Boyfriend Always Thinks I’m a Little Pitiful Chapter 110

"What are you looking for? Let me help you find it."

Xie Ci asked this, knowing that if Gu Yufeng said he wasn't looking for anything, the fish that was so hard to catch would slip away again.

"I lost a cufflink, not sure when it fell off." Gu Yufeng said, glancing at the ground beside him, as if he was really searching for something.

"This corridor is quite long, it's hard to find it alone." Xie Ci raised his hand, pointing to his own cufflink, "Mind if I take a look at what style your cufflink is?"

This was both a question and a way to seek Gu Yufeng's consent for the "help."

Gu Yufeng's gaze lingered on Xie Ci's hand for a moment, then he raised his left hand, letting the suit sleeve slide back to reveal the cufflink on his shirt. "Would it be too much trouble for you?"

"I can't let you catch a cold in the autumn night breeze, can I?" Xie Ci said, asking where Gu Yufeng had already searched, then took a few steps forward and started looking earnestly.

It wasn't the stiff politeness of "no trouble," nor was it overly flattering to the point of insincerity. His words showed just the right amount of concern for a stranger, making Gu Yufeng feel comfortable.

Watching Xie Ci walk past, Gu Yufeng secretly took off a cufflink and dropped it on the ground.

The spot where it fell was quite conspicuous, and it wasn't long before it was found.

Gu Yufeng took the cufflink from Xie Ci, thanked him, and self-deprecatingly said, "It was right in front of me, yet I couldn't find it. Thanks to you."

Xie Ci and he returned to the banquet hall: "Sometimes it happens."

Gu Yufeng tried to put the cufflink back on, but it was inconvenient with one hand, and after several failed attempts, it became a bit awkward.

"Let me help you." Xie Ci turned around, took the cufflink, and with Gu Yufeng's hand raised, put it back on.

Gu Yufeng noticed that Xie Ci deliberately avoided skin contact and didn't get too close, maintaining a good social distance that didn't make him uncomfortable.

Compared to those who would grovel at his feet, Xie Ci's naturally caring yet indifferent attitude made Gu Yufeng more curious to explore further.

That night, Gu Yufeng used the excuse of thanking him to take Xie Ci to a quiet bar he frequented.

It was their first meeting, so there wasn't much to talk about. He could tell Xie Ci was also holding back. Their conversation ranged from their respective jobs to the current state and development of various industries, almost never touching on personal matters. Gu Yufeng wasn't interested in prying into Xie Ci's private life.

He needed an ally, not a partner.

Many of Xie Ci's ideas aligned with his, and the atmosphere was better than expected. By the time they left the bar, it was already past 2 a.m., and they had chatted for over two hours.

Back in the car, Gu Yufeng looked at the newly added contact in his phone, feeling quite pleased. Given the night's atmosphere, he was confident the fish would soon take the initiative to contact him.

On Sunday, Gu Yufeng deliberately canceled all activities and waited at home all day. Xie Ci didn't call him, not even a greeting message.

By Wednesday, Gu Yufeng's familiar sense of restlessness returned. During meetings, signing documents, and working, he would frequently check his phone to see if he had missed any calls or messages, but his phone was filled with invitations from others, except for Xie Ci.

Would he have to wait until Saturday?

Gu Yufeng pondered, resting his chin on his hand. According to the investigation report, Xie Ci was undoubtedly a seasoned player in the field of romance, adept at understanding people's psychology, especially in relationships, far more skilled than he was.

He was the fish that had been caught, no doubt about it. Yet, knowing this, he still wanted to experience what it felt like to be reeled in by Xie Ci.

The seasoned player, at this moment, hurriedly finished his work, instructed his secretary on necessary matters, and left the D Country branch, driving to a pianist's home for an expensive training session.

Regarding the investigation report's mention of "elegant taste," Xie Ci found it quite troublesome. His life was all about work, with business entertainment barely qualifying as leisure activities, and he had never really cared about anything else.

Forget elegance, it was downright filthy. Whether it was the open and covert struggles in the business world or the high-end clubs he frequented for socializing, it was all dirty.

He was nowhere near elegant.

Gu Yufeng was surrounded by men and women of high status, most of whom came from wealthy or noble backgrounds. Compared to them, he had no advantage. If he appeared like a vulgar upstart in front of Gu Yufeng, he would probably be out immediately.

The pianist was a recently retired white gentleman, with a refined and scholarly demeanor, clearly an artist, completely different from Xie Ci's own aura of money.

Since he decided to pursue Gu Yufeng, he had to package himself a bit.

"Before the lesson, could you play a piece? I'll adjust the lesson content based on your situation," the gentleman said to Xie Ci.

Xie Ci looked at the piano, which seemed like an antique with a fine texture, and honestly replied, "I can't play, I'm a complete beginner."

The gentleman was incredulous: "But you at least recognize the keys, right?"

Xie Ci: "I don't."

Before the gentleman could get angry, Xie Ci added, "But I hope to learn at least five classic pieces in about half a month. My requirements aren't high; I just want to play them without sounding like a beginner."

After he said this, the gentleman got even angrier, ready to refund his tuition and tell him to find someone else, just short of bluntly saying "get lost."

Where could Xie Ci find another teacher? The good ones required appointments, and he couldn't wait, while he wouldn't settle for the mediocre ones.

"My learning ability is quite good. How about giving me a chance?"

With a humble and eager attitude and a face as thick as a city wall, Xie Ci managed to stay.

