Chapter 33, Chapter 33: Professor Shen (Wrote a little more to make up for yesterday...)
At three in the morning, Shen Beidao subconsciously reached out to grab the person next to him in his sleep, but his palm only touched a slightly cool sheet.
He opened his eyes groggily; the bedroom was empty.
My sleepiness vanished almost instantly.
Just as he was about to get up, his phone on the bedside table suddenly started vibrating repeatedly, and a series of message notifications popped up on the screen, all from the same sender:
Chen Zhinan
Shen Beidao frowned as he stared at the screen.
At 3 a.m., continuous bombing...
This doesn't look like a normal greeting at all.
He threw back the covers and got out of bed, stepping barefoot onto the soft carpet without making a sound.
Gently push open the bedroom door, and you'll see a desk lamp on in the living room. Lin Yi is indeed lying on the table, biting his pen and deep in thought as he looks at a sketch.
It wasn't until 1 a.m. that he finally managed to coax this excited "rabbit" into bed, and he's only slept for less than two hours.
The night was chilly in late December. Lin Yi was barefoot, wearing only a thin, sheer silk nightgown, her slender ankles exposed and slightly red from the cold.
Shen Beidao sighed, took a blanket from the cabinet, walked over, and draped it over his shoulders: "Are you rushing to finish your homework? It's due tomorrow?"
Lin Yi looked up at Shen Beidao upon hearing the voice. He suddenly buried his face in the other's soft cotton loungewear, and his voice came out in a muffled tone, with a hint of coquettishness: "You guessed right... My supervisor wants to see the first draft at five o'clock tomorrow afternoon."
“But I don’t think it’s good enough.” He rubbed his cheek against Shen Beidao’s warm belly like a kitten that relies on its owner before raising his head.
His hair was a mess from being rubbed, with a few strands of golden hair sticking up and looking fluffy under the light: "Because our solo exhibition has been moved up to next semester, next September, I heard that there will be a small preview first, followed by a team design exhibition... For some reason, there are a lot of leaders coming to the Academy of Fine Arts this year, so I have a lot of tasks."
Shen Beidao felt a pang of heartache seeing his sleepy yet excited appearance.
They say it's just to get the assignment done, but who would get up in the middle of the night to revise a draft just to get the assignment done? It's clearly an undeniable passion.
"Tomorrow's appointment is for the first draft. Communicate your ideas with your advisor before refining them. Otherwise, no matter how beautiful your drawing is now, if the direction is wrong, all your hard work tonight will be for nothing."
Lin Yi suddenly looked up, thought for a moment, and said, "Professor Shen, I think what you said makes a lot of sense!"
Shen Beidao leaned closer, his nose almost touching Lin Yi's forehead: "Since the 'rabbit capitalist' thinks my suggestion is useful... could you make a special exception on the assessment form and let me complete the task assessment ahead of schedule this month?"
Lin Yi hadn't really thought about how to "assess" the relationship; the so-called agreement was just a stepping stone to ease tensions between the two.
He reached out and pressed against Shen Beidao's chest, pushing him away slightly: "Professor Shen, our agreement has only been in effect for less than 48 hours, and you already want to achieve instant success?"
"This is called reasonably fighting for one's rights."
Shen Beidao took the hand that was pressed against his chest and gently traced circles on the back of his hand with his fingertips. "Moreover, I heard that outstanding employees can apply for a permanent position ahead of schedule."
"...It's a pity, my company is a shell company, I don't have this process."
Lin Yi tried to pull his hand away, but it was gripped even tighter. He simply raised his other hand and poked Lin Yi's chest. "Besides," he said, "is Professor Shen's word worth a fortune? Does he become an 'outstanding employee' just because he casually said a few words?"
"Yes, yes... President Lin is right to teach us a lesson."
Shen Beidao nodded firmly, but his other hand was already around his waist. "Then at least... give me some kind of reward for each stage? Like..."
His voice was low and clearly provocative, "Allow future outstanding employees to hug their own boss?"
Lin Yi's ears burned: "Comrade Shen Beidao, please correct your attitude! We are now in a serious contractual relationship, not someone you can just hug whenever you want!"
