Before she could take two steps, Chen Yuanxing jumped out of bed and hugged her waist tightly. Xiao Qiqi looked down at his bare arms and said, "Yuanxing, let go! You're going to freeze to death."
"No, sister, stay with me." She continued to whine, pressing her naked body against Xiao Qiqi's back, gasping, "It's so cold."
"Then why aren't you going back to bed?" Xiao Qiqi stomped her foot, unable to argue with him!
Finally, Chen Yuanxing succeeded again. Xiao Qiqi, her face cold, had her clothes ripped off by him, and the two snuggled together warmly. Xiao Qiqi was still a little breathless, so she squeezed Chen Yuanxing's strong arms hard under the covers. Chen Yuanxing grabbed her hands instead, rolled over, and pinned her beneath him. Xiao Qiqi closed her eyes. The room was dark with the lights off, only their slightly heavy breathing and the sound of skin rubbing together could be heard. Perhaps this was only the beginning.
The next morning, Xiao's mother cooked dumplings early and went upstairs to wake them. Pushing open the unlocked door, she saw two heads nestled together, their faces flushed from the cold or something else, their posture extremely natural and intimate. Xiao's mother quickly and quietly closed the door, then went downstairs, feeling melancholy for a long time. "A daughter is no longer under her mother's control once she grows up!"
Xiao Qiqi was unaware that her mother had witnessed this scene. She quickly and quietly woke Chen Yuanxing, and after listening carefully downstairs without any loud noises, she casually went downstairs. However, she found that her parents were not home, and there were already cooked dumplings left in the kitchen. Xiao Qiqi blushed and her heart pounded for a while. Could it be? It seems that the bedroom door was left unlocked last night.
Xiao Qiqi's parents weren't old-fashioned or conservative. When they returned, they didn't ask her about these things, which relieved her. The following days were naturally pleasant and happy. The warmth of her family allowed Xiao Qiqi to revert to her playful and mischievous nature, and Chen Yuanxing's handsomeness, politeness, and obedience won the approval of the Xiao family. Looking at her parents' joyful eyes, Xiao Qiqi would occasionally drift into a daze, wondering if her parents would be heartbroken if they knew her future with Chen Yuanxing wasn't bright.
Regardless, this spring was so beautiful and warm. Xiao Qiqi and Chen Yuanxing only returned to Beijing on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. Xiao Qiqi had to go back to work on the seventh, and even at home, she wasn't free. Zhang Xiaoyi had moved out before the New Year, and Xiao Qiqi had originally planned to have Chen Yuanxing move into that room, but since it was no longer needed, she wanted to rent it out again to save money. Chen Yuanxing objected, saying he wanted to keep it as a study and workspace. Xiao Qiqi then started demanding rent, but Chen Yuanxing nonchalantly pulled out a card, saying, "Xiao Qiqi, this is my salary card. From today onwards, you can keep it."
Xiao Qiqi looked at the bank card in surprise, "...Where did you get your salary card?"
"Hehe, of course I have a salary card from work. You've been saying you want to save money to buy a house all the time, so I'll help you save together."
Xiao Qiqi glanced at Chen Yuanxing's head-to-toe designer brands and smiled smugly. Chen Yuanxing shuddered and jumped back: "What kind of look is that?"
"Hehe, you eat my food, live in my house, I cook for you, do your laundry, clean, and take care of you, so of course we have to keep track of the money. Since you've given me your salary card to keep, then I won't be polite anymore. From now on, I'll take care of everything for you, including what you wear and eat!" Xiao Qiqi laughed smugly. "No designer brands! No meat! No taxis! No entertainment!"
"Huh?" Chen Yuanxing cried out and paced around the room. "Xiao Qiqi, you miser, give me back my salary card!"
Xiao Qiqi gave him a flirtatious wink, "Young Master Chen, do you understand that once you enter this door, you can never leave?"
Chen Yuanxing felt a chill, and from then on, his days of misery began.
Springtime brings the revival of all things, and the vibrant city rejuvenates the soul, brightens the eyes, and fills one with happiness.
Chen Yuanxing, wearing light yellow slippers with long furry rabbit print and a blue jacket that cost forty-two yuan, walked out of the alley, turned right, and entered another noisy and dirty alley, heading straight into a small shop called "Baodu Feng".
A boy of about twelve or thirteen years old emerged from the shop. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and as soon as he saw Chen Yuanxing, he grinned, revealing his large front teeth. "Young Master, you're here?"
