At the dinner table.
Ji Qingyan asked Yan Yuchen, “How are the machines and equipment at the factory in Country D?”
He recently needed to purchase a batch of production equipment with high technical requirements. Currently, only Country D could produce such equipment. Ji Qingyan was busy with the new project and couldn’t spare the time to fly over for an on-site inspection.
Yan Yuchen happened to be on a business trip there, so Ji Qingyan asked him to help with the evaluation.
“I observed the equipment’s operational performance. Its capabilities are indeed impressive, utilizing the most advanced technology to achieve full automation and reduce material waste…”
Chi Qiu put down his chopsticks and interrupted them, “It’s dinner time now. No work talk after hours.”
“Brother Chi is right. Let’s talk tomorrow. I’m starving, let’s eat first.”
Yan Yuchen kept his head down and focused on eating. After being away on a business trip for half a month, he wanted to treat his stomach well upon returning.
Seeing this, Ji Qingyan stopped the topic and noticed Lu Xuecha quietly eating the vegetables in his bowl.
“Xiao Cha, eat more meat. Don’t just eat greens. You’re at an age where you’re still growing.”
Lu Xuecha sighed. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to eat, but he didn’t dare. He explained, “I have a competition next week and need to control my weight, so I can’t eat too much.”
“Dancers are like this. They have to watch their diet and avoid high-calorie foods. Xiao Cha only had a cup of bitter melon juice, a boiled egg, and corn for lunch. It breaks my heart to see it,” Ming Xiangwan said.
“Ah, I’ve gotten used to it over the years. It’s fine,” Lu Xuecha said with a smile.
Ji Qingyan turned to look at Lu Qi and found him idly poking at the food in his bowl with his chopsticks, eyes lowered as if lost in thought.
“Is the food not to your liking?” Ji Qingyan reached out with his left hand and placed it on Lu Qi’s thigh, patting it gently twice as he asked with concern.
“No, it’s quite delicious.” He had been lost in thought earlier and accidentally zoned out.
Feeling Ji Qingyan’s hand on his thigh, Lu Qi raised an eyebrow. He grabbed the restless hand and covered its back with his palm.
Lu Qi looked up at Ji Qingyan and found him chatting casually with Chi Qiu.
A tingling sensation spread from his hand. He looked down and realized Ji Qingyan was lightly scratching his palm, the motion gentle like a feather brushing against his skin—an elusive, teasing feeling.
This intimate little gesture, hidden from everyone else, gave Lu Qi a thrilling sensation.
He tightened his grip on Ji Qingyan’s fingers, his thumb gently stroking the back of his hand as if caressing a piece of fine jade—smooth and delicate to the touch.
The king crab Chi Qiu brought weighed about five or six pounds, and its legs were substantial. Lu Qi picked up a crab leg with his chopsticks, placed it on his plate, carefully separated the meat, and then put it into Ji Qingyan’s bowl.
Ji Qingyan had just picked up some food from his bowl and was about to eat it when he looked down and saw the extra crab meat.
The next moment, he put down his chopsticks, returned the food to the plate, and naturally ate the crab meat Lu Qi had given him.
Across the table, Chi Qiu and Yan Yuchen noticed this. The two exchanged a subtle glance, sensing something unusual.
Yan Yuchen leaned over and whispered to Chi Qiu, “This… is there something going on between them?”
Chi Qiu wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, then picked up his glass and took a sip of red wine. “You noticed it too?”
“Nonsense, the way Qingyan looks at that guy is anything but innocent. His eyes are practically hooked.”
“Isn’t that just a normal way of looking at someone? What’s so different about it?”
Yu Chiqiu curiously glanced over and accidentally met Lu Qi’s eyes. He calmly nodded at him.
Yan Yuchen quietly watched him for two seconds before saying, “No wonder they say you’re straight.”
What’s wrong with being straight? Who did straight people ever offend?
His chopsticks fell to the floor. As Yu Chiqiu bent down to pick them up, he suddenly noticed something.
He glanced across the table and saw Ji Qingyan and Lu Qi holding hands tightly. He took a deep breath, his eyes widening in shock.
When he straightened up, his head nearly bumped into the table. He nudged Yan Yuchen’s arm and whispered, “There’s definitely something going on between them, one hundred percent.”
“Was that ever in doubt?” Yan Yuchen replied.
Ji Qingyan leaned close to Lu Qi’s shoulder, tilting his head as he whispered, “Your touching is making my hand itch.”
Hearing this, Lu Qi not only didn’t stop but mischievously stroked it a few more times. His misbehaving hand was then slapped several times by Ji Qingyan.
“Let’s just hold hands like this. I won’t tease you anymore,” Lu Qi said obediently, still swaying their hands from time to time.
After a while, Ji Qingyan withdrew his hand. Lu Qi turned his head, staring at him with a resentful look, about to ask why he wouldn’t hold hands anymore.
But then Ji Qingyan peeled a shrimp and placed it in his bowl. Lu Qi was instantly appeased, all his earlier sulkiness gone.
Lu Xuecha saw Ji Qingyan personally peeling shrimp for Lu Qi and couldn’t hide his displeasure. Who was this guy anyway? How dare he make Qingyan-ge do such a thing for him?
Lu Qi stopped Ji Qingyan from peeling more shrimp. “One is enough.”
His hands were meant for holding pens and signing documents, not for peeling shrimp.
“But don’t you like shrimp?” Ji Qingyan asked.
“If I want to eat it, I’ll peel it myself.”
Lu Qi took a wet wipe and carefully cleaned Ji Qingyan’s fingers, even wiping his nails clean. Watching him lower his head with such a focused expression, Ji Qingyan couldn’t help but smile softly.