Uh-oh.
The city boy is angry.
The city boy is going to make a scene.
Chen Jian followed the city boy towards the elevator.
“Manager Chen,” Lao Wu said, one hand on the vacuum cleaner and the other on his hip, standing at the top of the stairs and looking at him. “I have something to talk to you about.”
Shan Yu pressed the elevator button and glanced at Lao Wu.
“After lunch,” Lao Wu added.
Shan Yu entered the elevator.
“Mhm,” Chen Jian responded, and also stepped into the elevator.
Just as he was about to press the floor button, Shan Yu suddenly stopped him. “Is there any sugar-free Coke on the first floor?”
“Yes,” Chen Jian pressed the ‘door open’ button. “Should I get it for you?”
“Mhm,” Shan Yu nodded.
“Wait here,” Chen Jian said, stepping out of the elevator.
Lao Wu was still standing with one hand on the vacuum cleaner and the other on his hip.
“Are you a door god?” Chen Jian said. “Why don’t you go stand at the gate?”
“I’m taking a break!” Lao Wu said.
There was no more Coke at the bar. Chen Jian went to the fridge in the coffee shop to get a bottle. As he passed the front desk, he grabbed a few small biscuits.
When he returned to the elevator, he found that the elevator door had already closed and was on its way up to the third floor.
Chen Jian glanced at Lao Wu, who was still standing with one hand on the vacuum cleaner and the other on his hip.
“It was called up by a guest on the third floor,” Lao Wu said, then started laughing halfway through. “He didn’t even know to hold the ‘door open’ button.”
“Are we not letting guests use the elevator anymore?” Chen Jian looked at the numbers. The elevator was already coming down.
Lao Wu clicked his tongue.
“No service awareness at all,” Chen Jian said.
“Will there be training after the New Year?” Lao Wu asked. “I heard Sanbing say there will be systematic training.”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian nodded.
“Will those who fail be fired?” Lao Wu asked.
Chen Jian turned to look at him. “Who would fail? You guys are doing great even without training. After training, you’ll only be better.”
“You really know what to say,” Lao Wu pointed at him. “Although sometimes you’re not very personable.”
Chen Jian didn’t speak.
He wondered if Lao Wu’s comment about him not being personable was referring to him withholding his salary.
The elevator returned to the first floor. As the doors opened, a few guests walked out. Shan Yu was leaning in the corner of the car.
“Why did you come down with them?” Chen Jian asked as he entered the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to find me,” Shan Yu said.
“You’re kidding,” Chen Jian handed him the Coke. “How could I not find you? Not just in Dayin, but in the entire Hongye Town, I can find you in your office. Or the gym.”
Shan Yu paused, then started to laugh.
“Where else could you go?” Chen Jian said.
“I could go on an inspection with Lu Jun,” Shan Yu said.
Hearing this, Chen Jian’s eyebrows immediately shot up as he looked at him.
“I knew it was about this,” Shan Yu said, pinching his chin and shaking it gently. As the elevator doors opened, he walked out. “Kid.”
“You said it, not me,” Chen Jian followed him out.
Shan Yu went into the office, took a glass, put it on the table, and poured the Coke into it before taking a sip.
“Is it about this?” he asked.
Chen Jian didn’t speak. He went over, picked up the Coke bottle, and took a sip too.
It was about this.
But he really couldn’t admit it, because it was so inexplicable, completely without reason.
“Felt like you couldn’t get a word in,” Shan Yu looked at him. “Is that it?”
“It’s normal for me not to be able to get a word in for such high-level conversations,” Chen Jian said.
Although it was hard to admit, once it was brought up, he couldn’t hold it in for a second.
Shan Yu smiled. “Is this… jealousy?”
“I guess so,” Chen Jian said. “If you had gone with just the two of us, you definitely wouldn’t have been able to chat so enthusiastically…”
“What’s your definition of ‘enthusiastically’?” Shan Yu asked.
“You two never stopped talking,” Chen Jian looked at him.
