Chapter 022: A Dragon among Men
Qi Yu curiously asked, “If he comes, what position do you plan to give him. Something like Xu Jing’s?”
Qi Yuancheng looked at him. “Didn’t you still say that it’s boring going to school by yourself? Seeing how much you like him, it’d be better to just have him accompany you to study?”
“A-a peidu?” Qi Yu thought he must have misheard.
Qi Yuancheng added, “Of course, that is on the premise I meet with him first to make sure that he truly is qualified to teach you.”
“Oh…” Why was he actually a little tempted by this proposal?
After talking with his father, Qi Yu left a message for Complex Number. He then went down to get something to eat. It was around 7 o’clock in the evening before the other party responded.
F1S: “That phone call you made yesterday has me still feeling a little listless…”
F1S: “Next time you pull a stunt like that, I won’t be polite any longer.”
Qi Yu flipped through his cell phone and sent an emoji he’d gotten from his schoolmate chat group: “[Little Fox Brimming with Tears.gif]”
F1S: “……”
F1S: “You, a strong boy of 187 cm, aren’t you embarrassed to make such a cute expression?”
Yu: “[Tuzki Madly Shaking a Person.gif]”
F1S: “Go back to selling meng…”
After bickering for a bit, Qi Yu finally got back to the topic, “My dad wants to see you.”
F1S: “He really wants to see me?”
Qi Yu didn’t have the nerve to directly say what his dad wanted to know what the other person did. But no matter what, he thought about how after his dad meets him, his dad should then be able to rest assured and then he’d be able to continue associating with Complex Number.
F1S: “I’m in China, how would we meet?”
Yu: “My dad often goes back home on business trips.”
F1S: “That’s good then. You can give him my phone number and he can just arrange a meeting with me ahead of time.
After getting his answer, Qi Yu relayed it to Qi Yuancheng.
Qi Yuancheng said, “It just so happens that after Christmas, I’m going to Haicheng on a business trip. I’ll make some time to meet him then.”
Qi Yu inexplicably felt like he was facilitating a predestined marriage…
After the two weeks of rest at home, Qi Yu went back to school.
It might be because he knew that his father would soon be seeing Complex Number, Qi Yu also vaguely began to wonder about the other person’s appearance. He couldn’t help asking, “You really can’t video call with me?”
As a result, Complex Number said, “Are you angling for us to be online dating? Why do you keep insisting on a video call?”
——This sentence made Qi Yu never want to mention it again!
In all his 19 years, it’s only ever been others you’ve wanted to see him. It’s never been the other way around. F*ck.
At about the end of January, Complex Number sent him a message: “Your dad asked to meet me tomorrow.”
Qi Yu said nervously, “What time?”
F1S: “At eight o’clock in the evening, the Beach Hotel.”
F1S: “It’s really interesting. I’ve been in the business for so many years, it’s the first time I’ll be interviewed by a client’s father.”
Qi Yu: “……”
F1S: “I’m going to help you solve a big problem, don’t you have something to say?”
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.
Yu: “Something to say? Like what?”
M1V: “Ofa wf fzqijlc. Ktlr lr j yerlcfrr mtja. Mbg rbwfbcf bo sbeg vjv’r ifnfi, ws jqqfjgjcmf off rtbeiv yf ja ifjra 80,000 sejc. Mbg atf rjxf bo tbk qjgalji sbe kfgf abkjgvr wf, P’nf jigfjvs kjlnfv atlr off obg sbe.”
Hl Te cjggbkfv tlr fsfr jcv ifa bea j “arx”. Lf asqfv bea klat ktlgiklcv rqffv.
Yu: “Thank you, Teacher!”
Yu: “Teacher, you’ve worked hard!”
F1S: “Good, I promise to make your father happy. :)”
Qi Yu: “…………”
The next day, when it was time for Complex Number to meet Qi Yuancheng, Qi Yu became absent-minded, his thoughts constantly drifting to what they could be talking about. After about three hours, his phone rang with that familiar WeChat alert tone.
F1S: “It’s done.”
F1S: “You actually want me to go abroad and be your peidu? Hehe.”
Qi Yu: “……”
His dad really mentioned that!?
So his dad was quite satisfied with Complex Number?
But what was with this ‘hehe’ from Complex Number? Is he saying that this is something beneath him?
Qi Yu quickly explained: “This is just my dad’s idea, not mine. Don’t let your imagination run away with you.”
F1S: “Oh, so that’s it.”
F1S: “Then I will call him now and say I won’t consider it anymore.”
Qi Yu: “!!!”
Yu: “You’re considering it?”
F1S: “Go ask your dad.”
Qi Yu walked around in the quiet apartment living room, his phone clutched in his hand, heart pounding in his chest.
——Complex Number was actually considering it?
