The two of them froze in place at the same time, staring at each other for a long time, neither daring to make a sound.
Mother Xu, not hearing any noise, continued knocking on the door, “Chenghao?”
Xu Chenghao quickly kicked Jing Yicheng, signaling him to return to the bathroom. While buttoning his shirt, he responded, “Coming!”
After swiftly tidying up the room and himself, Xu Chenghao finally opened the door and asked, “Mom, what’s wrong?”
Mother Xu said, “Nothing, I just brought you some kudzu flower tea to help with the hangover so you won’t have a headache tomorrow.”
Xu Chenghao took the teacup, nodded, and said, “Alright, I’ll drink it later. You should go rest now.”
Mother Xu, still worried, reminded him, “Don’t forget.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t forget.”
After finally seeing his mother off and closing the door, Xu Chenghao turned around to see Jing Yicheng standing behind him, making a shushing gesture. He mouthed, “I don’t hear her footsteps leaving yet.”
Xu Chenghao’s eyes widened slightly, and he glanced toward the door. Before he could figure out how to handle the situation, Jing Yicheng suddenly grabbed the teacup, set it on the bedside table, and hoisted Xu Chenghao over his shoulder, carrying him toward the bathroom.
Xu Chenghao barely stifled a scream, silently hitting Jing Yicheng’s back to signal him to put him down. Jing Yicheng didn’t comply, only setting Xu Chenghao down after turning on the shower. He whispered, “It’s safer to talk like this.”
Now drenched, Xu Chenghao: “…”
He started to wonder if he had fallen into a trap!
However, at this point, it was too late for doubts. He was already soaked, so things that needed to be done had to be done. Xu Chenghao decided to enjoy it and save the complaints for later. Perhaps it was the alcohol or the tension of the situation, but in the end, they both had a thoroughly satisfying time.
Afterward, completely exhausted, they finally collapsed back into bed. Xu Chenghao nudged Jing Yicheng and said, “Kudzu flower tea.”
Jing Yicheng, who had been massaging Xu Chenghao, immediately grabbed the cup and held it to his lips, attentively taking care of him with great consideration.
Xu Chenghao drank about half of it, then suddenly snorted coldly, “Trying to please me now won’t work. You’re not touching me for a whole week.”
Jing Yicheng’s satisfied expression instantly fell. He protested, “Haohao, isn’t a week a bit long? How about one day? Two at most? I’d die if it’s a whole week.”
Xu Chenghao remained cold and ruthless, “No way. You went over 20 years without, you won’t die from just one week.”
Jing Yicheng switched to sweet talk, “But that’s because I hadn’t met you back then. I like you so much, how could I possibly hold back in front of you?”
Xu Chenghao said lightly, “My waist hurts.”
Jing Yicheng: “…”
Xu Chenghao: “My butt hurts.”
Jing Yicheng: “…”
Xu Chenghao: “And you were especially rough this morning.”
Jing Yicheng: “…I’m sorry, Haohao, I was wrong. A week it is!”
Xu Chenghao was instantly satisfied, “Deal. If you can’t stick to it, I’ll move back to the Xu family’s house!”
Jing Yicheng immediately promised, “I’ll definitely stick to it!”
Xu Chenghao glanced at him doubtfully, “You’d better remember your promise today.”
Jing Yicheng: “I’ll definitely remember.”
He was desperate to be by Xu Chenghao’s side 24/7, so how could he possibly let him move back to the Xu family’s house? And considering his current relationship with the Xu family… If Xu Chenghao moved back, at best, he wouldn’t return without his parents’ approval. At worst, under pressure from his parents, he might break up with him!
After all, that’s how it always plays out in TV dramas. Jing Yicheng had to learn from others’ mistakes and not give anyone the chance to separate them.
By the time Jing Yicheng snapped out of his internal drama, Xu Chenghao had already fallen asleep. Jing Yicheng carefully pulled the covers over him, but the movement still woke the sleeping man. Jing Yicheng hurriedly patted him gently and whispered, “Go back to sleep.”
Xu Chenghao barely opened his eyes, glanced at him, and quickly closed them again. He snuggled into Jing Yicheng’s arms and mumbled, “Remember…”
Jing Yicheng automatically finished his sentence, “I know, I’ll leave early tomorrow so I don’t get caught.”
Xu Chenghao quieted down, but just as Jing Yicheng thought he had fallen back asleep, Xu Chenghao suddenly said, “Remember to drink the kudzu flower tea…”
Jing Yicheng was stunned for a moment. Looking at the half-full cup of tea, his heart suddenly swelled with warmth. He leaned down, kissed Xu Chenghao’s forehead, and whispered, “Alright, I’ll drink it. Now sleep.”
Xu Chenghao’s eyelashes fluttered a couple of times before settling down. This time, he was truly asleep.
Watching him, Jing Yicheng’s heart was filled with sweetness and warmth. After finishing the tea, he lay down next to Xu Chenghao, staring at his sleeping face with a blissful smile.
Haohao was so good to him~~~
If only he didn’t have to go a whole week without… But compared to the possibility of Xu Chenghao moving back to the Xu family and not even being able to see him, being able to look but not touch was something he could endure. At least he could still hold hands, hug, and steal kisses.
With that thought, Jing Yicheng gently grasped Xu Chenghao’s hand, feeling fully content as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. At dawn, he quietly slipped out.
Meanwhile, Xu Chenghao… was still lost in deep slumber, showing no signs of waking.
Mother Xu was the only early riser in the Xu household. Feeling bored while eating breakfast, she started chatting with the housekeeper, prying into her son’s recent life—especially anything related to Jing Yicheng. She wanted to know everything, down to the smallest detail.
