BIAC CH 12

Chapter 12: The Warmth That Can Be Given Right Now Is Simply Not Asking

Du Jianyou had just made plans with President Tang to visit that piece of land he’d described as beautiful. On a whim, he even sent a selfie—secretly hoping that Tang He’s phone would have at least one picture of him in it.

Tang He, of course, would never take the initiative to photograph him, so Du Jianyou decided to help himself out: if he wanted a photo in Tang He’s phone, he’d just send one over.

But how should he take it? He couldn’t exactly send a stiff, formal ID-style headshot. It’s not like he was asking Tang He to help him apply for a government ID. Should he try to look handsome? But then what? Ask, “Hey, don’t you think I look ridiculously good?” Tang He would definitely think he was out of his mind. Besides, when it came to being handsome, could he even outshine his Brother Tang?

In the end, he just went with a cute, silly face—one that would hopefully make Tang He smile as soon as he saw it.

Sure enough, not long after Tang He received the ghost-face selfie, he sent back a laughing sticker. Du Jianyou was so delighted, he rolled once across the small sofa in his office with his phone hugged to his chest.

Just as Du Jianyou was happily waiting for his ge to come pick him up, his partner and good friend Zhao Tiancheng came in to inform him: Chairman Wang had shown up again.

This Wang Guoqing—the so-called “Chairman Wang”—was the absolute worst kind of sleazeball. His character was trash, and his leering attitude made him unbearable. Previously, he’d shown up at First Dream Advertising Agency with wads of cash, insisting on hiring Director Du Jianyou to produce a brand image ad for his company. He practically camped out at the Dream office every other day. At first, the team thought he was targeting a particular actress, and they were just about to start quietly moving the female stars around for safety… only to discover that the one he’d been getting handsy with was Du Jianyou himself.

The entire team exploded in rage. Zhao Tiancheng immediately blacklisted Wang Guoqing from all dealings—no amount of money would get him back in the door. They’d rather lose the project than serve this creep.

But Wang still wouldn’t give up. Emboldened by his wealth, he acted like he was king of the world—swaggering into the company again today and even specifically asking for Du Jianyou by name.

When Zhao Tiancheng came in to notify him while he was still resting on the sofa, he also told him to stay put in the office for now. Outside, Chairman Wang was already shouting all sorts of filth, and Du Jianyou’s great mood instantly plummeted into the mud. Fuming with rage, he folded his arms across his chest and exploded:

“Does he think this place is a freaking KTV lounge or what? Shows up every couple of days to stir up trouble. What now? Is he calling for the headliner today? What did I, Du Jianyou, ever do to deserve this kind of harassment? Lao Zhao^[1], go tell him—this company is a legitimate business, and we’re decent, respectable people. If he dares to act up again, I will call the police!”

After Zhao Tiancheng left, Du Jianyou could still hear the ruckus going on outside for a while before it finally quieted down. The fury in his chest slowly shifted into a quiet sense of grievance. Curled up on the sofa, hugging his knees with his head buried, all he wanted at that moment… was to wrap himself tightly and disappear.

He actually knew why Wang Guoqing dared to be so presumptuous and overbearing—it was all because of those rumors.

The rumors were endless. His femininity, his sensitivity, his speculated sexual orientation—all of it could be used as ammunition. But even so, he still led the company forward step by step, and his career was now steadily on track.

Then came the gossip: he had sold himself out for success, climbed into whose bed, slept with which boss—that was how he got where he was today. He’d heard every bit of it. At first, he wanted to fight back, but for every rumor he refuted, three more would pop up. In the end, he simply no longer had the energy or heart to argue. He believed that those who were clean would remain clean.

Thankfully, the entire team stood by him and believed in him.

The employees at Dream Advertising had all supported each other through thick and thin—they were like family. So, now that their director had suffered such humiliation, of course they were indignant for him. But they had also developed a kind of unspoken understanding among themselves: they could be angry, but they wouldn’t make a scene.

Because once a scandal blew up, all those filthy rumors lurking beneath the surface would come churning up like the sludge at the bottom of a pond—muddying the waters until everything was polluted. And in the end, the one splashed with the most filth would be the very person who had always worked so hard to keep himself clean: Du Jianyou.

So, they chose silence. They chose to trust him, protect him, and do their best to help Dream Advertising climb higher, away from the filth at the bottom.

