DASFAM_41

The two tacitly set aside the intimacy that had crossed the line, and did not mention it again.

Perhaps because he had been 'idle' for too long, Bai Xu’s hidden workaholic nature was starting to stir. After much deliberation, he still agreed to Shang Yanxiao's cooperation request—

First, because the 'Eaglet Cinema' project perfectly aligned with his interests.

Second, because no one could turn down money, and Bai Xu was no exception. Since Shang Yanxiao was willing to place this 'bet' on him, he naturally had the courage and confidence to accept it all.

The communication between the two went smoothly in this regard, and they even formally signed a publicly visible cooperation agreement, everything was strictly business.

When the news reached Chu Yate, he thoughtfully found a suitable temporary office space for Zhouye Investments.

Ding dong.

The elevator doors slid open.

Bai Xu looked at the words 'Zhouye Investments' that came into view, raised an eyebrow, and praised, "Well, this does look quite impressive."

Shang Yanxiao also seemed satisfied, "Hmm."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Yate emerged from the conference room.

He leaned against the doorframe and greeted them, "Finally decided to show up, you two bosses? Since when does an ally like me have to wait for you with the team?"

Xie Qi, standing nearby, explained on their behalf, "Mr. Chu, sorry. There was a traffic accident on the only route here, so we got stuck in a bit of a jam."

Chu Yate smiled, showing no sign of blame.

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao exchanged a glance, then walked over, "Alright, enough talk. Let's just get started."

This was the first gathering of the project team members and a necessary meeting.

Chu Yate settled back into his seat and got straight to the point, "The Chu Group Investment, led by Chu Yuncheng, will participate in this competition. My position makes it inconvenient for me to go directly against my own family, so all future projects will be conducted under the name 'Zhouye Investments'."

"These four are project team members I've carefully selected. They're quite capable," Chu Yate scanned the room, emphasizing, "And tight-lipped, they won't go around talking."

The four employees maintained a polite, unified greeting, "Mr. Shang, Young Master Bai."

Even though they might not know the true backgrounds of Shang Yanxiao and Bai Xu, as 'workers', whoever pays the salary is the boss. There's no need to question every detail, and having a big mouth is a workplace taboo.

Shang Yanxiao gave a slight nod and exchanged a glance with Xie Qi.

As a seasoned project veteran, Xie Qi understood the cue. He introduced himself to the team members brought by Chu Yate and took the initiative to move things along, "Shall we start by briefly reviewing the information on all our competitors?"

"Good, I'll begin—" an employee responded proactively, pulling up preliminary research data, "Currently, we can confirm eight companies participating in the bid..."

The project meeting lasted a full three hours before concluding.

Bai Xu showed no signs of fatigue; instead, he seemed faintly excited, as if embarking on a 'hard mode', "The difficulty is not insignificant."

Aside from the Chu Group's project investment division, two overseas-funded companies were also making aggressive moves. Compared to these firms, Zhouye Investments seemed like small fry in the ocean, easily overlooked as mere participants.

Shang Yanxiao detected his barely concealed excitement, "Having difficulty makes it more fun, doesn't it?"

Compared to a project one is confident of winning from the start, a later surge to victory is far more interesting.

Bai Xu grasped his meaning perfectly and replied with a smile, "En."

The two of them seemed to exist in their own little world, oblivious to others.

The elevator descended to the basement level, and the doors slid open.

Chu Yate finished the last of his coffee, attempting to interrupt, "You two, the meeting's already over. How about joining me for dinner?"

Bai Xu was about to agree when Shang Yanxiao beside him declined calmly, "Another day. We have other plans tonight. It's not convenient."

"......"

Other plans? How come he didn’t know?

Bai Xu looked at Shang Yanxiao, confused, "Huh?"

Shang Yanxiao stood up, indicating it was time to leave, "We need to pick someone up at the airport. It's about time to head over."

Chu Yate didn't press further, "Alright then, let's make it next time. I'll head off first."

