Chapter 43 The Two

Wu Ming stared blankly at Jiang Xia's profile, forgetting to walk forward.

Jiang Xia placed his hands on General Zhan's arms, the two of them very close. The wind blew through his hair, the ends of which were dyed gold by the sunlight, making his skin appear porcelain white.

When I first met Jiang Xia, he still had a bit of baby fat on his face, but unfortunately he was too thin and looked more pitiful.

Now she has a slender figure, a slim waist and long legs, and her hands have distinct knuckles with a faint pink tinge at the knuckles.

When Jiang Xia laughs, she likes to tilt her head, her hair brushing against her gentle eyebrows and eyes.

Wu Ming hadn't seen Jiang Xia smile so happily in a long time.

In the past two years, he always had a faint smile on his face, but it was all just a polite and insincere smile.

Now, Zhan Lintian's left hand is on his body, his fingers lightly pinching his waist, and Jiang Xia is still smiling.

But he usually resists being touched on his waist or thighs, as those are his sensitive spots.

Wu Ming opened his mouth, but the voice was stuck in his throat: Do you have to stand this close to learn to skateboard?

At that moment, as Jiang Xia fell to the side, Zhan Lintian caught him upright with one hand.

As Jiang Xia expressed his gratitude, he couldn't help but marvel at how strong he was, always carrying Wenwen in one arm.

"Thanks."

Jiang Xia accidentally brushed against Zhan Lintian with her fingertip and asked nervously, "Are you alright?"

Zhan Lintian spread his hands, allowing Jiang Xia to inspect them.

During this process, he looked down at Jiang Xia, gazing at his trembling eyelashes.

The river gorges in my dreams are like this too; when I can't help it, water droplets cling to my eyelashes.

Zhan Lintian's throat bobbed, and he said in a low voice, "So happy?"

In my dream, I was overcome with emotion and pressed down on someone's waist to kiss them... I couldn't help myself. Jiang Xia, in front of me, was... quite to my liking, both in appearance and personality.

If Jiang Xia likes me, then we've been dating for over a decade.

When I go abroad to study, I will definitely take him with me.

Or, to put it another way, whichever school Jiang Xia applied to, I would eagerly follow and try to donate money to secure a place for him.

In the cold winter of the Fog Kingdom, she would hold him in her arms and snuggle up at home to watch movies together. She would rest her head on his shoulder and nuzzle him from time to time. His whole body was soft and warm, and she might occasionally touch his limbs and warm his cold feet with her hands.

Jiang Xia has a good temper, so he'll probably go along with me...

I'm probably not a good person myself, and I can't remain unmoved by temptation.

Once Jiang Xia comes of age, I might pick him up and put him on the bed, and the two of us would explore the pleasures of union together...

Zhan Lintian's eyes were deep and unfathomable. Unfortunately, Wu Zhou acted faster than him, and before Wu Zhou, there was also Wu Ming...

If Jiang Xia and Wu Ming had fallen out back then, and I hadn't helped Wu Zhou...

At this moment, Zhan Lintian regained his composure.

"Wait a minute, there's an eyelash near your eye..."

Zhan Lintian reached out and gently touched the eyelashes on Jiang Xia's left eye, jokingly saying, "Too many eyelashes aren't a good thing either; they might fall and get into your eyes."

Jiang Xia himself didn't feel anything was wrong, but Zhan Lintian's fingers had already touched his eyelids, and he didn't dare to move.

Zhan Lintian said, "Let me blow on it for you."

As he spoke, he bent down and leaned closer to Jiang Xia's face, his lips getting closer and closer...

Zhan Lintian was breathing heavily. If she kissed him a little lower, she could press her lips against his...

Recreate the ambiguity of the dream.

"Jiangxia!" Wu Ming snapped out of his daze and shouted.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia shifted slightly, but Zhan Lintian immediately hugged him tightly: "Don't move."

He then pointed his finger upwards to show that there was indeed an eyelash.

Zhan Lintian clicked his tongue and looked at Wu Ming, who was running over.

Wu Ming ran over quickly and put his arm around Jiang Xia's shoulder.

Jiang Xia bent down, looked up amidst the chaos, and the next moment, Wu Ming ruffled his hair: "So that's why you didn't reply to my messages. Turns out you were hanging out with someone else. I've been waiting for your message."

Jiang Xia said, "I wasn't looking at my phone."

Wu Ming didn't care about that, and asked President Zhan with a hint of hostility, "When did President Zhan and my Jiang Xia become so close?"

As he spoke, he tried to pull Jiang Xia into his arms.

However, Jiang Xia was almost as tall as him, and if he wanted to dodge, it would be easy for him. Wu Ming had no way to forcefully control Jiang Xia.

Looking at his empty hands, Wu Ming subconsciously glanced at Zhan Lintian and whispered, "He's usually a homebody."

Zhan Lintian narrowed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and said with a smile, "Back in the Fog Kingdom, it seems that General Manager Wu entrusted Jiang Xia with some business. He happened to know me, so he asked me for advice. So, in a way, General Manager Wu was our 'matchmaker'."

