Chapter 28 “Model Husband.”

Seeing that the person who arrived was actually Duan Zhuxian, the crowd surrounding the scene instinctively parted, making way for him.

Duan Zhuxian had now risen to a high position in Hua Yan’s upper management. He usually dealt with the parents of the second-generation rich kids present, and a few words from him to their parents could make their lives very difficult.

Apart from a few who weren’t too bright, Jiang Yao was the only one among their peers who dared to openly confront him.

“Oh my God, how could it be Duan Zhuxian?” The friend who had invited Jiang Yao to the race already felt guilty, and now he was even more distressed. “Brother, I really messed up today. I’ll definitely make it up to you another day.”

After whispering this to Jiang Yao, he also stepped aside.

Duan Zhuxian didn’t look at anyone else as he walked straight toward Jiang Yao. He scrutinized Jiang Yao from head to toe, his gaze so intense it seemed to strip him bare.

Jiang Yao, with an unlit cigarette in his mouth, let Duan Zhuxian look him over. His cold, pale cheeks slightly lifted, showing no signs of backing down.

Duan Zhuxian raised his hand, but before touching Jiang Yao, he lowered it again and asked, “Are you hurt?”

The onlookers, expecting to witness the third world war, were surprised by Duan Zhuxian’s unexpectedly gentle inquiry. They couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed, thinking that Duan Zhuxian really knew how to handle situations. He seemed calm and not the type to lose his temper over a lover. If they were in Jiang Yao’s position, they would probably take the easy way out.

Jiang Yao’s friend frantically signaled for him to avoid clashing with Duan Zhuxian at this moment and to talk things out calmly.

However, Jiang Yao ignored the hint, his face cold as he retorted, “Can’t you see for yourself?”

Duan Zhuxian paused, his tense expression relaxing slightly. In a voice only Jiang Yao could hear, he said, “Wait for me here.”

Then he turned and walked toward Duan Feiyi, a few meters away.

Duan Feiyi’s face changed, and he glared at Zhang Sheng, who was frantically waving his hands, looking panicked.

Approaching Duan Feiyi, Duan Zhuxian’s face lost all warmth. “Two months ago, you organized an illegal street race here and sent someone to the hospital. Dad said then that you were not allowed to set foot on the racetrack again, or you’d be stripped of all your positions at Hua Yan.”

Hearing this, the crowd suddenly understood. So, Duan Zhuxian was here to discipline his brother.

Someone like Duan Zhuxian, an elite noble, couldn’t possibly be interested in someone like Zhang Sheng unless he had suddenly lost his eyesight.

“It was Li Ruizhi who hit the person, not me…”

Being scolded in front of so many people, Duan Feiyi couldn’t save face and reflexively argued loudly. However, his voice gradually weakened under Duan Zhuxian’s icy gaze, showing genuine fear. After a long pause, he murmured, “Are you going to tell Dad?”

“From now on, keep your position at the branch company and stop causing trouble, and I might consider not telling Dad,” Duan Zhuxian said, casting a sharp glance at Zhang Sheng before his gaze returned to Duan Feiyi’s face. “You know what I mean.”

The moment their eyes met, Duan Feiyi broke into a cold sweat, feeling as though all his thoughts had been seen through.

He had a strong premonition that Duan Zhuxian was only displaying this big brother attitude because of the crowd. Once today was over, Duan Zhuxian would not let him off.

Over the next half hour, under Duan Zhuxian’s watchful eye, Duan Feiyi obediently contacted people to handle the situation with the perpetrator and the damaged vehicles, losing all the bravado he had displayed earlier.

The onlookers gradually realized that Duan Feiyi was merely a paper tiger. Among the younger generation of the Duan family, only Duan Zhuxian held absolute authority.

Jiang Yao leaned against the wall, smoking, his gaze shifting back and forth between Duan Zhuxian and Zhang Sheng.

If anyone dared to exchange even a flirtatious glance in front of him, he was ready to send both of them running for their lives.

The doubts and frustration that had been building up over the past day and night reached their peak the moment Duan Zhuxian appeared. He was like a powder keg, struggling to maintain his composure.

However, throughout the entire process, Duan Zhuxian didn’t spare even a single glance for Zhang Sheng.

Once things were more or less settled, Duan Zhuxian found Jiang Yao in the corner and asked, “Ready to go home?”

Jiang Yao tossed the cigarette butt away, put his hands in his pockets, and headed towards the exit.

Duan Zhuxian followed closely behind. The rebellious red streak in Jiang Yao’s hair resembles a fiery flame, burning brightly in the wind.

