Chapter 2 Sleeping
Jiang Ran ordered a table full of dishes, all of which were Su Mu's favorite flavors.
The sweet and sour pork ribs were a bright red color, the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish was fried until crispy, and even the two stir-fried vegetables had extra sugar added to enhance the flavor.
Su Mu likes sweets, a fact that Fatty Knife and Skinny Monkey used to tease him about back in college. They said that a man shouldn't be so fond of sweet things, like a little girl.
Su Mu didn't refute, he just smiled sheepishly.
Although he grew up in the countryside, he had fair skin and delicate features, clearly showing that he hadn't experienced much wind and sun exposure.
His parents doted on him and always said, "Of all things, only studying is noble." They would rather grit their teeth and do more work in the fields than let him work in the fields. They only hoped that he would study hard and escape the countryside.
Su Mu was indeed a promising student; from a young age, studying was the most important thing to him.
Textbooks and exercise books occupied almost all of his childhood memories. It wasn't until he was admitted to university and came to Jiangzhou, where he saw the vast world and diverse landscape outside, that he gradually realized that being good at studying was just an embellishment in some people's lives, or even... not even an embellishment.
When Jiang Ran saw that Su Mu had returned from his trip, she said, "It's getting late, let me take you back to your hotel."
Su Mu shook his head: "Young Master Jiang, let's... have a drink."
Jiang Ran: "You can't hold your liquor, and you feel unwell after drinking."
He remembered that once during a class dinner in college, Su Mu only drank two glasses of beer, and his face turned as red as a boiled shrimp. He slumped on the table for a long time, unable to recover, and it was he who helped take him home.
The bitterness in Su Mu's heart surged up again.
He knew, of course, that he had a low alcohol tolerance and would get dizzy after just a little bit of alcohol. But in the past two years working in the investment banking industry, he didn't know how many times he had to grit his teeth and refuse drinks for the sake of projects, clients, and his superiors.
I've vomited, gotten drunk, and huddled in the bathroom, looking utterly pathetic. The next day, I'd get up with a splitting headache but still have to keep working on my computer, building models.
The more you consume alcohol, the more numb your body seems to become, and you might even be forced to develop a negligible amount.
Hearing Jiang Ran's casual "You feel unwell after drinking," he thought darkly: You pay so much attention to me, remember that I can't hold my liquor, and know that I feel unwell after drinking... So why... don't you like me?
Su Mu stopped looking at Jiang Ran, raised his hand, and called out to the waiter standing not far away, "Waiter, give us a dozen beers."
Jiang Ran sighed almost inaudibly.
The wine arrived quickly, the golden liquid swirling in the glass. Su Mu poured himself a full glass, then poured one for Jiang Ran.
He looked at Jiang Ran's handsome and distinguished face, which appeared even more refined under the soft light: "Young Master Jiang, I heard from Skinny Monkey... that you're going back to inherit the family business? Congratulations."
Jiang Ran picked up her wine glass but didn't drink. Instead, she gently rubbed the glass with her fingertips. Upon hearing this, she asked, "Skinny Monkey?"
Su Mu nodded.
Jiang Ran hummed in agreement: "That's what my family plans. After a few years of experience outside, they feel it's better to go back and help out."
His gaze fell on Su Mu's face, and something deeper, something Su Mu couldn't understand, seemed to flash across his eyes: "What about you? Are you doing well at that company? If... if you feel tired, or want a change of environment, you can consider going back to Jiangzhou to develop. There are quite a few opportunities here."
Su Mu forced a smile: "It's alright, just... enough to make a living."
But deep down, his face instantly fell, transforming into a beagle face filled with despair and resentment, silently roaring: "Still okay?!"
It's practically a walking, stinking pile of dog poop!
Every day, I'm used as a human punching bag and a scapegoat by my boss, and as a stepping stone and potential threat on my path to promotion by my colleagues. The projects I work on are either traps or disasters. After deducting rent and utilities, there's hardly any money left. And my hairline is receding at a visible rate!
On the surface, this business trip was to have him follow up with an important client, but in reality, Su Mu knew perfectly well that it was his boss, who was increasingly annoyed with him, finding an excuse to get him out of sight and out of mind.
It was called "training," but in reality, it was exile.
