Sissy (Niang Niang Qiang) - Chap 29
Chapter 29
The weather was getting colder, and Li Chengxiu was afraid of the cold, so he had already started wearing a sweater. Since he didn’t like turning on the air conditioner, he kept the window closed all day.
Since the time they had come back from the hot springs, Shao Qun very rarely came over. Li Chengxiu wasn’t sure if he was being too sensitive but he felt that Shao Qun’s attitude now was a little cold. He would occasionally be very picky. For instance, at that moment:
“Why don’t you open the window? There’s an unpleasant smell in the house. Can’t you smell it yourself?”
Li Chengxiu quickly opened the floor-to-ceiling windows, and a cold wind came in. He shivered and put on his coat.
Shao Qun looked at him like he was a freak and turned on the air conditioner: “Can’t you turn on the AC?”
Li Chengxiu responded: “Electricity is expensive.”
When he used to work in the hotel, he heard that the most electricity-consuming thing was the air conditioner.
Shao Qun said loudly, “If you catch a cold by freezing yourself, it will be more expensive to treat your illness. Since you can’t even make this easy calculation, you probably need to study some more accounting.”
Li Chengxiu thought that something unpleasant might have happened to Shao Qun again. He was very angry today, and Li Chengxiu didn’t want to annoy him even more, so he silently went into the kitchen to cook.
The Shao Qun now was completely different from the kind and courteous gentleman that Shao Qun used to be when the two of them had just met again. The longer they stayed together, the more Li Chengxiu realized that this person was domineering, arrogant, short-tempered, and sometimes even unreasonable.
His living habits were also not very good. As soon as he entered the house, he would just throw his clothes and keys around. And then he’d get angry when he couldn’t find them before leaving.
Li Chengxiu could tolerate all of this, and he was also willing to take care of Shao Qun, if it could make the two of them get along more harmoniously. But recently, Shao Qun’s attitude made him feel more and more that Shao Qun only came around to have sex.
Even though Li Chengxiu had prepared a whole table of dishes for him, Shao Qun didn’t even take a couple bites before forcefully dragging Li Chengxiu into the bedroom and venting all the desires on him that had been pent up for days.
Li Chengxiu was a little hurt by his rough actions, so he lay in bed for a long time, unwilling to move.
Shao Qun got up and left the bedroom. After a while he came in again and threw a document in front of Li Chengxiu.
Li Chengxiu picked up the document and looked at it, but he didn’t understand what it was: “What is this?”
Shao Qun sat on the bedside, lit a cigarette, and said slowly, “A present for you.”
“……What?”
Shao Qun turned over some pages and pointed to the one with the signature: “Sign here, and then this house is yours.”
Li Chengxiu was startled. He dropped the document in his hands, as if it was a hot potato: “Why…why?”
“You deserve it. You’ve been with me for more than half a year. You’ve done a great job.”
Li Chengxiu felt that his tone was a little strange. Was it somehow not a given thing to be nice to each other when in a relationship?
“I… I can’t…accept”
Shao Qun pulled out a pen from the bedside table and threw it to him: “Sign it. You’ve been taking care of me during all this time. This house is just a symbol of my kind feelings. I don’t like to be indebted to others.”
Li Chengxiu’s face was pale, and he felt a little pain in his heart: “You don’t owe me anything. I take care of you… not because…of this.”
Shao Qun exhaled a smoke ring: “Chengxiu, we are both adults. Can you be more pragmatic? You have stayed in this city for so many years. You are thirty years old now, and you don’t even have a place to live in. Aren’t you thinking about your future? Someone is giving you a house for free. That doesn’t just happen every day. Do you understand what I mean?”
Li Chengxiu shook his head. He didn’t understand.
He understood every word separately but he couldn’t understand exactly what Shao Qun was getting at.
Shao Qun impatiently picked up the pen again and put it in Li Chengxiu’s hand: “It’s a good thing for you to sign. You will thank me in the future.”
Li Chengxiu threw away the pen. His body was shaking. Eloquently he said: “Shao Qun, I am together with you not for any of this.”
