Chapter 46

That night, they didn’t do anything, just hugged each other and slept quietly. The next day was the annual meeting. Ling Sheng could go directly to the hotel venue, but instead, he called He Xiaoyun and asked him to meet him at the company.

He Xiaoyun was a little surprised that he had been asked out so early, and when he saw him, he said, “Oh? Looks like the little wolf dog’s fighting power isn’t that great.”

“What exactly did you say to him?” Ling Sheng asked directly.

He Xiaoyun sat on the reception sofa, still with that nonchalant look: “Didn’t say anything, just told him to be more affectionate with Director Ling, but seeing how energetic you are today, it shows he’s not as good as me.”

Ling Sheng just felt a headache: “Director He, please don’t make jokes like this again in the future, whether it’s to me or to Jiang Chen.”

He Xiaoyun wasn’t really joking with him: “Ling Sheng, what if I wasn’t joking with you?”

Ling Sheng looked directly at him, but remained calm: “You must have lovers abroad, right?”

He Xiaoyun didn’t deny it. As long as he wanted, he would never lack company: “Yes, but we’ve already broken up.”

He didn’t have the habit of keeping several lovers, mainly because he found it time-consuming and energy-consuming. He preferred simple relationships that were more relaxed and enjoyable.

“Do you mind?” He Xiaoyun asked.

Ling Sheng’s expression didn’t change much: “Whether you’ve broken up with them or not, I don’t mind. In fact, if it weren’t for Jiang Chen, we could only be friends.”

“Why?” He Xiaoyun was puzzled and unwilling.

Ling Sheng was no longer twenty-five years old. He was now very clear-headed and knew exactly what he wanted: “I don’t regret anything that happened between us, and I’m even grateful. I admit that we had a very good time together, but we’re not suitable. You’re not the person I want to spend my life with.”

He Xiaoyun paused for a moment, his voice also calm and composed: “Jiang Chen, is it?”

Ling Sheng was stunned for a moment before saying, “Yes.”

“Did you tell him?” He Xiaoyun looked at Ling Sheng, his eyes filled with inquiry and scrutiny.

Ling Sheng pursed his lips slightly, and only said coldly: “This is between us.”

He Xiaoyun smiled: “I’ve made myself so clear, it seems he’s not that important to you.”

“He Xiaoyun!” Ling Sheng angrily slammed the table: “Whether he needs to know or when I want to tell him, that’s none of your business! This is my emotional matter, you’ve really crossed the line!”

The reason why he and He Xiaoyun could be friends was because they both knew each other’s bottom line. Ling Sheng didn’t think his emotional problems needed his interference, and his repeated attempts to provoke Jiang Chen were already touching his bottom line.

He Xiaoyun had a handsome appearance, but his eyebrows and eyes were narrow and long, and his lips were thin. This kind of appearance always gave people a sense of heartlessness. In addition, he had always been frivolous, so people felt like he was joking no matter what he said, but once he became serious, the sharpness in his eyes would dilute the faint charm on his body, like a sword revealing its edge: “Are you serious about him?”

Ling Sheng hesitated for a moment before answering him, “Yes.”

“Is that so? Then what if I said I’m also serious?” He Xiaoyun looked at Ling Sheng, his eyes filled with a seriousness that Ling Sheng had never seen before: “Two years ago, when I invited you to go to America with me, I really had the idea of marrying you, Ling Sheng, I was also serious.”

The company’s annual meeting had a fixed process every year, but this year, because of He Xiaoyun, he personally prepared ten red envelopes, the largest being 100,000 and the smallest being 10,000, to be placed on the annual meeting stage for a lucky draw. Ling Sheng didn’t care about him. The young master He was generous and always spent money according to his mood.

Red carpet, signature wall, photographers, everyone was dressed in small dresses, entering like celebrities walking the red carpet, full of ritual. The last to enter were Ling Sheng, the head of Eternity’s Eastern China region, and the finale, He Xiaoyun.

He Xiaoyun was wearing a very showy wine-red suit today, one of Eternity’s haute couture series this year. There was no need to wear such an expensive dress for such an occasion, but not only did he wear it, he insisted on walking with Ling Sheng. In front of everyone, He Xiaoyun was also the president of the He Group, so Ling Sheng couldn’t refuse.

Their seats were at the main table, in front of the center of the stage. Ling Sheng had experienced this kind of situation every year, the process was very familiar, but this year he was sitting at the same table with He Xiaoyun.

Also at the table were the head of Eternity’s Eastern China region, Jiang City’s design director Coco, the head of the photography department, and several other executives. The few people sat at a table, facing the compliments of the crowd, but He Xiaoyun was very perfunctory to everyone, except for Ling Sheng. He not only drank the wine he toasted, served him food, but also whispered in his ear, treating him so differently that everyone at the table changed their eyes when they looked at them.

He had calculated that Ling Sheng wouldn’t embarrass him on this occasion, and Ling Sheng simply didn’t want to pay attention to him.

The last scene of all the processes was inevitably a toast, and because He Xiaoyun was there, there were even more people coming to toast and take photos this year. Ling Sheng also drank a little too much, and was already seven or eight parts drunk by the end.

He glanced at his phone, 8:40. Jiang Chen had been waiting for him for forty minutes.

In previous years, there would definitely be after-parties at this time, but this year he turned down all the after-parties and planned to go straight back.

