Hello, Jie Fen – CH42

 Chapter 42: He Must Acknowledge This Kindness

Since they weren’t in that kind of relationship, did that mean they were just friends?

A sense of crisis welled up in Zuo Qianxing. He considered himself to be Xie Siheng’s best friend, and he believed that Xie was closest to him.

People like Lu Xiao only benefited from their family connections. Plus, Xie’s mother, Chu Qing, liked them and enjoyed lively company, so they could get a few words in with Xie. But in essence, Xie didn’t really want to interact with them.

Xie was a very solitary person, though he valued loyalty deeply. It was only because Zuo had persistently stuck by him that he managed to secure the position of best friend.

Now, was someone else going to take that throne? Xie had never spoken to anyone else the way he spoke to Chi Wang.

Feeling sour, Zuo didn’t know what to say. A friendship between three people was always crowded; someone would have to step aside, and now he was becoming the extra person.

Chi Wang had no idea what was on his mind. After chatting with Xie for a bit, he put away his phone and grinned at Zuo. “Brother Zuo, would you like a jianbing guozi? My treat.”

Though feeling a bit dejected, Zuo perked up and smiled. “Sure, I won’t say no to that.”

Chi Wang bought him a jianbing guozi and also got him a cup of soy milk. Accepting them, Zuo glanced at Chi Wang, feeling that he was very considerate—knowing that the snack could be a bit dry, he thoughtfully provided soy milk.

Zuo showed some concern for Chi Wang, expressing regret that he was no longer working at the Milky Way Golf Club. He occasionally went to play golf and could have helped Chi Wang boost his performance.

Chi Wang responded smoothly, making Zuo quite happy and causing his earlier sense of loss to dissipate.

Zuo then started talking about Xie. “Didn’t I tell you before that he often suffered from insomnia? Lately, he seems much better—his whole face is glowing. I thought he’d started dating someone, but it doesn’t seem like it.”

Unwilling to give up, Zuo attempted once again to probe for information.

Chi Wang blinked. “I can tell you for sure, he’s not dating anyone.”

If Xie were dating, Chi Wang, being so close to him, would definitely know.

Zuo looked at him; Chi Wang’s confident demeanor made Zuo realize he might have been overthinking things.

Perhaps Chi Wang didn’t realize it himself, but he had a certain quality that made people want to open up to him, especially those who weren’t particularly guarded—they easily found themselves confiding in him.

Just like Zuo now, who couldn’t understand why he felt an urge to pour out his thoughts. Facing Chi Wang, he became an open book. “Actually, I find his recent behavior a bit odd. He had planned to go abroad, but suddenly changed his mind and decided not to.”

“He’s someone with strong principles and plans. Back in elementary school, he had his life planned up through high school. Going abroad was a decision he made during high school, and he never wavered. Personally, I hoped he’d stay in the country so he could take over the family business sooner—his father wishes the same. But once he makes a decision, no one can change it. Now that he’s changed his mind, don’t you think it’s strange?”

Chi Wang was momentarily stunned. “He was planning to go abroad? But he told me he wasn’t.”

Zuo said, “He was going to, but now he’s saying he won’t.”

Chi Wang pondered—was it because of him?

Thinking this, he asked, “If he went abroad, how long would he be studying?”

“At least three years,” Zuo replied.

Chi Wang felt like collapsing. [Insert ‘fainting’ meme here]

He didn’t feel guilty or remorseful, just thought that both of them were quite unlucky; He was being forced to have a child, and Xie was being forced to give up his studies.

He realized that Xie was indeed very responsible—giving up his plan to go abroad without showing any sign of it in front of him;He didn’t agree with Xie’s… intimate actions, but he did appreciate Xie’s sense of responsibility.

Now that’s a real man. If he were a girl, he might have married him.

…But it’s the 21st century; even if he’s not a girl, he could still marry him.

Chi Wang: …

He got goosebumps again, feeling that Xie was leading him astray.

Zuo continued chatting. “He even took my dog. He clearly doesn’t like dogs.”

Chi Wang was puzzled. “What? He took your dog? The dog is yours?”

Zuo was surprised. “You’ve met Shuanzi?”

“Shuanzi? The dog’s name is Shuanzi? Isn’t it called Xiaomi?” Chi Wang asked.

Zuo sighed. “Yes, it’s called Xiaomi—that’s its official name. Full name Zuo Xiaomi. Its nickname is Shuanzi. They say a lowly name makes for an easy life, so I gave it that nickname.”

Chi Wang: “…”

He was utterly shocked; he hadn’t expected that Xiaomi was actually Zuo’s dog!

Then why…

Chi Wang wasn’t stupid; in fact, he was quite smart and quick-witted. He immediately understood Xie’s logic. Borrowing the dog initially was to help him earn extra money through dog-walking.

It was supposed to be a convenient arrangement, but after he became pregnant, Xie had to abandon his plans to go abroad and took over the dog to keep up the pretense.

