Chapter 2: Li Rui
Heartbroken? Li Rui heard the dial tone on the other end of the phone, and he couldn’t help but curl his lips into a slight smile. Then he suddenly remembered that his smile had often been called a “silly grin” by many people, so he quickly suppressed it, took a few deep breaths, and tried to calm himself. His eyes were filled with excitement—Zhu Yunxuan was heartbroken?
This was great!
The office door on the top floor of the building opened, and Li Rui walked out carrying a briefcase. His tall figure stretched his suit, making him appear energetic. His looks weren’t bad either, but unlike Zhu Yunxuan’s handsomeness, Li Rui exuded a strong masculinity and imposing presence.
Li Rui liked Zhu Yunxuan. He still remembered that time when his father had summoned him back and sternly ordered him to join his mother’s company. After listening to his father’s scolding, he had gone to a break room to smoke. There, he overheard a group of people cautiously gossiping about AIDS and such. Then, suddenly, there was a loud “bang,” followed by Zhu Yunxuan’s arrogant voice: “What’s wrong with liking men? I’m not afraid to admit it! If you want to talk, just say it openly. No need to gossip behind my back!”
When he opened the door, he saw Zhu Yunxuan, dressed in a blue down jacket. Even after more than ten years, he immediately recognized him. Seeing Zhu Yunxuan’s long legs tightly wrapped in jeans, he knew he was smitten!
Zhu Yunxuan… Maybe Zhu Yunxuan had already forgotten about him, but Li Rui hadn’t. Over a decade ago, he had seen him once, and for Zhu Yunxuan, it might not have meant much, but for Li Rui, the memory was unforgettable.
He had always been jealous of that child in his memory, wearing a red little horse vest and being spoiled by his parents. It was something Li Rui had never experienced. But back then, Zhu Yunxuan was indeed childish—of course, Li Rui was no different.
Back then, Zhu Yunxuan’s life was nothing compared to his. But no matter how good the material life, it couldn’t replace the love and care of family, could it?
“General Manager, are you leaving?” The female secretary in her thirties asked seriously as she saw Li Rui coming out.
At first, when she saw Li Rui’s appearance, she would call him handsome. But as time passed, she realized that it was just an empty appearance—nothing more than a pretty pillow stuffed with straw.
This general manager had a decent education but lacked the decisiveness that someone in his position should have. Despite being born into such a family, he always seemed small-minded, which was quite rare!
“I have something to do outside…” Li Rui hesitated, then spoke. He liked Zhu Yunxuan, and he knew everything about him. If Zhu Yunxuan was heartbroken, he probably didn’t have a place to stay at the moment. Should he invite him to stay at his apartment for a while? Just thinking about it made Li Rui’s face blush slightly.
“I’ll report it to the chairman,” the secretary said with a frown. In her opinion, this general manager would be more suitable for logistics or design, but he was definitely not cut out for a position that required decision-making.
“Hmm.” Li Rui didn’t say much. If it hadn’t been for his father’s strong request, and if he hadn’t happened to see Zhu Yunxuan when he came back from the military camp, he would have definitely chosen to stay in the military rather than come here and become an empty general manager with no real power.
Since childhood, at his grandparents’ house, he was disliked because of his mother’s strong personality. At his maternal grandparents’ house, he was always overshadowed by his half-brother. His mother was always traveling, and his father was focused on his career, so no one really cared for him. He stumbled through his childhood, finally managed to get into the major he liked, and developed an inferiority complex and timid personality—traits that his family would never have. Soon after, his uncle sent him to the military.
The military life wasn’t bad. He liked the atmosphere there because he didn’t want to climb the social ladder, and his surroundings were simple. However, his father wasn’t happy and insisted that he inherit his mother’s business. After all the turmoil, he ended up being thrown here to become a figurehead general manager.
If he could, he wouldn’t want to sit in this position. But facing his aging parents, what else could he do?
Excited, Li Rui headed out, driving straight to Zhu Yunxuan’s place. He wasn’t sure if it was just good luck, but halfway there, he spotted Zhu Yunxuan dragging a suitcase, his face full of bitterness.
However, even though Zhu Yunxuan’s face was twisted in frustration, it couldn’t be denied that he was exceptionally good-looking. Unlike feminine beauty, Zhu Yunxuan’s handsome face, due to his personality, appeared even more striking. It was a bold confidence and arrogance that Li Rui could never possess, and it made his heart flutter the moment he saw him.
Zhu Yunxuan…
Li Rui had observed him for a long time, hoping to find an opportunity to get close to him, but he feared what his parents might do if they found out, so he kept his distance. He had no choice but to wait. But unexpectedly, one day, a man came to drop Zhu Yunxuan off at work!