After a few steps, Jiang Yao stopped and turned around. “Stay away from me.”

With that, he quickened his pace.

Under the curious stares of the onlookers, the two of them disappeared, one after the other, at the end of the track.

*

On the way home, Jiang Yao sat in the passenger seat like a statue, silent and brooding.

The car’s low-frequency hum as it moved made the silence in the cabin even more pronounced and oppressive.

Eventually, Jiang Yao, unable to sit still any longer, glanced at Duan Zhuxian, who was driving. “Why did you come?”

Duan Zhuxian kept his eyes on the road, his expression calm. “My wife had a dispute at the racetrack I oversee. Of course, I’m here to solve the problem.”

The previous day, he had successfully helped Fu Yang secure a partnership. After the late dinner, he stayed overnight in Rong City. The next day, he flew back to Lingbei and immediately went to Hua Yan for a meeting. During the meeting, he learned that Jiang Yao had been rear-ended. Without waiting for the meeting to end, he rushed over.

Duan Zhuxian’s official tone irked Jiang Yao, but it was the word “wife” that really got under his skin.

Suppressing a strange, nagging feeling, Jiang Yao replied coolly, “Didn’t it hurt your heart to see your little lover embarrassed tonight?”

Duan Zhuxian responded, “Little lover?”

Playing dumb, huh?

Jiang Yao didn’t waste any words. He pulled out his phone and checked his browser history, only to find that the initial gossip article had been deleted.

He manually entered the keywords but still couldn’t find any related news. It was as if the story he had seen yesterday had been a dream.

The ability to completely erase something from the internet without a trace—who knew what kind of resources Duan Zhuxian had used?

Fortunately, he had saved the photo. Otherwise, Duan Zhuxian would have gotten away scot-free.

Jiang Yao brought up the saved picture and placed his phone in the navigation holder.

“Look at the two of you, all lovey-dovey. Add some first snow and a background music, and you could star in a Korean drama,” Jiang Yao said, his tone laced with sarcasm yet unnervingly cold.

Duan Zhuxian glanced at the photo out of the corner of his eye. “Without even a clear face, how can you see any lovey-dovey sentiment?”

Jiang Yao frowned. “Face or no face, I’d recognize you even if you turned to ash.”

Duan Zhuxian raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. “You know me better than I thought.”

Jiang Yao snapped, “Don’t try to change the subject!”

Duan Zhuxian paused for a moment, then asked, “Does it bother you that much?”

Finally, the facade of calmness Jiang Yao had maintained shattered. He sat up abruptly. “We are at least friends with benefits. Shouldn’t I care?”

Duan Zhuxian’s gaze turned a bit colder. That wasn’t the response he had hoped for.

Seeing Duan Zhuxian’s silence, Jiang Yao thought he had finally admitted his guilt, and his irritation grew.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to adopt a more casual demeanor. “Forget it. I’m too tired to bother anymore. It’s just a business marriage, after all. Since you have someone on the side, let’s make it an open marriage. From now on, we each do our own thing. You can keep your little star, even a whole soccer team if you want. And I’ll also—”

His words were abruptly cut off by the screech of sudden braking.

“Are you insane?” Jiang Yao shouted, startled, glaring at Duan Zhuxian. He was taken aback by the dark look in Duan Zhuxian’s eyes.

In that moment, Jiang Yao had the unsettling feeling that if he had continued with his proposal, Duan Zhuxian might have devoured him.

Jiang Yao felt it was absurd that the one who had done wrong was acting more aggressive than the one confronting him.

Where was the justice in that?

Duan Zhuxian drove a few meters forward, parked by the roadside, and spoke in a more normal tone. “It was a candid shot.”

“No kidding, unless you think it was a staged photo op for showing off your affection,” Jiang Yao retorted, rubbing his chest where the seatbelt had dug in painfully. “You’re just awful, not stupid.”

Duan Zhuxian’s deep eyes showed a hint of amusement at Jiang Yao’s mixed compliment and insult.

“Taken out of context,” Duan Zhuxian explained. “That day, I was bumped into by him at the hotel entrance. I was in a hurry for a meeting and didn’t think much of it.”

He paused, noting Jiang Yao’s irritated expression, and added, pointing at the photo, “Fu Yang was right beside me. He was with me. You can ask him next time if you want.”

Jiang Yao followed his gesture and saw that indeed, there was a man at the edge of the frame, looking like a passerby.

He redirected his gaze to the little fox figurine on the dashboard, remaining silent for a while. After a pause, he looked up and asked, “Who did you piss off?”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “Zhang Sheng is Duan Feiyi’s kept lover.”

