Chapter 61: “What to do if my husband is *** ?”

This flower is pretty, my foot!

Jiang Yao thought irritably.

But he didn’t say it out loud.

Such a gracious compliment didn’t seem like something Duan Zhuxian, the king of suspicion and jealousy, would say.

Could it be that Duan Zhuxian was being sarcastic?

Given Duan Zhuxian’s cunning nature, it was very likely he was deliberately fishing for a reaction. After all, he and Duan Zhuxian were often at odds, and they rarely had the same opinions.

If he instinctively refuted the value of this bouquet, Duan Zhuxian would secretly enjoy it.

He wouldn’t fall for it!

Jiang Yao deliberately nodded while holding the bouquet of roses upright again. “Hmm, after looking at it for a while, it’s not bad, pretty fragrant.”

As he spoke, they passed through the brightly lit hotel lobby. Jiang Yao sneaked a glance at Duan Zhuxian but found that the other’s expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of jealousy.

He had misjudged Duan Zhuxian more than once today. 

He immediately felt a bit frustrated, so he hugged the flowers even tighter after getting into the car in front of Duan Zhuxian.

The winter nights in Lingbei City were always grim and uninteresting, but the suburbs had their own charm, especially when driving along the straight highway and looking out the window into the distance. Many city dwellers came specifically to stroll and unwind.

However, Jiang Yao’s gaze never ventured too far. After aimlessly wandering in the bright starlit night, his eyes returned to the car window.

The glass which was covered in a thin mist, reflected Duan Zhuxian’s profile as he rested with his eyes closed. The shadows of the roadside hills rose and fell, but the expression on that face remained unchanged. Perhaps the reflection was too blurry to discern any details.

After driving a few hundred meters, neither of them spoke.

The only thing left was the roses in his arms, desperately asserting their presence. The rich fragrance continuously filled the air, seeping into every corner, making him feel dizzy.

Jiang Yao couldn’t stand the strange silence any longer and had no interest in the boring night scenery. He turned his head and was the first to break the silence: “When did you get to the hotel?”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “Before you left the private room.”

Jiang Yao’s heart suddenly tightened, beating a bit faster.

His throat constricted slightly as he asked tentatively, “So, you didn’t eavesdrop on our conversation, did you?”

Duan Zhuxian raised his eyebrow casually and asked, “What did you say?”

The high-pitched heartbeat suddenly fell with a thud, bounced a few times, and the noise instantly became smaller.

Jiang Yao pouted, “Nothing much.”

Those remarks about “protecting one’s own” were better off unheard. Otherwise, Duan Zhuxian would definitely tease him about it every few days.

Thinking about it this way, Jiang Yao felt a bit relieved, but after the relief came a bit of regret.

What he said to Wang Cen in the hot spring was heartfelt. If Wang Cen continued to slander Duan Zhuxian, he wouldn’t let that blabbermouth off the hook.

But saying those things in front of Duan Zhuxian again was absolutely impossible. His paper-thin skin would never agree, especially since there was also a driver in the car.

After coming back to his senses, Jiang Yao almost died of embarrassment from his own convoluted thoughts. He pinched the bridge of his nose hard.

He was usually such an easygoing person, but all his struggles in this lifetime were probably because of the person named Duan beside him.

He furrowed his brows and looked out the window, and added awkwardly, “At least you have some decency.”

Duan Zhuxian responded with a simple “Hmm,” with the curve of his lips hidden in the shadows.

When Jiang Yao warned them, his voice was too sharp and too intimidating. As soon as he walked to the private room door, those territorial words had arrogantly drilled into his ears.

It wasn’t that he intentionally eavesdropped, nor was it because he lacked decency.

It took about an hour and a half to drive from the suburbs to the city. The floral scent made Jiang Yao drowsy, and he didn’t even notice when the flowers in his arms fell to the floor.

After getting out of the car, he rubbed his eyes and entered the house. Just as he was about to reach the bedroom, he heard Duan Zhuxian calling him from behind.

He turned around and was caught off guard by a bouquet of roses.

Jiang Yao: ?

Halfway through, he remembered that he hadn’t taken the flowers, but he didn’t care much. He just wanted to trouble Duan Zhuxian to throw them away when he used the car tomorrow. Unexpectedly, Duan Zhuxian had actually picked them up for him.

Duan Zhuxian shook the flowers in his hand and said nonchalantly, “Aren’t you afraid they’ll wilt if left in the car?”

Jiang Yao stared at Duan Zhuxian in disbelief.

Could it be that Duan Zhuxian really wasn’t jealous?

