Chapter 6: An Adventurous Invitation

After hanging up the phone with Dou Can in the afternoon, Chu Fuxuan sat under the shade of a tree and spaced out for a while.

In the past, his life was a straight line between the company and his rented apartment, rarely having time to run around. The last time he took a leave of absence to visit his family was three years ago. On weekends, besides catching up on sleep, he was working overtime. It was rare for him to come out for some fresh air like this.

But as he watched the overwintering starlings fly across the blue sky, amid his leisure, Chu Fuxuan actually felt a bit uneasy.

Perhaps he was born ambitious. He didn’t like the beautiful but boring mountains and rivers in front of him; he preferred to wander among bustling high-rise office buildings.

Actually, Chu Fuxuan had very low material desires. Relative to his income, his spending on food, clothing, housing, and transportation could be considered haphazard. Because of this, he had saved up quite a bit of money. The amount was enough for him to rest for two or three years and travel the world having fun.

However, the turnover in the industry was too fierce. A gap period of more than six months was equivalent to being exiled to the frontier. Someone else might prefer to rest, but Chu Fuxuan was unwilling to take a step back.

Besides, where could he retreat to?

His parents were gradually aging, so he couldn’t cause them any more trouble. The workplace had always been a survival of the fittest where the weak were eaten alive. He had no one to rely on behind him.

He was like a migratory bird that had been separated from its flock for a long time, with no peers around to rely on. Even if he wanted to land, he didn’t know where he could touch down without being smashed to pieces. Therefore, constantly circling in the air was the state that gave him the most sense of security.

A few streaks of orange-yellow leaked from the edge of the sea. It was time for sunset. Chu Fuxuan turned around and started his car to leave.

He turned on the car’s navigation. That restaurant was about ten kilometers away from the beach, and there was still a search history on the map app.

At the time, Chu Fuxuan had thought it was the interview location. Seeing the reviews describe it as a dating holy ground, he had even wondered what the culture of Hongni’s management was like.

Now that he had talked face-to-face with the CEO, he could only say that his previous worries were utterly nonsensical.

Remembering Qi Yingzhu’s indifferent look with a faint, unreadable smile, and his aloof demeanor that seemed to wish he could stay five meters away from everyone, Chu Fuxuan ground his back teeth. He thought to himself that the chances of the other party engaging in unspoken workplace rules were lower than an asteroid hitting the Earth.

By the time he arrived at the restaurant, it was completely dark. The temperature difference between day and night was quite large, so Chu Fuxuan threw on a jacket from the car.

As he walked through the door, he looked down to pat away the wrinkles on his clothes, and immediately heard someone calling him “Teacher Fuxuan.”

“What a coincidence, isn’t it? I just arrived too.” David reached out his hand to him heartily. “We met at the ceremony last year.”

The newcomer was about 1.86 meters tall, with quite handsome features. It was obvious that he had dressed up specifically for this, looking very energetic.

Chu Fuxuan shook his hand politely, silently racking his brain, but felt like he had never seen this face before.

Out of basic emotional intelligence, he said, “Yes, it’s a pity we didn’t get to talk much.”

“Of course. My profession specializes in poaching people, and your old employer guarded you very tightly,” David teased.

The two didn’t chat long in the lobby. David must come here often; he walked inside with familiar ease.

Taking advantage of this moment, Chu Fuxuan shifted his eyes and inconspicuously sized him up.

Dou Can must have tried his best to scour his resources, but finding someone with a similar image to Qi Yingzhu was simply too difficult. The reason top-tier handsome men attract so much attention is precisely because they are rare.

David didn’t look like Qi Yingzhu, and his aura and style were also worlds apart. Fortunately, their heights were similar, which could indeed fool his parents.

Chu Fuxuan had no intention of being picky. After making an objective comparison and deciding this could work in a pinch, he very properly withdrew his gaze.

His “heart as still as water” attitude was too obvious, while David appeared exceptionally enthusiastic, pulling out a chair for Chu Fuxuan when they sat down.

Chu Fuxuan frowned slightly. He wasn’t very used to being deliberately taken care of, especially since the two of them weren’t close.

