Bai Yanfei spoke softly, sitting on the edge of the bed while Ling Zeyu stood beside him. The two did not look at each other; the dim light of the bedside lamp cast a long shadow of Ling Zeyu, giving him a somewhat dejected appearance.
“I know, but you let me move in.”
"That was out of necessity, you're so annoying."
"So, do you like me being this annoying?"
Bai Yanfei fell silent. He didn't know if he liked it or not, but every day when he came home from get off work and saw Ling Zeyu cooking in the kitchen or waiting for him with the TV on in the living room, he felt a sense of home.
Before, when he came home from school, only the servants would wait for him; Bai Zhenrong and Zhang Rongrong would only welcome Bai Yifei. He was like an orphan, watching the family of three reunite.
Occasionally, Bai Zhenrong would notice that Bai Yanfei was unhappy and would come over to buy him candy, but that candy was no longer the kind that Bai Yanfei liked.
“You didn’t reject me.” Ling Zeyu knew he was forcing Bai Yanfei. He tested Bai Yanfei’s bottom line step by step and finally succeeded in moving into Bai Yanfei’s house.
"Yes, I didn't reject you, but I didn't accept you either." Bai Yanfei lowered his head and remained silent for a long time. "You can continue to live with me, but I have a condition."
“Okay, go ahead.” Ling Zeyu knew this was his chance, and since Bai Yanfei had spoken, he would definitely agree.
"We're roommates, so you can treat this place as your own, but—I'm not one of yours, do you understand what I mean?"
Bai Yanfei raised his head. This was a decision he had thought about for a long time. He couldn't forgive Ling Zeyu in such a short time. He had pursued Ling Zeyu for four years. For four years, he had loved this person wholeheartedly, regarding Ling Zeyu as a ray of light in his life.
Four years. How many four-year periods does one have in a lifetime?
Those four years were tough, but also very happy. He followed in Ling Zeyu's footsteps and has now become an excellent designer himself. He's slowly getting what he wants, but he still feels empty inside.
During those four years, although he was very busy, he felt fulfilled and happy, and he knew that most of this happiness was given to him by Ling Zeyu.
But Ling Zeyu's actions haunted him; it felt like his house had collapsed. He wanted to trust Ling Zeyu again, but that was incredibly difficult.
Ling Zeyu can only pin his hopes on Bai Yanfei's four-year relationship. He doesn't urge Bai Yanfei, knowing that Bai Yanfei needs to think things through, and he... also needs to calm down.
Rebuilding a house after it collapses is not an easy task, especially since Bai Yanfei wants a house exactly the same as the one before.
"You can't tell anyone we're a couple. We're just roommates. I'm letting you stay here, but of course, you can leave anytime..."
Before Bai Yanfei could finish speaking, Ling Zeyu interrupted him: "I won't leave, even if you try to drive me away, I won't go."
"So, do you agree to everything I've said?" Bai Yanfei asked softly. He knew that his conditions were unreasonable; he hadn't given Ling Zeyu what he wanted most, and he wouldn't give it to him.
“Okay, I respect your decision.” Ling Zeyu walked to the bedside and slowly sat down. “Then can I also make a request, a very small one?”
"You go first."
“You resign and go back to work for Ling’s. I can offer you a higher salary, and I’ll pay your breach of contract penalty. I don’t want you to work for Lu Qianyi anymore. That’s my only request. I’ll do whatever you say.”
“Go and tell Lu Qianyi yourself. If he fires me, I naturally won’t stay.”
Ling Zeyu knew exactly what Bai Yanfei was thinking. He took a step closer to Bai Yanfei, who tried to dodge, but Ling Zeyu grabbed his hand.
"Be careful, I'm injured. If you touch my wound, I won't be able to see anyone for a while."
Seeing that Bai Yanfei did not refuse him, Ling Zeyu pressed his advantage further: "If Lu Qianyi asks you to resign, will you come to Ling's?"
"No." Bai Yanfei tilted his head and smiled at Ling Zeyu. "You're overthinking it. I won't go to Ling's. I'll leave when my contract expires."
Ling Zeyu saw ambition in Bai Yanfei's eyes. He smiled and said, "So, do you want to go solo? Or rebuild your own studio? I can help you with either. Just let me know what you need. I'll give you a few plans in a few days. After you've looked at them, we can talk about the rest. Don't rush to reject me now."
Chapter 126 Shut up!
"Mm." Bai Yanfei nodded slightly, he gave in.
"You agreed?" Ling Zeyu didn't know how to express his excitement, and he even ignored the faint pain in his abdominal wound.
Ling Zeyu now has a place on the bed. Although he can't hold Bai Yanfei to sleep yet, Ling Zeyu feels that it's only a matter of time.
