Chapter 102 Promise
Of the three people present—Jiang Xia, Wu Zhou, and Zhan Lintian—none of them knew anything about the house.
So they looked around their "new home" together.
To be precise, it was Wu Zhou and Zhan Lintian who insisted on following Jiang Xia. Wherever he went, the two of them followed, like shadows.
After Jiang Xia finished looking at the master bedroom, he turned around to go check out the second bedroom. He almost bumped into the two people behind him and was startled.
Zhan Lintian quickly stepped aside, saying, "Are you sure you don't want me to help you pack?"
He had his sleeves rolled up, ready to be called upon at any moment, but he restrained himself, knowing he had to respect Jiang Xia's opinion.
Jiang Xia shook his head: "No need, I can handle it myself."
Jiangxia started arranging items, and once people were busy with their own tasks, the awkwardness lessened.
But he couldn't shake off the two shadows behind him.
Jiang Xia could only pretend to be busy, keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact with them; neither of them showed any intention of leaving.
He went to the master bedroom, and the two followed closely behind.
He went to the second bedroom, and the two of them moved over there as usual.
Jiang Xia pursed her lips, intending to check the bathroom in the second bedroom, but as she turned her head, she bumped directly into Wu Zhou.
He staggered and quickly took several steps back.
Wu Zhou quickly reached out and wrapped his arm around Jiang Xia's waist, his deep voice ringing in Jiang Xia's ear: "Be careful."
The two stood close together. After Jiang Xia regained his footing, Wu Zhou was in no hurry to let go. Instead, he looked up at Zhan Lintian beside him and said seriously, "There's no need to come in. The passage is a bit narrow."
The house is exquisitely decorated, with a high ceiling, so there is no feeling of confinement inside.
But the entrance to the restroom is ultimately just that small.
Wu Zhou's palm landed precisely on Jiang Xia's side. Although the pressure was gentle, it touched the slightly sore spot on Jiang Xia's body, causing him to gasp for breath.
Upon hearing this, Wu Zhou immediately released his grip, but remained close to Jiang Xia, indicating that he should continue looking at the room.
He enjoyed watching Jiang Xia carefully examine every detail of the room.
The more careful and attentive he is, the more he will regard this house as his future home.
Wu Zhou used a retreat as a tactic to advance, softening his tone: "Just treat this house as your home. No one can come in without permission, including me."
He did not intend to use the right to reside in a house to easily obtain the possibility of living with Jiangxia.
Such an action is far too cheap.
Jiang Xia is capable, has a stable and high income, and savings. Even if he doesn't live here, he can easily book a room in a nearby star-rated hotel for an extended period.
Jiang Xia lacks nothing; he is hardworking and independent enough.
Wu Ming must be out of his mind to think that Jiangxia lacks a home, specifically a house.
“This is my request, not a demand, Jiang Xia,” Wu Zhou gazed into Jiang Xia’s eyes, “the decision is in your hands.”
Jiang Xia gave a soft "hmm" and looked at Wu Zhou: "I understand what you mean..."
Wu Zhou simply wanted to provide himself with a stable place to live.
Wu Zhou's expression darkened further: "Wu Ming once wanted to give you a house; he once wanted to arrange for someone to go through the procedures."
He assigned Assistant Xie to do this.
Assistant Xie immediately told Wu Zhou about it and also notified Jiang Xia.
At that time, Wu Ming tried to apologize by offering the house, but Jiang Xia felt nothing but endless disgust and hatred.
The former is resentment, the latter is hatred.
Wu Ming asked me to choose a house in Mengcheng for under 20 million yuan, claiming he would give it to me.
That house was Wu Ming's belated apology gift, but it was more like an invisible transaction than an apology.
An attempt to restrict the future of Jiangxia by using housing.
From then on, whenever Jiang Xia had the idea of leaving, Wu Ming would use the 20 million yuan house as an excuse to make a big fuss.
For Wu Ming, twenty million was the sum of his few chips at the gambling table; for Jiang Xia, if he really took it, it would become a shackle for life.
Jiang Xia looked down on the 20 million yuan house, and also looked down on Wu Ming.
