Mistaken Canary Chapter 34 (Part 2)
Chapter 34.2
Zhuo Shu, still lingering in the heat of the kiss, pulled away with an unfulfilled look, dragging him towards the door. "Come on, let’s go home."
Ying Tongchen glanced at Zhuo Shu's broad hand wrapped around his wrist. He pulled back slightly, attempting to escape, but to no avail. Zhuo Shu tightened his hold, not giving him the slightest chance to break free.
As they passed the banquet hall, Zhuo Shu exchanged a few words with the host before leading Ying Tongchen outside.
At the car, Zhuo Shu opened the door to the passenger seat for him.
"You drank at the banquet, didn’t you?" Ying Tongchen did not dare to enter.
"No, I just pretended to drink, a little sip to look the part. How else would I maintain a good figure and clear mind if I had to attend these banquets every day?" Zhuo Shu urged, "Hurry up, let’s go home."
"Home?" Ying Tongchen paused for a few seconds, "Whose home?"
"Of course, our—" Zhuo Shu quickly corrected himself, "The villa we saw last time. It's ready for us to move in, let’s go experience it properly."
Ying Tongchen studied him with an unreadable expression, before finally letting out a soft chuckle. "Sure, let’s go experience it."
Once inside the car, Ying Tongchen glanced around the interior, then suddenly remembered something. "That Bentley you gave me before, was it a gift? Or, did you just lend it to me for the sake of appearances?"
Zhuo Shu drove with a smug smile. "Hmm? So, after meeting the director, you finally decided to strive harder? Starting to learn how to ask for things proactively?"
"…So, it really was a gift?" Ying Tongchen pressed.
"Duh. Of course it was," Zhuo Shu replied, his mood clearly lifted as he tapped the steering wheel. Then, to prevent Ying Tongchen from getting too full of himself, he added, "It’s only because you’ve been performing well that I’m rewarding you. But if you start misbehaving, I’ll take it back."
"A car, a house, you’re giving them both," Ying Tongchen shot him a sidelong glance, "As expected of Chairman Zhuo, generous as always."
Zhuo Shu couldn’t help but shake his legs in excitement, and accidentally stomped on the gas pedal.
"F*ck." Ying Tongchen jolted, clutching at his seatbelt, "Pull over to the side of the road!"
Zhuo Shu immediately stopped shaking his legs, but he adamantly refused to pull over. So, the two started arguing at the traffic light.
"Do you even know how to drive? Let me out of the car right now!" Ying Tongchen snapped in frustration.
"You dare complain about me?" Zhuo Shu jotted down this little grievance in his mental scorecard, "You’re so hard to deal with, I've never seen anyone as difficult to handle as you. I'm taking back the car. Didn’t you see how considerate and gentle others were tonight? I’m not asking you to cling to me all the time, but you should at least know your pla—ow! You dare to pinch me?! Let go!"
Ying Tongchen’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Say that again."
"Say it again? Fine!" Zhuo Shu opened his mouth without hesitation, "I’m not asking you to cling to me all the time—ow ow ow! Be gentler!"
Ying Tongchen: "Go on."
"I… I’m asking you to cling to me all the time! Happy now? You really have no sense of awareness!" Zhuo Shu yelled, clearly exasperated.
Ying Tongchen let go. "Cling to you for what? To show off to others?"
Zhuo Shu rubbed his ears and mumbled a few words under his breath.
Ying Tongchen asked, "What did you say?"
"Nothing," Zhuo Shu replied quickly.
As the car gradually moved away from the city, Ying Tongchen kept his head tilted towards the window, ominously silent.
Zhuo Shu occasionally peeked at Ying Tongchen, finally picking up on the odd atmosphere. After a moment’s thought, he recalled their conversation from before and awkwardly spoke up, "It’s not to show off."
Ying Tongchen mulled on this before turning to ask, "What?"
"That thing you said earlier wasn’t right," Zhuo Shu lowered his voice, "What do you have that can be shown off? Are you more handsome than me, or do you make more money than me?"
Ying Tongchen gritted his teeth, "Do you believe I won't kill you?"
Zhuo Shu instinctively protected his ear. "What I meant was, if anyone’s showing off, it’s better for me to show off myself."
"Well, I certainly can't beat you," Ying Tongchen turned his head back to look out the window.
After a moment, Zhuo Shu glanced at his estranged figure and said, "You never ask for anything, and I have no experience with supporting people. But everyone always asks for the same thing anyways. Now, with the car and house already yours, just focus on your acting career. You won’t lose out."
Ying Tongchen turned his head slightly, his gaze now fixed ahead. "And what about tonight? Why did you want me to go to the banquet?"
Zhuo Shu answered, "Wasn’t it your manager who said you’re a poor kid having a tough time, almost ready to jump off a building? You’ve been with me for so long, how could I just let you go and jump? Tonight was a perfect chance to introduce you to Dao Yan and a few other directors, and get you a shot at the audition. But you—what did you do? You rejected them outright."
"I didn’t expect you to be so caring," Ying Tongchen remarked.
For some reason, Zhuo Shu didn’t hear any sense of praise in those words. Instead, there was a subtle edge to them.
As expected, Ying Tongchen followed up with a dangerous question. "So if you end up sponsoring someone else, are you planning on giving them the stars and the moon?"