"Take care."

It wasn't until they were in the car with the doors closed that Bai Xu showed his full suspicion, "What are we going to the airport for? You're not just making an excuse to avoid dinner, are you?"

Shang Yanxiao motioned for him to fasten his seatbelt, evading the question, "Didn't you notice I had Xie Qi take a taxi home first?"

Bai Xu nodded, "So?"

Shang Yanxiao glanced at the empty back seat, "So, we really are going to the airport to pick someone up."

Bai Xu's curiosity grew, "Who?"

Shang Yanxiao became cryptic, "You'll know when we get there."

Bai Xu clicked his seatbelt into place with a 'snap', grumbling, "Why all the mystery?"

Shang Yanxiao let him complain, stepping on the gas and driving off.

An hour later, at Singapore International Airport terminal.

Bai Xu leaned idly against the car door, holding a hastily purchased sparkling water, "Who is it? Why aren't they here yet?"

Shang Yanxiao sat in the car, checking his phone, "Any minute now."

Bai Xu took a sip of his drink, joking with a hum, "I'd like to see who's important enough for the Third Young Master to personally come pick up—"

His words were cut off by an extremely excited and loud shout:

"—Bai Xu!"

"?"

Bai Xu turned in surprise toward the source of the voice. Before he could clearly see the person, the other eagerly rushed over and gave him a full embrace.

"......"

Bai Xu stumbled back against the car door from the 'impact', nearly dropping his drink. Familiar brown curly hair came into view, easily revealing the person's identity.

"Changning? What are you doing here?"

Zhang Changning released the hug, looking as proud and aloof as ever, "Didn't expect me, did you? I'm here too."

Bai Xu pressed, "Did you come alone?"

Shang Yanxiao spoke up from inside the car, "Where's your brother?"

Zhang Changning bent down to greet Shang Yanxiao in the car and explained, "Third Brother, my second brother is still waiting for the luggage. I was afraid you'd get impatient, so I came out first."

Bai Xu caught on from the conversation and asked again, "You two brothers are here to visit? How long are you planning to stay?"

"A friend of mine is holding an art exhibition here in the city. Tomorrow is the opening day, so I came to show my support. My brother happens to have a medical symposium to attend the day after, so we decided to come together."

Zhang Changning explained their purpose for being here, "We'll stay for three or four days before heading back."

Bai Xu glanced at Shang Yanxiao inside the car and teased, "No wonder we had to trouble the Third Young Master himself to come pick you up. Looks like we should properly welcome you two brothers tonight?"

Zhang Changning didn't bother with polite refusals. The willfulness he'd had since childhood came out naturally, "Third Brother, I want seafood."

Shang Yanxiao always treated him like a younger brother and replied, "Your brother already told me. Don't worry, everything's prepared. We'll eat at home tonight."

"Okay!"

Shang Yanxiao was concerned about his younger brother still in the country, "How is Queyan doing?"

Zhang Changning replied, "He's doing well. His rehabilitation is going smoothly. He can already walk normally for a while now."

Bai Xu followed up with another question, "And the studio?"

Zhang Changning gave another 'okay' gesture, "Sister Qiu is keeping an eye on it. Everything's normal."

Bai Xu smiled, "That's good."

Zhang Changning wasn't in a hurry to get in the car, "My brother should be out soon."

The three waited a bit longer before seeing Zhang Changxu pushing two large suitcases out.

Zhang Changning's eyes lit up instantly, "Brother! Over here!"

Bai Xu, seeing the enormous size of the suitcases, looked shocked, "You two brothers are only staying for three or four days, right? Do you need such huge suitcases? And two of them?"

Zhang Changxu met Bai Xu's questioning gaze with his usual calmness, "Most of the stuff in the suitcases belongs to Xiao Ning. Ask him."

Bai Xu looked at Zhang Changning, "What did you bring?"

Zhang Changning looked innocent, "Nothing much. Just the essentials."

