Jiang Ying didn’t stop them, and when Xiao Cheng walked past him with Nian Nian, he said, “Nian Nian already has a boyfriend, Brother Jiang. No matter what the reason, I hope you won’t have any ideas about him.”
He paused, then continued, “If this gets out, it won’t look good for anyone.”
“You and Luo Jingshu’s business…”
Luo Jingshu?
Jiang Ying subconsciously looked at the boy in Xiao Cheng’s arms, Luo Jingshu’s eyes were red, and he glanced at Jiang Ying without expression.
Okay.
It’s another one of Luo Jingshu’s tricks.
Jiang Ying agreed, but added, “I’ve already promised you benefits, I’m not going to take back what I’ve given you.”
Xiao Cheng hugged Nian Nian tightly, his eyes still red from crying.
“We’ll talk about this later. You have my contact information, don’t you?”
Jiang Ying: …
Earlier, he did, but now he’s not so sure.
Luo Jingshu coughed in Xiao Cheng’s arms, his usually beautiful face pale. “Brother Cheng, I’m cold.”
Xiao Cheng ignored Jiang Ying’s meaningful expression and tightly wrapped Nian Nian’s coat. “I’ll take you away.”
Jiang Ying watched them leave, and after a while, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Luo Jingshu, tsk.”
Cheating honest people will get you struck by lightning.
It was getting late, and Nian Nian looked disheveled, so Xiao Cheng decided to take him to one of his apartments.
This place was given to the original owner by his mother when he was young, and he lived there for a while until he went to college.
Luckily, the door lock was a fingerprint lock, and Xiao Cheng let Nian Nian sit on the sofa while he went to find clothes in the bedroom.
He had never been here before, but due to the original owner’s memories, Xiao Cheng was familiar with the layout and furniture placement.
When he opened the closet, he even vaguely remembered what kind of clothes were inside.
He found a loose-fitting long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants, and then took out new underwear from the drawer, before going to the living room to find Nian Nian.
“Go take a shower first.” Xiao Cheng handed him the clothes.
Luo Jingshu followed Xiao Cheng, listening to him explain where the shower gel and hair dryer were, and a smile appeared on his face.
When Xiao Cheng was about to leave the bathroom, the boy suddenly grabbed his arm.
“Nian Nian?”
Xiao Cheng stopped, looking at him with gentle concern, his hand tightening slightly.
“Do you need anything else?” he asked.
Luo Jingshu deliberately bit his lip, and his eyes sparkled with tears. “Brother Cheng, aren’t you going to ask me what happened earlier?”
Xiao Cheng had been feeling uneasy and down since earlier. If he wasn’t afraid of Nian Nian noticing, he wouldn’t even want to maintain a smile on his face.
“Nian Nian, if you’re willing to tell me, I’ll listen carefully.” Xiao Cheng’s voice paused for a moment before continuing, “But you should know, no matter what happened, it’s not your fault.”
Luo Jingshu tightened his grip on Xiao Cheng’s sleeve. “Even if I really did something with Jiang Ying, you won’t blame me?”
Xiao Cheng nodded, what he cared about was never this. “Wasn’t everything voluntary?”
Luo Jingshu shook his head, his teeth leaving a faint mark on his lip. “Brother Cheng, I’m sorry…”
He said it ambiguously, as if he and Jiang Ying had already done something behind Xiao Cheng’s back.
Luo Jingshu’s gaze fixed Xiao Cheng’s face, not missing a single expression.
He expected to see disappointment or disgust on Xiao Cheng’s face.
After all, Xiao Cheng liked his face and body, so if he knew that someone else had already taken advantage of him, he should feel angry, right?
Xiao Cheng felt a sudden sense of fatigue, as if he had tried his best to win a treasure, but still failed.
He didn’t know what he had done wrong, or if the outcome was already set in stone and couldn’t be changed.
Xiao Cheng suddenly covered his head, feeling a tearing pain in his brain, and his legs went weak. He stumbled backward, almost falling.
“Brother Cheng!”
This reaction was different from what Luo Jingshu had expected.
He quickly supported Xiao Cheng’s waist, preventing him from falling, and then took the opportunity to snuggle into Xiao Cheng’s arms.
“Brother Cheng, do you dislike me?”
Xiao Cheng came back to his senses, only to hear Nian Nian say this in his ear.
“Nian Nian, what are you talking about?”
How could he not understand?
How did it become a question of dislike?
