What To Do When The Boss Takes A Liking To You chapter 65

Sweet and Soft, Almost Melting

This supermarket was right next to the neighborhood, with mostly upper-middle-class residents, so the prices inside were a bit higher than regular supermarkets.

Naturally, there weren’t many customers, making it quiet and serene inside.

Xu Le rarely cooked seriously because his skills were average, and he didn’t like dealing with kitchen hygiene. Therefore, he seldom visited the ingredient section, and most of what piled up at home was instant food and snacks.

Lan Qing stood in front of the cold cuts section, where various meats were neatly arranged and delicately prepared.

Xu Le followed him, his eyes fixed on Lan Qing. “Um, I’m not very good at cooking…”

Lan Qing was holding a box of sirloin steaks, thinking about the dinner menu. “I’m quite good at it.”

Xu Le: “?!?”

Did Lan Qing mean he would be responsible for cooking later?

But he didn’t look like someone who would cook himself; he seemed more like the type who sat at the table and waited for others to “contribute” meals.

Lan Qing glanced at him. “Are you surprised?”

Xu Le nodded honestly. “Um, yeah, I thought your… um, your family must be very particular about food and drinks. You probably have a personal chef at home, right?”

He wasn’t clear about Lan Qing’s specific family background, but as the heir of Starlight Group, such a large publicly traded company, it was definitely beyond what he could imagine.

When he was a child, he had accompanied his mother to watch a lot of idol dramas featuring overbearing CEOs. The CEOs in those TV dramas drove Rolls-Royces and Ferraris, lived in European-style villas with large gardens, and generally had a middle-aged male butler in the villa. The butler would say comforting things like “Young Master is finally smiling” and various drivers, maids, and other staff serving around the CEO.

Thinking of this, Xu Le suddenly found it amusing. Was Lan Qing’s family like this too?

Seeing Xu Le’s silly and amused appearance, Lan Qing lightly tapped his forehead. “Are you thinking about something funny? My family doesn’t like having too many people around. Usually, my father cooks, I assist, and my mother and sister are the ones who sit and eat.”

Xu Le was surprised. Lan Qing wasn’t an only child; he actually had a sister?

“You have a sister?”

“Yeah, three years apart.”

Looking at Lan Qing’s deeply handsome features and sapphire-like eyes, Xu Le couldn’t help but wonder how beautiful his sister must be.

He couldn’t resist asking out of curiosity, “Is your sister’s eyes also blue like yours?”

Lan Qing shook his head. “No, she and I have different fathers. Her father is Chinese, and my mother’s marriage with him was a business alliance. They divorced when my sister was less than a year old.”

“Oh,” Xu Le responded, pondering. He hadn’t expected Lan Qing’s family to be quite complex.

“You’ll have a chance to meet her in the future,” Lan Qing added.

At these words, Xu Le suddenly felt uneasy.

He was an only child at home, and although his parents had a great relationship and were quite open-minded, supporting whatever he wanted to do, and since he was still quite young, he wasn’t in a rush to get married. But eventually, he would have to confess to his parents.

What about Lan Qing? Would his family accept him as Lan Qing’s boyfriend?

As if sensing Xu Le’s inner anxiety, Lan Qing reached out and patted his shoulder gently. “Don’t worry, you’re very likable. She’ll like you too.”

“Huh?” Caught off guard, Xu Le felt awkward. “Oh, I wasn’t thinking that far…”

Lan Qing didn’t expose his lie but instead asked him, “What kind of texture do you like in steaks? Tender, chewy, or something in between?”

Xu Le thought for a moment. “Tender yet chewy, I guess.”

“Alright.” Lan Qing put two pieces of sirloin steak into the shopping cart.

Watching Lan Qing focused on selecting ingredients, Xu Le couldn’t help but think he was incredibly handsome!

Upon returning home and opening the door, Xu Le sighed heavily.

Before leaving, he hadn’t had time to tidy up properly, so the living room was a bit messy with various items scattered around—headphones, several manga books, various electronic devices everywhere on the sofa and coffee table.

He awkwardly explained to Lan Qing, “Um… it’s a bit messy, haha, but I do clean up, it just looks messy!”

“What’s this?” Lan Qing picked up a striking comic book from the coffee table and casually flipped through a few pages.

Xu Le nestled at home, apart from gaming and editing videos, his favorite pastime was reading comics and watching anime. As a devoted fan, talking about his interests made his eyes light up.

