“So you were worried about issues with the contract and didn’t dare sign it, not because you didn’t want to stay?” Jiang Yichi finally understood the purpose of Xu Qiushi’s outing this afternoon. “You think too much. Look at yourself what is there about you worth scheming for?”
“There isn’t,” Xu Qiushi echoed.
Jiang Yichi realized that Xu Qiushi had likely never even heard of the “Jiangsheng Group,” making his hesitation understandable. He told him to bring the contract over.
On the signature page, the three characters for “Xu Qiushi” were written in a crooked, shaky hand. Jiang Yichi stared at them for a long time before he couldn’t help but comment: “Your handwriting is ugly.”
Xu Qiushi couldn’t refute it. He had never liked writing since he was a child, and any homework involving writing was done perfunctorily. His parents said he wasn’t born for academics, unlike Xu Qiuze, who had beautiful handwriting and top-tier grades.
Xu Qiushi had originally scheduled to meet Assistant Zheng tomorrow, but Jiang Yichi couldn’t wait. With one phone call, he summoned Assistant Zheng back to handle the remaining formalities immediately.
Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Assistant Zheng stood at the door with a professional smile, though internally he wanted to rush in, grab Jiang Yichi by the collar, and shake him while explaining that no matter how “immediate” the request, some processes simply had to wait for a business day!
“I’m sorry, Assistant Zheng, for making you make an extra trip,” Xu Qiushi said as he handed over the contract.
“Don’t worry about it. Could you also provide your ID card?” As a fellow worker, Assistant Zheng’s attitude toward Xu Qiushi was quite friendly.
“Sure, wait a moment.” Xu Qiushi went to get his ID.
Assistant Zheng took the opportunity to observe Xu Qiushi from behind.
When Jiang Yichi was looking for a nanny, he had four clear “No’s”: No ugly ones, no unpleasant voices, no chatterboxes, and no elderly people.
The man in front of him perfectly met the young master’s four criteria.
Once he had Xu Qiushi’s ID card, Assistant Zheng departed swiftly. He still wanted to go home and enjoy the rest of his weekend.
…
With the contract settled, Jiang Yichi’s mood completely brightened. He sat down at the table before Xu Qiushi had even finished setting out the food, not forgetting to remind Xu Qiushi to prepare a set of utensils for himself.
Although it was his first time sharing a table with Jiang Yichi, Xu Qiushi had noticed his small eating habits while tidying up every day.
Regarding seasonings, cilantro and celery were absolutely unacceptable to Jiang Yichi—not even a hint of the flavor could be present. Scallions, garlic, and garlic sprouts were acceptable for flavor, but whether he’d eat them depended on his mood. Ginger and Sichuan peppercorns were for flavor only; they had to be picked out if seen.
When Xu Qiuze was young, he also had a picky phase. Xu Qiushi felt that since people only live once, they ought to live comfortably; there was no need to force oneself to adapt to things one didn’t like.
Therefore, he had been adjusting his cooking to Jiang Yichi’s tastes. For instance, he would fry scallion oil, garlic oil, or peppercorn oil to replace the actual ingredients. Or, instead of mincing ginger, he would cut it into large slices or strips in dishes that needed the flavor, making them easy to pick out.
Now, sitting at the same table, Xu Qiushi took serving the “Young Master” as his primary mission. He clipped away the fatty parts of the braised pork and meticulously picked out the peppercorns and ginger from the shredded chicken and the garlic sprouts from the bean sprouts. Seeing that the young master was eating happily and his bowl was empty, he immediately stood up to get him a refill.
Jiang Yichi finished his meal feeling comfortably full, but as he stood up, he felt his stomach was a bit too tight. He looked down and pinched his waist; the previously smooth waistline now had a layer of soft flesh he could grab.
Gu Chengfei’s comment on the phone about him being fat echoed in his ears. He really was fat! Jiang Yichi hurried to the scale. Seeing the numbers on the electronic screen, he felt like he’d been struck by lightning.
After tidying the kitchen and hanging the rag by the sink, Xu Qiushi returned to the living room to find Jiang Yichi standing in the corner with his head down, doing heaven knows what. He tested the waters: “Boss?”
Jiang Yichi turned to him with a serious expression: “Go to the gym with me tonight.”
“The gym?” Xu Qiushi instinctively looked at his own body.
