Chapter 24: Embarrassed

Leaving his junior outside the door for several minutes, Song Chunhui felt utterly embarrassed and uncomfortable. The price he paid for getting out of bed was too high, and his stomach still felt a bit bloated.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Meng Chunxun standing there with bags at his feet.

“Why aren’t you resting at home on the weekend?” Song Chunhui scolded, trying to make conversation. “Coming all this way, isn’t it tiring? And you brought so many things.”

“It’s not tiring. We agreed last night to celebrate your first deal. I stopped by the morning market to buy some groceries, and I got your favorite braised beef tripe. I’ll cook lunch,” Meng Chunxun said with a smile, revealing two dimples. Just as he was about to bring the bags inside, his pupils shrank, and his smile froze as he noticed the figure suddenly appearing behind Song Chunhui. He quickly lowered his gaze.

“Look at you, celebrating when you haven’t even made much money. Keep the bacon and sausages for yourself. Don’t worry about me; I can buy anything I need here,” Song Chunhui muttered, bending down to help, but unexpectedly strained his back and leaned against the door frame.

“Are you okay, Hui Ge?” Meng Chunxun dropped the bags and reached out to support Song Chunhui.

“I’m fine!” Song Chunhui quickly waved his hand, refusing his junior’s help, and stubbornly explained, “I’ve been working overtime lately, sitting in the office for too long, and my back isn’t feeling great.”

“You’re working too hard and not taking care of yourself,” Meng Chunxun said, concerned for his senior, insisting that Song Chunhui shouldn’t help with the bags.

Feeling guilty, Song Chunhui was afraid his junior would notice anything amiss, so he insisted on helping with the bags: “Give them to me. You go inside and sit down. Driving here must have been tiring.”

Meng Chunxun: “I’m not tired.”

Song Chunhui: “Just give them to me!”

After washing up, Li Huan sat on the sofa, wanting to watch the fun. But remembering Song Chunhui’s instructions from a few minutes ago, he got up and went over to help, glancing at the things on the floor with a subtle change in his expression.

Only then did Meng Chunxun properly look at Li Huan, whose appearance and physique were outstanding, feeling unsettled by his undeniable presence.

His senior had a simple social circle, so how could there be a stranger in his home?

Guessing who it might be, Meng Chunxun casually asked Song Chunhui after entering the house, “Hui Ge, who is this?”

Before Song Chunhui could answer, Li Huan extended his hand to Meng Chunxun with a nod and a smile, “Hello, my surname is Li, and my given name is Huan, like the ‘Huan’ in Qi Huan Gong. I’m Song Ge’s assistant.”

“…” Song Chunhui couldn’t give Li Huan a look in front of his junior, cursing inwardly at the kid’s useless ears. What a waste of that creepy ride; he never thought he’d play the role of ‘Guanyin’ in his life.

So this was the intern his senior mentioned on the phone.

Meng Chunxun had to slightly tilt his head to meet Li Huan’s gaze. The height difference gave him an inexplicable sense of pressure, and the other’s downward gaze felt like a sharp thorn piercing his eyes.

“Oh, hello.” Meng Chunxun didn’t introduce himself, reluctantly extending his hand for a brief shake, only to have it gripped tightly by the other.

“Please take care of me. How should I address you?” Li Huan asked after releasing his hand.

“Xiao Li, he’s my junior from university, named Meng Chunxun. You can call him Meng Ge,” Song Chunhui introduced simply, telling his junior to sit on the sofa. As he turned to the kitchen, he gave Li Huan a pointed look, signaling him to stay out of trouble.

But the kid didn’t listen and sat right down on the other end of the sofa.

“Meng Ge, can I call you that?” Li Huan politely asked for permission.

“…” No matter how he looked at it, Meng Chunxun felt this young man had ulterior motives, so he nodded, “Sure, then I’ll call you Xiao Li.”

Worried that Li Huan might say something inappropriate and expose them, Song Chunhui quickly boiled some water and returned to the living room to explain to his junior, “Chunxun, Xiao Li is a new intern at my company. He was bullied by some other salespeople in the dorm, so he’s staying with me for a couple of days.”

“Thanks to Song Ge for taking me in,” Li Huan said, pulling out his phone to play along, “They ganged up on me and even smashed my phone.”

Song Chunhui: “…” This kid sure knows how to add drama.

“I see, Xiao Li has it tough,” Meng Chunxun observed Li Huan without showing any emotion. With that appearance, he would indeed be popular in certain circles, and being teased by male colleagues was normal. Whether it was true or not was another matter.

“Xiao Li, the water’s almost boiled. Go make two cups of tea,” Song Chunhui verbally sent Li Huan away, giving him a quick glance and a nod towards the door, signaling him to leave.

Seeing the four-eyed guy acting all suspicious, Li Huan couldn’t help but laugh. It was one thing to be awkward in bed, but why was he still so awkward after getting out of bed?

“Okay, Song Ge.” Li Huan obediently got up, making room for Song Chunhui.

