Chapter 48 He won't be able to properly... for a short period of time.
"Ugh!" Zhu Meng turned his head to the side, and his hand, which had been tightly gripping the sofa cushion, suddenly went to cover his pants. An unnatural look flashed across his slightly red face, clearly a case of protesting too much.
Jiang Shan suddenly realized.
Oh, she almost forgot, Zhu Meng is a man.
He's a guy with connections.
She was so focused on making sandwiches that she momentarily forgot about the chain reaction this would cause.
However, Zhu Meng is over thirty years old, not young anymore. He has lived for so many years and still hasn't found a partner to settle down with. It's not like he's short of money, and he's also very good-looking.
She thought he had some kind of special illness.
So he didn't have it.
“…I’m sorry.” Zhu Meng placed his left hand lightly above his lips, while his right hand covered that uncooperative thing.
He gasped for breath after each word, his beautiful phoenix eyes were red at the corners, and his lips were pressed into a straight line, as if he was about to cry from anger at his complete lack of self-control in the face of power.
Jiang Shan tugged at the fuzz on his clothes, feeling as if he had opened the door to a new world.
Was Zhu Meng always this prone to crying?
Fever can easily lead to dehydration, so what can be done if he keeps losing excess water?
Yes, it's practically made of water.
"Oh, it's nothing."
Jiang Shan usually doesn't like men who lack self-control, but she and Zhu Meng have come this far. If Zhu Meng is still unmoved at this point, then he's either impotent or a father-in-law.
He's a normal man, after all.
“Mengmeng,” Jiang Shan clung to Zhu Meng’s arm, crawling from the right end of the sofa to the left. He took a breath, exhausted, and gently kissed away the tears from the corners of Zhu Meng’s eyes. “This is normal.”
Zhu Meng bit her lip so hard that she didn't even realize when a bloody mark appeared on the inside of her lip.
Is this really normal?
But when he had a skin hunger attack before, Jiang Shan saw him like that and mistakenly thought that he was like this. In her eyes, there was clearly disgust and loathing.
"Don't you... find it disgusting?"
The sandwich was springy, but it was squeezed and deformed a bit, and now some salad dressing is seeping out.
Zhu Meng spoke haltingly.
As a relatively inexperienced cook, Jiang Shan didn't know that she should stop at this point, let the sandwich adjust, and then do the final finishing touches. Instead, she did the opposite and quickly added the last ingredients to the sandwich.
It's finally almost finished.
"It's alright, I'll just have to wait another half minute." As a science and engineering person who pursues precision, Jiang Shan even set a countdown on his phone.
Zhu Meng was shaking all over.
Like the last leaf on a branch in early winter, it shivers and clings to the branch no matter how the cold wind from Siberia blows.
"Well……"
Jiang Shan was sitting right in front of him, speaking in such a commanding tone. How could he possibly hold back?
He almost bit his teeth until they cracked.
He doesn't usually do extreme sports. The only time he did was on his 18th birthday when Ms. Zhu went to take photos and insisted on dragging him to do a tandem bungee jump.
Jump straight down from a platform hundreds of meters high.
My adrenaline surged, and my body felt as light as a kite with a broken string.
Ah, he's going to ascend to heaven.
"alright."
Jiang Shan was also making sandwiches for the first time and wasn't very skilled. Since the tutorial was almost finished, she decided to speed things up and finish the tutorial in half a minute.
With two quick swishes, she pulled out a tissue to wipe her hands, and then used a disinfectant wipe to disinfect herself as well.
When cooking, hygiene is still important.
Zhu Meng watched her complete a series of smooth movements, and tried to say something to her, but he didn't even have the strength to speak.
To be precise, they lack the strength to make normal human sounds.
"Hmm..." No matter how hard he tried to hold back, he couldn't suppress his instincts. His lips parted slightly, and he let out a soft, seductive sound that would make anyone blush to the roots of their ears.
