Chapter 40
“Knock, knock.”
The sound of knocking came from the office door, and Lin Yushu finally tore his gaze away from the email. He saw Manager Zhan Ting standing by the door.
“Shall we go for dinner after work?” Zhan Ting asked. “Everyone is waiting for you to treat us, Manager Lin. Oh, wait—”
She deliberately raised her hand and used her fingertips to cover her lips, making a face as if she had said something wrong, and corrected herself, “I mean CEO Lin.”
Upon hearing Zhan Ting’s playful remark, Lin Yushu couldn’t help but laugh.
—CEO Lin, on an equal level with Song Qiming in terms of job title.
Feeling the real sense of his promotion so quickly, he replied with a good mood, “Tell them all to come, we’ll have Japanese cuisine tonight, my treat.”
The unsent message still remained in the chat box, but at this moment, Shao Guangjie and whether he slept or not no longer mattered.
【Song Qiming: Congratulations】
【Song Qiming: Happy Wowo.jpg】
What’s there to be happy about? They were just arguing a moment ago. Lin Yushu deleted the unsent message from the chat box and typed a new one.
【Lin Yushu: I’m having dinner with my colleagues tonight】
A response came immediately from the other side.
【Song Qiming: What about me?】
Lin Yushu thought for a moment. They could celebrate anytime, no rush for today.
【Lin Yushu: Another time】
The chat box displayed a “typing” indication, but after a while, there were only two light words.
【Song Qiming: Okay then】
However, another message followed.
【Song Qiming: Call me when you’re done tonight, I’ll come pick you up】
They would definitely be drinking tonight, so having a designated driver was necessary.
Lin Yushu initially didn’t want to make it so troublesome, but upon second thought, Song Qiming was pursuing him, and he should give him an opportunity to show his intentions, right?
After all, they had both been busy during this period, and while Song Qiming claimed to be pursuing him, Lin Yushu didn’t feel any real sense of it and hadn’t even received a single confession.
If he refused even small things like inviting him home, then when would Song Qiming be able to successfully pursue him?
—When this idea popped up in Lin Yushu’s mind, he didn’t realize that it was not something he should consider for Song Qiming.
【Lin Yushu: Alright】
There were a total of seventeen employees in the Home Office, and whether they had dates or gym sessions after work, they all cancelled their plans to celebrate Lin Yushu’s promotion.
In the private room of the high-end Japanese restaurant, a long table measuring ten meters in length was more than enough to accommodate everyone from the Home Office.
The table was filled with various types of sashimi and exquisite dishes. The fresh Kobe beef had a distinct texture, with even marbling of fat, while the succulent Ise lobster had a refreshing taste and a firm texture.
Even though the average cost per person in this restaurant reached 2,000 yuan, Lin Yushu didn’t feel the least bit hesitant because after his promotion, his investment dividends would double, and his annual income would surpass the ten-million mark.
“CEO Lin, you’re truly amazing. You even managed to handle Director Fang.”
“That’s right, Director Shao had given up on those pieces of land, but CEO Lin managed to retrieve them.”
“That’s why he got promoted. If your boss said ‘let it go,’ would you actively fight for it?”
“Even if I wanted to fight for it, I might not be able to succeed. Only CEO Lin has the skills.”
“You see, what’s called Manager Lin is now CEO Lin! ”
“Yeah, yeah, CEO Lin, we’ll rely on you to lead us in the future!”
Everyone raised their glasses and continued drinking.
Lin Yushu had a decent alcohol tolerance, but after receiving toasts from his colleagues one after another, he started feeling a bit lightheaded. Perhaps it was the rare opportunity for a company gathering that got everyone excited. They chatted about work collaborations, gossip about the Shao family, and had a great time.
Lin Yushu leaned back in his seat, withdrawing from the conversation with his colleagues. As the alcohol took effect, he couldn’t help but imagine how the bosses of the Shao family evaluated him before the personnel notice was issued.
There was no doubt about his excellent work abilities; otherwise, he wouldn’t have reached his current position. As for other aspects, there should at least be some comments like “young and promising” or “indispensable,” right?
Lin Yushu was getting a little tipsy, and he was already very concerned about how others perceived him. After drinking, his mind was flooded with various thoughts.
