Mr. Dior : Chapter 8: The Wealthy Family’s Stand-in Lover (Part 1)

Jiao Qi let out a soft hum, rubbed his face against the pillow, and opened his eyes wearily. Three days of being worn out had left him somewhat unable to take it. Climbing up by holding onto his husband’s waist, he nestled into his arms and yawned. “Why are you sitting up, Mr. CEO?”

The CEO’s back grew even stiffer. He tried to find his voice and said in as devilishly charming a tone as possible, “Still have the energy to joke around? Looks like last night’s lesson wasn’t enough for you.” Though he said this, his hands unconsciously tightened around the other, letting him lean more comfortably.

Hm?

Jiao Qi looked up at him, his brows gradually rising, about to speak, when a dull pain mixed with nausea came from his stomach. “Hiss…” He drew in a sharp breath, pushed away his husband’s arm, and curled up back onto the bed.

Zhang Chenfei was startled and immediately forgot about being a CEO. “What’s wrong? Is your stomach hurting?”

“It’s nothing.” Jiao Qi caught his breath and waved his hand weakly.

He used to have a bad stomach. When they first got married, he often had stomach problems, breaking out in cold sweats from the pain from time to time. Zhang Chenfei had specifically learned how to make soup and porridge for him, and had managed to nurse his stomach back to health so that it basically didn’t act up anymore. But if he didn’t eat on time, or drank alcohol or ate spicy food, it would still bother him.

Last night he hadn’t eaten again, and had drunk on an empty stomach.

Zhang Chenfei touched his pale little face, his heart aching, and got out of bed to cook for him. He had just stuffed his feet into his slippers when he suddenly felt Jiao Qi staring at him. He didn’t need to turn around to know what kind of suspicious look that was.

Taking a deep breath, he struck a pose with determination, turned around in a devilishly wild and arrogant manner, and tucked his little wife back under the covers. “Before I come back, you’re not allowed to leave the bed.”

With that, he swaggered downstairs like an emperor ascending the throne. Ducking into the kitchen, he vigorously rubbed his arms that had broken out in goosebumps and shook in place. The lines he had just said were way too embarrassing. His hands had gone numb while saying them.

Three days without cooking, and the house already had a cold and desolate feeling of an unused kitchen. Fortunately, the housekeeper came every day to clean and restock ingredients, so they could start cooking anytime. It was too late to make complicated soup now, so he could only use the pressure cooker to quickly make a pot of white porridge.

He threw the rice into the pot, took stock of what was in the refrigerator, and took out the ingredients that needed thawing to put in the microwave. Everything ready, he still had half an hour to wait for the porridge to cook, so he first poured a glass of warm water and dug out the stomach medicine that hadn’t been used in a long time.

This stomach medicine was in paste form, to be taken before meals.

Going back upstairs, Jiao Qi had already washed up, but his body was too tired, so he had flopped back onto the bed, feeling lazy and not wanting to move.

The air conditioner was blowing directly at his back. Zhang Chenfei wanted to cover him with the blanket, but the domineering CEO persona couldn’t collapse. He cleared his throat and gave that round and perky spot a slap. “Sticking it up like this, are you trying to… ahem, trying to seduce someone, hm?”

Ahhhh! Mr. Big Dick dug his toes hard into the carpet twice.

Taking a deep breath, he picked up his little wife and forced him to take the medicine.

Jiao Qi obediently took the medicine and let the CEO carry him back to bed like a second-degree disabled person. “Oh, you remembered?”

“Wh… what?” The CEO’s feet slipped, and he started stuttering.

They had been together day and night for seven years. When the other twitched his tail, he knew what mischief he was up to. Jiao Qi had caught on from the very first words upon waking. He narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Which account should we settle first? Why don’t we start with what lovers you’ve brought to the company, Mr. Dior Zhang?”

“Thud!” The CEO threw the little wife in his arms back onto the bed, expressionlessly moved a bit away, turned around, and buried his head in the pile of pillows, playing dead.

“Playing dead means you won’t get beaten?”

“I swear on my name, I absolutely never did anything to wrong you!”

“Does your name have any credibility? Zhang, Da, Dick!”

“Ow ow ow!”

The name Zhang Da Dick had an origin.

Back then when the two were on a blind date, they met at a rather tasteful French restaurant. In the flickering candlelight, the young and handsome CEO handed over a black and gold embossed business card.

A minimalist industrial design, with simply his name and contact information written on it, placed gently on the table. Jiao Qi reached out to take it, but those two slender, well-knuckled fingers didn’t leave, pressing firmly on one corner of the card.

