Chapter 37 One Monkey, One Tethering Method
Xie Chun leaned back in his large office chair, his hands folded on the table, his brows slightly furrowed, and looked at Zhang Zexuan, about to speak.
"Mr. Xie!" Zhang Zexuan preemptively raised his voice, "I wasn't involved in offending the client at all. I was just sitting there having dinner with the client, pouring drinks, and handing them tissues. I didn't read a single word of the contract terms. If you want to hold someone accountable, you can't blame me!"
Xie Chun took a deep breath and opened his mouth again, trying to steer the conversation back on track: "I..."
"And that's not all!!" Zhang Zexuan didn't give him a chance to speak. He pulled an A4 sheet of paper from the folder he was holding and slammed it down on Xie Chun's desk with a "thud." The edge of the paper even curled up at one corner.
"I took care of the task you gave me a week in advance!"
Xie Chun's gaze fell on the paper, and his brows furrowed even more.
It was a photocopy of a "Letter of Understanding," with Shen Beidao's signature in the lower right corner, which was highly distinctive.
"You..." Xie Chun's lips moved.
Zhang Zexuan interrupted again: "Don't worry, the original is kept safe at my home!"
As if guessing what he was going to say, Zhang Zexuan immediately took three steps back, creating what he thought was a safe distance, and tilted his chin up, trying to make his posture look tough. "If you want it, come to my house in person tomorrow to get it."
Xie Chun looked at him silently, and after a few seconds, he slowly stood up.
He was half a head taller than Zhang Zexuan, and his imposing aura, emanating from his long-standing position of authority, silently permeated the small office.
With his hands in his trouser pockets, the anger that had just arisen from the work mistake seemed to have subsided, turning into a deeper scrutiny.
"Why do I need to go to your house?" His voice was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. "This is a task the boss assigned you. Bring it over tomorrow."
"Why can't I come to my house?!"
Zhang Zexuan retorted, his neck stiff, his heart pounding instantly, "We're already in that kind of relationship, you...you go meet...me...my parents, is there a problem?"
He almost blurted out "father-in-law" and "mother-in-law," but when he met Xie Chun's deep eyes, he finally chickened out.
Xie Chun's expression remained unchanged. "Last time, it was a misunderstanding. It was you who entered my private office without permission, which led to the series of events that followed."
"Misunderstanding?!" These two words were like igniting a powder keg.
Zhang Zexuan's pent-up grievances and anger exploded instantly, "Whose misunderstanding led to going to bed with someone and doing the whole thing?! I've only slept with girls before!"
Ever since I...everything with you, I can't even get an erection...whenever I watch porn!
He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his voice trembling, and his eyes began to redden uncontrollably.
What he couldn't stand most was Xie Chun's calm and collected demeanor, as if nothing had happened!
Why is he the only one here, tormented and restless, while the other person is acting like nothing's wrong?
"And what do you have! You've had your fun, pulled up your pants, and now you're telling me to 'get out'! If I don't leave, you can call security!"
Zhang Zexuan's voice choked with sobs, and tears finally streamed down his face uncontrollably. He wiped them away forcefully, feeling even more aggrieved, "The security guards have all fucking gone home!"
You should call the property management company to complain! Why did they have to send a night shift security guard to drag me out?!
"Xie Chun, are you even human?!"
Is this how you treat...a one-night stand?!
"At the company, watch your words and don't use foul language."
Xie Chun looked at him, tears streaming down his face, as he glared at her intently. Without even breaking a sweat, she simply reminded him calmly, "I told you."
"I told you! I fucking told you! I fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking!"
Zhang Zexuan completely lost his temper, even jumping up and down twice in anger, deliberately repeating louder, "I'm cursing myself! Is it any of your business?! Now we don't need to call the night shift security guards anymore, right? The day shift guards are all downstairs taking turns!"
Go ahead and yell if you dare! Yell right now! Throw me out!
"Let everyone see how President Xie separates public and private matters, how considerate he is of his employees, and how he sleeps with his assistant..."
His shrill voice echoed in the well-insulated office, piercing people's eardrums.
As Xie Chun listened to his increasingly outrageous shouts, the veins on his forehead finally throbbed slightly.
He could no longer tolerate it.
Just as Zhang Zexuan was about to utter the next word, "national essence," someone stepped forward, grabbed Zhang Zexuan's wrist with such force that there was no room for struggle, and dragged him directly into the private lounge inside the office.
