He Only Shows His True Colors in Front of Me : Chapter 14

Soon Sheng Yannian understood what Gu Yuanqiao meant by “on the way” before they left the house.

“What a coincidence, we meet again.” Just as Sheng Yannian got out of his car, he saw Gu Yuanqiao stepping out of a taxi, greeting him with a beaming smile. Sheng Yannian’s lip twitched. Coincidence? He literally worked in this office building!

S City had two economic centers, one in the north and one in the south. The south was home to established companies, mostly family businesses that had fought their way through the competition last century. The north consisted of emerging industries developed in recent years, where many fresh graduates chose to start their businesses. As a famous, established corporation in S City, Shengan Real Estate occupied an office building that was already a landmark in the city. The two of them now stood before this landmark building, staring at each other blankly.

“I work here,” Gu Yuanqiao responded casually, openly enjoying Sheng Yannian’s defensive posture. “Where would there be space for you to…” Just as Sheng Yannian was about to retort, he remembered Qi Tao telling him half a month ago that someone wanted to rent the 35th floor. That vacant floor was originally leased to a law firm they partnered with, but two months ago, the firm found a suitable place to open an independent practice, leaving the floor empty. Every floor at Shengan followed Sheng Yannian’s strict layout, and currently, no suitable department needed to move to the 35th floor. So they simply decided to lease it out, thinking it might be useful for entrepreneurs wanting to grow in the northern district. But he had only approached it with an indifferent attitude. After all, land in the northern district was incredibly expensive, especially at Shengan. He had originally planned to list it for half a year, and if no one took it, he would move some people from Kiwi over himself to save him from running between the north and south districts all the time.

“The 35th floor?” Sheng Yannian found it completely absurd. How had he replied to Qi Tao back then? “If there are no problems, just sign it.” If there are no problems, just sign it? The problem was huge! Just thinking about running into this face at work, which smiled like a calculated artificial intelligence, gave him a headache. “Uh huh,” Gu Yuanqiao did not deny it. “…” Sheng Yannian let out a long sigh.

It was peak commuting hours, and many employees of Shengan were rushing toward the company entrance, hoping to clock in right on time. Sheng Yannian and Gu Yuanqiao, two exceptionally tall and attractive men, stood frozen like statues at the main entrance, staring at one another. Many people recognized their young president as they walked past, which naturally made them curious about the other man. Every office worker who looked at Gu Yuanqiao while walking by received a smile and a nod in return when their eyes met. Most of those rushing were young people in their twenties, along with a small portion of older corporate workers in their thirties and forties. Yet in this brief span of time, Gu Yuanqiao managed to win over more than half of them purely with his looks and manners. The moment they stepped inside and clocked in, many immediately pulled out their phones to ask around in the company group chats about the mysterious man gazing passionately at their president.

It did not take long for Sheng Yannian to notice Gu Yuanqiao’s subtle actions. Turning his head slightly, he spotted a young woman swooning over Gu Yuanqiao. He snapped to his senses, immediately grabbing Gu Yuanqiao’s wrist and dragging him inside the company building. Damn it, was this guy a fox spirit reincarnated? He was already causing trouble on his very first day here! What was his goal? Infiltrating the enemy ranks to steal corporate secrets? He was just putting on an act and up to no good!

And so, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Sheng Yannian dragged him to a suggestive corner of the lobby. Gu Yuanqiao looked around the secluded spot, then glanced at the furious expression on the other man’s face, finding it strange. “Why did you bring me here? Aren’t you going to work?” “I…” Sheng Yannian choked on his words, the retort he was about to unleash getting stuck in his throat. Right, why did he drag Gu Yuanqiao over here? They had nothing to talk about. A brief moment of blankness flashed across Sheng Yannian’s face, though remnants of his unextinguished anger could still be seen, making his handsome face look briefly and bizarrely contorted. Gu Yuanqiao could not help but let out a soft chuckle. Considering Sheng Yannian had already amused him three times in this short morning, he did not mind giving him a way out.

“Ah, I see,” he said with a look of sudden realization. “So young Mr. Sheng dragged me to such a remote spot because you wanted to play hide and seek. Unfortunately, my subordinates are waiting for me, so I must take my leave. Next time, I promise I will play properly with you.” His words sounded incredibly sincere, and his expression carried genuine regret. The moment Gu Yuanqiao finished speaking, he turned around and walked away to keep himself from bursting out laughing. Behind his back, Sheng Yannian’s face contorted even further, just as expected. “Gu Yuanqiao!” Sheng Yannian hissed through gritted teeth, keeping his voice low because they were at the company. This only highlighted how furious he truly was. Only when the man had almost reached the reception desk did Sheng Yannian take wide strides to catch up.

“Hello,” Gu Yuanqiao greeted the receptionist working at the front desk. “He, hello,” the young receptionist replied. She was one of the people whose hearts had been won over by Gu Yuanqiao just moments ago. The man she had been curious about ever since arriving at work was now standing right in front of her, even closer than before! Moreover, he was incredibly handsome, exactly the type of sophisticated scoundrel she adored! Gu Yuanqiao’s smile deepened as he watched the girl’s face turn increasingly red. He glanced at the name tag on her chest and spoke in a tone that could be considered gentle. “Shen An? Don’t be nervous, I just want to ask you a few questions.”

