Chapter 25

“… Signed by the Chairman? Just now?” Ye Ji’an turned the document bag upside down on the table, his nerves a bit taut. “Give me a spoiler first; I’m afraid I might go crazy. Is it good news or bad news… do you know?”

Liang Xiao lowered his eyes and smiled, looking at him calmly. “I think it’s good news.”

Ye Ji’an crumpled the paper bag in his hands. “Then I’ll take a look!”

“Go ahead, Senior, there’s no need to be afraid,” Liang Xiao leaned forward, resting his hands on the edge of the table. “By the way, if any character is written too messily, I’ll translate it for you.”

Ye Ji’an suppressed the surge of doubt in his heart. He thought to himself, translate? Does this kid know the content or just the handwriting? After all, Liang Xiao’s Chinese writing wasn’t exactly neat; perhaps there was some resonance in the messiness. But he didn’t voice his thoughts; he was too impatient to dwell on it. It wasn’t his style to hesitate over something trivial. Ye Ji’an swiftly pulled out the two sheets of paper, tossed aside the brown paper bag, and squinted at the characters.

The main text was written more boldly than the signature, filling two pages with just a few lines, some characters larger than a fist. Yet it was proper cursive, not just random scribbles, and the salutation was neatly written, addressing him as: Ji’an.

Goosebumps rose in clusters from the back of his neck to his spine, and down to his arms. Ye Ji’an felt he might be the first in the company to have committed some grave error. He urged himself to continue reading. Having taken elective courses in art and calligraphy in college, he had mostly forgotten, but he shouldn’t be intimidated by cursive writing.

The content was as follows:

Due to being away during the Spring Festival, we were unable to meet. I sincerely invite you to come to my humble abode with my son for a gathering soon. Our family will warmly welcome you.

Next was a string of addresses and a time, set for Saturday evening.

Spring Festival? My son? The home address on Chang’an Street? Ye Ji’an worried that he might have misread a few characters due to illiteracy or blurred vision, causing some embarrassing mix-up. So he read the letter again, then looked up at Liang Xiao. “Am I going crazy?”

The confident demeanor Liang Xiao had maintained seemed to have vanished, replaced by a hint of anxiety. He shook his head. “No. That’s exactly what he wrote.”

Ye Ji’an let out a long breath to keep his thoughts clear. “So, the Chairman, who usually appears only at meetings, is now formally inviting me to his home to gather with his ‘son’? And he wants to warmly welcome me?”

“Yeah, this is an invitation letter, formal and serious,” Liang Xiao said earnestly. “It’s a family letter.”

A family letter? Indeed… what does that mean? These papers were all brought over by Liang Xiao and handed to him. Liang Xiao had only stepped out for a moment; it seemed he had gone to the top floor office. Being too astonished had instead calmed him down; at least that was how Ye Ji’an was. The various speculations in his mind, which had fluctuated between faint and strong, now, as he approached a boiling point, he found himself not struggling anymore.

He waited for Liang Xiao to speak.

Liang Xiao pinched the bridge of his nose, looking at him awkwardly. “Chu Yunfei, actually, is my dad.”

“Only the General Manager and a few old-timers in the company know,” he added.

Ye Ji’an fell silent for a moment, crumpling the page corners. He stood up and walked to the other side of the desk, next to Liang Xiao. “Now I know. For the past six months, I’ve been treating the Crown Prince like a little civil servant.”

“But I’m not an old-timer yet, just to clarify,” he quickly added.

Liang Xiao seemed momentarily amused but also nervous, which made his expression a bit strange, his eyebrows uneven. “Does Senior feel angry?”

Ye Ji’an glanced at the transparent wall, where a bunch of subordinates were outside. He didn’t dare get too close to Liang Xiao. “What would I be angry about?” He raised his face to stare at Liang Xiao’s brows and eyes.

“Because I lied to you.”

Ye Ji’an blinked. “That’s at most withholding information.”

“Then would Senior be willing?”

“Willing for what? To meet the parents?” Ye Ji’an laughed. “It feels like a college romance.”

“It is a bit like that,” Liang Xiao replied honestly.

“Why does he call you ‘my son’? It sounds so humble,” Ye Ji’an frowned. “You don’t look like a little pup.”

“He’s just being polite.” Liang Xiao’s cheeks turned a bit red, and he quickly glanced back. “Senior, you should go back and sit; someone is watching us.”

