The housekeeper left, leaving behind freshly made sheets and neatly ironed shirts and suits. As far as the eye could see, everything was wrinkle-free.
In the afternoon, Chen Youhan received a WeChat message from Aunt Xu.
She was very cautious. Although Chen Youhan had already thrown the dirty sheets in the corner, she still asked, "Master, there is a hole in this sheet burned by cigarette ash. Can it be thrown away?"
Thinking that the servant was undecided and asked her, she did not dare to deal with Chen Youhan's things without permission.
Of course, he let it go. But the scene of him smoking and fucking him last night flashed through his mind. Just like he was standing in the bedroom now, looking at the snow-white bed that was as tight as a five-star hotel, he remembered how Ye Kai looked at that time.
There are those moments in life when, like an ice cube bubbling out of the water, your consciousness suddenly becomes clear and you realize clearly that from now on, your life will be different.
When he was eight years old, countless precious medicinal herbs and top medical teams failed to save Ning Shu's life. He saw a white cloth covering his mother's thin, pale, smiling face, with her index finger tightly clenched in her hand.
The warmth had not faded, and he could still hear Ning Shu's last words. She said, "Hanhan, mom loves you. From now on, you will be a determined little man. No matter what difficulties you encounter in life, you must treat yourself well and seriously, okay?"
The stretcher's wheels slid through the coldly lit corridor. Chen Youhan looked at the snow-white walls of the hospital and realized that something was different in his life.
When he was thirty-three years old, in Fiji, he asked Ye Kai one last time, "Let's stop here and part ways in peace, right?"
The moonlight that day covered the sea surface of Fiji. Ye Kai fell asleep and smoked one cigarette after another on the balcony. From the emotional excitement in Xiwan to the kiss after being drunk, he confirmed his love countless times. The affection of adults is not worth mentioning, only determination is moving. He could suppress his love for Ye Kai in his heart like the fragrance of flowers gradually dissipating in the rain, but after smoking the last cigarette, he went back and saw Ye Kai's sleeping profile, so softly outlined by the moonlight.
The tobacco-smelling fingers stroked his cheek, and he said in his heart, OK, kid, then I will risk my life to accompany you.
The sound of the waves in the South Pacific was gentle and steady. He tucked the thin blanket in for him again, and the moment he gently left, he knew something was different in his life.
At the age of thirty-four, outside the gate of Fan Ning's empty villa, he received a cardboard box sent back by Ye Kai. The skis were brand new. I wonder if he was willing to use them last winter. The sapphires were still shining. When he saw them, he remembered that he joked on his eighteenth birthday, "Brother Youhan, you will go bankrupt if you fall in love like this."
Love and separation come and go like the wind. One year and five months passed. He was just dreaming. Walking into his familiar room, he seemed to see his figure in every corner. How could he say it? He actually picked up the water cup and gently called "baby" to the void.
No one responded. The August sun was shining brightly. Only then did he clearly realize that he had really lost Ye Kai.
Chen Youhan slowly unbuttoned his shirt one by one, his eyes soft as he immersed himself in memories. Should I count my birthday as thirty-six or thirty-seven?
In short, he stood in the middle of the night, thinking about the kiss in the hillside villa during the day, the "husband" under the banyan tree at night, and how the agreed rose wall would be full of beauty in the summer. His consciousness once again stood out as never before, telling him, Chen Youhan, you are someone who can have marriage.
It's not a friendship based on interests, nor is it a superficial relationship. It's about being with the person you love, sharing a house, and having the same future.
This awareness was so vivid and profound that his broken, hardened and stern heart could not withstand it.
There was a different atmosphere in the GC headquarters building on Monday.
This is the prime CBD area of Ning City, where every inch of land is valuable. The GC building logo is outstanding and eye-catching, overlooking the cruise ships cruising on the wide surface of the West River day after day. The full glass staircase is completed in one go, and when the weather is good, you can see the blue sky and white clouds reflected on it.
It's not just the laziness or energy after a weekend of rest, nor is it just the fresh flowers and fragrance in the lobby downstairs. Even though the smile of the receptionist looks sweeter and gentler than usual, these are not all - if I have to describe it, it is probably the joyful mood that has already surged in the air, although it is deliberately suppressed.
Good mood overflows and rises with the coffee in the tea room and the shiny mirror elevator.
Many people waited for the whole morning. At eleven o'clock, on the sixty-fifth floor, which houses the GC Business Group, the president's office door was opened and Chen Weiyu and general assistant Gu Xiu strode out.
After sitting in this position for just over a year, Chen Weiyu has lost a lot of weight, his beer belly is smaller and he looks energetic. Gu Xiu, who is a step behind him, is still the same, reserved, elegant and gentle, with a firm step. The old employees all say that it is because Mr. Gu was cultivated by Mr. Chen.
