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1.
"Time to eat!" Gang Zi called, holding two plastic bags filled to the brim. One held Wu Suowei's favourite snacks and the other, a full lunch with just the right amount of nutrients for Suowei's injuries to heal.
"Someone's meal of love!" He added teasingly as he quickly inspected the ingredients, preparing to set the table for Suowei to dine on behalf of his boss.
Suowei let out a little chuckle in response before changing his position in the hospital bed to address Gang Zi. Humming in response, Gang Zi busied himself, half-listening as he set the snacks aside.
"Please do me a favour," Suowei pleaded without any warning, big eyes locked on Gang Zi's, "It's not a good thing though, so it really depends on whether you want to help me."
Gang Zi was rather taken aback by the bold request, letting a little noise of disbelief slip before he finally replied, "Tell me what it is before jumping to conclusions."
"Come here!" Suowei gestured, a dainty wave of his hand. Mystified, Gang Zi pointed to himself, sceptical even as Suowei beckoned him closer. He took one more wary look towards the door of the ward, as if Chi Cheng would magically teleport and burst into the room.
If the Young Master catches us, I'm doomed.
Reluctantly, he made his way over before Suowei spoke again lowly, clearly trying not to be overheard.
"Has Yue Yue been pestering Chi Cheng recently?" He probed inquisitively, studying Gang Zi's face for the answer.
Gang Zi chose his next words carefully, exaggerating his exhaustion as he spun tales of Yue Yue relentlessly calling both him and Chi Cheng even after they had already broken up. As he spoke, he observed Wu Suowei's expression change, no doubt cooking up another genius idea to permanently remove Yue Yue from the equation.
However, as their conversation unfolded, Suowei walked him through the tentative plan with the air of a man who had spent their waking hours plotting carefully, giving Gang Zi all the tools he needed to eliminate any chances of the Gold-Digger ever finding her way back into the good graces of the Chi Family. He had even come up with a semi-believable script for Gang Zi to follow, gingerly pulling out the card Chi Cheng had given him a few days earlier and instructing the man to hand it over the next time Yue Yue wanted to meet him.
Musing to himself, Gang Zi was impressed as well as a little terrified.
He had no idea what the boy had gone through to come up with such out-of-the-box but efficient ideas. But if executing them meant he was one step closer to furthering the relationship between both of them, then he had no moral qualms. For the record, this was way tamer than what he was used to, with Chi Cheng having him invade every single ethical and the private boundaries of all the hook-ups he pursued.
And since Wang Shuo all those years ago, other than Guo Chengyu, Gang Zi was probably the one other person who could discern the difference between the way Chi Cheng treated Wu Suowei and his infinite other bed partners. Though Gang Zi probably wasn't as proficient as Guo Chengyu, he also had a little over seven years' worth of experience under his belt, being able to read his boss' micro-expressions and predict his moods.
The slight quirk of an eyebrow, the way his lips curved to resemble something like a smile whenever he received a call or a message from Suowei. All the ferocity and equal part worry in his frown as he'd cradled the boy in his hold on the way to the hospital.
Seeing Suowei in action was unlike anything he'd seen before, a keen sense of intelligence, an indubitable clarity and hardworking spirit, resolute in getting what he wanted in just the way he wanted.
It was then that Gang Zi started to understand, they were a match made in heaven, just as twisted as each other in a sickly yet endearing way,
Still in awe, Gang Zi took the card between his index finger and thumb.
"Chi Cheng will be yours sooner or later," He said in an unspoken promise, pledging he would do everything in his power to bring this plan to fruition. Suowei beamed gratefully in return, before motioning for Gang Zi to bring him his meal.
Soon enough, he'd tucked in while scrolling on his phone where Gang Zi swore he spotted a few notifications from his boss, probably an apology for his half-lover-situationship-type-thing. Gang Zi barely had any idea what they were at this point.
He watched, content, as a small smile bloomed on Wu Suowei's face, before the boy began to eagerly type out a reply.
And in ten years time—scratch that, five years time at their wedding, if Gang Zi was invited, he guessed he could brag about helping to bring them together.
Gang Zi's not a bad catch by any means. He thinks.
But as the years went by, it would be a lie if he said he wasn't a little disheartened to realise that all he had was a consistent thread of failed relationships, some ending because his partners thought he was more afraid of the "Snake Lord" than he was invested in a relationship with them. Some because the non-establishment of boundaries with Chi Cheng found him scrambling out of bed in the wee hours of the morning, and it was simply too much to handle. Some because they cheated while he was busy buying hangover soup for his boss who'd spent the night getting intimately familiar with the interior of a toilet bowl as he puked.