Chi Wang: “…”

Wait, so there were such twists and turns behind all this.

After figuring it out, Chi Wang said, “He really likes Xiaomi now. He’s the one taking care of it. Sorry to make you give it up.”

Zuo blinked. He hadn’t intended to pry, but Chi Wang’s words carried a lot of information. From what standpoint was he saying this?

Zuo felt that the relationship between Chi Wang and Xie was becoming increasingly mysterious. He said, “It’s fine. I’d only had Xiaomi for two months; we weren’t that attached. It’s rare for him to ask me for something, so of course I’d oblige. And Xiaomi won’t suffer with him. He’s actually very responsible—even if he didn’t like it at first, once he decides to take care of something, he’ll see it through. I’m not worried about Xiaomi.”

Chi Wang breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “Do you still want a dog? I have a friend whose dog is having puppies in early February. If you’d like, I can ask my friend to give you one.”

“What breed?” Zuo inquired.

“A Golden Retriever!” Chi Wang said, fearing Zuo might not be interested. He quickly added, “They’re beautiful! Great pedigree—both parents are show dogs, I hear.”

Zuo laughed. “No need; I won’t be getting a dog right now.”

Getting a dog was easy for him. If he asked Chi Wang’s friend to send one, Chi Wang might have to pay out of pocket. Chi Wang was still a student; there was no need.

After finishing their jianbing guozi, Zuo escorted Chi Wang back to Xie’s office.

At that moment, Xie was busy handling official matters. A stack of blue folders was piled on the spacious desk, making him look like an emperor reviewing memorials in ancient times.

Zuo didn’t disturb him. He gave Chi Wang a smile and then left. Chi Wang didn’t want to bother Xie either, so he went to the lounge, sat on the sofa, and started watching a video.

Xie put down the documents, his gaze lowering; his thoughts were clearly not on the paperwork anymore.

He stood up and quietly walked over to where Chi Wang was. He saw Chi Wang bent over, resting his cheeks in his hands, intently watching the video he’d started that morning, his expression serious.

Xie couldn’t imagine what Chi Wang planned to do with the skill of castrating pigs—probably just curious.

Chi Wang was engrossed when Xie suddenly spoke behind him. “So, what do you think after touring the company?”

Chi Wang wasn’t startled; he was used to Xie’s silent movements. Multitasking, he replied, “I think it’s great, but I feel there’s a drawback—the space utilization is quite inefficient. You could rent out some of the floors; the annual rental income would be substantial. The offices don’t need to be so big; they’re too empty.”

Xie said, “There’s no way around that.”

Chi Wang turned off his phone to focus on the conversation. “Why not?”

Seeing Chi Wang’s full attention on him melted some of the coldness in Xie’s eyes, and his voice softened. “In a place where every inch of land is precious, Haisheng owning an entire building demonstrates financial prowess. It gives us an advantage, an unspoken edge in negotiations.”

Chi Wang paused, contemplating. “I guess I’m a bit naive; I hadn’t thought of that. It’s like the ‘Million Pound Note’—owning an entire building in such an expensive area is already an invisible symbol of status. Those coming for negotiations would feel a sense of awe, and employees would feel a greater sense of pride.”

Xie nodded. “Exactly.”

“That’s insightful,” Chi Wang remarked.

He genuinely hadn’t considered this aspect.

His eyes brightened. “Can I take a look at what you’re working on?”

Seeing his enthusiasm, Xie couldn’t possibly refuse.

Chi Wang sat in Xie’s chair, which was soft and could swivel. Behind him was a floor-to-ceiling window offering a panoramic view of the city streets below. The nighttime view from this office must be stunning.

He opened one of the documents Xie had been reviewing. As he read carefully, he began to feel a slight headache.

Xie’s work involved making significant decisions—whether to approve projects, whether they were feasible—all determined by him.

“You’re just an intern, right? Can an intern make such big decisions?” Chi Wang asked.

Xie remained composed. “Yes.”

Chi Wang pulled out a report. “You can decide on multi-million-dollar deals as an intern?”

Xie affirmed, “Yes.”

Chi Wang was astonished.

Here he was, working on his small-scale projects, while Xie was handling ventures worth tens of millions.

No wonder people say the dividing line in life starts from the womb.

Chi Wang didn’t bring up the issue about Xiaomi; he understood the situation privately and didn’t feel the need to discuss it openly with Xie.

He felt a bit touched and thought he should hurry up and finish knitting the scarf to give to him.

Chi Wang had always cherished every act of kindness others showed him.

He recalled that he’d been worried Xie might resent them sleeping together… In that matter, he wasn’t entirely innocent—there was a bit of taking advantage involved, considering he did climb into Xie’s bed. If Xie had punched him, he would have thought it justified.

Yet despite all that, Xie had borrowed Xiaomi from Zuo just so Chi Wang could earn extra money from dog-walking.

He had to acknowledge this kindness.