Chu Shichen took off his slippers, bent his knees and moved from one end of the sofa to Xiang Mingzhang's side. Most people in ancient times would bow down for a few pieces of silver, so I wonder what this means to him.
He stopped, struggling to sit. Xiang Mingzhang reached out and pulled him, then hooked one of his legs, spread his legs apart, and he sat astride Xiang Mingzhang, face to face.
The documents he was holding fell aside. Chu Shichen had never thought that a grown man could make such an awkward posture.
His usually straight back was slightly bent, and Chu Shichen supported himself on Xiang Mingzhang's abdomen with both hands to resist falling forward.
Xiang Mingzhang leaned against the sofa calmly and tensed his abdominal muscles with a malicious look.
Chu Shichen noticed the change under his palm and raised his hand. In an instant, he lost his support and fell forward unbalanced. He even had time to ask, "Did I hurt you?"
Xiang Mingzhang opened his hands to catch Chu Shichen, held him in his arms and said, "It doesn't hurt, it's just itchy."
Chu Shichen couldn't move, couldn't get up: "What do you want?"
"What do you think?" Xiang Mingzhang asked after following the rules for more than ten days, "Am I the only one who has to endure this hardship?"
Chu Shichen is not a fool. He would not stay here just for a tender document. His attitude is not elegant at this moment. Denying it would only make him look awkward. He answered, "No."
Xiang Mingzhang pressed the issue further, "Why are you acting like a spoiled brat?"
"That doesn't count. I'm not a saint." Chu Shichen laughed and retorted, "You deceived me with the bid, and I didn't blame you."
The study was on the shady side of the apartment, and the temperature was slightly lower. On the sofa was a blanket for reading. Xiang Mingzhang unfolded it and put it on Chu Shichen, saying, "Who lied to you? Where were you just now?"
Chu Shichen found a comfortable angle and rested his head on Xiang Mingzhang's shoulder: "Why is the presentation document more abbreviated than the bid document?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Or it should be called 'dehydration'."
With his arm hidden in the blanket, Xiang Mingzhang pressed Chu Shichen's back and explained, "The time for presenting the bid is fixed. Party A will not give you an extension of one second, so you need to budget the number of words you want to say based on your speaking speed."
Chu Shichen said: "Then adjust the word count of the presentation file?"
"Yes." Xiang Mingzhang's palm slid down. "For example, if the bid document has 15,000 words, but you only have time to present about 8,000 words, you will have to make some choices in your presentation."
Chu Shichen suddenly held his breath and said "hmm" hesitantly.
Xiang Mingzhang continued, "The document will contain some diagrams and the explanation can be long or short. You have to consider it."
Chu Shichen lowered his voice, as if biting his teeth: "If you want to make a choice, choose the most core content in the tender document framework, right?"
Xiang Mingzhang lowered his eyes and said, "Relax." Then he patiently said, "It's not just the core, but also the part you are good at and can highlight, so that the evaluation score will be high."
Chu Shichen lowered his head and leaned against Xiang Mingzhang's shoulder, a layer of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose, and he seemed to sigh: "Xiang Mingzhang... That's enough."
"No." Xiang Mingzhang's coaxing and tricks turned into gentleness at this point. "It's been more than ten days. I'm afraid I'll hurt you soon."
Chu Shichen grabbed the collar of Xiang Mingzhang's T-shirt, then let go after a few minutes. His arms dropped down his chest, wanting to touch something, but he held back and put his arms around Xiang Mingzhang's waist.
To show off his ability, Xiang Mingzhang asked: "Do you have any other questions?"
Chu Shichen said through his teeth: "Your fingers are so long, why don't you learn to play the pipa..."
"I've learned piano." Xiang Mingzhang raised his other hand and inserted it into the fine hair behind Chu Shichen's head. "Let's review the bidding principles."
Chu Shichen tried his best to listen. After a while, he suddenly arched his back and kicked his feet on the sofa.
Everything came to an abrupt halt.
Chu Shichen raised his head and asked in disbelief: "Did you do this on purpose?"
Xiang Mingzhang ordered: "Sit down by yourself."
Chu Shichen was in a dilemma, with desire on his handsome face. He admitted defeat and buried his head in Xiang Mingzhang's neck, obeying not only the other party's orders, but also his instinct.
Xiang Mingzhang rubbed his hair, and as if in revenge, he rubbed the sweat on the tip of his nose and forehead onto Xiang Mingzhang's ears, along with his increasingly disordered breathing.
Suddenly, Chu Shichen's body collapsed, as if all his bones had been broken.
Xiang Mingzhang pulled his arm out from under the blanket and said, "Ruozhen, I'll carry you back to the bedroom."
Chu Shichen fell asleep around midnight and slept soundly until noon the next day.
There was a crowd of people downstairs in Bomanjia, and shops from one end of the street to the other were holding Christmas activities. The apartment manager delivered fresh fruits every day, and today there was an extra bag of gingerbread men.
Xiang Mingzhang and Chu Shichen didn't like to join in the fun, so they made a pot of tea in the study, spread out the materials on the table, and divided the whiteboard into two to write their own parts.
The two of them discussed and revised the bidding specifications at the same time. Each quotation was divided very carefully, and Chu Shichen wrote all the numbers and calculations on the whiteboard.
Xiang Mingzhang glanced sideways, watching Chu Shichen skillfully writing out formulas and doing mental arithmetic, with an expressionless face and only the tip of his pen flying, like a military strategist planning strategies in a tent.
