The Watch

At the dinner table, Su Ran was in a good mood. The plot was progressing smoothly, and the excitement was growing nicely.

In their kind of plot, sometimes the excitement mattered more than actually finishing the story. If the excitement was high, it was very beneficial for the final score. And if the score was high, the rewards would be greater.

Right now, Su Ran and Ye Qiao were sitting together, with Zhao Mingzhe beside him. He Zhiwen and Jiang Yi were sitting across from them. Zhao Mingzhe was eating quietly, and since Su Ran didn’t need to look after him, he was able to enjoy his meal in peace, sipping wine every now and then. Today, not only was He Zhiwen happy, but Jiang Yi was also in a good mood. Not only had he become neighbors with his boss, but he’d also formed a strong friendship with him.

“President He, now that we live so close, you’ll have to come over for dinner often,” Jiang Yi said with a smile.

Su Ran was happy to hear that. He cooked every day, and adding one more person to the meal didn’t change much, but if He Zhiwen came over often, not only would the plot progress, but the excitement would grow as well.

Now that Ye Qiao was staying at his place every day, with He Zhiwen also becoming a neighbor, it was clear that He Zhiwen would visit frequently. The only one missing was Lu Jin.

If they all settled their feelings, Su Ran couldn’t even imagine how exciting it would be.

“Are you welcoming me? If you are, I’ll come over for dinner every day,” He Zhiwen said, his gaze soft as he looked at Su Ran.

Su Ran knew he was referring to him, the cook. He immediately responded, “Of course, you’re always welcome to come over.”

He Zhiwen’s gentle smile stayed on his face, and he kept looking at Su Ran. “If I could eat your cooking every day, I’d be so happy.”

Hearing the praise, Su Ran couldn’t hide the smile on his face. He was genuinely pleased. Then, He Zhiwen added, “Su Ran, anyone who’s with you must be incredibly happy.”

Su Ran was surprised for a moment. The atmosphere at the table quieted, and he instinctively looked toward Jiang Yi. He saw him frowning, not looking at him. Su Ran’s face, which had been smiling, froze a little. He wasn’t sure if Jiang Yi agreed with He Zhiwen’s words. His expression seemed complex, and Su Ran couldn’t quite understand it. But the situation was enough to make him feel sad.

At that moment, a hand gently grasped his own, and fingers softly squeezed his palm. Ye Qiao looked toward He Zhiwen and said, “Of course, not just you, but I think everyone who’s with him is lucky.”

Their eyes met, and the atmosphere was tense, with neither backing down.

Just then, Zhao Mingzhe broke the awkward silence at the table. He finished eating and tugged at Su Ran’s sleeve. “Ranran, I’m done.”

Su Ran smiled and rubbed Zhao Mingzhe’s head. “Once you’re done, go play with your toys. I’ll join you after I finish eating.”

“Okay!” Zhao Mingzhe wrapped his arms around Su Ran’s neck, kissed his cheek, and then ran off to play.

The conversation at the table shifted to something else, and Su Ran quietly ate, occasionally glancing at Jiang Yi. He noticed that Jiang Yi was drinking quickly, but no one was trying to stop him. He wondered if Jiang Yi was troubled about something.

Su Ran had two glasses of wine and felt a bit lightheaded. It was just the right amount. He wasn’t one to overindulge, and this was just enough to ensure a good night’s sleep.

Soon, Zhao Mingzhe came to him again, saying he was sleepy and wanted to go to bed. Su Ran picked him up and waved at the others. “I’m going to put him to bed. You all eat slowly.”

With that, Su Ran went to the bedroom, knowing that it would be a while before Jiang Yi and the others finished drinking. He closed the door behind him.

From inside, he could vaguely hear their voices. As he gently patted Zhao Mingzhe, trying to lull him to sleep, Su Ran grew increasingly drowsy, his eyelids growing heavy. Before long, he too fell asleep.

Back at the table, Ye Qiao glanced at his watch and then at the closed bedroom door. Su Ran had been inside for an hour already and hadn’t come out.

By now, they had mostly finished eating. Ye Qiao hadn’t had much to drink, but He Zhiwen and Jiang Yi had drunk quite a bit while chatting about company matters. They were treating each other like close friends. Ye Qiao couldn’t help but feel that their friendliness was fake.

He stopped paying attention to them and got up to head for the bedroom. However, just as he reached the door, He Zhiwen called out to him. “Xiao Ye, what are you going to do?”

Ye Qiao was irritated by the way He Zhiwen called him, his tone cold as he shot He Zhiwen a look. He wasn’t this man’s subordinate, nor were they close. It irritated him that He Zhiwen would use such a condescending, almost patronizing tone.

“I’m here to take Su Ran back,” Ye Qiao said.

He Zhiwen walked over to him, his body swaying slightly. He was clearly drunk but still mentally sharp. Ye Qiao’s words made it sound as though Su Ran was part of his family. Despite his age, He Zhiwen hid his emotions well.