This was an ambiguous hint. Jiao Qi looked up at him. He had to say this gentleman was the most handsome blind date he had encountered so far. His deep eyes reflected bits of candlelight, somehow giving the illusion of deep devotion.

His heart involuntarily skipped a beat. Jiao Qi lowered his head to look at the business card, but the person still didn’t let go, so he had to slowly read it out. He had mild nearsightedness, and with the dim lighting he couldn’t bring it close to his eyes, so he could only make out the general idea. “Zhang Ju… Dick?”

The name was truly somewhat shocking, leaving Jiao Qi with a deep impression. After returning home, he couldn’t forget this man named “Big Dick.” It wasn’t until their third phone call that Zhang Chenfei couldn’t help but correct him: “Um, actually, my name is Zhang Chenfei.”

However, the first impression had already taken deep root.

Zhang Chenfei poked his head out from under the pillow, looking aggrieved. “My name is actually quite valuable… ow!”

After taking a beating, the CEO still had to continue making breakfast for his little wife.

Hot white porridge, soft and fluffy little milk buns, paired with two refreshing side dishes. After eating his fill, Jiao Qi finally felt his temper smooth out. He reached out to pat the head of Zhang Da Dick, who was eating with his head down, and touched that small cut that had already scabbed over.

“Go to the hospital tomorrow for another checkup.” Jiao Qi was still somewhat worried. He had just made an appointment with the clinic upstairs, but today was already fully booked, so they could only see the doctor tomorrow.

Zhang Chenfei didn’t think it was a big deal and felt he was already fine. “It’s nothing, what doctor? Que De that wicked bastard only knows how to cheat you out of money.”

“Then why did you still buy the ‘Ultimate Luxury Deep Sea Caviar Little Daisy Maintenance’ set from him?” Jiao Qi propped his chin on one hand, looking at him with leisure.

“Pfft—” The CEO choked on a mouthful of porridge.

Jiao Qi pressed his lips together to hold back a smile and handed him a napkin. “A checkup is still necessary, and I need to sue the brain chip manufacturer, so I need Que De’s inspection report.”

“Actually, the instruction manual has risk disclosures. Although it doesn’t specifically state the exact problems that could be caused by hitting your head,” Zhang Chenfei pondered for a moment, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration. “Baby, don’t you think this is a huge business opportunity?”

“Hm… what business opportunity?” He hadn’t heard such a cringy term of endearment in a long time. Jiao Qi felt somewhat uncomfortable, but the speaker didn’t seem to realize what he had called him and was still analyzing on his own.

“Anti-impact brain chip settings!” When it came to professional matters, Zhang Chenfei’s eyes were full of light.

“Theoretically feasible, but it would definitely face joint resistance from several major manufacturers, and they might even sue us for spreading rumors.” Jiao Qi frowned. To do this business, they would need to prepare quietly and gather evidence to sue the manufacturers at the right time, striking first.

“Hmm… actually I’m not good at hardware either. I have a better idea.” Zhang Chenfei played coy, waiting for his little wife to curiously ask. However, CEO Jiao just calmly lifted his chin at him, signaling him to continue.

These past few days constantly watching over the CEO with the broken brain, Jiao Qi had grown accustomed to observing his emotional changes at any time. At this moment, he clearly saw a hint of disappointment in those eyes, and somehow asked, “What good idea?”

The little disappointment indeed vanished upon hearing this, replaced by absolute confidence in his professional field, filled with indescribable charm. “A manual memory clearing app.”

This kind of memory clearing function existed in ancient computer applications. Back then, computers weren’t so intelligent and would easily slow down, often requiring manual memory clearing to maintain system operation. With the development of intelligence, this job with no technical content was handed over to the system itself.

“From now on, whoever hits their head and breaks their brain, just have their wife manually clear it for them.”

The black Maybach from the car accident still hadn’t been fixed, so the two had to continue sharing one car to work.

“Do you still need me to be your little secretary today?” Jiao Qi sat in the passenger seat, asking in a leisurely tone.

Zhang Chenfei parked the car under the banana tree with drooping eyebrows. “No, no need. I’ll pick you up after work.”

“Really don’t need me? Then who will bring you tea and water, organize your files, and also relieve your… mmph…” Before he finished speaking, he was kissed on the mouth by the CEO, who was furious with embarrassment. He couldn’t help laughing and kissed back, then unbuckled his seatbelt and got out.

Zhang Chenfei rested one hand on the steering wheel, watching the straight and handsome back of his little wife, and rubbed his chin. He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but his little wife seemed to be a little bit clingier toward him.

