Chapter 75 Undercurrent

Chen Shuze did not wait for Feng Ran's reply to this sentence.

What he did not expect was that Shen Zhi would come to see him.

It was a sunny day, and Chen Shuze received an email, which was an invitation letter from a big client he had been waiting for for a long time.

This client was difficult to make an appointment with, and Chen Shuze went there with his assistant in high spirits.

Then he met Shen Zhi at the agreed place.

At that time, Chen Shuze was in a trance. Is this Shen Zhi? Does Shen Zhi... have a twin brother?

However, when Shen Zhi saw him, he immediately stood up and smiled at him, dispelling his thoughts.

"Mr. Li and my father have a good personal relationship, and we have many years of business cooperation. He contacted me that day, and I learned that you also have some cooperation. This area itself is also related to my cousin's current project. He should have come, but he had something to do today, so he asked me to come. Mr. Chen, do you mind?" He had

a rosy complexion and was full of energy. It was impossible to tell that he had just been discharged from the hospital.

Chen Shuze had to say, "Of course I don't mind. Where's Mr. Li?"

"Mr. Li's out on a call. If you have any questions, Mr. Chen, please speak to me first," Chen Zhi said. "Please take a seat, both of you."

The negotiations were not going smoothly.

Chen Shuze had initially hoped that Shen Zhi would maintain a clear distinction between public and private matters. However, two hours later, he realized that Shen Zhi's purpose in coming today was to cause him trouble and upset him.

Yet, he still presented himself as a professional and serious person, yet he kept complaining about non-compliance with regulations and cost overruns. Chen Shuze couldn't vent his anger. This project was a lucrative piece of succulent meat, and he had been eyeing it for a long time, unwilling to give up. He and his assistant, smiling and patient, dealt with Shen Zhi with utmost patience. Even after dark, Mr. Li still refused to give in, saying he had a dinner appointment and would talk next time.

The assistant was inconsolable. Chen Shuze suppressed his anger and said goodbye to Mr. Li. Wasn't Shen Zhi a painter? Why did he know all this? And yet, Mr. Li only listened to him. Couldn't he see that he was doing it on purpose? After

seeing the person off, he returned to the table. Unexpectedly, Chen Zhi hadn't left yet, and was still discussing latte art with his assistant.

Chen Shuze looked at the assistant and said, "You should go back first."

With only the two of them present, Chen Shuze said, "You should be thankful I didn't bring Feng Ran with me today."

"Why?" Shen Zhi asked. "Did you think that since Feng Ran was sitting across from me, I would help him gain merit for you?"

Chen Shuze was speechless for a moment, then said after a long pause, "I thought you weren't someone who acted on emotions."

"You're wrong," Shen Zhi smiled. "This is just the beginning."

Chen Shuze chuckled in anger and said, "Bring it on."

He still didn't believe Shen Zhi could come up with anything.

Mr. Li's project fell through, and Chen Shuze was depressed for a long time. When Feng Ran found out, he came to ask him what happened.

Chen Shuze wanted to say it was all his ex-boyfriend's fault, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. As if admitting defeat, he said stubbornly, "Mr. Li isn't a very good person. It doesn't matter. It's not a big loss."

Feng Ran didn't suspect him.

He didn't know that the other two were secretly competing with each other, so he went to see Shen Zhi after work that day.

This time, Shen Zhi recovered quickly. After returning home, he started a new creation. A drawing board was erected on half of the living room wall. The smell of paint was heard as soon as he entered

the room. The pencil marks on the painting were messy and

there was no clear structure. Feng Ran asked him what he was thinking, and he said he didn't know. Days passed like this, and the long summer in Jiang City finally came to an end. This is a city without autumn. After a few rains, the temperature dropped rapidly, reaching a low of ten degrees.

Someone in the company caught a cold, and sneezes and coughs were heard one after another at work, like a giant petri dish.

Feng Ran was unfortunately infected, so he got three days off.

He Chuan didn't go to the silver shop for a day to buy him medicine and food.

"Your health is not as good as before," he said.

Feng Ran said dizzily, "Even an iron man can't withstand what Shen Zhi did. I'm just an ordinary person with mortal body. Help me get a bottle of wine, the one with a yellow lid."

He Chuan said, "You are sick."

"Alcohol disinfects."

He Chuan couldn't persuade him.