“This is my favorite comic. I’ve been following it since junior high. It’s already got hundreds of chapters and it’s not finished yet. It’s really amazing!” His dark eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he tirelessly introduced the storyline to him.

From the protagonist’s tragic beginning, meeting various teammates, encountering all sorts of big and small bosses, when he talked about the explosive plot twists, Xu Le got so excited that sweat started forming on his forehead. When he reached the part where teammates sacrificed for the protagonist, his eyes couldn’t help but turn red.

Afraid of boring him, Xu Le even used facial expressions and gestures to vividly describe everything.

Lan Qing hadn’t really been exposed to comics much, but seeing Xu Le’s passion, he listened attentively and occasionally asked a few questions to follow along.

As Xu Le talked on, he started feeling embarrassed about talking for so long. “Um, you might not necessarily like it though, especially since you’re so busy with work and probably don’t have time for this…”

Lan Qing gently touched his face and smiled, “I find it quite interesting. I’ll make time to watch with you in the future.”

Xu Le’s eyes lit up, eagerly asking, “The theatrical version of it is premiering next week. Shall we go watch it together?”

After speaking, he remembered that Lan Qing wasn’t just anyone; his time was precious and he might not have time for “meaningless” things like this.

Xu Le quickly added, “Uh, if you’re busy, it’s okay too. I mean, you have work…”

Unexpectedly, Lan Qing took his hand, pulled him close to him, then lightly kissed his slightly blushing earlobe. “Work is important, but you are important too. I’ll go with you.”

Xu Le felt ticklish from the kiss but also cherished this tender moment with Lan Qing. He held onto Lan Qing’s hand tightly with his own.

So this was what it felt like to be head over heels in love—his mind felt a bit dizzy, his body felt light, and his heart felt itchy. He felt like he was enveloped in a giant marshmallow, soft and sweet, almost melting away.

“We were talking about how his teammates turned out to be hidden villains. What happens next?” Lan Qing continued asking.

Hearing that Lan Qing was genuinely interested, Xu Le became even more excited. “Alright, then let me continue!”

Being able to share his hobbies with his lover made Xu Le feel incredibly thrilled!

He didn’t know how long he had been talking, his throat felt dry and Lan Qing released him to get a glass of water. “Have some water,” he said.

Xu Le gulped down a big mouthful and then sighed, “If I had the chance, I’d love to meet this comic artist. It’s a shame they can’t come to comic conventions in China. Even getting their autograph would make me so happy!”

“You like them that much?” Lan Qing raised an eyebrow.

Xu Le nodded eagerly, a hint of regret in his voice, “Of course! I’ve read all of their earlier works too. They were all so good, but some were released so long ago that the comic books are out of print. I couldn’t even collect a complete set.”

Lan Qing remained silent, looking thoughtful.

Just then, there was a clear “growl.”

Xu Le rubbed his empty stomach, his face slightly red, and looked at Lan Qing pleadingly, “I’m hungry.”

…

Steaks were sizzling in the pan, turning a tempting golden brown, filling the air with a delicious aroma.

Just looking at the appearance and smelling the fragrance, Xu Le’s mouth watered uncontrollably.

Lan Qing, in a rolled-up sleeve shirt with a focused expression, skillfully flipped the steaks while a pot of pasta cooked on the side.

Chinese meals required rice, but Western dishes were simple to make and quick to serve. In just a few minutes, they could enjoy their meal, perfect for Xu Le, who was always hungry.

Once the steaks were done and the pasta nearly cooked, Lan Qing plated everything beautifully, accompanied by freshly squeezed fruit juice, making for a simple yet nutritious dinner.

Xu Le stared at the exquisite food in front of him, drooling with anticipation.

Lan Qing pushed the pasta towards him. “If you’re hungry, start with this. I’ll cut the steak for you.”

Having a lover who spoiled him like this made Xu Le feel incredibly fortunate!

After filling his stomach, he felt pleasantly full, patting his belly. Normally flat, it was now slightly bulging.

“I’m so full.”

“Shall we go downstairs for a walk?” Lan Qing rubbed Xu Le’s abdomen.

Xu Le giggled as Lan Qing’s touch tickled him. “Ah, it tickles! Sure, let’s walk off the food and maybe get some exercise.”

Both of them were action-oriented; once decided, they moved.

