Certificate of Conformity (Chapter 8) I"m finally back from the middle of nowhere, guys... So sorry, but I"ve been exiled shipped out to my maternal grandparents" farm since December cause I had another episode and they thought that some fresh air away from pollution and technology would do me good... tbh, other than sleeping and eating, all I did was listen to old stories from grandma and watch old action movies with grandpa.. they didn"t have wi-fi (#thehorror, #howcanpeoplelivelikethat) I actually only managed to get back cause my paternal grandad is turning 80 in a few days and we"re preparing a huge party for him.. I won"t be able to update more chapters this week cause I"ll be busy with the sh*tload of relatives that are squeezing into our house, and I don"t want dem cousins asking me what I"m doing on my laptop---one wiped out hard drive is enough, tyvm. Btw, I only glanced through these, so if you see some mistakes, just holler in the comments below, TY!
~When Chen Heng said this, his expression was gentle and soft. He looked at Song Wenze with a slight smile and the latter couldn’t help but stare blankly at him. A few seconds pa.s.sed, Song Wenze snapped out of his daze and asked in surprise: "Brother, why do you want to buy a second-hand car, ah?" Without waiting for Chen Heng to even open his mouth, he went on to say: "If you want to buy a car, you should think of buying a new one. If you don’t have enough money, I can make Yichen pay for you."
Saying this, he turned to Ou Yichen: "Yichen, you’ll agree, right?"
Ou Yichen looked at Chen Heng with a profound gaze before nodding gently. "Su Yi, you’re my best friend. Just buy the car and leave the rest to me."
Chen Heng had already guessed that these two people would oppose him and shook his head. "No need. I just wanted to take the driver’s test, but I’m not that familiar with how to drive a car yet, so I was planning on using a second-hand car for practice." Seeing that the two people in front of him still had looks of disapproval, Chen Heng laughed and unhurriedly said: "Once I get used to driving, I’ll exchange it for a new car, okay?"
"Good." Song Wenze finally nodded his head, then softly asked, "When are you going to buy the car?"
Chen Heng’s eyes glazed over as a glint pa.s.sed through, "Next week."
"Okay, I’ll accompany you then."
After agreeing with Song Wenze on a good time to meet up, Chen Heng’s mood was very relaxed and joyful. He even began to fantasize about what Song Wenze’s broken body would look like after the ‘accident’.
Just thinking about that scene really makes one’s blood boil.
But before that, he had to deal with the man who dared to fantasize* about him, stalk him, and peek* at him. [T/N: the fantasize above refers to s.e.xual fantasy, the peek is 偷窥 which means acting like a voyeur or a peeping tom]
***
The next day was Sunday.
Song Wenze went out early to go on a date with Ou Yichen.
The house was very quiet. Chen Heng sat on the beige sofa with his head bowed down, looking at the phone number on his screen. He thought it over for a few seconds before pressing the call b.u.t.ton.
After half a minute, the call was picked up and Xia Ming’s clear and melodious voice was heard: "h.e.l.lo?"
"Xia Ming, right?" Chen Heng’s eyes squinted against the bright sunlight pouring through the window.
The young man on the other end of the phone appeared to be quite excited: "Why are you calling me? Isn’t it your day off today?" As if realizing that this question appeared to be somewhat inappropriate, the youth stammered: “Is there something you want?”
Chen Heng’s eyes drooped down, and there was a faint smile in his tone. "Ou, I’m not busy today and I have nothing to do, but I was thinking of going downtown to stroll around the zoo. Going there alone would be too boring, so I was looking for someone to go with me"
"Ou, so it’s like this ah."
“Is now a convenient time for you?” Chen Heng asked.
"Convenient. Of course it’s convenient." Xia Ming started to talk in a hurry.
Chen Heng bowed his head and took a sip of his coffee. "Do you know where I live?"
"En, I know. Wait for a moment, I will come right away."
"Okay, I’ll be waiting for you." The smile on Chen Heng’s face deepened, and his eyes were dark and unclear. "Call me when you arrive."
After hanging up the phone, he placed it on top of the coffee table in front of him. He took his eyes off of it for a moment, when out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of an unread message notification. He picked up his phone again, opened his inbox, and immediately found a message from an unfamiliar number.
It said: Come to the company to work overtime.
There was no signature, and the time stamp showed that it was sent at 7:30.
Chen Heng carefully thought about it for a moment. At that time, he was right in the middle of making breakfast, and he didn’t hear the sound notifying him that a text message arrived.
He pondered for a few seconds before he decided to dial the number, and while waiting for the call to be connected, he was already thinking of excuses to decline the order.
After a few seconds, the call was answered but no sound could be heard from the other side.
Chen Heng had no choice but to politely ask: "May I know who this is?"
"It"s me, Qi Wei." Qi Wei’s rough and gorgeous voice was heard on the phone.
Chen Heng did not wonder about how the other party got a hold of his phone number, he awkwardly said: "I am sorry, but I have a small urgent matter to attend to today so I cannot come to the company to work overtime."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No need, it’s not a big deal."
The young man on the phone was silent for a moment. "That"s alright."
"En."
Chen Heng waited, and seeing that the other party didn"t have the intention to hang up first; he couldn"t help but say: "Then... byebye?"
"See you tomorrow." Then the call was disconnected.
Chen Heng quickly threw this incident at the back of his mind and patiently waited for Xia Ming to arrive.
Forty minutes later, his phone rang again. After taking the call and saying a few words to Xia Ming, he strode down the stairs. When he arrived at the entrance to his neighbourhood, he immediately spotted a car parked on the other side of the road. Xia Ming lowered the car window, “Get on.”
