Jiang Shengyan’s eyes widened as he stared intently at Zong Yuan, determined to make him realize the importance of proper clothing.
He pulled Zong Yuan toward the bedroom. “Are you even a decent person?”
Zong Yuan’s bathrobe billowed to the sides as he walked, looking as if he could be a model for a hardcover magazine with just a dab of olive oil. He maintained a very serious expression. “I am.”
Jiang Shengyan’s gaze shifted around him, feeling weak in the knees from the sight, swallowing hard. “Go to the bed and make sure to cover yourself properly.”
The air conditioning in Boss Jiang’s room was at a comfortable temperature. Zong Yuan hadn’t felt such fresh and cool air in a long time, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.
Jiang Shengyan jumped up, aggressively pointing a finger. “You did that on purpose!”
Zong Yuan shot him a glance. “Young people should drink more tea to avoid getting overheated.”
Jiang Shengyan, feeling embarrassed and angry, shot back, “I don’t need your advice, Dad!”
Zong Yuan narrowed his eyes. “Say that again.”
Jiang Shengyan’s face turned red with anger. “Why should I listen to you just because you told me to?”
He felt a bit guilty himself. “What did I even say?”
Zong Yuan walked to the side of the bed, lifted the blanket, and sat down confidently, his bathrobe spreading wide open, boldly facing the CEO, seemingly unaware of how exposed he looked. “Come here; let’s have a chat.”
Jiang Shengyan refused to approach. “You cover up.”
That piece of fabric was so small.
Pfft, his underwear was definitely not small!
Zong Yuan snorted lightly. “Coward.” He casually pulled the blanket over himself and beckoned the frozen-in-place CEO with his finger. “Come here.”
Jiang Shengyan scampered over, looking utterly displeased. “What do you want? What are we talking about?”
Zong Yuan ruined the mood, “Is there surveillance in your study?”
Jiang Shengyan, without a hint of suspicion, nodded trustingly. “Yeah, but it’s always been off. It’s basically just a decoration.”
Zong Yuan probed, “What about the pinhole camera on the door? Who do you think installed it?”
Jiang Shengyan pouted. “Who else could it be? There are only a few people who have keys to my house.”
“Aunt Lin and Uncle Wang,” Zong Yuan laid out the logic for him, clearly not underestimating the CEO’s intelligence. “They’re just an ordinary rural couple. Where would they get a camera? How would they know how to install it? Have you thought about these questions?”
Jiang Shengyan fell silent, clearly feeling guilty.
His only thought at the time was to find the little brat hiding behind the camera and ask if he really saw Zong Yuan like this. Damn it, the more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
As Zong Yuan spoke, he noticed Jiang Shengyan’s handsome face turning stern. His heart stirred. “You have an idea, don’t you?”
Jiang Shengyan nodded darkly. “I do.”
Once he finds that little brat, he’ll demand to see the footage and sternly question him about what he saw.
Hmph.
To his surprise, Jiang Shengyan was somewhat aware of the situation. Zong Yuan looked at him with relief. “If you can’t find anything, then fire those two. A little pressure can ensure they won’t return to Peach Village. Of course, that’s a last resort.”
“I know,” Jiang Shengyan replied with a cold smile, “don’t worry, it definitely won’t get out.”
Zong Yuan: “…”
“And about that Assistant Lin,” Zong Yuan slightly bypassed the part he didn’t understand. “Your company should have his personal information. Make sure to look into it.”
It might be hard to believe, but Jiang Shengyan used to be a genuine workaholic.
He spent almost every day buried in paperwork, only coming up for meals and sleep. Conversations with his subordinates never strayed far from work. It wasn’t until his career expanded and his temper grew increasingly irritable that he decisively set aside his work and returned to the countryside for some rest.
But now, after Zong Yuan had said only five or six sentences about work, he didn’t want to hear any more.
Why bother with so much? Can’t we talk about me instead?
What are you so worried about?
Aren’t you right next to me? Such a waste of time.
Jiang Shengyan moved to the other side of the bed, took off his shoes, and got in. “Move over.”
The bed was at least 1.8 meters wide.
Zong Yuan’s eyes twitched. “Stay away from me; it’s hot.”
Despite saying that, Jiang Shengyan pressed himself against Zong Yuan’s side, one hand reaching out from the summer blanket to grab the air conditioning remote, adjusting it precisely to 16 degrees.
He sounded annoyed. “Why can’t I lean on you if I’m cold?”
Just a minute ago, the temperature had felt perfectly fine to Zong Yuan. “…”
Hypocritical.
Wrapped in a barely-there bathrobe, Zong Yuan covered the small corner of the blanket that Jiang Shengyan had left behind and lay down.
The cocooned Jiang Shengyan grunted, moving a bit closer.
A warm mass pressed against him, causing Zong Yuan, who was covered in goosebumps, to pull Jiang Shengyan in. “Don’t move.”
With both hands gripping the sides of Jiang Shengyan’s blanket, he pulled him onto his body with a single forceful motion.
The layers of blankets spilled over both Zong Yuan and Jiang Shengyan, and Zong Yuan felt satisfied. “Great, let’s sleep.”
In the darkness, Jiang Shengyan lay on Zong Yuan, his eyes bright.
This was so much fun.
He covered his undoubtedly flushed face, which had been stifled under the blanket, and soon fell sweetly into a deep sleep.
The next day, Chen Hongmei woke up to the sound of roosters crowing. She quickly got a pot of soup going, waiting for her son and daughter to wake up. “A’Yuan, Xiaomo!”
No one answered; lazy kids.
Chen Hongmei went from room to room, calling out, “A’Yuan!”
