After dinner, Bian Shu insisted on driving Sun Tianjiao back.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Sun Tianjiao glanced at Bian Shu out of the corner of his eye and couldn’t help but ask, “Bian Shu, why are you so good to me?”
There’s clearly a driver at home, but he insisted on sending him personally, not even drinking alcohol in order to drive him.
Sun Tianjiao fell into contemplation.
Unless he had some extraordinary qualities, Bian Shu had no reason to be so kind to him.
Bian Shu drove, his gaze as calm as ever, and after a few seconds, he casually asked back, “Good? Am I?”
His expression was too natural, with a slight tilt of his neck and a graceful curve of his jawline, faint blue veins barely visible from the roots of his ears disappearing into the collar of his half-raised shirt.
The car ahead was moving slowly, and he even changed lanes calmly, as if Sun Tianjiao’s question was something as simple as “What day is it today?” and could be answered without much thought.
Sun Tianjiao admired Bian Shu’s attitude. Unlike himself, although he managed a gaming department, he tended to be flustered when things happened, unable to remain calm.
But Sun Tianjiao didn’t want to play tai chi with Bian Shu.
Considering Bian Shu’s current attentiveness to him, he could basically ask him to do anything within his power.
But…
One should never forget where they came from!
After struggling for a moment, Sun Tianjiao suppressed his regret and said, “Mr. Bian, I know you might have intentions of poaching me, but I’m actually quite satisfied with my current job. The salary is not low, I get along well with my teammates, and I haven’t been involved in financial-related work for several years. Even if I were to join your company, I might not be able to adapt quickly. So, I might have to disappoint you.”
It was the first time in his life that he had been poached by the CEO personally, and he actually didn’t negotiate his salary or dangle it, and he refused so quickly.
Sun Tianjiao felt like he was a morally upright employee.
Bian Shu’s expression finally showed a slight change, he took a second to turn his head and squinted, “Do you think I want to poach you?”
Sun Tianjiao: “Ah, isn’t it?”
Bian Shu withdrew his gaze, smiled helplessly, and said vaguely, “Sort of.”
Actually, he didn’t want to hide it from Sun Tianjiao, but initially, Sun Tianjiao only got the A game because he was a man. He didn’t think their current level of interaction was enough for Sun Tianjiao to ignore gender, so he couldn’t say it yet.
Seeing that Bian Shu admitted it, Sun Tianjiao felt that everything made sense now.
He breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, “It’s a pity, Mr. Bian. If I were a fresh graduate, I would definitely join your company. Who wouldn’t like such a good boss?”
Bian Shu knew he was being polite, so he just gave a light “hmph” without responding.
Sun Tianjiao didn’t know how to continue the conversation, so the rest of the way was pretty silent.
In this silence, Sun Tianjiao also sensed a hint of sadness.
Now that he knew he couldn’t be poached, Mr. Bian probably wouldn’t see him again.
In a way, he was no longer valuable to Mr. Bian.
Value.
It was piercing, but also realistic.
Sun Tianjiao liked to talk about value himself. He rarely did things without value, such as the various messy clubs and activities during his university days.
But when he was evaluated by others, he surprisingly felt a bit melancholic.
Mr. Bian was really quite good.
It would be nice to be friends with him.
As the car drove to Riverside Beautiful View, Sun Tianjiao had already reached for the seatbelt, ready to wait for Bian Shu to stop the car so he could get out. But unexpectedly, Bian Shu drove the car straight to the entrance of the residential area and turned to look at Sun Tianjiao.
“Do you need to swipe your card?”
“Ah,” Sun Tianjiao blinked and took out the electronic card hanging from his keychain, waving it at the entrance.
The gate opened, and Bian Shu naturally drove in. “Point the way.”
Sun Tianjiao pointed to the left and then glanced sideways, looking at Bian Shu with a complicated expression.
The roads in the residential area are much wider now, with no illegally parked cars and even the vegetables planted on the lawn have been cleared.
If this kind of management can be maintained, the housing prices can rise several times.
Sun Tianjiao cautiously said, “Our community changed property management companies.”
Bian Shu focused on the road and replied, “Hmm.”
Sun Tianjiao took a deep breath and finally spoke up, “Did you urge them to do this?”
Bian Shu surprisingly didn’t beat around the bush and straightforwardly said, “Yes.”
Because he was too straightforward, Sun Tianjiao could even smell a hint of righteousness from him.
