Jiang Yuan hadn't paid much attention to the fact that Xie Chengnan had started a company. Although the two of them were essentially "living together," they were usually busy with their own affairs and rarely interfered with one another. Their occasional conversations seldom touched upon work.
Thus, when the young master saw the four words "Nanyuan Technology," he was momentarily stunned. He couldn't quite describe the feeling swelling in his heart.
He had originally thought that he was the one who had fallen in love first in this relationship, and that he was the one who had spent so much effort pursuing the other. He never expected that Xie Chengnan had already placed him at the center of his heart much earlier, even going so far as to combine their names and display them openly before the world without his knowledge.
"President Xie." Jiang Yuan looked at the man beside him, who was carrying a cake and pretending to be calm. He pursed his lips and smiled. "What do the two words 'Nanyuan' mean?" He deliberately elongated the end of his sentence, his voice carrying an irrepressible hint of laughter.
Xie Chengnan coughed twice and remained silent. The tips of his ears turned slightly red, knowing that his secret little intention from back then had finally been exposed to the person involved.
Jiang Yuan leaned his face toward him, asking curiously, "When exactly did you start liking me?"
Cornered by the question, Xie Chengnan reached out to pull him close and answered honestly, "Probably... from the first moment I saw you on the mountain."
"That early?" Jiang Yuan was surprised. "You looked so incredibly serious back then."
The corners of Xie Chengnan's mouth lifted slightly, his voice carrying an unmistakable tenderness. "I only realized it myself later. By the time I discovered I liked you, it was already that time we played the game and I accidentally kissed you."
"Oh." Jiang Yuan's eyes crinkled into crescents, his mood exceptionally joyful. "Then I'll let you kiss me again to reminisce?"
President Xie naturally wouldn't refuse such a benefit.
Consequently, when the elevator doors opened, Vice President Shen Qinian, who was waiting at the entrance, was greeted by the sight of his president and his little boyfriend pressed together in a passionate kiss.
Shen Qinian: "..." He had been forced to eat a mouthful of "dog food" out of nowhere.
"Ahem." Shen Qinian cleared his throat, using the action to interrupt the public display of affection from the couple before him.
He pointed to the surveillance camera in the elevator and asked, "Can you two pay some attention to your public image?"
President Xie took his boyfriend's hand and replied very calmly, "You'll get used to it."
Jiang Yuan followed him out obediently, only then remembering a question he had forgotten to ask. "By the way, if we hadn't ended up together, how were you planning to explain why your company is called Nanyuan?"
Xie Chengnan glanced at him, a smile still lingering in his eyes. "I don't know."
Perhaps when he made that decision, his subconscious had hoped that Jiang Yuan would be able to see through those two words and guess the unspoken feelings he hadn't dared to voice.
In his life, he could weigh every decision repeatedly and never regret his moves. Only this once, even though he had agreed not to speak out or disturb the other, he still couldn't help but cautiously test the waters and respond when facing this person, hoping to gain more of his attention and reliance.
Shen Qinian turned to look at Xie Chengnan, his expression somewhat complex. "I originally thought the two of you came up with this name together. I didn't expect it was just a one-sided confession from you... Xie Chengnan, President Xie, let me ask you something."
Xie Chengnan raised an eyebrow. "Ask."
Shen Qinian pointed to himself with a heavy expression. "I'm clearly the partner here. Don't I deserve a name?"
President Xie prioritized love over friendship. "This is a matter between me and my partner. Why are you trying to butt in?"
Jiang Yuan clicked his tongue twice and couldn't help but sigh, "How tragic." His schadenfreude was far too obvious.
Professor Xie's eyes were full of nothing but his boyfriend. Seeing him happy, the corners of his own mouth lifted.
Shen Qinian watched the two of them shamelessly flirting with their eyes and felt himself being stuffed with another mouthful of dog food.
After finishing the last bite of cake on his plate, Jiang Yuan couldn't help but yawn. Xie Chengnan reached out to wipe the cream from the corner of his mouth and said gently, "I have a lounge here. Go take a nap first."
