Chu Shichen was stunned for a moment and said, "I haven't drunk it."
Xiang Mingzhang placed two wine glasses on the table, unscrewed the lids and asked, "Do you dare to drink?"
The wine splashed out from the bottle and filled the cup. Chu Shichen picked up the cup. It was heavy and exuded a strong and overbearing aroma.
Xiang Mingzhang picked up another glass and clinked it with Chu Shichen.
I didn't do any serious work tonight, but I witnessed something completely absurd. Chu Shichen tilted his head back and took a big sip. The vodka rolled down his throat, giving him a choking pleasure.
After drinking half a cup, his palms were sweating. Chu Shichen said, "I really can't type now."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I won't do anything to you if you go on strike occasionally."
The words "I won't fire you" were still ringing in his ears. Chu Shichen was half-believing and half-doubting: "What if I mess up?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Deduct salary."
Chu Shichen added: "It was a terrible job."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "All the salary was deducted."
Chu Shichen sneered and drank the remaining half glass of wine in one gulp. A hint of unrestrainedness flashed across his face, and he asked, "What if I get drunk and vomit in your office later?"
Xiang Mingzhang turned his chair and sat down: "Don't assume such a disgusting thing."
"What does it matter?" Chu Shichen recalled the scene in the bar, countless twisting bodies, vulgar words, everything that happened tonight was disgusting enough.
He poured another glass of wine and swallowed it one sip after another to quench the discomfort in his stomach.
Xiang Mingzhang thought about what Qian Hua said and felt the same way, but that was the life that Chu Shichen had once been addicted to and enjoyed. The filth of the past was real, and Chu Shichen's disgust now seemed to be real as well.
Xiang Mingzhang had two minds and his thoughts were a little confused. While he was distracted, Chu Shichen filled the third cup, but stopped talking. He resumed his sad look and sipped silently.
After drinking, Chu Shichen put down the wine glass, but his hands were not steady and he accidentally swept the bottle cap to the ground.
Chu Shichen lowered his head slightly, and suddenly felt dizzy. He didn't believe that the power of this wine was so strong. When his vision cleared, he bent down to look for it. While shaking, Xiang Mingzhang hooked one of his hands and said, "Don't fall."
The bottle cap rolled under the desk. Chu Shichen slowly squatted down and pulled out his hand to feel around on the carpet.
At this moment, there was the sound of boots stepping on the floor from outside, and then someone knocked on the door.
Xiang Mingzhang said calmly, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and it was a security guard on duty doing night patrol. He said, "Mr. Xiang, I see the lights are on in the office, come and take a look."
The large office desk blocked Chu Shichen's body. He finally touched the bottle cap, picked it up but did not move. He held his breath and looked up, his intoxicated eyes revealing some hesitation.
Xiang Mingzhang lowered his eyes to look at the face beside his knees and couldn't help but stretch out his hand.
He expected that Chu Shichen would not make a sound or resist, so his fingertips, then his palm, covered the rosy cheek inch by inch.
He stroked Chu Shichen's face under the table and told the security guard, "I'm staying overtime tonight, so there's no need to patrol this floor."
The security guard said, "Okay, sorry to bother you, Mr. Xiang."
The door closed, the person walked away, Chu Shichen brushed away Xiang Mingzhang's hand: "Please respect yourself-"
Before he could finish his words, Xiang Mingzhang grabbed his forearm and pulled him up. Before he could stand firm, his body suddenly flew into the air for a second.
Xiang Mingzhang carried Chu Shichen to the desk, put his hands on both sides of Chu Shichen's thighs, and slightly hunched his back. To put it nicely, it was a protective posture, but to put it bluntly, it was "oppression."
He exposed it, "Secretary Chu really wants to save face. He's afraid that people will see you drinking in the office, so he hides and blames me for not respecting myself?"
Chu Shichen was sitting at a desk for the first time, and he felt awkward. He wanted to get down, but Xiang Mingzhang blocked his way and said stubbornly, "You are the president, this is your office, you are responsible for everything, I have nothing to hide."
"Do you think you can hide?" Xiang Mingzhang said, "There are two wine glasses on the table. Wouldn't it be strange for people to see them?"
Chu Shichen was drunk and his reaction was slow. He suddenly said, "Will he think..."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Thought I was fooling around with someone else."
Chu Shichen immediately denied: "It's not me."
Xiang Mingzhang's palms crushed the tabletop, his teeth grinding out words: "If you hadn't come with me, would you have been hanging out with that golden retriever now?"
Chu Shichen glared at him angrily: "Don't spit blood at me."
"I'm making a reasonable assumption." Xiang Mingzhang said the first half of his sentence with disdain, paused, and then said the second half with a hint of dissatisfaction, "You like mixed-race children?"
Chu Shichen couldn't overturn all the past of this identity, and was even afraid of contradicting himself and exposing himself. He nodded with a determined heart: "Yes, I liked it very much before."
Xiang Mingzhang then asked: "What about now?"
Chu Shichen replied: "I don't like it now."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "What kind of man do you like now?"
A faint drunkenness permeated his body, Chu Shichen's mind was blank, and his eyes were slightly out of focus. This was the first time someone cared about what kind of man he liked.
Chu Shichen shook his head slowly: "No."
Xiang Mingzhang pressed the issue again: "Answer me."
Chu Shichen looked confused, his hazy drunken eyes were unclear, the light above his head was reflected on his pupils, like black silk with a few broken crystals. After a long time, he thought of one thing: "I like those with black hair."
Xiang Mingzhang pressed the issue further: "What else?"
"So any black-haired girl will do?" Xiang Mingzhang said, "There are so many black-haired girls in the bar. It doesn't matter if they have poor skills or a bad figure. Anyone can take you away and have sex with you?"
