Chapter 46 Cohabitation

Zhan Lintian handed the phone back to Jiang Xia and said confidently, "Alright, Wu Ming definitely won't bother you anymore."

Jiang Xia responded to his joke by getting up and heading towards the kitchen: "If he asks again this afternoon, I'll lie to him and say you're still here."

Zhan Lintian propped his head up with one hand, crossed his legs, and turned to look at Jiang Xia: "You don't need to lie."

Jiang Xia walked to the kitchen, picked up the teapot, and was about to pour him some water when she asked, "What?"

On the sofa, the man raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp and piercing, and smiled, "Because of me..."

He paused for a moment, got up and followed Jiang Xia, and continued, "I never planned to leave anyway."

Jiang Xia looked up and saw that President Zhan was already very close, leaning against him and teasingly saying, "I promised to come and help you answer your questions, but I think you probably already have the answer in your heart."

He rolled up his sleeves: "Dealing with Wu Zhou's matter is more important to you. As for Wu Ming, I'll keep an eye on that shameless bastard for you."

Jiang Xia lowered her eyes, then said gently, "Thank you."

Zhan Lintian reached out and placed his hand on Jiang Xia's left shoulder, controlling his strength so as not to press the man directly to the ground: "If they hadn't suddenly come over, it would have just been the two of us eating today. My stomach hurts from what I just ate."

Zhan Lintian's stomach ached whenever he thought of Wu Ming; that guy was practically incomprehensible.

Was Wu Ming genuinely unable to understand, or was he pretending nothing had changed and deliberately making excuses to force his way closer to Jiangxia?

Jiang Xia looked at his abdomen and asked nervously, "Mr. Zhan, I have stomach medicine at home."

Zhan Lintian waved his hand: "It's nothing."

Jiang Xia bent down, opened the cabinet below the cupboard, and took out the first-aid kit.

He always kept stomach medicine for Wu Ming in his first-aid kit—Wu Ming loved to drink and was always drunk; he had once had stomach pain so bad that he almost had to go to the hospital.

Not only at home, but also in the car, a dose of medicine is kept.

Seeing his nervous expression, Zhan Lintian whispered to comfort him, "I was just exaggerating my emotions, but if I have any, I'll take one."

As Jiang Xia took out the stomach medicine, with his back to President Zhan, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: If he so casually took the stomach medicine I gave him, what if I poisoned him...?

The Zhan family is so wealthy, they should logically care a lot about this.

If Zhan Lintian develops any health problems, wouldn't I be in big trouble?

Just as Zhan Lintian was about to take the pill, Jiang Xia suddenly withdrew his hand, refusing to give it to him, and expressed his doubts: "Let's see if it's safe to take first."

Zhan Lintian looked at it and asked, "What?"

Jiang Xia took out the notice and read it carefully.

The print on the form was a bit small, so he had to hold it up to the light to see it more clearly.

Zhan Lintian stood in front of him, looking at Jiang Xia who was reading attentively.

He crossed his arms, his gaze softening slightly.

Jiang Xia read aloud: "President Zhan, you don't have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and also..."

Mr. Zhan became increasingly suspicious as he listened, and explained, "I'm in very good health."

In the end, Jiang Xia didn't give him stomach medicine, but instead chose to brew a pot of flower tea.

Mr. Zhan sat on the sofa, his gaze following Jiang Xia's movements.

Jiang Xia was busy in the kitchen, dressed in casual home clothes: a beige round-neck top and dark gray straight-leg pants. After returning home, she slipped on a pair of blue and white checkered cotton slippers, which looked very warm.

Zhan Lintian lowered his eyes and pondered. Wu Zhou was busy with work and was basically never home. He wore formal attire every day and had a serious personality, which didn't quite match Jiang Xia's casual clothes.

His first impression of Wu Zhou was that he and his classmates had founded a studio with remarkable achievements, and he had received advance notice and secured investment during the first round of funding.

Good projects naturally attract a rush of investors; if you don't act when it comes to making money, someone else will snatch it away in the blink of an eye.

