Chapter 178: In Spite of Oneself
Not long after Qi Yu returned to the table, he received a message from Xu Jing, saying that he would be waiting for him at the bar on the top floor of the hotel after the dinner.
After the meal, Ye Qinru wanted to chat with Manager Fang and Su Jing planned to go back to his room to work. Yu Lian asked Qi Yu with a smile if he had any special arrangements, if not, she was willing to stay and chat with him.
Qi Yu politely declined. “Thank you but I’ve already made an appointment with a friend.”
Hearing so, Yu Lian seemed a little dissapointed. Shr said with a smile, “Ever since our chat at the hotel in Shenkeng last time, I’ve been wanting to chat with you about all sorts of things. Unfortunately, I haven’t caught neither hide nor hair of you recently. I don’t know when I’ll have the chance.”
Qi Yu smiled and said, “When I graduate and return to China, I’ll be spending more time with all or you. There’ll surely be chances then.”
Su Jing came up and with a wave of his hand, said, “What President Qi means to say is wait for him to come back and he’ll take us on a campaign to conquer every corner of the world!”
Everyone burst into laughter; the atmosphere was harmonious and joyful. Qi Yu was surrounded by everyone. His eyes made a sweep of the room and he saw Zhang Chengxuan, standing not far away, looking straight at him, his eyes full of envy and yearning.
Qi Yu was startled and he nodded at him. Quickly after, he heard Ye Qinru ask from beside him, “Who are you meeting with?”
Qi Yu whispered to Ye Qinru, “With Chief Xu next door.”
“Him? Ye Qinru said quietly, “You’re going to see him alone? Would you like Wu Shuang to accompany you?”
Qi Yu thought of how there were a lot of people in the hotel and how he was going there to talk about private matters with Xu Jing. It would be difficult to feel at ease with other people around, so he said, “No, I’ll meeting with him in this hotel. We’re just going to have a chat; it’s fine.”
Ye Qinru said, “Alright then, send me a message once you get back to your room after your chat.”
Qi Yu went by himself to to the top floor of the hotel. There were quite a lot of people up here.
Although they were located in an old town, there was no shortage of entertainment options within and around the hotel — things like fitness centers and massage spas, rooms for chess and cards, karaoke etc. Once the banquet was over, business elites who had yet to return to their rooms all came up here to have fun.
But perhaps they had already had enough to eat and drink; there were hardly any people in the bar that Xu Jing chose. Moreover, the location too was quite hidden.
When Qi Yu got there, there were only a few people talking inside. The lights in the bar were quite dim so it was almost impossible to see what everyone looked like.
Qi Yu swept his eyes across the room and found that Xu Jing was sitting in the corner of the bar with his back to him. He walked over and sat down beside him. “Sorry to trouble you with finding a place…”
Xu Jing glanced at him and said lightly, “When we got to the hotel, I came up here and took a look around.”
Qi Yu looked up at the bartender. “Whiskey and lemon soda.”
While waiting for his drink, the two remained silent, it seemed neither of them knew what to day. Finally, Qi Yu urged, “What is it that you want to say to me?”
Xu Jing asked, “How have you been recently?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Hl Te wjvf tlw mtbxf. “Glvc’a kf pera ajix bnfg atf qtbcf akb vjsr jub?”
P’nf cfnfg wfa jcsbcf wbgf raeyybgc atjc sbe…” We Alcu rwlifv ylaafgis jcv jrxfv jujlc, “Tbe’ii yf ugjvejalcu lc tjio j sfjg, gluta?”
Hl Te: “Sc.”
Coafg fzmtjculcu j mbeqif bo fwqas kbgvr, We Alcu rffwfv ab ujatfg atf mbegjuf ab atf wjlc wjaafg ja tjcv, “Qts vlv sbe cfnfg jrx wf kts P kjr ifjnlcu?”
Qi Yu took the whiskey from the bartender, took a sip and said, “My dad already told me why.”
“No wonder.” Xu Jing looked at him, “Are you and Fu Yansheng really in that kind of relationship?”
Qi Yu paused and admitted, “Yes.”
Xu Jing: “Why didn’t you tell me from the start?”
Qi Yu lowered his eyes. “At the time, I wasn’t planning on going this far with him. My brother is already like that. No matter how much I like men, it’s simply too far from the norm… I was afraid that if I told you, you’d also think I’m just acting willfully.”
