Chapter 54: “Are you done being jealous?”

Jiang Yao, who was already five centimeters shorter than Duan Zhuxian, was further disoriented by the alcohol. His head spun, and before he could react, his body slid a few inches down the wall, creating a noticeable height difference between him and the man in front of him.

Duan Zhuxian lowered his head, looking into the hazy eyes that had become blurred from drinking with someone else. Without hesitation, he pressed his lips that were chilled by the cool night air, against Jiang Yao’s, capturing his breath. The kiss quickly heated up, and their bodies pressed together gradually igniting sparks.

The overwhelming scent of hormones enveloped them, and Jiang Yao was forced to tilt his head back, feeling the ravaging inside his mouth. His eyes half-closed, and the sliver of vision he had left was entirely occupied by Duan Zhuxian’s face.

If, on the night of the wedding, he and Duan Zhuxian hadn’t argued over other matters, Duan Zhuxian’s reaction would have been different. He certainly wouldn’t have kissed him with such a punitive nature. After all, at that time, Duan Zhuxian hadn’t confessed his feelings yet, and their past misunderstandings hadn’t been cleared up. Duan Zhuxian wouldn’t have had the grounds to act this way.

With his brain deprived of oxygen due to the lack of breath, Jiang Yao drifted into aimless thoughts.

As their lips and tongues separated, gasping for air, Duan Zhuxian grabbed the back of his neck. His fiery gaze landed on the side of Jiang Yao’s face and neck, making him shiver involuntarily.

“Focus when you’re kissing me.”

Duan Zhuxian’s voice was cold and deep, with a particular emphasis on the word “me.”

Jiang Yao had always been willful and couldn’t stand provocation, let alone being commanded.

Just now, he had let Duan Zhuxian bully him for quite a while, and not only did this person not appreciate it, but he also scolded him.

Feeling indignant, Jiang Yao’s eyes flashed with resolve. He grabbed Duan Zhuxian’s hair and kissed him back fiercely, retaliating with biting and nipping, and turned the sparks between them into a blazing fire. The first time was on the carpet; Duan Zhuxian, using his old trick, tied Jiang Yao’s wrists with a tie, one hand gripping the roots of his hair, and his fingers catching hold of that tuft of red hair. The second time was on the sofa, with the soft cushions creaking and the pillows falling all over the place.

Afterward, Duan Zhuxian carried the naked Jiang Yao to the bathroom for a bath, then stuffed him back into bed, leaving him without the strength to move a single finger.

It could be called a tragedy triggered by a single name.

Held by Duan Zhuxian, Jiang Yao moved his lips that were swollen from the kissing, and hoarsely asked, “Are you done being jealous?”

Duan Zhuxian responded with a noncommittal “Hmm.”

Jiang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly, “Aren’t you curious about what we talked about tonight?”

He had originally planned to explain everything to Duan Zhuxian as soon as he walked in, but Duan Zhuxian hadn’t given him the chance, immediately downing three liters of jealousy.

Duan Zhuxian paused and then said, “Go ahead, tell me.”

Duan Zhuxian’s indifferent response seemed to conceal some suppressed emotion.

“He confessed to me,” Jiang Yao said, feeling inexplicably nervous.

However, Duan Zhuxian didn’t react much. He just tightened his grip around Jiang Yao’s waist a bit, as if he really had finished that bottle of jealousy.

After a while, Duan Zhuxian asked, “How did you respond?”

Jiang Yao replied, “How else could I respond? Of course, I rejected him and made it clear we should keep our distance. We’re not even close.”

Duan Zhuxian raised his hand and pinched Jiang Yao’s cheek. “Is it just because you’re not close?”

Liar, that jealousy isn’t completely gone, there’s still a bit left.

“Because I’m a married man, okay?” Jiang Yao rolled his eyes. “Besides, it’s true we’re not close. We didn’t interact much back then. If it weren’t for you bringing him to play basketball with me, we probably wouldn’t have interacted at all.”

“So, I brought a wolf into the house?”

Duan Zhuxian’s hand, which was pinching Jiang Yao’s face, paused for a moment. Jiang Yao successfully grabbed it and shoved it under the pillow, pressing it down with his face.

“It’s not exactly into the house. Without my permission, who dares to trespass on my territory?” Jiang Yao’s eyes twinkled. “But bringing the wolf here, well, it’s hard to say it has nothing to do with you.”

Duan Zhuxian, who was rarely outmaneuvered, was left speechless.

Successfully shifting the blame onto Duan Zhuxian, Jiang Yao felt a secret satisfaction and then closed his eyes to sleep.

*

The next day, Sunday, Jiang Yao didn’t wake up until after nine. Draped in a robe, he lazily went downstairs in search of food. He saw a figure in the kitchen, slicing vegetables. The narrow, strong waist and the apron strings unexpectedly matched well.

Jiang Yao remained silent, leaning against the door and watching for a while in the warm sunlight streaming through the window.