The Wu family's old businesses are declining, but Wu Zhou has managed to get a share of the pie in the technology sector through his personal efforts.

With a science and engineering background, holding patents, and a meticulous and serious demeanor...

In the kitchen, Jiang Xia was dressed in light colors, but his skin still appeared even whiter.

He hadn't styled his hair properly at the moment; he had simply blow-dried it to make it soft after washing up in the morning, and the ends of his hair trembled as he walked.

Zhan Lintian watched as Jiang Xia bustled about, but everything was in perfect order.

If the two of them really got together, other people probably wouldn't have guessed that Wu Zhou would have such a gentle and thoughtful partner as Jiang Xia.

He could even picture Wu Zhou holding Jiang Xia in his arms, snuggling together on the sofa to watch a movie.

Wu Zhou would place his hand on his soft abdomen, and perhaps even slip it inside his clothes to gently pinch the soft flesh.

After Jiang Xia felt embarrassed, she looked up and kissed him from time to time until the two of them were completely aroused.

Jiang Xia brought out a plate of toasted cookies and placed it on the coffee table, then cut an apple and placed it in front of him.

"It's low in sugar and oil, but tastes delicious and doesn't increase blood lipids, so it's very healthy."

Jiang Xia sat down next to Zhan Lintian and pointed to the biscuits.

"Mr. Zhan, please try it."

The cookies I baked for Wenwen last time were extra, and I adjusted the flavor to suit the child's preferences. But the plate in front of me is the flavor he usually eats.

"It's not very sweet, but it tastes great when drunk with tea."

Holding a cup of hot tea, Zhan Lintian sat on the sofa and slowly blew on it to cool it down, suddenly feeling as if he were living a life of retirement.

If I changed into pajamas, I would look even more like it.

Zhan Lintian patted the sofa, gesturing for Jiang Xia to sit beside him, and asked, "How many days off did you take?"

"Three days, not annual leave. The project has been quite stressful lately, so I can't take annual leave for the time being," Jiang Xia explained, holding a cup of hot tea.

When he was initially assigned the project, his supervisor made sure he wouldn't take a long leave of absence before allowing him to participate.

According to Wu Ming's plan, he should use his annual leave to fly to an island for a vacation.

But Jiang Xia neither looked forward to traveling alone nor to traveling with Wu Ming.

"Going to work tomorrow?"

Jiang Xia glanced at her phone: "Okay, I can go now, but I'll also look at some materials at home."

The company is currently doing quite well.

However, Yinghua's publishing house was not doing well, so Jiang Xia wanted to take on more projects and earn more money.

He enjoyed the feeling of his account balance gradually increasing.

His favorite job is trilingual simultaneous interpretation, which is relatively less mentally taxing.

Zhan Lintian leaned against him and whispered, "What would you do if Wu Ming kept pestering you?"

Jiang Xia couldn't answer, but he already had an idea in his mind.

Seeing this, Zhan Lintian stopped asking questions and stayed until evening, having dinner at Jiang Xia's house.

Jiang Xia originally planned to put a few extra poached eggs in the noodles she cooked for him.

Even if I can't cook a fancy meal myself, I still want to show my appreciation.

In the end, however, it was General Manager Zhan who rolled up his sleeves and cooked a big plate of chicken.

Jiang Xia stood behind him and watched quietly for a long time.

He silently rubbed his forehead, realizing that compared to cooking a bowl of noodles himself, the dishes made by President Zhan were far more sincere.

But this is clearly his own home, and Mr. Zhan, who is tossing the food in the pan, is the guest.

Jiang Xia knew this was illogical, but he could only interpret it as—General Manager Zhan liked to cook.

That's normal. Some people like to sing, some like to dance, and naturally some enjoy the pleasure of cooking.

Mr. Zhan might have a cooking addiction.

Jiang Xia praised the chef's skills without reservation.

He had dinner with Zhan Lintian, and after they finished eating, they tidied up the kitchen and watched a movie with original soundtrack together.