It seems that he thought too narrowly about Bian Shu’s behavior of benefiting the homeowners. At best, he was just a homeowner representative who could talk to the big boss.
“Why?” Sun Tianjiao held his breath and continued to probe.
Bian Shu furrowed his brows and asked back, “Isn’t it that cars couldn’t even get in?”
Sun Tianjiao: “Well, it seems so.”
But he always felt that Bian Shu’s answer was avoiding the important issue, and it wasn’t what he wanted to hear.
As for what he most wanted to hear, he actually had no idea.
Sun Tianjiao joked to lighten the mood, “Haha, so the renovation of this community is all thanks to me.”
But at this moment, Bian Shu glanced at him, the car slowed down, and after a few seconds, he gave two words, “Of course.”
Sun Tianjiao: “!!!”
Brother!
Please don’t say these ambiguous words again.
What exactly do you want, to poach me or to woo me?
His heart, which had completely settled back into place, was lifted once again.
When Sun Tianjiao bought the house, he also purchased an underground parking space, but he didn’t own a car because the city’s public transportation was too convenient for him to need one temporarily.
Coincidentally, Bian Shu’s car was parked in his space.
Sun Tianjiao: “Would you like to come up to my place for a while?”
As he said this, he took a step back, wearing a smile on his face, his eyes conveying the message, ‘Bro, I’m just being polite, don’t take it seriously.’
At this moment, Bian Shu transformed into an innocent white flower who had just entered society, facing Sun Tianjiao’s polite gaze: “Sure.”
Sun Tianjiao’s smile froze.
He reluctantly invited Bian Shu into his home.
Fortunately, his home was always tidy and clean, with nothing unsightly.
But compared to Bian Shu’s open rooftop, the space was much narrower.
As soon as they entered the house, Sun Tianjiao fetched slippers for Bian Shu, but he felt his bladder tighten.
He had drunk too much of Bian Shu’s homemade drink earlier, and he didn’t want to use the bathroom at someone else’s place. He intended to hold it until he got home, but Bian Shu followed him.
Sun Tianjiao was nervous all the way and almost forgot about this need. Now that the bathroom was within reach, his body began to clamor recklessly.
But he hadn’t entertained Bian Shu yet, nor had he poured him a glass of water.
Water.
Help!
I really need to go!
Sun Tianjiao’s face turned slightly pale, and he couldn’t help but cross his legs, watching Bian Shu change his shoes calmly in front of him.
“Hehe, let me pour you a cup of tea?”
Please reject it, please reject it. We don’t have any tea at home, and I’ll have to go boil some.
Bian Shu: “Okay.”
Sun Tianjiao: “QAQ.”
He had to cross his legs, force himself to stay calm, and hurriedly went to the kitchen, fetching tea leaves while instructing Bian Shu, “Just sit on the couch.”
Bian Shu wasn’t in a hurry to sit down. Instead, he insisted on coming to the kitchen to watch Sun Tianjiao make tea.
“Pu’er?”
“Not the particularly good kind, just ordinary Pu’er.”
“Well, I’m not that picky. I’ve said it before, I usually just drink Nongfu Spring.”
Sun Tianjiao nervously poured the tea leaves into the teapot and then grabbed the kettle to turn on the tap.
As the abundant water poured down, he couldn’t hold it in anymore.
After waiting for a few more seconds, he felt like his bladder was about to explode.
Sun Tianjiao pressed the tap, lowered his head, and stammered, “Um, I need to use the bathroom first.”
Bian Shu raised an eyebrow, “Huh?”
Sun Tianjiao lowered his head even further, “Um, I drank too much at your place.”
Bian Shu nodded, smiling, “Go ahead, do you want me to help you take off your pants?”
Sun Tianjiao was horrified, “No, no, no need!”
He rushed to the bathroom in a panic, closing the frosted glass door tightly so that no sound could escape.
Bian Shu leaned against the kitchen counter, watching Sun Tianjiao’s back, his smile slowly fading as he muttered to himself, “So afraid of me, and I haven’t done anything yet.”
Sun Tianjiao’s judgment was wrong.
He thought that by rejecting Mr. Bian’s poaching, he would lose favor and be relegated to the cold palace, and his contract might even be terminated next year.
But unexpectedly, Mr. Bian was willing to play games with him, and he wouldn’t stop until they reached a thousand points.
Sun Tianjiao’s actual skill level was only a little over a thousand points.
