After Transmigrating into an ABO World with My Rival - Chapter 18

After spending the entire afternoon with Fu Tingyue at the office, Chen Yanzhi felt as if mushrooms were about to sprout from the top of his head. He was utterly bored, especially during the hours Fu Tingyue was away at meetings.

Fortunately, Fu Tingyue had sent his secretary in to keep him company and chat, which made things a bit more bearable.

At that moment, Chen Yanzhi was sprawled in a starfish position on the sofa, his head hanging off the armrest. Looking as if his soul had been sucked out, he groaned listlessly, “Secretary Jiang, when is Fu Tingyue coming back?”

Secretary Jiang glanced at the wall clock and said gently, “Probably in about half an hour.”

“So long, so long.” Chen Yanzhi rolled over to lie on his stomach, looking up at Secretary Jiang with a pleading expression. “Can I go out and play? Just tell Fu Tingyue when he gets back.”

Secretary Jiang was nearly swayed by that beautiful face, but he quickly snapped back to reality, lowered his eyes, and took a step back. “I’m sorry, Mr. Chen. President Fu said you must stay here until he returns.”

Chen Yanzhi cursed Fu Tingyue a few times in his head, then sat up against the sofa. “Secretary Jiang, how long have you been with Fu Tingyue?”

Secretary Jiang likely was not one of the Fu family’s spies, given how much Fu Tingyue trusted him.

Secretary Jiang smiled. “President Fu and I were university classmates. After graduation, he recommended me for the company, and I’ve been with him ever since.”

Chen Yanzhi nodded, rubbing his chin. “I see.”

No wonder Fu Tingyue trusted him; they were friends. However, Secretary Jiang likely had no idea that Fu Tingyue’s core had been replaced.

Secretary Jiang asked casually, “How did you and President Fu meet, Mr. Chen?”

He had known Fu Tingyue for years but had never heard of Chen Yanzhi’s existence. Furthermore, Fu Tingyue clearly treated Chen Yanzhi as someone special; they acted as if they had known each other for a lifetime. When they were together, there was an atmosphere that felt impossible for an outsider to penetrate.

Chen Yanzhi scratched his head, thinking for a moment. “How should I put it? You can think of it like this: we’ve known each other since we were kids, but we were separated by certain events and only reunited recently.”

After saying this, Chen Yanzhi felt quite clever. What a perfect explanation; surely Secretary Jiang would not suspect a thing now.

Hearing this, Secretary Jiang’s mind immediately filled with a heartwarming drama: two childhood playmates forced apart by Fu Tingyue’s family status, only to find each other again as adults. His eyes even turned a bit red. In his memory, Fu Tingyue had always been a lonely person, but around Chen Yanzhi, he became completely different, more human.

Secretary Jiang turned away to rub his eyes, his tone sounding relieved. “It’s truly wonderful that you two were able to reunite.”

Chen Yanzhi nodded in agreement. “Mm-hmm, I think so too.” If they had not reunited, he’d still be shaking milk teas at a shop right now.

When Fu Tingyue returned, he saw Secretary Jiang with red-rimmed eyes. He glanced at Chen Yanzhi with a frown, wondering if the boy had somehow made the secretary cry. But Secretary Jiang was an Alpha, taller and sturdier than Chen Yanzhi; surely that was not possible.

As Secretary Jiang continued to wipe his eyes, Fu Tingyue could not help but ask, “Why are you crying?”

“Nothing. I still have some work to finish; I’ll head out first.” Secretary Jiang left immediately, looking almost frightened at first glance.

Fu Tingyue was bewildered and turned to Chen Yanzhi, who was slumped on the sofa like he had no bones. “Zhizhi, did you hit him?”

Chen Yanzhi looked blank. “Who?”

Fu Tingyue sighed. “Secretary Jiang.”

Chen Yanzhi shook his head. “No. I just told him we’ve known each other since childhood, were forced apart, and only reunited two days ago. He got all emotional; he probably imagined some cheesy drama in his head.”

Fu Tingyue shook his head helplessly, figuring Chen Yanzhi must have been exaggerating. But a misunderstanding was fine; it saved him the trouble of explaining.

Chen Yanzhi tsked. “Secretary Jiang is quite the sentimental person.”

Fu Tingyue did not comment, grabbing his coat. “Let’s go. I’m taking you to dinner.”

“You’re finished?” Chen Yanzhi felt his soul return a bit, his energy picking up.

Looking at him, Fu Tingyue could not help but smile. “Finished.”

Chen Yanzhi practically bounced off the sofa, dusting himself off and hopping in place. “If you stayed busy any longer, I would have gone out to play by myself. Sitting around doing nothing is so boring.”

Fu Tingyue laughed. For someone as naturally restless as Chen Yanzhi, waiting like that was indeed a trial. But the fact that he was willing to wait an entire afternoon for him made Fu Tingyue’s mood soar. Even when Chen Yanzhi launched a rear attack by bumping his head into Fu Tingyue’s back, the man did not get angry, only gently telling him to slow down.

Chen Yanzhi kept his head pressed against the man’s back and refused to move, simply pushing Fu Tingyue forward as they walked, his hands dangling like a zombie’s. “Starving. No energy.”

Fu Tingyue’s tone was full of helplessness. “Walk properly, or you’ll fall. We’ll be able to eat as soon as we get there.”

Chen Yanzhi leaned stubbornly against his back. “You’re looking out for me, so I won’t fall.”

