My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: 2012. “Like You”

Being confessed to by a woman is very common. After all, people who come from an art background usually have no limits on openness. At least, my limits are quite low! But the question is, what is my advantage to be pursued by a young, rich, and beautiful woman, who even forcibly kissed me? Qin Yun must be blind to like my type. However, after that hasty departure, she never looked for me again.

A woman like her must be accustomed to being the center of attention. She finally wanted to pursue someone, only to scare me away as soon as she opened her mouth. That would be a bit hurtful for anyone! It was understandable that she didn’t contact me. Why bother pretending to be pure after merely playing a part? Yet, every day I would open my contacts and stare at her number, but I just couldn’t muster the courage to dial the phone.

This state lasted for a long time. The compensation she paid me was quite generous, far exceeding my expectations. Autumn was approaching, and perhaps her enthusiasm for pursuing me had completely vanished. Who pursues someone they like by starting things off and then immediately going silent?

However, I had consistently underestimated the extremely busy Qin Yun. She was already an old fox, refined into a monster. She never gave up. Later, when she finally initiated the relationship, her explanation to me was that not disturbing me did not mean not waiting. She calculated that I would contact her proactively, and that I would be the one unable to contain myself. As she predicted, after receiving the payment and pondering it over, I took the initiative to contact her.

When she answered the phone, she said playfully with a smile: “He Huo Yi Er (a pun on my name Qiu Qi), finally missed me?”

I was speechless! I didn’t expect this woman to be so thick-skinned: “Heh heh, Wang Wang Jin (a pun on her name Qin Yun), turns out you’re a hypocrite too!”

“Tell me, what’s the sudden reason for looking for me?”

“To invite you to dinner.”

“Oh? Such a good thing happened to me?”

“Thanks to your care, I received generous compensation. After much thought, I feel I should express my gratitude to my employer…”

“I remember that compensation was settled quite a while ago. Your thank-you meal is a bit late.”

Hmph, Qin Yun was being more arrogant than I was, and her tone made me want to spit blood. I simply asked seriously: “Just tell me, are you coming or not?”

“I’m coming! Of course, I’m coming. And I want good food, expensive food.”

“Hey! I’ll cover the fullness, but not the expense! I’m proletariat. Someone as precious as you could make me bankrupt just by taking a sip of water. I’ll be helpless then!”

She must have been amused by my stinginess, as a burst of laughter came through the phone. Finally, she suppressed her laughter and asked: “Ha… Time, place. I will be on time.”

I hesitated for a moment, whispering, “Now… my place…”

I heard her dialing a desk phone on the other end, and soon heard her arranging things: “Cancel all my appointments today. I have important private matters to attend to.”

Then, she replied to me: “Send me the address. I’ll be there immediately. Wait, don’t hang up. Talk to me for a bit.”

“I’ve already sent the address via text message.”

Next, I heard the crisp sound of high heels on the marble floor. That frequency betrayed her impatience. I laughed and turned off the stove, returning to the studio to stare at Lucky, who was dozing off. Then came the sound of the elevator opening, followed by the car starting, and then the sound of the wind outside the car window. What secretly touched my heart the most was when she said softly: “How is Lucky doing recently?”

I looked at Lucky, who was curled up, and smiled, answering: “He just eats and sleeps all day, getting fatter and healthier~”

“That’s good. When I get a chance, I’ll buy him a beautiful nest.”

“Sounds good~”

Suddenly, her voice disappeared from the phone. We were both silent for a while before she asked, “Do you have anything else you want to tell me?”

I lowered my head and thought while pinching my fingers, finally replying: “Qin Yun, are you blind? What’s so good about me that you particularly like? Every time I eat, I think the packed lunch you brought was the best. I wonder where they sell it. It must be very expensive! A few days ago, Lucky sneaked into my studio and knocked over the palette. The manuscript I had spent almost a week drawing was ruined just like that! Maybe I really miss you. We can give it a try. The newly renovated apartment has been aired out for a while. You can move in now. And you must have been very busy recently….”

This word game was something I thought of on the spot. Unexpectedly, Qin Yun, who was driving, didn’t miss any of the information. Before I could finish, she chuckled and seized the conversation: “Hey, you’re the one who said ‘give it a try.’ Don’t go back on your word! Today, we’ll move into the new place with Lucky. That whole floor will be your territory from now on. You can mess around however you like… Wait for me obediently. I’ll be there soon.”

“Drive… safely…”

“Okay, I’ll listen to everything you say~”

………..

