After Being Mistaken for His Boyfriend by His Amnesiac Childhood Friend CHAPTER 32

Chapter 32: “Waiting for You at Home”

At the start of the New Year, Jiang Xiaohui finished arranging the last batch of flowers and prepared to close up shop for the holidays.

Her boss had generously given her nearly a month off.

Standing at the entrance, Jiang Xiaohui pressed her hands together and prayed to the shop’s sign:

In the new year, I hope the boss has success in everything he does, that Baihui’s business flourishes, and that my family lives in peace and harmony.

“Xiaohui.”

Someone called her name. Jiang Xiaohui turned around to see the very boss from her prayers walking into reality.

“Boss!”

Jiang Xiaohui stood at the door in a bright red padded jacket. A large “福” (Fu, meaning ‘good fortune’) character was pasted on the glass door behind her, and red lanterns swayed under the eaves. The scene was truly festive.

The fiery red colors seemed to cast a rosy glow on Jian Huaiyi’s face, making him look like a celestial being from an old tale who had been touched by the mortal world. His distinct eyelashes hovered in the air as he stood outside, taking in the sight of his flower shop.

“Hehe,” Jiang Xiaohui let out a small giggle.

Hehe, the boss is so handsome.

Baihui had done exceptionally well this year. Most of the flowers that arrived each day sold out by evening. Any that were left over, Jiang Xiaohui would give away to the neighboring shops for free. Because of this, she’d built great relationships with their ‘neighbors.’ When customers asked them about flower arrangements, they would recommend Baihui, effectively giving the shop free advertising.

Over time, Baihui had built a solid reputation within the local area.

Jiang Xiaohui explained all this to Jian Huaiyi, her heart pounding with anxiety. She had made all these decisions on her own, without getting his approval first.

She’d heard that rich people didn’t like employees who took matters into their own hands.

Under her nervous gaze, Jian Huaiyi simply nodded. His clear, gentle voice was like a trickling stream, washing away her anxiety.

“That’s fine, Xiaohui. You’ve done a great job.”

Jiang Xiaohui was so moved her eyes welled up with tears. Where else could I find a boss like this? Sob!

Not only was the pay high and the vacation time long, but he was also so understanding.

Jian Huaiyi turned to find himself facing Jiang Xiaohui’s tear-filled, saucer-like eyes.

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He didn’t react, simply continuing, “Next year, I’m planning to open a few branch stores. I’ll need your help managing them, which will include training new staff and supervising their daily work. I’ll raise your salary accordingly. Is that okay?” He laid out his plans for her.

He was still young and ambitious. Recently, in particular, a sudden impulse had taken hold of him.

He wanted to climb higher, to escape the boring cage he’d been living in.

Of course, Jiang Xiaohui agreed one hundred and eight times over. She was so excited she was tripping over her words. “Boss, are—are you asking me to start a company with you?”

“Something like that,” Jian Huaiyi said calmly. “After all, you’re also a major shareholder of Baihui.”

Jiang Xiaohui: !

Her! What had she ever done to deserve this!

Thinking back to where she was just a few years ago, she never would have dared to imagine that she would not only have her own flower shop in the international metropolis of City A, but that it would grow bigger and bigger, and now she was going to start a company with her boss.

Oh my god, I can’t even imagine it. I’m afraid I’ll wake up laughing and find out it was all a dream.

Jiang Xiaohui felt an unreal sense of being dazed by a stroke of heaven-sent luck. She pinched her own chubby cheek. Ouch!

It wasn’t a dream.

Jian Huaiyi looked around, gave Jiang Xiaohui a few instructions, and then left, much like a wealth-scattering Bodhisattva who vanishes after bestowing his gifts.

Still in a daze, Jiang Xiaohui bowed deeply to his retreating figure.

Typically, the Jian Corporation wouldn’t be on break yet. For a top-tier company like theirs, filled with the best talent from major universities, the competition was fierce. Everyone tried to outwork each other.

But Jian Huaiyi wasn’t like them.

He wasn’t worried about being fired; in fact, he’d welcome it.

He casually came up with an excuse and gave himself an early New Year’s holiday.

When he got home, he found Liang Xun was there too, which surprised him. “You’re not at the office?”

Liang Xun was perched on the arm of the sofa, fiddling with a square piece of red paper.

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As Jian Huaiyi got closer, he saw it was a New Year’s couplet. On the table next to him were paper-cut window decorations and chubby baby dolls.

Liang Xun seemed to be figuring out how to hang the couplets. Hearing Jian Huaiyi’s voice, he looked up. “I’m on vacation.”

Jian Huaiyi was surprised. “For the New Year?”

