Pretending Not to Love You [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

When Xiao Bojun returned with large bags of groceries, he saw Zuo Qiu sitting on the sofa, staring blankly with red eyes. He immediately dropped the bags, strode over to Zuo Qiu, grabbed his shoulders, and asked, “Who bullied you?”

Zuo Qiu looked up at Xiao Bojun and couldn’t help but smile, seeing the look on his face that suggested he would immediately go out and fight anyone whose name Zuo Qiu spoke. “No one. I just got onion juice in my eyes while cutting them just now.”

Xiao Bojun didn’t believe the excuse at all. He had never seen Zuo Qiu cry while cutting onions before. Why was it stinging him today? But he didn’t press further. He went back to the door, picked up the various-sized bags, and presented them to Zuo Qiu like treasure: “Look what I brought back.”

Zuo Qiu looked at the bags and couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. They were all groceries, specifically meat groceries: pork, beef, chicken, mutton, and various bones—everything imaginable.

“Try giving me grass to eat again! With this, you only need to make two meat dishes for me every day.” During Zuo Qiu’s internship, from Monday to Friday, he would wake up early to prepare breakfast and lunch for Xiao Bojun, and then make dinner when he returned from work.

“Did you move all the stock out of your family’s fridge?” Zuo Qiu asked with a smile.

Xiao Bojun’s eyes drifted slightly. “What does it matter? Anyway, someone buys groceries every day at home; they can just buy more tomorrow.” They had agreed to split living expenses equally, but Zuo Qiu had never taken the money Xiao Bojun left in the small basket by the door. Xiao Bojun knew Zuo Qiu didn’t have much money.

Zuo Qiu got up to sort the items and put them into the fridge. Then he asked, “Did your family agree to everything?”

Xiao Bojun sprawled on the sofa, feet resting on the coffee table, and said triumphantly, “I personally handled it, so what couldn’t be agreed upon!”

He first asked for a car at the dinner table, was rejected, and then pitifully asked to be “ambitious.” Although his grandmother and mother weren’t completely onboard with him becoming an artist, debuting was a minor issue compared to buying a car. As for his father, thanks to Xiao Bolin, his brother not only convinced their dad but also concealed his sexual orientation. Xiao Bojun thought, just for this, he would listen to him more and beat him up less often in the future, as repayment to his brother.

Hearing this, Zuo Qiu felt excited about being able to spend time with Xiao Bojun regularly in the future. The slight melancholy he felt earlier slowly dissipated.

Zuo Qiu glanced at Xiao Bojun’s shoes, naturally walked to the shoe cabinet, took out Xiao Bojun’s slippers, and returned to help him put them on. Zuo Qiu never hesitated to do anything for Xiao Bojun.

“I’m going to the company to resign tomorrow. Are you coming?”

Xiao Bojun had been served by Zuo Qiu to change his shoes more than once or twice. At first, he felt a little embarrassed—after all, no one had helped him change shoes since he started elementary school, no matter how spoiled he was at home. But slowly, the feeling of “being served by the person I like is such a pleasant thing” took over, and he stopped refusing. Still, such opportunities were rare, as Xiao Bojun clearly distinguished between a lover and a servant.

Seeing Zuo Qiu’s obedient, downcast look, Xiao Bojun felt a rush of tenderness. He held onto Zuo Qiu, who was about to put his shoes away. “Sit down. I’ll put the shoes away later. Let’s talk.”

Zuo Qiu put the shoes down and sat on the sofa.

Xiao Bojun looked at the distance between them, enough for one person, and suppressed the urge to pull Zuo Qiu into his arms. His left hand subtly stretched out toward the back of the sofa behind Zuo Qiu.

“What are your plans after your debut?”

Zuo Qiu thought for a moment and said, “I think I want to focus on film and television.” Singing and dancing weren’t his strengths. His biggest interest in joining the entertainment industry was acting out the lives of different people.

Xiao Bojun’s left hand was about 10 centimeters away from Zuo Qiu. He curved his palm slightly, as if he were resting his arm around Zuo Qiu’s shoulder from a distance.

“Alright, then I’ll be responsible for looking cool, and you can be a quiet, beautiful man.” Besides fighting, Xiao Bojun was quite good at singing and dancing, much better than Zuo Qiu, who was somewhat uncoordinated.

Zuo Qiu turned his head to look at Xiao Bojun, leaned back, and said, “Happy to cooperate!”

Xiao Bojun’s left hand was now touching Zuo Qiu’s shoulder. This posture made it feel like Zuo Qiu was in his arms, but it wasn’t enough. He pretended to casually pat Zuo Qiu’s shoulder, then naturally rested his hand there without letting go. “Great. I wish you to become a Movie King!”

Before he fell for Zuo Qiu, Xiao Bojun used to often put his arm around his shoulder without any special feeling. But after developing feelings for him, he didn’t dare to touch him casually, always feeling that once he did, he wouldn’t be able to control himself and would want more.

The warmth on his left shoulder made Zuo Qiu a little lost. Zuo Qiu clenched his fist, desperately suppressing the joy in his heart, and said, “I wish you to become a Singing God.”

The two men, each with ulterior motives, sat on the sofa, awkwardly chatting about unrelated things for half an hour. One wouldn’t take his hand back, and the other didn’t feel anything was wrong with the hand resting on his shoulder.

…

The next day, the two went to the internship company to resign. The manager was quite regretful to hear Zuo Qiu was ending his internship early. Zuo Qiu was a promising young man, and he had planned to hire him directly after graduation.

“Won’t you reconsider?”

Zuo Qiu smiled and shook his head. “No. I’ve found something I want to do more.”

The manager didn’t say anything else. He approved Zuo Qiu’s less-than-a-month internship period as two full months, allowing them to complete the task.

Zuo Qiu thought the manager was a genuinely good person, and on the way back, he kept mumbling about the manager having good karma in the future.

Xiao Bojun was disdainful. If this were at his family’s company, he could easily arrange for someone to write him a contract for one or two years. Two months was nothing!

…

That evening, Zuo Qiu cooked a table full of dishes. Xiao Bojun opened a bottle of red wine, and the two drank to celebrate the new journey that was about to begin tomorrow.

After three glasses of wine, Zuo Qiu slumped on the dinner table, giggling foolishly.

Xiao Bojun held his wine glass, looked at the flushed Zuo Qiu, and softly asked, “Do you have any other wishes you want to fulfill?”

Zuo Qiu, half-drunk and half-awake, looked at Xiao Bojun, his eyes shining with stars. He laughed and replied, “I want to see you every day!” His tone was both joking and sincere.

Xiao Bojun reached out and rubbed Zuo Qiu’s little curly hair. Zuo Qiu’s hair was so soft that Xiao Bojun felt his own heart was being softened along with it.

Zuo Qiu was probably a curly-haired dog in his past life. With Xiao Bojun’s comforting rub, he comfortably closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Xiao Bojun gazed at Zuo Qiu’s sleeping face with affection, gently tracing the shape of his lips with his finger. Then, he slowly leaned in, and a fleeting, gentle kiss landed on Zuo Qiu’s lips.

“Whether you were speaking drunk words or not, I’m taking it as truth!”

So I’m going to make your wish come true. I’ll make sure you see me every day.

Every day!