MFIMM Chapter 32

Study

Study

“Is there anywhere in my study you can’t enter?” Pei Jiashu said to Lin Xi, clearing his throat and opening the door to the study.

The study was simply furnished. Immediately visible were two cabinets almost as tall as the walls. One cabinet was filled with all kinds of books, while the other was a display case with more casually arranged items.

Two desks were placed side by side. One was relatively empty, while the other was covered with documents and other items.

“This desk was originally intended for the sunroom, but the renovation worker thought I was going to use it and put it in the study,” Pei Jiashu said, leaning against the bookshelf with a “I was forced to” expression.

“If you want to move it to the next room, I can have the worker come again on the weekend to move it.”

“Have the worker come to move it? That’s too much trouble. Anywhere is fine with me.”

Lin Xi sat in the chair. It was an ergonomic chair with cushions for the waist and neck, making it more comfortable than leaning against the bay window wall. Moreover, the computer was also top-of-the-line. Except for having to work side by side with Pei Jiashu, it was the most ideal workstation.

He fiddled with the computer, starting to download software. The process took a while, and Lin Xi couldn’t sit still, so he asked Pei Jiashu, “Can I look around your study?”

Pei Jiashu nodded. Lin Xi walked to the bookshelf. Unlike the Pei Family Old House, most of the books here were about finance.

However, there were also many miscellaneous books. “Do you read all these books?”

Lin Xi said with some emotion, casually opening one. He felt sleepy just looking at the technical terms. The person next to him didn’t say anything, and Lin Xi looked over in confusion.

He saw Pei Jiashu lowering his head, covering his mouth with his hand. When he saw Lin Xi turn around, he couldn’t hold back and chuckled, “They’re just there to fool you laymen. How could anyone read so many books?”

Pei Jiashu walked over, closed the book in Lin Xi’s hand, and put it back on the shelf.

“Tch.” Lin Xi felt another layer of his filter for Pei Jiashu shatter. Every time his impression of Pei Jiashu changed, Pei Jiashu would come out and break his filter.

He walked to the other display case. This one was completely different, filled with Pei Jiashu’s awards.

Only someone as narcissistic as Pei Jiashu would have a special display case for their awards.

But as he looked closer, he found that the awards were quite diverse.

There was a rock climbing certificate, a motorcycle license, and even a racing certificate.

Next to them were photos of Pei Jiashu when he received these certificates. He stood on the podium, holding the certificate in his hand, smiling triumphantly.

It was a Pei Jiashu that Lin Xi had never seen before.

Unlike the Pei Jiashu he usually saw, who was always at ease on various podiums and speaking platforms, the Pei Jiashu in the photos had just experienced an extreme sport. His forehead was covered with sweat-soaked hair, and his face and neck were also covered in sweat, but it couldn’t hide the vitality radiating from the photos.

He stared at the photos, mesmerized. Pei Jiashu also followed his gaze, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

“What’s so interesting about these? They’re all things from a long time ago,” Pei Jiashu said.

But Lin Xi still looked at the photos with puppy-dog eyes. “So you don’t ride motorcycles or race anymore?”

Pei Jiashu was stunned, shaking his head. His identity was now exposed to the public, and his image was related to the image of the entire company, so he had to be perfect in front of the public.

“That’s a shame.” Lin Xi lowered his head in disappointment.

Pei Jiashu looked at Lin Xi’s soft, black hair and couldn’t help but reach out and pat it. “What’s there to regret?”

Lin Xi grabbed Pei Jiashu’s hand in dissatisfaction, raising his pure black eyes to look at Pei Jiashu without blinking. “You must have really liked those activities.”

Pei Jiashu also looked into Lin Xi’s eyes. In an instant, the howling wind of the mountain road and the roar of the race car flashed through his ears, adrenaline surging, and he could only see the steering wheel and the road ahead.

That was the most unrestrained time of his life.

But did he like it?

Pei Jiashu didn’t speak. Lin Xi keenly sensed that his mood had dropped and said with a laugh, “I never thought you were so rebellious before.”

Rebellious? Pei Jiashu chewed on the word. It was indeed one of his rare acts of rebellion.

He looked at Lin Xi and suddenly chuckled, “Marrying you is definitely the most rebellious thing I’ve ever done.”

“Huh?” Lin Xi frowned. By the time he reacted, Pei Jiashu had already sat down at the desk. Lin Xi quietly sat next to him. “You just wanted to marry your childhood friend, right?”

Pei Jiashu paused his typing. He licked his lips, turning his head to look at Lin Xi. “Why do you care so much about whether I marry him or not? Last time too, you ignored me for half a month because of this.”

“Who cares about you? I wouldn’t care even if you married a pig,” Lin Xi retorted, turning his head to focus on his computer.

“Too bad the person I married is you,” Pei Jiashu said.

“What do you mean by that? Are you calling me a pig?” Lin Xi looked at Pei Jiashu, pouting.

Pei Jiashu chuckled lightly, “I didn’t call you anything.”

He suddenly pulled his chair back, then used his foot to steady Lin Xi’s chair, grabbing Lin Xi’s armrest and pulling him over. “So why were you angry with me last time?”

Lin Xi avoided Pei Jiashu’s gaze. He was like a hunter guiding his prey, cornering it and expecting it to give the appropriate response.

