Chapter 114

Chapter 114

The next day at noon, Yu He and Fu Yunzhen packed up their camping gear together.

Fu Yunzhen handed Yu He a bag of unfinished bread slices, asking him to feed the fish on the lake's corridor.

This time, Fu Yunzhen specifically warned, “Don’t fall into the lake.”

Yu He said, “Let’s pack up together.”

Fu Yunzhen responded, “But you keep circling around me, I can’t concentrate on my work.”

Yu He was left speechless because it was indeed true.

When he was with Fu Yunzhen, time always flew by; neither of them were idle, but they just couldn’t get the work done.

This must be why teachers in school prohibit early love; it really affects work efficiency.

On the contrary, when they each did their own tasks, it was as if an unknown force interfered with the flow of time. On the surface, they both spent twenty minutes, but in reality, Fu Yunzhen could achieve an hour’s worth of work. Usually, in the time it took for Yu He to daydream a little, Fu Yunzhen could rapidly complete all the tasks with astonishing efficiency.

This must be the Conservation Law of Couples’ Time.

A blue carp flicked its tail, agilely snatching away a piece of bread.

Ripples danced gracefully upon the water's surface.

In the faint scent of fishiness, a subtle hint of woody fragrance suddenly intertwined.

It was a very familiar scent of amber and pine.

The olfactory nerves stretched out neurons, capturing the aromas in the air, feeding them into the brain for analysis and decomposition, awakening related memories.

Of course, instead of relying on the memory bank in his brain, Yu He could also turn around to see who it actually was.

The moment Yu He turned around, a pair of soft and tender hands covered his eyes, and the owner of those hands leaped upwards, swiftly climbing onto Yu He's back.

Fearing that the person would bring him along and tumble into the lake from the corridor, Yu He hastily steadied himself by gripping the railing, while also supporting the other person with his other hand.

"Lan Qi! Get off my back," Yu He didn’t need to see to know who it was; he turned his back towards the lake. "Or I’ll throw you into the water."

Lan Qi released her hands from Yu He's eyes and instead wrapped them around his neck, "Young Master, how did you know it was me?"

Yu He bent down and tossed Lan Qi off his back, "Among all my friends, you're the only one who loves to climb on people."

Lan Qi looked at Yu He with a giggle, "This means we are fated to be together, to be able to meet even here."

Yu He’s gaze drifted across the lake surface towards the shore, "Did you come here by yourself?"

Lan Qi shook her head, "Of course not. I joined a sobriety support group and came here for a trip to relax with the other members."

A sobriety support group?

Lan Qi was the top alcohol salesperson at Jinse Tai, earning five figures in commission from the alcohol she sold in a single night. Salespeople generally have high alcohol tolerance, especially someone like Lan Qi who works in alcohol sales.

Could it be that Lan Qi resigned from Jinse Tai?

Yu He looked at Lan Qi and asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to quit drinking? Are you feeling unwell?"

Lan Qi sighed, "I came here with your elder brother. He ended up with a bleeding stomach from drinking too much a while ago and had no choice but to quit drinking."

"My elder brother?" Yu He had many friends, and he referred to all of them as ‘brother’ except for Yu Qing Yan. However, there was only one person he would refer to as ‘elder brother’. "Are you talking about Chen Si Jian? When did he get a bleeding stomach? How come I didn’t know about this?"

Lan Qi recalled, "It happened in May, Chen was on a business trip at that time."

Yu He became even more confused, "How do you know so much about my elder brother?"

Lan Qi blinked at Yu He, "What do you think?"

Yu He exclaimed in shock, "Did you really... sleep with my elder brother?"

"What do you mean, 'I slept with him'!" Lan Qi, infuriated, jumped up and pounded on Yu He's shoulder, "He was the one who slept with me! Completely and utterly!"

Yu He dodged backward, "Uh... alright then."

Lan Qi turned her gaze towards the shore, her eyes lingering on Fu Yunzheng, "After Mr. Fu recovered from his illness, he looks even younger than before. He really has a great figure."

