Chapter 70: You Want Me to Be Your Client Father?
Chi Yuheng finished his work and emerged from the study. Although the proposal for Plot 096 wasn’t finished yet, he wanted to talk to Ye Ran first.
He suddenly felt like he was ‘getting the advantage of being close to the action.’ He didn’t need to book a time like a normal seeker of collaboration, and he might not even be able to get an appointment.
The distance between him and Ye Ran… if they didn’t see each other when looking down, they saw each other when looking up; if they didn’t see each other on the ground, they saw each other in bed.
The old mansion was two stories. The study was on the first floor, and Ye Ran’s room was on the second.
Chi Yuheng glanced toward Ye Ran’s room and stepped upstairs. Reaching the stairs’ landing, he first heard the sound of a door slamming shut, followed by the sound of footsteps coming downstairs.
On the spacious stairs’ landing, the two collided, their eyes meeting.
“In such a hurry, where are you going?” Chi Yuheng asked.
Ye Ran had originally planned to go to the study to find him, not expecting to run into him on the stairs.
“I was going to find you.”
“Find me?”
Looking at Ye Ran’s innocent expression, Chi Yuheng suddenly thought of the contents Ye Ran had searched for on his tablet.
He paused. “Coincidentally, I was also going to find you.”
What a coincidence.
Ye Ran’s desire to find Chi Yuheng was an impulse, while Chi Yuheng’s desire to find Ye Ran was something he had thought about long ago.
Ye Ran hadn’t thought about how to say it yet; he hadn’t even outlined a lie in his heart. For a moment, he didn’t know where to start.
“You’re looking for me… you speak first.”
Chi Yuheng went straight to the point. “As the CEO of Chengyi Group, I truly want to seek collaboration with CEO Ye. I wonder if CEO Ye is willing to give me a chance.”
Chi Yuheng had changed his title for him, from Young Master Ye to CEO Ye.
Ye Ran’s mind was full of what kind of reason he should give Chi Yuheng later, so he naturally missed Chi Yuheng’s previous sentence.
It wasn’t until a few seconds after Chi Yuheng finished that Ye Ran’s messy brain restarted. “What did you just say? I didn’t hear clearly.”
Chi Yuheng was used to Ye Ran’s mind wandering. He wandered during class, he wandered when being lectured for causing trouble, and he even wandered this morning during his personal teaching session.
Chi Yuheng repeated, “CEO Ye, I want to collaborate with you. If you have time, we can find a place to discuss it in detail.”
Ye Ran didn’t react for a moment to the fact that he was now a landlord. He asked back, “Collaborate on what?”
Chi Yuheng: “Plot 096. I am one of those people Grandfather mentioned who wants to collaborate with you.”
Ye Ran blinked, his brain rapidly drawing a conclusion. “Chi Yuheng, are you saying you want me to be your Father?”
Chi Yuheng: “…”
He just wanted to talk about a collaboration, yet Ye Ran wanted to super-increase his seniority.
The difference of two words was huge.
Ye Ran’s words had slipped out completely without passing through his brain. He had to correct himself quickly. “I mean, you want me to be your Client Father?” [TN: Client Father – 甲方爸爸 – A slang term for the client in a business deal, who holds all the power.]
Chi Yuheng looked up at him, a smile in his eyes, his tone serious. “Correct. The project proposal is still being worked on. I wonder if CEO Ye is willing.”
Ye Ran was a hundred percent willing to Chi Yuheng’s invitation. He didn’t trust others, but he certainly trusted Chi Yuheng.
At least Chi Yuheng definitely wouldn’t cheat him. This way, he wouldn’t have to learn those things that gave him a headache.
Thinking aside, Ye Ran naturally wouldn’t agree so readily.
“Collaboration isn’t impossible. I have conditions. You have to promise me three things.”
Chi Yuheng asked, “Is it as simple as just three things? You don’t need to look at the proposal?”
“Simple?” Ye Ran raised his voice.
He was originally standing on the same step as Chi Yuheng, and he still had to look up at him.
