Chapter 70 Secret
Jiang Xia looked at President Zhan, whose eyes were bright and piercing, and he didn't seem to be joking.
Jiang Xia was very grateful to him, but...
"If you help me, you'll get implicated."
Zhan Lintian shrugged, quite frankly: "I'm single, so it doesn't matter, but Wu Ming has a fiancée, so he's the one who's in trouble."
Zhan Lintian moved a little closer to him, his body inadvertently brushing against Jiang Xia's fingertips. Jiang Xia suddenly curled his fingers and moved to the side of the elevator.
"Having a scandal with someone you don't like is a burden; but Jiang Xia, I like you, this is not a burden, it's a bond."
He had made up his mind.
Anyway, Wu Ming, the instigator of this whole thing, can't be exposed. He has a fiancée, and if Jiang Xia gets involved with him, Xie Xingzhang's fans will condemn him.
Jiang Xia and Wu Ming have known each other for so many years, yet they couldn't tame Wu Ming's bad habits. How can they expect netizens to easily believe in their character with just a few words?
The two stood in the elevator. Jiang Xia shook his head: "No one will believe that you arranged this."
Zhan Lintian lowered his eyes, gazing at Jiang Xia's hair, his profile, and his lips: "What if someone takes a picture of me kissing you?"
It wasn't just a fleeting kiss, but a deep and passionate embrace...
I feel a dual attraction, both psychologically and physically. If only Jiang Xia would be willing to beckon me with her finger...
Inside the elevator, Jiang Xia turned down the volume and said, feigning anger, "Don't be a pervert."
As soon as they reached the first floor, Jiang Xia hurried out, with General Manager Zhan following closely behind: "Jiang Xia, Jiang Xia, I was wrong."
He deliberately slowed down, but said, "Jiang Xia, wait for me."
He always did this, testing the limits of Jiangxia step by step.
Jiang Xia stopped at the gate, and Zhan Lintian quickly stopped as well, looking at him nervously, awaiting judgment.
Jiang Xia asked, word by word, "I'm asking if, if it really involves me, would you really help me? Even if I don't allow it?"
"I can't bear to see you choose the wrong path," Zhan Lintian chuckled.
Jiang Xia stared at him for a long time before suddenly asking, "What...would you like to eat for breakfast?"
Zhan Lintian thought he would continue to be angry, but he didn't expect him to change the subject, so he quickly smiled and stepped forward: "It's fine, I'll eat with you, I'll eat whatever you eat."
The two walked side by side toward the breakfast shop that Jiangxia frequented.
People passing by on the street brushed past them.
This breakfast shop isn't a chain; it's a husband-and-wife operation. Jiang Xia really likes their vermicelli buns because they put a little bit of chopped chili in the filling.
There aren't many people here right now.
"Mr. Jiang, I haven't seen you for the past few days." The boss asked casually, his gaze falling on Zhan Lintian. "Your colleague? You look unfamiliar."
Jiang Xia only answered the first question: "I was on a business trip a few days ago."
“What do you want to eat? Their vermicelli buns are delicious, but you probably don’t like them… Boss, first pack me a vermicelli bun, a red bean bun, two tea eggs, and two cups of soy milk,” Jiang Xia made his request.
Zhan Lintian was about to say, "Is this all you're going to eat?"
The shopkeeper removed the steamer basket, and the steam dissipated. The buns were a size larger than the pre-made ones, and two were quite a lot: "Then let's have meat buns."
Jiang Xia didn't know if he liked it or not, but she really wanted him to know that the steamed buns at this restaurant were delicious.
He prefers what he likes to something more expensive or rarer.
Many things we take for granted are things we've never even owned, so we have no right to make any other demands.
Before Jiang Xia "chased" Zhan Lintian away, he tugged at him and whispered, "What flavor is the vermicelli packet? Can I have half?"
Finally, Jiang Xia broke each of the two buns in half and gave them to him, while Zhan Lintian stuffed an extra meat bun into his own bag.
