PTBLSI chapter 62

 

The light in the entryway wasn’t very bright. Shining down from above, it cast a warm shadow across Fu Yanchuan’s face. Qi Xi’s lips were heated by his breath. Instinctively sensing danger, he leaned his head back.

But behind him was the wall. Just as he realized he was about to hit it, Fu Yanchuan’s hand blocked his path. He found Fu Yanchuan’s actions a little frightening. He raised his eyes to look at Fu Yanchuan and said, “Calling you Gege feels so weird. Why do I have to call you that?”

“You casually call other people ‘Gege’—why can’t you call me ‘Gege’ too?”

Fu Yanchuan failed to restrain the beast rampaging inside his heart. Those base thoughts squeezed out through the cracks of reason. He grabbed Qi Xi by the waist and pulled him forward tightly, as if he wanted to meld with him.

Qi Xi was clearly frightened. Gripping Fu Yanchuan’s clothes at his waist, he called out uneasily.

“Brother Yan!”

He didn’t back away. He didn’t loosen his grip. After a moment, facing the person he had pinned so tightly that they couldn’t move, Qi Xi finally called out in a trembling voice.

“Gege”

He heard it but wasn’t happy at all. Instead, his heart ached. Unconsciously, he loosened his grip and pulled the person into his arms. “I’m sorry, Xi Xi. I scared you.”

Qi Xi didn’t know what was wrong with Fu Yanchuan. It was the first time he had spoken to him in such a tone; his gaze seemed to strangle him until he couldn’t breathe.

Now that Fu Yanchuan had apologized, Qi Xi instantly felt wronged. He leaned closer to Fu Yanchuan and carefully asked, “Did you start to hate me?”

“No.”

Fu Yanchuan panicked. Keeping Qi Xi pressed against him, he lifted him up and carried him into the living room. He set him down on the sofa. Leaning in, he said, “It’s my fault. I like you. I didn’t mean to be so harsh with you. I’m just too petty.”

Qi Xi looked at Fu Yanchuan, trying to read him. He leaned in ingratiatingly and rubbed against his chest. “Gege, I’ll call you Gege. Don’t be angry anymore, okay?”

In that moment, Fu Yanchuan wanted to slap himself. He lifted Qi Xi’s face and looked at him seriously. “Xi Xi, I’m not angry. I just got jealous because you kept calling Cheng Shu Gege the whole way. I got jealous. Do you understand?”

Qi Xi was stunned for a long time and tilted his head in confusion. “Hm?”

Fu Yanchuan took a deep breath, trying not to look so jealous. Still, he couldn’t help but say, “Can you just call anyone Gege? What’s the difference between calling him Shu-Gege and Yan Gege? You’ve only met him a few times. How is he better than me? Why do you keep talking about him?”

Qi Xi was stunned again for a long while. He didn’t understand what Fu Yanchuan was jealous of, but since Fu Yanchuan said he was, Qi Xi tried to explain. “Because he’s older than me, everyone calls him Shu-Gege. If you don’t like it, I won’t call him that anymore. If you don’t like me talking about him, I won’t. Don’t be jealous!”

Fu Yanchuan was still dissatisfied. “You already called him that.”

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“Change how you address me. Call me something you only use for me.”

Qi Xi gazed at Fu Yanchuan seriously for a long while, fully understanding that he was serious. He thought about it. “What do you want me to call you?”

Fu Yanchuan replied unreasonably, “Figure it out yourself.”

Qi Xi couldn’t think of anything. He snuggled into Fu Yanchuan’s arms and tried to act cute to get him to say it himself, but he stayed stiff and didn’t move.

Feeling helpless, Qi Xi shrank back. After thinking for a long time, he finally said, “How about Yanyan?”

Fu Yanchuan didn’t speak.

Qi Xi continued, “What about Yanyan Gege? Didn’t you just ask me to call you that?”

Fu Yanchuan still didn’t speak.

Qi Xi wrapped his arms around Fu Yanchuan’s neck and kissed him on the lips. “What do you want me to call you? Don’t tell me you want me to call you baby?”

Fu Yanchuan couldn’t help but twitch his eyebrows. Qi Xi pecked him repeatedly. After a while, he suddenly said, “Do you want me to call you husband?”

Just as Fu Yanchuan was about to laugh, Qi Xi changed his mind. “No, that’s not right. You said before that you don’t like people calling you that.”

Fu Yanchuan tried to recall ever saying that. Suddenly, Qi Xi had a flash of inspiration and looked at him. “How about I call you wife?”

His brow twitched again. Staring at Qi Xi’s dead serious expression, he asked back, “Xi Xi, do you want me to call you husband?”

Seeing the smile in Fu Yanchuan’s eyes, Qi Xi instantly became smug. “Go on, call me!”

“Husband.”

Fu Yanchuan said it without hesitation. After he said it, Qi Xi’s face visibly turned red. He reached out to cover Fu Yanchuan’s mouth and, in embarrassment and annoyance, said, “You’re so annoying! Don’t call me that! Call me that again, and I won’t talk to you anymore.”