Jiang Shan was no more than half a meter away from him and could hear him clearly. She smiled and raised an eyebrow.
"What? You can't control yourself anymore?"
"……Feel sorry."
Zhu Meng forcefully pulled up his fuzzy shorts, which were up to his knees, her face even redder than a burning coal: "Can I use the bathroom?"
As he spoke, he tried to stand up by supporting himself on the sofa, but accidentally twisted his back, which he had been overworking.
Even though it was just a very slight arc, Zhu Meng's face turned pale instantly. He groaned and fell back onto the soft sofa, his thighs smeared with the sandwich sauce, making them sticky. His body trembled.
No, I can't sit here any longer.
He'll make the sofa even dirtier.
"Hey, don't rush off."
Jiang Shan wiped his fingers clean and finally realized why Zhu Meng's expression was so unnatural. It turned out that the small head was controlling the big head and wanted to run away.
But it's precisely this infatuated and confused look that makes it interesting.
He didn't let go at all just now, biting his lip tightly and barely uttering a sound. He was more tolerant than a spy who was captured while working undercover in the enemy's territory and suffered all kinds of torture.
This is even more interesting than before...
She crossed her arms, leaned back on the sofa, and looked like she was enjoying watching the drama unfold.
"Taking a cold shower when you have a fever is too harmful to your health."
Zhu Meng resisted the urge to get up again, remaining rooted to the spot, staring blankly at Jiang Shan.
Huh? What else can we do?
She is a woman of four loves, not one love, and she won't solve his problems in the conventional way. It's rare that she has other methods.
Jiang Shan's lips involuntarily curled upwards.
She was a staunch woman of love, so of course she wouldn't use ordinary methods to solve his problem. Her hands were still sore, so it wouldn't be very effective... But she was a person with all four limbs intact, so she could use her feet.
It feels incredibly satisfying to trample a high and mighty man under your feet.
"Come here." She beckoned.
Zhu Meng was unaware that this was the calm before the storm. Jiang Shan beckoned him, and he moved closer, bewildered yet obedient.
The next second, he completely collapsed.
"Uh... um!"
The intense heat caused the body's moisture to evaporate.
The country is practically an erupting active volcano.
He only deserves to be the yellow earth swallowed by lava.
Jiang Shan never expected that Zhu Meng would come and go so quickly, just like a tornado.
...Is it because I'm getting old?
Fortunately, she doesn't need to use this.
"Sit here and rest for a bit."
Jiang Shan wasn't exactly disappointed, but the toy she thought she could play with for a long time suddenly lost its batteries, so she wasn't too happy. She just instinctively cared about Zhu Meng.
"I'll go turn on the water heater, otherwise you'll only have cold water to use when you shower."
Zhu Meng never expected himself to be so disappointing.
The excitement subsided like a tide, and the buzzing in his ears gradually subsided. As he watched Jiang Shan's figure recede into the distance, he suddenly felt as if he had done something wrong.
Otherwise, why would Jiangshan abandon him?
"No!" He grabbed Jiang Shan's leg tightly. "Don't go..."
"I'm just turning on the water heater, why don't you turn it on yourself?" Jiang Shan grabbed Zhu Meng's arm, trying to pull him down, but Zhu Meng was like an octopus, with the suckers on his tentacles sticking tightly to her body.
With no other option, she had to carry the huge baby in her arms to the water heater in the bathroom and turn on the external switch of the water heater with a "click".
"I'm not lying to you, I'm not leaving, I really just want to turn on the water heater."
Zhu Meng remained tightly hugging her knees, without saying a word.
Jiang Shan had no choice but to leave it as it was, dragging him back to the sofa in the living room. Timing it right, she patted Zhu Meng's head when she felt the water heater was at the right temperature.
"Okay, go take a shower."
Zhu Meng staggered to his feet, glanced at the chaotic battlefield, and instinctively took responsibility.
"Wait a minute, I'll clean up."
Jiang Shan responded with a surprised "Hmm?"
