Chapter 02.2

To say he wasn’t disappointed would be a lie.

He and Duan Zhuxian did not formally acknowledged their friendship, and most of the time they interacted in a confrontational manner.

However, he had originally thought that Duan Zhuxian also appreciated him, not just as a simple opponent.

At that moment, Duan Zhuxian’s cold attitude struck him hard.

It turned out that only he was deluding himself, and Duan Zhuxian did not even want to give him the status of “A little bit of friendship”.

“It’s the third year of high school now, the most important thing is to study.”

Immediately after Duan Zhuxian threw out a very blunt and hurried sentence, he walked towards the parking area ahead.

Jiang Yao remained stunned in place.

A speculation suddenly surfaced.

Then, he remembered some details he had overlooked.

For example, every time he went to the class next-door to find Shen Tang, he would always see Duan Zhuxian’s ambiguous gaze through the window.

And many times, when he was talking to Shen Tang, Duan Zhuxian would suddenly appear and make up various reasons to take Shen Tang away.

And after he gradually showed interest in Shen Tang, Duan Zhuxian alienated him for no reason…

“Duan Zhuxian, so you like him too.”

Jiang Yao expressed what was on his mind coldly using a declarative tone, and Duan Zhuxian did not refute it.

“This is called abuse of public power for personal gain!”

Jiang Yao shouted loudly at Duan Zhuxian’s gradually fading figure, with only the howling north wind responding to him, and the snow hitting his face painfully.

Perhaps it wasn’t that Duan Zhuxian didn’t regard him as a friend, but in the face of their rivalry, their friendship became insignificant.

Thinking about this, a sudden surge of resentment arose in his heart, and he raised his fist and struck him.

Duan Zhuxian slightly tilted his head, and the fierce fist grazed his cheekbone, only to be caught by his hand, but his cheekbone was still scraped.

However, Jiang Yao was not in a much better state either. The hand that Duan Zhuxian had gripped was slightly sprained, and for a week, he could only hold a pen with his little finger raised, making writing assignments feel like performing in a grand opera.

His affection for Duan Zhuxian also plummeted that day.

“Sincerity” is his principle in life; he always welcomes a rival, just like how Duan Zhuxian competes with him in every aspect on the competitive field, not giving an inch.

But never try to play dirty tricks on him.

The person he had admired for so long turned out to be a hypocritical pseudo-gentleman, which he found it hard to accept. He even felt a sense of betrayal and anger, and since then, he never showed Duan Zhuxian a friendly face again.

It was a complete reversal of hostility, a shift so drastic it could be described as earth-shattering.

But in the eyes of others, their relationship has never changed.

*

“Come on, sing a song, Young Master Jiang.”

A microphone arched and fell into Jiang Yao’s arms.

“I won’t sing, my throat hurts.”

Pulling himself from the annoying memories, Jiang Yao’s brow furrowed slightly, his voice a little cold, and he casually handed the microphone to another person.

That person had drunk too much, picked up the microphone, and started singing off-key, creating a cacophony that sounded like a whole choir by himself, causing a ruckus.

Jiang Yao was half-hearted, chatting with the people around him, and when his interest waned, he stretched out his arm to grab the vodka on the table.

Just as he was about to touch the bottle, he suddenly bumped into a slightly cool hand.

He flinched as if he had been electrocuted, and watched helplessly as the bottle was taken away by Duan Zhuxian across from him.

He calmed down and waited for Duan Zhuxian to pour and return the bottle.

To his surprise, after Duan Zhuxian poured a glass, he directly placed the wine bottle on another table far away from him.

Does he have no manners?

Jiang Yao furrowed his brows slightly, then opened a bottle of juice on the table casually, and sipping it while squinting towards Duan Zhuxian.

Duan Zhuxian was sitting in the chair, discussing a project with Feng Yan, his demeanor refined and composed, exuding an air of negotiation despite the messy private room.

Showing off.

At this moment, someone brought props and suggested playing a board game, and the two people with the lowest points had to sing a love song.

Jiang Yao and Duan Zhuxian, as rare guests, were both pushed onto the game table.

Continuing the bad luck from the previous card game, Jiang Yao lost on the first round.

But even worse, Duan Zhuxian’s luck was just as bad.

When the results were revealed, the atmosphere froze for a moment, then erupted into an uproar.

“Sing love songs! Sing love songs!”

“Quickly hand the microphone to the two of them.”

“How about a classic old song, ‘Will you marry me today’?”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yao reacted as if struck by something, clenched his fists, frowned, and glanced at Duan Zhuxian.

Someone asked with a wink, “What does Mr. Duan say?”

Duan Zhuxian threw down the props in his hand: “I’ll accept the bet.”

Jiang Yao’s brow furrowed.

From their chance encounter until now, Duan Zhuxian had always maintained this carefree and indifferent manner, as if nothing had happened the night before.

Well, that’s right.

The one who was falling apart was him, the one being bullied was still him.

Duan Zhuxian had only trembled a few times.

“It seems like Young Master Jiang is afraid to sing a love song with Mr. Duan.”

