Chapter 8: Mutual Agreement

The car arranged for Qi Yingzhu by the local office was very new. The trunk thoughtfully contained bottled water, emergency medical supplies, and tools.

The shopping bag, tied with a slipknot, was placed inside. Chu Fuxuan stood three steps away from Qi Yingzhu, crossing his arms as he watched the man close the trunk.

He should have stepped forward to lend a hand, or at the very least stood nearby to show concern. However, since Qi Yingzhu was “allergic to homosexuality,” he was more worried that getting too close would trigger the other party’s “illness.”

Subsequently, the two got into the car. Hearing the rustling sounds from the back seat, Qi Yingzhu turned his head and asked with a gloomy, sarcastic tone, “Boss, where would you like to go to have fun? Today it’s Little Qi’s turn to serve you.”

Hearing this, Chu Fuxuan tactfully switched to the front passenger seat.

Although he had navigated the workplace with ease previously, he hadn’t interacted closely with his superiors. Doing R&D didn’t require business socializing either. Having been used to this laxity for years, he had almost forgotten that when the boss is driving, rules dictate that one shouldn’t sit in the back seat.

Fastening his seatbelt, he gave the address of his rented apartment. It was quite far from here, more than an hour’s drive away.

Qi Yingzhu looked like he had a bad temper, but his actual driving was very steady. There was a section of road with rush-hour traffic, and Chu Fuxuan felt like he was wasting the other’s time. He glanced over quite guiltily, but Qi Yingzhu’s expression was indifferent, wearing his usual emotionless look.

Chu Fuxuan spoke up: “By the way, regarding your flash marriage, how are you going to explain it to your parents?”

Qi Yingzhu replied lightly, “Who I marry, when, and in what form—I think I have the freedom to make that decision independently.”

This meant he didn’t need to deliberately explain it. Chu Fuxuan hesitated for a moment, feeling that from a human relations perspective, this approach wasn’t very appropriate.

However, this was Qi Yingzhu’s family matter. If he kept asking questions, it would sound like a paparazzi interview, which would be somewhat overstepping.

Furthermore, there was nothing wrong with Qi Yingzhu’s statement. As a mentally mature and successful man, his domestic household registration had probably already been separated out. He didn’t need to rely on his family’s support, so he had the right to live his life as he pleased without being manipulated.

“Your parents won’t call the police and say you eloped, will they?” Chu Fuxuan confirmed.

Qi Yingzhu said, “They understand what kind of character their own son has. Even if I were hijacked, they’d probably worry about the kidnappers’ safety. When they find out about this, their first reaction will probably be to suspect that I abducted you.”

Chu Fuxuan: “.”

What a hands-off family dynamic.

Unlike Qi Yingzhu, his personality was soft and innocent. He wanted to share every little interesting tidbit with his parents, and the first time he got his salary, he sent a big red envelope back home.

He definitely hoped his marriage would gain the elders’ approval and give them comfort; otherwise, there would be no need to go through all this trouble.

“Let’s get our stories straight, and see if you can accept it,” Chu Fuxuan discussed with him. “You basically already know what kind of cover story I spun for my parents.”

Previously, he had mistakenly thought Qi Yingzhu was his blind date and had spilled everything, revealing the whole sequence of events. He didn’t expect that after all the twists and turns, his breath hadn’t been wasted.

Qi Yingzhu said, “Hmm. Been dating for years, harmonious relationship. By coincidence, I was out of town recently, so I haven’t been subjected to your parents’ phone interrogations.”

Chu Fuxuan quickly agreed, “Yes! For the rest you can just tell the truth; there’s a lot of room for improvisation. If you’re willing to act a bit more enthusiastic, Little Chu will be especially grateful for the boss’s stellar acting.”

Qi Yingzhu was confused: “What exactly is the persona of this plastic boyfriend of yours?”

Chu Fuxuan’s voice got quieter and quieter: “Someone who’s tall, handsome, rich…”

By the end, he was speaking as softly as a kitten’s meow: “…and a lovebrain who loves me so much he can’t extricate himself.”

Qi Yingzhu remained silent for a long while, his expression shifting. He seemed to feel that letting David take this job wouldn’t have been a bad idea—after all, evil people are destined to be tormented by other evil people.

