Chapter 21 I don't care which one is your boyfriend...
Tonight was supposed to be a lovely Friday night for Pan Mingxuan. He didn't have to work the next two days, which meant he could stay up all night as much as he wanted. He bought a ticket for a midnight movie, and there were more people in the audience than he had expected—probably an unspoken understanding among adults.
The film started playing at midnight, with dazzling special effects on the big screen. The plot was seriously clichéd, and by the second half, he was already thinking about which night market to go to for a late-night snack. He decided to stay until the credits rolled before leaving.
After it was over, he immediately checked his phone, his eyes half-closed with sleepiness, and let out a huge yawn.
But the next second, Pan Mingxuan's open mouth got stuck in the middle of closing.
Because he was reading so fast, he was already stunned before he could even grasp the meaning of the headline.
What does "#MusicianJiangShiyanSuspectedOfMeetingABeautifulWoman#" mean? How come he doesn't recognize Chinese characters when they're all together?
The departing crowd bypassed him. A pair of girls were also holding their phones, whispering amongst themselves. Even if they were discussing the movie plot, it made Pan Mingxuan's scalp tingle.
He wasn't an artist's assistant and had never encountered anything like this before. It felt like the sky had fallen, and he imagined that everyone was paying attention to this.
The trending search terms are currently lagging behind, just starting to gain traction. If Jiang Shiyan were still awake, he thought that denying it before it escalates would be the best public relations opportunity.
He didn't need to eat a late-night snack. He took a screenshot of the trending topic, made a phone call, and hoped that people who usually go to bed early and get up early are still awake tonight.
His expectations were half fulfilled; Jiang Shiyan was still awake, and once awake, he was still not asleep.
But the other side failed, and the plan couldn't be implemented.
After learning what had happened, his good boss said in a lazy voice, "That's me, how can you deny it?"
Pan Mingxuan: "..."
The videos under the entry were copied and screenshotted by marketing accounts that operate 24 hours a day, but the original Weibo post that first posted the video is still in front of the square. Pan Mingxuan clicked into the homepage to check and found that it was indeed an ordinary person.
@t小熊小熊毛绒绒: [Holy crap, I think I ran into Jiang Shiyan... Can you guys help me check if it's him... No way, does anyone know? I just started shipping him and Meng Jiao... [crack][crack][crack]]
The camera angle was diagonally opposite the wall that Xu Yuewei was leaning against at the time. The vertical screen not only zoomed in on the man and woman who were pulling and tugging, but also included the car parked on the side of the road.
Even if Jiang Shiyan denies that the blurry face is his, as long as someone with a keen eye digs out his car and compares it with the one in the video, it will be difficult for him to clear his name.
The comments section and the hashtag page were buzzing with excitement from Meng Jiao's fans who were still awake.
Pan Mingxuan sighed: "Sigh, it really is you, especially your profile, it's so recognizable... What are we going to do?"
In the hotel room, the recessed LED lights along the edge of the ceiling cast a warm yellow light evenly, soft and not glaring. Jiang Shiyan turned on his phone screen, and the pale light shone on his sleepy face, causing him to squint.
Swipe with two fingers to zoom in on the image.
The images captured from the video are of low quality, and due to the angle, Xu Yuewei's face is either blurry or obscured in these images where his facial features are relatively clear.
Fortunately, she was drunk, and her head was shaking more violently than usual, causing more hair to sway, which helped her escape danger several times.
Moreover, it doesn't matter who she is; the important thing is that Jiang Shiyan "betrayed" Meng Jiao, drawing all the attention and becoming like a target riddled with arrows.
Jiang Shiyan quickly scrolled through several posts, but gradually relaxed his brows, as if he were an outsider detached from the matter.
"Old Pan, do me a favor."
Pan Mingxuan perked up: "Okay, go ahead."
Jiang Shiyan: "Buy me a women's coat, preferably a long one, size L."
"……ah?"
"I'm at the hotel now," Jiang Shiyan said calmly, dropping a bombshell. "With her."