Yu He extended his hand to block Lan Qi’s line of sight, "Don't you dare ogle my boyfriend with those lustful eyes."

"So I can look at you instead, right?" Lan Qi scoffed and turned her head, "Yu He, I know you and Mr. Fu are very close, but I still want to say, if one day you want to try being with someone else, can you please consider me first?"

Yu He: "......"

It seemed Lan Qi’s inappropriate thoughts about Yu He had never faded away; she merely restrained herself due to basic moral standards.

No, Lan Qi’s inappropriate thoughts weren't targeted; he indiscriminately coveted every handsome man he saw. So it should be said that his lustful thoughts for handsome men would never fade.

Yu He was quite certain that if Lan Qi found an opportunity to talk to Fu Yunzheng alone later, he would say the same thing to him.

As it turned out, Yu He was thinking too much.

Because when Lan Qi spoke these words to Fu Yunzheng, he didn’t do it behind Yu He’s back at all.

Lan Qi truly treated Yu He as one of his own.

Upon seeing Fu Yunzheng, Lan Qi’s first words were, "Mr. Fu, you really have an amazing body." Immediately following that, he openly expressed his thoughts, "Have you considered taking in another person?"

Fu Yunzheng remained calm and composed, interpreting Lan Qi’s flirtatious comments as a simple ‘hello’.

He politely greeted Lan Qi, then moved past him to take down the climbing rope from the top of the tent.

The muscles on Fu Yunzheng’s arms tensed, and as he lifted his arm, the hem of his shirt lifted, revealing a slim and strong waist.

Lan Qi, unabashed, squatted down to watch, "Mr. Fu, may I touch your abs?"

Yu He, lost for words, said, "…I’m still here, dude."

Lan Qi declared confidently, "Our main principle is clear conscience. It would be disrespectful if I asked behind your back. Isn't that right, Mr. Fu?"

Fu Yunzheng, not one to bicker with children, but finding Lan Qi in his way, casually dismissed him, "Go touch Yu He’s."

Yu He: "......Fu Yunzheng!"

Lan Qi chuckled, not bothering Fu Yunzheng any further. He walked to the lakeside, lay back on the grass, and sighed, "Your relationship with Mr. Fu is really strong."

Yu He, sitting on a small stool and breaking bread to throw into the lake, commented, "What’s so good about it? Look, he’s not even jealous."

Lan Qi pointed out enlighteningly, "That shows he trusts you. It's not just about touching my abs; even if I were naked and lying in the same bed with you, Mr. Fu wouldn't believe anything would happen between us."

On second thought, Yu He realized that he was always carefree, often rubbing shoulders and being buddy-buddy with Fu Yaoliang and Chen Ran. If Fu Yunzheng were really the jealous type over such matters, he probably would have locked Yu He up at home a long time ago.

It was truly a case of being too close to see clearly.

There weren't many same-sex couples of the same age around him, so Yu He hadn’t thought deeply about many issues. His relationship with Fu Yunzheng had naturally developed, without either of them ever demanding the other to behave in a certain way.

They both knew each other’s phone passwords and would use whichever phone was at hand, but it seemed like neither had ever deliberately looked through the other’s phone.

Yu He trusted Fu Yunzheng deeply.

He couldn’t even clearly articulate where his trust in Fu Yunzheng stemmed from.

Yu He asked Lan Qi, “Are you together with my elder brother now?”

"Nope, we’re just friends with benefits," Lan Qi stated firmly.

Lan Qi liked handsome guys and was fickle in love, never maintaining a long-term relationship, and certainly never ‘hanging from a single tree’.

He had a peculiar personality, enjoying the chase after attractive and handsome men. However, no matter how handsome the man, once Lan Qi had him and they’d slept together, he would find it uninteresting.

Yes, it was... just like that.

Lan Qi was aware of his own issues, so he later stopped pursuing relationships, opting for casual hookups instead to avoid leading others on.

