By Zephyria 『I wish you would get to know the person a bit better.』
When a quiet and calm voice said so over the phone, Ling Tangyun’s hand, which had been checking parts of the ledger while flipping through it, paused.
“The person?”
Ling Tangyun frowned slightly and asked back before setting down his pen. For some reason, he had a premonition that if he answered carelessly while multitasking with the ledgers, he might suffer dire consequences later.
Fearing he might mishear even a single word, he switched the phone from his left hand to his right and pressed the receiver closer to his right ear, where he could hear more clearly.
“What kind of person?”
When Ling Tangyun asked suspiciously, there was a brief silence on the other end before a calm voice replied.
『Someone who could assist and support Mr. Ling Xinlu in his work.』
As the voice added that it would be preferable if the person could endure the position for as long as possible, Ling Tangyun remained silent for a while. No further words came from the other end of the line.
After about ten seconds of silence, Ling Tangyun finally spoke.
“Now, listen. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this request from you before.”
『Yes, I had.』
“As I recall, at that time, Xinlu told me that he would handle it himself and that I shouldn’t worry about it.”
『Yes, he did.』
The voice on the other end remained composed.
Ling Tangyun let out a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was exhausted after working all day. However, that didn’t mean he could afford to give a careless answer. After all, this concerned none other than his youngest brother, Ling Xinlu.
“Yuri. Is everything alright this time?”
Ling Tangyun asked in a low, probing tone. A short silence followed, but it was soon replaced by an unfazed voice.
『Yes, as long as the person meets the requirements, it will be fine.』
“And Xinlu said it was okay too?”
『Yes.』
Only after hearing the answer from Yuri—who might remain silent instead of answering, but never lied—did Ling Tangyun’s expression soften. “Well, if that’s the case.”
It had been quite a while since then.
Yuri had once asked Ling Tangyun to find someone for him before. He had called to ask for a highly capable person who could assist Ling Xinlu in his stead, and Ling Tangyun had readily agreed.
It happened at that very moment.
A loud noise, as if something were breaking, erupted from the other end of the line, followed by his youngest brother’s piercing voice. Just as it seemed the brother was shouting at Yuri in a terrifying tone, asking why on earth he was making such a request, he appeared to have snatched the phone right out of Yuri’s hand. To Ling Tangyun, who had been having a peaceful conversation with Yuri until a second ago, his youngest brother greeted him with a voice that sounded as if he were calling an arch-enemy. “Hello.”
Ling Tangyun remembered the bitter taste in his mouth as his brother told him in a cold, blunt voice—so devoid of affection it was off-putting—that he would handle finding his own assistant, so he should mind his own business, before hanging up.
As it turned out, Yuri had made the decision on his own without asking Ling Xinlu’s opinion, requesting a replacement assistant who could take over his position.
In truth, Ling Tangyun found Yuri’s attitude—wanting to find a capable successor before resigning—to be very commendable, but it seemed his twisted youngest brother didn’t see it that way.
Later, when Ling Tangyun tried to advise him with a smile, the youngest, who was far younger than Ling Tangyun, glared at him and said, “Why should someone else decide who my assistant is?” treating his own older brother as a stranger without a second thought.
The youngest brother had always been that kind of person.
Since childhood, he had been lovely and full of aegyo, monopolizing the love of the adults—and Ling Tangyun, while finding him prickly in many ways, didn’t dislike him—but if one looked beneath the surface, there was a side to him that was quite off-putting.
Regardless, Ling Tangyun, who didn’t particularly want to create trouble with the youngest, never mentioned the assistant issue again and refrained from interfering.
From what he had vaguely heard, Yuri, who had made the request to Ling Tangyun on his own whim, had been severely scolded by Ling Xinlu, as he didn’t bring up the topic of a new assistant for a long time.
Then, not long ago, during a weekend family meal, Ling Xinlu had casually mentioned, “Come to think of it, I’ve signed a lifelong contract with Yuri Gable.” Ling Tangyun had been very surprised, but at the same time, he figured that Ling Xinlu’s assistant wouldn’t be changing for the time being.
But at the time, he really was shocked. It might be more accurate to say it was utterly unexpected.
Ling Tangyun had known Yuri Gable for a long time, and while Yuri was an exceptionally competent informant—so much so that various agencies and companies lined up offering high salaries to recruit him—he was a man who never signed lifelong contracts. He was a man who loved a life of “freely following the water.”
