Zhuang Hanxue had always lived by the principle of pursuing happiness.
Life was meant to be enjoyed.
If work didn’t bring joy, he wouldn’t work. If marrying a woman didn’t bring happiness, he wouldn’t marry. If he didn’t like inheriting the family fortune, he would run away from home.
Supporting himself was like supporting his entire family.
See how simple it was?
In the years since running away from home, he left with just a few thousand yuan in his pocket. No luggage, no belongings. Relaxed and carefree. Over the years, his only addition had been a puppy named Doudou, who became his alternate family.
When the money ran out, his old friends and lovers drifted away.
He welcomed those who came and didn’t keep those who left. Everything was a matter of fate.
Later, even women who were initially attracted to his looks would eventually be discouraged by his lack of ambition.
One ex-girlfriend had angrily lectured him:
“I wanted to spend my life with you. Why are you such a hopeless case?”
“Can’t you try a little harder for my sake?”
“It’s bad enough you don’t have a house or car, but like this, I can’t see any future with you. How am I supposed to stay? How can I tell my family we’re getting married?”
At the time, he was living at her place. Surprised, he’d said, “What? I never said I wanted to marry you.”
That night, he was kicked out.
First him, then his belongings, tossed out one by one. He spent the entire night collecting his things from the street below.
Three or four years passed.
He remained single, idling at home playing video games. He didn’t even bother meeting new people, let alone pursuing romance.
Dating was time-consuming, exhausting, and unrewarding—such a hassle.
At his age, in his thirties, anyone interested in dating him would surely be thinking of marriage. It was only natural. He figured it was best not to lead on any nice girls.
Until he met Qiu Zheyan.
He remembered the first time they played games together. Qiu Zheyan had been reluctant to talk to him. Throughout the game, Zhuang Hanxue had done all the talking, while Qiu Zheyan barely spoke. In the end, Zhuang Hanxue had cheered, “Wow, we won! You’re amazing!!! I love you!!!”
“I’m so touched. This is my first win this week. It’s been years since I last won, sob sob.”
“Xiao Gege, please, can we play a few more rounds?”
“Are you a streamer? Your skills are amazing!”
“Look, I may be bad, but I’m obedient. I won’t compete with you, really. I’m just a human resource finder. I’ll quietly be your support.”
“Okay? Okay? Okay?”
Qiu Zheyan reluctantly unmuted, “Can you stop being so noisy?”
He persuaded, “Xiao Gege, you finally spoke. Your voice is so nice. You must be a handsome and kind guy. Won’t you play with me?”
At first, Qiu Zheyan was reluctant to team up, but Zhuang Hanxue would immediately seek him out whenever he came online. Qiu Zheyan was so annoyed by him that he had no choice but to play with him.
Later, Qiu Zheyan accused him of making the first move, but Zhuang Hanxue couldn’t remember at all.
Qiu Zheyan said thoughtfully, “Don’t you remember? You’d always shower me with sweet talk, saying you couldn’t eat or sleep while waiting for me to come online, that you only wanted to play with me and no one else. You’d constantly tell me you like me and love me. After I visited your city, you even said how great it’d be to have a wife like me, how happy you were with me, and wished we could be together all day. You said so much; I remember it all. You probably forgot it all without a second thought while I was left in a mess. I was the fool who couldn’t eat or sleep. I had to comfort myself that you were just a clueless straight guy who spoke without filters.”
“It wasn’t until you told me about your brother and I asked your opinion on homosexuality, which you didn’t oppose, that I found the courage to pursue you.”
“When I offered you that job, I had ulterior motives. I thought if you had no interest in me, you’d refuse. If you accepted, it meant you felt something for me, and I was determined to win you over.”
But how had he lost his mind enough to quit his job and move in with Qiu Zheyan over a single comment?
In truth, he wasn’t completely oblivious to Qiu Zheyan’s intentions.
How could anyone be so accommodating and generous to another person without reason? It was clearly driven by ulterior motives.
What man would sacrifice his weekends, spending four hours on round-trip transportation just to see another man, share a meal, exchange a few words, play a couple of games, and catch the last train home?
He had sensed Qiu Zheyan’s feelings to some extent but chose to feign ignorance.
Why had he agreed to Qiu Zheyan’s proposal?
Thinking back, it was probably because… he was too lonely.
Yes, he didn’t want to marry, have children, or become a company boss, but he wanted companionship.
Everyone might think he was heartless.
But he got lonely, too.
Especially after turning thirty, the loneliness became unbearable.
It drove him to the brink of madness. He panicked all of a sudden. At night, he often laid awake, thinking he might grow old alone, perhaps dying in some unknown corner without anyone discovering him.
His parents didn’t love him, his brother had his own family, his sister hated him, and all his past lovers had left.
No one would love him.
No one would love this failure of a man.
Then, Qiu Zheyan appeared.