"?!"
People living in the city are used to not seeing the stars. The night is cold and solemn, and the moonlight is like lustrous jade.
Pan Mingxuan looked up at the sky and said goodbye in his heart to his chicken necks, duck tongues, grilled oysters, and fried skewers.
While observing the moment of silence, I also hope that the heavens will align the seven stars and point me in the right direction, telling me which nook or cranny of the city I can buy women's clothing in the middle of the night.
If he had known this would happen, why did he watch that lousy movie tonight? He would have been better off going home, having a few drinks, getting slightly tipsy, and then snuggling up on his wife's lap to fall asleep...
etc.
"The malls are all closed now, but I do have some of my wife's clothes at home. I can go get one, but..."
Pan Mingxuan glanced at his wife, composed himself, and accepted the fact that his boss was keeping a mistress in a VIP room in a split second. But when it came to the specific form of address, he ran into trouble.
"This lady... no, ma'am, um... does she need it? May I ask why?"
His point was that if there's a problem, we should talk about it and work together to find a solution. Besides, we're all in the same boat, and given the current situation, he also needs to be informed to some extent.
But Jiang Shiyan replied, "She's asleep."
Pan Mingxuan took a deep breath, afraid of hearing something explicit.
Jiang Shiyan: "So we need to take advantage of this time to move people out."
Pan Mingxuan hissed, never expecting it to be this restricted-level law.
"No, wait a minute."
Feeling they wouldn't finish their conversation anytime soon, Pan Mingxuan tossed the car keys to his wife, and the two went down to the parking lot and got into the car.
The word "transfer" is being used, so there must be some emergency. Changing clothes is probably to avoid being noticed, so...
He immediately tensed up: "You were being followed by that little bear? She's a stalker! You can call the police!"
"...I knew I was being followed, yet I still brazenly entered the hotel in front of everyone?" Jiang Shiyan's voice was filled with disdain and speechlessness.
That's true. He's been ruined by those bad movies; he's lost his mind.
Jiang Shiyan had to explain, "She's drunk, she'll definitely wake up late tomorrow. There will be a lot of people around during the day, and I don't want things to get any more complicated."
Pan Mingxuan was even more confused: "It can't be that bad, as long as you don't leave the hotel with her tomorrow..."
He was interrupted before he could finish speaking: "I want her. Otherwise, she'll definitely run away."
Pan Mingxuan opened his mouth, but the words "So you're the illegitimate child" stuck in his throat. He didn't dare to say it, nor did he dare to ask.
He switched screens to check the trending topics, and in just a short while, that shocking hashtag had climbed from the bottom to number 37.
That's secondary. Another hashtag, #MengJiaojiangShiyan#, is rising rapidly and climbing quickly. With no other topics to discuss tonight, it's only a matter of time before it reaches the top.
Pan Mingxuan squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, his features scrunched up tightly, and when he opened them again, his brows were still furrowed. He couldn't help but complain, "Brother, you're so unfair."
Having worked together for many years, Jiang Shiyan witnessed his entire process from dating to marriage, but he had never heard of his private life. Meng Jiao's matter didn't count; that was work, and he knew about it.
Now the truth can't be hidden any longer, and he's not going to tell him everything. The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is.
Pan Mingxuan was a little annoyed, and he fumed in frustration: "My wife wears size M, so it might not fit. If there's nothing else, I'll contact Meng Jiao first."
"No need for clothes, I'll figure it out myself." Jiang Shiyan lifted the blanket, sat on the edge of the bed, and slowly blinked his dry eyes. "It's too late, you should rest first, and we can discuss it with them tomorrow. Don't worry, it's nothing, and even if there is something, it's my business."
Pan Mingxuan couldn't see his expression, but through the receiver, his voice remained calm, unhurried, and emotionally stable.
The unease and dissatisfaction weighing on Pan Mingxuan's heart lessened considerably, and he breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, then at least let me know what you plan to do?"
Jiang Shiyan: "Take her back to my house first."