For such a man to sign a lifelong contract was quite surprising, and on the other hand, slightly regrettable. While Yuri’s extraordinary skills weren’t particularly useful for Ling Tangyun’s business, and he had never seriously coveted him for his own employ, it was true that he was a talent too precious to lose to someone else.
However, believing that there is a destined connection in human relationships, Ling Tangyun quickly composed himself and, as an older brother, asked Yuri to take good care of Xinlu.
And now, Yuri had contacted him after a long time to ask him to “find an assistant for Ling Xinlu.”
“…….”
Ling Tangyun recalled the past when his brother had glared and declared with frost-like intensity, “I find my own assistant,” but since Ling Xinlu had agreed to find someone this time, there was no need to worry about that.
“But Yuri, it hasn’t been that long since you signed a lifelong contract with that brat. Why are you looking for another person to assist him at this point?”
Wondering what kind of perfect human being would be needed to assist someone as subtly demanding as Ling Xinlu, Ling Tangyun pulled out his personnel registry and began flipping through it. Yet, even as he asked, he felt he knew why Yuri—or Ling Xinlu—was seeking another assistant.
It was related to the reason why Ling Tangyun, despite coveting Yuri’s skills, hadn’t made an effort to put him under his own command. Setting aside his brilliance as an informant, Yuri was more capable than the average person in other areas as well. However, that meant he was “above average,” not “as exceptional as those who are specialists in that field.”
Perfectly supporting Ling Xinlu and keeping pace with his work would not be a task for someone with ordinary skills.
For now, it was fine. Ling Xinlu could still be considered a rookie learning the ropes, so even Yuri, who was simply better than average, could help him smoothly.
However, as time passed and Ling Xinlu’s role grew, the tasks the assistant had to handle would become more complex and demanding. That might eventually become overwhelming for Yuri.
That was why Ling Tangyun wanted to praise Yuri’s handling of the situation.
It is not an easy task to accurately grasp and compare the extent of one’s own abilities and the level of ability required by the position one holds. Nevertheless, Yuri had compared his own capacity with the capacity that would be needed in the future and judged that it would be too much for him alone, thus concluding that a more competent assistant was necessary.
Having often seen people who, out of shallow pride, insisted on taking on tasks beyond their means only to end up failing miserably, Ling Tangyun wanted to help this wise young man and long-time friend.
So, with a willing heart, Ling Tangyun opened his secret record book—a personnel registry where he noted down capable individuals he encountered through his frequent social interactions—and flipped through it.
“Right, you said Xinlu is fine as long as the person meets the requirements? Then tell me, what are those requirements?”
Young people with various high-level certifications, those with prestigious academic backgrounds, those who had achieved top-tier accomplishments in their fields through extraordinary talent—Ling Tangyun’s registry was filled with promising and capable individuals. If the search was based on professional qualifications, he could find someone easily.
『They should possess the basic qualifications necessary to assist Mr. Ling Xinlu’s work, but I believe you know more about this than I do, Mr. Ling Tangyun.』
Ling Tangyun nodded as he listened to Yuri.
Right, someone with accounting skills or legal knowledge would be good. Someone who has professionally studied economics or management would be even better, and social skills are a must. Ling Tangyun listed the conditions in his head—requirements that were difficult to satisfy all at once—while flipping through the registry. In this precious book, there were several excellent talents who met all those criteria.
“Sure, we’ll go with someone who has those qualifications, but there must be specific conditions Xinlu set as well. That brat is subtly picky when choosing people, so I suspect his personal conditions will be harder to meet than the professional ones. What kind of person does he want?”
『……, ……Well, you see.』
Ling Tangyun, who had been flipping through the registry with excitement, paused and tilted his head. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but it felt as if Yuri had momentarily hesitated.
Yuri was a man whose conversation speed might slow down because of his habit of thinking once more before speaking, but he rarely hesitated or wavered. The fact that he was showing clear signs of hesitation suggested the conditions might be quite demanding.
“What is it? Tell me. Does he want to employ a Central Communist Party official as his assistant?”
『No, it’s nothing like that. As long as they have the basic necessary skills, the conditions Mr. Ling Xinlu set are not particularly difficult to meet.』
“That’s a relief. Well, what are they?”
『……, ……First, their appearance must be below average.』
Yuri murmured slowly, as if hesitating once more. Ling Tangyun, who had been listening intently with a competitive spirit to find the right talent regardless of how difficult the conditions were, momentarily thought he had misheard.
