As the Spring Festival approached, Chu Shangluo was very annoyed—extremely annoyed. Every year around this time, the word “irritation” could be seen clearly written on his face.

It wasn’t just because of his secretary, who was always businesslike and nothing more, but also because of the never-ending work and the various drinking events. A hangover and stomach pain, followed by having to drag himself out of bed the next day to go to the company and face Ren Jiaoming’s cold, unappreciative face, no matter how much he tried to warm it up, made everything feel unpleasant.

Due to the overwhelming workload, Ren Jiaoming also stayed up late working with Chu Shangluo every day and was responsible for making sure that the drunk Chu Shangluo, who could barely stand, was safely taken back. Despite the high-intensity work, Ren Jiaoming never showed any signs of fatigue. He was unlike Chu Shangluo, who let his bad mood affect his work, making everyone in the company feel on edge all day. But Ren Jiaoming kept his emotions separate from his work. Even when dealing with someone he disliked, he remained composed.

At that moment, Ren Jiaoming was sitting next to Chu Shangluo on a flight to Yun City for business. It was 3 a.m., and the first-class cabin was dimly lit. The full moon outside the window accompanied the plane’s journey. One of the seats had a night light on, and Ren Jiaoming was sitting upright, reviewing the contract that needed to be signed soon. Beside him, Chu Shangluo had already fallen asleep, his brow slightly furrowed, as though even sleeping was exhausting for him.

The plane landed at 6:30 a.m. Chu Shangluo, walking toward the airport exit, was angrily making a phone call. “Something urgent? You’re telling me I can’t sign the contract today? I’m already off the plane!” The person on the other end of the call was apologizing profusely, “Mr. Chu, I’m terribly sorry. President Zhang’s flight was delayed, but he’ll be here tomorrow. Our Yun City is beautiful. Why don’t you take some time to relax today? President Zhang will treat you.”

Chu Shangluo was about to snap back, “Relax? What the hell am I going to relax for? I don’t have time for that!” Just as he was about to ask Ren Jiaoming to rebook the return tickets, he stepped out of the airport. The warm breeze greeted him, and as he looked up to see the clear sky like jade, he suddenly changed his mind. He turned to Ren Jiaoming, who had been accompanying him on this exhausting trip. His slightly tired expression was evident even in his aloof gaze. “I thought of a good place.”

Ren Jiaoming asked, “For work?”

Chu Shangluo thought, “You only ever think about work,” but said aloud, “Yes, work.” He checked the time and said, “Time is precious, let’s go.”

An hour later, Chu Shangluo had taken Ren Jiaoming to a tourist spot.

Ren Jiaoming: “……”

He turned to go back, but Chu Shangluo grabbed his hand. “It’s work. I’ve invested in this scenic area too. Come with me to inspect it. I’m your boss, I won’t owe you any wages.”

Ren Jiaoming pulled his hand back, knowing that Chu Shangluo’s so-called “inspection” was just an excuse. But since Chu Shangluo had put it this way, there was nothing more for him to say as his secretary.

The air in the scenic area was fresh, and the mountain ridges were layered. As Chu Shangluo walked through the mountains, his irritable mood slowly eased. He climbed a few steps and asked Ren Jiaoming, “Have you been here before? This scenic area in Yun City is very famous.”

Ren Jiaoming looked ahead and replied, “No.”

“Have you been to Yun City before?”

“No.”

“Have you ever climbed a mountain?”

“No.”

Chu Shangluo was taken aback by the constant “no” answers. “My dear Secretary Ren, is your life too boring?”

“…”

No one responded.

At times like this, Chu Shangluo really wanted to pry open Ren Jiaoming’s mouth and see if it was stitched shut—did speaking one more word really kill him? The mountain was high, and the sun was strong. Chu Shangluo’s original intention was to relax a bit with Ren Jiaoming, but on a whim, he realized that they were both dressed in suits, completely out of place compared to the tourists around them, who were covered up for protection.

Chu Shangluo looked around and then walked up to a small stall. He bought two sun hats and two masks, handing one set to Ren Jiaoming.

Ren Jiaoming looked at the dust on the hat and didn’t reach out to take it.