Qiu Zheyan told him he didn’t need to struggle, work, or worry about worldly burdens. He carved out a small utopia for him, allowing him to escape reality and continue being a carefree salted fish.
He was so lonely that even when a man showed interest, he readily agreed.
Even though he believed two men couldn’t last, the temporary relief from loneliness seemed worth it.
All sorts of things happened afterward.
Now, for Qiu Zheyan’s sake, he returned to where it all began.
Qiu Zheyan kissed him and asked, “Zhuang Hanxue, why would you go this far for me?”
He froze for a long while, untangling his thoughts before softly saying, “Because…”
Qiu Zheyan’s voice was incredibly tender, brimming with affection as he coaxed, “Because of what?”
Zhuang Hanxue didn’t answer, instead offering a kiss.
Qiu Zheyan, interrupted by this gentle kiss, didn’t press further. The kiss itself was half an answer.
This soft yet urgent kiss ignited a spark that threatened to engulf them both, setting their blood ablaze.
They hadn’t seen each other for over two weeks, let alone been intimate.
Both were impatient.
Qiu Zheyan asked, “What did you miss about me?”
Zhuang Hanxue replied, “Everything.”
As they unfastened their belts, the metal buckles clinked together.
Qiu Zheyan held Zhuang Hanxue’s hands, inhaling sharply as he asked with restraint, “Is it really okay to fool around here? Won’t they suspect? Maybe we should wait? I’ll book a hotel, and you can sneak over.”
Zhuang Hanxue said, “No, we’ll do both. Now and at the hotel.”
Qiu Zheyan asked, “What if someone comes in?”
Zhuang Hanxue responded, “What are you afraid of? I locked the outer door. No one will enter. Hurry.”
Exasperated, Qiu Zheyan kissed him fiercely, “Don’t rush me. I can’t be quick. It’s not possible to hurry.”
Qiu Zheyan said, “They’re still waiting in the office.”
Zhuang Hanxue didn’t care, selfishly declaring, “Who cares? Let them wait. I’m the big boss. What I say goes.”
Qiu Zheyan laughed, kissing the tip of his nose, “Alright, you’re in charge.”
—
In the conference room.
The two remaining people exchanged bewildered glances.
One looked at his watch. “They’ve been gone for over twenty minutes. Aren’t they back yet?”
The other awkwardly agreed, “Seems so…”
Someone rushed by outside. “Damn it, why is the men’s restroom door jammed?”
They waited a few more minutes.
Qiu Zheyan returned.
Zhuang Hanxue’s assistant received a call. The boss said, “Something came up. I have to go somewhere. Give them the documents and tell them to come back when they’ve made a decision.”
The assistant: “…”
What a mess. What nonsense was this?
He had heard the Zhuang family’s second young master was unreliable, but this was beyond unreliable. Leaving halfway through a business negotiation.
Qiu Zheyan led his subordinates out.
A subordinate cautiously asked, “Mr. Qiu, doesn’t that Mr. Zhuang look… very similar to Mr. Zhuang? Are they brothers?”
Qiu Zheyan coughed lightly, saying tactfully, “Don’t mention this to anyone. Especially not to anyone in the company, or the deal might fall through…”
The subordinate gaped inwardly. Although Mr. Xiao Qiu had never explicitly stated it, everyone could tell that his relationship with Mr. Zhuang was unusual. It broke the hearts of the female colleagues.
There were rumors that Mr. Xiao Qiu was keeping Mr. Zhuang, but later, it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Now it appeared that Mr. Xiao Qiu might be the one with a sugar daddy…
Qiu Zheyan had originally planned to return that day.
Since there was a change of plan, he stayed behind and sent his assistant back. He also had to book a hotel.
Money was tight, and he was reluctant to spend. If it were just him, he would just book a cheap express hotel.
But Zhuang Hanxue might come to spend the night, and cheap hotels had poor soundproofing. That would be embarrassing.
Qiu Zheyan gritted his teeth and booked an expensive five-star hotel for one night. The 3,000-yuan room rate was equivalent to a month’s rent for their small apartment.
But he desperately wanted to be intimate with Zhuang Hanxue now. Their quickie in the men’s restroom wasn’t nearly enough.
They needed a whole night.
Qiu Zheyan prepared everything, showered, and sent the hotel address and room number to Zhuang Hanxue: [I’ve booked the room. When are you coming?]
Now he just waited for Zhuang Hanxue!
Zhuang Hanxue replied: [Huh? Why did you book such an expensive one? This hotel is owned by my family! Quick, see if you can get a refund.]
Qiu Zheyan: “…”
Zhuang Hanxue frantically replied: [Darling, I really want to see you, really, but my father’s back. I forgot. My mother wants me to see him. I can’t come today. I’ll definitely come see you when I have time. Muah =3=]
Qiu Zheyan: [……………….]
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