“Uh, wait a second, Yuri. Sorry, my hearing hasn’t been great lately. I think I misheard you. Could you say that again?”
『Yes, their appearance must be below average.』
As Yuri added that the lower than average, the better, he seemed to have grown accustomed to saying such absurd things and returned to his calm voice. Ling Tangyun, meanwhile, doubted his own comprehension, wondering what on earth this meant, since his hearing seemed perfectly fine.
“Appearance? ……Right, well, appearance is important when choosing someone you’ll see often. Right, what else?”
Ling Tangyun muttered reluctantly, forcing himself to accept it, but he remained puzzled as to why it had to be below average rather than above.
『The shorter and heavier they are, the better,』
However, the words flowing indifferently from the other end of the line became more and more absurd the more he heard.
Ling Tangyun listened blankly before interrupting. “Wait.”
“The person we’re picking right now is definitely for assisting Xinlu, right? I mean, someone to help with his work……?”
『Yes, that is correct.』
“……. Right, go on. Are there more conditions?”
『In terms of lifestyle, it would be better if they lacked refinement, and it would be good if their personality were prickly,』
Ling Tangyun began to wonder if today was April Fool’s Day or if Yuri was playing some kind of penalty game. Meanwhile, Yuri continued to list the requirements in a blunt, business-like tone—almost as if he wanted to finish quickly and shut his mouth.
『He hopes for someone who is already married and devoted to their family, and finally,』
Right, at least I can understand this one. He still didn’t know how it related to work capability, but… then again, what about the gap between a “prickly personality” and a “person devoted to their family”?
Ling Tangyun nodded with a bewildered expression, listening closely to the phone. He had long since closed his proud personnel registry.
『He says it would be ideal if they have a phobia of water.』
“……………….”
Ling Tangyun let out a quiet sigh and rubbed his furrowed brow.
Just as he remained silent for a while, Yuri was also quiet on the other end. He seemed aware of the things he had just recited as “conditions”—though there was no way he wouldn’t be.
“Yuri.”
『Yes.』
“Why are the conditions like that?”
『…….』
“Does Xinlu really want an assistant with those kinds of conditions?”
『……Yes. He said it’s not necessary to satisfy every single condition, but it would be good if they matched in as many areas as possible.』
Listening to Yuri’s stiff response, Ling Tangyun remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a groan and replying in a pained voice, “Fine, I’ll look for someone.”
The hurdle was too high.
It seemed truly difficult to find someone who fit those conditions. Of course, since he said not all conditions had to be met, there would be some flexibility, but every single requirement was extraordinary.
Ling Tangyun, who had always thought of his youngest brother as someone with standards that reached the sky—and thus had diligently searched his registry thinking that only an exceptionally capable person would suffice—fell into a state of inexplicable emptiness.
They say no one is perfect, but he hadn’t expected his youngest brother, whom he thought was nearly perfect in looks, ability, and background—aside from his prickly personality—to possess such an unimaginable taste.
“…….”
But he couldn’t let it go.
After spending some time rubbing his brow and trying his best to understand his youngest brother, Ling Tangyun finally burst out shouting before hanging up.
“Why on earth does he want an assistant who is ugly, short, fat, unrefined, mean, married, AND has a phobia of water?!”
As Ling Tangyun lost his temper, demanding where he was supposed to find such a person, Yuri remained silent, saying nothing.
“Is the eldest brother angry?”
When Yuri hung up the phone without a word, Ling Xinlu, who had been reviewing the previous year’s sales records beside him, asked nonchalantly. Yuri replied bluntly, “Yes, a bit.”
“If it’s hard to find someone, he should just say it’s hard. Why get angry? Eldest brother is really something.”
Ling Xinlu let out a light chuckle and shrugged his shoulders.
Yuri remained silent as he stacked the folders that needed to be reviewed after those records, but he could fully understand Ling Tangyun’s reaction. Anyone would have first thought it was a joke.
Unfortunately, what Yuri had said was not a joke but the truth—and since Yuri had said it, Ling Tangyun would have known it was sincere—and those conditions were exactly as Ling Xinlu had stated.
If it were simply a matter of finding someone with the competence to help with Ling Xinlu’s work, it wouldn’t be that difficult. It would become quite tricky if the standard were someone like James, but with the ringa’s wealth, hiring someone of that caliber as an assistant would not be a problem.