Jiang Xia coughed awkwardly.

It seems that Mr. Zhan has been abroad for too long, and sometimes his word choice is inappropriate, but he is completely unaware of this. He simply steps on the pedal, pries up the skateboard, and asks with a smile, "Little Wu, aren't you going on your honeymoon today?"

The current atmosphere is not good.

Wu Ming smiled at Zhan Lintian, his mind now focused on Jiang Xia.

He sounded a little aggrieved: "I sent you so many messages, I thought you were angry."

Jiang Xia rubbed his temples: "I've been a little tired these past two days."

Jiang Xia glanced at his phone alarm.

"The pressure cooker timer went off, and I cooked something else at home."

Wu Ming pushed him by the shoulder and led him upstairs.

"Then you should rest well. I have something to tell you."

He acted as if nothing had happened, as if he could simply move on as long as he didn't delve into yesterday's events.

Jiang Xia didn't move, but chuckled at him, "Wu Ming, why do you think I'd be angry?"

Wu Ming gritted his teeth. Shouldn't he be angry?

He couldn't stand Jiang Xia's nonchalant attitude, as if there were no conflicts, no barriers, and no longer any feelings between them.

That shouldn't be the case.

Recently, Jiang Xia has been asking himself this question repeatedly. Wu Ming couldn't answer it, only saying, "I just figured it out."

He raised his voice.

Several people were standing there, downstairs. Jiang Xia wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground. The old woman also curiously craned her neck to look this way.

That blond kid is here again?

I haven't seen him for so many days, I wonder what he's been up to.

Jiang Xia lowered her eyes and pursed her lips, then looked at President Zhan. Originally, she had only invited him and needed to see his opinion.

Zhan Lintian raised an eyebrow. He had good eyesight and noticed Wu Zhou, who had just gotten out of the car. "Alright, let's have a meal together. By the way, Mr. Wu, is there anything I can help you with?"

Wu Zhou followed closely behind Wu Ming, but his gaze remained fixed on Jiang Xia.

Jiang Xia was surprised to see him there. He instinctively took a step back, only to be suddenly supported by a hand on his lower back.

Zhan Lintian placed his right hand on his lower back, preventing him from backing away.

After noticing Jiangxia's state, Zhan Lintian said to Wu Zhou, "President Wu is very busy with his work and projects lately, so he's probably just passing by."

Jiang Xia realized what was happening and stopped, but she was too embarrassed to meet President Wu's gaze.

At this moment, Wu Ming wanted his elder brother to come even less than Jiang Xia did.

He said with a hint of pride, "That's right, my older brother is too busy. Hey, he's been pursuing my sister-in-law lately. I just saw him buying roses."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia repeated, "Rose?"

Wu Zhou's gaze remained fixed on Jiang Xia, and when Wu Ming spoke triumphantly, that gaze intensified.

The surface of the river gorge was burning hot.

Wu Ming, oblivious to the fact that he was about to have a sister-in-law, said with a grin, "Jiang Xia, do you know what? I'm going to have a sister-in-law soon!"

"No wonder he's been pressuring me to get married; he has a date to go on later."

Jiang Xia turned his head to look at the ground beside him, a gesture that exposed his neck, making Wu Zhou's gaze even more noticeable.

Even if he tried not to look, he could still feel the other person's burning gaze.

Jiang Xia raised his hand to touch his neck; the skin beneath his palm was burning hot. Instinctively, he repeated, "A date..."

Wu Zhou approached, staring at Jiang Xia, and said, "Let's go upstairs first."

"Huh?!" Wu Ming asked in confusion, "Big brother, aren't you going on a date?"

Wu Zhou looked at him coldly: "When did I say I was on a date with someone else?"

"But brother, you're not..."

Wu Zhou gave him a cold look, and Wu Ming fell silent, muttering that he was even skipping dates just to keep an eye on him.

That's so vicious.

Jiang Xia originally wanted General Manager Wu to take Wu Ming away, but Wu Zhou refused to leave.

As the group stood downstairs, an auntie carrying a shopping basket came down from upstairs and greeted him with a smile: "Xiao Jiang, are you having a gathering with your friends?"

Jiang Xia awkwardly agreed, raised his hand to cover his forehead, hummed in agreement, and said, "Let's go upstairs and rest."

He's not that thick-skinned when chatting in public.

Originally, when Jiangxia rented a house, she considered the location, safety, and neighborly relations. The size of the house was just enough for her to live in.

Jiang Xia usually felt empty when he was alone in his room, but with the three people in front of him, he felt like he had nowhere to stand.

The room was filled with the aroma of pork ribs.

Wu Ming sniffed and asked, "What's that smell?"

"Stewed pork ribs".

Jiang Xia explained, "The range hood has been less effective lately, so I've scheduled someone to come and repair it in a few days."

Wu Ming doesn't like pork ribs, mainly because Jiang Xia's cooking isn't very good. He doesn't know if it's because he doesn't know how to buy pork ribs or if he doesn't cook them long enough, but he can never get them to chew properly.