This thought, which had been dismissed from the beginning, resurfaced in his mind, and an unidentifiable anger surged in Jiang Yao’s chest. He snatched the flower and said with raised eyebrows: “Of course I’m afraid. Roses are so delicate; they indeed need to be carefully looked after.”

His tone and actions were aggressive, not at all like someone who wanted to care for flowers.

After saying this, Jiang Yao pushed open the bedroom door, placed the flowers on the nearest table, and quickly went to the balcony to take a call.

Looking at the abandoned roses on the table, Duan Zhuxian’s tense gaze trembled for a moment, and finally he no longer had to hold back his laughter.

He had ordered this bouquet during a break from his social engagements. Because he was too busy, he forgot to sign the card after writing the note, so the flower shop used his shopping account nickname “X” as the sender.

The dinner ended early, and he initially planned to pick Jiang Yao up and personally tell him who the sender was. But unexpectedly, he happened to see Jiang Yao being confessed to.

Before he could even misunderstand anything, Jiang Yao had already jumped to conclusions himself.

Holding a bouquet of anonymous flowers, Jiang Yao was cautious and flustered, wanting to make his stance clear but also fearing that Duan Zhuxian would question him about the confession incident.

Such a Jiang Yao was too adorable.

Duan Zhuxian couldn’t resist teasing him. He originally planned to tease him only for a short while and then reveal the truth once they left the hotel. But he couldn’t help himself and continued teasing all the way, missing the best moment to confess.

He wondered what Jiang Yao would do once he found out that “X” was actually him. With Jiang Yao’s bad temper, he would likely pack up and return to his own place, ignoring him for days and nights.

Duan Zhuxian took out his phone, opened the profile page on the shopping app. He thought for a moment, and in the end he decided not to change the name.

A few minutes later, Jiang Yao returned to the bedroom from the balcony.

Seeing his somewhat unhappy expression, Duan Zhuxian asked, “Who were you on the phone with?”

Jiang Yao replied, “That idiot who blocked me earlier. Somehow, he got my number.”

Duan Zhuxian’s face momentarily stiffened, “You talked to him for that long?”

Jiang Yao said, “No, I hung up right after answering and blocked him. I smoked a cigarette.”

Realizing something was off after speaking, Jiang Yao narrowed his eyes and walked slowly toward Duan Zhuxian, his gaze dragging over Duan Zhuxian’s face like a hook. Seeing that it wasn’t enough, he added more fuel to the fire.

“He used to chase after me many times. He quieted down for a while, but I didn’t expect him to be so persistent now.”

As he got closer, Jiang Yao saw a fleeting surge of emotion in Duan Zhuxian’s eyes.

Duan Zhuxian reached out to wrap his arm around Jiang Yao’s waist, but before he could touch him, Jiang Yao slipped into the bathroom like a slippery little fox.

Jiang Yao closed the bathroom door with a smug look, and finally felt his anxious heart calm down.

It seemed that someone would still get jealous; it just needed time to ferment, and now the sourness was surfacing.

While taking a shower, Jiang Yao pondered whether he should prepare himself first. But with Duan Zhuxian right outside, he couldn’t stop his cheeks from heating up and couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Better let Duan Zhuxian handle it…

Jiang Yao stepped out of the bathroom with steam still clinging to his body. He walked barefoot on the carpet, deliberately swaying and yawning, only to be caught and steadied by Duan Zhuxian.

As usual, the two naturally shared a kiss.

Duan Zhuxian wrapped an arm around Jiang Yao’s waist, and as he leaned forward, he forcefully pulled Jiang Yao towards himself.

Losing his balance and support, Jiang Yao nearly fell but managed to steady himself by leaning against Duan Zhuxian’s chest and arm.

This way of embracing was very possessive, making Jiang Yao’s heart race. What Duan Zhuxian would do next seemed obvious.

As the kiss deepened, Duan Zhuxian pushed Jiang Yao forward a few steps, eventually landing him on the bed.

Even though he was prepared, Jiang Yao still ended up disoriented. Just as he was about to curse playfully to get a rise out of someone, he was enveloped not by Duan Zhuxian’s presence but by a blanket.

Jiang Yao gasped, looking dazedly at Duan Zhuxian, who was gazing down at him with lowered eyes.

Duan Zhuxian tucked the blanket around him, leaned down, and kissed his flushed cheek.

“If you’re tired from playing, just go to sleep.”

After saying that, he turned and went to the bathroom, and took a shower much longer than usual.

When Jiang Yao woke up the next morning, half the bed was already empty. And the bouquet of roses still lay neatly on the table, bathed in the soft morning light from the window, making their red hue vibrant and enchanting.

However, as he rubbed his temples from a sleepless night, his heart felt anything but annoyed.

If this were anyone else, he would have thought they were generous and understanding.