"Hey! What are you doing?! Xie Chun, let go of me! This is office violence!"
Zhang Zexuan was startled and struggled while yelling, "If you keep doing this, I'll tell your son he has a stepfather, and I'll make you furious..."
"It hurts, be gentle, be gentle, ah..."
Xie Chun ignored him, deftly opened the door to the lounge with his other hand, pushed Zhang Zexuan inside, and then quickly followed him in.
"Clatter".
The door was locked from the inside, completely isolating it from the outside world and also from Zhang Zexuan's thoughtless shouts.
The lounge was dark, with only slivers of sunlight filtering through the blinds, creating a dim and ambiguous atmosphere.
A faint scent of tobacco lingered in the air, along with a hint of something that made Zhang Zexuan's heart race.
Perhaps, maybe, it's just anger.
Let's rewind to that chaotic night.
Actually, the whole thing started because Zhang Zexuan was just being "impulsive" and "curiosity killed the cat."
That day, he worked overtime until after 10 p.m. to finish an important international contract.
As he rubbed his aching neck, preparing to leave work, he suddenly remembered the "mysterious mission" Shen Beidao had given him.
Thinking about carrying out Shen Beidao's mysterious "plan" the next day, he felt both apprehensive and tragically willing to "test the poison," and decided to first try out what that tube of colorless liquid was all about.
The office area is riddled with security cameras; it's never good to be caught on camera.
His eyes darted around, glancing towards the CEO's office.
Xie Chun has a social engagement tonight, so he definitely won't be there.
He slipped inside, unscrewed an unopened bottle of mineral water, and carefully dripped a few drops of that "mysterious liquid" into it.
He picked up the bottle and took two tentative sips, not yet having had a chance to savor the taste.
“Clatter.”
The door to the lounge opened.
Wearing a bathrobe, Xie Chun, who had clearly just taken a shower and whose hair was still slightly damp, came out of there.
He saw Zhang Zexuan standing in front of his desk, holding a mineral water bottle, looking guilty, but he found it quite amusing.
"Still working overtime so late?"
Xie Chun's voice was slightly hoarse from his recent shower. He walked over, his gaze sweeping over the bottle in Zhang Zexuan's hand, then looking at the set of purple clay teaware he usually used on the table, next to which was the Pu'er tea he had just brewed but hadn't drunk yet.
Zhang Zexuan was startled. His hand trembled, and some water spilled out of the bottle, landing right in the open teapot next to him.
His mind went blank at the time; he just wanted to get away as quickly as possible and didn't notice this detail at all.
Xie Chun thought Zhang Zexuan was thirsty from working overtime, but dared not touch his tea leaves, so he only dared to secretly drink some mineral water. As a result, he was caught by Xie Chun, and he was so nervous that he spilled the water.
"If you want tea, just say so. What kind of behavior is this, sneaking around like this?"
Xie Chun's tone carried a hint of helplessness. He picked up the pot of "tampered" Pu'er tea, poured himself a cup, and then gestured to Zhang Zexuan, "The cup is over there, pour yourself."
Zhang Zexuan stared at the cup of brown tea, his pupils dilating in shock. It was too late to stop it.
Xie Chun had already picked up his cup and taken a sip.
Xie Chun only drank a few teacups, and his symptoms were far less severe than Zhang Zexuan's, who drank the "original liquid" directly.
However, he has been under tremendous work pressure lately, and is physically and mentally exhausted. He has also not been able to relieve his desires for a long time.
That unexpected "stimulant" made him especially want to release it.
Without much thought, he contacted an agency that provided "door-to-door service".
Just then, at the elevator entrance, Zhang Zexuan, who was also feeling unwell, bumped into the young boy who was dressed in a flamboyant manner.
Although Zhang Zexuan may seem unreliable at times, he has his own set of principles deep down.
He believes that relationships should be taken seriously, and one should be responsible to the girl; otherwise, one shouldn't be in a relationship at all.
He despises this kind of behavior of buying pleasure with money and indulging in unrestrained behavior.
Moreover, who are these service recipients?
But he's his good friend Lin Yi's biological father!
If Lin Yi finds out, wouldn't the father-son relationship be further strained?
Lin Yi hates his father's chaotic private life the most!
A strange sense of "justice" and a desire to "protect his brothers" welled up inside him, and he felt it was his responsibility to "save" President Xie, who was on the verge of falling into depravity!