How could such an amazing person like him consider coming to be his peidu?
Could it be that his father was going to pay him a lot of money?
If he called his dad now, would it seem that he was attaching too much importance on Complex Number?
…Should he hold it in for now? And just ask tomorrow?
But Qi Yu could only endure it for fifteen minutes before he couldn’t bear it anymore.
Heart itching, he impatiently dialled his dad’s number. After the call was connected, Qi Yu tried his best to use a restrained and calm voice to ask, “Dad, I heard from Teacher Fu that you met with him today?”
Whenever Qi Yu mentioned this person to Qi Yuancheng, he always called him “Teacher Fu” as though to express that the relationship between them was right and proper. And so, even through the phone, he used this term of address.
On the other end of the line, Qi Yuancheng smiled. “You sure get your news fast.”
Qi Yu: “What do you think of him?”
Qi Yuancheng sounded delighted. “He is indeed an excellent young man. He was neither haughty nor humble when he met me. I asked him why he would spend so much time teaching you online and collect such a small amount of money. Guess what he said.”
Qi Yu: “What?”
Qi Yuancheng: “He said that signing that kind of contract with you was done for his amusement. In fact, he mostly took a fancy to your potential and wanted to teach you well. Because people like us have too much of society’s resources, he said, if he teaches you well it will be good for society in the future, so he didn’t think about whether he was profiting from it or not. It was just sort of his hobby.”
Qi Yu: “…………”
What was this f*cking… Noble spirit! ?
Qi Yuancheng smiled and said, “At first, I thought he was just paying lip service to me. Then I asked him if he would be willing to come and assist you. I could give him a high salary. After some hesitation, he said that he could consider it, but he has two conditions.”
Qi Yu was surprised. “What conditions?”
Qi Yuancheng: “He said he could agree to be by your side for at most two years. Afterwards, whether he would follow you or not would depend on your own ability and performance.”
Qi Yu: “……???”
He was even going to examine his abilities? How about he drop dead?
Qi Yuancheng chuckled lightly. “A fine bird chooses a tree to nest in. In this society, it is very rare for a young man like him to have his own principles and three views.”
Qi Yu: “……”
As expected of a business chat worth 80,000 yuan a pop. He really had coaxed his dad until he was all smiles…Truly impressive…
Remembering that his dad had just only told him of one condition, Qi Yu asked, “Does he still have another condition?”
Qi Yuancheng: “He said he didn’t want to accept a salary from me. He wanted you to talk to him yourself. Because he wouldn’t be working for me, he’d be working for you.”
He was letting him pay his salary? Heh, these words inexplicably gave Qi Yu a sense of satisfaction, as if this person, Complex Number, would belong entirely to him in the future.
Unlike Xu Jing, who although treated him well, he was still his father’s subordinate…
After he hung up the call, Qi Yu was feeling a little like he was floating on air.
After a while, he sent a message to the Complex Number. “How much do I need to pay you to get you to come here?”
After a long time, the other party replied, “No, I was just coaxing your dad with that. You really want me to go over there?”
Qi Yu: “…” F*ck!
***
In early February, Qi Yu flew back to Newtown for two days to celebrate the Spring Festival.
When father and son met, Qi Yu asked Qi Yuancheng about Complex Number, “What does Teacher Fu do?”
Qi Yuancheng: “He works as a director in the investment banking division of a securities company.”
Qi Yu gave a “Oh” and deliberately probing, said, “Speaking of which, I’ve never seen what he looks like.”
Qi Yuancheng touched his chin and commented, “Good-looking, a dragon among men.”
It made Qi Yu even more curious…
Domestically, they were also celebrating Chinese New Year. On New Year’s Eve, Complex Number called Qi Yu and greeted him a happy new year though it was only 12 noon when Qi Yu received the call.
“How are you going to spend the New Year?” asked Complex Number.
“We’re heading to the house of one of my dad’s friends.” Qi Yu said.
That friend was Meng Jiahe, Meng Wenhui’s father, Uncle Meng.
Meng Jiahe ran more than a dozen Chinese supermarkets and Chinese restaurants in the United States. He was a business partner who had a very close relationship with Qi Yuancheng. Since Qi Yu came to the United States with his father nine years ago, the two families visited each other often.
Because the Qi family had only father and son, it was inevitable that their Chinese New Year celebration would be a bit lonely. So every New Year’s Eve, Uncle Meng would invite them to have New Year’s Eve dinner together.
After listening to Qi Yu’s explanation, Complex Number said, “That’s good, have fun. I’ll call you again when it’s twelve over there.”
Although he and Meng Wenhui had drifted apart because of different aspirations, Qi Yu still liked Uncle Meng and his wife Aunt Fang.