During the autumn military review on the battlefield, Xiang Mingzhang suddenly said, "My grandfather had a stroke and was sent to the hospital. He underwent surgery for five hours."
Chu Shichen stopped and said, "Your family must be very worried."
Chu Shichen said: "Fortunately, the operation was successful and Director Xiang is out of danger."
Xiang Mingzhang turned around and picked up the strong tea on the table, Pu'er Laobanzhang. He took a sip of the bitter tea and said, "That night when I returned to Manzhuang, I wrote "Pozhenzi".
Chu Shichen looked at Xiang Mingzhang's back and asked, "Are you in a bad mood because of the sequelae left by Director Xiang?"
"I can't remember clearly." Xiang Mingzhang turned around and smiled casually, "Why am I saying this? Let's continue."
Chu Shichen did not ask any further questions. If Xiang Mingzhang had just inadvertently revealed a little bit of his heart, he would have enough patience and was willing to wait for the second or third time.
It took a whole day to complete the first version of the bid. As dusk approached, the festive atmosphere on the street became stronger. Chu Shichen received a message from Mrs. Chu and prepared to go home.
Xiang Mingzhang didn't want to let him go, so he followed him to the door of the cloakroom, folded his arms and leaned against the wall, saying, "What's so good about Christmas? I haven't heard that the Chu family believes in Jesus."
The washed and dried clothes were warm. Chu Shichen dressed neatly and reached out to stroke Xiang Mingzhang's short hair: "How about you come back with me?"
Xiang Mingzhang knew his limits. It was a holiday gathering for the family, and it would be inconvenient for him, an outsider, to join in the fun, so he said, "I was just kidding. It's okay."
Chu Shichen asked: "Do you want to go see your aunt?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "My mother is a Buddhist and she doesn't celebrate Christmas."
Chu Shichen has been to Ningbo and cherishes his current family members even more, even though they are not blood relatives. He said: "It doesn't matter whether I celebrate the festival or not when I am with my mother."
Xiang Mingzhang obediently changed his mind. He drove Chu Shichen home and then went to Manzhuang.
Once you enter the manor gate, you will be isolated from the noise outside. Bai Yongti came out from the courtyard for a walk. She had her long hair tied up, and was wearing a down jacket and sneakers. She looked more energetic than usual.
Xiang Mingzhang turned off the engine, got out of the car and shouted "Mom".
Bai Yongti said, "Walk with me."
After the mother and son greeted each other, they fell into silence, keeping half an arm's length apart and walking along the path in the garden. After walking for a long time, Bai Yongti said, "The kitten ran into my yard."
Xiang Mingzhang put it in his coat pocket and said, "I'll ask someone to take it back."
"It's okay." Bai Yongti said meaningfully, "It's good to have someone to accompany it, otherwise it will be lonely in the South District."
Arriving at the horse farm, the view suddenly widens. Three or five purebred BMWs are taken out for a walk every evening, chasing each other around the track.
Xiang Mingzhang put up the fence and said, "I stayed here for a few days a while ago."
Although the North and South districts did not interfere with each other, Sister Qing had been making food for the past few days. Bai Yongti vaguely guessed it and said, "It's not just you, there's also the child from the Chu family."
Xiang Mingzhang had only brought Chu Shichen to Manzhuang, and more than once. He admitted, "Yes, it was Chu Shichen."
Bai Yongti tucked her hair. Xiang Mingzhang had been alone for so many years. He had never mentioned his personal feelings to her, nor had he made anything clear, but the attitude he occasionally revealed was enough for her to judge.
Bai Yongti asked: "Are you serious?"
A pure black BMW slowed down and passed by with its hooves dropped. Xiang Mingzhang blew a whistle to attract the horse over. This was his favorite horse, and its black fur sparkled in the sunset.
As he caressed her, he confessed, "I once secretly sent his old lover away, asked Xu Liao to investigate his background, used official business to get close to him, and even thought about locking him up in Manzhuang."
Bai Yongti responded with a horrified expression: "Ming Zhang..."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I changed it because he didn't like it."
Bai Yongti slowly breathed a sigh of relief: "You care about him a lot."
"Yes." Xiang Mingzhang continued, "I was attracted to him and fell in love with him. I spent a lot of effort to pursue him, and I was also worried about gains and losses, just like every ordinary person who was overwhelmed by love."
Bai Yongti suddenly smiled and patted Xiang Mingzhang on the back comfortingly: "It's okay."
Such intimate behavior was so rare that Xiang Mingzhang was stunned. He took Bai Yongti's hand and placed it in his elbow. He saw that Mrs. Chu always held Chu Shichen like this.
The horses returned to the stable, the sun had set, and Bai Yongti walked back with Xiang Mingzhang.
When they got outside the courtyard, Xiang Mingzhang didn't plan to go in, and said, "I just came to see you. I've been busy with work these days, and I have to go back to work overtime."
Bai Yongti let him go and warned him, "Then drive carefully."
Xiang Mingzhang nodded, turned and left. Bai Yongti stood alone, looking at his gradually receding back. In the years that she could not bear to look back on, Xiang Mingzhang grew from a child into a tall man.
It is said that if you hate someone the most, you will become like that person. She has always been afraid of this.
As if he noticed Bai Yongti's gaze, Xiang Mingzhang suddenly stopped, turned around, his face colder than the moonlight.
"Mom, don't worry." Xiang Mingzhang said, "I'm not Xiang Long, and I'm certainly not Xiang Xingzhao."
(End of this chapter)