Full-time Boyfriend Chapter 4

Chapter 3 | Table of Content | Chapter 5

Chapter 4: The employer-employee relationship ①

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: DDDD:

Lawyer Lin was Yan Yu’s friend and business partner for many years. As Yan Yu was facing some dispute regarding the labour contracts, Lawyer Lin, who specialises in this area, provided much help to Yan Yu. After meeting up, Lawyer Lin enthusiastically invited Yan Yu and his assistant for lunch in his house. Unable to decline his goodwill, Yan Yu accepted. Lawyer Lin’s wife was very skilled in cooking, filling the large table with dishes. The few of them chatted while they ate. The couple was pretty curious about Yan Yu’s new assistant, and so Lawyer Lin asked curiously, “Xiao-Chen, are you married?” “No.” Yan Yu laughed, “This guy just got ditched by his girlfriend.” “Oh? That is such a pity.” Chen Yifei glanced at Yan Yu begrudgingly, why does Yan Yu enjoy exposing him? Lawyer Lin laughed, “It’s not easy being his assistant, huh? I think you’re already his sixth or seventh one. This guy here is a bit too nit-picky.” Although Chen Yifei agrees wholeheartedly, he did not want to say that in front of others. What if his boss becomes unhappy and reduces his recently increased salary? Instead, he answered ingeniously, “I am competent enough.” Yan Yu commended him with his eyes and laughed, “Don’t worry, I won’t kick him out as long as he doesn’t quit.” Mrs Lin carried a full ladle of aromatic fried shrimps and put them in Yan Yu and Chen Yifei’s bowl, “Come, both of you have to try this, this dish is my forte.” Yan Yu promptly accepted the bowl with a big smile. However, as the couple turned around and talked amongst themselves, Yan Yu quietly passed all of his fried shrimps to Chen Yifei with extreme speed. Chen Yifei, confused, “What are you doing?” “I am allergic, help me eat them.” “Can’t you just tell them?” “It probably wasn’t easy making it, don’t be such a killjoy.” “I can’t finish that many.” “I’ll pay you fifty for each one you ate. Are you eating them or not?” Chen Yifei raised his brow, “Of course, I’ll even eat the whole plate of it.” Chen Yifei started to dig in straight away, even took another two bowls of rice to go with the whole large plate of fried shrimps. In the end, it was so oily that he felt like vomiting and swallowing became difficult. Even Yan Yu could not watch on. Yan Yu said quietly, “I’ll pay for those that you haven’t eaten as well, so stop eating.” It would be a disaster if Chen Yifei ended up puking. Mrs Lin was pleasantly surprised, “Oh! I didn’t know Xiao-Chen likes shrimp so much, shall I make more?” Yan Yu, “No, no, we don’t want to trouble you at all.” The two went back to their car after the meeting. Chen Yifei, feeling a bit nauseous, was leaning on the driving wheel and let out a deep breath, speaking slowly, “That should be around thirty of them.” Yan Yu, “Damn it, do you really have to count it… I’ll pay, I’ll pay. I’ll give you two thousand, you can keep the change. Just how tight on finances are you…” Chen Yifei did not bother rejecting the money at all. If his boss is giving it, he is taking it. On their way to their office, Yan Yu received an unknown number on his work phone. He picked it up and heard the man on the other side of the line, with a voice he was unfamiliar with, called him by his nickname from elementary school. Yan Yu was stunned for quite a while, tried his very best at scrutinising every bit of his vague memory, and finally replied uncertainly, “... Guo Shengxing?” “Yes, that's me!! So you still freaking remember me, huh?! I thought you'd forget all about us after you have gotten rich!” In the past, if Guo Shengxing was the second last in class, the only one who would get the last position in class would be Yan Yu. Yan Yu laughed, “How can I forget? You’re the only one who would call me by that nickname. How did you get hold of my number?” “Yo, you’re the famous Chairman Yan now, how hard do you think it is to get your number? I knew you’d make it big.”
