CH 27

Youngsters had self-esteem higher than the sky.

If you had a big scar, you would be considered disfigured and ugly. If you wore old, cheap clothes and shoes, you would feel shabby and inferior. When others talked about celebrities and sports matches, if you had not seen them, then you were a hillbilly or a bumpkin.

Shen Wenqiu never needed to think about this before. He was an arrogant young master who didn’t pack leftovers in a restaurant and wouldn’t reach out to make it stand when he saw an oil bottle fall down.

Not to mention the dirty garbage collecting, in fact, he never did housework at home. Now he was always too lazy to do his duty in school, Lu Yong would do it for him.

Shen Wenqiu always had a bright and beautiful image of the school hunk. Although he often brought Lu Yong with him to play around, people also thought that he just treated everyone equally. No one thought that he would pick up trash with Lu Yong.

He was suddenly caught in the act.

Shen Wenqiu was dumbfounded at the time and felt very embarrassed—his face flushed after being stared at with contempt. He reflexively felt ashamed, stammered and couldn’t speak, and a feeling of guilt followed for not being able to be honest.

The fact that he lied was also exposed… Towards other friends from good family backgrounds, he really couldn’t tell that he was secretly looking for Lu Yong to play, and he didn’t want to be mocked at.

Now Lu Yong knew that he would rather lie than say that they were good friends directly.

It’s over.

Shen Wenqiu’s ears buzzed—he was frustrated and lost in thought.

At this moment, he suddenly heard Lu Yong say very stiffly, “Shen Wenqiu just happened to pass by and met me after the make-up class ended, so he kindly helped me push the cart.”

The other party asked, “Really?”

Lu Yong replied, “Yes.”

That was the only time Shen Wenqiu could remember seeing Lu Yong lie just to make up for his little vanity and useless pride.

Shen Wenqiu’s face turned even redder.

He did something wrong but he made Lu Yong to violate his principles.

The classmates snorted and parked their bicycles on the side of the road. They also rolled up their sleeves and stepped forward to help, pushing the tricycle uphill together.

When the tricycle was finally pushed up the slope, everyone stopped to take a breath. One classmate ran back quickly, rode his bicycle back, parked beside the tricycle, and motioned to Shen Wenqiu to get on the back seat. “So you are now free to go with me to watch the movie, right?”

Shen Wenqiu: “…”

Shen Wenqiu felt like he was going to have a headache. He really shouldn’t lie—the lie was getting bigger and bigger like a snowball. Wouldn’t something bad happen?

Shen Wenqiu braced himself and said uneasily, “I think Lu Yong needs my help even more.”

The other party angrily said, “Today is the first day of the movie. Are you really not going? Are you going to help him push the tricycle home all the way? You are really a kind person, but don’t come to school and tell me that your arm hurts so much that you can’t lift it up the day after tomorrow. You don’t even know how to help, and you’re just causing trouble.”

Lu Yong interrupted him, “Shen Wenqiu didn’t cause me any trouble.”

Shen Wenqiu looked up at Lu Yong who was standing behind the tricycle, wiping his hands with an old towel. He said honestly, “It’s okay, I can ride back myself. You go and play.”

Lu Yong looked very much like a big yellow dog despised by its owner and was lying on the spot obediently. Shen Wenqiu was stabbed in the heart by Lu Yong’s clean gaze. He couldn’t hold back any longer and said abruptly, “I lied.”

After speaking out, it seemed as if the blockage in his chest was blown away and dissipated at once. He felt much more at ease. He said in one breath, “I didn’t happen to be passing by, I didn’t attend make-up classes for a long time on weekends.I simply just went to find Lu Yong to play with him.”

“I… I made an appointment with Lu Yong first. I won’t go to the movies, I’ll go with him.”

After Shen Wenqiu finished speaking, he pulled up his feet, walked to Lu Yong’s side with difficulty, and tugged his clothes: “Let’s go.”

Lu Yong didn’t move, “Xiao Baa…”

Shen Wenqiu took the initiative to pull his hand. He originally wanted to pull his wrist, but when he touched his hand, he simply grabbed it. Lu Yong’s hand was obviously stiff, but it was only half a second before he held his hand back.

