My Elite Boss Is Carrying My Child - Chapter 21

Qi Jiezhi was momentarily at a loss for words, “I can’t possibly accept such a massive favor from you!”

“Perhaps, having you willing to live with me is the favor, at least to me?” Qu Mingluo asked, watching him.

Qi Jiezhi let out a cough before asking, “Brother Ming, am I actually awake right now?”

“You are,” Qu Mingluo said, looking into his eyes, “if one of us isn’t awake, it would definitely be me.”

Qi Jiezhi replied, “Brother Ming, don’t say things like that.”

“It’s me who has lost my mind and wants to live with you,” Qu Mingluo said, “and perhaps it’s more than just that.”

Qi Jiezhi asked, “Brother Ming, when you talk like that, it’s very easy for me to start thinking other things.”

“You can think them,” Qu Mingluo said, “my heart isn’t innocent, my actions aren’t transparent, and my methods are certainly not beyond reproach. Qi Jiezhi, if any of my actions make you unhappy, I will step back.”

“Are you saying you want to date me?” Qi Jiezhi asked him, “Do you like me?”

He didn’t call him President Qu, he simply looked into his eyes and asked the question directly.

Qi Jiezhi thought he would be nervous or full of anticipation, but he realized that after asking, he felt strangely calm. He didn’t know what Qu Mingluo was thinking.

“Yes,” Qu Mingluo said, “that is why I made this invitation. It is just an invitation, you shouldn’t feel any burden.”

Qi Jiezhi laughed, “You know perfectly well that as soon as you speak, it becomes something I have to consider very carefully.”

“Do you want to live at Seaview Bay?” Qu Mingluo asked, “Setting aside everything else.”

“I do,” Qi Jiezhi said, “I like it there.”

“Then move in,” Qu Mingluo said, “see which suite you like, and I’ll help you move tonight.”

Qi Jiezhi asked, “Can I move in even if we don’t make the rumors a reality?”

“You can,” Qu Mingluo looked at him, his tone very serious, “your moving in is what I hope for.”

“President Qu…” Qi Jiezhi didn’t know how to finish his thought. He felt that he wasn’t actually the type of person who could remain unruffled by everything.

His life plan hadn’t looked like this. At the very least, he hadn’t planned to throw himself into a relationship when he had nothing to his name, nor had he thought he would date someone so far above his station.

Qu Mingluo was already in an established position, so he might have spoken up just because he found Qi Jiezhi slightly interesting. Even if Qi Jiezhi didn’t truly believe Qu Mingluo was that kind of person, the doubt lingered.

“Are you worried I’m joking?” Qu Mingluo asked.

Qi Jiezhi replied, “It’s not that. President Qu, I actually like you too, I can admit that. But I don’t know how much of this feeling is enough, and I don’t know what might happen between us in the future.”

“Whatever you want to do or achieve, I’m willing to stand by you,” Qu Mingluo said, “I won’t interfere with you or sway your thoughts. If you need a certain kind of commitment, we can discuss that together.”

“Are you saying all this because you want to date me?” Qi Jiezhi asked again.

“If that isn’t enough to move your heart, then let me say this,” Qu Mingluo said, “do it for Xiao Xing, to be closer to him, okay?”

Qi Jiezhi cared about Xi Xingyu deeply, but he truly felt that moving in would be an intrusion. He didn’t want to owe anyone anything. At least in terms of money, Qu Mingluo owed him nothing, and the quality of care Qu Mingluo provided was already more than enough.

Qi Jiezhi said, “I’ll move in with you, but I want to pay rent, alright?”

“Fine,” Qu Mingluo said, “just pay me whatever you’re paying for your current rent.”

Qi Jiezhi immediately refused, “That’s far too little.”

“I’m the one insisting you move in, so your rent would just be extra income for me,” Qu Mingluo said with a smile, “Xiao Qi, welcome home.”

With things put that way, even if he still wanted to refuse, Qi Jiezhi couldn’t find a perfect reason in the moment. He knew he was definitely interested in Qu Mingluo, and he wasn’t someone who treated dating lightly. If the goal wasn’t to stay together, he wouldn’t choose to enter a relationship at all.

But he also craved Qu Mingluo’s tenderness. He wanted to give himself a chance to try, just this once, even if it meant being reckless.

Qi Jiezhi took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts aside. When he went back downstairs, he focused intently on his work. He knew himself well, he knew that if he didn’t stay busy, his mind would start wandering again.