“Haha, Young Master Jiang is shy.”

Seeing Jiang Yao’s expression like he had swallowed a fly, the others started to tease him even more.

They had all heard the rumors about Jiang Yao and Duan Zhuxian not getting along, and there was a hint of deliberate provocation.

When the teasing was at its peak, Jiang Yao suddenly stood up with a gloomy face, startling everyone.

A girl asked timidly, “What’s wrong with Brother Yao? His complexion looks so pale.”

“I want to vomit.”

Jiang Yao said expressionlessly, without asking for way, and with a long stride, he stepped over the low table in front of him and left the private room.

*

After leaving the noisy and lively nightclub, the surroundings seemed to be suddenly vacuumed, leaving only a ripple-like fine tremor on the eardrums.

Jiang Yao’s stomach was indeed uncomfortable, he hadn’t eaten properly all day, and the alcohol he had drunk was churning in his stomach.

He lit a cigarette and tried to use nicotine to suppress his unpleasant feelings.

The autumn night in September hung overhead, silent and all-encompassing.

In the midst of complete silence, the steady footsteps of leather shoes followed behind at a leisurely pace.

As he approached the roadside, Jiang Yao turned around.

A few meters away, in the thick night fog, a man’s face was indiscernible as he approached.

“How much farther do you plan to follow?”

Jiang Yao asked expressionlessly.

“After the meeting ended, I called you, but the system said that the line was busy,”

Duan Zhuxian said as he walked closer, and the enveloping darkness gradually receded, revealing a face with an unreadable expression under the streetlight, along with a prominent red mark on the bridge of his nose.

“That’s because I blocked your number using the note you left me.” Jiang Yao said as he flicked the cigarette ash.

Duan Zhuxian hummed in response, seemingly unsurprised.

In recent years, they had hardly interacted, and even when they were in the same social circle, they would either pretend not to know each other or were at odds.

Jiang Yao wanted to ask Duan Zhuxian how he got his phone number, but upon further thought, he realized his number wasn’t exactly a military secret, so he changed the subject.

“Why did you call me?”

Duan Zhuxian replied: “To confirm your condition.”

Jiang Yao responded with a cold face: “Don’t worry, I won’t ask you for compensation for mental distress.”

“I mean—” Duan Zhuxian’s gaze fell, and glanced briefly behind Jiang Yao, “that place.”

Jiang Yao’s face stiffened, but he spoke nonchalantly: “I don’t feel anything, maybe it’s too small.”

Regarding Jiang Yao’s words, Duan Zhuxian was not angered like most men would, but simply said calmly, “I gave you medicine this morning, it has strong anti-inflammatory effects, so it’s normal that you don’t feel much discomfort after waking up.”

Jiang Yao: “…”

The air suddenly fell into a suffocating silence.

Jiang Yao took the cigarette from his lips, then exhaled a puff of white smoke towards Duan Zhuxian, until that calm face gradually blurred. Only then he finally suppressed the surging emotions, and spoke coolly through the haze.

“There’s one more thing I’d like to ask Mr. Duan.”

Duan Zhuxian nodded and signalled him to speak.

“How dare you… how dare you tie me up?”

Jiang Yao gritted his teeth, pointing to the red marks on his wrist, unable to ask the most unspeakable question.

“You were quite cooperative last night,” Duan Zhuxian said.

Jiang Yao was at a loss for words, as the absurd memories of being engulfed in the waves of desire surged, and momentarily overwhelmed his troubled heart.

He had to admit that reluctantly, setting aside rationality, his body had indeed succumbed.

It was as if a certain unknown nerve had suddenly been injected with a high concentration of desire, making it impossible to resist.

But now he was in this state.

Having been driven by his arch-enemy all night, and his mind and body were damaged.

Duan Zhuxian didn’t even forget to taunt him, truly a despicable person!

Seeing Jiang Yao looking down with drooping eyes, and suddenly fell silent, Duan Zhuxian’s gaze lingered on him for a moment. And his previously calm tone suddenly took on a hint of strangeness: “I thought you wouldn’t wear my clothes.”

“What do you mean?”

Jiang Yao lowered his head, and a sudden storm raged in his mind.

He suddenly grabbed the front of his own shirt: “Isn’t this a new outfit?”

“No,”

Said Duan Zhuxian.

“The room you mistakenly entered is my private suite, and this outfit is also mine.”

After hearing these, Jiang Yao didn’t lift his head, and only stared blankly at the ill-fitting black shirt on his body.

Duan Zhuxian had slept with him and then made him obediently wear his clothes, as if marking him, and completely invaded him inside and out…

A gust of night wind blew by, and Jiang Yao’s nose suddenly felt sour.

He mechanically turned around, extinguished the cigarette in the trash can with reddened eyes, and his voice was clear yet slightly trembling from the cool breeze.

“Duan Zhuxian.”

Duan Zhuxian responded, “Hmm?”

“Let’s not meet again in the future.”

After Jiang Yao finished speaking, he walked briskly towards the approaching taxi without looking back.

【Author’s Note】

Ugh, my wife is aggrieved. <>