This time, Chen Heng did not choose to sit on the back seat as per usual but on the pa.s.senger seat. “It turns out that you have a car, ah.”
"En, but I normally don’t use it when I go to work."
Chen Heng nodded, this car was just your average car which was in line with Xia Ming’s ident.i.ty, but Chen Heng still feels that there’s something fishy. His eyes motionlessly fall upon Xia Ming’s face; the other party still had long bangs as before and was wearing a dark colored jacket with the zipper pulled all the way up, just enough that it covered the youth’s chin. Chen Heng carefully observed the other person’s face, looking for similarities with the photos on the ID cards he looked up a while ago.
Seemingly aware of Chen Heng’s blunt stare, Xia Ming’s face turned slightly red, "What are you looking at?"
"I’m looking at you, ah."
"Eh?"
Chen Heng smiled softly. "This is the fourth time we’ve met, but I still haven’t seen your face properly." Putting on a joking demeanor, his voice suddenly took on a lighter tone; his eyes looked as if they contained some dark devilish power, his husky voice bewitchingly said: "Can you let me take a look?"
The tips of the youth’s ear flushed red; he lowered his eyes and didn’t speak.
Chen Heng leaned towards him, his slender fingertips stroked the youth’s right ear, and they unconsciously moved down to the side of his neck.
He asked once again: "Can you?"
Xia Ming felt that he was surrounded by Chen Heng; he breathed in the man’s scent and began to slightly pant. He opened his mouth, eventually letting out a groan as his sign of agreement.
Chen Heng’s eyes flashed, he leaned down and pushed the youth’s long bangs aside. Then, a clean and delicate face was imprinted in his eyes.
The youth"s eyes and brows were clear, his nose was straight and refined, and his lips were delicate and exquisite. His overall facial features were soft and eye-catching, it’s just that his skin was somewhat pale, and it made him look like a sickly person.
But his temperament can"t fool anyone.
How can this kind of person possibly be a courier?
Chen Heng suddenly smiled, and this smile appeared to be bursting forth, like a huge net used to entrap his enemies, "You look really good. But don’t leave your bangs this long in the future, it’s a pity that you should cover your face like this" This one thinks that you look much better on the photo of your ID card.
Xia Ming shyly blinked his eyes while blushing, and his long eyelashes gently brushed against Chen Heng’s fingertips. "Didn’t you want to go to the zoo?"
"En." Chen Heng lightly stroked his hair. "Let"s go."
Xia Ming started the car and set off towards their intended destination. Along the way, he was somewhat restless; the man he was secretly in love with was sitting next to him. His heart was beating in excitement. He really wanted to directly drive his car home, lock this man up and enjoy him alone.
But it’s daytime right now, he can"t act rashly or the other party might discover something.
In order to divert his attention, Xia Ming spoke in a low voice: "Do you remember the first time we met?"
The first time we met?
Chen Heng carefully thought back on it. "Wasn’t it at the bus a month ago?"
Xia Ming shook his head and his eyes held a faint trace of mystery. "That’s not it."
It’s not?
Chen Heng lifted his eyes to look at him seriously; he could basically conclude that the young man had met him before.
The anonymous letter directly indicated his real surname. The only possibility is that the sender was also a member of the x organization. This could also explain what the youth meant about the first time they met. Chen Heng was used to keeping to himself inside the organization. He was normally occupied with researching and developing various advanced instruments and equipment. Basically, he couldn’t be bothered to communicate with his other colleagues so it wasn’t out of the ordinary for him to not recognize Xia Ming.
Pretending not to know anything, Chen Heng asked: "When was that, ah?"
Xia Ming gave a shallow laugh, "I’ll tell you later."
Chen Heng listened, and lightly laughed back.
Since this Xia Ming was from the same organization as him, then how did he come here? If he was just an ordinary person, then Chen Heng could kill him using all kinds of cruel means without the slightest hesitation; but if this was a colleague of his, then he’ll need to think about it carefully before he kills him.
After all, the other party hasn’t done anything to him in essence. Everything in this world exists in the form of data; a person in this world, if killed, would have no influence on the original world, but if that other person was a real individual like him, would that person return to the original world or was there something he wasn’t aware of?
Thinking of this, Chen Heng slowly lowered his eyes to a close to conceal his dark expression.
After arriving at the zoo, Chen Heng was already preparing for their next meeting. “In the future, if you’re bored, you can come find me and I’ll keep you company.”
Xia Ming blankly stared at Chen Heng before a look of obsession flashed through his eyes, and murmured his agreement.
Catching the look in the youth’s eyes, Chen Heng’s eyebrows rose as he showed a gentle smile, and with a voice that was even more gentle: “To be able to get to know you as a friend, I am truly very happy.” Since he can’t kill the other person right away, then he’ll just carefully place him at his side and take advantage of him when the time calls for it.
And Chen Heng already had a plan in mind to kill two birds with one stone.
***
Xia Ming"s physique was relatively weak and the zoo was on an uphill road. He was gasping for breath while walking, and his complexion has turned white; he looked like he could faint at any time.
When Chen Heng saw this situation, he took the initiative to reach out to him. "Let me help you."
Looking at the slender hand that was extended right in front of him, the young man"s eyes turned dark, and he did not hesitate to reach for it. The moment their palms touched, his heart faintly shook.
With Chen Heng’s help, Xia Ming’s complexion became much better, and his face even showed a bright smile. When he laughed, his eyes would turn into charming crescents, and his tiger teeth added a sense of childishness to him.
