Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Zhu Meng's well-developed abdominal muscles, diaphragm cloth, ...
Jiang Shan subconsciously pulled his hand away, and Zhu Meng reacted as if he had been electrocuted, quickly letting go of his hand and moving closer and further away from Jiang Shan.
Between the two of them, the East African Rift Valley was drawn.
"...What responsibility?"
Jiang Shan pulled out two tissues from his bag and wiped the still-damp sweat from his hands.
She was genuinely puzzled about what Zhu Meng meant by "responsible." Seeing Zhu Meng's 1.87-meter height and his obedient, harmless appearance huddled to the other side, she couldn't help but ask directly.
Zhu Meng touched the first button of his shirt, as if he was about to button it up, but then stopped halfway through.
His eyes kept darting around, he looked very busy, but it was hard to tell what he was busy with.
After a brief standoff, Zhu Meng took a deep breath, pulled a blank check from his shirt pocket, and handed it to Jiang Shan with both hands.
"I'm sorry to have taken up your time. Please fill out this check however you like."
Jiangshan and the check stared at each other for two seconds.
...So this is what checks look like? They seem a bit different from what I've seen in TV dramas, but also a bit different.
She hesitated for a moment, but still reached out and took it.
Although this windfall seemed rather unexpected, she did indeed extend a helping hand to him as Zhu Meng had instructed, earning the money through her own labor.
A million is an unattainable sum for her, but for Zhu Meng, it should be a piece of cake, right?
If she doesn't make money off capitalists, wouldn't she be a bastard!
Jiang Shan gently rubbed the thin check between his right thumb and forefinger to get a feel for its texture before carefully stuffing it into the inside pocket of his bag, as if he were holding it in his hands for fear of dropping it or keeping it in his mouth for fear of breaking it.
Oh, love-struck RMB, please love her one more lifetime!
As a spark of joy began to ignite in his heart, and even grew stronger, Jiang Shan didn't forget to confirm with Zhu Meng: "President Zhu, is this... a voluntary gift from you?"
"Yes." Zhu Meng typed "Stop" on his phone screen, and the car, which had been winding its way around, finally came to a stop. "We've arrived."
Jiang Shan clutched his stomach and nodded politely.
"Okay, I'm getting off now, thank you."
She politely declined Zhu Meng's offer to open the door for her halfway around the car, and instead opened the door herself and got out. The moment her feet touched the ground, her legs inexplicably felt weak. She didn't know if it was the throbbing pain in her stomach or the numbness from sitting for so long.
Jiang Shan leaned against a tree stump by the roadside, intending to recover from his weakness before taking the elevator upstairs.
She glanced at the Bentley, a professional smile spreading across her face, and decided on the spur of the moment to give her esteemed CEO Zhu a moment's attention.
Who knew that a minute after she got out, the tires of the luxury car, which had been driving so smoothly just moments before, were glued to the ground as if they were glued with superglue, and didn't budge an inch.
After another half minute of stalemate, the car window rolled down halfway with a "buzzing" sound. The blush on Zhu Meng's face had completely faded, leaving only a cold and hard expression.
Why aren't you leaving?
Jiang Shan's face was as white as a newly cut piece of paper, and he couldn't stop sweating from his forehead, but his tongue was quite nimble.
"I'm just giving you a look."
Zhu Meng's face darkened, like the sea before a storm.
How could he forget that Jiang Shan is currently feeling unwell and has difficulty walking even a few steps?
He had just said he would take responsibility for the country, and now he was coldly questioning her like this. How was he any different from that scumbag who always talked about "love" but never took any real action?
You can't do that; being a scumbag will get you struck by lightning.
Zhu Meng pursed his lips into a straight line, pushed open the car door, and strode towards Jiang Shan.
"I'll take you up."
"Hey, hey, no, no..."
Zhu Meng's face was as cold as if he had been frozen in a refrigerator for half a year. His expensive, handmade custom-made leather shoes made a sound with each step on the cement floor. He was in a hurry to come over and forgot to be a gentleman and bend down to look Jiang Shan in the eye.
Jiang Shan stared at Zhu Meng's chest, which was getting closer and closer to him, and felt as if a huge dark cloud was hitting him directly and enveloping his entire body.
