Chapter 5
Lying on the floor of the club with tears in his eyes, Chao Youqian kicked Lang Xin with his eyes closed.
This training level isn't difficult? It's a complete lie. The club's training camp coach is a retired special forces soldier hired by the owner at a high salary, and he's incredibly skilled at squeezing every last ounce of potential out of the human body.
Lang Xin, a longtime exerciser, was quite physically fit and could still walk freely after completing a day's class. However, under the strict supervision of his coach, he struggled mightily to finish, his entire body slumped to the ground.
Chao Youqian was helped to his feet by Lang Xin after the coach left. The kick he had just received had drained all his strength. He rolled his eyes and said, "Lang Xin, are you trying to kill me for money? I'm afraid I'll die before the end of the world comes because of this infernal training."
Lang Xin's ears flushed slightly from the heat, but he said firmly, "I can't bear to force you to exercise, so we need professionals. When there's really no electricity or medical care, we'll have to rely on our own physical fitness."
Knowing that what he said made sense, Chao Youqian stopped resisting. Lang Xin couldn't do anything to him if he kept being stubborn. With his weak willpower, he might need the torture of the devil coach.
The seven-day training camp had transformed Chao Youqian into a thinly muscular young man with a faintly defined abdominal muscle. When Lang Xin showed off his abs, he actually lifted up his shirt to reveal his six-pack.
Chao Youqian, who was showing off, skillfully avoided the topic of muscles. These seven days were really fulfilling. He spent the entire time in the club from 8 am to 6 pm.
Fortunately, Lang Xin still has some conscience and did not choose to eat and live in the club's training camp. The happiest time of his day is when he can have a big meal in various restaurants in City B in the evening.
The supplies we purchased have almost all arrived. Workers have installed a cargo air shower in the warehouse in City H, and we're just waiting to unpack them after disinfection. We'll have to stay in City B for two more days to finish some things. After leaving, we might never return to the capital.
The morning after training camp, Chao Youqian's biological clock had conditioned him to open his eyes at 7:00 sharp. Well, no need to get up so early today. The room felt much emptier. After living here for four years, he was moving out, and there was a lot to pack after sorting through.
After thinking about it, he got up and washed up. Today, Lang Xin was going to formally sign the merger and acquisition contract. Chao Youqian was still a little hesitant. If the end of the world did not come, wouldn’t Lang Xin’s four years of hard work be handed over to others?
When I got to the living room, I found Lang Xin already up and doing dumbbell presses in front of the French window. Seeing him come out, I said in surprise, "Why are you up so early? I was thinking of getting breakfast before I woke you up."
Chao Youqian stood by the window and said seriously, "Do you want to reconsider the merger? Regarding the end of the world, this is my personal opinion. If nothing happens, then..."
Lang Xin put down the dumbbells and walked over to him. He didn't smell of sweat, just the heat of hormones. They were very close. "I've said it before, without you, there would be no me and no company. Even if nothing happens, after the merger, I still have shares and inspiration, so it won't be difficult to return to management."
Chao Youqian's head was already fuming with the heat. What had happened? Why hadn't he noticed Lang Xin was so... well... full of energy before? He quickly took a step back, his whole body flushed like a steamed crab.
Lang Xin watched his reaction, his heart agitated. Chao Youqian had previously ignored his numerous hints and attempts at intimacy, dismissing them as mere brotherly affection. Now, was he finally coming around?!
There was no pressing the victory, Lang Xin knew clearly what was the most important thing right now. They still had a long time to spend together in the future, and even if there was no apocalypse, he also had a long-term plan to overcome it.
"Since you're up, let's go downstairs and have breakfast together." Lang Xin looked calm and put on a thin coat. The weather this year was very abnormal. It was only 20 degrees in the morning in mid-June in City B, so a coat was needed to block the wind.
Chao Youqian came back to his senses from his inexplicable blush, put on a windbreaker and went downstairs.
The breakfast shop downstairs from my house is probably everyone's favorite place. Their signature dish is steamed buns. I ordered a basket of pan-fried dumplings and a basket of soup dumplings, paired with golden fried mung bean cakes and two bowls of tofu pudding. It was an ordinary yet heartwarming breakfast in this world.
After returning to the apartment to change, Lang Xin put on a handsome suit. As he was about to go out, he saw Chao Youqian's moist and concerned eyes on the sofa. His heart softened. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. Since you're home alone today, you can browse the online mall and do some shopping. Be careful when you go out."
