I’m not leaving.
I’m not going back.
Every time Shan Yu said things like this, Chen Jian felt incredibly secure.
But following the brief surge of joy, he would also feel very…
He truly loved hearing Shan Yu say these things, even though he knew full well that while this was Shan Yu’s attitude, it wasn’t necessarily reality.
But he still wanted to hear it.
This time, however, the feeling had undergone a subtle shift.
Chen Jian remained silent.
He looked at the phone Shan Yu had tossed by the sofa cushions, leaned over to grab it, placed it on the coffee table, and tried to speak.
I’m pretty selfish.
But he couldn’t find the courage to say it out loud.
If he spoke now, what would likely come out would still be… I didn’t mean it like that.
But he did mean it like that. When Shan Yu said “I’m not going back,” the momentary joy he felt was undeniably real.
He selfishly hoped Shan Yu would never leave.
He wanted to hold onto that sense of stability and security he only felt when Shan Yu was by his side.
Shan Yu said he hesitated.
Actually, he wasn’t hesitating; he was just… a little afraid of this version of himself.
Like an insatiable glutton.
“Those are two different things,” Chen Jian finally said softly.
“Then…” Shan Yu leaned back against the sofa, thought for a moment, and turned his head to look at him. “Do you want to go back with me?”
“No,” Chen Jian answered without a second thought.
“Whoa,” Shan Yu looked slightly surprised. “So decisive again?”
“It’s not appropriate,” Chen Jian turned to look at him. “Going home for the first time in years, let’s not drop that kind of bombshell on them so suddenly.”
Shan Yu started laughing. “Honestly, nothing I do would surprise them anymore.”
“It’s not like you actually have superpowers,” Chen Jian said.
“Weren’t you the one who started that rumor?” Shan Yu clicked his tongue. “And now you’re busting your own fake news.”
Chen Jian smiled.
“If I go back before the New Year, I’ll be here during the actual holiday,” Shan Yu said. “When you go look for your dad for the New Year, are you taking me?”
Chen Jian paused, looking at him without speaking.
“Your boss has nowhere to go for the New Year,” Shan Yu said.
“What kind of boss has nowhere to go for the New Year?” Chen Jian said. “Living so miserably.”
“Your boss,” Shan Yu said. “Remember to get your ears checked after you get your bonus.”
Chen Jian laughed, and after a while, he nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay what?” Shan Yu asked.
“I’ll take you with me for the New Year,” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu didn’t say anything. He reached out and gently touched Chen Jian’s face, his fingertips trailing slowly from the corner of his eye to his ear, then slipping behind the side of his neck.
When the warm palm rested against the back of his neck, Shan Yu leaned in for a kiss, pushing against Chen Jian’s chest and pressing him down onto the sofa.
Chen Jian closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Shan Yu. As his hands found Shan Yu’s back, he hugged him tightly.
The management office didn’t provide an exact time for the inspection, but they did call to notify them on the day the leaders were coming.
Surprisingly, Da Li also called Chen Jian to ask if Dayin had received the notice.
Although he hadn’t reached out during the management office’s initial notification, at least he wasn’t keeping it a secret anymore. After all, Chen Jian hadn’t given Da Li a heads-up either; this could be considered an active olive branch from Da Li and his crew.
Following Shan Yu’s negotiation with the inner stall owners the night of the bonfire festival, everyone had probably decided to at least maintain the facade of a unified interest group.
Because whether they tried to play mind games or act like thugs, none of them could outplay Shan Yu anyway.
“Should we stand at the entrance to welcome them?” Sanbing asked.
Since receiving the notice, he had run back and forth between the intersection and the inn four or five times. Even though Chen Erhu had already dispatched Lao Si to keep watch near the bus station, Sanbing was still incredibly nervous.
“Don’t act too contrived,” Sun Nana sat in a chair next to the front desk, spinning a pen rapidly between her fingers. “Don’t be so xian mei (fawning). It’ll make them look down on us.”
“What mei?” Sanbing froze.
“Fawning! Chan mei!” Hu Pan was tying her afro up to the top of her head. Although Dayin didn’t care about employee image, they still had to keep a lower profile when leaders visited. “It’s the character chan, with the speech radical, not xian like dumpling filling!”
“So it’s pronounced chan mei?” Sanbing suddenly realized. “I’ve been saying xian mei this whole time.”
“Then just don’t be so xian mei,” Chen Jian said. “I’m heading to the office. I’ll notify you the moment there’s news. Stop crowding around here and go do what you’re supposed to do. If the leaders decide to slip in unannounced for a surprise inspection and see your working state like this, that’s an instant zero.”
“Back to work—” Lao Wu yelled, heading toward the courtyard. “Strictly guard against leaders slipping in—”
“Why don’t you go stand on the road and yell that!” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu didn’t choose to buy a ticket and flee before the leaders arrived, opting instead to welcome the inspection alongside his staff.
