Even selling one’s body at sea wouldn’t bring in money that fast.
A monthly salary of 300,000 will you do it or not?
Lin Ruohuai was struck by the massive “300,000” hitting his head. Without even understanding what the job was, he blurted out, “Will it be very hard?”
“Maybe.”
Shen Qi’s nonchalant tone made the conversation seem very normal, so much so that by the time Lin Ruohuai reacted, he realized the ambiguity in those words.
Lin Ruohuai’s brain cleared, and his head was filled with news of anti-fraud advertisements. “What kind of work is it?”
Shen Qi turned his wheelchair and clicked his watch—a metallic clack. He didn’t answer directly, only saying, “You will know soon.”
Lin Ruohuai eyed those fingers that looked like collectibles. The knuckles were long, and the skin had the luster of white jade. They seemed very suitable for doing certain things; he felt they could reach very far.
Shen Qi seemed to see what he was thinking. His hovering hand didn’t lower as he looked over with interest: “What, unwilling?”
Lin Ruohuai’s heart skipped a beat: “The amount is too much; I’m so happy I might not survive the joy.”
Shen Qi lifted his eyelids. The wheelchair angled toward him as the man stared: “You can consider it. At least ask for your boyfriend’s opinion first.”
Reminded by this, Lin Ruohuai snapped out of the 300,000-yuan tidal wave: “Mhm, he supports my freedom to work.”
As soon as he said it, Lin Ruohuai regretted it upon seeing Shen Qi’s face darken. In the next second, the man closed his eyes, looking drowsy a sign he was dismissing him.
After a while, Shen Qi said in a drawn-out tone: “How happy.”
Lin Ruohuai choked: “It’s okay.”
Shen Qi was so sarcastic. Was he venting for his younger brother? That was fine; for a monthly salary of 300,000, he could take it.
Lin Ruohuai saw those artistic hands drop down, looking beautiful, and his mood brightened again. His voice rose: “Then I’m leaving.”
Shen Qi didn’t react.
Just as Lin Ruohuai was about to open the door, a ghostly voice came from behind, sounding as if it came from the depths of a distant ancient castle.
“Mr. Lin, I hope to receive the answer I want.”
Lin Ruohuai’s hand trembled. He wondered if this was Shen Qi’s quirk—why did he do this every time?
He curled his lip: “Understood.”
Lin Ruohuai opened a crack in the door and squeezed himself out, quickly slipping back to his own room. He rested his chin on a soft pillow, feeling inexplicably guilty.
Didn’t this feel like the thrill of hiding a job interview with another company from your current boss? Especially when the two companies were arch-rivals—the guilt doubled.
100,000 versus 300,000 he wanted both!
Embracing his grand “small goal,” Lin Ruohuai fell asleep pressing against the pillow. He was woken up by his belt digging into him; he groggily pulled it off, tossed it on the floor, and turned over to continue sleeping. When he woke up again, his clothes had flipped up and bunched at his chest. Lin Ruohuai touched his soft belly and covered it shyly.
The evening gala began, and the dress code was business style. Lin Ruohuai sat on the bed rubbing his eyes, spacing out for a long time until he was interrupted by the doorbell. He went deng-deng-deng to open the door.
It was a waiter delivering clothes.
Lin Ruohuai took them, guessing Xie Yusheng had sent someone to deliver them.
The gala invited mostly acquaintances, so it didn’t need to be as formal as last night. The clothes sent were more casual and daily, yet proper. The outer layer was a well-tailored brown suit jacket; inside was a white shirt paired with a light grey base shirt, creating a nice sense of layers. The pants were light brown, high-drape suit trousers that covered the tops of his shoes, and a brown belt accentuated his waistline.
Lin Ruohuai smiled at the mirror. His languid aura made him look both handsome and charming. Good, good.
Just as he was about to tidy his hair, the doorbell urged him again. He went to open it; it was a waiter delivering tonight’s seat number card.
Lin Ruohuai quickly said, “Thank you. Has it started yet?”
“In twenty minutes.”
“!”
When Lin Ruohuai went downstairs, he realized the lobby was already full of people and very lively. His status was a bit awkward, but because he was Xie Yusheng’s “boyfriend,” he was still qualified to sit at the head table.
Surrounding gazes filled with gossip and curiosity swept over him. Lin Ruohuai didn’t respond to any of them—especially Mother Xie’s, which was so sharp it seemed it could see through human hearts.
He found his seat according to the number. It was next to Shen Qi.
?!
And next to Shen Qi was Shen Qingyi, and next to Shen Qingyi was Xie Yusheng. Between him and Xie Yusheng were the two Shen brothers.
Oh my, this was too obvious. No matter, he was starving to death.