To be honest, at the start, it was probably the unusually high pay that had driven him to wait at Chi Cheng's beck and call. And all he had to do was drive him home after a particularly bad bender or after a night of glorified babysitting at the club, sometimes even with the man's hook-up in tow. Before he knew it, a few late nights were all it took for his debts to be repaid, bills to be settled long term, and he'd even been able to move to a pristine, new apartment free of the leaky roof of his old one.
Along the way though, he'd discovered his gruff boss had become quite the fixture in his life. Though their conversations were short, he found solace in the silence as they kept each other company. Essentially, he was no longer just an expensive replacement of Guo Chengyu while Chi Cheng and the actual man found themselves in a never-ending cycle of screwing each other over.
It started when Chi Cheng stole Guo Chengyu's conquest for the night for the first time and ended when Wu Suowei made his entrance into the Young Master's life as an amateur street vendor, severely lacking a permit to operate. And also maybe because he had the gall to toss his entire stock of candy figures at Young Master Chi as a distraction to engineer his escape.
And with that, the rest was history. After all the nonsense with Yue Yue and the snakes, they'd finally started their own company and moved in together.
But it was already twelve on this particular night and Chi Cheng insisted Gang Zi stay up to continue playing another game. The poor man had only gotten three hours of sleep the previous night and was desperate to get back to the comfort of his own apartment.
"Wu Suowei's not heading home soon?" He questioned casually, popping a grape in his mouth in an effort to keep his eyes open for at least another half an hour before he threw in the towel.
"Well, it's still early," Chi Cheng's eyes were fixated on the screen, still as focused as he was when they'd started playing about four hours prior. "Recently, he's been waking up early and coming home late. He's really focused on work."
"Is your company that busy?"
"There has been a lot of work lately, but it really shouldn't be keeping him in the office for this long." His boss lets out a sigh at that, still determined to complete this level without the help of Gang Zi, who'd already given up completely.
The gears in Gang Zi's head began to turn.
Wu Suowei was handsome.
That was an objective fact.
So when Gang Zi started to notice all the tell-tale signs that could only point to cheating, he brought up the idea as tactfully as he could. Only to be shut down, as Chi Cheng turned his head just to glower at him, followed by a flat dismissal of "Not possible," as if Gang Zi had just informed him that pigs had begun to fly.
"He doesn't have the guts," he said, before turning back to the television, wanting to cease this train of thought immediately.
"But when other people see him and his big sparkling eyes, you never know…"
Before Gang Zi could finish, Chi Cheng exhaled, in a way that told the other that if he valued his life, he should probably shut up. Now. The other opted to feign ignorance, instead going back to devouring his grapes as he avoided eye contact.
Mood ruined, Chi Cheng couldn't find it in himself to keep playing longer, slamming the remote down after mindlessly mashing buttons for approximately ten seconds. He just sat there for a few minutes, wracking his brains, as if contemplating whether his beloved would be capable of such a thing.
But Gang Zi knew for a fact, once you had seen them, the signs were incredibly hard to ignore. What came next was usually couples' therapy or speedrunning straight to a messy breakup. And if Wu Suowei really did anything like that, Gang Zi shuddered, goosebumps forming on his arm as he imagined the consequences.
Eventually, Chi Cheng stood, having made up his mind.
"Come on, let's go catch them red-handed." He commanded as Gang Zi fell into step, following his boss to the carpark.
It didn't take long before they were in the lobby of the company and Chi Cheng strode up the stairs, his long legs moving with the most urgency and anxiety Gang Zi had ever seen from him. Struggling to keep up, Gang Zi panted slightly, choosing to let his boss search the other rooms, instead using the time to take something from Wu Suowei's office to use as a weapon.
Violence had never once led him astray, especially when working under Chi Cheng.
The second floor of the company turned out to be empty, which led them down to the first floor. Chi Cheng ordered Gang Zi to go right, while the man himself went left, on the prowl for Wu Suowei and his cunning suitor, or it could be another woman. Gang Zi suspected Wu Suowei was bisexual but hadn't quite had the time to come to terms with that yet.
It was about ten minutes of searching at the other end of the company that Gang Zi started to have a hunch that something had gone horrendously wrong. He heard no signs of the usual yelling, screaming, bawling and begging that he'd always faced during an emotionally-charged confrontation. Instead, the building remained quiet in a way that was uncanny, unsettling him immensely. Instinctively, he bolted back to the main lobby to look for Chi Cheng.
