Their ears were still buzzing after the two sat in car, since coming out of an extremely noisy environment to an extremely quiet one made it difficult to adapt to. On the way of taking Li Yu back home, no one spoke for the first few minutes.
In the end, Jian Sui Ying couldn't help but to speak quietly. "Xiao Li Zi."
"En." Li Yu had just turned his head to the side to look outside the window. From that angle, Jian Sui Ying happened to catch sight of his snow-white neck, that perfect jawline, and a small area of his exposed collarbone.
Jian Sui Ying took two more glances and could already feel his mouth and tongue drying up. He swallowed and asked, "Are you mad?"
"Me?" Li Yu smiled lightly, "I'm not, why would I?"
"If I didn't bring you here today, you wouldn't have suffered that mistreatment and that fatty…"
"It doesn't matter…" Li Yu seemed a bit hesitant to speak but then asked, "Why did that person come to me?"
Jian Sui Ying awkwardly said, "The person was probably high and when he saw that you were young, he might have thought you were…"
Li Yu turned his body over and let his eyes fall on Jian Sui Ying's face. "Thought I was what?"
Being looked at by him, Jian Sui Ying felt a bit guilty, and naturally he would not dare to say it directly. He laughed instead, "Nothing, it is mainly because you are too handsome. Even if you go to an ordinary bar, all the young ladies will definitely come and hit on you, right? That person was just outrageously bold today, don't keep it in mind ah. Take it as you were almost approached by a dog.
Leaving his gaze on him for two to three more seconds, Li Yu then slowly shifted his eyes. "Jian Ge, when will Sui Lin start to work?"
"It should be after a week or two, my dad wants him to have time to play and rest."
"I want to go earlier…"
–
The next morning, Li Yu came together with Li Xuan.
Li Xuan also brought a box of top-notch Bai Hao Tea[1] and apologized to him once again.
That gave Jian Sui Ying enough face, prompting him to greet the brothers with joy written across his face as he took them to his own office.
"Sui Ying ah, our family's Lao Er will be entrusted to you for the next two months. You don't have to be courteous with me and teach him well."
"With your words, I can be at ease. I will definitely let him learn carefully."
The two said some conventional greetings before Jian Sui Ying had his secretary to show Li Yu around so that he could be familiar with the environment. Meanwhile, he chatted with Li Xuan about the land in details.
Jian Sui Ying gave Li Xuan some relevant information about the proposed project such as, how the feed was environmentally-friendly, how the waste would be utilized, what the future prospects were and so on.
In the end, Li Xuan promised that he would check around Guangxi for any suitable land.
With those words from him, Jian Sui Ying felt considerably at ease since there was still hope— at the least.
The two chatted for more than two hours, and when it was about time to go for lunch, Jian Sui Ying invited Li Xuan to have a meal.
Li Xuan said regrettably, "I have to return home to pack up some things and catch a plane in the afternoon."
"You can't not eat before getting on the plane."
"My mother intentionally told me I have to return home at noon since it's not easy for me to come back. She personally went into the kitchen this time."
"Oh, Auntie is personally cooking. Then, I definitely can't keep you back. Will Li Yu be going with you?"
"En, he will return here himself later though."
"Okay." Jian Sui Ying walked him to the door and joked, "Since you handed your brother over to me to educate, don't feel bad if he's worked hard and gets tired ah."
Li Xuan laughed out loud, "I give you all the power."
Jian Sui Ying thought that if he knew what he wanted to do to his younger brother, he would definitely choke him to death.
However, for Jian Sui Ying, the more difficult the target and the more challenging the value, the sweeter the fruit of victory.
–
After the lunch break, Li Yu reported back on time.
During that break, Jian Sui Ying had also heard several of the female employees discussing Li Yu. Fortunately, Li Yu was still too young. Although they were extremely happy, when they thought about the age difference they could only stare at that eye candy and tease the little handsome man as to harvest the fun of life.
Only a naughty man like Jian Sui Ying, who had always liked to have fun with young and beautiful men, would not be pressured by Li Yu's age, but rather find it utterly exciting.
Li Yu was still dressed casually with a T-shirt and jeans.
Jian Sui Ying was never that demanding or strict about his employees' dress code, but in any case, this was a large high-level office building. Thus, it was a bit too unprofessional to wear jeans to work.
When he came in the morning, Jian Sui Ying had already taken notice, but he did not have the time to talk to him about it. Now that he had come back, Jian Sui Ying simply frowned as he looked at him up and down.
Li Yu followed his gaze as he looked at him, "I haven't had time to buy the clothes yet."
Jian Sui Ying laughed and shook his head, "You're quite aware, haha. Just don't dress like this again tomorrow."
"Okay."
With that, Jian Sui Ying stood up and looked at his beloved little beauty with satisfaction. "What did you do this morning?"
"Nothing much, Liang jie[2] took me through the company and dining hall and told me about some basic regulations and so on."
"En, if you don't understand anything in the future, just as Xiao Liang."
Li Yu nodded, "Jian… Zong,[3] what do you think I should do?"