Lin Ruohuai didn’t make a sound. After a simple, friendly greeting, he sat obediently to wait for food and watch the performances.
Shen Qi leaned back in his chair, slightly tilted so he could more openly see Lin Ruohuai. Dressed all in brown, he looked like a piece of sweet, rich chocolate with a milky filling.
Looking up, Lin Ruohuai held a porcelain white cup with both hands to drink tea, sipping it bit by bit. His hair was messy, his face small, and his chin rounded yet pointed. He was quietly observing his surroundings.
It had rained heavily all night today. Some roads were flooded, but it didn’t affect the extravagant and lively atmosphere inside.
It was also because of this heavy rain that mud and stones from the mountain had loosened and rolled down, filling the middle of the road and blocking those who wanted to go home after the gala ended tonight.
As the hosts, the Xie family had to appease the guests’ moods and then arrange for people to return to their rooms to rest. Gradually, the restless atmosphere in the air vanished.
Tonight, Shen Qi was communicating with big shots from other circles. Shen Qingyi had been standing with Zhou Gaoyi the whole time. Xie Yusheng was nowhere to be found.
Nothing left for me to do, right? I want to go back and rest; didn’t sleep enough. Lin Ruohuai’s foot had just moved half a step.
“This is Mr. Lin.”
Lin Ruohuai’s foot snapped back instantly. He smiled and shook hands with the other party, then stared quite resentfully at the back of Shen Qi’s head.
After the person left, Shen Qi slightly lifted his eyelids: “Unwilling to stay by my side?”
Lin Ruohuai gave a dry laugh, pursing his lips: “No, don’t wrong me.”
His tone sounded like he was acting spoiled. Shen Qi lowered his eyelids, rubbing the edge of his watch.
Shen Qi was a businessman, after all, and still held power over the Shen Group. Decent social interaction was essential on such occasions. Lin Ruohuai followed him step by step like a little assistant.
Meanwhile, the actual assistant was shivering in a corner, wiping away tears. Assistant Lin: Does Mr. Shen not want me anymore?
Not long after, Xie Yusheng suddenly appeared and waved at him. It looked like he had something to discuss. Was it the commission, the bonus, or had his “double-dipping” been discovered!
Shen Qi glanced at him, his sitting posture unchanged. Lin Ruohuai felt a telepathic sense that this was a silent consent. As he turned, his jacket was tugged.
Shen Qi stared at him: “As fast as possible.”
Lin Ruohuai froze, looking at that hand. “Oh, okay. I’ll be back very soon.”
He turned and went upstairs with Xie Yusheng. Lin Ruohuai was still savoring the feeling of that hand in his mind.
He didn’t notice a shadow flitting past behind them.
They went to the top floor, finding a quiet enclosed balcony. Xie Yusheng got straight to the point: “What’s going on between you and Shen Qi?”
Lin Ruohuai immediately said with wide eyes, “Nothing’s going on. I listened to you and just watched him.”
Xie Yusheng’s expression was strange, not believing him at all: “Shen Qi went to my parents and said he’s short a caregiver, asking for you to go take care of him. Are you willing?”
Caregiver?
Wasn’t that just the work of a live-in nanny? Lin Ruohuai blinked. Xie Yusheng’s expression remained strange: “He’s taken an interest in you?”
Lin Ruohuai immediately waved his hands: “No, no.”
Falling into silence again, Xie Yusheng suddenly asked: “Anyway, you don’t have a job now. Are you willing?”
Of course I’m willing!
But blunting it out like that might make it seem like he lacked sincerity.
That was 300,000 yuan. But weighing his options, Lin Ruohuai didn’t want to lose Xie Yusheng’s job either. The contract was only for three months; it would pass quickly.
Xie Yusheng’s gaze was complex: “He’s just trying to drive a wedge between us for Shen Qingyi’s sake.”
Lin Ruohuai knew perfectly well Shen Qi was a supporting character like him, just a “wingman” (helper). Just following the plot was enough.
In Xie Yusheng’s eyes, Lin’s current face looked “unwilling.” “How about this: you go. I’ll increase your salary by another 100,000.”
Lin Ruohuai’s eyes widened, and he wasn’t coy at all: “OK, deal.”
Xie Yusheng was clearly shocked too. Just like that? “You’ve really fallen into the eyes of money. You didn’t even struggle. If that old man Shen Qi tortures you to death, you’ll know how the word ‘death’ is written.”
Lin Ruohuai thought to himself: What’s a struggle? I could even kneel and sing ‘Conquered’ for you people who throw money around!
The rain stopped around 11:00 PM, but the roads were blocked by mud; no one could drive down the mountain yet.
When Lin Ruohuai returned to the lobby, there were no longer people surrounding Shen Qi. He stood alone, his aura as cold as a lotus.