For Jiang Xia and Mr. Zhan, who has many years of overseas study experience, the lack of translation and subtitles is not a problem.

After dinner, Mr. Zhan checked the time, and Jiang Xia escorted him to the door.

Zhan Lintian stopped and looked at Jiang Xia, their eyes meeting.

"Goodbye, Mr. Zhan."

"goodbye."

After everyone left, Jiang Xia silently swallowed a digestive aid.

He ate too much.

Shortly after, the doorbell rang, and Jiang Xia went to open the door.

Assistant Xie had sent him a message in advance.

He delivered a bouquet of roses on behalf of General Manager Wu; they were pale-colored, double-petaled Fairy Kiss roses.

Jiang Xia looked at the bouquet of flowers.

Assistant Xie delivered it for him, and considering their relationship, I won't make things difficult for Assistant Xie.

Looking at the bouquet of bright flowers, Jiang Xia felt his home instantly become more vibrant.

Jiang Xia gently stroked the petals and suddenly remembered that a long time ago, Wu Ming had also discussed with her which roses were beautiful.

He spent a long time choosing and thought this one was pretty good.

However, Wu Ming was only trying to get his opinion at the time. It was only recently that Jiang Xia accidentally stumbled upon Miss Xie's old vlog and learned that Wu Ming had sent it to her.

Jiang Xia sent Wu Zhou a message: "Thank you, I like it very much."

Wu Zhou replied: "You're a perfect match."

Jiang Xia's face was burning. He put the fresh flowers into the vase on the bay window, rubbed them repeatedly with his fingers, leaned against the window, tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Until late at night.

He sat on the bay window, looking out the window. He had to go to work tomorrow, but he couldn't fall asleep at all.

He was listening to a recording in his headphones—audio from an international conference—which he had obtained from a colleague. As he listened, he took notes on key words and phrases.

These lofty and sophisticated things are actually very far removed from ordinary people like him...

Jiang Xia pursed his lips, as if the assets and capital held by either the Wu family or the Zhan family were beyond his control.

Even during a period of hardship, the Wu family was still able to afford Wu Zhou's years of studying abroad.

What seems like a trivial sum of money is an unimaginable fortune for Jiang Xia, one that might take him five, ten, or even more years to accumulate.

Jiang Xia only slowly came back to his senses when Wu Ming called.

During the day, Zhan Lintian had threatened him, so now Wu Ming lowered his voice and asked cautiously, "Has President Zhan left?"

Hearing the familiar yet "unfamiliar" voice, Jiang Xia looked at the empty room. He, who had always disdained lying, suddenly spoke up this time: "President Zhan is staying here tonight."

Wu Ming's head was buzzing: "What?! You let him stay overnight?"

He was like a husband who had discovered his wife's infidelity, filled with anger, confusion, and a touch of indescribable sadness.

Jiang Xia said, "We're just friends."

“It’s different,” Wu Ming said, no longer controlling his voice, “Jiang Xia, the way he looks at you is different.”

Jiang Xia countered, "What's the difference? He's a good person too."

Wu Ming's end was like a tape suddenly cut off; there was no sound, and he didn't answer for a long time.

Wu Ming paced back and forth in the room, eventually squatting down on the floor, trying to calm himself down.

"Jiang Xia, you don't understand."

He picked up the photo album from the bedside table; it contained photos of the two of them when they graduated from high school.

The two sat on the lawn, he and Jiang Xia hugged each other, and made hand gestures towards the camera.

Jiang Xia appears somewhat reserved in the footage.

Wu Ming ran his fingertips over the photo album, his eyes reddening.

He then opened the album of photos of the two of them over the years, from the young and naive Jiang Xia to the increasingly composed Jiang Xia.

I came across a photo where Jiang Xia was working at an exhibition. During a break, he leaned against a railing, his long legs encased in suit trousers, his left leg stretched out, holding a coffee in one hand, and looking into the distance.

He has the appearance of a handsome and refined gentleman, yet he prefers to be alone.

