After The Beautiful Drama Queen’s Marriage To The Wealthy Tycoon - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Gift

He had originally agreed not to go looking for Qi Hanchuan, but to pass the time, Jiang He had wandered around the cat café and visited the rescue station. Even then, it was only noon by the time he got home.

It was all Qi Hanchuan’s fault for insisting he wake up early for breakfast.

Muttering a complaint to himself, Jiang He checked his phone and saw a message from Qi Hanchuan. It told him to call once he arrived so that Zhou Yu could come down to get him.

Jiang He sent back an angry emoji and typed: You come pick me up.

Qi Hanchuan replied quickly: I have a meeting. I’m not sure when it will end.

Jiang He replied unreasonably: I don’t care. I want you to pick me up, or I’m not coming.

After a moment, Qi Hanchuan sent: Call me when you arrive.

Even though he couldn’t see him, Jiang He could guess exactly what kind of face the man was making. He sent a retaliatory barrage of dozens of emojis, then tossed his phone aside and looked up at the housekeeper. “Wang Ma, get some food ready for me. I’m taking it to the office.”

Knowing he was heading to the company, Wang Ma smiled broadly. “Of course. I’ll have it ready right away.”

By the time Jiang He went upstairs to change, the kitchen had prepared two large boxes of desserts and various snacks for the driver to carry. Jiang He adjusted his sunglasses and lifted his chin like a triumphant little fox. “Let’s go.”

The temperature had dropped sharply over the past two days. Jiang He wore a hooded sweatshirt paired with black trousers, making him look tall, thin, and undeniably beautiful.

As soon as he got in the car, he started a countdown for Qi Hanchuan, going from thirty minutes all the way down to three. Before the car had even come to a full stop, Jiang He impatiently sent a voice message: “Qi Hanchuan, I’m here! Come downstairs and get me, hurry!”

He didn’t get a reply, but he didn’t care. He pushed the door open and hopped out, with the driver following behind carrying the bags of food.

Because he didn’t have an appointment, the two were stopped in the lobby. Jiang He wasn’t in a rush; he simply sat down on one of the lobby sofas to wait. The receptionist poured him a cup of warm water and apologized profusely.

“No need to apologize, it’s the same whether I wait here or there.” Jiang He smiled and lifted the cup. “Thanks for the water.”

He was good-looking and his tone was gentle; it was hard not to like him. The receptionist blushed, said “you’re welcome,” and gave him a few pieces of candy.

Jiang He peeled one, popped it into his mouth, and squinted his eyes happily. “Thanks.” He pushed his sunglasses up to use as a headband, revealing his striking features and eyes full of laughter. It was a sight that could melt anyone’s heart.

He had been waiting for nearly ten minutes by the time Qi Hanchuan arrived. He had eaten all but one of the candies. Qi Hanchuan approached with his usual expressionless face. Zhou Yu took the bags from the driver and dismissed him before standing aside to wait.

Jiang He frowned unhappily. “Why took you so long?”

The receptionist nervously stammered “President Qi,” her legs trembling uncontrollably. Who is this handsome guy to the Boss?

Qi Hanchuan nodded to her, his gaze landing on Jiang He. He offered a rare explanation: “The meeting just ended.”

“Fine.” Jiang He stood up and, as he passed, stuffed his candy wrappers into Qi Hanchuan’s suit pocket. It wasn’t a malicious prank; he just hadn’t seen a trash can. Qi Hanchuan didn’t seem to mind and led him forward.

When they passed the front desk, Jiang He suddenly leaned in and smiled at the receptionist. “Can I have two more candies?”

The girl blushed and pushed the tray forward. “O-of course!”

Jiang He took a few, stuffed them into Qi Hanchuan’s other pocket, and skipped along after him. Seeing the receptionist’s lingering gaze, Zhou Yu gave a cold reminder: “Next time he comes, don’t stop him.”

The girl was bursting with curiosity. “Assistant Zhou, that gentleman and President Qi are…?”

Zhou Yu was brief: “The Boss’s Wife.”

The girl froze for a second. Once she processed it, she was overcome with excitement. “President Qi is married to that guy?!”

Zhou Yu remained professional. “Don’t go spreading rumors. Just remember, next time Young Master Jiang comes, don’t stop him. Send him directly up in the President’s private elevator.”

The girl made a “zip it” gesture with a face that said I totally get it. In reality, she immediately turned around and started gushing to her work friends

In the elevator, Jiang He was not a stranger to Qi Hanchuan’s space. He reached into the man’s pockets, pulled out the candies, peeled them, and popped them in his mouth stuffing the wrappers back into the pockets. Qi Hanchuan glanced at him, met his smiling eyes, and said nothing.

“Have you had lunch?” Jiang He asked, his voice muffled by the candy.

“Mm,” Qi Hanchuan hummed. He wasn’t overly warm, but he wasn’t cold either.

Jiang He hummed a tune and added, “Wang Ma had the kitchen make a lot of food for me.”

Qi Hanchuan acknowledged it but said nothing else. Jiang He’s brow furrowed. “Why are you being so cold? Do you think I’m bothering you?”

“No,” Qi Hanchuan explained, wondering how the boy reached that conclusion. “I’m just thinking about some things.”

Jiang He was exceptionally domineering. “When you’re with me, you’re only allowed to think about me.”

Qi Hanchuan shook his head helplessly. The elevator opened, and he led Jiang He out. Zhou Yu dropped the bags in the office and tactfully retreated, only to be swamped by curious employees. It was the first time anyone had visited Qi Hanchuan like this in years.