Only when it came to his younger brother would Zhang Changxu elaborate a bit more, "He's picky about beds when sleeping. Every time he travels, he has to bring his sleeping pillow, sheets, and duvet cover. He even insists on bringing his usual aroma diffuser. He's been a handful since he was little."

Upon hearing this, Bai Xu silently gave a thumbs up.

Truly the Young Master Ning from the original story, doted on by his family since childhood. This level of finickiness was truly unmatched.

Zhang Changning suddenly felt a bit embarrassed and muttered at Zhang Changxu, "Second Brother, you were the one who packed both suitcases. Stop making fun of me in front of Bai Xu."

Zhang Changxu hit the mark with one sentence, "Who was giving the orders?"

"......"

Zhang Changning turned his head away haughtily and didn't reply.

Bai Xu suppressed a laugh, instinctively looking towards Shang Yanxiao who had gotten out of the car, "Shall we go?"

"Hmm, right away."

Shang Yanxiao walked to the trunk and gestured to his friend, "Let's load the suitcases."

Zhang Changxu nodded, "Okay."

...

As dusk approached, inside the duplex villa.

The butler and servants, following Shang Yanxiao's earlier instructions, had already prepared a sumptuous dinner. The aroma of seafood filled the entire house.

"Oh my, this makes my mouth water," Zhang Changning eagerly took a seat, not forgetting to pull Zhang Changxu down next to him, "Brother, sit down, quick!"

Bai Xu, seeing his usual spot taken by his friend, paused slightly.

Shang Yanxiao seemed to notice his hesitation and simply moved the chair from the head of the table to the opposite side of the two brothers, "Come, sit next to me."

Bai Xu had no better option and walked over.

The butler proactively asked, "Mr. Shang, shall I open a bottle of red wine?"

Zhang Changning responded instantly, "Yes!"

Zhang Changxu sighed helplessly, giving the back of his younger brother's head a light pat, "You're a guest, don't be so presumptuous."

Zhang Changning retorted in a very small voice, "Third Brother isn't an outsider."

"It's fine. We should open a bottle to welcome you," A slight smile touched Shang Yanxiao's lips, but he first asked for Bai Xu's opinion, "Would you like to choose?"

Bai Xu didn't refuse, "Is there any of that white wine from last time?"

The amusement in Shang Yanxiao's eyes deepened, "Still want to drink that wine?"

"......"

Some images suddenly surfaced in Bai Xu's mind. He hurriedly refuted, "I just think that wine tastes good. Is that not allowed?"

"Of course. You have the final say."

Shang Yanxiao instructed the butler to fetch and chill the wine, then addressed everyone at the table, "Let's start eating."

"Wait!"

Zhang Changning suddenly called for a pause, taking out his phone on a whim, "Let me take a video to show off to Queyan."

Bai Xu was amused by his action, "You know he's all alone back home, why goad him on purpose?"

Zhang Changning laughed in reply, "Teasing him is fun, of course."

With that, he recorded an especially 'infuriating' video to show off—

Not only capturing the entire table of delicious food, but also including the other three at the table. The video ended with Zhang Changning's particularly gloating laughter.

Swish!

The video was successfully sent to Shang Queyan back in China.

Zhang Changning, satisfied, said, "Alright, let's eat!"

Zhang Changxu let his younger brother dig in heartily, turning his gaze to his friend across the table, "Before I left this time, the Old Master specifically told me to 'check in' on you."

"The Shang family hasn't noticed anything unusual yet. But for the sake of authenticity, would you come to the hospital with me tomorrow and put on another act? I'll record a video for the Old Master as proof?"

Shang Yanxiao leisurely put on his gloves, "Alright."

Zhang Changning swallowed a mouthful of fried clams and, taking advantage of everyone present being close acquaintances, asked, "Third Brother, I've never quite understood, why are you pretending you're not awake? Was there something suspicious about the car accident?"

"......"