Gu Yuanqiao’s gentle tone worked effectively to calm her down. Gradually, Shen An recovered from her excitement and regained her professional composure. Still, under his gaze, which was full of care and understanding, she felt a bit self conscious. “Please go ahead, sir. I will do my best to help you.” “My name is Gu Yuanqiao. I leased the 35th floor of Shengan half a month ago, and today is my first day. I assume your management left my access card here. Could you please help me find it? Thank you.” “So you are Director Gu,” Shen An said, suddenly understanding. On second thought, it made sense. He looked every bit the successful professional, and it was the first time she had ever seen someone stand next to their president without being overshadowed at all. “Here is your access card, please keep it safe. Since you are not affiliated with our company, this card can only access the 35th floor. You will see how it works once you use the elevator. Also, if the card is lost, please inform us immediately to avoid unnecessary trouble.”

“Alright, thank you, Miss Shen,” Gu Yuanqiao said as he took the card, his smile unchanging. “But you can just call me Mr. Gu from now on.” “Understood, Mr. Gu.” After finishing the official reminders, Shen An dropped her robotic corporate persona. Knowing that they worked in the same building made her feel much closer to him. Taking advantage of the fact that Gu Yuanqiao was not part of her company and no one else was around, she wanted to indulge in some gossip. After all, not only was Gu Yuanqiao handsome and approachable, but he also seemed quite close to their top boss. The employees rarely got a chance to gossip about the president in private. However, just as she was about to ask something, she saw Sheng Yannian walking over with an ominous look on his face. She instantly reverted to her robotic corporate mode. Gu Yuanqiao caught Shen An’s subtle shift in expression. Who else could make the young girl so defensive? So, as if on purpose, he said goodbye to Shen An and turned to leave. Sheng Yannian did not even look at Shen An. Seeing the man leave, he quickened his pace, finally catching up to walk beside Gu Yuanqiao.

Shen An watched with surprise as President Sheng abandoned his usual calm demeanor to catch up with Mr. Gu. Could their relationship be even closer than she imagined? Looking at their retreating figures, a thought randomly flashed through her mind that they looked quite compatible. Realizing what she was thinking, her mind went completely blank for a moment. She tried to stop these unrealistic thoughts, but her mind kept wandering further. As she had thought before, the employees had no chance to gossip about Sheng Yannian in private. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to, they genuinely never had the opportunity. Everyone shared the exact same impression of this young president, he was highly capable, a workaholic, a stickler for details, a perfectionist, and came across as fierce and difficult to communicate with. The only somewhat personal topic was his older brother, a minor public figure. Indeed, Sheng Yannian’s brother obsession was common knowledge throughout the company. As for romance gossip, they had never seen Sheng Yannian bring a woman around or be visited by any woman who wasn’t a business partner. They often wondered if work and his brother were the only things that existed in Sheng Yannian’s world, while everyone else was just an unimportant non player character. Yet now, the appearance of one person broke this perception. She imagined that the company gossip for the coming week would revolve entirely around Gu Yuanqiao or the relationship between Gu Yuanqiao and their president.

Shen An continued to stare at their backs. Honestly, if the two of them were together, it wouldn’t be so bad. In terms of looks, they were absolutely top tier. But based on the gay men she had encountered before, both of these men felt like tops. Could one of them become a bottom for love? Her thoughts were running wild like a runaway horse, and just as she was completely losing control of her imagination, the arrival of her coworker for the shift saved her from the crumbling plotline.

“Hey Xiao An, what are you daydreaming about? Careful or Sister Situ will catch you and dock your pay.” Situ Nianwen was their supervisor, a fierce career woman who tolerated absolutely no slacking at work. “It is fine, Sister Situ already went home, she worked the night shift yesterday.” Shen An withdrew her gaze and looked at the soy milk her friend brought her. “Thanks!” “Drink it quickly while there are not many people around. Today I remember there is…” Shen An listened to her friend ramble while inserting the straw into the soy milk. Something seemed to flash across her vision again, and she instinctively glanced toward a specific spot. It was the executive elevator. She thought she just saw two figures entering it. Was it an illusion?

“Hey! Hey! Xiao An! What is wrong with you today? You are either daydreaming or distracted. Are you feeling unwell?” “No, no, I was just thinking about something.” Shen An chose not to dwell on it, reassuring her worried friend. She must have seen wrong just now. After all, that was the president’s private elevator. Aside from President Sheng’s brother who had full authority to use it, even the secretaries could only ride it when President Sheng was around.

Shen An had not seen wrong, of course. It was just that instead of President Sheng extending an invitation, the polite Mr. Gu had forced his way in. Inside the elevator, Sheng Yannian looked at Gu Yuanqiao, who acted as if he had walked into his own headquarters, and found himself at a temporary loss for words. It seemed that being thick skinned was no longer enough to describe this man. “Why are you looking at me?” “What do you think? Did I invite you in?”

