He admitted
"Boss, your face..."
The moment he saw him, Chen Quan's expression changed. Zhuang Yu'an pulled out his prepared excuse: "I was drunk yesterday and accidentally bumped into something."
Chen Quan's gaze shifted to his neck. There were two small wounds, not covered by his shirt collar, from Luffy's scratches yesterday.
The two of them tacitly turned the conversation to work. Spring Festival was just over half a month away, and Zhuang Yu'an's schedule was packed: presiding over the year-end strategic review, finalizing the new year's strategic plan, and reviewing the annual bonus and equity incentive distribution plan... He also had to frequently meet with relevant departments, major customers, and partners, and prepare for the official start of construction of the Canadian factory after the new year.
That afternoon, he walked out of the conference room and ran into Ge Xin, who was dragging a suitcase. Her last stop was obviously the airport, and her subordinate, his beloved sister, did not choose to emulate her dedicated boss.
Zhuang Yu'an called her to the office and gave her a task.
"Luffy didn't come to the company, and the phone couldn't be reached." He said, "If it's convenient, can you go to his apartment and take a look?"
Ge Xin agreed and asked for the address. Before she left, Zhuang Yu'an reminded her: "Luffy has been in a bad state recently. He just ended an inappropriate relationship and needs someone's support and companionship."
Ge Xin's gaze fell on his face. He smiled faintly and told her with his eyes: It's what you think.
Zhuang Yu'an returned home around nine in the evening. Zuo Xiao had already packed up and was sitting on the sofa. Zhuang Jinghao sat beside him, signaling with his eyes that his brother should try harder to persuade him.
"Shall we go now?" he said flatly.
It was late at night when the three got out of the car. Zhuang Yu'an held a woven bag in each hand, Zuo Xiao carried a guitar, and Zhuang Jinghao held a large bag of snacks brought back from Hong Kong.
When I walked downstairs to the apartment building, I met Zhang Jianming.
"What a coincidence." He smiled slightly. "I just came out of your place. Jiang Yun said you haven't been living here lately?"
Zhang Jianming had helped Zuo Xiao find a house, and he'd visited twice recently, bringing her and Jiang Yun fruit and local specialties. He'd even changed a lightbulb, and they'd become friends. After not seeing each other for two weeks, Zuo Xiao noticed he looked much thinner, his cheeks, once skinny, sunken.
"I've been out for two days." Zuo Xiao said with a smile, "Do you need anything from me?"
"A friend sent me two Chongqing braised geese. I can't finish them all, so I'll give you one." Zhang Jianming looked at what Zhuang Yu'an was holding. "Do you need help?"
"No need." Zuo Xiao said, "It's getting late, you should go back and rest. By the way, thank you for the braised goose."
Just as the three of them entered the house, Jiang Yun came out of the bedroom and greeted them, "It's just right. Zhang Jianming just brought over some braised goose. Would you like to have some together?"
The Zhuang siblings nodded in agreement, and Jiang Yun went to the kitchen. Five minutes later, the braised goose was served, accompanied by a spicy oil dip and a salt and pepper dip. Zhuang Jinghao ate with admiration, but Zhuang Yu'an only took two pieces, spending most of his time staring at Zuo Xiao.
The thought of parting with her tonight and not being able to see her every day from now on made his heart clench and ache. But he knew Zuo Xiao's temper well. If he insisted on keeping her, it would probably end in a bad mood. It would be better to just go along with her first and then slowly think of other solutions.
Jiang Yun was someone who could read people's expressions. After everyone finished eating the braised goose and washed their hands, she took Zhuang Jinghao's hand and said, "A colleague of mine wants to adopt a puppy. You mentioned last time that Jinghao Home has a small app with photos and information about all the puppies. Could you show it to me?"
Zhuang Jinghao didn't understand at first, until the other person squeezed her hand. "Oh! Okay!" She opened her eyes wide, "How about we go to your room?"
The two of them walked hand in hand into Jiang Yun's room. As soon as the door closed, Zuo Xiao burst out laughing.
Zhuang Yu'an couldn't wait to hold her in his arms from behind and asked with a smile, "What are you laughing at?"
"Just laugh at the two of them... they're so clumsy!"
Zhuang Yu'an hugged her tighter and whispered in her ear, "Let's go to your room?"
"It's so late, shouldn't you go home?" Zuo Xiao deliberately blocked his way. He smiled and said, "Tomorrow is Saturday, no need to go to the company." Then he lowered his body and hugged her from behind.
He pressed her down and kissed her for a while, feeling his anxiety ease a bit. He then pulled her into his arms and asked, "What are your plans for this year's Spring Festival? When will you return to Nanjing?"
Zuo Xiao took some time to come out of the dizzy state, and then he remembered this matter.
