Xiao Gu: “The bulk of the shopping mall renovation project is complete and passed inspection for acceptance. It is ready for operations at any time.”

Xiao Gu: “The classification of internal structural modules has also been re-optimized. In addition to being more convenient to the public, it is also easier for us to manage internally.”

Xiao Gu: “However, according to the feedback from testing, the visual design of the entertainment facilities in the children’s area is not childlike enough. It seems somewhat overly standard and formal, and many people don’t like such—”

“That was just a statement made while unconscious.”

Pei Xi suddenly interrupted with a frown: “I actually don’t care whether or not he likes…..it.”

“……Ah?”

Xiao Gu looked up in confusion: “President Pei, whose opinion don’t you care about?”

Pei Xi: “…..”

Xiao Gu: “…..”

After a long and slightly awkward silence, Pei Xi pressed a hand to his lips and coughed. He relaxed his expression with difficulty: “It’s nothing, go on.”

Xiao Gu didn’t know what was going on and didn’t dare ask further questions. He continued to conscientiously report on the remaining work, then finally closed the documents and asked Pei Xi: “President Pei, is there anything else that needs to be corrected?”

Pei Xi: “No, that’s it for the time being. It will begin operations in stages, and adjustments can be made later if problems are discovered.”

Xiao Gu nodded and prepared to leave.

But Pei Xi stopped him: “Are there any upcoming work arrangements?”

“There are.” Xiao Gu swiftly stood at attention: “First we need to convey your instructions and sort out some important documents in the data room, then adjust the small-scale content of some plans. And after screening the visitors—”

“These are your jobs.”

Pei Xi couldn’t help but interrupt him again. “I mean mine.”

“Ah? Oh!”

Xiao Gu hurriedly changed his words: “As far as you are concerned, today’s work arrangements are finished and there is nothing to busy yourself with.”

Pei Xi: “There are no meetings?”

Xiao Gu scratched his head: “Today’s meetings are over.”

Pei Xi: “What about the visitors?”

Xiao Gu: “You already saw them this morning.”

Pei Xi: “What about the quarterly summaries from each department and plans for the next quarter?”

Xiao Gu: “You already took care of all that half an hour ago, ah.”

Pei Xi ceased asking questions.

Xiao Gu felt unsure as he observed his expression: “President Pei, do you want other work done ahead of schedule? Or do you have some other pressing matters that require some free time?”

Pei Xi: “Is there any work that can be done in advance?”

“Well…..”

Xiao Gu mentally assessed the work progress of the past week and shook his head: “Not right now.”

Pei Xi: “Understood. Go do your work.”

“All right.” Xiao Gu walked out of the office with the documents in his arms and closed the door with a sigh.

Was this what they meant when they said accompanying your sovereign was like accompanying a tiger?

It was really hard to guess the minds of successful people.

Pei Xi sat for a long while after Xiao Gu left. He rummaged through the folders and clicked on an unmarked meeting record, then started to read from the beginning.

From the first paragraph to the second, from the second paragraph to the third…..

Then his brow furrowed and he returned to the first paragraph.

After repeating this cycle several times, he could only close his eyes and press his temples hard with his fingertips.

Pei Xi, stop thinking about it.

That was just a random emotional reaction caused by memory loss, it wasn’t the real you.

Words and actions expressed without conscious autonomy couldn’t be counted at all.

He attempted to draw a line between his conscious self and the confused one, but every time he thought he was going to succeed, those “unbearable to recall” images emerged in his mind as if in opposition to him. 

His mind immediately turned into a tangled skein of yarn. Giving in to despair, he buried his face in his hands as his initially fair neck turned red.

He didn’t want to face it.

But he had to admit that he was grateful.

Fortunately. Fortunately, it wasn’t someone else with wicked intentions. Fortunately, from the beginning, the one he “picked” was He Chuzhou.

The computer screen automatically dimmed after being idle for a long time. 

He patted his forehead and lowered his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the flashing screen of his cell phone next to him.

