Li Ming continued to stare at the message for so long that Zhu Yi finally couldn't take it any longer.
Zhu Yi: [I'm sorry. Is that asking too much?]
Li Ming was pulled out of his daze and shook his head at himself. If he didn't understand, why not ask instead? He could clearly talk to Zhu Yi if there were any questions. That much had become obvious by now.
Li Ming: [No, I can do that. I was just wondering why?]
On the other end, Zhu Yi laughed and then turned his phone to show his girlfriend. "I'm afraid I broke him. He couldn't even respond."
Rong Xiang glanced at the screen and then at her boyfriend, shaking her head. "You! It's no wonder he is weirded out if that is the kind of thing you propose."
Zhu Yi simply continued to chuckle while texting Li Ming back. "You have to admit that the idea is good though. People will love it!"
Zhu Yi: [Ah, it's like this: When introducing you, I wanted to mention your job if that's okay with you? It will make the participants feel that you're really reliable even if we're just trying it out for a week or so.]
He pondered for a moment and then felt that Li Ming likely still wouldn't get it so he added some more.
Zhu Yi: [Anyway, people have this idea of a security guard in their minds from how they're portrayed in movies. I thought it'd be cool if we could play that up a bit. They'll definitely love it!]
Li Ming slowly read through the explanation. Actually, he didn't have that much trouble getting it. After all, hadn't he always been wearing a uniform or a suit at work precisely because of image reasons? Even though his bosses had surely never thought of this under the aspect of 'people will love it!', it indeed gave off a reliable and serious image to wear a suit for this kind of job.
When it came to teaching classes, he wasn't sure if that was necessary but Zhu Yi knew more about these things than he did. Naturally, he trusted his judgment. Also, this really wasn't difficult to fulfill.
Li Ming: [Sure, I can do that. We usually wear them at work anyway.]
Zhu Yi squealed in response.
Zhu Yi: [Say, is it okay to say a bit more about your work when I introduce you? Like, that detail about you working in a suit all the time is definitely something people would love.]
He hesitated with a glance at Rong Xiang, coughed, and added yet another message.
Zhu Yi: [I'd get it if you didn't want to.]
It would make him sad though. He had found the perfect guy for the job so he really wanted to make as much use of it as he could. But then, he also realized that Li Ming was only testing out for the position at first and even if he joined him afterward, this was only something he did on the side, not his main job.
Of course, he might not want to talk too much about his life with the participants. After all, a lot of people separated their private and work life. And in this case, the line between both ... he wasn't even sure where to draw it. The course could probably be called a hobby for Li Ming with the little time he would spend doing it? Although then again, he would be paying him ...
Zhu Yi felt awkward but Li Ming didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
Li Ming: [If it doesn't cut into your time teaching.]
Rong Xiang raised her brows. "Sheesh, you were right. He really is easy-going. No wonder you were so into him."
Zhu Yi nodded heavily. "Doesn't he? I can say what I want and he'll just think about it for a moment and won't give me grief. I'm pretty sure that even if he hated the idea, he'd still politely tell me no."
She laughed and nudged Zhu Yi's head. "Don't try to take advantage of it. Even a saint's patience will run out one day."
He pursed his lips. "Don't worry. I'm not an idiot. Anyway, am I not asking beforehand so he can decide by himself? If I was doing this at the course without having even mentioned it, that would be different." He looked at Li Ming's last message and clicked his tongue. "Ah, he's way too considerate."
He thought for a moment and then finally replied.
Zhu Yi: [It's no problem. Trust is important when doing that kind of course so establishing who you are and why you're a good fit for joining us is actually helpful. Even if we teach for a few minutes less because of that, the long-term impact will be better.]
Li Ming nodded to himself when he read that message. Right, establishing trust should be important and his credentials would likely help with that.
Li Ming: [You know best what works. Just tell me if I need to prepare for something specific.]
Zhu Yi: [Not really. Just get there on time, look smart, and be ready to show them what you've got!]
Li Ming laughed out loud when he saw that response. Zhu Yi really was excited about that and it seemed that he had it all planned out.
Li Ming: [Alright. I will leave the talking to you then.]
Zhu Yi chuckled and leaned closer to his girlfriend. "Doesn't this seem like the perfect partnership?"
She shook her head at him but inwardly, she was also happy. Yes, she had wanted to be the one to do this with Zhu Yi but then, that was no longer possible. Now, her boyfriend was still able to live their dream thanks to his own hard work and the presence of this person.
As for her ... she would take her time and think about it. Just because one dream was impossible to achieve, that didn't mean you couldn't find others. She wouldn't lose hope because of one setback in life, even if it was such a big one.
YOU ARE READING
Second Male Lead to One, Male Lead to Another (Part 2)
RomanceSecurity guard Li Ming is still trying to heal from the disaster that was his love confession for his coworker Su Yan. But that time of heartbreak is quickly interrupted when his boss' son Mo Fang barges into his life, taking over everything from hi...