Song Chunhui quickly sat down, steering the conversation towards his junior, asking Meng Chunxun about his recent work.

After Meng Chunxun spoke, Song Chunhui didn’t hear a word, his mind preoccupied with worries: The lubricant hidden in the wardrobe won’t be discovered, right? There’s no smell in the room, right? The sheets and duvet are clean, so it shouldn’t be noticeable, right? The red marks the kid deliberately left last night are all on his chest and legs, no other slip-ups, right?

“Hui Ge.”

“Ah,” Song Chunhui snapped back to reality, “What did you say?”

Meng Chunxun: “I said I’m taking my annual leave next month. When are you planning to take yours?”

Talking about annual leave, Song Chunhui sighed, “Even if I take it, I’ll just be idle at home. Might as well work and earn some money. Besides, it’s only a few days, what’s the point? If I work at Nuolin for a couple more years, I’ll be a ten-year veteran and get half a month’s annual leave.”

Knowing his senior was still upset about being transferred, Meng Chunxun wanted to persuade Song Chunhui to switch to his company, but there was a third person in the kitchen.

“Two Ge, tea’s ready.”

There was no coffee table in front of the sofa, so Li Huan placed the two cups of tea on the Eight Immortals table and then, in front of Meng Chunxun, walked straight into Song Chunhui’s bedroom.

Meng Chunxun’s features tightened, his fingertips digging into his palm, jealousy coursing through his chest.

Even he never had such an opportunity. Why should an intern get to share a bed with his senior? Just because Song Chunhui is soft-hearted.

Soon, Li Huan came out wearing a loose sweatshirt and sweatpants, leisurely.

He skillfully took a coat from the coat rack by the entrance, then casually picked up a black backpack from the storage cabinet, finally putting on his sneakers and, as he opened the door, turned back to say goodbye.

“Two Ge, take your time chatting. See you.”

With that, the door closed.

Song Chunhui’s heart settled. Who cares where the kid goes to have fun, as long as he doesn’t come back tonight. No, better yet, never come back.

“Hui Ge,” Meng Chunxun pretended not to care, “Was that intern really bullied? He doesn’t look like it.”

“He’s just too young,” Song Chunhui continued to cover, “He doesn’t know how to get along with colleagues. I’ll have a talk with them during Monday’s meeting. You wouldn’t believe how annoying those salespeople can be.”

Because Song Chunhui was so straight, only seeing women and big breasts, Meng Chunxun would sooner believe a pig could climb a tree than believe his senior could turn gay.

But precisely because Song Chunhui was so straight, he couldn’t detect the cunning thoughts of gay men, and who knows when he might be tricked.

Meng Chunxun brought up the topic again, trying to persuade Song Chunhui to switch jobs, and was surprised to learn his senior was considering resigning, which excited him. Even if he had to talk until his mouth was dry, he wanted to persuade his senior to return to Jiangcheng.

“Just listen to me, Hui Ge.”

No matter what, it’s a fresh start, and this time Song Chunhui seemed a bit more open, remaining silent for a while before saying, “Alright, I’ll think about it. Anyway, I definitely have to go back to Jiangcheng.”

Finally, he could be with his senior again.

Meng Chunxun’s eyes curved with a smile, “Hui Ge, I also bought you a couple of outfits, got them on sale, not expensive. Try them on. Take me out for a walk this afternoon, okay? Are there any fun places in Ancheng?”

His junior drove over early in the morning, bringing food and buying him clothes, which touched Song Chunhui. He thought about getting the necessary household items tomorrow at the supermarket.

*

Li Huan rode his electric scooter around Ancheng for most of the day, unable to find any modeling gigs, which meant he couldn’t make quick money.

With only eighteen yuan left in his pocket, it was just enough for lunch. After barely filling his stomach, he was broke, finding it amusing.

He had connections in the circle, but Li Huan was holding onto his pride, not wanting to rely on anyone.

Last night, Song Chunhui mocked him for being boastful, not caring about money. The problem was that Song Chunhui mocked him for not being able to afford condoms during sex, which was just ridiculous.

If he didn’t make some money today, he’d take on Song Chunhui’s surname!

As the sky darkened, Li Huan still hadn’t found a part-time job that paid immediately.

Perhaps the wind was too strong, his face hurt a bit. He silently retracted his vow, thinking he should go back and borrow a laptop from Song Chunhui to take on some online translation work.

Passing by the Urban-Rural Shopping Center, a bright sign caught Li Huan’s attention, with neon lights outlining the word “Fitness.”

He remembered there was indeed a gym on the third floor.

With short winter days and long nights, the sky was completely dark, adding a touch of desolation to the small city of Ancheng.

Returning home exhausted, Song Chunhui collapsed onto the sofa, too tired to even reheat the leftover lunch for his junior. He was utterly spent.

“Hui Ge, I’ll handle it. You rest,” Meng Chunxun said, like a little wife, heading to the kitchen to heat the food.

“Thank you, Chunxun.”

