After Ji Xu had successfully wrapped up matters in court, he called Cheng Yue, who was waiting outside, but there was no answer.
“Have some water,” Tang Jing said, handing him a bottle. “Xingchen still has a bit of conscience, not making a fuss.”
“That’s not called conscience,” Ji Xu, recalling what happened in court, curled his lips into a sarcastic smile. “That’s humanity. When people are overwhelmed, they inevitably can’t have it all. Xingchen had to cover either money or reputation.”
“Insightful,” Tang Jing said, giving a thumbs-up and smiling.
“By the way, some media contacted several big companies to organize a charity auction. The proceeds will be used to set up a new Nanshan to support the children. You’ve been specially invited. When you get home, you can donate something, it’s not a big deal. The kids in that small courtyard rented by Mu Jia are a bit cramped, so let’s help them get a better place.”
“Got it,” Ji Xu replied, glancing at his phone again to check for missed calls. He frowned and looked at Tang Jing. “Anything else?”
“Media will be doing interviews later,” Tang Jing said.
“Then I’ll leave first,” Ji Xu said, turning to go. “My kid isn’t answering the phone.”
“Hey!” Tang Jing exclaimed, “There are so many media people waiting! You can’t just leave like that! They’re here waiting to see you!”
“So, take this opportunity to show off your big belly. It’s a good advertising gimmick,” Ji Xu said with a faint smile. “Attract more talent and let them know how good our food is.”
Tang Jing: “…”
Watching Ji Xu’s retreating figure, Tang Jing put his hand on his stomach, feeling speechless.
At this time, the media were waiting in the large conference room, so Ji Xu slowly descended the long steps, making another phone call along the way.
But no one answered the call. Ji Xu frowned and quickened his pace.
The street was quiet with few passing cars, making the parked vehicles seem unusually still.
Ji Xu squinted through the partially open car window and saw no one inside. He hurried over to the car.
Cheng Yue, who should have been in the front passenger seat, was missing. Ji Xu’s expression darkened, but then he caught sight of the back seat.
Only then did Ji Xu notice that Cheng Yue was curled up asleep in the back seat, hugging his coat and burying his head in it.
Due to his sleeping position, Cheng Yue’s t-shirt had ridden up slightly, exposing a patch of pale, firm waist.
Ji Xu’s grip on the car door tightened, and he wasn’t sure when he had leaned in.
“Mm…” Cheng Yue seemed to sense something and made a groggy sound.
Ji Xu suddenly snapped back to reality, looking down to find his hand resting on Cheng Yue’s lower leg.
Ji Xu stared at his hand, his expression changing several times before he took a deep breath and gently closed the back door.
He walked to the rear of the car, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and lit it.
He worked long hours and often handled things overnight. Coffee and cigarettes helped him maintain a highly focused mind. His father had never smoked, but due to some reasons, he had developed quite a smoking habit.
However, recently his smoking frequency had noticeably decreased, especially in Cheng Yue’s presence.
Not just because Cheng Yue was underage, but also due to the hidden reasons in his heart.
When Tang Jing discovered this, he even suggested Ji Xu might want to set an example for Cheng Yue.
Ji Xu scoffed at this idea. He wasn’t trying to set an example; he just wanted Cheng Yue to think of him as a… ‘good person.’
Literally a good person. He wanted to control his abnormal behaviors and thoughts, keep Cheng Yue bound to him, and then discard the so-called ‘good person’ facade.
When Cheng Yue slowly woke up and tried to sit up, his leg felt numb from the sudden movement, causing him to cry out.
“Dammit, dammit, dammit…” Cheng Yue grimaced, swearing repeatedly.
Hearing the noise, Ji Xu quickly stubbed out his cigarette and walked over.
“What’s wrong?”
Cheng Yue, still stiff and unable to move, heard Ji Xu’s voice and looked up to see him standing outside the car window. He quickly answered, “Nothing, my leg’s numb. How was the trial?”
“Won,” Ji Xu replied, opening the car door and bending down to lightly brush his fingers over Cheng Yue’s lower leg.
“Ah…” Cheng Yue cried out in pain. “Stop, stop it. Don’t touch.”
“Did you just swear again?” Ji Xu asked, watching Cheng Yue’s long neck as he tilted his head back.
“No!” Cheng Yue denied quickly.
“Liar, not listening.” Ji Xu sighed, his face showing no emotion, but his hand firmly gripped Cheng Yue’s lower leg and rubbed up and down.
“Ah!” Cheng Yue wasn’t expecting this, and the sudden stimulation made him close his eyes and grit his teeth. He clung to the leather of the seat beneath him, leaving marks, and his chest heaved.
“Will you lie again next time?” Ji Xu asked.