“He’s here to inspect a project. A workaholic needs to get all the necessary information in the shortest possible time,” Shan Yu said. “What I did was to cooperate and help him get all the necessary information as quickly as possible.”
Chen Jian was silent.
Of course, he knew this was the logic.
But jealousy doesn’t listen to reason.
“Next time something like this happens,” Shan Yu put down his glass and wrapped his arms around him. “You can go.”
“Who are you insulting?” Chen Jian said. “I can barely even understand what you two are talking about.”
Shan Yu rested his chin on his shoulder and started laughing. “Then let’s send Sun Nana next time. Sun Nana studied philosophy in college. Maybe it will have a miraculous effect.”
“She studied philosophy?” Chen Jian was very shocked. “How do you know?”
“We were talking about who had the highest education at Dayin when we were playing cards the other day,” Shan Yu smiled.
That could work. Sun Nana is pretty, graceful, and her English seems to be quite good, but…
“I’ve realized,” Chen Jian frowned, and also wrapped his arms around Shan Yu’s waist. “Is this behavior of mine considered to be affecting your normal work?”
“Not really,” Shan Yu said. “It would be if you had hit Lu Jun back at Shannan.”
“…I wouldn’t go that far,” Chen Jian said. “If I had really hit him, it wouldn’t just be affecting your work, but the development of the entire town.”
“You’d be a sinner, Chen Jian,” Shan Yu said.
“Whose fault is that!” Chen Jian said.
“Mine,” Shan Yu said.
“Isn’t it Lu Jun’s fault?” Chen Jian asked.
“Oh,” Shan Yu was taken aback. “You’re full of surprises.”
Chen Jian smiled, hugged Shan Yu tightly, buried his face in the side of his neck, and closed his eyes.
It’s no use.
Still not happy.
The kind of unhappiness where I know all the logic.
The kind of unhappiness where I know I’m being unreasonable.
The kind of unhappiness where I feel I’m being particularly immature.
The kind of unhappiness I feel when I realize I think I’m being particularly immature…
He turned his head and bit Shan Yu’s neck.
“Gently!” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian didn’t speak, just let out a “hmpf,” and kept his mouth on his neck, not letting go or using force, just holding it there.
“I’m going to wash my face,” Shan Yu patted his back. “I got a face full of dust in the village just now. Didn’t you taste it?”
“My mouth is full of the taste of jealousy right now,” Chen Jian let go.
“Is this the first time you’ve ever been jealous in your life?” Shan Yu flicked him lightly on the nose and went into the bathroom to wash his face.
“Mhm,” Chen Jian watched Shan Yu’s back. “So now I know, all the times you were jealous before were fake.”
“What a novel perspective…” Shan Yu turned his head to look at him, his face still wet. “Your thinking has become so agile just from being jealous.”
Chen Jian clicked his tongue.
Shan Yu wiped the water from his chin, went into the bedroom, opened the closet, took out a sweatshirt, and took off his clothes.
“What are you doing?” Chen Jian looked at him.
“Changing clothes,” Shan Yu said. “They’re all dusty.”
“So particular,” Chen Jian said.
“Can’t be helped,” Shan Yu said. “We city people are just like…”
Before he could finish, Chen Jian came rushing in from outside the bedroom door like a gust of wind, wrapped his arms around his waist, and then charged forward, tackling him onto the bed.
“Fuck,” Shan Yu was completely dazed by the unexpected fall. “Are we playing rugby?”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian responded, though he didn’t know what he was responding to.
Anyway, the next second, he pushed off the mattress, bounced back up, and with a flick of his hand, tore off his own clothes before pouncing again.
Just from this set of fluid, no-nonsense moves, you could tell that Chen Jian was a pretty good fighter…
Chen Jian’s hot breath was by his ear, on his lips, on his neck, on his chest, sweeping over him with a certain tyranny, accompanied by the subtle sting of bites.
Shan Yu’s palm pressed against his back, moving down little by little, his fingertips tracing along his skin.