Yan Yu, “Where’re you now?” “I’m still where I originally was and opened a small restaurant.” Guo Shengxing said, “I even have a two-year-old son, have you settled down?” “No, no, it’s still too early for me.” Yan Yu replied, “We haven’t met for twenty or so years, right? Wanna find a time and meet up sometime?” “That’s the exact reason why I’m calling you today.” Guo Shengxing said, “Several old friends have been trying to gather people for an elementary school class reunion. We haven’t met each other for twenty plus years, let’s have a meal, drink some alcohol, and reminisce on our lives.” “Sure, anytime. I’ll be there as long as you call me. How many do we have right now?” “Almost twenty of us now. “ Guo Shengxing named a few people, most of whom Yan Yu still has a slight impression on, “There are even some of us who have gotten together since we moved on with our own lives! Who could have expected what happens after we’ve all gone our separate ways?” “Really?” “Yeah! It’d be great if you can join us.” Guo Shengxing said, “But we still couldn’t get a hold of some people. Like our campus belle Liu Xiaoli, and Chen Yifei our President Chen…” “Class President Chen…” Yan Yu glanced over at the person driving his car right now with a smile, successfully earning him a weird look from Chen Yifei, “Actually, I do have his contact.” Guo Shengxing was extremely surprised, “Don’t tell me you guys have been in contact?!!” “Yeah, we’re in close contact too, I can invite him for you.” “That’s great, then I’ll leave that to you.” Judging from his current position, honestly speaking, Chen Yifei felt a little reluctant, since he was sure that Yan Yu would not miss this opportunity to make fun of him in front of others. However, Chen Yifei was also not someone who cares much about his image, “I am your driver now, do I even have a choice?” “Indeed.” The two arrived at a tailor shop for suits that Yan Yu often patronises and redid all the measurements for Chen Yifei while Yan Yu was trying to pick some neckties. As he turned his head and saw Chen Yifei in his newly fitted suit, his wide shoulders, thin waist and long legs became much more prominent. Yan Yu tied the necktie he had chosen on Chen Yifei’s neck, giving a flick on Chen Yifei’s shirt collar, “This is how my assistant should look like. I can’t wait to bring you to the class union now.” The shop assistant on the side smiled and commented, “Chairman Yan, it is almost as if you are showing off your handsome husband.” (T/N: YES. YES, I AGREE.) An off-handed joke by the shop assistant has caused the mood to turn awkward all of a sudden. The shop assistant seemed to have realised her slip of the tongue and glanced over at her manager helplessly. Just as the manager wanted to alleviate the atmosphere, Yan Yu, not wanting to make it difficult for Miss Shop Assistant either, initiated, “Hahaha, forget about showing off your husband. Rather, I have such an outstanding assistant, why wouldn’t I show him off?” The manager let out a sigh of relief, quickly moving on to introducing Yan Yu to other suit designs. Yan Yu ended up shopping at several different shops and even bought quite a few neckties and leather belts for Chen Yifei. Given that he did not really like shopping, Yan Yu was quite impressed by himself. Once at the office, Yan Yu, who had a lot of idle time, started to gossip with Guo Shengxing, telling him that Chen Yifei has agreed to join the class reunion. Guo Shengxing was greatly surprised by how efficient Yan Yu was at inviting Chen Yifei. The class reunion was set on a weekend half a month later. That day, Yan Yu intentionally asked Chen Yifei to drive his most expensive car and they both travelled to the destination together. The