Sissy (Niang Niang Qiang) - Chap 31
Chapter 31
“Similarities?”
Li Shuo had a pair of very beautiful eyes – not large, long and narrow, and unusually deep. After taking off his glasses, he looked a little less strict and sophisticated, and a little more suave. Under the look of those eyes, Chengxiu felt that Li Shuo was able to instantly see right through him.
Li Chengxiu was a little embarrassed to look back at him, so his own eyes began to wander.
It was lightly raining outside. There was a small fountain visible from where they were sitting. The music in the restaurant was gentle and quiet, and the sound of the rain hitting the water in the fountain was clear and pleasant. Li Shuo’s thick, magnetic voice rang out with great solemnity at that time, and when Li Chengxiu thought back on it later, he felt that it was one of the most touching things he had ever heard.
“Chengxiu, when people get to my age, they tend to avoid wasting time. Because they feel that their youth is already gone, they understand that they should do everything as soon as possible, in order not to miss out on opportunities and regret it when they get old. To be honest, a few months ago, I got out of a three-year relationship. I thought that he was someone who could accompany me for the rest of my life, but…How do I put it? I gradually just can’t keep up with the minds of young people anymore. I believe that my sexuality is no secret in the office. My parents also know, they are very enlightened. I’m looking for someone who would be willing to seriously share their life with me. So I invited you out today to get to know you better. I hope it all doesn’t sound too abrupt, but I’m sure you don’t like beating around the bush either, do you?”
Li Chengxiu twisted his fingers under the table. He never dreamed that Li Shuo would say something like that to him. His eyes widened in surprise.
In his mind, Li Shuo was unattainable. Although he was always humble and courteous, a person like that without any flaws could only be regarded as an idol.
How could Li Shuo step down from his altar?
This made Li Chengxiu terrified.
Li Shuo laughed out loud, and his slender fingers waved in front of Li Chengxiu’s eyes: “Look at you! Why are you scared like this?”
Li Chengxiu responded with some embarrassment: “Boss…”
“Hey, don’t call me “boss”! Just call me Li-Dage.”
Li Chengxiu opened his mouth several times, but he still couldn’t overcome his shame, “I… how do you know…that…I am…”
Li Shuo gave him a mysterious smile: “I have met many people in my life, and I can usually tell… In fact, the first time I took you home, I really just did it out of kindness. I didn’t expect at all to encounter someone like you. Isn’t it fate?”
“But……”
“What’s wrong? Do you already have a boyfriend?”
Li Chengxiu blushed and was about to say something when his phone suddenly rang. He looked at the screen and immediately picked it up: “Hello, Shao Qun…”
“Where the hell are you again?” Shao Qun’s angry voice came from the other end of the phone. The restaurant surroundings were quiet, and Li Shuo was close enough to hear everything clearly. He couldn’t help raising his eyebrows.
Li Chengxiu’s face looked embarrassed. He nodded apologetically to Li Shuo, got up and walked to the corner of the room.
“Shao Qun, just hear me out.”
“It’s already past seven pm! Don’t you know that I’m still hungry, and there is no one here to attend to me? Didn’t you say you were not going to any more of those stupid parties in the future?”
“I’m not at a party. Today… we went to a tender meeting… on the way back…we got stuck in traffic.”
“If you were in a traffic jam, you would be in the car right now. It doesn’t sound like you’re in the car though”
“I’m here with…” Li Chengxiu remembered that every time he mentioned his boss, Shao Qun would seem very disdainful, and his face would immediately darken. He didn’t want to have any unpleasantness with Shao Qun because of this, so he avoided the key issue and just said lightly, “…with my colleagues…to have a meal. ”
Shao Qun’s tone immediately became sharp: “Which colleague? Male or female?”
Li Chengxiu glanced at Li Shuo and gritted his teeth: “Colleagues… a lot of colleagues.”