Work was important to him. At this stage in his life, a relationship wasn’t necessarily something he could easily grasp. No matter how good Qu Mingluo was as a person, it wouldn’t change Qi Jiezhi’s judgment on the matter. Relying on such things was far less reliable than holding onto his own stability.

He wasn’t someone who ignored his surroundings. On the contrary, he cared a great deal. Qi Jiezhi liked the feeling of being in control of his own life.

After work, Qi Jiezhi felt a bit conflicted about whether he should take Qu Mingluo’s car. He decided that agonizing over it was pointless. He could go if he wanted to, and stay if he didn’t. No one was forcing him, it was just his own internal struggle.

Qu Mingluo was truly a good man. Since he had already confessed, Qi Jiezhi could tell that it hadn’t been a case of love at first sight. It was through their recent interactions that Qu Mingluo’s feelings had changed.

To most people, Qu Mingluo was an unreachable figure, and Qi Jiezhi felt the same. He wasn’t someone one could just casually approach. Qi Jiezhi knew from the start that besides managing Hengxin, Qu Mingluo had other companies to oversee. The main reason he could handle it all was his exceptional personal ability, nothing else.

Qi Jiezhi wasn’t lazy either. In fact, he was very willing to spend time on things as long as he could see himself improving. Their first meeting had happened because he had foolishly allowed himself to be used by others. It was already a miracle that Qu Mingluo didn’t think he was unreliable, he never imagined things would develop like this.

Qi Jiezhi steadied his breathing and went to find Qu Mingluo anyway.

“I thought you’d be debating whether or not to come over,” Qu Mingluo said the moment he sat down.

“I was very conflicted,” Qi Jiezhi admitted, “but taking a taxi is too expensive, I couldn’t bear the cost.”

“How about this, the driver can take you back, and I’ll find my own way?” Qu Mingluo suggested.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Qi Jiezhi said, “if anyone should leave, it should be me, not you.”

Qu Mingluo replied, “Then neither of us will leave.”

Qi Jiezhi nodded, but he remained silent for the rest of the trip. He still couldn’t quite process his own emotions, yet he knew he didn’t want to say no. He was afraid of change and feared that things might end badly, but he also felt that these fears shouldn’t be his reason for refusing. He couldn’t reject a beginning just because he was afraid of a potential ending.

Even if it made him uncomfortable, this was a special case. It was a challenge he had never faced in his life.

“Brother Ming,” he suddenly called out after they had been driving for a while.

“Mhm?” Qu Mingluo had been looking at his laptop, but he immediately looked up when he heard his name.

“I’ll tell you after we get out of the car,” Qi Jiezhi said, “take me wherever you want.”

“Did you know beforehand that I told the driver the destination was my house?” Qu Mingluo teased him.

“I know now,” Qi Jiezhi asked, “are you just inviting me up for a visit?”

He felt that the question sounded strange as soon as it left his mouth, but he said it anyway. He felt that even if Qu Mingluo felt something else, he wouldn’t say it. Although Qi Jiezhi was young, a recent graduate, and had never been in a relationship, he wasn’t completely ignorant. He knew what these things meant, and he knew what people did when they entered a relationship.

He didn’t resist those thoughts, he even felt a faint sense of anticipation. However, he didn’t want to become someone who clung to Qu Mingluo’s power. Whatever status Qu Mingluo had should just be an addition to who he was as a person, not the reason Qi Jiezhi approached him. Otherwise, he would lose respect for himself.

“Of course not,” Qu Mingluo said, “you know that I’m inviting you to live with me.”

Qi Jiezhi nodded. He wanted to say something, but he found he didn’t know how to put it into words. He didn’t know how to make the topic sound normal. But if he said nothing at all, would Qu Mingluo be able to understand his thoughts and worries? If he couldn’t, that would be normal too.

Qi Jiezhi felt he was being far too indecisive, but being in a car with him didn’t seem like the best place for a heart to heart. With the driver present, Qi Jiezhi didn’t want to become a joke, even if the driver probably couldn’t hear them. He knew a man like Qu Mingluo would value privacy.

As for everything else, Qi Jiezhi still needed time. Regardless, he hoped this would turn out to be a good thing.

“Brother Ming, let’s talk when we get back,” Qi Jiezhi said, feeling conflicted, “consider it a chance for you to show off your taste to me.”

Support