Unlike Ji Mi, who avoided acknowledging his sexual orientation, Fu Qianyao had always been open about it, though she wouldn't bring it up unprompted.
As time passed, Ji Mi had almost forgotten about it. Now, he hurriedly hailed an empty taxi.
He rushed into the front passenger seat, not bothering to shake the rainwater off his clothes, and showed the driver the navigation route to Plum Bar on his phone.
The navigation estimated it would take over half an hour, with several intersections glowing red with traffic. Ji Mi sighed worriedly, nearly pressing his head against the window in despair.
"Please try to go as fast as you can," he pleaded.
The driver chuckled, "In such a hurry for this gathering? How many drinks will you be penalized if you're late?"
Ji Mi dejectedly hung his head. This situation was too absurd to be a matter of penalties anymore.
Earlier that evening, he had tried to act cool in front of He Jingyan, but the place he casually mentioned turned out to be Wan Chai Pier...
He had inadvertently thrown his boss into the fire!
[Delay, I accidentally gave you the wrong bar name!! Have you left for Plum yet?]
[There are many similar bars on this street with good reputations! But this one isn't great!]
He messaged He Jingyan, but the other probably hadn't checked his phone yet. After waiting two minutes with no reply, Ji Mi struggled with a decision.
"Noah, do you have Delay's phone number?" Ji Mi asked. "I need to urgently contact him."
Noah readily agreed, "Yes, I'll copy it for you."
Ji Mi immediately dialed the number. It rang for five seconds before being answered.
He Jingyan spoke first: "I just saw your WeChat message. What's wrong with this place?"
Hearing this, Ji Mi realized it was past 9 PM, and He Jingyan should have already entered the bar. Yet he hadn't noticed anything amiss?
If Ji Mi revealed it was a gay bar now, wouldn't he be digging his own grave?
"The environment isn't quite suitable. I- I think since you want to have fun, you should go somewhere better," Ji Mi improvised, deciding not to confess.
However, He Jingyan wasn't easy to manipulate. This reason wasn't enough to convince him to comply.
Ji Mi was at a loss. Fearing He Jingyan might notice something off if he stayed too long, he still decided to go check it out.
"Which private room are you in?" he inquired.
He Jingyan grew suspicious, "What's this? Are you thirsty?"
Ji Mi: "..."
Who would come to a bar to quench their thirst?!
He suppressed his emotions and tried to sound as righteous as possible.
"You're my direct superior now. What if something goes wrong? I need to come inspect and make sure they're not selling you fake alcohol!"
·
The night sky was cloudy, and the rain that had been falling all day was slow to stop.
Yin Qian hadn't driven himself. As they left the Japanese restaurant heading to the nightclub, he saw He Jingyan take out his keys and jokingly said he wanted to ride in the supercar this time.
"Last year I saw you driving a McLaren. Why did you change cars?" Yin Qian asked.
"I didn't," He Jingyan replied. "That one's still around. I just didn't bother bringing all of them here."
Yin Qian laughed and cursed, "Damn, you're still making the big bucks. Sounds like you don't plan to stay here long?"
He Jingyan gave a noncommittal "Mm." Guangzhou at least had year-round sunshine and was close to his family in Hong Kong. What did this place have?
Recently, he had experienced Shanghai's seasonal weather changes, with endless bouts of rain bringing bone-chilling dampness that was hard to get used to.
"It's alright. I don't like it, but I don't hate it either," he lazily added. "It's just that I haven't seen the sun for days."
Yin Qian said, "You're stuck in that Hongni office park every day. Even if there's wind and thunder outside, it barely affects you."
He Jingyan turned the steering wheel onto a small road, inevitably driving through some puddles.
Noticing a couple walking side by side nearby, he slowed down early. As he passed, no water splashed up.
However, the man still held the woman tightly, clearly distrusting the supercar owner's quality and driving skills, and seizing the opportunity to play the role of a protective gentleman.
He Jingyan saw them embracing lovingly in the rearview mirror and coldly tugged at the corner of his mouth, thinking Yin Qian was right.