Shang Yanxiao paused in the act of peeling the shrimp, a rare trace of harshness flickering between his brows.

Bai Xu and Zhang Changxu sensed it simultaneously, their gazes shifting to the two of them.

Zhang Changxu gently chided, "Xiao Ning."

Bai Xu looked at Shang Yanxiao, who remained silent, and answered on his behalf, "The situation within the Shang family is too chaotic. The first and second branches are constantly at each other's throats."

"Yanxiao doesn't want to waste his energy on that kind of environment. Using the 'coma' as a pretext, he started over anew in Singapore."

That was the truth, but not the real reason.

Zhang Changning probably realized he had spoken out of turn and asked the wrong thing. He hurriedly tried to smooth things over, "That makes sense. With Third Brother's abilities, he can succeed anywhere!"

Shang Yanxiao placed the small dish of peeled shrimp in front of Bai Xu, shifting the topic at the dinner table, "Eat up. I've peeled them for you."

Bai Xu's heart fluttered slightly, "You haven't been eating all this time just to peel these for me?"

Shang Yanxiao replied softly, "Last time you said you liked them but found them troublesome and didn't want to dirty your hands? Eat more. I'll peel more for you if it's not enough."

A slight smile touched Bai Xu's lips, "Thank you."

Zhang Changxu sensed the even more intimate atmosphere between the two across the table, a flash of understanding passing deep in his eyes.

A little later, the butler returned with the chilled white wine in a bucket, pouring a glass for each of the four at the table.

Zhang Changning seemed to suddenly remember something, "Wait, why hasn't Queyan replied to me at all?"

He picked up his phone and casually sent another message on WeChat.

In the blink of an eye, a glaring red exclamation mark appeared on the screen:

"The message has been sent, but it was blocked by the recipient!"

"......"

Zhang Changning was dumbfounded for a few seconds before immediately complaining and showing his phone screen, "Holy crap, he actually blocked me! Is Shang Queyan just a sore loser?"

Bai Xu saw the situation and instantly laughed so hard he choked a little.

Shang Yanxiao showed concern, "Take it easy, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Bai Xu took a sip of wine to soothe his throat, still finding the childish spat across the table amusing, "He really blocked you?"

Zhang Changxu looked at his puffed-up younger brother, feeling helpless, "See what happens when you provoke him for no reason?"

Zhang Changning refused to back down, "He's done for when I get back home."

The meal continued quite merrily.

The butler, seeing the dinner was nearing its end, inquired appropriately, "Will the two Mr. Zhangs be staying here tonight?"

Zhang Changxu said, "We booked a hotel, downtown."

Bai Xu checked the time, "It's almost nine. Why don't you just stay here tonight instead of going through the hassle?"

Shang Yanxiao also thought it was fine and instructed the servants to prepare the guest rooms.

The servant nodded, "There's only one guest room left. Would it be alright for the two gentlemen to stay together?"

Zhang Changning, busy finishing his last sip of wine with flushed cheeks, looked at Zhang Changxu beside him upon hearing this, then had a sudden idea and turned his gaze to Bai Xu.

"Bai Xu, how about you and I squeeze together tonight! I'm not that particular about beds!"

As soon as the words were out, Shang Yanxiao and Zhang Changxu spoke in unison, "No."

"......"

"......"

Bai Xu narrowed his eyes subtly, and Zhang Changning was so startled he let out a tipsy hiccup.

Zhang Changxu reached out to pat his back, "You're staying with me tonight. Don't cause trouble."

Zhang Changning obediently replied, "Oh."

Shang Yanxiao continued, "Then it's settled. You two brothers will stay here tonight. It'll be convenient to go to the hospital together tomorrow."

"Alright."

...

The night passed peacefully.

Bai Xu slept until he naturally woke up, had a simple lunch, and then returned to his room. He started working on the preliminary preparations for the 'Eaglet Cinema' project at his computer.

The sunlight outside the window shifted slowly and steadily until a knock sounded at the door.