sky had already darkened when the two of them arrived. The food streets nearby have just started to get lively, the restaurant noisy and its entrance filled with parked cars. Chen Yifei and Yan Yu alighted from the car. As they were nearing the entrance, they heard a delighted shout from not far away, “Yan Yu!!” Yan Yu turned around and saw Guo Shengxing running directly towards him, giving him a warm hug. Guo Shengxing was wearing a set of sports attire, looked as carefree and casual as he was back in the years, only that he already had signs of balding despite his young age. He gave Yan Yu a long, emotional hug. Guo Shengzing, “How did you grow so tall? You were a head shorter than me back in the years.” “That’s because I’ve been working hard.” Yan Yu laughed, “You didn’t bring your wife and son along?” “It’s boys’ night tonight!!” It was only then did Guo Shengxing noticed Chen Yifei, who was standing behind Yan Yu all this while. Chen Yifei has an aura and temperament that is much different from anyone else. It is still the same calm and unflustered disposition which makes others afraid of him. Guo Shengxing recalled how he had experienced his elementary school days under the constant fear of their President, which resulted in him smiling at Chen Yifei dryly. “It has been such a long time, Class President Chen.” Yan Yu, “What are you so scared of? Chen Yifei won’t bite.” Guo Shengxing pulled Yan Yu’s shoulder towards him, “When did y’all start contacting each other? What is going on, exactly?” “We are working in the same company now.” Guo Shengxing, stunned momentarily, asked curiously, “Aren’t you the boss?” Yan Yu smiled brightly and answered, “Which is why he’s my subordinate.” Guo Shengxing was so shocked that his mouth dropped open. He could only react after a while, giving Yan Yu a big thumb’s up, “That’s amazing, too fucking amazing.” Guo Shengxing directed a smile at Chen Yifei and brought the two of them to their private room. There were already ten or so ex-classmates in the room, happily drinking and reminiscing over their memories. As Yan Yu and Chen Yifei stepped into the room, the atmosphere turned quiet all of a sudden. The problem student that had always been the last in class is now an impressive boss, no one had expected such a positive change in Yan Yu. As for Chen Yifei, there were less than a handful in class who would dare to treat the great Class President Chen as a close brother or friend, since he has always been in a league of his own, almost as if he is a god. Not long after, the atmosphere got lively again. People were busy chatting and describing their experiences as working adults, quite a few of them even showing off their own husbands, wives or children. Chen Yifei also had small chats with those who he was close to back in the days, his face filled with warmth that was usually not present. Before their dinner, everyone has decided to create a WeChat* group chat to keep in contact with each other. However, Yan Yu could not find his phone no matter where he searched. He reckoned that he had probably forgotten it in his car. (T/N*: A popular messaging and social media app used in China.) Yan Yu straightened and turned to look at Chen Yifei who was chatting with a few other people in the corner, “Chen Yifei, I didn’t bring my phone.” Chen Yifei stood up, “I’ll go have a look.” With that, everyone in the room had strange expressions on their faces. Many of them have asked since when did Yan Yu have such a close relationship with the god-like Class President Chen. Yan Yu only said that they have been keeping in contact, but did not mention Chen Yifei’s position as his assistant. He even gave a sign to Guo Shengxing, telling him to do the same.