If the other party was good in bed, it was perfect; Lan Qi would consider a second round when he had no other options. But if they were unsatisfactory, he would outright ask for money, ensuring they wouldn’t seek him out again.

Lan Qi discovered that when he wanted to sever ties with a man, asking for money was a particularly effective strategy.

In terms of perspectives on sexual relationships, Lan Qi and Chen Sijian were utterly different.

Though Chen Sijian has never lacked companionship, he possesses a strong sense of male chauvinism. After sleeping with Lan Qi, despite his own entanglements, he couldn’t bear the thought of Lan Qi being with anyone else.

Such blatant double standards.

But Lan Qi couldn’t care less; he lived as he pleased, leaving Chen Sijian in a perpetual state of agitation.

Almost every encounter between the two ended in arguments.

It typically revolved around Chen Sijian accusing Lan Qi of fooling around, to which Lan Qi would retort that Chen Sijian was no saint himself. Chen Sijian would argue that he, at least, didn’t meet up with Lan Qi covered in hickeys, prompting Lan Qi to quip, “Maybe not hickeys, but are those scratches on your back from scratching an itch?”

And so, their meetings would invariably turn into quarrels.

Yet, their on-and-off relationship persisted for a year, breaking off several times but never completely ending. As incompatible as Lan Qi and Chen Sijian’s personalities were, their physical chemistry was undeniable.

It was like a tumultuous love affair.

Before meeting Chen Sijian, Lan Qi had always thought the phrase ‘passionate entanglement’ was just a figure of speech.

Throughout the year, Lan Qi never once asked Chen Sijian for money.

Lan Qi didn’t go into detail with Yu He, simply stating, “We’re in an open relationship.”

Yu He was shocked, gasping in surprise.

Lan Qi smiled and said, “What’s the matter, Young Master Yu? Haven’t you ever heard of a relationship that’s physical but not emotional? It’s quite common in our circles.”

Yu He himself couldn’t separate love from lust; he had fallen for Fu Yunzheng after just a few intimate encounters.

Yu He candidly admitted, “I can’t be in a relationship that’s just physical. That’s why Sean says I’m a hopeless romantic.”

Gazing at the white clouds in the sky, Lan Qi sighed, “Mr. Fu is quite the romantic too. You two are a match made in heaven.”

One romantic is a disaster, but two romantics together make for a perfect match.

Yu He turned his head in surprise, “How is Mr. Fu a romantic?”

Lan Qi couldn’t help but chuckle, his bright eyes shining as he said, “You didn’t know? The employees at Fu’s Corporation pray to your photo every day, hoping they won’t have to work overtime.”

Yu He: "......"

Before Yu He came into his life, Fu Yunzheng was a workaholic. It was common for him to work overtime, and even at 2 a.m., he would spontaneously coordinate with North America to convene an emergency meeting, rallying everyone together.

However, since Fu Yunzheng started dating Yu He, in order to pick up Yu He from school, he would leave the company at 4 p.m. every day, blatantly leaving work early.

At the Fu Corporation building, where the lights used to burn all night frequently, now half of them are promptly turned off at 6 p.m.

Lan Qi said, "I have a friend who works at Fu Corporation. He told me that when he saw the work pending for the live-streaming support, he was shocked. He thought the boss’s account had been hacked."

A look of confusion appeared on Yu He’s face: "What live-streaming support?"

Lan Qi widened his eyes: “You don’t know?”

Lan Qi cautiously glanced at Fu Yunzheng, who was not far away, and whispered the story of how Fu Yunzheng spent money to help Yu He win the PK (Player Kill/Player vs. Player competition) in live-streaming.

Yu He was astonished: “Wait, are you telling me that the rich lady named Pan Anni, who helped me during the live stream, is Fu Yunzheng’s financial assistant?!”

Lan Qi looked at Yu He as if he was looking at an idiot: “Who else but your Fu would take out millions within ten minutes just to support you in the live stream?”

Yu He was stunned and cursed softly. He had always thought that he was making good money from live-streaming; it turned out he was just moving money from one of Fu Yunzheng’s hands to the other, earning Fu Yunzheng’s money.