Chen Heng didn"t know why the young man was smiling and laughing so much; he only felt that their palms were sweaty, sticky, and it was very uncomfortable. Of course, his face still showed a warm spring-like smile, and the sunshine sprinkling down his face only made his expression more and more gentle.
But unexpectedly, this scene fell upon a pair of long and narrow phoenix eyes that emitted a cold air.
***
The author has something to say:
Small Theatre
Chen Heng heard of the news that was quickly spreading around: Qi Wei was not satisfied with their lovemaking.
It wasn’t known how this piece of news pa.s.sed through Chen Heng’s ears.
But on this day, Chen Heng took the initiative to sit on top of Qi Wei’s body.
"I didn"t satisfy you?"
Qi Wei covered his crafty eyes with an innocent expression and shook his head. "I don"t know what you’re talking about?"
Chen Heng smiled, then he suddenly leaned over and connected their lips. "You’re lying."
He was seen through.
Qi Wei blinked, "Would you be able to satisfy me tonight?" === Certificate of Conformity (Chapter 9) stalker#1 and stalker#2 finally meet…
~
A fair intimate face in the midst of a depraved haze appeared in his mind*, but his dark ink-like eyes were firmly fixed on the two people that weren’t far away. No, it should be said that his eyes were fixed on the two people’s hands that were clasped together tightly. When Chen Heng refused to come to the company to work overtime, he quietly drove down to Chen Heng"s apartment building at once.
[*T/N: I think he’s recalling some memories here]
He learned of Chen Heng’s mobile phone number and apartment address through the company’s employee information form. He saw Chen Heng enter Xia Ming"s car; he watched Chen Heng and Xia Ming act intimate inside the car; he followed them all the way to this place; then he saw them holding hands creating an intimate scene.
Didn’t he say that he had an urgent matter to attend to? It turns out that this was the kind of urgent matter he meant.
The corner of his mouth curved up into a bland smile, Qi Wei put his hands in his pockets and his pair of long and slender legs walked over to the two people in front of him.
The stairs they were on could only accommodate two people walking side by side. Chen Heng was still holding Xia Ming’s hand as they walked up the steps, and the moist, sweaty feeling on his palm was slowly becoming something he could no longer tolerate. Hearing the sound of footsteps coming from behind him, he subconsciously pulled Xia Ming to his side, so they could give way to the person behind them. Then he suddenly heard a rough and familiar voice: "Su Yi."
Xia Ming turned around first to look at Qi Wei, and his face flashed into a guarded expression. The latter side just smirked, giving him a faint glance, before naturally turning his gaze to Chen Heng.
Chen Heng paused for a moment before slightly nodding towards to the young man: "Qi Wei."
In any case, it’s outside working hours; he didn’t have a reason to act deferentially to the other.
Qi Wei faintly smiled, he moved to slightly face Xia Ming, but his eyes were still fixed on Chen Heng. "This is?" He has a sense of proportion so he didn’t bring up the matter of his text message. In fact, there was really nothing to do at the company; it was merely an excuse to stay in the same room with Chen Heng, nothing more.
He didn"t expect that he’ll be rejected.
No… from start to finish, this has always been that man’s style.
Chen Heng’s face didn’t show the slightest hint of embarra.s.sment. He simply glanced at the young man in surprise before introducing them to each other: "This is my friend, Xia Ming." Then he said to Xia Ming: "This is my boss, Qi Wei."
Xia Ming slightly leaned towards Chen Heng"s side; his eyes were bent into crescent moons, smiling as he greeted Qi Wei: "h.e.l.lo." He was smiling but he was also covertly sizing him up and sounding him out. Seeing that Qi Wei’s face did not show anything strange and there wasn’t even a crease between his brows, Xia Ming breathed a sigh of relief.
No one is allowed to s.n.a.t.c.h this person from him!
Qi Wei’s gaze faintly covered Xia Ming’s body. “h.e.l.lo, I am very glad to meet you.” After giving this polite greeting, he turned to the man beside him: “Would you mind if I joined your group?"
"We would be honored."
Chen Heng wore a gentle mask on his face, and his tone of voice made it seem like he was extremely delighted.
But he was contemplating on which of these two individuals was the real sender of those anonymous letters. Qi Wei unexpectedly showed up here and it goes without saying that this behavior is extremely suspicious, he has to be vigilant.
Regarding the strong kiss that he felt was utterly unpleasant, this Qi Wei appears to be the more plausible suspect compared to Xia Ming.
The surrounding scenery was beautiful and pleasant, and while they were admiring the various kinds of animals they saw along the way, Chen Heng casually asked: "How is it that you also came here?"
Qi Wei closed his eyes, this action prevented people from taking a glimpse at the expression in his eyes. “Oh, I didn’t think that they needed my help at the company and since I was bored, I decided to roam around A City by myself. I heard from the other employees that this zoo is one of the city’s iconic attractions, so I decided to take a look.”
After saying this, the young man took the opportunity to invite Chen Heng, "This is my first time coming to this city. If you have time, can you take me to some of the well-known scenic spots in the area?"
"Of course, I can."
Chen Heng feigned enthusiasm as he said this, his plain and gentle face only showed a friendly smile.
"It’s settled then." Qi Wei smiled and joked. "I’m only staying here for a month. When senior comes back, I will be returning to M country. If I have you locals with me, then I do not need to worry about getting lost."
Chen Heng was smiling on the surface, but his eyes were dark.