Chen Yuanxing smiled faintly, his eyes narrowed, and hooked his index finger, exuding a roguish charm. The boy looked around mysteriously and ran over. Chen Yuanxing lowered his voice and said, "Erhu, did you play that game yesterday? How was it?" Erhu looked around. His mother was serving dishes to customers in the shop. His eyes lit up. "Young Master, can I play with your PSP for a few more days? I've had enough! Yesterday, several classmates snatched it away as soon as they saw it, so I only got to play it once." Chen Yuanxing pretended to be troubled. "That won't do. If your mom finds out I borrowed your game console, she'll probably hit me with a pot lid!"
Erhu's eyes lit up and he immediately realized something: "Young Master, my mom gave me some pocket money today, and I just bought a pork knuckle. I don't want to eat it, do you want some?"
Chen Yuanxing's eyes lit up, but he squinted hard, not revealing his emotions, and pondered. Erhu, seeing him pondering, was already anxious and took out a notebook from his pocket and handed it to Chen Yuanxing: "This is a collection of various game experiences I collected for you from your classmates."
Chen Yuanxing then raised an eyebrow in satisfaction, striking a heroic pose: "Alright, you can play with it for another two days."
"Wow!" Erhu jumped up. "Thank you, young master!" and ran off in a flash.
Erhu's mother poked her head out and called out, "Young Master, are you here for lunch? Qiqi told me that she'll give you an extra baked bun today!"
Chen Yuanxing immediately lost his spirits. Clutching the thirty ten-yuan bills he'd saved up for a month, he gritted his teeth, "Xiao Qiqi, you stingy woman, are you trying to starve me? Ten yuan a day for pocket money, and I still have to buy groceries for you! How am I supposed to live?" He looked up at the sky; not a cloud in sight, the clear blue sky as clean as a freshly peeled egg. Chen Yuanxing imagined it as Xiao Qiqi's fair face and couldn't help but swallow hard. Sigh, was that woman working overtime again?
He sauntered into the store, greeted Erhu's mother warmly, and complimented her on her new hairstyle. Erhu's mother beamed with joy and personally prepared some tripe, then looked at Chen Yuanxing curiously and asked, "Young Master, where did you buy your clothes?"
Chen Yuanxing's eyes widened in horror as he looked down at the clothes Xiao Qiqi had forcibly shoved onto him—a shirt he'd bargained down to 42 yuan at the market. "...No, I didn't buy it anywhere. Oh, no, Qiqi bought it. I don't know." He shuddered. When had he, Chen Yuanxing, ever been so embarrassed? Look at that woman, always dressed so extravagantly. Did he think he couldn't wear designer brands just because he worked from home?
Erhu's mother was clearly a little disappointed. "Then I'll ask Qiqi later and buy one for Lao Feng too."
Chen Yuanxing spat out the tripe in his mouth. "Don't panic, don't panic, don't choke!" He angrily and resolutely ordered a bottle of beer, gulping down a large glass in one go, panting heavily. "Xiao Qiqi, you actually made me wear my uncle's clothes? And you won't let me go to fancy restaurants? You won't let me look at pretty girls?"
Chen Yuanxing slammed his fist on the table and stood up, determined to rebel! He strode out of Baodu Feng's place with his head held high and his phoenix eyes blazing with intense fire. "Nora dares to run away! What chance do I, a grown man, have?"
Xiao Qiqi was incredibly busy with a new project. Looking at his watch, it was almost time to leave work, and he wondered if Chen Yuanxing had eaten. He couldn't cook for him because he was working overtime, so he suggested Chen Yuanxing eat at the food street next door. But eating out was no good; it would ruin his stomach eventually, just like Xiao Qiqi himself. He was so busy he often missed meals, and now he had developed stomach problems, even unable to tolerate cold water. Chen Yuanxing was a picky eater, and he didn't want him to develop any health issues. But he had no choice; he knew he'd be getting home very late, so he called Chen Yuanxing while he went to the restroom.
"Yuanxing..." Before Xiao Qiqi could speak, they heard the whooshing sound of the wind. "Hey, where are you?"
Chen Yuanxing's voice was hoarse: "In the taxi!"
"Where are you going? Have you eaten? I'm going tonight..."
"Working overtime, right?" Chen Yuanxing asked in a strange tone. "Don't rush, take your time working overtime, I won't starve!"
Xiao Qiqi ignored his anger and suddenly remembered to ask, "Why did you take a taxi?"