He wasn't one of those idle couples who loved strolling the streets. Since he didn't need to go out for dates, the poor weather didn't affect him much.
Afterwards, they arrived at Plum, and the other friends gradually showed up as well.
It was still early, and the bar wasn't very crowded. The sales manager came over to chat, showing good judgment.
While the others ordered drinks and fruit platters, He Jingyan stood to the side taking a phone call.
Even though they were sitting on the second floor away from the dance floor, the noise from outside still seeped in. Yin Qian tried to eavesdrop but could only make out a few clear words.
He could vaguely distinguish something like "mishap" and "inspect"...
Yin Qian was puzzled: "How strange. We haven't seen each other for months, and now you have a partner checking up on you?"
He Jingyan said, "That's not the case."
"Then who is it, managing where you're hanging out so late at night?" Yin Qian persisted.
He Jingyan lowered his eyes to look at the call log and saved this number to his contacts.
As he filled in the contact name, he said, "Market Supervision Bureau."
Yin Qian: "..."
That's what He Jingyan said, but Yin Qian glimpsed the contact name - he had written "Ji Mi."
"Ji... Mi..." Yin Qian muttered. "That's an interesting name. Who is it? Are they good-looking?"
"He's the new assistant hired for the office. A few days ago he was still shy, even trying to avoid me when we met," He Jingyan explained.
Suddenly wary, he added, "What are you planning? He just graduated from university. Don't get any ideas, you who've been worn down by society for over a decade."
Yin Qian was perplexed: "I don't have a taste for fresh meat. But why did you suddenly hire such a young assistant? Playing some kind of nurturing game?"
He Jingyan was at a loss for words. This was the person Noah had found for him.
"Yes, nurturing the next workaholic king," he recalled Ji Mi's busy afternoon.
Yin Qian took a sip of his drink: "You'd better be. Child brides are illegal, just so you know."
He Jingyan emphasized his moral standards: "He's really just an assistant. What kind of person do you think I am?"
Yin Qian pressed on: "How would I know? You won't even answer directly if he's good-looking or not."
A row of Western liquors was laid out on the table. He Jingyan used the excuse of driving to only drink non-alcoholic beverages.
Biting on his straw, he felt wronged: "How am I supposed to evaluate if a guy is good-looking or not? Who pays attention to that sort of thing?"
He then looked around: "Don't we all have a pair of eyes and a mouth? Aren't we all more or less the same?"
The others noticed him looking over and joined the conversation: "Delay, what a coincidence. I asked Qian ge where we were eating tonight, and he invited me out for drinks to celebrate your promotion."
They were all in the self-developed game industry and had met at developer conferences.
The circle was neither big nor small. Those who made hit games were more or less acquainted, or at least had some impression of each other.
He Jingyan's memory was particularly good, allowing him to respond flawlessly.
"We didn't get to talk much at the conference before. Now that I'm working here, we'll have plenty of time," he said.
The other person replied, "Then I'll wait for you and your publishing department to have some free time. I've just finished the second round of internal testing for my new game and I'm looking for a suitable publisher."
They chatted about recent game license approvals, with everyone chiming in.
Seeing the lively conversation, He Jingyan quieted down at an appropriate moment and checked his phone. Ji Mi hadn't sent any more messages.
Yin Qian asked, "Do you have work?"
He Jingyan felt that Ji Mi's behavior was unusual, as if he was hiding something.
He sneered, "I have a karmic debt."
Yin Qian said, "Is that debt surnamed Ji? You've seemed preoccupied since that phone call."
He Jingyan recalled Ji Mi's words urging him to leave: "Do you think the environment in this bar is not good?"
"Not at all. Didn't you just pick a random place? We're not that picky," Yin Qian said, confused.
As they were talking, the aforementioned Ji Mi pushed open the door, half his face illuminated by the side lights of the room.
His appearance was undoubtedly beautiful, with features that carried an androgynous allure. His light-colored eyes and soft gaze gave him a clear and spirited quality.
Even with different aesthetic preferences, everyone would unanimously find him striking.
