Chapter 68: “If you want to eat something else, it’s not impossible.”

Honeymoon? Tomorrow?

Being embraced from behind by Duan Zhuxian and led into the house, Jiang Yao, with his unsteady steps, vaguely felt that something was off. His thoughts, disturbed by intoxication and excitement, were like kneaded dough, difficult to process.

As he first stepped onto the staircase, Jiang Yao suddenly stopped. In Duan Zhuxian’s arms, he turned halfway around. Using the height difference created by the stairs, he looked down at Duan Zhuxian face to face.

“Wait, don’t you think leaving tomorrow is too rushed?”

Duan Zhuxian replied indifferently, “It’s fine. We can arrange the specific itinerary after we get to Yuan City. Is there a problem?”

“No problem,” Jiang Yao blinked, “It’s just not quite in line with your character.”

Duan Zhuxian found this statement quite novel and asked him, “What kind of character do I have?”

“Meticulous planning,” Jiang Yao replied without hesitation, giving a four-character evaluation.

“Someone as meticulous as you, if planning a honeymoon, would definitely start arranging everything ten days to half a month in advance. You might even call in three to five assistants, have each of them submit a detailed travel plan, and then have them report to you one by one. In short, you’re not the type to act on a whim.”

Jiang Yao’s evaluation was not only accurate but also quite vivid.

However, this time, Duan Zhuxian was indeed acting on a whim.

He had originally planned to start arranging the honeymoon in the middle of the spring break, picking a time that suited Jiang Yao, and also giving He Lu and his second uncle some room to act.

But at the moment when the fireworks lit up the sky, he saw Jiang Yao’s bewildered and innocent drunken state, and his own reflection almost completely occupying Jiang Yao’s gaze. A tremendous impulse surged within him—

He wanted to take this beautiful man away immediately, to some corner of the world, hide him, and indulge with him without any reservations.

“What you mentioned is too troublesome. I occasionally have moments when I can’t wait.” Duan Zhuxian chuckled lightly. “Or are you saying you don’t like spontaneous trips?”

Jiang Yao was stunned for a moment.

Though he had honed his temperament, restrained his sharpness, and matured significantly in the past few years working at the Jiang family’s company, he still had an inherent longing for the unknown, for excitement and challenge. Any plan would disrupt the freshness he desired.

Back then, when he struck up a conversation with Duan Zhuxian on the volleyball court, it was the same—it started with admiration and challenge, an impulsive act.

Later, after a few more interactions, he discovered that Duan Zhuxian was a person rational to the point of being almost pathological, entirely opposite to him in every way.

And today, after more than ten years, it was rare for Duan Zhuxian to share such a tacit understanding with him.

Seeing Jiang Yao lost in thought, as if secretly savoring something sweet, Duan Zhuxian wanted to share a bit of that sweetness too. So, with a mischievous intent, he tightened his arms around Jiang Yao’s waist.

Jiang Yao was caught off guard, and with a yelp, he lost his balance, and fell forward onto Duan Zhuxian.

Then, this man, standing at 1.8 meters tall, was carried away with his butt pressed down, without any resistance.

The empty staircase was left with a string of indignant curses.

*

The next morning, the snow stopped. The two packed their bags simply, didn’t inform anyone in advance, and headed straight to the airport.

At one o’clock in the afternoon, the plane took off from Lingbei, flying south over birds and clouds.

Jiang Yao originally planned to take a nap, but the thought of this impromptu and hurried trip being their honeymoon, feeling like an elopement, kept him awake. It all felt unreal, as if he hadn’t completely sobered up from the previous night’s drink.

He decided to keep his eyes open, hugging a blanket, and took out his tablet to watch a pre-downloaded movie.

Five minutes later, the male lead finally appeared. Jiang Yao sat up straight, feeling invigorated.

Duan Zhuxian, wearing silver-framed glasses and reading company reports beside him, noticed Jiang Yao’s change in demeanor and glanced at the tablet. “Who is that?”

“Rong He, you don’t even know him?”

Jiang Yao pursed his lips, seemingly a bit disdainful that Duan Zhuxian couldn’t keep up with the trends, but his eyes remained glued to the man on the screen.

Duan Zhuxian raised an eyebrow slightly. “Should I know him?”

“He’s been very popular these past few years. I’d say he’s my male idol. I noticed him back when he wasn’t famous yet. He’s handsome, has a good personality, works hard, doesn’t engage in hype, and his acting skills are top-notch. It’s hard for someone like him not to become famous.”

