Come on, What Kind of CEO Chases His Roommate Back to the Country? - Chapter 56

Shi Yancheng elegantly picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and placed it into the pot. “Tell me, what do you want most?”

“Me?” Su Mi thought for a moment. “I want a challenging job that isn’t too exhausting, where I can learn new things and still have time for romance.”

“Then let me ask you,” Shi Yancheng said calmly, “if you had to pick the job you least want to do, what would it be?”

“Investment banking,” Su Mi answered without hesitation. “Too tiring. I’ve heard they often have to stay up all night.”

“Then why did you include it in your options?”

“Because…” Su Mi froze. “Because it’s a good platform? Everyone says working in investment banking looks great on a resume.”

“So you’re doing it for others’ opinions, not because it’s what you truly want.” Shi Yancheng glanced at him. “Since you’ve ruled one out, now you just have to choose between consulting and research. Do you prefer working with data or people?”

“People, of course!” Su Mi’s eyes lit up. “I hate staring at a computer all day doing research.”

“Then there’s your answer.” Shi Yancheng poured himself a cup of tea. “Consulting requires client interactions, every project has new challenges, and the resources and platforms are just as good as investment banking. As for business trips, if you’re good enough, you can negotiate your work location.”

Su Mi’s jaw dropped. “So that’s how it is! I always felt like choosing was too hard, and the more I thought about it, the more confused I got. But after your analysis, it’s like a light bulb went off in my head!”

Pei Song, who had been listening nearby, nodded to himself. Shi Yancheng had a way of simplifying complex problems, cutting straight to the core with just a few words.

That kind of clarity and decisiveness was probably one of the reasons he had risen to the position of CEO at such a young age.

“But, cousin,” Su Mi grinned mischievously, “You said, ‘If you’re good enough, you can negotiate conditions with the company.’ What if I’m not that good?”

Shi Yancheng raised an eyebrow. “You’re my cousin. How could you not be good?”

The confident and doting remark made Su Mi laugh. “You’re so biased.”

“Speaking of bias…” Su Mi glanced at Pei Song. “You’re Pei Song’s boss now. You wouldn’t abuse your power to favor him, would you?”

Pei Song, who had been sipping his soup, paused. Shi Yancheng remained unfazed. “He doesn’t need my favoritism.”

“True.” Su Mi nodded. “Cousin, did you know Pei Song was super popular in college?”

The moment Pei Song heard that, he sensed trouble and quickly tried to cut him off. “Just eat your hotpot properly.”

But Shi Yancheng put down his chopsticks. “Go on.”

“Pei Song was the campus heartthrob. There were three people chasing him back then,” Su Mi ignored Pei Song’s warning look. “One was our department’s student representative, one was a business school prodigy, and the last was the student council vice president. Normally, they were all pretty composed, but when it came to Pei Song, they got competitive.”

“You’re making things up…” Pei Song kicked Su Mi under the table.

Su Mi was unfazed and continued, “They competed for a long time. At first, Pei Song thought they just wanted to be friends. But one time, during a group project, they nearly fought over him.”

Shi Yancheng raised an eyebrow. “And then?”

“Pei Song talked to them,” Su Mi chuckled. “He said that since they were all adults, they should handle their feelings rationally. Instead of wasting time on pointless competition, they should focus on more meaningful things.”

“I was just stating the truth,” Pei Song quickly clarified, worried that Su Mi might spill too much.

“Oh, and Pei Song also said…” Su Mi deliberately paused.

Shi Yancheng gave him a look, signaling him to continue.

Even Pei Song couldn’t help but be curious, what else had he said?

“He said he doesn’t like impulsive guys,” Su Mi finally revealed. “He prefers mature, steady men who can guide him.”

“It worked. The three of them felt embarrassed and apologized to each other. But after that, no one dared to pursue Pei Song again.”

Shi Yancheng looked at Pei Song’s slightly flushed face, took a sip of tea, and a faint smile flickered in his eyes. “Seems like you learned how to reject people pretty early on.”

Pei Song lowered his head, focusing on his hotpot, pretending he hadn’t heard. But he could feel Shi Yancheng’s gaze lingering on him.

Sensing the atmosphere shift, Su Mi wisely shut his mouth, glancing between the two before silently cooking some tripe.

Just then, a waiter approached with a plate of sliced potatoes. His hands trembled, and a few pieces fell into the spicy broth, sending hot soup splashing.

Pei Song instinctively pulled back, but a few drops still landed on the back of his hand.

“I’m so sorry!” The waiter apologized repeatedly, scrambling for napkins.

“It’s fine.” Pei Song stood up. “I’ll just rinse it off in the restroom.”

“I’ll go with you!” Su Mi started to rise.

“No need, it’s just a few drops. I’ll be quick.” Pei Song hurried off.

He turned on the faucet, letting cold water run over the slight redness on his skin. The cool water relieved the stinging sensation a little. Just as he reached to turn off the tap, the restroom door opened.

Shi Yancheng walked in, pulling a small tube of ointment from his pocket. “Burn cream,” he said simply.

Pei Song instinctively took a step back. “No need, I—”

Without a word, Shi Yancheng grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the light. There were three faint red marks on Pei Song’s fair skin, not serious, but noticeable.

“Don’t move.” Shi Yancheng unscrewed the cap and squeezed a bit onto his fingers.

Pei Song tried to pull away, but Shi Yancheng’s grip was firm. His touch was gentle, as if afraid of hurting him. The cooling ointment spread across the warm skin, making Pei Song involuntarily take a sharp breath.

“Hurts?” Shi Yancheng’s voice was low.

“No,” Pei Song whispered. “It’s just cold.”

Shi Yancheng’s fingers rubbed the ointment in small circles, each motion making Pei Song’s heartbeat quicken.

They were standing close, so close that Pei Song could feel the warmth radiating from Shi Yancheng.

“Still mad?” Shi Yancheng suddenly asked. 

Pei Song was caught off guard. “What?”

“For me not telling you about taking over SNK,” Shi Yancheng murmured, his fingers still tracing the back of Pei Song’s hand. “So you’ve been avoiding me.”

“I’m not—” Pei Song instinctively denied it, but his voice lacked conviction.

Shi Yancheng let out a low chuckle. “Oh? Then why have you been dodging me?”

“I…” Pei Song hesitated. “I just think things are… a bit inappropriate right now.”

“Inappropriate how?” Shi Yancheng’s voice deepened. “Our relationship? Or that night?”

Pei Song’s ears turned red. “Don’t bring that up.”

“Why not?” Shi Yancheng leaned in slightly. “Afraid Su Mi will find out?”