Jiang Yao was silent for a moment before saying, “But I’ve seen Duan Feiyi with a female companion.”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “That’s his way of hiding his true orientation. His mother has been wanting a grandson for a long time.”

Jiang Yao cursed “scumbag” inwardly, squinting his eyes as he quickly recalled the details he had noticed at the racetrack today. It all aligned with Duan Zhuxian’s explanation.

He had suspected his “brother-in-law” was no saint, but he hadn’t expected such extreme measures.

Jiang Yao asked, “If he wanted to frame you, why not just get a clear shot of your face?”

He didn’t doubt that Duan Zhuxian wouldn’t lie about something so easily debunked, knowing the consequences would be more severe if caught. He just couldn’t understand Duan Feiyi’s motives.

Duan Zhuxian explained, “He doesn’t dare go too far. This was a test, aimed specifically at me and the Duan family elders.”

Jiang Yao pondered for a moment.

Following this logic, Duan Feiyi’s move was just to give Duan Zhuxian a warning. The fact that Li Ruizhi found out about it last night was likely a coincidence.

Later, when Li Ruizhi tried to ambush him and deliberately brought up the matter, he got beaten up. Duan Feiyi, upon learning this, probably thought Jiang Yao was the type to be jealous and competitive. So today, he came with the intention of fanning the flames.

Jiang Yao scoffed, “No wonder Duan Feiyi and Zhang Sheng kept trying to sow discord in front of me today. It was a coordinated attack.”

Duan Zhuxian raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised that Jiang Yao used the term “sow discord,” and asked, “Did they succeed?”

Jiang Yao realized he had used the wrong term and immediately leaned back in his seat, throwing out, “Just drive.”

With that, he turned his head away, refusing to engage further.

A few seconds later, the car started moving again.

The interior of Duan Zhuxian’s car was luxurious yet understated, with each accessory being highly valuable. There were almost no extra decorations, except for a ceramic fox on the dashboard.

The little fox squinted its eyes, flicked its bright red tail, and had its butt connected to the base with a spring, causing it to bobble as the car moved. It looked smug, and staring at it too long made Jiang Yao dizzy.

After a while, Jiang Yao began to feel sleepy and eventually dozed off.

When he woke up, the last rays of the setting sun were melting into the night, and the twilight had turned into a thin, smoky blue.

After getting out of the car, Jiang Yao walked ahead, keeping some distance from Duan Zhuxian.

“Still mad?” Duan Zhuxian asked from a few steps behind.

Jiang Yao didn’t respond.

He wasn’t sure if he was still upset. Even though the misunderstanding had been cleared up, every time he saw Duan Zhuxian, his emotions became a tangled mess, irritating him greatly.

Jiang Yao, looking for trouble, said, “You don’t come home for a night, who knows where you’ve been messing around.”

Hearing this, Duan Zhuxian’s eyes flickered, and catched a sliver of streetlight as he looked at Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao always spoke to him bluntly, so his words were usually not a big deal. But linking this with Jiang Yao’s earlier anger over the misunderstanding about a kept lover, the nature of his words seemed subtly different.

It almost seemed… jealous.

Maybe it was the hazy night, but Duan Zhuxian felt a fleeting illusion—

That he and Jiang Yao might have other possibilities.

“Last night I was in Rong City with Fu Yang, meeting a client,” Duan Zhuxian said, striding to Jiang Yao’s side and showing him the records of his flight and hotel stay. “You wronged me.”

Duan Zhuxian’s tone was calm, but Jiang Yao felt strangely awkward hearing it. He glanced at Duan Zhuxian. “You didn’t tell me, so you deserved to be wronged.”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “When you go out and don’t come back at night, you don’t inform me either, do you?”

Jiang Yao was momentarily speechless, his eyes visibly darting around.

A mischievous look flashed across Duan Zhuxian’s face. He just wanted to tease Jiang Yao a bit, but he quickly followed up to reassure him, “From now on, I’ll report to you wherever I go.”

“I never said I wanted to control you that much,” Jiang Yao retorted stiffly, striding forward to open the fingerprint lock. No matter how many times he pressed, it wouldn’t open.

“This lock needs to be replaced. It’s always hit or miss,” Jiang Yao grumbled impatiently.

“It’s my choice.”

Duan Zhuxian caught Jiang Yao’s fumbling fingers from behind, holding them in his palm while easily unlocking the door with his thumb.

“At the dinner last night, I heard a few older executives talking about family. They said model husbands always do this.”