As he was muttering in his heart, David spoke up: “Brother Can told me everything about your situation. Having my name put next to CEO Qi’s, I’ve suddenly been elevated in status.”

Chu Fuxuan responded, “You know him?”

“Nope. After all, what level is his social circle at?” David spread his hands. “That kind of elite whose eyes are entirely focused on climbing the corporate ladder isn’t on the same path as me.”

After speaking, he made a move to pour water for Chu Fuxuan. Chu Fuxuan stopped him in time, indicating that he could do it himself.

Chu Fuxuan took a sip of lemon water. “Some people value their careers. It’s very normal for CEO Qi to be like this.”

David replied, “To be twenty-eight or twenty-nine with an unclear background and absolutely no backing, yet becoming the vice president of the group is very abnormal, right? Unless Hongni really promotes people based on their faces.”

Hearing this, Chu Fuxuan was stunned for a moment and didn’t respond to this remark.

Although his meeting with Qi Yingzhu hadn’t been very harmonious, he wouldn’t go so far as to maliciously gossip behind his back. Moreover, the other party took his work very seriously; otherwise, he wouldn’t have needed to come see him in person.

“Well, I was the youngest manager at my previous company, which is quite strange to say too,” Chu Fuxuan shook his head.

“Teacher, don’t say that. You are very capable. I was purely just mentioning it casually. At work, everyone relies on their own abilities,” David said.

His face was a bit more plain, not as aggressive as Qi Yingzhu’s, and he dealt with people very smoothly. After praising Chu Fuxuan, he went on to say that his own conditions were lacking.

To this, Chu Fuxuan answered frankly that they were just putting on a show of cooperation, and he didn’t really mind those aspects.

Right after saying this so lightly, Chu Fuxuan suddenly paused, remembering how a certain someone had called him gullible at noon.

Consequently, he added, “It’s best to see if we get along, otherwise even occasionally getting together would be a bit forced.”

David thought these considerations made a lot of sense and suggested they could play tennis or watch a movie together in a few days. Since Chu Fuxuan didn’t have any work lately anyway, he must have plenty of free time.

However, Chu Fuxuan felt it was inappropriate. He said they could discuss more about their respective family situations, but other activities might be somewhat superfluous.

Moreover, he had messed up his interview and might need to contact other companies. He didn’t have the mood to go out socializing and having fun.

Hearing Chu Fuxuan politely decline the proposal, David didn’t continue to push for it. He had ordered the food earlier, and at this time, the dishes were brought up one after another.

Chu Fuxuan originally wanted to discuss how they should cooperate with each other for their play-acting, but unfortunately, David urged him to hurry up and eat, adding that he hadn’t fully thought it through yet.

“Once I’ve thought it through, can I contact you on your phone?” David asked.

Chu Fuxuan said crisply, “Sure. If you have any questions, you can message me directly.”

After eating, he didn’t stay long. He and David walked out the door one after the other, but he felt a slightly cool gaze land precisely on his body.

Chu Fuxuan: ?

He knew he wasn’t a celebrity, and it was even more impossible for him to have paparazzi. After looking around in confusion, he didn’t see anything weird.

“Teacher, is there someone you know?” David noticed him stop.

Chu Fuxuan felt it was absurd. “No, my acquaintances should all be working overtime.”

At the same time, Qi Yingzhu, who had picked a hidden spot in the lobby, looked up and caught sight of Chu Fuxuan and David walking out together.

David was chattering away, seeming ready to take Chu Fuxuan home. Chu Fuxuan waved his hand quite patiently, implying there was no need to be so polite.

Watching the two walk out of the restaurant, Qi Yingzhu leaned against the window, gazing coldly outside.

Through his sunglasses, he saw Chu Fuxuan quickly drive away. As for David, he lingered like a haunting ghost, pacing in place and staring at the car’s exhaust.

Qi Yingzhu almost wanted to sneer. What kind of one-sided lingering affection was this guy trying to act out? His behavior was truly sneaky. Standing by the roadside late at night obstructing the traffic’s line of sight?

Then, Qi Yingzhu crossed his arms expressionlessly and scrutinized that “traffic cone” from top to bottom.

He was slightly shorter than him, and his facial features were completely unrelated. He really looked like his photo? Even if he grew up disfigured, he wouldn’t develop in this direction.