Therefore, Ling Tangyun would naturally handle the professional qualifications, but the problem lay in the other parts. Assuming the person had the basic work abilities Ling Xinlu required, it was uncertain how many people would satisfy those other conditions.
……No, regardless of that, the conditions themselves were utterly baffling. Although he had merely relayed the conditions exactly as Ling Xinlu had spoken them, Yuri had felt incredibly awkward while listing them to Ling Tangyun.
“Well, I said they don’t need to fit every single condition, so Eldest brother will probably filter through some people and recommend a few. You can choose the one you like best from them, Mr. Gable.”
Ling Xinlu spoke casually, as if letting the comment slip. Yuri shook his head bluntly, saying, “No, why would I…” At that, Ling Xinlu looked up from the records and gave a small, amused chuckle.
“You’re the one who’ll be the assistant, so you should be the one to choose.”
Yuri didn’t respond when Ling Xinlu added, “But make sure I’m there when the interviews happen.”
In truth, perhaps he should have mentioned it to Ling Tangyun first.
That while they were looking for someone to help with Ling Xinlu’s work, to be precise, they were looking for someone to help Yuri, who in turn helped Ling Xinlu.
Since the actual work would be essentially the same, he hadn’t made a specific distinction. …Or rather, he felt awkward admitting that he was looking for someone to help with his own workload.
Not long after signing the lifelong contract, when Yuri told Ling Xinlu that he needed a competent person who could better assist with his work, Ling Xinlu hadn’t looked particularly pleased.
He wasn’t the type of person who enjoyed managing several people anyway, and he stated bluntly that he didn’t like the idea of a new assistant joining them, as it would mean the three of them would mostly be traveling together.
However, Ling Xinlu did accept Yuri’s reasoning regarding the improper allocation of primary duties—one of the reasons Yuri had been hesitant about the lifelong—or long-term—contract. He also conceded that as a few more years passed and Ling Xinlu’s position moved closer to the center of power, the workload might become overwhelming for Yuri.
As a result, the conclusion Ling Xinlu reached was, ‘Then we can just find someone to assist Mr. Gable.’
Claiming there would be little difference between helping Ling Xinlu and helping Yuri, who helped Ling Xinlu, Ling Xinlu settled on that conclusion and refused to reconsider.
However, he had attached certain conditions.
The candidate’s appearance had to be significantly lacking, their personality poor, they had to be married so they wouldn’t cast their eyes toward others, and on top of that, they had to have a phobia of water.
“…….”
Everything else was fine, but the phobia of water was too blatant.
Yuri gazed at Ling Xinlu with narrowed eyes. Ling Xinlu, noticing the gaze while looking at the records, looked up. Upon meeting Yuri’s eyes, he smiled brightly. But when Yuri didn’t smile back despite that radiant expression, the smile gradually faded from his face, and he tilted his head.
“What is it?”
“Do you find me untrustworthy?”
“Pardon?”
When Yuri, who had been lost in deep thought for a while, suddenly asked that, Ling Xinlu blinked and stared at him before questioning back.
“Do I look like someone who would easily cast my eyes toward another person?”
Only after Yuri asked seriously again did Ling Xinlu seem to understand what he meant. Letting out an “Ah,” he nodded, then suddenly wore a troubled smile. It was a smile closer to embarrassment than trouble; after staring at Yuri for a long time, blinking, Ling Xinlu finally sighed.
“No. This isn’t a problem with Mr. Gable; it’s my problem. So you don’t have to think that.”
“Your problem…”
“Regardless of age or gender, I hate seeing anyone close to you. Whether it’s an old grandfather or a toddler waddling around. I hate everyone you look at.”
Thinking that everything was already out in the open, Ling Xinlu spoke with his chin held high. He stared intently at Yuri, as if asking if he hated him for being this way.
Yuri looked back at him for a moment. After staring at Ling Xinlu, who refused to look away as if in a staring contest, Yuri finally let out a sigh. Seeing this, Ling Xinlu put down the records, stood up, and approached Yuri. Then, he leaned down and kissed him.
“…….”
After pulling away with a slight suck of the lips, Ling Xinlu asked softly.
“So, do you hate it? That I’m this kind of person?”
“……. I don’t hate it.”
When Yuri shook his head after a brief moment of thought, Ling Xinlu smiled. Brightly, as if truly happy. Then he leaned down again.
