Qu Chuan was in Europe when he suddenly received a message summoning him back to headquarters.
His upcoming promotion to Vice President of the Europe Region was already an open secret at Lanrui. No one had objections; no one matched his business capabilities. His notorious workaholic attitude—often calling subordinates for meetings at three in the morning—was widely known throughout the company. No one overestimated themselves enough to challenge him.
Lanrui always had a norm of sending employees down to the grassroots for tempering before promotions. Even so, Qu Chuan felt a strange unease upon receiving the transfer order.
Pulling this routine on a manager of his level was inappropriate.
He obediently returned home anyway.
He was only one step away from his set destination. At this critical juncture, no mistakes could be tolerated.
The flight from France to S City took over ten hours, leaving him groggy and headachy. Fortunately, someone from the branch office came to pick him up.
Viewed through the car window at night, the cityscape gleamed with illusory neon lights. This was the city he was least unfamiliar with.
Home to his former career, past life, and the person he had wronged.
…
This trip to S City, he was ordered to maintain relations with a “major client.”
It had to be a very crucial client. President Zhuo had called personally, instructing him to “attend to them well.”
But when Qu Chuan asked about the major client’s basic profile, President Zhuo only said, “You’ll find out when you reach the S City branch office.” As for the success of client maintenance, generally measured by contract renewals, President Zhuo’s answer regarding the expected order volume was even more preposterous—
“No need for orders. Just make him happy.”
Qu Chuan: “…”
In his five years at Lanrui, he’d always handled foreign markets. In his impression, domestic perfume companies were numerous, but the most prominent was undoubtedly Perfume Queen Ye Zhenyi’s “Fragrance Noble House.”
But that was just a brand barely ten years old. It wasn’t even in the same league as the Belle and Les Étoiles executives he’d been dealing with in France.
So he wasn’t particularly worried. If he could handle those finicky foreigners, domestic clients shouldn’t be an issue.
“Huh? General Manager Qu, you want that major client’s basic info?”
In the car, the S City headquarters employee wore a silly customer-service smile: “I really don’t know much about that. Could you just ask our President Li when you get there?”
Qu Chuan: “…”
If this were his subordinate, daring to be so clueless, he’d have made them eat dirt long ago.
That evening’s welcome dinner, President Li, the boss of S City headquarters, personally hosted Qu Chuan.
President Li: “Haha, General Manager Qu, don’t worry! That major client is super easy to get along with. Come, come, eat!”
To all of Qu Chuan’s subsequent questions, President Li responded: “Haha, no worries, truly very easygoing. I’ll introduce you in a few days. Come, come, drink!”
Qu Chuan: “…”
Too bad he didn’t oversee the domestic region, or he’d really want to fire this guy surnamed Li.
Couldn’t even listen properly. Asking him east, he rambled west. The S City headquarters was full of idiots. No wonder their performance was so poor!
…
That night, Qu Chuan was dead tired from jet lag.
President Li had solemnly promised to send him the client’s profile but kept him waiting until past midnight. After numerous frustrated demands and growing fury, he finally received the information.
One glance, and a cold sweat instantly drenched his body. Subconsciously biting his knuckles, he got out of bed, pacing like an ant on a hot pan.
The client’s name was Pei Zhen.
No photo, but that wasn’t a common name to duplicate, especially within the industry.
In the dead of night, Qu Chuan called that guy surnamed Du: “Did you somehow tip him off? And what’s the deal? Weren’t you always saying he just ran a small OEM factory?”
Manager Du on the other end wailed his grievances and swore up and down that President Pei really was just running a small, insignificant factory! Terrified of being scolded, he didn’t dare mention that day’s collision where Pei Zhen had actually seen the files.
After hanging up, Qu Chuan continued to sit restless.
A sense of impending disaster gripped him. All night, he tossed and turned with dark circles under his eyes, calculating the best and worst possible scenarios.
There were… no good scenarios at all!
Unless the other party truly was someone else with the same name. Otherwise, even if this wasn’t a calculated payback, Pei Zhen could absolutely never be “well-served” by him!
For five solid years, he’d busted his ass at Lanrui, painstakingly scheming every step…
He was just one step away from turning things around. Was it all going to be so easily buried?
…
Two days later, the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Lanrui.
Pei Zhen received an exquisite banquet invitation card addressed “Respectfully Inviting President Pei and Family,” and even received a dedicated phone call confirming his attendance.
Pei Zhen: “Han Xiaohua, let me discuss something with you.”
Han Fu perked up his ears, full of anticipation: “Yeah!”
Pei Zhen: “How about I give you the night off the day after tomorrow? Look, ever since you’ve been with me, you haven’t had a break. Take this card. Go out, meet up with friends, or buy yourself something. No limit, just swipe.”
Han Fu: “…”
So, sending me away, who are you planning to go to the banquet with?!