Wu Ming clenched his fist. Zhan Lintian clearly liked Jiang Xia. No one would approach someone for no reason.

The family affairs of Zhan Lintian caused quite a stir back then, and Wu Ming had heard some of it from other friends.

The Zhan family must have made plans for their future long ago, strategizing step by step.

Given the Zhan family's circumstances, the person who would be a suitable match for the two of them would undoubtedly be a wealthy young man from a family of equal social standing.

But when his older sister had her accident, he had only recently graduated from university.

After the incident, the couple abandoned their infant child and went abroad together.

Zhan Lintian has never been involved in any scandals over the years, and the media in Mengcheng dare not make a fuss about him. In addition, he usually stays abroad and only returned to live here for a long time about half a year ago.

Why did Jiang Xia meet Zhan Lintian? Could there really be such a coincidence?

Wu Ming wanted to voice his concerns.

However, he was afraid that if he explained things too clearly, he might reveal Zhan Lintian's ambitions to Jiang Xia.

Wu Ming didn't want to argue with him.

After hanging up the phone, Wu Ming quickly searched through his contacts and eventually obtained Zhan Lintian's contact information from a friend of a friend.

He was so anxious that he pressed the call button.

Zhan Lintian was still awake, sitting on the balcony smoking.

He frowned when he saw the unfamiliar number and didn't answer.

The other party persisted and attacked several times.

Zhan Lintian was puzzled. It was a local number... Just then, a friend sent a message: Wu Ming seems to be asking about your phone number.

Zhan Lintian understood and answered the call.

Wu Ming said, "President Zhan, why did you stay at Jiangxia's house?"

Upon hearing this, Zhan Lintian suddenly understood why, chuckled softly, and asked in return, "Why not?"

Wu Ming racked his brains for an excuse: "His house is so small, and he has to work all the time. He doesn't have time to entertain you at all. If you want someone to keep you company, you can come to the Wu family home as a guest."

Zhan Lintian pondered for a moment, instantly understanding Wu Ming's meaning in breaking down his defenses, and also knowing that Jiang Xia had found an excuse...

Zhan Lintian stubbed out his cigarette, stood up and walked outside, not forgetting to sneer at Wu Ming: "Young Master Wu seems to be meddling too much. Don't you think about your fiancée?"

"Okay, I'll hang up now."

Zhan Lintian strode away.

Shortly after, Jiang Xia heard the doorbell ring. He took a deep breath, thinking that it was most likely Wu Ming who had arrived.

He checked the time; about forty minutes had passed.

It takes about an hour for the Wu family to get here, so Wu Ming arrived so quickly...

Jiang Xia remained calm, appearing nonchalant, and pretended to be composed as he prepared for the upcoming "battle".

He was stunned when he opened the door.

Outside the door, Zhan Lintian stood at the entrance, grinning at him.

The man arrived in such a hurry, looking travel-worn and hot, that he took off his coat and hung it on his arm, then rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.

Zhan Lintian caught his breath, looked at the young man in front of him, and grinned: "You said I'd stay at your place tonight, so of course I had to come over, to make up for the scolding Wu Ming gave me."

He walked in calmly and said, "I'm not sleeping in the guest room that Wu Ming slept in. I'll sleep with you tonight and we can chat."

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A note from the author:

Oh my god, I couldn't resist. When I thought of this chapter, combined with the content in my drafts, I was completely mesmerized.

James has been banned for too long and all he wants to do is kiss his wife.

Let everyone have a taste.

Jiang Xia was in a daze when Zhan Lintian forcibly carried her to the washbasin.

Not high enough, Zhan Lintian knelt down on one knee, his hands like iron clamps, gripping Jiang Xia's ankles, forcing the drunk Jiang Xia to spread his legs and step on his shoulders.

Jiang Xia was shy and instinctively wanted to push him away.

But Zhan Lintian quickly removed it again.

The person in front of me was so shy that their whole body turned pink, and their shirt covered most of their snow-white skin.