Pan Mingxuan: "?"
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Shiyan went to the bathroom to wash up. He ordered a mask and a hat from a 24-hour supermarket about one kilometer away, and they were delivered in about half an hour.
He folded his coat haphazardly and draped it over the back of the chair, which I casually grabbed, pulled out my door card, and closed the door.
His room was 310, and Xu Yuewei was sleeping in 309 next door. When they checked into 309, since it was a two-person room, the front desk gave them two room cards. One card was stuck on the wall, and he had the other card in his pocket.
The soft dripping sound couldn't wake the sleeping person; the room was dark and quiet.
Jiang Shiyan turned on his phone's flashlight, lowered the brightness, and walked slowly and quietly to the bedside, shining the flashlight's beam along the edge.
In the dim light, he saw Xu Yuewei lying on her side, hugging another pillow. She was probably too hot sleeping in a sweater, as the blanket on her body had slipped down to her armpits and was about to fall off.
Jiang Shiyan lifted the blanket and paused for a moment.
The light was too dim earlier, so he didn't notice the part above the blanket. Her sweater was piled up with wrinkles like a Michelin tire, so he didn't expect to see her bare waist and back when he lifted it up.
For a moment, I didn't know where to start.
Jiang Shiyan pulled the blanket back over himself, tried to calm down, but couldn't.
Drunkenness seems to be contagious. He didn't touch the alcohol, but he got drunk after touching her. He sneaked into her room late at night, acting like a pervert.
He accepted that.
She lifted the covers, pulled out the pillow, and pulled down the hem of her sweater. After putting everything on, Xu Yuewei went from lying on her side to lying flat on her back. Her eyelids seemed to twitch, but she showed no signs of waking up.
Jiang Shiyan spread his coat next to her. He was glad that they had booked a double room this time, as the room was just the right size.
Then I picked her up, gently placed her on the coat, nestled her shoulders inside, and buttoned it up.
His clothes were more than enough to cover her, and there was still enough room to stuff her coat and handbag into her arms.
Finally, I put on a hat and mask, then carried her out of the room in my arms.
The elevator reached the first floor, and the lobby was as bright as day. Jiang Shiyan felt the person in his arms move and bury their head even deeper into his chest.
As they walked out of the hotel toward the parking space, Jiang Shiyan heard her breathing grow softer and softer, as if a feather had landed on the tip of his heart.
"Say something if you're awake," he said in a low voice.
Hearing is the last sense to disappear before a person falls asleep, and it is also the first sense to recover after waking up.
The night was so quiet, as if separated from the hustle and bustle of the day by a river, with the city noise melting away on the other side.
In a half-dreaming, half-awake state, Xu Yuewei heard someone whispering in her ear. She slowly opened her eyes a crack, her vision as chaotic as the beginning of time. With another blink, her gaze focused, and a pair of cool, clear eyes, like those of the night sky, were reflected in her own.
Mountains reflected in water, moon shining in the night.
She was momentarily dazed, thinking she was still dreaming.
But the feeling of support on her back and the slight discomfort in the back of her legs reminded her that this was not a dream, but that his arm was supporting her body instead of the bedpost.
Her gaze drifted downwards, and she saw him wearing a light gray turtleneck sweater with broad shoulders, her cheek pressed against it.
If she weren't so weak, she would definitely have thrashed around like a fish.
She lowered her eyes again and fell silent.
Indeed, they were fish; he caught them all in a fishing net.
When Xu Yuewei drinks too much, she falls asleep quickly, but her sleep is light. She often wakes up at three or four in the morning. By then, she is mostly sober and too awake to fall back asleep.
But there has never been a fantastical story where she fell asleep and then opened her eyes to find herself in a completely different place.
Her brain sent a signal, and her instinct was to run away, but her body was still numbed by alcohol. Besides, his sweater was soft and comfortable, and it didn't irritate her face at all.
However, this is not her place.
After sleeping for several hours, Xu Yuewei's lips were stuck together, and it took effort for her to speak: "Let me go."