After pondering this, Qi Yingzhu thought again that this man generally looked presentable and at least his manners were fine. He just wondered if, should the guy suffer a romantic setback, he would trespass into their company holding a megaphone to complain.

He was worrying quite a bit for the PR department. Just as he was about to leave, David turned around and walked back into the shop.

Qi Yingzhu pulled down the brim of his hat, watching the man walk to the bar and ask for a drink. The boss at the cash register handed him a bottle of dark beer.

“Looks like you didn’t manage to woo him. What was all that bragging about being able to cling to a sugar daddy?” the boss teased.

David said, “He’s like a block of wood. Absolutely no chance. But at least I added him as a friend so we can chat.”

The boss said, “His clothes and car are quite ordinary. Are you sure you can be a wealthy son-in-law?”

“He’s just stingy with himself. Do you know roughly how much his annual salary is? It’ll increase even more when he jumps ship.” David laughed heartily. “I’ve already picked out what watch I’m going to buy after marrying into his family.”

After observing coldly for a moment, Qi Yingzhu understood. So one was blindly looking for a plastic boyfriend, while the other was actively thinking he could take the opportunity to get close and exploit a moment of vulnerability.

This kind of thing was actually a common sight. In reality, there were plenty of people with insatiable greed, trying to take crooked paths all day long.

A proposal as absurd as a marriage of convenience—anyone willing to mess around with Chu Fuxuan on this likely had ulterior motives. Once they got hold of his weak spot, they would definitely be able to take some advantage.

Qi Yingzhu analyzed in his heart. Chu Fuxuan clearly showed he was willing to make an exchange of interests, and spending a bit of money seemed inconsequential to him.

But did the idiot in front of him have a bottom line? After taking advantage, would he push his luck? Qi Yingzhu felt very annoyed. Wasn’t the probability of this lead designer’s backyard catching fire a bit too high?

As he thought of this, his phone vibrated. His secretary reminded him that he had a video conference in half an hour.

Qi Yingzhu handled things very reliably. Even while on a business trip, he didn’t delay official business; all scheduled meetings were moved online.

With no time to continue paying attention to a scumbag’s conversation, he returned to his hotel to set up his computer, entering the meeting room five minutes early.

“When are you coming back?” A producer resentfully turned on his mic. “The project team is so busy we’re about to explode, just waiting for you to sign the appointment letters. You’ve been having fun in California for so long, can’t you take pity on the guys here who have been working non-stop for three months?”

Qi Yingzhu said, “Who do you want to sign?”

The producer didn’t speak up, but privately messaged him: [If you let those sly old foxes in, aren’t you afraid they’ll collude with others to isolate you? They won’t be easy to manage when the time comes.]

[You’re definitely well aware of these things already, I’m just nagging a bit.]

Between the lines, the project team also hoped to hire candidates with simple backgrounds. After the meeting was adjourned, Qi Yingzhu opened his half-written interview evaluation and stared at the system questionnaire on it.

Consequently, he paused for a long while. It was unknown if he was pondering over some trouble, or perhaps carefully recalling the details of the day.

Finally, Qi Yingzhu skipped the trivial evaluations, directly checked “Pass” at the end, and wrote a concise summary: [Please arrange a salary negotiation as soon as possible.]

Under another roof, Chu Fuxuan received a text message from David, asking if he had arrived home safely.

The security environment nearby was pretty good. He politely replied that he had already returned home, but because he didn’t want to chat, he deliberately refrained from asking about the other’s situation.

After taking a shower, he collapsed onto his bed and immediately fell asleep. Later, he continued packing his luggage. While packing, Chu Fuxuan counted down the time until his return to the country on his fingers, methodically discussing the lease termination with his landlord.

Seeing that his car was well-maintained, the landlord asked if he had any intention of selling it. At this, Chu Fuxuan conveniently sold the car, feeling light and relieved.

The only trouble was that public transportation here was inconvenient. Chu Fuxuan hadn’t completely left yet, and occasionally wanting to go to the commercial district was very troublesome.

“I haven’t received an email from Hongni. Hmm, you didn’t manage to pry out any intel either?” He took Dou Can’t call while sitting in a taxi.