Shao Qun almost blurted out: “Why the fuck then? Do you really want to play “feelings” with someone like me? Are you worthy?”
However, looking at Li Chengxiu’s obviously hurt expression, he swallowed his words.
He knew that Li Chengxiu undeniably really liked him now. Although this made him very happy, he also hoped that Li Chengxiu would be just like everyone else. When they broke up in the future, he would rather they go their own merry ways. Li Chengxiu mustn’t become like one of those annoying people who first cried, then screamed, then threatened to kill themselves.
Shao Qun didn’t like to owe anybody anything, but Li Chengxiu had to be stupid and refuse to accept this pie in the sky. Oh, so he wanted to talk about feelings? Okay then, that saved Shao Qun a house.
Shao Qun threw the document on the ground, rolled over and got out of bed. Then he put on his clothes and left.
Li Chengxiu shrank under the covers, feeling that his eyes were a little sore. The longer they were together, the more obvious was the difference between him and Shao Qun. The anxiety caused by these differences made Li Chengxiu’s inner unease gradually grow stronger.
Shao Qun hadn’t appeared again for more than ten consecutive days.
Li Chengxiu called him, but Shao Qun just perfunctorily said that he was too busy and quickly hung up. He felt uncomfortable, but he didn’t want to offend Shao Qun, so he sent a text message every few days to just say hello. He didn’t dare to make another phone call.
Shao Qun still came over occasionally, but did nothing more than eat, have sex, and sleep. He seldom hugged him while reading or chatting like he did previously, and the sweetness between the two of them had obviously disappeared.
Li Chengxiu remembered that he once had read in one book that it was normal for partners to reach this stage. Everyone was always very enthusiastic at the beginning, and then gradually things would become more ordinary. But Shao Qun’s enthusiasm lasted much too short.
Winter was approaching. Although Li Chengxiu had a lot on his mind, he didn’t delay his studies at all. He got the top ranking in all of the three exams and finally received the opportunity to start an internship at Li Shuo’s accounting firm.
Since then, he had classes every Monday and Wednesday and went to work every Tuesday and Thursday. Such a busy and fulfilling life made him feel relieved. He didn’t have to stay alone in a cold house and wonder if Shao Qun was going to come over today. That feeling was more difficult to endure than the cold winter.
When Li Chengxiu went to work on the first day, he was wrapped like a dumpling. When he and the two other interns reported to Li Shuo’s office, Li Shuo didn’t recognize Li Chengxiu at first sight.
The office was located in a high-end office building in the CBD[18], and the rent was staggeringly expensive.
Li Shuo was a very charismatic leader. Although he practiced centralized management, his subordinates basically worshiped him[19].
Li Shuo was extremely handsome. Li Shuo was witty and humorous. Li Shuo was generous, and Li Shuo had clear rewards and punishments. Li Shuo could make any employee feel valued. Li Shuo was a perfect boss and a perfect man.
These were the conclusions that Li Chengxiu made after listening to the talks in the office only after one week at work..
But Li Shuo also had a secret that was not actually a secret. Perhaps the only flaw that this man had was that he was gay.
He didn’t deliberately hide it, but he also never took the initiative to publicize it. Even though he was very attractive to women, Li Shuo, a thirty-six-year-old diamond bachelor, avoided the trouble of being entangled with any of them by just using these rumors.
Li Chengxiu, like all the employees of the firm, was also brainwashed into worshiping his boss. He dreamed that one day he could also become such an excellent accountant like Li Shuo.
Although it was officially an internship, the nature of Li Chengxiu’s work was basically doing chores.
Because Li Shuo was a shareholder of the tutoring school, the three internship places were actually only offered as a marketing tool for the school. In fact, there was no need for so many interns at all.
Li Chengxiu was older than even most of the regular employees, so he really wanted to learn as much as possible. Basically, he was doing the work of the other two interns too. But it made him happy. Checking the data over and over again was much more enjoyable than frying the oil in the pan over and over again.
“Xiao Li.”