Li Rui knew that Zhu Yunxuan’s act of publicly declaring his sexual orientation had led many to criticize him. If it had been Li Rui, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to bear the disapproving looks and gossip. But Zhu Yunxuan, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected…
If he really got together with Zhu Yunxuan… Thinking about his strong-willed mother and his father, who had an extremely strong sense of pride, the passionate fire in Li Rui’s heart suddenly went out. He took out a cigarette and lit it. He knew that while his family might tolerate his inaction, they would never accept him liking a man.
He had always been on the periphery of his mother’s family, but he knew their power. If they ever found out about Zhu Yunxuan…
They wouldn’t even allow him to choose a major they deemed useless! Li Rui took a deep drag on the cigarette. When he needed his family’s attention, no one ever cared about him. But now, after he had finally made his own choices, they were dissatisfied with him…
Seven years ago, without anyone noticing, he had quietly taken the college entrance exam. He filled out the application for the major he liked, and what happened?
Even though he didn’t get into Tsinghua or Peking University, the school he got into was still a top-tier institution, right? And even though his major was considered useless in their eyes, it was something he loved! But instead of being proud of his achievement, his choices were belittled, and he was sent off to the army. He spent two years as a soldier, with the title of “college graduate soldier,” and then was sent back, only to find his major had already been changed…
Li Rui admitted that he had failed his own name. He was never a proactive person. He just wanted to graduate from university quietly, find a job he liked, and live a happy, peaceful life with someone he loved, someone who loved him back.
It was a simple wish, but in his complicated family, it seemed completely unachievable. His grandfather’s family didn’t like him because of his mother’s dominance, and his father didn’t like him either. Compared to his half-brother, he was like mud that couldn’t prop up the wall. As for his father? In his father’s eyes, his cousins were all more favored than him. It was as if he wasn’t even his father’s real son. If things had been different, he might never have met Zhu Yunxuan by accident that year…
“Boss, what are you doing here?” Zhu Yunxuan stood by the roadside, holding a suitcase, watching Li Rui, who seemed a little distracted inside the car. While everyone else called Li Rui “General Manager,” Zhu Yunxuan liked calling him “Boss,” and it seemed that Li Rui didn’t mind this title at all.
He couldn’t help but glance enviously at Li Rui’s car. If it weren’t for that car, he probably wouldn’t have recognized Li Rui! This was his favorite car model. If one day he had enough money to buy it, he would definitely paint it all pink and enjoy the “cool” feeling of driving it!
“I…” Li Rui paused, a trace of struggle flashing in his eyes. Unlike his outward sunny appearance, his personality had always been introverted. Seeing Zhu Yunxuan, who looked unaffected despite being heartbroken, he suddenly didn’t know what to say.
Someone like Zhu Yunxuan probably didn’t even need comforting.
Zhu Yunxuan glanced at Li Rui. He had to admit that when he first saw Li Rui, he liked his appearance. But after spending some time with him, he, along with everyone else in the company, realized that this high-flying, handsome, and well-educated guy actually had the heart of a “lowly” person…
“Boss, where are you headed? Could you give me a ride? Just drop me off at any random hotel, I don’t mind!” Since a few days ago, Zhu Yunxuan had moved most of his stuff to his friend’s place, but that Fatty Tian’s place was such a mess. He’d rather stay in a hotel for a few days and then find his own place rather than sort through Tian’s dirty house.
Sigh, it seems like the rent has gone up again!
“Sure!” Li Rui immediately agreed. Then, seeing that Zhu Yunxuan opened the back door, he felt a bit disappointed. But just as he thought that, Zhu Yunxuan placed his suitcase in the back seat and sat in the passenger seat.
It seemed like it was the first time Li Rui was this close to Zhu Yunxuan. With a slight turn of his head, he could see Zhu Yunxuan’s delicate skin… He took a deep breath and started the car.
After a while, Zhu Yunxuan’s expression became more and more peculiar. “Boss, can I ask you a question?”
“What is it?” Li Rui immediately responded, unconsciously straightening his back.
“How long have you had your driver’s license? Are you a beginner?” The car behind them had been honking non-stop! Zhu Yunxuan believed that if he encountered someone driving this slowly on the road, he would definitely curse!
“I’m just being cautious,” Li Rui replied. He had always been a careful person, and besides, there was Zhu Yunxuan in the car! Also, driving slowly meant more time to spend together, right?
“What kind of ‘accident’ could happen?” Zhu Yunxuan frowned, but before he could finish, a car in the adjacent lane suddenly accelerated, crossing over the flowerbed and heading straight towards them!
It looked like it was going to crash into them. Li Rui slammed on the gas pedal and, by reflex, tried to turn the steering wheel to the left, but to his surprise, another car was overtaking them! Afraid that Zhu Yunxuan, sitting in the passenger seat, might get hurt, he had to quickly slam the brakes! The overtaking car barely missed them, scraping their side mirror and speeding ahead, while the car that had been heading toward them crashed into the car behind them.
Li Rui let out a sigh of relief, just about to thank his luck for escaping disaster. But then, a loud crash rang out, and the billboard that had been stuck in the flowerbed fell from the height above, crashing down…