“No,” Cheng Yue, with furrowed brows and unsteady breath, replied, “I won’t…”
Ji Xu smiled and remained silent, gently holding Cheng Yue’s leg until he recovered from the numbness before letting go.
In just over a minute, Cheng Yue got up from the back seat and found that his back was damp.
“What do you want to eat?” Ji Xu walked around the car, opened the door, and got in.
Cheng Yue joined him in the front seat and answered, “Food!”
The car slowly drove through the dark night with both of them inside.
Suddenly, Ji Xu remembered Tang Jing’s charity auction and glanced at Cheng Yue sitting next to him. “I remember you do oil painting.”
Cheng Yue, surprised by the question, paused for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, why?”
Ji Xu briefly explained the charity auction to Cheng Yue and asked, “Interested?”
Cheng Yue, embarrassed, touched his nose and said, “Can anyone buy what I paint? It would be awkward if it doesn’t sell. I’d rather donate the money for paint directly to the kids.”
“Give it a try,” Ji Xu recalled Cheng Yue’s previous sketches, which captured key details and looked quite good. He believed Cheng Yue would be fine.
“Okay.” Cheng Yue nodded excitedly. “What should I paint, and how big should it be…”
Cheng Yue’s excitement lasted until they finished eating and returned home.
Even during his shower, he was still thinking about what to paint and almost slipped.
Fortunately, he steadied himself with his hand on the wall, though he knocked down several bottles and jars.
As Cheng Yue picked them up one by one, he discovered an unopened blue tube resembling a toothpaste.
The blue toothpaste had two prominent English letters. Cheng Yue stared at it for a while, feeling it looked familiar, but couldn’t recall what it was. He put the items back, dried himself, and left.
When Ji Xu saw Cheng Yue come out, he pointed to a cup of hot milk on the coffee table. “Drink this before going to bed.”
Cheng Yue obediently drank the milk, but he didn’t feel like sleeping. While Ji Xu was in the bathroom, Cheng Yue curled up on the sofa, his eyes half-closed, watching two silly bugs on TV.
As the orange-red bug was squashing the yellow bug, Cheng Yue’s mind suddenly flashed to the blue toothpaste.
It seemed like a tube of… lubricant…
Although Cheng Yue had never been in a relationship, he knew about such things. He recalled that a friend used to carry condoms and other items wherever he went, and once a tube of this blue toothpaste had fallen out of his pocket.
He remembered asking why he carried toothpaste with him everywhere.
So… Cheng Yue’s eyes suddenly widened as he stared at the TV, swallowing hard, and started wondering why Ji Xu had that in his bathroom.
Even though it was normal for an adult man to have such things, Cheng Yue couldn’t quite pinpoint the strange emotions bubbling up inside him.
His mouth began to taste sour, and he licked his lips while staring at the empty milk cup on the coffee table, wondering if the milk had gone bad.
“Still not asleep?” Ji Xu came out of the bathroom and noticed Cheng Yue still curled up on the sofa. He walked over and tugged at his ear.
“Go to bed.”
“You…” Cheng Yue’s throat felt as if it were blocked, “I…”
Noticing something was off, Ji Xu frowned and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Cheng Yue swallowed twice to clear his throat, mustered up his courage, and said, “I saw ********.”
Ji Xu: “…”
He only caught the first three words of Cheng Yue’s statement.
Ji Xu had to ask again, “What did you just say?”
“I said…” Cheng Yue took a couple of breaths and continued, “I saw *** in your bathroom.”
“What’s there?” Ji Xu still didn’t catch it.
“There’s…” Cheng Yue’s face turned red, and he opened his mouth but couldn’t say it. Frustrated, he stood up, ready to return to his room.
Ji Xu furrowed his brow, recalling if there was anything unusual in the bathroom, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
Only a tube of…
Once Ji Xu figured it out, he looked at Cheng Yue’s unnatural expression and smiled. “Isn’t it normal to use that?”
Cheng Yue’s face turned pale as he heard this answer, and he felt an inexplicable heaviness in his heart. Before he could understand where this heaviness was coming from, Ji Xu spoke again.
This time, his voice was close to Cheng Yue’s ear.
“It’s more comfortable with it than being without,” Ji Xu said, then added seriously, “You can use it, but don’t overdo it. It’s harmful.”
Understanding the role of the “toothpaste” for Ji Xu, Cheng Yue felt a sudden happiness and didn’t dwell on his fluctuating emotions. He turned his head toward Ji Xu with curiosity and asked, “Does it really feel better with it?”
“You’re young, so it’s best to use it once a month…” Ji Xu thought for a moment and corrected himself, “Once a month.”
“I don’t need it,” Cheng Yue retorted, his face flushed.
“Last time, in broad daylight…”
Cheng Yue: “!”
Cheng Yue’s face turned red, and his voice was barely audible, “That was an accident…”
