MAPF Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Very Soft, Waist Thinner Than He Imagined

As the Technology Port branch office was opening, Xie Shiwei received the celebration agenda and basic company information from Xie Tian’an’s secretary.

Xie Shiwei was not only required to attend the ribbon-cutting and subsequent ceremonies, but also to deliver a speech during the address segment, attend a press conference, and attend a banquet with He Qin.

With great responsibility came great pressure. After receiving the information, Xie Shiwei studied it carefully, familiarized himself with the branch’s main business and basic structure, and slightly revised the speech, making the official-sounding draft much more lively. He sent it to Xie Tian’an and received great approval from the chairman.

Xie Shiwei would bloom with just a little bit of sunlight. He also took the initiative to verify the seating arrangements for the guests and review the host’s script, using practical actions to demonstrate his determination to work hard.

Xie Tian’an was very pleased with this and generously gave the entire company a bonus, constantly praising his son at home for finally growing up.

Chen Ning smiled through gritted teeth, envious of Xie Shiwei’s treatment. While eating fruit, she pondered how to get pregnant with Xie Tian’an’s child.

.

In the evening, He Qin returned home after eleven o’clock. Xie Shiwei waited for him to finish washing up, then approached him with the agenda, seeking advice on things he didn’t understand.

He Qin quickly looked it over, explaining many details to Xie Shiwei, and circled a few places that were easily overlooked: “These few etiquette-related segments are prone to errors. Be sure to double-check them carefully before going on stage. Also, in addition to the basic information about your company, you should also have some understanding of the partners attending and the cooperative business, in case of tricky questions from reporters.”

Xie Shiwei nodded attentively, carefully noting He Qin’s words, and then said with some embarrassment: “There’s also something else. The secretary asked us to finalize the details of the red carpet, ribbon-cutting, and group photo in advance. The only requirement is that the two of us be as intimate as possible.”

“Understood,” He Qin said, “You design it, keep it within reasonable bounds, and I will cooperate.”

“I’ve thought about it. I think I can hold your arm when entering, you can put your arm around my waist slightly during the autograph and photo session, and then we can lean closer to each other’s ears when we talk, so the media can take more candid shots. That should do it.”

“Okay.”

.

The day before the opening ceremony, Xie Shiwei went to the company to scout the location.

Xie Shi Group’s branch at Technology Port was next to He Xin Technology. Xie Shiwei asked He Qin if he could hitch a ride in his car.

He Qin agreed. In return, Xie Shiwei got busy in the kitchen before dawn, preparing a lavish breakfast for He Qin.

However, He Qin was used to eating breakfast at the company. A cup of coffee and a slice of toast were enough.

Looking at the steaming table of dishes, his throat moved, but he didn’t accept the gesture, only saying blandly that he wasn’t hungry.

Xie Shiwei was slightly disappointed: “Really not eating? I saw that you usually don’t have time for breakfast, so I made it especially for you.”

Xie Shiwei didn’t know He Qin’s habits, simply assuming that he left early and was too embarrassed to bother the chefs at home, so he didn’t eat breakfast at home.

He Qin still refused: “It’s just a ride to your company, you don’t need to do these things especially for me.”

Xie Shiwei said “Oh” in a low voice and had to send a WeChat message to Wang Gugu, asking him to tell everyone to eat all the food later.

Riding in He Qin’s car to the entrance of the branch, Xie Shiwei followed the secretary inside, familiarized himself with the indoor venue, checked the props for each segment, and finally spot-checked the nameplates on several rows of seats.

During this time, Xie Tian’an took the time to come over from the head office to see him, followed by a large group of senior executives. Xie Shiwei behaved particularly sensibly, not only being courteous but also seizing the opportunity to ask a few questions about management, saying that he would like to follow the uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters to learn well in the future.

The senior executives stared at each other, looking at Xie Shiwei as if they had seen a ghost.

For the rest of the time, Xie Shiwei wandered around the company, looking here and there, memorizing the speech several times until he knew it by heart.

In the evening, He Qin, extremely rarely, got off work before nightfall and drove to pick Xie Shiwei home.

The sunset in the sky was magnificent, and the clouds on the sea were rolling.

He Qin’s black car was parked on the wide road in front of the company, the car window half-lowered, revealing the driver’s handsome profile.

Xie Shiwei trotted over to sit in the passenger seat and told He Qin what he had done all day.

He had already regarded He Qin as an acquaintance. Although they weren’t completely candid, there was a sense of trust and reliance.

The warmth in the car made him sleepy. As Xie Shiwei spoke, he gradually leaned against the window and fell asleep.

When they stopped at a red light, his head slipped from the window and fell downwards.

He Qin glanced at him, paused for a moment, then extended his right hand to hold Xie Shiwei’s lower face, gently lifting his head and straightening it.

Then this head rubbed against his palm in a daze.

Xie Shiwei’s skin was very thin, and his cheeks were very soft.

The unfamiliar touch spread outwards from the palm of He Qin’s hand, and his entire arm stiffened for a moment, actually ignoring the traffic light turning green.

It wasn’t until the vehicles behind him honked that he recovered, released the brake, and turned onto the elevated road.

.

On the day of the opening, Xie Shiwei and He Qin had their hair styled in advance, changed into custom-made suits, and specially put on their wedding rings.

Before leaving, Xie Shiwei pulled He Qin to stand in front of the mirror in the entrance garden to check their appearance.

Even though they were wearing the same clothes, He Qin was meticulous in every detail, paired with thin, frameless glasses and a dark patterned bow tie, looking no different from a magazine model.