It was on mute, and a missed call showed on the screen. It was from his father, and the calling location was specially marked as overseas.

Once Pei Yansong had left the office, he was busy spending time with his young wife and young son and rarely called him. If Pei Xi didn’t pick up, he would just wait for him to call back, and would never waste time calling him a second time.

As for the content, it was nothing more than some routine inquiries about the work status, business advice, and then goodbyes before hanging up.

Even though it was like this, he normally would have called back without hesitation. If only for the fact that although the calls were only occasionally received, at least he could clearly hear that he was thought about.

But today…..

He looked at the phone silently. His mind was blank for a moment, and he found that the anticipation-like emotion no longer seemed as strong as usual.

He didn’t want to call back.

But it was precisely today that, for the first time in history, Pei Yansong called a second time after hanging up.

He let out a low exhale and picked up the call.

And the person on the other end didn’t even give him the time to say ‘Dad’ before asking directly: “Have you cooperated with He Group recently?”

Pei Xi looked at his blurry reflection on the computer monitor and answered in the negative: “No.”

Pei Yansong: “What about an intention to cooperate?”

Pei Xi subconsciously started to say no, but something came to mind and he changed his answer: “Not at the moment. Why?”

Pei Yansong: “He contacted me not long ago and said you were staying at his place. Have you been very close recently?”

Pei Xi remembered very quickly when Pei Yansong said ‘contacted,’ and paused for a moment before answering: “Fortunately, we’ve met more frequently due to unforeseen circumstances.”

His words were vague, and he obviously omitted a lot of things.

Pei Yansong, however, didn’t ask any questions. He only said in a tone of warning: “I don’t care about unforeseen circumstances. In short, you should have less contact with him in private outside of business cooperation.”

“I don’t need to tell you what his reputation is like outside. You are not the same kind of people. Don’t let him affect your or Pei Group’s reputation…..”

Pei Xi: “He’s quite good.”

Pei Yansong paused: “What did you say?”

Pei Xi repeated coolly: “He is quite good, not as bad as you imagine.”

“Do I need to imagine how unbearable he is?”

Pei Yangsong’s tone dropped at once, with obvious displeasure at being disobeyed: “I have no time to think about this, and you shouldn’t care about it either.”

“You just need to know that this is the truth in the eyes of the public. Pei Group is in your hands now. You must be responsible for it and take precautions against anyone or anything that harms Pei Group’s interests…..”

Listening to the harsh and almost aggressive reprimands over the phone, Pei Xi felt an indescribable irritation rise up in his chest, making him doubt himself for the first time.

After so many years, did he really need this sort of care that was general enough to encompass everything, so much so that when it was assigned to him, there was already very little left?

When Pei Zhen’s voice squeezed through the receiver, his patience reached its limit.

“Dad, I have a meeting. I’m hanging up now.”

Having said this, he simply hung up the call without waiting for Pei Yansong’s response.

The rebellious impulse had come so suddenly that at almost the same time he hung up the phone, he opened the call log and dialed another number he had been in contact with recently. 

Inside the He Group building’s high-rise conference room.

A foreigner speaking Japanese-accented English was boasting so much that he was frothing at the mouth.

Yun Ji was typing the meeting notes when from the corner of his eye, he saw the person next to his phone pick it up, look at it, and put it down again.

After Yun Ji typed a long paragraph, the person in his peripheral vision picked up the phone again and put it down again.

He continued to type, and that person picked it up and put it down once more.

“Tsk.” He couldn’t help it anymore. “Why is it like you’re counting down the seconds for steamed buns in a pot?”

The corners of He Chuzhou’s mouth twitched. He said casually: “How did you know I’ve always wanted a pot to steam buns in the office?”

Yun Ji: “…..”

Yun Ji rolled his eyes at him: “You’re sick in the head. Whose call are you waiting for?”

He Chuzhou: “I’m not waiting, I’m just taking a look.”

Yun Ji: “Lying, eh? Do you need me to teach you how to set up an individualized ringtone? Don’t wait here like you’re waiting for your wife—”

Yun Ji was startled: “Wait, waiting for your wife…..?”