Speaking of which, his early promotion at the end of this year was largely related to Song Qiming. Let’s not mention the acquisition for now; he did play a mediating role in that, but the main credit for reclaiming those pieces of land should go to Song Qiming.
Song Qiming only had his eyes on one piece of land, but in order to conceal his true intentions, he managed to bring back all the land—of course, Lin Yushu’s role in the process should not be underestimated.
Their cooperation was like gears in a gearbox, smoothly meshing together, allowing the engine to output power at the most suitable speed, accelerating the car forward.
If only Song Qiming could take Shao Guangjie’s position, Lin Yushu would definitely be more motivated in his work…
“CEO Lin, are you leaving? Should we call a designated driver for you?”
“Huh?” Lin Yushu opened his eyes groggily and realized that the gathering was coming to an end.
There was no rule for splitting the bill at company gatherings, and other colleagues started calling cabs or designated drivers, preparing to go their separate ways.
Lin Yushu draped his coat over his arm and planned to go to the front desk to settle the bill. But as he stepped out of the tatami room and put on his shoes, he almost stumbled.
“Be careful, CEO Lin.” A colleague supported Lin Yushu. “Do you want us to give you a ride home?”
“No need.” Lin Yushu waved his hand. “I’ve called a designated driver.”
—A designated driver who could drive his performance car.
“Alright, take care and see you at the office tomorrow.”
After exchanging greetings, one by one, the ten or so people dispersed.
Lin Yushu returned to his Honda Civic and waited for Song Qiming to pick him up while waiting for the effects of alcohol to fade away. However, after waiting for a while, instead of the alcohol subsiding, he felt increasingly dizzy.
Was it because he was too happy about the promotion? Lin Yushu wondered. It had been a long time since he got this drunk.
He didn’t know how long it took, but suddenly the driver’s side door was opened, and a cool breeze blew in.
Song Qiming got into the car and lightly touched Lin Yushu’s flushed cheek with the back of his hand, furrowing his brows slightly as he asked, “How much did you drink?”
Lin Yushu opened his eyes and looked at Song Qiming, reacting slowly. “It’s you.”
“Who else would it be if not me?” Song Qiming leaned forward, fastened Lin Yushu’s seatbelt, and then shifted gears and accelerated the Civic out of the parking lot.
Lin Yushu didn’t remember when he arrived home. He couldn’t even recall how he made it from the parking lot to his house.
When he started to regain some clarity, he found himself standing in front of the bathroom mirror, with Song Qiming squeezing toothpaste for him.
“Open your mouth,” Song Qiming held up the electric toothbrush near Lin Yushu’s mouth.
“Oh,” Lin Yushu obediently opened his mouth and bit down on the brush head. Although he could do it himself, he was too lazy to lift his hand.
The vibration of the electric toothbrush was strong, but Song Qiming controlled the intensity just right, making Lin Yushu’s gums comfortable.
After brushing his teeth, Song Qiming then wrung out a wet towel and carefully wiped Lin Yushu’s face.
“Song Qiming,” Lin Yushu didn’t put in much effort, and as Song Qiming applied force, he leaned back. Song Qiming quickly circled his waist and pressed his chest against Lin Yushu’s back.
“What’s wrong?” Song Qiming tilted his head while wiping Lin Yushu’s face and asked.
“Do you take care of your rumored boyfriend like this?” Just as the towel came to his lips, Lin Yushu lowered his voice and asked, “That guy you had a connection with in Monaco, what’s his name, Albert Hofmann or something?”
Lin Yushu pronounced the name in German, as that person was a German actor.
Song Qiming asked with a smile, “You can speak German?”
“I can’t,” Lin Yushu only knew that one person’s name, “And there’s also some prince who contacted you to reserve several cars.”
“That’s just a client,” Song Qiming held Lin Yushu’s waist in his arms and walked toward the bedroom, “I don’t have a boyfriend, stop guessing.”
“Oh,” Lin Yushu’s brain was still sluggish, and his limbs didn’t cooperate well.
He was leaning on Song Qiming to move forward, but he couldn’t walk in a straight line and almost tripped over the coffee table. Song Qiming quickly tightened his hold on his waist, stabilizing his center of gravity.
Suddenly, Lin Yushu remembered that Song Qiming had carried him up from the parking lot when they arrived.