Her voice had a rough, grainy quality, and it didn't sound like her at all.
Jiang Shiyan ignored her and walked to the car door, even instructing her: "Help me open the door."
Xu Yuewei didn't move, she just looked at him.
Jiang Shiyan then bent down and put her down, freeing his left hand to reach into her coat to get the car keys, while his right hand remained on her waist and back, a silent but persistent restraint.
When he put his hand into his pocket, Xu Yuewei shivered, whether from the cold wind or from genuine fear.
She was holding clothes and a bag in her arms. The coat buttons looked loose, but it actually covered her quite well. There was a faint, woody scent of incense from the closet.
Xu Yuewei took a step back, but had no chance to turn around and run away. The hand that was lurking on her waist and back suddenly exerted force, pulling her back forcefully and undeniably.
She stumbled, and using the force, stepped onto a hard yet soft object—it must have been his leather shoe.
She quickly pulled her foot back, the image of those shiny leather shoes flashing through her mind. She didn't dare look down, hurriedly closed her eyes, and pursed her lips, looking extremely nervous.
Jiang Shiyan's lips curled up slightly beneath his mask.
Their lower bodies were very close together, and if they weren't holding something in their hands, their upper bodies would also be very close.
Xu Yuewei leaned back, clinging to the last bit of distance, while Jiang Shiyan reached out and brushed her hair aside without any restraint, his fingertips intentionally or unintentionally touching her shoulder.
She suddenly felt a sharp pain in her scalp and hissed.
"Sorry, I'll be gentle."
It turned out that a strand of her hair had gotten tangled in a button on her coat.
That's the downside of long, curly hair; the ends are especially prone to tangling.
The buttons were undone, and the coat hung on her like a cape.
"Get in the car." Jiang Shiyan opened the passenger door.
Xu Yuewei stepped back again, keeping a distance of about half a person's body length, and silently shook her head.
“You were the one who said you didn’t want to go home.” He took a step toward her with one foot, like a signal of intrusion. “Now you can’t go back even if you want to. You’ve lost your chance.”
Xu Yuewei backed away against the car's outline until she was level with the headlights, placed the things she was holding on the hood, took off his coat, and folded it up.
Her sweater was drafty, and she shrank back, glancing down at the tips of her shoes.
“…Jiang Shiyan, that’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”
“I know you hold a grudge against me, but if it happened again, I would still break up with you. I don’t want to make things worse.”
The alcohol was almost completely dissipated in her body, but with the last bit of its effect, she felt a long-lost courage—not much, but enough to dismantle the tip of the iceberg that had been pent up in her heart since their reunion.
She bit her lip tightly, refusing to say anything more. After a few seconds, she slowly walked forward, raised her arm, and gestured for him to take the coat.
"So, let me go."
The night fog enveloped them like silk.
Jiang Shiyan didn't move. His face was covered by the brim of his baseball cap and his mask. The less he could see, the more uneasy people felt.
"If I let you go, where will you go?"
"...It's none of your business."
"You don't need me to handle this?"
Jiang Shiyan suddenly looked up, his eyebrows and eyes straight and sharp, like the eyes of a hawk.
"So who are you going to see? The kid, or the man you were drinking with tonight?"
He approached her step by step, grabbing her wrist. "Or that weakling from back then?"
Xu Yuewei was hurt by the touch and tried to struggle, but she couldn't move her arms. His strength was so great that he seemed to want to embed himself into her flesh.
"Listen, I don't care which one is your boyfriend, it doesn't matter if they are both."
Jiang Shiyan's lips curved slightly, and he let out a short, self-deprecating whisper, his voice low and persistent:
"I'm taking care of you tonight, so don't think you can just discard me after you're done."
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Author's Note: I secretly like my wife when she's asleep, but when she wakes up I transform into a domineering CEO, spouting harsh words. No wonder you can't get her back! [droopy-eared rabbit head]
However, things are developing in a more favorable direction, and I promise you, Director Zhu! [dog head with rose in hand]
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