CH 7

After Alex finished the project with Guo Zhi, half a month passed, and he received a call from the financial department of K company to go and get his payment.

He was very happy. Da Wei was completely right. Sister Guo’s efficiency was very high. From post-editing to client first revision, second revision, and then being able to receive the payment from the project so fast, that means that  the client’s side gave the approval in one go. After that, sister Guo did not drag it on either and immediately sent the paying bill to the financial department.

Thinking about how Liu Chan Yue had only signed the bill after he had made her feel comfortable… they are both editors, why is there such a big difference between them?

The financial department still remembered this handsome guy, flipped through the papers, and said: “You’ve worked with us for a long time already, so let’s add you into the long-term list. Give me your card number, so that in the future it will be sent directly into your card and save you the trip. This time it will still be cash.”

Alex hurriedly said thanks and gave her his bank card to be photocopied.

Finance counted the money, put it into the money detector machine two times, tied it up, and handed it to him.

Alex saw the number shown on the machine and asked: “The number seems to be wrong?” There was much more than what was agreed upon before.

Finance said: “There’s no error. Look at the payment bill.” She handed him the bill.

Alex looked and immediately understood. It was because Guo Zhi had changed him from background to main protagonist, so the remuneration was also increased. However, he looked at the number again, and it as still wrong.

“There is still an extra 100.” He honestly pointed out and did not take advantage.

“Oh, if you didn’t tell me I would’ve forgotten!” Finance suddenly remembered, “the extra one hundred was given by Guo Zhi. She told me to give it to you and said that it was the money for the ride.”

Alex immediately understood. Guo Zhi was paying back the money he had spent on the taxi that day.

Sister Guo… she keeps everything so clear…

With money in his hands, he felt anchored. That day, his mood before entering sleep was very good. Deep into the night, he received a call from his manager, telling him to go to work.

His manager was very unreliable, constantly telling him to go to a job without prior advise. Sometimes, a job that had been scheduled would be canceled. In his heart, he guessed that his manager used him as a backup to make up for the absence of others. Currently, he did not dare to rely on him entirely, and some of his work was introduced by his friends. Everybody worked far away from home, so it was normal occurrence that they would help each other. On the other hand, he would also try to make his presence known to the editors and photographers. The only problem was that, unlike his ability to get along with people of his age, he was not very good at making connections with these people.

Once, there was a photographer that was very warm to him, as if he was his brother. At that time, he did not doubt him, and only thought that the way the people around them looked at him was a bit weird, as if they had something to say but could not. He unguardedly believed in that photographer, drank with him, became drunk, and was taken to his house.

That photographer had pressed down on him, touching all over his body, and even stripped his pants. Only then did he understand that he was gay and wanted to sleep with him!

He could accept sleeping with women, even if they were like Liu Chan Yue. That was because in Chinese people’s consciousness, they always thought that the man did not lose anything from this type of matter, and instead, thought that the man came out on the winning side. Alex also thought like that.

However, telling him to sleep with a man and sacrifice his back garden made his whole body uncomfortable.

That photographer had promised many things and assured him that he would take him on many projects, but Alex could not take it, since he was a straight man. Even though he was drunk, he made use of his muscles and gave him a big punch, running off immediately.

He remembered the gazes from those people, and their expressions of wanting to say something but withholding it… they all knew, but no one gave him a hint. He had believed that among all those people, there were some that were his friends. The reality was that none of them were. They all chose to allow him to fall into the trap instead of offending the photographer.

At that time, he still had money in his hands, was still renting a shared three-bedroom apartment, and still had his own bedroom. He closed himself off in his room and started to cry.

He had really, really wanted to return home.

That time, he had recently passed his nineteenth birthday and left his home for one year.

On the day of his birthday, he personally bought a piece of cake in the cake store, got a candle, lit it by himself, and celebrated his birthday on his own.

A handsome boy ate the cake while crying tears. The female employees that were working in the store saw that scene and felt as if their hearts were breaking. They got together, sang him a birthday song, and gave him free bubble tea.

Sometimes, the way strangers treated you was better than your own family.

But even if it was like that, he still wanted to return home. That was why he bought a train ticket to go back home.

He knew that, by going back empty-handed, he would not be able to enter the house. He bought many things in the capital and went with a bunch of big and small bags. In his heart, he had the desire to have a homecoming.

Sure enough, they let him into the house. They even directed at him a seldom given smile. Even though he was only given a foldable bed to sleep in the living room, that day, he slept comfortably.

The next day, his family revealed their greedy side. They dragged him to the shopping mall and made him buy many things. Alex gritted his teeth and bought them all.

That way, at least they would not drive him away.

Some of the things that he had bought in the capital were supposed to be given to his classmate and his classmate’s parents. However, when he said that, that woman said: “It’s a waste to give these good quality things to other people! Just randomly buy others for them and it’ll be fine.”