She'd been so busy with music and dating lately that she hadn't even noticed the Lunar New Year was approaching. After a fight with Lao Zuo during the National Day holiday, they went on a silent standoff for over a month. It wasn't until late last month when Lao Zuo reached out to ask if she'd be home for New Year's Day that things finally broke. As for when she'd be home for the holidays, Lao Zuo hadn't asked, and she hadn't thought about it. Lao Zuo had assumed she was still working, and he'd probably figured she'd be home closer to New Year's Eve.
"I haven't decided yet." She said nonchalantly, "Maybe a day or two in advance."
"Yeah." Zhuang Yu'an nuzzled the top of her head and answered without being asked, "Jinghao and I will take two days off early and take grandpa and grandma to Hainan for vacation. We'll spend the Spring Festival there."
"That's great. I don't have to visit relatives everywhere." Zuo Xiao said.
Zhuang Yu'an felt as if his heart had been stabbed. It wasn't painful, but he felt a little sad. He said helplessly, "This means we won't be able to see each other for a long time."
Zuo Xiao smiled and replied "Oh".
This time his heart really ached. He unconsciously hugged her tighter and wanted to ask, "Will you miss me?", but before he could say it, he changed it to, "I will miss you."
Zuo Xiao thought he was being corny: "It's just Chinese New Year, are you going to stay in Hainan for a long time?"
Zhuang Yu'an wanted to remind her that he would be going to Canada on a business trip a week after the Spring Festival holiday. Every day and every minute they spent together before that was precious. He even developed separation anxiety in advance... But he didn't dare to say it out loud, for fear that she would think he was clinging to her too tightly.
"That won't happen," he said calmly, trying to maintain his composure. "About seven or eight days. And when will you return to Beijing?"
"I haven't decided yet. Maybe around the sixth or seventh day of the New Year? After all, Lao Zuo still thinks I'm at work."
Fortunately, it was earlier than he expected. Zhuang Yu'an's mood improved a little and said, "Then we should be back around the same time." After a pause, he added, "But we haven't seen each other for many days. So..."
His Adam's apple rolled, and he asked tentatively, "Can I stay at your place occasionally lately?"
"Of course not." Zuo Xiao said without hesitation, "I made an agreement with Jiang Yun when we rented the apartment that no men could stay overnight."
Zhuang Yu'an's throat choked, but he still decided to fight for it: "But my work schedule is very full before the New Year, and I'm afraid I won't have much time to meet during the day and on weekends..."
The person in his arms chuckled, and the next second turned over and pressed on him.
She held his face in her hands and squeezed it, her bright eyes full of amusement.
"You're not a clingy person, are you?" she asked.
Zhuang Yu'an was stunned, with a conflict in his mind, and he was not sure whether to admit it or deny it.
Suddenly, a scene flashed through my mind: from her novel "Jasmine's Garden," the heroine Jasmine fell in love with Duncan, the castle's handsome new gardener, and they began a secret romance. Duncan seized every opportunity to cling to her, and she described him as clingier than syrup, yet she secretly delighted in the experience. "Poor Duncan... he can't live without me!" she gloated to her dog, Poppy, before bed.
Then I thought of her first novel, "After Traveling Through Time and Becoming a Gangster by Using Mind-Reading Skills." The protagonist is an ancient shrine maiden with the ability to read minds, who travels to the modern era and becomes a lonely and helpless young gangster. She once thought she would spend her life with her innocent and kind first love, but one night she heard him whisper, "Why is she so clingy... Oh, I really want to go home and play games..." In that moment, she felt "all her passion drained away, and I suddenly didn't love this man anymore." After that, she gave up her romantic life and focused on "career," quickly becoming a gang leader.
He made a quick decision and cupped her face.
"I don't want to be apart from you for even a second." He poured out his heart. "The thought of not being able to see you for so many days makes me so anxious that my heart aches. I don't know what to do."
Because of his words, the pair of dark eyes in front of him suddenly became misty, but there was a faint flash of light in the mist, and the long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, making her look even more ethereal and fragile.
He felt uneasy, unsure of the effect of his confession. Seeing her silent, he quickly tried to make amends, "I don't know if I should say these things to you... I can't help but want you to know how much I love you, but I'm always afraid that some word or action will reveal too much of my love and put pressure on you..."
He begged earnestly, "If what I said just now really put pressure on you, can you please pretend you didn't hear it? I... this is the first time I've fallen in love with someone, I don't have much sense of propriety, and I don't really know how to grasp the boundaries..."
Before he could finish his words, several fingers came up and pressed his lips.
"You're so long-winded..." The face so close to him was as bright as the moon, revealing a hint of impatience. "Silence is the best medical beauty for men, do you understand?"
His breathing suddenly tightened and he subconsciously pursed his lips.