Li Chengxiu was stapling documents in front of the copier. When he heard Li Shuo’s voice, he immediately turned his head and greeted, “Mr. Li.”
Li Shuo handed him the documents in his hand, glanced at the papers that Li Chengxiu was already holding and said with a smile, “This looks quite tedious. Make sure not to mix them all up.”
Li Chengxiu quickly nodded.
“Make a copy of this for me. Then fax it to this number.”
Li Chengxiu had just learned to use the copier. But after a few days he knew the big machine in and out already. He carefully took the documents from Li Shuo and said, “Okay.”
Li Shuo glanced at him with admiration: “You work very hard. Diligence is a rare quality, and you must continue to maintain it.”
“Um.”
When Li Chengxiu was done with his work, he knocked on Li Shuo’s office to hand in the printed materials.
“Come in.”
Li Chengxiu entered right when Li Shuo was bending over to find something on the bookshelf.
Li Chengxiu put the documents on the table: “Mr. Li, the papers are here.”
Li Shuo finally found the book he was looking for and turned around happily: “Come, Xiao Li, I’d like to give you a book.”
Li Chengxiu looked at the book. It was a treatise on accounting, and the author’s name was Li Shuo.
Li Shuo said with a smile: “I wrote it three years ago. I gained a lot of experience when I was an actuary in my early years, so I compiled a book about it. I think it’s easy to understand, and I hope it can help you.”
Li Chengxiu was flattered and thanked him again and again.
“You’re welcome, Xiao Li. I think you have great potential. You are careful and hardworking. If you do well, you can continue to work with me after you graduate.”
Li Chengxiu’s eyes widened in surprise: “Thank you, thank you, Mr. Li!”
Li Shuo looked at him with a smile: “You’re welcome.”
When Li Chengxiu returned to the desk to continue checking the data, his phone suddenly rang.
He was so embarrassed that he quickly dropped the call. He remembered that he had forgotten to switch off the sound. No one would call him on the weekdays besides Shao Qun anyway, and Shao Qun hadn’t called him in a long time.
While Li Chengxiu was walking across the office to the hall, his phone rang yet again. He had to drop the call once more.
When he was finally in the hall, Li Chengxiu pressed the call button and said with confidence: “Hello.”
“You dare to hang up on me!” Shao Qun’s angry voice came from the opposite side.
Li Chengxiu explained: “I’m at work.”
“Work? Are you going to work again?” Shao Qun raised his voice. He got even angrier hearing the word “work”.
Shao Qun hadn’t contacted him for so long that even though it was already Li Chengxiu’s second week at the firm, he had no chance to tell about it to Shao Qun. He didn’t think it was a big deal, since he couldn’t just sit at home the whole time.
Li Chengxiu answered with a little excitement: “I’m doing an internship at an accounting firm.”
“Accounting firm? Which firm?”
“The one that collaborates with my tutoring school…”
Shao Qun paused for a while and suddenly said sharply, “Is it the firm of that shareholder who took you home that time?”
Li Chengxiu was stunned by his tone, yet he nodded in response. Then he remembered that Shao Qun couldn’t see him, so he said, “Yes.”
Shao Qun went silent, and it took a long time before he gritted his teeth and said, “Address. Now. I’ll pick you up.”
Li Chengxiu hesitantly said, “I’m at work.”
“Address!”
Li Chengxiu quickly told him the address, hung up the phone and waited anxiously for Shao Qun to come.
He didn’t know why Shao Qun was angry. Actually, he never knew why Shao Qun was angry. Shao Qun’s temper was just too bad. Anything could make him angry.
Li Chengxiu looked at his watch. Fortunately, it was almost time for lunch break.
When Shao Qun called him again, he was already on his break. Li Chengxiu answered the phone and took the elevator directly to the underground parking lot.
This office building had three floors in the parking lot. It looked pretty gloomy there. Li Chengxiu was looking around for Shao Qun, when the sound of a horn suddenly startled him.
He turned his head and saw that Shao Qun was driving a commercial car he had never seen before. He was sitting in the driver’s seat in a suit and leather shoes with an unhappy expression on his face.