He Zhiwen reached him and gently pressed down on his hand, peeking inside the bedroom. Then he shushed softly and locked the door. “Su Ran’s asleep. Let him rest; he’s had a long day.”

Ye Qiao remained unmoved. “But he has to go home sooner or later. It’s better to wake him up now.”

The words “go home” were emphasized, and He Zhiwen simply smiled before glancing at Jiang Yi. “Jiang Yi, why don’t we let Su Ran sleep here tonight? He’s had a long day. I don’t see any problem with him staying here.”

Jiang Yi, clearly drunk, mumbled in agreement. “What’s the problem? Just let him rest.”

He Zhiwen smiled at Ye Qiao, his face flushed from the alcohol, but his demeanor still had the calm air of someone in control.

Ye Qiao glared at him, refusing to back down, but Jiang Yi’s comment made it hard to maintain a stoic expression. He glanced at Jiang Yi, silently cursing, “Idiot.”

In the end, Ye Qiao decided to leave first. He Zhiwen, in a good mood, returned to the table and resumed drinking with Jiang Yi. He was starting to really appreciate Jiang Yi—his work capabilities were strong, and he’d even introduced him to Su Ran.

After a few more drinks, Jiang Yi finally conceded and stood up, a little unsteady, to say goodbye.

He Zhiwen, also tipsy, stayed behind. When Jiang Yi left, the living room was quiet. He walked toward the bedroom, still maintaining his dignity despite the unsteady steps. When he opened the door, he saw Zhao Mingzhe and Su Ran lying in bed, Su Ran holding Zhao Mingzhe in his arms as they slept peacefully.

In He Zhiwen’s eyes, this was a perfect scene—his wife holding their child.

A contented smile spread across his face as he leaned down to kiss Zhao Mingzhe’s cheek, then Su Ran’s. He then lay down next to Su Ran, pressing up against him, his body almost fully aligned with Su Ran’s. He wrapped his arm around Su Ran’s waist.

Just as he was about to close his eyes to sleep, he forced himself to stay awake and propped himself up. He leaned close to Su Ran’s ear and whispered, “Wife, let’s try again tonight and have a little sister, okay?”

Su Ran’s ear itched, and he rubbed it. Slowly, he woke up, feeling uncomfortably warm. He shifted slightly and realized there was a heavy arm around his waist.

He turned around and saw that He Zhiwen had already fallen asleep next to him.

At that moment, there was a loud knock on the door. Su Ran looked at the adults and the child in the bed. He figured that He Zhiwen was too drunk to hear the knock, but it didn’t wake him up at all. Zhao Mingzhe stirred a little, furrowing his brows. Su Ran quickly got up to open the door.

When he opened it, it was Ye Qiao, his expression dark and clearly upset. Normally, Ye Qiao was all smiles in front of him—though cold, his demeanor was gentle. This mood, full of irritation, was something Su Ran had never seen before.

“What’s wrong?” Su Ran asked.

“I’m here to take you home,” Ye Qiao said, his expression softening a little. He reached up and ruffled Su Ran’s messy hair. “Brother Jiang really left you here alone.”

“Oh…” Su Ran felt a little down. It seemed like Jiang Yi had forgotten him.

After changing his shoes, Su Ran went out, closing the door behind him. Ye Qiao looked at the bag in his hand. “What’s that?”

Su Ran took the box out of the bag and opened it, smiling. “He ge really thought of me. He noticed how hard I’ve been taking care of Zhao Mingzhe these days and bought this for me.”

Ye Qiao took the watch out of the box, examined it in his hands, and scoffed. “He really thought ahead. Patek Philippe, worth over two million.”

Su Ran froze, not believing what he had heard. “Wh… what?”

Ye Qiao’s lips curved into a cold smile as he looked at Su Ran. “Patek Philippe, this model is worth about two million.”

Su Ran instantly felt like the watch in his hands was burning. “It’s that expensive? Then I’ll return it.”

He started to turn, but the door was closed, and He Zhiwen was already asleep. The price of the watch left him feeling dazed—this wasn’t a watch, it was like they had been given a house.

“I’ll find a chance to give it back later…” Su Ran said, still in shock. He’d never received something so expensive before!

“Ranran ge, you should have a watch, but don’t accept his. You’ve only known him for such a short time. Giving you something so expensive seems like he has other intentions,” Ye Qiao said, taking Su Ran’s hand. “I’ll buy you a watch, but you should return this one.”

“Right, I can’t accept it. It’s too expensive,” Su Ran said.

“Yeah, it’s like two years’ salary for my brother,” Ye Qiao said, his smile cold.

What kind of person is He Zhiwen? No ordinary office worker would have that kind of money. Jiang Yi, that idiot, is truly putting the green hat on himself!