“It’s nothing. You’re the one who took me out to play. But don’t overwork yourself before resigning. You seem to have lost some stamina.”

Song Chunhui adjusted his position to lie more comfortably.

He couldn’t bring himself to say it, but he couldn’t tell his junior that he was sore from riding the big bird this morning, having fallen hard. The kid’s thing was not a size meant for humans. After walking in the park all afternoon, he was truly exhausted, almost dead tired.

When Meng Chunxun finished heating the food and turned around, he saw his senior curled up on the sofa, asleep, quietly, so enticing.

“Hui Ge?” He tried calling softly, “You’ll catch a cold sleeping like this.”

No response, the room was silent.

“Really, you don’t know how to take care of yourself, living so rough, making me worry all the time, thinking about you every day…”

Meng Chunxun leaned closer, carefully removing Song Chunhui’s glasses. Facing that handsome face up close, his heart raced, driven by an uncontrollable urge to get a little closer, just a little more.

His senior’s lips must be so soft to kiss…

The sound of a key turning in the lock suddenly echoed.

Meng Chunxun quickly pulled back, and as Li Huan opened the door, he caught a clear view of Meng Chunxun’s tense posture. His eyes seemed to change, but his lips curled slightly, revealing nothing.

“Meng Ge,” Li Huan gently closed the door, then smiled and asked, “What were you doing just now?”

Being questioned by a fresh graduate intern, Meng Chunxun didn’t show any panic, instead placing the glasses on the dining table, not directly answering.

Li Huan looked at the sleeping man, then back at Meng Chunxun, asking in a low voice, “You’re not gay, are you?”

“…” Meng Chunxun’s face changed, denying it, “What are you talking about? He’s asleep, I was just helping him take off his glasses.”

Li Huan slowly changed into slippers, put down his backpack, then took off his coat and hung it up.

Meng Chunxun knew this intern wasn’t simple, feeling sorry for his foolish senior, being fooled so easily.

“Good,” Li Huan said calmly, “I was harassed by a dead gay guy before, it scared Song Ge a lot, made him really scared, and I felt guilty.”

Meng Chunxun: “…”

Li Huan: “Gays are disgusting, don’t you think?”

Meng Chunxun stared at Li Huan, unsure of what to say.

The fragmented conversation drifted into his ears, and Song Chunhui groggily opened his eyes, realizing the kid was back, and the table was set with steaming dishes.

He shook his head to clear it, asking, “Why aren’t you two eating?”

“We’re about to eat, I’ll go serve the rice,” Meng Chunxun immediately went to the kitchen, serving two bowls of rice, only to find a tall figure blocking the kitchen door.

“Meng Ge, serve me a bowl too, thanks.”

For Li Huan’s straightforwardness, Meng Chunxun swallowed his anger, his face turning pale as he served another bowl, his resentful gaze like nails piercing that back, wishing to burn a hole through it.

The four-cornered Eight Immortals table against the wall had three people sitting on each side, each eating their own meal.

The atmosphere at the table was awkwardly silent, with only Song Chunhui, who was focused on eating, not noticing.

After eating and drinking, he turned to his junior, “Chunxun, are you heading back?”

An infuriated Meng Chunxun: “I’m going back tomorrow, I’ll crash here for the night.”

Song Chunhui was taken aback. If his junior was leaving tomorrow, how would the three of them sleep tonight?

Oh no, there’s still lubricant hidden in the wardrobe, and the bed needs to be checked carefully. If anything goes wrong, his face would be completely lost.

Li Huan put down his chopsticks and said to Meng Chunxun, “Meng Ge, one bed might be too cramped. I remember there’s a hotel just outside the community.”

Meng Chunxun ignored Li Huan, only speaking to Song Chunhui, “I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

Song Chunhui: “How can that be?”

“It’s fine,” Meng Chunxun smiled, “Do you remember when we used to stay overnight at internet cafes, sleeping on chairs when we got tired? The sofa is much more comfortable than a chair, so it’s no problem.”

“…”

Song Chunhui didn’t want to make his junior uncomfortable, but he also didn’t dare to sleep with Li Huan, fearing the kid would act crazy like in the morning, deliberately tormenting him.

But the kid was broke, and he couldn’t bear to spend money on a hotel when there was a place to sleep. Why waste money?

After thinking it over, Song Chunhui asked Li Huan, “Xiao Li, how about you sleep on the sofa?”

“…” Meng Chunxun’s heart raced, unable to imagine how happy he would be tonight.

Li Huan stood up, looking down at Song Chunhui, and said pitifully, “Song Ge, I’m so big… never mind, I’ll go back to the dorm. My phone’s already broken, another break won’t matter, I’m used to being bullied.”

“…” Song Chunhui wanted to curse, the shameless kid, reminding him of the situation on purpose, knowing he was afraid of being exposed, truly full of tricks.

He thought it over again, a light bulb moment.

“How about this,” Song Chunhui said, “I’ll sleep on the sofa, and you two sleep on the bed.”

Meng Chunxun: “…”

Li Huan: “…”