Chapter 17

At night, as he lay in bed, Qi Liangqin kept thinking about how he could make a fortune.

There was no way he could get any money from the Yan family, so he had to find a job. With that in mind, he brought up the idea with Yan Songwei.

"Going back to waiting tables at a restaurant?" Yan Songwei asked. "No way. We agreed when we got married that you wouldn't have to work."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Qi Liangqin, who was sleeping on the floor. "What? Ran out of money?"

"No, it's not that. I just can't stay at home forever. One day, I'll leave the Yan family, and I'll still need to work. If I stay home too long, I'll lose touch with society."

"What can you do with your degree?" Yan Songwei said. "How about working at the company? I can arrange an easy position for you."

"Would that be okay?"

"I'd have to talk to Madam Yan first. She wouldn't be too happy about it."

Madam Yan probably looked down on someone like him, who had a lower level of education. She also didn't want people accusing the Yan family of favoritism. Their company had always upheld fairness and meritocracy.

"I'll bring it up with her tomorrow," Yan Songwei said.

Lying on the floor, Qi Liangqin wondered what he was actually capable of doing.

His previous job was in real estate, but he wasn't good at talking, so after working for over half a year, he hadn't sold a single property. He had only managed to earn a basic salary.

Before that, he had worked at a state-owned enterprise. The benefits were decent, but one day, he had a sudden impulse—he thought he should take a risk while he was still young. So, he resigned.

He didn't really regret it, though. Working at a state-owned enterprise was stable, a secure job for life, but the salary wasn't high. It was nowhere near enough for him to buy a house and a car.

But he was gay—a gay man whose age wouldn't wait for him. In a state-owned enterprise, he couldn't see a future for himself.

So, after much deliberation, he had quit and gone into real estate. Selling houses wasn't easy, but selling just one property could sustain him for half a year. The profit margins were huge.

He knew his chances of making a fortune weren't high, but there was still a chance. And even a small chance was better than spending his life stuck in a nine-to-five job.

Life, after all, needed hope. Qi Liangqin was different from those straight men—he longed for an ordinary life, yet he couldn't truly live one. Compared to the stability of a state-owned enterprise, working as a real estate agent was tough, but at least it gave him a sliver of hope.

He wanted to make big money and find an outstanding, good man. The thought of it made him grin even in his sleep.

In the middle of the night, Yan Songwei was startled awake by Qi Liangqin's giggling. Annoyed, he grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.

But who would've thought Qi Liangqin would just hug the pillow tightly, nearly drooling in his sleep?

"What were you dreaming about last night, grinning like that?" Yan Songwei asked the next morning while brushing his teeth.

"Did I have a dream?" Qi Liangqin sat on the floor, rubbing his drowsy eyes.

"You don't remember?"

"I vaguely remember a little…"

He lowered his head as if rubbing his eyes, pretending not to recall.

Of course, he remembered. How could he possibly forget such a wonderful dream?

In the dream, he was playing mahjong with the Yan family. Yan Bozong was sitting beside him, guiding him through the game.

But secretly, the two of them had already gotten involved—hiding their relationship from the Yan family. Beneath the mahjong table, they held hands in secret, Yan Bozong's large palm gently rubbing his fingers, sending a rush of excitement through him.

"You're grinning like an idiot again," Yan Songwei caught him.

Qi Liangqin just laughed, got up, and was about to head to the bathroom when Yan Songwei suddenly grabbed him, staring at him for a moment.

Feeling embarrassed under his gaze, Qi Liangqin raised his hand to block his face. "What are you looking at?"

"I just realized your skin is really nice," Yan Songwei said. "After sleeping all night, you still look like you just washed your face. If you were a woman,I'd totally sleep with you."

Qi Liangqin ignored him, slipped into the bathroom, and closed the door.

He glanced at himself in the mirror and touched his face.

Being good-looking was truly a blessing—getting compliments felt nice. Even if the praise came from the smooth-talking, sweet-mouthed Yan Songwei, Qi Liangqin still couldn't help but feel a bit pleased with himself.

People's hearts were hidden beneath their ribs; no one could truly see inside. Even if someone had a heart of gold, what did it matter? It wasn't as useful as having an innocent, harmless face.

But the thought of that pure, almost angelic face later being clouded by desire, committing all sorts of debauched acts—it sent a shiver down Qi Liangqin's spine.

He let out a sigh. There was no point worrying too much. He could only take things one step at a time.

Sooner or later, he'd grow a thicker skin.

He and Yan Songwei woke up fairly early—the sun had just begun to rise.

As usual, Qi Liangqin went to the kitchen to help. Aunt Chun glanced at him and said, "Look at you, coming into the kitchen again. Don't you know that Madam Yan can't stand seeing men in the kitchen?"

Qi Liangqin laughed. "She has a rule against that?"

Aunt Chun chuckled. "For men, building a career outside is the most important thing. Back in my hometown, there's a saying: if a man steps into the kitchen, he'll be a useless pushover his whole life."

"Times have changed. Nowadays, society has high expectations for men—not only do they have to build a career, but when they come home, they have to do all the housework too. They have to be capable in both the boardroom and the kitchen."

While slicing yam, Aunt Chun snorted. "Then what are women needed for?"