Speaking of which, he became more relaxed. Ye Ji’an looked over; the only young people directly facing him without any greenery blocking the view were a few, including Xiao Li from the General Affairs Department, who always wore a strange expression whenever she saw him with Liang Xiao, seemingly ready to gossip. But she was currently looking down, not daring to glance around, probably just having been glared at by Liang Xiao.

“But I’m still quite surprised, and I’m a bit unhappy!” Ye Ji’an returned to his chair. As a superior, he usually tried to avoid any suspicion, which was good for Liang Xiao. “I’ve spoken ill of the Chairman, right? Calling him a rigid old man and all. I messed up because of information asymmetry… What were you thinking when you heard that?”

“No mess-up. Although I think he’s not rigid, I also find it quite cute when Senior complains.”

“… Alright,” Ye Ji’an thought to himself, this sweet talk was endless. He knew his current demeanor was definitely gossip-worthy, like blushing and hiding a racing heart from Liang Xiao’s overly straightforward gaze. This was work time; how could this be? He thought to himself, pulling at his tie. “How about this, you go back to work first. I’ll accept the invitation letter. I’m a bit flattered; thank you for your dad,” he said, still not quite used to it, even unconsciously adopting an official tone. After pondering for a moment, he added, “I need some time to process this. You think about what else you want to tell me, and we can talk after work.”

Since there was a team-building activity the next day, everyone had to go home to rest up, so they didn’t work too late that day. The two of them braved the cold wind and hopped on the subway, and it was still not yet nine o’clock.

Near the front of the carriage, there were plenty of empty seats. They chose a long bench that was completely empty and sat down side by side.

Ye Ji’an had just gone through a rather complex few hours. On one hand, he was quite nervous; meeting the Chairman was already a huge pressure, and now adding the weight of meeting his family made him feel like he was dreaming too big and was about to be crushed. On the other hand, he was genuinely happy, reading reports with a smile that he couldn’t help but let out, even needing to sip on some bitter tea to remind himself to focus on work.

Indeed, it felt like a dream. Just the day before, around the same time, he had been feeling a bit unhappy due to Roman’s casual remarks about family while drinking alone with Vietnamese spring rolls.

And now, he had actually gotten what he wished for?

A formal invitation to meet, a “family letter” personally written by the father, seeing him as someone close to his son.

It was “formal and serious.”

And those few words from the day before on the train, “I really like him.” “Especially, especially like him.”

Without realizing it, Ye Ji’an gently leaned against Liang Xiao’s shoulder. The shoulder of his coat was made of soft suede, giving off a warm, fuzzy feeling. “Have you thought it through?” he asked. “The story behind Xiao Liang’s vest incident, is there anything else you want to tell me?”

“There are three things.” Liang Xiao sat up straight.

“Hmm.” Ye Ji’an straightened his back as well.

Liang Xiao pressed him back down, wrapping his arm around his shoulder, holding him tightly. “First, my brother’s surname is Chu. After I was born, I took my mother’s surname and have never changed it since. The main reason for keeping it a secret is that I need to grow and improve on my own. My personal abilities won’t increase just because of who my dad is, and I don’t want to receive any special treatment because of him, being praised endlessly and getting dizzy. So, I plan to keep it a secret for now.”

“I understand,” Ye Ji’an said. “That’s cool.”

“I told you this because I wanted you to know me better. Actually, I was a bit hesitant; you might be very surprised and might not be able to digest it for a while… But no matter what, I still want the person I like the most to meet the person I respect the most. I also believe that what you like is me as a person.”

“Hey, why say it so directly?”

“I wanted to confirm.”

“I’ve already said I understand; add me to the confidentiality task force,” Ye Ji’an said, blushing as he laughed, reaching into his coat collar to adjust Liang Xiao’s bowtie.

Liang Xiao looked at him for a moment, then said, “The second thing is, I don’t want to hypocritically say that I haven’t gained any convenience or benefits from this family. Although in terms of work, I really haven’t. I was recruited after submitting my resume, just like the investment bank I found in New York after graduation.”

“I even went to your interview! I thought, this kid’s Chinese isn’t great, but he’s quite sharp, whether in work ability or mindset and adaptability. I could only maintain a facade during my interview, while I was panicking inside,” Ye Ji’an raised a hand, speaking earnestly. “And I can testify that during the discussion meeting, the main interviewer thought you were too arrogant and didn’t want you, asking if my department could accommodate you. You definitely didn’t get in through the back door.”

