Chapter 53
The next day, on Sunday evening, they were in a private room at a Chinese restaurant.
The round table, which could accommodate more than ten people, was set for only three, making the spacious room seem unnecessary.
Song Qiming seemed curious and asked Lin Yushu while flipping through the menu, “Aren’t your sister-in-law and niece coming?”
“They’re not coming.” Lin Yushu sipped his tea and said leisurely, “My brother thought it was a work-related event.”
Yesterday, Lin Yushu had invited Lin Yuzhe for dinner with the intention of introducing Song Qiming to his brother. He just wanted it to be a casual dinner, but his brother insisted on booking this private room as soon as he heard that the new CEO of Yong Xing Group, Song Qiming, wanted to have a meal with him.
“So, he still doesn’t know about us,” Song Qiming said, closing the menu and handing it to the waiter.
“Probably not,” Lin Yushu replied. “But he knows you’re the new CEO.”
As he said that, Lin Yuzhe entered the room. Unlike the casually dressed two, he was wearing a three-piece suit with a tie, which Lin Yushu knew was reserved for special formal occasions.
“Sorry for being late.” Lin Yuzhe warmly extended his right hand and walked straight to Song Qiming. “Hello, Mr. Song.”
In fact, it wasn’t yet the agreed-upon time, but Lin Yushu and Song Qiming arrived earlier, so Lin Yuzhe used those social pleasantries.
It seemed a bit too formal.
Lin Yushu wanted his brother to relax a bit, but instead, Song Qiming stood up and shook hands with Lin Yuzhe, greeting him as “Big Brother.”
Lin Yuzhe’s face showed a hint of confusion, looking at Lin Yushu, “Big Brother?”
While Lin Yuzhe called Song Qiming “Mr. Song,” Song Qiming addressed Lin Yuzhe as “Big Brother,” which made the conversation feel awkward.
“It’s Mr. Lin,” Lin Yushu turned his face towards Lin Yuzhe but looked at Song Qiming, reminding him to change the way he addressed him.
Addressing him as “Big Brother” was not entirely incorrect, but Lin Yuzhe had set the tone for this dinner, and Lin Yushu could only go along with it for now.
“Mr. Lin,” Song Qiming obediently changed the way he addressed Lin Yuzhe, but this made Lin Yuzhe even more confused.
Indeed, it was a bit strange; Song Qiming had a higher rank than Lin Yushu, so Lin Yushu shouldn’t be instructing him on how to do things.
“Xiao Shu, you should sit up,” Lin Yuzhe frowned, “Mr. Song is your superior. How can you let him sit on the side?”
Alright, now Lin Yushu was certain that his brother didn’t know about his relationship with Song Qiming.
Song Qiming moved to the middle, sitting next to Lin Yuzhe, while Lin Yushu sat on the other side of Song Qiming.
Soon, the ordered dishes filled half the table, and Lin Yuzhe kept introducing the restaurant’s signature dishes, seemingly afraid that Song Qiming wouldn’t like the place.
Song Qiming, on the other hand, became a bit reserved, not used to Lin Yuzhe lowering his status like that.
The atmosphere of this dinner was indeed strange. After a few minutes, Lin Yushu couldn’t help but speak up, “Brother, we’re not here to talk about work. Just treat him as my friend.”
“Yes,” Song Qiming nodded, “I am friends with Lin Yushu.”
This title caught Lin Yuzhe off guard, and he asked in surprise, “When did you become friends?”
“That’s a long story,” Lin Yushu sipped some tea, “I occasionally go to Lu Zibo’s racetrack to play with cars, and he goes there too.”
“I see,” Lin Yuzhe nodded, loosening up and removing his tie. He became more laid-back while serving the food. “So, your dream came true.”
Uh-oh.
Lin Yushu quickly took the wine pourer and filled Song Qiming’s cup with white wine, trying to divert the topic. “Don’t let your cup be empty.”
But Song Qiming didn’t pay attention to Lin Yushu’s gesture and looked at Lin Yuzhe, asking, “What dream?”
“He…”
Cough!
Lin Yushu quickly cleared his throat loudly, but it was too late. Lin Yuzhe continued, “He admired you for a long time. You’re his idol, don’t you know?”
“Idol?” Song Qiming finally shifted his gaze to Lin Yushu, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I didn’t know. He never told me.”
“He has a lot of posters of your racing team in his bedroom, and he even downloaded that, uh, Instagram thing.”
Lin Yushu couldn’t help but facepalm.
“Instagram,” Song Qiming finished the sentence with a smile, looking at Lin Yushu. “So, you secretly follow me?”
“Yeah, so what?” Lin Yuzhe said, “Even his clothes are following you—”
“Brother!” Lin Yushu interrupted, furrowing his brows, and put down his chopsticks. He had said not to talk about work, yet here they were, back on the topic.
“Don’t you want to know about the future development plans for Yong Xing now that Mr. Song is the new CEO?” Lin Yushu tried to shift the conversation.