Now, Jiang Xia stands in his living room, gazing into the distance. Through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, he can even see the company where he works.
The floor-to-ceiling windows were enormous. The housekeepers had kept the glass spotless inside and out during the day, but there seemed to be no protection around the windows. Jiang Xia, a newcomer to this place, dared not approach them easily.
Wu Zhou walked over and stood next to Jiang Xia, saying, "The glass is very sturdy. Although the house was renovated a few years ago, I had them check for safety hazards again before we moved in. Besides, the house is not in a windy spot."
Jiang Xia and Wu Zhou knew what this conversation was about.
Only Zhan Lintian, standing to the side, was completely bewildered.
What was Wu Zhou saying? Suddenly, the conversation turned to the installation of floor-to-ceiling windows, and Jiang Xia looked like she understood... Zhan Lintian looked at Jiang Xia's back, then at Wu Zhou.
At this moment, Wu Zhouban coaxed Jiang Xia, saying, "If you're scared, you can look at it from a little distance; it's very safe."
Upon hearing this, Zhan Lintian understood: Jiang Xia was afraid of heights.
He asked directly, "Jiang Xia, are you afraid of heights?"
He was puzzled, wondering why he hadn't noticed it before.
Jiang Xia hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I'm not afraid of heights, I'm just afraid of places that are dangerous. It's so dark outside, it's like there's no glass, and if you walk to the edge, you'll lose your footing and fall."
The passing of parents is like a never-ending rain, a constant reminder in real life.
Life is full of unexpected events, and he can only try to avoid them as much as possible.
But fate is cruel.
Zhan Lintian walked towards the river gorge and demonstrated with a smile: "Look, there's glass here, don't worry."
He walked to the balcony and approached the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Before I even got close, Jiang Xia suddenly grabbed my hand.
Zhan Lintian turned his head to look at Jiang Xia, who shook his head.
Wu Zhou, who was standing nearby, said, "He can't stand seeing others get close to places he thinks are dangerous. Once Jiang Xia gets used to the presence of this floor-to-ceiling window, it will be fine for him to get close."
Zhan Lintian's eyes showed appreciation for Wu Zhou's initiative in speaking up. His secret admiration over the past decade hadn't been in vain.
Zhan Lintian observed Jiang Xia's face again, confirmed that this was the reason, and said softly, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Jiang Xia was still a little shocked: "Huh?"
Zhan Lintian hugged him and ruffled Jiang Xia's hair with both hands: "What do you mean 'ah'? If you're scared, I won't go over. There was nothing wrong. I'm not that idiot Wu Ming."
Jiang Xia's eyes were bright. Zhan Lintian bent down slightly to meet his gaze, and the two locked eyes.
Jiang Xia couldn't help but chuckle and said softly, "How do you know Wu Ming never listens to me and always seeks thrills?"
He had absolutely no desire to go hiking with Wu Ming anymore.
While others were hiking normally, Wu Ming insisted on taking photos on the cliffs, ignoring my attempts to stop him.
Zhan Lintian grinned, leaned close to Jiang Xia, and said, "Can you tell me why? It would be better if you told me."
At this moment, Wu Zhou was also observing.
Wu Zhou knew that Jiang Xia was afraid of heights and also afraid of seeing other people appearing at heights.
However, Wu Zhou was unsure why Jiang Xia was afraid of everyone going to dangerous places.
He initially guessed it was because Jiang Xia's parents had died in a car accident.
I had considered asking directly so I could find the right solution, but I was afraid of reopening old wounds.
Jiang Xia waved his hand: "It's nothing."
Zhan Lintian cupped his face and said softly, "Tell me, we are lovers who will support each other through thick and thin. Honesty is the first lesson. Jiang Xia, frankness is a virtue."
The two people looked into each other's eyes.
The gorge finally opened.
He once knew a college classmate who was running forward with his arms around each other, hugging each other. In the middle of their playful fight, the two of them fell down a slope.
It was only a little over a meter high, and it was a slope. Because there were rocks on the slope, one of them hit him, causing internal bleeding and blocking his airway.
