My Elite Boss Is Carrying My Child - Chapter 24

“If you’re willing to share these things with me, it at least proves that I’m different to you,” Qu Mingluo said. “I didn’t originally intend to say much else, but I want to tell you that if you’re willing to talk, I’m always willing to listen.”

Qi Jiezhi nodded. “I’ll tell you when the chance arises, but I should tell you first, to me, you were already different from the start.”

Before Qu Mingluo could even process that, Qi Jiezhi had already offered a quick goodbye and vanished from his sight.

Qi Jiezhi headed upstairs to sleep. On the surface, he appeared calm and collected, but his mind was racing. He knew perfectly well that Qu Mingluo was different from others, not in the sense that he was just another person in the world, but in the sense that he was truly special.

He belonged to a class of people Qi Jiezhi had never interacted with before, yet his personality made Qi Jiezhi want to be near him. Qi Jiezhi wondered if this was a good thing. He worried that if they actually dated and things took a turn for the worse, he would be left with nothing but regret. He didn’t want that to happen, and he knew that if he entered a relationship, he would take it very seriously.

Before this, he had zero experience in romance and never really paid attention to anyone else. He realized that if Qu Mingluo were the type to have a messy dating life or bring various people back to this house, he likely would have rejected the man immediately, rather than agreeing to “see how things go.”

Because Qi Jiezhi had never been in love, he still held certain expectations for a partner. He hoped they could both be on the same page. He hadn’t realized he felt this way until today. He simply couldn’t accept someone with a vast romantic history while he himself was a complete novice.

He tidied up and closed his eyes to sleep, trying his best to stop his thoughts from spiraling. He knew that overthinking wouldn’t change anything, so he told himself to just treat this as moving into a new home with an excellent roommate.

When he woke up the next morning, the first thing he did was open his door to greet Qu Mingluo.

“Good morning, Ming-ge,” Qi Jiezhi said. “I’m going to go wash up.”

Qu Mingluo smiled instantly upon hearing this. He found this side of Qi Jiezhi incredibly endearing. Most people would wash up and change before greeting others, but the very first thing Qi Jiezhi did upon waking was seek him out. It felt as though saying hello was a priority for him. It meant he held a significant place in Qi Jiezhi’s heart, rather than being just some casual acquaintance.

Qu Mingluo didn’t voice these thoughts, but the joy he felt was palpable. Qi Jiezhi moving in was already an act of affirmation, if he didn’t like Qu Mingluo, he would have fought tooth and nail to refuse. Now, it was clear that Qi Jiezhi just hadn’t fully figured things out yet. He had his own pace and needed time to process everything.

After washing up, Qi Jiezhi looked much more energized than he had moments before.

“Ming-ge, good morning,” Qi Jiezhi said once more.

“Taste the breakfast and see if it’s to your liking. If you have any other preferences, you can tell the housekeeper in advance,” Qu Mingluo said. “No need to be polite, I pay her a generous commission.”

Qi Jiezhi didn’t quite know how to respond. The way Qu Mingluo spoke made it sound as if Qi Jiezhi were actually the other master of the house. Given their current relationship, that wasn’t exactly the case. Qi Jiezhi wondered what the man really meant. Did he feel certain that they would evolve into something more?

While that possibility was likely, they weren’t at that stage yet, and Qi Jiezhi wasn’t about to start acting as if he owned the place. He didn’t want to overstep or ignore how things might look to others, he simply wasn’t that kind of person.

“Thank you,” Qi Jiezhi said first, before sitting down to enjoy his breakfast.

In truth, he didn’t have many complaints. These small details weren’t matters of life and death to him. Although he had many responsibilities, he was capable of adapting. Growing up, he had faced many challenges alone, and he had never found it impossible to manage.

After breakfast, the two of them headed to the company with the driver. The driver didn’t give him any strange looks, acting as if it were perfectly natural for him to be with Qu Mingluo. Qi Jiezhi couldn’t quite define what this situation was, but since the driver wasn’t making it awkward, he decided not to waste energy worrying about it. After all, no one was demanding an explanation from him.

The location of Hengxin hadn’t moved, and the commute remained the same. The only thing that had truly changed was Qi Jiezhi’s own thoughts and mood. But if he had to be honest, it didn’t really matter where he lived, because he was living with Qu Mingluo, not some stranger.

“Ming-ge, I’ll head up first,” Qi Jiezhi told him.

“Alright, see you at lunch.”

Qu Mingluo didn’t say anything more. He knew that many things required a gradual adjustment rather than forced arrangements. That would be inappropriate, and he wouldn’t do it. He respected Qi Jiezhi and understood that he might have different perspectives on their situation. He was willing to stand by his side and be his support whenever needed. Qu Mingluo was ready to give him that commitment at any time.

As usual, when lunch break arrived, Qi Jiezhi went straight upstairs. This had become a habit for him, so it no longer felt strange. Qi Jiezhi knew that all of this was possible because someone was willing to be his safety net. That person was Qu Mingluo.

Qu Mingluo looked at him and smiled. “Are you still feeling shy about this?”

Qi Jiezhi felt his face heat up at the question. “Ming-ge, you’re teasing me on purpose.”

“You’re just too cute,” Qu Mingluo replied.

Qi Jiezhi, already blushing, felt even more embarrassed now. “Even if you say that, I’m still going to feel shy.”

Qu Mingluo simply chuckled. He felt that Qi Jiezhi should just do whatever he wanted instead of overthinking everything. It was unnecessary.

“Try today’s meal,” Qu Mingluo said. “See if it suits your palate.”

Qi Jiezhi nodded. Even without tasting it, he knew it would be to his liking. Qu Mingluo always handled things in a way that put others at ease, he just had that ability.

“Don’t worry so much, it’s alright,” Qu Mingluo told him.

“I didn’t even say anything, did I?” Qi Jiezhi replied, feeling a bit sheepish.

“I know, but I can still tell what you’re thinking,” Qu Mingluo told him.

Qi Jiezhi truly felt a bit flustered. He didn’t actually ask for much in life. Romance seemed interesting, but he wouldn’t count on it if his other affairs weren’t in order. He truly hadn’t expected this kind of affection to practically fall from the sky.

“Ming-ge, you really are different to me. I never thought I’d fall into a relationship right now, and I never expected someone to be this good to me,” Qi Jiezhi said. “I haven’t even given you anything in return.”

Qu Mingluo shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about those things.”

Hearing this, Qi Jiezhi could only nod, not knowing what else to do. He had grown somewhat used to this, having someone by his side and taking care of him. To Qi Jiezhi, Qu Mingluo was like an older brother, and in the workplace, he was a senior who could provide a lot of guidance.

He didn’t ignore these facts, but he also knew that Qu Mingluo didn’t do these things solely because he liked him, he was just naturally inclined to take care of others. Although he seemed unapproachable at work, he was usually just focused on getting things done. It had nothing to do with anything else. Qu Mingluo wasn’t someone who was overly harsh on others, nor did he make impossible demands.

After chatting for a while, Qi Jiezhi went for his nap, though he woke up a little earlier than usual today. He didn’t do much, just watched Qu Mingluo. Qu Mingluo brought him some snacks and a drink, his expression unreadable.

It was as if doing these things for him was only natural. But looking at him like this made Qi Jiezhi feel a bit dazed. He even felt a sudden impulse to do something. Like, for example, pulling the man closer and…

Giving him a kiss?

Support