CH 91

The pleasant and relaxed weekend flew by quickly. When the alarm clock went off early on Monday morning, even those who were reluctant to leave the warmth of their bed had to get up for work.

When Pei You got up, Zhou Qingbo was still snuggled under the blanket. A hand emerged from beneath the blanket’s edge, pulling Pei You’s wrist playfully. Half-asleep, Zhou Qingbo leaned against Pei You, calling him with a drowsy voice.

He was fond of staying in bed, and if he had to wake up at eight, he wouldn’t open his eyes earlier than that. Pei You was used to his behavior and didn’t find it strange. He bent down, kissed his forehead, and then went to get dressed and freshen up, preparing breakfast.

Breakfast was a semi-prepared snack bought from the supermarket. After steaming the custard buns, a sweet fragrance filled the air. Lured by the aroma, Zhou Qingbo emerged from the bedroom like a wandering soul, his eyes still closed, burying his head in Pei You’s shoulder. He muttered sleepily a couple of times.

“Since you’re awake, go wash your hands and let’s have breakfast together,” Pei You said to him, “Skipping breakfast in the morning will mess up your tummy.”

Zhou Qingbo didn’t mind much whether his stomach was in good condition or not, what concerned him was that during workdays, he and Pei You only had two chances to meet – in the morning and evening. He didn’t want to miss the opportunity to have breakfast with him, so he leaned against Pei You and pouted for a while. Then he bit his lip and opened his eyes, floating toward the bathroom with unsteady steps.

A thick layer of steam rose from the steamer, and Pei You leaned against the kitchen window, rolling up his shirt cuffs, looking outside for a moment.

The weather was sunny; it seemed like a good day.

Suddenly, the phone on the kitchen counter vibrated lightly. Pei You picked up the phone and unlocked it, finding a message in the work group chat.

The project in the southern province was put on hold, but Pei You couldn’t afford to be idle. Starting in the second half of the year, all companies had to update their financial reports, which meant the audit team had gotten busy as well. Pei You had a continuous stream of tasks lined up. The information provided by the collaborating parties almost filled his entire desk.

However, perhaps because Anna still had intentions to promote Pei You and send him to the Shanghai branch, she hadn’t assigned him any overseas trips or assignments lately. Most of his recent tasks involved maintaining existing collaborations and updating the current work progress.

After the autumn recruitment, the firm also welcomed a batch of fresh blood, and two interns joined Pei You’s team. Since they were new, they didn’t know anything, and they had to be guided step by step in everything they did.

Pei You opened the work group chat, quickly scanned the work-related questions sent  and carefully replied to a few important ones.

Monday mornings were always accompanied by a pile of new tasks. Pei You finished replying to work messages one by one and just as the timer on the table hit zero, it chimed and vibrated. Pei You briefly glanced away from his phone, silenced the buzzing timer, and pressed it off.

When Zhou Qingbo got up on Monday mornings, he seemed to have some sort of condition slowing down his actions. He spent a full fifteen minutes in the bathroom before slowly making his way out. Even during breakfast, his eyelids seemed to be fighting to stay open. It took him a good five minutes to finish eating a custard bun.

At first, Pei You thought he was just tired. But as he finished his own meal, got dressed, and prepared to leave for work, he saw Zhou Qingbo still sitting at the dining table. Perplexed, Pei You furrowed his brows and waved his hand in front of Zhou Qingbo’s eyes.

“Qingbo?” Pei You asked. “Shall I drop you off at work?”

“Huh?” Zhou Qingbo snapped out of his daze, realizing what was happening. He casually put down his chopsticks and got up from behind the dining table.

“I forgot to tell you, I’m not going to work for now,” Zhou Qingbo embraced Pei You’s waist, blinked at him innocently, and said, “My dad suspended me completely. I might not go back to work until… who knows when.”

Pei You was slightly taken aback.

He knew about Zhou Qingbo being suspended, but he assumed that since Zhou Jianguo had allowed Zhou Qingbo to come back and stay with him, the matter was essentially resolved and he hadn’t expected Zhou Qingbo to still be suspended.

“Well…”

Pei You looked at Zhou Qingbo with some concern, seemingly wanting to comfort him but not knowing what to say.

“I’ll be waiting for you at home,” Zhou Qingbo picked up the conversation, blinking his eyes and giving Pei You a slightly exaggerated, pitiful look. He said in a soft voice, “I can only rely on you to support me now. You won’t get tired of me, right?”