Jian Sui Ying smiled, exposing his white teeth. "You just graduated from high school and can't do anything. There are many things that I can't hand over to you without worrying. You can just stay by my side, handle some trivial things, and can still learn a lot. So… how about being my assistant?"
Li Yu's brow rose, "Then… what do you have planned for Sui Lin to do?"
"Him, I'll think about it." Jian Sui Ying joked, "Why, are you not happy? Who was it who said that anything was fine yesterday? And that he would listen to everything the leader said?"
Li Yi, "How can I."
Jian Sui Ying laughed out loud, "Not bad, you are indeed a pretty good kid. Any other kid of your age would only think of how to have fun, yet you only rest for a couple of days and then do something instead. Not bad, not bad, you will have a bright future."
Li Yu did not have any expression, "I will work hard."
Jian Sui Ying patted his shoulder, "Alright. Go, I'll take you to change your outfit."
Hearing that, Li Yu looked at him in surprise.
"You can't be dressed like this when you're out for business with me."
"I will go buy it after work."
"Let's go. I don't have anything important at the moment. If the problem can be resolved now, there is no need to leave it for after work since dressing appropriately is also part of your work."
Just as Li Yu was pondering, Jian Sui Ying threw his arm over his shoulder, "Do I also have to formally ask you to go ah?"
Without a better option, Li Yu followed him out of the door.
–
Jian Da Shao had a relatively flashy and enticing nature and liked to look aesthetically pleasing. He was completely confident in himself and would seek professional stylists to discuss ways to match his outfits from time to time. He never treated himself wrongly, and at the same time, he would never treat his beloved little beauty wrongly.
When he was driving, he called a stylist and asked him to wait at the shopping center.
After that, taking advantage of the red traffic light, he quietly sent the stylist a text message, afraid he might had misunderstood that Li Yu was his secret lover.
Although Jian Da Shao was confident that no one could resist his charm— even Li Yu who was indifferent to him then, would one day surrender beneath him.
However, for the time being, Li Yu was still a prestigious princeling of the capital. Just because he was young and full of life, he was taken as a treasured darling. It would be a wonder if Jian Da Shao didn't lift the lid to that treasure. With that ambiguous expression in Xiao Tang's eyes yesterday, he had immediately sensed an uncomfortable air from Li Yu, so he must not let it happen again.
Having been Jian Da Shao's shopping assistant quite a few times, the stylist was familiar with where to take them around the center.
Since Jian Sui Ying had been bombarded with work recently, and added on was his sprain ankle, he had not been able to stroll around for quite some time. Then, he could relax a bit as he leisurely picked out some clothes.
As for Li Yu, he just seemed to lack interest. At first, he was cooperating, but two hours later, his face was full of impatience which could no longer remain hidden.
At that moment, there were already many things in the three's hands.
Jian Sui Ying himself did not buy much, but he felt that everything he saw fitted Li Yu perfectly.
In fact, having a good stature and being good-looking basically meant wearing anything would make one look good. So, when Jian Sui Ying saw something nice, he would place it on Li Yu's body.
That stylist couldn't be more gay, since the moment he saw those two handsome men his eyes seemed to have been blessed. Not only that, being able to shop, look at the handsome men and earn money all at the same time, was simply paradise for him— he wasn't tired at all. There was also a great sense of satisfaction as he watched Jian Sui Ying picking out clothes for Li Yu, and that unsurprisingly made him even more excited.
While Li Yu's face was completely dark, Jian Sui Ying and that stylist were still discussing joyfully.
Finally, the two were satisfied and the torturous afternoon came to an end.
With a trunk of things, Jian Sui Ying happily took Li Yu out to eat.
Li Yu's slender body was adorning an exquisitely tailored suit which accentuated his gorgeous figure and increased his sexiness all the more. Sitting in their seats, with a distance of only twenty centimeters between them, Jian Da Shao realized what it meant 'to be adventurous and uncontrollable'[4] and 'to let one's imagination run wild'.[5]
When he looked at Li Yu then, it didn't matter which way he looked, he liked the way he looked vertically and even more so horizontally. There were plenty of beautiful and handsome men in the world, but none had a combination of qualities which included an outstanding face, stature, temperament, and family background like that of Li Yu's. With such a rarity, any ambitious person would want to take possession of it for themselves— not for anything else but to have a sense of accomplishment from possessing that top-notch material.
Just as Jian Sui Ying was fantasizing cheerfully, Li Yu suddenly asked, "How much was spent today?"
"Huh?"
"Those things."
"Ah… I'm not too sure."
"I will let Liang jie verify the amount tomorrow and have the money transferred to you as soon as possible."
Jian Sui Ying's tone was the same as when one spoiled a child, "What are you being polite with me for? It's fine to accept it."
When Li Yu turned his head over, there was a hint of coldness in his expression. He fixed his gaze on Jian Sui Ying and slowly said, "When I buy things, why would you pay for it?"
That time, Jian Sui Ying was unexpectedly startled by that question.
He instantly became clear-headed, realizing that he and Li Yu only had a semi-familiar relationship. He, himself, had spent almost a few thousands all of a sudden wasn't considered much but looking at it from a different angle, it was indeed very dubious.
