After sending that message, Xiao Cheng didn’t look at his phone again.
It wasn’t until after class that he realized Luo Jingshu had sent him something earlier, but the screen only showed: [The other party has withdrawn a message.]
Xiao Cheng glanced at it and then exited the chat interface. Whatever Luo Jingshu wanted to say was irrelevant to him; it was probably just some excuse.
However, He An had sent him a message about half an hour earlier, and there was also a missed call. Probably guessing he was in class, He An only called once and didn’t try again.
A few days ago, He An had told him that Xiao Yu had chosen the person who would be leading Xiao Cheng, named Bai Yiheng.
Xiao Cheng had originally thought that he would have to wait until the holidays to meet Mr. Bai, but He An had just messaged him to say that Xiao Yu would be coming home from his business trip tonight, and Mr. Bai would be joining him.
He An planned to invite Bai Yiheng over for dinner that night to formally introduce him to Xiao Cheng.
Xiao Cheng felt a bit nervous about meeting his superior. He was worried about revealing his true self in front of Bai Yiheng.
He An had mentioned a few things about this Mr. Bai, describing him as charming, mature, and polite—lots of compliments.
In his mind, Xiao Cheng envisioned an adult man’s image; according to He An, Bai Yiheng should be someone easy to get along with.
“Xiao Cheng, are you coming out for a barbecue tonight?” Jiang Zihe hooked his arm around Xiao Cheng’s shoulder. “We haven’t eaten together in a while.”
Xiao Cheng came back to his senses. “I can’t tonight; I have to go home for a bit.”
“Next time then.”
Jiang Zihe showed a look of regret. “But next time, you have to treat.”
Xiao Cheng agreed. “Okay, I’ll treat you to a feast.”
Since he had come into this world, his closest friend was only Jiang Zihe. Thinking about this, Xiao Cheng couldn’t help but pat Jiang Zihe’s shoulder. “Thanks, bro.”
Jiang Zihe felt an inexplicable chill down his spine. “Why are you suddenly being so sentimental? You’re not thinking about falling for me after your breakup, are you?”
Xiao Cheng: …
That’s definitely not going to happen.
When he returned home at a reasonable hour, an unfamiliar car was already parked in the garage—Bai Yiheng had arrived.
Xiao Cheng felt that nervousness creeping back.
As he walked into the living room, he didn’t see anyone right away but heard a burst of laughter—it was He An laughing.
Then it seemed she said something else, but it was a bit unclear; Xiao Cheng didn’t catch it.
Just as he stepped out from the entrance, He An spotted him immediately.
“Cheng Cheng is back.”
Xiao Cheng smiled as he walked over. The man sitting on the sofa, who had been facing away, turned his head to look at him.
The man had deep-set features, with a strikingly handsome face and eyes that seemed darker than usual. When he looked at someone, he gave off a very serious vibe.
Indeed, it was an almost flawless face.
With a smile, the man said, “So, you must be Mr. Xiao?”
Xiao Cheng instinctively stood up straighter and nodded toward Bai Yiheng, feeling a bit like a high school student facing a homeroom teacher.
“Hello, Mr. Bai.”
He An covered her mouth and laughed, “There’s no need to be so formal; Cheng Cheng, come sit down. Yiheng, just call him Xiao Cheng.”
Xiao Yu waved his hand for Xiao Cheng to sit down and then patted his shoulder while introducing Bai Yiheng, briefly mentioning the accomplishments of this Mr. Bai.
If Xiao Yu praised him so much, Bai Yiheng must be quite capable.
While listening to Xiao Yu’s compliments, Bai Yiheng kept a warm smile on his face, not interrupting until Xiao Yu finished speaking. Then he turned to Xiao Cheng and said, “Past achievements are just a testament; what’s more important is how we will move forward together in the future.”
Xiao Cheng tightened his fingers on his knee and sat up straight. “I’ll rely on Mr. Bai in the future.”
Although he had some experience, he was not as seasoned as Bai Yiheng. Compared to Bai Yiheng, his previous life had only been small-time affairs.
That night, He An invited Bai Yiheng to stay for dinner. Xiao Yu intended to give Xiao Cheng and Bai Yiheng a chance to talk, allowing them to become familiar with each other, so before dinner began, he had Xiao Cheng take Bai Yiheng out for a stroll.
