Chapter 54
The beginning of a new week, and Lin Yushu headed to the Yong Xing Tower for work as usual.
As he stepped out of the elevator, the receptionist greeted him as always, but this time, he noticed a hint of gossip in their eyes. Perhaps it was just his imagination, or maybe not. But he didn’t find it important.
Instead of dwelling on that, Lin Yushu had more important things to do. He entered his office, closed the door, and called his older brother, Lin Yuzhe.
Last night, he had been scared half to death by Song Qiming’s confession, and he had intended to call his brother right away to ask about it. However, considering that Lin Yuzhe had been quite drunk, he postponed the conversation until today.
After two rings, Lin Yuzhe’s voice came through the phone, “Xiao Shu?”
“Brother, are you feeling okay today?”
“I’m fine. Your sister-in-law made me a hangover soup.”
“That’s good.” Lin Yushu hesitated before asking, “So, how was your conversation with Song Qiming yesterday?”
“It was fine,” Lin Yuzhe replied, “He’s a young man with interesting ideas.”
“And the proposal he gave you,” Lin Yushu paused, “Do you think it’s okay?”
“What’s wrong with it?” Lin Yuzhe said in a relaxed tone, “I’ve already told you that I support you in forming a strategic alliance. Now that it’s with Yong Xing Group, isn’t that perfect?”
Lin Yushu found it strange that his brother was so open-minded. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what felt off, but he thought that Song Qiming was a capable guy.
Just as he was about to ask his brother how he could accept this, Lin Yuzhe continued, “So, your strategic alliance partner is Shao Hexu’s eldest daughter, right?”
Lin Yushu: “?”
“I and your sister-in-law think she’s good. You are of similar age and suitable in status.”
Lin Yushu: “…”
“But if it’s a marriage in, I think you should reconsider.” Lin Yuzhe continued, “Of course, your sister-in-law and I respect your choice.”
It was clear that they were not on the same page. Lin Yushu felt relieved yet pressured at the same time.
If he blindly let Song Qiming help him come out to his brother, that might not be a good idea.
“Really?” he asked, “Do you really respect my choice?”
“Of course, you’re already an adult.”
“In that case—”
The words were on the tip of Lin Yushu’s tongue, but he swallowed them back. Coming out over the phone didn’t seem like a good option.
“What is it?” Lin Yuzhe asked.
“It’s nothing,” Lin Yushu said, “He just casually mentioned the strategic alliance. Don’t take it seriously.”
After hanging up the phone, Lin Yushu started dealing with the work emails he had accumulated over the weekend.
Shao Zhenbang’s autobiography was already in the production phase, and it would be ready for release in about two months. Shao Zhenbang had previously instructed that if his health allowed it, he wanted Lin Yushu to arrange a book launch event.
The personnel appointment notice for the CEO of Yong Xing Motors had also come down. Shao Guangjie had been removed from his position, but it was still uncertain where he would be reassigned.
Time passed quickly as he dealt with various tasks. When Lin Yushu replied to the last email, the internal phone suddenly rang, and it was a call from the reception.
“Mr. Lin, can you come to Mr. Shao’s office? We need you to mediate something.” The receptionist said.
“Mediate?” Lin Yushu couldn’t help but wonder.
“It’s about the handover of work…”
The receptionist only mentioned a keyword, and Lin Yushu understood what it was about.
He went to Shao Guangjie’s office and indeed found Song Qiming, Shao Guangjie’s assistant, and Li, the director of the administration department.
“Mr. Lin, it’s like this,” Li explained, “After Mr. Shao was removed from his position…”
“I know,” Lin Yushu interrupted, “The office should be given to Mr. Song.”
“Is it that urgent?” Shao Guangjie’s assistant retorted, “Mr. Shao hasn’t found a new position yet. It’s almost Chinese New Year. Why do we have to change offices at this time?”
Lin Yushu asked, “Where is Mr. Shao?”