Liang Xun nodded. His company was known for its efficiency. As long as you finished your tasks, you could go home. Those who didn’t had to work an extra day, but since most people wanted to get home early for the holiday, nearly everyone had wrapped things up by that afternoon. There was hardly anyone left in the office; even the cleaning ladies had gone home to their grandchildren.

“I want to work at your company,” Jian Huaiyi said suddenly.

Liang Xun put down the couplet. “Okay. What position do you want? I’ll have Assistant Qin arrange it. You can start right after the holiday.”

Amused by his serious tone, Jian Huaiyi’s lips curved into a smile. He deliberately asked, “What do you think I can do?”

Liang Xun lowered his eyes in thought, then listed off the options. “If you want something easy, secretary to the general manager. Project manager would also work; you could just tell the deputy manager what to do.”

“The GM’s secretary… that’s Assistant Qin’s job.” Jian Huaiyi raised an eyebrow. “He doesn’t look like he has it easy.”

“He is busy,” Liang Xun admitted. “But if you worked with him, he’d do everything, which would make it easy for you.”

Jian Huaiyi: “…”

As expected, all capitalists were guilty of one thing—exploitation.

“Never mind. Assistant Qin’s life is a life too.”

With his hands in his pockets, Jian Huaiyi’s attention was drawn to the rabbit-shaped window decorations on the table. He picked one up. The texture wasn’t what he expected; it wasn’t matte or like regular paper. It was cut from something cool and smooth, almost like tin foil.

The Jian family would never display things like this, which they considered “low-class.”

“Did you buy these?”

Liang Xun was still sitting on the arm of the sofa, his long legs bent. The fabric of his well-tailored trousers brushed against Jian Huaiyi’s calf. The distance between them was neither far nor close.

“Assistant Qin gave them to me,” Liang Xun said honestly.

Jian Huaiyi nodded, the topic returning to their previous conversation. “Assistant Qin is a very thoughtful person,” he stated with certainty.

Liang Xun’s brow furrowed. He leaned his straight back forward slightly, his tone becoming a little flat. “He’s okay.”

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“Mm,” Jian Huaiyi agreed, his mind elsewhere.

Liang Xun: “…”

“Are you going home tomorrow?” Liang Xun asked. “For the New Year.”

Jian Huaiyi turned to meet his gaze. Liang Xun’s dark eyes were slightly downcast, a hint of nonchalance beneath them. For a moment, Jian Huaiyi was lost in a daze before he pressed his lips together. “Not yet. In a few days.”

Liang Xun’s forearms were exposed, resting at his sides. As he flexed them slightly, the defined muscles formed a gentle curve.

He had just come from work and was still in his suit, a white blazer with the collar slightly open.

Jian Huaiyi glanced once, put down the window decoration, and then glanced again.

“Do you have any other plans for the holiday?” he asked.

“I do,” Liang Xun said, then added jokingly, “Waiting for you at home.”

Jian Huaiyi’s ears burned. Straightening up, he saw the unfastened button at Liang Xun’s collar. On impulse, he stepped forward and thoughtfully fastened it for him.

The faint, elegant scent of daisies drifted to Liang Xun’s nose. He looked down, his gaze fixed on the young man so close to him. The overhead light cast a warm halo around him, making the moment feel unreal.

Jian Huaiyi looked up, the upward tilt of his eyes making him look clever. “Should I come back sooner, then?”

“Mm,” Liang Xun replied, his jaw tight.

Jian Huaiyi went back to the Jian family home for the New Year. Left alone, Liang Xun grew bored. Remembering the promise he’d made, he drove to their old apartment to see if he could stir up any memories.

The door had a fingerprint lock. He accessed the main system and found only one print registered—his.

Liang Xun paused, then disabled the fingerprint lock and switched it to a password.

Ding-dong~

[Straight Guy: 345986]

Jian Huaiyi: ?

As he was wondering what that was about, another message came through.

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[Straight Guy: The apartment password]

Jian Huaiyi: ?

“Jian the Second, what are you doing?”

Jian Huaiyi turned off his phone and put it back in his pocket. He looked up to see his elder brother—dressed head-to-toe in red like a bridegroom—walking towards him with a plate of cherry tomatoes.

Popping one in his mouth, Jian Huaiyi looked his brother over and said sincerely, “Very festive.”

His brother laughed heartily, then leaned in conspiratorially, his voice dropping to a low whisper. “Little brother, why’d you leave so suddenly the other day?”

Jian Huaiyi: “…”

“What, was I supposed to stay and watch you and sister-in-law…?”

His brother slapped his forehead. Jian Huaiyi took the opportunity to snag another cherry tomato from the plate. The sweet and sour juice was a pleasant mood-lifter.

“Ah, I drank too much that night.” A blush crept up his brother’s handsome face, and he seemed to question his own life choices. “Wait, little brother, you didn’t sleep at all?”