In his teenage years, he had dreamed of one day building a home with a gentle and kind handsome man, someone who would be willing to cook for him.

Unfortunately, the person in front of him, though making soup, was far from gentle and kind.

Jiang Yao rubbed his sore waist, and any tender feelings he might have had disappeared.

He asked, “Where’s the chef?”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “Had to take leave for something.”

Then he turned, lifting a clay pot and pouring the contents into a bowl.

The fragrant chicken noodle soup, topped with two beautifully fried sunny-side-up eggs, smelled delicious.

Jiang Yao finished it all, even drinking the soup. He wiped his mouth and remarked, “You’re quite good at cooking.”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “I learned while studying abroad.”

Jiang Yao was skeptical. “If you can cook, why did you lie to me about not knowing how when my brother came over?”

Duan Zhuxian said, “To spare your self-esteem.”

Jiang Yao: “…”

This guy was unexpectedly considerate.

As Duan Zhuxian put the dirty bowl into the dishwasher, Jiang Yao followed him, and asked curiously, “You had no one to take care of you abroad?”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “I was self-reliant overseas.”

Jiang Yao leaned on the dishwasher, looking surprised. “What about your dad? Didn’t he take care of you?”

Upon hearing this, a trace of mockery flashed in Duan Zhuxian’s eyes. He said lightly, “He didn’t. I even covered my tuition myself.”

Jiang Yao was completely shocked.

Jiang Yao knew that Duan Zhuxian might not have been as favored as Duan Feiyi at home, but he didn’t expect his father to be so ruthless. However, it made sense; what moral or sense of responsibility could you expect from a man who cheated on his pregnant wife?

When Jiang Yao learned about Duan Zhuxian studying abroad, Duan Zhuxian had already left Lingbei without even a farewell.

He later heard from friends at Q University that Duan Zhuxian’s decision to go abroad was sudden, prepared hastily yet decisively, perfectly timed a month after Shen Tang went abroad as an exchange student.

Under such harsh conditions, Duan Zhuxian still resolutely went to pursue someone, only to be too timid to confess once there. Not only did he fail to win over the person, but he also ended up in such a miserable state. Jiang Yao couldn’t understand what Duan Zhuxian was thinking; he was usually so shrewd and rational.

*

In the evening, Duan Zhuxian went out to attend an important banquet. It was to celebrate the birthday of an old chairman from one of Hua Yan’s major partners. And he had asked Jiang Yao if he wanted to go.

Jiang Yao hated socializing with these hypocritical old folks, so he declined, and instead planned to meet up with some friends he hadn’t seen in a while.

Just as he was about to leave, he received a call from Xu Yuewei, saying that Shen Tang had gotten into trouble and was at the police station.

Xu Yuewei was frantic on the phone and couldn’t explain clearly. Jiang Yao told her to stay calm and quickly drove to the police station.

Sitting on a public bench, Xu Yuewei seemed much calmer, though still anxious, as she explained the situation to Jiang Yao.

Shen Tang, who works at a university, had previously caught a thug harassing female students at the school gate. Today, he and Xu Yuewei went to the food street for dinner and were ambushed by that same thug and a few of his cronies.

Fortunately, nearby police officers were patrolling, but one of the thugs was quite ruthless. Before the police arrived, he smashed a bottle on his own head and framed Shen Tang for the injury. The spot happened to be a surveillance blind spot, leaving Shen Tang unable to defend himself, and he had to wait for an investigation.

Jiang Yao asked, “What did the police say?”

“Since the situation isn’t clear, they’re temporarily labeling it as mutual assault. He’ll have to stay detained, and he might not be able to leave even tomorrow. Shen Tang has an important lecture scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. If people find out he missed it because he was detained, his reputation will be ruined,” Xu Yuewei explained, then buried her face in her hands.

In today’s society, many people don’t seek the truth. They spread sensational gossip as soon as they hear it, fearing the truth might come too quickly. For someone in the teaching profession, any hint of moral flaw is particularly damaging.

Xu Yuewei is usually calm and reserved, much like Shen Tang, exuding a gentle aura. Sometimes, watching the couple interact felt like looking at a serene painting, which was very soothing.

But now, one was injured, looking disheveled and locked behind bars, while the other sat helplessly outside, crying into her hands.

Anger surged in Jiang Yao’s heart. He asked, “Were there any eyewitnesses?”

Xu Yuewei said, “It was too chaotic at the time, so I didn’t notice, but the owner of a nearby barbecue shop probably recorded a video. I asked him for it, but he flatly denied having any footage.”

Jiang Yao asked for the address and said, “I’ll be back soon.”

On his way, he called a friend who owned a security company, asking him to bring some men to the food street area.

Jiang Yao was driving a luxury car, and his striking presence immediately caught the attention of a few young thugs hiding in the shadows as he entered the food street.

Seeing him head straight for the barbecue shop, they tried to follow, but before they could take a step, they were blocked by several burly bodyguards.

Jiang Yao walked into the barbecue shop, went directly to the owner, and knocked on the counter, “Hello, let’s talk.”

