BIAC CH 5

Chapter 5: “Ge, you’re so nice. I really like you.”

After sending Du Jianyou off, President Tang returned to his office feeling as victorious as if he had just won a major battle. The cold, stoic expression he had maintained in front of Du Jianyou now relaxed, even blooming into a dazzling smile, catching Su An off guard as she entered.

It wasn’t that she had never seen Tang He smile before—they’d known each other for over a decade, professionally and personally. Besides his bare body, there was almost nothing of Tang He’s she hadn’t seen. But this look on his face, like a giddy fool completely lost in his own world, was something truly rare. A chill ran down Su An’s spine as she swiftly backed out of the office. No matter how big the issue was, it could wait until tomorrow. It was the end of the workday, and only a fool would choose to provoke a madman now.

Meanwhile, Du Jianyou was left completely baffled by Tang He’s hot-and-cold behavior. He seemed uninterested, yet gave him his private business card; he looked like he disliked him, yet didn’t avoid his touch. Just what kind of person was Tang He? Du Jianyou simply couldn’t figure him out. The ambiguity was driving him absolutely crazy with curiosity.

Ah, forget it. He’d better finish what President Tang had asked of him first—that way, he’d have a reason to call.

Tang He’s smug satisfaction gradually gave way to growing irritation as the days passed. He had expected Du Jianyou to call him that very evening after receiving his card—maybe even message him on social media. So much so that after entering Du Jianyou’s number into his contacts and letting his phone app search for messaging connections, he’d stared at his screen the entire night. But by midnight, with no word from Du Jianyou, he sulkily gave up and went to bed.

Then came the second day… the third day… From Monday all the way to now—Friday evening. Just what the hell was Du Jianyou doing? Didn’t he know that taking someone’s card and then not calling or messaging them was incredibly rude?

Tang He glared furiously at his phone, half-suspecting it might be broken, when the ringtone suddenly blared and gave him such a scare that he nearly threw it across the room.

The caller ID flashed the name he couldn’t stop thinking about—no, wait, the name he couldn’t stop resenting: Du Jianyou. He deliberately let the phone ring a few more times before answering. Suppressing the excitement in his voice, he answered with a low, reserved:

“Mm, Tang He speaking.”

On the other end, Du Jianyou’s tired yet cheerful voice rang out brightly:

“Hello, President Tang, this is Jianyou. I finally finished the revisions you requested. I even asked someone to help me film a rough draft of the short video. I pulled several all-nighters to get it done. I was wondering… would you happen to have time to take a look at it now?”

The words “I’ve got time, I’ve got time” rushed through Tang He’s brain, but what came out of his mouth—after passing through his throat—was a reluctant:

“Right now? But I’ve already finished work and was just heading out for dinner.”

Tang He, putting on an air of restraint.

On the other end of the phone came a dull, lifeless “Oh.” Then silence. Just as Tang He thought he had gone too far and scared Du Jianyou off, regretting it and about to speak again, Du Jianyou’s voice revived:

“Well, that’s perfect—I’m hungry too. Would it be alright if I join you for dinner? Last time I said I’d treat you.”

“Alright, alright,” Tang He’s childish mind passed the words through his throat, but what came out sounded reluctant:

“Hm? Well… I guess that’s not so bad…” Tang He, who had just been annoyed with himself for going too far, again put on an air of restraint.

They quickly settled on a restaurant on Jinshan Road, a well-known Sichuan-Yangzhou cuisine place^[1]. The restaurant used to be the dining hall for the Air Force New Cadets Club, serving high-ranking officers, but later became privately owned, still holding to the old traditional Sichuan-Yangzhou flavor. Tang He loved spicy food but had a sensitive stomach, so the restaurant’s moderate spice level suited him perfectly without upsetting his stomach. The clean, elegant environment and private rooms made it a favorite after just one visit.

Du Jianyou also loved spicy food, so when Tang He mentioned the place, he readily agreed. The restaurant was close to Du Jianyou’s workplace, so they arranged to meet there separately.

By the time Tang He arrived, Du Jianyou, benefiting from the location, was already there waiting. Tang He felt satisfied making Du Jianyou wait a bit—it seemed like a small compensation for the anxiety of waiting for his call.