Chu Fuxuan tried to salvage the situation: “You’ll only see my parents a few times a year. You just need to pretend to be a good man in front of the relatives during holidays and festivals. If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll just say you’re working overtime.”

Seeing Qi Yingzhu’s brows relax, he chased after his point: “Isn’t a good man supposed to be a wife-doting slave? Think about it normally, in public, you have to give your partner face, right!”

Qi Yingzhu concluded that it would be more appropriate for him to be absent due to overtime; otherwise, the scene would simply be too terrifying. If he pretended to be a wife-slave, wouldn’t his acting be full of loopholes?

“You don’t need to worry about the financial aspect. We can have a lawyer draw a clear line. Besides, a marriage certificate from here is just a scrap of waste paper back in the country,” Chu Fuxuan said.

Qi Yingzhu replied, “I’m not too worried. Given your style of looking for a job immediately after resigning, you’re the type who only feels at ease spending money you’ve earned with your own two hands.”

He had seen all sorts of people and things, and considered his judgment quite perceptive. Had he doubted Chu Fuxuan’s character in the slightest, the two of them wouldn’t have had any intersection today.

Upon hearing this, Chu Fuxuan’s eyelashes curved in a smile as he planned for them to apply for marriage registration and get their property notarized in advance.

Ultimately, this wasn’t a matter of trust. Actually, Qi Yingzhu wasn’t worried, and Chu Fuxuan cared even less. Compared to the other party’s salary, his was just pocket change; there was simply no need for the other to covet it.

But related matters still needed to be clearly separated. Qi Yingzhu had taken the lead in expressing a positive attitude, and Chu Fuxuan knew what was what in his heart, making him even more proactive about drawing clear boundaries.

His upbringing didn’t allow him to take advantage of others in despicable ways. Moreover, there were so many unpredictable variables in the future. Who knew if Qi Yingzhu might need to divorce him someday? Unintentionally getting too deeply entangled would be very troublesome.

Chu Fuxuan sensibly and clearly arranged the schedule, then added consciously, “I’ll find a rental and live apart from you. I’ll trouble you to run interference with my parents, just don’t let them know I’m living alone.”

Qi Yingzhu had lived alone all year round. If he were forced to live under the same roof with someone else, both parties would probably find it unbearable. Hearing Chu Fuxuan say this, he gave a slight nod in agreement.

“Any other requests?” Qi Yingzhu asked.

From dusk till night, the scenery before them gradually darkened. Occasionally, the glow of traffic lights illuminated their profiles.

Chu Fuxuan bit his lip, afraid that saying it out loud would seem like he was being falsely sentimental. So, he struggled to brew his thoughts for a moment before speaking slowly.

“I hope this cooperation is restricted to our private lives. During office hours, could you pretend not to know me?” He didn’t intend to let the company know about his personal status.

Qi Yingzhu found it baffling: “Otherwise what? Do you think I’m preparing to enter us in the company’s Model Family selection?”

Chu Fuxuan: “.”

He knew bringing it up was just him talking too much!

But at the end of the day, he and Qi Yingzhu weren’t very close. Five days ago, they were just strangers who had only seen each other’s photos.

Now that they were suddenly about to become a superficial married couple, there were still too many blanks between them. Every cautious probe felt like a head-on collision.

Aside from confusion and unease, the strongest feeling was awkwardness. Chu Fuxuan fiddled with the seatbelt across his chest.

“When the time comes, I’ll just say I’ve settled down, use it to block drinking parties and the like. At most, I’ll mention it in passing; it’s impossible for me to reveal you,” Qi Yingzhu said.

Fearing his description wasn’t detailed enough, he completely dispelled Chu Fuxuan’s misgivings: “Your name, your job, your background—I won’t mention any of it.”

Chu Fuxuan’s hanging heart instantly settled. However, on second thought, he didn’t have anything worth Qi Yingzhu showing off. What motive would Qi Yingzhu have to spread his information everywhere?

After pondering for a moment, his attention shifted elsewhere: “If you suddenly resolve the biggest event of your life, won’t people gossip?”

The navigation showed they were nearing their destination. Qi Yingzhu encountered a red light, stepped on the brakes, and slowed down.

Then he looked at Chu Fuxuan and said, “First, all the colleagues in the business group are technically my subordinates in terms of rank. No subordinate would dare ask to their superior’s face what the person they married looks like.”

