KC | Chapter 24

Chapter 24 He Wants to Sleep with Me (Part 1

The summer night was stiflingly hot, and the rust-stained iron window could not let any wind through. Chen Xi lay by the window, aimlessly scrolling on his phone, and kept scrolling for two hours. At 8 p.m., his stomach was growling with hunger before he finally remembered that he needed to eat.

Chen Xi opened the Meituan app, ordered a boxed meal, and was about to place the order, but then saw that the delivery fee was actually 7 yuan. In a fit of anger, he decided to eat instant noodles instead. The delivery platform’s evening delivery fee did go up, but Chen Xi had not expected it to go up this outrageously, that delivery fee could already buy a roujiamo.

The rented apartment did not have a water dispenser, so he could only boil water with an electric kettle. Tap water from the pipes had a strange taste after being boiled, and it could not be drunk directly, but it was still okay for making strongly flavored instant noodles. While the water was boiling, Chen Xi went to the bathroom and took a hot shower. After the shower, he only felt physically and mentally exhausted.

Chen Xi ate instant noodles while scrolling through recruitment platforms. The key client had to be signed, and he also had to keep looking for work.

He had originally wanted to never mention that night again, but last time he had not held back and had tried to “threaten” Lin Yiran with what had happened before. Lin Yiran’s reaction was even worse than he had imagined, as if he were trying to shake off a plague, he had fled away at top speed.

Even if Lin Yiran’s private life was a mess, it would not involve work. It was me who crossed the line, me who did not keep things clear, me who mixed public and private matters and did something obnoxious.

It was me being cheap.

I had to make money, and I also had to stay away from Lin Yiran.

Stay away from Lin Yiran.

The instant noodles stuck in his throat. Chen Xi seemed to have lost his sense of smell all at once, and the taste disappeared completely.

“This is fucking disgusting.” Chen Xi threw away the fork.

His phone rang. It was a message from his mother.

「平安：这周回家吗？」

Chen Xi’s parents were in Fushi, one hour by car from Yucheng. Since he started working, Chen Xi rarely went home. It was not because it was far, just because going home was too tiring. Work had already squeezed out all of Chen Xi’s motivation, and during his rest time he only wanted to lie down. There had been a period when he worked overtime for many days in a row, and after Chen Xi got home, washed up, and watched short videos for ten minutes, he would go to sleep, without even having the energy to play online games when Wang Xin asked him.

Now, Chen Xi decided to change his work mode. He would no longer search for clients blindly, like fishing in the sea for a needle. He only wanted to serve key clients.

I can’t sign every client, I can’t want every client. Only by focusing can I get what I truly want.

「晨曦：明天上午回去。」

Working overtime on the weekend to look for clients was useless. There were only those few key clients, so Chen Xi decided to give himself a vacation this week and properly adjust his state.

「平安：想吃什么，妈给你做。」

「晨曦：都行。」

He had not finished the instant noodles, and Chen Xi fell asleep in a daze.

Goats kept bouncing around in his head. After counting to several hundred or several thousand goats, the countless goats turned into himself with human heads and goat bodies. The goat doppelgangers kept disappearing, and in the end they turned into three. The three little figures with very different styles started fighting again in Chen Xi’s dream.

Recently, they had appeared in Chen Xi’s dreams almost every day, and Chen Xi’s split personality had become even more serious.

Short-tempered No. 1: What the hell is the use of finishing the key client list? You can’t even get through the client’s door, and you still want to sign them. Dream on!

Rational No. 2: These key clients do all have security guards, but it is not completely hopeless. You can find someone to introduce you, build a bridge.

No. 1: Find who to introduce? The colleagues from Lanhai? If they had someone, they would have gone to sign them themselves long ago, it would not be my turn. Friends from Jingmei? If they introduced them to me, I’d be grabbing their budget? What other people are there… hehe, or should I go find Lin Gou? He knows a lot of people, he’ll definitely have a way.

Spineless No. 3: Lin Yiran won’t even help me negotiate deals, let alone introduce key clients, wuu wuu wuu, he slept with me and ran, he’s just a bastard, a scumbag, a big bad jerk!

No. 1: Hehehe, are you being coquettish? Look at that cheap look of yours, so slutty and so bitchy.

No. 3: I’m not, I didn’t!