When Su Mu first joined this investment bank, he was full of enthusiasm and naive dreams.
His college roommates got along so well—Fatty was honest and kind, Skinny was clever and quick-witted—and even a rich and handsome guy like Jiang Ran took good care of him. This made him naively believe that although society was complicated, the future was still full of hope, and that there was always some sincerity and warmth between people.
But reality gave him a resounding slap in the face.
What promising future, what warmth and sincerity, it's all bullshit!
This industry, or rather this world, is full of despicable people for the struggling little people at the bottom!
A leader who's quickest to shirk responsibility and a master of passing the buck; colleagues who smile to your face but stab you in the back and are ruthless when it comes to stealing credit; and then there are those endless numbers to calculate, models to revise, and clients to deal with...
Every day feels like I'm wallowing in mud, covered in stickiness and exhaustion that I can't shake off.
Sometimes he thinks that maybe when people get to a certain age, after being repeatedly battered by life, they become numb and stop having unrealistic fantasies about everything, which is normal?
Like a machine with a pre-programmed sequence, it operates methodically, devoid of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.
But more often than not, that faint but never completely extinguished resentment deep in his heart, a youthful spirit, would rise up like a small flame, burning his heart. Why? Why should he be treated like this? Why should his efforts and sacrifices only result in deeper quagmire and being used as a stepping stone for others?
Jiang Ran said very seriously, "You worked very hard in college, taking exams, studying, and doing part-time jobs... Su Mu, I believe that someone as hardworking as you will shine wherever you go."
These words were spoken sincerely, without a trace of perfunctoriness or politeness.
Su Mu's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and his nose instantly stung with tears.
Now... only Jiang Ran still remembers his efforts.
He even felt a little reluctant to sleep with him.
"Young Master Jiang, stop with the talk, come on, let's drink!"
He tilted his head back and downed the rest of the beer in his glass in one gulp. The icy liquid slid down his throat, bringing a brief thrill and even more heat.
Su Mu put down his cup, wiped his mouth haphazardly with the back of his hand, and his eyes were wet from the impact of alcohol and emotions.
"Tonight, let's... drink until we drop!"
Su Mu was indeed having second thoughts.
The alcohol didn't completely numb his conscience; instead, it made Jiang Ran's words, "You'll shine wherever you go," echo and amplify repeatedly in his mind.
Looking at Jiang Ran's face, which appeared even more handsome and gentle under the light, with a hint of indulgence in his eyes, the dark thoughts in his mind about acting while drunk began to dissipate rapidly, like mist exposed to sunlight.
Jiang Ran was so good to him. She remembered his preferences, ordered his favorite dishes, cared about his health, comforted him when he was tired, and even remembered his hard work in college.
And what about him? What was he thinking? Was he using this meal to carry out a selfish, destructive farewell ceremony? To use a chaotic relationship to commemorate his hopeless unrequited love, and at the same time... to completely tarnish Jiang Ran's kindness to him.
What a selfish homosexual.
Su Mu cursed himself in his heart.
He only thought about his own heartache and unrequited love, without considering Jiang Ran's feelings or the possible consequences.
What if Jiang Ran isn't gay? What if he feels offended or disgusted? What if... they can't even be friends anymore?
never mind.
Su Mu thought, with an almost tragic feeling.
I'm not going to sleep with Jiang Ran anymore.
This young master... is too good. So good that it seems so despicable and wretched.
He even thought with a touch of regret that if Jiang Ran had been a little more mischievous in college, like some spoiled brats who relied on their family background to boss him around, then perhaps he could have slept with him without any guilt or guilt right now.
Instead of what we are doing now, which seems like repaying kindness with enmity.
He made a decision.
This meal was the last time he and Jiang Ran would meet. From then on, they would go their separate ways. He would continue to struggle in his own quagmire, while Jiang Ran would inherit his family business, marry a woman of equal social standing, and embark on a glamorous life path that would never cross paths with his again.
Tonight, let him be willful one last time, let him say things he wouldn't normally dare to say while he's drunk, and then... say goodbye forever.
So, the effects of the alcohol and his resolute emotions mingled together, and Su Mu completely let go. He no longer restrained himself, allowing his body to be dominated by the dizziness and relaxation brought on by the alcohol.