"You still have the energy to clean up?"
Zhu Meng: "..."
Human strength is like water in a sponge; it may seem empty, but you can still squeeze some out.
Mainly, he didn't want Jiang Shan to be too stressed.
But by doing so, it seems that Jiang Shan's self-esteem as a woman has been hurt.
"I..." After hesitating for a long time, Zhu Meng still blushed and squeezed out a lie, "I have no strength left."
Jiang Shan suddenly felt full of energy.
They were even so excited that they wanted to whistle.
Oh yeah, she conquered a man who was more than 20 centimeters taller than her.
Although climbing up and down was quite tiring.
But the joy that comes from conquering the Himalayas is priceless.
Jiang Shan was sprawled on the sofa just a second ago, but upon hearing Zhu Meng's insincere words, he immediately jumped up, humming a tune as he threw the filthy sofa cushions into the washing machine.
Zhu Meng dared not linger, fearing that saying too much would lead to making a mistake, and carefully moved to the bathroom.
"……country."
Jiang Shan finally finished her work and lay back on the bare sofa looking at her phone. Suddenly, she heard the sound of running water from the bathroom and Zhu Meng's voice came out. He was calling her name, and his voice was a little strained.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Shan asked from the other end of the bathroom.
Do you have... a change of clothes?
After Zhu Meng finished bathing and dried most of his body with a towel, he suddenly realized he needed a change of clothes.
The bunny boy outfit, still warm from his body, lay quietly beside the sink, its unspeakable marks bearing witness to his shameful compromise: "Today I'll cede five cities, tomorrow I'll cede ten." [Note]
If it weren't for the fact that this outfit pleased Jiang Shan, Zhu Meng would have torn it to shreds.
...Although he had torn most of the clothes to shreds.
That's why he can't keep wearing this outfit out, can he? Whether he's ashamed or not is another matter, but being disheveled in front of others is quite impolite.
"Wait a minute, I'll go look for it."
Jiang Shan shoved his phone into his pocket, sprang up from the sofa, and walked toward the master bedroom where Chen Yuan and Jiang Tao used to live, opening the large wardrobe they shared.
Jiang Tao was the only male in their family, and now that only male has gone to heaven.
But his clothes, could they be used...?
Jiang Shan practically turned Jiang Tao's wardrobe upside down, but still couldn't find a single piece of clothing that was 100% new. She had no choice but to pick out the most mature and conservative dark blue nightgown and honestly ask at the bathroom door, "I have my dad's nightgown, but he's dead. Do you mind?"
Zhu Meng didn't actually mind this.
After all, her father had passed away many years ago, so the topic of death wasn't too heavy for her.
but……
This is the perfect time to wear Jiangshan's clothes!
Jiang Shan's clothes must bear the scent of Jiang Shan.
"I...I'm a little..."
Zhu Meng was not a skilled liar. He hesitated for a few seconds but still couldn't come up with a plausible reason. Fortunately, Jiang Shan filled in the blanks in his mind based on his hesitation.
"Indeed, it's normal for you to mind. It's nothing. I'll order you some clothes from a takeout place."
"No need for all that trouble." Zhu Meng gripped the door frame with both hands and poked his head out of the frosted bathroom door.
His long, jet-black hair had just been washed and lay smoothly against his scalp, with the small tuft of hair he usually used as bangs also swept back, revealing his smooth forehead.
It's similar to a slicked-back hairstyle styled with hairspray.
"Perhaps... do you have a longer nightgown?"
Seeing Jiang Shan's pupils widen slightly, he cursed himself inwardly for being too hasty; Sima Zhao's intentions were obvious to everyone.
"Yes, there is." Jiang Shan nodded.
Although she had a slight desire to have Zhu Meng wear some other daring outfits after seeing him in the bunny boy costume, she only thought about it and did not intend to force him to wear women's clothing.
After all, it's already good enough that he can be rough with her, let alone make Zhu Meng wear a skirt. He should feel that his pride in his 32 years of masculinity has been gone with the wind, right?
