After My Nemesis Discovered My Cross-dressing - Chapter 13

Late at night, the old Qin residence was silent.

Qin Yue leaned back in his study chair. Having waited a long time without a response, he sent another message.

Y: “Of course, if you do not want to take one, I will not force you.”

Retreating to advance; he knew Qiqi fell for this tactic. Sure enough, a picture soon popped up in the chat box. Qin Yue clicked on the image, and his expression shifted instantly.

The person in the photo had porcelain skin that, set against the blue long dress, looked as if it were bathed in moonlight. The tall figure was enveloped in soft fabric that clung to the curves of the waist and hips, outlining a breathtaking silhouette. Qin Yue admired it several times before exiting the image to continue typing.

Y: “Breathlessly beautiful. You must be even more stunning in motion.”

77: “Stop pushing your luck.”

Qin Yue let out a low chuckle. Good, he was beginning to understand Qiqi’s temperament more and more. Just as he was privately pondering how to coax a short video out of Qiqi, a ding sounded, and the screen lit up again.

Qin Yue raised an eyebrow, unlocked the screen, and clicked on the video.

The person in the long dress walked toward a floor to ceiling mirror holding a phone. Under the lights, they looked as if they were draped in shimmering seawater. With every step, the high slit skirt revealed straight, slender legs. The snowy white thighs flickered in and out of view like pearls hidden in the deep sea, making one want to reach a hand through the slit of the skirt and trace the delicate, pale flesh upward.

Qin Yue closed his eyes and quickly exited the video. His throat felt dry, and the air in the study became inexplicably stifling. He reached down and undid a button, pulling his shirt collar open a bit wider.

77: “Is that enough?”

Qin Yue stared at the text and gritted his teeth. So obedient. How could someone be this well behaved? When asked for a photo, they took a photo; when asked for a video, they filmed a video. Compared to that Gu Qian who was always at loggerheads with him, they hardly seemed like the same person.

Yet he knew perfectly well that the Qiqi filming videos in beautiful dresses and the President Gu who treated him as a defeated rival were one and the same. As if possessed, Qin Yue clicked the video again. After looping it a few times, his blood seemed to flow faster, and his lips grew parched. He held the phone high with one hand, his eyes pinned to the person in the video. He leaned back against the chair, the veins in his tensed neck protruding, his breathing growing heavy.

A knock sounded as the study door was suddenly tapped from the outside.

Qin Yue snapped back to reality. His hand jerked, and the phone slipped, nearly hitting a certain part of his anatomy he took great pride in.

“Brother, I am coming in!” Qin Zhixu said as he turned the handle.

As soon as he entered, he found his brother sitting at the desk, looking at him with a gaze that could kill. Terrified, Qin Zhixu froze. “Brother, when did I offend you?”

Qin Yue took a deep breath and picked up the phone from the carpet. “Speak your piece or get out.”

“Oh,” Qin Zhixu said, looking confused, but he remembered his mission. “Grandpa told you to go to his study. He has something to say to you.”

Qin Yue glanced at the clock on the wall. “It is late. What does Grandpa want to talk about?”

“No idea,” Qin Zhixu scratched the back of his head. “Maybe he just wants to chat.”

“Fine, I understand,” Qin Yue waved him off. “Go on out.”

Qin Zhixu nodded. “I am going to sleep then.”

Had it been anyone else, Qin Yue would have lost his temper. However, this younger cousin had lost both parents as a child and had lived with him in the old Qin residence ever since. Being seven or eight years younger, the boy was a bit dim witted but lacked any malice.

Qin Zhixu exited the study and pulled the door shut behind him. Qin Yue clicked back into WeChat, typed a line, deleted it, and then took a close up photo of his right hand.

Y: “Proving my innocence.”

Gu Qian: “…”

He looked at the timestamps. It had only been five minutes since he sent the video.

77: “Five minutes. That was fast.”

Immediately, a voice message arrived from the other side: “Does Qiqi want to know just how fast I can be?”

Gu Qian pursed his lips and sent a voice message back in a measured tone: “I do not wish to know. It has nothing to do with me.”

The words were cold, but the voice was beautiful and lazy, the slightly rising intonation acting like a hook that made one’s heart itch with restless desire.

Qin Yue did not dare listen to it a second time, fearing that if he kept chatting, the heat in his gut would flare up again.

Y: “The dress is beautiful, but you are more beautiful. I have something to handle now, though. I will come back to continue the praise later.”

77: “Fine. Go and get busy.”

Qin Yue put his phone away, manually smoothed out his crumpled trousers, and stood up to head out. He went downstairs to the first floor study and knocked twice. “Grandpa.”

“Come in,” a tired but majestic voice replied.