The explanation he got from the young man in front of him was reasonable and you basically couldn’t find any loopholes. But Chen Heng still felt that something was wrong. Could there really be such a coincidence? A City was so big, but they just happened to run into each other at the same zoo?
Also, deliberately telling him that he was going to leave soon, could Qi Wei have said that in order to lower his guard?
Xia Ming saw them chatting agreeably with each other and a twisted expression flashed through his delicate face. He blinked his eyes slowly as he interrupted their conversation. "Su Yi, can I be your* guide?"
[T/N: this is plural. It refers to both Chen Heng and Qi Wei. He’s volunteering to act as their guide]
"Sure, ah." Chen Heng was originally planning to meet with Xia Ming more so he could find an opportunity to confirm the other party’s true ident.i.ty. Now, Xia Ming was the one who took the initiative to approach him, of course he’ll gladly agree.
However, it was still necessary to ask for Qi Wei’s consent. "What do you think?"
“Won’t three people be too crowded, ah?” Qi Wei glanced at Xia Ming with a smile that wasn’t a smile. "Not at all, a car can definitely sit three people." Xia Ming pretended to misunderstand what the other person said.
Chen Heng did not hear the implications of the words exchanged by the two men, and echoed Xia Ming’s words: "Yes, ah. A car is more than enough for three people, but I haven"t bought a car yet so I can only sit in your car."
"Sit in my car." The two people’s voices sounded at the same time.
Their voices have yet to fade when Qi Wei and Xia Ming took a look at each other, then with tacit understanding they removed their gazes.
With their eyes shining with profound light, Qi Wei gave Chen Heng the right to decide. "Su Yi, it’s your choice."
Chen Heng didn’t understand why it was important for him to make a decision over such a trivial matter. It seemed to him that they were simply wasting time over nonsensical things.
Thus, he calmly said: “Just use rock-scissors-paper ba."
Qi Wei and Xia Ming: "..." Idiot.
In the end, the problem was settled via rock-scissors-paper. Qi Wei’s paper to Xia Ming’s scissors: Xia Ming won.
Xia Ming was very happy and Qi Wei was expressionless, he turned his head to ask Chen Heng: "If it was up to you, what would you choose?"
Chen Heng thought for a moment, "Rock."
Qi Wei heard that and the corner of his mouth slightly turned up, and there was a faint smile in his eyes.
The three men parted ways after making an appointment to go out next week. Qi Wei drove back by himself, and Chen Heng followed Xia Ming to his car. Chen Heng considered Xia Ming’s cover and took the initiative to talk to him in the car: “Being a courier must be very exhausting, haven’t you considered changing jobs, ah?”
Xia Ming gripped the steering wheel in his hand tightly and vaguely replied: "I’m still waiting a little a longer before changing jobs again." He blinked his eyes and looked straight ahead, driving the car intently, "How’s your job? Are you getting along well with your colleagues?"
"It’s pretty good." Chen Heng whispered back.
The young man next to him was silent, then he suddenly changed the subject: "Didn’t you say that you had a younger brother last time? How is it that you’re not related by blood?"
"He is the son of my parent’s friend. His father and mother died, so my parents adopted him." At the mention of Song Wenze, Chen Heng’s eyes turned gloomy and he silently hanged his head down.
When Xia Ming saw the man’s eyes dim with sorrow and loneliness, his heart suddenly had this urge. He wanted to hold the other person tightly in his arms and plunder his body until the man only had him in his eyes.
Long before he approached this man, Xia Ming had already sent people to investigate him. He was aware that the man’s younger brother had teamed up with his ex-boyfriend to betray him. His heart must certainly be in pain after being hurt by the ones he loved most, but he’s still smiling. Weak yet strong, really makes people feel distressed for him.
There’s a voice in his heart saying: Hold him, overwhelm him, he needs your comfort right now, but his reason tells him that he can"t do this.
It will scare the other person away.
But the bottom of his heart has already been set aflame, it raged within his body, and burst after burst of frenzied throbbing soon followed after.
So hot, I really want to have him.
Seeing that they were about to reach the man’s apartment building, Xia Ming very much wanted to turn the car around and directly take the man back home to lock him up. His family is very powerful, even if he makes a man disappear out of nowhere, no one will be able to trace it back to him. Xia Ming couldn’t help but feel somewhat restless, but he knew that if he acted on this impulse, the man would definitely resist. His body is no good, if the man really resisted, he would not be his opponent.
That won’t do. He must think of the perfect strategy to grab a hold of the man, so he can lock him up in the cage that he personally built for him. Then he’ll be able to hold him and violate him all day and night.
"Thank you for keeping me company today."
Captivated by the magnetic voice that pa.s.sed through his ears, Xia Ming began to fantasize about the other party making a helpless cry as he moaned using this voice.
"Don’t mention it. You’ve said it yourself, we are friends, ah." Xia Ming reigned in the fervent look in his eyes and wore a shy smile.
"En, of course we’re friends." With his eyes covered with a faint layer of mist, Chen Heng’s smile was warm and soft.
When Xia Ming drove away, he took back his gaze, and his plain face shed off its gentle persona to reveal cold, hard eyes and an apathetic expression.
A while ago, when Qi Wei and Xia Ming were discussing the problem of who will ride in whose car, Chen Heng had actually thought of the perfect murder plan: he’ll orchestrate a car accident where Qi Wei and Xia Ming will unexpectedly die at the same time. It’s merely killing one more person after all. Regardless of who the real stalker is between Qi Wei and Xia Ming, this method is undoubtedly the safest and most time-saving way of getting rid of the two together.