Now he stepped up several steps “thud, thud, thud,” as if standing on a higher step would give him more momentum.
Only when he looked at Chi Yuheng, who was now shorter than him, did Ye Ran feel comfortable.
“None of these three things are simple. I’ll give you time. Consider whether you agree or not before speaking.”
In less than three seconds, Chi Yuheng looked into his eyes and spoke, “Fine, I agree.”
He agreed so quickly.
Without the slightest hesitation.
Ye Ran confirmed with him, “Have you thought about it?”
Chi Yuheng: “I have.” He repeated, “I agree.”
He didn’t even know what the three things Ye Ran wanted to say were.
Agreeing just like that actually made the person making the request freeze for a moment.
“Then… then I’ll say the first thing first.”
Ye Ran’s hand gripped the stairs’ railing tightly, thinking about how to say it without it sounding too abrupt.
“I heard that kissing can help someone quit smoking. I want to try it,” Ye Ran said somewhat guiltily.
This was something he had seen online a long time ago.
Smoking and kissing both promote the brain’s release of dopamine. When a nicotine craving strikes, a deep kiss can, to a certain extent, replace the satisfaction brought by a cigarette.
Ye Ran felt that saying it this way might make Chi Yuheng believe him.
Otherwise, if he just said ‘I want to kiss you to see if I’m capable and if I only have feelings for men,’ it would be a wonder if Chi Yuheng didn’t think he was crazy.
However, everyone heard a different key point in a sentence. What Ye Ran wanted to express was the kiss, while Chi Yuheng focused on quitting smoking.
“Since when did you start smoking? How long have you been smoking? How much do you smoke every day?”
Ye Ran was bewildered by his ‘lethal’ three questions.
Many men smoke, but Chi Yuheng didn’t allow him to, and Ye Ran had never thought about trying it.
Saying this today was purely using it as an excuse. Since Chi Yuheng asked, he had to think about how to make it sound plausible.
“I just tried it out of curiosity. I don’t smoke much every day. Isn’t that why I want to quit now?”
In reality, he didn’t even have a pack of cigarettes. Indeed, one lie required more lies to cover it up. Ye Ran thought about whether he should prepare a pack of cigarettes to carry on him later.
Feeling guilty but still holding his ground, Ye Ran said, “Didn’t you say you’d agree to everything? It’s only the first thing, and you’re already failing?”
Chi Yuheng let out a light laugh. “Of course not.”
The afternoon sunlight was just right, passing through the floor-to-ceiling window and reflecting on the stairs’ landing, casting layers of light and shadow. A light breeze blew in through the half-open window, making the white lace curtains sway.
Chi Yuheng stepped up one step, his deep gaze striking Ye Ran’s heart.
“Shall we start now?”
Ye Ran nodded, his hand gripping the railing tighter.
Chi Yuheng stepped up another step until his hands could touch Ye Ran’s waist.
He pulled the youth into his arms, lowered his head, and kissed his lips.
Translator’s Note:
Here are some notes for these chapters:
- Client Father (甲方爸爸): This is a very common Chinese business term. In a contract, Party A (甲方) is the one who pays, and Party B (乙方) is the one who provides the service. Since Party A holds the money and power, Party B often jokingly calls them “Father” because they have to be catered to.
- Syrian Style (敘利亞風格): This is a popular internet meme in China. It refers to interior design that looks like a war zone—exposed bricks, bare concrete, and a generally “unfinished” or “ruined” industrial look. Poor Chi Youchu took it literally!
- Hiding a Beauty in a Golden House (金屋藏嬌): This is a famous Chinese idiom originating from Emperor Wu of Han, who promised to build a golden house for his favorite lady. It now refers to a man keeping a mistress in a secret luxury home.
- Three Missing One (三缺一): As mentioned, it’s a Mahjong term. A game needs four people; if only three are present, they are “missing one.”
- Dopamine & Quitting Smoking: Ye Ran’s excuse is actually based on some pseudo-science often discussed on the Chinese internet. It’s a very clumsy attempt at an excuse, but Chi Yuheng is more than happy to “help”!
See you in the next update!
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