Lu Yong knew that the act of holding hands had no other meaning, but in that instant, his heartbeat was so loud that it felt like his blood vessels were about to burst.

Thump, thump.

Shen Wenqiu’s hands were those of boys. Maybe because his hand was too rough, or maybe it was his overly embellished illusion. He always felt like he was holding a cloud ball, and the boiling heat at the top of his heart quickly spread to his palms. He felt that his palm was so hot that he was afraid that the hands he held would melt due to the temperature of his palm.

He couldn’t hold it too tightly, that was too rough, and he couldn’t hold it too loosely either—he couldn’t bear to let him slip away.

Before he finished his thoughts, Shen Wenqiu let go of his hand.

Because it was only three or four steps from the rear of the tricycle to the front of the tricycle.

It’s too short. Lu Yong thought regretfully in his mind.

Lu Yong rode away with Shen Wenqiu, and he rode very fast downhill, with the breeze blowing in his face.

Shen Wenqiu: “Don’t lie in the future. You can’t lie at all.”

Lu Yong: “Oh.”

Shen Wenqiu: “…I, I will also confess to them, and I won’t lie anymore.”

Lu Yong: “Okay.”

Shen Wenqiu looked back, and his classmates were still standing on the top of the slope, looking at them from a distance. He couldn’t see their expressions clearly, making him nervous and guilty.

Shen Wenqiu stopped looking back and pretended not to see it.

Going downhill too fast also made him feel flustered as if they were about to fall to pieces in the next second. After finally reaching a smooth and stable road, the speed of the tricycle slowed down.

Lu Yong asked awkwardly, “Did I embarrass you?”

Shen Wenqiu replied gloomily, “No.”

Lu Yong said, “When we go to school next week, will they say that you and me…you and me…” He hesitated to find an accurate statement, so he said abruptly, ” I-I’m not worthy of…”

“What’s with being worthy or not?” Shen Wenqiu said sarcastically, “Let them talk, what else can they say? Say we are close friends? We were very close in the first place!”

Lu Yong wondered deeply. The oncoming wind was quite cold, so why was his face still so hot?

…

The second day after returning to H City, Shen Wenqiu went through the back door and entered Lu Yong’s company, temporarily serving as Lu Yong’s secretary.

There was an extra desk in Lu Yong’s office, which was counted as his desk.

Lu Yong explained the company affairs to him hand in hand, taking it slowly and gradually. His industry had long been different from the small recycling station that could be settled with a single ledger. Now there were so many departments under the company that were responsible for various projects, so he didn’t mind which project and department Shen Wenqiu chose. They were all alright, and he would definitely give the permission from his side. It all depended on Shen Wenqiu’s adaptation and intentions.

In fact, even if Shen Wenqiu didn’t stay in his company to work in the future, it didn’t matter either.

Lu Yong thought about it this way—it was good to train by his side just as a rehabilitation to return to society. He taught Shen Wenqiu carefully, almost as if he was helping a paralyzed person.

Shen Wenqiu was also obedient. He studied with extreme seriousness and absorbed knowledge crazily like a sponge.

He hadn’t worked for too many years, and he had no in-depth knowledge of the industry. Even if he had a rough understanding with Lu Yong back then, it was only the tip of the iceberg of the knowledge of today’s big company, and the information had long since become outdated, so they were not very useful.

Shen Wenqiu was still nervous at first, thinking that he would have a difficult job once he entered, but Lu Yong was obviously taking care of him… He guessed the whole company knew that he was being taken care of.

At this point, he didn’t care about being embarrassed, he had already troubled Lu Yong so much, and it would be over the board if he were to act reluctant and embarrassed. It was better to get the work started.

There would never be another person in the world who could pull him out of the quagmire with as much strength as Lu Yong and help him stand up again patiently and gently.

He wanted to stand up, stand firm, and be able to stand by Lu Yong’s side again…to the point where he wouldn’t be called unworthy.