The housekeeper replied, “I don’t know much, but I do know that Mr. Jing has known Mr. Xu for quite a while. He started coming over for meals a few months ago.”
Mother Xu’s first reaction was suspicion. “Coming over for meals? He must have had a reason. Did he start by coming for meals and eventually just move in?”
The housekeeper responded, “It seems like that’s what happened.”
She knew it! Mother Xu felt a sudden wave of exasperation. She couldn’t believe her son had been coaxed by someone just mooching off meals—and even paying for it out of pocket! No matter how she looked at it, she felt like they had gotten the short end of the stick.
Mother Xu had never been satisfied with Jing Yicheng, and after hearing more about their relationship, she was even less so. Parents often have a common concern—they want someone who can take care of their child, or at least share responsibilities and understand each other. But from what she could tell, it seemed like Xu Chenghao was the one always taking care of Jing Yicheng! She suspected that even if Jing Yicheng didn’t throw tantrums, he was probably still domineering and demanding, pushing her son around simply because he had a good temper.
What worried Mother Xu the most, though, was Jing Yicheng’s background. He had risen to power in just half a month, and by now, everyone knew he was a force to be reckoned with. However, no one, not even Father Xu, knew where he came from, what kind of family he had, or what his connections were.
People like him, with unfathomable depths, were the most dangerous. As long as he liked Xu Chenghao, it was fine, but what if one day he turned his back? He could disappear without a trace or, worse, lash out violently. What would happen to Xu Chenghao if that time came?
Still uneasy, Mother Xu stewed on this until Xu Chenghao finally woke up for breakfast. She immediately pulled him to the dining room, watching him eat as she said, “Chenghao, I still think you should take things slowly.”
Xu Chenghao responded helplessly, “I’m an adult. I know what I’m doing. You don’t have to worry.”
Mother Xu slammed the table, “With the imbalance in your relationship, how can I not worry?”
Xu Chenghao asked, “What imbalance?”
Mother Xu retorted, “Do you know his background? Do you know about his family or friends?”
Xu Chenghao nodded, “Yes, I do.”
Mother Xu was momentarily stunned before she continued, “Are you willing to take care of him for the rest of your life? Will you always be the one who has no say?”
Xu Chenghao found this puzzling. “Where did you hear that? That’s not how our relationship works.”
Mother Xu was suspicious. “You’re not hiding the truth from me, are you?”
Xu Chenghao sincerely replied, “I’m not. At the very least, I can guarantee that in our daily life, I’m the one who makes the decisions. Even if he has an opinion, it doesn’t matter.”
Mother Xu said, “Exactly, see? You’re the one doing all the work. Isn’t that taking care of him?”
Xu Chenghao: “…Now you’re just contradicting yourself.”
Mother Xu was momentarily at a loss. The reasoning she had carefully thought over suddenly seemed flimsy when faced with her son. After a pause, she said, “In any case, you need to take things slow!”
Xu Chenghao quietly sipped his porridge.
Mother Xu slammed the table again, “Say something!”
Xu Chenghao sighed, “Alright, we’ll take it slow.”
Mother Xu warned, “Don’t just brush me off. If you want to get serious, you need to show me some real reasons. Otherwise, we’ll see how things go over time.”
Xu Chenghao thought for a moment and said, “Isn’t it enough that we like each other?”
Mother Xu responded, “Marriage isn’t the same as dating. You’re in the honeymoon phase now, so everything feels great, but are you prepared to spend your life looking at the same face every day? Will you still have the patience to comfort and take care of him then?”
On this point, Xu Chenghao couldn’t argue with his mother. He admitted defeat, “Fine, we’ll take it slow… but there has to be a deadline, right? How about three months?”
Mother Xu replied, “Three years sounds more reasonable.”
Xu Chenghao: “Let’s talk about it later. I’m heading to work now. Bye, no need to see me out!”
With that, Xu Chenghao made a quick exit, not giving his mother any chance to object. Mother Xu was left feeling both angry and amused, pretending to be furious as she muttered, “That rascal always sides with others.”
Downstairs.
Xu Chenghao rushed to the car, got into the passenger seat, buckled his seatbelt, and said, “Drive.”
Jing Yicheng immediately pulled the car out of the neighborhood and headed toward Xu Group, asking, “Why were you in such a hurry? Is something going on at work?”
Xu Chenghao thought about it for a moment but decided not to explain. “I was just worried you’d be waiting too long.”
Jing Yicheng replied, “I’m fine. Next time, don’t rush like that.”
Xu Chenghao obediently agreed, “Okay.”
By the time they arrived at the company, it was already noon. Li Nian, who was about to head out for lunch, was caught off guard when the elevator doors opened to reveal the two of them. His face immediately fell. “Good morning to the two bosses who’ve been missing since yesterday morning.”
Xu Chenghao patted him on the shoulder. “Thanks for your hard work. Lunch is on President Jing.”
Li Nian was instantly revived, full of energy. “Another chance to feast off the wealthy? Well then, President Jing, I won’t be polite about enjoying a big meal!”
Jing Yicheng nodded coldly. If Li Nian wasn’t used to his demeanor, he might have thought Jing Yicheng was unhappy.
But it didn’t matter. With Xu Chenghao around to handle any fallout, Li Nian happily closed the elevator doors and decided to treat himself to that fancy restaurant he had been eyeing but couldn’t afford for a while.
Apparently, a new cake shop had opened nearby, with the most expensive cakes starting at two million… Sorry in advance, President Jing!
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Assistant Li: Jealousy. jpg
T/N: Including today I owe 3 updates. Sorry, I’ve been very occupied and didn’t have time to edit. Anyways lemme pacify you with this first. I’ll make sure that before Monday the other two will be up. Happy new month!