Following them came the main leaders of various business and functional departments. However, more and more people stood up, pushing away their swivel chairs and standing up from their workstations.
The receptionist put on a very beautiful light makeup today. The ribbon shirt was professional and sweet. The one-step skirt that wrapped the waist and hip curves and the slender sheepskin high heels were impeccable. They stood on the left and right of Chen Weiyu and Gu Xiu. Because of nervousness, they secretly wiped their palms on the hem of their skirts.
The elevator displayed the floor from 60 to 65 in the blink of an eye, but it took a long breath. With a "ding" sound, the silver elevator door slowly opened to both sides, and a man in a suit and leather shoes walked out.
He is tall and has long legs, his rigorously trained body wrapped in a custom-made suit of high-end cut and luxurious texture. He walks calmly and smoothly, and his cold and handsome face has no expression, except for a hint of a nonchalant smile at the corner of his lips.
No one dared to explore whether that smile was an illusion or real.
His work ID card is tucked into his suit pocket, which is an ironclad order that no one in the GC, from the chairman to the cleaning lady, can escape. However, it does not diminish his temperament and aura at all, and even adds a hint of indescribable elite feeling.
On it is the ID photo, name and position.
Chen Youhan, Executive Director of GC Group.
He took two elevators at the same time, and behind him were seven or eight other board executives, but their presence was minimal.
I don't know where the applause broke the silence, and then it rang out like a tide.
Chen Youhan half raised his hand and gently turned his Breguet watch. His voice was deep and magnetic, which matched his handsomeness. He said with a smile, "Why are you all standing at the door?"
Then he stretched out his hand to Chen Weiyu, his arm was strong and his fingers were long, and his five fingers were put together in a neat and suave manner: "Weiyu."
Chen Weiyu shook hands with him. Although he was a distant cousin and a few years older, he still felt terrified and nervous when they met under such circumstances.
Chen Youhan smiled again: "Gu Xiu."
Gu Xiu held his hand, her palm was cold and her eyes were bright.
Surrounded by the crowd, Chen Youhan walked towards the large conference room deep inside the office building.
No matter how loud the applause is behind him, or how many stars are around him, or how glorious and admiring he is, they are all just insignificant footnotes to him.
People were calling him all the way.
"Boss Youhan."
"Hello, Youhan."
"Long time no see, Mr. Youhan."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Youhan."
The new employees followed the applause and greetings in a daze, and only woke up from their dreams after everything was settled. It turned out that this was the legendary President Youhan, the man who single-handedly saved the company from collapse and then retired amid flowers and applause, the power center of the next generation of GC, and the new executive director of the board of directors who made the senior executives of the tourism, hotel and entertainment groups collectively tremble with fear and tread on thin ice.
Chen Youhan came here from a board meeting. There were many sub-groups to inspect, and the business group was just the first one. His style of holding meetings was concise and vigorous, and this was especially true when listening to performance reports. If it lasted more than ten minutes, Director Chen would frown slightly.
As the president, Chen Weiyu was the first to bear the brunt of the impact. He was mediocre and his performance was not as good as that of Chen Youhan during his years in office, but he was steadily recovering the lost ground. As the general assistant, Gu Xiu followed him into the meeting room.
After the report, Chen Youhan asked a few questions in a very calm tone, but Chen Weiyu found it difficult to answer for a moment, and cold sweat ran down his back.
It was rumored that he was Chen Youhan's direct descendant and the biggest beneficiary of this round of power transition. However, facts proved that even if he was a direct descendant, he was not qualified to take it lightly.
The unbearable half an hour made Chen Weiyu feel very uncomfortable. Before leaving, Chen Youhan announced the first personnel appointment lightly: Gu Xiu left the business group and was transferred to the vice president of GC Entertainment Group to exercise actual administrative power. The president of entertainment had left half a month ago. In fact, everyone was guessing who would take over - because this was the first person Chen Youhan would target, and it was also rumored that it would be the first branch group to go public in Hong Kong.
When the transfer order came out, Chen Weiyu was slightly startled and looked at Gu Xiu reflexively. He found that he was also surprised and shocked, and after the shock, he felt embarrassed.
Chen Weiyu reacted quickly and immediately extended his hand to Gu Xiu. After the other party shook his hand, he shook it firmly and patted him on the shoulder: "Congratulations, Mr. Gu, this is a new world!"
Gu Xiu quickly adjusted his posture, relaxed and calmed down, and exchanged politeness with Chen Weiyu.
Chen Weiyu left with a smile, and he weighed his options quickly. He immediately realized that this was a sign of Chen Youhan's trust in him. Gu Xiu helped him gain a foothold, and if he left now, it meant that he had passed Chen Youhan's probation period and could truly realize his ambitions in the business group. The so-called vast sea and high sky are actually his future opportunities.