“He’s not at the office.” Song Qiming leaned lazily against the door, appearing as if it had nothing to do with him.
“It’s not a matter of urgency,” Li said hesitantly, “It’s just a normal procedure. The personnel notice has already been issued, and we hope you can cooperate.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to cooperate. You’re putting me in a difficult position,” Shao Guangjie’s assistant said, “Mr. Shao hasn’t been contacted yet. If he comes back and sees that the office has changed, how do I explain it to him?”
“I don’t think we should delay this matter,” Li said with difficulty.
“It can be done, but ask for Mr. Shao’s opinion first.”
The two began to argue, and Lin Yushu looked at Song Qiming, who just shrugged, as if to say, “I can’t do anything about it either.”
In fact, Song Qiming could do something about it. He just needed to save face and not insist on this office.
However, Song Qiming didn’t take a stand, and the administrative department naturally followed the standard procedure. With one side being the boss’s assistant and the other side being the boss himself, even a fool would know which side to avoid offending.
“Enough,” Lin Yushu interrupted the two, but he didn’t play the peacemaker role, “This office will be given to Mr. Song, that’s final.”
“Mr. Lin, this doesn’t seem appropriate,” the assistant frowned, “How do I explain this to Mr. Shao?”
“What’s the problem? Tell him to talk to me.”
Since Lin Yushu had spoken, the assistant didn’t have much to say and could only start packing up Shao Guangjie’s things.
However, he noticed a strange look in Lin Yushu and Song Qiming’s eyes, and this time Lin Yushu was sure it wasn’t his imagination.
“Aren’t you worried about rumors spreading?” Outside the office, by a window that no one approached, Song Qiming looked at Lin Yushu and asked.
“Sooner or later,” Lin Yushu felt a bit reckless, “I’m sure they’re already starting to talk.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Song Qiming raised his hand and nonchalantly pinched Lin Yushu’s cheek, “When we have our wedding, they won’t have anything to say.”
Lin Yushu moved his head aside to evade Song Qiming’s teasing touch, “Wedding?”
Did this German guy need to progress so fast?
“Your brother already agreed to the strategic alliance, right?” Song Qiming said, “Although we’ve been together for a short time, it’s sufficient for a strategic alliance.”
Talking about this made Lin Yushu somewhat speechless.
“He thought it was an alliance with Shao Zhenrui.”
“What?” Song Qiming looked confused, “I told him it was with me.”
“How much did he drink at that time?” Lin Yushu asked.
“Okay,” Song Qiming thoughtfully stroked his chin, “I’ll talk to him later.”
“No!” Lin Yushu quickly stopped Song Qiming, “I’ll talk to him on Chinese New Year’s Eve. Please don’t make it more complicated for me.”
“Alright, should I still book the plane ticket?”
Song Qiming had booked a plane ticket to Germany on the first day of Chinese New Year. They would spend the New Year separately with their families and depart for Germany the next day.
Although they had been busy with many transition matters, Song Qiming naturally postponed everything until after the New Year due to Shao Guangjie’s lack of cooperation.
As for Lin Yushu, he wasn’t really focused on work, and all the non-urgent matters were postponed.
So whether their trip to Germany would be enjoyable would depend on how smoothly Lin Yushu’s coming out would go on New Year’s Eve.
On New Year’s Eve, Lin Yushu arrived early at Lin Yuzhe’s home.
Their family was small, with only Lin Yuzhe’s family and Lin Yushu, the “bachelor.” Over the years, they hadn’t developed the habit of going out for a reunion dinner.
Lin Yuzhe’s wife, He Yanjun, prepared a table of delicious dishes, with the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall dish taking the most time to prepare and wasn’t eaten until the evening meal.
“Brother, I really envy you,” Lin Yushu said while chewing on the abalone, “You’re so fortunate to marry your wife.”
“Don’t say that,” He Yanjun patted Lin Yushu’s shoulder, “Your brother is good at cooking too.”
Lin Yushu was raised by his brother and naturally knew that Lin Yuzhe was skilled in cooking.