"They've been liberated! Nowadays, women are more valuable than men."

"That's true," Aunt Chun sighed. "I was just talking to my sister-in-law from the countryside yesterday. She told me my two nephews are struggling to find brides. There are more boys than girls now, and the girls are all picky, with high standards. If you don't have at least two or three hundred thousand yuan, you can forget about getting married. My goodness, even in the countryside, it costs that much to get a wife? It's outrageous. Luckily, I only have one son, and he's already married. If I were my sister-in-law, I'd be worried sick."

"Yeah, families with two sons must be under a lot of pressure."

Aunt Chun sighed again. "My son gave me a grandson two years ago. But I think an only child is too lonely, so I want them to have another while they're still young. But they refuse, saying raising one child is already hard enough, let alone two. Back when I was young, so many people wanted to have two kids, but the government wouldn't allow it. Now that the government is encouraging it, people don't want to anymore. Tell me, life is supposed to be getting better, so why does it feel like people are more stressed than ever?"

"In the end, it's all about money. If everyone were as well-off as the Yan family, who wouldn't want to have kids?"

Hearing this, Aunt Chun pursed her lips and glanced behind her. Qi Liangqin grinned and said, "I'm serious. I really envy the two Yan brothers. They were born into a good family. Someone like me could work myself to the bone for a lifetime and still not have as much as they were born with."

"You're pretty lucky yourself," Aunt Chun said. "Sure, Songwei is young and likes to have fun, but he has a good heart. I'm not just speaking for Madam Yan, but when she was younger, she was busy with work and had kids late, but she really raised them well. Look at Bozong and Songwei—both of them turned out successful. If you just stay with Songwei, live well together for a couple of years, and have a child, he'll settle down, and you'll enjoy a good life."

Qi Liangqin chuckled. "I can't have kids."

"That's exactly why being rich is a good thing," Aunt Chun said. "Madam Yan has already made arrangements. Once you two have had enough of your time alone, you'll go for surrogacy. I heard it costs around seven or eight hundred thousand, maybe a little over a million for a better option. The Yan family can easily afford it."

These words left Qi Liangqin deep in thought.

He had always believed that being gay meant needing money—this was just one of the many reasons. Money could solve so many problems, including the issue of having children. For most gay men, this was the biggest obstacle. Once the duty of continuing the family line was fulfilled, they could finally give their parents a satisfactory answer.

It seemed he still needed to make money.

Right now, he was the Yan family's "daughter-in-law." Didn't that mean he could take advantage of this status and build the career he truly wanted?

"You shouldn't be hanging around the kitchen," Aunt Chun interrupted his thoughts. "Bozong and Songwei are playing basketball in the backyard. Go join them! You're still young—don't keep running into the kitchen all the time."

Hearing that, Qi Liangqin immediately headed over to take a look.

The novel had mentioned that Yan Bozong loved playing basketball. In the story, Qi Liangqin would often sit on the sidelines, watching him with fascination.

He found Yan Bozong's sweat-soaked body under the sunlight incredibly sexy and captivating. His gaze would shamelessly trace over Yan Bozong's toned arms and long legs. Sometimes, even his basketball shorts would get soaked, clinging to his body in ways that invited all kinds of thoughts.

The Yan family estate was enormous. Beyond the grand entrance and garden in the front, there was also a small sports court in the back, equipped for both tennis and basketball.

Beside the court, there was a small viewing stand covered in vines, their delicate flowers blooming in pale clusters. Qi Liangqin picked a clean spot and sat down.

Actually, he knew how to play basketball himself. He was probably one of the few gay men in the world who could.

He had heard people say that gay men loved going to the gym, even more than straight men—they were obsessed with maintaining their physique. Yet, most of them didn't like sports. If they played anything, it was usually badminton. Badminton and running were the two most common sports among gay men, and finding one who not only played but also loved basketball? That was rarer than one in ten.

But Qi Liangqin truly loved basketball.

For someone with such a reserved personality, it was surprising that he enjoyed the sport. The thrill of competing, of fighting for the ball, of making a fast-break layup—it all excited him.

That said, his skills weren't particularly impressive. At 1.78 meters tall, he wasn't exactly short among his basketball-loving classmates, but he wasn't tall either. He was also naturally slim and not very strong. For him, the joy didn't come from winning—it came from the sheer excitement of playing.

But the Qi Liangqin in the novel was delicate and refined—a pure and innocent version of Pan Jinlian.

Pan Jinlian could only be a seductive temptress. How could someone like that possibly know how to play basketball?

Since he wasn't supposed to know how to play, the author hadn't included much detail about basketball in the story.

The morning sunlight was golden, carrying the damp freshness and fragrance of early spring. Yan Songwei was clearly not as skilled as Yan Bozong, and he was also slightly shorter. Qi Liangqin had only been watching for a short while, but he was already completely engrossed, his blood pumping with excitement.

Because he realized—Yan Bozong was insanely good at basketball!

No wonder the novel had described Qi Liangqin watching Yan Bozong's smooth, masterful moves, wishing he could be the very ball in his hands—gripped by those long fingers, dribbled, tossed into the air, then caught again in his palm.

Sweat sliding down his palm, soaking into him.