This was already the second time Xiao Cheng had done something like this this month.
Last time, he was with Chu An.
For some reason, thinking about comparing Bai Yiheng to Chu An made him want to laugh, feeling that the distance Bai Yiheng held in his mind was lessening.
“Did you study design in college?” Bai Yiheng noticed Xiao Cheng’s subtle smile and took the initiative to ask.
His voice was deep and gentle, ringing out in the howling cold wind, like a friendly neighbor speaking. Xiao Cheng felt his guard drop a little.
“Yeah, I was quite interested in design when choosing my major after the college entrance examination.”
Although the original owner had already chosen this major when Xiao Cheng arrived in this world, he still had the chance to change his major. But he thought studying design was also good; he could express his ideas through art and was genuinely interested in it.
Bai Yiheng was wearing a suit with a coat over it; he put his hands in his pockets and exhaled softly. “Have you thought about pursuing a professional direction?”
It’s not that once you get involved in the family business you can’t continue learning design-related knowledge; it’s just that your time will be limited, as a person’s energy is finite.
Xiao Cheng looked at him in surprise. He had thought Bai Yiheng would advise him to focus more on taking over the family business.
Noticing Xiao Cheng’s gaze, Bai Yiheng smiled and then turned his eyes to the distance, his voice still gentle and pleasant: “Everyone has their own interests and dreams for the future. There’s nothing strange about that.”
Xiao Cheng wanted to ask him, do you like your current life?
Bai Yiheng seemed to sense his thoughts. Before Xiao Cheng could ask, he explained, “My dream used to be to become a painter; I studied oil painting in college.”
This time, Xiao Cheng was genuinely surprised. He tilted his head, studying Bai Yiheng’s profile, and found it somewhat believable.
Bai Yiheng gave off a calm, tranquil vibe, much like an oil painting steeped in historical significance, just waiting for someone to uncover the secrets hidden beneath its splendid surface.
The image of a man holding a paintbrush, focusing intently on his creation, was likely a beautiful scene in itself.
Xiao Cheng thought without any distractions.
Appreciating beauty is human nature, unrelated to any emotions; he simply recognized Bai Yiheng’s looks and charisma.
Or rather, there are people whose unique aura can make others overlook their good looks.
“Then why didn’t you continue painting?” Xiao Cheng mimicked Bai Yiheng, pulling his coat tighter, the scarf around his neck covering his lips, making his voice muffled.
Bai Yiheng chuckled softly. There was a subtle line at the corner of his eye, not prominent, only visible when he smiled closely.
Xiao Cheng had never asked Bai Yiheng’s age, but he felt that this man was probably not too young and certainly not old, embodying perfect maturity.
Perhaps he was in his thirties.
“Xiao Cheng, painting is also quite expensive,” Bai Yiheng said, extending his hand toward Xiao Cheng. “Before this hand picks up a paintbrush, it needs to support a family first.”
Xiao Cheng looked down at his palm and instinctively asked, “Mr. Bai, are you married?”
He swore he had no ulterior motives; he just mentioned “family” after hearing Bai Yiheng speak, and the question slipped out naturally.
Bai Yiheng retracted his hand, the sound of his shoes echoing softly against the floor as he looked at Xiao Cheng: “No, I’m unmarried.”
Xiao Cheng raised his head to meet his gaze. Bai Yiheng was taller than him, making Xiao Cheng have to tilt his head slightly to maintain eye contact.
They arrived at the spot where Chu An had requested to take photos that night. Xiao Cheng recalled the following events, and his emotions softened a bit.
He averted his gaze, feeling his face stiffen, and couldn’t help but take his hands out of his pockets to rub his cheeks.
Bai Yiheng seemed to chuckle. When Xiao Cheng glanced over, however, he had already turned his gaze away and asked, “Shall we continue walking?”
After rubbing his now rosy cheeks, Xiao Cheng slipped his slightly chilly fingers back into his pockets. “It’s a bit cold; let’s head back.”
Bai Yiheng agreed, his long lashes appearing darker against the night as he unobtrusively looked at the young man beside him, his gaze traveling from those bright eyes down to the flushed cheeks.