As his hand moved past his waist, his wrist was suddenly grabbed by Chen Jian and pressed to his side. Then Chen Jian sat up and leaned towards the bedside table.
“Now?” Shan Yu asked.
“What,” Chen Jian pulled open the bedside table drawer, took out the contents, and threw them onto the bed. “Do we need to check the almanac?”
Shan Yu didn’t speak, but started to laugh.
Chen Jian grabbed his ankle, pulled him towards him, then grabbed his pant leg and gave it a sharp tug.
As if he had a grudge against it.
If these pants hadn’t been thick fleece, they would have been torn on the spot with that force.
When Chen Jian pounced on him again, there were no more obstacles between their bodies. Every close touch, every friction, could bring about a synchronized shiver.
Chen Jian’s movements were not skilled, purely instinctual, with a certain tyranny, as if hitting all his senses one by one. The occasional small pains were accompanied by intense stimulation.
Dazzling colored light spots surrounded them. In the chaos, he quickly sank…
…
When the light in the room slowly returned to normal, Shan Yu stared at the lamp on the ceiling. The sunlight seeping through the gap in the curtains cast a fan-shaped halo.
When Chen Jian sat up, his entire body was enveloped in the halo. The sweat on the tip of his nose glittered with his still-uneven breath, and the fine hairs on his face were outlined in a pale gold.
Shan Yu raised his hand and touched his lips.
Then he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
Chen Jian looked down at him. “Shan Yu.”
“Hm?” Shan Yu responded.
“Nothing,” Chen Jian said. “Just wanted to say your name.”
“What time is it?” Shan Yu asked.
“Just past twelve,” Chen Jian said.
“Hurry up and take a shower,” Shan Yu said. “It’s normal for the boss to be missing at lunchtime, but it’s strange for the manager to be missing.”
“Together,” Chen Jian said.
“I don’t want to move right now,” Shan Yu said.
“…I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Chen Jian’s tone was suddenly filled with tension.
“No,” Shan Yu opened his eyes and looked at him. “Just recovering.”
“Does it hurt?” Chen Jian asked again.
“Oh, fuck,” Shan Yu turned his head away. “You’re not this direct about other things, are you?”
“Then how should I ask?” Chen Jian asked.
“…Did you just shoot your brain out?” Shan Yu said. “I’m just recovering, calming down.”
“Shan Yu,” Chen Jian was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh. “Isn’t that what you call being direct?”
“Didn’t you force it out of me?” Shan Yu sighed.
Chen Jian loved the feeling of showering with Shan Yu. In the small, steamy space, he hugged Shan Yu, feeling like they were two siu mai squeezed together, a very peaceful feeling.
But today, the shower didn’t last long. The walkie-talkie on the sink next to them suddenly crackled, and then Zhao Fangfang’s voice came through, “Time to eat!”
Zhao Fangfang always spoke loudly, and this shout was like a clap of thunder in the bathroom.
“Fuck you, Chen Jian, I’ll kill you!” Shan Yu, who had been leaning against him, was so startled by the noise that he shot up straight. “Are you sick? Why did you bring this thing into the bathroom!”
“I just turned the volume down… Sister Zhao’s voice,” Chen Jian was also startled and reached for the walkie-talkie. “I was just afraid they’d call for lunch before we finished washing…”
He pressed the talk button and said, “Coming.”
“Coming!” Hu Pan’s cheerful voice followed.
When Chen Jian went downstairs, his hair wasn’t even completely dry. He had just blown the ends and then put on his hat. The boss, on the other hand, was unhurriedly getting ready in the bedroom.
“Xiao Dou’er,” Sun Nana held up a bottle of Want Want milk and a bottle of juice. “Which one do you want to drink?”
Xiao Dou’er sat at the table, looking at the bottles in her hand. After hesitating for a long time, she said softly, “I want both.”
“Oh my,” Sun Nana started laughing. “Then let’s have both.”
“But I can’t finish them,” Xiao Dou’er said.
“We can share, half each,” Sun Nana said.
“Okay,” Xiao Dou’er nodded.