Of course, it was also possible that tickets were tight before the New Year, making business-class seats hard to buy.
When Chen Jian entered the office, Shan Yu had already changed his coat and was looking at his computer, the very picture of a man hard at work. However, when Chen Jian got a clear look at the coat he was wearing, he was slightly shocked: “You’re wearing that?”
“Mm,” Shan Yu nodded, closing the laptop. “Take the laptop to the conference room later. If the leaders want to know more, I’ll give them a presentation there. If it’s not needed this time, we’ll find another opportunity to submit it to them.”
“A presentation on what?” Chen Jian asked.
“Breaking the Ice on Town Tourism from the Perspective of Guesthouse Development,” Shan Yu picked up the laptop and walked over. “Just jotted down a few things.”
Chen Jian stared blankly for a full five seconds before asking, “You wrote it?”
“Otherwise, what do you think I do sitting in the office every day?” Shan Yu placed the laptop in Chen Jian’s hands and walked toward the office door. “Of course, there’s also an English version that your Brother Lang helped write.”
Watching Shan Yu’s back, a surge of complex emotions instantly lodged in Chen Jian’s throat, making his nose sting.
It wasn’t until Shan Yu had walked out that he managed to force out: “You’re just going to wear my old coat!”
Not only was he wearing Chen Jian’s old coat, but he was also wearing a very plain pair of cargo pants.
“Is there a problem with this coat?” Shan Yu turned around and spread his arms to show it off. “One look and you can tell this is a good boss ready to head into the mountains for field research at any moment.”
“Don’t you have a new one?” Chen Jian walked over and tugged at the jacket, lowering his voice. “The hole hasn’t even been patched.”
“A boss who does actual work isn’t so particular,” Shan Yu said. “The boss of Dayin is low-key and unpretentious, dedicating his whole heart to revitalizing Hongye Town’s tourism industry…”
“Fuck,” Chen Jian couldn’t help but offer a heartfelt word of praise.
“Let’s go. We’ll wait downstairs,” Shan Yu raised a hand, flicked Chen Jian’s chin, and walked toward the elevator.
“Shouldn’t a boss dedicated to his work be fighting on the frontlines in his office right up until the moment the leaders arrive?” Chen Jian followed him.
“That’d look too fake,” Shan Yu said. “You can’t overact.”
When the management office’s car turned into the town from the direction of the bus station, Lao Si notified Chen Jian via the walkie-talkie.
“They’re here, just one car,” Lao Si sounded like a spy, his voice exceptionally calm and collected. “Can’t see how many people inside. Should I tail them?”
“Holy shit, this walkie-talkie actually reaches that far?” Sanbing marveled from the side.
“Why would you tail them?” Chen Jian held the walkie-talkie. “Just come back.”
“Don’t we need to keep them under surveillance?” Lao Si asked.
“…Why don’t you just go up and assassinate the leaders while you’re at it!” Chen Jian was speechless.
“Then get me a sniper…” Lao Si started.
“Come back!” Chen Jian ordered.
The first stop on the leaders’ guesthouse inspection tour was Dayin. As Chen Jian guided the car into the courtyard to park, he spotted Da Li and a few others smoking by the pavilion inside.
Looked like everyone was taking this seriously.
Three people stepped out of the car. Chen Jian recognized Old Ding from the management office and the driver. The last man to step out must be the leader. He looked to be in his thirties, under forty—not quite matching Chen Jian’s impression of a “leader,” and barely even looking like one.
Old Ding had briefly mentioned earlier that a new Director Lu had arrived from the city.
Chen Jian glanced back toward the front lobby. Shan Yu hadn’t been waiting at the entrance from the start; instead, he walked out briskly just as the men stepped out of the car.
Unlike his usual sluggish demeanor, these few steps were taken with… remarkable vigor.
“Welcome, leaders,” Chen Jian said. “You must be tired from the journey.”
“Not at all, not at all,” Old Ding smiled, turning back to introduce Chen Jian to Director Lu. “This is Chen Jian, the store manager of Dayin I mentioned before.”
“Thank you for coming, Director Lu,” Chen Jian greeted him, then glanced at Shan Yu. “This is our boss, Shan Yu.”
“Director Lu,” Shan Yu stepped forward, extending a hand to shake Director Lu’s.
“Boss Shan is very young,” Director Lu looked at Shan Yu, seeming somewhat surprised.
“This is the newest guesthouse in town,” Old Ding introduced. “Though the town as a whole has been skewing younger…”
“Let’s talk as we walk,” Director Lu pointed toward the garden. “Let’s take a look outside first.”
“Right this way,” Shan Yu led them down the side path toward the garden. “Our guests generally enjoy spending time out here.”