Yu He’s faith in live-streaming collapsed.

Lan Qi continued, “They all like you so much. You are the savior for thousands and thousands of employees at Fu Corporation. They all say that the boss’s temper has improved since he started dating.”

Yu He’s thoughts were still lingering on that grand PK event in the live stream, which was historic for Douya Live Streaming. The female anchor named An Tong, relying on her large number of fans, mocked him. Then, suddenly, a ‘Godsend’ rich viewer smashed millions of gifts for Yu He.

Yu He held his forehead: “Oh my god, I always thought that was a kind-hearted person who thought I was good-looking.”

Lan Qi said thoughtfully, “Well, it is indeed because you are good-looking.”

Yu He: “......”

Well, that was not wrong.

Lan Qi waved his hand: “A few million in gifts is just a drop in the bucket for someone like Fu, but the fact that he sent the message to support you directly to the company’s middle management group chat, that was really, really, really cool. He was completely smitten by you. Dozens of middle managers, each of them influential figures in the business world, were all working on helping you. I’m telling you, it’s really touching.”

Lan Qi took out his mobile phone, scrolling through his WeChat chat history with his friend. It had been a long time, and he couldn’t find it immediately, but fortunately, Lan Qi had added it to his WeChat favorites at the time.

“Look at this.”

Lan Qi handed his phone to Yu He, showing him a screenshot of a message from DingTalk, a corporate messaging app.

[Fu Yunzheng: Urgent notice, all middle management are required to immediately supervise their staff to download the Douya Live Streaming APP and proceed to the live streaming room via the link provided. Click to purchase the blue flower cannon and gift it to the host. This notice must be executed within 13 minutes, or it will automatically be voided [link attached]. The actual number of participants must be reported 15 minutes later and will be included in the year-end performance assessment. Financial Assistant Pan Anni will be responsible for the subsequent reimbursement matters.]

After so many years, DingTalk had undergone dozens of updates, and the message screenshot on the page carried a sense of history.

Yu He’s memory instantly traveled back to that day.

After the live stream ended that day, Fu Yunzheng had commented indifferently: “It’s alright, I heard a loud bang, and I was worried you might have fallen to your death.”

It turned out that after he had fallen from the wall, Fu Yunzheng had silently done so much behind the scenes.

Yu He had been completely unaware.

Fu Yunzheng had never told him.

At this moment, Lan Qi received a call on his phone.

After answering the call, Chen Sijian arrived shortly after.

Chen Sijian was dressed in a camouflage jacket and black trousers, with a muscular build and a resolute stride. His demeanor hardly resembled that of a billionaire CEO; he looked more like a formidable leader of street thugs, not to be trifled with.

Upon seeing Yu He, Chen Sijian greeted him with a hearty smile, expressing his surprise: “Haha, it really is you! I thought Lan Qi was pulling my leg again.”

After briefly exchanging pleasantries with Yu He and Fu Yunzheng, Chen Sijian’s gaze shifted to Lan Qi.

Seeing Lan Qi, the smile on Chen Sijian’s face instantly faded as he asked sternly, “Lan Qi, why did it take you so many calls to answer?”

Lan Qi responded nonchalantly, “My phone was on silent.”

This indifferent attitude immediately infuriated Chen Sijian.

“So now there’s an excuse for not answering your phone?” Chen Sijian suppressed his anger and grabbed Lan Qi’s wrist, “How many times have I told you? When you are out and about, you need to keep your phone on and accessible. What if there’s an emergency and I can’t reach you?”

Lan Qi was somewhat irritated and shook off Chen Sijian’s hand, “What could possibly happen in broad daylight?”

Given Fu Yunzheng’s emotional intelligence, he should have ignored the conflict between Chen Sijian and Lan Qi unfolding before him. However, when he heard Lan Qi’s disdainful comment about the potential dangers, he subconsciously looked at Yu He.

His lips curved slightly, forming a smirk that was not quite a smile.

He seemed to have said nothing, yet at the same time, everything.

