Chu Shangluo stared at Ren Jiaoming’s eyes, which had gone from cold to calm, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He knew that Ren Jiaoming’s affection was fake, a mere pretense for the jade pendant, even though he had lowered his expectations and just wanted to have the person.

But the pain in his heart proved that he cared. He cared that Ren Jiaoming didn’t have any real feelings for him. Chu Shangluo turned his head and lay on the bed, trying not to think about these heartbreaking thoughts. At least, for now, in the emotional game with Ren Jiaoming, he couldn’t be considered the loser.

Once he stopped thinking about the emotional wounds, the discomfort in his body became more prominent. The normally strong Chu Shangluo now felt sore all over, nothing seemed right. He reached out and rubbed his aching waist. “So, the Secretary Ren I want, can you at least apply some medicine and rub my back?”

Ren Jiaoming watched him for a moment, then walked into the bathroom. The sound of water followed, and when he returned, he had a hot towel in hand. He placed the hot towel on Chu Shangluo’s waist and gently massaged it. The soreness in his waist did feel a bit better with the massage.

Chu Shangluo turned his head to look at Ren Jiaoming. Ren Jiaoming’s eyes were lowered, his expression focused. He really looked like a gentle lover. A person who was usually so cold, but revealing even a slight tenderness—though fake—was still powerful enough to be dangerous. Things are more precious because they are rare, and Ren Jiaoming’s emotions, other than his usual coldness, were especially precious. Chu Shangluo wanted to claim this preciousness. If one day he could see Ren Jiaoming pour out everything but the coldness onto him, then it would mean he had truly won this person. But when that day would come, Chu Shangluo had no idea.

After the exhausting night last night, Chu Shangluo unknowingly fell asleep again. When he woke up, it was almost one o’clock. He sat up, ignoring his physical discomfort, and told Ren Jiaoming, who was sitting on the sofa watching in the computer, “Give me my clothes. I need to go to work.”

Ren Jiaoming picked up the clothes and looked at Chu Shangluo’s pale face and dark circles under his eyes. He said, “President Chu, take the afternoon off too.”

Chu Shangluo immediately replied, “No.” Then he coughed twice, his throat burning with pain. After moaning and panting all night and arguing with Ren Jiaoming in the morning, his voice was now hoarse to the point that speaking one word made him cough.

He glared at Ren Jiaoming, who hadn’t been gentle last night, and then a glass of warm water was handed to him. Chu Shangluo froze for a moment, thinking that Ren Jiaoming was getting better at pretending. He drank the water, still hoarse, and said, “Help me get dressed.”

Ren Jiaoming didn’t try to persuade him further. He took the shirt and helped Chu Shangluo put it on. If it had been Lin Zhi, he would have insisted on convincing him a few more times. Compared to Lin Zhi, it was clear whether Ren Jiaoming’s concern was genuine or fake.

Chu Shangluo said, “If you want to pretend to be the secretary I want, you’ll need to put more effort into it. You need to try harder, convince me a few more times.” He spoke as though he were a tamer, teaching a wild, ferocious beast who was pretending to be obedient how to please him.

Ren Jiaoming, while fastening the delicate cufflinks, kept his head lowered and said without lifting his gaze, “I know you insist on going. If I try to persuade you again, it would be insincere. Helping you dress and taking you to the company is what you want from a true, understanding secretary, isn’t it?” He looked up at Chu Shangluo and asked, “Or does President Chu prefer something that’s overly fake?”

Chu Shangluo paused for a moment, then smiled, “Your mouth… It’s a good thing you don’t talk much. If you were a chatterbox, no one would be able to get a word in.”

Ren Jiaoming tied Chu Shangluo’s belt and asked, “What do you want for lunch?”

Chu Shangluo shook his head, “Not hungry. No time. Let’s hurry to the company.” He got out of bed, but suddenly, a sharp pain in his legs made him stumble and nearly kneel on the floor. A pair of hands immediately supported his waist.

Every step was uncomfortable for Chu Shangluo. Even though Ren Jiaoming had said nothing was seriously wrong, he still felt terrible. But despite the discomfort, he had to go to the company. Since fully taking over the company, he hadn’t taken a single day off in two years. He had been managing the Chu Corporation since university, but back then, the one in charge was his meticulous older brother, Chu Shangyue, who worked with a precision that left no room for mistakes. Chu Shangyue often told him not to indulge too much and to help more with the company, but Chu Shangluo always dismissed it. Back then, he didn’t understand his brother. He thought his older brother was invincible, that he had a whole team of assistants and secretaries, and with their father overseeing things, what was there to be stressed about?

Only after they handed over the entire Chu Corporation to him did Chu Shangluo realize that Chu Shangyue had always been the one taking the pressure on his behalf. The carefree years he had spent were actually paid for with his brother’s own sacrifices. So, Chu Shangluo dared not slack off. He wasn’t a natural-born leader like Chu Shangyue, who was so adept at it. He could only invest more time into the company, he couldn’t ruin the hard work of generations of the Chu family.

Once Chu Shangluo was helped into the car, the phone rang. It was from Chu Zong. “Cousin, Wang Yuanhao was struck on the head last night and is still unconscious in the hospital. We have to wait until he wakes up before we can ask him anything. But the doctors say his injuries are serious, and he might lose his memory!”

“Damn it!” Chu Shangluo felt like everything was going wrong today. He coughed twice. “Move him to our Chu family’s hospital. Get Chu Xing to treat him. Tell him he has to wake him up. If he loses his memory, it’s his retribution, but he must tell me who was behind harming Chu Shangyue!”

After speaking, Chu Shangluo coughed violently again. The next moment, a throat lozenge was placed in his mouth.

Ren Jiaoming’s voice came, “Stop talking.”