After the incident with the cup, Chu Shangluo stopped touching Ren Jiaoming’s things altogether. But living under the same roof and trying to avoid contact entirely required an extreme amount of caution. For someone as laid-back as Chu Shangluo, it was unbearable. It was his house, yet he felt as though he were the one imposing.

That said, life with Ren Jiaoming wasn’t entirely discordant; there were moments of harmony. Every evening after work, Ren Jiaoming would accompany him late into the night without complaint. On several occasions, Chu Shangluo fell asleep at the desk, only to wake up with a jacket draped over him and a cup of steaming water by his side. Moments like these filled him with warmth.

Ever since Chu Shangluo snatched the business deal involving Su Ran and Wen Yan from Mr. Chen, his workload had only increased. The seafood project in the western suburbs was no simple task. Developing the aquaculture industry there required finding professional fishermen, boats, building a seafood market, and managing farming operations. All of these responsibilities fell squarely on Chu’s shoulders.

As Chu Corporation wasn’t involved in construction, tasks like building the market, buying the land, and hiring professionals had him leveraging his network to negotiate partnerships with other company executives. Ren Jiaoming accompanied him to these meetings, which often involved drinking. The executives’ drinking style, however, was relentless, pushing people to their limits.

If Chu Shangluo was in a good mood, he would indulge them and drink for the sake of appearances. But when he was tired, he couldn’t stand their pushiness and would refuse outright. Those who knew his temper didn’t press the issue, but those who didn’t found it hard to tolerate this “disrespectful” junior. Some even tried to lecture him, but Chu Shangluo, unwilling to listen, would walk out, and the deal would naturally fall through.

In the four years since he took over Chu Corporation, Chu had offended many people with his temper. Back when his elder brother Chu Shangyue was still around, he managed to smooth things over. But now, without anyone to defuse the tension, Chu’s reputation had only worsened.

Thankfully, with Ren Jiaoming by his side, Chu’s temper was somewhat kept in check. The moment Ren noticed Chu growing impatient, he would step in to handle the negotiations. Despite his cold demeanor, Ren was adept at capitalizing on the executives’ profit-driven mindset, successfully closing the deals.

Ren Jiaoming had always been known in business circles, but few had witnessed his capabilities firsthand. After two months of accompanying Chu Shangluo in negotiations, these executives now saw with their own eyes just how shrewd and skilled this handsome young man was. If he weren’t a secretary, he could certainly carve out an impressive career for himself.

Having such a sharp, capable, and attractive “right-hand man,” it was no wonder Chu Corporation’s market value had soared over the past two months. Many executives were envious of Chu Shangluo and discreetly extended offers to Ren Jiaoming, but all their invitations went unanswered.

Finally, after wrapping up the last deal of the day, the two-month-long project was nearing completion. Over the past two months, both had been so busy that there was hardly any time for intimacy—not even a proper kiss, let alone anything more.

Every time they kissed, it was always Chu Shangluo initiating. It never went beyond a brief peck—anything more, and Ren Jiaoming would push him away.

As for going further, Chu Shangluo wasn’t particularly eager, likely because their first experience together hadn’t been the most pleasant memory. After all, with someone like Ren Jiaoming, who could be as unyielding as a mule, it wasn’t likely to be painless.

When they got home that night, it was already ten o’clock. Two days later, they would be attending Mr. Chen’s 70th birthday celebration, held on a private island. Having earned Mr. Chen’s favor, Chu Shangluo was invited to arrive a day early. That meant they needed to leave early the next morning, so tonight was supposed to be an early night.

However, as Chu Shangluo lounged on the sofa, his face slightly flushed from the alcohol, he found his gaze wandering to Ren Jiaoming. When Ren removed his coat, the slight lift of his shirt revealed toned abs, and Chu Shangluo’s thoughts inevitably drifted elsewhere.

Lying on the sofa, face red, he began plotting how to coax Ren Jiaoming into bed. But before he could act, the doorbell rang. Ren Jiaoming glanced at the tipsy Chu Shangluo sprawled on the sofa and went to answer it. When he returned, he was holding a long object wrapped in white cloth.

Chu Shangluo eyed it curiously and walked over. “What’s that?” he asked, lifting the cloth. Beneath it were bright red flowering cacti.

He recalled ordering the flowers a while back, intending for the gardener to plant them outside the walls. “Be careful! The thorns are poisonous; don’t prick yourself.”

Ren Jiaoming placed the flowers on the ground and turned to leave, but Chu Shangluo’s sharp eyes caught sight of a black thorn embedded in Ren Jiaoming’s palm. Frowning, Chu Shangluo grabbed Ren Jiaoming’s hand. Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, he immediately plucked the thorn out and brought Ren Jiaoming’s palm to his lips, sucking on the punctured spot where the thorn had left a faint stain.

