Get Married - Chap 5
Chapter 5: If You’re Worried, You Can Lock the Door
What’s there to nurture?
Xin Rong struggled to regain his composure for a moment.
Shao Chengyun stood up and walked around the long desk towards him. He stretched out his hand and wrapped his arms around Xin Rong’s shoulder.
Xin Rong wasn’t expecting him to make this move and his whole body froze at the contact. Shao Chengyun’s palm was warm. The heat seeped through the fabric of his clothes and stuck onto Xin Rong’s skin like glue.
He guided Xin Rong two steps toward the guest bedroom. He opened the door with his other hand and the furnishings inside were immediately made visible to them.
“The two bedrooms are individual and they’re not linked. If you’re worried, you can lock the door at night.” Shao Chengyun said, letting go of Xin Rong.
His jawline was firm but that didn’t hinder his handsome face. In fact, it added the charisma of a mature man to his entire being. Whether Shao Chengyun did it to convince Xin Rong to stay or not, he unconsciously spoke in a coaxing tone when he told Xin Rong that he could lock the door when he went to sleep.
Xin Rong hadn’t experienced this kind of scenario before and to him, it turned into a bit of a chaos and something that couldn’t have been prevented. Shao Chengyun stood behind him. Shao Chengyun exuded a strong aura and it seemed as if he was deliberately trying to diminish that aura to come off as less intimidating. That very same aura was enveloping Xin Rong. Xin Rong was in a daze for a few seconds before saying, “I want to go back and grab something. If you agree, I’ll stay the night.”
It didn’t sound like some kind of special request at first. Shao Chengyun thought he was going to retrieve his personal belongings such as his pajamas or a charger so he agreed. “Go ahead.”
Xin Rong didn’t explain further and went ahead. After a few minutes, Shao Chengyun heard a knock on the door and went to open it. Xin Rong stood outside, hugging a small tank in his arms.
Shao Chengyun frowned at first, then broke into a chuckle. “Is something like this even allowed on board?”
There was a small pond turtle in the tank which was waddling along with the motion of the water in perfect synchronization.
Xin Rong huffed. “It’s fine as long as the colleagues responsible for security check gave the green light. A pet turtle wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
Xin Rong began to raise the pond turtle ever since his mother fell sick, and it’s been more than four years since then. To Xin Rong, the turtle was his companion. Without it, Xin Rong would have a hard time falling asleep at night. At first, he secretly hid it in his bag and brought it on board with him. Later when he got acquainted with his colleagues, the people in charge of inspection before boarding the cruise turned a blind eye to the turtle.
Shao Chengyun let him into the suite and eyed the turtle again before asking, “Does it have a name?”
Xin Rong replied. “123.” After a pause, he repeated. “123.” At the same time, he put his finger into the tank and he wasn’t sure if the turtle could hear the movement but it slowly moved towards the direction of Xin Rong’s finger.
The smile on Shao Chengyun’s lips widened. The pretty boy in front of him raised a turtle named 123 in secret. He wasn’t sure which part of the whole thing triggered it but he couldn’t contain his laughter. “Yet you dare to bring the turtle to me?”
Xin Rong entered the suite and walked to the guest bedroom while saying, “Does President Shao even care about such trivial matters? If you fire me just because of this, I can only report you for abusing your position to harass me…”
They were both joking. In a shared suite as time crept deeper into the night, the two of them joked with one another because of a mere turtle. The initial tense atmosphere of lingering unfamiliarity seemed to have eased up quite a bit.
Xin Rong carried the glass tank into the guest bedroom and put it on the bedside table.
Shao Chengyun stood outside the bedroom door and said to him, “From now on, help yourself to whatever you wish to do and whatever you crave to eat. You don’t have to ask me.”
Xin Rong turned around and looked at Shao Chengyun, pursing the corners of his mouth. “Okay. Goodnight, President Shao.” He mumbled.
He stood by the bed without moving. Shao Chengyun stretched out his hand and took the initiative to close the door for him.
Xin Rong had taken advantage of his trip back to his room earlier for a quick wash up. He sat on the edge of his bed for a few minutes, but he did not end up locking the door. Instead, he turned off the bedside lamp, undid the comforters, and snuggled right in.
The door of the room which was closed by Shao Chengyun was segregated from the outside by a single gap in which a faint light pierced right through.
Xin Rong laid on his back in bed, glancing at that illuminating gap under the door from time to time.
It’s like a border dividing two worlds apart. He couldn’t help but think.
It was way too quiet around him and only the sound of waves undulating consistently outside the cruise was audible. The silence only caused one’s thoughts to be more erratic.
Xin Rong filtered through the events that had unfolded today one by one in his head, but the more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t sleep. In addition, he was someone who would have difficulties sleeping if it was in a bed he wasn’t accustomed to. His body was exhausted but his nerves just couldn’t seem to relax themselves. Seeing as 123 was already lying on the edge of a hydroponic plant without moving much, Xin Rong was still tossing and turning in bed with his eyes wide open.