"I'll sit down, what about you?" Chen Yuanxing's wicked voice was roguish. "And let me tell you, I've made a date with a beautiful woman today, we're going out for a big meal! You stingy woman, you can go back to work overtime!"
"What did you say..." Before Xiao Qiqi could finish speaking, a busy tone came from the other end. Xiao Qiqi looked at her phone, puzzled, and shook her head. She thought, "She's just a kid. She throws a tantrum because I work overtime. Oh well, I'll just coax her when I get back."
37. Extramarital Affairs
With the heart of a hero, Chen Yuanxing hung up the phone. Seeing a barbecue restaurant by the roadside, he told the driver to stop, jumped out, and looked at himself. Ah, it was all his old clothes—he looked incredibly handsome! How could cheap clothes costing only a few dozen yuan match his perfectly proportioned physique? He checked his pockets and found only 283 yuan left after deducting the fare. How many pieces of barbecue could that buy? Frustrated!
The flashing neon lights of the barbecue restaurant were incredibly tempting to Chen Yuanxing. He bit his lip and decided to go in first. He had only taken two steps when his expression changed. It was too late to turn around and leave, so he quickly lowered his head and pretended to move aside unintentionally.
As several men and women walked past, Chen Yuanxing breathed a sigh of relief, looked up, and couldn't help but glance at their backs. Unexpectedly, he met a pair of eyes of the same color that were looking back at him. The man frowned slightly, turned his head and said something to the woman beside him, and walked over.
Chen Yuanxing awkwardly lowered his head and then looked up again, calling out, "Dad!"
Chen Yifan's smug and gentle smile vanished, and he said in a deep voice, "You still know I'm your father!"
Chen Yuanxing turned his head to look at the parking lot next to him. The woman looked very familiar. She had already gotten into his father's car. He smirked and said, "She's a hot girl."
Chen Yifan shook his head helplessly, "When will you be willing to come home?"
"No reply." Chen Yuanxing refused decisively.
"It's better if you don't come back. You should suffer a bit out there." Chen Yifan said sternly, but his eyes couldn't hide his worry. His eyes, which were very similar to Chen Yuanxing's, looked Chen Yuanxing up and down several times, and finally his gaze settled on his feet. Chen Yuanxing cursed inwardly. He had forgotten to change his shoes. He was wearing the cheap ones that Xiao Qiqi had bought!
Chen Yifan sighed inwardly, "Then when I go back to work at the company, I'll start from the bottom."
"I'm not going!"
Chen Yifan's eyes narrowed. "Yuanxing, don't be so reckless! I won't say anything if you don't go abroad or come home for a woman. After all, men are like that; everyone gets carried away when they're young. But the family business isn't something you can just quit. It's settled then. Go to Huayuan Building tomorrow, and I'll have someone arrange a position for you."
"Dad!" Chen Yuanxing frowned. "I have my own things to do and don't want to get involved in your businesses. Also, you sent people to investigate me?"
"Investigate you? You're my son, and you haven't been home for over a year. Am I really not going to ask you anything? Besides, what kind of business is it for you and Zijian to play those games and have fun?" People come and go from the barbecue restaurant, and this outstanding father and son standing on the roadside talking has long attracted attention.
Fearing that standing there any longer would attract reporters and paparazzi, Chen Yifan said, "How about this, I have something to do tonight. Go home or come to the company tomorrow and we can talk again."
"We have nothing to talk about," Chen Yuanxing said stiffly, a nonchalant smile on his face.
Chen Yifan looked at his only son, whose smile was almost identical to his own, sighed, took out a card from his pocket and stuffed it into his hand, "Look at the state you've created for yourself, and you're still having a good time! You should have made a lot of money from the things you made for Zijian Company, why don't you buy yourself some nicer clothes and shoes?"
"Dad!" Chen Yuanxing was holding his father's card, about to return it, when he saw his father turn and leave. "Remember to come see me tomorrow."
Chen Yuanxing looked at the credit card and muttered, "You think I'll just go because you tell me to?"
Chen Yuanxing watched his father's car speed away before turning to look at the barbecue restaurant. He figured he should fill his stomach first and worry about tomorrow later.
He skillfully ordered his favorite barbecue, quickly calculated the price, and considered whether to order another serving or save the money for a taxi back. Suddenly, a charming woman in a white bodysuit and black long skirt sat down in front of him. Chen Yuanxing noticed the woman's prominent breasts, slowly crossed his hands on the table, and stared at her intently without saying a word.