It was as if he was the husband working away from home to support the family, while Chao Youqian was the wife nurtured at home like a delicate flower. With this delicate feeling, Lang Xin became even more determined. He had to fight for even more benefits, otherwise how could he let his "dear wife" continue to shop without paying attention to the price.
After Lang Xin left, Chao Youqian rolled over on the sofa and lay down to check his phone. The house project in City H had been completed early, shortened to a minimum. Because no major renovations were required, the formaldehyde level dropped from 0.2 to 0.05 in just two days.
Both sides were still empty, with no supplies placed inside, but the appliances were surprisingly complete. Custom furniture requires a long time to make and ventilate, so they opted for formaldehyde-free, sun-proof, and moisture-proof oversized storage cabinets that were installed directly on site. They had ordered over a dozen of these in various designs, and now they only needed to clean the bottom surfaces before they could be used.
So Chao Youqian chose the deep cleaning service for two houses from the highest-rated housekeeping company in H City, which included comprehensive decontamination and high-temperature disinfection, high-altitude glass cleaning, curtain cleaning, etc.
The total area was so large and the two-day deadline naturally meant the price was high. Chao Youqian didn't bother to bargain and paid a deposit of 30,000 yuan, bringing the total price to 80,000 yuan. His previous supervision team had been very reliable, so he asked them to continue following up on the cleaning service this time.
After arranging a cleaning visit with the property management, Chao Youqian opened a video website and happened to be served a promotional video for the cleaning company. Everyone moved swiftly, the music playing softly. He propped his tablet up on a stand in front of him, his phone slowly sliding onto the sofa and falling asleep.
I woke up just as lunchtime was approaching, and my phone rang. I picked it up and saw that a group of finance students, well-off but under the watchful eye of their elders and destined for corporate management upon graduation, were clamoring for a farewell party. He'd been planning a global tour for a while, and those close to him knew a little about it.
After some thought, I realized I'd already bought all my appliances and groceries, so I could pack everything up within a day once I got to H City. I'd also have plenty of time to buy fresh produce and other short-shelf-life foods while I was there, and today's dinner was also a good time to say goodbye to my friends.
Last night, his tutor sent him another private message, saying that because of a celebrity's paper incident, their papers this year might be strictly checked for plagiarism and random checks, so he was asked to stay in China until the end of July and wait for the end of this semester.
As soon as they arrived at the reserved private room, Chao Youqian preemptively said, "Don't even think about getting me drunk today. My departure is delayed because of that celebrity. I won't be able to leave for at least a month."
The group of friends immediately booed him, and he continued, "But today is still a farewell party. It's getting too boring staying in City B, so Lang Xin and I are going on vacation to relax for a few weeks."
Now a few of them started to make a fuss, asking if she was on her honeymoon with Lang Xin, otherwise why were there only the two of them.
He waved his hand at Youqian. This kind of banter had been going on since Lang Xin had been taking care of him since he started college. On the surface, it was still "you know what brotherhood is," but inside, there were some ripples. But everyone was tactful in their jokes, and in a moment of haste, they immediately started talking about what had happened since they started working.
What would a bunch of second-generation rich people do when they get together? At least when Chao Youqian was present, the activities were very suitable for minors. Even though he turned 18 in the past two years, his own habits and Lang Xin's hidden threats made their gatherings very healthy.
After a delicious meal in a private room at City B's most expensive restaurant, where fresh seafood and mountain delicacies were delivered the same day, Chao Youqian couldn't help but think about his stored clothing.
There is a wide variety of items available, including jackets that can withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius and thin sportswear that can absorb sweat in high temperatures. Each piece of clothing has multiple copies as spares.
After skiing, Chao Youqian returned home feeling unwell. He was short of breath and felt heavy. His temperature was 37.8 degrees Celsius, a low-grade fever. Chao Youqian patted his forehead speechlessly. He had slept on the sofa for several hours without a blanket that morning, and then went to the ski resort in sub-zero temperatures that afternoon. It was a sign of things to come.
Afraid of sending a message to Lang Xin and disturbing him while he was negotiating the contract, Chao Youqian drank a cup of cold medicine, turned on the air conditioner to a constant temperature of 27 degrees, covered himself with two blankets, took a melatonin pill, and fell asleep in bed.
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