Lin Xi placed his hand on Pei Jiashu’s chest, trying to push him away. “It’s been so long, I’ve already forgotten.”

“Then why did you bring up Liang Siqi just now?” Pei Jiashu persisted. He was like a hunter patiently luring his prey, trapping it in a corner, expecting it to give the appropriate response.

The hunter, unable to get the answer he wanted, became a little anxious. The prey could not escape his restraints.

Lin Xi gave up trying to push Pei Jiashu away and faced him directly. “Then what about you? Why do you keep asking me about this? Whether I’m angry or why I’m angry has nothing to do with you, right?”

As soon as he said it, Lin Xi regretted it. He saw a moment of astonishment in Pei Jiashu’s eyes, and then he released Lin Xi.

The good atmosphere between them had been broken by him.

Lin Xi looked at Pei Jiashu with some self-reproach.

“Pei Jiashu, I didn’t mean that.” Lin Xi looked at Pei Jiashu cautiously. “Don’t ask me like you’re interrogating a criminal.”

After saying that, he covered his mouth, feeling that he was saying stranger things.

Pei Jiashu had already grabbed his chair and returned to his seat, holding the mouse in his hand, almost crushing it.

He was also annoyed because of his questioning of Lin Xi just now. What did he want to know from Lin Xi? What answer did he want to get out of Lin Xi?

He seemed to be the hunter, but in reality, he had always been led by the nose by Lin Xi’s emotions.

“Let’s work,” Pei Jiashu said. The two of them worked quietly, without saying another word.

Lin Xi quickly finished editing the video. There was only a computer and keyboard on the desk, making it look empty. He lowered the chair and leaned back, browsing shopping apps.

“Pei Jiashu, do you want a small green plant?”

“What?”

“Like a succulent, it would look nice on the desk.”

“Okay.”

“Pei Jiashu, do you want a small ornament? They’re so cute! Should I buy one for you too?”

“Whatever.”

A few days later, Pei Jiashu looked at the pile of colorful things on his desk. He glanced at Lin Xi’s side, where Lin Xi had bought all these little things in pairs, looking like a set.

His tongue felt like it had been touched with honey, sweet.

Looking at his wretched smile on the black and white screen, Pei Jiashu straightened the corners of his mouth. They were just a few small things costing a dozen yuan. What did he have to be happy about?

Pei Jiashu looked at his desk again. “These colorful things are really an eyesore.”

Lin Xi, who happened to be walking in with a rabbit water cup, heard this. Lin Xi quickly walked over and slammed the water cup on the table, making a show of taking all the ornaments on Pei Jiashu’s desk.

“You didn’t say anything when I bought them, but now they’re an eyesore? If you don’t like them, I’ll put them all on my side!”

“Wait.” Pei Jiashu grabbed Lin Xi’s hand. “Since you’ve already put them on my side, they’re all mine, so you can’t just take them back.”

Lin Xi snorted from his nose. “You stubborn tsundere, I see through you.”

Pei Jiashu immediately sat up straight, straightening his rumpled clothes. “You wouldn’t be so petty, would you?”

“Of course I wouldn’t be so petty. In that case, I’ll just buy whatever I want.”

Lin Xi opened the shopping app, smiling with a look of mischief. He had been unhappy with Pei Jiashu’s industrial wasteland style for a long time. He didn’t understand why these domineering CEOs only had black, white, and gray in their aesthetics.

At this time, Pei Jiashu didn’t understand how much impact Lin Xi’s words would have on his…house.

—

“Pei Jiashu, I’m going to be late. Give me a ride to the company today.” Lin Xi hurriedly grabbed an egg from the table, saying to Pei Jiashu who was about to leave.

Lin Xi ran to the entrance, grabbing his bag from the wall.

The corner of Pei Jiashu’s mouth twitched. Lin Xi didn’t know when he had bought a whole wall of sticky boards, which were covered with various items that Lin Xi needed when going out.

It seemed that Lin Xi was more like the owner of this house than him.

Lin Xi followed Pei Jiashu’s gaze, smiling at Pei Jiashu. “You can use it freely. This magnetic hook can be directly attached to the sticky board, so you can hang things on it. And here’s a pack of tissues for you.”

Pei Jiashu was given a pack of cartoon-patterned tissues. He was wearing a three-piece suit, which didn’t match the cartoon doll at all, but he still put it in his pocket.

Qi Yile had scheduled a shoot for Lin Xi in the morning, and Lin Xi took Pei Jiashu’s car directly to the company’s underground garage.

When he was about to get out of the car, Pei Jiashu held down the hand he used to grab the seatbelt. “Are you shooting on location today? Will you be back for lunch?”

“Well, I’m shooting on location. I don’t know if I’ll make it for lunch. If I don’t, you don’t have to wait for me,” Lin Xi said.

He opened the car door, suddenly remembering something, and turned back to Pei Jiashu, “Wait a while before you leave.”

Pei Jiashu looked at Lin Xi’s back, smiling helplessly. He savored the conversation they had just had. It seemed more and more like a “couple”.

“Can Lin Xi afford such an expensive car?”

Pei Jiashu heard this voice, looking in the rearview mirror. Someone was looking around his car. This person had a familiar face, it seems he appeared in one of Lin Xi’s videos.

Anyway, the car was covered with anti-peeping film. Pei Jiashu waited for the man to leave before getting out of the car.