Xiao Cheng’s face was a testament to Nuwa1Nuwa is a popular Chinese goddess associated with fertility and marriage. She is considered the goddess of creation and female emperor of mankind in Chinese mythology. Nuwa created mankind in two different origin myths; once by shaping people out of clay, and once by repopulating the world after a flood. The name “Nuwa” means “mother goddess”.‘s favoritism, especially those eyes, which were slightly lighter than others. They appeared particularly clean and transparent, easily making Bai Yiheng think of warm jade.
Before this, he had never met Xiao Cheng, and when Xiao Yu asked him to take care of his son, Bai Yiheng thought he was just an ordinary young man.
Now, he still didn’t know how capable Xiao Cheng was, but after this conversation, he felt satisfied with Xiao Cheng’s quiet demeanor.
If all goes well, Xiao Cheng would be his assistant for a long time, needing to accompany him to meetings and business trips.
Even knowing that this assistant would eventually become a leader in the company, Bai Yiheng still hoped that he would have a comforting assistant by his side while guiding Xiao Cheng.
Originally, he didn’t have many expectations for that future period, but now he found it wasn’t impossible to look forward to it.
Bai Yiheng concluded that having Xiao Cheng around wouldn’t be a bad thing; at the very least, he would be a pleasant sight to behold.
The two walked in silence for a while, and then Xiao Cheng suddenly remembered he hadn’t answered Bai Yiheng’s earlier question.
“My dad hopes I can take over the family business; the Xiao family really does need me.”
He spoke this seemingly out of nowhere, but Bai Yiheng immediately understood his meaning. His smile faded slightly, and his expression turned serious as he looked at Xiao Cheng: “Are you completely uninterested in business matters?”
Xiao Cheng was taken aback for a moment and quickly clarified, “That’s not what I meant. I’m saying that the need for me to support the family is a bigger factor than my interest in business.”
Bai Yiheng let out a breath of relief. “As long as you’re not completely uninterested, that’s good.”
His tone was serious and deliberate: “Xiao Cheng, if you’re utterly disinterested in what you’re doing, then there’s no need to pursue it.”
“Because it will only bring you pain. Fundamentally, it’s just a burden, and it can’t bring you any joy.”
As Bai Yiheng spoke, he suddenly chuckled again. “Of course, one can never choose only what they like. Often, we have to go against our own wishes, continuing forward despite knowing the path ahead is fraught with difficulties.”
Xiao Cheng blinked. “For example?”
Bai Yiheng replied earnestly: “For example, work.”
“If you could just stay at home, sleep until you wake up naturally, then eat, relax, and do what you love, who would want to brave the cold wind or scorching sun to go to work?”
Xiao Cheng: That makes sense.
He hadn’t expected the seemingly successful Bai Yiheng would also feel troubled by the need to work.
Suddenly, he felt a little closer.
“So often, for a certain purpose, we must endure pain and grit our teeth to persevere.”
Bai Yiheng looked at Xiao Cheng’s fair profile, his voice carrying a smile: “Do you understand what I mean?”
Xiao Cheng turned his head to look at him: “Are you trying to tell me that even if it gets tough later, I shouldn’t easily give up?”
Bai Yiheng thought the young man was like a harmless little animal, cautiously testing the waters of an enemy—adorable yet pitiable.
He couldn’t help but chuckle a few times, with a meaningful look as he said, “I’m not exactly a nice boss to my employees.”
As his assistant, Xiao Cheng would definitely be directed to complete tasks, and even if he were the heir, he would still be reprimanded if he didn’t do well.
Bai Yiheng just worried Xiao Cheng might not be mentally prepared and would end up crying under his scolding.
The young man smiled at him: “Don’t worry, Mr. Bai.”
Bai Yiheng curved his lips into a smile. “Alright, let’s go inside.”
He and Xiao Cheng walked in side by side, and as they neared the entrance, Bai Yiheng suddenly lowered his voice to ask, “By the way, I almost forgot to ask you.”
“Xiao Cheng, do you have a partner?”
TN: hello everyone, finally i can update this novel regularly on Monday and Wednesday<3 thank you so much for reading, feel free to check out my other translation projects here.