Bai Yanfei was merely testing him; he would withstand Bai Yanfei's test.
The next day, Bai Yanfei went to work, and Ling Zeyu invited Lu Qianyi out.
Although he had several stitches in his abdomen, it wouldn't prevent him from going out. His body wasn't that fragile; he needed to sort things out first. There was a press conference in a while, and the original plan was to propose to Bai Yanfei at the conference, but now it seemed impossible.
He had finally managed to get Bai Yanfei to accept him, so he couldn't be too hasty.
After sitting in the restaurant for a while, Lu Qianyi arrived.
"President Ling seems to be in a good mood." Lu Qianyi was unaware of Ling Zeyu's injury or the relationship between Bai Yanfei and Ling Zeyu. His relationship with Bai Yanfei was just like that of ordinary friends; they would greet each other when they met and chat occasionally.
"I'm here to ask you for the person. I won't waste any more words. I wonder if President Lu will do me this favor?" Ling Zeyu didn't want to waste any more words with Lu Qianyi. No matter what he said, Lu Qianyi would try to take advantage of him. It was better to be frank and let's all be direct.
"It seems Xiaoyan is very important to President Ling." Lu Qianyi shook his head with a smile. "I thought you could endure it for a while longer. But even if Xiaoyan terminates his contract with me, so what? He has the ability, and he may not even get into Ling's Group."
"Mr. Lu, you don't need to worry about that. Name your price."
"Just follow the contract, and we'll have a pleasant working relationship from now on."
Lu Qianyi stood up and extended his right hand, which surprised Ling Zeyu.
The fact that he didn't take advantage of the situation greatly overturned his understanding of Lu Qianyi, and he shook hands with Lu Qianyi.
"Isn't it strange that I'm being so easy to talk to?" Lu Qianyi wasn't surprised by Ling Zeyu's reaction, but he felt it was necessary to make some things clear to Ling Zeyu.
"I never expected Mr. Lu to be so generous."
Bai Yanfei is a rare talent, and no one expected Lu Qianyi to release him so quickly. Leaving aside the numerous companies eyeing Bai Yanfei as a lucrative opportunity, even the Lu family itself is very satisfied with him.
"I feel a little guilty towards him; I didn't do some things quite right. This... is kind of my way of making it up to him. You've really gotten lucky. I was originally planning to discuss terminating the contract with him in a while, but since you brought it up yourself, it means your relationship has progressed further." Lu Qianyi flashed a generous smile. "I wish President Ling all the best in winning the heart of his beauty soon, hahaha—"
Lu Qianyi's generosity greatly surprised Ling Zeyu. The two discussed some business matters, and Ling Zeyu promised to lend a helping hand if the Lu family encountered any difficulties.
...
Ling Zeyu is currently unable to cook, so he ordered several takeout dishes that Bai Yanfei likes. Once his wounds heal, he will be able to cook for Bai Yanfei. Being a virtuous CEO wouldn't be bad.
He wrote the proposal while waiting for the takeout. He didn't know what kind of studio Bai Yanfei wanted, so he could only come up with a few proposals that suited Bai Yanfei and write them down.
The door opened halfway through his writing, and Ling Zeyu closed his laptop. He looked at Bai Yanfei like a devoted husband and father waiting for his wife to come home.
"You're back?" Ling Zeyu stood up and helped Bai Yanfei take off his coat and get his bag.
"I've been laid off." Bai Yanfei glanced helplessly at Ling Zeyu. "You've moved way too fast."
"Isn't it good?" Ling Zeyu wanted to kiss Bai Yanfei on the cheek. Bai Yanfei's puffed-up face was just too cute.
As he leaned closer, Bai Yanfei took a few steps back: "If you do anything that crosses the line with me, I'll kick you out."
"Can't I even have a kiss?"
"This is something that only couples do, we're not."
"That's also possible."
Bai Yanfei didn't bother with Ling Zeyu. He knew Ling Zeyu wouldn't do anything reckless unless he wanted him to stay angry and never forgive him.
"I ordered takeout, all your favorites. Go wash your hands." Ling Zeyu laid out the takeout on the table; it was indeed all things Bai Yanfei liked, and there was even dessert. It was clearly a purchase aimed at raising pigs. Bai Yanfei felt like he had gained a little weight recently, his face was a bit fuller, and his waist was softer.
He also wanted to work on his V-line, so he glanced at the food on the table.
"I don't need these anymore. I'm going to the gym from now on."
"The gym?" Ling Zeyu's face darkened. "You're not allowed to go."
How could Bai Yanfei, with his small frame, go to the gym? Most of the men there are attracted to other men. If a little rabbit like Bai Yanfei went there, with a bunch of wolves eyeing him, how could he feel at ease?