She was understanding and considerate of Zhu Meng, but she couldn't hide the fact that Zhu Meng wanted to wear it himself.
Jiang Shan licked his lips.
When Zhu Meng wore that bear apron before, her broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs were already captivating enough. Now that she's wearing a nightgown, isn't that...?
"Wait two minutes, I'll find it for you!"
Zhu Meng had been eagerly anticipating a long dress that exuded the grandeur of the land, but the moment he saw the actual dress, his pupils dilated in shock.
He assumed that Jiang Shan was conservative by nature and that her clothes were mostly practical and easy to move in. Even if she wore a nightgown, it would probably be a simple, elegant, and plain long dress without any patterns.
But this nightgown in front of me...
Why is it a blue Elsa lace dress?!
Jiang Shan noticed the shock in Zhu Meng's eyes. She coughed lightly and gave an explanation that was somewhat awkward and didn't really sound like an explanation.
"Well, this one is a bit childish, but it's long. I also have a floral skirt, but it's too short, barely covering my butt. If I use it as a top, it'll probably be a crop top... You can wear this for now."
Despite his shock, Zhu Meng didn't forget his proper politeness: "...Thank you."
"You're welcome. Hurry up and change." Jiang Shan was happy and left humming a little tune, not forgetting to remind him, "Don't catch a cold in the bathroom."
Having no other clothes to change into, Zhu Meng hesitated for three seconds before putting on the Elsa Queen dress.
Looking in the bathroom mirror, he silently rubbed his forehead.
Wearing this kind of clothing is definitely not a once-in-a-lifetime event, but rather an endless series of times.
"How are you? Does anything hurt?"
As Zhu Meng slowly emerged from the bathroom, Jiang Shan asked with concern. He tried to maintain a calm expression and reply, "Nothing hurts, I'm fine," but the moment his bottom touched the sofa, he sprang up as if electrocuted.
Wow, there really is.
He may not be able to sit properly for a while.
"What? Aren't you going to sit down?"
Jiang Shan crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes blatantly smiling. Clearly, she knew the reason, but she still chose to ask the question knowing the answer.
Zhu Meng's face flushed red and then turned pale.
"...It hurts a little."
He was like a young man experiencing his first sexual encounter, tearfully pouring out his grievances to his wife.
He's such a grown man, yet he can still make such an innocent expression; he's truly gifted.
"Even if it hurts, you have to sit up. You can't just lie on your stomach, can you?"
Jiang Shan didn't forget that Zhu Meng still had a fever. Although he had sweated a lot from exercising, and his temperature should have gone down a bit, theoretically, some measures still needed to be taken.
She chatted with him while smiling, then took out the first-aid kit and made him a cup of fever-reducing medicine: "Here, drink your medicine."
Zhu Meng leaned on the sofa, as if she was about to sit down.
As if remembering something, his face turned pale, his legs stiffened, and he remained frozen in place, taking the paper cup.
"I..." He didn't immediately drink the dark medicine, but hesitated before speaking, "My body isn't so hot anymore, maybe, I'm better."
"Oh," Jiang Shan raised an eyebrow, "you recovered so quickly?"
Zhu Meng sniffed the slightly bitter medicine and nodded repeatedly.
"The fever probably went down because he sweated a little earlier."
Jiang Shan stroked her chin, hesitated for a few seconds about whether to force Zhu Meng to take the medicine, and decided to let the evidence speak for itself. She bent down and took out a mercury thermometer from the medicine box.
"Okay, take your temperature and see if the fever has gone down. If it has, you don't need to take the medicine."
Unlike infrared thermometers, which can produce results in less than a second by simply scanning the forehead, mercury thermometers require insertion under the armpit and several minutes to produce a result.
During the wait, neither of them spoke at first.