Fu Yanchuan pulled his hand away and kissed Qi Xi lightly. “I won’t call you that. You call me.”

“Call you what?”

“Husband.”

Qi Xi instantly covered Fu Yanchuan’s mouth again, saying firmly, “No! That’s weird. People only call each other that after they’re married. Saying it so casually makes it seem like we’re already married!”

After saying that, he pushed Fu Yanchuan away. “I’m done talking to you. I’m going to change clothes.”

Fu Yanchuan fell back onto the sofa and watched Qi Xi leave. The anxiety and clamoring desire that had built up all day finally subsided.

The next day, he drove Qi Xi downstairs again. Qi Xi had already gotten out of the car and was about to leave when Fu Yanchuan suddenly followed him.

“Why did you get out of the car?”

Without allowing refusal, Fu Yanchuan took Qi Xi’s hand. “I’ll walk you up.”

Qi Xi hadn’t thought there was anything wrong with them holding hands. He just thought that if Fu Yanchuan walked him to the door, he’d end up wanting to walk Fu Yanchuan back down the hall.

But today, Fu Yanchuan didn’t listen to him. Qi Xi had no choice but to take him upstairs. When they reached the door, Fu Yanchuan still wanted to go inside.

Qi Xi tugged at him. “Brother Yan!”

Fu Yanchuan planted his feet. Qi Xi couldn’t pull him at all. Instead, he held Qi Xi’s hand tightly and dragged him into the room.

Huang Shilin was at the front desk, gnawing on a piece of bread. When a figure she didn’t recognize entered, triggering her handsome-guy radar. She looked up and immediately saw Fu Yanchuan towering above the crowd.

She hurriedly followed them inside. Everyone in the office unconsciously stared at Fu Yanchuan, and then at the tightly clasped hands between him and Qi Xi. She silently exclaimed, “Wow!”

Cheng Shu arrived a few minutes early that day. Seeing Fu Yanchuan, he hurried out of his workspace, puzzled as he sized up this uninvited big shot. “President Fu, is there a problem?”

Fu Yanchuan showed a rare, friendly smile. “Qi Xi said it’s not very convenient for you to eat lunch here. I’ve booked a restaurant. How many people eat lunch here every day? Just call the restaurant and tell them what you want, and they’ll deliver it at noon.”

“Huh?”

Cheng Shu suspected he’d misheard and couldn’t help looking at Qi Xi—only to find Qi Xi wearing the same expression of having just learned this as well.

After Fu Yanchuan finished speaking, he turned to Qi Xi. Using his free hand, he pinched the back of Qi Xi’s neck. He lowered his head in an ambiguous manner and said softly, “Eat properly. I’m leaving.”

“Oh, bye-bye.”

Qi Xi held himself back from going to see Fu Yanchuan off. He watched as Fu Yanchuan released his hand and turned to leave. It was only after Fu Yanchuan entered the elevator and everyone was looking at him that he realized he should be embarrassed. His face suddenly turned red as he explained, “Just now that was—was my friend.”

“Got it, friend.”

At this point, Cheng Shu also understood. President Fu had come to declare his status because Fu Yanchuan hadn’t given him the restaurant’s phone number before leaving.

However, Cheng Shu was curious why Fu Yanchuan hadn’t come yesterday. Did Qi Xi say something when he went back last night?

Half an hour later, he received a call from Fu Yanchuan’s assistant with the restaurant’s phone number. This made Cheng Shu even more certain that Fu Yanchuan had really come just to declare his status and that the lunch excuse was something he had come up with on the spot.

Still, someone was sponsoring their lunch for free. Who cared what the reason was?

Qi Xi didn’t think about it much. He’d been embarrassed by Fu Yanchuan all morning, so he buried his head and drew for a long time.

At noon, the sponsored lunch arrived, and everyone was stunned.

“Is it New Year’s? This is so lavish!”

“My family doesn’t even eat this well during the New Year.”

“Brother Shu, does President Fu mean we’ll have free lunch every day from now on?”

“That’s right. Thanks to Qi Xi.”

“Qi Xi, do you eat like this at home, too?”

Qi Xi couldn’t remember whether he’d told Fu Yanchuan yesterday that eating out wasn’t convenient. However, Fu Yanchuan definitely hadn’t told him that he’d order lunch for them.

Usually, when it was just him and Fu Yanchuan eating at home, there were four or five dishes at most. So he answered, “No, maybe it’s because there are a lot of people. Let’s thank President Fu together.”

Everyone laughed and cooperated, putting their hands together. “Thank you, President Fu.”

Free lunch always tastes good. After the meal, Qi Xi, who had treated them to lunch, became the group’s darling. Even Jingang and Ermao were especially close to him, which got Cheng Shu—who normally wasn’t allowed to touch them—in trouble.

In the afternoon, Cheng Shu told everyone to discuss the script together. When Qi Xi arrived, the meeting room, which looked like a living room, was already full. Someone called him over. Embarrassed to sit in the middle, he sat in the farthest corner.