Actually, it was because he was usually busy with other matters and didn’t have time to practice. Occasionally, when he played a few times, he was carried by Yan Yibing and the others, enjoying the joy of being protected by the gods.
Now he had to carry the client, and Sun Tianjiao was under a lot of pressure.
When he returned to work on Monday, he sincerely asked Yan Yibing for advice, “Zuzong, is there a way to quickly boost points in a short time, so that a newbie who has just started playing games can quickly reach fifteen hundred points?”
Yan Yibing silently watched him for a few seconds, smiled lightly, and said casually, “Yes.”
Sun Tianjiao was overjoyed, “Please tell me.”
Yan Yibing: “I’ll carry.”
Sun Tianjiao: “He doesn’t want to be carried by a pro player. He wants to play with me. Please help me think about it. If you think about it, you can not do a live broadcast next month.”
Yan Yibing fell silent for a few seconds, sighed, and stood up, “I’ll check next month’s live broadcast schedule.”
Sun Tianjiao: “….”
Yan Yibing: “Your level is only worth a thousand and a half, so give up.”
Sun Tianjiao: “Alas, you know I like to brag. Besides, he’s a big client. What can I do?”
Yan Yibing frowned, “The client likes to play and doesn’t want to be carried by a pro player. Have you ever thought of any other reason?”
Sun Tianjiao: “What reason?”
Yan Yibing combined with his own experience, tactfully and subtly hinted, “In this world, it’s also possible for a man to fall in love with another man. Be careful.”
The lounge suddenly fell silent.
The two looked at each other for a long time, and there was a hint of awkwardness in the atmosphere.
Sun Tianjiao was suspicious, “Why did you, a staunch straight guy, suddenly say that?”
Yan Yibing cleared his throat lightly, his expression serious, “Sister Ding has given me some basic education.”
Sun Tianjiao inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief, “Ah, Yu Shen’s girlfriend, she likes that, always seeing everyone as a couple, saying that you and Han Mo could also be a couple.”
Sun Tianjiao’s original intention was to use exaggerated rhetoric to describe Ding Luo’s wide range of sugar consumption and exaggerated number of objects.
Yan Yibing: “.”
Sun Tianjiao: “Forget it, I won’t bother you anymore. Let’s talk about it later.”
In the following period, whenever Sun Tianjiao had free time, he would play games with Bian Shu.
It’s quite easy to build a relationship just by gaming without meeting in person. Initially, he would silently add “Mr.” to Bian Shu’s name in his heart. After playing games together for a while, he actually got used to it.
But there was no Mr. Bian on the battlefield, only his noob teammates who constantly dragged him down.
Bian Shu’s skill points were probably all invested in his career, as he was completely clueless about the game.
Sun Tianjiao: “Sigh, Bian Shu, did you even play Minesweeper when you were a kid?”
Bian Shu: “I did. I’ve studied the formulas, and I hardly ever make mistakes. If you want to learn, I can teach you.”
Sun Tianjiao: “….”
Finally, Bian Shu laughed, “I really suck at shooting games and keep dragging my teammates down. How about this, I’ll drag you down once and give you five hundred bucks?”
Sun Tianjiao was dumbfounded and immediately refused, “No need, I haven’t looked down on you. It’s just that your skills really need practice, but you’re genuinely too busy.”
Bian Shu: “Well, consider it a little push for myself.”
Sun Tianjiao: “You really don’t have to.”
Bian Shu: “I’m not short on money anyway.”
Sun Tianjiao had nothing to say.
Bian Shu offering five hundred for one drag was probably like playing poker in high school and losing fifty cents. They didn’t always have time to play, after all, both of them were quite busy.
During the time when Zero went to the East Asia Championships, Sun Tianjiao followed along the whole time and had no time.
During the few weeks when Bian Shu was doing the mid-year summary, he didn’t go online either.
Intermittently, Sun Tianjiao and Bian Shu had known each other for a few months.
Bian Shu had given him a total of about twenty thousand yuan.
Of course, Sun Tianjiao couldn’t accept it. He saved it and then, at a suitable time when both of them were not busy, he said to Bian Shu, “Last time we went to Qingshan Forest, it was your treat. Let me treat you this time.”
He instinctively felt that Bian Shu would definitely agree, and sure enough, Bian Shu did.
Sun Tianjiao felt quite lucky, considering he had gained Bian Shu as a friend inexplicably.
Moreover, after that, Bian Shu never mentioned poaching him again.