"I'll pick you up this afternoon." Mr. Zhan had made his plans.
Jiang Xia replied, "No need, I can take a taxi."
"It's settled then," Zhan Lintian said, getting into the car and starting the engine. "Let's go."
Jiang Xia glanced at his car, a notorious gas guzzler.
Jiang Xia sighed, "The gas you spend on your round trip is enough for me to take a taxi for a week."
Zhan Lintian backed the car a little further and said to Jiang Xia, "Because I'm chasing you."
After saying that, he smiled calmly, finally drove away, leaving Jiang Xia standing on the ground, feeling hot.
Jiang Xia crossed his arms over his chest, then helplessly kicked the ground with one foot before turning around and heading back to the company.
Jiang Xia, Zhan Lintian, and Wu Zhou all knew that once the truth about the drone show was revealed, it would set off a storm.
Jiang Xia received many curious glances from his colleagues in the morning, and some close friends even came over to ask him directly: "Did you see the performance by the river last night?"
"No, what performance?" Jiang Xia tried to lie, letting out a soft "ah".
His colleague gestured wildly as he tried to explain: "In that performance, the person who confessed to you had the same name as you. I remember one sentence: he liked your writing. This Jiang Xia is also a writer."
"Perhaps it's just a coincidence." Jiang Xia smiled, realizing she hadn't watched the performance at all last night and had no idea what Wu Ming had written.
Fortunately, Wu Ming did not bother me again this morning.
After finishing his work, Jiang Xia went out on fieldwork in the afternoon to deliver documents to other companies. After finishing, he clocked out on his phone and took a colleague's car home.
He texted Zhan Lintian: "Don't come pick me up, I'm already home."
After sending the message, Jiang Xia felt relieved, a smile appeared on his face, and he was in a good mood.
He really wasn't used to such overwhelming affection from others.
At 7:30, Jiang Xia washed his hands, put on an apron, and was chopping vegetables at home, preparing to make oden—a big stew of the leftover vegetables in the refrigerator.
His life was a mess, but he still had to keep living.
Just now, Zhan Lintian sent a message in advance, saying that he had ordered a bouquet of flowers, and someone would deliver it to his door shortly.
"If possible, I hope you can accept this."
Jiang Xia carefully read the text. "Order" flowers, "someone will deliver"—it all seemed like the delivery person was a courier. Would refusing the flowers affect the salesperson's job?
The doorbell rang, and Jiang Xia went to open the door: "Wait a moment, I'm here."
He wiped his hands clean, opened the door, and looked up to see Zhan Lintian holding a large bouquet of rose-red bubble juice. Upon seeing Jiang Xia, he flashed a bright smile, leaned forward, and the flowers fell into Jiang Xia's arms: "These are for you."
Jiang Xia's face was pressed against this large cluster of roses, the soft petals brushing against his eyes. Jiang Xia half-closed his right eye: "President Zhan?"
"Hmm? This tone...didn't I tell you beforehand?" As Zhan Lintian spoke, his gaze quickly swept past Jiang Xia's shoulder, glancing left and right.
Jiang Xia was the only one standing in the room; it was good that Wu Zhou wasn't there.
When Jiang Xia saw him at home, she thought of that time when she was drunk, and Zhan Lintian's fingers were moving around her, and when she couldn't take it anymore, he kissed her.
Jiang Xia felt fine when he was seeing him elsewhere, but at home... it constantly reminded him of the ambiguity of that night.
Jiang Xia stood at the doorway, not making way: "Weren't you here to deliver flowers?"
The two looked at each other. Did he misunderstand? Or did I make him misunderstand?
Zhan Lintian explained, "What I mean is that I bought a bouquet of flowers, and I will deliver it to your door later."
"It might be a misrecognition during speech-to-text conversion."
"Can I mooch a meal?" Zhan Lintian bowed slightly, approaching Jiang Xia. Their eyes were level, and in that short distance, they could only see each other's pupils.
He gently placed his right hand on Jiang Xia's cheek: "I thought about it for a long time downstairs before coming up. It's very cold, and my hands are almost frozen. Feel them."
