His flight was the morning one, same as Lu Yang, Lao Ke, TT, and the assistant. He'd booked first class – it was only a two-hour flight, but without even realizing it, Qi Cheng had grown used to comfort when it came to spending.
If money could make him happy, comfortable, and at ease, then that's how he'd do it. This was so different from when he'd first arrived – even though his husband had given him a supplementary card, he'd gone out shopping in the dead of winter, shivering in the cold, too scared to splurge on a pricey down coat, and ended up braving the wind all the way home.
Now, spending his husband's money didn't come with that initial fear or unease.
He and his husband were family. He had confidence – he loved his husband, and he was sure his husband loved him just as much. That's why he could be open, trusting, and unguarded.
Before leaving that morning, Fanfan saw his daddy carrying a suitcase and heading out the door with his big daddy. His eyes went wide, and he started babbling anxiously, spitting out syllables in a rush.
Qi Cheng took his little goose, saying, "Dad's going to buy you ribbons, my good little goose. Give me a kiss."
Fanfan understood the word "kiss" and smacked a wet, slobbery one right on his dad's face. Qi Cheng laughed, then teased by pretending to bite Fanfan's chubby cheeks. Fanfan flailed his little arms and giggled.
Father and son burst out laughing together.
"Be good. Dad will call you every day." Qi Cheng patted his little one's head.
He hated leaving Fanfan, but he also wanted to go have some fun.
Auntie Zheng took over Fanfan and said, "Xiao Cheng, don't worry. Fanfan is easy to soothe."
"Okay. If he cries, call me."
"Got it. Stay safe on the road."
Only then did Qi Cheng head out. His husband's car was waiting for him. His husband would drop him at the airport first, then go to the office. On the way, Qi Cheng still couldn't help but ramble: "If Fanfan misses me and cries at night, you have to tell me, and I'll come right back."
Bai Zongyin ruffled the young man's hair. "Have fun and don't worry about home. I've got everything covered."
The direct flight from Mingcheng to the island took less than two hours.
Everyone met at the airport, went through security, and boarded. Qi Cheng texted his husband, and messaged again after landing to say he was safe – his husband knew his whole itinerary.
The driver arranged by the airport was already waiting in a seven-seater SUV.
They loaded the luggage and set off!
Blue skies, soft white sand, palm trees, and sweet pineapples, mangosteens, coconuts, and durian. At the villa, the fridge was stocked with drinks and fruit was laid out on the table. The villa was three stories tall, and it was only a five- or six-minute walk from the beach.
"Wow, Boss is amazing!"
"I'm so ready, Boss!"
"Thank you, Boss!"
Everyone picked their rooms – of course, the one with the best light was automatically reserved for the boss. Qi Cheng and Lu Yang were on the second floor; everyone else could choose freely. From the balcony, they could see the vast blue ocean stretching out.
It was the kind of view that made anyone want to shout at the sea with pure joy.
Zhuzhu hadn't arrived yet – her flight was at 2 PM.
After everyone had settled in and ordered food, the place also provided barbecue ingredients. The assistant asked if they could do a barbecue that night. Qi Cheng said yes – for these team-building days, they could do whatever they wanted. He was paying!
Naturally, another round of "Boss is the best!" cheers followed.
The island summer was way too hot, and the UV rays were brutal. Qi Cheng put on his sunscreen, then grabbed tough-guy Xiao Lu and sprayed him down like crazy. Lu Yang's face went dark, but he held back and just let it happen.
"...Last time you got sunburned and peeled, you really don't learn." Qi Cheng said.
Lu Yang: "It's just some peeling."
"You're over there with that 'a real man's face needs scars' attitude, and I don't even know what to say anymore." Qi Cheng sighed, patting Lu Yang's arm. "Who would believe that under that delicate, pretty face of Xiao Lu's beats the heart of a tough, rugged dude?"
The only reason Xiao Lu doesn't care about wearing women's clothes is because he's straightforward and tough – it doesn't bother him, and making money is what matters.
After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms to sleep.
Qi Cheng video-called Auntie Zheng. She said Fanfan had cried for a little bit in the morning, but had just had his milk and food, and was already rocked to sleep. Qi Cheng saw his little goose's long eyelashes and that he was sleeping soundly, so he felt relieved.
He'd bring back a colorful ribbon for his little goose!
Past 5 PM, the scorching heat of the day had faded a bit. It was still warm, but with the sea breeze, it was finally nice enough to play around.
"No shooting today – take a day off first." Qi Cheng told his friends who were ready to start working right away.
Let's play first.
The place they were staying was actually on an island inside a tourist area, but it was separated from the main scenic zone. The scenic area was more lively, with tourists coming and going, while their side was a private villa area – only people who booked the hotel villas could get in.
So housekeeping and meals were pretty convenient – they could just call the main building to order food.
There were few people around, the sand was clean and white, and the water was clear and blue. The beach offered all kinds of water sports: two-person kayaks, single-person jet skis, diving, and even small cruise yachts.
The seawater was warmed by the sun, but underneath it was cool – though since the temperature was so high, it just felt refreshing.
Qi Cheng could swim. The town he used to live in had a river, and he'd taught himself the doggy paddle – it wasn't pretty, but he wasn't afraid of the water. With a life jacket on, he was having a great time. Of the whole group, Lu Yang was the only one who couldn't swim.
"...Hahahahaha." Qi Cheng burst out laughing. But when he saw Lu Yang's stone-cold expression, he stifled it and said, "Sorry, I couldn't help it. I'll teach you, alright?"
"Doggy paddle?" Lu Yang shot back.
Qi Cheng: ...Wahhh, can't laugh anymore.
Luckily, there was an instructor.
Qi Cheng got back at Lu Yang for making fun of his doggy paddle by secretly filming the instructor teaching Lu Yang to swim, then posted it online to mock him.
Orange From Da Bai's Family: Hahahahaha he called mine a doggy paddle – now everyone check out Cool Guy Xiao Lu's doggy-flail!
—Sniff sniff sniff~ tbh, all I see are Xiao Lu's long legs.
—So white, so straight, so long – I'm hard [I'm a pervert, I said it first].
—!!!! Holy crap, does Xiao Lu have abs? That's so hot.
—I wanna be that instructor – I wanna touch, I mean, teach Xiao Lu to swim.
—You just wanna openly feel up Xiao Lu's waist and legs, right! Same, his waist is so slim.
—Boss Orange, I wanna see you!!!
...
Liu Sinian saw the push notification and clicked on it.
The video showed the ocean and Lu Yang's face, wet with seawater, hair plastered to his cheeks. He casually brushed it back, revealing a smooth forehead and a pair of beautiful, glossy eyes – he might have choked on seawater, making him look a bit more vulnerable than usual.
A slim waist, and long legs floating up.
The instructor was holding Lu Yang's waist and lifting his leg. "Right, engage your core, kick..."
Liu Sinian frowned slightly, staring at the hand on Lu Yang's waist.
"What are you looking at, boss?"
"Book me a flight – I'm going to..." Liu Sinian checked, "Island XX Villa Hotel."
7 PM.
A few of them were grilling BBQ in the yard. Qi Cheng sat in a rattan chair, holding a coconut, sipping through a straw while opening a video call.
His little goose's chubby face appeared first.
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