Du Yu walked into Yuan Ye’s office with the acquisition contract and plopped down in the chair opposite him. “It’s all sorted out. Their personnel are clearing out this afternoon, you can go take a look. We’re short-handed, so we can pick a few people to keep.”
“You go handle this matter, take Yang Shu with you, and look into the decoration stuff directly.”
“That works too. Have Li Sheng go over as well, and take a look together.”
“No, he doesn’t need to go.”
Du Yu looked at him in confusion. “Why?”
“He’s going to get his stitches removed this afternoon, no time.”
“Stitches removed? How do you know?” Yuan Ye didn’t answer, and Du Yu was startled. “Crap, don’t tell me you two are living together?”
“Mn.”
“No way, Big Brother, you hooked up and got him into bed in a month? You’re quite something, looking at his ascetic, unworldly vibe, I didn’t expect him to fall into your hands so easily?”
“I said at most one month.”
“Not bad, impressive. Given this speed, when do you plan to dump him?”
Yuan Ye frowned slightly and said, “I…”
The two men’s conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Du Yu walked over to open it and saw Li Sheng standing outside, walking in carrying a bag of documents. Du Yu felt a startle in his heart, but looking at Li Sheng’s appearance, he seemed to have just arrived and hadn’t heard anything. Li Sheng placed the documents on the desk, looking like he was about to leave. “These are the client documents for advertisements that need to be re-recorded recently. There are many clients here that couldn’t be negotiated with before, now they are handed over to you.”
Yuan Ye stared intently into Li Sheng’s eyes for quite a while, as if trying to confirm whether Li Sheng had actually heard any of their conversation, and then said, “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to get my stitches removed, already made arrangements with the doctor.”
“I’m going with you, right after the stitches are removed we’ll head straight to check out the new company.”
Li Sheng paused for a moment and replied, “Okay.”
Seeing the two of them walk out one after the other, Du Yu couldn’t help sighing. “Suddenly I feel my conscience acting up so much…”
Yuan Ye went to fetch the car while Li Sheng stood waiting to the side. Once Yuan Ye parked and came to a stop, Li Sheng sat in the passenger seat. Yuan Ye knew what Li Sheng had overheard; Du Yu’s unreservedly loud banter made him feel a bit guilty. He leaned over and kissed Li Sheng’s lips. Li Sheng did not resist and actually responded. The two of them quickly ended this lingering kiss, knowing full well they couldn’t go too far in the parking lot. Yuan Ye leaned close to Li Sheng’s ear and said, “I really want to have you right here.”
Li Sheng smiled. “If we didn’t have to work.”
Yuan Ye pulled back his body and drove toward the hospital. “Your office will be next to mine, right? We’ll set up Yang Shu’s office near the recording studio, that way it’s also convenient for talking with clients.”
“That’s fine. I see Du Yu is busy with the new company stuff?”
“Mn, he doesn’t need to personally run around for the other companies anymore. Now we’re calling him over here to bring along and train some people; once the company matures, he can go back to being busy with his original work.”
“You’re going to turn him into an all-around handyman.”
“He can handle it. Just like you, he’s a workaholic, when it comes to working, he doesn’t pay much attention to these things.”
Because Li Sheng had booked an appointment in advance, he didn’t need to wait in line and went straight to the doctor’s consulting room. When getting his stitches removed, Li Sheng originally intended to make Yuan Ye wait outside, but Yuan Ye insisted on staying right beside him. Unable to win against him, Li Sheng had no choice but to let him tag along. The wound was mostly healed, but once the stitches were removed, the scar still looked ferocious and terrifying, making Yuan Ye instantly recall Li Sheng’s frail appearance. He began to regret only having that man’s arm broken.
By the time the stitches were removed, it was already three o’clock in the afternoon. Standing at the hospital entrance, Li Sheng stretched out his arm for Yuan Ye to see. “This scar is pretty much here to stay.”
Yuan Ye took Li Sheng’s arm and looked closely. “If you mind it, I can take you to a plastic surgery clinic.”
Li Sheng shook his head. “A man, why bother caring about these things.”
Yuan Ye smiled, pulled Li Sheng’s shoulder over, and embraced him in his arms. “Yet you make me care about you immensely.”
Li Sheng smiled without a word. After a moment, he patted Yuan Ye’s back. “Let’s go, let’s go check out the new company, they should be just about done moving.”
Du Yu and Yang Shu had arrived long ago. The company scale was not large, spanning two floors plus a basement recording studio, totaling three floors. From the exterior, it looked somewhat like a small apartment building, and the interior had been recently renovated, with many things still wrapped in plastic film, too late to be unwrapped. Yang Shu toured inside and out from top to bottom, walked leisurely over to Du Yu’s side, and casually wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Tell me, Manager Du, aren’t we being a bit cruel doing this? People were doing so well and thriving, and we just smashed it all to pieces like that.”
Du Yu impatiently brushed his hand away. “The business world has always been like this. But tell me, can you stop using your hands and feet when talking about serious business from now on?”
Seeing Du Yu’s expression, Yang Shu found it utterly adorable, and smilingly pinned Du Yu against the wall, pressing very close to him. “What? Is this hinting that I can take the next step?”
Du Yu suddenly felt his heartbeat accelerate. Yang Shu looked like a thoroughly romantic flirt; the very first time he met him, Du Yu had thought just that. He wasn’t mature and steady like Yuan Ye, looking more like a young punk in his early twenties, speaking without rhyme or reason, yet time and time again he threw Du Yu’s heart into a chaotic panic. He didn’t know what was wrong with him, but he clearly knew that he didn’t like men.