Is Zhu Meng here to offer help? Or is he here to collect a debt?
Perhaps after resting against the tree stump for a while, Jiang Shan mustered up a bit of strength and managed to twist his waist and escape from Zhu Meng's grasp.
"Mr. Zhu, there's no need to trouble yourself."
The two stared at each other for half a minute before Zhu Meng finally mustered the courage to do so.
He racked his brains and came up with what he thought was a flawless excuse: "I'm very curious about the apartment layouts in this development. Would it be convenient for you to show me around?"
Jiang Shan originally intended to refuse.
But her legs were as weak as lumps of noodles, and she shivered in the early autumn wind.
"……All right."
Through a suit jacket, Zhu Meng half-helped and half-supported Jiang Shan to the top floor. After unlocking the door for her, Zhu Meng was completely shocked.
Is this a house? It's smaller than his bedroom.
If the country hadn't been cleaned up, there wouldn't even be a place to settle down in this tiny area.
Zhu Meng's expression unconsciously darkened, like a desk lamp being dimmed from its brightest setting.
This place is too small, not conducive to recuperation. Jiang Shan's health isn't good, she can't stay here any longer... But changing to a completely new environment, I don't know if her body can adapt... So we can only...
"I want to stay here."
"...Ah?" Jiang Shan was curled up on the sofa, enduring the pain, when he heard Zhu Meng's words and sat up in shock in his bedchamber.
Is Zhu Meng just saying whatever comes to mind from her dream? How could she possibly say something like she wants to stay in her tiny one-bedroom apartment?
And... this doesn't sound like a discussion, it sounds like a command, doesn't it? How can a guest from out of town treat a tenant like this?
Zhu Meng had anticipated that Jiang Shan would be angry, but she hadn't expected him to be this angry. Her face was pale on the sofa, and her eyes were wide open like copper bells. If you put a candle in front of her, it would be enough to light it. She quickly blurted out the next sentence she had prepared beforehand.
I'll pay the rent.
Jiang Shan was briefly moved, but then vigorously shook his head.
No way! Even if he pays the rent, it's still not okay!
Zhu Meng replied expressionlessly, "I'll do the housework."
Jiang Shan was stunned.
Does Zhu Meng know what his words mean?
A CEO with a net worth of over nine figures would want to be her one-stop maid, cleaning, cooking, and doing laundry in her cramped 40-square-meter rented apartment, where she earns less than five figures a month? What's he after?!
Or is she dreaming?
She only dared to dream of a considerate male mother, and never dared to put Zhu Meng's face on her face again!
"...reach out your hand."
Jiangshan decided to test whether this was a dream or reality by personally wading into the river to see how deep it was.
Please do not doubt, but do as instructed.
Jiang Shan pinched Zhu Meng's arm hard.
It shouldn't have hurt, but her lack of exercise prevented her from pinching Zhu Meng's strong muscles, so she started complaining of pain.
The pain isn't a dream.
"Can I rub your hands?" Zhu Meng's eyes were indifferent, but his lips were taut. "Your hands look a little sore."
Jiang Shan was already overwhelmed by the huge reality that "Zhu Meng was going to live with her in a small rented apartment," and had no energy left to argue with Zhu Meng about whether or not to rub hands.
“Mr. Zhu, we are a man and a woman, two people of the opposite sex, living in the same place... This is not very appropriate, is it? And as you can see, this rented room is only forty or fifty square meters. It's too crowded for two people to live in it.”
While massaging Jiang Shan's hands, Zhu Meng secretly warmed up her icy fingertips.
"This is the top floor. I see there's another floor above it, which the landlord probably built himself. There's no sign of anyone living there yet. If you think it's too crowded, I can stay up there."
He pursed his lips and added a sentence.
These are my personal thoughts. What do you think?
It's like someone who usually makes decisions in the workplace is awkwardly learning how to speak in a group discussion with their subordinates.
Jiang Shan's mind had already given up resisting, but his mouth was still opening and closing, fighting on instinct.
"Why do you leave all those luxury homes and villas to come and squeeze into my rented apartment?"
"I said I would take responsibility for you."