There were no other employees on this floor besides Fu Tingyue’s assistants and secretaries, and the private elevator led directly to the underground parking lot. Chen Yanzhi was not worried about being seen. Fu Tingyue let him have his way, even reminding him, “We’re almost at the elevator.”

The assistant behind them watched with a jaw nearly on the floor, fingers flying across his phone screen to gossip with Secretary Jiang. If he had not been afraid of Fu Tingyue noticing, he would have taken photos as ironclad evidence.

Once inside the elevator, Chen Yanzhi continued to lean bonelessly against Fu Tingyue, complaining about being hungry. Fu Tingyue suppressed a smile and asked, “Chen Yanzhi, is your stomach a bottomless pit?”

Besides the desserts from home, Secretary Jiang had bought him plenty of snacks and drinks. He had finished them all and was now shouting about being hungry. Sometimes Fu Tingyue truly wondered how Chen Yanzhi’s flat stomach could hold so much.

“Those sweets don’t last, and playing on my phone consumes a lot of energy. I’m a grown man; it’s normal to have a good appetite, isn’t it?” Chen Yanzhi grumbled as he complained, “And you said you’d support me. You’ve only been doing it for a little while and you’re already complaining that I eat too much.”

Fu Tingyue laughed. “You’re intentionally twisting my words again. I’m just concerned about you.”

Chen Yanzhi huffed. He knew that, of course, but he’d been waiting so long he had a bit of resentment that needed venting.

Fu Tingyue moved closer to let Chen Yanzhi lean more comfortably, resisting the urge to pinch his cheek. “Alright, don’t be mad. I had them prepare all your favorites. I promise you’ll be full.”

The assistant, standing with his back to them, was typing furiously. How is this different from coaxing a boyfriend? Heavens, this is too sweet to handle.

Chen Yanzhi took a step back, crossing his arms arrogantly. “Who’s mad? You make it sound like I’m petty. I’m condemning you. Do you understand? Condemning.”

Fu Tingyue nodded solemnly. “I understand. A well-deserved condemnation.”

Chen Yanzhi was clearly mollified, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He still had to add, “If you lose your bottom line, I’ll condemn you for that too.”

Fu Tingyue suddenly said, “I only have no bottom line for you.”

Chen Yanzhi wrinkled his nose in disgust. “That’s a bit gross. Don’t say things like that; you sound like one of those greasy middle-aged men.”

Fu Tingyue laughed at the insult. “You’re getting harder and harder to serve.”

Chen Yanzhi tilted his chin up and stepped out of the elevator with a triumphant air. “What can you do? You’ll just have to deal with it.” He only acted this way because Fu Tingyue allowed it.

Fu Tingyue had not lied; they were able to eat immediately upon arriving at the hotel. Although Chen Yanzhi had shouted about being hungry, he was full after only a few bites, using his chopsticks to poke at the rice in his bowl.

Fu Tingyue told him to stop if he could not eat anymore and not to force himself. Chen Yanzhi felt as if he’d been granted a pardon, setting his chopsticks down to wait for Fu Tingyue to finish. They were going to the school afterward to familiarize themselves with the environment.

Chen Yanzhi was looking forward to his future school; after all, he had not had the chance to start university in their original world. Sometimes he truly admired Fu Tingyue. To suddenly land here and have to manage a company without showing any signs of being an imposter, Fu Tingyue was the same age as him, yet he handled everything perfectly. Managing a corporation seemed to come naturally to him.

Since they were alone in the private room, Chen Yanzhi asked without hesitation, “Fu Tingyue, were you ever scared when you first arrived?”

Fu Tingyue paused, then said slowly, “I was scared that I would not be able to reunite with you. Other than that, no.”

Chen Yanzhi’s voice rose. “Not even about managing the company?”

Fu Tingyue shook his head. “It was a bit chaotic, but I wasn’t scared.” He had spent his holidays learning about business since high school, so he was not a total novice. Plus, he had the original owner’s memories. The time spent recovering in the hospital was perfect for familiarizing himself with the company’s affairs. His only fear was losing Chen Yanzhi.

Chen Yanzhi gave him a thumbs up. “You’re a natural leader. My dad used to praise you for that all the time.”

Chen Yanzhi was different; his family had a huge business, but he had zero interest in management. His family did not force him; if he did not want to do it, they would just hire someone to do it for him. That was why Chen Yanzhi had lived so happily.

Fu Tingyue, being uncharacteristically childish, stared at him and asked, “What about you? Don’t you think I’m amazing?”

Chen Yanzhi did not hold back his praise. “Of course, you are.”

A satisfied smile touched Fu Tingyue’s lips. He elegantly wiped his mouth and stood up. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to see the school.”

Chen Yanzhi followed slowly behind, looking around with curiosity. This was a restaurant under the Fu family; seeing them leave, the manager hurried to call and report.

Fu Tingyue used to be a loner; the sudden appearance of someone by his side was bound to draw attention. Coupled with the Fu family’s high profile and the fact that Fu Tingyue was of marriageable age, many people wanted to introduce their sons or daughters to him.

As a result, Chen Yanzhi had become a person of interest in the upper social circles. His entire life history had been neatly compiled into dossiers and placed on the desks of the elite.

Chen Yanzhi did not care about any of that. He was satisfied with the school. They spent several hours walking around before leaving. On the way home, he fell asleep. Seeing that he looked uncomfortable, Fu Tingyue carefully cupped Chen Yanzhi’s face to let him lean against his shoulder, a look of pure contentment on his face.

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