Jiang Shan set a countdown on her phone, sat on the sofa wearing Bluetooth headphones and scrolling through her phone. Her expression occasionally fluctuated with the content she was reading. Zhu Meng stood beside her, stiffly waiting for the mercury thermometer to give the result, wishing he could slap himself twice.
I finally have some time alone with Jiangshan, you shut-up, say something already!
He racked his brains and managed to squeeze out a sentence.
"Were you tired just now?"
Although Jiang Shan was wearing Bluetooth headphones, she only turned the volume up to a low level, and she could still hear Zhu Meng's voice. Upon hearing this, she looked up and smiled.
"I'm a little tired, but I can handle it."
She patted the empty space next to the sofa, implying, "Aren't you tired? Sit down and rest for a while."
Zhu Meng straightened his legs and blushed.
Of all the things he could say, he had to bring this up.
He is strong and can withstand the hardship, but Jiang Shan is weak and needs to proceed step by step. What if he says he is not tired, but Jiang Shan's competitive spirit gets the better of him and he insists on competing with him?
But it's Jiangshan's body that will be injured!
No, we can't talk about this anymore, we need to change the subject.
Zhu Meng glanced at the clock hanging in the living room.
"It's getting late, I should prepare lunch... uh!"
He had only taken one step toward the kitchen when suddenly a tingling, numb sensation spread from his groin, as if he hadn't relaxed his thighs after a workout.
However, it also carried a faint, tearing pain.
"Okay, sit down and rest for a while."
The instigator, Jiang Shan, like a big bad wolf, rested his chin on his hand, smiling broadly.
"It's not too late to cook after the thermometer results come out. If you still have a fever, then let's just order takeout. We can't let a patient like you have to cook."
Zhu Meng stood frozen in place, not daring to sit on the sofa.
Now, in his eyes, even the softest sofa is a tiger bench covered with sharp nails and sprinkled with chili water.
"……good."
Even if the mercury thermometer is slow to produce a result, it will eventually do so. Jiang Shan held the mercury thermometer between two fingers and examined it carefully under the light.
"37.6 degrees Celsius, still a bit feverish, take your medicine."
Zhu Meng was jolted awake.
"No, no need..."
That medicine smells bitter, how could it taste good?
God knows he's built up his body so well just so he doesn't get sick and have to take medicine and get injections.
"I've already prepared it. You do have a bit of a fever, what's wrong with taking some medicine?" Jiang Shan held the still steaming disposable paper cup to Zhu Meng's lips and chuckled softly. "Mr. Zhu, you're not afraid of the bitterness, are you?"
Zhu Meng: "..."
She was right.
"Drink your medicine obediently, and I'll apply it for you for ten minutes, okay?"
Is there really such a good thing in the world?
Zhu Meng was originally going to take the medicine and drink it all in one gulp for the sake of so-called male pride, but when he suddenly heard about this reward mechanism, his heart soared like a bird spreading its wings and leaping over the towering mountains that blocked his way.
He tilted his head back with a bold gesture and drank it all in one gulp.
country:"?"
Is this guy waiting for her to say that?
"Come, sit down." She wasn't one to break her promises, and seeing that Zhu Meng had indeed finished his medicine, she immediately patted the sofa next to her.
Her movements were bold and unrestrained, like an ancient emperor who favored his concubines and allowed them to share the dragon throne. Unfortunately, the dragon throne was golden and lofty, while the cheap leather sofa was dusty and could only make a pitiful "slap slap" sound after being whipped by the empire.
Zhu Meng gritted his teeth and sat down on the sofa.
The pain is most intense the moment you sit down, but if you endure it for half a minute, the pain transforms from an unbearable stinging sensation into an acceptable numbness.
Jiang Shan climbed onto Zhu Meng's leg and breathed a sigh of relief.
She could sit on Zhu Meng's lap again, sprawled on his broad chest, and scroll through her phone. How wonderful! She was getting the best deal.
Zhu Meng felt even more that he had made a profit.
He held the little girl in his arms, his heart like a meadow nourished by rain, softly nestled in the soil.