The gentleman spoke at length about theory, which was too obscure for Xie Ci, a layman. He pretended to listen while quickly flipping through books, memorizing the keys and the meanings of various notes. With the master's guidance, he managed to learn a simple Canon in one lesson.

Seeing that he was salvageable, the gentleman's expression improved: "You can't play like a robot; you need to put emotion into it. That's how the melody becomes beautiful."

"How do I do that?" Xie Ci genuinely didn't understand.

Playing a piano piece was just a series of key combinations. As long as the order was correct, you could play the right piece; it was just a matter of proficiency.

It was like solving a math problem. As long as the process was correct, you'd get the right answer. Could solving with emotion yield different answers?

The gentleman launched into another long explanation, and Xie Ci politely interrupted, "Could you simplify it?"

"You can think of the piece as a love poem you're reciting to your lover. What tone would you use? How would it differ from your usual speech?"

Xie Ci: "..."

Learning piano was this abstract?

Seeing Xie Ci's bewildered expression, the gentleman played once, letting Xie Ci feel the difference.

Xie Ci didn't feel much, but he remembered all the subtle pauses, finger pressures, and rhythm changes the gentleman made while pressing the keys.

When Xie Ci played again, the gentleman praised him, saying he had made great progress.

"You're one of the most talented amateur students I've taught!"

Sitting at the piano, Xie Ci looked up at the gentleman standing beside him, smiling, "Thank you, it's because you're a good teacher."

He couldn't understand how to put emotion into it, but he could mimic. He didn't need to master the flashy skills; as long as he could fool Gu Yufeng, it was enough.

After the piano lesson, Xie Ci checked the time and rushed to the next session. Besides piano, he also had to learn art appreciation, musical appreciation, gardening, equestrian...

He left at three in the afternoon, and by the time he finished all the lessons for the night, it was almost ten, just in time for a seamless transition to a business gathering.

Xie Ci casually bought two rock-hard pieces of bread from a roadside shop, took a couple of bites, and drove to the clubs designated by the wealthy businessmen.

In the business circle, everyone was a shrewd person. After a whole night of playing Tai Chi and drinking until past one, there was no substantial progress in cooperation.

No one wanted to do anything uncertain, yet they all pursued high returns. They were both interested in and wary of him, a newcomer to the D Country business circle.

These were just ordinary wealthy businessmen. Breaking through the barriers to reach the top tier of this circle was a huge challenge.

Gu Yufeng was almost his only chance.

After the socializing, Xie Ci asked the driver to pick him up.

"Shall I take you home?" the driver asked.

"Back to the company." Xie Ci sat in the back seat, rubbing his temples, closed his eyes to rest for a few minutes, then picked up the sheet music and memorized a new piece.

More than half an hour later, Xie Ci returned to the office and dove back into work, not stopping until after three in the morning when he went to the office's built-in rest area.

The rest area wasn't large, but it had all the necessary functions.

Xie Ci pulled off his tie and tossed it onto the sofa, where several garment bags containing the clothes he needed to wear in the coming days were placed.

After taking a shower, Xie Ci grabbed a bottle of water, opened it, and took a sip, his gaze sweeping over the rest area.

There were several bottles of water on the table, unsure of when they were from, three paper bags with gnawed bread, two unwashed coffee cups, and a pile of cigarette boxes scattered messily. A few worn socks were strewn on the floor.

The bed was in the same state as when he woke up, and the clothes he planned to wear tomorrow were just thrown on the sofa, even though there was a cabinet right next to it.

How did he remember not being this messy before?

Before sleeping, Xie Ci calculated the time and set an alarm on his phone, trying to arrange a meeting with Gu Yufeng for the next evening.

The other party was a romantic playboy, open to anyone who fit his taste, not fixated on any one person. He had already confirmed this.

As long as he fit the type Gu Yufeng liked, he wasn't afraid of not having a chance.

The next day, after the morning meeting, Xie Ci had the cleaning staff tidy up the rest area. In the afternoon, he left early for training, socialized in the evening, and returned to the company late at night to handle the backlog of tasks, repeating this routine daily.

Before sleeping, he felt like he had forgotten something.

On Friday morning, nearing the end of work, Xie Ci's phone vibrated. He picked it up and saw it was Gu Yufeng's number, suddenly remembering what he had forgotten.

When the alarm went off yesterday, he was in a meeting and turned it off without thinking. Afterward, he got busy and forgot to contact Gu Yufeng. He didn't expect the other party to call him first.

Xie Ci answered, "President Gu?"

"President Xie, have you been busy lately?" Gu Yufeng's relaxed, smiling voice came from the other end of the line.

Xie Ci felt there was more to his words, as if he was complaining about not being contacted for days, though he wasn't sure if he was overthinking it.

"I had a few projects to rush, just wrapped up this morning." Xie Ci's tone carried a hint of amusement, "I was planning to invite you for a drink tonight, didn't expect your call to come first."

Gu Yufeng dragged his voice, half-jokingly saying, "Do you really want to invite me, or is it just a polite gesture?"

Xie Ci chuckled, "Of course, it's genuine. After hearing you talk about the tech industry that night, I've been wanting to discuss the autonomous driving system with you."

The two exchanged a few words, found an excuse to meet, set a time and place, and hung up, as if having achieved their goal, there was no need for any extra words.

Xie Ci put the phone back on the table, the smile on his face fading.

Gu Yufeng taking the initiative to call was somewhat unexpected, yet also within reason.

Gu Yufeng indeed seemed like the type who would actively pursue his prey, not just wait for it to come to him.

In other words, his attraction to Gu Yufeng was greater than he had thought.