear them if you don’t want to.

Just before the red wine was about to spill over the rim of the glass, Shang Chengjun quickly pulled his hand back, preventing it from overflowing.

If anyone else had seen him, the usually meticulous Shang Chengjun, known for his attention to detail, almost overfilling the wine glass, they would surely have been shocked.

However, Shang Chengjun didn’t think much of his mistake at this moment.

Coincidentally, he was very thirsty, so he lifted the glass and took two large gulps, bringing the wine down to a normal level.

But this only offered a temporary solution. The unique fragrance of the wine mixed with the boiling heat in his body, and Shang Chengjun felt even drier.

Carrying two glasses, he walked into the inner room. With the sound of steam rising, he saw the young man’s body, all white and glistening, stretched out as he swam and splashed in the warm water. As soon as he saw Shang Chengjun, he immediately quieted down, looking at him with an unsure gaze.