“Young Mr. Sheng, don’t be so stingy,” Gu Yuanqiao said, leaning against the elevator railing with a casual smile. “I only declined to play hide and seek with you. Is there any need to be this angry? You don’t even want to share an elevator with me.” “…” Incredibly shameless! “Aren’t you going to press the floor buttons, young Mr. Sheng?” Gu Yuanqiao kindly reminded him. “…” Damn it. Perhaps because he had already acted out of character too many times this morning, Sheng Yannian felt completely numb. Even after being reminded, he simply took a deep breath and reached out to press the buttons. The 30th and 35th floors.

“I am above you,” Gu Yuanqiao spoke softly. The words themselves held no special meaning, being just a simple statement of fact. But Gu Yuanqiao said it in such a playful, flirtatious tone that in this confined space, it sounded like a whisper right in Sheng Yannian’s ear. Coupled with the fact that they had indeed shared an intimate encounter, the phrase instantly took on a suggestive double meaning. Sheng Yannian resisted the urge to physically shut Gu Yuanqiao’s mouth. He turned to glare at him. “This is the company. Stop acting so shameless.” “I am innocent, I haven’t done a thing,” he replied, still looking perfectly guiltless.

The elevator moved steadily upward, only reaching the ninth floor. Remembering something, Sheng Yannian looked over at Gu Yuanqiao, his eyes filled once again with the same wariness and scrutiny from the company entrance. Gu Yuanqiao looked back, puzzled. “How did you end up leasing space in my company?” Sheng Yannian finally asked after a long pause. Gu Yuanqiao froze for a moment, understanding what Sheng Yannian was implying, and found it somewhat amusing. “It is just a coincidence.” Sheng Yannian was not satisfied with the answer, his scrutinizing gaze intensifying. Imagine this, a shrewd businessman who had designs on you from the start and didn’t mind sacrificing profits suddenly became your bed partner, and then appeared at your company entrance telling you he would be working here from now on. Would you think that was a coincidence? Even if it really were a coincidence, would you believe it? “It really is just a coincidence,” Gu Yuanqiao said helplessly.

“Heh.” Sheng Yannian let out a soft, ambiguous scoff, then turned his gaze to the elevator floor display. It was already on the 23rd floor. Since Gu Yuanqiao was better at putting on an act anyway, Sheng Yannian couldn’t really read him, meaning the man could say whatever he wanted. “Sheng Yannian, I never realized you were this narcissistic,” Gu Yuanqiao said. He knew Sheng Yannian was unconvinced. Even at twenty three, the younger man still acted like a child. It made his hands itch to tease him, and only at times like this did Gu Yuanqiao regain his sense of seniority in front of Sheng Yannian. “I don’t think your personal charm is quite enough to make me pursue you relentlessly.”

“Heh.” Upon hearing this, Sheng Yannian glanced sideways at Gu Yuanqiao and scoffed just as before, though this time Gu Yuanqiao could clearly detect the mockery in it. The elevator had reached the 28th floor. It was Gu Yuanqiao’s turn to go silent. What did that mean? Only when the elevator arrived at the 30th floor and the doors slowly opened did Sheng Yannian finally clarify his mocking laugh.

“Director Gu, based on your behavior over the past two or three days, I think you are the least qualified person to say those words to me.” “…” Damn it. He only wanted Sheng Yannian to be his bed partner, and he hadn’t done anything else that could cause a misunderstanding. What exactly made Sheng Yannian think he was pursuing him relentlessly? Sheng Yannian didn’t stick around to appreciate the perfect grin on Gu Yuanqiao’s face, which looked even more polite than the receptionists. Before stepping out of the elevator, he didn’t forget to offer a kind reminder. “I will have Qi Tao confirm the contract signing time with you today. After all, important people like you tend to have short memories.” “…” Gu Yuanqiao stared intently at Sheng Yannian’s back, his smile remaining unchanged until the elevator doors slowly shut. Then he would have to apologize to young Mr. Sheng, because he likely wouldn’t have any free time today, tomorrow, or the day after to sign any contracts. After all, important people like him had short memories.

Sheng: Isn’t being bed partners enough to cause a misunderstanding?
Gu: But my previous bed partners never misunderstood. If every bed partner misunderstood like you do, I would be in big trouble. (Distressed)
Sheng: …Why?
Gu: Because finding a new bed partner is a real hassle.
Sheng: … (He really shouldn’t have opened his mouth to ask)

Postscript: Both of them have had past sexual experiences. It is just that Gu Yuanqiao is more open minded, though he doesn’t do anything too wild, as it is simply a way for him to relieve stress. Sheng Yannian has had relationships with two or three women, though they were all one night stands. He didn’t find them particularly fascinating or memorable, preferring to work or spend time with his older brother since his sex drive is actually quite low. As for their sexual orientations, Gu Yuanqiao is bisexual but leans more toward men. Sheng Yannian should probably be considered straight. Before having a relationship with Gu Yuanqiao, he never experienced sexual arousal toward men nor did he have any awareness of it, though women were only slightly better than men.