Chu Shangluo said, “Do you want to get your face sunburned? Since you’ve never been here, you’ll listen to me! Do you know that after going up and down this mountain, not only will you get tanned, but your skin will definitely peel off.”

Ren Jiaoming hesitated for a moment, then took out a wet wipe, carefully cleaned the sun hat, and put it on with the mask, leaving only his cool eyes visible.

Now, Chu Shangluo had finally started to understand Ren Jiaoming’s personality. Ren Jiaoming was rational when considering things, weighing the pros and cons carefully, and in his calculations, personal gain was always first. For example, if he got sunburned, the loss would only affect him, so despite his obsession with cleanliness, he could still endure and wear the hat.

Chu Shangluo then bought a bottle of water and a hiking stick for Ren Jiaoming. Ren Jiaoming accepted the water but refused the hiking stick.

“You’re going to get tired without it,” Chu Shangluo said.

“I don’t need it,” Ren Jiaoming replied, striding ahead of Chu Shangluo.

Chu Shangluo watched him walk with ease and thought, “Let’s see how long you can keep that up.”

An hour later, the once proud Chu Shangluo, who had been walking with great confidence, was leaning against a wall, panting, holding onto a hiking stick. “I can’t do it, I can’t go on!”

Ren Jiaoming was still looking fresh.

“Shall we go back?” he asked.

Chu Shangluo waved his hand, “Rest, just rest a bit!”

Although Chu Shangluo seemed to be in good shape, his body had been worn out by smoking, drinking, and late nights. He had barely made it halfway up the mountain, and his legs just wouldn’t move.

He didn’t care if the ground was dirty; he sat down on a step and drank a bottle of water. Ren Jiaoming stood next to him, waiting. After resting for a while, Chu Shangluo finally stood up. He didn’t want to continue climbing, so he looked around and said to Ren Jiaoming, “Let’s go check that place over there.”

It was the bungee jumping ticket counter.

Chu Shangluo took a drag from his cigarette and glanced at Ren Jiaoming, thinking that since Ren Jiaoming always had the same expression, maybe he’d see something new on his face if they did something fun.

“Since we’re here…” he slowly exhaled, “Secretary Ren, dare you to try it?”

Ren Jiaoming didn’t care about Chu Shangluo’s provocation but instead looked at a group of people cheering on the edge of the cliff. Chu Shangluo followed Ren Jiaoming’s gaze and saw a young man shout loudly before leaping off the cliff, hundreds of meters high.

Ren Jiaoming rarely watched anything so intently. Chu Shangluo asked, “Do you want to try that?”

Before Ren Jiaoming could answer, a voice suddenly called out, “Chu Shangluo, what a coincidence!”

Chu Shangluo looked up, remembering that this person had stolen his liquor not long ago, so he didn’t bother to give a warm greeting.

Jiang Jia hurried over, glanced at Ren Jiaoming, and said to Chu Shangluo, “How’s it going? Is Ren Jiaoming annoying?”

Chu Shangluo curved his lips slightly, “Young Master Jiang seems to be in better spirits than before. How’s the company doing?”

“Of course, as soon as Ren Jiaoming left, the company landed a big deal, and now I can do whatever I want!” Jiang Jia didn’t notice that Chu Shangluo wasn’t in the mood to engage with him and continued, “Hey, I’m going skydiving with my friends here. Do you guys want to join? If you do, I’ll find two people to take off their gear and give it to you.”

Chu Shangluo flicked his cigarette butt away. “That might not be a good idea.”

“It’s fine, they all listen to me! Just tell me if you want to try!”

Chu Shangluo thought about how it had been two years since he last went skydiving, and he couldn’t help but feel a little tempted. He looked at Ren Jiaoming. “Can you do it? It’s really exciting, adrenaline rushing. I bet the boring Secretary Ren has never experienced that kind of rush, right?”

Ren Jiaoming gazed at the scenery in the mountains, his eyes reflecting a faint glimmer of light. “I can.”

It was hard to tell whether he was drawn to the beautiful scenery or the idea of adrenaline rushes, but Chu Shangluo couldn’t help but look at Ren Jiaoming again, thinking to himself, “So Secretary Ren likes thrills, huh!”