Through the vaguely translucent wall of the next room, he saw what he thought was Suowei and his paramour in a tight embrace. Even worse, it was clearly a man. Gang Zi's blood began to boil on behalf of his poor boss, his fingernails digging deep into his palms. How on earth could Suowei be shameless enough to do this to Chi Cheng?
Speaking of which, where was the man anyway?
He turned his gaze to the floor, where he saw something that looked vaguely like someone's body lying on the floor. It's still. Unmoving. Like the person had been knocked out. Dread started to course through his veins.
He was so losing his job. And Chi Yuanduan would probably hunt him and his family down for sport. But he couldn't even begin to think about what the old Chairman Chi would inflict on Suowei if he'd injured his only son and cheated on him no less!
There's only one thing left to do. He had to get revenge on behalf of his boss, currently passed out on the floor, and then flee the country with his family.
Gathering all his courage, with the bravado of a soldier heading for the frontlines, aware that this battle would be his last, he rushed into the room, holding his chosen "weapon" up high as he prepared to attack Suowei's suitor.
"You dirty cheater! Take this!"
Reality hit like a ton of bricks, as his brain took a minute to compute that he had just screamed like a lunatic at his boss and lover, enveloped in a hug. Like they had been having a moment. Before he had ruined it.
To add insult to injury, Suowei had been startled by his presence, even jumping a little as his big doe eyes widened in alarm. Chi Cheng, as usual, remained stone-faced, but not before he shot Gang Zi a dirty look, like he'd just committed an astronomical atrocity, his arms pulling them closer together.
Gang Zi's eyes darted around the room, fully taking in the scene.
The body on the floor? It was a leftover piece of log that Suowei had sawed, taking parts of it for the snake tank he was constructing in the middle of the room.
It was then that Gang Zi began to short-circuit, his mind unable to form a coherent response as he sputtered a few unintelligible sounds. His remaining brainpower was spent deciding between whether to apologise or to just vacate the premises.
Thankfully, his legs made that decision for him, as he dashed for the exit of the building, his hands blocking his eyes in an attempt to give them privacy before he'd shattered the sanctity of the moment.
Till this day, Gang Zi believes that the couple would have spared him the humiliation, but he didn't really want to take his chances, instead choosing to take the next few weeks off work to recover.
And though Chi Cheng probably didn't appreciate the way he'd projected the trauma he'd experienced from his past relationships, he was sure Chi Cheng fundamentally understood his very pure and good intentions. From this, he also learnt never to doubt Wu Suowei, because it would probably come at the cost of his life.
And if Gang Zi chose to keep that brick, it was between himself, God and the brick sitting in his apartment to this very day. That was if Wu Suowei never emailed to ask for it back.
Gang Zi's had his fair share of relationships. Nothing compared to the way his boss and Wu Suowei ran though. The first few weeks of their complicated situationship, the lengths it had taken for them to officially get together and overcome that disaster after Wang Shuo returned had already given Gang Zi a migraine just thinking about it.
But it was just as jarring now as it'd been then to witness Young Master Chi pursue someone with his heart, and not just…his dick.
So, on the rare occasion, Suowei invited him along for a meal, he graciously accepted the invitation to satiate his curiosity, simultaneously trying to ignore the sullen scowl his boss sent his way. As usual, he was peeved that their alone time was being disrupted, as if they didn't already spend every single waking hour together.
Unabashed, Gang Zi just plastered a grin on his face, a swagger in his step as he followed them to the Suowei's favourite Japanese restaurant situated a short distance from the CCWei Office. On the walk there, he observed as Chi Cheng slung an arm over Suowei's shoulders, Suowei pretended not to preen internally, flushing red as he mouthed an insult he didn't mean.
Chi Cheng just smirked, his hand travelling lower, to the small of his lover's back as they moved in tandem, already making their way to their usual seats at the very corner of the room.
Stomach rumbling, Gang Zi wanted to gag from the sweetness of it all, trying not to regret his life decision as he hid behind the menu to decide what to eat. In an instant, they had waved a waiter over and ordered, leaving Gang Zi pleasantly surprised when the food came faster than expected, allowing him to tuck in voraciously at once.
Though that didn't stop him from noticing things throughout the meal.
His boss surrendering the two biggest slices of meat from his own meal, Suowei nicking all the mushrooms off the man's plate while offering a few pieces of his fish in return. A loud smack as Suowei hit what Gang Zi assumed was the same offending hand attempting to position itself on the younger's thigh. Chi Cheng rolling his eyes in response, but not attempting to do it again for the rest of the meal.