But unfortunately, this method was something he had carefully planned for Song Wenze. A perfect murder plan would no longer be perfect if used more than once. Accidental deaths must absolutely not happen in the same way. Since he has determined that the person hiding in the dark that keeps on stalking him and provoking him is from the same world as him, then after eliminating Song Wenze, he’ll come for him(stalker) next.
At least for now, the most important thing is to break the official couple apart which is the key in ridding himself of the system.
As for those people who dared to covet him, he will not let any of them off. === Certificate of Conformity (Chapter 10) I find myself chanting sc.u.mbag, sc.u.mbag, sc.u.mbag whenever I translate CoC… ヽ(´ー`)┌
~
Because he wanted information on Xia Ming’s true ident.i.ty, Chen Heng holed himself up in the study when he returned and proceeded to use the computer to track down Xia Ming’s detailed information. It took him less than three minutes to understand everything there is to know about the other party.
Xia Ming, 23, the only son of the chairman of Xia Group, currently lives with his family in the super-luxurious manor that the Xia Group spent a lot of money to build. He was previously enrolled in L country’s most prestigious university as a business administration major. For some reason, he dropped out of school a month ago and returned home in advance without completing his studies.
Dropped out of school for some reason?
Chen Heng raised his eyebrows and pondered for a few seconds. He continued his search and finally found Xia Ming’s medical record which contained a lot of complicated data. After spending a few seconds reading the content, Chen Heng turned the computer off and leaned back on his chair in silent contemplation.
Schizophrenia, ah. He really wasn’t able to tell.
A small smile was evoked from his thin lips when Chen Heng carefully recalled Xia Ming’s behavior. Although the man was indeed somewhat introverted, he could never have imagined that the other party had this kind of illness. However, this also made him more certain that the man was scheming something.
The proud son of heaven of a large financial group was lowering himself to be your average express delivery guy?
Just thinking about it is ridiculous.
It would seem that this Xia Ming was really coming onto him; he just doesn’t know whether the other party simply likes him or he has some other purpose. If Xia Ming truly had feelings for him, and Chen Heng deliberately revealed that he still had feelings for Ou Yichen; what kind of reaction would the young man have?
Chen Heng narrowed his eyes; he really looked forward to it.
***
The afternoon sun was flooding in through the blinds, and brightening up the room. Chen Heng lazily leaned against the wall with a cup of coffee in his hand, and the warm sunlight fell on his shoulders, outlining his slender and well-proportioned figure.
He contentedly took a sip of his coffee and listened to his colleagues’ discussion about the latest gossip.
"Hey, did you know that Xu Bin* was dismissed?"
[T/N: I was confused here, Manager Zhao (from Chapter 4) was the manager of the planning who heckled Chen Heng into attending Qi Wei’s welcoming party. Then on Chapter 5, Manager Zhao became Manager Xu Bin (I sticked to Zhao though)… maybe the planning department had two managers? idk Let’s just a.s.sume that Xu Bin is Manager Zhao’s given name.]
"Xu Bin is the boss’ favorite and his boot-licking skills are top-notch, why would he be dismissed?"
"Who knows; anyway this kind of person doesn’t have any other skills other than flattering the boss and I’ve disliked him for quite a long time."
Everyone said a few more sentences on this piece of gossip before they turned the topic to something else.
Upon hearing this news, Chen Heng felt a bit regret in his heart. It truly was a pity, he had originally wanted to teach that condescending Xu Bin a lesson.
When he returned to his seat, Gossip Expert Liu Hao also told him about Xu Bin’s dismissal. After all, Xu Bin’s position in the company was fairly high, and he was considered as the boss’ confidant; to say that he was dismissed just like that was inconceivable.
"Maybe he made a mistake at work." Chen Heng had no idea.
Liu Hao took a look around and after he was certain that no one was paying them any attention, he moved closer to Chen Heng and whispered: “I heard from the others that before Xu Bin resigned, he was called to Qi Zong’s office. I suspect that Qi Zong ratted him out to the boss."
Qi Wei?
Chen Heng brows knitted slightly. "Wasn’t Xu Bin very enthusiastic about Qi Zong? He even prepared a welcoming party and what not, so it shouldn’t have been him."
"I’m positive it’s him. The boss hasn’t come back from his trip yet, and Qi Zong has the highest authority in the company. I heard that the boss admires Qi Zong and listens to him." Liu Hao said, then his face turned doubtful. "I just don"t know when Xu Bin offended Qi Zong."
Chen Heng didn’t believe that Xu Bin would go and offend Qi Wei. Looking at his eagerness and enthusiasm for Qi Wei, Xu Bin’s just short of having a tail that wags whenever he sees him. How could someone like that possibly offend Qi Wei?
If Xu Bin did offend anyone, then it would be Chen Heng.
Wait a minute, Chen Heng couldn"t help but recall the matter of Xu Bin ordering him to apologize to Qi Wei. Don’t tell me that Qi Wei dismissed Xu Bin because of him?
Oh, it seems that this Qi Wei values him very much, ah.
***
After Song Wenze and Ou Yichen reconciled, these two people’s ardent relationship appeared to be even better than before. Every time Chen Heng came home from work, he would be greeted by their intimate displays of affection. For example, right at this moment, Song Wenze had his head on top of Ou Yichen’s legs, and Ou Yichen was helping him clean out his ears.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Song Wenze glanced at Chen Heng who was changing his shoes by the entrance. In a clingy and sticky manner, he called out: "Brother, you’re back."
"En." Chen Heng avoided Song Wenze’s gaze and was barely able to squeeze out a smile. "What do you want to eat tonight?"