As soon as Ji Mi entered the room, Yin Qian guessed who he was: "Now I believe your nonsense about not being able to tell if he's good-looking or not."
He Jingyan ignored this comment and stood up, saying to Yin Qian, "There's too much smoke here. I need to be kinder to my lungs."
Yin Qian: ??
He was mindful that He Jingyan usually neither smoked nor drank, with many rules...
But they hadn't even been smoking, damn it!
Meanwhile, Ji Mi was also stunned as he pushed open the door.
Initially, he thought He Jingyan would be out partying at this hour, but there were only five men present, and they didn't seem rowdy at all.
A few of them looked familiar, as if he had seen them in gaming industry news...
Ji Mi realized he had misunderstood He Jingyan; this was an industry social gathering!
He shyly apologized to the others, explaining that he came to see Delay for something.
"Haha, Delay's been waiting for you, he's been glancing at his phone," Yin Qian said, ignoring He Jingyan's glare.
Ji Mi didn't take Yin Qian's words seriously and smiled, saying, "I'm glad I didn't disturb you guys."
He noticed that everyone was huddled inside, seemingly unaware of anything strange about the place, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he moved closer to He Jingyan, and the two sat in a corner.
"Officer, you can start checking for fake alcohol now," He Jingyan said mischievously.
Ji Mi noticed his drink: "You're drinking something so family-friendly, the officer is out of a job."
He Jingyan got straight to the point: "So why are you so nervous?"
Ji Mi, not taking the moral high ground, mumbled and threw dirt: "This place doesn't have a great reputation."
Because it was so noisy, he had to lean in close to talk to He Jingyan.
He Jingyan lowered his head slightly, his nose catching a pleasant scent coming from Ji Mi. Though faint, it was hard to ignore.
He must have taken a shower before coming, as if wrapped in a warm mist.
He listened to Ji Mi's quiet evasions, and though he should have pressed further, he found himself distracted.
What exactly was Ji Mi's scent?
Fruity or floral? Why did it smell so good?
The fragrance held a hint of fresh sweetness, matching Ji Mi's temperament well, reminiscent of tender green buds on spring branches...
Before He Jingyan could think more, Ji Mi suddenly shifted away.
"Am I crowding you? You should tell me," Ji Mi said, "Did you hear what I just said?"
He Jingyan snapped back to reality but awkwardly averted his gaze, no longer looking at the other.
"They're yelling too loudly, I didn't hear clearly," he lied.
"Oh, I was asking how long you guys plan to stay here? When I came in, I saw it was quite rowdy downstairs. Doesn't it hurt your ears? Do you want to leave early?" Ji Mi asked.
He Jingyan saw his concern: "Isn't this the club where you got a membership card?"
If Ji Mi's mental fortitude were any weaker, he would have cracked.
However, he stubbornly persisted: "Is it wrong for me to care about you?"
Due to his guilty conscience, Ji Mi's voice grew softer and softer.
This time, He Jingyan really didn't hear clearly: "What?"
Ji Mi mustered up the courage to repeat: "I said I care about you!"
Unfortunately, the DJ was changing tracks at that moment, and the surrounding music quieted down for a few seconds.
In contrast, this clearly enunciated explanation was particularly loud.
Ji Mi even suspected that these six words echoed in the private room.
Just as he wanted to find a crack to crawl into, Yin Qian sighed: "Where did Delay recruit from? I want such a caring little darling too."
He Jingyan coldly responded: "You want one too? Be careful not to suffocate from all that care."
Yin Qian, unafraid of suffocation, joked: "Xiao Mi, can I add you as a friend? If you ever want to switch jobs, come find me, okay?"
Ji Mi obediently opened WeChat, ready to scan the other's QR code.
Almost simultaneously, He Jingyan snatched Yin Qian's phone and tossed it back into his lap.
He warned, "If you poach Ji Mi, be prepared for my entire secretarial office to spit on you."
Having tested the waters, Yin Qian saw through the situation.
"Come on, blaming the secretarial office? How often do they even see your assistant in a day?" he didn't believe it.
He pointed out further: "Delay, you're becoming more and more petty, what are we going to do with you!"