Jian Huaiyi’s cheeks puffed out. He answered instinctively, “I’m picky about beds. Couldn’t sleep.”

“Picky about beds?” His brother narrowed his eyes, his gaze probing. “And which guy’s bed is it that you’ve gotten used to?”

Jian Huaiyi met his brother’s gaze for two seconds, his lips thinning into a line. He pushed his brother’s chest and walked toward the inner room.

His brother followed relentlessly, his mouth running a mile a minute. “Jian the Second, you better watch yourself. Even though I don’t object to you and Liang Xun, that doesn’t mean I approve of you two…”

Jian Huaiyi stopped, picked up a cherry tomato, and stuffed it in his brother’s mouth. “Shut up, you clueless straight guy.”

His brother: ?

“Why are you getting all flustered?” his brother mumbled as he bit into the tomato.

After the New Year, his elder brother had to visit several families. Usually, he would take Jian Huaiyi with him. The Jian clan wasn’t particularly close with their extended relatives, so they rarely visited each other during the holidays. The visits were to a few of the Jian family’s long-standing allies—the Zhaos, the Wens, and the Liangs.

With a blade of grass he’d found somewhere dangling from his mouth, his brother bent over to inspect the gifts designated for each family.

Noticing a small box in the corner, Jian Huaiyi asked, “Elder Brother, who’s that little box for?”

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His brother straightened up and thought for a moment. “Oh, that’s for Yanting.”

Jian Huaiyi: “Smuggling in personal goods?”

His brother grinned. “What, are you jealous?”

Jian Huaiyi: “…”

“Alright, alright. Even though I have many little brothers, my favorite is definitely our Huaiyi~ I already prepared your gift. Go open it in your room tonight, okay? Be good.”

A wave of goosebumps washed over Jian Huaiyi. He leaned against the arm of the sofa with his arms crossed, watching his brother’s back thoughtfully. “I’ll deliver Yanting’s gift for you.”

His brother: “Huh?”

Jian Huaiyi: “Is that a problem?”

His brother’s expression immediately turned serious, and a knot of tension formed in Jian Huaiyi’s stomach. Then, his brother grabbed the gift and tossed it to him, his handsome face breaking into a wide smile. “Thanks, little brother!”

Jian Huaiyi breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if the gift weighed a thousand pounds in his hands.

On New Year’s Eve, the sound of fireworks and firecrackers was incessant.

City A hadn’t implemented restrictions on them yet, but it wouldn’t be long now. This was likely the last New Year that would be this lively.

During the New Year’s Eve dinner, Old Master Jian gave an “important” speech on the family’s performance over the past year and their prospects for the future. Jian Huaiyi wasn’t listening; he was too busy eating.

It didn’t matter, though. He had a set of stock phrases prepared just to deal with his father.

Old Master Jian was getting old and couldn’t stay up late. After dinner, he went upstairs to have tea with the butler and would likely go to bed soon.

“Jian Huaiyi, have you got ants in your pants?” Jian Luojia said, coming up from behind.

Jian Huaiyi gave him a cool glance before turning his attention back to the fireworks outside.

The fireworks this year were varied and beautiful. It was probably the final carnival.

Jian Luojia couldn’t stand his pretentious act and called him out directly. “One second you’re looking at Dad, the next at Big Brother, and you keep glancing down at your phone. Do you have ADHD?” That was something his dad always said to him, and Jian Luojia found quoting the classics to be quite satisfying.

Jian Huaiyi couldn’t be bothered to respond. The snow-white turtleneck sweater he wore made him appear even more aloof. Any normal person would have taken the hint and backed off.

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But Jian Luojia wasn’t a normal person. Convinced he had figured Jian Huaiyi out, he prattled on like a peacock showing off its feathers.

“Second Brother, are you planning to sneak out for a rendezvous?”

Jian Huaiyi didn’t speak, merely shot him a look from the corner of his eye.

“How about I help you?” Jian Luojia nudged his arm.

Jian Huaiyi took a sip of hot tea. “Your terms,” he said flatly.

“Help me sign my leave-of-absence form.”

Jian Huaiyi stared at him for a few seconds. “Are you in elementary school, Jian Luojia?”

“I’m a university student!” Jian Luojia fumed. “My stupid school makes us turn in a leave request signed by a parent even for the New Year holiday! What am I supposed to do? If I don’t hand it in, they’ll mark me as absent! What am I supposed to do?”

Flustered and indignant, he repeated, “What am I supposed to do?” several times, showing just how helpless he felt.

Jian Huaiyi chuckled and patted Jian Luojia’s shoulder. “You got this, college student.” Then he went upstairs to change his clothes.

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