Ye Zhou uttered those words but received no response for a long time. Hesitantly, he raised his head and glanced towards Boss Jiang’s direction.
At a second glance, Ye Zhou swallowed the words he was about to bargain with Jiang.
Shrinking his neck, gritting his teeth, his voice dry yet probing, “Well, whatever the amount is, don’t hold back with me!”
Jiang Tingyuan was almost rendered speechless by this little rascal before him. In the first twenty-odd years of his life, he rarely experienced significant emotional fluctuations due to anyone or anything, except when it came to Ye Zhou.
This little rascal seemed to possess a special allure, effortlessly shattering his calm composure and stirring ripples in the still waters of his heart that had remained undisturbed for years.
From a young age, Jiang Tingyuan had been emotionally detached, not only towards outsiders but even towards his grandfather, who singlehandedly raised him. Respect dominated over intimacy. Not to mention his biological parents.
Rather than relying on emotions, he preferred to evaluate matters based on interests and values. This absolute calmness enabled him to make precise choices in the business world, contributing to his unwavering success.
This principle extended to people as well. In the past, Yu Qiuze once saved him from his biological mother, and Jiang Tingyuan disliked owing favors.
After the Yu family incident, he offered Yu Qiuze a check for twenty million, intending to settle the debt of gratitude, but Yu Qiuze never touched the money on that card.
Thus, the favor remained uncounted.
The second year after Yu Qiuze went abroad, his health deteriorated, and if things continued, he likely wouldn’t last a few more years. At the end of that year, he sought Jiang Tingyuan’s help in finding a donor with the rare Rh-null blood type.
With Yu Qiuzhe’s life-saving grace in mind, Jiang Tingyuan found no reason to refuse.
However, the Rh-null blood type is exceptionally rare globally, and Yu Qiuze didn’t need blood but a heart transplant. Finding a donor who would agree was nearly impossible.
In truth, neither Jiang Tingyuan nor Yu Qiuzhe held out much hope, until Ye Zhou appeared.
Upon receiving news from the blood bank, Jiang Tingyuan took a day off to visit the original Ye Zhou. At that time, Ye Zhou had faced setbacks, and although he managed to film a decent movie, the investors withdrew halfway through.
With funding gaps and a disheartened crew, without new investors, Ye Zhou’s hard work was about to be ruined. On a classmate’s recommendation, the original Ye Zhou resorted to a high-interest loan.
Ye Zhou was full of confidence that the movie’s release would earn back the money to repay the debt, but despite the film’s successful release and entry into the market, it failed to make a profit. Not only did he fail to profit, but the previous investments were also lost, leaving him deep in debt.
When Jiang Tingyuan approached Ye Zhou, the original was on the verge of being crushed by the high-interest loan. If not for Jiang Tingyuan clearing the debt at that time, his fate might have been no better than the book’s ending.
Nevertheless, Jiang Tingyuan never, as cold as it may sound, suggested buying a life with money to the original Ye Zhou. The person had been found, but it was Yu Qiuze’s responsibility to persuade him to agree to a heart transplant.
His responsibility was merely to care for Ye Zhou on behalf of Yu Qiuze until his return, repaying the favor owed from his childhood.
As a competent businessman, Jiang Tingyuan would never engage in a losing deal. Repaying Yu Qiuze’s favor with the money spent on supporting Ye Zhou was a worthwhile investment.
The more money Jiang Tingyuan spent on Ye Zhou, the higher his value became. Naturally, Jiang Tingyuan would not be stingy. He even went so far as to conceal Ye Zhou’s blood type from Yu Qiuzhe before his return to increase Ye Zhou’s worth.
After all, what is too easily obtained is seldom cherished. Jiang Tingyuan understood this well; hope is better etched when one is in despair.
Everything went smoothly at first. Ye Zhou spent money like water, and as long as he didn’t cross the line, Jiang Tingyuan didn’t care. His only task was to ensure Ye Zhou stayed alive and healthy until Yu Qiuzhe’s return.
However, the originally straightforward plan took an unexpected turn. From that day on, Ye Zhou, who originally only knew pleasure and had a frivolous personality… suddenly seemed to become a different person.
Could someone really change so drastically in such a short time? At first, Jiang Tingyuan’s attention to Ye Zhou was merely out of curiosity, but to his surprise, a casual glance became an inability to look away.
An unprecedented, vivid, heart-stirring feeling.
From the moment he truly felt his heart stir, Jiang Tingyuan knew this originally simple matter would become extremely complicated.
Yu Qiuze’s side posed no significant issue; the real problem lay in their less-than-ideal relationship.
The more time Jiang Tingyuan spent with Ye Zhou, the more he recognized Ye Zhou’s resistance to this relationship. This resistance wasn’t physical but psychological or even subconscious.