Towards the end of the meal, he almost collapsed limply into Jiang Ran's arms, like a small boat that had finally found its harbor and let down its guard.
His cheek was pressed against the fabric of Jiang Ran's expensive shirt, from which he could smell a clean and refreshing fragrance mixed with a hint of alcohol.
He looked up, his eyes wet with alcohol and emotion, misty with moisture, staring tearfully at Jiang Ran's chin and Adam's apple so close to his face.
"You know... I... really miss you..." He sniffled, stammering, "After graduation... I... I wanted to contact you... so many times..."
Jiang Ran's body seemed to stiffen slightly for a moment, but he quickly relaxed. He didn't push Su Mu away; instead, he adjusted his position to make him more comfortable.
He lowered his head, looking at the person in his arms who was completely drunk and rambling incoherently. His eyes were deep. He reached out and gently patted Su Mu's back, his voice softer than before, with a coaxing tone: "Then why don't you contact me?"
Su Mu shook his head vigorously, his hair brushing against Jiang Ran's neck, making her feel itchy.
He closed his eyes, seemingly lost in his own sorrow, and murmured, "I can't... I can't contact you... You're a young master... I... I'm just a poor laborer... We... are different..."
As he spoke, tears streamed down his face, hot enough to soak a small patch of Jiang Ran's clothes.
Jiang Ran listened quietly, offering neither rebuttal nor comfort. He simply maintained the embracing posture, letting Su Mu vent her pent-up emotions in his arms.
After a long time, Su Mu seemed to hear a very soft, almost sighing laugh coming from above him?
It was blurry; he was very drunk and unsure if it was a hallucination.
Jiang Ran didn't take Su Mu back to the hotel. He paid the bill and then half-carried, half-helped Su Mu, who was already drunk and unsteady on her feet, into his car.
The car drove into a quiet, high-end residential area with tight security and parked in the underground garage.
Jiang Ran helped Su Mu into the elevator.
Although Su Mu was extremely drunk, he seemed to still retain a sliver of consciousness to help. He struggled to open his blurry eyes, staring at the numbers on the elevator button panel, his fingers waving back and forth as he tried to press them, mumbling, "I...I'll help you press...which floor..."
But his hands and feet wouldn't obey him, and he swayed unsteadily like a clumsy penguin, unable to aim at that tiny button.
Jiang Ran prevented him from falling, and then with her other hand, she reached over his wildly waving arm and accurately pressed the floor button.
The elevator ascended smoothly.
Su Mu seemed to have finally given up on helping, and entrusted his entire weight to Jiang Ran, who was supporting him from behind, tilting his head to lean on Jiang Ran's shoulder.
This sleep was quite something.
Su Mu had been under immense work pressure and burdened with worries, often suffering from insomnia that kept him up all night, disrupting his biological clock.
So even though he was completely drunk last night, and after being in an unfamiliar environment and...excessive physical exertion, he still woke up suddenly in the early hours of the morning, when the room was still quiet and still in the dark.
It wasn't that he woke up naturally; rather, it was a clear yet unfamiliar soreness from somewhere in his body that forcibly dragged him out of his tired sleep.
The moment consciousness returned, the first thing I noticed was a dull pain that couldn't be ignored, and... an indescribable, strange feeling coming from somewhere below my body.
Immediately afterwards, he found a heavy, warm arm across his chest, skin to skin, and he could feel the other person's steady, strong heartbeat and the slight rise and fall of his chest with each breath.
The room was shrouded in heavy curtains, with only a faint, grayish-blue sliver of light seeping in through the gaps, barely outlining the superior features of the man beside her, even in his sleep—it was Jiang Ran.
Su Mu's mind went blank for a moment, and then, those fragmented, blurry moments from last night, tinged with alcohol and lust, rushed into his mind like a silent film on fast-forward.
Jiang Ran's hot breath, the kisses that landed on his skin, and the suppressed desires that overflowed from his throat.
And then there were Jiang Ran's eyes, usually calm and serene, but last night they were filled with a deep, lustful look, and she was staring intently at him...
How could he be so...shameless!
He even went up to her, hooked his arm around her neck, and started whimpering...
Su Mu's face flushed instantly, turning red all the way to his ears, and he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into immediately.
