A President’s Out-of-Body Experience

Chapter 72

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Edited by Planetes

 

Renzi was completely unaware of Gu Xiaoshan’s thoughts, and joyfully left the house, ready to go on his date. Yu Yuntao followed behind, sending them out. Looking at them, he kept feeling worried, and held Renzi back, “Where will you be going to? Will you be coming home tonight?”

Renzi was a little surprised. “Of course I’m coming home, we’re just going to the aquarium. I’ll come back after dinner.” Renzi then asked Gu Xiaoshan, “Right?”

Gu Xiaoshan smiled. “It’s all up to you.”

Yu Yuntao continued feeling that something was amiss, that Gu Xiaoshan’s smile was crooked. However, thinking about it, he should not bother too much. He then waved his hand at them, “Sure, just be careful.”

Renzi followed Gu Xiaoshan into the car.

As Gu Xiaoshan drove, he glanced at Renzi, discovering that Renzi displayed no strange behaviour at all. However, he did not believe that Renzi had successfully hidden his secret. Instead, he thought that Renzi must have been too happy and so forgot about the badger game.

The truth was close to what Gu Xiaoshan thought.

Renzi had thought that this matter was already dealt with as he did have quite some faith in Shu Jingyi. Now that Gu Xiaoshan was back, his guilt at the start was real, but upon hearing that they were going on a date, he threw all his troubles to the back of his head, and only remembered the blissfulness of his extremely gorgeous paramour returning to him.

With Renzi’s character, Gu Xiaoshan really was unable to show his anger despite himself.

Gu Xiaoshan’s driving was very steady, but he was fatigued from travel, and could not help yawning. He had worked overnight the night before, dragging his uncertain subordinates around to complete the work. He left the remaining unimportant matters to a trusted manager to handle, and hurriedly took a plane back home. There was no time for a good rest at all, and it was very natural for him to be tired. He was physically tired, as well as emotionally tired.

Seeing how Gu Xiaoshan looked a little weary, Renzi asked, “Why don’t I drive? You seem tired.”

Gu Xiaoshan smiled and shook his head. “It’s fine, I’ll drive.”

Renzi suddenly remembered, whenever the two of them were together, he had never held the steering wheel. Although he was not the most reliable person around, his driving was rather excellent, after all, cars were one of his favourite things. Could Gu Xiaoshan be worried about his driving skills? If they were to compare with each other, Gu Xiaoshan might not even be the match of Renzi, this car-lover.

Of course, Gu Xiaoshan had to admit that driving was one of the few things that Renzi was good at. Renzi’s driving skills were even better than his.

It was just that Gu Xiaoshan felt a stronger sense of security with the steering wheel in his hands.

Although that was the case, it was truly not a good idea to be driving when tired. Still, Gu Xiaoshan was not willing to show his weakness so easily, and so stopped his car by the road and teased Renzi, “Where’s the rose I gave you?”

Renzi was taken aback. “Huh? What?”

“The rose,” Gu Xiaoshan said unhappily. “I just gave it to you, you’ve thrown it away?”

“Ah….” Renzi suddenly remembered. After carrying the rose back into the house, he had passed it to the helper and hurriedly went to change his clothes, so he did not think about where the rose was. Renzi started feeling guilty now that Gu Xiaoshan had asked about its whereabouts. This was the first time Gu Xiaoshan had given him roses!

The first bouquet of roses he had given Gu Xiaoshan had been stored properly. Now, in Gu Xiaoshan’s office, under that fluttering silk banner were the roses that had been freeze-dried.

Gu Xiaoshan saw that Renzi was really upset by it, and so gentled his voice, “Since you know that you’re wrong, you should go buy one back for me. I’ll throw it away, and we’ll be even.”

Renzi accepted this suggestion, and ran out of the car to buy a rose. Gu Xiaoshan thought that Renzi would definitely not be able to find a florist any time soon, and even if he did, he would spend a lot of time thinking about what to do. Coming back and forth, he would definitely need a lot of time. So, Gu Xiaoshan lowered his seat, and closed his eyes to take a nap.

Just as Gu Xiaoshan thought, Renzi had to spend a lot of effort before he found a florist. Going into the shop, he then struggled over what he should do. He felt that there was no novelty in giving a rose, but if he got something else, he did not know if Gu Xiaoshan would like it. Looking around, his phone in his pocket vibrated. He took it out, and it was a message from Shu Jingyi. “Are you free now? Is it convenient for us to meet?”

Renzi immediately thought about that Tan Zhugui thing, and started feeling anxious again. “Does it have something to do with Tan Zhugui?”

“Aren’t you being too snobbish? Now that you don’t need me, you don’t want to see me?”

Renzi felt apologetic instantly, but thinking about Gu Xiaoshan who was waiting for him in the car, he replied, “No, it’s not that. I’m not free now. Next time!”

“It’s fine, what about next Friday?”

“Should be alright.”

“Mn, then you’ll decide on the time and place. Think about how you should thank me!” Shu Jingyi responded. “Don’t disappoint me.”