After a few drinks, he felt a bit better. Just then, Shen Zhi called, and He Chuan got up to leave.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Feng Ran leaned against the pillow, twirling his empty wine glass. "I'm not going over today. I'm afraid I might infect you." Shen

Zhi said, "I'll go see you."

"Never mind," Feng Ran glanced out the door. "We'll talk tomorrow."

He Chuan, sensing something, left the next day, and Shen Zhi happily arrived.

Now, their roles had been reversed, Feng Ran becoming the bedridden patient, while Shen Zhi seemed ready to show off his skills.

Despite Feng Ran's insistence that they didn't need to cook much, Shen Zhi still managed to prepare three dishes and a soup.

Feng Ran had no appetite, and Shen Zhi couldn't eat much, so the two of them barely finished half.

Undeterred, Shen Zhi suggested playing games with Feng Ran to relax.

Feng Ran agreed, and the two played a couple of rounds online. Shen Zhi wasn't good at gaming and often needed patient guidance. However, Feng Ran, never one for patience, was lucky that he didn't have the energy to lose his temper today, and Shen Zhi escaped unscathed.

Not long after, Shen Zhi's phone rang. He stood up and answered it mysteriously on the balcony. The content of the conversation could not be heard clearly through a glass door.

Feng Ran took a look and dropped the phone.

He realized that Shen Zhi was doing something and hiding it from him.

His intuition was always accurate.

Chen Shuze only took three days off and went to work as usual on the fourth day. The company was in a gloomy atmosphere. The virus was so powerful this time that 70% to 80% of his colleagues were not spared. However, Chen Shuze stood firm and was as energetic as usual.

He even laughed at Feng Ran for his poor physique.

At lunch, Jiang Huiyi secretly revealed to Feng Ran that Mr. Chen had been having a hard time recently. Someone was always trying to poach his employees and steal his clients. The department made some mistakes and caused considerable losses. Chen Shuze was very angry about this. When Feng Ran was away, people from the headquarters came to the office and criticized Chen Shuze for some reason.

She said, "Do you think he's offended someone?"

Feng Ran found this odd. Usually, Chen Shuze would tell him in detail about even the smallest things, but this time, he hadn't gotten a peep.

He said, "It's very likely."

After dinner, he took his usual walk downstairs and called Chen Zhi. It was a video call, but Chen Zhi didn't answer. Instead, he sent a message asking, "What's wrong?"

Feng Ran said, "I wanted to see you."

"Okay," Shen Zhi sent a happy emoji. "Let me clean up."

Five minutes later, Shen Zhi was done, with a white wall in the background, wearing his old pajamas.

Feng Ran said, "What are you doing?"

"Eating. When are you coming tonight?"

Feng Ran asked, "When do you want me to come?"

"I don't know," Shen Zhi said with a smile. "I'd be happy if you could come. Why don't I pick you up?"

Feng Ran didn't agree or refuse.

He worked overtime until ten o'clock in the evening, and it happened to be Friday. After work, Chen Shuze asked him if he wanted to drink. Although he was still sick, he was itching to have some, so he agreed. Unexpectedly, as soon as he went out, he saw Chen Zhi and his car across the street.

The wind was very cold at night these days. In the thick night, Chen Zhi wore a windbreaker, and the dark grey corners of his clothes blew up slowly.

He leaned against the car, his hands in his pockets, his skin as white as moonlight. He looked at the door of the company, the road that Feng Ran had to take to come out.

When Feng Ran looked at him, a smile appeared on his calm face, shining brightly.

Feng Ran suddenly realized that when Chen Zhi didn't smile, he was so solemn, without a trace of gentleness.

Chen Shuze was beside him and asked, "Are you still going?"

Feng Ran said, "Nonsense, do you think I can leave?"

Chen Shuze stopped talking and walked towards Chen Zhi.

Feng Ran walked through the crowd and traffic alone, walking towards Chen Zhi.

When he stood in front of Shen Zhi, Shen Zhi whispered, "Can I kiss you?"

Feng Ran felt a burning sensation on his back all the way. This was a park where many large companies gathered. Everyone was off work at the moment, and Shen Zhi was so conspicuous. If two men really kissed passionately on the street, it might make the local headlines tomorrow. He said decisively, "No." Shen

Zhi pretended to be disappointed, "Oh."

