What To Do When The Boss Takes A Liking To You chapter 69
Rarely Tipsy
Xu Le finally realized the man’s intentions. Though slow on such matters, he wasn’t stupid and couldn’t miss the obvious hints.
He had heard from Li Dongming that gyms could be quite chaotic, with people cheating, hooking up, and fooling around, both men and women. It was the first time someone had hinted at him so openly, and it felt as disgusting as swallowing a fly.
Rarely did he show such an unfriendly expression, replying with a forced smile, “Sorry, sometimes free stuff isn’t worth it, like now.”
He thought his clear words would make a sensible person back off.
However, the man just smiled faintly, “Alright, if you’re uncomfortable, let’s not talk about that. Are you working or still in college?”
Xu Le found the man’s persistence extremely annoying but couldn’t tell him off directly, so he looked down at his phone, dismissively saying, “I’m working.”
“What industry are you in? Maybe we can exchange some experiences.”
“That’s not necessary.”
Xu Le stood up, intending to find a spot farther away to escape the man’s pestering.
Just then, a barista called out from the gym’s entrance, “Is Mr. Ji here? Your iced Americano is ready.”
The stranger with the surname Ji waved, and the barista walked over to him.
“Thank you.”
After receiving the coffee, Mr. Ji handed him one of the cups. “Here, a cup for you.”
Xu Le refused cautiously, “I don’t want it.”
“Why do you keep rejecting me? I have no ill intentions, I’m just offering you a cup of coffee.” Mr. Ji smiled.
Seeing that Mr. Ji wouldn’t give up, Xu Le had no choice but to take it and place it on the ground, not planning to drink it anyway.
“Do you already have a lover?”
“What’s it to you? We don’t seem to be very familiar with each other, buddy.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’ll get familiar by chatting.”
Xu Le: “?”
Is this guy crazy?
Seeing Xu Le remain silent with a cold attitude, Mr. Ji started to feel dissatisfied. However, Xu Le’s appearance, figure, and demeanor perfectly matched his aesthetic taste, so he held back his frustration.
After all, things that come too easily aren’t as interesting.
As a mid-level manager in a Fortune 500 company with a decent appearance and a generous attitude towards those he fancied, Mr. Ji was used to being quite successful in the dating scene. Many were willing to get close to him, and he was happy to accept them.
Rarely did he encounter someone whose looks and temperament were a hundred percent to his liking, so he certainly didn’t want to let Xu Le go easily.
Seeing that being gentle didn’t work, he rolled his eyes and reached out to place his hand on Xu Le’s shoulder.
Just as his hand was less than ten centimeters from Xu Le’s shoulder, another hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.
The grip was strong and fierce.
Although Mr. Ji worked out regularly and wasn’t weak, the strength of this grip made him feel like his wrist bones might be broken.
Moreover, this hand was beautiful, with cold white skin, long fingers, distinct joints, and even the veins on the back of the hand had a pleasing purple hue, more stunning than a sculptor’s work.
But under the oppressive grip of this hand, Mr. Ji had no time to appreciate its beauty, feeling only fear.
“Let go, or I’ll call security!” Mr. Ji shouted angrily.
After all, he was a VIP at the gym, having spent six figures there. Could the staff really stand by and watch him get beaten?
Hearing the commotion, Xu Le quickly turned around and saw Lan Qing’s cold and handsome face.
Xu Le’s face lit up with joy, but he was also a bit annoyed because of the troublesome Mr. Ji in between them.
This guy was really an eyesore.
Lan Qing looked at Xu Le, his icy blue eyes glancing at the coffee on the ground, his expression growing colder.
Mr. Ji, seeing Lan Qing’s face, was initially stunned by his looks but quickly returned to anger due to the pain in his wrist, finding Lan Qing’s handsome face increasingly detestable.
“Let go, or I’ll call the police!”
Lan Qing released his grip as if discarding garbage, then took a silk handkerchief from his suit jacket and wiped his hand, disdainfully throwing it into a nearby trash can.
Mr. Ji’s face turned green.
“You—”
“Get lost.”