Du Jianyou didn’t order anything beforehand, insisting on waiting for Tang He to arrive and make the decisions. Tang He wasn’t shy either—without looking at the menu, he ordered several signature dishes: Squirrel-shaped Perch, Spicy Chicken Cubes, Crispy Rice with Shrimp, Pickled Cabbage with Dried Shrimp, and Wensi Tofu. He had also planned to order a casserole, but Du Jianyou quickly stopped him:

“There are just two of us; this is already too much food.” Then he smiled kindly at the waiter:

“This is enough for now, thank you.”

Tang He smiled and nodded at the server.

“Supposed to be your treat but you won’t even let me order?” Tang He teased Du Jianyou once the private room was just the two of them.

Du Jianyou wasn’t offended, smiling gently:

“It’s not about the money. I just worry about wasting food if we can’t finish it. The people who cook work very hard. If you want to take leftovers home, I can order that casserole now.” He thought of his mother, who used to be a chef.

“…”, Tang He had no response to Du Jianyou’s sincere words about how every grain in the bowl comes from hard work.

Seeing the boss say nothing, Du Jianyou worried Tang He might think he was being stingy. But then he thought, getting upset over a small casserole would be silly. If we can’t finish it, just pack it to go. He was about to get up and order a crab and meatball stew when Tang He stopped him.

“No need. The food is definitely enough. More would just be waste.”

To want what you like and reach out for it is instinct. To distinguish between want and need is restraint.

Restraint is always more precious than indulgence.

Tang He gained a new understanding of the flashy man in front of him.

Taking advantage of the break before the dishes arrived, Du Jianyou wanted to report the changes to the advertisement content. Just as he called out, “President Tang,” Tang He waved his hand and said he was tired, and tonight was purely for eating and chatting—no business talk. He added, “And don’t keep calling me President Tang. I’m older than you. Just call me Tang Ge (Brother Tang), and I’ll call you Jianyou?”

Du Jianyou’s heart blossomed with joy. He hadn’t known how to get close to this cold CEO before, but today was his lucky day—he got to have a meal and chat alone with the CEO without business talk, and was even allowed to call him Tang Ge? Truly heaven-sent. At this moment, Du Jianyou didn’t realize his good luck was actually created by himself—his phone call was the source of Tang He’s good mood.

When Du Jianyou heard Tang He ask him to call him “Tang Ge,” being thick-skinned, he took advantage of the CEO’s good mood and dropped the “Tang,” softly calling him “Ge.” Seeing Tang He made no objection, he kept calling him “Ge” all evening.

During the meal, they chatted about all kinds of things, mostly Du Jianyou talking and Tang He listening. This Du Jianyou was really interesting. The last time Tang He saw him drunk, he was drowsy and lazy, with a natural, carefree charm. He had a bit of delicacy but not the weak, fragile kind that needs to be supported.

Now, although his speech still carried a faint coquettish tone, one could sense the disguise. Du Jianyou deliberately lowered his voice, sometimes crossing his hands, sometimes clenching his fists. At first, Tang He didn’t understand, but after the meal, as Du Jianyou let down his guard, his voice sometimes rising, his shy, covered smile, and the delicate movements of his fingers revealed a lot.

His hands were as white as jade, fingers long, with clear and even knuckles—a very pretty pair of hands. Tang He noticed that when Du Jianyou was excited, he would make gestures similar to the “lanhua zhi” (orchid finger)^[2], but his slender pinky finger never straightened—it curled lightly next to his ring finger.

These little details made him seem a bit… how to describe? Effeminate? So he always unconsciously tried to hide it?

Tang He had seen him acting that way before. There was nothing wrong with it. In fact, he thought that kind of Du Jianyou was cuter and more natural. His posture wasn’t like an ordinary man’s.

He wasn’t so rigid.

But neither was he like a woman. If one were to categorize carefully, he was like a newborn lion cub—soft, tender, and innocent, but still with a tiny pride inside. No matter how much the cub rolls and frolics, you would never mistake it for a kitten.

