A President’s Out-of-Body Experience

Gu Xiaowu walked out of the reception gracefully like a swan in her high heels. Gu Xiaoshan followed behind her, and saw Renzi standing by the corner waiting. He was looking at his phone, and smiling foolishly at something. When Renzi heard the clacks of the high heels, he looked up, and was surprised to see Gu Xiaowu.

Gu Xiaowu spoke up, “We haven’t seen each other in awhile, Renzi.”

She even stretched her arm out to hold onto Renzi’s arm. Renzi got a shock, and reflexively shrank backwards. If he had not travelled to the future, he would have been delirious with joy that his aloof icy goddess would want to hold onto him. However, he did not dare to touch her now.

Gu Xiaowu did not let his rejection affect her, and smiled, “What’s wrong? It’s been too long that we’ve seen each other, so we’re no longer as close?”

Renzi only replied, “Uhh… There shouldn’t be close intimate contact between males and females.”

When he said this, not only did Gu Xiaowu wanted to laugh, but Gu Xiaoshan as well. Gu Xiaowu then said, “Hah, you’re now actually telling me that males and females shouldn’t have close intimate contact?! In the past, you even told me about how you’ve already decided on the names of our children!”

Unconsciously, Renzi’s eyes drifted over to Gu Xiaoshan. He felt anxious, worried that Gu Xiaoshan would not be happy, and so quickly clarified, “I was young and foolish then, please don’t take offense at a child’s babbling.”

“I seem to recall that you were 26 years old when you said that?” Gu Xiaowu was merciless.

Renzi felt awkward. “Ah? At that time… It doesn’t count. I’m a gay now, I can’t have any children.”

Gu Xiaowu paused. Just as she was about to say something, Renzi clasped his hands together. “Sister Xiaowu, I know I was wrong! I won’t chase after you anymore and cling to you, please let me go like how you’ll let your fart go!”

Gu Xiaoshan laughed, and chimed in, “Yes, let him go!”

Gu Xiaowu could neither laugh nor cry, and did not know what she should say.

Gu Xiaoshan took the opportunity to change the topic, pulling Renzi over next to him. “Why are you here?”

Renzi replied, “I want to eat with you!”

Gu Xiaowu smiled, “I happen to be hungry too, let’s go together.”

Renzi was taken aback, and stared at Gu Xiaowu with rounded eyes.

Gu Xiaowu widened her eyes back, revealing an innocent look just like Renzi. “Why? I can’t even have a meal with you?”

Renzi was really quite an honest and frank person. “Sister Xiaowu, you… you didn’t go online?”

“Huh?” Gu Xiaowu was surprised.

Renzi was simple minded, and his adaptability was high. Thinking that since he had already done things like sending roses and silk banners, what else should he be afraid of? Why should he hold on to his dignity?

So, he suddenly grabbed Gu Xiaoshan’s hand, then held it up like the referee of a wrestling match. “We’re dating!”

This fastball was too out of the blue. Not only Gu Xiaowu, but even Gu Xiaoshan nearly did not catch it.

Gu Xiaowu paused. “So?”

“So why do you want to follow us when we’re going to eat?” Renzi mumbled. “Aren’t you going to be a gooseberry like this?”

Gu Xiaowu’s mouth moved, wanting to say something. In the end, she did not say anything meaningful, but just a few words of courtesy and bade farewell to this couple that were head-over-heels for each other. In her mind, she thought, Fuck, I really hate gays.

Gu Xiaoshan then smiled at Renzi. “I’ll have to trouble you to wait a little longer, I’m not done with work yet.”

Renzi nodded. “It’s fine, I have lots of time anyway!”

Renzi followed Gu Xiaoshan into his office, and saw the fluttering silk banner hanging on the white wall. Bright red in colour, it was very conspicuous. Renzi’s joy increased a little. “Why did you hang that up?”

“What?” Gu Xiaoshan was a little astounded. “I thought the meaning of you sending me a silk banner was for me to hang it up.”

Renzi was taken aback. “No, I had wanted to just use a card, but I was afraid it’ll get wet in the rain, so I changed it to a silk banner.”

Gu Xiaoshan surrendered. Who would be able to follow Renzi’s thought process?

He had thought that Renzi wanted him to hang the banner, and so he gritted his teeth and destroyed his painstakingly furnished office with a simple, cold, scandinavian flair, hanging up this silk banner that would still be an eyesore even on it was “Number 1 Midwife”.

And now, since the silk banner was already hung up, it was not feasible to take it down, and he could only let it be.

Gu Xiaoshan asked Renzi to wait in the lounge, and Renzi waited obediently there.

Neither of them knew he would have to wait till the sky turned dark.

Gu Xiaoshan did not mean to leave Renzi out in the cold, but he was like this when busy, working without a pause, and no time to rest. Xu Yunyun also ran around with him, and could be considered a hard working career woman.

In the end, Xu Yunyun finally packed up her belongings and left work at the hours she accustomed to working with overtime.

Gu Xiaoshan had also signed his last document. He had already been used to the tense and busy days of work. However, today was a little different. He felt a slight, invisible pressure on his shoulder, and he unconsciously massaged them. Feeling uncomfortable, he stood up from his chair, and loosened his tie that felt a little tight around his neck.

He entered his lounge, and the the city’s lights could be seen from the french windows. The colours were bright and colourful, and reflected into the room. Renzi was lying on the bed with his eyes shut, looking as though he had fallen asleep.