Qin Yue entered. “Grandpa, did you need me for something?”

Old Master Qin set down his newspaper and adjusted his reading glasses. “Sit down first.”

Qin Yue sat on the sofa, habitually starting to cross his long legs before thinking better of it and keeping them flat.

“How is the company lately?” Old Master Qin asked.

“The company is fine. Everything is normal,” Qin Yue replied.

“You lost that new landmark development project. Winning and losing are part of business; I am not scolding you for that,” the old man said. His voice was not loud, but it carried natural authority. “However, have you been a bit too lax lately?”

Qin Yue crossed his hands over his knees and joked, “Grandpa, have you planted a mole by my side?”

The old man sneered. “You are my grandson. Do I need a mole to understand you?”

“Sigh,” Qin Yue let out a theatrical sigh. “Nothing escapes your wise eyes.”

The old man hummed. “Spill it.”

Qin Yue sat up a bit straighter. “I lost one big project, but it is not the only one in the world.”

The old man’s expression softened. “So, you have a plan?”

“Do not worry, Grandpa.” Qin Yue picked up the teapot from the coffee table and poured himself a cup. “I know what I am doing.”

The old man opened his mouth to say more but held back, eventually only saying, “Drink less tea at night; it makes it hard to sleep.”

“Grandpa, I am still young,” Qin Yue said with a smile as he took a sip. “My sleep quality is excellent.”

Old Master Qin looked at the heir he had raised with his own hands, his tone half exasperated and half proud. “You…”

A few days later, Gu Qian received a transfer of twenty thousand yuan into his private bank account. Almost the next second, there was a knock on his office door.

“Enter,” Gu Qian said.

The junior secretary pushed the door open and reported weakly, “President Gu, Mr. Meng wishes to see you.”

Gu Qian raised his eyes. “Where is Assistant Liang?”

“Assistant Liang is,” she started. Before the secretary could finish, a tall figure burst in.

“President Gu, I am coming in!”

Gu Qian raised a hand, signaling the secretary to leave. She fled as if granted a reprieve. Meng Siyao strode into the office, his excitement uncontrollable. “Brother Qian, I transferred the money. Did you get it?”

“Close the door,” Gu Qian reminded him.

“Oh, right!” Meng Siyao turned and slammed the door shut with a bang.

Gu Qian removed his glasses. “I received it. Your timing for repayment is very precise.”

“Well, did I not transfer it to you the moment I got my commission?” Meng Siyao flopped onto the sofa. “I never thought I could actually earn twenty thousand, no, thirty thousand yuan on my own!”

“You did well,” Gu Qian said flatly.

“Eh?” Meng Siyao froze, his expression growing more frantic. “Brother Qian, are you praising me? Praising me with your own mouth?”

Gu Qian tapped the desk. “So, are you here today to hold me to my promise?”

“Yes!” Meng Siyao finally remembered his purpose. “Did you not say that if I finished the new project within a month, you would give me an exceptional promotion to Director?”

Gu Qian looked at him. “I said I would give you an exceptional promotion. I did not say I would promote you to Director.”

“Then what are you promoting me to?” Meng Siyao asked, confused.

“Assistant to the CEO,” Gu Qian replied.

Meng Siyao was stunned. “Huh?”

“What?” Gu Qian tilted his chin up slightly. “Being my assistant is beneath you?”

“That is not it!” Meng Siyao snapped out of it, though his confusion deepened. “When I first joined the company, I asked to be your assistant, and you refused me very firmly.”

“That was then, this is now,” Gu Qian chuckled. “Not just anyone is qualified to be my assistant.”

“Really?” Meng Siyao jumped up from the sofa and hurried to the desk. “Brother Qian, if you say that, I am taking it seriously.”

“Go out and wait,” Gu Qian gestured. “Have Assistant Liang take you to Human Resources to handle the transfer procedures.”

“Alright, I am going now!” Meng Siyao turned and left without a second thought.

Silence returned to the office. Gu Qian opened a drawer, poured out two candies, and turned to face the window. Before leaving work, Assistant Liang knocked and entered. “President Gu, Mr. Meng’s transfer procedures are complete.”

“Mm,” Gu Qian raised his head. “Do not call him Mr. Meng anymore. Just call him Xiao Meng.”

Assistant Liang looked troubled. “That would be.”

“Since he has joined the secretarial office, he is your subordinate,” Gu Qian prompted. “Manage him however you usually manage your subordinates. Do you understand?”

“Understood, President Gu,” Assistant Liang replied immediately.

“Are the arrangements for tomorrow’s business trip settled?” Gu Qian asked.

“Settled,” Liang replied. “The flight is at 4:00 PM tomorrow, landing at 5:30 PM.”