A while later, he heard a muffled voice from the other side of the door — it was Shao Chengyun answering a call. His tone was relatively gentle and it didn’t sound like he was talking about work; rather, it sounded more like he was chatting with family and friends.
As the deep male voice entered Xin Rong’s hearing range sporadically, it gradually imposed some kind of soothing effect, allowing Xin Rong’s emotions to finally relax. Moments later, before Shao Chengyun’s call even ended, Xin Rong had already fallen into a deep slumber.
The next time he woke up was early the next morning. Xin Rong slept very soundly. Having just woken up, he was in a bit of a trance. He squinted and scanned the unfamiliar furnishing around him before sitting up abruptly.
Memories of what happened last night came rushing back to him like a tsunami. He turned to see 123 slowly crawling in the water tank beside him and remembered that he was in Shao Chengyun’s luxury suite.
The curtains in the guest bedroom weren’t drawn, so the sunlight from outside poured into the room. It was no longer the exclusive sunlight of a 6 or 7 o’clock morning.
Xin Rong fished his phone out from under the pillow and saw that it was almost 9 o’clock. Meng Donglin had sent him several messages, asking what happened to him and also for his whereabouts.
Xin Rong massaged his head because he had no idea how to reply to Meng Donglin in the meantime so he put his phone down first before peeling the comforters off himself to get out of bed.
He walked to the door and opened it slowly. There was no one outside. As Xin Rong was hesitating, Shao Chengyun walked out from the other bedroom while wearing a tie.
“President Shao.” Xin Rong greeted him and walked out of his own bedroom.
Shao Chengyun looked at him and asked straightforwardly. “Do you know how to knot a tie?”
Xin Rong was taken aback for a moment and answered. “ No.” He actually knew but he couldn’t possibly knot a tie for Shao Chengyun right? Saying no was a stopgap measure.
Shao Chengyun’s eyes were ablaze but he didn’t call Xin Rong out. Instead, he smiled and asked him. “Are you done sleeping yet?” While asking the question, he walked to the full-length mirror and skillfully did a Winsor knot around his shirt’s collar.
“Yes.” Xin Rong had questions and answers. Yet, he was trying to figure Shao Chengyun’s current mood out, to find himself a chance to escape.
Shao Chengyun turned around with a faint smile still plastered across his face. “Okay, pick a restaurant and we’ll have breakfast there.”
Xin Rong was shocked when he heard what Shao Chengyun said. He opened his mouth but no sound came out. “President Shao, what do you want to eat? Shall I serve it to you?”
The look in his eyes, when he stared at Shao Chengyun, was already a sign of him begging for mercy. After all, the cruise is where he had worked for more than two years and he knew most of his colleagues. If he and Shao Chengyun were to walk into a restaurant together and eat at the same table, Xin Rong could safely guess that he would be drowned by rumors swarming at him before he can even leave the restaurant.
But Shao Chengyun didn’t intend to spare him as he shoved his hands in his pockets nonchalantly. He stood by the window and looked at Xin Rong “I waited an hour for you to wake up, and I can’t even have breakfast together?”
He curled his finger while asking the question, signaling for Xin Rong to go over.
It didn’t feel right for Xin Rong to go, but there was no way he would get away without going either. He took two slow steps and stopped before he was even properly in front of Shao Chengyun.
“My apologies, President Shao.” He said. “My phone alarm clock didn’t go off this morning.”
After a pause, he said again. “How about this? I’ll deliver whatever meal you order to you personally. Or, if you choose to go to the restaurant, I will still do my job and serve you.”
Xin Rong was putting his own position in the slumps when he gave the suggestion.
Shao Chengyun knew exactly what he was worried about and stared at him for a while. In the end, he didn’t insist on going to the restaurant with him. “Other employees have been assigned to fill in your role so you don’t have to work at the restaurant for the next few days.” He said blatantly.
Still that stubborn, non-negotiable tone. Xin Rong felt a little helpless after hearing that. Knowing that he couldn’t disobey this man time and time again, he sighed in defeat. “Okay. I understand, President Shao.”
Xin Rong’s heart was on fire in fury, but he couldn’t express it on his face.
He couldn’t figure out what kind of evil master plan Shao Chengyun was plotting against him. After all, he was still too young and had little experience. He was no match for an old fox like Shao Chengyun.
Shao Chengyun hadn’t mentioned the marriage contract since last night, but Xin Rong didn’t dare to let his guard down.
He offered to go to the top-floor restaurant to make some freshly ground coffee for Shao Chengyun, saying it was better than the brewed coffee from room service. Shao Chengyun knew that he had other plans in mind, but he said nothing and just smiled. With a wave of his hand, he let Xin Rong go.
tl/n: wahooo double update because my finals are over!! also big shoutout to my dearest beloved proofreader Sakura for being a champ ❤