But now that he was awake, Song Qiming didn’t carry him anymore.
“Are you going to change into your pajamas yourself?” Song Qiming took out Lin Yushu’s pajamas from the wardrobe and handed them to him.
Instead of reaching out to take them, Lin Yushu raised his chin and looked up at Song Qiming with a slightly displeased expression, “Do you know that I’m the CEO of the family company now?”
“So what?” Song Qiming teased, “Does the CEO need someone else to help you change clothes?”
“No,” Lin Yushu frowned, even more dissatisfied, “Why didn’t you give me a promotion gift?”
“Are you trying to extort me again?” Song Qiming laughed.
“I don’t care,” Lin Yushu waved away Song Qiming’s hand, “I want a promotion gift.”
“Fine,” Song Qiming chuckled helplessly, “What do you want?”
Lin Yushu lowered his head, thought for a moment, and then looked up at Song Qiming, saying, “Come here.”
“Huh?” Song Qiming was puzzled.
“Bury your head down,” Lin Yushu said.
Song Qiming bent forward slightly, but Lin Yushu felt it wasn’t enough and urged, “Lower a bit more.”
“Are you going to whisper something?” Song Qiming bent down a bit more, but just then, Lin Yushu suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled it down, tilting his chin and bringing his lips closer.
Their lips pressed together, and Lin Yushu released Song Qiming’s collar, instead encircling his neck. After a moment of surprise, Song Qiming leaned in and pressed Lin Yushu onto the bed.
Their passionate kiss was mixed with the refreshing scent of toothpaste. The alcohol buzz, which had just subsided, rushed back, making Lin Yushu’s mind even more dizzy.
Although it was Lin Yushu who took the initiative to kiss, Song Qiming took the lead. Their bodies were closely intertwined, and the suppressed desire was about to ignite.
“Lin Yushu…”
In the end, it was Song Qiming who stopped at the boundary of reason.
He propped himself up slightly, breathing heavily, his voice husky like never before, “Don’t tempt me.”
“Oh…” A hint of crimson appeared at the corner of Lin Yushu’s eyes. He looked like a seductive fox, but his gaze was surprisingly clear, as if he had no concept of what they were doing.
“You should rest early,” Song Qiming gritted his teeth, wanting to leave while his rationality was still intact.
He didn’t want to engage in such activities with Lin Yushu while he was drunk. After all, Lin Yushu was conservative and followed a step-by-step approach even in dating. Going all the way wasn’t his intention.
And he hadn’t even won Lin Yushu over yet, so if he did this now, when they woke up the next day, Lin Yushu would surely think he was very ungentlemanly.
But then again, he had jokingly admitted to being a “German playboy” before. Perhaps Lin Yushu didn’t expect him to be too much of a gentleman?
No, it wasn’t right.
Lin Yushu always carried a handkerchief with him when going out, a clear sign that he had received a gentleman’s education, so he couldn’t do this. No one wants to leave a bad impression on the person they’re pursuing, and Song Qiming was no exception.
He gradually calmed down, forcibly suppressing the raging desire that had been surging within him.
However, an unexpected situation arose when he tried to get up and leave.
Just as he was about to get up, Lin Yushu suddenly hooked his leg around Song Qiming’s waist, flipping him over and pinning him down on the bed.
“Song Qiming,” Lin Yushu obediently nestled on Song Qiming’s chest, his chin resting on his chest as he looked up at him with his pitch-black eyes.
Song Qiming’s breathing became rapid once again, his eyebrows furrowing, and his Adam’s apple involuntarily bobbed a few times. “Don’t play around.”
“Song Qiming,” Lin Yushu called out again, the weight of his head supported by his chin causing the flesh on his chin to inevitably form an upward curve, resembling a pouting expression, making him look somewhat aggrieved. “I want more.”
His eyes seemed to be accusing: How could you be like this? You don’t even have sincerity in giving gifts.
Teetering on the brink of collapse, Song Qiming moved his dry lips and squinted his eyes slightly as he asked, “Are you sure?”
Lin Yushu didn’t say a word but nodded as he looked at Song Qiming.
“…Alright,” Song Qiming flipped over once again and sealed Lin Yushu’s lips, “Fuck being a gentleman.”