Based on his experience, Dou Can speculated: “HR will contact you tomorrow morning at the earliest. It’s definitely in the bag. Why else would they make a transoceanic call if not to discuss your salary?”

Without an offer stamped with the company seal in his hands, Chu Fuxuan didn’t dare to be certain in his heart. Vocally, however, he played along: “Given Boss Qi’s flashy luxury car, I’m going to demand an exorbitant price from them.”

At the mention of Qi Yingzhu, the person on the other end of the phone suddenly stiffened for two seconds, then skipped the topic and began probing Chu Fuxuan indirectly.

“How was the atmosphere at your blind date?” Dou Can asked hesitantly, seeming as if he had done something to wrong him again.

“There was an awkwardness I can’t describe. But since I’m already in this state, there’s nothing to agonize over. If someone is willing to come to the rescue, I should be thanking my lucky stars. If we can agree on the terms, it’s pretty much settled, right?” Chu Fuxuan tilted his head.

Dou Can said honestly, “He used to work at Hongni, but he didn’t do very well. He’s been doing pretty good after changing career directions. He’s also done frontline R&D, so you two definitely have things to talk about.”

In reality, David hadn’t disclosed any of this to him at all. Upon suddenly learning this, the weirdness that had been bothering Chu Fuxuan instantly found an answer.

David and Qi Yingzhu had no competition or conflict, and didn’t even have any intersection. Why exactly would he make such speculations behind his back?

It was jealousy. Chu Fuxuan silently mouthed the answer.

Their ages were close, and their development trajectories were once similar. David left desolately, while Qi Yingzhu experienced a meteoric rise there, squeezing into the management level with unmatched prominence. The former’s attitude toward the latter was extremely mean, revealing a twisted, acrimonious flavor.

Initially, Chu Fuxuan thought David lacked relevant experience, leading him to voice such inappropriate suspicions. In truth, those words stemmed entirely from intentional, malicious slander.

Even though he also disliked the guy being badmouthed, how could someone sling mud like that?

Chu Fuxuan didn’t share this with Dou Can. He inwardly hissed a breath. Coming back to his senses, he was surprised. Was he actually feeling indignant on Qi Yingzhu’s behalf?

Alright, as an enthusiastic citizen, Chu Fuxuan didn’t harshly criticize himself for overflowing with sympathy. He reasoned in his heart that, regardless, this was fundamentally an issue of moral character; he ought to feel indignant.

So, should he still use David to deal with his parents? If he rejected the person in front of him, he would be forced into a dead end, leaving no room to search anew.

Chu Fuxuan felt a massive headache coming on. Right then, he received another new message. David said he had finished considering and wanted to find time to have a long chat with him.

Seeing this, he gripped his phone tightly. Choosing to follow his inner sense of right and wrong, he typed tensely and with difficulty: [I am very sorry for wasting your time. I’ve realized that we are not quite suitable.]

Getting out of the taxi, Chu Fuxuan was crestfallen, carrying two bags of old clothes to an organization for recycling.

The organization was a non-profit. The idle items they collected would all be appropriately handled. Since Chu Fuxuan was recently emptying his rented apartment, it was impossible to mail everything back home, so he simply decided to donate some out of goodwill.

He had washed all these clothes once over. Dried in the afternoon sun until they were dry and warm, they were all folded neatly and brought over. Opening the bags, there was still the fresh scent of laundry detergent.

After verifying the list with the staff, they were going to mail a thank-you letter later on. When filling out his information, Chu Fuxuan’s pen paused sluggishly, hesitating over what address he should write.

After returning to his country, it would be hard for him to stay by his parents’ side for long. He would probably have a hurried reunion, then hurriedly head to the next big city to hustle. Leaving the elders’ address would mean he couldn’t check it in time, and it could easily get lost.

“I’m leaving next week, and I don’t know where I’ll go after that.” Chu Fuxuan indicated that his whereabouts were drifting and subtly declined their kind gesture.

He had already booked his flight ticket and would be staying for a final seven days. Taking taxis here was both expensive and troublesome. Chu Fuxuan planned to stock up on some instant food so he could laze around and not have to go out.