As for the cooking praised by Song Qiming, he had learned that from Lin Yuzhe.
“How’s your fiancée?” Lin Xixi bit her chopsticks and looked at Lin Yushu, “I heard she’s the second daughter of the Shao family?”
Again with the “second daughter” and “Miss,” it was obvious that she had read too many gossip magazines.
Lin Yushu picked up another piece of sea cucumber and put it in his mouth, saying, “None of your business.”
“What about your wedding,” Lin Xixi apparently couldn’t be easily brushed off and continued, “Has Shao Guangjie agreed?”
Just as he took a bite of the sea cucumber, Lin Yushu almost choked. He put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin, asking curiously, “What makes you think that?”
Of course, it was indeed Shao Guangjie’s business, but Lin Yushu didn’t know why Lin Xixi thought this way.
On the TV, the Spring Festival Gala began with singing, almost drowning out the conversation at the dinner table.
“Is this a new host this year?” Lin Yuzhe asked.
“He was here last year too. You must not have paid attention.”
Both of them focused on the TV screen.
“While I don’t really believe it,” Lin Xixi leaned closer to Lin Yushu and lowered her voice, “I saw gossip saying that you’re his new boyfriend.”
Lin Yushu: “…”
Don’t high school girls study anymore?
“Where did you hear such gossip?” he asked, pretending to be calm.
“Someone on Xiaohongshu captured photos of Song Qiming and his boyfriend on a date,” Lin Xixi took out her phone and quickly found the post, “Some say the guy in the baseball cap is a popular idol, and it seems quite plausible.”
In just a few days, the post had already accumulated thousands of comments.
The highest-rated reply claimed to be an insider, stating that the handsome guy in the baseball cap was an artist from a certain entertainment company.
Darn it.
Lin Yushu felt like swearing.
He had already appeared as Song Qiming’s legitimate boyfriend, why weren’t these gossipers giving them proper recognition?!
People are full of contradictions. Lin Yushu was both afraid that he and Song Qiming would be exposed by the media prematurely and worried that people would make up false rumors if he wasn’t out yet.
“Look, there’s a comment saying it’s the CEO of the Shao family,” — probably an employee from Yong Xing.
Holding a glass of orange juice, Lin Yushu asked with a dignified tone, “Why do you assume it’s not me?”
“It doesn’t look like you at all,” Lin Xixi also picked up a glass of orange juice, taking a sip while flipping through the paparazzi pictures taken from afar, “You would never wear jeans.”
“That’s a disguise,” Lin Yushu said calmly.
“?”
Suddenly understanding Lin Yushu’s implication, Lin Xixi widened her eyes in surprise, and the orange juice almost spewed out of her mouth and back into the cup.
“Xixi, what are you doing!” He Yanjun quickly handed her a tissue, “Is it dirty?”
“Cough, it’s too sour,” Lin Xixi wiped her chin, and when He Yanjun turned her head to watch the TV again, she suppressed her shock and leaned closer to Lin Yushu, “Why are you like this, Xiaoshu?!”
Xiaoshu, with the same pronunciation as “Little Uncle,” Lin Xixi sometimes used it formally and sometimes teasingly, and even Lin Yushu couldn’t tell which was which in this sentence.
“Did I shock you?” Lin Yushu buried his head and ate the fish maw, speaking softly.
“Scared me to death,” Lin Xixi said, seeming afraid that Lin Yushu would say she was inexperienced, then changed her tone, “It’s not surprising that you like men, but I never thought you could attract Song Qiming.”
Lin Yushu looked at the table across from him nervously, but fortunately, the lively song and dance performance on TV still had Lin Yuzhe and He Yanjun’s attention.
“He pursued me,” Lin Yushu whispered.
“Damn!”
This time Lin Xixi didn’t pay attention to her volume, and He Yanjun frowned, “What are you doing?”
“It’s a lively performance this year,” Lin Xixi took a big gulp of orange juice.