Before Mr. Ji could finish his sentence, Lan Qing’s light yet forceful “get lost” cut him off.
This was the VIP area of the gym, with fewer customers, mostly white-collar elites with high manners who rarely spectated others, but the commotion had drawn their attention.
Mr. Ji had to save face. This mixed-race man seemed young but exuded an authoritative aura, clearly not someone to be trifled with.
Consider himself unlucky for fancying the wrong person and offending someone he shouldn’t have.
So, he left with his injured wrist, humiliated.
Seeing Lan Qing still with a cold face, Xu Le slyly hooked his finger around Lan Qing’s, “Don’t be angry, ignore people like that. Why did you come so early?”
Lan Qing’s expression softened in front of Xu Le, “I happened to be nearby for some business, so I came over.”
“Oh, really…” Xu Le leaned closer and caught a whiff of alcohol on Lan Qing’s clothes. “Have you been drinking?”
“Yes, I had a few drinks while discussing a project.” Lan Qing wanted to pull his boyfriend into his arms, but considering the presence of others, he restrained the impulse and gently patted Xu Le on the head.
Xu Le got off the stationary bike, happy to see Lan Qing but too shy to show affection in public.
“Why don’t we go back first? Li Dongming should be done soon. We’ll say goodbye to him and leave.”
“Okay.” Lan Qing’s eyes flickered slightly.
Speak of the devil, Li Dongming appeared at the door, seeing Lan Qing and Xu Le together from a distance. He couldn’t see Lan Qing’s face but noticed Xu Le’s genuine happiness and relaxed demeanor.
Li Dongming felt a bit melancholic about his best friend suddenly turning gay and finding such an “intimidating” partner.
Xu Le spotted Li Dongming peeking through the door and, though a bit embarrassed, waved to him.
Li Dongming awkwardly walked over, accidentally moving stiffly in an uncoordinated manner.
Xu Le struggled to hold back laughter, all his previous anxiety and unease dissipating.
“You, you came to pick up Lele?” Li Dongming, embarrassed, didn’t know how to address Lan Qing, awkwardly using “you.”
Lan Qing’s icy blue eyes flickered slightly. From Xu Le’s awkward expression, he guessed that Xu Le had already told Li Dongming about their relationship.
And Li Dongming’s words almost confirmed this guess.
Though somewhat surprised, Lan Qing didn’t press further. Since he supported all of Xu Le’s decisions, he simply nodded and said, “Mm.”
In truth, Li Dongming had some questions he wanted to ask Lan Qing face-to-face. However, seeing the cold expression on the latter’s face made him inexplicably hesitant, leaving him unsure of what to say.
Forget it. As long as Xu Le likes him.
As a friend, although he regarded Xu Le almost like a younger brother, he didn’t want to meddle too much in his friend’s feelings. He could only be one of the people Xu Le could rely on, doing his best to protect him.
“Um, could you… treat Lele nicely? I don’t have other brothers at home, and I see him as half of one. If you ever mistreat him, well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Just… uh… you just need to treat him well.” Li Dongming, who was usually eloquent, rarely stuttered.
“Li…” Xu Le was deeply moved. Truly a brother!
Lan Qing looked at him seriously and solemnly promised, “He is the most important person to me, and I will always treat him well.”
Xu Le blushed with warmth in his ears, feeling sweet inside, as if he was melting with sugar.
“Alright, you two go back first. We’ll meet again when there’s a chance. I won’t disturb your time together.” With that, Li Dongming slipped away like the wind.
“You didn’t ask me why I suddenly told him about us?”
Lan Qing took his hand. “Whenever you want to say it, it’s your choice.”
Xu Le looked into Lan Qing’s deep eyes, as enchanting as the sea. In those beautiful eyes, there was only his reflection.
Suddenly, he felt an urge to kiss him.
So, while the two were in a corner, Xu Le tilted his head slightly and kissed Lan Qing’s cheek lightly.
Lan Qing had just drank some wine, and his half-Russian blood made him surprisingly resistant to alcohol. However, this unquenching kiss made him a bit tipsy.
He held Xu Le’s hand, his voice hoarse. “Let’s go back first.”