Zhuo Shu firmly denied. "No. I can’t afford it."
Ying Tongchen: "......"
Zhuo Shu let out a laugh. "What? You’re afraid I’ll replace you?"
"No," Ying Tongchen replied indifferently, "I’m afraid you won’t live long enough for that."
"..." Zhuo Shu awkwardly coughed. "Let’s talk about this later. Keep performing well and I won’t consider replacing you."
Ying Tongchen glanced outside. "Park the car. I’m going to buy something here."
"Buy what?" Zhuo Shu asked, puzzled.
"You tell me. The white lab coat from last time—weren’t you disappointed it’s gone?" Ying Tongchen turned to look at him, gently pinching his cheek as he softly remarked, "I’ve got a more interesting play in mind."
Zhuo Shu’s eyes lit up. "Really? Then let's go buy it together."
"No, it’ll be boring if you know beforehand. It has to be a surprise," Ying Tongchen unbuckled his seatbelt, got out of the car, and walked in the opposite direction.
Just as Zhuo Shu turned to glance at him, his phone rang. It was Mi Shu giving him an update on his schedule.
After hanging up, he turned back, only to realize Ying Tongchen had already disappeared.
He waited for quite a while before Ying Tongchen returned, holding a black plastic bag filled with items.
"Let’s go to your villa," Ying Tongchen said smoothly as he closed the car door and buckled his seatbelt.
Zhuo Shu frowned. "No, it’s your villa."
Ying Tongchen: "......" Do you have to be that Extra™?
(TLN: made popular by the Chinese commercials of Extra Gum.)
Half an hour later, the car finally arrived at the villa. Zhuo Shu opened the door. "Come in."
The villa’s interiors had already been neatly arranged, ready for immediate move-in.
Zhuo Shu hurriedly finished his shower and walked to the bedroom. Just as he was about to step inside, he heard a sharp command: "No report, no entry."
Zhuo Shu: "?"
Ying Tongchen was perfectly dressed as a professional. He straightened his tie and glanced at him. "What’s wrong, student? Don’t recognize your teacher?"
Zhuo Shu froze for a moment before his expression shifted to one of excitement.
Now, this was exhilarating. Very exhilarating.
He looked Ying Tongchen up and down, noting the well-tailored suit and the perfectly knotted tie. The look screamed ‘teacher’, but his striking good looks, combined with an air of composed yet slightly rebellious charm, gave off a dangerous and captivating vibe.
Perfect.
He immediately submitted, calling out, "Reporting!"
Ying Tongchen nodded approvingly. "Come in, then."
Zhuo Shu strode forward, arms outstretched, eager to hold him, only to be pushed back by the cold touch of a ruler.
Ying Tongchen, holding the ruler with an air of authority, casually tugged at the collar of Zhuo Shu’s bathrobe. With a pointed smirk at the corners of his mouth and his voice rich with meaning, he breathed, "Student Zhuo, you should respect your teacher. Keep some distance, please."
"Yes, Mr. Ying, you're absolutely right," Zhuo Shu immediately responded, lowering his arms obediently. "So, what should I do next?"
"Why, of course, something quite interesting," Ying Tongchen said with a gentle smile as he took Zhuo Shu's hand. The warmth of his touch made Zhuo Shu feel like he was floating.
Just as Zhuo Shu was about to open his arms to embrace him, a sharp, crisp sound interrupted him.
Smack—
"Ow!" Zhuo Shu quickly grabbed his palm, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at Ying Tongchen and the ruler in his hand. "Y—You... hit me?"
"Your homework isn't done. You need to be punished," Ying Tongchen said lightly, waving the ruler in his hand. "Is that not right?"
"Right, of course it is! Who told me not to finish my homework?" Zhuo Shu immediately shifted from anger to delight, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "Then... should we do some homework tonight?"
"Indeed. Wait here for me." Ying Tongchen sashayed out of the room.
Zhuo Shu secretly peeked outside and saw Ying Tongchen head toward the living room to grab the plastic bag of items. With a satisfied grin, he quickly slipped out of his bathrobe and reclined expectantly on the bed.
A moment later, Ying Tongchen stood at the door. "..."
"It's dry and windy outside. Be careful not to catch a cold."
"It's fine. Teacher, let's get to the homework," Zhuo Shu urged.
"Alright. Get ready. I'm going to start the timer."
Zhuo Shu was puzzled. "You’re timing me? You don’t expect me to finish my homework in a short time, do you?"
"No, I just want to see your level. No matter how long it takes, I’ll stay with you the entire time."
Zhuo Shu smiled widely. "Teacher, you’re so kind. I’m ready, I’ll do homework all night!"
"Good." Ying Tongchen sat on the bed and opened the bag.
Zhuo Shu immediately leaned over, his eyes shining with excitement. "Let me see what good stuff you’ve got—?"
A thick purple-covered exercise book appeared in view.
Zhuo Shu's smile froze. "What the f*ck is this?!"
"College entrance mock exams." Like a stage magician, Ying Tongchen then pulled out an English exercise book and tossed it in front of him. "Let’s go, get to work. You don’t get to sleep until it’s done."
Zhuo Shu: "*%&￥#@...=.=!"
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Author's Note:
Zhuo Mollycolly: I took off my pants, and you’re just showing me this???