The Finale
Fang Chuan absolutely refused to sleep separately from Huang Fuda, and even when Huang Fuda locked the door, he could always find a way to sneak in.
That night, Fang Chuan watched as Huang Fuda finished playing with the cats and dogs and was about to head to the guest room. He rolled his eyes and said, "I haven't been sleeping well lately. I can only fall asleep after you've fallen asleep by midnight every day. I have dark circles under my eyes. How can you take care of a patient like this?"
Huang Fuda said helplessly, "Who told you to come to my bed in the middle of the night every day?"
"I can't sleep without you sleeping in the next room, and I can't sleep at all if I don't go to your bed in the middle of the night."
Huang Fuda immediately took his house key and said, "I'm sorry for disturbing your rest. I'm going home to sleep."
Seeing his posture, Fang Chuan panicked and stumbled in front of Huang Fuda to block the doorway. He stood there without saying a word, his eyes red. Seeing that Huang Fuda had no room for negotiation, this tall, strong man burst into tears.
"I'm not lying to you, I just can't sleep. Every day when you go in, I feel uneasy. I sit by your door and wait until you stop turning over before I dare to open the door and go in. Now you want to go home again, you're disgusted with me, you want to leave me again, aren't you..."
Seeing Fang Chuan's soft heart, Huang Fuda thought, "Why make things difficult for a patient?" So he started reasoning with Fang Chuan again. These past few days, Huang Fuda had been terrified to wake up to find his arms and legs pressing down on Fang Chuan. He asked Fang Chuan if it hurt or if he was in any discomfort, but Fang Chuan just shook his head. How could he be comfortable? Fang Chuan could barely stand for long; he was still weak and sickly. The external scars had only just begun to heal; how could the internal ones withstand his pressure?
After several discussions, the two finally decided to share a room, but not a bed. Fang Chuan, the patient, slept on the bed, while Huang Fuda slept on the tatami mat.
The patient needed to go to bed early every day, so he went to bed early at 9 o'clock. Knowing that Huang Fuda went to bed later than him, he asked Huang Fuda to go to bed first to coax him, and then he would go to the tatami after he fell asleep.
My wish has come true.
At this moment, Fang Chuan lay flat on the bed, his head resting on Huang Fuda's arm, and he pulled Huang Fuda's other arm over to put it on his stomach, feeling very satisfied.
"Boss, I've noticed you've been going to bed much earlier lately than you did at the beginning, and you don't have as many nightmares anymore. Does that mean my sleeping companion service is pretty good?"
Huang Fuda thought about it carefully and it seemed to be true. It was probably because he was too tired lately and really didn't have the mind to think about anything else. He was actually able to sleep normally, and he slept so soundly that he didn't even know Fang Chuan climbed into bed. He looked at Fang Chuan, who was looking smug in his arms, and admitted, "Yes."
"Can I have a reward?"
Huang Fuda chuckled and asked, "What do you want?"
"I want you to be my designated guardian."
Huang Fuda was stunned, and asked again, "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." Fang Chuan grabbed the hand covered in calluses on his stomach and said casually, "Just promise me first. Anyway, this can be canceled unilaterally. You can cancel it when you get annoyed with me."
"good."
Fang Chuan sat up excitedly and asked, "Really?"
"Really." Huang Fuda wasn't lying to him. He really wanted an identity that he could sign with dignity when Fang Chuan got into trouble, not a friend, and certainly not the inappropriate sleeping partner he was with now.
"How about we travel abroad? I think the Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain are all nice. Their churches are really beautiful. Let's go find the pastor and take pictures."
Looking at Fang Chuan's flushed cheeks, Huang Fuda said with amusement, "Fang Chuan, the sound of your abacus beads is too loud."
Fang Chuan wasn't too disappointed; this was within expectations. They couldn't rush things; the wedding had to be done gradually.
Lying back in Huang Fuda's arms, after a while, he said again, "We'll sign the equity transfer agreement in a couple of days, and I'll give you 5%. Also, I plan to spin off your product line from the company, and give it entirely to you then. That way, I can rest assured."
"There's no need to distribute it; it's enough."
Fang Chuan stroked the muscles on Huang Fuda's forearm and said, "Not enough, I'm scared."
Huang Fuda gently stroked Fang Chuan's handsome eyebrows and said with a smile, "If you're so scared, then just give me the company."
