18
Close to midday, the construction site was a bustling sight.
Su Qiong was running around, pushing a trolley. Even though the temperature was just about zero degrees, after operating the trolley a few times, Su Qiong didn’t feel cold at all.
The project, an upper-middle class residential area, was expected to open the following year. It was a little out of the way, but there was a rumor that in the next few years, a supporting facility would open and the whole area could transform into a new business district…Su Qiong only thought of how he could buy half-a-month’s worth of food from working these odd jobs for a few days, so he didn’t pay much attention to these other matters. The occasional chatter from around him went in one ear and out the other, and, naturally, he didn’t even know his boss’s full name.
So when a group of people dressed formally in western-style attire, with all the appearances of leadership, Su Qiong didn’t spare them a single glance.
As a result, when Lin Fu happened to come inspect the commercial construction area for a new company, he stood about three meters away from Su Qiong, staring helplessly at his little cutie’s safety helmet and filthy work gloves as Su Qiong pushed the trolley past him, his face covered in dirt…
“Director Lin? Are you okay?[1]Formal ‘you’” The project manager was giving Lin Fu a progress report. Lin Fu had listened conscientiously for ten minutes when his face suddenly changed, like he’d been struck by lightning.
“It’s nothing,” Lin Fu quickly adjusted his expression, his gaze following Su Qiong and his trolley unwaveringly, “Continue.”
The project manager resumed, words flowing like a torrential downpour.
Lin Fu’s face was completely blank, like his spirit had been snatched.
Xiao Zhang couldn’t help but throw the project manager a sympathetic look: “…”
At this point, our Director Lin only wants to recklessly rush to cuddle his sweetheart. He’s absolutely not listening to you!
“Let’s go over there and take a look,” Once the project manager had finished, Lin Fu couldn’t hold himself back and pointed in Su Qiong’s direction.
And so, the mighty inspection team went over there.
When the lunch break arrived, Su Qiong sat beneath a tree with his lunchbox chatting with an uncle[2]Not his actual uncle, just a way of addressing an older coworker.
“How was your harvest at home this year?” Su Qiong picked up a small, round potato and ate it in one go.
“Very good,” the uncle flicked the ash off his cigarette, “How’s your family?”
“My family doesn’t have any land, quite poor,” Su Qiong replied smoothly, then under the uncle’s sympathetic gaze, he picked up a marinated egg and took a bite, perfectly content. Eyes crinkling in happiness, he added: “Today, I have some eggs to eat. It’s really nice.”
Lin Fu suddenly felt like his heart was dripping blood, and he wanted to grab that person and take him away so badly he almost couldn’t stand it.
Xiao Zhang saw this and stepped forward, whispering into Lin Fu’s ear: “Director Lin, do you want me to go tell the person in charge to add a chicken leg to everyone’s lunch?”
Lin Fu mhmm’d and sent him a look of approval.
Xiao Zhang said shrewdly: “I’ll go.”
Before this, our Director Lin’s eyes had flashed with exactly four parts distress, three parts tender love, two parts overbearingness, and one part rumination. Lin Fu only wanted to fling a ten million dollar check in front of the little cutie! He didn’t want him to ever suffer again!
And so, this afternoon, every worker at the construction site received a glossy, savory chicken leg.
Once work had finished for the day, Su Qiong clutched his salary packet tightly, humming a tune on his way out.
This was the last day. Su Qiong was worried that, should he return to the construction site again, something might happen. Su Qiong walked and calculated where he would go the following day to find a job as a dishwasher.
Since he has some money now, should he subsist with some rice, or should he buy a new pair of shoes?
Su Qiong looked down at where his toes were peeking out the top of his sneakers, concentrating fiercely.
“Su Qiong.” A familiar voice called out from in front of him.
Su Qiong lifted his head. Lin Fu crossed his arms and leaned against the side of a car, the expensive, tailored suit cutting a stunning profile of unrestrained power.
“Ai…?” Su Qiong was dumbfounded. He had never expected that he’d suddenly meet Lin Fu at the entrance of the construction site.
