Chapter 13: “You two also sleep in separate rooms?”

The car drove into the villa area in the north of the city, and from a distance, you could see the most conspicuous garden-style building.

It’s not because it’s more grand than other houses, but because in front of that antique-style gate, there are two uniquely shaped lamp posts, which light up a few meters around, making even the stars and moon in the sky look dim in comparison.

In the courtyard, it’s no longer the scene of rampant darkness when they first arrived. Each tree is decorated with small lights. When night falls, it’s as brilliant as a galaxy.

Jiang Yao really likes this atmosphere that isolates the darkness.

Walking along the corridor is like walking through a bright dream. Coming back from work late at night with a dizzy head, your mood will improve a lot.

When they got to the door, Jiang Yao stopped Duan Zhuxian, repeated the situation he had said in the car, and reminded Duan Zhuxian to temporarily cease hostilities in front of his brother. Duan Zhuxian expressed no objections, and the two entered the house together.

On the living room sofa was a man in a dark green sportswear, with messy hair, who didn’t look like a CEO at all, it was his brother Jiang Chen.

Duan Zhuxian greeted Jiang Chen and went upstairs, leaving the space to the two brothers.

Jiang Yao nudged Jiang Chen’s leg with his toe: “You said you missed me, why do you look half-dead when you see me?”

“I miss you so much that I become sick.”

Jiang Chen replied weakly, extending his hand to Jiang Yao as gentle as a concubine.

Although Jiang Chen was still as unserious as before, with many years of tacit understanding, Jiang Yao could see that his brother was actually quite depressed, so he reluctantly offered his right hand and pulled him up from the sofa.

Taking advantage of the time when Jiang Yao came home, Jiang Chen ordered a bunch of wine, which happened to be delivered at this moment.

Drinking wine in the house was boring, so the two finally moved to the outdoor leisure area by the corridor.

“Are you used to moving out of the house?” Jiang Chen asked.

“Managing somehow,” Jiang Yao replied.

“I was still worried that the north of the city is too remote, and you are not used to it when it’s dark at night.” Jiang Chen looked at the large courtyard illuminated by the lights, and his eyes softened a bit, “But now it seems, it’s okay.”

When Jiang Yao was six years old, he was kidnapped by Jiang family’s competitors and was locked in a dark broken factory for two days and two nights.

After being rescued, he was so scared that he couldn’t speak, and it took several months of psychological counseling to recover. Fortunately, he recovered well in the later stage, but he developed a fear of darkness.

Jiang Chen chuckled, “That kid from the Duan family seems lacking in warmth, but he’s quite good at putting on a show.”

“He doesn’t know.” Jiang Yao said lightly.

This has been his deepest secret for twenty years.

He usually disguises it very well, just like fish never easily expose their soft and vulnerable belly, always carefully covering it with reflective scales, trying to blend in with the color of water as much as possible.

Even Chen Yiqi, who grew up with him wearing the same pair of pants, doesn’t know, and he would never tell Duan Zhuxian either. He’s not stupid enough to hand over his life gate to his opponent.

However…

Jiang Yao looked around for a moment—

The ivory-colored trees are blooming, the pearl-white stone bridge is flowing with water, the snow-covered bluestone path, it seems like a ceremony of light blooming out of thin air.

For normal people, this house seems indeed a bit too bright.

Both of them didn’t continue to dwell on this matter and quickly changed the topic.

Jiang Chen asked Jiang Yao, “Did you tell mom and dad about me coming here?”

Jiang Yao didn’t hide it, and nodded.

Jiang Chen took out the wine cork with a “pop”, and said somewhat irritably, “Don’t you dare educate me like they did, or I’ll beat you.”

This phrase sounded familiar, as if it had been heard from his brother’s mouth more than ten years ago. Jiang Yao was a bit speechless and clicked his tongue, “Jiang Chen, are you having a delayed rebellious phase?”

Jiang Chen took a sip of wine and said gloomily, “If you were locked in the cage of marriage for a long time, you would rebel too.”