The petty Delay scoffed lightly: "I generally don't act human."
Yin Qian, who had earlier said he wanted to go dancing, was now glued to the sofa. Seeing that he couldn't out-talk He Jingyan, he turned to chat idly with the others.
The group of gaming enthusiasts eagerly discussed development trivia; in their eyes, nothing was more interesting than their current projects.
After more than an hour, everyone gradually left. He Jingyan and Ji Mi were the last to leave, making a trip to the restroom.
At this point, with no one else around, He Jingyan began to educate his assistant.
"Next time you encounter someone who might try to poach you, just ignore them. They all lack manners."
Ji Mi asked, "Are you really that petty?"
"Teacher Xiao Ji, this is a matter of dignity," He Jingyan said.
"Our salaries are higher than Yin Qian's company, the benefits are better, and our platform is several times larger. If you were to abandon Hongni and jump ship..."
Ji Mi firmly stated before He Jingyan could finish: "My legs aren't good enough to jump, I can only stay paralyzed at Hongni."
He Jingyan: "..."
They walked down the stairs, and He Jingyan realized that this club had a particularly high number of male patrons, with seemingly no women around.
A group of people approached, reeking of heavy perfume, making him worry he might be poisoned by the scent.
Is this really the kind of place Ji Mi used to enjoy?
Thinking of this, He Jingyan frowned, then heard a commotion from the dance floor.
Ji Mi, startled by the noise, instinctively moved closer to He Jingyan.
In the darkness, He Jingyan's body temperature was notably warm. Ji Mi touched his arm but sensitively pulled back.
They looked towards the source of the noise and saw a man in high heels, flamboyantly dressed, jumping onto the stage!
"Hands up, babies!" the DJ shouted hoarsely, "Let's give a round of applause for tonight's Plum Blossom! Cheer!"
Some people in the crowd excitedly danced in the air, while others shouted "So beautiful!"
The dance floor reached its peak for the night, the music changing to a tight drum beat as the club began its headline act.
The overhead lights flashed to the rhythm, making the already dim lighting more ambiguous. A group of models came to the front of the stage to heat up the atmosphere.
The initial interaction was normal, but then the models started stripping to show off their bodies, spraying water guns at each other and the customers, turning the scene into late-night adult entertainment.
Ji Mi was absolutely stunned, feeling like he was witnessing a demonic revelry.
But...
It was actually quite interesting!
"Esteemed member, is your club actually legitimate?" He Jingyan suddenly spoke up.
Meeting He Jingyan's subtle gaze, despite the heated performance before him, Ji Mi immediately snapped back to reality.
He then hummed mysteriously twice, implying that he couldn't openly discuss the club's legitimacy.
"Wait," Ji Mi said, confused, "Aren't you hot, dressed so formally?"
The club had the heating on, and everyone was in short sleeves, but He Jingyan was oddly wearing a coat, standing out like a sore thumb.
Amidst the frenzy around them, people occasionally came close or tugged at clothes. He Jingyan made his way towards the exit, dodging advances, nearly being pulled back to the dance floor several times.
He Jingyan almost sneered: "If I didn't wear extra layers, did you want to see your boss stripped naked?"
Ji Mi choked a bit, changing the subject: "There are too many people ahead, shall we go towards the fire exit?"
He Jingyan had no objections, but the signage here was a bit confusing, and Ji Mi almost took a wrong turn after wandering around.
A bartender saw them leaving and asked: "Why are you leaving so early? Hey, handsome, why the rush?"
He whistled meaningfully at He Jingyan, who nearly shuddered.
"Sorry, I'm straight as an arrow," he told the bartender.
The bartender didn't care about his identity and immediately turned hostile: "You're straight but came to a gay bar? What are you playing at!"
The truth was finally out, and He Jingyan was incredulous.
They stumbled to the roadside in a daze, and Ji Mi couldn't hold it in anymore, pitifully saying sorry.
He Jingyan asked: "You just found out about this too?"
Ji Mi said shamefully: "I just entered the newbie village tonight."
He had been panicked and lost, full of holes in his act, which He Jingyan had seen through early on.