He Chuzhou scoffed at him: “You really do treat me like a seven-year-old, teaching me things.”

Yun Ji stopped typing the useless meeting minutes. He tilted his head in silence and approached He Chuzhou: “Cousin, there’s been gossip circulating around the office recently. Do you want to hear it?”

He Chuzhou asked thoughtlessly: “What gossip?”

Yun Ji: “Your gossip, ah. I thought it was nonsense at first, pure nonsense, but now I think there are some clues. Do you know that everyone says—”

He Chuzhou: “I’m leaving to take a call.”

“ ? ” Yun Ji looked at He Chuzhou, who appeared to be in a better mood. “No way, you…..”

He Chuzhou picked up the phone: “Write down everything he says. You can omit the fancy adjectives according to the situation. Send it to my email.”

Yun Ji: “? ? ?”

“As expected, this sort of thing happened.” He Chuzhou’s lips rose as he patted Yun Ji’s  shoulder. “Thanks for your hard work, good luck with your tasks.”

Yun Ji wore a look of disbelief as he was heartlessly left to suffer alone. The other man stood and nodded apologetically to the enthusiastic foreigner, then gestured toward his cell phone and turned to leave the conference room.

As he answered his phone while walking to the office, the calm, distant voice that came from the other end brought him to a stop.

“…..Pei Xi?” he called tentatively.

“It’s me.” Pei Xi’s voice was steady and clear. “Is President He free now? I want to talk.”

*

*

The cafe was very quiet, with live violin music accompanied by the occasional sound of clinking ceramic, melodious and relaxing.

But it still didn’t alleviate He Chuzhou’s surprise at finally finding out the so-called rules of the game: “What President Pei means is that each time you fall asleep, it turns on and off?”

Pei Xi hid nothing: “That’s right.”

It sounded outrageous.

But when he thought about it carefully, it made sense. No wonder he woke up every morning as if opening a blind box.

He Chuzhou: “So now you plan to swap part of the project with me, have me take care of you during your confusion, and help you hide it?”

Pei Xi once again answered affirmatively: “Yes.”

Then he quickly added: “You know I don’t remember anything about what happens when I’m confused.”

“I know.”

He Chuzhou was helpless: “President Pei, you emphasized this several times just now. There’s no need to repeat it again.”

“……”

Pei Xi unconsciously bit his lower lip and didn’t respond.

He Chuzhou tapped his fingers on the tabletop and said as if curious: “Can I ask why? Why did you decide to talk to me after going through this situation so many times?”

Pei Xi: “Because I can’t stop myself from seeking you out.”

He Chuzhou heard the hidden meaning in his words: “You tried to stop yourself?”

Pei Xi: “En.”

He Chuzhou: “How?”

Pei Xi hesitated before speaking the truth: “I tried hiding my phone and locking the door, but they both failed.

Hide his phone?

Lock the door?

Hu Chuzhou finally understood.

No wonder. No wonder.

No wonder Pei-calico always lost his cell phone.

No wonder he had to look for it for so long every time.

No wonder that person was locked up at home for no apparent reason and eventually had to call a bunch of people to break the lock.

This turned out to be the inside story.

He imagined Pei Xi carefully considering it while he was in his right mind, making these meticulous preparations, and the corners of his eyes curled up uncontrollably.

Pei Xi frowned: “You’re smiling.”

“What?”

As soon as he spoke, another conversation appeared in his mind.

Of course, He Chuzhou couldn’t admit it: “No, I just feel that President Pei lives up to his reputation. He is thoughtful and well-prepared to deal with unexpected events.”

If he was really thoughtful and prepared, he wouldn’t be waking up in He Chuzhou’s bed the next day.

Pei Xi felt like he was coaxing him again. Even his expression, demeanor, and tone were the same as when he hugged him in the living room of the villa last night…..

Untimely memories resurfaced again. His eyes flashed slightly, and he immediately lowered them. He picked up the coffee and took an uneasy sip, which filled his mouth with a bitter taste.

