Chapter 15: The CEO and His Boy
The pet shop.
“Awoo?” Bai Tuanzi, having had a wonderful nap, woke up. His large blue eyes were still hazy, clearly showing he wasn’t fully awake yet.
“Awoo?” Dad? The first thing Bai Tuanzi did after waking up was to look for his dad.
“Dad’s here.” Hearing Bai Tuanzi’s call, Lin Xia hurried over to hug him.
“Awoo~” Seeing his beloved dad, Bai Tuanzi’s tail wagged excitedly.
“Are you hungry?” Bai Tuanzi was growing rapidly and needed several meals a day.
“Awoo!” Hungry! At the mention of food, Bai Tuanzi became unusually excited, proving to be a little foodie.
“There are some leftover baozi from this morning. Do you want to eat them, baby?” Lin Xia asked with a smile.
“Awoo!” Yes, yes, yes! Bai Tuanzi nodded vigorously. His dad’s baozi were so delicious; how could he not eat them?
“I’ll get them for you.” Lin Xia playfully tapped Bai Tuanzi’s nose and took him to the warming cabinet to get the baozi.
The baozi in the warming cabinet were still warm; they could be eaten as soon as they were taken out.
There weren’t many leftover baozi from this morning. Bai Tuanzi counted them and thought about how to divide them.
Although he alone could finish them, how could he eat them all himself? Good things should be shared.
“Awoo~” Two for Dad, one for Brother Ziyu, one for Brother Little Hamster, and one for An’an.
Bai Tuanzi wagged his tail and counted on his paws. He nodded, very satisfied with his distribution.
“Awoo~” An’an is so smart; praise me!
Looking at Bai Tuanzi’s sparkling eyes, Lin Xia’s heart melted. His son was so well-behaved and soft!
“Baby is the best!” Lin Xia couldn’t help but stroke Bai Tuanzi’s soft, round head.
“Awoo!” Praised by his dad, Bai Tuanzi proudly puffed out his chest, his tail wagging happily in circles.
“But Dad only needs one, so baby can have two.” These baozi were originally Bai Tuanzi’s afternoon snack; the adults weren’t supposed to have any, but Bai Tuanzi was willing to share, and he even gave Lin Xia two, which deeply moved him.
“Awoo?” Really? Bai Tuanzi looked at Lin Xia questioningly. Dad only eats one?
“Dad only needs one.” Lin Xia said with a smile. Bai Tuanzi’s well-behaved nature always filled him with comfort.
“Awoo!” Thank you, Dad! After confirming that Lin Xia didn’t want two, Bai Tuanzi happily enjoyed the delicious baozi.
The others who received baozi liked Bai Tuanzi even more. They knew Lin Xia treated Bai Tuanzi differently from other pets, and that Bai Tuanzi was very intelligent, unlike ordinary cats. Most of the time, they unconsciously treated Bai Tuanzi like a child, and Bai Tuanzi also brought them a lot of joy.
“Thank you, An’an!” Wang Ziyu thanked Bai Tuanzi.
“Awoo.” You’re welcome. Although Wang Ziyu didn’t understand, Bai Tuanzi still answered politely.
In the midst of the busy afternoon, the pet shop was filled with a warm and harmonious atmosphere.
The sun slanted westward, and the setting sun painted the sky with red hues. The weather was clear today; even the chill seemed to have been blown away by the wind, making the entire Jiangcheng feel warm.
Zhao Yuhao, wearing a coat, pushed open the door. The setting sun fell on him, creating a backlit beauty.
He was an outstanding manāthose who saw him, whether from his appearance or temperament, would instantly realize he wasn’t an ordinary person.
Young people his age, two or three years after graduation, might be in a managerial position. But Zhao Yuhao was different. His status as a rich second-generation and his genius in computer science allowed him to thrive in the business world since creating his company during college. Such a person was undoubtedly a winner in life.
But he didn’t feel like a winner in life, even though he was CEO. He hadn’t yet married his ideal partner.
Yes…that’s right, his ideal partner. Because he was gay, and he liked cute and soft boys. He discovered his sexual orientation during puberty. At that time, he was a little flustered, so he told his parents.
It’s more accurate to say that Zhao Yuhao’s parents were his friends, close and understanding ones, rather than just his parents. From a young age, Zhao Yuhao grew up with his parents’ open and tolerant upbringing.
When he told his parents about his sexual orientation, they considered it for a few days and then gave him a clear answer.
“This isn’t an illness; it’s normal. Not everyone likes the opposite sex; some people may like the same sex, or bothā¦”
They patiently explained about homosexuality, how that community was, societal attitudes, and the indescribable aspectsā¦
Finally, they made a few requests of Zhao Yuhao: don’t be promiscuous, treat relationships seriously, and don’t hurt others.
His parents’ words were like a beacon in the darkness, showing Zhao Yuhao a clear path. Zhao Yuhao was fortunate not to be lost; he remembered his parents’ requests, avoiding promiscuity and casual relationships. He also had emotionalę½ē(jiepi – cleanliness), not dating unless he felt a strong connection. Zhao Yuhao had always been strict with himself, to the extent that he was still a virgin in his twenties.
Fortunately, this year he met a boy who made his heart flutter.
This year, the company hired several new employees for the Human Resources department. Among them was a boy with a baby face, delicate features, and a pair of clear, bright eyesālike the deep, clear waters of Lake Baikal, or a pure and flawless jade, exceptionally charming.
At their first meeting, Zhao Yuhao fell deeply for the boy. The boy unintentionally met his gaze, like a deer lost in the forestābewildered yet cute.
“One glance, a flutter of the heart, an unexpected joyā¦” At that moment, Zhao Yuhao had this song playing in his head.
Confident in his feelings, Zhao Yuhao began his long pursuit.
The boy was a recent college graduate, and like many recent graduates, he worked hard for his living, hoping to find a foothold in the city.
The boy was kind but shy; he was a very traditional and well-behaved child, and quite innocent, even a little slow in matters of love. Zhao Yuhao didn’t dare to be too obvious; he was afraid of scaring the boy, so he subtly and silently approached him.
But the CEO’s approach and kindness made the junior employee apprehensive. Sometimes the boy was worried; was there something wrong with him that would make such a big shot focus on him? He didn’t want to leave the company because the pay and benefits were excellent. Leaving for another company might not offer such good treatment.
Poor treatment meant he wouldn’t have extra money to get a pet, let alone an expensive ragdoll cat.
Ragdoll cats were his favorite. As a child, he had seen ragdoll cats on TV and had fallen deeply in love with them. He vowed to raise a big ragdoll when he grew up. However, he, a recent graduate struggling to support himself, couldn’t afford or raise an expensive ragdoll cat.
The New Year came, and everyone was posting their New Year wishes online. He also followed the trend and posted a status update: In the new year, I want to raise a big ragdoll.
Zhao Yuhao’s company usually communicated through WeChat; QQ was the boy’s personal space. After getting close to the boy for a while, Zhao Yuhao added him on QQ. He learned about the boy’s daily life through his posts.
Near the New Year, the company was preparing for the holidays. Zhao Yuhao was very frustrated; he hadn’t made any substantial progress with the boy, and once the holidays started, he wouldn’t see him.
As he desperately sought a breakthrough in their relationship, the boy posted a status update mentioning his New Year wish.
The boy rarely posted statuses expressing his wishes; he seldom shared what he wanted online. He was a very independent person who didn’t easily ask others for things.
Zhao Yuhao felt that his opportunity had come.
Author’s Note: Thank you to all the little angels for your collections and comments!
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