"What do you want to learn? I'll teach you. But you're not allowed to go to the gym. Those places are just scams to rip you off, and they even prey on you sexually. What if they take advantage of you? You're not allowed to go." Ling Zeyu refused righteously and firmly. "Ling's Group also has gyms. I'll take you there and be your coach."
"And then you try to take advantage of me?"
"We shouldn't let the good stuff go to outsiders," Ling Zeyu said seriously. "I won't charge you anything, and I'll even let you benefit from it, okay?"
"Who wants to take advantage of you? Even eating can't shut you up!" Bai Yanfei picked up a piece of pork rib and stuffed it into Ling Zeyu's mouth.
With a rib in his mouth, Ling Zeyu looked at Bai Yanfei with a smile: "Was it you who brought me the rib rice before?"
"What pork rib rice? I don't know what you're talking about."
Bai Yanfei instantly understood Ling Zeyu's meaning. Previously, Ling Zeyu had asked Bai Yifei to cook as compensation, but Bai Yifei couldn't cook, so Bai Yanfei had cooked for him. He only found out much later that the meal was intended for Ling Zeyu.
"Still trying to deny it? The taste was clearly yours, exactly the same as the food you made for me later."
Bai Yanfei picked up a piece of the fattest meat and stuffed it into Ling Zeyu's mouth: "Shut up! If you say another word, I'll throw you off the 20th floor!"
Ling Zeyu looked at Bai Yanfei with a smile. Sure enough, his Yanfei was the cutest. Even her contradictory behavior was adorable.
Chapter 127 What else have you done for me?
"What else have you done for me?" Ling Zeyu looked at Bai Yanfei with his chin on his hand. He was so eager to know what else Bai Yanfei had done for him. He could savor every little detail.
"No, and even if I did, I wouldn't remember. Who remembers the silly things I did when I was a child?"
Ling Zeyu looked hurt: "It was my fault for being so immature."
"You know that's good." Bai Yanfei put down his chopsticks after finishing his meal. "I'll go wash the dishes."
"Let me handle this, you take a break." Ling Zeyu wasn't about to let Bai Yanfei do anything right now. He was thinking about how to improve his relationship with Bai Yanfei. He had finally managed to move in, so he couldn't let this opportunity go to waste.
Moreover, he will be attending a press conference soon, which will mean they won't be able to see each other for a long time. Having gotten used to bickering with Bai Yanfei every day, Ling Zeyu felt very reluctant to part with Bai Yanfei at the thought of being separated from him.
"I'll be going to the press conference after I recover from my injury."
"The one next week?" Bai Yanfei lowered his head and thought for a while. Although he had resigned, he was still an employee of Lu's Group, and with his current status, he was qualified to attend the press conference.
Judging from Ling Zeyu's expression, she probably wants him to be her male companion.
He had fantasized about being Ling Zeyu's date for a long time, but aside from showboating, Ling Zeyu had never taken him along. He never expected to be invited by Ling Zeyu now.
"How did you know?" Ling Zeyu suddenly realized that Bai Yanfei was probably also an invited guest, but...
"Is it strange that I know? I was in charge of Lu's entertainment division before, and back then you always used that position to invite me to dinner, didn't you?" Bai Yanfei glanced at Ling Zeyu. After knowing Ling Zeyu for so long, did he not know what the other was thinking? Besides, he used to be a die-hard fan of Ling Zeyu. No matter how good someone's acting skills are, there will always be a moment when they slip up.
Life is like a play, and a play is like life.
"Would you like to walk the red carpet with me?" Ling Zeyu looked at Bai Yanfei sincerely. He genuinely wanted to walk the red carpet with Bai Yanfei. He wanted to tell Bai Yanfei about all his honors as soon as possible and also wanted to bring him along to share his achievements.
“If you don’t want to, then find someone else. You’re not short of male companions anyway. You’ve attended so many events before, and you’ve never had the same male companion twice. Finding another one shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Looking back over the past two years, he had attended many of these public events, and each time he saw Ling Zeyu, along with each of Ling Zeyu's different male companions. After a while, he always felt that Ling Zeyu's male companions looked familiar. It wasn't until one press conference when a foreigner whispered behind him that Ling Zeyu's male companion looked like him that he suddenly realized that the people Ling Zeyu had chosen were exactly like him.
At that time, he didn't know whether to be happy or unfortunate. He had previously served as Bai Yifei's stand-in, and later Ling Zeyu was searching everywhere for his stand-in.
"I don't want anyone else, I just want you. When we appear together at the press conference, do you think there won't be any gossip?" Ling Zeyu was well aware of the rules of the entertainment industry and knew what kind of news the media wanted these days.
The public loves gossip about prominent families, especially the more powerful and mysterious a person is, the more it arouses their gossip spirit; otherwise, they wouldn't be trending on social media so often.