Chapter 41 Solitude (New, Replacement)
"OK."
Jiang Xia pressed for details, asking about the agreed meeting time: "What time tomorrow?"
Zhan Lintian suddenly felt guilty. He could have explained things over the phone, but he insisted on making excuses to meet Jiang Xia in person.
"It's getting late. Let's talk about tomorrow morning around 10 o'clock. You can sleep a little longer. There's no rush."
Jiang Xia nodded in response.
After saying goodnight to each other and hanging up the phone, Jiang Xia lay on the bed, turned to her side, put her hand on the pillow beside her, hugged the soft pillow, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
Under the influence of alcohol, he fell asleep again soon after.
He drank a glass of wine at dinner.
Mr. Zhan said: "A little drink helps me sleep better at night."
Jiang Xia really didn't want to lie in his rented bedroom tonight, contemplating his past, present, and future.
Mr. Zhan's method worked, and Jiang Xia fell asleep quickly.
As for the other party involved, Zhan Lintian, he claimed he had to drive and did not drink a drop of alcohol.
But tonight, President Zhan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he would think of Jiang Xia lying in Wu Zhou's arms, quietly looking at the other person.
He didn't fall asleep until the early hours of the morning, half-asleep, feeling as if there was someone else in his arms.
Zhan Lintian slightly opened his eyes and saw the young man in his arms with his back to him, and saw the deep red mole on his left cheek.
Jiang Xia rested her head on his arm, but Zhan Lintian didn't notice the numbness. He straightened up slightly to see Jiang Xia more clearly.
Seeing that the man was sleeping soundly, he placed his other hand on Jiang Xia's waist, his palm pressed against the soft flesh of his abdomen, and deliberately mischievously pressed the thin flesh of his abdomen.
Jiang Xia did not stop him, but gently held Zhan Lintian's other hand with both of hers and continued to sleep.
Zhan Lintian lowered his head, kissed his ear, pulled him into his arms, nuzzled him, and bent over to rest his chin on his shoulder.
This is my lover, sleeping soundly in my arms.
Jiang Xia loves herself so much that once she makes a choice, her heart belongs only to herself.
Jiang Xia was unlike the other "couples" he had met over the years. They were young, had resources, were good-looking, and had high-paying jobs. They had countless opportunities to try and fail, and could quickly fall in love but never see each other again.
Jiang Xia, however, would only respond to her feelings after much deliberation and careful consideration...
Having witnessed countless fast-paced love stories, Zhan Lintian finally slowed down around Jiang Xia.
He rolled over and kissed him, nibbling on his lips, guiding the bewildered man to respond.
On the large bed in the bedroom, the sounds of kissing and saliva could be heard from under the covers. Jiang Xia shyly responded to the sounds, along with Zhan Lintian's occasional coaxing words.
The temperature inside the blankets rose higher and higher. Jiang Xia reached out, her fingertips glistening with water, her smooth, rounded nails glowing a rosy pink from the passion in her heart.
The next moment, a strong and powerful hand suddenly reached out, grabbed his palm, and groped to interlock his fingers, gradually increasing the force until the veins on the back of the hand bulged.
"Jiangxia..." Along with the name came the ambiguous sound of water.
Zhan Lintian was still teasing him, and Jiang Xia was being kissed so hard he could hardly breathe, his lips being bitten by the man.
Zhan Lintian rolled over, used a little force in his waist, and squeezed his feet between Jiang Xia's legs, easily separating them without using his hands.
Jiang Xia suppressed a low cry and murmured indistinctly, "Lin Tian..."
Zhan Lintian suddenly stopped, realizing something was wrong. Jiang Xia had always called him "General Manager Zhan" and had never used his full name before, so why would he call him that...?
He lowered his head and kissed her again before realizing that this was probably a dream.
Once a person realizes they are dreaming, they are usually about to wake up.
Zhan Lintian groggily woke up, reached out and patted the person beside him, wanting to pull them into his arms, but found nothing.
There was no one around him, while Jiang Xia was sleeping soundly in his own home.
It was just past six in the morning. Zhan Lintian took a deep breath, rolled out of bed, and went to the bathroom to wash up.
Standing in the shower, he thought of Jiang Xia from his dream; the other's touch and scent still lingered on his hands and lips…
After a while, he gave up resisting, closed his eyes, and the image of Jiang Xia appeared before him. Just thinking about the kiss in his dream made his whole body burn.
Jiang Xia's lips were soft; with a gentle pry, one could easily slip them inside to suck on his wet, slippery tongue.
Jiang Xia's mature body was surprisingly unfamiliar with such matters, so unfamiliar that it seemed he had never encountered or seen anything related to them before.
Zhan Lintian kissed his way from the red mole on his cheek to the red mole on his neck, and then down to below his collarbone...
The water pattered softly, his voice hoarse, and he whispered the name of Jiang Xia in his throat…
After changing his clothes, Zhan Lintian checked his phone first—Jiang Xia was probably still asleep and hadn't sent any messages, but other friends had sent quite a few in the past day or two.
He hasn't had time to reply since yesterday.
Ying Hua sent a bunch of messages, with the second one appearing in the chat box: "Lin Tian, what have you been busy with lately? For the project we discussed last time, are you handling it with Vice President Ren or are you handling it with him?"
Zhan Lintian typed: "I've put Ren Qiangyi in charge of the project."
Yinghua, whether he had just woken up or hadn't slept all night, replied instantly: "Good heavens, you're finally back! Which deity has taken a fancy to which unattainable beauty and came to you to be their strategist? Is she so hard to win over?"
Zhan Lintian casually sent an emoji to brush off the topic.