The moment Tang He stepped into Dream Advertising Company, he could sense something was off. He had visited several times before. Aside from the first visit when he scared everyone off, people had gradually gotten used to the busy President Tang showing up unannounced.

Even when he did appear, no one batted an eye. Everyone just carried on with their work: the loud stayed loud, the cheerful kept laughing, those scolding others still scolded, and those getting scolded just took it. The place was always lively—an organized chaos full of noisy shouting and vibrant energy.

That organized chaos was necessary—it helped showcase Du Jianyou’s impressive ability to lead a team.

But today, something was wrong. The usual noisy banter was gone. The staff looked dull and dispirited.

Tang He spotted a familiar face and quickly grabbed them to ask what had happened.

Zhao Tiancheng had just been about to go into Du Jianyou’s office to comfort him, but he didn’t know how to even begin. After all, this wasn’t the first time. As the company’s reputation grew, so too would the baseless slander—and he couldn’t exactly tell his old friend, “You’ll get used to it.”

How could anyone get used to this kind of garbage?

Especially someone like him, who had walked beside Du Jianyou from the very beginning and knew better than anyone what kind of struggles they’d faced. The countless rejections in the early days, the endless socializing during the climb to success—he’d watched Du Jianyou go from throwing up after just a few beers to being able to hold his own throughout an entire event, only to collapse from exhaustion once he got home. That took a terrifying amount of willpower.

He had seen Du Jianyou countless times vomiting in a restroom during events, face pale, only to grit his teeth and return to the party like nothing happened. He’d also witnessed the sleazy businessmen—who clearly had ulterior motives—urge him to drink. Du Jianyou had fine features, a lean figure, and an outgoing, playful demeanor. When the company needed favors, he had no choice but to soften his attitude and lower himself. In the eyes of those scheming big shots, he must have looked like a lamb among wolves—easy prey.

Zhao Tiancheng had warned him more than once not to go so hard, afraid he’d end up suffering in silence one day. Du Jianyou would always nod obediently and say, “Okay, okay,” but the moment he turned around, he’d forget all about it. So, Zhao Tiancheng had no choice but to watch over him as best he could—especially when Du Jianyou got drunk. At least someone was there to guard him.

Thankfully, he had always been vigilant. There were a few times when something nearly happened—but he had managed to step in just in time. Du Jianyou never found out.

Fortunately, now the company’s business was growing steadily, and there was less need for such exhausting social events. Only now could Zhao Tiancheng finally breathe a little easier.

But just as one wave settled, another rose. Baseless rumors flew all over the place, and there were still idiotic scumbags who tried to take advantage of him because of them—it was no wonder Du Jianyou was so frustrated. In fact, the entire team was fuming.

Zhao Tiancheng was worrying over what to do when he realized the person who grabbed him was President Tang. It was like seeing a savior.

“Aiya! President Tang, you came at just the right time. Our director’s in a bad mood—you should go check on him.”

“He’s in a bad mood? Then why isn’t he coming out and yelling at people to blow off steam? Why is he so quiet?” Tang He asked, puzzled.

“He only yells when he’s in a good mood. Don’t ask so much—just go and keep him company.” Zhao Tiancheng shoved Tang He into the office and shut the door behind him.

Once inside, Tang He saw Du Jianyou curled up on the couch, looking utterly drained.

“What’s wrong? Who upset you? Tell your big brother and I’ll go beat them up for you.” Tang He sat beside him, wrapping an arm around Du Jianyou’s thin shoulders with a big-brotherly air.

Du Jianyou didn’t know what to say at that moment. He didn’t want Tang He to know about this kind of filth. He didn’t know what Tang He would think of him if he did, and he didn’t expect him to understand just how hard things had been.

Men like Tang He—so strong, so commanding—would never experience the kind of humiliation he had.

Tang He’s success came from his intelligence, skill, ambition, decisiveness, innovation, and political acumen…

Whereas Du Jianyou’s success was always attributed to who he had slept with. He was constantly lumped into the most degrading category.

How could someone explain that kind of shame? How could someone like him, so caked in mud, possibly stand shoulder to shoulder with someone like him, who belonged among the clouds? Could the same golden sunlight that once shone down on his admired senior also fall on both the mud and the sky?

In this moment, the Du Jianyou who once swore to love with a smile… began to waver.