Chu Shichen was becoming increasingly confused: "What are you editing? I clearly followed you."
The bottle of vodka was very pure and strong, and the contradictions in Xiang Mingzhang's heart were paralyzed and disturbed. He was an unswerving materialist, tired of all unrealistic castles in the air, but at this moment, he tried to divide the present Chu Shichen and the past into two and completely separate them.
Xiang Mingzhang picked up the bottle of vodka and drank most of it fiercely. He stopped, but his throat was extremely dry: "Then guess what I want to do to you?"
The strong smell of alcohol in his face made Chu Shichen dare not look directly at him. He stared at the long twisted wire chain dangling in front of Xiang Mingzhang's collar, raised his hand and grabbed the pocket watch from his pocket.
He held it tightly and said, "Mine."
The other end of the long chain was pinned to the button of Xiang Mingzhang's shirt. Chu Shichen pulled it and Xiang Mingzhang was pulled closer: "Do you only want the pocket watch, or do you want me too?"
Chu Shichen dodged backwards in confusion, only to feel extremely dizzy and collapse weakly.
The button was pulled and broke, and Xiang Mingzhang didn't bother to pick it up. He quickly supported the back of Chu Shichen's head.
Pieces of paper were pressed against his back, making a rustling sound. Chu Shichen lay on his back on the desk, with black words on white paper beneath him, making his face look even more rosy.
The cell phone slipped out of his pocket and rang. It was Qian Hua calling.
Chu Shichen ignored it. The intricate chandelier was too bright, casting a white light in front of his eyes. He raised his pocket watch to cover his eyes, and the cover popped open. His old dreams unfolded like duckweed on the bottom of the water, half asleep and half awake.
I remember it was a spring day, with beautiful scenery everywhere. He was just sixteen years old and was about to go abroad to study alone. Before leaving, his family went horseback riding.
He accidentally fell and scraped his arms and knees. His father gloated, "Fortunately, your face wasn't scratched. If it was, you wouldn't be able to get married."
The mother disagreed: "My son is going to achieve great things, so why should we care about our personal affairs?"
My father said, "Having a family doesn't hinder success. If you and I had thought this way, would we have had a son and a daughter? I think Wang's daughter is good. She has a cheerful and lively personality. Our two families are old friends."
The mother said, "Don't interfere. Free love is important nowadays."
Shen Ruozhen felt annoyed and went to take a nap on the hammock under the tree, but his mind was actually wandering.
He has been socializing with his parents since he was young, and is not as naive as other children. In the past two years, he has become more and more aware and finally realized that something is wrong with himself.
He doesn't seem to have any feelings for girls.
Shen Ruozhen didn't know what to do, let alone speak out. His father and mother were still discussing marriage. Several classmates of his age had already gotten engaged before going abroad.
The mother was broad-minded and said, "Why are you in such a hurry? While Ruozhen is studying, you, as a father, can save up some betrothal gifts for him. Are you afraid of having nothing to do?"
My father laughed and said, "Does the Shen family need to save up for such a small betrothal gift?"
My mother had a beloved red sandalwood pipa, an antique handed down from the late Ming Dynasty. She said, "Only gold, silver and money are vulgar. I will give him the pipa as a betrothal gift. It should be elegant and symbolize the harmony of music and harp."
My father said, "He is the one who can play it, so the other party should give it to him."
The mother was dissatisfied: "Although this is true, who can give a gift that can compare to the one I gave?"
The hammock swayed, and a green-eyed Persian cat jumped up and crawled into Shen Ruozhen's arms. It put its sharp teeth against the back of his hand and bit it mercilessly.
He suddenly woke up, gasping for breath, and saw clearly where he was.
The pain on the back of his hand was caused by touching the tip of a pen. He was in the office... right under Xiang Mingzhang's eyes.
Chu Shichen forgot his reaction at that time. He must have been very embarrassed. How could he explain such a rebellious "evil disease"? He was prepared to hide and suppress it for the rest of his life.
He doesn't like girls, but likes boys. He doesn't dare to think about it or mention it. He will probably never fall in love, start a family, or love someone freely.
After he became an adult, he had a wide social circle and met countless beautiful women but was unable to get close to them. He had many suitors but he just treated them as fallen flowers with the water. He suppressed himself and never tasted the sweetness of love until he was buried in the sea.
But he didn't die. When he came to this world, even his ideas were overturned.
The real "Chu Shichen" is gay.
The same is true for this fake one.
The music of the zither and the qin were not in harmony, but the strings in Chu Shichen's head could not bear the strain and finally broke. He was very drunk. Could he be mean and shameless for once, and use this identity to be a playboy for a night, and indulge himself in the most worldly pleasure
He was too weak to hold up the pocket watch, his hand limp and fell, the back of his hand pressed against his forehead, and he wished he could continue dreaming.
But Xiang Mingzhang pulled him back to reality and called him in a deep voice: "Chu Shichen."
The ringing sounded several times and then stopped. Chu Shichen half opened his eyes.
In the dead of night, on a high building, he was lying drunk in a room full of papers and documents, wearing a suit and tie, smelling of alcohol, with a twisted thin chain hanging across his tall nose, flashing a line of silver light.
Xiang Mingzhang remained steady even when drunk, but his eyes were a little depressed. He said, "Does your lip still hurt?"
It was getting better, but the strong liquor brought back the pain. Chu Shichen replied, "It hurts."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Then just bear with it."
Chu Shichen lost the ability to think, and his heart was pounding. A warm hand lifted up the back of his neck, and a shadow pressed down and covered his body, against the bright lights.
If you lose the lips and tongue, the fish will fall into the net.
Xiang Mingzhang leaned down and kissed him.
(End of this chapter)