Shen Wenqiu wanted to get used to it as soon as possible. After returning from work, he would also memorise unfamiliar professional terminology, as well as colleagues who had been in contact with various departments. Once he met them, he would remember their names, if not, at least their surnames.

Because he was brought in by the boss himself, everyone needed to show deference to him, and he had a good attitude. So far, he had gotten along well with the company’s employees—at least it was fairly smooth in the interpersonal aspect.

When the weather got cooler, Shen Wenqiu had already gotten a hang of the work. He went to work with Lu Yong every day, and then followed him home from work, running in between these two places frequently.

When it was time to leave work today, Lu Yong got up and said, “Stop working, let’s go home first.”

Shen Wenqiu said, “The vegetables in the refrigerator are almost finished, so I have to buy new ones. Let’s drop by the supermarket when we go back today.”

While discussing, the two went to the parking lot together.

They met Ding Nian in the elevator.

Shen Wenqiu, of course, was now familiar with the chief researcher, Teacher Ding, and greeted him, “Hello, Teacher Ding.”

With outsiders around, he quietly backed half a step to the side, stretching the distance between him and Lu Yong. Lu Yong was completely unaware and approached the former almost instinctively.

Shen Wenqiu didn’t move anymore, because it would appear like they were hiding something. He was so embarrassed that he silently glanced at the top of the elevator, hoping that others would not discover this detail.

Shen Wenqiu knew that it was pointless because it was not the first day that they were seen by fellow coworkers in a car to and from work, but he still wanted to keep a little distance.

For the sake of Lu Yong’s reputation.

Teacher Ding couldn’t help but ask, “Are you two going home together again? I’ve seen it several times, and you guys come to work together.”

Shen Wenqiu didn’t know how to answer.

Lu Yong said frankly, “En, he lives in my house.”

Shen Wenqiu added, “I came to H City not long ago. I haven’t found a place yet, and I don’t have much money. I plan to settle down first and rent a house nearby after that.”

Teacher Ding hesitated, glanced at Lu Yong, and said meaningfully, “Yes, the nearby houses are not very cheap to rent.”

Shen Wenqiu felt that something was wrong.

Could they possibly be misunderstood? He had a notorious reputation and didn’t care about himself, but Lu Yong’s reputation was so good.

After getting into the car and no one else was present, Shen Wenqiu asked, “Did Teacher Ding misunderstand something? I’ll explain it to him other time.”

Lu Yong said flatly, “No misunderstanding, Teacher Ding is not the kind of person who gossips and talks too much.” He knew what Teacher Ding wanted to say just now. The company provided food and housing, and there were staff dormitories. Because he had directly referred Shen Wenqiu and he had been only thinking about business recently, he didn’t ask about the benefit in this regard, thinking that only the workers in the operating room lived in the unified dormitory.

The car drove halfway.

Shen Wenqiu’s cell phone vibrated, and he opened it to see that it was a text message prompting that the balance in his account was taken away by the bank as a debt repayment.

It was his first salary: 4,500.

He had now repaid part of the money he owed, so he would not be harassed by criminals again. He lowered his pride and asked Lu Yong to lend him more than 10 million yuan, and pay the illegal loan money first. But he didn’t think it was over, it was just that the creditor turned into the good-tempered Lu Yong.

This salary was a drop in the ocean compared to the full amount of the debt he was carrying, but it was the first time he earned and paid back the debt he owed to the bank after working hard seriously.

Shen Wenqiu was overjoyed, put down the phone, and took the initiative to say, “I’ll cook for you today.”

Lu Yong, “En, okay. The dog is also getting better. Let’s go and bring him home.”

The two went to the supermarket to do some shopping and then went to the veterinary hospital to pick up the little Pekingese.

The puppy’s life was strong enough. He was seriously ill and yet survived. Lu Yong still applied for membership and topped up in the end.

When they got to the lobby, they were talking and laughing as they walked to the elevator.

A man approached them, and Shen Wenqiu noticed that something was wrong. He turned his head and his smile froze as the other party glanced at him coldly and didn’t say anything. After a long while, he then turned to Lu Yong, “Long time no see, Lu Yong.”