“Not at all,” Pei You quickly said. “I can take care of you.”

He was too quick and sincere in his response, as if afraid that if he said it a moment later, Zhou Qingbo’s “fragile” heart would shatter into pieces.

Zhou Qingbo’s lips curved, as if he remembered something. He pressed his lips together to suppress a smile and asked, “But what if my dad doesn’t let me return to work?”

That was indeed a concern, Pei You thought. Zhou Qingbo’s resume wasn’t particularly competitive in a place like Beijing, where executives were everywhere. If he left Qingshan, he might not find another job so easily let alone withstand the high pressure work environments.

Various well-known large local companies in Beijing flashed through Pei You’s mind. No matter how he thought about it, he felt that Zhou Qingbo might not adapt well in those places.

“…we don’t have to worry about that for now,” Pei You said. “Just wait for me here, you can play some games at home or go to Black Bar.”

Apart from mixing drinks, Zhou Qingbo enjoyed playing video games. Pei You mentally calculated his own salary and felt that supporting him wouldn’t be a problem.

“Let’s just wait and see how things turn out,” Pei You said.

“but….” Zhou Qingbo said in distress. “If I keep doing nothing at home, I’ll eventually become out of touch with the world.”

“Then do something you like,” Pei You said.

“okay.” Zhou Qingbo smiled mischievously. He liked how Pei You cared for him, so he continued to tease him. He pretended to be like a young wife and said, “I’ll do some household chores at home, while you go to work. I’ll take care of things at home – you handle the outside, and I’ll handle the inside.”

Pei You: “…”

For a moment, Pei You’s expression turned blank. Before he could even picture Zhou Qingbo doing household chores, he saw Zhou Qingbo suppressing a smile and quickly running to the door to take Pei You’s coat from the hanger. He then personally helped him put it on.

“Qingbo—” Pei You obviously wasn’t used to Zhou Qingbo behaving like this. He felt a bit stiff, attempting to refuse, “You don’t have to—”

“Be careful on your way to work, don’t worry about me,” Zhou Qingbo didn’t even give him a chance to refuse. He smoothly helped Pei You put on his coat, then handed him his briefcase and car keys. He leaned in to kiss him and, in passing, pushed him out the door. He acted like a good wife as he said, “Drive safely.”

“Alright.” Pei You walked out of the house, still seeming a bit worried. So he turned back, feeling unsure, and said helplessly, “I’ll try not to work overtime tonight. I’ll come back early.”

“Okay,” Zhou Qingbo said, suppressing a smile. “Work hard. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”

Pei You inexplicably found himself carrying the weight of being the “head of the household” out of nowhere. He, who was usually quite oblivious, suddenly became the pillar of the household, and he could only work diligently to start his week.

However, although Zhou Qingbo said he’d rely on Pei You, he wasn’t shameless enough to freeload at home. After Pei You left, Zhou Qingbo washed the dishes, went back to his room to take a nap, and only got up in the afternoon. He freshened up, took his keys, and left the house.

Black Bar wasn’t open in the afternoon. When Zhou Qingbo arrived, the doors were closed, and the lights were on. Several staff members were setting up a small stage and checking for safety hazards.

A somewhat rugged middle-aged man sat at the largest booth in the VIP area. Ge Xing sat next to him, chatting and holding a deck of cards in his hand.

As usual, Zhou Qingbo entered through the back door. The middle-aged man looked up and saw him first. Before he could say anything, a smile appeared on his face, and he waved to Zhou Qingbo from a distance, calling him “little brother.”

“Boss Qiang.” Zhou Qingbo called back, walking past the bar without hesitation. He grabbed a bottle of cola from the fridge and said casually, “Is there a performance today?”

“Yes, I brought in an underground band from Nanjing,” Boss Qiang squinted his eyes and smiled, saying, “Do you want to show off your skills on stage a bit with them?”

“Not today, I can’t. I’ve got something going on,” Zhou Qingbo said.

He sat down smoothly on the other side of the booth as he spoke. Ge Xing gathered the playing cards in his hand into a pile, but before he could get a good look, he noticed what Zhou Qingbo was holding.

“… What’s that you’re wearing?” Ge Xing asked with a disgusted expression. “When did you become a nouveau riche?”

