Chapter 17
After the meal, Zhuo Yifan reluctantly returned to the hotel.
Fang Jing Yao, worried about him going alone, said, “I’ll take you back.”
As he got up, Long Yu naturally grabbed his coat too, taking his cue from Fang Jing Yao’s words—if Fang Jing Yao was escorting him, he should too.
At the hotel, Long Yu parked to take a call, while Fang Jing Yao escorted Zhuo Yifan inside alone.
Zhuo Yifan lingered, still reluctant to leave his master, whining and trying to tug his sleeve. Fang Jing Yao lightly kicked him, finally making him behave and walk behind, muttering: “Master, can you come with me? I’ve got a project perfect for you. Really. Even if you retired now, it wouldn’t suit you…”
Fang Jing Yao waved him off. “Who said I retired? I’m still working. There’s even a serial in the magazine.”
Zhuo Yifan persisted. “That’s only a few pages a month. You could do it easily. Come to my studio—I’ll get you an assistant, no, I’ll be your assistant!”
Fang Jing Yao laughed. “Enough. I appreciate your intentions, but I’ve been busy for five or six years. I want a break. I’ll return when I’m ready.”
Hearing that he hadn’t fully retired, Zhuo Yifan felt slightly relieved, still muttering: “You better decide soon. I get anxious when I don’t see you. You should come to my studio—everyone would be thrilled, practically clapping at the door!”
As he fussed with Fang Jing Yao, a few people approached. Leading them were men in perfectly tailored suits. The man in the center wore no tie, the top buttons undone, a fitted black suit over a burgundy shirt. On someone else, it might look flashy, but his height and long legs made his pale skin stand out—effortlessly stylish and flirtatious.
He wore thin-framed glasses, hair slicked back with a few strands hanging down. His eyes were narrowed, giving a difficult-to-approach air. People spoke to him respectfully, but he responded indifferently.
“President Han, here’s today’s schedule…”
The man replied casually, but just then he heard Zhuo Yifan’s small whining voice. Its softness made it more noticeable, almost tickling him. Glancing over, he saw a young boy, looking like a college student, innocent and earnest, trying to please the nearby young man.
Even his soft, fluffy white hair looked obedient.
Just then, his secretary buzzed again with more reports. Irritated, he nodded briefly and quickly walked out with them.
They passed by in moments. On the other side, Fang Jing Yao had sent his young disciple into the elevator and turned back.
At the hotel entrance, he saw Long Yu talking to a man by a car. The burgundy shirt and the man’s half-lean against the vehicle made him look debonair. He seemed familiar with Long Yu and even patted him on the shoulder with a smile, though Fang Jing Yao didn’t know what was said.
As Fang Jing Yao approached, Long Yu smiled first. “He’s here—my husband.”
Fang Jing Yao felt a little embarrassed by the introduction but stood before him, accepting the man’s passionate gaze.
The man’s narrow eyes scanned him up and down, then he exclaimed, “I wouldn’t have guessed it—this quiet type of yours managed to find such a good match.” He extended his hand, smiling at Fang Jing Yao. “Han Qiaoye, Long Yu’s old classmate. Childhood friend and constant troublemaker—but from now on, I won’t dare mess with him. After all, it’s two against one now; I might not be able to handle it.”
Fang Jing Yao hadn’t expected that such a stern-looking man could be so polite. He shook his hand and exchanged a few courteous words.
Han Qiaoye and Long Yu had been close since childhood, though they hadn’t seen each other in years. Yet the familiar warmth remained. Long Yu was friendlier to him than to others, and Han naturally had no little-master airs, which made him a little more approachable for Fang Jing Yao as well.
As they chatted, Fang Jing Yao’s phone rang. He answered to hear Zhuo Yifan softly pleading: “Master, I left my jacket at Master’s house. Could you bring it back next time you come? Or I could go get it myself… It has the News band’s autograph—I searched forever to get it…”
Fang Jing Yao twitched his mouth. “You forgot it? How precious can it be?”
Zhuo Yifan wailed: “It’s not like that, Master! I wore it so carefully just to see Master!”
Fang Jing Yao scoffed: “A worn denim jacket counts as careful?”
Zhuo Yifan: “It has signatures from all six members! Six! Now only four remain…”
Han Qiaoye, overhearing, looked at Long Yu in surprise. “You let someone else go to your place? That’s unusual.”
Long Yu replied, “Nothing special. Before marriage, you have to get used to things.”
Han Qiaoye gritted his teeth—this eternally single man had a way of making being coupled sound so infuriating!
“Free this weekend? I’ll organize a gathering. Old friends, you know?” Han Qiaoye asked.
“Who’s coming?”
“Just the usual few who keep in touch. Don’t worry, no outsiders—old classmates from the city.”
Long Yu thought for a moment, then nodded. “Sure.”
Han Qiaoye was surprised. Usually, he would have had to ask multiple times before Long Yu agreed. He even knew of the time Long Yu would lock himself in the lab for three months without coming out. Understanding that Long Yu wasn’t overly concerned with social niceties, he explained softly:
“I’m organizing this gathering for another reason too. They’re all old classmates, but also family acquaintances. My family wants me back to take over the company—I had no choice. Just testing the waters. My second brother had some trouble—you heard?”
Long Yu nodded. “Heard a bit. Serious?”
Han Qiaoye: “If even someone like you knows, yes. Natural disasters and accidents—went to Yunnan and got caught in a landslide. The convoy was wrecked, luckily everyone was rescued intact. Our elder was so worried he couldn’t let him continue, and dragged me back from far away to temporarily take my brother’s place.”
Long Yu replied honestly, “You’ll do better than him.”
Han Qiaoye felt relief wash over him. Long Yu didn’t boast or exaggerate, but every word was measured. Such praise eased a stone off his heart. He smiled, patting Long Yu’s shoulder. “Thanks. My heart’s still rough, used to the wild; touching the civilized world again is a bit overwhelming.”
Long Yu laughed: “You’ve adapted better than me. You went to Tanzania, right? How was it?”
Han Qiaoye’s eyes lit up: “Amazing! It’s like going back to where I was born and raised…”
Before they could talk more, Han Qiaoye’s few secretaries came over quietly to remind him of the time.
He was slightly annoyed but couldn’t show it in front of Long Yu. He agreed on a gathering time, took his people, and left in a rush.