The woman had expected Chen Yuanxing to ask her why she was sitting there, but seeing his deep eyes fixed on her without revealing his expression, she became flustered. She tossed her large, curly hair and said with a coquettish smile, "Sir, may I sit here?"
Chen Yuanxing narrowed his phoenix eyes, a slight smile playing on his handsome lips. "Hasn't Miss already sat down?"
"Hehe..." The woman's laughter was as charming as she was. Chen Yuanxing secretly admired her; this woman was indeed very attractive.
"Sir, would you like to order anything else?" The waiter next to them was clearly getting impatient with their flirting.
"Of course I'll order it." The woman's slightly husky voice was low as she looked at Chen Yuanxing with alluring eyes. "What do you think?"
Chen Yuanxing quickly nodded, and continued her words: "Yes!"
The woman chuckled smugly, clearly already in character. She propped her chin on her slender fingers with dark red nail polish, parted her lips slightly, and ordered several extremely expensive seafood dishes.
Chen Yuanxing remained calm. Since he hadn't ordered it himself, she could order and pay for it herself; he only had 283 yuan in his pocket. The woman clearly thought Chen Yuanxing had taken the bait. "My name is Liu Yingying. What's your name, sir?"
"Let's just call her Cui Yingying," Chen Yuanxing said, then smiled sheepishly because Liu Yingying was pouting.
"Oh, you're so annoying! It's a pity my dad's surname isn't Cui," Liu Yingying giggled. "You still haven't told me your name!"
Chen Yuanxing found Liu Yingying charming and interesting, much better than that woman's fierce demeanor. The comparison made him feel resentful, and this resentment fueled his anger. In his anger, his true nature began to surface; he'd known how to seduce women since he was three. This time, he was determined to show that woman his power and make her realize the danger she was in. Who told her to be so cruel to him?
So Chen Yuanxing and Liu Yingying quickly became very affectionate, almost touching heads, chatting and joking, being incredibly intimate. However, when it came time to pay the bill, Chen Yuanxing regretted it. Damn it, he forgot about number 283. Now that he was so familiar with Cui Yingying, he couldn't very well say, "You pay the bill, beautiful lady?"
Seeing Chen Yuanxing hesitate, Liu Yingying's eyes flashed with surprise. She had clearly seen Chen Yifan and him acting very familiar with each other. Could someone Chen Yifan knew be so poor that he couldn't pay the bill? Looking down at his cheap shoes, she felt even more unlucky!
Chen Yuanxing, of course, didn't notice Liu Yingying's expression and couldn't guess her thoughts. He fumbled for the card. Using it seemed spineless, but not using it... Well, might as well use it. His father had plenty of money anyway; if he didn't spend it, it would all be spent on unrelated women or simply sitting in the bank until he died. He might as well spend it for him! Besides, he'd been spending his money with a clear conscience for over twenty years; what did he care about this one time? He slammed the gold card down. "Swipe!"
Liu Yingying's eyes lit up when she saw the glittering gold card. She hadn't been wrong about him! He really was a big spender!
After paying the bill and coming out, Chen Yuanxing checked the time and realized it was still early. Was that woman still working overtime? The thought of going home alone made Chen Yuanxing angry. Why should he have to stay at home with a complaining woman? So he winked at Liu Yingying and said, "Beautiful lady, how about you go to a bar for a drink?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yingying immediately snuggled closer, resting her soft, large breasts against Chen Yuanxing's arm: "Oh, Mr. Chen, you really know how to talk! But it's not bad that you treat me to dinner and I'll treat you to drinks."
Chen Yuanxing felt a chill run down his spine as he felt Liu Yingying's soft touch. This feeling was completely different from the one he had felt with that woman's firm, bouncy body! He politely took a half step back to avoid Liu Yingying's chest before the two of them took a taxi to the bar.
Chen Yuanxing walked into his usual bar, where bartender Xiao J spotted him immediately and couldn't help but tease, "Young Master, how long have you been gone? We all thought you went abroad."
Chen Yuanxing tapped the table, "Enough nonsense..." Before he could finish speaking, he was slapped hard across the face. Turning around, he saw Zhou Zijian.
"Young Master, really?" Zhou Zijian's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He looked at Liu Yingying, then patted Chen Yuanxing's other shoulder knowingly. "Young Master! I support you! Hanging out with that kind of thorny tree will either kill you with pricks or make you bored to death. Life is too short; a man should go out and have his fun!"
