Chapter 52: I Think It’s Still More Suitable For You To Be A Pretty Boy

After returning from Qinghai, the two of them began a “cohabiting” life.

Actually, they hadn’t planned to live together at first. It was just that Jiang Qi was a great cook and often used his cooking to lure the young girl. Then he would cuddle and coax her into staying the night. Since Jiang Qi’s place and Lan University were both in the eastern district, not far apart, and he always drove her to school in the morning, over time, Zhi Qi became unknowingly spoiled by this kind of treatment.

Mainly, she just wanted to spend more time with Jiang Qi.

So, Zhi Qi’s toothbrush, slippers, pajamas, and other girlish belongings started appearing in Jiang Qi’s home, one by one, subtly and thoroughly.

Every morning when Jiang Qi woke up and saw the petite girl nestled in his arms, sleeping soundly with a sweet expression, he felt a part of his heart was completely filled—utterly content.

If he could spend his whole life with Zhi Qi like this, that would be perfect.

But while one part of his heart was satisfied, another part couldn’t help but feel increasingly empty.

Zhi Qi was currently preparing for her graduate school entrance exams, and he had been trying hard to find a job. But… it wasn’t that easy.

When it came to “trying to find a job to support himself,” Jiang Qi had failed repeatedly.

The day after he returned from Qinghai, he went to a nearby 4S dealership in the eastern district to apply for a job. He had seen a notice at the entrance before, advertising for a mechanic. But when he went to apply, the HR person looked at him suspiciously for some reason and, after a while, even called the manager over.

The manager, a scruffy middle-aged man, took one look at Jiang Qi’s thin frame and snorted dismissively, his tone full of doubt: “You know how to fix cars?”

Jiang Qi replied with just one word: “Yes.”

“Which technical school did you graduate from?” The manager squinted. “Got a certificate?”

Jiang Qi fell silent, momentarily at a loss for words—he truly hadn’t expected that in this day and age, even applying for a car repair job would require some kind of “certificate.” It really was an era where academic credentials reigned supreme.

Seeing his silence, the manager knew he didn’t have one, so he waved his hand dismissively: “No technician certificate and you’re here applying? Don’t tell me you picked up some half-baked skills somewhere and think you can bluff your way through? Go on, go on.”

Even as straightforward as Jiang Qi was, there was no way he could say that he learned his “skills” in prison. He just pressed his lips together and tried to argue: “No, I mean… how about you let me try fixing a car?”

“I already said forget it,” the manager replied, walking away without looking back.

As he walked off, Jiang Qi could hear him muttering under his breath: “Looks like some fancy boy trying to apply for dirty, tiring work at a 4S shop? I’m not hiring some pretty face to worship like a god.”

That’s when Jiang Qi realized—he was being discriminated against for his looks.

Strangely enough, it was the first time he’d ever been looked down on for being a “pretty boy.”

After visiting several more shops, even some remote, privately owned repair garages, Jiang Qi discovered that this kind of appearance-based discrimination among men was actually quite common.

Most of the men working in the lowest levels of the car repair trade were tough and hardworking. Some had dropped out of school early due to lack of academic aptitude and learned a trade, while others, like him, just wanted to make a living and chose this relatively accessible line of work. But they were generally strong and rugged-looking.

Jiang Qi, on the other hand, was too slender, and his features were too delicate and refined.

To this group of rough, burly men, he looked like some pampered young master trying to “experience life,” and they were even less likely to hire him.

At the last repair shop Jiang Qi visited, the boss was tall and long-legged, wearing only a tank top. His exposed arms and shoulders were lean and muscular, covered in sweat, and visibly stained with grease and dust under the sunlight.

When he heard Jiang Qi was there to apply for a job, he let out a mocking laugh with a cigarette between his lips.

“You? Want to fix cars?” The man gave him a once-over and said dismissively, “Forget it.”

