Come on, What Kind of CEO Chases His Roommate Back to the Country? - Chapter 30

Pei Song hung up the phone and looked up. The SNK building was brightly lit against the night sky, standing like a beacon.

Two days later, the SNK HR department called to inform him that he had passed all the interviews and should report to the company on Monday.

“Mr. Zhou thinks highly of you,” Lin Yuwei said over the phone. “We hope you can join us soon.”

After hanging up, Pei Song let out a long breath. Receiving the offer from SNK felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest.

Seeing how happy he was, Shi Yancheng offered, “Want to go out for a celebratory dinner?”

“Sounds good,” Pei Song smiled. “You’ve been running around with me all this time. We should both take a break.”

That evening, they chose a quiet restaurant.

After ordering, Pei Song spoke with some guilt. “Sorry, my family issues must’ve made things awkward for you. You came here for a trip, and yet you’ve been dragged into all this drama.”

“No need to apologize,” Shi Yancheng poured him some tea. “Friends are supposed to help each other.”

Pei Song smiled bitterly. “But my family’s mess is just…”

“There is no absolute good or bad in this world,” Shi Yancheng said softly. “It’s all about how you see it and use it. Like tempering steel, the hottest flames make the strongest metal. The way you’ve handled things proves that already.”

Pei Song was momentarily stunned. He had never thought that the painful experiences he went through could be framed in such a way.

“By the way,” Pei Song hesitated before asking, “I saw a plane ticket on your desk the other day… Are you going back to Country D?”

Shi Yancheng paused for a moment. “Yeah, I have some things to take care of.”

“I see…” Pei Song’s voice dropped. “Will you come back to China?”

“We’ll see,” Shi Yancheng said noncommittally, his gaze fixed on Pei Song. “What, are you gonna miss me?”

“Of course I will,” Pei Song admitted. “I wouldn’t have made it through all this without you.”

Shi Yancheng watched his slightly downcast expression and smirked but said nothing.

After dinner, they walked side by side under the night sky. The moon was exceptionally bright, casting a soft silver glow over the streets.

“Want me to drive you to SNK on Monday?” Shi Yancheng asked.

“Sure,” Pei Song readily agreed.

As they passed a movie theater, Pei Song noticed a new release poster and had a sudden idea.

“Want to see a movie?” he turned to Shi Yancheng.

Shi Yancheng hesitated. “Here?”

“Yeah,” Pei Song chuckled. “You’ve been in China for a while now, but you haven’t been to a theater yet, have you?”

Shi Yancheng shook his head. “I’ve never been to a movie theater. Not even as a kid.”

“Then it’s settled!” Pei Song pulled him toward the ticket counter. “Let’s make this your first experience.”

After buying tickets, Pei Song dragged him to the snack stand.

He ordered confidently, “Two large popcorns, two sodas. Thanks.”

“You’re eating all that?” Shi Yancheng eyed the massive popcorn tubs skeptically.

“Movie essentials!” Pei Song grinned. “Especially the popcorn, it’s buttery and smells amazing. Feels like a full theater experience.”

Seeing how excited he was, Shi Yancheng didn’t object and took a soda and popcorn. By the time they entered, the pre-movie ads were playing.

In the dim light, Pei Song carefully led Shi Yancheng to their seats.

“Watch your step,” he reminded softly.

The seats were spacious, with an armrest between them holding their drinks.

Pei Song set his popcorn on the right-hand armrest and focused on the screen. Twenty minutes in, the film reached a suspenseful moment. The male lead was trapped in a locked room, facing a life-or-death choice.

Completely absorbed, Pei Song instinctively reached for popcorn… but his hand went left instead of right.

The moment his fingertips brushed something warm, he froze.

Both of them withdrew their hands at the same time, their fingers briefly overlapping in the darkness.

“Sorry,” Pei Song quickly apologized, then realized he was overreacting.

The lingering warmth on his fingers was oddly distracting. From that point on, he couldn’t concentrate on the movie, constantly worried about accidentally touching Shi Yancheng again.

Halfway through the film, a faint sound came from the front row. Pei Song glanced over and, in the screen’s flickering light, saw a couple kissing. His body stiffened. Suddenly, he didn’t know where to look.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shi Yancheng still watching the screen, seemingly oblivious to the scene. The couple remained glued together until the credits rolled.

Pei Song, on the other hand, couldn’t focus at all, he had no idea how the movie even ended.

When the lights came on and the audience began leaving, he stood up, realizing his legs had gone slightly numb.

“I need to use the restroom,” he told Shi Yancheng.

“I’ll go too,” Shi Yancheng said, following him.

Inside, Pei Song deliberately chose the furthest stall. Though the restroom was mostly empty, he felt like Shi Yancheng was standing too close. That subtle pressure made his body heat up.

He sneaked a glance, Shi Yancheng’s tall frame was hard to ignore. Quickly looking away, Pei Song realized his palms were sweaty, and he couldn’t even unzip his pants.

He decided to wait for Shi Yancheng to leave first.

Once alone, he let out a deep breath and hurried to finish. When he stepped out, Shi Yancheng was leaning against the hallway wall, waiting. Under the warm lights, his sharp features stood out, even his eyelashes casting delicate shadows.

“Sorry for the wait,” Pei Song said, walking over.

Just as they were about to leave, an unpleasant voice rang out.

“Well, if it isn’t Pei Song! Our soon-to-be SNK colleague!”

Pei Song turned to see Liu Yan with a few friends.

“Heard you’re starting Monday,” Liu Yan smirked. “Didn’t expect your nightlife to be so… eventful.”

His gaze swept over Shi Yancheng. “Two grown men, watching a movie together this late… Pretty close, huh?”

“I told you, he was my roommate in Country D,” Pei Song cut him off.

“Roommate?” Liu Yan dragged out the word. “So, juggling between Senior Zhou and your ‘roommate’… you sure get around, huh?”

Pei Song’s face darkened. “What are you implying?”

“Oh, nothing,” Liu Yan said with mock innocence. “Just heard some rumors about you back in Country D, seems like you had quite a few… relationships.”

“Shut up,” Shi Yancheng cut in coldly, his eyes sharp as ice. “Only cowards spread gossip about others.”

Liu Yan flinched at the hostility but refused to back down. “Whoa, protective much? Guess I wasn’t wrong.”

Shi Yancheng stepped forward, exuding an overwhelming presence. “You sure you want to keep talking?”

Liu Yan hesitated, then retreated slightly as his friends nudged him away.

“Let’s go,” Shi Yancheng grabbed Pei Song’s arm. “No need to waste time on people like him.”

Pei Song could feel the strength in his grip, Shi Yancheng was holding back his anger.

Outside, the night air cooled Pei Song’s heated emotions.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “You shouldn’t have had to deal with that.”

Shi Yancheng glanced at him. “You don’t need to apologize. You did nothing wrong.”

The walk home was silent.