This time, he kissed him longer, and only after a while did he pull away with satisfaction, though still appearing slightly wanting. Suddenly, as if a thought had occurred to him, he murmured, “Ah.” Yuri rubbed his wet lips with his fingertips and looked at him curiously.
Ling Xinlu smiled subtly, looking somewhat perplexed as if contemplating what to do, before giving Yuri a lovely, eye-curving smile.
“Now that I think about it, I forgot to tell the eldest brother the most important condition to look for when hiring a helper.”
“Should I call him back?”
Picking up the phone, Yuri looked at Ling Xinlu, asking what that condition was. Ling Xinlu smiled prettily and said:
“Someone who wouldn’t mind an environment where they frequently witness kissing or more intimate relationships between people of the same sex.”
But then, adding that it absolutely cannot be a man who is himself gay, Ling Xinlu gazed at him. Yuri quietly put the receiver back down.
No matter how you looked at it, he didn’t have the confidence to relay that specific request to Ling Tangyun, who wasn’t entirely oblivious.
“The conditions already mentioned will be overwhelming enough; I don’t want to place any more weight on him,” Yuri murmured as an excuse, causing Ling Xinlu to finally burst into laughter. Then, for the third time, he leaned down toward Yuri.
A low humming could be heard.
Yuri looked up from his documents.
Ling Xinlu, sitting by the window and staring into his laptop, was humming unconsciously. Behind him, the dazzling sunlight shimmered, enveloping him.
Yuri stopped working and gazed at Ling Xinlu. He was beautiful, lovely, and dazzling.
Before long, Ling Xinlu looked up, perhaps sensing Yuri’s gaze. Even when he was deeply immersed in work and paying no attention to his surroundings, he would instinctively realize whenever Yuri looked at him and turn his head.
This time, as their eyes met, Ling Xinlu smiled. He smiled with genuine pleasure, as if simply making eye contact was enough.
“Were you looking at me? Look more. More often. More frequently.”
Ling Xinlu said it like a joke, smiling prettily. But Yuri knew that those words were not a joke.
He truly loved Yuri’s gaze. Especially when Yuri would occasionally stare at him blankly—sometimes so lost in thought that he wouldn’t notice Ling Xinlu staring back for a while—he would be so happy he didn’t know what to do with himself.
Furthermore, on the rare occasions they went home separately, if Yuri happened to call him to ask where he was or when he would arrive, Ling Xinlu would be overjoyed. He would even linger outside his house, refusing to go in, just because he wanted to hear Yuri call and ask about him.
Whenever Yuri discovered such facts, he would occasionally—or rather, quite often—look at Ling Xinlu with disbelief, but that seemed to be the ‘way of being loved’ that Ling Xinlu desired. Thus, lately, Yuri had been consciously making an effort to contact him often and ask about trivial things.
“Ah—I want to go on a trip.”
Ling Xinlu closed his laptop and stretched. Yuri gave him a soft look as he spoke in a tone that suggested he was bored to death.
“Where shall we go?”
“Hmm… come to think of it, Mr. Gable was watching that ocean documentary very intently the other day. Shall we go to the sea?”
Yuri smiled silently as Ling Xinlu murmured that while they should go somewhere close for now, it would be nice to go toward the South Pacific during a longer vacation.
In these everyday matters, Ling Xinlu always answered with things he thought Yuri would want. What would make Yuri happy, what Yuri would like, what Yuri desired. As if those things were exactly what Ling Xinlu himself wanted.
“That sounds good. But before that, we must first finish the work piled up in front of us.”
Yuri lowered his gaze from Ling Xinlu and picked up the documents he had briefly set aside. Immediately, Ling Xinlu snatched the documents away.
“Do this later. It’s not even important.”
He flipped through the papers dismissively as if they were boring and tossed them over his shoulder. Then he turned back to Yuri, facing him directly with a smile.
“You know, the most important thing Mr. Gable has to do is look at me.”
Saying “anytime, as much as you want,” Ling Xinlu locked eyes with Yuri.
Having suddenly been robbed of his work, Yuri blinked for a moment, but as he looked back at Ling Xinlu, he eventually burst into a smile.
Then shall I look at you to my heart’s content? As if saying that, Yuri leaned back comfortably in his chair and gazed at Ling Xinlu. At that, Ling Xinlu smiled with a look of immense joy.
Just the fact that Yuri looked at him that way always made him smile like that. And as always, it was such a beautiful smile that Yuri couldn’t look away.