“Yes, right here in our community. We’re free anyway. Accompany me. I. AM. GOING. TO. LOSE. WEIGHT!” Jiang Yichi pronounced the last words with great solemnity.
Xu Qiushi looked at him in surprise: “You’re so thin, why lose weight?”
“I gained five pounds this week!” Jiang Yichi held up one hand, spreading five fingers. “A full five pounds!”
“I can’t tell. Don’t lose weight; it’s bad for your health,” Xu Qiushi advised disapprovingly. In his eyes, even if Jiang Yichi gained another ten pounds, it wouldn’t be too much. They were the same height, yet Jiang Yichi was a whole size smaller than him. He couldn’t understand why he wanted to lose weight.
“You’re with me every day, of course you can’t tell.”
“You’re really not fat; the way you look now is handsome and perfect.” Xu Qiushi’s gaze was sincere, and his words were blunt.
Jiang Yichi was stunned by the compliment. The corners of his mouth couldn’t stop curling upward, but he didn’t give up the idea of exercising: “Fine, I won’t ‘lose weight,’ but going to work out is okay, right?”
Hearing this, Xu Qiushi agreed: “Exercising is good. It’s better than sitting at home all day.”
“Let’s go downstairs to digest first.” Jiang Yichi took the lead to the entrance to change shoes, with Xu Qiushi following closely behind.
The mid-October weather wasn’t as hot as August. The sun had just set, and the evening clouds spread across the sky like ink wash paintings. The two walked side by side along the community path. Occasionally, a night breeze blew past, bringing a refreshing coolness.
After walking for about half an hour, Jiang Yichi led Xu Qiushi toward the community gym.
Residents could work out for free, though there were also paid private coaching sessions available. Jiang Yichi didn’t have the patience for the receptionist’s detailed introduction and directly purchased the most expensive annual membership.
After filling out the membership details, Jiang Yichi turned to find Xu Qiushi. The man, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, was standing not far away, curiously eyeing the various fitness equipment.
The close-fitting fabric outlined the physique he had built through years of labor—broad shoulders, a firm core, smooth muscle lines in his arms, and legs full of explosive power. His body radiated a natural sense of strength from head to toe.
This was the kind of robust physique most men pursued, possessing great visual impact.
Jiang Yichi snapped out of his brief daze. Looking at the others in the gym, he noticed they were all intentionally or unintentionally glancing at Xu Qiushi. A trace of inexplicable displeasure rose in his heart.
Xu Qiushi, who knew nothing about fitness, intended to find a corner to sit down. Suddenly, a crisp female voice came from behind him: “Coach, I don’t know how to adjust the weight on this lat pulldown machine. Could you help me?”
Xu Qiushi turned around to see a pretty girl with a high ponytail wearing sports gear standing before him. His face stiffened slightly as he averted his gaze: “I’m not a coach. I don’t know how to do that either.”
“Eh?” The girl’s eyes were full of disbelief. “Really? With a body like yours, how could you not be a coach?”
“I’m really not. It’s my first time here,” Xu Qiushi explained patiently.
“Oh, I see. Sorry, I got the wrong person. Do you live in this community too? Which unit? We can work out together sometime when you’re free.” The girl offered a vibrant smile and a generous invitation.
Before Xu Qiushi could refuse, Jiang Yichi had already stepped to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder: “He’s here with a friend. You should ask someone else.”
Seeing this, the girl looked a bit disappointed but didn’t persist, walking away gracefully.
“Are you done?” Xu Qiushi turned and asked.
“Done.” Jiang Yichi withdrew his hand, his fingertips brushing over the muscle of Xu Qiushi’s shoulder. “You’re not going to blame me for blocking your ‘peach blossom’ luck, are you?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. She just mistook me for someone else,” Xu Qiushi frowned.
“Only a big dummy like you would believe that,” Jiang Yichi muttered under his breath.
“What did you say?” Xu Qiushi didn’t hear him clearly.
“Nothing. Do you want to train with me or wait on the side?”
“I’ll wait.”
Jiang Yichi’s gaze shifted down, noticing Xu Qiushi’s robust chest muscles. Right, if this guy keeps training, how much bigger is he going to get?
“Then find a place to sit. If someone tries to pick you up, don’t just talk to them, okay?”
“I know.”
Following the instructor’s direction, Jiang Yichi walked toward the treadmills. He looked back at Xu Qiushi uneasily, curling his slightly tingling fingertips into a fist.