She continued to stare at him, her face rosy and her eyes moving like a pool of autumn water. He couldn't read the deep meaning in the water and could only stare at her helplessly.
Suddenly, the fingers pressing on his lips were removed, and her lips fell softly and forcefully in their place.
The two kissed passionately. During this time, she tempted him to cross the line more than once. He endured until he was sweating profusely and on the verge of collapse, but he still kept his principles. Even he couldn't help but admire his inhuman willpower.
Before the situation became completely hopeless, Zhuang Yu'an exhausted all his willpower and got out of bed. He suppressed his breathing and dared not look at the person in the bed. After his body calmed down a little, he said while sorting his clothes, "I should go."
After a pause, he added, "See you tomorrow." Then he hurriedly left the room without delaying for a moment.
In the car, Zhuang Jinghao looked at his brother, who looked lost in thought, and asked worriedly, "How about I drive?"
Zhuang Yu'an came back to his senses: "No need." After saying that, he picked up the water cup and drank most of it in one breath.
The car drove quietly on the empty road. Zhuang Jinghao tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said mischievously, "Brother, I have an idea that will allow you and Zuo Xiao to live together."
Zhuang Yu'an smiled and said, "I'd like to hear more about it."
Zhuang Jing was so proud that she said four words: "Get Jiang Yun."
"Ha..." Zhuang Yu'an chuckled. After a moment, he raised his hand and touched her head: "You are so smart."
Zhuang Jinghao was so happy that she shook her head, but her brother's voice suddenly became serious: "Jinghao, do you feel that I have neglected you recently?"
Zhuang Jinghao was stunned for a moment, then quickly denied it after realizing what was happening: "No!"
My brother gave me an apologetic look and said solemnly, "My mind has been on Zuo Xiao lately, and I'm obviously not as attentive to you as before. But I want you to know that this doesn't mean I don't love you anymore. It's just that I'm currently at a critical moment that will determine my happiness for the rest of my life, and I can't devote more energy to you for the time being."
"Brother!" Zhuang Jinghao sniffed, "Could you please stop saying such inappropriate things... I don't feel left out at all, and I don't blame you! You're..." She gradually choked up, "You're making me look so selfish, as if I want to monopolize all your love and your life..."
Zhuang Yu'an was surprised and quickly grabbed her hand: "I'm sorry, I didn't expect these words to make you feel this way. I just don't want you to be unhappy..."
Zhuang Jinghao wiped away her tears and said, "I'm not unhappy. On the contrary, I see that you and Zuo Xiao are getting better and better, and you are getting closer and closer to the happiness you want. I'm very happy! So don't worry about me and pursue your own happiness wholeheartedly, okay?"
"Okay, I understand." Zhuang Yu'an smiled slightly, "I will work hard to live up to myself and your kindness."
After a while, he asked again: "If I really move in with Zuo Xiao, won't you feel lonely?"
"Of course not!" Zhuang Jinghao said confidently, "I'm not a child anymore! Besides, I have a lot of friends. I can find friends to play with!"
"That's right." The brother laughed, "No one is watching over you, you are free, it seems not bad."
"Hehe, that's it..." Zhuang Jing smiled foolishly.
Unexpectedly, my brother changed the subject: "Without my constraints, what are you going to do when you go out tonight?"
Zhuang Jinghao was stunned for a moment. Only then did he realize that someone had dug a pit waiting in front of him, and he had lost his mind and jumped into it foolishly.
"I..." she explained anxiously, "I was just shopping and karaoke with my friends! Jingjing and the others were planning to take me skiing and soaking in hot springs!"
My brother chuckled twice and didn't pursue the matter any further.
Just when Zhuang Jinghao thought she had finally gotten away with it, he suddenly said, "If you find someone you like, as long as they have good character and treat you sincerely, you don't have to worry about me getting in the way."
Zhuang Jinghao took a sharp breath, opened and closed his mouth, and after a long while he managed to utter, "Brother, you...you know everything?"
Zhuang Yu'an smiled and said, "I only recently realized that a person's emotions are completely out of their control. I used to pride myself on being rational and self-disciplined, and I found those so-called romantic stories ridiculous. I didn't believe that there was such a thing as being unable to control one's emotions. Now I understand how arrogant and conceited I was back then... Since I can't do it myself, I naturally won't ask you to do it. It's just..."
He stopped at a red light, turned around, looked at her seriously and said:
"Before getting married, you must take protective measures. This is the bottom line that cannot be crossed."
At this moment, Zhuang Jinghao felt something explode in her head, making her eyes turn white and black.
When the car started again, her face was already red with embarrassment. She looked at her brother with an angry look on his face, cursing in her heart:
"You're crazy! Who drives as fast as you?"
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