Apparently very satisfied with the expression on the man’s face that looked like he was forcing himself to smile, the youth concealed the dark look that appeared in his eyes and with his soft voice, he coquettishly said: "I love everything that brother makes."
"There’s still some dumplings in the fridge. Should we eat that tonight?"
"Okay, ah." The youth’s voice had not yet fallen, when his eyebrows furrowed and he hissed, "Yichen, you’re hurting me."
Ou Yichen hurriedly pulled out the ear pick and anxiously asked: "Are you all right? Does it still hurt?"
Song Wenze touched his ear and looked at him doubtfully. In Chen Heng’s presence, he asked, "What were you thinking just now ah, why do you keep looking at my brother?"
"I…I wasn’t."
Song Wenze sneered and sat up straight. He took the ear pick from Ou Yichen’s hand and spoke in half truths: "Brother is mine. Don’t even think of robbing him from me."
"What are you talking about?" Ou Yichen quickly glanced at Chen Heng. "He is your brother and my good friend; what am I robbing you of?"Ou Yichen’s gaze held a touch of complexity as he said this, though it was only fleeting.
The incident at the hotel last time, it would seem that this man has already forgotten about it, but he still hasn’t let go.
He is fully aware that he already had Song Wenze; that he shouldn’t have feelings for this man that go beyond friendship, that he shouldn’t long for him, but he can"t control himself. Even though he and Song Wenze are on good terms again, Ou Yichen realized that his desire for Su Yi did not diminish but was increasing instead. It was to the point that he even had spring dreams* about him.
[T/N: spring dream=erotic dream/wet dream]
This has never happened before.
"All right, all right, I’m going to cook, you two better not quarrel again ah." Chen Heng shook his head and turned around to go to the kitchen.
Ou Yichen"s gaze unconsciously followed Chen Heng"s back until he felt a sharp pain in his arm. He cried out in pain, and Song Wenze growled under his breath: "What are you doing!"
Song Wenze put away his smile; his beautiful face was expressionless.
"I told you, don"t even think of taking my brother from me."
"Who wants to take him from you ah." Maybe he was lacking confidence in his answer, but Ou Yichen touched the part of his arm that had turned blue because of the pinch, and whispered: "Shén jīng bìng*."
[T/N: this means ‘mental case’ or ‘neurotic’… but in TMK the MC’s name was Shen Jin Bing, since it sounded similar to shen jing bing, her randomly generated game ID was ‘nutjob’]
Song Wenze didn’t hear it but he was silent for a moment. Suddenly, he laughed and happily pulled on Ou Yichen’s arm, leaning his head on the other man’s shoulder. "I was just playing with you, I know you like me." As he spoke, he looked at the bruise on Ou Yichen’s skin with distress. "Does it hurt?"
"It doesn’t hurt." Ou Yichen stroked the youth"s hair and emphasized his words: "The person I like is you."
However, even though his mouth kept saying that he liked Song Wenze, Ou Yichen knocked on the door of Chen Heng’s room in the dead of night.
The man opened his eyes in the dark, listening to the sounds of movement at the door, he asked: "Who is it?"
"It"s me."
Ou Yichen’s low voice was heard outside the door.
Chen Heng turned on the lights, put on his slippers and walked towards the door. It opened with a loud creak.
"Is something the matter…..." He was pushed past the door and his back slammed heavily against the wall before the words had even left his lips.
Chen Heng made a m.u.f.fled groan, and the next moment, Ou Yichen"s burning hot body covered his; trapping him in his arms.
"Su Yi." Hot breath coming out in puffs sounded in his ear, and the voice of the man trapping him was pained and bitter. "What should I do?"
Chen Heng pushed against Ou Yichen’s shoulders with both hands. "Yichen, don"t do this."
"I didn’t want to do this, but as I slept on Wenze"s bed, the person I was thinking of was you." His outstandingly handsome face was filled with helplessness and the man lowered his voice as he said: "Su Yi, I really want you." ”
In regards to Ou Yichen’s repeating words and actions; Chen Heng’s patience had already been completely used up. His face turned cold. “I can’t share you with Ā Ze.”
Ou Yichen heard his words and was silent.
Chen Heng’s eyes darkened upon seeing his response, then he suddenly changed his expression. Under the dim light, his clear face was covered by a mysterious and fascinating air.
"If you’re willing to break up with Ā Ze completely, I’ll give you anything you want." He sighed in Ou Yichen’s ear, and his slender fingertips slowly ghosted over the man’s throat, feeling it tremble under his touch.
I really want to cut off his neck.
It was in the middle of this ambiguous atmosphere that an implicitly indignant voice rang out from the door. "What are you doing?"
Chen Heng opened his eyes and peeked over Ou Yichen’s shoulders to look at the tall and slender young man. At this moment, the other party’s pair of beautiful eyes was filled with sadness, anger and grievances; he had a complex look on his face, akin to one you’d see on an abandoned child’s, as he stood outside the door alone.
Seeing the youth show such a heart-broken look for the first time, Chen Heng only felt contempt in his heart and pushed Ou Yichen away.
"Ā Ze, it’s not what you think, you listen to me."
Just as he was about to walk towards the youth; Ou Yichen, who was beside him, seemed to have woken up and quickly ran to Song Wenze"s side. "Wenze, don"t misunderstand. I couldn’t sleep, so I looked for Su Yi thinking that we could chat for a while."
Chen Heng didn’t think that Song Wenze would believe such a stupid excuse, but for some reason, the youth actually reached out and embraced Ou Yichen. While resting his chin on top of the man’s shoulder, he stared intently at Chen Heng, saying: “En, I believe you."
