Your Boyfriend is Great! He's Mine Now - Chapter 18

Gu Linyuan shrugged. “Senior, if I only wanted to help you, I could have easily done it behind your back and waited for a suitable moment for you to discover my silent efforts. I believe that would have changed your perception of me much faster. Even if you didn’t accept me, your attitude toward me would certainly be better than it is now.”

Shen Xubai had to admit that Gu Linyuan was right. For some reason, he always felt that Gu Linyuan understood him incredibly well or, to put it another way, Gu Linyuan possessed an uncanny ability to read people.

“The reason I didn’t do that is because, as I said, I need your help. You use your professional expertise to make my money grow, and you receive the compensation you deserve. We are equals; there is no question of who owes whom.”

“That dead-end job is only something you would like. Low pay, too many tasks. What kind of financial advisor is that? To put it bluntly, you’re just a salesperson who has to bow and scrape to others.”  “Wouldn’t it be better if I provided for you? You could just go shopping, water some flowers, travel, and spend your days keeping me company.”

The face he recalled full of condescension masked as concern suddenly surfaced in his mind. A complex and indefinable emotion stirred within Shen Xubai.

Gu Linyuan folded his hands and looked into his eyes, speaking with sincerity. “Senior, I have only recently returned to the country. Among the people here, I only trust you.”

Shen Xubai looked at him through his lenses, his gaze flickering. He was just about to speak when a knock sounded at the door. The moment was interrupted, and it was difficult to pick up where they had left off. He composed his expression and turned his head. “Come in.”

“Excuse me.”

The door opened, and Zhu Xue walked in carrying two coffees. “President Gu, Brother Shen, please enjoy.”

Gu Linyuan scrutinized her calmly. “And who is this?”

“President Gu, I am Brother Shen’s assistant. You can call me Xiao Xue. I’ll be right outside; if you need anything, just let me know.”

Gu Linyuan gave a gentle smile. “Very well, Xiao Xue. There is actually one thing right now.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“Does Manager Shen have a girlfriend?”

Shen Xubai looked at him in surprise, unable to understand what this man was going on about. Zhu Xue also looked over instinctively, confused as to why such a handsome man would ask this. However, remembering that the client is king, she carefully replied, “Brother Shen doesn’t like to discuss personal matters during work hours, so I’m not really sure.”

“I see. Thank you. You may go back to your work.”

The door closed, blocking out Zhu Xue’s polite smile. Before Shen Xubai could speak, Gu Linyuan suddenly went on the offensive: “She likes you.”

…? Wait, what was with this accusatory tone?

Shen Xubai frowned. “Don’t talk nonsense. It ruins the girl’s reputation.”

“Do I need to talk nonsense? It’s so obvious.” Gu Linyuan’s eyes were filled with grievance. “Senior, you are truly a magnet for attention.”

Shen Xubai didn’t want to engage in this pointless banter. “Are we going to discuss business or not?”

“No. If you aren’t even going to date, why discuss business?”

“…”

Shen Xubai found Gu Linyuan’s sudden temper and lackadaisical attitude incomprehensible. Feeling his own annoyance rise, he closed his file and said coldly, “Suit yourself.”

Gu Linyuan glared at him. Shen Xubai crossed his arms, unmoved.

“Senior, you aren’t even going to coax me? I am, after all, your major client.”

He was acting pitiful again, like a puppy with drooping eyes. Shen Xubai looked at him coldly. “I never coax clients.”

“Just coax me a little. If you do, I’ll gladly spend my money.” “Senior, just coax me.” “It won’t kill you, Senior…”

Gu Linyuan’s manner was very soft, his voice low and clingy, his eyes gazing intently at Shen Xubai.

Thump, thump-thump

Shen Xubai felt a violent impact. Was Gu Linyuan… acting spoiled? A six-foot-three man acting spoiled toward him?

The strange thing was, he didn’t feel disgusted. Instead, he had a sudden urge to pat the man on the head. Startled by this inexplicable thought, Shen Xubai’s fingers curled involuntarily.

Gu Linyuan seemed to give up. “Forget it. I’ll be the one to coax you, Senior.”

“How do you intend to do that?”

Shen Xubai was shocked by his own words; he had no idea why he would say something so easily misinterpreted. He wanted to explain, but it was too late.

Gu Linyuan walked around the desk and came to his side. Before Shen Xubai’s widening eyes, he… knelt down.

As the internal shock continued, Gu Linyuan tilted his head and lightly rubbed against Shen Xubai’s trouser leg. It felt as though that spot were being burned. Even through the fabric, Shen Xubai could clearly feel the slight friction of hair against cloth. An electric current surged through his limbs, causing his brain to shut down completely.

The man looked up at him from below, his eyes filled with a raw, overwhelming love. “Senior, I shouldn’t be so jealous.”

Shen Xubai rarely used the word “stunning” to describe a situation. His mind was blank, his throat tight. He wanted to drink water, wanted to loosen his tie to breathe, wanted to escape but couldn’t move. A strange desire was sweeping away his reason.

In the quiet room, the air seemed to vibrate with static, making it difficult for him to breathe. Their gazes locked, flickering between them. The moment his palm touched the top of Gu Linyuan’s head, both of them froze.

Shen Xubai quickly pulled his hand back. The sound of the door closing was sharp and loud as he essentially fled the scene.

The top of his head seemed to retain a lingering warmth, along with the distinct, cold scent of Shen Xubai. It took Gu Linyuan a while to react, but then he covered his face and laughed out loud.

As it turns out, locking someone up was the most foolish approach. He wanted the Senior to buy him porridge, and he wanted the Senior to be able to pat his head day and night.

How strange. Even though he wanted to press the man firmly beneath him, his heart felt so full it seemed as if it might float away.

Ignoring the curious gazes of others, Shen Xubai rushed to the restroom and splashed cold water on his flushed face. As he looked up, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and stood there, stunned.

He looked too much like a stranger. The clear-minded, calm, and self-restrained Shen Xubai was gone, replaced by someone with flushed eyes, looking as if he had just been moved by passion.

Absurd. How long had they even known each other? This is too absurd.

He continued to splash his face with cold water until his usual calm and indifferent expression returned. Drying his hands and hair meticulously, Shen Xubai straightened his clothes, left his out-of-control self behind in the restroom, and walked out of the room with an impeccable demeanor.

“My apologies. I suddenly remembered an urgent matter I needed to handle.”

“Hmm, it’s quite alright.”

Shen Xubai looked at him calmly. “President Gu, please tell me your requirements, and I will draft a few proposals for you to choose from.”

He had expected Gu Linyuan to use the previous incident to push his luck, or even act more brazenly. But the man did not; he cooperated fully and clearly stated his needs. This allowed Shen Xubai to quietly release the breath he had been holding.

When discussing business, Gu Linyuan was not so difficult to communicate with. In fact, it could even be described as harmonious. Of course, one couldn’t rule out the possibility that Gu Linyuan was intentionally humoring him.

The two of them tacitly moved past the previous interruption, acting as if nothing had happened at all.