Jiang Qi had heard words like that countless times over the past month of job hunting. By now, he was numb to them. But he couldn’t keep coming back empty-handed—he couldn’t really wait until he was completely broke and had to rely on Zhi Qi to support him.

So the young man lowered his eyes, pretending not to hear the sarcasm in the boss’s tone, and instead humbly asked, “Why not?”

“We do heavy, dirty work here. Can your frame even lift a tire?” The boss chuckled and gave Jiang Qi a hearty slap on the shoulder—thankfully, Jiang Qi was wearing a black shirt, so the grease stains didn’t show.

The boss said bluntly, “I think being a pretty boy suits you better.”

…

If this had been a few months ago, Jiang Qi would’ve made sure this boss—who was clearly bulkier than him—got a taste of his fists, whether he could win or not.

But things were different now. He had Zhi Qi. He couldn’t let the girl worry about him. He had to remember to keep his violent temper in check at all times.

So Jiang Qi simply lowered his eyes coldly and flicked the boss’s hand off his shoulder with his long fingers.

He didn’t react to being called a “pretty boy.” Instead, under the mocking gazes around him, he walked over to the pile of tires in the corner of the shop and bent down to lift one.

Jiang Qi wasn’t afraid of getting dirty. After standing up, he looked at the boss and asked calmly, “Want me to put it on?”

A flicker of surprise passed through the boss’s eyes. After a moment of silence, he gave a slight nod. “Go ahead and try. That black Jeep Wrangler on the left.”

Jiang Qi nodded and rolled the tire over.

The tools by the car were all there—wrenches and everything else he needed. Without asking for help, Jiang Qi focused entirely on the task.

As he changed the tire, only one thought filled Jiang Qi’s mind.

—He didn’t know how to do anything else. All he could do was fix cars. This was the eleventh repair shop he had applied to. No matter how humiliating it was, he had to try to get this job.

So, very quickly, Jiang Qi deftly replaced the tire.

He worked fast and with attention to detail. When the boss came over to take a look, his expression was no longer as dismissive as before.

“Brother,” the boss said, leaning against the car and striking up a conversation. After lighting a cigarette for himself, he even offered one to Jiang Qi. “You do good work. But what made you want to do this kind of job?”

Jiang Qi took the cigarette but didn’t light it. He replied indifferently, “I only know how to fix cars.”

Or maybe he also knew how to “act,” but that was something he could never go back to.

The boss raised an eyebrow. “Why aren’t you smoking?”

Jiang Qi shook his head and handed it back. “I quit.”

Cigarettes were too expensive. Quitting was better. Besides, Zhi Qi didn’t like the smell of smoke.

“Heh.” The boss chuckled and shook his head with a hint of helplessness. “Not smoking’s no good. Everyone here’s a heavy smoker. You’ll be breathing secondhand smoke every day.”

Hearing the implication behind his words, Jiang Qi paused, then placed the cigarette back between his lips.

Seeing how quick-witted and “in tune” Jiang Qi was, the boss couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.

“Alright, come in and start on Monday. My shop’s not small, but the base pay for mechanics isn’t high—four thousand, plus commission. Sound good?”

To Jiang Qi, getting a job now was like rain after a long drought. He didn’t hesitate and nodded. “Sounds good.”

“Great. Work hard from now on.” As the boss finished his cigarette and was about to leave, he suddenly turned back and said, “My name’s Zhan Yang. Just call me Brother Zhan.”

And so, after signing the labor contract, Jiang Qi officially started working at Zhan Yang’s repair shop.

When Zhi Qi came home from class and heard that he had found a job, her eyes lit up. She threw herself into Jiang Qi’s arms with a bright smile: “Jiang Qi, I told you you could do it!”

She had known all along that when Jiang Qi couldn’t find a job, he would lie awake at night, troubled, staring at the stars from the balcony.

But she didn’t want to add to his emotional burden, so she pretended not to notice. Deep down, she believed Jiang Qi had the ability to handle everything—and as it turned out, she was right.

