Mistaken Canary Chapter 24 (Part 1)
Chapter 24.1
When the car arrived at the company, Zhuo Shu stepped out, legs wobbling, nearly throwing up. He grumbled, “I should never have pitied you and gotten you this car.”
Ying Tongchen sneered. “As if you didn’t do it for yourself.”
Zhuo Shu shot him a surprised look, thinking: Damn, he even figured out I wanted car se.x? This little thing is sharp!
The afternoon meeting was scheduled for 3 PM, so there was still time for an afternoon nap. Ying Tongchen learned that Amy and Mandy had been assigned to the employee lounge by Mi Shu, so he decided to catch some sleep in the car.
Seeing him about to leave, Zhuo Shu blurted out, “Where are you going?”
“To where I should be.”
“And where exactly is that?”
“The car.” Ying Tongchen waved the documents in his hand. “Relax, the afternoon meeting will go smoothly.”
"Get your butt back here!" Zhuo Shu barked.
Ying Tongchen paused, retraced his steps, and stood right in front of him, arching an eyebrow. "Care to repeat that?"
"Get back here right now," Zhuo Shu said, face impassive.
Ying Tongchen stared at him for a long moment before his expression relaxed. "Something wrong?"
"Just rest here," Zhuo Shu said, as if it were the most logical thing in the world. "You won’t sleep well in the car, and if your rest is affected, that affects my work efficiency."
Ying Tongchen couldn’t be bothered to argue, he simply flopped onto the couch without hesitation, stretching out like he was at home and closing his eyes in satisfaction.
Zhuo Shu: "Would you like me to bring you* a pair of slippers, too?"
(TLN: Lol he used the formal ‘you(您).)
"That’d be nice."
"……" Zhuo Shu rubbed his temples, too tired to deal with him. Without another word, he bent down and scooped Ying Tongchen up.
Caught completely off guard, Ying Tongchen instinctively clung to his neck, heart racing as he glanced nervously at the ground. "What are you doing?!"
“Sleep. I don’t have time to bicker with you.”
“Who’s bickering with you, you big baby?”
“Who are you calling a big baby?! Your little pecker is the real baby here!” Zhuo Shu shot back, eyes blazing. He kicked open the lounge door inside the conference room and tossed Ying Tongchen onto the bed.
“F*ck.” Ying Tongchen’s glasses almost flew off, and he couldn't hold back a curse. He adjusted his glasses and glared at Zhuo Shu, saying irritably, “You’re the baby.”
“Ohhh, so you were calling me baby?” Zhuo Shu smirked in triumph.
Ying Tongchen: “……”
Ying Tongchen: “…………”
There’s no reasoning with this man. Why am I even entertaining this childish conversation?
Ying Tongchen rolled over when he suddenly paused, noticing the feel of the bed beneath him.
Huh? He patted it again. Damn… this is actually pretty comfortable.
Here I am, here I rest[1].
Zhuo Shu, still basking in his perceived "victory," saw Ying Tongchen flip over, preparing to fall asleep.
“You really… just need a place to crash, don’t you?” Zhuo Shu remarked with a hint of resignation, lying down on his side. His gaze lingered on Ying Tongchen’s face for a moment before he quietly said, “Sleep tight.”
Ying Tongchen’s eyelids twitched slightly, but he didn’t open his eyes.
There was something particularly comforting about an autumn afternoon nap—the sunlight and noise shut out, the room at the perfect temperature—one could easily lose track of time and sleep longer than intended.
It wasn’t until a knock at the door broke through the tranquility that Ying Tongchen woke up, his phone ringing simultaneously. He answered the call, hearing Amy on the other end asking where he was, as the meeting was about to begin.
“You go ahead to the conference room. I’ll be there in a moment,” he said, quickly ending the call. He straightened his clothes, then asked, “Why didn’t you set an alarm?”
“I have a human alarm clock,” Zhuo Shu casually replied, habitually opening the door. Then, a sharp intake of breath echoed from the hallway.
A terrified, “Hiss—”
Ying Tongchen turned in surprise, only to meet the wide eyes of Amy, whom he had just spoken to on the phone. Mandy stood beside her, hand clamped over her mouth, a small, startled scream escaping, while Mi Shu's surprised expression vanished in an instant.
Ying Tongchen: “……”
He quickly explained, “I’m not familiar with him!”
Amy and Mandy exchanged looks, their faces clearly conveying, “Do you think we believe that?”
Zhuo Shu, even more surprised, glanced at him. "You're denying it right after we slept together?"
“……” Ying Tongchen shot him an discreet, yet irritated glare. After a moment, he composed himself, straightened his clothes, and walked out nonchalantly. As he passed the two employees, he casually remarked, “We’re just friends, I was just borrowing the lounge for a quick nap.”