Shao Qun’s tone softened a little, but he still insisted: “You should quit your job as soon as possible. I’ve been tired all day, and now I can’t even have a meal when I get home. What do I need you for then?”
Li Chengxiu felt uneasy, and he thought that what Shao Qun said was too harsh.
Shao Qun probably also felt that his tone was too heavy, so he took a deep breath and said, “Where are you? I’ll pick you up.”
“I…I don’t know where it is.”
“Ask the waiter and tell me the address. Doesn’t matter what you were going to eat just now, you are not allowed to eat anymore. Wait for me to arrive, so we can eat together.”
“But……”
“Chengxiu, our food is here. Come and eat it while it’s still hot. My stomach is rumbling with hunger.” A gentle and ambiguous voice suddenly came from behind. Li Chengxiu’s back froze, and Shao Qun suddenly went silent.
“I…I’ll go over right away.” Li Chengxiu quickly stepped back, looking in horror at Li Shuo who was smiling at him.
“Li Chengxiu!” Shao Qun gritted his teeth and angrily hung up the phone.
Li Chengxiu stared at the phone blankly. He wanted to call Shao Qun back, but he didn’t dare.
Li Shuo pulled him back to the table: “Come on, let’s eat. It will be a shame if it gets cold.”
Li Chengxiu was still restless, there were sweat droplets on his forehead.
Li Shuo placed some food into his bowl: “Chengxiu, you deserve a gentle partner. Or at least someone who respects you.”
Li Chengxiu became defensive: “He’s just… temperamental and… a little aggressive. In fact, he treats me well…”
“Oh, really?” Li Shuo chuckled, “Why does that sound a little forced? You’re just having a meal with a friend, and he is yelling at you. What kind of respect are we even talking about here?”
Li Chengxiu’s face gradually paled.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t comment on your private affairs. I just think that if there is a lack of respect and trust in a relationship, something must be out of balance there. An imbalanced relationship is in danger of losing its footing at any time, don’t you think?”
Li Chengxiu silently took a bite of his food. It felt like chewing wax.
Li Shuo’s words seemed to be sort of a wake-up call for him. Before that, Li Chengxiu had never even thought about the word “respect”.
He has been carefully safeguarding his relationship with Shao Qun, and it could be said that he was grateful for what he had. There was a person who liked him and wanted to spend time with him. This alone was enough for Li Chengxiu to be grateful for a lifetime. Not to mention that this person was someone as great as Shao Qun. There was no balance even possible between Li Chengxiu and him.
Shao Qun had a bad temper, he was domineering and unreasonable. Sometimes his words were very harsh and hurtful. But Shao Qun also had a gentle and caring side. He gave Li Chengxiu a place to live, he let him go back to studying, and he created a lot of good memories with him. All in all, Shao Qun was still very good to him. Li Chengxiu shouldn’t be too greedy. Even if keeping this relationship required him to compromise a bit, Li Chengxiu still felt that it was well worth it. Between the two of them, Shao Qun will never be the one to yield, so Li Chengxiu was willing to tolerate all of Shao Qun’s shortcomings, for the sake of this hard-won happiness right in front of his eyes.
Moreover, judging from what happened just now, there was actually something wrong with Li Chengxiu himself. He was the one who lied to Shao Qun.
When he thought about that, Li Chengxiu felt even more uneasy. He said apologetically to Li Shuo, “Boss, I’d better leave now.”
Li Shuo put down his chopsticks and frowned slightly: “Why are you in such a hurry? You haven’t even eaten yet.”
Li Chengxiu also felt quite embarrassed. He thought that he should at least pay for the meal, in order to apologize a little for the situation. So he subconsciously glanced at the bill right next to him. It was actually unbelievable – the crab cost more than 2,000 RMB[1]. Li Chengxiu suddenly felt as if something was stuck in his throat. He used to work in a hotel, and expensive ingredients were not something he hadn’t seen before. However, when he had to pay for the meal himself, he found the price unacceptable.
