The town wasn’t close to Peach Village. Although the mountain road was smooth, very few people in the village had a vehicle that could carry three people. Zong Xiaomo ran around and returned, excited. “Brother, A’Qiang’s dad is going to the town to trade for a new ox. His ox cart has just enough room for the three of us.”
At this time of day, Jiang Shengyan was definitely still in bed. Zong Yuan said, “You head over to A’Qiang’s place first. I’ll go find Jiang Shengyan and bring him along.”
The village wasn’t large, so it didn’t take long for Zong Yuan to reach his destination. From a distance, he saw Aunt Lin coming out of Jiang Shengyan’s house with a basket. He quickly hid behind a nearby house, watching her movements.
Aunt Lin walked toward the alleyway and Uncle Wang emerged from it. He asked in a hushed voice, “Has Boss Jiang woken up yet?”
“No, he hasn’t,” Aunt Lin rolled her eyes. “If you want to talk, just talk. Why are you whispering outside? Have you fed the pigs yet?”
Uncle Wang grimaced, “You have no idea how bad the pig manure smells. I’m about to pass out from the stench. I can’t even sweep it all away.”
Their actions seemed intimate. Zong Yuan had a sudden realization. “Are they married?”
0046 hesitated, “I don’t know.”
It wondered if it was just a little piece of trash. QAQ.
After they left, Zong Yuan knocked on the door. It quickly opened and Jiang Shengyan appeared, fresh from a shower, smelling of body wash. His hair was still dripping with water, soaking his wide-open bathrobe. “Come in.”
The originally cool morning had been turned hot and stuffy, all thanks to his presence.
As Zong Yuan entered, his nose filled with Jiang Shengyan’s scent. “Boss Jiang, you’re even more seductive than I thought.”
Even his body wash was rose-scented.
Jiang Shengyan pressed his lips together, “Seductive my ass.”
Who the hell knew you’d show up at this hour?
And even if I did know, who could guess if you’d get hard looking at me, damn it?
Zong Yuan’s expression gave nothing away, whether he liked it or not. As Jiang Shengyan blew his hair dry, Zong Yuan spoke softly, “Boss Jiang, I prefer mint-scented body wash. That would give me more…feeling.”
Jiang Shengyan stumbled slightly. “Why should I use mint-scented anything?”
Once he got to his room, he immediately took out his phone and called his company’s secretary. “Get me a box of mint-scented body wash from a good brand. I want it delivered by tomorrow afternoon.”
The secretary: “…”
Zong Xiaomo waited for half an hour before those two finally arrived. A’Qiang had been telling her bad jokes the whole time and she almost froze from the cold jokes in the middle of a hot summer day. A’Qiang’s dad pulled out the ox cart and harnessed it, laughing heartily. “This cart hasn’t been used in years but I never thought I’d be hitching it to our ox again. The ox pulls the cart really slowly. A’Yuan, make sure to spread out the two blankets I had A’Qiang bring. It’ll be more comfortable that way.”
Zong Yuan climbed up, took the blankets, and laid them out. “Thanks, Uncle.”
Jiang Shengyan had spent half his life riding in all kinds of luxurious cars and on horses of all temperaments. But this ox cart? Well, let’s just say this was a first.
Zong Yuan thought he’d complain, but Jiang Shengyan looked thrilled. “Can we get on now?”
The cart was covered with two thick blankets, looking more like a moving bed than a cart.
Zong Xiaomo climbed up with effort. “Brother, brother, hurry up!”
Given the difference between men and women, Boss Jiang held back a little.
Jiang Shengyan to Zong Yuan: “You go up first.”
Once Zong Yuan sat down, his large frame took up most of the space in the cart. He stretched out his long legs and patted his thigh. Beckoning Jiang Shengyan with his finger, he said, “Boss Jiang, come, sit here.”
Jiang Shengyan glanced at the spot and reluctantly accepted the invitation. He swung his leg over and sat down heavily, not holding back at all.
“Hiss—” Zong Yuan’s expression twisted in pain. “You sat in the wrong spot.”
Jiang Shengyan froze. “Are you okay?”
Zong Yuan took a moment to recover, his expression filled with a pain any man would understand. “Don’t move.”
Jiang Shengyan kept quiet for a moment but couldn’t help his concern. “Is it still functional?”