Gu Qian pondered for a moment. “Did you buy the spare seat?”

“I did,” Liang confirmed.

“Notify Meng Siyao that he is coming with us on the trip tomorrow,” Gu Qian instructed.

“Yes, President Gu. I will notify Meng, Xiao Meng immediately.”

Back home that evening, Gu Qian was packing his luggage when his phone vibrated on the table. He set down the suit in his hand and went to answer. “Uncle Meng,” he said.

“Qian, you are not asleep yet, are you?” Meng Ye’s voice came through.

“Not yet,” Gu Qian sat down. “I am packing; I have a business trip tomorrow.”

“Good, good,” Meng Ye cleared his throat. “I heard from Siyao that you agreed to let him be your assistant?”

“That is correct,” Gu Qian replied calmly. “I will train him myself.”

“I thought the same thing; great minds think alike!” Meng Ye sounded very happy. “Qian, you know that having you train Siyao personally puts me more at ease than anyone else could.”

Gu Qian lowered his lashes. “Rest assured.”

“Alright, get some sleep. When you come back from this trip, find some time to visit your Uncle Meng, okay?”

Gu Qian neither agreed nor refused. “Uncle Meng, focus on your recovery.”

After hanging up, he sat in his chair for a while. A vibration signaled a message on his secondary WeChat.

Y: “Are your things packed?”

Gu Qian turned and took a casual photo of his open suitcase.

77: “In the process of packing.”

Y: “Why is it all suits and shirts?”

77: “It is a business trip, not a vacation.”

Y: “I thought that even if you went on vacation, you would wear formal clothes.”

Gu Qian said nothing. Was this man mocking him for being too stiff? Before he could counter, another message arrived.

Y: “Do you want to bring a couple of beautiful dresses?”

Gu Qian’s heart stirred, but after a thought, he decided against it.

77: “No. It is too risky.”

Y: “Put them at the very bottom of the suitcase; they won’t be found.”

77: “I am going on a business trip. If I bring dresses, who would I wear them for?”

Y: “For me, of course.”

Gu Qian tsked. This man’s skin was growing thicker by the day.

77: “In your dreams.”

Y: “I not only have beautiful dreams, I also have an ugly face.”

Gu Qian imagined it: an ugly man with a deep voice and an eight pack? Forget it; his curiosity was not actually that strong.

Y: “What, are you scared?”

77: “You are overthinking. I am not that timid.”

Y: “Hahaha! Truly the Qiqi I know.”

After the banter, Gu Qian felt much better and continued packing.

The next afternoon, Gu Qian took his team to the airport. Assistant Liang had bought a business class ticket for President Gu while he and the other employees sat in economy.

Meng Siyao protested. “Wait, is our company this poor? We can’t even afford business class?”

Gu Qian gave him a cold look, and he shut his mouth. Fine, economy it was. It was only an hour and a half; he could endure it. After checking in, Gu Qian entered the VIP lounge to wait. There were not many people inside. As Gu Qian sat alone reading his iPad, a lazy voice suddenly reached his ears.

“President Gu, what a coincidence.”

Gu Qian’s brow twitched. He looked toward the source and met a pair of smiling dark eyes.

“Why do you look like you have seen a ghost, President Gu?” Qin Yue asked as he walked straight toward him.

Gu Qian said nothing. It practically was seeing a ghost in broad daylight.

Qin Yue sat naturally in the seat next to him. “Are you also going to Jiangcheng on business?”

Gu Qian quietly exited his work interface and put the iPad away. “Yes. Quite a coincidence.”

Qin Yue took in his movements and asked with a smile, “Are you afraid I will peep at your commercial secrets, President Gu?”

“President Qin must be joking,” Gu Qian said, staring straight ahead.

“You can rest assured. I have zero interest in Shengtai’s commercial secrets.” Qin Yue stared at the perfect profile of his face and said meaningfully, “What I am truly interested in is something else.”

Gu Qian did not take the bait. Just as he was about to stand up and change seats, the man next to him beat him to it. Qin Yue stood up. “President Gu, do you want something to drink? I will go get it.”

Gu Qian sat back down. “No need. Please, suit yourself.”

Hearing this, Qin Yue sat back down as well. “Since you do not want to drink, I won’t either.”

Gu Qian thought nothing. Changing seats now would look far too deliberate and unfriendly. He had to try his best to ignore the gaze from beside him, so he took out his Bluetooth earphones and put them in to listen to music. Fortunately, it was almost time to board. Before long, they moved through the priority lane and onto the plane.

After Gu Qian took his seat, he noticed Qin Yue’s seat was several rows ahead of him. He thought to himself that he could finally have some peace. However, they accidentally made eye contact, and Qin Yue began walking toward him.