Zhang Changning asked from outside, "Bai Xu, may I come in?"

Bai Xu pulled himself out of his focused work state, rubbing his stiff neck, "The door isn't locked, come in."

Zhang Changning walked in.

Bai Xu swiveled his chair around with him in it, "Awake? You weren't hungover or dizzy from last night, were you?"

"Not too bad. My second brother gave me some hangover medicine before bed last night. I just slept late and woke up late."

Hence, opening his eyes to find it was already 1:30 in the afternoon.

Zhang Changning saw the piles of project materials on his desk, "Are you busy? Am I disturbing you?"

Bai Xu shook his head, "No, I'm about done here anyway, was just planning to take a break."

Hearing this, Zhang Changning extended an invitation, "Then, do you want to come with me to see my friend's art exhibition?"

"Me?"

"En."

Zhang Changning nodded affirmatively, "My brother texted me; he and Third Brother just arrived at the hospital. We can meet up after they're done. My friend's performance art exhibition is quite interesting. Want to come with me?"

It had been a long time since Bai Xu had gone out for a proper stroll. He agreed readily, "Alright. Just wait for me to change my clothes, and then we can go?"

Zhang Changning broke into a smile, "Sure!"

...

The performance art exhibition was held in the city center. It was a weekday and the first day, so the flow of visitors in the exhibition hall wasn't particularly large.

Zhang Changning took Bai Xu to complete the check-in at the signature wall before they started browsing through the exhibition halls one by one.

When they saw the exit sign for the final exhibition hall, Zhang Changning finally pressed for his opinion, "So, what do you think? Not bad, right?"

Bai Xu agreed, "Quite interesting."

It had to be said, Zhang Changning's artist friend possessed a certain amount of whimsical ingenuity.

It was called a performance art exhibition, but it wasn't vulgar, bizarre, or outlandish. The arrangement of each scene carried a novel and refined elegance that allowed people to immerse themselves quite well.

"I heard from my friend that this tour is scheduled for five countries and eleven cities. Singapore is the first stop on this leg," Zhang Changning revealed in a low voice, "By the way, he's German, a full twelve years older than me, and a confirmed bachelor. His usual motto is 'enjoy the present, seize the day'."

Zhang Changning paused, a belated realization dawning, "That's strange, I didn't see him anywhere inside the exhibition hall just now?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a call came from behind them, "Ning~"

Speak of the devil. Bai Xu and Zhang Changning turned their gazes.

A handsome foreign man was walking briskly toward them. He wore a white T-shirt covered in signatures handwritten with markers in various styles, many of them layered over each other and indistinguishable.

Zhang Changning waved at him, then promptly took on the role of intermediary, "Bai Xu, this is Andrew, the main exhibitor."

"Andrew, this is my good friend from China, Bai Xu."

"......"

Under Zhang Changning's introduction, the two men's eyes met.

Andrew took a clear look at Bai Xu's features, and a distinct interest overflowed in his amber pupils. He even switched to Chinese from the start, "Hello, nice to meet you for the first time."

Zhang Changning was startled.

The two of them usually communicated in English; he hadn't expected the other's Chinese to be quite decent.

Bai Xu returned the courtesy in kind, speaking fluent German, "Thank you, pleased to meet you as well. This exhibition is wonderful."

This time, Zhang Changning's round eyes widened even further, "Bai Xu, how do you also know German?"

Bai Xu downplayed it modestly, "Just a smattering, not proficient."

Andrew complimented him, "You already speak it very well."

Zhang Changning asked, "Where did you just come back from?"

Andrew pointed towards the ceiling, "The bar upstairs. I booked it for the whole day as a place for celebrating and receiving guests. Many friends and attendees are there."

He smiled and extended an invitation, "Would you two like to come up for a drink as well?"

Hearing the mention of alcohol, Zhang Changning perked up instantly, "Bai Xu, shall we go?"

Bai Xu didn't agree immediately, "How much longer for your brothers?"