“I changed my car,” The corners of Lin Fu’s lips curled into a smile, dashingly pointing his thumb at the Chery QQ[3]See below behind him, “Get in.”
19
“Is this…your car?” Su Qiong’s eyes widened slightly, disbelievingly getting in the passenger’s side.
“I just bought it. It’s second-hand,” Lin Fu’s 1.87 meter figure was slightly bent. He stepped on the gas and the car sluggishly got moving, saying overbearingly, “First we’ll go out and buy some clothes, then eat dinner. You can’t turn down the offer.”
“Ah…okay,” Su Qiong agreed obediently and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but turn up, warmth as soft as spring water rippling through his heart.
Lin Fu drove steadily as Su Qiong looked around in the car, wringing his hands a little nervously: “You bought this car for…me?”
The answer was obvious, but the little God of Poverty didn’t dare to believe it.
“Yes,” Lin Fu said matter-of-factly, “For picking you up.”
Why do you treat me so well…
He still doesn’t know anything.
Su Qiong felt uncertain again, and he was left speechless once more. He could only look at him fixedly, gazing at Lin Fu’s dashing side profile.
Lin Fu quickly shot a glance at Su Qiong, teasing: “If this car breaks, I’ll have to come pick you up on a bicycle.”
Su Qiong involuntarily imagined Lin Fu, wearing clothes expensive enough to leave one breathless, riding a bicycle to pick him up, with a limousine escorting them from behind to await orders. Su Qiong couldn’t help letting out a snort of laughter.
Lin Fu laughed too, reaching out a hand to stroke Su Qiong’s hair dotingly: “You have an interesting personality.”
Su Qiong shrank back, blushing as his eyelashes quivered slightly: “I’m sorry…I made you drive a car that you don’t like.”
“Says who?” Lin Fu patted the steering wheel, praising enthusiastically, “This car isn’t bad at all. While it might not move very quickly, it’s environmentally friendly and saves energy. Not to mention, the exterior is quite cute…I like things that are cute.”
As he said this last word, he deliberately lowered his voice.
That deep, attractive voice was like a soft finger scratching lightly on his eardrum, immediately prompting Su Qiong’s ears to flush bright red.
“Oh, right…” Su Qiong’s heart and mind were indescribably flustered, so he tried to cover it up by talking hastily, “How did you know I was here?”
Lin Fu replied softly: “I saw you when I was at the construction site today.”
“Why were you at the construction site today?” Su Qiong’s mouth formed an “O” shape.
“The commercial building under construction there is being developed by our company. I originally went there today to check on the project’s progress…” Lin Fu paused, taking advantage of the time waiting for the stoplight to lean towards Su Qiong. His lips lightly brushed Su Qiong’s ear, “But, in the end, I saw you.”
Su Qiong nervously clamped his mouth shut. He could only make a small sound of agreement, his face burning and heart palpitating. His eyes were lowered, staring fixedly at the toe peeking out of his shoe.
Lin Fu sighed soundlessly, asking: “Could you stop working there?”
Su Qiong waved his hands a few times: “I wasn’t planning to go back there tomorrow, either. No need to worry, if I only work there for a few days, there shouldn’t be any effect. The construction project won’t have a problem…”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Lin Fu realized that Su Qiong had misunderstood him, believing that Lin Fu was looking to avoid his ill luck. He hurried to interrupt him, frankly interjecting: “I’m just worried about you.”
Su Qiong revealed a simple smile: “Don’t worry about me. I was going to look for a dishwashing job tomorrow to find work for the next few days. That kind of workload is a lot lighter than this one.”
A vein jumped in Lin Fu’s temple and he pushed on the brake, stopping the car by the side of the road. After sitting silently for a moment, he sucked in a deep breath and turned to face Su Qiong: “I was trying to say…even though we haven’t known each other for very long, I really like you.”
Su Qiong was completely stunned. He looked at Lin Fu, eyes round.
“How about we try being together?” The driver of the second-hand Chery QQ, Lin Fu, said a little breathlessly, “I’ll take good care of you. I won’t let you bear any more hardship.”