“If it isn’t resolved as soon as possible, it may continue to cause trouble to unrelated people. Of course, it is the same for you.”

He Chuzhou: “That’s exactly right.”

Pei Xi raised his eyes: “So you agree?”

“I agree.” He Chuzhou said: “But those items you proposed in exchange…..”

Pei Xi said at once: “If you aren’t satisfied, I can give you other alternatives to choose from.”

“Forget it.”

He Chuzhou smiled: “The project team has been busy enough recently. If I stuff more projects onto them, I’m afraid they’ll curse me behind my back enough to shorten my life.”

Pei Xi was unsure: “What do you mean?”

He Chuzhou: “There’s no need to make a deal. I’ll just be taking care of one more person, and you eat very little, so it’s not a loss for me.”

Pei Xi frowned slightly, hesitating: “This is unfair to you.”

As a person with a vested interest, it was difficult for him to feel at ease unless he compensated him with something.

His thoughts were written on his face. He Chuzhou could see through them at a glance, but what he was willing to do was not something Pei Xi needed to pay for.

After some thought, he simply compromised and said: “Let’s just swap that piece of land by the river.”

Pei Xi: “But Pei Group doesn’t have the right to operate on that piece of land.”

He Chuzhou spread his hands: “We’re competitors, aren’t we? If you choose to quit, that’s no different than giving it to me.”

That piece of land was indeed worth a lot and could be used in trade, but Pei Xi had never heard of using an inconclusive possibility as an item to exchange.

After all, judging from the current situation, He Group had a greater chance of winning. How much of an advantage could he get from using the land he already had a high probability of winning in exchange for withdrawing from the competition?

But he couldn’t admit that Pei Group would lose, so he could only nod: “Okay, it will be as President He says.”

After their conversation, Pei Xi left with haste.

When he exited the cafe and went to the car, he lost his strength and closed his eyes, then looked down at the palm of his hand.

For some reason, even though he’d known He Chuzhou would agree, he was still so anxious that he had broken into a light sweat.

At the cafe.

When Wu Qing called, He Chuzhou was in a good mood as he threw two sugar cubes into his coffee.

“What is it?” he asked Wu Qing.

“Lao He, I’ve done some thinking.”

Wu Qing’s voice was filled with the heavy vicissitudes of life: “A cuckold who doesn’t know his place won’t affect our relationship at all. I told him to scram, so don’t worry, we’re still good brothers!”

He Chuzhou: “It had nothing to do with me in the first place, so I have nothing to worry about.”

Wu Qing: “That makes sense, but I’m still very sad. You know that, even though I fall in love frequently, I’m loyal in every relationship, ah, wuwu.”

He Chuzhou: “How miserable. There, there.”

Wu Qing: “……”

Wu Qing: “Your tone sounds really happy, ah. Why are you still so happy when my heart has been broken?”

“It does?” He Chuzhou put down the stirring spoon and took a sip of the unusually sweet coffee. He said in a loose, brisk tone: “Maybe it’s because…..my cat came back?”

Wu Qing: “Your cat? What your cat. The one that kicked you and ran away last time?”

He Chuzhou corrected him: “He just has a free nature.”

Wu Qing: “…..Fine. He ran back again?”

He Chuzhou: “Ah.”

Wu Qing: “A stray cat is capable of coming back again after running away? Has the great god recognized his master?”

“That…..seems to be the case.”

He Chuzhou readily accepted this depiction: “But the order may need to be reversed. He is the master, and I have to work my butt off.”

Wu Qing had just been cheated on, and couldn’t understand what was so exciting about a cat coming back. He said sourly: “A stray cat isn’t cute, you’re better off without it.”

“What do you know?”

He Chuzhou laughed: “Have you ever met a cat that could turn on a computer, hide a cell phone, and lock itself up?”

“There is no one cuter than him in the entire world.”

“You’ve been cheated on, you know nothing.”

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Chapter 24 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 26