It was gone in less than five minutes.
Jiang Xia's last conversation with that male classmate was during an art sketching assignment, when the other student begged her to draw a sketch of an apple for him.
The other person turned around, leaned forward, and looked at the homework in Jiang Xia's sketchbook. He put his hands together, raised them above his head, and kept bowing.
"Please, Jiang Xia, I'll buy you some braised food. What do you want to eat?"
Edamame? Braised tofu?
But the other party is like one's own parents, but the next moment the teacher stands in front of the podium and regretfully announces that the person who was alive and well two classes ago has died despite all efforts to save him.
The unexpected happened even earlier than tomorrow: the other party failed to bring the braised food to Jiang Xia, and Jiang Xia no longer had to help him complete that sketch assignment.
The scenes from my childhood are still vivid in my mind.
The surrounding scenery changed as others brought news of their deaths. People came and went, and sobs could be heard from all directions. He was carried to the mourning hall.
The paper money in the bronze plaque in front of the mourning hall burned to ashes. It was added again and again, burned again and again, day and night, accompanied by music and singing.
Jiang Xia remembers clearly that relatives and friends whispered that this was fate...
If fate cannot be changed, Jiangxia can only try his best to avoid danger.
Jiang Xia spoke slowly and deliberately, as if telling a short story, calm yet helpless.
He really liked a quote someone once said: "When will you understand that people don't just die when they get old, but can die at any time?"
He had grasped this principle when he was ten years old.
Zhan Lintian grasped Jiang Xia's hand and said, "I won't let you be afraid."
Jiang Xia chuckled and tilted her head to look at him.
President Zhan was much easier to persuade than Wu Ming. In fact, before Jiang Xia could even offer any advice, he had already made his own promise.
He also wants to cancel his memberships for several risky sports, such as skydiving and off-road hiking...
The family is worried.
After that, Jiangxia tried hard to get used to this being her new home.
Outside the window, several commercial office buildings have been Jiangxia's "friends" for many years.
It felt so familiar; the discomfort of moving into a new house vanished instantly.
This was a familiar place to him, and the only thing that left him feeling lost was... that this would be his future home.
Wu Zhou sends out text messages and makes empty promises during the day.
He spoke again as soon as he entered the room.
This will be my home, where I will live with my loved one.
Jiang Xia's lips trembled... He wanted to agree, but felt it was shameful.
After getting drunk, I probably... maybe... perhaps... maybe I had some ambiguous relationship with General Manager Wu and General Manager Zhan.
One person is fine, but why is it two people?
Fortunately, this was Wu Zhou's house after all, and Zhan Lintian wanted to stay, but Wu Zhou "invited" him to leave.
It was too late, and Zhan Lintian stayed until eleven o'clock, but there were no supplies prepared for him in the room, such as pajamas.
Zhan Lintian clenched his fists. As soon as he went downstairs, he sent a WeChat message to Jiang Xia to complain: "I was tricked by him. I was the one who called the moving company for him!"
"I should have moved all your stuff to the island villa."
Zhan Lintian sent an angry emoji.
Jiang Xia typed to comfort him.
Wu Zhou, who was standing nearby, asked, "What did he say?"
Jiang Xia hesitated: "He said he was going to spend the night in the car."
Let's see if Jiangxia will soften his heart.
Wu Zhou calmly explained, "That's something we should be careful about. The community has an underground parking garage and independent heating. The temperature in the garage is around ten degrees Celsius."
"I'll have someone bring an air conditioner fan downstairs later, so he doesn't get heatstroke." Wu Zhou's expression remained unchanged.
But Jiang Xia noticed that he raised his eyebrows slightly.
He's up to no good.
Jiang Xia finally understood why Wu Ming said his older brother had a sharp tongue, and that one lick of his tongue could kill him.
He subtly insulted President Zhan while also embracing Jiang Xia on the sofa, taking a deep breath as he leaned closer.
I really want to kiss him...
Wu Zhou hugged him tightly, in a position that Jiang Xia could not see his face.