It is said that Chen Youhan is very good at managing his subordinates. After experiencing it in person, Chen Weiyu was indeed impressed.
The glass door closed, blocking out the sound of conversation.
Chen Youhan threw a cigarette to Gu Xiu: "Congratulations."
He also had a cigarette between his lips, half-closed his eyes, handsome and a little unruly. Gu Xiu hurriedly took it, and was disdained by his former boss, who now provided him with food and clothing, for the first time in a year: "Now that you are the president, can't you have some attitude?"
"Deputy." Gu Xiu lit a cigarette, half-opened the window and waved away the smoke in the room.
Chen Youhan laughed and stood by the window with him, smoking. The river was broad and deep.
"You have a lot of work to do in the next five years," he said indifferently, flicking off the ash from his cigarette, "If you want to settle your lifelong affairs, do it as soon as possible, otherwise you will be so busy that you won't even have time for blind dates."
Gu Xiu is good-looking, well-educated and has a bright future, but he is not emotionally gifted and is still a blank slate at the age of 30.
He coughed and said, "I can't compare to you who is good at both love and career. I have to admit I am inferior to you."
This flattery touched her heart, and Chen Youhan generously forgave his sarcasm and couldn't help but be the first to share: "I just proposed successfully the day before yesterday."
I tried my best to downplay it, but I still managed to kill the only single person present.
He originally wanted to show off to Qiao Chu first, after all, the latter still owed him a bottle of Macallan worth 300,000 yuan. But he thought it was time to take Ye Kai to meet this best friend in person, so he postponed the plan to go to Huangtian.
This news was more shocking than his own promotion and salary increase. Gu Xiu couldn't stop staring. He was so scared that he even dropped the cigarette, leaving himself covered in dust.
"Are you serious?"
Chen Youhan glanced at him: "What else?"
Gu Xiu knew the social etiquette, but after seeing Chen Youhan suffer so many late nights, he felt mixed emotions and could only say: "...as long as you are happy."
"How can you send blessings like this? Your performance will be deducted."
"Fuck." Gu Xiu couldn't help but curse, "No, I've never been in a relationship, so I really don't understand how you guys can be hurt by your partner's infidelity and then laugh it off, forget your grudges, and quickly rekindle your old love."
People who graduated from Tsinghua University have a lot of words to say.
Chen Youhan digested it for half a second, then keenly grasped the key point: "Who has fallen in love with someone else?"
Gu Xiu snorted coldly and compromised: "Forget it, I know you can't let go of Ye Kai. Since he has traveled thousands of miles to Yunnan to find you, it means he has reformed. If the proposal is successful, will his family--"
Chen Youhan interrupted him: "He has fallen in love with someone else and has turned over a new leaf?"
Gu Xiu blinked his eyes. After three seconds of silence, he realized something was wrong and asked cautiously, "——Isn't it?"
Chen Youhan smiled formally: "Interesting."
The briefing was a good one, but they spent five minutes talking about Director Chen's secret love affair. Gu Xiu's face turned from black to white, and finally began to turn red in embarrassment. When Chen Youhan finished speaking, he stared at him and stammered, "So, so the 20 billion credit line from Ningtong was so so..." He bit his tongue and said, "Why didn't he answer the phone when I called him?"
"I'm sick. I have stress aphasia and pneumonia. I'm in a coma and can't speak."
Gu Xiu wiped his face: "He and his boyfriend..."
"No boyfriend, it's just me from beginning to end."
Gu Xiu murmured "fuck".
Chen Youhan asked with a half-smile: "What on earth did you do?"
Gu Xiu was ready to die. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a sentence: "I scolded him for being cold-blooded and heartless, and we had a fight in the underground garage."
Chen Youhan: “…”
Gu Xiu asked woodenly: "Is my transfer order still in effect?"
So Ye Kai received a WeChat message at about noon from Gu Xiu, a missing person in his friend circle, with a sliding kneeling expression. He was smart and knew what the other party meant without asking a question mark, so he replied considerately: Remember to give double the red envelope for the wedding.
Chen Youhan's performance review lasted until 4pm before he had time to catch his breath. He loosened his tie, drank coffee to refresh himself, and called Ye Kai.
There was no self-mockery, and before they even arrived in Beijing, they had already started living apart.
Ye Kai had just finished writing the summary and thank you notes for his summer internship report when he received a call. He took off his glasses and walked to the balcony.
The sun was still very bright, with a light golden hue near sunset. The heat from the day's baking on the ground rose up with the hot wind, making the summer heat on the third-floor balcony linger for a long time.
"What are you doing?"
Ye Kai pinched the cigarette butt with two fingers and took a sip, then smiled faintly and said, "I'm smoking and thinking about you at the same time."