"Oh? Just a contractual relationship?" Shen Beidao raised an eyebrow, his grip tightening slightly. "Then, Mr. Lin, if I keep you company at three in the morning, will I get overtime pay?"
"...Overtime pay?" Lin Yi, held in his arms, still tried to maintain his capitalist persona, stretching his head out to the side. "Have you ever seen a heartless boss pay overtime? You're lucky if they don't deduct your performance bonus!"
“Then…” Shen Beidao’s breath brushed against his neck, “you can use something else to counteract it.”
Lin Yi reached out and pinched his cheek: "Professor Shen, if you keep acting like this, it will be considered workplace sexual harassment, and I can sue you in labor arbitration."
"Go ahead and sue," Shen Beidao said nonchalantly, instead pulling him even tighter. "Let the arbitration committee decide. The boss is living in the employee's home, disturbing the employee's rest in the middle of the night, making the employee get up to work overtime with him, and not giving overtime pay. Doesn't that count as illegally occupying private time?"
Lin Yi was pulled into his arms, suppressing a laugh: "Then you'd better quit your job right away!"
"I won't give up." Shen Beidao's palm moved to the little bottom that was wiggling, and he patted it lightly as if looking for a rabbit's tail.
"Although there's no salary and I have to stay up with the boss in the middle of the night, it's worth it to be able to hug and kiss a tall, slim-waisted, and...round-hipped male college student anytime."
"You wish!"
Lin Yi finally broke free from him, grabbed the last jujube on the table, and precisely stuffed it into his mouth. "Professor Shen, you've been talking more and more lately! Where's your dignity? Where's your stingy air? Can't keep up the act anymore?"
Shen Beidao chewed on a date, and after slowly swallowing it, he leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Majesty... that's for outsiders."
He paused, his lips almost touching Lin Yi's burning earlobe: "To my own boss, I only..."
He deliberately dragged out the word, "Unconditional obedience."
Lin Yi's ears turned so red they were almost burning, and she grabbed a pencil as if to hit him: "Shen Beidao, you really are—"
Instead of dodging, Shen Beidao stepped forward and grasped his wrist, which was holding a pencil: "What's wrong, President Lin? Did I say something wrong?"
"..." Lin Yi was trapped between the table and his embrace, with nowhere to retreat. He decided to give up and took the opportunity to crawl under the table and run away from the other side: "I want to sleep! Don't disturb me!"
Shen Beidao smiled and caught up with him, then picked him up and carried him in his arms. "It's also the duty of an excellent employee to take the boss back to his room to rest."
Lin Yi exclaimed in surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, but then felt that this was too weak of a character, so she added fiercely, "Put me down! I can walk by myself!"
"The floor is cold."
Shen Beidao carried him towards the bedroom, his voice softening, "And I suddenly realized that my boss is too thin and needs to eat more."
"Mind your own business..." Lin Yi muttered softly, but obediently snuggled into his arms and stopped struggling.
"How about I make you braised pork ribs with green beans, braised chicken with mushrooms, and a braised fish head tomorrow?"
"Hmph, it has to taste good." Lin Yi adopted a "I don't want to eat" attitude, rejecting the temptation of delicious food.
Only after he was gently placed on the bed and covered with a blanket did he peek half his head out from under the covers, his eyes bright as he looked at Shen Beidao: "Where are you going?"
Shen Beidao sat down on the edge of the bed and ruffled his hair. "I'll tidy up the living room and organize your drawings so you can sleep a little longer tomorrow morning before going to work."
Lin Yi stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly reached out and grabbed his sleeve: "...Then hurry up, it's too cold for me to sleep alone."
Shen Beidao paused for a moment, then a gentle smile appeared in his eyes. He leaned down and placed a light kiss on Lin Yi's forehead: "Okay, boss."
...
The next day, 11:09.
The project negotiations went exceptionally smoothly. This is a key national-level cultural translation and dissemination project, which mainly involves translating Jiangzhou's historical documents, intangible cultural heritage archives, and contemporary development achievements, and compiling them into authoritative German books.