Moreover, he felt that he had also drunk that stuff, and since he was young and strong, he could withstand it. Xie Chun, a man in his forties, should have even stronger self-control!
So Zhang Zexuan paid out of his own pocket to stop the boy and began a half-hour bargaining session about the meaning of life and moral bottom line.
“Brother, look, you didn’t do anything, just took a Didi here, a ten-minute ride, and made a thousand yuan for nothing. Be happy!” Zhang Zexuan tried to persuade the other party with money.
The little duckling was introduced by an acquaintance. Knowing that Xie Chun was a big client, she didn't want to give up this business. She pouted and replied, "Handsome, do you think this is a vegetable market? Haggling here? I'm doing high-end business. The service is top-notch, so the price is naturally higher."
Zhang Zexuan's mind worked quickly, and he immediately changed his approach, saying sincerely, "Yes, yes, high-end, absolutely high-end! Well, brother, let me ask you something: do you think roasted pig's butt smells better, or stewed pig's trotters smell better?"
The little duck was stumped by the question and instinctively replied, "It must be pig's trotters! Who eats pig's butt?"
“That’s right!” Zhang Zexuan slapped his thigh. “Look, you’re not as good as making money with your hard work, are you?”
There are 360 professions, and every profession can produce an expert. Let's switch tracks; the future will be even brighter!
The boy angrily shoved him: "...Are you crazy?"
"Just a thousand yuan, bank transfer or cash? Take it or leave it." Zhang Zexuan played his trump card, "My company has 780-degree high-definition surveillance cameras with recording capabilities outside!"
"If you're not happy, I'll call the police right now and have them arrest the prostitute. The evidence is irrefutable; you can decide what to do."
Ultimately, under Zhang Zexuan's combined pressure of coercion and enticement, along with his "philosophy of life," the boy reluctantly accepted the 1,000 yuan transfer and stormed off.
Having gotten rid of the "external threat," Zhang Zexuan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if he had accomplished a remarkable feat.
He leaned against the wall to catch his breath, but the burning desire within him intensified due to his emotional agitation and physical activity.
He shook his head. No, he had to "persuade" Xie Chun to solve the problem at its root!
Zhang Zexuan looked up a long passage of persuasive text at the door and memorized it for a full ten minutes.
"Wealth and lust bring suffering; lust traps the mortal body."
“A person who is obsessed with desires will inevitably harm his spirit.”
"Lust is a knife hanging over one's head..."
"Men, you must control your lower body to win the rest of your life!"
He took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and pushed open the door to Xie Chun's office.
"Don't turn on the light." Xie Chun's voice carried a suppressed, unfamiliar heat. He stood up from the sofa, walked to the door, and grabbed the waiter's wrist. "Come here, I'll take you to the lounge."
Zhang Zexuan: "???"
Before he could even process what Xie Chun meant, Xie Chun stood up, strode over, and grabbed his wrist.
The force was astonishing, and the temperature was frighteningly hot.
"And..." Xie Chun pulled him toward the lounge, adding without turning his head, "I don't like talking while I'm doing it, it's too noisy."
Zhang Zexuan was completely stunned; the carefully prepared persuasive speech in his mind shattered into pieces.
He tried to struggle, to say "that's not what I meant," but Xie Chun's hands were like iron clamps, and the evil fire within him also fiercely countered at this moment.
He was pressed against the cold door of the lounge and kissed by Xie Chun. In just three seconds, his body betrayed his will and shamefully reacted.
By the time he tried to struggle and explain, it was already too late...
However, after venting his anger, Xie Chun not only did not feel relieved, but felt even worse.
Through Xie Chun's teachings and example, he used his vague memory and instincts to replicate exactly what Xie Chun had done to him.
That night, a straight man was forced to open the door to the gay world in an extremely tragic and absurd way...
*
During this period, Shen Beidao focused all his efforts on that national-level cultural translation and dissemination project.
The dean made special adjustments to his teaching schedule, canceling some open classes and retaining only the teaching duties for some German classes.
He also moved from his original public faculty office to a quieter, more well-equipped private office in the college building.
Coincidentally, Fang Yu's office was right next door.
In the afternoon, an hour before the end of the workday.
Fang Yu knocked on Chen Beidao's open door and came in.
She wore a beige dress today, which made her look gentle and elegant. Her long black hair fell smoothly to her waist, and she carried a light fragrance as she walked.
"Beidao, are you free tonight? Let's have dinner together?" Fang Yu asked with a polite smile.