Jian Sui Ying quickly glanced at Li Yu and as expected, he saw a very strange expression.
He immediately pretended as if nothing had happened and calmly said, "Eii, don't say that. As a boss, I have to study my employees a bit. I wanted to reward you ahead of time since after all, you will be extremely busy working with me. You will come to know later."
Li Yu relaxed his tone, "Thanks, Jian Zong. But you really should not spend money on these clothes. I do appreciate your kindness."
The two formal "yous" smashed Jian Sui Ying's heart until it trembled.
He thought of how hard it was to have Li Yu smiling at him, and how affectionate it was to be called "Jian Ge", yet how come after only half a day, he was being addressed as Jian Zong and 'you'?[6]
Having been in contact with Li Yu for quite some time now, he should have also been able to make out his temperament.
He could sense that Li Yu was an especially haughty person beneath the surface and had a cold and indifferent nature. In fact, he was not an easy person to get along with— at the very most, he was not a very affectionate person.
With this kind of person, it did not matter how long you had been with him since it did not necessarily mean he would take you seriously. But, if you offended him, you did not need to have done much. Even if it was just one thing, he might always bear grudges against you.
Jian Sui Ying analyzed it to himself for a moment and thought that that might have something to do with Li Yu's family background.
Back then, Li Yu's paternal grandfather had gone through many hardships and adverse circumstances, not like Jian Sui Ying's own paternal grandfather who had risen up the rank by cutting through the rain with weapons, rather than by being inevitably involved with several political struggles.The harshest time being when he was pulled out and paraded through the streets, physically and mentally abused, especially during the Cultural Revolution— he had suffered all kinds of humiliations then.
For someone who had experienced such volatile adversities, it was inevitable that he would be very cautious towards others. In fact, Li Yu's grandfather was not very familiar with his grandfather. Although his reputation and the injustice were redressed afterwards, because he had suffered too many persecutions before, he had never dared to get too close to any faction ever since then, in order 'to put one's own safety before matters of principle.'[7]
But since things had been more open in recent years, and the current political situation was different from before, with the Li family's descendants resolved to improve and determined not to fall short, the family's network had broadened to an unprecedented point.
The child born into this family would certainly have the kind of personality that made it hard to get close to others. And, for any actions that damaged their own interest, they would remember it exceptionally well.
Analyzing it in that manner, Jian Sui Ying thought that it was very reasonable, which made him all the more afraid to offend Li Yu.
He quickly tried to correct that matter and found some superficial reasons to prove that he was not trying to give those things to Li Yu, but rather, it was more convenient to first use his own card.
By the time they reached the restaurant, Li Yu's expression was a lot better.
When they were eating, Jian Sui Ying eagerly poured him a cup of tea. Having that happened more than once, Li Yu found it embarrassing since Jian Sui Ying was older than him after all. And, even more so, he was now his superior, which made it all the more difficult.
"Jian Zong, let me do it."
"Hey, what did you call me? What did we talk about just now, after work you can call me Jian Ge. You must not be lazy with that."
"… Jian Ge, let me do it. I can reach it."
Seeing that Li Yu was indeed better, Jian Sui Ying was able to be at ease. "Okay, I just wanted to tell you that this salad with dressing is especially delicious. I normally don't like eating sweet things, but this sweet and spicy sauce, I don't know how it was made, it's just very good."
"Okay, let me try it."
Jian Sui Ying smiled as he watched Li Yu eat. That table of Sichuan[8] food made his lips very red from the spice, which in turn caused his skin to appear increasingly fair and soft. Jian Sui Ying thought that no matter how much he looked at him, it was not enough ah.
How can something that was not in one's hand yet, be so fragrant and attractive like that…
–
Translator's Note:
[1] Bai Hao tea – also called "Ling Yun Bai Hao", mostly due to its leaves and the downy appearance of its buds. This tea's jade-green color, soft fuzz, full-bodied fragrance, mellow taste, and durable infusion resistance are the five features by which it is renowned both at home in China and abroad. Bai Hao traces its birthplace to Guangxi. These tea trees are commonly grown in the high mountains of the province where altitudes reach between 800 and 1500m, perfect for this variety of tea. On average, this area experiences an annual precipitation of 1500-2000mm, with an average annual temperature between 16 and 23°C.
[2] jie– older sister, can be used at the end of any surname to indicate an older female.
[3] Zong – from zongtong, means president/chief, and is a title that is placed after the surname, until American English that places in before the surname.
[4] to be adventurous and uncontrollable – can also be translated as to 'have a heart like a frisky monkey, mind like a cantering horse' (idiom); fig. capricious (derog.) /to have ants in one’s pants /hyperactive.
[5] to let one's imagination run wild – the idiom also translates 'to indulge in fantasy'.
[6] 你ni (you – casual) and 您 nin (you, formal) – Li Yu is speaking to JSY in a very formal manner as oppose to normally call him Jian Ge and using 'you – ni form'.
[7] 'to put one's own safety before matters of principle' means to just watch after yourself first.
[8] Sichuan food – known to be spicy especially with the use of sichuan peppers.