Chen Yifei arrived at the car park alone. He opened the car door and, sure enough, Yan Yu’s handphone was left on the seat. As he was locking up the car after picking up the phone, a surprised voice sounded behind him, “Chen Yifei?” Chen Yifei turned and looked, it was the campus belle Liu Xiaoli wearing a package hip skirt*, standing on the platform. It is undeniable that she is a stunning beauty. (T/N*: … I didn’t even know they were called that. I had to google it up lmao.) Liu Xiaoli asked, surprised, “You are Chen Yifei, right?” Chen Yifei, “Yes, that’s me.” Liu Xiaoli smiled, “Do you still remember me?” “Liu Xiaoli”. Liu Xiaoli was pleasantly surprised. She did not understand much as a young kid back then, only treating the handsome President Chen as an idol. The girls in class used to always go to him to ask questions after class, and she was one of them. But looking at him right now, Chen Yifei is a man filled with charms, just as before. Liu Xiaoli looked at the expensive car behind Chen Yifei, “Is this your car? I guess your job pays really well?” “No, I am only here to help take something.” Chen Yifei returned with the handphone, together with Liu Xiaoli. It was a well-known fact that Liu Xiaoli fancied Chen Yifei in the past. Seeing the handsome guy and pretty girl standing together, it was no wonder that the people in the room started cheering and teasing them. Yan Yu gave Liu Xiaoli a quick greeting, the latter only smiling back out of politeness in return, her attention clearly fixed on Chen Yifei. Realising that, Yan Yu pursed his lips. Chen Yifei passed the phone to Yan Yu and conveniently sat beside him. After everyone arrived, they started their meal with a big “cheers”, knocking their glasses together, celebrating this happy reunion. The traditional dishes were then served one by one. A pot of porridge was placed on the table in the middle and everyone was served a bowl. Chen Yifei took a small mouthful, seemingly recalled something all of a sudden and reached out to cover the bowl Yan Yu was about to eat from. “What’s wrong?” Yan Yu asked, nonplused. Chen Yifei took Yan Yu’s bowl and used his spoon to pick out all the shrimps, “There are shrimps in it. I’ve picked them out for you but you should still eat less.” Yan Yu stared at the bowl of shrimp-less porridge placed in front of him, dumbfounded, momentarily at a loss for words. (T/N: BISHHHHHH. JUST GET MARRIED Y’ALL.) Yan Yu, “Thank you.” “It’s nothing.” As Yan Yu was eating the bowl of porridge, he could not help but think of giving Chen Yifei a salary raise again. Guo Shengxing opened a few bottles of strong rice wine, and those who were good with the alcohol went ahead to have another drink. Chen Yifei stuck with apple vinegar as he had to drive later, but Yan Yu and the others drank glass after glass until they were all flushed red and even sang with high spirits with the mic. Chen Yifei looked up at Yan Yu who was singing drunkenly on the stage and could not help letting out a laugh. Right at that moment, the phone in Chen Yifei’s pocket rang. His expression soured slightly as he saw the number of his ex on his phone screen. Chen Yifei hesitated for a moment, but decided to go to the balcony quietly and answered the call. Although his feelings have turned cold, it was still not long ago since they had broken up. However, Chen Yifei’s tone was not cold at all, “Hello, is there something you need?” “Where are you right now?” “Class reunion.” “I’m really sorry to bother you right now, but I couldn’t find my passport and I think it might still be in your house. I need it urgently tomorrow, is it okay for me to go over after work and look for it? Can you open the door for me?” “Don’t you have the key?” The person on the line turned silent for a few seconds, “I’ve already thrown it away.” “... Fine, then. I’ll head over once I’m done here.” “How long will it be? I’m in a bit of a rush.” Chen Yifei turned around and looked at Yan Yu who became pretty high from the alcohol and was having a blast. He paused before replying, “Then I’ll go back now. You don’t have to come, I’ll take it directly to you once I’ve found it.” The other person voiced his thanks and hung up. Chen Yifei returned to the room, quietly pulling Yan Yu down the stage and said, “I have some emergencies to take care of so I need to leave for a bit with the car. I will be back very soon, so just wait here if it’s over before I return.” Yan Yu was a bit drunk. He nodded blankly and continued to get wildly drunk on the stage. Chen Yifei was a little worried so he exhorted Guo Shengxing, who was in a slightly better state than Yan Yu, and left hurriedly. Chen Yifei went straight back home and looked around the house which he has not stayed in for almost two months. After looking around for a while, he finally found the passport in between the sofa gaps. Chen Yifei then drove to his ex’s place and knocked on the door. A man wearing pyjamas opened the door, received the passport from Chen Yifei, and said, “Thanks, sorry for the trouble.” Chen Yifei has not seen his ex-boyfriend for months. He thought he would feel some sort of regret no matter how little, but surprisingly, there was none. His ex-boyfriend asked, “Do you want a drink?” Chen Yifei smiled faintly and replied, “It’s fine, my boss is waiting for me.” ---------- Translator’s note: Annnnnd the mysterious ex is revealed.

Chapter 3 | Table of Content | Chapter 5

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