Xu Jing smiled lightly: “That’s right. You dad definitely wouldn’t agree.”
Qi Yu: “Not only did he not agree, he was also very angry.”
“He knows?” Xu Jing was stunned and said, surprised, “Did your dad make Fu Yansheng leave?”
Qi Yu: “No…”
“Then why?” Xu Jing retracted his gaze, his eyes gloomy, “I gave up my place; why didn’t he stay by your side? He really doesn’t know how to cherish what he has…”
Qi Yu couldn’t help but ask, “Jing Ge, why do you care so much about Teacher Fu?”
“How can I not care? In May of this year, you came to Shanyu and asked me to withdraw the investments. I asked you then if Fu Yansheng was the one who brought about these changes. You didn’t answer. The way I saw it, your silence meant yes. I’ve been by your side for so many years but I’ve never seen you like that. But in just two years, he’s managed to make you disagree with me. So what happens after that?” Xu Jing took a sip of wine, looking depressed.
Qi Yu frowned and said, “Disagreements can be slowly worked out. I never thought of letting you go.”
“I understand the sense behind it but people can’t help but be a bit obsessive… I couldn’t stand it at the time, so I a change of environment, to adjust my mood. It just so happened that Lin Huan had been trying to poach me for a while. After several years of managing Shanyu, Linhe Capital was the best place I could have chosen at that time…” Xu Jing sighed, slowly shaking the ice cubes in the glass. He said, “Forget it. Time has a way of making people gradually wake up. After so long, I have to admit that my original decision had a been made in a fit of pique…”
Qi Yu’s heart trembled. Sure enough, Fu Yansheng had once again hit the nail on the head.
Xu Jing took a sip of his drink and said in a low voice, “I’m not involved with HZ – FIA. I was just pulled by Lin Huan to join in the fun. Sorry, I thought you were helping your dad handle the Group. I didn’t know you were coming to New Bird’s conference. I had no intention of putting you in an awkward position.”
Qi Yu: “It’s fine…”
Xu Jing: “To be honest, seeing the incidents the Si Yuan Group has had to go through these past six month, I’ve always felt like my body’s in Cao but my heart’s in Han. It’s painful how I’m unable to help. But regretting things now is meaningless. I just hope you and your dad will be fine…”
Qi Yu’s heart swung back and forth and after a long pause, he raise his glass to Xu Jing and Xu Jing automatically raised his and touched it against his.
“Actually, when I heard from Dad that you were leaving, I was also very sad. After reflecting on it for a long time, I felt that there were a lot of things that I didn’t handle well and that I disappointed you. But I couldn’t make myself compromise and accept your views. I also couldn’t choose between you and Teacher Fu… I tried to convince myself that if by leaving, you would be happier than staying with me, then I’d rather let you go.” Qi Yu smiled and said, as though talking to himself, “But I knew that since you were leaving, I must have let you down…”
Xu Jing was shocked and looked at Qi Yu in astonishment.
Under the dim light, the young man’s star-like eyes flashed with deep loneliness and self-blame. It brought Xu Jing to the first time they met eight years ago.
It was at Mei Wei’s headquarters in Newtown. He saw a 13-year-old Qi Yu sitting quietly in the public activity area outside their sales department, reading through a magazine. Even then Qi Yu was already very handsome. Xu Jing had no idea who took him to have his hair made into dark chestnut curls, making him look like a mixed-race child. He looked exactly how Xu Jing imagined Exupery’s little prince would.
He still remembered how he’d been attracted by the loneliness in the child’s eyes and he couldn’t help but approach him, keep him company, willingly devote all his patience and tenderness towards him…
Xu Jing quickly retracted his gaze. In order to hide the shock in his heart, he took a sip of his drink. In an instant, all his feelings of bitterness and sadness came surging forth.
At this moment, the phone on the table buzzed and the name “Lin Huan” popped up prominently on the screen. Xu Jing glanced at it and turned the phone over.
“Xiao Yu…” He took a deep breath, lowered his voice and said quickly, “I heard that the Lizao Group is in a mess because of conflict within the family. A while ago, when the Si Family withdrew their capital, Zhang Youfa also spent a lot of money to disrupt things within the Si Yuan Group. This strained the funding for the own FIA – HZ. They suppressed any news of this matter and didn’t allow to get out but Lin Huan realized that for the past six months of FIA – HZ’s operations, the Zhang family has been using the money they got from him. Lin Huan is already very impatient. He came here today to see if FIA can secure this cooperation with New Bird. If they can’t, he plans to withdraw his investment…”
Xu Jing grabbed the phone and stood up as he spoke, “Ye Qinru is very capable and Yang Xiaoxue is very fond of you. You guys should make sure to grab hold of this opportunity. I should go.”