This project is jointly promoted by Jiangzhou University, the Cultural Department of the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and authoritative academic publishers. The final results will be incorporated into the mainstream academic and public cultural system in Germany.
As the main person in charge, Shen Beidao clearly outlined the cooperation process and timeline, and presented some objective suggestions from Jiangzhou University.
The person in charge showed an expression of appreciation several times.
Li Rui accompanied and documented the entire process, and had to admit that, putting aside personal feelings, Shen Beidao was indeed impeccable in his work.
He plans to pursue postgraduate studies or go to Germany for further education, and the opportunity to be listed as a co-author on this major collaborative project is crucial for him.
Therefore, although he no longer had the same pure admiration for Shen Beidao because of Lin Yi, he would still complete the tasks assigned to him seriously.
"Teacher Shen, I will organize the first draft of the contract as soon as possible."
In the car, Li Rui closed his laptop and reported, "I will also contact Professor Fang Yu, but she won't be back from abroad until next week, so the signing will probably have to be scheduled for next week."
Fang Yu was also one of the project leaders.
"Hmm, no rush. The other party has already paid the deposit, which shows their sincerity. You can coordinate the timing; I believe you can arrange it well."
His affirmation was understated, yet it carried a reassuring weight.
"Okay, if there's nothing else, I'll head back to school now." Li Rui was about to push open the door and get out of the car.
"Wait a minute." Shen Beidao called out to him, glancing at the time. "It's almost noon. Let's have lunch together and talk about your career plans. You can learn about some resources in advance."
While you're at it, ask about Lin Yi's past.
His suggestion sounded perfectly natural, like that of a teacher who cares about students' development and is extremely responsible.
Upon hearing this, a hint of hesitation flashed across Li Rui's face.
Just then, his phone rang, and as the screen lit up, Shen Beidao's gaze inadvertently swept over it:
Caller ID: Chen Zhinan
Li Rui quickly pressed the mute button, looked up at Shen Beidao and explained, "Teacher Shen, I'm sorry, I'll come to your office another day. My friend is coming to the school to see me and may already be at the gate. It wouldn't be good to stand him up."
Shen Beidao showed no unusual expression, simply nodding and saying gently, "Okay, then you go ahead and get busy."
He watched as Li Rui strode quickly toward the school gate.
Not far away, a man with medium-length black hair came up to greet them. The two greeted each other familiarly and smiled at each other.
The car window slowly rolled up, shutting out the outside noise.
Shen Beidao leaned back in the driver's seat, his gaze behind his glasses calmly fixed on that direction, his fingertips lightly tapping the steering wheel twice.
It's Chen Zhinan again.
It really is... a persistent ghost.
His face was expressionless, he only gave a very faint chuckle.
Such a lack of sense of propriety and tactlessness is indeed rare these days.
After a moment of contemplation, he picked up his phone, found a number in his contacts, and dialed it.
The call was answered quickly, and Zhang Zexuan's energetic yet slightly obsequious voice came from the other end: "Professor Shen? What instructions do you have for me?"
Shen Beidao spoke calmly and got straight to the point: "Do me a favor. I'll sign the letter of understanding you requested after it's done."
Zhang Zexuan's voice instantly rose an octave, filled with the excitement of escaping death: "Really? Professor Shen, just give the order! My life... no, whether I can keep my job or not depends entirely on you!"
Hearing his exaggerated tone, Shen Beidao's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.
His gaze remained fixed on the two figures still separated at the school gate, his voice low and steady, carrying a sense of strategic composure:
"It's not a difficult task. I just need you to help me find out some details about Mr. Chen Zhinan's past, the more specific the better."
He paused, then added, his tone devoid of any emotion, yet inexplicably sending a chill down one's spine:
"After all, to understand a person, you always have to start with their past, don't you think?"
......
A few days later, Zhang Zexuan, sporting dark circles under his eyes and looking disheveled, met Shen Beidao in a quiet coffee shop.
"Professor Shen..."
He slumped weakly in his chair. "I really investigated, I investigated like I dug three feet into the ground."