Xu Le fetched the little sports shoes he had bought for Fa Cai, putting them on the cat’s feet. He said excitedly to Lan Qing, “These little shoes glow in the dark. It’s so cool!”

Fa Cai let out a meow and rubbed against Lan Qing’s leg affectionately.

As Xu Le was putting on shoes, balancing on one foot, he lost his balance momentarily. Lan Qing, standing beside him, swiftly caught his waist.

Because Xu Le was wearing particularly thin sportswear pants, the sensation of Lan Qing’s hand beneath was quite clear.

He blushed, quickly steadied himself, and casually said, “Um, let’s go quickly.”

“I thought you were all slim, but seems like you’ve bulked up here,” Lan Qing commented seriously.

“Huh?”

The night breeze blew gently, refreshing and invigorating.

Fa Cai’s small shoes glowed with a green light, which made Xu Le chuckle uncontrollably.

“Haha, Fa Cai’s shoes are just too cool with that glow! I have to take a video of this!” he handed the cat’s leash to Lan Qing.

He took several photos and videos in succession until he was satisfied.

The landscaping in the neighborhood was excellent, with abundant varieties of flowers, plants, and trees such as camphor trees, coral trees, and banana plants. Xu Le could name quite a few of them.

Because of the good landscaping, the air was fresh. However, due to the abundance of greenery, mosquitoes were also rampant. Xu Le regretted not bringing mosquito repellent spray.

“There are too many mosquitoes. Let’s go upstairs first,” Xu Le said awkwardly.

“Okay,” Lan Qing said, naturally taking his hand.

Back home, Xu Le started to realize that it was already night. Was Lan Qing planning to stay over?

Although they haven’t been together for long, their interaction seems surprisingly natural and harmonious.

“I’ll take a shower first,” Xu Le said.

“Yeah, go ahead,” Lan Qing replied.

After showering, he felt refreshed. But the thought of Lan Qing staying over made his heart race.

Entering the living room, Lan Qing was tinkering with something on the coffee table. Xu Le saw it was a Rubik’s Cube that he had left there.

It seemed Lan Qing wasn’t very familiar with solving it, working slowly as if studying its patterns.

“This one has algorithms. Let me teach you!” Rarely able to showcase his skills in front of his intellectually gifted lover, Xu Le eagerly sat down beside Lan Qing.

Just out of the shower, his face was flushed. He wore a loose and comfortable tank top, revealing beautifully shaped collarbones, with tiny water droplets occasionally sliding down his skin.

In equally loose athletic shorts, as he sat cross-legged, they almost rode up to the top.

Lan Qing handed the Rubik’s Cube to his younger boyfriend, a shadow of darkness crossing his deep blue eyes.

Xu Le enthusiastically started solving it, occasionally explaining to him. But he failed to notice that Lan Qing’s gaze was not on the cube but on him.

After about five or six minutes, Xu Le finally solved it, proudly showing off his achievement to Lan Qing.

“See, it’s done like this!”

Taking it back, Lan Qing praised generously, “Hmm, impressive.”

“Do you remember the algorithms? Want to try again?” Xu Le immersed himself in the Rubik’s Cube, oblivious to Lan Qing’s changing expression.

“Sure.”

Handing it over, Xu Le grinned, “Alright, it’s time for me to check your learning!”

Lan Qing pondered for a moment, then slowly started twisting the Rubik’s Cube.

Xu Le didn’t think he would necessarily solve it, but he felt a sense of accomplishment, especially finding a spot to shine in front of Lan Qing.

After almost ten minutes, Lan Qing completed the cube, stunning Xu Le.

“Wow, how did you do that so quickly?”

“It’s not that hard; it’s just a matter of mastering the formulas and techniques.” Lan Qing turned the cube in his hands, explaining.

“Wow,” Xu Le clicked his tongue. “Envious!”

Seeing Lan Qing still fiddling with the cube, Xu Le thought he wanted to try solving it again and comforted him, “As a beginner, you’re already ridiculously fast. It took me ages to learn!”

Unexpectedly, Lan Qing didn’t say a word, just kept turning the cube. Xu Le wondered if he was trying to reassemble it differently and corrected, “Hey, I don’t think that’s how you solve it?”

Before he could grasp what Lan Qing was doing, Lan Qing suddenly said, “Done.

With a snap, the last step was completed.

A red background and white heart shape appeared in front of Xu Le.

He widened his eyes in shock.

Xu Le: “?”