"That won't do." Fang Chuan turned around and hugged Huang Fuda's neck, gently nibbling at his lips. "I'm afraid I'll become useless to you..."
Huang Fuda was so overwhelmed by his kisses that he was dizzy. Afterwards, he did some careful calculations and realized something was wrong. It wasn't enough to cover the tens of millions for the hotel; it was almost there. It wasn't that he thought Fang Chuan was stingy and didn't want to pay, but he just felt something was off.
So he asked again, "Are you hiding something from me?"
Fang Chuan smiled and simply said, "Don't worry, I'll definitely give you enough. I wouldn't feel at ease if I didn't give you enough."
Huang Fuda wanted to ask more, but Fang Chuan refused to answer, so he gave up.
The next day, Fang Chuan took him to sign the guardianship agreement, and after the signing, Fang Chuan posted another message on his WeChat Moments.
[(Red heart) September 15, 2014, 10:37 AM (Red heart)]
[Image 1] Photo of the guardianship agreement.
[Image 2] A rough right hand holding a pen to sign.
Only Mr. Huang is not visible.
A few days later, Fang Chuan had someone bring a copy of the designated guardianship agreement to see Lin Fengxiao, not for any other reason than to educate him on the law. He explained what designated guardianship meant, how many years would be sentenced for intentional homicide and drug trafficking, what a suspended death sentence was, and what kind of people his future cellmates would be.
A month later, Fang Chuan officially resumed his work. Fang, who was not often in the company before, started to come more often, but he always went to Huang Fuda's office.
As the weather gets cooler and the leaves begin to fall, people are changing out of their short sleeves and shorts and into autumn clothes. The company's break room has also started serving free ginger tea, although hardly anyone drinks it.
The assistant knocked on Mr. Fang's office door with the documents, but no one answered. So he skillfully went to Mr. Huang's office, where Mr. Fang was standing behind Mr. Huang's chair, attentively massaging Mr. Huang's shoulders.
The assistant was used to it. After Mr. Fang finished signing, he went out again and closed the door tightly behind him.
Huang Fuda looked at him helplessly and said, "You're the boss of a big company, you can't always treat me like this in front of your subordinates."
"Why not? I'm their boss, but you're my boss. It's only right that I serve you."
Fang Chuan turned Huang Fuda's chair towards himself, then smiled and leaned on Huang Fuda's lap, continuing, "Boss, I'm making money for you."
"rhetoric."
"I'm serious." Fang Chuan wrapped Huang Fuda's tie around his hand, then pulled him down and stole a kiss. "You can have any car, house, ring, marriage certificate, anything you want. I'll even raise the kids for you."
Huang Fuda pulled the tie out of Fang Chuan's hand and said, "That's what you bought, not what you raised."
"I raised your daughter and son with a shovelful of shit and piss, how can you not acknowledge it?" Fang Chuan straddled Huang Fuda's lap, humming in a low voice about the unfaithful man. As he hummed, his hands became restless, his thumb circling around Huang Fuda's sexy Adam's apple, leaving a red mark in no time. "Boss, you leave marks on your body too easily... Let me blow on it for you."
Huang Fuda pushed away the face that was pressed against his neck and said sternly, "Fang Chuan, this is the office."
"That's exactly what I need – an office."
Fang Chuan tried to move closer, but seeing Huang Fuda's expression, he chickened out and cautiously asked, "Can I hug you?"
Huang Fuda reluctantly hugged him. Fang Chuan nestled in his arms and smirked, "Boss, do you think I look like a mistress being kept by you, having an affair with you during work hours?"
"Unlike Mr. Fang, my office is just an office, I don't keep any assistants."
Fang Chuan froze, his tongue dangling, and he obediently lay there. Seeing that he was no longer causing trouble, Huang Fuda began to talk to him about serious matters. He planned to go to the eastern coast to develop a market, a business trip that would last half a month.
"Send your men there," Fang Chuan said, raising his head with an extremely cold expression. "Are they just taking money for nothing?"
Huang Fuda calmly replied, "I have to go in person, otherwise I won't feel at ease. The problem with the raw materials before was because I wasn't keeping an eye on it."
Fang Chuan stood up, looked down at him, and said, "Back then, it was the subordinates who didn't do their job well, and I've punished those who deserved it. You're just one person, and you can't possibly be perfect in every aspect. If they don't do a good job, we'll replace them. There will always be someone who can do it well."