It's only after that exchange that they begin eating.
Gang Zi watched Suowei's eyes light up as he chewed, more than satisfied with his meal which looked more like a hybrid mishmash of the sets they had both ordered. As for Chi Cheng, he set the fish Suowei offered to the side, saving it for last as he picked off the rest of his food first.
The meal wasn't completely awkward either, as Suowei kindly asked a few questions about Gang Zi's life between bites, nodding in acknowledgement as they conversed. In turn, Gang Zi recounted some of the wild stories of Chi Cheng Pre-Suowei, which greatly amused the shorter man. Though some details were exaggerated, Chi Cheng didn't protest much, just quietly enjoying the joy it brought Suowei, judging by the soft look of reverence mixed with adoration in his eyes.
When they were done eating, like it was routine, Chi Cheng took a serviette, wiping his own mouth before he folded it, holding Suowei's chin as he cleaned the bit of food on the corner of his lips. It didn't stop Suowei in his tirade, still chattering away to Gang Zi.
The man was conflicted as to whether he should have felt happy for them or exceedingly jealous.
As they prepared to leave, Chi Cheng stood up automatically, on the way to the counter to pay the bill. Sensing that Gang Zi was about to object, Suowei peacefully coaxed him, assuring him that he was a friend and directed him outside to have a smoke.
Gang Zi didn't feel any better about letting his boss pay, but he couldn't bear to say no to Suowei, who'd been doing his utmost best to accommodate him throughout the meal.
They had only been standing outside the restaurant a few minutes, Gang Zi just managing to light his cigarette when they heard chortles and snickering from nearby. Looking up, he instantaneously spotted a gaggle of girls walking by, whispering and pointing at Suowei. They weren't being inconspicuous by any means, but Suowei gave them grace, head down as he scrolled on his phone.
It only became a problem when they decided to come up to them, with one of the girls shyly shuffling forward. Tucking her hair behind her ears, she averted her eyes while asking for his number. The rest of her friends watched in anticipation, awaiting Suowei's answer.
Before Suowei could open his mouth, Chi Cheng appeared by his side, having stormed out of the restaurant after he had footed the bill. He shot the girl an icy glare, proceeding to lace his fingers with Suowei's. The younger man blushed, ready to explain, when Chi Cheng spoke again.
"He's taken." He stated matter-of-factly, his voice low, rough and intimidating.
The girl in front who asked for Suowei's number looked rather flabbergasted for a second, a tense silence settling abruptly. Gang Zi hoped they didn't end up making some kind of scene in the middle of the street, but knowing Chi Cheng's track record, he was doubtful.
"They're so cute!" One of the other girls from the group blurted out, not being able to help herself, before she realised what she'd said and hastily shut her mouth. It unwittingly defused the tension, leading to another wave of giggles within the group as they teased her.
As for Chi Cheng, he reacted with an expression of slight confusion. Raising an eyebrow, he took advantage of the chaos to drag his Weiwei away, removing themselves from the situation. Gang Zi heaved a sigh of relief, quickening his pace to follow them.
The walk back to the office had Chi Cheng holding Suowei closer to him than ever, clinching his hand like some kind of trophy he'd won. The other man, seemed like he was in some sort of trance, his face burning red, still unable to forget what had just transpired.
Gang Zi's heart was warmed. Though his boss seemed cold and callous, Gang Zi had actually come to care for the man in his own way, thinking of them as something like friends, even if he couldn't vocalise this. Secretly, he was quite glad that the Young Master had found love with someone who seemed equally enamoured as he was.
And the next time Suowei and the doctor invited him and Li Wang for lunch with both couples, he rejected the offer, not willing to be doubly reminded of how single he was and risk a pay cut for intruding on their double date.
It wasn't often Gang Zi found himself in the same car as Chi Cheng these days. More often than not, his boss and beloved commuted from their apartment to work by themselves, Chi Cheng no longer wanting a driver to bother them during their alone time.
Nowadays, Gang Zi found himself following his boss around, more as a decorative bodyguard, no longer doing much of the usual…more personal work for the man. He spent his time accompanying Chi Cheng to meet clients, helping to negotiate deals if things went sideways and standing to the side and looking intimidating when it was required of him.
It was only about three years into this blossoming thing of passion that Chi Cheng and Wu Suowei had, that it hit the man that he hadn't had to call a private investigator, hadn't had to quell a teary one-night stand, hadn't had to acquire any more exotic snakes for the Young Master in quite a while. The listless feeling he had wasn't any kind of coincidence at all.