This realization suddenly made the CEO happy, and the silver Maserati twisted and sped toward Stone Door Technology.

The employees noticed that CEO Jiao hadn’t come along, and the atmosphere of the entire building instantly had a subtle change. Specifically speaking, it was probably the feeling within those thirty seconds after the finance department clicked the “bonus distribution” button at year-end. That kind of suppressed, about-to-break-through-the-soil joy.

“Good morning, CEO!”

“Good morning, all of you.” Zhang Chenfei nodded at the overly enthusiastic employees at the staff elevator entrance and stepped into his private elevator. The secretaries were already waiting at the CEO’s office door, but all three were looking down at their toes until he stepped out of the elevator and they looked up in unison to greet him.

“…”

Life returned to normal, but the aftereffects of these past few days still needed remedying, such as Jiao Dad demanding they go home for the weekend.

“The clinic appointment is in the afternoon, so we can go back at noon. But Dad doesn’t seem very happy.” Jiao Qi reminded his husband.

“It must be that bastard Li Yingjun snitching.” Zhang Chenfei said with certainty.

Jiao Dad’s name was Jiao Zuoren. He was one of the first batch of entrepreneurs to get rich, and was good friends with Li Yingjun’s father.

“Then…” Jiao Qi’s face reddened. Li Yingjun had seen that scene that day, and he didn’t know what the other would tell the elders.

“It’s fine, leave it to me.”

To avoid getting lectured by his father-in-law, Zhang Chenfei dug out a bottle of red wine he had been saving from the villa’s wine cellar, a 1992 Royal Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon.

At the Jiao family residence, the lady of the house hadn’t returned. Jiao Dad sat in the living room drinking tea, without a smile on his face. Jiao Qi’s mother was an actress who had been quite famous in her early years. Because she took good care of herself, at her age she still had plenty of roles waiting for her, specializing in playing all kinds of pretty mothers and aunts, and was often not home.

“Dad, this is for you.” Zhang Chenfei went straight for his father-in-law as soon as he entered the house.

“Hmph.” Jiao Zuoren glanced at the Screaming Eagle and gave an ambiguous response.

Zhang Chenfei wasn’t intimidated by his father-in-law’s cold face. With a sly look, he leaned in close to Jiao Dad’s ear and whispered, “I learned a new trick. Pour red wine on a white shirt… hehe. Yan Yan had a tiff with me a while ago, and I pulled him into the office to play this, and it smoothed things over.”

Jiao Dad was stunned for a moment.

Zhang Chenfei put on a straight face and winked at his father-in-law while Jiao Qi wasn’t paying attention. The meaning was obvious. When your wife comes back, you two try it too, guaranteed satisfaction.

So that’s how it is. Jiao Dad understood and laughed out loud, pointing at Zhang Chenfei’s head in the air and pretending to be angry. “You rascal, always so full of tricks.”

The two men went from confrontation to pleasant conversation in just a few minutes. Jiao Qi sat in the distance watching, unable to help smiling slightly. When they first met, Zhang Chenfei’s company had just started up, and in Dad’s eyes he was still a poor young man.

Now, Stone Door’s total assets had exceeded Jiao Zuoren’s enterprise, but Zhang Chenfei was still the same as back then, playing the subordinate and acting foolish and silly in front of Dad.

“Chenfei.” Jiao Qi couldn’t help calling out to him.

“Hm?” Zhang Chenfei walked over, then suddenly stopped in his tracks and swayed in place.

Jiao Qi jumped up to support him. “What’s wrong with you?”

Zhang Chenfei looked at the hand supporting him, then at Jiao Qi’s healthy complexion. “I’m fine.”

After having lunch at the Jiao family home, the two drove to Que De Clinic. On the way, the brain chip repair technician called to say that Louis XIII’s data had been exported, but it would still take some time to fix it. He suggested temporarily buying a new one and importing the data to use first.

“After the checkup we’ll go buy one. What name should we call it this time? Louis XIV?” Jiao Qi said, unable to help laughing. Such a chuunibyou name, he was embarrassed to say it in front of outsiders.

The Maserati suddenly screeched to a halt by the roadside. Zhang Chenfei turned his head, reached out to pinch his little wife’s face, his expression gloomy. “Don’t laugh.”

“What’s wrong?” Jiao Qi blinked.

“When you laugh, you don’t look like him anymore.” A domineering and unreasonable tone, not at all worried about what kind of hurt these words would cause the person in front of him. Deep eyes filled with the madness of longing for something unattainable.

“…Mr. Dior Zhang?”

“How many times have I told you, don’t call me by my full name! Call me… Big Dick.”

“…”