Li Chengxiu hurried over. Shao Qun got out of the car, opened the door of the back seat, and the two of them got inside the car together.
Shao Qun’s face was full of anger: “Why did you come to work here without telling me? Why are you even able to work here? Did the shareholder hire you?”
Li Chengxiu explained earnestly: “You were too busy, so I didn’t say anything. There are three exams hosted by the school. If one gets good grades on them, then one can come work here.”
Shao Qun looked at him suspiciously: “Did you really get in due to the exam results?”
Li Chengxiu nodded: “Really.”
Shao Qun tugged at his clothes uneasily: “How old is that shareholder?”
“He’s almost forty.”
Shao Qun’s expression softened a little: “I told you a long time ago, you don’t need to work. But now not only did you start working, but you also didn’t tell me about it. What’s the deal with that?”
“Shao Qun, I have to work. Being alone at home is boring.”
“You can find other things to do. You can go shopping or go to a beauty salon. In short, I hope I can see you at home when I come by.”
Li Chengxiu was stunned: “I… I don’t go shopping… I work, so I can gain knowledge…. Besides, you rarely come by…”
Shao Qun frowned: “You think I don’t spend enough time with you?”
Li Chengxiu said hurriedly: “No, you are busy… I thought…If I am also busy…I won’t be bored.”
Shao Qun said in a vicious tone, “Then how about you move in with me?”
As soon as these words came out, Shao Qun regretted it.
He had never lived with a lover before, as he had to get rid of these people at some point in the future, which in that case would be troublesome. But looking at Li Chengxiu’s surprised expression, he didn’t want to take his words back.
Shao Qun felt that his eating preferences had been spoiled by Li Chengxiu. It always seemed to him that the food outside was not as delicious as Li Chengxiu’s cooking. He also thought that the part time workers at home were not as good as Li Chengxiu. Even the boys who were younger and prettier than Li Chengxiu and knew how to serve him well were worse than Li Chengxiu. There was something unpolished that only Li Chengxiu had.
Shao Qun didn’t know what was wrong with him. He got tired of Li Chengxiu, so he played outside like crazy for a month. But now he was fed up with all of that again, and he felt that it was better with Li Chengxiu.
Li Chengxiu looked at him with uncertainty: “Really?”
Shao Qun kissed him: “Really. So just quit your job. Then you can see me every day.”
Li Chengxiu’s surprised expression instantly darkened: “Shao Qun, I can’t quit. I like this job, and I am very happy here.”
Shao Qun lowered his face again: “Now you’re going to school and also working. How can you still have the time to take care of me?”
Embarrassed, Li Chengxiu looked at him, “Shao Qun, I really don’t want to resign. This is my opportunity… Shao Qun.”
Shao Qun looked at his pleading expression, and he couldn’t say any harsh words.
He had mentioned before that Li Chengxiu could go work at his company, but he just said that casually. In reality, it was impossible for Shao Qun to mix his private life with work. If Li Chengxiu caused him any trouble, it wouldn’t be worth all the loss. So he couldn’t make Li Chengxiu resign at this point in time. After all, Shao Qun had left him in the cold for a while and had to coax him again. It was a bit inappropriate to talk about it just yet.
Shao Qun decided to put this aside for later: “Okay, let’s talk about it some other time.”
Li Chengxiu was smiling again.
Shao Qun pulled him closer and touched his waist: “Darling, I’ve missed you. Did you miss me too?”
Li Chengxiu whispered, “I did.”
Shao Qun smiled with satisfaction and put his hand into Li Chengxiu’s pants.
Li Chengxiu was shocked, as they were still inside the car.
Shao Qun didn’t care about any of this. Regardless of his struggles, Li Chengxiu had nowhere to hide in this small space. Shao Qun hugged him and put him on his lap. He then entered him right in this position.
Li Chengxiu hugged his neck, feeling confused as Shao Qun kissed him with abandon and rampaged his body.
After a while, the car was violently shaking.
Li Chengxiu gritted his teeth and let out a cat-like moan.
Li Shuo’s wise words. Mhm.