Liang Xiao chuckled, “Thanks to Senior being willing to take me in, I didn’t end up living off my parents.”

Ye Ji’an twisted his ear. “Live off? We don’t want you; there are other companies eager to hire. Thanks to me, we didn’t lose talent.”

“I do have the potential to live off my parents,” Liang Xiao said seriously. “I only mentioned work; in life, I do often spend my dad’s money, a lot, and I don’t plan to pay him back.”

Ye Ji’an struggled to suppress his laughter. “Does he want you to pay him back?”

Liang Xiao felt embarrassed. “I’ve never kept track of the expenses.”

Ye Ji’an almost wanted to pinch his cheek but held back. “So your second point is to explain that even though you work hard and strive for improvement, you’re still a spendthrift used to a wealthy lifestyle.”

Liang Xiao admitted, “I really am, and I can’t change it.”

“Why change it? If you have money, you should spend it. Maximize your advantages. You seem to have forgotten that,” Ye Ji’an looked out at the rectangular glass window across from them, where someone was secretly glancing at them, but he didn’t care. All he saw outside was darkness, the tunnel rushing by, and reflected in the glass was the two of them leaning together. Liang Xiao was also looking at him in the mirror, his expression focused and pure. “Let’s put it this way, I’ve known for a long time that your family is wealthy; it’s not something to be ashamed of. Just like no one is noble because they come from a poor family or have suffered, the key is how one acts and what one can do. As for being a spendthrift, let’s not define it too strictly; even if you are, you’re still the best among them. You should know quite a few peers with similar backgrounds, right? Look at who works late into the night, lives outside the Fifth Ring, and rushes to the subway with their poor boyfriend.”

“Senior has been praising me all day.”

“I can praise you every day. There’s no shortage of material.”

Liang Xiao shyly lowered his head, his nose brushing against Ye Ji’an’s forehead. “And the third thing.”

“What is it?”

“When my dad was born, there wasn’t even the TV series ‘Liang Jian’ yet,” he said solemnly. “It’s all just a coincidence.”

Ye Ji’an was taken aback, then burst into laughter.

After getting home, Ye Ji’an made a plate of ham salad for a late-night snack. The two of them took a shower together, giving the unaccustomed Engels a big meal of cockroaches, and went to bed early. Ye Ji’an suddenly felt quite relaxed. He recalled the last time they had a private conversation, when the Chairman had called him to the office. He thought he was going to be fired, but instead, the man asked about the new recruits, and of course, he also asked about Liang Xiao, essentially inquiring whether his son was arrogant and dismissive. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the Chairman was a kind and understanding father. However, after lying in bed all night, still not having figured out what souvenir to bring, he had to get up for the afternoon team-building activity, and Ye Ji’an suddenly felt anxious.

“If we go tonight,” he said while pulling on his sweatpants, looking at Liang Xiao, who was still in bed, “then I need to bring a more formal outfit to change into after the team-building, right? I’ll be all sweaty, and there won’t be time to shower.”

“Don’t. I specifically set this time so we wouldn’t have to be so formal,” Liang Xiao propped himself up, the down comforter sliding off. The sunlight cast a layer of light on his toned shoulders and waist, the smooth skin glistening, as if everything youthful was bouncing around. He lazily smiled at Ye Ji’an. “Are you very nervous, Senior?”

“Of course!” Ye Ji’an’s head popped out of his sweater’s high collar, glaring back. “And I don’t know what’s good to bring for a first meeting. I have to run to the Olympic Sports Park at one-thirty to gather; there’s no time to pick anything. He doesn’t lack anything, and it feels inappropriate to bring something to eat.”

Liang Xiao nodded in agreement. “Exactly, only I can eat the food Senior makes.”

“Can’t you at least come up with some ideas, little ancestor? It’s to meet your dad!” Ye Ji’an jumped onto the big bed, tickling his sides. “If you can’t think of anything, get up and feed the lizard.”

Liang Xiao rubbed his eyes, still looking lazy, and directly pulled him down, as if some flowers only knew to bloom in the morning when they were kissed by the sun. Liang Xiao had to give him a kiss before he would speak properly. After a lingering kiss, he mysteriously said, “We could give him a puzzle; the more complex, the more he likes it, but we have to help him put it together.”