Jiangxia himself doesn't like to eat it either.

But today, Jiang Xia is making this for General Manager Zhan, so there's no need to worry about whether Wu Ming likes it or not.

He strode towards the kitchen and stood in front of the stove. People tend to become flustered when they are at a loss.

Wu Ming was about to follow, disregarding the fact that his older brother and his brother's friends were still present, and said, "Jiang Xia, I really didn't call you yesterday because I thought you weren't familiar with them."

"You don't like that kind of scene when you're alone, and I don't have time to be with you."

“If I had known you knew President Zhan, you two could have come together, and I definitely would have called you.” Wu Ming’s voice stopped abruptly as Zhan Lintian put his hand on his shoulder.

"He didn't blame you. The kitchen is so small, you shouldn't have gone there to join in the fun."

Zhan Lintian said with a grin, "Go downstairs and buy a bottle of cooking wine. We don't have any at home."

He said to Jiang Xia, "You can put some cooking wine with scallions, ginger, and garlic in the ribs. If you didn't put scallions, ginger, and garlic in, use cooking wine to remove the fishy smell."

Jiangxia's stove only has salt and soy sauce, which is very "natural".

Wu Ming looked towards the kitchen door and saw that it was indeed the case. He wanted to make amends, so he rushed to help.

"I'll go to the nearby convenience store to buy it. Jiang Xia, is there anything else you need?"

Jiang Xia shook his head.

Wu Ming turned and went downstairs. Before he even left the house, he looked at Zhan Lintian and said, "President Zhan, why don't you come down with me and we'll make some selections?"

We can't let him be with Jiang Xia.

The way Zhan Lintian looked at Jiang Xia was very strange. It wasn't the look you should give a friend; it was like love, filled with desire and possessiveness...

Wu Ming understood it very well.

Perhaps the situation in Jiangxia is still uncertain.

Over the years, Jiang Xia has basically had no contact with anyone else, not even when he was studying.

In junior high school, Jiang Xia lived with him in the teachers' dormitory, and the same was true in high school. In college, the two went to different schools, but he rented a house for Jiang Xia off-campus.

On the surface, it appears that he rented it himself, but he entrusted Jiang Xia to go and help take a look at it.

Living with someone is the fastest way to develop relationships.

Wu Ming looked at Zhan Lintian, indicating that he would not move unless Zhan agreed.

Zhan Lintian narrowed his eyes slightly and said "okay" in a low voice.

Wu Ming also took the opportunity to ask him about the recent situation in Jiangxia.

Only Wu Zhou and Jiang Xia remained at home. Jiang Xia was wiping the countertop with a rag when Wu Zhou gently pressed his hand against it.

"It's already very clean, Jiangxia."

There's almost nowhere in the house that needs wiping.

Jiang Xia stopped, looked at his fingers, and said softly, "Yes, Mr. Wu."

Wu Zhou didn't care much about how Jiang Xia addressed him, because before this, Jiang Xia almost never called him that...

Wu Zhou asked in a low voice, "The way you are now means that you still remember what happened last night very clearly."

Jiang Xia hummed in agreement, finding no point in refuting it.

Wu Zhou stood behind him, placing his hands on either side to pull him into his arms, his voice hoarse: "Are you afraid I'll kiss you?"

Wu Zhou noticed that Jiang Xia's ears had turned red.

Then he took out his phone and opened the flower picture.

Is it pretty?

Jiang Xia glanced at it; it was about three months ago that Wu Ming had also asked about the Kiss of the Fairy Petal.

"nice."

Wu Zhou said softly, "Then I'll take you tonight."

"No."

Wu Zhou said, "Jiang Xia, my feelings for you are love, the kind of love that makes me want to kiss you, hug you, and touch you..."

You need to get used to other people's love.

Wu Zhou added, "Zhan Lintian is quite outgoing. You'd be better off as friends with him than with Wu Ming."

"I……"

Jiang Xia turned around, placed his hand on Wu Zhou's chest, and murmured, "Go sit down first."

Wu Zhou nodded and obediently sat down on the sofa in the living room.

Not long after, the two people who had gone out to buy supplies came upstairs carrying two bags of seasonings.

As soon as he entered, Wu Ming said happily, "Jiang Xia, Xiao Li from the convenience store only gave me two skewers of oden! Here, have one."

Zhan Lintian remained silent.

Jiang Xia turned sideways, and the two of them went down together.

Xiaoli must know Wu Ming to have given it to him, and Wu Ming probably said some nice things to make her laugh.

Jiang Xia looked at Zhan Lintian, met his gaze, and subconsciously asked, "Mr. Zhan, don't you have any?"

Zhan Lintian walked over, grinning, his tone mischievous: "No, if you don't like it, just let me taste the rest."

.

A note from the author:

Mr. Zhan: My wife noticed I don't have oden. [Please!]

Wu Zhou: I don't have any either.

Wu Ming (takes a bite): It's not fragrant anymore, I might as well not eat this oden!

I feel it's time to write an extra chapter about a possible "what if" scenario where a young Jiang Xia meets President Zhan and President Wu.