Alex had no other way and could only buy some things at a local store and visit the people who took him in back then. Back when they took him in and pointed out to him the path to work in the capital, they had given him five hundred yuan. He had transferred that money back to his classmate a long time ago, but the favor he had given him was never forgotten.

His classmate’s family warmly welcomed him and berated him for buying so many things.

Their sincerity made Alex feel very guilty. He was ashamed that he had not taken back the things he had bought in the capital from that woman and could only give these things to auntie and uncle.

He also went to see his mother. His mother was currently a housewife and did not have a way to make a living for herself. In that house, she did not a high status, could not make decisions, and did not have money in her hands.

He gave his mother 5000 yuan. His mother covered her mouth and cried.

He felt bad while seeing that but did not hug her nor did he pat her back. Him and her, they had been apart since a long time ago, with a long distance and a very deep gap. Intimate actions were something that he could not do.

Before, he bore resentment against her. He used the perspective of a child to evaluate her, believing that she was an adult. And, this adult, had not given him love and had not protected him. This resentment had given birth to hate.

However, he was now an adult. He evaluated her through the eyes of an adult and understood that she was, in fact, a woman who could not take control of her own destiny. His resentment gradually disappeared, and he started to pity her. He also thought, maybe in the future when he became stronger, he could protect her.

However, he was still weak and could barely protect himself and struggle to live.

When he realized his own weakness, he felt decadent from the bottom of his heart, he felt helpless. In that giant city of the capital, he felt that he was an ant.

He was very unwilling to go back to the capital. However, he knew that if he did not go back to earn money, this place would have no place for him to live in. If he did not have money, he would be driven out of that house.

He could only once again go northbound to the capital, struggle, and live.

Later, he came back again.

With the temptation from the previous time, the greed from his father’s side of the family was completely aroused. They turned the wheels in their heads to take away all the money that he had. Alex was weak inside and was powerless to resist.

By the second time he returned to the capital, he already could not afford the rent of the three-bedroom apartment and was reduced to the point of having to live in an underground room with Da Wei.

It’s a good thing that I have money in my hands now. Alex thought. He calculated the amount of money that he still had not received and felt even more steady.

He woke up very early the next day and hurried to the photo studio for a project. He heard that, today, Guo Zhi was in the studio and took advantage of the resting time to go and greet her.

He coincidentally found Guo Zhi talking with a beautiful woman at the door. He originally thought about waiting for them to finish talking before going over but heard them talking about Sheng Yuan’s project.

Sheng Yuan? Is it that Sheng Yuan? That’s a big brand.

Just now, Guo Zhi had asked that beautiful woman about the budget. That woman had made a hand gesture with her back to him, so he did not see. But judging from Guo Zhi’s excited appearance, he could guess that it was definitely a very big project.

Alex’s heart moved a little.

“Sister Guo.” He waited until the shooting on that side was practically done and entered the resting period before daring to call her.

Guo Zhi turned her head at the sound and saw that it was Alex. She smilingly said: “Long time no see. Did you receive San Qing’s payment?”

In Guo Zhi’s eyes, Alex was a little kid who was obedient while working. I never made things difficult for him, and he’s not even part of my project right now. What’s more, he’s so handsome, and even has eight packs!

To this kind of handsome guy, big sis Guo was very… kind.

“I got the pay.” Alex obediently nodded and said thanks, “thank you, the pay was bigger than what was accorded.”

“It should be.” Guo Zhi smilingly said, especially intimate, completely different from the cold and serious Guo editor while working, “the content of the work changed, so of course the remuneration had to change.”

Alex wanted to continue talking with Guo Zhi but did not know what to talk about. In fact, he was not good at that. He could not stop himself from scratching his head and foolishly said: “That… just… thank you.”

“No need, no need.” As Guo Zhi said so, her gaze moved to his fingers…

Speaking of it, that day after she woke up, she did not think more on the matter, since at that time, Alex had already left, and she had a headache.

Now, when a 170-180ish tall man was standing in front of her… Guo Zhi started to think… OMG… that day, how did he send me back home?

I was already that drunk, I shouldn’t have been able to walk already, right? Then I must have been carried, right? How did he carry me? It can’t have been piggyback, right? Then… it can only be princess carry?

Ayyy! Ayyyayyyy!

Looking at his hands… slim and white with long fingers. The bone joints are clear but don’t look like a woman’s. It’s a very good-looking hand!

Then, it must have been this pair of hands that removed my makeup? These were the hands that lightly rubbed over my face…?

Ayyyy! Ayyyayyy!

Not thinking about it was still okay, but after thinking about it…

Alex watched her gaze start to wander. Not only did her gaze start to wander, but he also discovered that her ears were a bit red.

Alex: “…”

If it was before, even if he had seen it, he would not dare to guess. After all, Guo Zhi was very serious while working, enough to make people afraid. No one would dare guess.

But who told Guo Zhi to spill the truth while she was drunk! Alex already knew of what Guo Zhi hid in her heart. He once again glanced at Guo Zhi’s dazzled expression and her red ears…

How could he not understand…? Even if he was young, he was still a man!