Gu Xiaoshan was a little apologetic, and so made his way over soundlessly, afraid of disturbing him. However, he did not expect that Renzi would open his eyes upon his entrance, and sit up on the bed. His actions were a little slow, but it could be seen that he was awake. Gu Xiaoshan then speculated, “You weren’t sleeping?”

“How would I be able to sleep?” Renzi said, an aggrieved tone in his voice.

Gu Xiaoshan was quite sorry, feeling that he had ignored Renzi and made him suffer. As he was thinking of how to coax him, he heard Renzi continue, “Even a pig won’t be able to sleep feeling this hungry!”

“Uhh, mn.” Gu Xiaoshan could not follow Renzi’s train of thoughts.

Renzi jumped off the bed. “Boyfriend, you’re hungry too right? Let’s go eat!”

Gu Xiaoshan smiled. “What would you like to have?”

“Must we still decide? Just go to Restaurant X downstairs.”

Gu Xiaoshan and Renzi took the lift down. As the lift slowly descended, the atmosphere was fairly quiet, only hearing the sounds of the machinery. Gu Xiaoshan suddenly spoke up, “There was too much work, I’m very sorry that I’ve made you wait so long.”

“Huh?” Renzi was surprised. “What’s there to be sorry about? I should be the one apologising, coming over without checking if you were free or not. I was afraid that you’ll be angry with me for interrupting your work!”

Gu Xiaoshan smiled wryly when he heard this, patting Renzi’s head. He felt that he should still apologise, but it also seem like it was not needed. He wondered if he should praise Renzi for being understanding, but he was also not willing to do so. In his heart, he had a little wish that Renzi would not be this understanding about it.

A wilful and capricious partner, he could still smile and pamper him. However, if his partner was too understanding, he would always feel that in some matters, he had not done enough.

Ever since Renzi was a child, he had been “well trained” in this area, to never disturb his father when he was working. Not only did he never go to the office without a word, as long as the door to his father’s study was closed, he did not even dare to run in the corridor.

That was a tightly closed door.

As Renzi lay on the bed, looking at the closed door of the lounge, he suddenly thought about himself as a child.

He lay on the bed, closing his eyes pretending to sleep, so as to let his nanny leave in relief. However, he had not slept, secretly wishing that his father would come in through the door. However, he never came — but he thought, maybe his father did come to see him after he finished his work, it was only that he had already fallen asleep.

He blamed himself a little for falling asleep before his father came in.

Now, his feelings were a lot more relaxed, as he finally managed to wait til Gu Xiaoshan came in.

The two of them sat in a private room in Restaurant X, seemingly already forgetting about the unhappiness just now. Renzi ate happily, then turned to tell Gu Xiaoshan, “Mr Shu sent me a message yesterday.”

Gu Xiaoshan cocked his brow. “What did he say?”

“He said he’ll just forget that we returned home without a word, but now, announcing our relationship without any warning, we really did not see him as a friend. I also feel quite apologetic about it.”

“What’s there to be apologetic about?” Gu Xiaoshan asked. “When did we return home without a word? Didn’t we send him a message at the airport? Also, it’s not possible to give any warnings about a relationship, hasn’t he found it out through social media anyway? No one concealed it from him on purpose. Furthermore, we’re also not very close to him.”

Renzi was convinced by Gu Xiaoshan, and nodded his head without being aware of it. “Mn… You’re right.” He then paused, “But I find it rather strange…”

“What’s strange?”

“Everyone is asking me if I’m really not joking, whether we’re really in a relationship, things like that. They don’t seem to believe this news. Mr Shu is the only one who doesn’t seem to have any doubts.”

“That’s because he’s not close with us, so it’s not nice for him to ask about it.” Gu Xiaoshan still insisted on the angle that Shu Jingyi was not close to them.

Renzi nodded, and continued eating.

A couple of bites later, Gu Xiaoshan asked, “He didn’t say anything else?”

“He did. He says he’s coming back soon, and to treat him to a meal then.”

“Does he want ‘you’ to treat him to a meal, or ‘us’ to treat him?”

Renzi was taken aback. “Hmm?” He paused, and did not understand. He scrolled to that message, and realised that no pronouns were used: “When I’m back, treat me to a meal.”

Gu Xiaoshan was about to laugh in anger. He did laugh, but Renzi did not catch the underlying meaning of it. Gu Xiaoshan then asked, “Have you decided what you want to treat him?”

“Roasted rabbit.”

Renzi still owed Shu Jingyi a roasted rabbit. He had actually forgot about it, but Shu Jingyi had reminded him.

Gu Xiaoshan nodded. “Sure, we’ll both treat him, and also thank him for his previous hospitality.”

Renzi naturally had no objections, and he continued eating. Seeing how Renzi was stuffing himself, Gu Xiaoshan thought he was actually quite hungry, and did not dare to ask him to slow down. Remembering the last time he had asked Renzi to eat a little less, Renzi had choked him up with a “we’ve only just started dating and you won’t let me fill my stomach”.

Gu Xiaoshan thought, Renzi’s temper was really a slow burn.

Renzi noticed Gu Xiaoshan’s focus, and looked at him. “What’s wrong?”

Gu Xiaoshan seemed to have thought of something. “That bottle of wine you made, was it done at Shu Jingyi’s place?”

“Yes.” Renzi did not give it too much thought. “Why?”

“Oh, nothing.” Gu Xiaoshan smiled.