“Hello, beautiful lady,” Qin Yue leaned down slightly and smiled at the woman sitting next to Gu Qian. “Would it be convenient for us to swap seats?”

Most people would rarely agree to such an unreasonable request, but Qin Yue’s handsome face and gentlemanly smile were far too deceptive. The woman only hesitated for a moment before agreeing. “Sure.”

“Thank you very much.” Qin Yue’s smile grew even more charming as he pulled a membership card from his pocket. “This is a VIP quarterly card for the Junming Hotel. Please accept it as a token of my gratitude.”

The Junming Hotel was a five star chain under the Huanyu Group. The woman was pleasantly surprised. “It was no trouble. You are too kind.”

“It is only right,” Qin Yue maintained his smile.

Gu Qian sat in his seat, watching the man coldly. He looked like a peacock fanning its tail. Qin Yue sat in the adjacent seat as he wished and turned his head, his smile becoming sincere. “President Gu, now your journey won’t be lonely.”

Gu Qian thought, I thank you.

After taxiing for a while, the plane took off and pierced through the clouds.

“President Gu,” Qin Yue took the initiative to talk. “What business are you going to Jiangcheng for?”

“Did you not say you were uninterested in Shengtai’s secrets, President Qin?” Gu Qian replied flatly.

“Heh,” Qin Yue laughed softly. “Then let me change the question. How long do you plan to stay in Jiangcheng?”

“Not sure,” Gu Qian brushed him off. “It depends on the schedule.”

“Alright then.” Qin Yue adjusted his seat back, closed his eyes, and said, “I have been to Jiangcheng before; the scenery is quite nice. If you have time, you should look around.”

“Thank you,” Gu Qian replied politely.

To be honest, two months ago, he could not have imagined sitting in a row with Qin Yue, chatting peacefully. Although his intuition told him something was strange, the other man was being so polite that he could only wait and see. Gu Qian adjusted his own seat and put on an eye mask to nap.

A minute later, Qin Yue opened his eyes silently. He turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on that beautiful face with total lack of restraint. The black eye mask covered those amber eyes and a large portion of the high bridge of his nose, leaving only the tip visible. Qin Yue’s gaze shifted down to the light red lips.

They say people with thin lips are heartless, but his lip shape was very attractive. The curve of the philtrum was particularly alluring, and with them slightly parted now, they looked like they would be very easy to kiss. Qin Yue realized what he was thinking and frowned, his gaze moving further down to the clasped hands. Those slender, jade like hands had been the key information that allowed him to recognize Gu Qian; their attraction to him was self evident.

What he had not expected was that not only did Gu Qian’s hands perfectly fit his aesthetic, but every part of his body did too.

“Pardon me for interrupting,” a flight attendant with a standard smile said as she walked over, holding a menu. “Would the two of you like to order a meal?”

Qin Yue instantly withdrew his gaze. “No, thank you.”

“Thank you,” Gu Qian waved a hand. “I do not need anything either.”

The attendant moved to the next passenger. Qin Yue closed his eyes again, trying to push the inappropriate images out of his mind. Gu Qian did not fall into a deep sleep; he dozed intermittently until he heard the announcement that the plane was about to land. He removed his eye mask. His long, thick lashes fluttered, and his eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the light before opening fully.

“What a short journey,” Qin Yue said, his tone sounding almost regretful.

Thinking he could go his separate way after landing, Gu Qian gave a perfunctory hum.

“Do you also feel that time goes by very fast when you are with me, President Gu?” Qin Yue pressed.

Gu Qian turned and walked away, ignoring him. For someone so shameless, why was Qin Yue so much more annoying than the other man he knew?

Gu Qian collected his luggage, met with Assistant Liang and the others, and headed straight for the hotel. However, in the hotel lobby, he ran into Qin Yue’s group again. Gu Qian turned to look at Assistant Liang.

Assistant Liang looked panicked, lowering his voice to explain, “President Gu, I really did not know President Qin’s group was staying at this hotel too.”

Gu Qian turned his face toward the man not far away. Their eyes met, and neither looked away first. Indeed, he knew Qin Yue would not admit defeat so easily. However, he was not angry or worried; instead, a feeling akin to excitement welled up in his heart. Compared to a Qin Yue who was mysteriously kind, he preferred the provocative gaze. If he lost his old rival, winning easily would become much duller.

“President Gu, the check in is complete,” Assistant Liang reminded him.

Gu Qian took his room card. “Let’s go.”

The group headed toward the elevators. Qin Yue stood still, smiling as he watched the upright figure disappear behind the elevator doors. Then, unhurriedly, he pulled a small Bluetooth earphone case from his suit pocket.