"What about you?" Jiang Yuan rubbed his eyes, feeling drowsy. A layer of mist covered his eyes from the yawn, making his whole demeanor incredibly soft.
Shen Qinian said crossly, "He has to work, of course." He then added disdainfully, "Can you two stop being so lovey-dovey?"
Jiang Yuan gave him a provocative look. The next second, he collapsed into Xie Chengnan's arms like he had no bones, deliberately acting spoiled in front of Shen Qinian. "I'm so sleepy, I don't want to move. Carry me in."
Shen Qinian felt he must have been looking for trouble by staying here to watch this couple show off their affection.
Under the Vice President's death stare, President Xie picked up his young lover from the sofa and carried him into the lounge.
Although Xie Chengnan almost never stayed here, the lounge was cleaned daily. The wardrobe even contained a set of loungewear and a formal suit that Xie Chengnan kept as spares.
Xie Chengnan handed the loungewear to Jiang Yuan and said, "Wear mine for now. I'll buy a set in your size to keep here next time."
Jiang Yuan originally wanted his boyfriend to change his clothes for him, but thinking of the "giant lightbulb" outside, he had to give up. He only let Xie Chengnan go after clinging to him for a long, passionate kiss.
Shen Qinian didn't expect Xie Chengnan to come out so quickly. He looked his friend and partner up and down, teasing, "I thought you two would be in there for half the day."
Professor Xie straightened his tie and changed the subject with a straight face. "Where are the documents?"
Shen Qinian had the secretary bring in a stack of materials. The office finally fell silent, leaving only the sound of pages turning. Xie Chengnan skimmed through the data at high speed, quickly clearing more than half of it.
Even though it wasn't the first time he had seen Xie Chengnan work, Shen Qinian still couldn't help but be amazed.
While reviewing the projects, President Xie even had the mind to consider, "I'll design an online office program later. This is too much of a waste of time."
Shen Qinian rolled his eyes. "You don't just want to work from home while holding your boyfriend, do you?"
Xie Chengnan didn't even bother to look up. "I'm entering the lab tomorrow. I can take time to handle documents on the computer."
Confirming that President Xie hadn't become so obsessed with love that he had no heart for work, the Vice President finally breathed a sigh of relief and began his report. "I've already contacted the city regarding the donation of robot volunteers. Some of the robots will be deployed at the airport, train stations, and subway stations, while others will go to public places like libraries and museums.
"I also promised the city that we would bear the subsequent upgrade and maintenance costs for this batch of robots. The condition is that we get to paint the company's name on them."
"That's fine." Xie Chengnan had no objections. This was equivalent to long-term advertising in high-traffic areas; they wouldn't lose out.
Shen Qinian pulled out a file and handed it to Xie Chengnan. "This is the advertising plan drafted by the PR department. Take a look."
Xie Chengnan opened it and glanced through. "Celebrity endorsements?"
Shen Qinian propped his feet on the desk and shrugged. "Don't you want to make robots a necessity for the general public? It's popular now to find 'traffic stars' as spokespeople. The purchasing power of those hardcore fans is quite considerable; it can serve as an entry point."
Xie Chengnan's long, powerful fingers tapped on the desk, his brow furrowing slightly. He wasn't personally fond of this type of promotion, but he trusted Shen Qinian's judgment. "Do you have a suitable candidate?"
"Alright, you handle this matter." Xie Chengnan didn't intend to interfere too much in things he wasn't skilled at.
Shen Qinian was a man of action. Once it was decided, he called Fang Yuan. However, as he listened, his gaze drifted to Xie Chengnan's face, his expression becoming very strange.
Xie Chengnan: "???"
After hanging up, Shen Qinian looked at him with amusement. "You went to Nanda today and kissed A-Yuan under the teaching building?"
Xie Chengnan was stunned. "How do you know?"
Shen Qinian clicked his tongue. "Do you know someone posted a video of it on Weibo?"
Xie Chengnan frowned. "I only knew someone posted my photo on the Nanda forum earlier."
"Not just that." Shen Qinian pointed to the LadyM cake boxes. "I was wondering why you suddenly brought so many cakes to the company today. Turns out you were coaxing someone."