Chen Jian walked beside Shan Yu, listening to him introduce the garden to Director Lu.
His mind raced, wondering if he should invite them to stay for a meal later, and what they should eat…
“Did you host a small event here right before the bonfire festival?” Director Lu asked.
“Yes, we considered it a trial run. Given the cold weather, we weren’t sure what the guests’ demands would be,” Shan Yu said. “That way, we could make targeted adjustments for the bonfire festival itself… Did you know about that, Director Lu?”
“Mm, I came across some photos posted by your guests,” Director Lu nodded. Spotting the doghouse by the wall, he asked, “You keep a dog too?”
“A stray we took in. We’re a pet-friendly guesthouse, and some of our guests like dogs, so we kept him,” Shan Yu said.
Director Lu stopped in front of the doghouse.
“Director Lu loves dogs,” Old Ding said with a smile. “He has several at home.”
“Mm,” Director Lu smiled.
“Mushroom,” Shan Yu whistled.
At that moment, Dayin’s most relaxed employee, Mushroom, poked half his head out of the doghouse, looking half-asleep.
Director Lu bent down.
To Chen Jian’s shock, he pulled a small dog chew stick out of his pocket and offered it to Mushroom’s mouth.
Mushroom happily took the chew stick and retreated back into his house.
…He really does love dogs, carrying those around with him.
After touring the garden, the group entered the building through the back door. Chen Erhu, holding a tablet, walked down the hallway. Seeing them, he bowed politely: “Good afternoon.”
This was choreographed by Sun Nana earlier. To ensure he didn’t look like a thug, Chen Erhu had rehearsed it twice beforehand. The result was quite good—very natural.
“This is our employee in charge of fire safety,” Shan Yu said. “He conducts a full inspection every day.”
“Good safety awareness,” Old Ding nodded.
Director Lu stopped in front of the photo wall in the hallway. Old Ding immediately stepped up, introducing the photos to him.
Shan Yu stood by, supplementing with a few words from time to time.
Chen Jian looked at Shan Yu. This guy usually wouldn’t be seen all day even if he didn’t eat, and he ran faster than anyone when trouble hit, but he was actually intimately familiar with everything happening in the inn.
“Who wrote the calligraphy?” Director Lu’s focus was a bit unexpected, pointing to the various headings on the photo wall.
“I did,” Shan Yu said.
Director Lu turned to look at Shan Yu: “It’s very well written.”
“Practiced for a while in the past, it’s passable,” Shan Yu said.
Shan Yu’s demeanor today was completely different from usual—he looked exactly like a young, promising boss. Chen Jian had expected him to say something like ‘You flatter me, Director Lu,’ but to his surprise, Shan Yu simply accepted the compliment.
Not modest in the slightest.
Director Lu then headed upstairs. Sun Nana, acting as the guest room supervisor, received them on the second floor and continued the introduction.
She wasn’t dressed too provocatively today, though she still wore low heels since she couldn’t walk without them. She had changed into a well-fitted, casual blazer and trousers. Her entire demeanor and speech were elegant and poised.
This was a scene her ex-husband probably couldn’t even imagine.
In the middle of the tour, Hu Pan hurried down the stairs carrying a tray. She also bowed politely to everyone: “Good afternoon.”
The coordination of the on-site staff was practically flawless.
The tour itself wasn’t actually the main event. Director Lu occasionally chatted with Shan Yu about his thoughts on the guesthouse and town tourism.
Shan Yu’s answers must have satisfied him. By the time they returned to the first floor, Old Ding reminded him of the time, noting there were still a few other guesthouses to visit.
“No rush,” Director Lu said. “If we run out of time, we can visit them another day.”
“Then, Director Lu, care to sit in the cafe for a bit?” Shan Yu asked.
“Let’s not disturb the guests,” Director Lu said.
“The conference room, then,” Chen Jian said.
After showing them into the conference room, Chen Jian slipped out and went to the cafe.
“How did it go, how did it go?” Hu Pan hurried over.
“Very smoothly,” Chen Jian said. “Make a few cups of coffee.”
“Okay,” Hu Pan immediately started making coffee, glancing toward the conference room. “That Director Lu is so young.”
“Yeah, I thought he’d be an old man,” Chen Jian said.
“If the town wants to build up tourism, it needs younger leaders—ones who aren’t bound by tradition and have bold ideas,” Sun Nana walked over, leaning against the bar. “If a real old man showed up, I wouldn’t have even bothered acting.”
“Your acting earlier was amazing,” Chen Jian said.
“I studied with Panpan for ages beforehand on how to introduce things to highlight our unique features,” Sun Nana picked up a piece of candy and slowly unwrapped it. “I originally wanted her to do the introduction, but she refused.”