In 2012, on Chinese New Year’s Eve, the white snow outside the window maximized the city’s romance. I was incredibly busy in the kitchen. Qin Yun, holding Lucky, commented jokingly: “You wash your hands and cook soup, and I support the family. This balance is really comfortable.”

I protested, unconvinced: “Who says? I can make a fortune too! Why don’t you cook me a meal! How dare you talk about balance…”

“Make a fortune… forget it. I’m already thankful you’re seriously frolicking in the ocean of art….. Xiao Qi! When will dinner be ready? The Spring Festival Gala is about to start!”

I held a soup spoon and waved it at her: “Hurry me up again! I’ll feed you instant noodles!”

Qin Yun let go of Lucky, slipped into the kitchen, and hugged me affectionately: “Can I eat you?”

“If you can eat me in one bite, you can try!”

“Then I’ll try!”

Saying this, she buried her head in my neck and took a small bite. I pushed her away: “Ouch! That tickles!”

“Hey, hey, hey, let me show you something nice. Come to the study~”

I didn’t know what kind of clever surprise she had prepared this time, so I smiled and took her hand: “What is it? So mysterious!”

“Hurry up~”

Just as we walked hand-in-hand into the living room, the doorbell rang. We exchanged glances. In the year or two we had been together, we hadn’t met each other’s friends much. Qin Yun never mentioned her family. Her close friends were all abroad. I planned to take her home to meet my parents soon. When the inevitable storm came, we would just have to face it together until the end.

Qin Yun walked to the entrance and opened the door without asking who it was. He Mu was still in his travel-worn clothes, but now sporting a full beard, looking very cool. Just like the first time we met, carrying a worn backpack, he looked like a backpacker traveling the four seas, seeking a sofa to crash on.

“Long time no see.”

After He Mu politely greeted her, his gaze fell on me. Just as Qin Yun said, he was very smart. He instantly recognized that this room full of warm happiness would change with his presence. Although we enthusiastically invited him to come in and sit down, he showed no intention of entering, instead pointing to the guest room: “Shall we chat in there?”

Qin Yun turned back and instructed: “Xiao Qi, prepare hot tea to entertain our first guest.”

Awkwardness between the new favorite and the old is inevitable, but this statement was very interesting. It let He Mu know the nature of our relationship, reassured me, and kept the atmosphere from becoming too strange. I prepared hot tea and some pastries. When I brought them into the guest room living area, Qin Yun and He Mu were talking about company matters. I felt it was inappropriate to interject, so I prepared to leave.

Qin Yun patted the spot next to her: “Xiao Qi, come sit here.”

He Mu was someone who had weathered great storms, so my presence wasn’t an inconvenience. He looked me over, finally commenting playfully: “In this day and age, pretty women fall in love with other pretty women. Please, give us rough guys a chance to live! Hello, Qiu Qi. My name is He Mu.”

I had imagined countless ways I would officially meet He Mu, expecting tension, but unexpectedly, his emotional intelligence was no lower than Qin Yun’s, and he spoke very humorously. He Mu took a souvenir from his backpack and placed it on the coffee table: “A few days ago, I took a four-day, three-night cruise, covering the entire Three Gorges. I heard the Three Gorges were especially beautiful before the dam was fully stored with water, and passing through the locks was spectacular. These are river stones I picked up from the Yangtze River. A gift.”

Qin Yun was definitely not interested in these types of things: “You carried an entire bag of stones. Aren’t you tired? Such a fuss!”

I picked up a river stone and examined it. I quite liked it. If I had more, I could make handicrafts. He Mu probably guessed my thoughts and took out a few more: “Xiao Qi will definitely like these.”

“Yes, I do!”

He Mu smiled again: “You are an easily satisfied woman. That’s a good thing.”

“You two talk. I’ll go prepare dinner. Mr. He must stay and eat New Year’s Eve dinner with us. That would be complete.”

“I can’t refuse such hospitality.”

This New Year’s Eve dinner was happier than I had imagined. With He Mu joining us, the house was much livelier. After dinner, he even drove us around to set off fireworks. As the fireworks burst with a roar, He Mu whispered behind me: “Her being with you, for me, this is a good ending. Qiu Qi, thank you.”

It was at that moment that I realized He Mu wasn’t as self-centered as Qin Yun had described. On the contrary, his simple words still held a trace of love, very faint, yet unshakable.

That night, Qin Yun told me that when He Mu found out about our relationship, he wasn’t angry at all; he was even curious and excited. He hoped that the person Qin Yun was with would have a simple heart. However, people in the business world were increasingly difficult to figure out. If I was by her side, he would feel very reassured, without the slightest sense of rejection.

I was starting to quite like our combination. I thought this humorous big brother must have a happy homebody living in his heart!