Jiang Xia instinctively turned his head and touched his face with it; it was so cold…
In the end, Jiang Xia softened his heart, and General Manager Zhan successfully entered the house.
The food tonight was really bland. The light ingredients in the casserole had a little bit of oil floating on top, bubbling away. Zhan Lintian didn't want Jiang Xia to eat this when he was feeling down.
So he used the remaining ingredients in the refrigerator to make braised eggplant, garlic greens, egg drop soup, and steam a large portion of rice.
"Eat."
Zhan Lintian pressed the person down into the dining chair: "Try my cooking. Next time I come, whatever you want to eat, I'll have my assistant buy it in advance."
He has already scheduled the next meeting.
So after the meal, Zhan Lintian didn't plan to leave. When Jiang Xia was cleaning up the dishes, he insisted on squeezing into the crowded kitchen to help.
I only used a few dishes tonight. Jiangxia doesn't use a dishwasher. Instead, she put a bowl of water in the sink, washed them a few times, and then rinsed them with clean water one last time.
Zhan Lintian couldn't get involved, so he stood aside and watched without moving an inch.
Jiang Xia didn't know what to say, only hoping that he could leave soon.
But as he waited and waited, and Jiang Xia began rinsing the plate for the fourth time with clean water, someone reached out from behind him and grasped his hands underwater...
Skin rubbed against warm water, the man's fingertips slowly slipped into Jiang Xia's, their fingers intertwining.
Jiang Xia tried to pull his hand away, but couldn't.
"Jiang Xia, how about we shower together?"
Zhan Lintian clung to him, his other hand resting on Jiang Xia's abdomen, his voice hoarse: "Jiang Xia, you like me too, don't you?"
Jiang Xia quickly finished washing the dishes and was about to leave the kitchen when he was trapped by Zhan Lintian.
With their lower bodies pressed together, Jiang Xia looked away, clearly sensing the man's arousal. Even through the fabric, she could feel... how hot it was.
Zhan Lintian's breathing quickened as he grasped Jiang Xia's hand and brought it to his lips: "Jiang Xia, did you like what happened tonight? Can I help you again?"
He gently kissed the fair skin between Jiang Xia's fingers: "Don't fight your body's instinctive liking..."
He has plenty of time to argue with Jiang Xia, since Wu Zhou can't return to China anytime soon anyway.
At this very moment, Wu Zhou, who was far away in the Fog Kingdom, had just finished his work and his driver was heading to Wu Ming's residence.
It was broad daylight, and a school day, but Wu Ming was hiding at home.
When the assistant's attempts to persuade him failed, he was so excited to learn that the big boss was coming to resolve the issue personally that he wanted to set off a string of firecrackers to celebrate.
Today, heavy snow is falling in the Fog Kingdom. In this foreign land, countless thoughts, like the low-hanging clouds in the sky, press down heavily. Wu Ming drinks.
The wine doesn't taste good, I don't like it, and I don't want to be myself anymore.
Footsteps echoed in the stairwell, but Wu Ming didn't turn around: "I told you, don't bother me! Don't you understand?"
The footsteps continued; the alcohol had numbed his brain.
He picked up the pillow next to him, turned around and threw it at him: "Get out!"
The pillow was slapped aside, and a fist, whistling through the air, slammed into his left cheek. Bang—Wu Ming crashed heavily into the bay window, clutching his head, his face covered in blood, which dripped directly from his nose.
Wu Zhou's leather shoes clattered on the wooden floor, the sound of the shoes hitting the ground repeatedly making a startling noise.
Wu Zhou asked slowly, "Do you still remember Xie Xingzhang, your fiancée?"
He grabbed Wu Ming by the collar and said, word by word, "How dare you use a drone to confess your love to Jiang Xia?"
Wu Ming stammered, "Big brother."
Wu Zhou poked him in the heart: "Since you graduated, you've never been single for more than a month. Now you say you like Jiang Xia, you love Jiang Xia?"