"What a coincidence," Chen Youhan said in the swirling smoke as the sound of a lighter rang out, "Me too."
Both of them laughed through the receiver, the sound being transmitted along the electric current, feeling distorted.
"Has the ring been discovered?" Chen Youhan asked.
Ye Kai lowered his eyes and glanced at his left hand. He had put it on after washing up in the morning, but he was not used to it yet, which caused him to feel a bit of stagnation in the afternoon. He replied, "No, I put it away."
Chen Youhan had to continue with the next meeting, and there was only fifteen minutes of rest time. His new assistant was not very good at commanding him, and he was afraid of making mistakes, so he knocked on the door to announce the time.
Ye Kai heard it and asked, "How long do you have to work overtime today?"
"Nine o'clock, maybe later."
"Are you still used to it?"
Chen Youhan laughed, finished a glass of iced Americano, and curled his lips in a dandy manner: "You look down on me."
Ye Kai leaned against the railing and saw his own reflection, including the smile on his face, through the closed glass door of the balcony.
"Resist."
Chen Youhan said "OK", opened his laptop, and before he could hang up the phone, he asked, "Gu Xiu wants to treat you to a meal to make amends. When are you free?"
"Wait until he comes back from Beijing, or when he returns to his alma mater."
As soon as he said that, Chen Youhan remembered that Gu Xiu was indeed Ye Kai's senior.
"He misunderstood you, why didn't you tell me?"
Ye Kai said casually: "There is no need for that. He has his own position. Besides, how can I find you without him?" He bowed his head and dusted off the ash from his cigarette, and said with a half-seriously half-sincerity smile: "We should treat him to a meal."
All in all, no matter who pays the bill, you still have to eat.
Chen Youhan couldn't help but fantasize about how well Ye Kai would teach him if he really had a child. He would inherit all of Ye Kai's teachings, have a good character, be clear-headed and self-sustaining, and look dignified and serious in his little suit. Thinking of this, it seemed a little cute.
The voice lowered, and the ending tone was gentle: "Baby, I really miss you."
It hadn’t even been forty-eight hours since they last separated. Ye Kai said “hmm”, with a gentle look that Chen Youhan couldn’t see: “I miss you, too.”
"Send me the flight time and I'll arrange a time to take you there."
Ye Kai said: "No need, we will be seen."
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, and Chen Youhan said, "No, I can wait for you in the cafe."
Ye Kai refused ruthlessly: "My mother will send me off in person. She will really chat with me at the security checkpoint until I start boarding the plane."
That being said, there is really no solution.
The smile on Chen Youhan's face faded a little. He took a second to calm down and said in a normal tone, "Okay, see you in Beijing."
After hanging up the phone, the assistant came in and saw her handsome boss with his head down, pressing his brows, looking very tired. In addition to being tired, there was an indescribable sense of loss. However, she soon thought that this must be her illusion. Because when Mr. Chen opened his eyes again, he had returned to his cold and nonchalant attitude and said, "Let's get started." His tone was official, but inexplicably made people feel very gentlemanly.
When she was appointed as his assistant, all the girls in the group envied her. After her heartbeat stalled for the hundredth time today, the assistant thought, what's the point of envy? If this continues, she will have to do an electrocardiogram sooner or later.
This time the meeting lasted until dinner time. Chen Youhan even sold his dinner and spent two hours negotiating with a bunch of elders on the board of directors, both real and fake, with wine and food flowing and swords flying.
He had only drunk a little, which was definitely within the safety line set by his personal doctor. After the dinner, he was sober as hell, and he didn't arrange for anyone to pick him up, so he walked back to the company.
There is one last meeting for today.
It was past eight o'clock, the heat had dissipated, and the street lights, brake lights, and building lights intertwined into a colorful scene. The roar of the traffic was clearly ringing in his ears, and Chen Youhan suddenly realized that he had not walked on the street for a long time. Even in the CBD, when the lights came on, it was inevitably tainted with a lot of fireworks. At the foot of the skyscrapers, there were rows of shopping malls, restaurants, and alleys.
He used to look down from the 65th floor, and he would go even higher in the future. Standing above all the hustle and bustle, it had been a long time since the fireworks had stained his high-end, well-ironed trouser legs.
Chen Youhan walked along this vast and lively street, passing through one street lamp after another. The bright yellow lights illuminated his figure and also lengthened the shadow under his feet.
When the warm evening breeze blew by, he suddenly felt unreal and took out his phone to send a WeChat message to Ye Fa. After thinking for a long time, he finally typed only two words: baby.
Ye Kai was probably accompanying his elders, so he didn't reply.
After the meeting, there were less than a hundred reads on the WeChat interface, but there was no message he was expecting.
But I received a call from Ye Jin.
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