Watching Du Jianyou relax and show his true self, animatedly gesturing as he described how he had worked tirelessly this week—pouring his heart and soul into revising Guangsheng Group’s project overnight; how he used his connections, threatened, and bribed all kinds of people just to gather a team to shoot a half-finished video for Tang He to preview. His words weren’t bragging but full of respect for CEO Tang, which made Tang He feel very valued.

It turned out this kid hadn’t contacted him all week because he’d been busy with Guangsheng Group’s work. Tang He also realized that Du Jianyou was truly simple and sincere—if he wanted to associate with someone or treat someone well, it was purely out of goodwill, striving to meet their expectations. The lack of contact was because he was too busy, not because he was playing hard to get or toying with people. When he had time, his voice was full of joy, unrestrained, like a loud drumbeat—unlike Tang He himself, who schemed behind the scenes with petty games of push-and-pull, hesitation and teasing, all crude tricks. Compared to Du Jianyou’s straightforward gaze, Tang He felt a bit embarrassed about his own small-minded arrogance.

The two of them chatted happily until the restaurant was about to close before reluctantly parting ways. Tang He quietly paid the bill while Du Jinyou went to the restroom, which made Du Jinyou feel a bit embarrassed. He insisted that next time, he would definitely treat Tang He, to which Tang He laughed and agreed readily.

To avoid the rush hour traffic, Du Jinyou had walked part of the way from his workplace. Tang He offered to drive him home. Du Jinyou, wanting to spend a bit more time with Tang He, eagerly nodded and said, “You’re the best! I’m really lucky to know you.” He even grabbed Tang He’s arm playfully, making Tang He laugh out loud.

As soon as Du Jinyou entered the parking lot, he spotted a flashy red Ferrari. Excited, he ran a few steps forward then stopped to look back at Tang He, his finger trembling slightly with excitement as he asked, “Bro, is that Ferrari yours?” Tang He nodded, and Du Jinyou let out a cheer before running around the car in circles, loudly exclaiming, “Wow! Such a sexy car! My dream has always been to ride in a Ferrari, and now it’s coming true today—I’m so lucky!” His nonstop praise amused Tang He, who said, “Stop yelling so much. Do you want to get in or not?”

“Of course I do! This is my first time ever in a Ferrari!” Du Jinyou said with reverence as he climbed in. Once seated, the previously noisy Du Jinyou suddenly fell quiet. Tang He found it strange, so he leaned over to buckle Du Jinyou’s seatbelt. As he got close, he caught a fresh, clean scent—some kind of citrus soap—that perfectly matched this pure-hearted person.

“What’s wrong? Tongue-tied? Lost for words?” Tang He teased, feeling a bit shy himself after sniffing that scent, trying to ease the mood.

Du Jinyou opened his big eyes and, dazed, asked, “Bro, can I still ask you out to eat in the future? Can I still ride your car?”

“So you’ve been coming to eat just for the car? That really hurts my feelings,” Tang He pretended to be heartbroken.

“No, no! It’s definitely for you! The car is just a bonus!” Du Jinyou quickly corrected himself. Seeing Tang He raise an eyebrow in disbelief, he stubbornly declared, “To prove my love for you is greater than for your car, I’ll never ride it again if I have to.”

Tang He laughed and ruffled his hair, happily saying, “I was just teasing you. But if you don’t want to ride this car, that’s fine.” Seeing Du Jinyou’s face fall, he quickly added, “Next time we’ll take the Lamborghini instead…” Before he finished, Du Jinyou excitedly pounced, hugging his arm and rubbing against him, ignoring the fact that Tang He was driving, and started shouting nonsense: “Bro, you’re the best, the best in the whole world!”

“You’re way too easily satisfied,” Tang He said with a smile. Normally, he was not one to show emotions openly. When he smiled, it didn’t necessarily mean he was happy; when he didn’t smile, it didn’t mean he disliked you. People dealing with Tang He often felt emotionally drained, never sure if there’d be a next time after meeting him. But Du Jinyou’s straightforwardness and open emotion were contagious. Facing him now, Tang He genuinely felt happy too.