This was now his “Second Boss.” Lin Ruohuai approached him in a happy mood to “play.”
Lin Ruohuai proactively brought up the content of the conversation with Xie Yusheng. First, he expressed surprise at the job description, then humbly suggested he might not be qualified but would definitely do his best, blah blah blah.
Shen Qi didn’t even look at him. He leaned back, moving his shoulders. Under the well-fitted suit jacket, his chest muscles were slightly full, and the buttons were even bulging.
Seeing that he was being ignored, Lin Ruohuai stared and said it again, adding more detail.
“You’re willing?” Shen Qi spoke as if he’d heard a joke. He looked up, his gaze cold and aggressive. “Truly willing?”
A scene of him acting unwilling in front of Xie Yusheng flashed through Lin Ruohuai’s mind, and he immediately nodded: “Mhm.”
The moment he finished, Shen Qi’s wheelchair moved forward. Lin Ruohuai subconsciously moved to retreat but was forced into a corner. The wheels stopped right against the tips of his shoes. It didn’t hurt, but the sense of pressure was immense, making it impossible to escape.
“You think I didn’t hear? You were ‘flirting’ with Xie Yusheng within my residential range. You think I couldn’t hear?”
Lin Ruohuai’s brain cleared instantly. Oh right, the top floor is where Shen Qi lives. So the feeling of a chill on his back while he was upstairs wasn’t fake; someone was really watching them?
No way.
Why was Shen Qi like a male ghost?
And eavesdropping on them… I’m really over it.
Lin Ruohuai rubbed his nose awkwardly and said very softly, “I was faking that. Only in front of you am I real.”
Shen Qi turned his wheelchair and moved forward automatically, acting as if nothing had happened: “You’d better not be lying to me.”
Lin Ruohuai followed him with a sigh of relief, his tone full of sincerity: “Of course I wouldn’t lie to you… Do you not need me to push you anymore?”
He forgot.
Lin Ruohuai’s behavior always made him easily forget certain principled things. This was not a good habit.
Was it that his adherence to his bottom line was too lax? No, it had nothing to do with him; the problem must lie with Lin Ruohuai.
Shen Qi’s wheelchair stopped. Lin Ruohuai naturally pushed him upstairs.
After safely delivering him to his room, Lin Ruohuai casually noted the time to use for the settlement with Xie Yusheng.
“Mr. Shen, roughly when do I start work?” Lin Ruohuai asked tentatively.
Shen Qi stared at him for a moment without a word, then said unhurriedly, “Go back, sign the contract first, then training.”
Lin Ruohuai caught a sensitive keyword and looked at him expectantly: “Will there still be 300,000 during the internship period?”
The curve of Shen Qi’s lips deepened: “Depends on your performance.”
“That’s different from what we agreed on.” Lin Ruohuai pursed his lips, the disappointment on his face almost overflowing. “You can’t lie to me. I’m so good to you.”
Shen Qi’s fingers tightened on the armrest. His expression was one of suppressed calm: “Pushing me a few times is being ‘good to me’? You almost dropped me.”
“Humans aren’t saints; who doesn’t make mistakes?” Lin Ruohuai laughed with a bit of guilt. “Forgive me.”
He couldn’t continue this topic; the more they talked, the more it felt like he wouldn’t even have the 300,000 in the end. As long as it was more than 100,000, it was fine. Contentment brings constant happiness, right?
But Shen Qi wouldn’t let him off: “If there weren’t 300,000, would you still be willing to stay?”
Lin Ruohuai’s lips moved: “No.”
Shen Qi let out a cold laugh. Looking down, he saw that the corners of Lin Ruohuai’s eyes and brows were all drooping. He hallucinated a tail dropping from a high, upright state—in the next second, the person would slip out through the door crack and never speak to him again.
Watching him, an inexplicable sense of guilt arose. Shen Qi gazed at him calmly: “We’ll talk more after we go back. This place isn’t suitable.”
Lin Ruohuai didn’t notice his jacket was loose and slouchy, slipping down from his shoulders. He squatted in front of Shen Qi: “Do we have to go to your house before we can sign the contract? Then we might not be able to go back until tomorrow…”
With a slight scoff, Lin Ruohuai was interrupted. He looked at him with some confusion.
Shen Qi sat in the wheelchair, his expression somewhat cold, as if he might stand up in the next second.
“Mr. Lin, as long as you are willing to come with me, that isn’t a problem.”
Lin Ruohuai parted his lips. Just then, there was a knock at the door, and someone walked in. Assistant Lin bowed and said respectfully:
“Mr. Shen, the helicopter is ready. It will arrive in five minutes.”
Lin Ruohuai’s eyes widened.