“I was too scared. I was afraid if I got nervous, I’d revert to my true form,” Hu Pan said.
Chen Jian laughed. “Your true form is pretty cute too.”
When Chen Jian carried the coffees into the conference room, Director Lu was looking at Shan Yu’s document on Breaking the Ice on Town Tourism on the laptop. He was reading very attentively and seemed quite moved by it.
Chen Jian placed the coffees on the table and stood behind him, looking at the screen as well.
He couldn’t really read it clearly.
He just felt the layout was very pretty.
“You must have encountered quite a few difficulties communicating with the villagers during the bonfire festival, right?” Director Lu asked.
“Villagers have their own ways of thinking, so there’s bound to be some friction in the early stages,” Shan Yu said. “However, our store manager is a local. The bonfire festival being held so smoothly was largely thanks to him…”
Boss, dial back the bragging a little!
“Is that so?” Director Lu turned his head. “Little Chen doesn’t look like a local.”
“Mm, most of the employees at our inn are locals,” Chen Jian smiled.
“This is the advantage of employing local staff. It solves employment issues and benefits the business,” Old Ding added. “They understand the local customs better and have a deeper grasp of local tourism resources.”
“I’ve been paying attention to this event since the early promotional stages. Looking at it now…” Director Lu leaned back in his chair. “Dayin has been keeping a very low profile.”
“As long as we get things done, that’s what matters,” Shan Yu said. “If the town develops, every business here will develop.”
“If you encounter any difficulties in the future, bring them up. It’s not right for the businesses to shoulder all this work alone,” Director Lu said, pulling out his phone. “Send me a copy of this.”
“Of course,” Shan Yu also took out his phone. “I’ll scan your QR code.”
Chen Jian watched as Shan Yu unlocked his phone and opened WeChat. Then he saw a chat list containing exactly one person: Chen Yu Luo Yan.
Boss! Are you sleepwalking!
The moment Shan Yu tapped ‘Scan’, Chen Jian swiftly reached out, tapped the ‘X’ to exit, and whispered, “Not this one.”
“…Oh.” Only then did Shan Yu snap out of it. He exited that WeChat account and opened his main one.
“Using your work account to add me is fine,” Director Lu smiled.
This was a difficult statement to respond to.
There was absolutely no work on that ‘work account’, only eight different ways to sing one song.
After scanning the code and adding Director Lu, Shan Yu sent the document over.
Director Lu chatted for a few more minutes, finished his coffee, and finally stood up. He said to Old Ding, “No need to visit the other places. Seeing one representative guesthouse is enough.”
“Understood,” Old Ding nodded, immediately following his lead. “Dayin is indeed very representative and full of ideas.”
“Director Lu, please stay for a meal before you go,” Chen Jian said. “It’s getting late.”
“It’s fine, I won’t trouble you,” Director Lu said. “I’ll just eat when I get back. I have to walk the dogs too, they’ve been cooped up all day.”
That was an incredibly valid reason.
Chen Jian let out a sigh of relief.
They all escorted the leaders to their car, watched the car drive away, and then maintained their composure until they were back inside the building.
“Ah!” Hu Pan threw her hands up. “Did that go incredibly smoothly or what!”
“It did,” Shan Yu smiled.
“Holy shit, I almost tripped over my own feet when I was walking past earlier…” Chen Erhu said. “Nana told me to walk more formally. It was agonizing.”
“Let’s get something good for dinner later,” Shan Yu said. “To calm our nerves.”
“Mm,” Chen Jian agreed.
“Have Sanbing and the others go buy it,” Shan Yu said. “Store Manager, come with me for a second.”
“Oh.” Chen Jian followed him into the elevator.
The moment the elevator doors closed, Shan Yu let out a long, heavy sigh.
“What’s wrong?” Chen Jian looked at him.
“Headache.” Shan Yu leaned his weight against him, wrapped his arms around Chen Jian’s waist, and rested his chin on his shoulder.
Even though they were standing in an elevator where guests could hop in at any given floor, Chen Jian immediately hugged Shan Yu back. “Why do you have a headache?”
“Nervous,” Shan Yu said.
“…You get nervous?” Chen Jian was stunned.
“What’s so surprising about that? Do you think I’m a natural-born social butterfly?” Shan Yu said.
I always thought you were.
But thinking about it carefully, Shan Yu’s usual style was to run away the moment trouble appeared… It wasn’t entirely impossible that he genuinely disliked dealing with these things…
“How about taking a painkiller first?” Chen Jian raised a hand and gently massaged his head.
“Mm,” Shan Yu mumbled.
“Then sleep for a bit?” Chen Jian asked.
“Can’t sleep,” Shan Yu’s voice was muffled.
“Then I’ll massage it for you?” Chen Jian asked again.
“Mm.” Shan Yu nodded.