Huang Fuda pushed him away, got up to get a glass of water, and then said, "My branch is a small company that is short-handed, so I have to do it myself. There's nothing much going on at the hotel, so it's easier for me to go and run around by myself."
"Don't go." Fang Chuan hugged him from behind. "You should follow up on the resort I recently won the bid for. It's in the suburbs. I'll find someone to help you with your company's affairs."
It's started again.
Whenever Huang Fuda was away on business or socializing late, Fang Chuan would start nagging. Last time, Huang Fuda was told he had to drink with some bosses to discuss business, possibly until the early hours of the morning. Fang Chuan readily agreed, but before the drinking session was even over, he made over a dozen phone calls. In the end, Huang Fuda had his assistant lie and say he had a heart attack and fainted. Huang Fuda rushed home and found him perfectly fine. Huang Fuda was so angry that he didn't visit Fang Chuan's house for three days.
The first thing they said was that they supported my career.
If you ask me again, I'll give you whatever you want, so why bother running around outside?
Huang Fuda grew angrier the more he thought about it, and narrowed his eyes as he asked, "Who am I to your company? After the product line was spun off, I'm just a nominal minority shareholder in your company. Why should I be in charge of your company's affairs?"
Seeing that he was angry, Fang Chuan didn't dare to act rashly, and just laughed it off: "She's the boss's wife, so it's only natural for you to take charge."
"Where did this boss lady come from? Fang Chuan, I don't like having someone control my life again and again. Don't you know why I haven't confirmed our relationship yet? Why can't you change?"
"I'll change, please don't be angry..."
Huang Fuda frowned and continued, "Besides, you need to do what you're supposed to do in your position. Either give me a position with real power, or don't make me come to the company every day." Huang Fuda slammed his cup down. "You're forcing me to clock in every day? You really came up with that idea. I'm not coming tomorrow. You can have your personal assistant clock in for me."
Huang Fuda left immediately on a business trip.
He didn't reply to any of Fang Chuan's personal messages, and Huang Fuda would immediately hang up the phone if anything unrelated to business was mentioned. A week later, he saw Fang Chuan outside his hotel room.
Fang Chuan wore an orange hoodie, with Huang Fuda's favorite black trench coat draped over his arm, and smiled ingratiatingly with his eyebrows lowered.
"It's getting cold, and I noticed you didn't bring any warm clothes, so I'm bringing you a coat."
Without a doubt, the assistant must have betrayed his whereabouts.
"Thank you for your help, Mr. Fang." Huang Fuda took the coat, but couldn't pull it; Fang Chuan was holding it from the other side.
"I was wrong, please don't be angry, I won't do it again next time."
"Mr. Fang is not wrong at all, Mr. Fang is not wrong."
Upon hearing this, Fang Chuan immediately put on a fawning smile and said, "I've thought about it. I can't let you feel so awkward in my company. I'll give you half of my shares, you get 30% and I get 40%. From now on, you'll be in charge of the South China region, which is more convenient since your catering company is also mainly developing in South China."
Huang Fuda was stunned and asked, "Aren't you afraid?"
"I'm afraid," Fang Chuan hugged Huang Fuda, "but I'm even more afraid of hurting you."
This gift was too tempting, far surpassing anything offered by a few hotels or a single product line; Huang Fuda simply couldn't refuse. All his hard work over the years had been for two things: to achieve great things and to have people to rely on.
Fang Chuan has given it all away now.
Huang Fuda suddenly became the second largest shareholder, causing an uproar in the company. Under the guidance of General Manager Fang day and night, Huang Fuda quickly became familiar with the company's business.
However, whenever social engagements were involved, Fang Chuan would attend in his place, while Huang Fuda would rarely show up. But there were always things Fang Chuan couldn't do for him, such as Huang Fuda's completely independent catering company.
Night had fallen. Fang Chuan leaned against the door of the dressing room, watching Huang Fuda in a suit and tie, feeling extremely awkward. He regretted not having given Huang that product line to him.
"Come back early, drink less alcohol, watch your glass, don't let anyone put anything on it. Also, if anyone tries to get you to do something, just refuse. Don't worry about offending people or suffering losses; I'll make up for any losses you incur."
Huang Fuda reluctantly agreed and walked towards the door, where the driver was already waiting.
Fang Chuan hugged him, looked up at him, and asked, "Have you forgotten something?"