He was like a cat whose tail had been caught, gently pinched in someone's palm.
"What if Yin Qian and the others find out this is a gay bar? My reputation is ruined, can you take responsibility?"
Ji Mi was very obedient: "I'll seriously clarify with them and vouch that you're really not gay."
They had both been through quite an ordeal tonight, so He Jingyan stopped teasing and slowly walked to the parking lot.
Ji Mi followed behind, carefully observing the other's expression. He Jingyan's face was calm, showing no signs of anger.
He thought, although some people at the company accused He Jingyan of having a bad temper, at most he was just sharp-tongued, never emotional, dictatorial, or one to pass the buck.
Including in his interpersonal interactions, He Jingyan handled several external producers with ease.
Actually, this boss wasn't so bad...
Ji Mi wanted to get along well with others, so he couldn't help asking, "Your clothes weren't torn, were they?"
He Jingyan said, "Should I take them off for you to inspect?"
Before Ji Mi could respond, he quickly answered his own question: "Dream on."
Ji Mi: "..."
He closed his eyes and endured for a moment, preparing to catch the last subway train: "If there's nothing else, see you Monday?"
He Jingyan wasn't done: "There's one more thing."
Ji Mi paused: "Hmm?"
"Teaching you how to open the door of my Koenigsegg," He Jingyan took out the key, which had a ghost logo on it.
This supercar had a low body line and a large rear wing. It was said to reach a top speed of over 400 km/h, but was pitifully restrained in the city.
However, this didn't stop it from being ostentatious and eye-catching. The scissor doors made passersby turn their heads for a second look.
Since the car only had two seats, Ji Mi sat in the passenger seat with some novelty, noticing how sparse the interior was.
Apart from a box of tissues and an unopened bottle of mineral water, there were no lucky charms, car fragrances, let alone snacks like cookies. If you got hungry on the road, you could only chew on air.
It was evident that the car owner was monotonous and boring, and no one usually took care of him.
"Where do you live?" He Jingyan interrupted his wandering thoughts.
Ji Mi gave the address, adding, "The bus stop is right at the entrance of the community. It's convenient for temporary parking and there are no cameras to take photos and issue fines."
He Jingyan asked, "Is it your parents' home?"
Tangqing Community, he looked at the electronic map, paying a bit more attention.
It seemed close to the company, probably an old residential area still waiting for demolition. He had heard there were quite a few similar plots of land in that area.
Ji Mi didn't bother to explain in detail: "It's a rented place, convenient for commuting."
As they drove from the city center, the vintage Western-style houses and skyscrapers gradually receded behind them.
As He Jingyan had guessed, this community was quite old. The drainage facilities were outdated, with puddles of water scattered across the roads.
However, there were many late-night snack shops and small eateries nearby. The surroundings were lively and bustling, with a strong flavor of everyday life.
Although He Jingyan had heard about the environment here, this was his first time visiting. Seeing the exterior walls full of weathering marks, he was slightly taken aback.
But he hid his surprise well; showing astonishment at such times would be ungraceful.
"Thank you for driving me," Ji Mi said politely as he unbuckled his seatbelt.
Given their relationship, it wasn't appropriate to invite him up, so He Jingyan just grunted in response, not saying anything more.
Back in his hotel-style apartment, he turned on the lights, illuminating the empty living room.
He Jingyan went to the tea bar and opened a bottle of cold water, then asked Shell: [How much is the housing allowance for employees now?]
Shell replied instantly: [It was adjusted to 3,000 per month this year, but those heartless landlords are taking advantage of the situation. My loft long-term rental is 23,000!]
He excitedly added: [Boss, are you going to increase our allowance?]
He Jingyan ignored him and sent the name "Tangqing Community," asking about its approximate rent.
Shell wasn't so enthusiastic this time, taking a while to report back.
[Even a whole apartment is only about 10,000, shared rentals range from 4,000 to 6,000. Why are you asking about this? Did you meet Cinderella?]
[Look at my heavy economic burden, the cost of living in Shanghai is so outrageous!]