This time, even Xie Chengnan was shocked. "How do you know about that too?"
Shen Qinian spread his hands. "Someone recorded a video of that and posted it on Weibo as well."
Xie Chengnan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Explain it clearly. What's going on..."
Seeing his old friend's headache-induced expression, Shen Qinian finally felt his pent-up frustration dissipate. He held up three fingers. "Today, three topics related to Nancheng appeared on the Weibo Hot Search. One is 'Rich Guy Coaxing Little Boyfriend at Nancheng LadyM,' one is 'AI Robot Appears at Nancheng University Lecture,' and the last is 'Nancheng University Department Hunk Comes Out.' Understand now?"
Xie Chengnan found it hard to describe his feelings. "How did such small things make it onto the Hot Search?"
Shen Qinian also felt it was quite surreal. "Fang Yuan's side discovered this. They often buy Hot Search spots for their stars to increase exposure, but today their spot was pushed down. When he went to check, he realized it was related to you two.
"It started with the video of you buying cakes. The person who posted it was a small influencer with a hundred thousand followers. Because the title was so eye-catching, it was reposted by several marketing accounts. The reposts immediately broke thirty thousand, sending it onto the Hot Search.
"However, because it was a candid shot, your faces weren't clearly captured in that video. But the clothes you were wearing today and the car you were driving were all in the shot.
"Just then, someone posted the video of you kissing A-Yuan under the teaching building. It was a close-up candid shot. Sharp-eyed netizens analyzed the clothes and the car and concluded that you two were the same people from the previous video.
"Then, people followed the trail to the Nanda forum. Photos of you and A-Yuan, as well as the video of you letting Jason interact with students during the lecture, were all dug out.
"Now it's a real spectacle. A-Yuan's name, major, and even his Weibo have been unearthed. Fortunately, more private information hasn't been exposed yet. Since there isn't much information about you online, not many people have figured out who you are yet. But these netizens are too powerful; it's only a matter of time."
Xie Chengnan's face darkened, his tone turning cold. "Since we can spend money to buy a Hot Search spot, can we spend money to remove one?"
Shen Qinian looked at him, his fingers tapping on his knee. "I have an idea. Why don't you hear it first?"
Xie Chengnan suppressed his anger. "Speak."
Shen Qinian said, "The buzz around you two is so high right now, and the important thing is that the 'AI Robot' tag was brought up as well. My idea is to use this momentum to run a wave of advertisements for our company.
"There are so many netizens who want to know who you are. You just need to apply for a Weibo account and get it verified as the President of Nanyuan Technology. I'll have the PR department release the press releases we prepared about being a key state-supported high-tech enterprise ahead of schedule. You repost it, and I'll find people to push you up. Based on our company's main business alone, we can stir up another wave of topics."
"I refuse." Xie Chengnan rejected the proposal outright. "Some of A-Yuan's information has already been leaked."
Shen Qinian didn't give up. "I can find people to delete the content that reveals personal information. Why don't you ask for A-Yuan's opinion?"
"No need to ask. I don't agree." Xie Chengnan didn't dare take the risk.
Right now, it was only some insignificant personal information being dug up. If it continued, who knew if someone with ill intentions would doxx A-Yuan? At that point, not only would A-Yuan's normal life be affected, but even his personal safety could be threatened. How could he possibly allow this matter to continue fermenting?
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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南沅科技 | Nanyuan Technology | Xie Chengnan's company name, combining "Nan" (from Chengnan) and "Yuan" (from Jiang Yuan).
沈其年 | Shen Qinian | Xie Chengnan's business partner and the Vice President of Nanyuan Technology.
微博 | Weibo | A major Chinese social media platform.
热搜 | Hot Search | The trending topics list on Weibo.
方圆 | Fang Yuan | A contact of Shen Qinian, likely working in PR or the entertainment industry.
系草 | Department Hunk | "Department Grass"; the most handsome man in a university department.
人肉 | Doxx / Human flesh search | The act of searching for and publishing private information about a particular individual on the internet.