The project was an animated film, and the most important part of any film is the script. Although not everyone knew how to write a script, they could brainstorm together.

Moreover, Cheng Shu believed that for the same project, he wanted to create a story that everyone generally agreed on and liked.

Qi Xi was still holding the drawing pen he’d forgotten to put down. He listened seriously as the screenwriter talked about the story and settings.

It was the same script he’d read last time, but the screenwriter had added many new plot points and settings.

In the end, the screenwriter summarized, “This ending is meant to explore and reveal the inner problems of children from broken families. It aims to call on society to pay attention to these children and address the social issue of parents not caring enough about their children’s psychological problems.”

Cheng Shu had been paying attention to Qi Xi the whole time. Seeing him freeze after hearing this, as if he’d been struck by something, Cheng Shu noticed it immediately.

The screenwriter asked, “What do you think? Any good suggestions?”

“I think the theme is good. Many parents still have outdated views and don’t treat psychological problems as real issues.”

“I also think the autistic community is an important topic. It should resonate with quite a few people.”

“Director Cheng, what do you think?”

Cheng Shu suddenly called on Qi Xi. “Qi Xi, do you have anything you want to say?”

Qi Xi was startled when he was suddenly called. He quickly stood up. “Can I say something?”

“Everyone can share their opinions. Say whatever you want.”

Reassured, he spoke awkwardly. “Isn’t animation supposed to be fantasy that doesn’t exist in reality? Why does it have to have real-world meaning?”

Instantly, everyone present fell silent. They had all grown up watching cartoons. Thinking back to their childhoods, they realized that initially, they’d never looked for real-world meaning in animation. They were attracted to those stories full of imagination.

Qi Xi didn’t know if he’d said something wrong. Glancing at Cheng Shu, he continued, encouraged, “From the beginning, isn’t the story about the protagonist starting an adventure to accomplish something they love? Can’t it just be a story about passionately chasing a dream and never giving up, no matter what happens?”

Another silence followed. Cheng Shu was the first to laugh. He slapped the screenwriter’s thigh and asked, “Old Chen, what do you think?”

The screenwriter sighed deeply, moved by the question. “That really is like being awakened by a single sentence. After working in one industry for too long, it’s easy to become entrenched in certain ways of thinking. At some point, it feels like you have to preach or criticize something no matter what for it to be considered good.”

“Yeah, animation is fantasy that doesn’t exist in reality. Why does it have to have real-world meaning?”

“So what should we do?”

“Change it.”

“Really?”

“Really? Let’s revive those original intentions!”

“This point is good! The audience for animation is already young. Young people should chase their dreams and strive to do what they love. Why be so realistic? I’m going to revise it right now. I’m leaving. Goodbye, everyone. Goodbye, Teacher Qixi. Thank you so much for your suggestion.”

Qi Xi watched the screenwriter leave hurriedly. He wasn’t sure if what he’d said was actually good until Cheng Shu walked up to him, raised a hand, and patted his shoulder.

Qi Xi quickly stepped back, dodging the pat.

Cheng Shu held his hand up in midair, then realized that today, Qi Xi had gone back to calling him “Director Cheng.” Could Fu Yanchuan’s visit this morning have been because Qi Xi called him “Gege”?

He couldn’t fathom President Fu’s pettiness. He withdrew his hand and said, “I wasn’t going to hit you. I wanted to say that you taught us all a lesson today. I really didn’t misjudge you.”

Qi Xi smiled a little awkwardly. “Actually, it’s nothing. I was just saying it casually.”

Cheng Shu wanted to praise him some more, but seeing Qi Xi’s flushed face, he held back and turned to the others. “Since we’re already talking about this, how about everyone reminisces about our dreams today?”

“You go first!”

“My dream was to have the superpower of automatically doing homework. Qi Xi, what about you?”

“I wanted to become smart.”

While Qi Xi talked about his dream, Fu Yanchuan was in a meeting. Today, he wasn’t anxious about being separated anymore, mainly because he didn’t have the time. From the moment he arrived at the office, there had been nonstop meetings about stock price fluctuations, like a war.

When it finally ended, Fu Zhenrong stopped him. “Fu Yanchuan, you’d better not regret this.”

“The thing I regret most has already happened.”

Fu Zhenrong stared at him coldly. In the end, he said nothing more.

It was only after returning to his office that Fu Yanchuan let out a deep breath. He checked the time, then drove to pick up Qi Xi.

When Qi Xi came downstairs, he saw Fu Yanchuan leaning against the car door. He was so handsome that Qi Xi forgot where he was. He ran over and threw himself into Fu Yanchuan’s arms.

“Brother Yan, how long have you been waiting?”

Fu Yanchuan didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled Qi Xi over forcefully and pressed him tightly against his chest, burying his face in Qi Xi’s neck. The ferocious rage that had been tearing through his mind instantly subsided.

Lightly sucking at Qi Xi’s neck, he said, “I missed you, Xi Xi.”

 

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