Zhou Qingbo was wearing the bracelet that He Ping had given him earlier. He was still basking in the fresh excitement of being accepted by Pei You’s family. When he left home earlier, he absentmindedly put it on.

“What are you talking about?” Zhou Qingbo was shameless in this regard. He gave Ge Xing a look, then confidently stated, “This is the gift my mother-in-law gave to the daughter-in-law as a meeting present.”

“…” Ge Xing thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me.

Ge Xing couldn’t be bothered to probe further. He went straight to the point, “So, why do you have time to come here today?”

“I came to find something to do,” Zhou Qingbo wiggled his toe and said, “My dad suspended me from work. I can’t just sit around doing nothing at home.”

In theory, Zhou Qingbo’s financial assets, even if left untouched each month, brought in a steady income. Over a year, it wasn’t much less than the annual salary of an executive. But he had inherited a bit of Zhou Jianguo’s patriarchal mindset and felt that it wasn’t right for him to stay at home while Pei You went to work.

“Is your dad serious about this?” Ge Xing was puzzled. “What’s his deal? He let you out and still pulls this act?”

“He’s always like this,” Zhou Qingbo shrugged. “He’s waiting for me to give in.”

“Finding something to do isn’t a problem,” Boss Qiang rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Many people come to our bar because of you. If you’re willing to work here regularly, I’ll triple Xiao Li’s wage for you.”

“The main shifts are too long,” Zhou Qingbo sighed. “Pei You works during the day. I can’t have him stay up with me at the bar until past two in the morning every night.”

“But you’re not suited for part-time either,” Boss Qiang didn’t understand. “You’re not short on money, so why bother with this?”

It was difficult for Zhou Qingbo to explain the concept of “equality” between lovers. He opened a can of Coke, shook his head, and sighed.

“Actually…” Ge Xing suddenly said, “Have you ever thought about opening your own bar?”

Zhou Qingbo had the skills, aesthetics, a good background, plenty of savings, and financial funds to support him in case of losses. On paper, he was in the ideal position to open a bar. However, he had always managed to restrain himself, something Ge Xing couldn’t quite understand.

“You think I haven’t considered it?” Zhou Qingbo said. “I’ve thought about it countless times before.”

Zhou Qingbo had considered this. He loved bartending, understood the workings and business models of bars, and was more willing to invest effort in this than being an executive in a clean office.

But his family situation was such that both Zhou Jianguo and Zhou Cangshan hoped he would have a more “respectable” career. They didn’t support his ventures—let alone something as “unbecoming” as this.

For Zhou Qingbo, staying at Qingshan and being a mid-level executive without many responsibilities was the suitable option in his situation. After all, he loved bartending, not running a bar. So, he let it go. It wasn’t worth the trouble.

“But the problem now is that I don’t know how long I’ll be at odds with my dad,” Zhou Qingbo took a deep breath and continued, “Sooner or later, he’ll want me back at Qingshan. If I open a bar now, what will I do when that time comes? I can’t juggle both.”

Zhou Qingbo didn’t consider himself overly career-driven. He only had so much energy. A portion went into bartending, and Pei You took up a significant part. What was left was barely enough for him to “get by.” He didn’t have the mental energy to develop a side business.

This was indeed a problem. While a good background was a boost, it could also be a restraint at times. Ge Xing understood this as well, so he didn’t press the issue further.

“No worries, this isn’t a decision to be made in a day,” Boss Qiang patted Zhou Qingbo’s shoulder and laughed, “Whenever you need money, just come over. The salary is negotiable, and we’ll work out the timing based on your availability.”

“Sure,” Zhou Qingbo had known him for many years, so they spoke casually, smiling.

Although Zhou Qingbo wanted to find something to do, he wasn’t so desperate to start right away. After talking to Boss Qiang and gaining some clarity, he felt less rushed. He looked around, drank the remaining half cup of cola in one gulp, patted his thigh, and stood up.

“Alright, I’ll head off for now. I’ll treat you both to a drink another day.” Zhou Qingbo said.

“Leaving so soon?” Ge Xing was puzzled. “Aren’t you staying to watch the performance?”

“No.” Zhou Qingbo said seriously, “since I’m not working at the moment, I can’t just sit around doing nothing. Pei You will be off work soon. I need to go home and make dinner for him.”

“…” Ge Xing thought, that’s good, I won’t ask furthe