No. 2: Actually, analyzing it objectively, if I use a little method, Lin Yiran would be 80% likely to introduce clients to me. In the elevator and under the table at the dinner table, he used his legs to bump against me, always wanting physical contact with me, so… he should have the idea of wanting to continue “developing” with me.

No. 1: Heh heh, yesterday under the dinner table, I should have locked his leg with mine and let him see whether my leg was tighter, or the elevator door was tighter.

No. 3: Aaaah, what are you talking about! That’s impossible, absolutely impossible!

No. 1: A shameless person is just pretentious, you obviously want it in your heart, right? Two rubs on your leg and you were almost standing up, Lin Gou touching you a couple times and you could get soaked through, and you’re still pretending here.

No. 3 shook his head desperately: I’m not, I didn’t!

No. 2 analyzed: I think that Lin Yiran does not want to develop with me, he just wants to help me solve the client problem.

No. 3: Right, right, he just wants to help me sign clients.

No. 1 asked the soul-crushing question: Heh, then did he help me? Did he agree to help me negotiate?

No. 3: …

No. 2: If Lin Yiran only wants to help you solve the client problem, why would he flirt with you? He must have feelings for you, but because of family pressure or because he has not recognized his feelings, he did not take any further action toward you.

No. 3 screamed: Impossible, absolutely impossible, he is a straight man, he has no feelings for me, it was just drunken sex before. He has a wife, how could he go any further, is he crazy!

No. 1 snorted with laughter: Some people clearly have high expectations in their hearts, but say no with their mouths, tsk tsk.

No. 3: I’m not, I didn’t!

No. 1: Heh, you only know how to say that sentence, you have already said it three times today, you just are, you just do!

No. 3 angrily said: Fuck you!!!

No. 2 was still rational: Every time Lin Yiran is brought up, we start fighting. Let’s not discuss him first. The top priority now is to sign key clients.

No. 1 climbed up with the rope: Right, if Lin Gou can help me sign key clients, it would definitely be twice the result with half the effort!

No. 3: Why are you bringing him up again…

No. 2: Actually, I think, if Lin Yiran can help with signing, using a few methods is not impossible. After all, we have already slept together, once and countless times is not much different…

No. 3 was about to collapse: There is a difference, not possible! I want to sign key clients, but I do not necessarily need Lin Yiran’s help. I can do it, I can manage, I…

No. 1: What are you, you? You have wide connections? You know how to negotiate? Your proposal work is 6? Your product knowledge is professional? It would be better to just take off your pants and lie there, that makes money faster.

No. 3 shouted out loud: Fuck, what the hell do you think you are?

No. 2: Last time when that previous matter was mentioned, Lin Yiran ran faster than a damn rabbit. I think, just taking off my pants might not work for Lin Yiran, I’d have to seduce him, let him fall into it,最好 a little sluttier…

No. 3 went crazy: I will not take the initiative to seduce him, you all should not keep saying such morally depraved things! I have already turned the page, you really should not bring it up again.

No. 1: You don’t have Lin Gou’s tricks, and you still fucking hold yourself up so high. You want to be a good salesperson, you don’t want to seduce people. Then how do you plan to sign deals? Are key clients so easy to sign? Why should key clients sign deals with you, because of your moral nobility?

No. 2: I agree with No. 1, it is useless to care about face and pretend to be lofty, the top priority now is to sign key clients.

No. 1: No. 2 has already pointed out the right path, we just need to do it. Take off the pants and lie flat, have your fun and still solve the problem, killing two birds with one stone, No. 3, what are you still纠结 over?

No. 3 howled and cried: No, I can’t, I absolutely will not cross the moral bottom line!

No. 2 analyzed rationally: Lin Yiran was very likely trying to convey to me, “I can help you, but you have to sleep with me first.”

No. 1 made the final decision: He wants to sleep with me.

“Cough, cough!” Someone in the next apartment came home and coughed twice, which triggered the motion-sensor light in the hallway. Chen Xi was startled awake by the coughing, and his whole body was covered in sweat. The three little figures kept bouncing around in his head, bouncing until Chen Xi was on the verge of nervous breakdown, and even the slightest movement could wake him.

Chen Xi got out of bed, drank a sip of water, and lay back down on the bed, tossing and turning. He did not know how long had passed before he fell asleep again.