Pei Zhen: “I’d like to take Mai Zi with me.”
Han Fu: “???”
Pei Zhen thought, he needed to strive to be a good sugar daddy. Give Doggo more money, more time off, less work.
Of course, privately, he also really didn’t want to be apart from Han Fu. Especially now, not knowing how long he’d still have him, one evening apart felt like a devastating loss, a massive rip-off.
But what could he do? Lanrui’s President Li had called him personally. He’d inexplicably sat in that A-1 seat for so long, it’d be rude to refuse.
Since it was an Lanrui banquet, many industry insiders would attend. If he brought Han Fu, it would be hard to continue “pretending not to know each other.” If it led to the same behind-the-back gossip Yi Changqing faced, it wouldn’t be good for Han Fu.
Mai Zi, on the other hand, was an excellent choice.
He could even tell people Mai Zi was a painter, potentially opening up a sales channel for him within the circle. If he could get some well-known perfume brands’ China region to commission bottle illustrations, he’d instantly become a renowned artist.
Han Fu: “NO!”
“I’m going! Take me with you!”
Pei Zhen: “Good boy, be good. Keep the card.”
Han Fu, utterly aggrieved: “Zhenzhen, if Brother Mai and I fell into the water together, who would you save first?”
Pei Zhen: “…”
He sat on the sofa. Han Fu leaned over and snuggled up, embracing him like the moon hugs the stars, the picture of soft obedience: “Take me~ I don’t want to be away from you. One night is so long~”
Pei Zhen’s heart instantly dissolved into water.
He stroked Doggo’s fur, soft.
I don’t want to be apart from you either, not even a little bit.
…
“Have you ever been to a banquet before?”
In the fitting room of a high-end bespoke suit shop, Han Fu lowered his head as Pei Zhen tied his tie for him.
Banquets were practically Han Fu’s daily routine after school during his teenage years. In fact, his first conversation with Pei Zhen occurred at a banquet.
But a little factory-worker duck attending a high-class banquet was illogical. So he had to compromise his conscience and shake his head.
Inside the fitting room, mirrors on all sides reflected the two of them.
Han Fu was as stunningly beautiful and radiant as ever. Pei Zhen secretly observed himself holding the man’s tie—it probably wasn’t an illusion, but now, standing next to Han Fu, he didn’t look so out of place anymore.
There had been a big gap once.
Before, just the thought of himself, looking like this, taking up a young man’s youth brought a self-loathing sense of guilt.
But just now entering the shop, the salesgirl had sparkly eyes the whole time, breathing heavily and nearly bursting with excitement, just short of screaming, “You two are so perfect together!”
…Pei Zhen recalled the single mom on Han Fu’s team, “Sister Chi.”
Her surname was Chi. The name “Sister Chi” was popularized by Zhu Su.
But this form of address was definitely wrong. Zhu Su was in his thirties, while the single mom was only 28. He shouldn’t be calling her “Sister” at all.
Yet Zhu Su called her that anyway, and it didn’t seem out of place.
That was because Zhu Su maintained himself very well and looked quite young. Meanwhile, the single mom had admitted her ex-husband was a serious mama’s boy, selfish and irresponsible. Years of poor moods, plus the toil of raising a son alone, had caused severe collagen loss. Although she retained the silhouette of a beauty, her high cheekbones and expression carried lines of resentment.
Thus, she indeed looked like Zhu Su’s older sister.
When life isn’t going well, when one is tormented by all sorts of things, it really shows in aging.
This wear and tear isn’t completely irreversible. Once someone is cherished and loved, they might just revive like dry wood receiving sweet rain. At least, Pei Zhen had bounced back considerably by now.
This was a good thing.
If he could be a bit more handsome, a bit more spirited, he’d have a greater chance of winning.
“Zhenzhen… mmm!” Han Fu was stunned. Pei Zhen had really become more and more proactive lately. Before… was he ever this assertive, pulling his tie and suddenly kissing him fiercely?
He even wrapped his arm around his waist. Holy crap, not the shy, homebody hug, but a domineering president kind of hold!
He’d basically been the overbearing president’s pampered little puppy all day today.
For their banquet attire, Pei Zhen had taken him out swiping his card everywhere, generously buying him things, and now he was cornering him against the wall and kissing him.
Had some switch, unlocking Pei Zhen’s hidden nature, really just been flipped?
…
The night of the banquet, Mai Zixi, looking handsome in a grey suit, occupied Han Fu’s passenger seat.
Wearing his new clothes, Han Fu thought about all the fitting-room kisses that afternoon and felt a bit happy. Fine, fine, just this once, I won’t hold it against you.
Next to him sat Fatty, looking out at the nightscape.
Yes, Fatty.
Today, Pei Zhen’s “family” was Mai Zixi, while he was Fatty’s “family.”
Getting into a banquet wasn’t easy; securing an invitation at all was a relief.