“Oh, uh,” Lin Yuzhe indeed was confused by Lin Yushu’s sudden shift, returning to the previous form of address, “Do you have the intention to share your plans, Mr. Song?”
“For now, the focus is still on S-power,” Song Qiming answered, hiding his smile. “We’re also planning to build an international-level racetrack.”
“I’ve heard about that,” Lin Yuzhe nodded, “It seems that you pushed President Shao out to compete for this project.”
“Yes, thanks to Xiaoshu,” Song Qiming said, picking up a piece of ribs and putting it into Lin Yushu’s bowl.
Lin Yuzhe’s expression became puzzled again, and Lin Yushu quickly asked, “By the way, Brother, have you heard anything else?”
“I did hear some rumors,” Lin Yuzhe put down his chopsticks, and Lin Yushu suddenly felt nervous, “Some say you offended the Shao family’s patriarch, is that true?”
So, it was about that incident.
Lin Yushu continued munching on the ribs, asking, “Who told you that?”
“Some people in the company were speculating,” Lin Yuzhe said, “But I haven’t seen you bothered by it.”
“I got demoted,” Lin Yushu said casually, “I’m back to being an acting CEO with manager-level benefits.”
“Then what’s the point?” Lin Yuzhe furrowed his brows, “Come back to the family company. This year, the company plans to hire an external CEO, and that position is yours. No one will object.”
The CEO of Xunjie Tram?
That doesn’t sound bad.
Lin Yushu thought while gnawing on the ribs.
“Wait a minute.” Suddenly, Song Qiming, seated in the middle, spoke up, “The demotion is temporary. I’ll do my best to reinstate him as the family company’s CEO.”
“But his position is a bit awkward now, isn’t it?” Lin Yuzhe’s attitude towards Song Qiming had always been polite, but now he suddenly became assertive, “Before, the two chairmen of your family were fighting secretly, and now it’s openly divided into two factions. How do you expect Yu-shu to handle being in the middle?”
“He’s not in the middle,” Song Qiming didn’t back down, “He’s with me.”
“But he will certainly face backlash from the other side.”
“I’ll protect him, and besides, he’s capable enough. Why wouldn’t it be him opposing the other side?”
Here it comes.
It seemed like Song Qiming never understood the traditional Chinese virtue of respecting elders and caring for the younger generation. He would argue with the elders if he wasn’t pleased.
“He’s my little brother. He went to Yong Xing to gain experience. Isn’t it reasonable for him to come back to the family company?” Although Lin Yuzhe maintained a calm tone, Lin Yushu knew his brother was a bit upset.
“He’s still my…”
“It’s my business where I work,” Lin Yushu quickly interrupted Song Qiming, then turned to Lin Yuzhe, “Let me think about it. I’ll give you an answer before the Chinese New Year.”
“Alright,” Lin Yuzhe said, “But make sure you think it through. You don’t need to care about what others think in your own family company.”
“And I don’t need to care about what others think when he’s by my side,” Song Qiming added, and couldn’t help but add, “Except for my grandfather.”
“But isn’t that still caring about what others think?”
“Well, he doesn’t often see my grandfather.”
The two seemed to be on the verge of an argument again. Just then, Lin Yushu’s phone suddenly vibrated. It was a call from Du Yu-fei.
He stood up, patted Song Qiming’s shoulder, and subtly reminded him not to say anything inappropriate, “This is my brother.”
After saying that, he added, “I’ll take a call,” and left the private room.
It wasn’t surprising that Du Yu-fei contacted him. As a related party, he must be well-informed about the board meeting. If he hadn’t come to talk to Lin Yushu, Lin Yushu would have found it strange.
“Senior.” Lin Yushu answered the phone.
“It’s a bit regretful, junior. We can’t cooperate anymore,” Du Yu-fei said nonchalantly.
“We may have opportunities in the future,” Lin Yushu replied.
“First of all, congratulations to Mr. Song.”
Congratulate Song Qiming? If he wanted to congratulate him, he could just contact Song Qiming directly. Lin Yushu knew that there was more to this phone call than just congratulations. Still, he went along, “I’ll convey your message.”
“Sure, let’s schedule a meal when we have the chance,” Du Yu-fei continued. Then he paused and said, “And then…”
“And then?” Lin Yushu asked.
“I’ve heard some rumors, of course, there’s no evidence. They’re probably just gossip…”
As expected, Du Yu-fei would come to inquire. After all, he was one of the very few who knew about Lin Yushu’s sexual orientation. But it reminded Lin Yushu that while the news had spread in their circle, there was still no concrete evidence. It was all just hearsay.
Presumably, this was why no one dared to talk about it in front of Lin Yuzhe.
“Are you and Song Qiming… together?” Du Yu-fei finally asked.
Lin Yushu instinctively wanted to say “no,” but he couldn’t help but think about the amusement park and the masks.
Do we still need to continue hiding?
If he admitted it now, it would probably reach Lin Yuzhe’s ears.