Zong Yuan, “…”
His expression turned dangerously dark. “Why don’t you test if it’s still functional?”
What an idiot of a CEO.
Zong Xiaomo, completely confused, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Shengyan, with an air of mystery, replied, “It’s not suitable for you.”
Zong Xiaomo had a black line across her face. She wasn’t sure if she was overthinking things, but why did it feel like the atmosphere between Boss Jiang and her brother was a bit strange?
When it was market day, there were always a lot of people. A’Qiang’s dad unhitched the cart and left it at a parking spot on the outskirts where they charged a small fee to watch over the carts. After agreeing on a time to meet up, he took the ox and headed into the town.
Zong Xiaomo nervously fiddled with the hem of her shirt, a bit shy. “Brother, I want to watch a movie.”
Before Zong Yuan could respond, Jiang Shengyan swiftly pulled out a stack of bills and generously shoved it into Zong Xiaomo’s hands. “Go, go! Watch three or four movies. If you have time left, grab a meal and buy yourself some clothes.”
Just don’t come back and bother us.
Zong Xiaomo, unsure of what to do, watched as Zong Yuan took the money from her hands and pulled out a few bills. “Go on, it’s fine.”
Zong Xiaomo, following her brother’s lead, obediently said, “Thank you, Boss Jiang.”
Zong Yuan looked at Jiang Shengyan, asking a question he already knew the answer to, “I need to buy some household supplies. What are your plans, Boss Jiang?”
“I’ll follow you,” Jiang Shengyan sighed, furrowing his brow. “It can’t get any more boring than this, anyway.”
Zong Yuan glanced over at his amused expression. “How considerate of you.”
Chen Hongmei had given Zong Yuan a list of ordinary household items to buy. While he was shopping, he asked Jiang Shengyan, “What’s the relationship between Aunt Lin and Uncle Wang, who help out at your house?”
Jiang Shengyan was busy picking out items. “There’s no relationship. At most, they’re colleagues.”
Zong Yuan paused for a moment. “They’re married.”
Jiang Shengyan stopped in disbelief. “They’re married?”
Zong Yuan replied, “At the very least, their relationship seems far more intimate than just being colleagues.”
Jiang Shengyan was at a loss for words. “They’ve never mentioned it to me and they don’t act particularly close when they’re around me.”
Zong Yuan noted this. “Pay more attention when you go back. If they’re intentionally hiding it, then something’s definitely off about them.”
Jiang Shengyan rubbed his temples, frustrated that even when he came home to rest, he had to deal with these things. “Damn.”
Zong Yuan reached out, smoothing the furrow in Jiang Shengyan’s brow. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got you.”
His gesture wasn’t flirtatious, just a genuine expression of concern between friends. Jiang Shengyan, feeling oddly compelled, blurted out, “Zong Yuan, are you…”
Are you gay?
Do you like me?
Though he didn’t finish the question, Zong Yuan already knew what he wanted to say. He calmly replied, “Take a guess.”
Jiang Shengyan retorted, “Guess your ass.”
Just as they finished shopping and were about to leave, Jiang Shengyan suddenly spotted a familiar figure. “Assistant Lin?”
Zong Yuan followed his gaze and saw a tall, lanky man pushing a cart ahead of them. Jiang Shengyan’s brow furrowed again. “Why is he here?”
Assistant Lin was Jiang Shengyan’s executive assistant. He was supposed to be working diligently at the company, not wandering around here.
Sensing something, Assistant Lin turned around, his face briefly showing a flicker of panic before quickly composing himself. He walked over and greeted them. “Hello, boss. Hello, sir.”
Wearing glasses and looking every bit the elite white-collar worker, Assistant Lin’s appearance was polished. Zong Yuan noticed the cart he was pushing, which had a small bag of rice poking out from under several other items. “Does Assistant Lin live nearby?”
Assistant Lin adjusted his glasses. “You’re funny, sir. I’m just here to report some important company matters to the boss. Since I arrived early and coincidentally caught the market day, I thought I’d take a look around.”
Jiang Shengyan said, “But today’s not a scheduled reporting day.”
His narrowed eyes and stern expression made it clear he wasn’t buying it.
Assistant Lin smiled awkwardly. “There’s an important matter that needed addressing.”