The car drove past a bustling market and stopped at a red light. Du Jinyou looked out the window and saw large bunches of pink, blue, green, and yellow cotton candy hanging at a vendor’s stall. A crowd had gathered around the cotton candy man, who was skillfully twirling a big puff into a flower shape. He handed the finished cotton candy to a little girl standing nearby, who smiled so happily her eyes almost disappeared.

“Ah, cotton candy. It’s been so long since I last went to a night market.” Du Jianyou turned back to the driver and said, “Let me tell you, when I was a kid, I lived right next to a night market. My mom used to work as a cook in a stir-fry stall there. Sometimes when it was busy, I’d help out. You could say I grew up around the night market. But after high school, I went to boarding school and have been living on my own since. It’s really been a long time since I last visited that childhood night market.” His eyes drifted off, nostalgic, remembering the times when his dad was still around and the three of them would go to the night market together.

“I haven’t really… been to a night market.” Tang He said hesitantly, successfully pulling Du Jianyou back from his memories.

“What? You’ve never been to a night market? How is that even possible? There are night markets everywhere here!” Tang He fell silent, clearly a bit speechless.

“Fishing for goldfish? Playing marble games? Popping balloons? Claw machines? Squid soup? Herbal pork ribs? Stinky tofu? Oyster vermicelli?” Du Jianyou’s questions grew louder and more frantic with each one, while Tang He just shook his head so much he felt embarrassed.

“I…” Tang He didn’t know how to explain. It wouldn’t sound right to say he was raised to think night markets were dirty, messy, and the food was unhygienic. Just now Du Jianyou said his mom was a cook at a night market stall — and now he was complaining about food hygiene? That would just sound like he was asking for a beating.

“You’re so pitiful! Almost forty and never been to a night market — you had a childhood deprived of joy.” Du Jianyou reached up to smooth Tang He’s sideburns, looking at the childless CEO with a fond, almost motherly expression.

“…” I’m only thirty-seven. Tang He endured Du Jianyou’s caring gaze with helplessness.

“Alright then,” Du Jianyou snapped his fingers. “Next time, I’ll take you to my turf to check out the night market. You’ll see how charming it really is. Even foreigners come to visit! You’re a local and haven’t been — how can you be proud of that?”

“…I’m embarrassed.” Tang He kept his eyes on the road and forced out the words.

“That’s better. I haven’t been in a while either. I’ll do some research first to find the best food and fun stuff. I’ll make sure you won’t regret it.” Du Jianyou clapped his hands and happily set the night market trip in motion.

“…Okay.” Tang He felt a bit worried. He had never been to a night market, and in his imagination, it was always a crowded, humid, and chaotic place. He looked at the fresh, clean young man beside him and couldn’t understand why he liked such an uncomfortable activity.

Ah, childhood. Du Jianyou mentioned his childhood, and Tang He thought that since Du Jianyou said he hadn’t been to a night market in a long time, it probably wasn’t that he enjoyed it so much. Seeing how fascinated he was with the cotton candy earlier, maybe the night market was just a way for him to reminisce.

He must be a sentimental and loyal person.

The car arrived at Du Jianyou’s residence and stopped at the entrance of the building. Du Jianyou became quiet, sitting still and staring ahead, reluctant to get out. Tang He didn’t rush him, just waited patiently.

Suddenly, Du Jianyou turned to Tang He with a serious expression. “Can I really keep asking you out to eat and visit night markets from now on?”

“Yes, you can.” Tang He answered.

“Can I also message you?”

“Yes.”

“Then can I call you too?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t mind being bothered?”

“…” Tang He sighed and gently ruffled Du Jianyou’s hair. “You can reach out whenever you want, but I might not always be free. But I promise, whenever I do have time, I’ll meet your invitations, visit the night market with you, reply to your messages, and answer your calls. I don’t mind at all. How’s that?”

Hearing this, Du Jianyou’s eyes sparkled again. He blinked softly and said quietly, “Brother, you’re really so kind. I really like you. See you next time.” Then, without looking back, he quickly got out of the car and hurried into the building.

(To be continued…)
T/L: Jianyou is a cutie patootie ₍₍⚞(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⚟⁾⁾