Shen Beidao stood up, glanced at his watch, and began tidying up the scattered documents on the table. "No, I have some things to do at home tonight, so I have to go back early."
"Today, the dean and some teachers from the department are having dinner together." Fang Yu took two steps forward and leaned against the edge of the desk. "The dean specifically asked me to invite you to come along."
Shen Beidao, without pausing his work, looked up at her and asked, "Any new projects?"
Fang Yu smiled but didn't elaborate, only vaguely saying, "You'll know when you get there."
Shen Beidao quickly weighed the options in his mind. He remembered Lin Yi's soft complaint on the phone yesterday that he had been too busy lately and hadn't had time to spend with him.
Lin Yi seemed to have finished class early today. He had originally planned to go to Lin Yi's apartment in the evening to check on the progress of his graduation project and maybe even cook him a meal.
"Okay, I need to go back and change my clothes. Send me the restaurant address."
"Why change your clothes? You look fine as you are." Fang Yu looked him up and down in his neat shirt and suit jacket, her tone light and cheerful. "Shall we go together after get off work? I'll take your car, it'll be convenient."
Shen Beidao frowned; he didn't like this overly intimate arrangement.
"I still have some materials to organize, so it might be a little late," he made up an excuse. "If Professor Fang can't wait, you can go ahead first."
"It's okay, I'll wait for you." Fang Yu seemed to have made up her mind. She pointed to the door, "Perfect timing, Teacher Wang wants to talk to me about something with the class. I'll go over first, and call me when you're done."
“…Hmm.” Shen Beidao nodded.
As soon as Fang Yu left, Shen Beidao picked up his phone and dialed Lin Yi's number.
The call was answered almost instantly, and Lin Yi's slightly coquettish voice came through the receiver, with very quiet background noise.
"Hey? Professor Shen~ What's up? Missed me?"
Hearing his voice, Shen Beidao unconsciously relaxed a little, and his voice softened: "Just finished work, get out of class is over? Where are you now?"
"I'm thinking of you~" Lin Yi's voice was tinged with laughter, "And, I'm at your house right now! When are you coming back? I've been waiting for you for three minutes and forty-five seconds."
Shen Beidao was pleasantly surprised: "Why are you here? Didn't you say you had class this afternoon?"
"It was just one class. After class, I went to the art studio and painted for two hours before coming here, and you still haven't finished get off work."
Shen Beidao realized that this invitation was from the dean and most likely involved a new project, so it was indeed difficult to refuse.
He said somewhat apologetically, "Sorry, honey, there's a dinner party at the hospital tonight, organized by the director himself. It's related to the follow-up work arrangements, so I might have to go back after I finish."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Lin Yi's voice, noticeably lowered, came through, drawing out the words: "Ah—another social engagement...Will it be very late again? Like last time, coming back in the middle of the night?"
"It shouldn't be too late this time. If you're sleepy, go to sleep first. Don't wait for me. I'll try to come back as soon as possible, okay?"
"No..." Lin Yi's voice was soft, "I can't sleep if you don't come back. The room smells like you. It's so lonely for me to sleep alone."
Shen Beidao's heart fluttered at his words; he really wanted to go back and kiss his little bunny.
"Otherwise..." Lin Yi seemed to have thought of a good idea, his voice filled with anticipation, "How about I come pick you up? When you're almost done, I'll take a taxi to find you, and then I'll ride back in your car?"
As he spoke, his voice trailed off: "Could we try... in the car?"
Shen Beidao gripped his phone, his fingers tightening slightly.
A garage, a closed space, a quiet late night, with your loved one in your arms...
Just imagining it made his Adam's apple bob uncontrollably.
On the other end of the phone, Lin Yi, not receiving a response, assumed he was unwilling and asked again, "Are you planning to reject me?"
"No." Shen Beidao's voice was terribly low and hoarse. "I was just worried about your safety taking a taxi alone at night."
"I'm not a child anymore, and Jiangzhou is so safe, there aren't that many bad people... I just want to see you sooner, is that not allowed?"
Shen Beidao shook his head helplessly and compromised: "Okay, then wear more clothes. It will get colder at night, so don't catch a cold. I'll send you the address later."
"I knew you were the best!" Lin Yi exclaimed happily on the other end of the phone. "I'll go get ready now! I'll talk to you later!"
Shen Beidao chuckled: "What are you going to prepare?"
Beep beep beep—
Busy tone...
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Author's Note: Merry Christmas to all my lovely readers!!!
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