He originally wanted to catch up on some sleep, but when he remembered that he had an appointment with Jiang Xia, he immediately lost his sleepiness and simply got up to go for a run.
*
Jiang Xia woke up promptly at 7:30 in the morning with a splitting headache. After getting up, he drank a glass of warm water and ate some breakfast before he felt a little better.
It wasn't cold today; it was even a bit warm to wear thick clothes at home. So, when he went out, he changed into a loose-fitting, two-piece short-sleeved shirt and put on a pullover shirt.
Jiang Xia, knowing that General Manager Zhan was coming, went to a nearby supermarket to buy groceries. He didn't know what kind of food the other party liked to eat, and after observing him over the past few days, he couldn't figure out his preferences.
Jiang Xia stood in front of the container, hesitated for a moment, and then sent a message to the other party.
"Mr. Zhan, good morning. May I ask if you have any preferences for flavors or ingredients?"
The other party quickly replied: "Anything is fine, I love meat."
"OK."
Jiang Xia breathed a sigh of relief and pushed the cart around the supermarket to buy some chicken, duck, fish, beef and mutton. He had eaten with Zhan Lintian a few times and couldn't really tell what his preferences were. It seemed like he ate everything and was never picky.
After Zhan Lintian heard that he was buying groceries, he immediately called him via video call.
"Mr. Zhan."
"Um."
Zhan Lintian sat in the back seat. He had barely slept last night and wanted the driver to take him today for safety reasons.
Jiang Xia hummed in agreement, waiting for him to speak, but Zhan Lintian unexpectedly changed the subject and asked, "What do you like to eat?"
"Me? Tofu, eggs, fermented rice wine, things like that."
Jiangxia prefers dishes with a silky texture.
If you want something to go well with rice, then make some spicy dishes, but Zhan Lintian can't handle spicy food very well.
Zhan Lintian said, "Then let's buy some tofu, eggs, and fermented rice. I'll look up some recipes online, and you can try them later."
Jiang Xia stopped and said with a smile, "How could I let President Zhan cook again? You are a guest, and I need your guidance today, so naturally I will cook."
After exchanging pleasantries and ending the video call, he immediately bought the items and hurriedly drove home.
He can't let President Zhan cook anymore, that's just too much!
The best solution is not to make excuses, but to quickly prepare the ingredients and put everything on the stove to cook. When Zhan Lintian arrives, he will have no choice but to eat.
Jiang Xia was not very skilled at all, but fortunately, she was quite fast. She also had to check her phone from time to time to see where President Zhan was.
Then, a little after nine o'clock, Wu Zhou sent him a good morning message.
Jiang Xia didn't know how to reply. He regretted not being able to shut up. Thinking about what happened last night, he decided not to reply for the time being.
From yesterday to today, Wu Ming has been sending him messages one after another.
"Jiang Xia, are you awake?"
"Are you on annual leave today?"
"If you wake up, can you call back?"
The other party sent several pitiful puppy emojis.
Are you sick, that's why you're not replying to me?
"Or is there really another dog around?"
Wu Ming tried to get real-time updates on the Yangtze River Gorge in a relaxed tone.
But Wu Ming never asked about the current relationship between Zhan Lintian and Jiang Xia.
Jiang Xia breathed a sigh of relief.
I could have claimed I didn't want to bother him during the day yesterday; I could have explained that I went to bed early and was too tired last night; but I'm not replying now...
Jiang Xia checked the time. Wu Ming's last message was sent at eight o'clock, and it was nine o'clock now, so it was most likely breakfast time, and he was having breakfast at Wu's house.
With Wu Zhou present, Wu Ming didn't dare to play on his phone for too long.
Jiang Xia ignored his questions and typed three words: "Good morning."
When Wu Ming finally saw the message and replied, at least half an hour had passed. He continued to miss calls and messages, and when asked, he claimed he hadn't checked his phone.
Just then, Zhan Lintian's message arrived at the same time.
"I'm downstairs."
Jiang Xia hurriedly put down her phone and rushed to open the door, wanting to go downstairs to greet him.
As soon as I opened the door, the room lights illuminated the steps.
He was about to leave when Zhan Lintian had already gone upstairs.
With long, straight legs, he took several large strides, climbing several steps, and quickly walked to the doorway, suddenly appearing in front of Jiang Xia.
He took the initiative to greet them: "Good morning."
He moved like a whirlwind, close to Jiang Xia. Jiang Xia instinctively took a step back with his right foot, staggered, quickly regained his balance, and then stepped aside to let him in: "President Zhan, please come in."
Disappointed, Zhan Lintian entered the room, closing the door behind him. Looking at the river gorge before him, it was much like the one in his dream…
His Adam's apple bobbed, and the panting sounds of Jiang Xia in his dream, as if he were enduring to the extreme, seemed to overlap with the person in front of him. The dream was too real; even the small mole on his cheek was exactly the same.
The sun was shining brightly today, and the sunlight streaming in through the window fell on Jiang Xia's face. Zhan Lintian could clearly see the fine downy hair on his face, and a faint smile always lingered on his beautifully shaped lips.
It looks great...
Zhan Lintian smiled and leaned down, teasingly saying, "You always call me President Zhan, I seriously doubt you know my name."
Jiang Xia smiled and replied, "President Zhan, you're really joking. How could I not know?"
Zhan Lintian raised an eyebrow: "Then tell me..."
A note from the author:
In my dream.
River Gorge: Approaching the Sky.
Zhan Lintian: Wait a minute, doesn't he only call me President Zhan?
Reality
Jiangxia: General Manager Zhan
Zhan Lintian: Something feels even more wrong now. [Angry]
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