His routine had been turned completely inside out by the illustrious Wu Suowei, a bright sun full of harebrained scheming and an underlying stinginess so stringent it could be compared to that of Scrooge Mcduck. Yet, in a way he had stopped trying to understand, this had made the boy all the more irresistible to Chi Cheng, who'd spent close to his entire seventh year apart from Wang Shuo chasing what was clearly the tail end of an absurd seduction plot.
If Wu Suowei thought he had been subtle in any way, Gang Zi was more than willing to share more than a few choice words of his own.
Now, he couldn't fathom why he was still being paid the same amount from back when he was doing the usual grunt work, but hey, it was free money and, who was he to complain?
The night before, he'd been having the time of his life at the club with Li Wang, even managing to bag one of the escorts for what he presumed was going to be a nice night. He'd slung his hand across the boy's shoulders, prepared to head back home when his phone buzzed once. Groaning, he whipped out his phone clumsily, only to be stunned, coming face to face with a notification from his boss from WeChat.
What the hell? Chi Cheng never texted. Scrolling through their chat history, even his last message from over four years prior had been left on read. He scanned the screen, glazing over the unusually long message that awaited him.
I will require you to chauffeur Suowei and I home in the evening, 6pm.
Gang Zi narrowed his eyes in disbelief, it was unusually polite for the likes of Chi Cheng too. With a quick scoff, he replied a simple "yes boss" and turned his attention to the more pressing matter at hand.
And now here he was, rudely being reminded of the early days, the kind of nonsense he had to endure all the time pre-Suowei, the kind of thing he'd never quite been able to stay desensitised to all his years of working for Chi Cheng.
The initial few minutes they'd boarded the vehicle had been a peaceful silence. Through the rearview mirror, Gang Zi espied Suowei resting his head on Chi Cheng's shoulder, while both of them went on their phones, probably scrolling social media. It was a scene of quiet domesticity, something Gang Zi had never seen and ever imagined he would witness from Young Master Chi. The hand of said man was around Suowei's shoulder, allowing the younger's body to lean closer as they relaxed after a long day at the office.
That was before it started.
First came the rustling of clothes in the backseat, and what sounded suspiciously like a heady moan piercing the stillness before Suowei covered his mouth, face completely red with embarrassment.
"No! Let's…at home…" The fingers of his other hand were clutching for dear life on Chi Cheng's shirt. While his mouth protested, he wasn't actually trying to push the other man away.
"He's used to it, it's fine." His boss murmured lowly, his hands slowly dipping into Suowei's pants, groping shamelessly.
Good to know his boss still hadn't lost his exhibitionist streak from his twenties. Gang Zi always had the impulse to crash the vehicle straight into a tree then, and it seemed like some things never changed.
Next came the wet noises, as they began making out. From the unconscious peek he took to the rearview mirror, he saw their positions had changed and Wu Suowei was entirely on Chi Cheng's lap, his hands around the elder's neck. As for Chi Cheng, he had one wrapped around his lover's neck, the other in a vice grip on Suowei's waist.
Great, his jaw clenched, now he had to watch out for their safety too. One slight swerve, and it would be over for him. If he were to get into even a minor car accident, Chi Yuanduan was sure to skewer his entire bloodline and wipe his family tree off the face of the earth.
It wa at this point his hands started to sweat, so much that they trembled furiously as he changed gears. He's praying for divine intervention, hoping that every single traffic light miraculously turned green. He wished he could turn the radio up so loud he drowned out the sounds behind him, so loud he could drown out his own thoughts, giving him a step-by-step comprehensive reenactment of what was occurring behind him for god knew what reason.
And no, it didn't get any better. He'd gone into a fugue state at that point, stiff and completely narrowing his vision to the path ahead of him, unwilling to suffer any longer. His only goal now was to drop the couple off, go home to bleach his eyes and probably find some ungodly way to rupture his own eardrums.
How he had endured even worse than this in his mid-twenties was a mystery.
"Dabao…please…for me." His boss uttered, voice honeyed yet demanding, clearly pawing at Suowei's shirt. In hindsight, it would've been funny in any other scenario to hear Young Master Chi act so submissive, but Gang Zi was close to his breaking point. If they went on any longer, the poor man was going to sue for psychological damage.
At least their clothes were still on, and knowing Suowei there was no way he would give in.