But this person was Duan Zhuxian.

The seemingly gentlemanly Duan Zhuxian.

Jiang Yao curled his lip in disdain.

He thought to himself: Duan Zhuxian, keep pretending to be magnanimous; let’s see how long you can keep it up.

*

At the company, everyone with eyes noticed that their young boss, Mr. Jiang was in a bad mood today.

The topic of casual conversation among the project team members shifted from “Mr. Jiang is becoming more husband-like” to “Mr. Jiang hasn’t smiled all morning.”

During lunch break, Jiang Yao was still working when the secretary brought his lunch to his office.

Just as he picked up his chopsticks, Jiang Yao received a message from Duan Zhuxian: [Having lunch?]

Jiang Yao: [Yeah.]

Duan Zhuxian: [Together.]

The message included a photo of Duan Zhuxian holding chopsticks.

Jiang Yao’s stiff expression from the entire morning suddenly twitched a few times, and he replied, [So corny, you’re acting like we’re in a long-distance relationship.]

Duan Zhuxian: [As long as we can’t see each other, it is long-distance.]

Jiang Yao’s face turned red, and he almost choked on a piece of rib.

Where did he learn such cheesy lines?

Jiang Yao sent a disgusted emoji, but the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile.

So, Mr. Jiang, who had been frowning all morning, was soothed by three messages and a picture.

By evening, it was rare for both of them to be home before dinner.

After having dinner together, they snuggled up on the sofa to watch a movie.

It was a murder mystery with a slow-burning romance. For the first 80%, it was all about intense push and pull, but as the film neared the end, the tone suddenly shifted, and the two main characters were engulfed in passion.

Jiang Yao, with his thin skin, not only found it difficult to express his own emotions but also felt embarrassed watching intimate scenes. When he used to watch idol dramas with Jiang Chen and their mother, Yuan Li, he would secretly blush whenever the protagonists kissed.

When he was feeling restless, he would usually find something to do to ease the awkwardness, and often pestered Jiang Chen. But now, his brother wasn’t there.

The surround sound of the home theater was excellent, and the ambiguous noises from the movie enveloped them on the small sofa.

Jiang Yao tried to maintain a calm facade, but his hands, mimicking the movie characters, unconsciously played with Duan Zhuxian’s belt. As his fingers twirled around, he accidentally tugged Duan Zhuxian’s robe open, revealing his chest, abs, and long legs.

At the moment he met Duan Zhuxian’s deep gaze, Jiang Yao’s first instinct was to run. But then he noticed that Duan Zhuxian didn’t seem to react much.

Normally, at times like these, Duan Zhuxian would have already unleashed his animalistic side and found ways to tease him.

Could it be that he’s brewing some mischievous plan?

Thinking this, Jiang Yao couldn’t help but feel nervous yet secretly excited, wondering just how far Duan Zhuxian’s beastly nature would go.

But the next second, Duan Zhuxian stood up and calmly tied his belt, “It’s getting late. Time to sleep.”

Jiang Yao was stunned, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. He looked up at Duan Zhuxian with a face full of suspicion, “Duan Zhuxian, are you sick or something?”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “No, why do you ask?”

Jiang Yao was at a loss for words.

Why?

Of course, it’s because you’re usually the most serious when you’re being a rogue. Just looking at you for a second can be taken as a sexual hint, and now you’ve suddenly changed, as if you’re no longer interested in me.

But he couldn’t say that out loud.

Nor did he want to take the initiative in such a situation.

So, he waved his hand irritably, “Go, go, go.”

After saying that, Jiang Yao got up and left the home theater first, and returned to the bedroom.

He quickly burrowed into the blankets, lifted one corner and patted the empty space beside him as Duan Zhuxian entered the bedroom. “Come on, didn’t you say it’s time to sleep?”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “You go ahead and sleep.”

After saying that, he hurried into the bathroom.

Jiang Yao stared in confusion at the direction Duan Zhuxian had disappeared, wondering why he was taking another shower since he’d already had one.

Duan Zhuxian took a long time in the shower, so long that Jiang Yao almost suspected he had evaporated. Then finally, the light gray bathroom door opened from the inside.

After emerging from the bathroom, he still didn’t go to bed. Instead, he put on a pair of silver-rimmed glasses for work, took his laptop, and sat on the sofa. The white light from the screen reflected off his glasses, making his handsome face look cold and abstinent.

Seeing this, Jiang Yao finally realized a serious fact—

Duan Zhuxian’s issue seemed to be more than just pretending to be magnanimous.

While hiding under the covers, Jiang Yao opened his browser and thoughtfully considered how to phrase his question.

After a while, he sneakily typed seven words: [What to do if my husband is impotent?]