For instance, some people might end up falling into a lake.

Chen Sijian caught a glimpse of the smile on Fu Yunfeng’s face out of the corner of his eye, thinking it was directed at him, and he couldn’t help but cough lightly to mask his embarrassment.

Chen Sijian lowered his voice and said to Lan Qi, “Come with me.”

There was no way Lan Qi was going to go with Chen Sijian. He was already regretting getting involved with Chen Sijian in the first place.

Lan Qi cast a pitiful glance at Fu Yunzheng.

Back then, he had been envious of how Fu Yunzheng spoiled Yu He, so he thought he would have some fun with someone older too. But who knew that Chen Sijian, this old man, would turn out to be so overly controlling, nothing like how Fu Yunzheng was with Yu He, letting him have his way in everything.

Lan Qi was filled with regret.

He shouldn’t have recklessly gotten involved with Chen Sijian just for the thrill, as it ended up being like finding a father figure, and now he couldn’t even escape if he wanted to.

Lan Qi felt extremely weary, and he was conflicted.

He wanted to completely cut ties with Chen Sijian, but he couldn’t bear to part with Chen Sijian’s body.

Chen Sijian’s skills in bed were just too good.

Even the experienced Lan Qi couldn’t handle it. No wonder Chen Sijian had so many lovers before; they probably all needed a month or two to recover after each encounter. If Lan Qi hadn’t been so worldly and experienced, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to handle it either.

Lan Qi was someone who hated complications and didn’t want to commit, which is why his lovers only existed at night, and it was best if they didn’t bother each other during the day.

But somehow, his relationship with Chen Sijian had started to extend from the night into the day, and since joining this alcoholics support group, they spent even more time together.

Lan Qi didn’t actually want to quit drinking, but he felt somewhat responsible for Chen Sijian’s gastric bleeding from excessive drinking. He later stumbled upon a flyer for the support group and casually put it in Chen Sijian’s bag.

Who would have thought that Chen Sijian, who was addicted to alcohol, would throw it away, only to end up in the hospital with a second bleeding episode in Hainan? Hearing the doctors had even issued a critical condition notice, Lan Qi was terrified. After returning, he dragged Chen Sijian to enroll in the alcoholics support group.

Initially, only Chen Sijian was registered, but since Lan Qi drank almost every night and carried the scent of alcohol when meeting Chen Sijian, it triggered Chen Sijian’s cravings and he couldn’t help but drink. So, Lan Qi had no choice but to join the support group as well.

After joining the group, the times he met with Chen Sijian increased.

The more they met, the more they argued.

This morning, when they woke up, they were still cuddling in the sleeping bag, but as soon as they got up, they started arguing over some trivial matters.

In a fit of anger, Lan Qi went for a stroll by the lake and happened to see a tall and handsome guy feeding fish on the covered bridge. He thought about flirting a bit, but as he approached, he realized it was actually Yu He.

Yu He actually came out with Fu Yunzheng!

The two of them standing together are a feast for the eyes, even more captivating than the magnificent and vast scenery of the prairie.

Although Yu He and Fu Yunzheng are like magnets with opposite poles, making it hard for Lan Qi to find an opening, he would rather hang out with them than go back and argue with Chen Sijian.

Yu He is easy-going, Fu Yunzheng doesn’t hold grudges, and what’s most precious is that this couple, despite being close, are not overly clingy. Fu Yunzheng does his own thing, leaving Yu He to Lan Qi, completely unconcerned about what Yu He does with Lan Qi.

People used to say that Fu Yunzheng was unapproachable, cold, and arrogant, but Lan Qi didn’t feel that way at all; he found President Fu very easy to get along with.

Lan Qi was indeed thinking too simply and completely failed to see through Fu Yunzheng’s sinister intentions of using him as a babysitter.

After all, Yu He was the kind of talent who could fall into a lake when not watched for a moment. Although Lan Qi looked frail, he seemed much more reliable than Yu He.

It could only be said that Lan Qi’s filter for Fu Yunzheng was just too strong.