Luo Jingshu placed his palm on Xiao Cheng’s slender waist, smelling a faint warm fragrance.
“Brother Cheng, don’t you want to know what Jiang Ying did to me?”
Xiao Cheng took a deep breath, and suddenly, some blurry images appeared in his mind, with Jiang Ying and Nian Nian in them.
It seemed that Jiang Ying had only verbally humiliated Nian Nian, and nothing else.
Xiao Cheng shook his head, and the image in his mind seemed to change. The person in the scene was no longer Nian Nian but “Luo Jingshu.”
He wouldn’t be influenced by the plot and think that Jiang Ying’s actions towards “Luo Jingshu” were actually towards Nian Nian, would he?
However, the female classmate who had told him about the novel had emphasized that Jiang Ying’s abuse of Luo Jingshu was more about his neglect and coldness, which had caused Luo Jingshu physical harm.
This novel was first published on a website that prohibited minors from accessing it.
Jiang Ying’s interest in the protagonist shou, Luo Jingshu, was only expressed through his actions, and he didn’t dare to do more.
Was it because Nian Nian wasn’t the protagonist shou that he deserved to be bullied by Jiang Ying?
Xiao Cheng’s anger grew, and he even had the urge to take away Jiang Ying’s role as the protagonist.
Why was he just a nameless cannon fodder, while Jiang Ying was the protagonist?
If he took away Jiang Ying’s role as the protagonist, would he…
He didn’t finish the thought, and Xiao Cheng’s face showed a confused expression.
Luo Jingshu saw that Xiao Cheng wasn’t speaking, and he couldn’t help but laugh coldly in his heart. Xiao Cheng said he loved him, but he was still bothered by it.
This was the result he had wanted to see, but for some reason, Luo Jingshu felt annoyed and even wanted to lock Xiao Cheng up.
You can dislike me, but you can only stay by my side.
He thought this, and couldn’t help but bite Xiao Cheng’s neck, as if marking him.
Xiao Cheng came back to his senses, feeling a stinging pain in his neck. He had been spacing out a lot lately, and since he had been with Nian Nian, he had always felt a sense of unease and insecurity.
Maybe it was because everything had been too smooth since he transmigrated into the story, and the person he liked happened to like him back.
Xiao Cheng always felt that things shouldn’t be this simple.
Maybe he really was going crazy, thinking that someone would be jealous of him for being too happy.
If he posted this online, he would probably get roasted for being a show-off.
Xiao Cheng patted Nian Nian’s back, not asking him why he had bitten him. He just softly comforted him, “What happened earlier doesn’t matter.”
“Nian Nian, was Jiang Ying scaring you?”
He promised, “No matter what happens, I won’t leave you.”
Luo Jingshu’s head, which had been nuzzling Xiao Cheng’s neck, suddenly stopped, and after a moment, the boy looked up from Xiao Cheng’s neck. “What if I’m dirty…”
His tone was no longer as resolute as before, but rather hesitant and cautious.
Xiao Cheng’s eyebrows furrowed, “Why would you use the word ‘dirty’ to describe yourself?”
He didn’t quite understand.
“First of all, it’s not like you wanted this to happen. It’s the Luo family and Jiang Ying who are forcing you. From the perspective of intimate behavior itself, it’s a normal physiological response, and every adult has the right to choose whether or not to engage in it.”
Xiao Cheng held Nian Nian’s shoulders, his expression serious and sincere. “You’re not an adult yet, and you’re not in a voluntary relationship with Jiang Ying. He’s the one who’s committing a crime by taking advantage of a minor.”
“You’re just a victim, what does it have to do with being ‘dirty’?”
When Xiao Cheng said the word “dirty”, his hand on Nian Nian’s shoulder tightened, and Luo Jingshu could sense his anger from his expression and actions.
Xiao Cheng was angry.
Not because of what had happened between Nian Nian and Jiang Ying, but because Nian Nian shouldn’t be belittling himself.
This realization somehow made Luo Jingshu feel happy, and he sniffled. “I understand, Brother Cheng.”
Xiao Cheng let go of his hand, his tone a bit helpless. “Then go wash up, I’ll make you some ginger soup.”
Luo Jingshu obediently nodded, and after Xiao Cheng left, he couldn’t help but smile, his eyes shining.
Xiao Cheng didn’t often stay here, so the fridge was empty. He used a food delivery app to buy a bottle of cola, some ginger, and a lot of snacks and ingredients.
If things went smoothly, he and Nian Nian would live here from now on.