I just don"t know whether this sentence was said to Ou Yichen or to Chen Heng.
The corner of Chen Heng’s mouth pulled up into a faint smile. “It’s late, and I’m very sleepy. You two should go back to your room and sleep.”
Song Wenze listened and his eyes flashed. Pushing Ou Yichen away, he faced Chen Heng and took the initiative to extend his arms. The man paused before reaching out and hugging the youth. Then he heard the youth whisper in his ear: "So, as long as I break up with Ou Yichen, you’ll be with him?"
It turns out that he heard everything.
The youth proceeded to gently say: "Brother, I won’t give you that chance." Song Wenze withdrew his hands and blinked innocently at Chen Heng. "Good night!"
Chen Heng’s lips twitched slightly: "Good night."
After Song Wenze and Ou Yichen left, Chen Heng closed the door, and under the dim light, his eyes seemed to be experiencing a storm.
Since Ou Yichen repeatedly provoked him, he doesn’t mind spending a little more time in getting rid of him. Even if the system interfered, he still has the means to get other people to do his dirty work. === Certificate of Conformity (Chapter 11)
These chapters have been barely edited, so please, if you find some mistakes or anything---tell me!
~
At the same time, in a dark and secluded room, a light screen stood vertically in the air, and complicated data rapidly streaked across its surface like meteors. Under the flickering lights, a tall and slender figure could be seen standing in front of the screen.
Qi Wei was calmly looking at the light brain in front of him, the precise numbers and symbols form a database in his mind, and he was able to quickly find all kinds of useful information from it. The light brain, which was from his original world, was a.n.a.logous to the computer. However, its application is far more profound and extensive compared to computers. It was capable of creating new unfathomable things into the world.
The system* was also a product invented by manipulating the light brain’s programming.
[T/N: I’ll need your opinion on this, just read the note below]
He was able to come to this world by using the light brain to decode the loopholes in the system which enabled him to shuttle in. However, since he forced his way in to this void s.p.a.ce, his soul which was in the process of crossing over, was subsequently met with resistance and attacked by the system. The attack caused a fragment of his soul to be left behind in this world.
He was originally looking for this soul shard, but the moment he saw Xia Ming, the resonance he felt in his soul made him very sure that his soul fragment was in Xia Ming"s body. If he can"t get this soul fragment back, then he wouldn’t be able to return to his original world.
But if he wanted to retrieve this fragment, he’d have to do it while Xia Ming is unconscious; otherwise he would most likely be devoured. In a sense, the present Xia Ming could be considered as his other self, and he is destined to never being able to lay his hands on Xia Ming. The moment he attempts to harm the other, the resisting force will become more intense, and it’s highly probable that his soul will remain incomplete.
Thinking up to here, Qi Wei stroked his lips, and his eyes gleamed, faintly flashing a strange look.
***
On the other side, Chen Heng who was aware that Xia Ming had schizophrenia, took the initiative and constantly invited the latter out. The two men would often meet to jog or play badminton together.
Xia Ming was very weak, so Chen Heng gently encouraged him and motivated him every time. He very patiently accompanied Xia Ming in exercising together. Over time, Xia Ming’s physique slowly improved, and his love for Chen Heng also increased.
He even began to look forward to these meetings with Chen Heng; because every time he finishes an intense exercise, the man"s face would be dyed with a red blush, and his sweat-soaked vest would cling to his torso, outlining the seductive and tempting curves of his body.
The original hosts living habits were good; he worked out three to four times a week. Because of this long-term exercise, the muscles on his body are well-proportioned and beautiful. They weren’t like those of gym fanatics who meticulously exercise; his muscles were distributed in a thin layer over his body, giving his skin a distinct texture. In addition, he had a tall and slim stature so he looked pretty good, especially when he wore a white shirt.
Xia Ming"s face was red; he was captivated by Chen Heng who was dripping with sweat on the basketball court. He watched as Chen Heng skilfully dribbled the ball and leaped for a slam dunk. Seeing those beads of sweat glide down the man"s body; the youth’s heart slammed in his chest, and that thing between his legs began to swell.
He really wanted to lick all that sweat off. Then he’ll open the man"s legs and ruthlessly pound himself into his body, f*cking him until he cries.
He could barely wait for that moment.
Chen Heng came back after he finished playing with the ball. He walked towards Xia Ming while lifting up the hem of his vest, using it to wipe the sweat off his face. His thin and st.u.r.dy waist was revealed to Xia Ming’s eyes. Because the hem of the vest was raised too high, that small point on the man’s right chest was faintly discernible, and Xia Ming subconsciously swallowed his saliva.
The desire that he had managed to press down a moment ago started to stir again, and the youth had to drink half a bottle of iced water.
The man finally reached him after he had finished drinking his water. Xia Ming, who had a red face and a bashful smile, handed him the towel that he had prepared beforehand.
Chen Heng smiled as he took the towel and properly wiped his face.
"For you." Xia Ming carefully opened the bottle cap and handed the water over.
"Thank you." Chen Heng reached out to take it before raising his head to drink more than half of the bottle.
Xia Ming’s gaze was fixed at the man"s throat that was bobbing up and down as he drank water. He felt that familiar heat on his lower body. He crossed his legs and deliberately used his hands to hide his arousal.
After drinking his fill, Chen Heng poured the remaining water on top of his head. He shook his hair and the sparkling translucent drops of water splashed everywhere, glittering like dazzling pearls in the sun. Upon seeing this, Xia Ming’s eyes were in a daze as he stared straight ahead, the man"s figure was the only thing reflected in the pitch-black pupils of his eyes.