Zhu Meng's eyes shone brightly in the sunlight streaming through the window, and he wasn't joking at all; he was as serious as if he were dealing with some multi-billion dollar project: "Or, you could move out and live with me, that would be fine too."
...Is the house of a CEO like Zhu Meng one of those secluded villas that are isolated from the world?
Isn't that a bit much? She doesn't even have any neighbors. What if something happens to her? Wouldn't she be completely helpless?
Perhaps a minor conflict with Zhu Meng would escalate into a dramatic imprisonment scene reminiscent of novels…
Well, she felt more at ease living in the cramped rented room.
Jiang Shan nodded absentmindedly, then closed his eyes to catch his breath because he felt dizzy and uncomfortable. When he opened his eyes again, Gao Ming had already brought in Zhu Meng's daily necessities.
Wait, why did she agree to let him stay?
Jiang Shan's phone suddenly vibrated, but he was lost in thought and didn't pay attention to who was calling, so he answered it directly.
Jiang's mother's voice came through the receiver: "Xiaoshan, did you see that plane ticket I asked you to look at?"
...What kind of plane ticket?
"Oh dear, I knew you were too forgetful. Your cousin's plane ticket, his flight tonight, it seems he won't land until the early hours of the morning, or maybe this morning."
Jiang's mother grumbled, "Sigh, Chen Feng, he's such a careless guy when he goes out to play. Why didn't he book a hotel for tonight? What if he lands early? It's the middle of the night, and he won't even have anywhere to go..."
Jiang Shan's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Chen Feng had nowhere to go, and the hotels in S City were always fully booked; without a reservation, there were absolutely no vacancies.
Wouldn't that mean he'd have to squeeze into her rented apartment?
A single woman and a single man, sharing a room in her tiny rented apartment of less than 50 square meters—this is just too much…
When Jiang Shan gets anxious, she tends to unconsciously hold her breath. By the time she realizes it, her chest is already tight. She looks up, trying to exhale, and sees Zhu Meng sitting properly on the sofa, working on his laptop.
He changed into a short-sleeved pajama set. It was a very simple style, but when he wore it, Jiang Shan felt that his well-built abs and pectoral muscles looked even more sacred through a layer of fabric.
Perhaps sensing Jiang Shan's gaze, Zhu Meng tilted his head slightly.
It's as if they're using body language to say, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Shan's heart felt like a vast expanse of reeds swaying in the wind, soft and yielding. For a moment, he forgot to reply to his mother, and simply listened to her rambling.
"Xiaoshan, if it really doesn't work out, let Xiaofeng squeeze in with you. Your rented room is a bit small, but it's enough for an emergency. Buy your cousin some bedding so the young man can sleep there."
"...Isn't that a bit inconvenient?"
Jiang's mother raised her voice with a "Hey!": "Oh, that's your brother, your own cousin! We're family, what's inconvenient about it?"
Jiang Shan glanced at Zhu Meng, who was typing away with his head down and knew nothing about the matter, and decided to drag him down with him.
“I share an apartment with someone else, but my roommate doesn’t agree.”
"...Share an apartment? Don't you live alone?" Jiang's mother's usually gentle voice suddenly turned into a torrent of words. "Who's sharing an apartment with you? A woman or a man? How old? What do they look like? Xiaoshan, let me tell you, there are a lot of bad people in society these days. Don't live with other people..."
Jiang Shan felt uneasy listening to his mother's rambling.
Undeniably, she disliked her mother's outward appearances and her tendency to take care of people outside their own family in order to avoid gossip among relatives, even at the expense of her own interests, just to accommodate her cousin who was visiting S City.
But she simply couldn't sever her bond with her mother.
Firstly, they do indeed share a deep mother-daughter bond; secondly, the mother's nagging does indeed conceal her love for her.
More unforgettable than simple love or simple hate is the intertwining of love and hate.
"Say something! Who exactly is your roommate?"
Her mother wouldn't let it go. Jiang Shan hadn't intended to hide it, but staring at Zhu Meng typing away expressionlessly, she felt a little guilty for some reason.
Silently shifting his gaze from Zhu Meng, Jiang Shan turned to the window, pretending to look into the distance and relax his eyes.
"...a colleague."
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