Jiang Shan is a truly amazing person.
Small in stature, but with a big imagination.
She took him, but said nothing else...
"Give me a title."
Zhu Meng had been thinking about this for a while, and his mouth slipped out unintentionally. He felt the person in his arms stiffen, and quickly added, "Is it okay?"
Jiang Shan sat on Zhu Meng's lap, her legs about half a centimeter off the ground, unable to reach the floor, so she simply swayed in the air. She rested her head on his firm chest, lazily scrolling through the content pushed by Little Green Book.
"Why are you suddenly bringing this up?" Jiang Shan showed little interest in the matter of official status.
She didn't like being bound by such an identity.
Zhu Meng's heart tightened.
Jiang Shan thinks he's too old and it would be embarrassing to take him out, so she doesn't want to open the door?
But he didn't want this relationship to be ambiguous and something that couldn't be openly discussed.
He... is already hers.
She can't just lift up her skirt and deny knowing who she is, can she?
Although, it seems she didn't take off her skirt just now.
She was dressed neatly, while he was the only one in a state of chaos.
"I...want a formal status."
At first, Zhu Meng was mentally searching for a hundred sweet nothings to please a girl, but he always felt that something was off about the results.
After much thought, Zhu Meng decided to be honest with his lover. After all, one should play to one's strengths and avoid one's weaknesses in front of a lover. Sweet talk is not his forte, but honesty might be. Besides, there's a saying online that sincerity is the only surefire way to win someone over.
He's not good with sweet talk; he can only resort to sour grapes when he can't have them—he believes that's the truth.
Jiang Shan suddenly remembered that she went to the kitchen to get some water. In just twenty seconds, Zhu Meng was covered in sweat, looking like she had just woken up from a nightmare.
Now they're acting like they want to confirm their relationship.
Is this guy insecure?
However, at least she got to eat it. Just like ancient emperors who liked something and bestowed a title upon it, it wouldn't be a bad idea for her to give Zhu Meng the title of "boyfriend" and let him go out and flaunt those three words.
She was willing to grant him a title after just one meal; she's truly a responsible and good girl.
However, if they were to be together, she would have to investigate Zhu Meng's background thoroughly, since while his back door might be clean, his front door might not be.
Although the front door is pretty useless anyway.
"Mr. Zhu, have you ever been in a relationship?"
Jiang Shan just casually used a basic attack, and Zhu Meng used his ultimate skill, shaking his head like a rattle drum.
"No, I've never dated either men or women."
He was a staunch rationalist who usually thought things through before answering, worried about saying the wrong thing in front of Jiang Shan. But for some reason, he answered first, as if afraid that if he was a second late, Jiang Shan would misunderstand.
"Oh, I see."
Jiang Shan's tone was indifferent, revealing no inflection.
She seemed to be asking casually, not caring about the answer, and didn't even follow the principle that "you should look others in the eye when you talk to them, that's how you show respect," turning her head to look at Zhu Meng's face.
She just snorted and said, "Well, you're quite clean."
Zhu's face was like a pot of water being heated by a fire, boiling and bubbling.
Is cleanliness an advantage?
Isn't this a basic requirement?
If you're in a relationship without the intention of being together, that's just being a jerk.
But was Jiang Shan praising him for saying that?
Is there any chance that he'll get a formal title?
His heart pounded wildly. Zhu Meng tightened his arms around Jiang Shan's waist, leaned down, and rubbed his cheek against the back of her head, his lips brushing against her ear intentionally or unintentionally.
Before the puppy asks its owner for its collar, it rubs against the owner's leg in a fawning manner.
"I want to date you... Please give me your permission."
-----------------------
The author says: "Today five cities are ceded, tomorrow ten." — Su Xun, "On the Six States"
This post is on the first day of the new year! Happy New Year and all the best! [Milk Tea] There will be a grand finale chapter tomorrow! [Lower-eared Rabbit Head]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com