To squeeze into this banquet, Han Fu had even secretly called Uncle Zhuo.
Zhuo Yifan: “Doesn’t the invitation say ‘bring family’?”
Han Fu: “Problem is he won’t take me! Uncle Zhuo, you have to get me another invite. I’m not comfortable with Zhenzhen alone. At a banquet with so many skilled elite perfumers, what if someone takes a liking to him? He might even run into Yi Changqing. Even if no Yi Changqing, his childhood sweetheart, I…”
Zhuo Yifan: “Can’t even manage to be ‘family’ yourself. Useless brat. Still have the nerve to ask for an invitation?”
Han Fu: “…”
Luckily, the magical Fatty had an invitation.
Today, Fatty sported the elegant “Unruly” perfume. Iris and lavender paired with warm woods and leather were quite tasteful. In a sharp suit, he looked a hundred times more energetic than usual, hair slicked back and gleaming.
The car interior was dim. As the shadows fell, Han Fu suddenly noticed this man’s face was actually more defined than he’d thought.
Of course, he didn’t dwell on it, just curious: “Both PA contestants, how come you have an invitation and I don’t?”
Fatty: “I wasn’t invited as a contestant. Can’t your bro be rich and powerful, shopping his way into being an Lanrui VIP?”
Han Fu actually believed it for a few seconds, remembering Old Yu saying Fatty’s family was well-off… Wait, no, wasn’t he from a demolished household?
Once they got out of the car, Han Fu immediately forgot the original pairing and naturally occupied the space beside Pei Zhen.
Mai Zixi: “…”
This kid really hadn’t changed a bit, still that silly.
And Pei Zhen, forever habitually choosing his lover over his friend. Hopeless.
“Sigh, what can you do,” Fatty gazed after their retreating figures, waving his invitation. “How about it, Brother Mai, you be my family?”
Fatty was a born social butterfly, but Mai Zixi was a bit awkward: “Meeting for the first time and imposing on you like this, I’m really embarrassed.”
Fatty: “First time? No, no, no, we’ve met before! Remember that time Han Fu was selling perfume at a stall? Brother Mai, you came by too, right? I was right next to him helping sell stuff that day, inside a bear!”
Mai Zixi did remember. There indeed had been a giant bear soliciting business by the stall that day. But the young man inside the bear, he recalled as being quite delicate-looking. How had he expanded so much in just half a year?
“You seem… sturdier than back then?”
Fatty had never been described with such a tactful word as “sturdy” before and instantly felt this Brother Mai was a nice guy.
“Hahaha, hahaha, the one you saw must have been Old Yu! On the first day, he and I were two different bunnies; the second day, two different bears. He’s the little bear, I’m the old bear. Not the same.”
A fat man, bouncing around with surprising agility, miming rabbits and bears—honestly, it was inexplicably kind of cute.
Mai Zixi: “I don’t think I’ve asked how to address you?”
Fatty: “Gu Jingxing. People older than me usually call me Jingjing, younger ones call me Old Gu.”
Mai Zixi: “So how old are you?”
Fatty: “I’m 24.”
Mai Zixi: “Uh…”
Mainly because they truly weren’t close, he was too embarrassed to call him “Fatty” to his face like Han Fu did. But he’d always assumed this man was in his mid-to-late thirties. Never expected him to actually be younger than himself, by quite a bit.
Fatty rubbed his hands together: “Then, Brother Mai, you can just call me Jingjing from now on?”
Jingjing… Mai Zixi couldn’t help but laugh. It totally didn’t suit him at all.
Though still not as unsuitable as his given name. Gu Jingxing, it was just too poetic… a million miles away from the man’s actual vibe.
Laughing, he suddenly felt it was quite something.
There wasn’t any particular meaning to it. It was just that, in his memory, he hadn’t shown a genuine, heartfelt smile toward someone in many years.
Actually, so many years had passed. Perhaps some old matters should have been laid to rest long ago.
Pei Zhen had already moved on and was so happy now. Wasn’t he a perfect role model?
Yet, precisely at that moment, Mai Zixi spotted someone. That person saw him too.
…
Qu Chuan had been looking for him for days.
He knew he had no face to seek out Mai Zixi again, but he was truly at the end of his rope.
He couldn’t be kicked out of Lanrui right on the verge of success or failure. Otherwise, wouldn’t five years of effort become a joke?
If there was any hope that Pei Zhen might still spare him, his only chance lay with his former love from those years.
Qu Chuan clearly remembered how ferocious Pei Zhen had been back then. Debt-ridden and with a crippled leg, he still hadn’t let Uncle Li off, gathering evidence and suing him thoroughly. Uncle Li was ultimately arrested for theft and embezzlement.
He himself should have been implicated as well.
Pei Zhen had let him go, purely out of consideration for his good friend Mai Zixi.