He looked at the orange aromatic crab curry and felt that it would really be a great waste if he didn’t finish what was in front of him. This made him feel even more guilty in front of Li Shuo.
So he had to bite the bullet and just continue eating.
Li Shuo changed the topic and talked with Li Chengxiu about the food in the restaurant. This immediately lightened the atmosphere.
Towards the end of the meal, Li Chengxiu’s phone rang again. This time it was an unfamiliar number.
“Hello?”
Assistant Zhou’s cold voice came from the other side: “Mr. Li, are you at a French, a Thai, a Hunan, or a Sichuan restaurant?”
“What?” Li Chengxiu was stunned by his question.
“Mr. Shao asked me to locate your mobile phone. There are four restaurants in the building where you are right now. I guess you wouldn’t be at a Pizza Hut. So which one is it? I will then inform President Shao, and he will soon be there.”
Li Chengxiu suddenly felt a chill down his back. Tremblingly he said “Thai. Thai restaurant.”
“Thank you.” Assistant Zhou deftly hung up the phone.
Li Chengxiu looked out the window anxiously and put down his chopsticks: “Boss, I’m done eating… I… I have to go now.”
“Oh?” Li Shuo wiped his mouth with the napkin, “I’m full too. Let’s have dessert! All the coconut-flavored desserts here are delicious. You must really try some.” He raised his hand and called for the waiter.
Li Chengxiu couldn’t stop him, so he just watched as the waiter turned around and brought them exquisite desserts.
Li Chengxiu was really nervous. He frequently looked out of the window and at his phone.
Li Shuo smiled and said, “Is your boyfriend coming to pick you up?”
Li Chengxiu nodded.
“It’s a good thing, isn’t it? Why are you so nervous?”
“I……”
Li Shuo sighed: “It’s a pity, I like you very much, but someone else has already snatched you up. However…” Li Shuo winked at him, “You are not married. You can change your mind at any time without having to bear any legal responsibility.”
Li Chengxiu waved his hands in fright: “We… we are doing fine.”
Li Shuo raised his eyebrows and smiled noncommittally: “Chengxiu, although it is not very noble to steal someone’s lover, but abandoning the darkness in favor of the light is a choice of a wise man. I would rather be a villain and let you be that wise man. But I don’t know if you want it.”
Just as Li Chengxiu was about to open his mouth to argue, Li Shuo suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him and said, “One more thing. I am a Chinese-American, so I can actually marry my lover and enjoy all the same rights as the ordinary couples. Chengxiu, have you considered your future with your impulsive young boyfriend?”
Li Chengxiu was stunned by his question. Marriage?
Li Shuo looked at him sincerely: “Chengxiu, although it’s too early to say this, I really think that I’m a good fit for you. I appreciate many of your qualities – your gentle and quiet nature, your caution and your thoughtfulness. I am sincere, and I hope to deepen my understanding of you even more in the future.”
Li Chengxiu opened his mouth to speak, but Li Shuo interrupted him yet again: “Don’t be in a hurry to reject me for your boyfriend. People make many choices in life. Some are right, some are wrong, and for some you have to wait and see to know, if they were right or wrong in the end. So don’t be in a hurry to reject me – maybe he is really not the right person for you. And maybe I am. At least, I am more mature and gentler than he is. And I will respect you. Aren’t you curious as to who it is that you can spend your life with?”
Everything Li Shuo said was well-rounded and comprehensive. There was no vitriol or harshness in his words, which left Li Chengxiu speechless.
But at the moment he could only think about escaping. He started to get dressed: “Thank you, boss. I’m leaving.”
As soon as he put the scarf around his neck, a loud shout resounded throughout the restaurant.
“Li Chengxiu!”
Li Chengxiu’s body trembled. In the blink of an eye, Shao Qun came over angrily, stomping his feet loudly on the wooden floor. Everyone in the restaurant was giving him sideway looks.