"Haven't heard a peep yet. Probably got held up by something."

"But they'll definitely come find us when they're done. I've sent the specific address to my second brother."

Zhang Changning added the information in the chat interface and simply tugged on Bai Xu's wrist, "Let's go, we can go up and sit for a bit, just have a drink or two, that's all."

Andrew smoothly made an inviting gesture, "Please, honored guests."

...

Night fell, and the liveliness in the bar grew even stronger with the arrival of darkness.

Zhang Changning, a social butterfly, quickly blended in and started having fun with the friends around him. In contrast, Bai Xu, having stayed for a while, found the noise a bit grating on his ears.

He patted Zhang Changning on the shoulder, "Changning, I'm going to the open-air balcony to get some air."

Zhang Changning acknowledged, "Okay! Third Brother and the others will be here soon. I'll come get you in a bit!"

Bai Xu picked up the half-finished glass of whiskey on the table and quickly distanced himself from the clamor.

With one gust of night wind on the open-air balcony, the mind settled.

Bai Xu couldn't help but let out a sigh, "Finally, some peace and quiet."

The next second, a light chuckle came from behind, "It seems Mr. Bai doesn't care for environments like bars? My hospitality has been lacking."

Bai Xu turned to look at Andrew, who was approaching, and offered a polite yet distant smile, "It's my own preference, has nothing to do with your arrangements."

"If a guest doesn't have a good experience, then that's on me for not doing enough," Andrew gently clinked the glass he brought with Bai Xu's, "My apology."

With that, he downed it in one go.

Bai Xu's brow lifted slightly, matching the boldness as he finished his own drink, "I'll keep you company for half a glass."

Seeing his action, Andrew's interest grew even higher, "No wonder Mr. Bai can be friends with Ning. The two of you are equally adorable."

"Adorable?"

Bai Xu didn't feel such an adjective could be applied to himself, "Changning is the adorable one."

Andrew didn't argue, even stating bluntly, "Ning is adorable, but not easy to pick up."

"......"

Bai Xu was taken aback, "Are you pursuing him?"

"Pursuit?" Andrew shrugged, boldly stating his attitude, "I never pursue stable, committed relationships."

"When I first met Ning, I really did want to have intimate, in-depth contact with him. But sadly, he jumped up and refused me."

Bai Xu was aware that foreigners tended to be blunt in their expressions, and his expression remained calm.

However, upon hearing the description 'jumped up and refused', he couldn't help but chuckle, "Changning is better suited to being friends."

Andrew replied, "I think so too. After all, when he rejected me, he said he already liked someone."

"......"

Changning has someone he likes?

This was the first time Bai Xu had heard about this. Surprise flickered briefly, but he quickly dismissed it as a random excuse his friend had used to brush off Andrew.

Andrew gazed at Bai Xu's face, effortlessly closing the safe distance between them, "And what about you, Mr. Bai?"

A hint of aversion was suppressed deep in Bai Xu's eyes, but with his back against the railing, he had nowhere to retreat, "What about me?"

Andrew didn't conceal his desire in the slightest, "I liked Mr. Bai from the very first glance. You are even more captivating than the night sky of this new city. If you are willing, I think..."

Bai Xu remained unmoved, "You think what?"

Andrew continued his advance, "We could leave everything else aside and just spend this very beautiful night together?"

Everyone has different attitudes towards life and love. A casual encounter could indeed lead to a one-night stand, fitting the standards of 'seizing the day' and 'enjoying the present' that Andrew spoke of.

However, that particular set of standards didn't suit Bai Xu.

Bai Xu raised his hand, placing the empty glass he held against Andrew's chest. There was no direct physical contact between them, but his refusal had already quietly manifested.

Andrew lowered his gaze, "Mr. Bai?"

Just as Bai Xu was about to speak up and directly refuse, a familiar voice, deep and cold, sounded from the balcony entrance.

"Sorry to interrupt?"

–

TL: Muji

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