“Talk about what? I’m very busy.” The owner, probably still rattled from witnessing the earlier incident, spoke with a guilty tone and tried to leave the counter, but Jiang Yao blocked his way.

Jiang Yao didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point, “The video.”

The owner’s eyes darted around, and his tone turned defensive, “What video? I didn’t take any!”

“The video of the assault.” Jiang Yao said, glancing at the payment code on the counter. He inputted a number into his phone and held it up for the owner to see, “To avoid affecting your business, let’s be straightforward. Give me the video, and this money is yours.”

The owner saw the amount on the screen, his eyes clearly lighting up, and he swallowed a few times, lowering his voice, “It’s not that I don’t want to give it to you, but someone is watching me. I can’t give it.”

The owner glanced outside instinctively, witnessing the scene of the young thugs being chased away by the burly bodyguards.

Jiang Yao smiled and asked, “Who is watching you?”

The owner quickly looked back, realizing that the red-haired man in front of him might be even more formidable than the street thugs, but he appeared more civilized and even offered money.

After securing the video, Jiang Yao turned to his friend who had come to help and said, “Thanks, I’ll treat you to a meal another day.”

His friend laughed and waved it off, “Come on, no need to be so polite with me.”

Jiang Yao also laughed, “I have something urgent to handle right now, so I’ll leave first. Later, can you gather the guys into a group chat for me? I’ll send them red envelopes.”

Returning to the police station, Jiang Yao handed over the video to the police for verification.

Xu Yuewei was surprised that Jiang Yao had obtained the video so quickly, and asked him about the details.

Jiang Yao omitted the parts about paying money and intimidating the thugs and the owner, saying vaguely, “A mix of coercion and incentives. The owner turned out to be quite reasonable.”

With the crisis averted, the tense atmosphere finally relaxed, and Xu Yuewei’s face showed a hint of a smile.

Jiang Yao joked, “You two have too high a moral standard. Next time something like this happens, just call me.”

After all, one of them came from a scholarly family and the other was the only daughter of a civil servant family. The simplest and most straightforward methods were often the hardest for them to execute.

Xu Yuewei couldn’t help but remark, “It’s really great that Shen Tang has a friend like you.”

Jiang Yao raised his eyebrows nonchalantly; he was used to being loyal.

While the individuals involved were re-recording their statements, Jiang Yao received a call from Duan Zhuxian. He walked to a quieter place to answer, and heard the sounds of clinking glasses and chatter in the background.

Duan Zhuxian said, “Send me the address of your gathering. I’ll come pick you up later.”

Jiang Yao replied, “I didn’t go to the gathering. I’m at the police station.”

“Police station? What happened?” Duan Zhuxian’s voice became noticeably more serious.

Jiang Yao explained, “It’s the Xingzhou Road precinct. Shen Tang had a conflict with someone, and I’m helping to sort things out.”

Duan Zhuxian asked, “Was there a fight?”

Jiang Yao instinctively thought Duan Zhuxian was asking about Shen Tang, so he glanced at Shen Tang, who was being questioned and had a bruise on his face, and confirmed, “Yes, there was.”

On the other end of the line, Duan Zhuxian’s breathing noticeably hitched. “I’m coming over right now.”

“No need, it’s a small matter. It’s already been resolved. You should stay and attend the banquet,” Jiang Yao said in a breezy tone, unaware that his brows were slightly furrowed.

Before Duan Zhuxian could respond, Jiang Yao hastily added, “That’s it, I’m hanging up now.”

At that moment, a rough, hoarse voice snarled behind him, “Jiang Yao, right? I’ve got you in my sights. Watch your back!”

Jiang Yao turned to see the thug leader that hands cuffed, being escorted by the police past him.

Such meaningless threats were child’s play to Jiang Yao. He dismissed the thug with a contemptuous glance and realized his phone call hadn’t been disconnected yet. Just as he was about to put the phone back to his ear, the call was abruptly ended from the other side.

Shen Tang and Xu Yuewei still had some statements to make and needed to undergo legal education. Finding himself bored after waiting for a while, Jiang Yao decided to go buy them some water.

This small, shabby police station was located in a rather desolate area, with no convenience stores nearby. Jiang Yao had to cross a street to find a small shop. He bought hot milk for Shen Tang and Xu Yuewei, and a bottle of lemon soda for himself.

On his way back, he saw from a distance a man in a suit talking to Shen Tang outside the police station.

Jiang Yao was momentarily stunned.

Duan Zhuxian had actually come over, leaving an important banquet, after hearing that Shen Tang had been in a fight.

Watching Duan Zhuxian’s anxious demeanor as he spoke with Shen Tang, Jiang Yao’s steps gradually slowed.

He didn’t want to admit it, but seeing Duan Zhuxian drop everything to worry about Shen Tang made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Author’s Note:

I have something to attend to tomorrow, so I’ll take a day off. See you at 8 PM on Monday. Bowing~