Everything went well for him at Zero, except for not being able to find someone to take over for Yan Yibing, which made him a little anxious.
But Yan Yibing’s condition was really good, at least he could still play for another year or two, so he had time to continue searching.
A few days before inviting Bian Shu to dinner, Tang Keqing suddenly messaged him.
Tang Keqing: “Tianjiao, is the esports industry really hot and profitable now?”
Sun Tianjiao: “Why do you ask?”
Tang Keqing: “One of my exceptionally talented American junior sisters wants to come back and apply to an esports club, but she got rejected!”
If she hadn’t said that, Sun Tianjiao really wouldn’t have bothered replying.
But when he thought of Tang Keqing’s incredulous tone, he got excited.
Sun Tianjiao casually said, “Ah, it’s normal. It might have been easier to get in a few years ago, but now with so much capital inflow, the demand for talent is getting higher and higher. Ability is one thing, but just studying to death won’t work. You need to understand the esports industry.”
Tang Keqing: “Is it true? Isn’t it just playing games?”
Sun Tianjiao smirked and suppressed the urge to laugh, “Yeah, but there are a lot of people who love watching. For example, the several big shots I brought, most of them in their twenties, have an annual salary of over ten million. As a manager, I get a commission. There are quite a few people eyeing my position these days. It’s tough working nowadays, I really envy you guys who aren’t in a hurry to find a job and can enjoy life. You know, having a pure heart these days is not easy.”
Tang Keqing didn’t reply for a long time. Sun Tianjiao could imagine Tang Keqing frantically searching online to see if what he said was true, and if the esports circle was really that profitable.
Sun Tianjiao felt triumphant, humming a tune and opening a bottle of beer for himself.
After more than half an hour, Tang Keqing finally arrived.
“As expected, esports nerds make good money, so you’re quite lucky to be in this line of work.”
Sun Tianjiao was ecstatic, “You’re doing great too. Weren’t you studying English education? I heard simultaneous interpretation pays quite well.”
Actually, he knew in his heart that Tang Keqing’s English proficiency was definitely not at the level to provide simultaneous interpretation for high-end individuals.
Tang Keqing: “I have something else to ask you. Does Bian Shu like men?”
Sun Tianjiao’s smile froze on his face.
He didn’t expect the topic to take such a sudden turn.
“Why are you gossiping about Bian Shu with me?”
Tang Keqing: “I searched all his social media, and I found that a foreign guy confessed to him on Twitter before. His response was, ‘You’re not my type.’ If he liked women, he wouldn’t have responded like that, right? I originally had some thoughts about him, after all, you said he has a girlfriend.”
Sun Tianjiao was completely stunned.
He looked at Tang Keqing’s message, and his heart inexplicably started beating faster and faster, to the point where he almost felt it would burst out of his throat.
He had never thought that Bian Shu might like men.
If he didn’t like that type, then what type did he like?
Who did he like?
When Tang Keqing mentioned that Bian Shu had hidden his personal information on the company’s intranet, there might be a situation.
If that was true, then who was the situation?
Sun Tianjiao felt numb all over his scalp.
He didn’t know if he should let himself be a little narcissistic.
What if Bian Shu wasn’t trying to poach him?
If he were a girl, then Bian Shu’s attitude towards him would seem quite ambiguous, right?
Sun Tianjiao had encountered countless problems in his life, but none were as unsolvable as the current one.
His emotions told him that Bian Shu was being a bit too good to him, but his rationality told him not to be conceited; Bian Shu wouldn’t be interested in him.
Tang Keqing couldn’t wait and asked, “Are you still there?”
Sun Tianjiao: “I’m not.”
Tang Keqing: “….”
For several days, Sun Tianjiao couldn’t come up with any ideas, but the day to have dinner with Bian Shu arrived.
He had promised to treat, and he couldn’t back out of this meal, but his feelings towards Bian Shu were now extremely complicated.
Besides being good to him, had Bian Shu done anything out of line?
No.
Had there been any hints of confession?
No.
Had he admitted to liking men?
No.
Just based on Tang Keqing’s mention of Twitter, he could imagine such a big drama, Sun Tianjiao even doubted whether it was Bian Shu who had fallen for him, instead of him falling for Bian Shu.
Did he like Bian Shu?
Weekend.
Qingshan Forest French Restaurant.
Because they had already been playing games fervently, meeting wasn’t as formal and restrained as before.
Bian Shu naturally took the menu, “Shall I order again?”