“Should we still set aside a separate meal for Boss Shan?” Zhao Fangfang asked Chen Jian.
“No need,” Chen Jian said. “He’ll be down to eat in a bit. Right now, he’s… on the phone.”
During the New Year, Shan Yu had been coming downstairs to eat in person, mainly to join in the fun.
“I forgot to ask,” Chen Jian said, putting a dish on the table. “What happened to He Liang later? Director Lu didn’t leave him any face today. I felt he was quite embarrassed.”
“He has a thick skin,” Chen Erhu said. “As soon as your car left, he came right in.”
“Hm?” Chen Jian looked at him.
“Came in to chat,” Sun Nana said, pouring a drink for Xiao Dou’er. “He just wanted to get some information. The key is, we don’t know why Director Lu came, so we really couldn’t provide any intelligence.”
“Give me some juice,” Hu Pan said, pushing her glass over.
Sun Nana poured her some juice.
“Shan Yu shouldn’t have given him a way out today,” Chen Erhu clicked his tongue. “You give him face and he doesn’t want it at all, just throws it on the ground.”
“It stuck to the sole of my shoe,” Sanbing said.
“What?” Lao Si asked. He was on the afternoon shift and had just arrived at the shop.
“Face,” Lao Wu said.
“Whose face?” Lao Si asked.
“He Liang’s!” Sanbing said with some impatience.
“What? Did a fight break out?” Lao Si immediately perked up.
“What do you mean a fight broke out?” Sanbing was a bit speechless. “It’s He Liang! Who would hit him!”
“Didn’t you step on his face?” Lao Si said.
Xiao Dou’er, who had been listening intently to their conversation with her head tilted, burst out laughing.
The group of people suddenly couldn’t hold it in anymore and all started laughing.
“Eat,” Chen Erhu said, picking up his bowl. “Eat.”
“We’ll have a short meeting in the coffee shop this afternoon,” Chen Jian said. “Everyone can suggest what needs to be improved in the shop, whether it’s service or hardware. You can say whatever comes to mind.”
“Can we say it now?” Lao Wu asked.
“No,” Chen Jian refused decisively.
“Fine,” Lao Wu sighed.
“Boss Shan said he’s creating an account,” Sanbing asked. “Is that true?”
“Yes,” Chen Jian nodded. “If you have any ideas, you can also bring them up this afternoon. We can all think about how to do it together.”
“What kind of account? Are we making short dramas?” Lao Wu asked.
“What kind of short dramas would a guesthouse make?” Chen Erhu said. “You should watch less of that stuff.”
“It’s not impossible,” Shan Yu’s voice came from the stairs. “We can try anything.”
“No way!” Chen Jian immediately objected. He had a feeling that if they really filmed this kind of thing, Shan Yu would definitely go crazy and make him play the male lead.
Shan Yu walked over, a smile on his lips.
Chen Jian even felt like he might be retaliating.
“Don’t say that. It’s not that easy to film,” Hu Pan said. “Some of those scripts are really well-written. You watch them, you get angry, but you can’t stop.”
“If we’re really going to film,” Sanbing thought for a moment. “I can give it a try.”
“Me too,” Lao Wu said.
“We’re filming about Dayin,” Chen Erhu said. “Not about the history of our several gangs.”
Your Pigsty Party has a ‘jianghu’ too?
Chen Jian couldn’t help but glance at him.
“Then we can film the ‘jianghu’ history of Dayin,” Sanbing said. “All kinds of grudges and feuds, multiple storylines, all leading to the final boss, Shan Yu.”
“Get lost,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian watched as Shan Yu sat down next to him.
“Hm?” Shan Yu also looked at him.
“How… was it?” Chen Jian asked in a very low voice.
“Didn’t you know before me?” Shan Yu also whispered.
“Fuck,” Chen Jian was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh.
But he still couldn’t help but keep looking at Shan Yu.
There was an indescribable feeling. Looking at Shan Yu now, there was a particularly intimate feeling.
He couldn’t even feel jealous anymore.