And he himself had his collar open, his tie tied slightly loosely, paired with a tousled hairstyle, his usually delicate face adding a touch of casual handsomeness.

After admiring himself, Xie Shiwei complimented He Qin: “You’re too handsome today. The news photos will captivate a new batch of young men and women.”

“You look good today too,” He Qin said.

“This seems to be the first time you’ve praised me,” Xie Shiwei found it novel, took out his phone, and aimed it at them in the mirror, “Come on, let’s take one to commemorate this historic moment.”

He Qin didn’t refuse.

Xie Shiwei realized that He Qin wasn’t as cold and unyielding as he appeared on the surface sometimes.

As long as the reticent President He didn’t explicitly say no, even if he was silent, it actually meant agreement.

Xie Shiwei’s eyes curved: “Smile a little, don’t be so serious.”

He Qin then smiled.

Just a small arc, like glaciers melting and a gentle spring breeze.

With a “click,” Xie Shiwei had his first photo with He Qin, still a trendy mirror selfie.

.

The driver delivered the two to the company gate on time.

A long red carpet stretched from the arched flower stand to the autograph wall at the entrance, with media reporters and their long lenses on both sides.

As Jiangcheng’s leading enterprise, Xie Shi Group’s branch settling in Technology Port was big news.

Xie Tian’an had released information in advance, saying that the company intended to hand it over to his son Xie Shiwei in the future, and that Xie Shiwei would attend the opening ceremony with his husband, He Qin.

The reporters all thought Xie Tian’an was joking, after all, Xie Shiwei was known for being a playboy and had never participated in any of Xie Shi Group’s activities.

Therefore, when they saw Xie Shiwei and He Qin walking on the red carpet with their own eyes, the reporter group instantly stirred, the cameras immediately aimed at the two, pressing into a black mass, and the flashes went off non-stop.

Xie Shiwei was shocked by this exaggerated scene. In addition, the outdoor air in winter was still cold, so he inevitably felt a little nervous, took a deep breath, and reached out to hold He Qin’s arm.

“Nervous?” He Qin leaned close to Xie Shiwei’s ear.

“Yeah,” Xie Shiwei squeezed He Qin’s sleeve, looked up and whispered, “There are too many people.”

He Qin: “There’s nothing to be afraid of, just follow me.”

Xie Shiwei hummed in agreement.

The amazing thing was that He Qin told him not to be afraid, and he really didn’t seem that afraid anymore.

He tried to imagine that he had grown up in this spotlight, able to move freely among the media, straightening his back, smiling calmly, and walking in step with He Qin, striding to the autograph board and picking up a paint pen.

Xie Shiwei had practiced the original owner’s signature for three days, and at this moment, his pen moved like a dragon and a snake, signing the beautiful and flamboyant three words “Xie Shiwei.”

He Qin’s signature next to it was neat and atmospheric, complementing each other.

“Please stand still, you two, for a group photo,” the host said.

Xie Shiwei looked at He Qin. He Qin understood and put his right arm around Xie Shiwei’s waist, discovering that this waist was thinner than he had imagined.

He was the one who needed to eat breakfast properly.

Xie Shiwei and He Qin were indeed a perfect couple in the viewfinder, well-matched and pleasing to the eye, and they would occasionally whisper a few words to each other.

Reporters raced against time to publish news reports. A few minutes later, news was published online.

[Xie Shiwei Rarely Attends Xie Shi Group’s Opening Ceremony, Displays Sweet Affection with Newlywed Husband He Qin!]

[Xie Shiwei and He Qin Attend Xie Shi Group’s Opening Ceremony Arm in Arm, Wedding Rings Break Rumors of Marital Discord.]

[Xie Shiwei Abnormally Participates in Business Activities, Is There a Successor to Xie Shi Group?!]

There were also some negative ones, such as:

[Xie Shiwei and He Qin Attend Opening Ceremony, Intimate Gestures Seem Like a Performance!]

Bai An locked himself in the small room of his adoptive parents’ house, constantly refreshing local news, his eyes stung by the intimate whispering pictures of He Qin and Xie Shiwei.

Anger and inferiority boiled in Bai An’s heart. Looking at the matching appearance of Xie Shiwei and He Qin, he was really afraid that one day their marriage in name only would become real, afraid that He Qin would be completely taken away by Xie Shiwei.

Impossible!

Little Qin-gege had only belonged to him since childhood, and he could only belong to him in the future!

Bai An closed the news page fiercely and opened the chat box with A Mou.

[The thing you asked me to do last time, I messed up, sorry. Is there any other way to sabotage their marriage now?]

After a while, A Mou replied: [You didn’t seize the opportunity to stop Xie Shiwei from attending the wedding, now what’s done is done, everything is too late.]

Bai An became anxious: [I just don’t want to cause a death! If something really happens to Xie Shiwei, not only am I finished, you can’t escape either!]

A Mou: [Their marriage is already known to the public, now you can only rely on the power of public opinion, let everyone know that you are the one He Qin cherishes in his heart, let everyone sympathize with you, find a chance to contact the media to spread rumors.]

[You can also force He Qin to choose between you and Xie Shiwei in public, let him protect you, tell everyone who he really cares about.]

Bai An hesitated: [But Little Qin-gege is still restricted by the Xie family, wouldn’t that put him in a passive position?]

A Mou replied: [As far as I know, He Qin has already received Xie Tian’an’s support, and He Xin Technology’s difficulties have passed. He’s a grown man, what passive position can he be in.]

Bai An clutched his phone and began to brew his next plan.