Seeing that the others who had gathered around were all familiar faces, Chen Yuanxing glared at Zhou Zijian, signaling him to shut up. Zhou Zijian naturally shut up and slammed his hand on the table, shouting to Little J, "Whiskey, come on up! We're going to party tonight!"
Seeing that everyone was making a fuss, Chen Yuanxing hesitated. Zhou Zijian deliberately said loudly, "Young Master, aren't you afraid that your wife will blame you if you get drunk?" None of the people were easy to deal with, and they all started shouting.
Chen Yuanxing was provoked and slammed his fist on the table. "Whisky is whiskey! Have I, Young Master Chen, ever been afraid of you?!"
Zhou Zijian then led the whistling, and everyone applauded. Liu Yingying's eyes lit up with allure, and she practically nestled into Chen Yuanxing's arms. Seeing this, Zhou Zijian mischievously winked at Chen Yuanxing. Chen Yuanxing, in a fit of temper, grabbed Liu Yingying and poured himself a drink. Liu Yingying, of course, understood, tilted her head back, and drank it down, smiling seductively.
The rest of the noise and chaos are not worth mentioning; everyone was used to playing and drinking together. Chen Yuanxing even jumped onto the stage and frantically played the drums, performing a duet with Zhou Zijian in his hoarse voice.
Finally, everyone was so drunk they were practically staggering as they left the bar. Liu Yingying naturally supported Chen Yuanxing, practically wanting to throw her entire chest at him. Zhou Zijian leaned against the car, winking at Chen Yuanxing. Chen Yuanxing reluctantly shook off Liu Yingying's hand, his peach blossom eyes particularly hazy with drunkenness, "Old Zhou!"
Zhou Zijian stopped laughing, stared intently at Chen Yuanxing, and finally sighed. He then called his driver to come and get the car, saying, "I give up. You have such a reputation as a playboy, but I've never seen you actually do anything for real!"
Liu Yingying was puzzled by Zhou Zijian's words. Didn't everyone usually go off to do whatever they wanted with their female companions after drinking? Why was this sugar daddy clinging to Zhou Zijian's car? "Young Master, I..."
Chen Yuanxing turned back and smiled apologetically at her: "Miss Liu, there are taxis over there. You can go back by yourself. I'm drunk now, so I'm sorry I can't take you."
Liu Yingying was speechless again until Zhou Zijian impatiently waved for a car, and she reluctantly got in and left.
"Young Master, why are you doing this! It's just for fun." Zhou Zijian watched Liu Yingying get into the car and shook his head: "What a charming woman, she'll definitely be amazing!"
Chen Yuanxing glared at Zhou Zijian, "Stop talking nonsense! Do you think everyone is like you?" His head was pounding, and those unpleasant thoughts naturally surfaced. "Heh heh, remember Huang Ling?"
"Who is Huang Ling?" Zhou Zijian thought for a while, then slapped his forehead. "I remember now, she's a pure and sweet little star. You and Xiao Qiqi even had dinner together."
"I slept in his bed tonight!" Chen Yuanxing turned around and sat on the hood of the car. "Old Zhou, why did you have to learn to play around with women? Is it fun?"
This was the first time Zhou Zijian had seen Chen Yuanxing so serious, so he also dropped his playful expression. "...Young Master, don't be so stubborn! What's a little trouble for people like us!"
Chen Yuanxing squinted at the night sky, "But I don't want that. I just want to live a peaceful life with one woman, from youthful beauty to old age, sharing pots and pans and growing old together. Isn't it good to stay with one person and one home? Why should I mess around for fame, fortune, and desire? So, Lao Zhou, you can laugh at me, I don't care."
Zhou Zijian fell silent. He and Chen Yuanxing had grown up together and knew his family intimately; both came from high-ranking official families. But Chen Yuanxing had always been gentle and low-key, rarely displaying the arrogance and bullying typical of a spoiled young master. As he grew older, he became remarkably cheerful, generous, and kind. His mentality was exceptionally good. Perhaps it was because he had witnessed his parents' coldness in their relationship, or perhaps it was because he had seen his father's philandering and his mother's cold-hearted competence, that he himself had become a sensitive, tender person. He possessed an unexpected persistence in relationships and a special longing for warmth and tranquility. Perhaps this was also the reason for his unusually persistent devotion to Xiao Qiqi.