Inside the luxurious office, Jiang He circled the room like an emperor inspecting his domain. Finally, he sat himself down in Qi Hanchuan’s executive chair and beckoned him over with a flourished hand. “Little Qi, pour me a cup of coffee.”

Qi Hanchuan looked resigned. “I thought you didn’t like coffee?”

Jiang He propped his feet up on the desk and crossed his arms. “Do you have anything else to drink?”

Qi Hanchuan looked down at a file. “I had someone order you a Frappuccino. It should be here soon.”

Jiang He was genuinely shocked. “Did you take the wrong meds? You’re suddenly so attentive.”

Qi Hanchuan remained expressionless. “I’ll have them cancel the order.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Jiang He jumped out of the chair, dragged Qi Hanchuan into it, and started massaging the man’s shoulders with fawning attention. “I was just joking! Having such a thoughtful hubby is a blessing from my past eight lives.”

Qi Hanchuan chuckled and gestured for Jiang He to sit on the nearby sofa. Jiang He pushed his luck: “Can’t I sit on Hubby’s lap?”

Qi Hanchuan gave him a flat look. Jiang He immediately behaved and grumbled his way over to the sofa.

Soon, Zhou Yu delivered the drink—with extra ice. Jiang He took a big gulp and began feast on the desserts from home. The office was soon filled with a sweet scent. Qi Hanchuan worked steadily; Jiang He occasionally asked if he wanted a bite, but he refused.

Once he was full, Jiang He started to get drowsy. He curled up on the sofa, half-asleep. Seeing him nodding off, Qi Hanchuan reminded him, “Go sleep in the lounge.”

Jiang He slid further down into the sofa. “No.”

Qi Hanchuan didn’t argue. He went into the lounge, brought out a blanket to cover him, and cleaned up all of Jiang He’s trash before returning to his work.

People came in for meetings throughout the hour, but seeing someone asleep on the sofa, they just stood there wide-eyed. Qi Hanchuan handled the meetings in his low, cold voice. Eventually, he led a group out to a conference room to avoid waking the boy, leaving the lights off but the curtains open so Jiang He wouldn’t wake up in the dark.

Jiang He woke up an hour later, feeling a bit lost. He sat cross-legged on the sofa and noticed the blanket had slipped to the floor. He picked it up and realized Qi Hanchuan was gone.

“Where did he go now?” he muttered, putting on his shoes to go look for him.

Being unfamiliar with the office, he wandered for a bit until he found a male employee. “Do you know where Qi Hanchuan is?”

The employee, recognizing him as the mysterious guest, was very polite. “President Qi is in a meeting. It should be over soon.”

“Could you show me? I’m lost,” Jiang He asked, his voice still a bit raspy from sleep, looking adorably dazed.

The man smiled. “Of course, follow me.”

Jiang He saw the conference room was full, so he didn’t go in. He stood outside the door like a child waiting for their parents after school. After a moment, Zhou Yu came out. “Young Master Jiang, the President isn’t finished yet. Are you hungry?”

Jiang He shook his head. He just wanted to find the man. Zhou Yu looked back at Qi Hanchuan, caught his eye, and asked, “Do you want to wait inside? It’s almost over.”

Jiang He looked up. “Can I?”

“Of course.” Zhou Yu opened the door. Every eye in the room turned toward him, but a cold glare from Qi Hanchuan forced them all to look back down immediately.

Jiang He sat in a corner and drank some water Zhou Yu brought him, occasionally peeking at Qi Hanchuan. Ten minutes later, the meeting ended. Once everyone left, Jiang He stood up and approached him, feeling a sudden need to explain: “I was just bored after waking up. Assistant Zhou told me to come in.”

Qi Hanchuan, rare as it was to hear the little troublemaker explain himself, let a faint smile touch his lips. “Mm. Let’s go.”

Back in the office, Jiang He returned to his usual “emperor” self, reclaiming the executive desk. He spotted a kitten-themed mug on the desk, then started rummaging through the drawers until he found the nose pads Jiang He had given him.

Qi Hanchuan was relegated to the sofa to finish his work. Seeing the “little demon” flipping through his drawers, he couldn’t help but say, “Don’t cause trouble. If you’re bored, have Zhou Yu take you out.”

“I’m not bored, this is interesting,” Jiang He said, pulling out items like a treasure hunter. He picked up a small ceramic doll. “Who gave you this?”

Qi Hanchuan didn’t even look. “I forgot.”

(It was actually a gift for Jiang He, but he hadn’t found a reason to give it to him yet. Jiang He had found it himself.)

“It’s not from some secret flame, is it?” Jiang He examined the doll. It looked familiar, but he couldn’t place it. He turned on the man with a cold questioning look. “Qi Hanchuan, you promised me you wouldn’t mess around outside.”

Qi Hanchuan finally looked up, his expression helpless. “Stop imagining things. Look at it closely. Doesn’t it look familiar?”

“It does Jiang He stared at it for a moment, then gasped. “Is this me?”

Qi Hanchuan didn’t elaborate. Jiang He carried the doll over to him, excited. “No way! You made a version of me to keep in your drawer? What for? To gaze at it when you miss me, or to do bad things to it?”

Hearing himself described as increasingly perverted, Qi Hanchuan had to explain: “It’s a gift for you.”

Jiang He played with the doll for a moment, then shoved it back at Qi Hanchuan. “Why would you give me a doll of me? You should give me a doll of you. Keep this one in the office, and make a new one of yourself to give to me.”

As Qi Hanchuan felt the lingering warmth of the doll in his hand, he sighed inwardly. Truly hard to please.