Normally, a day off was supposed to mean sleeping until noon, but Chen Xi had been sleeping extremely badly recently. Before 8 a.m., he got up, and after sleeping the whole night, it felt like he had not slept at all.

What was split personality worth mentioning? As long as he was not dead, this damn life still had to go on.

Chen Xi got up, washed up, quickly packed his things, and prepared to go home.

It was not easy to go home once. He could not let his family see that he was listless. A white shirt with jeans, dressing himself up youthful and sunny,

Chen Xi had just entered the door when he smelled a smell of cooking oil, and there was a clatter coming from the kitchen. Chen Yubin was cooking, Jiang Yang was helping out, and after not seeing their son come home for a long time, the two elders were busy to no end.

“Xiaoxi, you’re back.” Jiang Yang stretched her neck out from the kitchen and called toward the living room, “Ah, don’t come in yet, go downstairs and buy a bag of salt.”

Chen Xi: …

You’re making me go out as soon as I get home, you two really do not miss me at all.

After Chen Xi bought the salt and delivered it to the kitchen, he had wanted to help the two elders, but he did not know how to do anything.

“Go stay in the room. The kitchen is only this big, don’t stand here blocking the way.” Chen Yubin flipped the wok and did not even look at Chen Xi.

Chen Xi: …

Fine, I’ll get lost into the room, so I won’t delay you two from cooking.

About 20 minutes later, the steaming hot dishes were served on the table. Chen Xi had been away and drifting outside for half a year, eating gutter oil every day, and now that he finally ate the taste of home again, his eyes felt a little sore.

After graduating, Chen Xi had drifted in Yucheng like a small boat. Today he came home, and the drifting boat finally came to shore. His heart felt warm.

“Has work been busy lately?” Jiang Yang夹了一块红烧肉给陈夕.

Chen Xi kept his head down and ate, saying, “It’s okay, it’s not as busy as before.”

“Young people, being busy is good. While your hands and feet are still nimble, make a bit more money.” Chen Yubin poured himself a cup of Erguotou and asked Chen Xi, “Want some?”

Chen Xi shook his head. Erguotou was like a blade going down, spicy and choking. Chen Xi was not used to drinking it, and he did not like it. He also wanted to be busy a little, but he could not just stay busy blindly.

It was tiring to explain this to his dad, better not to explain at all.

“The kid from Old Li’s family next door stayed at home for 3 years, and now he’s finally made something of himself. He just passed the civil service exam, and is working as a police officer at the police station!” Jiang Yang, like most middle-aged retired women, often chatted with the neighbors about household matters.

Chen Xi felt that his mom was just bored and had nothing to do, which was why she was so gossipy. He disliked it, but he could not control it. He also did not know what middle-aged retired women could do if they were not gossiping.

“Oh.”

“But they say police officers do not earn much money, it’s just that they don’t have much to do every day, unlike our Xiaoxi, who is so busy.”

“Oh.”

“That kid did not even have a girlfriend before, and now that he just started working, he already has one.” Jiang Yang was “reporting” the “progress” of the child from Old Li’s family next door. In her view, as long as the child studied, worked, and got married, with the progress maxed out, life would be complete, and then she could finish the mission of a parent.

“Oh.” My work is not going well, I don’t have a girlfriend, I like men, and I probably won’t be able to get married in this lifetime. I will definitely disappoint you.

Jiang Yang said in dissatisfaction, “Hey, don’t keep saying ‘oh’ all the time, shouldn’t someone in sales be very good with words!”

Chen Xi ate the last bite of rice and left the table. “I’m full.”

I can talk, but I do not want to talk with you all.

People in sales, those who are eloquent, are either morally corrupt or use trickery and lies, often not good people. Good people are honest and hardworking, but they can’t sign deals; bad people are smooth-tongued and charming, and with just a few sentences they can fool the client into being sold on them. Damn, I’m really服了 this world.

I want to sign deals, I want Lin Yiran, I want this damn world completely destroyed!

Before, when I watched legal programs about home-wreckers taking someone’s husband, I thought it was immoral and the world was going downhill; now I actually want to be the third party for Lin Yiran, I’m fucking rotten to the bone.

How can I be this shameless?

Why is Lin Yiran even more shameless than me?

He has a wife, yet he still seduced me; he wants to sleep with me, and yet he is hiding from me like he is avoiding a contagious disease.

Lin Yiran wanted to avoid his wife and sleep with me!