Xiao Cheng’s face turned pale, and he covered his forehead, lying down on the sofa. His eyes were heavy, and he felt a sense of fatigue that he couldn’t ignore.
Abnormalities had been piling up, and he couldn’t ignore them anymore.
His mind was filled with thoughts, and his eyelids eventually closed.
When Luo Jingshu came out of the bathroom, Xiao Cheng was already asleep on the sofa.
Luo Jingshu sat beside him, his fingers tracing Xiao Cheng’s lip line, and he gently pressed his lips to Xiao Cheng’s. He didn’t wake Xiao Cheng up, but instead covered him with a blanket from the bedroom, letting him sleep peacefully.
When the food delivery arrived, Xiao Cheng frowned, trying to wake up. A hand pressed against his face, rubbing his furrowed eyebrows, and a voice whispered in his ear, “Sleep.”
Xiao Cheng couldn’t resist the overwhelming fatigue and fell asleep again.
Luo Jingshu opened the door to receive the delivery, and Xiao Cheng had bought a lot of things, probably planning to stay here for a while.
Luo Jingshu thoughtfully looked up at the person on the sofa, then continued to tidy up the things.
He boiled the cola in a pot, added two slices of ginger, washed the vegetables, and cooked the meal.
He hadn’t done this in a long time, but maybe his hands didn’t feel awkward because he was used to it.
Luo Jingshu stir-fried the vegetables in the pot, and for a moment, he seemed lost in thought.
Xiao Cheng woke up from his nap, and after checking his phone, he saw that only 40 minutes had passed.
Nian Nian should have come out by now?
Xiao Cheng suddenly sat up. After realizing that he was still covered with a thin blanket, he didn’t need to think that Nian Nian must have covered him after he fell asleep.
Xiao Cheng rubbed his temples, his voice hoarse from just waking up, “Nian Nian?”
He smelled the aroma of food, and after getting up, he saw the boy standing with his back to him, stir-frying something with a spatula.
Xiao Cheng was taken aback, and then quickly walked up to him, “You’re cooking?”
He had said he would make ginger soup for Nian Nian, but he ended up sleeping first, and now Nian Nian was taking care of him.
“Brother Cheng, you’re awake?”
Luo Jingshu turned around, a gentle and soft smile on his face and a hint of redness in his eyes making him look warm and harmless.
“The food should be ready soon.”
Xiao Cheng washed his hands, then pinched Nian Nian’s face, “You worked hard.”
It was all because he had slept too soundly earlier.
“Brother Cheng, did you rest well?” Luo Jingshu nuzzled Xiao Cheng’s hand with his cheek, like a dog being petted by its owner, his eyes shining brightly.
“Yeah.” Xiao Cheng still felt a headache, but it was much better than before. He couldn’t help but pinch Nian Nian’s cheek again, before serving the food.
Luo Jingshu poured the vegetables into a plate, and then deliberately leaned his face close to Xiao Cheng, “Brother Cheng, you pinched my face red.”
His voice was soft and hoarse, with a strong hint of coquettishness, and Xiao Cheng couldn’t help but clear his throat, his ears turning red.
“It’s red, it looks good.”
Luo Jingshu: …
You’re something else.
After dinner, Xiao Cheng cleaned up the guest room so that Nian Nian could sleep in it.
He had wanted to take this opportunity to talk to Nian Nian, but when he looked up, he saw the boy yawning.
Xiao Cheng swallowed his words, “If you’re tired, just sleep.”
He didn’t know how to bring it up.
Nian Nian had decided to keep things from him from the start, so even if he asked, the boy would probably make up an excuse to hide the truth.
Xiao Cheng’s heart always felt empty, even though he and Nian Nian were already in a relationship. He always felt like something was missing.
Nian Nian seemed to be hiding a lot of things from him.
Luo Jingshu thought they would sleep in the same room, “Brother Cheng, aren’t we sleeping together?”
Xiao Cheng pushed him away, “Go sleep.”
After the boy went back to his room, Xiao Cheng rubbed his eyebrows.
Since his conversation with Nian Nian was canceled, Xiao Cheng planned to talk to Jiang Yi about Nian Nian, hoping to dispel Jiang Yi’s interest in him.
But before he could make the call, he received a message from someone else.
“Senior Xie?”
Xie Zhao had left in a hurry that day, and their meeting the next day was canceled. He explained this to Xiao Cheng afterwards, but he wasn’t very clear.
“Junior.” Xie Zhao sighed, “I’ve been busy lately.”