Qi Yu got up and said, “Wait…”
Xu Jing paused. He turned his head around but he didn’t dare to look at the other. He was afraid that his soul would be captured by Qi Yu’s eyes, his spirit, robbed. He might do something in spite of himself.
Qi Yu looked at him, his eyes gleaming, “Jing Ge, thank you for telling me this. I’m very happy because these words of yours mean that you too can’t become the kind of person you once wanted me to be…” He paused and added, “No matter where you go, there will be a place for you in my heart and by my side.”
Xu Jing’s eyes stung, his heart was beating wildly. He cursed “this kid” and quickly turned around and left the bar.
Watching Xu Jing leave, Qi Yu was also delighted by the news he had just received. He finished off his drink and settled the bill. He was about to go find Ye Qinru when his cell phone rang.
Qi Yu glanced at it and seeing that it was a call from Zhang Chengxuan, hurriedly answered. “Hello?”
The person at the other end said something and he frowned slightly. He asked, “Where are you? I’ll go look for you.” He was just about to head to the elevator but when he heard the other’s response, he turned abruptly, changed direction at the last minute and hurried to the stairs.
***
22:03 pm.
Fu Yansheng glanced at his mobile phone, and saw that Qi Yu’s last reply was still the “OK” sent at 18:02 that evening. He hadn’t taken notice of his last message, “I miss you so much”.
Did he not see it?
Or did he not have time to reply?
Fu Yansheng was a little depressed and sent another message, asking, “Have you finished dinner yet?”
He exited the messaging app at took a look at Qi Yu’s location. He found that the little red dot was moving out the hotel. Fu Yansheng wondered, ‘What’s going on? Why are you still going out so late?’
He put down his phone and read through some reports for a while. Afterwards, he then turned on the location app and took another look. He found that during the past ten minutes, Qi Yu had made his way to the gates of the old town.
Fu Yansheng couldn’t help but send a another message, asking, “Where are you going so late?”
Thinking something wasn’t quite right, he also sent a message to Wang Meng. “Are you and President Qi together?”
Wang Meng: “No, I’m in my room.”
Fu Yansheng: “What about President Qi?”
Wang Meng had a vague idea about the relationship between Fu Yansheng and Qi Yu, so he never hid anything from Fu Yansheng. “He went to the dinner party. He told me not to follow him once we arrived at the hotel this afternoon.”
… Not follow?
Fu Yansheng hurriedly called Ye Qinru and asked directly, “Where are you? Is Qi Yu with you?”
Ye Qinru was stunned for a second, then said, “I’m in the old city. We’re not together. What’s wrong?”
Fu Yansheng: “You’re not? Then where is he?”
Ye Qinru: “He and Xu… No, just call him and ask. Why are you asking me for?”
Fu Yansheng thought so too. He hung up his call with Ye Qinru and turned to call Qi Yu, but after two busy signals, a system prompt came from the other end – “The phone you dialed has been turned off. ”
——————
【Little Theater】
Lin Huan: Where did Xu Jing go? I should give him a call.
Xu Jing turned the phone over.
Lin Huan: …? ? ?
I’m going to revolt! ! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
————
Yasssss! They talked! About feelings! Like adults! 👏👏👏
And I’ve got a bad feeling about this, what are you up to ZCX?
Ahh I’m also not feeling too great about this situation 😧
Another comment-induced bad feeling coming up…. doesn’t seem like a good sign 😬😬😬
thanks for the chapter!
I love all the little mini theatres with Lin Huan 😂 Thank you for the update!
Wt.. This Zhang family is not doing sth bad to disturb the competition tmr right?
Or I was happy they had friends they could interact with. Thus I can’t really empathise with Xu. But, as I said, it doesn’t mean it can’t happen. It could be the influence of this being a bl, Qi being the MC and thus feeling like everyone likes Qi. 🤷🏻♀️
xj is so weird, like his narration of the conversation is so uncomfortable.
and his motives are so stupid just like a child but he’s 30 acting like this