The two of them donned their skydiving gear and stood at the edge of the cliff. The chattering Jiang Jia stood beside Chu Shangluo, excitedly slapping his shoulder. “See that open space? Let’s race to see who gets there first!”

Chu Shangluo wasn’t interested in responding to Jiang Jia and instead smiled at Ren Jiaoming. “Secretary Ren, are you ready? I’ll count to three, and we jump.”

Ren Jiaoming glanced at the cliff below, seemingly lost in thought.

“One, two…” Before he could count to three, Chu Shangluo suddenly flashed a mischievous grin, grabbing Ren Jiaoming’s shoulder strap. Both of them fell into the valley together.

The sudden feeling of weightlessness in the air was exhilarating for Chu Shangluo, and he felt a thrill—extreme sports really were a great way to relieve stress. He turned his head to look at Ren Jiaoming, the wind blowing through his hair, his eyes relaxed and serene, his expression lost in the breeze. Chu Shangluo’s heart raced at this scene.

“Ren Jiaoming,” Chu Shangluo called.

Ren Jiaoming turned his head and met Chu Shangluo’s eyes, which were filled with excitement.

In truth, Chu Shangluo had a selfish reason for wanting to experience this with Ren Jiaoming. It was said that the adrenaline rush from skydiving felt similar to the sensation of love, and he was curious to see if, for a fleeting moment, Ren Jiaoming might develop that illusion.

But just as their eyes locked in an intense moment, a loud scream interrupted their rare and precious gaze.

“Ahhhh, my parachute won’t open! Help!!!”

Chu Shangluo looked over at Jiang Jia, and now his adrenaline truly spiked. There was no love involved—just pure fear. “Damn it! This idiot!”

Chu Shangluo reached out to grab Jiang Jia. After some effort, he grabbed his shoulder strap and quickly opened his own parachute. The moment his parachute deployed, the sudden deceleration caused Jiang Jia’s heavier body to slip from his grasp.

Jiang Jia screamed again, “Ren Jiaoming, help! Don’t forget my dad saved you, you owe him!”

At this moment, Ren Jiaoming hadn’t deployed his parachute yet and was rapidly moving toward Jiang Jia. Chu Shangluo realized what he was intending to do and broke into a cold sweat. They wouldn’t make it to the ground soon—if they didn’t open their parachutes now, they would die!

Chu Shangluo stared at the rapidly descending figures of the two of them, until he could no longer see them. His limbs were ice-cold with fear.

As soon as Chu Shangluo landed, he rushed to find them. About a hundred meters off the landing path, he spotted a familiar parachute on the grass. Without a second thought, he ran over, opened the parachute, and then heard a cry of distress. He quickly reached out and grabbed a hand. With a firm pull, the scream grew louder, and out crawled Jiang Jia, covered in dirt and dust.

Chu Shangluo tossed him aside and then felt the familiar chill—Ren Jiaoming’s cool skin.

He pulled Ren Jiaoming up, his heart racing. When he saw Ren Jiaoming’s calm eyes, he hugged him tightly and asked, “Are you okay? Did you break anything?”

Ren Jiaoming looked at Chu Shangluo, who was still checking him over, with a complex expression. He pushed him away. “I’m fine.”

Chu Shangluo let out a sigh of relief, then turned to look at Jiang Jia, who was lying on the ground, crying loudly. Without thinking, he kicked him. “Not only did you steal my alcohol, but you also tried to drag my secretary into this mess? I’ll tell you, from now on, Ren Jiaoming doesn’t owe your family anything. Your father saved him once, and now it’s fully paid back!”

Jiang Jia, already feeling miserable, was now kicked, which made him pound the ground in anger. “How was I supposed to know the parachute wouldn’t work? My friends checked it out beforehand!”

Ren Jiaoming wiped the dirt off his clothes and walked over to Jiang Jia. After inspecting the parachute for a moment, he said, “The button got stuck.”

Jiang Jia was confused. “How did that happen? How did it get stuck?”

Chu Shangluo leaned in to look, and noticed a needle inside the button—something that definitely shouldn’t be there. It was clear that someone had intended to harm Jiang Jia. Chu Shangluo kicked Jiang Jia again. “From now on, stay away from the scoundrels you were hanging out with today.”