So he was baffled, when, instead of smacking Chi Cheng away, he heard movements and regretfully chose to dart his eyes up quickly. To his utter dismay, he saw a flash of the pale skin of Suowei's shoulder and what was probably his shirt being tossed to the side. The Young Master pinned him down on the car seat, Suowei's hands in his hair and all over his back, gripping on for purchase as they continued to kiss and rub on each other.
Gang Zi had never wanted to spontaneously combust more in his life than this moment. He tuned out the sounds for the remainder of the trip, focusing entirely on pulling up to their apartment complex, heaving a huge sigh of relief when he eventually did.
At some point nearing their home, Suowei put his shirt back on, but it was evident he'd been struck by the gravity of what they'd done. Chi Cheng's hair was mussed-up, both their clothes were dishevelled and Gang Zi spotted what was probably what was the start of a trail of hickeys on Suowei's neck.
As he turned to bid them goodbye, Suowei squeaked out a garbled "thankyoubye", before speeding out the door. Chi Cheng, on the other hand, brazen as ever, took some time to adjust his attire before giving Gang Zi a curt nod and exiting to chase after the human embodiment of a tomato. In the comfort of his car, Gang Zi buried his head in his hands, so mortified he wished the floor would swallow him whole.
And if he did receive an inordinate bonus with his next paycheck (probably courtesy of Suowei), Gang Zi was sure to pay for an extensive deep clean of the car and, hopefully, his mind.
Earlier that day, Gang Zi and Chi Cheng had just completed negotiations with a particularly frustrating client. The dipshit, expecting a completed design within a tight deadline that was impossible to meet, was continually pushing for them to generate designs using AI.
Considering the amount of time Chi Cheng had spent watching his precious Weiwei hand-draw all their designs from scratch, he did not appreciate this blasphemous suggestion. And as the guy continued to force this idea, Chi Cheng's jaw clenched even harder. Gang Zi didn't even know that was possible.
For whatever reason, he was clearly holding himself back from mouthing off the guy right there and then. Maybe this obnoxious son of a bitch was one of Suowei's acquaintances from university or a friend of a friend. However, it was clear that this client meant something to Wu Suowei, which somehow activated an extraordinary amount of self-control in Chi Cheng. The old Young Master would've decimated this guy in seconds, doling out violations which would either have left him in tears or ready to file a restraining order.
Love did change people after all.
Gang Zi, ever the peacemaker, decided to step in from there, buying time for Chi Cheng to recover his patience. Chi Cheng never expressed it to him, but he could tell his boss appreciated his ability to navigate through the most precarious of social situations like he was diffusing a particularly sensitive bomb. A quick quip here and a litany of politically correct statements always allowed him to skate through the tedious amount of networking conferences that Chi Cheng himself refused to attend, even when they were working for Yuanduan Group.
With this client, he clarified details when needed, while also trying his best to cater to the asshole's needs, probably rephrasing the same explanation about fifteen different ways trying to get it through to this guy's thick skull that they were not going to use AI.
By the time they'd closed the deal, Chi Cheng's expression had morphed into a permanent scowl, his knuckles white from the way he'd gripped the table throughout the ordeal. His purposeful gait as he sped to the restaurant exit made it clear where he wanted to head next.
And so Gang Zi drove back to the CCWei Office, witnessing the way which Chi Cheng brisk-walked into the building, which was practically his equivalent of sprinting at full speed. Sighing, he put his hands in his pockets, keeping an eye on his boss as he strolled at his own pace, where they eventually arrived to the corridor of meeting rooms. Not even waiting a second, the Young Master slammed the first door open, where Suowei had probably just wrapped up a meeting.
The employees, upon seeing Mr Chi enter with all the grace of a enraged bull, a manic look in his eyes, gathered their things and scurried out of the room. They had no idea who had poked the bear, but they had no intention of finding out, leaving Mr Wu to sort him out the way he knew best. As they departed, they held eye contact with Gang Zi, giving him a friendly bow before frantically rushing back to the office.
All alone, Gang Zi resolved to stand there, awaiting further instructions from Chi Cheng for the rest of the day. After he got his fill of spending time with Wu Suowei, Gang Zi was sure they would be good to meet the second client of the day. For now, he whipped out his phone, idly scrolling while subtly eavesdropping through the door, way too excited to hear the myriad of colourful insults Chi Cheng had in his arsenal. Instead, what he got was a hushed conversation, a soft murmuring back and forth as they spoke in rapid succession.
He sure hoped they weren't having an argument of any kind. It would suck to have to cover for Chi Cheng the whole day, especially since he wasn't sure of the details of the contract of the next client.
It was when he heard a loud thud come from the room that his head started teeming with the worst possible scenarios. Had they progressed to a more physical argument? Did he need to check in on them?