The couple treated him very well, especially Aunt Fang. He left his mother at the age of ten. After coming to the United States, Aunt Fang’s heart went out to him and every now and then, she would call him over to the Meng’s house for dinner. She also often had people give Qi Yu all kinds of snacks and refreshments.
As Qi Yu grew up and his appearance became more and more outstanding, Aunt Fang began to lament once again why she didn’t have a daughter. If she had, she would have already had them betrothed when they were young.
As a result, she kept hoping and hoping and five years ago, Aunt Fang’s long hoped for daughter finally arrived. She was named Meng Wenjing. As soon as the families met, Uncle Meng and Aunt Fang joked that they wanted to marry Meng Wenjing to him.
Once, Qi Yuancheng had asked with a smile, “My family’s Qi Yu is fourteen years older than your daughter, do you still want to?”
Aunt Fang said delightedly, “Being a bit older just means he’ll know how to care for her better. Marrying her to your son would never be a loss for us.”
At first, Qi Yu took what the adults said as a joke and didn’t take it to heart. After all, Meng Wenjing really was too young.
As a result, as soon as Qi Yu arrived at Meng’s house this year, a little girl in red ran over, excitedly turning around him. “Qi Gege, hug!”
Qi Yu looked down and saw that Meng Wenjing had actually already grown as tall as his hips.
Although Qi Yu didn’t like girls who were fawning for no reason, he still had a good impression of innocent and ignorant little girls. He couldn’t help but pick her up, let her sit on his arm, and tease her, “Xiao Wenjing has grown taller and even more beautiful.”
Meng Wenjing smiled and hugged his neck. She kissed him directly on the side of his cheek. She said, grinning, “When Wenjing grows up, she’ll be Qi Gege’s bride!”
Qi Yu was stunned.
The adults around him all excitedly made a ruckus when they heard it. Meng Wenjing was also delighted at having received the approval of the adults for her performance.
Qi Yu, fearing to offend them, didn’t say anything. After coaxing Wenjing for a while, he put her down and greeted several of the older generation.
Uncle Qi Shifeng’s family was also here this year. Dozens of people gathered together, full of joy.
Qi Yu saw Meng Wenhui in the crowd. This guy had committed a big mistake last year. He had probably been disciplined by Uncle Meng for a good long while. This year, he looked more well-behaved, he even had his head bowed and seemed a little listless.
Among the younger generation, Qi Yu was obviously the most outstanding. It was inevitable that everyone would shower him with praise. Some elders asked him about school, some asked if he was seeing someone, and others asked him about his future plans…
Qi Yu has long become accustomed to this kind of situation and he responded with courtesy and thoughtfulness.
Uncle Meng, with a rueful expression on his face, asked how Qi Yuancheng brought up his child, how he managed to bring up Qi Yu so well. Starting to hate iron for not becoming steel, he scolded Meng Wenhui beside him, “Look at Uncle Qi’s Qi Yu!”
Qi Yuancheng, hurriedly put a stop to it and said, “It’s the new year. Scolding him in front of all of us like this, won’t the child’s self-esteem be hurt?”
Hearing Qi Yuancheng speaking up for him, Meng Wenhui couldn’t help talking back to his dad, “Look at Qi Yu’s Uncle Qi!”
Everyone burst into laughter when they heard him. Helping them out of that embarrassment, Qi Yuancheng said, “Okay, alright. Which child hasn’t made mistakes. It’s in the past now.”
Qi Yuancheng looked at Meng Wenhui and said gently, “Wenhui, you too, you’re twenty now. You’re not a teenager anymore. There are responsibilities that a man must bear. When he was twenty, your father was already here, venturing out into the world. You can learn something good from him.”
Meng Jiahe pretended to glare at Qi Yuancheng, “Why do you say it like I’ve done a lot of bad things?”
Qi Yuancheng raised his glass and clinked it against Meng Jiahe’s. He said with a smile, “No one’s perfect.”
————
【Little Theater】
Papa Qi (touching his chin): Ah, Xiao Fu, this young man is really good. He’s a good-looking man, a dragon among men… (a thousand words of praise were intentionally omitted)
Years later–
7 Fish took Little Gong Fu home: Dad, we’re together now.
Papa Qi: What? ? (╯#°Д°)╯
hook, line and sinker 🎣
they were very delicious, thank you
Meeting father in law eheheheheh
Thank you 🌸
i live for the little theaters
thank you for the chapter ♥
💙💙💙
What?!!! (Pikachu face)….hahaha!! Thanks for the chapter~
thanks for the chapter!
and now i’m more excited to see them meet again!!! i can already imagine a few possible reactions qi yu would make when he discover who actually his ‘teacher fu’ is lol
Meng boy countering his father’s “look at someone else’s kid” with “look at other kid’s parent” just got me 😂🙌 louder kiddo
And all this started with a kiss… damn hahahaha
qi yu sharma ji ka beta