These words were full of emotion, and hearing them in the ears of someone about to step into marriage, it triggered some ripples to some extent.

But thinking about his mission to persuade Jiang Chen, Jiang Yao touched his nose and said with particular reluctance, “Is marriage as terrible as you say?”

“You little guy, you’re like a newborn calf who’s not afraid of tigers. It seems that your brother needs to give you a good lesson, so you don’t end up unprepared and get eaten up by others.”

Jiang Chen finished the wine in his glass in one gulp, and began to list the major sins of marriage as a person who has been there.

But in fact, they were all trivial matters, so trivial that even conflicts in fashion taste were brought to the surface and expanded into a small essay.

He talked for about an hour or so, until Jiang Yao’s ears were calloused, before he finally concluded, “Whether you love or not doesn’t matter much, the main thing is that our life philosophies don’t match, and she’s used to being a leader, her desire to control both internally and externally is strong. Look at me, do I look like I need to be managed?”

As Jiang Chen spoke, he confidently patted his chest.

Jiang Yao glanced at Jiang Chen’s wrinkled collar, yawned in the rattan chair, and made a pointed comment, “Isn’t it good to have someone help manage your life? You’re so picky, no wonder sister-in-law is annoyed with you.”

Jiang Chen hummed dismissively, “I knew you, a little kid, wouldn’t understand. But you’ll experience it in the future. Don’t blame your brother for not warning you. Your partner is even more heavyweight, harder to deal with than your sister-in-law.”

Thank you, I’ve been experiencing it for many years, no need to remind me.

Jiang Yao tilted his head back and finished half a can of beer, his slender fingers tightened one by one, and he smiled as he crushed the pull-tab can.

The empty wine bottles on the stone table in front of him were piling up more and more, red, yellow, and white, all kinds, with Jiang Chen being the main force. Jiang Yao couldn’t stop him.

His brother didn’t actually drink much before, nor did he talk so much nonsense. Now he looks like he’s really been worn down by a failed marriage.

After clearing the wine on the table, Jiang Chen still wanted to buy some more wine to bring back, but was forcibly stopped by Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao knew that Jiang Chen was unhappy. He had been indulging him in drinking all this time, and he had also drunk quite a bit himself. It took a lot of effort to coax him into the guest room to rest.

After closing the door to the guest room, Jiang Yao rubbed his sore temples and walked towards his own bedroom. Just as he was about to open the door, he suddenly heard a noise behind him.

He turned around and his brother appeared again.

He stood in the corridor like a wandering soul, as he stared at Jiang Yao with a dull gaze, the scene was inexplicably horrifying.

The next second, Jiang Chen pointed at the closed door next to Jiang Yao, and asked in a daze, “Didn’t your husband go into this room?”

Before Jiang Yao could react, his brother’s drunken eyes suddenly lit up, “So you two also sleep in separate rooms?”

His expression was extraordinarily excited, as if he had found an ally in fear of marriage.

Jiang Yao’s hand on the doorknob froze instantly.

In the blink of an eye, the half of his brain occupied by alcohol popped out the command “treat each other with respect”.

In that moment of stagnation, Jiang Yao calmly opened the door and said, “Duan Zhuxian, that clumsy guy, spilled water on the bed. I’m going to the guest room to get a new quilt.”

After saying that, he pushed the door and entered, leaving behind a calm silhouette at the peak of his acting skills.

Jiang Yao waited for a while, with holding his breath, but Jiang Chen was still standing outside, not leaving.

Jiang Yao had no choice but to admit defeat completely. He stuffed his pajamas into the bedding, hugged it tightly, and, under his brother’s gaze, he confidently entered Duan Zhuxian’s bedroom next door.

The moment he closed the door, Jiang Yao leaned against the door panel and let out a heavy breath.

Not far away, the man who had just walked out of the bathroom stopped in his tracks, looked at the person who had suddenly intruded into his private territory, with a look of surprise on his face.

Jiang Yao raised his chin towards the man as he said, “Mr. Duan, lend me your floor to sleep tonight.”

[Author’s Note]

Jiang Chen: Brother, I can only help you this far.