"I haven't forgotten." Huang Fuda lowered his head and gave Fang Chuan a kiss. Fang Chuan's kiss lingered from Huang Fuda's lips to his neck, and he sucked several red marks on Huang Fuda's neck before letting him go.
The drinking party went on very late, and Fang Chuan would send messages every ten minutes or so to check on Huang Fuda. Huang Fuda patiently replied to each message, and even though he was a little tipsy, he would still remember to let Huang know he was safe.
It was 2 a.m. when he came out. His assistant helped him walk out, and then he was handed over to another person. When he looked up, he saw that it was Fang Chuan.
Fang Chuan's expression was not good the whole way; he sulked and tossed and turned on Huang Fuda until dawn. Huang Fuda let him be; it was indeed late today.
Fang Chuan would go on business trips, and occasionally he would insist on dragging Huang Fuda along. Even if Huang Fuda didn't go at the time, he would still find time to fly over and be with him. The two were practically inseparable.
The hotel became a small "side business" for Huang Fuda. He usually handed over the management to others, while he focused on transitioning to Fangchuan Company and expanding the downstream of his product line to 23 provinces and regions across the country.
The tens of millions owed for the hotel remained unpaid; Fang Chuan never asked for it back, and Huang Fuda never offered to pay. They also continued living in Fang Chuan's house. Occasionally, when they had a disagreement, Huang Fuda would return to his own apartment across the street—a quiet and deserted place, but his safe haven.
Two years passed in the blink of an eye, and it's July again. With the two-year agreement fast approaching, Fang Chuan became nervous in advance. He was restless for a whole month and even had a high fever, spending more than a week lying at home.
When I recovered and returned to the company, I found that everything had changed.
During this period of unease, Huang Fuda somehow acquired the shares of the scattered small shareholders and became the largest shareholder of the company. At the shareholders' meeting, he was no longer Fang Chuan's sidekick, but became the real voice.
Money and power certainly nurture people, and they also fueled Huang Fuda's ambition. Fang Chuan looked at Huang Fuda sitting upright in the meeting, feeling a bit angry, but mostly relieved that a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
After the meeting ended, Fang Chuan's anger vanished, replaced by a deep sense of fear and unease. In front of everyone, he cupped Huang Fuda's face and kissed him, then dragged him towards his office.
He locked the door, pressed her down onto the large white desk, and asked, "Will you still only have me from now on?"
The table was digging into his thighs and making them a little uncomfortable, so Huang Fuda lay back up a bit and said softly, "Don't you have anything else you want to ask?"
Fang Chuan blinked and said, "Yes. But answer my first question first."
Huang Fuda's eyes were calm as he gently patted Fang Chuan's head and said, "You will always be the only one by my side."
"Then I won't ask for the second one." Fang Chuan nestled in Huang Fuda's arms. "I can give you anything. I won't regret it."
The office was large and spacious. The two lay intertwined on the desk, deeply entwined. Fang Chuan embraced Huang Fuda, turned him over, and laid Huang Fuda completely on top of him. He was heavy, but felt incredibly safe.
"Fang Chuan, from today onwards, let bygones be bygones."
Fang Chuan laughed out loud: "Then you lost out. I still have things in my hands, but you had nothing back then."
Even if it's just a discount because we know each other, I'll still give you a discount.
“But Huang Fuda, I don’t want to be your acquaintance.”
Huang Fuda gazed at him quietly, then said, "Then let's get married."
Fang Chuan's eyes widened, then he pushed Huang Fuda away and hurriedly pulled him home.
He ran to the study, dusted off the long-forgotten box, and then opened it. Inside were Huang Fuda's photo, a USB drive, keys, a lucky charm, and a ring that felt distant yet familiar.
Fang Chuan picked up the ring, knelt down on one knee before Huang Fuda, and asked, "Huang Fuda, may I put this ring on your finger?"
Huang Fuda extended his right hand and said, "Okay. But I might not be able to wear your ring."
"Yes, I can," Fang Chuan said, firmly placing the ring on Huang Fuda's little finger before kissing it. "I won't let you lose it again."
Mr. Fang posted a new message on his WeChat Moments.
[July 27, 2016, 10:14 AM]
[Image] A rough right hand with a ring on its little finger.
Fang Chuan was 29 that year, and Huang Fuda was 35.
It was autumn again, and Huang Fuda finally returned to Xianye.
He led Fang Chuan to Yang Zhengping's grave and said, "Uncle Yang, this is the boyfriend I told you about. He's married now."
[End of text]
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