All that could be heard was the man's deep voice, promising each word clearly: "Jiang Xia, we have a home now."
Jiang Xia opened his mouth and looked at the wall behind him.
I have a home now... not just a temporary place to stay, but a home where my loved ones are by my side.
Jiang Xia helplessly put her arm around his shoulder and buried her face in the shoulder of his suit jacket.
Wu Zhou chuckled and swung his legs, causing Jiang Xia to sway along with him.
Meanwhile, someone else was searching all over Mengcheng. Wu Ming searched all four of his elder brother's properties but couldn't find Jiang Xia.
With four properties scattered across four different locations, he was already feeling unwell from walking around in circles. When Wu Ming arrived at the last residential complex, he was so exhausted that he vomited as soon as he stepped off.
I vomited acidic fluid.
But he still couldn't find Jiangxia.
Wu Ming leaned against the wall, unable to control his sobs.
In the end, he had no choice but to call Xie Xingzhang. Xie Xingzhang must know his older brother, otherwise why would he suddenly fly to the Fog Country to be affectionate with him, and even film and upload videos of the rich young lady's overseas travel vlog?
This has led to her fans putting pressure on her, and Wu Ming doesn't know if he can still annul the engagement.
He was at his wit's end.
Xie Xingzhang is a professional night owl, and she can answer the phone instantly even though the time difference is different. Wu Ming made things clear to her before returning to China and promised to give her a lot of money, so she didn't care.
Wu Ming didn't say anything, but Xie Xingzhang knew what Wu Ming was thinking.
Wu Ming stammered, "Xingzhang, do you know where my older brother is?"
"Oh, you mean you want to ask where Jiangxia is, right?"
Wu Ming lowered his head, somewhat unsure of himself: "Mm."
Xie Xingzhang recalled the gentle young man at the airport; the Heavenly Lotus and Stars shone particularly well with him.
Xie Xingzhang admired the manicure, his voice languid: "Wu Ming, don't go and ruin him. You two are destined not to be together."
"We've been together for so many years, why..."
Xie Xingzhang squinted at the purple nail polish under the light and said bluntly in a sweet voice, "Why? Wu Ming, don't you know the answer yourself? Stop pretending to be stupid."
Xie Xingzhang said, "I think your older brother treated him better than you did."
At the airport last time, and at the wedding before that, Wu Zhou's eyes changed instantly the moment Jiang Xia appeared.
Xie Xingzhang discovered this while editing his wedding vlog.
Mr. Wu would frequently glance at the river gorge, his eyes following its movements.
Her gaze was practically glued to Jiang Xia's face; if he actually started talking to her, she'd go crazy.
Besides, she wasn't stupid. President Wu spent a lot of money to invite her abroad, so how could it be to keep Wu Ming company and relieve his boredom?
Xie Xingzhang said, "Don't shout anymore. I think you and Jiang Xia will meet again in a while."
Wu Ming asked in confusion, "When?"
"Let's celebrate the New Year."
A note from the author:
Life after marriage.
Both Zhan Lintian and Wu Zhou loved to hold Jiang Xia.
General Manager Zhan liked to hold Jiang Xia, shake him, and tease him, occasionally giving him a sudden jolt that made Jiang Xia's body sway.
After Jiang Xia realizes that he is teasing her, she will laugh and snuggle into his arms.
But once Mr. Zhan gets into bed, it's like an old house catching fire, with him driving like crazy.
*
Furthermore, Ms. Xie didn't notice this at all on her wedding day and at the airport.
She was only focused on filming the video and paying attention to her expressions, but in the later editing, she had to analyze the footage piece by piece to check the rhythm.
Xie Xingzhang: Wu Ming, I've stumbled upon some juicy gossip! [doge emoji]
Let's try posting yesterday's author's note again.
In the story, when Jiang Xia is panting uncontrollably in bed, she is incredibly alluring. She becomes shy, whimpers softly, and sounds like she's moaning, with a slight sob in her voice, as if she's enjoying herself so much that she can't take it anymore. This gives the viewer a strange sense of accomplishment.
That's why once President Zhan and President Wu get going, they can't stop.
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