I really want to hurry up and possess him.
The man’s magnetic and seductive voice pa.s.sed through his ears: "Isn’t it boring, just sitting here by yourself?"
Xia Ming came back to his senses and shook his head quickly. "It"s not boring at all." He even wished that he could watch him play basketball every day, only like this would he be able to openly ogle at the other man’s body.
Chen Heng smiled and a pampering look appeared in his eyes; then as if placating a cute house pet, he softly stroked the youth"s hair. "I’ll teach you how to play basketball some other time, okay?"
"En." Xia Ming answered with a heavy nod.
He doesn"t like the feeling of sweating, but if it meant that he can have more physical contact with the man in front of him; then whatever you want him to do, he would be willing to do it.
After their exercise, the two men found a small inexpensive restaurant and had lunch.
Xia Ming’s appet.i.te was very small but Chen Heng gave him a lot of dishes until the food in his porcelain bowl was as high as small hill. The young man weakly opened his mouth: “This is too much.”
Chen Heng didn’t even lift his eyebrows. "You’re too thin, you should eat more."
Was he concerned about him?
Xia Ming’s eyes narrowed in happiness, he silently closed his mouth, and let the man continue to put food in his bowl.
En, he must eat all the dishes that the man gave him.
In the end, Xia Ming didn’t manage to eat everything; his stomach was too small, it simply couldn’t take in so much food. Chen Heng, who noticed his pitiful appearance, gently said: "Don"t force yourself if you’re unable to eat any more."
The young man timidly glanced at him. "You won’t get angry?"
Chen Heng stared blankly, he did not understand the young man’s train of thought, but nevertheless he smiled and said: "I won’t get angry."
Xia Ming put his chopsticks down, and rubbed his round belly with a sheepish smile.
This time of the year put it between late summer and early autumn; a cool wind was blowing and it ruffled Chen Heng’s bangs. Xia Ming resisted the urge to run his fingers through that soft hair, and continued to slowly walk beside the man in silence.
In this moment, in the cool autumn breeze, the youth suddenly recalled the time he met the man for the first time.
He had just been told that he had a mental disorder and was sent to a mental hospital for treatment. He was very unhappy and refused to speak for one whole day. His parents were worried that his condition would suddenly act up and kept him in the house. The moment he found an opportunity, he stealthily climbed down from his window, avoided the servants, and slipped away in a car. He didn"t know where to go, so he aimlessly drove around in circles.
That was when he came across a man who asked him for a ride.
He didn’t guard against the man and opened the door. However, he didn’t expect the other person to actually be a robber. Not only did the man rob him of his cash, he also stole his car keys and forced him out of the car. On account of the fact that the other party was wielding a knife with a fierce and menacing expression, Xia Ming was forced to comply with the man"s orders and got off the car.
At first, he thought that he would be left stranded on the streets, but at this critical moment, Chen Heng dropped from the sky* like a hero covered in sparkling golden light. He immediately used the briefcase in his hands to smash the face of the man sitting in the sports car.
[T/N: this is only a figure of speech which means ‘to appear unexpectedly’]
The man yelled "Ah" and was just about to drive off when Chen Heng nimbly jumped into the pa.s.senger seat and punched the bridge of his nose.
This was the first time that Xia Ming had witnessed someone with skills this good. Unwavering and incisive, every move looked as if it was calculated with machine-like precision: it was the perfect combination of strength and beauty.
At that time, Xia Ming just stood outside the car, watching foolishly as the man one-sidedly crushed the robber. The beating only stopped when the robber was at death’s door, and the man used his sleeve to wipe the blood that had splashed on his face. He extended a b.l.o.o.d.y hand towards the robber’s pocket and pulled out a cell phone.
He knew then that the robber had stolen the man’s cell phone before coming to rob him.
Chen Heng jumped out of the car with his briefcase in hand after he retrieved his phone. He faced the stunned Xia Ming with an arrogant expression and a voice tinged with danger. "Do you know what you’re going to say to the police?"
Xia Ming immediately understood, "Rest a.s.sured, I won’t mention anything about you to the police."
Chen Heng listened and his eyes narrowed with satisfaction. He left the scene without saying another word to the youth.
The police arrived afterwards. The hospital examined the extent of the robber’s injuries and found out that he had a broken nose, a ruptured spleen, and three broken ribs. One of the broken ribs nearly punctured his lungs and he almost lost his life. The police determined that the person who thrashed the robber had the intention to kill, and they questioned Xia Ming about what happened. But Xia Ming kept his mouth shut and refused to say anything regarding Chen Heng. In the end, his family settled the matter.
It was on that day that Xia Ming fell madly in love with Chen Heng.
He didn"t know what kind of magic the other man had, but he couldn"t help but be attracted to Chen Heng. He learned how to draw, and sketched out the man"s face according to the way he had remembered it, then he hired a private detective to investigate. The waiting process was incredibly long, and it wasn’t until half a month later that he finally knew all there is to know about Chen Heng.
In the following days, he constantly sneaked out and wandered around the man’s company.
After he had finished going through these past events in his mind, Xia Ming came back to reality. He looked at the quiet and gentle Chen Heng by his side, and a pure and innocent smile blossomed on his face.
Although he had no idea why the man was acting like a completely different person—becoming gentle and amiable—Xia Ming was still fanatically in love with him.
He wanted to lick his whole body and imprison him in his bed.
Every day and every night, possessing him completely.