CH 25

Before Pei You could see the situation inside the room clearly, he felt a large shadow falling on him. Zhou Qingbai, like a boneless rubber, leaned against the door frame, and without looking, he used his forehead to rest on Pei You’s shoulder.

“…So tired.” Zhou Qingbai said in a hoarse voice, “Why did you wake up so early?”

“It’s already twelve o’clock.” Pei You said helplessly.

He supported Zhou Qingbai’s weight with his shoulder, not moving back or forth, trying to push Zhou Qingbai away with his hand, but it felt like hugging, and no matter how he gestured, it seemed wrong.

After a few attempts, Pei You simply gave up and patted Zhou Qingbai’s shoulder, wanting him to get up by himself.

“Stand up first.” Pei You said.

Zhou Qingbai could stay up late but couldn’t get up early. The time spent staying up usually needed to be compensated for in sleep with a ratio of 1:2. Now, he couldn’t even open his eyes due to exhaustion. Hearing this, he shook his head and acted reluctant, “No, I’m not awake yet.”

He closed his eyes, speaking in a husky voice, and swayed along Pei You’s shoulder. Pei You was afraid he would actually fall asleep and slide down, so he couldn’t help but hug his back and support him.

“Get up and have some food.” Pei You said, “We have to go to Dongjiang to check the accounts later.”

Putting work first, Zhou Qingbai frowned upon hearing this, struggling to drag himself out of slumber.

“Ugh, it’s too early.” Zhou Qingbai complained, “This rainy day is perfect for sleeping.”

“But we still have work to do.” Pei You said. “Dongjiang’s financial situation is chaotic, and if Liu Xin really embezzled public funds, he won’t cooperate with my investigation. It will probably take some time.”

Zhou Qingbai mumbled, then reached out to grab a handful of his hair, saying with difficulty, “I’ll go freshen up.”

Wearing nothing but his feet, Zhou Qingbai walked heavily towards the bathroom. Pei You glanced at his condition, and when he passed by him, he pulled him back, “Put on some shoes, don’t slip.”

“I got it.” Zhou Qingbai rubbed Pei You’s wrist, murmuring, “Wait for me a bit.”

Pei You nodded and sat on the couch, waiting for him.

Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom. Zhou Qingbai took a shower and finally woke both his soul and body up. He switched to work mode after coming out of the bathroom.

He spent twenty minutes getting ready and then, when he came out of the bathroom, he no longer looked like a sleepy ghost. His eyes were bright, and he seemed fully awake.

“In a while, let’s go out to eat, and then…” Zhou Qingbai was squatting next to the suitcase in a bathrobe, rummaging inside. He hadn’t finished his sentence when his attention seemed to be taken away, and he said casually, “Oh… Where did my white T-shirt go?”

“It’s on the bed.” Pei You said. “It’s under the one on top.”

Zhou Qingbai, half-sleepy and half-awake, was almost amnesiac. He looked puzzled for a moment, then raised his head to look at the neatly folded clothes on the bed, and finally realized what had happened.

“You folded them for me?” Zhou Qingbai reached out with extended arms to take the shirt he wanted to wear and then turned his head to smile at Pei You. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Pei You said.

The clothes were neatly folded in a square shape. Zhou Qingbai looked at them from front to back and, for some reason, couldn’t help but sigh deeply, saying sincerely, “Hey, besides you, no other man has ever folded clothes for me.”

Pei You: “…”

That statement sounded strange, and Pei You fell silent for a couple of seconds without responding to it.

“What were you saying earlier?” Pei You asked.

“Oh, right.” Zhou Qingbai easily diverted his attention, holding the T-shirt and the jacket he pulled out as he stood up. While walking towards the bathroom, he said, “why don’t you go to Dongjiang first, and I’ll come later this afternoon.”

Pei You didn’t understand why Zhou Qingbai wanted them to act separately. If it wasn’t for Zhou Qingbai holding a set of outing clothes, Pei You would have suspected that he was trying to get rid of him and then go back to bed for more sleep.

“Why?” Pei You asked.

“Because if I go with you, Liu Xin will definitely focus on me,” Zhou Qingbai’s voice came from the bathroom with a slight echo, “He will think of me as your superior, someone who can control you, so he won’t take you seriously.”

Regardless of Zhou Qingbai’s actual level of expertise at work, he was quite skilled in office politics. For someone like Liu Xin, who was well-connected, having someone like Zhou Qingbai, a legitimate heir to a conglomerate, around meant Pei You would be considered merely an employee with no real authority. However, if Zhou Qingbai wasn’t present, Pei You’s identity would transform into a “royal historian,” and Liu Xin wouldn’t dare to be impolite.

That task was both troublesome and complex, and Zhou Qingbai wanted to give Pei You absolute initiative. He planned to let Pei You take the lead with Liu Xin first, and then he would appear later. That way, Liu Xin wouldn’t be able to change his attitude easily.

Pei You blinked, realizing what Zhou Qingbai meant.

“It doesn’t really matter.” Pei You said, “No matter how he sees me, it won’t affect the financial issues.”

As Zhou Qingbai finished changing his clothes and came out of the bathroom, he wasn’t wearing a suit but casual attire. The soft, thin coat outlined his shoulders, and Pei You’s gaze followed the coat up, noticing a silver earring on Zhou Qingbai’s earlobe.

“That won’t do.” Zhou Qingbai frowned at Pei You’s refusal, as if afraid that Pei You would suffer, and said with earnestness, “You don’t know what kind of person he is. He is both arrogant and rude. If he thinks you’re easy to bully, he won’t treat you well.”

Pei You had been in the industry for several years, from an intern to his current position. He had seen all kinds of companies and dealt with all sorts of bad accounts, as well as some financial officers or CEOs who were unkind to auditors.

However, he only cared about the clarity of the financial accounts and didn’t care much about how others perceived him. He had never minded those matters.

But now it seemed that Zhou Qingbai cared a lot.

So Pei You swallowed the refusal he had been about to voice and accepted Zhou Qingbai’s goodwill.

“Alright.” Pei You lowered his eyes slightly and said, “And what about you?”

“I’ll do something else first.” Zhou Qingbai roamed around the room, putting items like his phone charger into his pocket, and said, “My brother said if Liu Xin really embezzled public funds, he would definitely have to face a lawsuit. So I’m going to ‘visit’ his family first and see if there are any suspicious points.”

That should work too, Pei You thought. Liu Xin probably wouldn’t provide him with a regular financial report, and if Zhou Qingbai could find some other information, it would be beneficial for him.

“Alright, let’s go out to eat now,” Zhou Qingbai finished packing his things for going out, then naturally reached out to hold Pei You’s wrist. “Is there anything good to eat around here?”

“I don’t know, let’s go out and check.” Pei You said as he stood up and followed Zhou Qingbai outside. However, just as they stepped out, Pei You remembered something and stopped, intending to turn back.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Pei You said, “Your ID is still with me; I’ll go get it—”

Before he finished speaking, Zhou Qingbai had already pulled out his room card from the power slot. Using his foot, he closed the door and pushed Pei You towards the elevator.

“No need to get it; just keep it.” Zhou Qingbai said, “I’m so hungry.”