After getting in the car, Shen Zhi asked Chen Shuze what he said to him at the company gate. He told him everything, and Shen Zhi said he could go drinking with him.

Feng Ran cheered up a little, and the two went to a bar in the suburbs. He ordered sake, and Shen Zhi ordered milk.

This is a new restaurant with a nice environment. There was a notice on the door recruiting a resident singer.

Feng Ran was eager to try, so he took the guitar and sang a song, winning applause.

After coming down, he fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette. Shen Zhi looked at him accusingly and said, "You sing so well, why are you smoking?"

Feng Ran lowered his hand and smiled sheepishly, "You're right." He had sung better in his youth, and was nearly drafted into Ren He's band. But then, life became stressful, and he fell into bad habits. He never mentioned these past events to Shen Zhi.

He suddenly asked, "What about you? Have you ever smoked?"

"Yes," Shen Zhi said, "but I didn't like it, so I stopped."

"Sing me a song," Feng Ran said, looking at him.

"Next time." Shen Zhi, though he hadn't drunk, had a flush on his cheeks. "Let me prepare something."

"Prepare for what?"

"Um...choose a song, or something."

Feng Ran, understanding that he was different from him, not one to improvise in front of others, agreed.

Shen Zhi suddenly asked, "Is there a reward?"

Feng Ran wanted to laugh. Did they offer such advances? But he said, "Yes. What reward do you want?"

"You," Shen Zhi said.

Others went up to perform solos one after another. Feng Ran had no idea how much he'd drunk, and he felt like he was floating on clouds. He took out a cigarette, but didn't light it, and placed it between his lips.

He fished out a lighter and toyed with it. Shen Zhi approached him and said, "Sometimes I really want to be your lighter, the only one."

Feng Ran imagined Shen Zhi's mouth spitting fire and laughed heartily.

Shen Zhi said, "You don't believe it."

"I do, I do."

"You're drunk," Shen Zhi stroked his hair, "Let's go."

"Yeah."

Feng Ran seemed a little tipsy. The music stimulated his absorption of alcohol, and before he knew it, he'd forgotten how many drinks he'd ordered, how he'd gotten to the car, how he'd gone to the hotel with Shen Zhi... The blackout lasted until Shen Zhi entered.

He uttered a low cry, "You're healed, but I'm not."

"Sweating will make you feel better faster," Shen Zhi coaxed him. Feeling

uncomfortable anyway, Feng Ran took deep breaths, his fingers tightly clasped around the fabric.

...

After it was finally over, the cold got worse. Feng Ran had a terrible headache and his whole body felt hot as if it was boiling.

He called out to Shen Zhi twice but no one paid any attention. Shen Zhi was taking a shower and when he came out, Feng Ran was unconscious. He was shocked when he touched his skin.

Feng Ran had been burning all night and the fever subsided in the early morning. When he woke up, he saw an IV drip on the back of his hand and he was still in the hotel.

Shen Zhi was sitting nearby and was worried when he saw him wake up: "How do you feel?"

Feng Ran said blankly: "Who are you."

Shen Zhi's face turned pale.

Feng Ran couldn't pretend anymore because of his big reaction. He curled his lips and smiled secretly.

Chen Zhi snapped out of his daze and said, "You tried to scare me to death."

Feng Ran, still brimming with joy from his successful prank, said, "Who told you to bring me here? I told you I was sick."

"I'm sorry."

"Never mind," Feng Ran said suddenly. "Why did you suddenly trick me into bed? It's so immoral. We have nothing in common. It wasn't consensual." Chen

Zhi's heart sank, and he gritted his teeth. "Then what's your relationship with Chen Shuze? Was it consensual?"

Feng Ran frowned. "Why bring him up when nothing was wrong?"

"If I don't mention him, then he doesn't exist?"

Feng Ran's mouth was dry, and he didn't want to argue.

He licked his lips and said slowly, "If he exists, who does it affect? I broke up with him a long time ago... It's just that we work together. I work for him, he pays me. If I make a mistake, I get deducted money, if I do well, I get a bonus... It's that simple."

Chen Zhi fell silent.

He closed his eyes, not asking the questions that had lingered for so long, carefully worded. Perhaps everything was already implied.

He understands, Shen Zhi understands, so there is no need to say it so clearly and embarrass each other.

"Stop it, Shen Zhi. I quit."