“How’s your competition entry coming along?”
Xiao Cheng briefly told him about it, and Xie Zhao showed a hint of a smile. “It’s going well, just needs a bit more revision.”
Xiao Cheng nodded, his eyes fixed on the computer screen, not noticing Xie Zhao’s expression.
Xie Zhao looked at him for a long time, before sighing and saying, “Xiao Cheng.”
“Hmm?” Xiao Cheng looked up at him, “What’s up?”
Xie Zhao leaned on his chin, a hint of a smile on his face. “Are you in a relationship?”
He had heard from Jiang Zihe that Xiao Cheng was still single.
He had expected a negative answer, but the person on the screen nodded.
Xie Zhao’s expression turned pale. “You’re in a relationship already?”
“How did you not post about it on social media?”
Xiao Cheng suddenly remembered what Jiang Zihe had said about Xie Zhao’s interest in him, and his expression became a bit unnatural. “He doesn’t like to show off.”
Xie Zhao’s fingers clenched into a fist, then slowly relaxed. “Is it a boyfriend or girlfriend?”
Xiao Cheng replied honestly, “Boyfriend.”
Xie Zhao’s face didn’t look good. If it were a girlfriend, he could have comforted himself that Xiao Cheng was straight.
But Xiao Cheng clearly liked men, and he hadn’t managed to win him over.
Xie Zhao felt frustrated.
“You’ve only just started university, when did you start dating? You’re moving so fast!”
Xiao Cheng had a strange sense of trust in Xie Zhao. If Jiang Ying asked this question, he would not say a word.
Despite Jiang Zihe’s statement that Xie Zhao was manipulative, Xiao Cheng still had a good impression of him.
It was a kind of admiration for a senior.
Because aside from emotional factors, Xie Zhao was indeed very capable in his field.
“Not long ago.” Xiao Cheng emphasized this twice, with a strange thought in mind, highlighting how loving he and his boyfriend were.
If Xie Zhao had those feelings for him, he should give up early.
Xie Zhao felt more and more frustrated.
He didn’t know why he was so fixated on Xiao Cheng, but from the moment he saw him, he had a strange affection for him.
That day, he only saw a photo of Xiao Cheng and wanted to date him.
Maybe fate was a mysterious thing, and he could say it was love at first sight or lust at first sight, but in any case, his feelings for Xiao Cheng couldn’t be easily dismissed.
Xie Zhao looked at Xiao Cheng’s smile, and suddenly had a bad idea – he wanted to steal Xiao Cheng away from his boyfriend.
“Your boyfriend is really great.” Xie Zhao said, “Junior, you’re really lucky to have found such a good boyfriend.”
Xiao Cheng wondered if he was overthinking, if Xie Zhao really liked him, could he praise his boyfriend in front of him?
“Yeah, he’s very cute.”
Xie Zhao thought to himself, in Xiao Cheng’s words, his boyfriend was gentle, kind, and innocent, like a small white flower that evoked people’s sympathy.
He had to know who this small white flower was.
“Do you have time to come out tomorrow? I promised to show you my previous work.”
Xiao Cheng thought for a moment. Tomorrow was Friday, and Nian Nian had to go back to school for class. He only had class in the afternoon, so he had plenty of time to meet Xie Zhao.
“How about tomorrow at noon?”
And he could invite Xie Zhao to lunch.
Xie Zhao said it was no problem and recommended a Sichuan restaurant.
Xiao Cheng booked the place in advance and then discovered that the restaurant was just a short walk from Nian Nian’s school.
Not wanting Nian Nian to misunderstand, Xiao Cheng didn’t tell him about meeting Xie Zhao for lunch.
He just said he had a friend to meet at noon, without mentioning that the friend was Xie Zhao.
The last time Xie Zhao sent a message, Nian Nian seemed to have misunderstood. Later, he checked his phone to confirm that he and Xie Zhao were innocent, and only then did he not get angry.
The boy had a possessive desire for him, and to be honest, Xiao Cheng was quite happy about it.
He planned to take Nian Nian to school in the morning, but Luo Jingshu didn’t want to get up early.
“Brother Cheng.” The boy said hoarsely, “I’m skipping class.”
“Aren’t you going to class in the morning?”
There was no new knowledge in the third year of high school, but there were endless problems to do and exams to take. After confirming that there was nothing important in the morning, Xiao Cheng let Nian Nian sleep in.
It was at 11 am that he took Nian Nian to school.