Jiang Shengyan had found Assistant Lin useful at times, but in conversations like this, he found him insufferable. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Assistant Lin’s gaze shifted to Zong Yuan. “And who’s this handsome man?”
Jiang Shengyan’s face turned cold. “I told you to get lost.”
Assistant Lin regretfully nodded his head. “Goodbye, Boss Jiang. Goodbye, sir.”
After he left, Jiang Shengyan’s face was still dark. He glared at Zong Yuan warningly. “From now on, don’t talk to him.”
How did he never notice before? The fact that Assistant Lin liked men and even tried talking to Zong Yuan was really damn irritating.
“Has he come to find you here before?” Zong Yuan asked.
Jiang Shengyan scoffed. “Not once.”
Another liar. That assistant had definitely spent quite a bit of time around here.
Zong Yuan sighed. “Why does everyone around you lie?”
Suddenly feeling annoyed, Jiang Shengyan blurted out, “Do you lie too?” He scanned Zong Yuan from head to toe—tall, handsome, with broad shoulders, and long legs. Whether he was good in bed or not, at least he was well-endowed. “Have you seriously never had a relationship before?”
How could a man like that still be single?
Zong Yuan looked at him earnestly, bent over, and placed his hands on Jiang Shengyan’s shoulders. “In this world, I’ve never been in a relationship. If you don’t believe me, you can check.”
Jiang Shengyan snorted. “Don’t think I won’t.”
Yet somehow, he was soothed, a small smile playing on his lips as he awkwardly asked, “So, where to next?”
“It’s not often we come to town,” Zong Yuan started and Jiang Shengyan’s heart stirred with anticipation. But then Zong Yuan continued, “We should settle things with your assistant. Otherwise, it’ll be a pain later.”
“Damn,” Jiang Shengyan almost lunged at him to bite. Zong Yuan ruffled his hair and hinted, “Once that’s sorted, how about we go see a movie? I wonder if Boss Jiang is afraid of the dark.”
Throwing out such bait, Jiang Shengyan replied, “Afraid? Me?” If only the cinema showed adult films.
Zong Yuan sought out some local hooligans he often saw around town. He described the person he was looking for. “Do you guys recognize this man?”
They exchanged glances. “Seems familiar.”
Zong Yuan pulled out a few bills. “Does that help jog your memory?”
“Of course, of course,” one of them chuckled. “We’ve seen him a bunch of times. He’s been staying at a hotel here for at least ten days. We even thought about robbing him, but he never comes out, not even once in a week. No idea what he’s doing holed up in there.”
Jiang Shengyan had only been in Peach Village for less than a week, but Assistant Lin had already been staying here for over ten days.
Jiang Shengyan kicked the wall, sending bits of the cheap plaster crumbling to the ground. “Damn it, he lied to me.”
After they dismissed the hooligans, Zong Yuan noticed Jiang Shengyan’s face filled with a murderous aura. He said to 0046, “With all these problems around him, it wouldn’t be surprising if he got himself killed.”
0046: If your expression wasn’t so terrifying, I might actually believe you.
Indeed, Zong Yuan’s expression was intimidating. He stood there with a grim face, raising an eyebrow at Jiang Shengyan as wave after wave of cold anger radiated from him. “How could you not notice all these problems?”
Jiang Shengyan was already on edge and now he was about to explode. “How the hell was I supposed to notice?”
Zong Yuan’s voice turned cold. “You let people right under your nose deceive you and you still wonder how stupid you can get?”
Jiang Shengyan’s eyes reddened. But as he looked into Zong Yuan’s eyes, filled with a whirlwind of concern and fear, his anger dissipated like a balloon that had been deflated. For the first time, Jiang Shengyan bowed his head in surrender, admitting defeat. “I was wrong.”
Don’t be mad anymore. I was wrong.
I worried you, Zong Yuan. It was my fault. Can you hug me and forgive me?
The fire in Zong Yuan’s heart was extinguished. He felt a wave of tenderness rising from deep within him, a real and palpable fear and worry. No matter how different Jiang Shengyan looked or acted compared to Fu Xin, since he had discovered they were the same person, Zong Yuan had never felt it so clearly until now.
He had fallen for him.
Moonlit: That was fast! I thought it’d take, like, 1 more arc for him to realize and admit.