Jiang Jia, still in a daze, asked, “Huh?”

Chu Shangluo raised his hand. “What ‘huh’? Did you hear me?”

Jiang Jia shrank back, frightened. “Don’t hit me, I understand! I understand!”

Chu Shangluo turned to Ren Jiaoming. “Let’s go, we’re heading back.”

When Jiang Jia saw them walking away, he panicked. “Wait! Can you take me back too? My legs are too weak to stand.”

Chu Shangluo coldly replied, “Get lost.”

As they walked toward the entrance of the scenic area, Chu Shangluo said, “As expected, the moment you left, he got targeted. Even though the Jiang family isn’t that powerful, they’re still a juicy target. Do you want to help out?”

Ren Jiaoming replied, “As you said, I’ve paid my dues. What happens to the Jiang family now is no longer my concern.”

Chu Shangluo was pleased that Ren Jiaoming was so clear-headed. Otherwise, having his secretary constantly worrying about the Jiang family would have been a hassle. He glanced at Ren Jiaoming, thinking about how calm he was even in such a dangerous situation when he saved Jiang Jia. That calmness made him feel a little sympathy. He had looked into Ren Jiaoming’s background: he had lost both his parents at a young age and had lived in an orphanage, with no one to care for him. Maybe that’s why, even when hurt, he never sought comfort or affection, and developed the indifferent personality he had today.

Chu Shangluo had always thought Ren Jiaoming’s coldness was only on the surface, because someone who was truly indifferent wouldn’t help out of gratitude by managing a struggling company. Years ago, when Ren Jiaoming fell seriously ill, Jiang Jia’s father had been one of the sponsors of the orphanage and paid for Ren Jiaoming’s medical treatment, even covering his school fees. So when Lin Zhi said Ren Jiaoming wasn’t suited to be a secretary, Chu Shangluo disagreed. A person like Ren Jiaoming, who knew how to repay kindness and had no personal ties, was perfect for the job. Once you gained someone like him, they would dedicate everything to you without reservation.

As they passed a cold drink stall, Chu Shangluo stopped.

“Are you thirsty?”

“No.”

“Then I am,” Chu Shangluo replied, buying two ice creams. Not caring whether Ren Jiaoming wanted one, he handed him one. “It’s hot, you wait in the shade while I make a call.”

After finishing his call and eating his ice cream, Chu Shangluo walked back and immediately spotted Ren Jiaoming sitting on a public bench. Ren Jiaoming, with his outstanding demeanor, was easy to recognize in the crowd. However, there was a small boy sitting beside him with red eyes, holding onto the hem of Ren Jiaoming’s clothes with one hand and eating the ice cream Ren Jiaoming had bought him.

The sight of the two, so mismatched in size, sitting together was oddly harmonious.

Chu Shangluo walked over and asked, “Where did this little brat come from?”

Before Ren Jiaoming could answer, the little boy started crying in a high-pitched voice, “Waa waa waa, I can’t find my mommy!”

Chu Shangluo frowned tightly; he was terrified of children crying. He quickly picked up the boy and patted his back, saying, “Stop crying, stop crying, or I’ll smack you. It’s just finding your mom, how big of a deal is it?”

The little boy wanted to cry but was too scared to, his soft hands clutching Chu Shangluo’s shoulder as he sobbed and snuggled into his chest, leaving tears and snot all over him. Chu Shangluo flicked the boy’s head, “Hey, who told you to rub your snot all over me?”

The little boy, seeing the fierce uncle, was about to cry again, but Chu Shangluo sighed and said to Ren Jiaoming, “If you’re tired, you can sit for a bit longer. I’ll take him to the broadcasting station to ask.”

Ren Jiaoming stood up, “I’ll go with you.”

On the way to the broadcasting station, the little boy asked, “Uncle, does my mommy not want me anymore? She always says I was picked up.”

Chu Shangluo chuckled, “It’s fine. My mom says I was picked up too. All kids are picked up.”

He spoke the lie without even blinking.

Ren Jiaoming watched him, the afternoon sun casting a soft light on Chu Shangluo, and there was a subtle smile in his eyes, mixed with an emotion that even he himself couldn’t quite understand.