While wandering around the supermarket, he saw cleaning agents and paint. He conveniently bought some, planning to thoroughly clean the house so as not to cause trouble for the landlord when officially terminating the lease.

Drinks, fruits, fresh vegetables—more and more things kept appearing in the shopping cart. After checking out, he had a massive, heavy bag.

Chu Fuxuan couldn’t manage to hail a taxi. Reluctantly, he picked up the bag to go take the bus. However, with his slender frame and lack of exercise, he surrendered on the spot before he could walk very far.

Fortunately, there was a bench on the nearby lawn. Chu Fuxuan rested for a while, rubbing his numb and aching shoulders.

It was getting close to 4 PM at this time, which was around 7 or 8 AM back in his home country. Father Chu called with a voice message greeting.

Afraid that he’d sound lethargic if he spoke while sitting, Chu Fuxuan braced his hands on his knees and stood up to chat. With his return trip imminent, he urged his parents not to go out of their way to pick him up at the airport to save them from the exhausting round trip.

“It’s already been arranged. We definitely have to pick you up. I even told the shop to wash the car extra clean this time,” Father Chu said. “Why, is your boyfriend shy?”

Chu Fuxuan: “.”

Thinking about the series of recent encounters, he was instantly left speechless and choked up.

Father Chu assumed his silence was a tacit admission and said speechlessly, “Such a handsome, tall guy playing the shy act, what is he pretending for?”

Chu Fuxuan: “…”

He choked up for a moment, then bitterly spewed nonsense on the spot: “He’s not feeling well. He still has no idea what to do next. Let’s just focus on him surviving first.”

With his son describing it so vaguely, Father Chu was completely baffled: “The young man got sick? Did you take him to the hospital?”

Chu Fuxuan associated it with his own condition. Feeling his arm aching just from holding the phone, he said earnestly, “It’s not a major issue. He just holed up in the office for too long, so his constitution is weak.”

“Sigh, you take good care of him. We were thinking that after his business trip was over, we could properly touch base with him. If he comes back together with you, we’ll cook a whole table of good food to nourish him.”

Father Chu nagged on. Thinking that Chu Fuxuan had a patient to deal with over there and was probably very tired right now, he didn’t prolong the pleasantries.

The current turn of events was hard to describe in a few words. Chu Fuxuan collapsed back onto the bench. Catching his breath a bit like this, he persistently shuffled toward the bus stop.

On his way, he passed by the exquisite revolving doors of a hotel. He stopped silently again and absentmindedly stared at it for a while.

If only there was a time machine. He definitely wouldn’t have used Qi Yingzhu’s photo without permission, causing such a thorny mess…

Wait… Chu Fuxuan’s train of thought was suddenly interrupted.

He caught something amiss in his peripheral vision and immediately looked over sensitively. He discovered that Qi Yingzhu was actually inside this very hotel?!

Thinking about it carefully, it seemed understandable. Chu Fuxuan realized with hindsight that this was the most luxurious business-class hotel in the city; it wasn’t surprising that Qi Yingzhu had been arranged to stay here.

The other party had clearly noticed him too. Their gazes met without reason. He stepped forward and walked over towards this side, while Chu Fuxuan’s mind went blank for a moment, unable to stop himself from taking a half-step back.

“CEO Qi, you haven’t returned to the country yet?” Caught completely off guard, he inevitably stumbled over his words a bit.

Qi Yingzhu also hadn’t expected to bump into him and cut straight to the chase: “There was something I hadn’t taken care of yet. I was just planning to look for you.”

Chu Fuxuan widened his eyes in surprise, remembering that HR would contact him tomorrow at the earliest. Then what was the situation now…

“You came to discuss my salary with me?” He was surprised and dazed.

The automatic revolving doors turned like a kaleidoscope. Time had not flowed backward, and every word spoken had to count.

At dusk, standing in front of the door, Chu Fuxuan received a topic far more unbelievable than a boss discussing salary.

Qi Yingzhu said, “I changed my flight to next week. I have time to chat about your prenuptial agreement.”

Before Chu Fuxuan had time to react, the other party invited: “Do you want to consider marrying me?”

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Producer: Boss, are you saying that to solve the project team’s problems, you got yourself a wife?