“Qiqi…” Her smiling eyes were so close, Jiang Qi looked a little flustered and raised his hands awkwardly, not daring to hug her. “I just got back from the repair shop. I’m covered in grime… dirty…”

“It’s okay.” Zhi Qi cupped his face and gave him a quick kiss. “I don’t mind.”

Later on, when Jiang Qi looked back on the time they lived together, he realized that Zhi Qi had been quietly, persistently, and thoroughly instilling in him the belief: We are equals. I’m proud of you. I don’t look down on you.

It was this that helped him slowly rebuild his self-confidence.

It was what truly pulled him out of that dark, shadowy place.

If he could come out of it, there was a bright, open road ahead. If not, it would’ve been endless loneliness like a long, cold winter night.

That time wasn’t without its dangers, but he hadn’t felt it then. Only later did he realize just how much the girl had done for him.

Back then, Jiang Qi had simply developed a habit—going straight to the bathroom to clean up after work.

As Zhan Yang had said, working at a repair shop was dirty and exhausting. Even with overalls and gloves, it was impossible not to get covered in grease and grime by the end of the day. And the “old hands” at the shop were all heavy smokers.

Since Jiang Qi had decided to quit smoking, he stuck to it—even while spending all day around them, he never once felt tempted.

But by the end of the day, he smelled like a chimney from all the secondhand smoke.

To avoid exposing Zhi Qi to it, the first thing he did when he got home was wash his clothes and take a shower.

Fortunately, Zhi Qi was busy preparing for her graduate school exams during that time and usually came home later than he did.

However, there were extremely rare moments when Jiang Qi would miscalculate.

For instance, one day Zhi Qi came home a bit earlier and found Jiang Qi in the bathroom, showering. The rushing water from the showerhead drowned out all other sounds.

The girl changed her shoes at the entrance and stepped inside. She noticed Jiang Qi’s jacket hanging by the door, but he was nowhere to be seen. She called out a few times, but no one answered, which made her frown slightly in puzzlement.

“Jiang Qi?” Zhi Qi called again. “Are you not home?”

Still no response.

It wasn’t until she walked barefoot further inside that she heard the faint sound of water coming from the bathroom.

Hmm? Was Jiang Qi showering in there, or was the bathroom flooding?

Zhi Qi knocked on the door, and when there was still no answer, she immediately assumed the bathroom was leaking. She pushed the door open, intending to call the property management—only to catch sight of the boy’s figure, faintly visible through a thin veil of steam.

“J-Jiang Qi!” Zhi Qi exclaimed, quickly covering her eyes with her small hands as if to shield herself from the sight. “Why didn’t you say anything if you’re home?!”

The sliver of fair skin peeking out from under her hands was flushed a vibrant red.

Jiang Qi glanced at her, his water-soaked eyes dark and teasing.

“Keep showering…” Zhi Qi muttered a complaint, and without waiting for a response, she turned to leave. “I’ll head out first.”

“What’s the rush?”

But she didn’t get away. The boy grabbed her wrist and pulled her close.

The floor, slick as a waterlogged cave, made Zhi Qi panic about slipping. Caught off guard, she let out a yelp and instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around Jiang Qi’s waist.

The water from the showerhead now drenched the girl completely.

Zhi Qi was still wearing her white shirt dress, which clung tightly to her body as it soaked through, outlining her curves vividly. The white fabric gradually turned transparent, faintly revealing what was underneath.

“Jiang Qi!” Zhi Qi was both embarrassed and exasperated, her small fists pounding against him. “You’re so annoying!”

Jiang Qi didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on her, a spark igniting in his eyes.

After a moment, he leaned down and kissed her lightly, teasingly.

“Qiqi, we’ve already done this before,” Jiang Qi chuckled, his shoulder blades trembling slightly under her touch. “What’s there to be shy about?”

With that, he lifted the girl and set her on the edge of the sink in front of the mirror.

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