Ren Jiaoming’s fingers trembled at the unexpected warmth. “That’s unnecessary. The toxin isn’t harmful to humans.”

Chu Shangluo lifted his slightly dazed eyes, raising an eyebrow as he released Ren Jiaoming’s hand. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Ren Jiaoming’s waist, leaning close to whisper in his ear, “It’s been a while, my dear secretary. How about we make tonight memorable?”

Before Ren Jiaoming could respond, Chu Shangluo tilted Ren Jiaoming’s head back and pressed a kiss to his cool lips. Initially, Chu Shangluo only gave quick pecks, pausing between each one to catch his breath. Then, the light kisses grew deeper, his lips lingering as he softly sucked on Ren Jiaoming’s lower lip. Their breaths mingled, their bodies pressed together, and Ch Shangluou’s temperature began to rise.

Just as Chu Shangluo attempted to part Ren Jiaoming’s lips with his tongue, Ren Jiaoming frowned slightly and pushed him away. “You’re drunk. We have to get up early tomorrow. Go to bed.”

Frustrated by the interruption, Chu Shangluo glared at Ren Jiaoming. “I may be drunk, but I’m not stupid.” Grabbing Ren Jiaoming’s chin, he locked eyes with him, his gaze fierce. “Open your mouth.”

Ren Jiaoming gripped Chu Shangluo’s wrist firmly. “You need rest, Mr. Chu.”

“Rest, my ass!” Chu Shangluo snapped, shaking off Ren Jiaoming’s hand. “What, do you think I’m dirty? I just sucked the poison out of your hand and didn’t even mind it. And now you’re the one acting disgusted? What’s your problem? We’ve already slept together, kissed—hell, just opening your mouth shouldn’t be this hard!”

Ren Jiaoming’s calm, indifferent gaze met Chu Shangluo’s fiery one. “I don’t like deep kisses.”

“Oh, and what *do* you like?” Chu Shangluo sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “That damn jade pendant, right? Well then, why don’t you just marry it? Kiss it, sleep with it for all I care!”

Chu Shangluo was furious. It was almost comical—every time he was in a good mood or had just started thinking that Ren Jiaoming might actually be someone worth keeping around, Ren Jiaoming would immediately do something infuriating to ruin it.

Damn it! Was Ren Jiaoming sent by the heavens to torment him?

Back in his room, Chu Shangluo was too agitated to sleep. He didn’t even know who to talk to about his relationship problems. Normally, if he hadn’t been drinking, he’d have just kept it all bottled up. He wasn’t the type to open up about his feelings. But tonight, with alcohol coursing through his veins, he couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Rubbing his dry eyes, he dialed Gu Yao’s number.

At that moment, Gu Yao was on a date with a pretty little thing. Seeing Chu Shangluo’s name flash on his phone, he didn’t hesitate to pick up. “What’s wrong? Ready to rant about Ren Jiaoming again?”

Chu Shangluo sighed, his voice still brimming with frustration. “Damn it, I’m just so baffled! How can Ren Jiaoming be so maddening? Sometimes, I think he’s great—like when he covers me with a blanket if I fall asleep in the study, or when he pours me hot water if I catch a cold. But other times… All I wanted was to kiss him properly, and he acts like some chaste, virtuous saint, refusing to even open his mouth!”

Gu Yao listened to his old friend’s complaints and chuckled. “A virtuous saint? A clean freak? Come on, I know men better than you do. There’s no such thing as pure-hearted abstinence. And you… I don’t know if I should say this, but you’ve fallen so deep that you’re starting to delude yourself. Covering you with a blanket when you’re asleep? Pouring you hot water when you’re sick? That’s good in your book? If he truly cared about you, he’d carry you to bed when you fell asleep, make you ginger tea, and get you cold medicine when you were sick. Pouring hot water is just the bare minimum of what a secretary should do. So honestly…”

Gu Yao paused before continuing, “All of this boils down to one thing: he doesn’t love you.”

Chu Shangluo’s grip on his phone tightened. He took a deep breath and spat out, “Damn it! I don’t need you to remind me! Love me or not, that’s up to him. I’m the one forcing him anyway!”

“If he doesn’t love you, and you’re forcing him, the only one getting hurt will be you—the one who loves him…”

Before Gu Yao could finish, Chu Shangluo hung up the phone. Tossing it aside, he buried himself under the covers. But no matter how hard he tried, sleep eluded him. That night, he tossed and turned endlessly.