“I originally wanted to have lunch with Brother Cheng, but since Brother Cheng has a friend to meet, I’ll just go back to school early.” Luo Jingshu said lazily, leaning on Xiao Cheng’s back.
Xiao Cheng patted his hand, “I’ll make it up to you next time.”
Luo Jingshu hummed, touching Xiao Cheng’s abdominal muscles.
Xiao Cheng held his hand, “Let’s go.”
As the car was about to reach the school entrance, Luo Jingshu suddenly said, “Brother Cheng, stop here.”
If they ran into Luo Yuan or others who knew him at the school entrance, his identity would likely be exposed.
Xiao Cheng stopped the car by the side of the road, looked up, and suddenly didn’t know what to say.
Wasn’t that restaurant across the street the one he was going to take Xie Zhao to?
Xiao Cheng even caught a glimpse of Xie Zhao’s figure by the window.
Xiao Cheng: …
What a coincidence.
Xiao Cheng thought, fortunately, Nian Nian didn’t know Xie Zhao.
Otherwise, he would be in trouble.
Luo Jingshu didn’t notice Xie Zhao’s presence, sitting in the passenger seat, and Xie Zhao was too far away, his figure half-hidden by the greenery in the restaurant.
Xiao Cheng was deliberately looking in that direction, which was why he noticed Xie Zhao.
After Luo Jingshu got out of the car, he pinched Xiao Cheng’s cheek and said, “Brother Cheng, I’m leaving.”
He wanted to kiss him, but unfortunately, Xiao Cheng’s face was too thin, and he held his shoulder.
Xiao Cheng intentionally or unintentionally blocked Xie Zhao with his body, “Yeah, be careful.”
After Nian Nian’s figure disappeared, Xiao Cheng crossed the road and entered the Sichuan restaurant.
“Senior.”
Xie Zhao looked up and saw him, a smile on his face, “Xiao Cheng.”
“I’m sorry I’m late.” Xiao Cheng put down his computer, “Have you ordered?”
“Not yet.” Xie Zhao handed him the menu, and in the gap while Xiao Cheng was ordering, he asked casually, “I think I saw you with someone just now, is that your boyfriend?”
Xiao Cheng didn’t expect Xie Zhao to notice, he thought Nian Nian had only stopped for less than a minute, and Xie Zhao shouldn’t have seen him.
“Yeah.”
He said, “It’s my boyfriend.”
Xie Zhao’s expression was a bit strange, as if he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to start.
Finally, he asked, “Is he a high school student?”
Xiao Cheng’s fingers tightened on the menu, his face slightly red, “Yeah.”
Xie Zhao wouldn’t think he was an old pervert, would he? High school students were also possible.
Hearing his affirmative answer, Xie Zhao’s expression turned serious, “May I ask, what’s your boyfriend’s name?”
He felt that the person looked a bit like Luo Jingshu.
Xie Zhao had only caught a glimpse of him, and Xiao Cheng mostly blocked his figure, only occasionally revealing a small part of his profile.
Xie Zhao was unsure, but Xiao Cheng described his boyfriend as a pure and innocent little white flower, and Luo Jingshu was not an innocent little darling.
“He’s called Luo Yuan.”
Xiao Cheng said, “His nickname is Nian Nian.”
Xie Zhao’s expression stiffened.
He wasn’t familiar with the name Luo Yuan, but the nickname Nian Nian he had heard countless times.
The couple across the street called Luo Jingshu that, saying it was a nickname given by his grandmother, Nian Nian, a perfect and harmonious name.
Wasn’t Nian Nian Luo Jingshu? Why did Xiao Cheng call him Luo Yuan?
Was it possible that Luo Jingshu had changed his name after returning to the Luo family?
Xie Zhao’s face tensed up, and he asked tentatively, “Do you know Luo Jingshu?”
Xiao Cheng’s smile froze, and he furrowed his brow. “You know Luo Jingshu?”
Xie Zhao’s heart sank, “Yeah.”
Xiao Cheng looked at him, his face not looking good.
“Luo Jingshu is Nian Nian’s older brother, the biological child that the Luo family recently found.” Xiao Cheng said, “Did you know him before?”
He said, with Xie Zhao’s appearance and abilities, he didn’t seem like a passerby who hadn’t appeared in the original text.
What was Xie Zhao’s identity?
Xie Zhao: ????
He rubbed his temples, “Wait, this relationship is a bit complicated.”
How did Luo Jingshu and Nian Nian become two different people?
