After Crossing Over to the Republic of China, I've Become a Heartthrob Chapter 21

Bartender or Secretary

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Shi Yao recalled the first time he met Han Pu, on the day celebrating the establishment of the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce, and how he seemed to be out of place in the hustle and bustle around him.

Shi Yao recalled the first time he met him in the library, sitting on the steps by the fountain, looking up at him as he walked towards him with a firm gait.

Shi Yao recalled that when he and Han Pu were reading 'A New Account of the Tales of the World' together, there was a line in it that said:

'The highest forget love, the lowest cannot love, what loves most is our generation.'

Shi Yao did not quite understand the meaning of this sentence, and Han Pu explained to him, "The most superior people are beyond the ordinary and are not burdened by love; the most inferior people are so mediocre in life that it is difficult to obtain true love; it is our good fortune to be able to have love."

The expression on his face when he said these words was exactly the same as it was now.

It was like a pearl jade glass, clear and pure.

Shi Yao smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to be so romantic, Professor."

Han Pu, who had thin skin, blushed slightly: "This is the answer to the lantern riddle..."

"I understand!" Shi Yao deliberately teased him, "Between us, it's a pure teacher-student relationship, right, Professor?"

Han Pu was speechless for a moment, hesitating to speak.

Shi Yao was amused and continued to tease him, "The Enlightenment preaches that man is the measure of all things, and that love does not distinguish between profession, age and gender, do you agree with this point of view?"

Han Pu looked a bit nervous at this moment and hummed vaguely.

Shi Yao stifled a laugh in his heart: "Professor, I wonder if the school has any rules against teacher-student relationships?"

"There is no explicit rule, but I wouldn't do it." Han Pu said seriously, "The teacher is the superior and the student is the inferior, the basis of love is equality of status and mutual respect, while teacher-student love is an act of power that crosses the boundary."

"Professor is really a good teacher," Shi Yao said, "What about after the student graduates? If they wanted to be with you, would you agree?"

Han Pu's face was already flushed with scarlet, "Shi Yao..."

"Haha, okay, enough of that, sorry!" Shi Yao immediately apologised, "I'll go back and punish myself by copying the 'Code of Conduct for University Students' three hundred times!"

After bidding farewell to Han Pu and leaving the festival, Shi Yao had planned to go home and sleep.

Not even two steps outside, a car pulled up next to him, and with the window rolled down, Jacob's charismatic, unbeatable face smiled at him with a big, unbeatable smile, "Xiao Yao Yao, could I have the pleasure to give you a ride?"

"Just to be clear," Shi Yao said as he spread both hands, "I don't have any money."

"It's free."

"Then I suspect you're up to something else."

"I'm going to a bar, you want to join me?"

"I don't have any money."

"I'll treat you."

"Don't want to go."

"Aren't you short of money? As far as I know, that bar is hiring." Jacob tempted him, "The hourly rate is not bad, why don't you try it?"

Jacob took him to the bar and ordered two drinks, "I heard you left the Song family and your engagement to Song Liao was annulled?"

"That's right."

"Wonderful, a toast to you, to celebrate your return to singleness!"

"Thanks, but it's nothing to celebrate."

"By the way, I also heard that you left the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce because of Ling Junde's incident?"

Thinking of Ling Junde, Shi Yao's mood immediately hit rock bottom: "Yes."

"Xiao Yao Yao is really a man of great affection and righteousness." Jacob handed him a glass of wine and Shi Yao took it, taking a swig. He didn't expect the wine to be particularly strong and coughed violently.

Jacob rubbed his back and said with a smile, "You can't drink and you're still trying to be a hero, huh?"

"It's none of your business!"

"I don't care about you, you're better off drunk, that way I can take you home."

Shi Yao snapped back at him, "Take me home and I'll screw you."

Jacob said excitedly, "Really? I can let you screw me, once for each of us, right now?"

"Get lost!"

"Why do you always reject me?" Jacob's blue eyes were deep with emotion, "I like you, you don't hate me, do you?"

"You like me and you like a lot of people at the same time, if I reject you, you can still find more, can't you?"

"My liking for you is not the same as my liking for other people."

Shi Yao looked at him with a smile, "When I was using this routine to chase girls, you were still wearing diapers and playing in the mud."

"You don't believe me!"

"Charming Young Master Jacob, I don't have the heart to play relationship games with you, I just want to make money."

"I'm not playing games with you."

"Thank you for buying me a drink." Shi Yao clinked his glass with him, "The manager's office is over there, I'm going to apply for a job."

"Shi Yao!" Jacob called out to him, his expression unusually serious.

"What?" Shi Yao was a little surprised, it was the first time he had called his name seriously.

"Nothing," but in an instant, Jacob returned to that flirtatious look, "come here, let me fix your collar."

"Oh." Shi Yao moved closer to him.

Jacob lowered his head, carefully straightened it for him, and then kissed him quickly on the cheek when he wasn't paying attention.

With a 'thud', Jacob covered his punched face and looked at him with tears in his eyes, "You hit me."

"Will you mind your own business?" Shi Yao's fists were clenched.

"It's just a face-to-face ritual, people kissing each other on the cheek to express a blessing."

"You want to be punched again?"

Jacob obediently shut up.

When he reached the manager's office, Shi Yao knocked on the door and went straight in.

What he didn't expect was that there was a meeting going on inside, and the room was full of people who were staring at him in unison.

What was even more embarrassing was that the person in the middle was Song Liao.

"Excuse me, I've gone the wrong way, I'm sorry to interrupt." Shi Yao was about to bolt, when Song Liao's low roar of anger rang in his ears, "Shi Yao, stop right there!"

A group of men in black blocked the door, and Shi Yao fearfully said, "Mr. Song, we need to talk."

"Come here."

Shi Yao moved over cautiously.

"Sit down."

Shi Yao sat down cautiously

"What are you doing here? Fooling around?"

"How is that possible?! Am I that kind of person?"

"You're not?"

"How could I be? Song Liao, don't give me this nonsense. To tell you the truth, I'm broke, I'm here to look for a job. I'll leave if there's nothing else, don't take up my time, understand?"

These words flowed freely and with extraordinary momentum. Everyone in the room looked at Shi Yao, the warrior who dared to directly contradict Song Liao, with astonished eyes.

Unexpectedly, Song Liao was not angry, but asked him patiently, "If you won't work as a translator for the Chamber of Commerce, what other job do you want?"

"Other than yielding to the rich and powerful for meagre pay, I'm happy to do anything!"

"So you're coming to the bar? To be a bartender?"

"Can't I?"

"No."

"On what grounds?"

"I'm short of a secretary, a personal assistant." Song Liao added, "Working for me, not for the Chamber of Commerce."

"What does your secretary have to do?"

"What do you think a secretary has to do?"

"Just to be clear," Shi Yao couldn't help but think of the dog blood drama plots, "I, sell my art not my body, understand?"

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: June 19, 2023