Suppressing his doubts, Sun Tianjiao smiled, “Of course.”
This time, Bian Shu ordered a completely different dish from last time.
Sun Tianjiao didn’t know if Bian Shu was intentionally trying to save him money. He sneakily glanced at the bill, and this time it was much cheaper than last time.
He felt it wasn’t right, but he also worried that he wouldn’t be able to finish it, so he added a bottle of Lafite.
Bian Shu raised an eyebrow, “I’m driving.”
Sun Tianjiao was annoyed and couldn’t show it. He said vaguely, “Let’s call a designated driver. I see others drinking red wine.”
Bian Shu nodded thoughtfully, not refusing either.
With this expensive bottle of Lafite, it was almost two thousand yuan, and this money could be paid off.
It was also the first time Sun Tianjiao had drunk such an expensive wine, a treasure among treasures. He almost wished he could taste some ambrosial nectar from it.
Bian Shu keenly narrowed his eyes, took a sip of the wine calmly, and said lightly, “Is something on your mind?”
Sun Tianjiao immediately shook his head, “Nothing.”
Bian Shu: “Oh.”
Sun Tianjiao’s eyelids twitched, hesitated for a moment, and said tactfully, “Mr. Bian, do you remember my classmate, the one I met at the class reunion, the one from your school.”
Bian Shu shook his head, “Didn’t pay attention.”
Sun Tianjiao didn’t expect Bian Shu to remember Tang Keqing, but he needed Tang Keqing to lead the conversation.
“My classmate quite likes you, and he asked me if you have a girlfriend, hahaha.”
Bian Shu, who had been relaxed, paused when he heard this, raised his eyes, and stared at Sun Tianjiao.
After years of experience outside, Bian Shu’s rank was still a bit higher than Sun Tianjiao’s.
He almost immediately realized that Sun Tianjiao was trying to inquire about his feelings.
However, Sun Tianjiao was also very tactful. This opening was both offensive and defensive, completely non-offensive. He truly lived up to being the manager of a team.
Bian Shu smiled, “Really? Haven’t I already told you whether I have a girlfriend or not?”
Sun Tianjiao wryly smiled. This answer was exactly as he had expected, revealing nothing.
How could he still attempt to squeeze information out of Bian Shu?
Sun Tianjiao: “Yeah, so I told her, your family must be arranging a match for you, like some second-generation socialite or something.”
Bian Shu cut a piece of fish, fed it into his mouth, and shook his head with a smile, “Arranged marriages are so outdated. Your misunderstanding of wealthy families runs deep.”
Sun Tianjiao: “Maybe I’ve just heard too much random gossip, hahaha.”
That topic passed, but Sun Tianjiao kept something in mind and remained distracted.
When he slipped away, he made sure not to reveal any clues, ensuring his actions weren’t delayed.
So mechanically, he fed himself and mechanically drank red wine.
By the time he realized he was getting a bit tipsy and his nerves were starting to rise, it was already too late.
The Lafite, which had been around for some time, was now mostly drunk by him alone. Even with a good alcohol tolerance, he couldn’t handle being filled up like this. But while getting drunk, Sun Tianjiao still felt pained about the money spent on the wine.
Such an expensive wine, and he had inadvertently let himself be used as a drinking buddy.
Bian Shu looked at him somewhat worriedly, “You’ve had too much to drink. Let me call a designated driver to take you back.”
Sun Tianjiao’s face was flushed, his breath filled with the scent of wine, and his vision was clouded and hazy.
Perhaps emboldened by alcohol, he suddenly leaned in, his ribs pressing tightly against the edge of the table, closing the distance between him and Bian Shu.
In a daze, he blurted out, “Bian Shu, do you… do you maybe like me a bit?”
Bian Shu was first startled, then he smirked, setting down his knife and fork, “You’ve been tangled up all night, turns out you wanted to ask this.”
Sun Tianjiao’s face grew even hotter, the alcohol and rushing blood conspiring together, making him a bit incoherent, completely unaware of how offensive he might be to his friend Bian Shu at this moment.
“Tang Keqing said you replied to someone’s confession on Twitter, she said, I just, I think, but actually—”
Sun Tianjiao furrowed his brows, not even sure what he was trying to express.
“Yeah.”
Bian Shu interrupted his confusion.
Sun Tianjiao was stunned, eyes wide, “Huh?”
Bian Shu nodded affirmatively, “Yeah, I like you.”
Thank you for reading! 
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