Renzi wondered, how should he thank him? Treating him to just a meal did not seem sincere enough. This made him somewhat troubled. Shu Jingyi had helped him out with such a big matter, if he had not been there, Renzi would not have known how to settle it. In this case, he really should thank him properly.

Renzi had a one track mind. Now that he was thinking how he should thank Shu Jingyi, he was unable to focus on what flowers he should get. In the end, he still went back to old habits, and bought a bouquet of dewy, red roses.

Gu Xiaoshan was a light sleeper, and it was only a nap. So, when Renzi opened the door, he woke up. Renzi got into the car and saw that Gu Xiaoshan’s eyes were closed — this was very rare. Gu Xiaoshan was always vibrant and energetic in front of him, or rather, Gu Xiaoshan was always vibrant and energetic outside.

Renzi recalled that 2028 dream, where Gu Xiaoshan was sleeping next to him everyday. That Gu Xiaoshan also had his eyes closed, probably because it was ten years later, his wrinkles were a little deeper than what he had now, and his gaze was not as sharp as what it was now, as though it would pierce through everything. The ten years older Gu Xiaoshan from the dream had a very gentle gaze, and his attitude towards people and things was calmer and more casual.

That 2028 version of Gu Xiaoshan could even say things like “anything”, “up to you”, “doesn’t matter”. It completely did not match with this young entrepreneur who controlled everything tightly in front of him. Also, the current Gu Xiaoshan would always wake up early at the same time every morning, his meal times constant, and work out in the morning. Whereas the one in the dream would agree to eating supper with Renzi, or would stay up late at night and hug Renzi as they watched a black and white movie. Occasionally, there were mornings where he would lay in bed with Renzi — as expected, the dream was not reality. Because it was not real, the dream seemed even more precious.

Renzi liked the current Brother Xiaoshan very much. At the same time, he also was deeply attached to the Brother Xiaoshan in that dream.

Gu Xiaoshan opened his eyes slowly. Because he just woke up, his eyes were a little bleary, and seemed quite similar to the one in the dream.

Renzi could not help reaching out to touch Gu Xiaoshan’s curled eyelashes. Gu Xiaoshan reflexively shut his eyes, frowning. He looked a little angry, that he should not be provoked easily, but there was a rarely seen weakness to him, and he seemed rather adorable.

Renzi suddenly hugged Gu Xiaoshan, kissing him on his eyes. Smelling the cologne coming from his hair and ears, Renzi laughed. “Boyfriend, you smell really good!”

Renzi was not sure if Gu Xiaoshan was upset or amused, but he had finally woken up. Wrapping his arms around Renzi’s waist, he asked, “Where’s my flower?”

“I saw that you were asleep, so I put it in the backseat. Look!”

Gu Xiaoshan turned his head, and as expected, he saw a big bouquet of red roses. Gu Xiaoshan smiled, “There’s really no novelty.”

I knew it’ll be like this!

— Renzi was a little dejected, but he pretended not to care. “Didn’t you say it was for you to throw away? Since it’s to be thrown away, does it matter?”

Gu Xiaoshan tugged at Renzi’s ear. “How could I bear to throw away the flowers you give me?”

Renzi instead turned shy upon hearing that. Gu Xiaoshan laughed, “So, don’t give me too many. A stalk occasionally would be enough, if not my office would become an exhibition of freeze-dried flowers.”

“Yes, yes!” Renzi turned his head, pushing himself out of Gu Xiaoshan’s arms. “Aren’t we still going to the aquarium? We still have a long way to go, if we’re late, the aquarium will close.”

Maybe because he took a nap, Gu Xiaoshan’s energy was refilled, and he stepped on the gas, heading to the aquarium.

The aquarium was an ordinary one, but Renzi who preferred going to KTVs and liked sports cars rarely came to simple places like it. To him, the aquarium was very new and interesting. If it was someone else who had invited him, he would have sniffed at them. Why did they have to go see a group of fish swimming here and there? Did they not have a fish tank or something at home?

When it was Gu Xiaoshan who brought him here, his thoughts were: Wow, this fish is so big! It can even swim here and there! It’s really quite boring here! But my boyfriend is very good looking!

The aquarium had a tunnel built with glass walls, and the ripples and movements of the water reflected upon them. Especially on Gu Xiaoshan’s white shirt, it emphasised his broad shoulders and slender waist. Renzi had an impulse to hug him from behind, but was held back by an unfamiliar sense of bashfulness.

Renzi seemed to still not be very used to having any interactions with Gu Xiaoshan that were beyond friendship.

Gu Xiaoshan turned his head, suddenly reaching out with his hand and catching hold of him. “Where are you going?”

When his hand was caught by Gu Xiaoshan, Renzi’s mind blanked out. Only after a while, he replied, “I’m not going anyway.”

“Hmm, is that so? You’re not following along, and I was afraid you be dazzled and get lost.” Gu Xiaoshan tightened his hand.

Renzi objected, “I’m just a few steps slower!”

Gu Xiaoshan smiled, and did not respond. He continued holding on to Renzi’s hand, and did not let go. Renzi was also happy about it. In the blue-tinted surroundings, it felt like a dream. Only the warmth from Gu Xiaoshan’s hand gave him a sense of reality.