However, right after she said that, the song and dance performance ended, and the following program was a sketch.
Sketches were not as noisy as the song and dance performances, and Lin Xixi couldn’t speak anymore. She could only fidget, looking frustrated.
Before long, Lin Yushu’s phone vibrated, and it was a message from Lin Xixi.
【Lin Xixi: Gopher screaming.jpg】
【Lin Xixi: How come you can be with your idol!!】
Lin Yushu replied slowly with his left hand.
【Lin Yushu: Not true】
【Lin Yushu: Aren’t you curious how I like men?】
Lin Xixi used both thumbs to rapidly type on the screen.
【Lin Xixi: I have thought about it, but I wasn’t sure】
【Lin Xixi: But who asked you not to mention having a girlfriend all this time】
【Lin Xixi: But I did pull you together with my classmate’s brother】
【Lin Yushu: ?】
【Lin Xixi: Song Qiming is not bad, you’re impressive】
【Lin Xixi: Now you’re my idol too】
【Lin Xixi: I also want to sleep with my idol】
Lin Yushu felt three black lines on his forehead.
【Lin Yushu: Focus on your studies】
After a few more sketches and crosstalk performances, the TV finally returned to lively song and dance performances.
Lin Xixi put down her phone, and with her elbow, she nudged Lin Yushu and asked in a low voice, “Wait a minute, weren’t you supposed to be engaged to Shao Zhenrui?”
“No, my brother misunderstood,” Lin Yushu said, “Song Qiming said it’s with him.”
“He’s so bold?!” Lin Xixi frowned, showing even more concern than Lin Yushu, “But if my dad didn’t hear wrong, he probably won’t agree, right?”
“I don’t know,” Lin Yushu said, “I’ll ask later.”
“What are you doing?” Lin Xixi suddenly widened her eyes, apparently understanding Lin Yushu’s intention.
She admiringly gave him a thumbs-up and said in a low voice, “Don’t worry! I’ll do my best to help you, even if it means breaking off relations with my dad!”
Lin Yushu: “…”
“Just now, the two of you have been whispering about something. What’s going on?” Lin Yuzhe finally looked over. Perhaps because he was about to “lose” his daughter, he felt a subconscious guidance.
“Dad, my uncle has something to tell you,” Lin Xixi said with a serious face.
Although she was throwing Lin Yushu under the bus, it had to be said that with her support, Lin Yushu’s burden did lighten quite a bit.
“Brother,” Lin Yushu pursed his lips and slowly began, “About the engagement…”
“What’s wrong?” Lin Yuzhe asked, “Didn’t you tell me not to take it seriously?”
“I mean, you don’t need to take it seriously,” Lin Yushu said, “But if there’s really an engagement, the other party…”
“Isn’t it Shao Zhenrui?” He Yanjun chimed in, “She’s quite good.”
“She is good,” Lin Yushu took a deep breath and mustered his courage, “But the person I’m engaged to is—”
The sudden vibration of his phone interrupted the second half of Lin Yushu’s sentence. Lin Xixi, looking like she was about to see the most exciting part of a show, glanced disapprovingly at the one who interrupted their conversation.
However, when she saw the caller ID displaying “Song Qiming,” her expression softened instantly.
“Let him answer the call first.” For some reason, she decided to play the role of mediator.
Lin Yushu would have answered the call first anyway because in general, Song Qiming wouldn’t call out of the blue like this.
Judging by the time, Song Qiming should be spending New Year’s Eve with his family. Could it be that he also brought up the engagement with Lin Yushu over there and turned the Shao family’s peaceful New Year’s Eve upside down?
But something felt off to Lin Yushu. After all, Song Qiming wasn’t close to those relatives, so there was no need to specially mention their relationship during the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Thinking through all these thoughts, Lin Yushu suddenly realized that this call might be very important.
And indeed, it was.
“Come to the hospital quickly,” Song Qiming’s anxious voice came from the other end of the phone, “Grandpa is in critical condition.”
