It was simply Han Fu, with a tempting voice, softly calling him “Zhenzhen,” saying he wanted to kiss him. Enticing him until his thighs went weak.
…Actually, wasn’t it also time?
What sugar baby relationship? Let’s just seriously date, okay?
Just plain liking each other seriously. So what if he paid a monthly salary? This old man was willing to send money to the boy he liked, this old man was happy!
…
Pei Zhen confirmed once more: he was completely and utterly hopeless.
All of his previous “principles” had long since scattered to the wind, not a trace left. Turns out, he’d fallen for him so hard at some unknown point, fallen so hard he couldn’t even bear to keep dragging things out.
Then no more dragging out.
Straight up righteousness personified, burning his boats, he stiffened his body and closed his eyes.
Fine, go ahead and kiss me!
Breaths drew near, ambiguous. Just as the distance between their lips already carried the other’s warmth, Han Fu suddenly stopped.
“Zhenzhen, do you still remember?”
“Hm?”
“Last time after I kissed you, you said my kissing technique was too bad, docked me one hundred fifty, and also said I wasn’t allowed to kiss you ever again.”
Pei Zhen: “…”
“Even if this time the experience still isn’t good, I’ll continue to work hard in the future… just, can we not dock my pay anymore, please?”
Pei Zhen: “…”
Did you absolutely have to bring this up at this moment?! What a complete waste of such perfect atmosphere! Believe me, I’ll dock you fifteen thousand!
Just as he was about to open his mouth, his lips were firmly sealed shut.
Bitten, gently ground. Fingers coated with a sweet floral scent pressed against his neck, rubbing the residual fragrance of that red perfume, casually or deliberately, onto his neck, into his hair.
Dazed, sinking, unable to breathe.
In a trance, Pei Zhen thought, if he were ten years younger, no, five years. Maybe he’d have had enough fervor to directly jump up and link around Han Fu’s waist, then let one long kiss straightforwardly, steamily roll them all the way onto the bed.
Not like this, dawdling.
He’d already been keeping the guy for half a year, and only now managed a “True Love’s Kiss.”
But very quickly, the gentle bites and cherishing touches made him feel relieved.
Perhaps, just like that story Han Fu made up, a blessing in disguise. The prince lost his crown, yet gained the life he’d always dreamed of.
It was the same for him.
If not for his career and love both going disastrously wrong, he wouldn’t have thought of keeping a little doggo out of spite, and wouldn’t have met such a wonderful doggo. Like now, living their little life together, blending fragrances, nestling and leaning on each other, it was already super happy.
There was no rush for the remaining steps. They could take it slow.
…
The second PA elimination round. That Saturday, Pei Zhen’s OEM factory suddenly received an urgent order.
“It’s fine, Zhenzhen,” Han Fu comforted him. “Work comes first. If you can’t make it to the competition, don’t force it. Old Yu and the others will still be there.”
“Besides, you already taught me color correction and all that. I’ll work hard!”
That day, the factory truly was super busy, keeping them occupied until four or five in the afternoon. Pei Zhen hadn’t even eaten lunch.
Just as he’d basically finished with the work, he quickly fished out his phone to check.
The total scores were already out.
Han Fu had accumulated enough points for second place. Still second place.
But Fu Yao was no longer first, knocked down to third. The new first-place was called “Zhang Heng” — that one in the blue suit, red bow tie, little glasses, cosplaying Conan. Fatty was close behind in fourth. The score gaps among the top four weren’t too large.
Pei Zhen was truly proud of Han Fu.
Competition this fierce, and he could still hold his rank… absolutely brilliant.
After the match, Zhu Su kept his four signed contestants behind for comments and review. On the way to the meeting, Han Fu secretly made an excuse to use the bathroom and made a brief call to Pei Zhen: “Have you arrived yet? I can probably get down in about half an hour. Wait for me, okay?”
Pei Zhen: “Okay.”
Before hanging up, Han Fu asked in a very coquettish voice: “Is there still cola in the car? I’m craving cola.”
There was water, but no cola.
Pei Zhen: “…” Fine, fine, fine. I’ll go buy you some.
Actually, every floor of the building had automatic vending machines, but Pei Zhen had only been to the floor with the PA competition venue and was most familiar with that machine’s location.
The elevator took him straight upstairs. Just as he turned a corridor, he crashed head-on into someone walking very hurriedly, who rammed right into his chest. The documents in that person’s arms went “whoosh,” scattering everywhere.
“Damn, watch where you’re going! Blind?!”
Pei Zhen also swore — You’re the blind one! You ran into me, not apologizing and even snapping back?