He said goodbye to Coco, saying that his stomach was uncomfortable and that he wouldn’t go to any department’s gathering today, and picked up his clothes to go out.

At this moment, He Xiaoyun stood up and put his arm around his shoulder: “Director Ling, let me hitch a ride.”

“Where’s the driver?” Ling Sheng took off his hand.

“On vacation, after all, today is the annual meeting. As a good boss, you have to know how to be considerate.” He Xiaoyun leaned on him as if he was drunk and couldn’t stand, lowering his voice: “What, your boyfriend is picking you up, and you won’t even let me hitch a ride?”

He Xiaoyun didn’t want to drink the wine, and no one there had the guts to force him to drink it. On this occasion, he couldn’t embarrass him even more, so he could only walk out with him.

Jiang Chen didn’t drive his own car, because people in the company recognized his car. Today wasn’t like usual, with so many people and prying eyes. At first, Ling Sheng didn’t let him pick him up, but he finally agreed to borrow a car from a friend, and Ling Sheng agreed.

Jiang Chen sat in the car, boredly playing with his phone. He had borrowed Xu Peiya’s car today. Seeing that Ling Sheng had sent a message saying he was coming out, he looked up and looked outside. As expected, he saw Ling Sheng’s familiar figure very eye-catching in the crowd, but there was another person beside him, a person he was also very familiar with.

He Xiaoyun.

Jiang Chen’s face immediately darkened.

Then he saw both of them walking towards him.

Ling Sheng opened the car door of the passenger seat and got in. He Xiaoyun opened the car door of the back seat and sat up as well.

Jiang Chen said coldly, “Didn’t the company arrange a driver for Director He? He’s still a president after all.”

“Xiao Sheng shouldn’t mind being my driver for once.” He Xiaoyun leaned back there: “XX Hotel, Xiao Jiang, drive.”

Jiang Chen had a cold face. Ling Sheng glanced at him and helplessly corrected He Xiaoyun: “Director He, you can just call me by my name.”

The hotel where He Xiaoyun was staying was about thirty minutes away from here, and today was Saturday. The traffic was a little congested after it started to rain after only five minutes of driving. The car was moving on and off the road. Jiang Chen was getting impatient and wanted to get rid of this trouble as soon as possible.

But He Xiaoyun was at ease, chatting with Ling Sheng with great interest: “We’ve been friends for so many years, calling each other by our names is too formal. If Xiao Sheng doesn’t like it, how about calling you Sheng Sheng?”

Jiang Chen honked the horn impatiently.

Ling Sheng looked over.

Jiang Chen said angrily: “It’s so congested, and the car in front still wants to cut in line, does he have any road sense?”

Ling Sheng knew what he was angry about, but He Xiaoyun deliberately provoked him. Ling Sheng ignored He Xiaoyun and reached out to touch the back of Ling Sheng’s head: “We’re not in a hurry, it’s okay if it’s congested.”

Jiang Chen’s emotions were soothed a little, and he also felt that He Xiaoyun was deliberately being obvious. He couldn’t always be bullied by him, so he gave Ling Sheng a sweet smile: “I’ll listen to gege.”

This was the first time he called him gege.

Usually he called him by his name.

No older man could resist this diminutive word, especially when his boyfriend was so angry. Ling Sheng chuckled and scraped his face with the back of his hand.

He Xiaoyun was shown a face full of love, and calmly counterattacked: “You still remember this soothing action, I said Xiao Sheng you have a strong learning ability, but you are still modest.”

The smile on Jiang Chen’s face instantly disappeared.

He Xiaoyun glanced at Jiang Chen’s wrist, and smiled again: “This watch of yours… is the same model as Xiao Sheng’s, right.”

Ling Sheng wore this watch in the morning, and Jiang Chen deliberately wore it as well, with a subtle show-off. Seeing that He Xiaoyun noticed, just as he was about to say something, He Xiaoyun said lightly with a doting tone: “When I gave it to Xiao Sheng three years ago, he didn’t want it, but he’s been wearing it until now. Men, sometimes they can be insincere.”

The light turned green, and the traffic finally moved. Jiang Chen stepped on the gas pedal, and both people in the car were pushed back by the feeling of pushback.

Ling Sheng said: “Stop at the bus stop ahead.”

Jiang Chen was so angry, and he heard Ling Sheng say again: “Throw him down.”

He Xiaoyun, wearing a haute couture dress, was thrown at the bus stop. The cold wind blew raindrops onto his face, and his delicate skin felt like it was being pricked by needles. The little girl next to him couldn’t bear to see this handsome guy, even more beautiful than a celebrity, being frozen like this. Seeing his appearance, he didn’t look like someone who would take the bus, so she carefully walked over: “Handsome guy, where are you going? The car I ordered is almost here, do you want a ride?”

The car drove all the way into the underground garage of the community. After throwing He Xiaoyun down, Jiang Chen’s face finally looked a little better, and the speed finally slowed down. The two finally got home safely.

Ling Sheng unfastened his seat belt, but found that Jiang Chen was sitting there motionless, with no intention of getting out of the car.

“I’m going to return the car.” Jiang Chen didn’t look at him, his eyes darting around: “I won’t go up today, you’ve been drinking, so get some rest early.”

Ling Sheng was stunned for a moment, sitting there, feeling a little flustered for the first time. He was silent for a while before saying, “Do you still mind what happened between me and He Xiaoyun?”

Jiang Chen shook his head: “Those are all things of the past, I just… need some time to think.”