“We weren’t thinking anything of it at first—what’s the big deal about friends sleeping together?” Amy said. “But the more you try to cover it up, the more suspicious it gets!”
Mandy: “Yeah, Senior, you’re acting really weird!”
Ying Tongchen: “……”
Fine. I won’t say anything, is that better?
Now fully awake, Zhuo Shu finally gathered his thoughts. Remembering Ying Tongchen’s dual identity and the importance of keeping their unspeakable dealings a secret, he quickly jumped in to explain, “We really didn’t do anything. He’s just helping me with my English tutoring.”
“Oh~ tutoring English, huh?~” Mandy and Amy exchanged a knowing look, clearly unconvinced.
Ying Tongchen: “…………” Tutoring? More like tutoring your sibling’s english.*
(TLN: Don’t over think this line, this is the Chinese’s less vulgar equivalent of 'more like tutoring my ass')
Unable to contain himself any longer, Ying Tongchen spun around, grabbed Zhuo Shu by the back of his collar, and dragged him to the conference room, gritting his teeth. “If you can’t talk sense, then just shut up.”
Zhuo Shu felt wronged but didn’t argue.
Because the clients had already arrived at the door.
The afternoon meeting went smoothly. Zhuo Shu made it clear that if the brand chose K.W for its initial market entry, they’d receive a special rate, and K.W would also provide assistance with initial publicity.
The brand had already conducted prior market research and had included K.W on their shortlist of potential partners. After the on-site inspection and negotiations, everything proceeded smoothly, and the contract was signed quickly.
After the assistant escorted the client and his translator-girlfriend back to their hotel, today's tasks were considered complete.
But the workday wasn’t quite over.
“Tomorrow, we have three foreign partners arriving to discuss contract renewals. Expect some back-and-forth regarding pricing,” Zhuo Shu glanced around at the translators present. “You all go ahead and rest. Tomorrow, you’ll handle the translations. Ying Tongchen, stay. I have other tasks for you.”
Mandy immediately became excited, glancing between them and pulling Amy along. “Let’s go, let’s go! Don’t waste time keeping Chairman Zhuo from his English lessons.”
Mi Shu, ever competent and discreet, smiled and said, “I’ve already asked someone to tidy up the lounge and put in a new scent.”
Zhuo Shu: “? Why change it? You don’t like the original scent?”
Mi Shu’s lips twitched slightly. “I’m doing this for your own good.” A more romantic scent is just what you need, ge.
Ying Tongchen's eyes flashed with suspicion. He wondered if Mi Shu had figured out his and Zhuo Shu's relationship. He tested the waters, “Or maybe we skip the lounge and go somewhere else?”
Mi Shu immediately pulled out a Wimbledon membership card and handed it to him with great respect. "By all means."
Ying Tongchen: “......”
Ying Tongchen shot an accusing look at Zhuo Shu. Why do you tell everything to your secretary?!
Zhuo Shu caught the glance and winked back at him. Going or not? This opportunity won’t come again.
Ying Tongchen blinked: Punk, can’t you at least use some discretion? Don't I deserve any dignity?
Zhuo Shu raised an eyebrow, squinting exaggeratedly: I know you want it. Little thing, you’re so naughty.
“Boss,” Mi Shu reminded. “Your eyes are crossed.”
Zhuo Shu: “......”
Just then, Mi Shu’s phone buzzed, and several messages flooded her WeChat. She reported, “Liu Li'ang has arrived.”
“How’s the event preparation going?” Zhuo Shu asked Mi Shu.
“The setup is complete. There’s still half an hour before the event starts on time,” Mi Shu replied.
“Alright, want to go take a look?” Zhuo Shu turned to Ying Tongchen.
Ying Tongchen shook his head. “Not really, I want to go home.”
“Okay, then let’s go check out Liu Li'ang together,” Zhuo Shu said, dismissing his words and going full tyrant mode.
Ying Tongchen: “......”
Ying Tongchen glanced at his smug back, raised his foot as if to kick him, but then hesitated as he looked at the expensive suit. In the end, he gave in to the power of money and lowered his foot.
.
.
.
Author's Note: The "tutoring English homework in the room" meme comes from ‘In the Name of the People’ (人民的名义), referring to using "tutoring English homework" as an excuse after doing the deed(.)
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Footnote:
[1] Here I am, here I rest (既来之，则睡之) - This is a parody of the idiom ‘既来之，则安之,’ which translates to "Here they come, here they settled." Well, it’s a rough translation, because there’s no pronouns, so it’s up in the air who it’s referring to, which is why the translation in this chapter uses first person. Basically, this Chinese proverb means that once you have brought someone in or accepted them, you must ensure their comfort and stability. Another acceptable meaning is ‘since this has already happened, face it with a calm mind.’ It originates from The Analects of Confucius.