Just as he was about to retaliate, a sheet of paper floating in the air drifted right before his eyes. What strikingly met his gaze was actually a photo of Han Fu.
What the hell is this…
He snatched it. It was something like a privately conducted “investigation report,” filled entirely with Han Fu’s personal information. After a series of headings were columns filled with “Unknown, pending investigation.”
“P-President Pei?”
Before he could recover from the shock, the man holding the documents actually called out his name.
Before memory could catch up, instinct first hooked into a thread of physiological displeasure. It was a face he somewhat recognized.
Very quickly, Pei Zhen remembered who the person before him was.
The man looked terrified. Of course, terror was normal. After all, rumors in the circles widely said Pei Zhen was already “three feet under with grass growing on his grave.” As a former subordinate, seeing a boss who should have been dead, who wouldn’t be terrified?
Truly, what a small world.
…
A popular saying had always circulated in the fragrance world — Yi Changqing’s betrayal toppled the fine pei in one blow.
But actually, Pei Zhen knew that Yi Changqing’s departure was merely the absolute final straw that crushed pei to death. Long before his betrayal and departure, the company had already developed huge problems.
Back then, Pei Zhen had been very young when he first founded pei.
He’d called a bunch of “close friends and family” to come help, wholeheartedly assuming everyone could be as fully committed as he was. Everyone uniting, sharing the burden, build the company bigger, stronger, share in future success.
He’d forgotten to calculate the dark side of human nature.
Once “interests” became entangled between people, there were often times when even blood-related brothers, or even fathers and sons, had moments of falling out.
After the self-founded brand smoothly entered operation, Pei Zhen poured a vast amount of time into product R&D every day.
Every day he racked his brains thinking, how could he harmoniously fuse more distinct, beautiful notes together, creating more high-quality perfumes that made people’s hearts flutter, invoking love at first sight?
Beyond that, he’d also burned quite a lot of mental energy on that self-righteous early “romance.”
To the point where he lacked sufficient vigilance over the company’s finances, operations, and client aspects, handing them all in a lump to his then highly trusted “Vice President,” Uncle Li, to oversee.
This Uncle Li was originally an old colleague from his father’s workplace, later quit to venture into business, rich in market experience. Normally, he seemed quite kind and amiable, leading the still-green Pei Zhen to believe he was absolutely worth trusting.
In just a short two-year span.
pei’s client data was sold to rivals. Operational crises emerged. Massive financial holes appeared. He hadn’t even noticed.
Until the centralized financial crisis exploded, Uncle Li turned hostile faster than flipping a book, leading nearly the entire company management to abandon his “sinking ship” and collectively jump ship to a competitor. Only then did he suddenly see the truth.
And this man in front of him was one of the managers in charge of product lines at his company back then.
His surname was Du, whatever his given name, Pei Zhen couldn’t really recall. Anyway, he was one of the management poached away wholesale by Uncle Li.
…
Years had passed since the incident. Over a small-time flunky like this, not even worth mentioning, Pei Zhen actually couldn’t be bothered anymore.
But —
“What is this?”
He brandished that sheet of investigation data on Han Fu. Manager Du was clearly panicked, pouncing forward trying to snatch it back. Seeing that Pei Zhen wouldn’t give it, he simply went for force, trying to grab it.
“Zhenzhen? What’s going on?”
Right on cue, Han Fu happened to come out from the adjacent makeup room, immediately crashing into this scene. Manager Du, seeing someone approach, violently tore the greater half of the paper back from Pei Zhen’s hand in one jerk, turned, and fled.
“Hold it right there, stop!”
Han Fu immediately dashed after him, not even listening to shouts to come back.
…
Pei Zhen waited for Han Fu in the car, uneasy.
He’d already called security to chase after him, but was still very worried. Really now, not even knowing who the other person was, what was that silly doggo chasing him for?! What if…
Pinched the bridge of his nose, shook his head.
He remembered his Han Xiaohua had trained, before, beating five strong men without even breaking a sweat. Manager Du was nothing but a pale-faced scrawny monkey; he shouldn’t be able to hurt Han Fu.
Hot coffee bought from upstairs, his hands trembling, several attempts failed to pull open the tab.
He was solely focused on waiting for Han Fu to return safely.
Never expected that instead of the person he wanted to see, the door would be pulled open by someone he didn’t want to see.
Pei Zhen’s house was in a near suburb of the city. The new headquarters of the Municipal Traffic Police Brigade was built nearby.
Once, when he’d gone there to run an errand and waiting in line, he’d seen a running marquee on the public display screen in the lobby. Public Safety Reminder: “When using your phone inside the car, please lock the doors. Beware of criminals pulling doors open to steal or rob.”
Not heeding the police, suffering right in front of your eyes!