He Jingyan put down his phone and turned his head to look out the floor-to-ceiling window, the bustling night view spread out before him.
The image of a slender figure carefully stepping over a puddle under a streetlight flashed through his mind. He pondered silently for a moment.
He Jingyan instructed: [Communicate with HR to increase it to 4,000 starting next month.]
·
On workdays, everyone was listlessly working at their desks.
HR rushed to send out an email, announcing improved benefits for all full-time employees within the Interactive Entertainment division.
As soon as this news came out, it acted like a stimulant. Large and small chat groups were filled with joy, incredulously asking if today was April Fool's Day.
Ji Mi was the same, reading the email over and over again.
The shadow of taking the boss to a gay bar dissipated, and his mood was as jubilant as the clear winter afternoon. At noon, he bounced happily to lunch with the secretaries.
As the four of them queued in the cafeteria, surrounding colleagues were all discussing the housing allowance.
They speculated whether this was the new president taking office and trying to appease people, or if there was some good news that everyone should be happy about.
Whatever the reason, they were deeply moved at the moment, feeling utterly loyal to Delay.
"Why do you think Delay suddenly felt like being charitable?" Fang Xiyun asked suspiciously.
"Even if he wants to win people over, since when did his methods become as simple and crude as throwing money around?"
Noah said, "Whatever his reasons, maybe he's done too many bad things and wants to accumulate some good karma. Besides, raising the housing allowance to 4,000 for Interactive Entertainment isn't a big deal."
Ji Mi, standing behind Noah, kept nodding vigorously.
Originally, after signing his rental contract, he had uninstalled the real estate app. Now he downloaded it again, browsing recommendations with great interest.
With an extra 1,000 yuan in the monthly budget, even with Shanghai's exaggerated housing prices, it was enough to upgrade to a better room.
Living with so many roommates was ultimately inconvenient. Living alone would be much more comfortable. Ji Mi was eager to try, looking at listings for entire apartments.
"You guys don't know this," Shell had been holding back for a while, clearing his throat for a grand entrance.
He boasted happily, "Don't be too moved. Getting this money is all thanks to my deep friendship with Delay!"
Ji Mi looked up in confusion, exclaiming a surprised "Wow."
He played along, saying, "Really?"
Shell said, "Yeah, yeah, we've known each other for at least three years. There's still true friendship in this world."
He put his arm around Ji Mi's shoulders: "He came to check on his subordinates' living conditions over the weekend, and then generously decided to give us more money."
Fang Xiyun understood He Jingyan's nature and didn't buy this story.
"If he were that kind, why did he drag you out of the hospital room to accompany him on a business trip to talk to channel partners when you had your appendix surgery?"
Ji Mi blinked at Shell sympathetically, saying, "He's so heartless. Is your relationship that painful?"
Shell exploded: "Why do you look like I've been betrayed by the one I trusted!"
Then, he noticed Ji Mi's phone screen, which was full of rental information and pictures.
Shell enthusiastically engaged: "Ji Mi, are you changing apartments as soon as you get the money next month? Where are you living now?"
Ji Mi gave his address, confiding: "The place I'm sharing is a bit noisy. I want to move somewhere quieter."
Hearing this, Shell seemed unable to believe it, asking again for confirmation: "Where did you say you live?"
"Tangqing," Ji Mi was puzzled, "Is there a problem with living there? Why are you so surprised?"
Shell was more than just surprised. Although he didn't let out a sharp cry, his mind was in turmoil.
He clearly remembered that at midnight on Saturday, the big boss had inexplicably inquired about the rental prices in that area.
At that time, he had wondered how He Jingyan, even if he dug eight meters deep into his social circle, wouldn't likely know anyone living in that community. It was very unreasonable to suddenly care about such a thing...
So Shell had boldly asked if the boss had met Cinderella and was about to embark on some passionate love story, but he had been ignored.
Now, looking at the little assistant in front of him, Shell's body couldn't help but sway.
"So it's you who lives there?!" He slowly released the arm that was around Ji Mi's shoulders.
Ji Mi's face was full of innocence, completely out of the loop: "What's wrong?"