Despite Ye Zhou’s nonchalant and carefree demeanor, the more Jiang Tingyuan understood him, the clearer it became that he was quite intelligent. Ye Zhou had established a safe distance between them early on. As long as it remained outside that boundary, Ye Zhou could accept any request, including intimacy.
But Jiang Tingyuan desired not just his body but also his heart.
Yet whenever Jiang Tingyuan tried to cross that safe distance and take a step further, Ye Zhou would immediately retreat several steps back. Even when Jiang Tingyuan sensed his wavering a few times, given time, Ye Zhou would quickly regain his senses and reestablish the distance.
A mere sponsorship was already difficult for Ye Zhou to accept, let alone a relationship already complex, now entangled with even more complexities.
No matter how agreeable Ye Zhou appeared, Jiang Tingyuan knew that once boundaries were crossed, he could be as resolute as anyone else. Continuing this complicated relationship would only lead to a dead end.
The only way to break this impasse was to end their current relationship and start a new, pure one.
Even without Cheng Ran’s intervention, Jiang Tingyuan had planned to discuss ending their unequal relationship with Ye Zhou. However… before he could bring it up, those sordid matters were abruptly laid bare before Ye Zhou.
When Ye Zhou demanded to settle the accounts, Jiang Tingyuan’s initial reaction was anger. But upon reflection, what right did he have to be angry when he had approached Ye Zhou with such unsavory intentions?
Jiang Tingyuan closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, the sharpness had faded, replaced by… profound sadness.
Although mentally prepared, it wasn’t until that moment that Jiang Tingyuan fully realized he might truly lose Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou found it absurd. He actually saw sadness in Boss Jiang’s eyes. Despite his handsome face remaining expressionless, Ye Zhou felt as if he might burst into tears any second.
“I’m sorry.”
“Jiang…Jiang-ge?” Ye Zhou stammered his name, instinctively reaching out to gently pat his back, clumsily attempting to console him. “It’s…it’s okay…”
“We each had our needs. I understand, but I cannot give you what you need, so it’s better we end our relationship now.”
As he spoke, Ye Zhou noticed the sorrow in President Jiang’s eyes deepen, an expression he couldn’t describe in words. Simply meeting his gaze made Ye Zhou involuntarily mirror his sorrow.
As if nothing could make him happy again.
Ye Zhou opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.
Forgive him? He had no right to forgive on behalf of the original Ye Zhou. Moreover, this matter had crossed Ye Zhou’s line, even if he knew it was just a fictional world. He found Jiang Tingyuan’s approach difficult to accept.
If it were just a financial sponsorship, where each party takes what they need—you for the body, me for the money, everything clear and priced—it would be one thing. But Jiang desired not just his body but his heart, his life—that was unacceptable to Ye Zhou.
Can money buy a life? Money can buy a life, but at least it should be with the consent of the person selling it, an agreement between two willing parties. Otherwise, how is it different from raising livestock?
Just the thought of one day being sent to the operating table unknowingly, dying silently under the knife, made Ye Zhou shudder.
Rationally, Ye Zhou didn’t believe Jiang Tingyuan was that kind of person. Even if all the evidence laid bare before him seemed so straightforward and naked, he would not believe it. He wanted to hear the answer from Jiang Tingyuan himself.
Regardless of the outcome, good or bad, he could accept it calmly and make the right choice.
Now that Jiang Tingyuan had admitted it, the choice was made. Yet seeing his sorrow, Ye Zhou felt reluctant.
But what use was reluctance? Could he go against his principles to forgive him, to continue pretending to be an ignorant, naive person?
Ye Zhou couldn’t.
He felt aggrieved too.
Ye Zhou looked at Boss Jiang, meeting his gaze without evasion. Sighing softly, he asked, “Are you seriously apologizing to me?”
Jiang Tingyuan: “I am sincerely and wholeheartedly apologizing to you for the hurt I’ve caused.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Then I accept your apology.” Ye Zhou extended his arms to embrace Jiang Tingyuan, resting his head on his chest. Slowly yet firmly, he spoke, “But I’m sorry, I cannot forgive you.”
“I’ve already found a new place and packed my things. If possible, I’d like to move out tonight. This relationship has to end here.”
“Jiang-ge, thank you for taking care of me these past two years. I was happy living with you during this time. You’ve broadened my horizons, allowed me to make films I love, and do many things I never dared to dream of, even helping many others fulfill their dreams. Every day with you was fulfilling and joyful.”
“If you’re willing to leave me some dignity, please calculate all the expenses over these years and send them to my email. Give me a chance to start over. It’s really tiring to walk on tiptoes all the time. I’d prefer to walk firmly on the ground.”
“Let the past be just a beautiful dream.”
“I’m glad to have met you. So…goodbye.”
The sound of footsteps and a rolling suitcase gradually faded. The doorknob turned with a soft click, followed by a dull thud as the door closed.
“Thump.”
Jiang Tingyuan maintained the posture of the embrace, slowly closing his eyes.
It was all over.
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