She is truly the Virgin Mary!
He wailed inwardly; the courage fueled by alcohol and the solemnity of his farewell last night had now turned into utter shame and panic.
He actually slept with Jiang Ran.
No, strictly speaking... it was Jiang Ran who slept with him.
But that's not important. What's important is that it actually happened!
It was completely different from his original plan to take a nap, yet they ended up in the same place.
Su Mu froze on the bed, carefully and inch by inch, trying to move Jiang Ran's arm that was across his chest.
The movements were as light as defusing a bomb.
Fortunately, Jiang Ran seemed to be sleeping soundly, and her breathing remained even.
Having finally broken free from the arm's restraint, Su Mu practically tumbled and crawled, silently sliding off the bed.
His feet were on the soft, expensive carpet, but his legs felt weak, pulling at the wound on his back, making him wince in pain and almost lose his balance.
He didn't care about anything else. Using the faint light coming in from the window, he groped around on the messy carpet beside the bed and picked up a shirt that looked like it was his from last night. It might also be Jiang Ran's, but he didn't care anymore. He quickly put it on to cover himself.
Then, holding his breath, like a thief, he tiptoed and groped his way out of the bedroom filled with an ambiguous atmosphere and into the spacious living room outside.
The light was slightly brighter, enough for him to find his pants and phone scattered beside the sofa.
He hurriedly pulled on his pants, grabbed his phone, and his heart was pounding in his chest, almost bursting out of his chest.
He wanted to escape this place immediately.
Jiang Ran's residential complex was too big. At five in the morning, the light was dim, and he wandered around like a headless fly before he finally managed to find the direction of the gate.
As we left the residential area, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
Su Mu stood by the roadside, shivering from the cold wind of the early morning, goosebumps rising on his exposed skin. He took out his phone, his fingers trembling slightly from nervousness and the cold, and hailed a ride-hailing car.
Back in his cramped yet familiar budget hotel room, where he had stayed during his business trip, Su Mu locked the door and pressed his back against the cold door panel, finally feeling a moment of security.
He slid down the door panel and sat on the floor, hugging his knees tightly and burying his face in them. The lingering soreness and discomfort throughout his body, along with the blush-inducing scenes flashing through his mind, made him wish he could just disappear on the spot.
He was like a child who had caused a huge disaster and didn't know how to clean up the mess, and he completely fell into a state of self-isolation.
Just as his mind was in a complete mess, trying to sort out the consequences of this absurd night and what to do next, the phone he had been clutching in his hand, which he hadn't dared to look at, suddenly started vibrating wildly, and the screen suddenly lit up, the dazzling white light particularly conspicuous in the dim room.
The screen displayed the name "Jiang Ran," followed by a phone number he knew by heart.
Su Mu was so startled that he almost reflexively threw his phone away.
He stared at the constantly fluctuating numbers, which seemed to be silently questioning and pursuing him. His mind turned into a pot of boiling paste, bubbling and gurgling. All his rationality, thinking, and coping strategies were dissolved.
Only one absurd thought remained: Didn't Jiang Ran... mess with his butt last night? How come it feels like... she also wiped out his IQ?
Fear, shame, bewilderment, and a vague, inexplicable panic about the impending unknown confrontation overwhelmed everything.
As the phone rang persistently for over ten seconds, just before it was about to automatically disconnect, Su Mu, as if finally driven to desperation by the ringing, made an ostrich-like, extremely naive, but also the only self-rescue measure he could think of at that moment.
He suddenly raised his finger and, with almost all his strength, pressed the red reject button hard.
Then, with trembling fingers, Su Mu opened WeChat, found Jiang Ran's indifferent profile picture, and blocked her. He then scrolled through his contacts, found the name again, and blocked her once more.
The movements were completed in one smooth motion.
After doing all this, he threw his phone onto the bed and retreated back to the corner by the door, burying his face in his arms.
Su Mu thought to himself, he still let the young master have his own kiss marks from this poor laborer.
A note from the author:
Young Master Jiang hadn't actually made a move before, but today he was genuinely charmed by the little wooden boy. As a result, when he woke up, his wife was gone.
Little Wooden Head: ...I deserve to die, I want to go to hell! [Please][Please]
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