He raised his hand, prepared to knock respectfully and timidly raise his concerns when he heard an unmistakable, low growl of "Da Bao…Weiwei, you're driving me crazy…", followed by what he interpreted as heavy panting and the clinking of a belt.
Gang Zi wanted to die. His soul had left his body.
Then came the rustling of clothing again and what he assumed were both sets of clothes dropping to the floor. He heard the sound of a drawer being opened, (WHY WERE THEY KEEPING SUCH SACRILEGIOUS THINGS IN A MEETING ROOM OF ALL PLACES?) and a less amplified version of the wet sounds he'd faced in the car and the wet slap of skin.
Oh goddammit, not again! And it's even worse this time too! Gang Zi pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, staring at the floor as he fidgeted uncomfortably.
As if he couldn't feel any more humiliated, there were other employees passing by, staring curiously, probably wondering why Mr Chi's Number Two was standing outside the room like a child on time-out. And it wasn't like he could explain he would rather not be a voyeur to their…proclivities AGAIN.
At the same time, Gang Zi had to admit he was surprised by Suowei's willingness to indulge Chi Cheng, less than pleased it was coming at the cost of his mental health though.
Shockingly, just a few weeks ago, when the Young Master tried to bestow his lover a kiss at one of those networking conferences he so hated, the other had responded by swatting at Chi Cheng's hands like a disgruntled cat. His face scrunched up shyly as he made a show of pushing Chi Cheng away, to the disappointment of the aunties watching them like a hawk from the other side of the ballroom.
You wouldn't be able to tell from a glance, but these ladies were important investors who had been especially captivated by the business partners-turned-lovers storyline Suowei had conjured up for this event, in particular, which in turn, translated to actual funds for the CCWei Company. Gang Zi suspected, if he'd gone through with it they would have earned at least another three million in funds.
Now back to the disturbing issue at hand, Gang Zi grew even paler, as he was tormented by the sound of a gasp, high-pitched and needy, followed by a breathy moan of "Cheng-ge…". And he wasn't even anywhere near the door anymore! In that instance, he wanted nothing more than for an asteroid to hit the earth, erasing his existence completely. He was so close to requesting a pay raise from his boss directly just so he could go to therapy.
Instead of doing all that though, he took a deep breath, choosing to go on autopilot instead, aka being a considerate employee. He found his way to the janitor's closet, borrowing a couple of towels and a set of tissues, leaving all supplies outside the meeting room, before he got as far away from the corridor as he could.
And since Wu Suowei couldn't look him in the eye whenever they met the next few months, he prayed fervently that incidents like these didn't become a habit.
+1
Gang Zi and Li Wang had this thing.
It had started about seven years ago, a few days after Wang Shuo had turned tail and fled the country. Gang Zi had been checking his inbox, puzzled to receive a not-so-suspicious email from one Li Wang, who wanted to meet for a meal. Thankfully for Guo Chengyu and Li Wang, Gang Zi, in his early twenties, had the survival instincts of a wet plastic bag and showed up to their proposed meeting with no complaints.
The original plan was for Li Wang to pretend to make friends with Gang Zi, while he listened to instructions from Guo Chengyu through a wired earpiece, who would in turn direct him through the process of digging for information.
Instead, what he'd gotten was Li Wang pausing throughout the meal to quite obviously adjust the earpiece as well as long stretches of awkward silence between each question. It was clear as day, that the man was waiting for instructions from some unknown entity. And Gang Zi didn't need to rub two brain cells together to figure out exactly who that was.
In the end, Guo Chengyu had grown so impatient, he marched into the establishment and sat down at the table with them himself. But before the man could begin his interrogation, their subject began to guffaw merrily, thoroughly entertained by Li Wang's forlorn expression as his boss snatched the earpiece back.
Knowing that they didn't truly mean him any harm, Gang Zi had chosen to let his guard down. But he still continually surveyed his surroundings, a little more than afraid that his boss would show up out of the blue.
Sensing his anxiety, Guo Chengyu reassured him that Chi Cheng didn't frequent this restaurant, which gave them the time and space to freely have a short exchange. As he'd expected, the ex-best friend then told him everything about that night from his own perspective, even transparently admitting his true intentions. That he was worried about Chi Cheng, that he swore he was innocent and, he would never betray his brother in that manner and that he wanted to know how Chi Cheng was doing, despite all the vitriol that had been hurled in his face each time he had tried to meet the Young Master.