There was no one in Zong Yuan’s room. When Chen Hongmei reached the bed and touched it, it felt cold, indicating he had likely been up for a while.
Her son had a habit of exercising; when he wasn’t busy, he would usually run a few laps. Chen Hongmei turned down the heat on the stove, letting the soup simmer slowly as she planned to go find her son.
It was rare for her to feel this cheerful in the morning; she might even pick some pears and peaches from the mountains.
Zong Yuan woke up on time, feeling a dull ache in his chest. He looked down and saw Jiang Shengyan lying beside him, his head resting on Zong Yuan’s chest, breathing long and deep, drooling quite a bit.
Feeling the wetness on his chest, Zong Yuan shifted his shoulders. “Hey, Boss Jiang.”
Jiang Shengyan smacked his lips and continued sleeping.
Zong Yuan nudged him harder. “Hey, Boss Jiang.”
Jiang Shengyan opened his eyes groggily, unhappy. “Why are you disturbing my sleep?”
He wiped his mouth, only to find his hand covered in saliva. Jiang Shengyan froze, instantly wide awake.
What a sin; he usually never drools easily.
Zong Yuan pointed at his chest muscles. “What should I do? You decide.”
After a long pause, Jiang Shengyan fidgeted and said, “How about I lick it clean for you?”
“Damn,” Zong Yuan squeezed out, “I’ll go take a shower; I won’t trouble Boss Jiang.”
Jiang Shengyan’s voice lowered, sounding a bit sulky. “You’re disgusted by me.”
Zong Yuan often found himself at a loss for words when facing Jiang Shengyan and he didn’t know why.
Helpless, he stepped back in front of Jiang Shengyan, placing one hand on the back of his head and pushing Jiang Shengyan’s face onto his chest with a rough tone. “Lick it.”
No big deal; he could shower afterward.
It would be half an hour before Zong Yuan could finally take a shower.
0046 looked utterly hopeless. “I really can’t bear to watch you two.”
Zong Yuan felt numb. “Damn it, even if he’s my old flame, I can’t agree to him right now. The longer I drag it out, the better. I just can’t handle it. If I agree, will I have to eat deer antler to make up for it?”
It was too intense; he would definitely be drained.
0046 felt sorry for him. “I checked for you; starting today, just eat leeks with eggs or eel with lamb. These are easy to prepare; first, get your nutrients back.”
It sighed in regret. “I heard that shark meat is also very nourishing.”
What the hell about sharks?
Zong Yuan took a quick shower. He was clearly in his prime, full of energy; even seven times wouldn’t be a problem. Yet he felt a sense of desolation from 0046’s description.
He needed to replenish himself.
A fleeting image of his previous life, with Fu Xin clinging to him, made him shiver. Forget it; he might as well replenish.
Chen Hongmei searched for Zong Yuan for quite a while, only to spot him returning when the meal was ready, with Jiang Shengyan by his side. “A’Yuan, you went looking for Shengyan this morning?”
Jiang Shengyan was polite. “Good morning.”
Zong Yuan took the bowl and chopsticks from her hand. “Yeah, I happened to run into Boss Jiang this morning.”
Chen Hongmei smiled. “Boss Jiang also likes to go for a run early in the morning.”
She assumed Zong Yuan had encountered him while jogging.
Jiang Shengyan always presented himself well in front of outsiders, nodding. “Walking more is good for your health. Auntie, you can join us next time.”
Zong Xiaomo squatted by the well brushing her teeth. She had just woken up and mumbled, “Then I’ll go with you tomorrow.”
Jiang Shengyan smiled with a hint of mockery. “Girls should sleep a bit more; it’s good for their skin.”
Zong Xiaomo thought it made sense. “Alright, then I won’t go. You and my brother should exercise well together, hahaha.”
Jiang Shengyan rolled his eyes discreetly and muttered, “That little lightbulb is easy to deal with.”
Since Zong Yuan had asked about them, Chen Hongmei paid special attention to Aunt Lin and Uncle Wang from the neighboring village. While eating, she suddenly remembered, “Didn’t I go to find A’Yuan this morning? It was still dim outside and guess who I ran into?”
“Just that couple, Lin and Wang, from the neighboring village. Early in the morning, they were riding a tricycle down the mountain, all flustered and in a hurry. I don’t know what they were rushing for and they didn’t even greet me when we crossed paths. I have no idea what’s going on.”
Zong Yuan’s hand paused while holding the bowl, frowning. “Last night…”
What happened last night?
Jiang Shengyan suddenly spoke up, sounding like a wilted flower that had suffered a severe blow, looking aggrieved. “Last night, they stole my things. I yelled at them and they got angry, saying they’d find someone to teach me a lesson today.”
Zong Yuan nearly spat out his soup.
“Wow,” Chen Hongmei was startled. “They stole things and still dare to act like that! Don’t they have any conscience?”
Jiang Shengyan lowered his head, sighing heavily. “It’s fine, Auntie. Don’t worry. If it comes to it, I can handle a beating.”
Chen Hongmei’s anger surged. “That’s just infuriating! A’Yuan!”
Zong Yuan’s hand trembled.
Chen Hongmei gave a direct order. “You should stay with Shengyan these next few nights. If those bullies try to mess with him, we can’t just stand by and watch him get bullied. If they dare to lay a hand on him, we’ll call the police!”
Zong Yuan replied, “Okay.”
Chen Hongmei’s expression softened as she looked at Jiang Shengyan with affectionate concern. “Shengyan, what do you want to eat for lunch?”
Jiang Shengyan blinked his slender eyes that never seemed to fully open. “What does Zong Yuan want to eat?”
Zong Yuan sighed heavily and said, “How about a plate of leeks and eggs?”