After being humiliated by Wang Guoqing like that, all the frustration, helplessness, and humiliation he had buried from the recent gossip came rushing to the surface. He thought he could hold it together like before—but when he heard Tang He’s voice and felt the strength and warmth of his embrace, he couldn’t hold back anymore.

Beside the person he admired, how he longed to let go and fall apart. But he couldn’t. Tang He wasn’t his anything. He had neither the reason nor the obligation to shoulder his emotions.

This moment of vulnerability belonged solely to Du Jianyou. He couldn’t irresponsibly dump it on anyone else.

“Wah!” Du Jianyou suddenly shouted, startling Tang He, who looked at him in confusion. But Du Jianyou just grinned and said, “Ge, I was lying—I just wanted to see if you cared about me.”

Tang He looked at Du Jianyou’s red-rimmed eyes and stiff smile and understood that he didn’t want to talk about it. So, pretending not to notice, he ruffled his hair and feigned anger.

“Knew you were messing with me. So, are we still going to check out that plot of land or not?”

“Sure, sure, let’s go!” Du Jianyou hurriedly pulled Tang He along, eager to get out of there. This company had always been his pride—past, present, and future. But right now, all he wanted was to get far, far away from it.

He was truly exhausted. Du Jianyou had poured too much of himself into this place. Now, he just needed to breathe, to take a break. Afterward, he would come back and continue protecting it.

Even after getting into the car, Du Jianyou still wore a smile and forced himself to stay spirited. But how could someone as sharp as Tang He not notice his gloomy mood?

What could have happened to make such a bright and sunny young man become so dispirited?

Thinking back over the nearly six months he’d known Du Jianyou—ever since they first met at Moonlight Bar and started seeing more of each other—Du Jianyou had always been full of life and noise. Whether he was being mischievous and clingy, bratty and wild, cheeky and boisterous, or even full of attitude while stomping his feet and glaring—every version of him was vivid and lively, like a stampede of wild horses.

Even when he wasn’t saying anything, just standing alone in a crowd, he brought an infectious energy with him. The last time he was upset about his family, he’d let it all out like a child throwing a tantrum—nothing like this current state of forced cheerfulness and silent gloom.

Tang He couldn’t bear to see him still trying to keep up appearances. He also understood that some things couldn’t be untangled or explained in the moment. Since they were both grown men, he figured… some burdens could only be carried alone. The only warmth he could give right now was in not asking.

He turned and said to Du Jianyou, who was struggling to find things to chat about, “Look at those dark circles under your eyes. You haven’t been sleeping, huh? The place we’re headed is a bit out of the way. The ride will take some time. Why don’t you get some rest first? I’ll wake you when we get there.” His tone was light, gently soothing the injured little rabbit beside him.

Du Jianyou glanced at him gratefully, softly murmured, “Thank you,” then closed his eyes—pretending that he really needed this nap. In truth, he understood Tang He’s intention clearly. Between adults, sometimes caring meant asking. And sometimes, caring meant not asking. Right now, what he needed most was that silent kind of trust.

As they waited at a red light, Tang He stole a glance at the man in the passenger seat. His breathing was uneven, eyelashes trembling—clearly, he wasn’t asleep. Tang He felt a little hurt that Du Jianyou didn’t want to confide in him, choosing instead to keep everything bottled up.

But then again, even if Du Jianyou called him “ge, ge” nonstop, Tang He wasn’t really anything to him. When it came down to it, they’d only known each other for half a year—calling themselves close friends would be pushing it. Did he even have the right to pry into his private life?

People… once they start overthinking, they’ll throw themselves into a mental dead end without even considering whether their head is hard enough to survive it.

As Tang He sat there stewing in frustration—unsure even where this annoyance was coming from—Su An’s annoying voice popped up in his mind:

“What, did you fall in love with him or something?”

He shuddered, cursing her in his heart:
“Fall in love your ass. Su An, you’re really out of your mind this time. I’m a grown-ass man, how the hell could I fall in love with another—”

But then his eyes drifted toward the now truly sleeping Du Jianyou, and something in his heart eased a little.

“He’s asleep? That’s good. If he can still sleep, that’s good.” He completely forgot that just a moment ago, he had been angrily cursing someone in his heart and planning to dock their pay.

Meanwhile, back at the office, Su An suddenly sneezed for no reason.

(To be continued…)