As he spoke, Gang Zi realised that the ray of light who'd always been around to accompany Chi Cheng and cheer him up had inexplicably been extinguished. After Guo Chengyu said his piece, even as Gang Zi shared the information they wanted, Chengyu no longer had any witty remarks or snide comments to add, it was like he had become a less…alive version of himself. It was rather eerie, watching as his eyes glazed over a few times within the same conversation, as if he'd returned to that day within the confines of his mind.
In truth, Gang Zi did feel outrage on behalf of his boss initially, having heard about the whole thing from the office gossip mill. He'd been aghast as well, seeing as Guo Chengyu always seemed like a person who valued loyalty above all else and, most of all, cared deeply for Chi Cheng. He had practically been family, seeing as the Young Master's relationship with his own was anything but functional.
So it was with the pang of sympathy he felt listening to Guo Chengyu's plight in mind, that they began their monthly meetings, where it used to be the three of them dining together, allowing for Gang Zi to share things about Chi Cheng's current condition. He also had the inkling that Chi Cheng did know about these meetings, seeing as he had a sixth sense for these kinds of schemes, but Gang Zi had never been properly approached or confronted in any way.
And in turn, the trio had actually grown quite close, meetings no longer designated for their primary purpose, but also allowing them to catch up and vent their troubles that no one else would really understand (in the case of Li Wang and Gang Zi).
So they continued, till the present day, when Guo Chengyu, busy with his blossoming relationship with Doctor Jiang, only showed a few times a year. It was good for Li Wang anyway, who was itching to rant about work-related matters but didn't want Guo Chengyu to be there to interfere.
As per usual, they met at Li Wang's favourite malatang place, taking their time to place their orders before they began their discourse. Gang Zi, who had been anticipating this meal since the last one had ended, had collated a whole list of topics by alphabetical order. He'd started off describing the day with the aptly named, AI client, watching as Li Wang's cheery expression crumpled, feeling the second-hand embarrassment on his behalf. Even recounting the incident made Gang Zi want to melt into a puddle and disappear.
As he finished off the story, Li Wang closed his eyes, as if recalling a certain memory that pained him greatly, as he whispered dramatically, "Me too."
What proceeded was the world's most disjointed retelling of an evening Li Wang and Guo Chengyu had headed back to the clinic for him to bid a quick goodbye to his beloved Doctor Jiang before they headed off for a business trip.
Poor Li Wang had been left in the parking lot for a solid twenty minutes, before he realised that they had seen the boarding time wrongly and needed to leave for the airport right that instant. He really didn't want to interrupt their time together, but the deal in Singapore was way too important to risk missing their flight.
So, clearly not being the sharpest tool in the shed, he charged straight into the back room of the clinic without knocking, too eager to inform Chengyu of the sudden development.
"Yo, Chengyu, our flight…" He stopped mid-sentence.
The door flew open, blessing Li Wang's eyes with a full view of Guo Chengyu's gluteus maximus in all its glory. Judging by their positions, they were still mid-coitus. With his quick instincts, Doctor Jiang immediately hid his face in Guo Chengyu's chest as the other man tried his hardest to shield the doctor to protect what was left of his modesty.
Li Wang turned red from head to toe, stuttering apologies as he tried his best to shut the door while keeping his eyes closed. This resulted in a few second gap where he was just clumsily fumbling with the door, unable to place where the door knob was.
With the click of the door, he took off, helter-skelter back to the car where he waited in hopes that a black hole would open underneath him and leaving him to suffocate in outer space. His hands were shaking as he tried to catch his breath, his throat constricting as he tried not to have a panic attack each time his brain forcibly replayed the memory.
Guo Chengyu boarded the vehicle again about two minutes later, probably inferring what Li Wang had meant to inform him, where they proceeded to sit in silence the entire way to the airport as well as the whole trip in Singapore.
Okay, that probably took the cake. Gang Zi himself had winced, feeling chills go down his spine as Li Wang described the situation in vivid detail.
"Why would you do it in a room without a lock in the first place?" Li Wang wailed, close to tears. Guo Chengyu and he had just begun to speak to each other normally, but it had taken one week for Li Wang to feel comfortable enough making eye contact with him.
At least Li Wang's incident had been somewhat self-inflicted. Chi Cheng and Wu Suowei were doing whatever they wanted in an office full of people! Gang Zi's right eye had started to twitch, before he slurped up the savoury noodles and everything in the world had reoriented, becoming right again.
Gang Zi and Li Wang slumped in their seats and let out a sigh, maybe it was time to consider a career change. No amount of money would ever be worth this.