"During his studies in Japan, Chen Zhinan didn't even have a romantic interest, let alone date! His social circle was as clean as a formatted hard drive. After returning to China, he became even more bored and devoted all his attention to my brother Yi."
He stole a glance at Shen Beidao. The other man was holding a coffee cup, his expression calm, but the look behind his glasses was so intense that it made him feel uneasy.
Zhang Zexuan immediately sat up straight, then abruptly changed the subject: "But! Of our old classmates, apart from Zhao Qing, who can still talk to him, the others don't really like him."
He lowered his voice and began to "put on eye drops": "Chen Zhinan, to put it nicely, is thoughtful, but to put it bluntly, he's... not manly at all."
"She's effeminate, not in terms of her behavior, but in her way of thinking, like a little girl, and she's very sensitive."
We might accidentally say something wrong, and he'll just sulk there, refusing to say anything when we ask him. It's so frustrating. Only Lin Yi has a good temper and knows how to coax him..."
As he was speaking, Zhang Zexuan stopped talking again...
"Zhao Qing?" Shen Beidao caught the new name and stirred the coffee in his cup. "A girl?"
"But she absolutely never liked my Yi-ge! Professor Shen, please don't misunderstand!"
Zhang Zexuan gulped down a large mouthful of iced drink, his eyes darting around. "I...I didn't say anything..."
"What kind of person is she?" Shen Beidao seemed to have become interested, leaning forward slightly, his focused expression making Zhang Zexuan's scalp tingle.
"She's... she's a really loyal and easygoing friend."
Zhang Zexuan forced a smile and explained, "Back in high school, a lot of girls liked Lin Yi. Knowing she was our friend, they even passed love letters to Lin Yi through her several times..."
"Zhao Qing had just been hurt by a scumbag at that time, and she thought Lin Yi was handsome and considerate. It was a pity that she hadn't made a move despite being so close to him. So she suddenly confessed to him when we were having dinner together. But as you know, Brother Yi... is gay, so he politely declined."
"So carefree, confessing his feelings..."
Shen Beidao suddenly chuckled softly. The smile was faint, yet it inexplicably conveyed a sense of pleasure, as if he were talking to himself, "My little bunny's charm is truly great."
She's also very aloof, but she likes to act loud and boisterous in front of me...
It seems I really am the most special one.
Complementary people are destined to be together.
Zhang Zexuan heard every word clearly, and instantly felt that the iced drink in his hand was no longer cold.
He gulped down the rest of the drink, thinking to himself: This Professor Shen seems so refined on the surface, but he seems a bit shady behind the scenes!
Could it be that my brother Yi was betrayed by him and is now happily counting the money for him?! It seems... very possible!
Shen Beidao pushed a small, unmarked kraft paper box in front of him.
"Find an opportunity to have Ms. Zhao Qing organize a gathering and invite everyone."
Shen Beidao's voice was as calm as if he were assigning a classroom assignment, "When you're at a party, put this in Chen Zhinan's drink."
Zhang Zexuan's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the box.
He shakily opened it, and inside were three tiny, sealed tubes connected together, containing a clear liquid, without any instructions.
"Professor Shen! Professor Shen!" His voice changed. "You are a cultured person, an intellectual! We, we can't do anything illegal or criminal! If something goes wrong, you'll be the mastermind, and I... I'll just be an accomplice!"
Shen Beidao looked up at him, his gaze calm.
He didn't explain, but simply reached for a small tube and unscrewed it in front of him.
Then, he added a few drops of the colorless liquid into his Americano.
He picked up the cup and, under Zhang Zexuan's dumbfounded gaze, calmly drank it all in one gulp.
The cup was gently placed back into the dish, making a crisp sound.
"Can I relax now?"
Shen Beidao pulled out a tissue, slowly wiped the corner of his mouth, and looked up at him.
Zhang Zexuan: ￣□￣｜｜
His body stiffened, goosebumps rose on his skin, and only one shocking thought roared repeatedly in his mind:
Did my brother Yi meet this "Professor Shen" in a proper setting?
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Author's Note: Keywords: Cunning, Machiavellian
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