Chapter 23: A Win-Win Situation

Jiang Zijin hastily threw on a black sweater and trotted behind Lin Xingmian.

The doors of the other guests’ rooms remained closed as the two quietly descended the stairs and carefully pushed open the door of the guesthouse.

The streets in the morning were quiet, with the faint echoes of bird calls resonating through the alleys.

Warm sunlight bathed the streets and alleys of Venice, falling on the red brick and tile houses.

Following the navigation instructions, Lin Xingmian wound through one alley after another until they arrived at a place resembling a market.

The area was bustling with foreigners with deep-set features, and unfamiliar languages filled the air. Lin Xingmian couldn’t understand a single word on the nearby signs.

Fortunately, he had brought Jiang Zijin along; otherwise, not only would buying breakfast be difficult, but even communication would be a challenge.

“What do you want to eat? I’ll take care of it,” Jiang Zijin patted his chest confidently.

“From what I’ve heard, the croissants here are quite good, but I have no idea about the prices,” Lin Xingmian exhaled.

“That’s no problem, I’ll help you find them.”

Jiang Zijin led him to a small stall to get change while keeping an eye out for nearby bakeries.

Within five minutes, they found a simply and quaintly decorated bakery.

The sound of a “ding-ding” bell rang as the two pushed the door open.

Inside, the air was filled with the fragrant aroma of freshly baked bread and coffee beans.

The shop didn’t have many employees; there was only one woman at the counter, and through the glass, they could see just one man in the baking room.

Lin Xingmian stood in front of the display case for a while, selecting a €2 croissant and a €1 shot of espresso.

Grabbing Jiang Zijin, Lin Xingmian handed him a €10 bill.

Jiang Zijin smiled helplessly and stepped forward with ease.

He began chatting fluently in Italian with the shop owner.

To Lin Xingmian, it sounded like a series of incomprehensible murmurs; he couldn’t understand a word.

Even though he didn’t understand, Lin Xingmian maintained a calm demeanor.

Suddenly, the shop owner beamed, glanced at Lin Xingmian, and then turned her attention back to Jiang Zijin.

What? Did they mention him?

Jiang Zijin murmured something else, and the shop owner went to pack their order.

The total for breakfast was €21, but she only charged them €11.

The shop owner handed them the packed bread and coffee, smiling and saying something to him.

Lin Xingmian was puzzled but nodded at her nonetheless.

Accompanied by the “ding-ding” sound, the two left the bakery with their bread in hand.

The market was bustling with people, and Lin Xingmian walked beside Jiang Zijin, curious. “What did she just say to me?”

“Oh, nothing much, just wished us a happy marriage.”

“Huh? But what did you say to her that got the price cut in half?”

Jiang Zijin chuckled lightly and casually replied, “Nothing much, just complimented her on her beauty and how much her husband adores her.”

“…Is it really that easy to haggle? Teach me a few phrases, and I’ll see if I can use them when we settle the bill tonight,” Lin Xingmian said seriously.

Jiang Zijin lowered his eyes and laughed, nodding. “Sure, but it’ll cost you.”

Lin Xingmian shot him a glance. “…Since when did you become so stingy?”

The two walked side by side through the quiet alley, as two small birds took flight from the tiled roof.

[You’re not being honest! You left out the important part!]

【Huh? What exactly did he say! Can someone translate!】

【As an Italian student, I can understand without any issues. He did indeed compliment the landlady! But he didn’t translate the second half for Xingmian.】

【What was it? Hurry up and tell us!】

【”Your husband must love you very much. I also love my husband dearly and went through a lot of effort to be with him~”】

【Tsk tsk, what a scheming little dog, up to no good! With ulterior motives~】

In an instant, the screen was flooded with comments.

The two of them walked back to the entrance of the guesthouse, and it was almost 8 o’clock.

Lin Xingmian glanced down at the time, handed the packed breakfast to Jiang Zijin, and went ahead to buy the tickets.

Jiang Zijin carried the bag of breakfast back to the guesthouse, where most of the guests were already up.

Jiang Zijin pushed open the doors one by one, delivering breakfast to the guests on the third floor.

Everyone looked surprised, accepting the breakfast and thanking Jiang Zijin.

“No need to thank me. Xingmian got up early to buy it. I’m just bringing it up for him.”

He walked lazily up to the fourth floor, his gaze falling on the door to the left.

He pursed his lips, took out two portions of breakfast from the bag, and directly hung the packaging on the doorknob across the hall.

However, the person inside seemed to have heard the commotion and suddenly opened the door.

Ji Ansheng was clutching his stomach, looking exhausted.

He had been hungry all night and couldn’t take it anymore in the middle of the night, so he contacted the landlord to make him something to eat.

But neither the landlord nor the production team responded, so he fell asleep hungry and woke up even hungrier.

Yet, he suddenly caught a whiff of something delicious outside the door and immediately got out of bed.

Ji Ansheng followed the scent and saw the paper bag hanging on the doorknob.

“Did you buy this for me?” Ji Ansheng asked with a look of pleasant surprise, taking the paper bag from the door.

Jiang Zijin instinctively furrowed his brows, looking puzzled.

He really couldn’t understand what this Omega was thinking. Had he been kicked in the head by a donkey?

If it weren’t for Xingmian acting as the guide, he’d rather throw the food to the pigeons outside than give it to him!

“What on earth gave you that idea? I’m not that idle.”

Jiang Zijin turned around briskly and walked back to his room without looking back.

With a “bang,” he pushed the door shut.

Ji Ansheng opened the paper bag, inside was a perfectly packaged croissant and an espresso.

Knowing he was hungry, he even went out of his way to buy him breakfast—what a tsundere man!

Yesterday, he had asked the paparazzi who followed Lin Xingmian, and they all said that Lin Xingmian’s marriage was very sudden, and he usually had no interaction with Jiang Zijin at all!

It must be that Jiang Zijin was caught in some kind of predicament by Lin Xingmian and had no choice but to marry him!

So why was he now taking the initiative to show kindness to him? He must have found out from the production team that he was the only son of the Ji family!

Yesterday, he had to act tough in front of Lin Xingmian, but now that Lin Xingmian wasn’t around, he came specifically to show him goodwill!

If he could find a way to publicly coax Jiang Zijin into revealing the truth about their marriage, Lin Xingmian would be finished!

With the Ji family’s influence, they could control the public opinion in time after Lin Xingmian’s exposure, protecting Jiang Zijin’s vulnerabilities or leverage.

This way, not only would he get rid of Lin Xingmian, but he’d also gain Jiang Zijin as a potential partner.

A win-win situation—how did he manage to stumble upon such a good deal!

Ji Ansheng smirked and turned to walk back into his room.

However, this was a couples’ travel variety show. He had to spend time alone with Jiang Zijin without Lin Xingmian’s supervision, which made it easier for him to express his true feelings. It also gave him the opportunity to comfort Jiang Zijin under the watchful eyes of the cameras.

Ji Ansheng’s eyes flickered slightly as he contacted the production team via WeChat.