After all, his relationship with Du Yu-fei was only average, and he didn’t expect him to keep it a secret.
On the other hand, even if Du Yu-fei was someone with a tight-lipped character, he would surely think, since Lin Yushu was willing to admit it to him, then it must not be a big secret.
These thoughts only lingered in Lin Yushu’s mind for a short moment.
“Yes,” he heard himself say.
“I see.” Du Yu-fei let out a sigh of relief and resumed his light tone, smiling, “You’re making me regret it a bit.”
“Regret?” Lin Yushu didn’t understand.
“When we were in school,” Du Yu-fei reminded him, “Didn’t you confess to me? I regret not accepting it.”
Lin Yushu felt a bit embarrassed, “That’s all in the past.”
“Yeah, we were too young back then and didn’t know any better.” Du Yu-fei said, “Whether I accepted it or not, I shouldn’t have said those things to you.”
Was this a late apology?
Honestly, Lin Yushu didn’t feel much, but the awkwardness did ease a bit.
“We all have our young days,” he said.
At that time, he was the same, overconfident like a young boy.
If it were back then, being together with Song Qiming, he might have already brought him to his brother.
But on second thought, it was those experiences that shaped his current character. If he went back to his school days, who knows if Song Qiming would even like him now.
“As long as you don’t mind,” Du Yu-fei said, “I wish you both the best, and if there’s a chance in the future, I hope we can cooperate more.”
After hanging up the phone, Lin Yushu returned to the private room.
The white wine in the decanter was already almost gone. He couldn’t help but wonder, “Are you guys drinking so heavily?”
“Yu-shu,” Lin Yuzhe’s eyes were already a bit hazy, “As for the job, think it through. No matter what you decide, I’ll respect your choice.”
Lin Yushu took a sip of tea, looking at the somewhat dizzy Song Qiming, and asked, “Why did he change his mind?”
“Because he’s a good big brother,” Song Qiming said with a serious expression.
“Come on, Xiao Song, tonight we’re not going home until we’re drunk!”
“Absolutely!”
Seeing the camaraderie between the two brothers, Lin Yushu didn’t bother to get involved. He simply continued munching on the ribs, pondering how long it would take for the news about him and Song Qiming to reach his brother’s ears.
Du Yu-fei probably wouldn’t deliberately spread the news, but at parties, he might mention it unintentionally.
With the upcoming Chinese New Year and so many gatherings, most likely, the news would be common knowledge in their circle within a few days.
But it wasn’t a big deal. It would be best to hold on a bit longer, at least until after the Chinese New Year.
At least during the festive days, his brother’s face shouldn’t be too unpleasant…
Lin Yushu didn’t drink, so on the way back, he was the one driving.
Song Qiming was already completely unconscious from drinking, but as soon as Lin Yushu drove the car out of the parking lot, he woke up within minutes.
“You can hold your liquor.” Song Qiming opened a bottle of mineral water, a slight flush of alcohol still on his cheeks.
“Are you pretending to be drunk?” Lin Yushu raised an eyebrow, not entirely surprised.
They often drank together, and both knew that the other had a high alcohol tolerance. Lin Yushu had thought Song Qiming was really drunk, but now it seemed like he was just putting on an act.
“I have to pretend,” Song Qiming said, “Otherwise, I wouldn’t know when to stop drinking.”
“My brother seemed to enjoy himself,” Lin Yushu said, watching the road ahead, “He doesn’t seem like he’s pretending.”
“That’s good.” Song Qiming put the empty water bottle into the cup holder and adjusted his sitting posture, “I’ll take a nap, darling. Wake me up when we get home.”
“Sure.”
The bustling road soon became congested again, perfect for taking a nap.
Lin Yushu turned off the air circulation inside and outside the car to prevent the exhaust fumes from entering. He also tried to minimize the use of the brakes. After a while, Song Qiming’s breathing became steady, indicating that he had fallen asleep.
Lin Yushu idly thought about today’s performance by Song Qiming. He thought it deserved a score of ninety.
Apart from that initial confrontation with his brother, everything else went well. He believed that after coming out later, it should be easier…
About half an hour later, Lin Yushu drove the car near their apartment complex.
He hadn’t woken Song Qiming yet, unsure if he had rested enough. But Song Qiming woke up on his own, “Are we there?”
“Yeah.” Lin Yushu replied and remembered the argument between the two earlier. He asked, “My brother wants me to work at home. What do you think?”
“He said he respects your choice,” Song Qiming lazily rubbed the back of his neck.
“That’s just nice talk. He wants me to come back.”
“No,” Song Qiming stopped his movement and looked at Lin Yushu, “He really respects you.”
Lin Yushu found it strange, “Are you that certain?”
“Yes, he wants you to come back, but I don’t want you to. So, I gave him a solution.”
“What?” Lin Yushu asked.
“I said,” Song Qiming paused, “You and I should form an alliance, two families becoming one. That would solve the problem.”
It took Lin Yushu a moment to understand. He suddenly stepped on the brake, “Song Qiming!”