Li Chengxiu stood up nervously. Li Shuo raised his eyebrows, gracefully got up and looked at Shao Qun with a little scrutiny.
As soon as Shao Qun saw the tall, elegant, and handsome Li Shuo beside Li Chengxiu, the anger in his chest exploded and seemed to completely set him on fire.
While he was still a few meters away from them, Li Shuo already made a preemptive strike. He stretched out his hand and smiled politely: “My last name is Li, I’m Chengxiu’s boss. And you are…?”
Shao Qun desperately suppressed his fists that were itching for a fight. He glared at Li Shuo, then turned to Li Chengxiu, grabbed his arm and said angrily, “Many colleagues? Huh? Since when have you learned to lie?”
Li Shuo took his hand away without a hint of embarrassment. Then he stepped forward and explained: “There were indeed several other colleagues with us just now. But everyone has left already. As the boss, I had to stay and pay the bill.”
Shao Qun gave him a suspicious look and stared at Li Chengxiu: “Really?”
At this moment, Li Chengxiu didn’t dare to say no. He quickly nodded, full of gratitude to Li Shuo.
Shao Qun narrowed his eyes and glanced at their dining table. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed as if two people were just having dinner together.
Li Chengxiu was so nervous that his hands were shaking.
Li Shuo calmly explained again: “We were originally at the big table. But after everyone left, the restaurant gave us this table.”
Li Chengxiu nodded and called weakly, “Shao Qun…”
Shao Qun’s heart was still full of doubts. He was unwilling to believe anything that came out of this smiling man’s mouth in front of him.
He grabbed Li Chengxiu and said coldly, “We’re leaving.” Then he dragged Li Chengxiu out of the restaurant.
Li Chengxiu looked at Li Shuo apologetically, then lowered his head, avoiding the suspicious glances shot their way.
When they exited the restaurant, Li Chengxiu remembered that he wasn’t wearing his coat. He shivered from the cold.
Shao Qun didn’t seem to notice this at all. He just silently pulled Li Chengxiu into the parking lot.
Li Chengxiu tried to ease the tense atmosphere: “Shao Qun, let’s have dinner together.”
Shao Qun stopped suddenly and turned around. His face was gloomy, as he grabbed Li Chengxiu’s chin with one hand and said fiercely: “I’ll deal with you when we get back.”
Li Chengxiu’s face paled.
At this moment, Li Shuo’s voice came from a distance: “Chengxiu.”
The two turned their heads at the same time. Li Shuo was wearing a camel-colored cashmere coat, looking dashing even in the cold wind. He held Li Chengxiu’s coat in his hand.
“Chengxiu, how did you forget your clothes? Be careful not to catch a cold.” Li Shuo didn’t even look at the gloomy Shao Qun. He stretched out his hands to put the coat on Li Chengxiu.
Shao Qun suddenly grabbed the coat and ruthlessly threw it on the ground. Then he went up to Li Shuo and grabbed him by the collar, squinting his eyes and spitting his threat out word by word: “Stay away from him.”
Li Shuo was not afraid at all. Instead he smiled smoothly: “Then you should watch him very closely.”
Shao Qun’s fist was already prepared. As soon as he heard those words, he immediately lifted it up. Li Chengxiu had been carefully watching Shao Qun’s actions from the side. When he saw him raise his arm, he rushed up and grabbed it: “Shao Qun, Shao Qun, don’t!” This was his boss, not a bad guy who trapped and molested him.
Li Shuo pushed away Shao Qun’s hand that was holding his collar and leisurely smoothed his wrinkled front. He smiled at Li Chengxiu: “Chengxiu, goodbye. Keep warm.” After saying that, he gracefully left.
Shao Qun harshly waved Li Chengxiu away, and he fell to the ground. Shao Qun then turned around and kicked his car. Immediately there was a massive dent in it.
Shao Qun picked the still dazed Li Chengxiu up, stuffed him into the car and sped out of the parking lot with his foot on the accelerator.