Another punch, and Wu Ming was completely immobilized. Wu Zhou was too strong, and his methods were ruthless.
He seemed to be hitting a punching bag, not his own brother; he'd hit that hard before.
It happened during high school. Wu Ming didn't want to study anymore and, relying on his family's wealth, even tried to persuade Jiang Xia to give up on his studies.
Anyway, he can live a good life even without studying.
Not long after, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he returned to Mengcheng to celebrate, while Wu Zhou returned to China.
"Don't want to study? And you're encouraging others to give up on learning too?" A punch landed on his left cheek.
The second punch landed heavily on his right cheek: "You can die."
His older brother punched him twice, leaving his face bruised and swollen, and the swelling didn't go down even after three days of vacation.
He returned to Duliang with his face swollen, which startled Jiang Xia.
With his face covered in injuries, Wu Ming added fuel to the fire, and Jiang Xia, still a high school student, became afraid of a complete stranger he had never met before.
Now, Wu Ming was in great pain after Wu Zhou's punch, but he felt even more aggrieved.
"I love him! But he doesn't want me anymore!"
He hoped his older brother could help him solve problems like he used to.
“I can’t get in touch with him at all. Please let me go back to China.”
Wu Zhou looked at him coldly: "Before the engagement is broken off, the only way for you to return to China is to die and have your body carried back for a funeral."
Wu Ming's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, letting out a pitiful howl like a trapped beast.
“I was wrong, I really know I was wrong. I was just afraid I wouldn’t be able to give him the future he wanted, so I tried to go out and meet a lot of people. Xie Xingzhang is a good person, but I still can’t let him go. You don’t know how good he is…”
Wu Zhou interrupted him: "Then go find someone you can afford to date, whether it's Xie Xingzhang or anyone else, why are you fixated on Jiang Xia!"
"I don't care!"
Suddenly remembering something, Wu Ming grabbed his older brother's clothes tightly, almost pleading, "Brother, please help me, don't let Zhan Lintian get close to him!"
Tears and blood streamed down Wu Ming's face: "Please take good care of Jiang Xia for me, okay? I'll tell you what he likes, every aspect of his life, okay? When I return to China, he'll naturally understand my good intentions."
"If you promise, I will study hard. I swear on my life."
Wu Zhou's eyes flickered slightly: "Tell me, what does Jiang Xia want..."
The last meteor shower was also accidentally revealed by Wu Ming, and it was after that that Jiang Xia stopped being afraid of him...
Wu Ming hurriedly picked up his phone and said, "I remember a few years ago he really wanted to set off sparklers with me in the snow at night."
Wu Zhou remained silent, then said in a hoarse voice, "This is simpler than watching a meteor shower, why don't you go with him to set one off?"
Wu Ming sighed helplessly and stammered, "Because... it hasn't snowed heavily in Duliang and Mengcheng for the past five years, so there's no snow."
A note from the author:
I need a nutrient solution.
Wu Zhou: ? ? ? Is it because there's no snow? You could just find a grassy area to play with him, and he'd be happy too.
...
Zhan Lintian: [rolls eyes] You beast, you've finally handed over the Burning Technique. If you had told me you had the secret manual, your brother wouldn't have hit you.
*
Small theater.
Jiang Xia's fear of Wu Zhou was genuinely for a reason. From his perspective, Wu Ming was celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival when he was severely injured by the violent older brother, who not only refused to apologize but also threatened to beat up anyone who tried to stop him (Wu Ming embellished the story).
Wu Ming thought the reason he was beaten was because he was going to drop out of school.
In reality, Mr. Wu was simply furious that Jiang Xia had tried to encourage him to stop studying, and not only that, he wanted to corrupt his then-young wife. [Crack]
Wu Zhou may seem quiet on the surface, but if he really wants to do something, he will definitely do it.
No amount of persuasion could change anything, except for Jiangxia.
However, if the pressure is too heavy on the bed, Jiang Xia will beg a few times and he will listen and be a little lighter and slower.
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