Chu Fuxuan felt this made a lot of sense and gestured for him to continue explaining his reasons.

“Secondly, this kind of thing is a private matter. If asked by the board of directors, I can choose not to cooperate,” Qi Yingzhu said. “Even in broad daylight and in front of everyone, they will have to be mindful of giving me face.”

From the fact that he had spoken disrespectfully and defied upper management, yet was promoted instead of demoted, it was evident that Qi Yingzhu was irreplaceable in the company. Even the group’s directors, after weighing the pros and cons, chose to turn a blind eye.

At this, Chu Fuxuan had no further questions. He felt that if he wavered on any other points, it would simply be disrespectful to the ultimate big boss’s status.

With their needs tentatively aligned, and considering that the remaining time was a bit tight, Chu Fuxuan decided to write out the agreement in black and white as soon as they went upstairs.

“Why don’t you come up and sit at my place for a bit. If it looks fine, we’ll just finalize it directly,” he said.

His rented apartment was on the fifth floor. By now, it was almost completely moved out, feeling quite empty upon entering.

Aside from a sofa and a coffee table, the living room only had half a glass of cold water and an inedible bass guitar. Thinking boiling water would be too slow, Chu Fuxuan ambled over to open the fridge, taking out a canned soda to hand to Qi Yingzhu.

From this angle, Qi Yingzhu noticed there were surprisingly no fresh ingredients in the fridge. He figured Chu Fuxuan hadn’t cooked a single meal on the stove during this period.

He then glanced at the instant noodles in the shopping bag, thinking to himself that Chu Fuxuan’s parents worrying so much perhaps wasn’t without reason; this person truly just made do with whatever to get by.

“I dismantled my desktop and shipped it home, so my laptop screen is a bit small.” Chu Fuxuan also opened a can of soda, placed the computer in front of the two of them, and familiarly enlarged the font size.

He typed very nimbly and had a great memory. Without needing extra confirmation, he directly organized their conversation from the car, outlining it into clear terms and conditions.

During this process, he would occasionally pause, then tilt his head back to take a sip of his iced drink.

It was already around 7 PM. Qi Yingzhu didn’t know when Chu Fuxuan had eaten lunch, but drinking only cold beverages seemed to upset his stomach, causing him to furrow his brows slightly.

Qi Yingzhu suddenly asked, “Do you have an electronic copy of your medical checkup report?”

Chu Fuxuan gave a sluggish “Hmm,” then immediately found the saved file in his phone, exchanging it with Qi Yingzhu.

The intensity and pressure in this industry were too great, so annual checkups were always extremely detailed. Qi Yingzhu skimmed over it; Chu Fuxuan had a gastroscopy last year, which showed mild inflammation.

The rest of the items had no issues, except his BMI was on the thin side, which wasn’t hard to deduce given his dietary habits.

By his side, Chu Fuxuan looked at Qi Yingzhu’s clean bill of health with absolutely zero red flags. He found it unbelievable—exactly what kind of constitution and bodily structure did this guy have?

Following this, he remembered how effortlessly Qi Yingzhu had lifted the shopping bag. He couldn’t help but look at the other party’s muscle metrics, and on the same page as those metrics were printed his measurements.

Chu Fuxuan couldn’t restrain his curiosity and peeked in the direction of the measurements. After seeing a string of numbers fitting for a male model, he drew a breath and couldn’t help but steal glances at Qi Yingzhu.

“What’s wrong?” Qi Yingzhu seemed to have a sensory radar.

“Nothing, nothing. This, this…” Chu Fuxuan stumbled slightly. “It would be pretty hard for your wife to become a widow.”

Qi Yingzhu let out a chuckle. Before the two could get to chatting, the symphony rang loudly once again; this time, it was Chu Fuxuan’s mother calling.

Deliberately avoiding him would make it seem sneaky. Chu Fuxuan, having a clear conscience and nothing to hide, frantically answered the call right in front of him.

Mother Chu seemed deeply worried after hearing Father Chu’s recounting. However, details appeared to have been embellished along the way, and a rumor was thus born.

“Fuxuan, how did your partner go on a single trip and end up an overdrawn invalid? What kind of illness does he have? Your dad is insisting on buying ginseng, soft-shelled turtle, and pig trotters to nurse him back to health.”

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Chu Fuxuan: Performance misstep. What I brought back is a guy built like a double-door refrigerator.