After casually praising Rong He, Jiang Yao didn’t wait for Duan Zhuxian’s response and continued to focus on the movie.

After a while, a cold remark came to his ear: “Your taste is quite consistent.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yao was stunned and missed a crucial plot point in the movie.

Rong He was a gentle and handsome type, much like Shen Tang.

Jiang Yao used to particularly appreciate this kind of image, but at some point, such refined and elegant characters started to lose their charm for him.

On the contrary, mature men who exude a bit of sexiness and sass while maintaining a facade of propriety appealed to him more—what he called the “wolf in sheep’s clothing” look.

It was all Duan Zhuxian’s fault for skewing his aesthetic preferences.

But now was not the time to dwell on aesthetic preferences. Duan Zhuxian seemed to be jealous, and Jiang Yao needed to say something to placate this big jar of jealousy.

Then he remembered the troublesome events from some time ago.

Duan Zhuxian had teased him with the rose incident, decided on his own to play the role of a pure lover, and repeatedly pretended to be magnanimous. No matter how much Jiang Yao hinted, Duan Zhuxian never showed a hint of jealousy, keeping Jiang Yao’s heart in constant turmoil.

Meanwhile, Duan Zhuxian enjoyed watching him lose his composure, secretly finding it amusing.

Jiang Yao snorted internally and swallowed the words meant to soothe Duan Zhuxian.

Finally you are jealous, right?

If you like it, have more of it.

Pretending not to notice Duan Zhuxian’s slightly gloomy expression, Jiang Yao stopped holding the tablet and placed it on the table in front of them, inviting Duan Zhuxian to watch together.

After that, Jiang Yao’s attention was no longer on the movie. His peripheral vision was fixated on Duan Zhuxian, as if drawn by an invisible force, until he saw Duan Zhuxian connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi and search for something on the browser, a slight smile forming at the corner of his lips.

He seemed quite pleased.

What happened to being jealous?

So, Jiang Yao became unhappy and asked, “What are you looking up?”

Duan Zhuxian raised his eyes to him and said, “Your male idol, Rong He.”

Jiang Yao: “?”

Duan Zhuxian said, “He’s already married.”

Jiang Yao was even more confused. “I know that.”

Duan Zhuxian lightly pushed his glasses up. “And based on comprehensive information, he is the bottom in the relationship.”

Jiang Yao: “So what?”

He couldn’t understand how someone who was just sipping old vinegar (jealousy) had suddenly turned into Detective Conan.

Duan Zhuxian leisurely said, “So, you and he have the same role.”

As the words fell, Jiang Yao’s eyes widened. “I only became a bottom because you forced me!!”

After he finished speaking and saw Duan Zhuxian’s amused expression, he realized his voice had been a bit too loud. His fair face instantly turned beet red, blushing all the way to his ears.

Even though they were in a semi-enclosed first-class cabin, unable to see other people, Jiang Yao felt as if there were gossiping ears all around, eagerly waiting for more drama.

Jiang Yao, what’s wrong with you?

Why are you provoking Duan Zhuxian for no reason?

Do you really think you can outplay this wolf in sheep’s clothing?

Jiang Yao scolded himself three times, feeling a deep sense of regret. He buried his face in the blanket, as if he wanted to dig a hole and bury himself, determined never to show his face again.

Duan Zhuxian stifled his laughter, pulled Jiang Yao out from the blanket into his arms, and gently comforted him, managing to calm the situation down.

He had just searched for Rong He and saw that the spouse section in the encyclopedia entry read “Lu Xiaoyuan.”

In recent years, Hua Yan had been testing the waters in the entertainment industry, investing in a movie that performed well at the box office, and planned to continue expanding in this field.

A few months ago, Duan Zhuxian personally went to conduct an inspection. During a meeting for a certain film project, he had a brief encounter with Lu Xiaoyuan, who was both the producer and the lead actor of the film.

Like him, that man never took off his wedding ring.

They chatted for a bit and found each other quite congenial, potentially paving the way for future cooperation.

*

When the plane landed at Yuan City Airport, the sun was gently hanging in the western sky, beginning its descent.

Yuan City had a pleasant climate, with a slightly higher altitude. The distance between the sky and the earth felt very close. The pure, deep blue sky overhead looked like an inverted sea, seemingly within reach.

Jiang Yao extended his hand, making a scooping motion towards the sky beyond the railing, and sighed, “The sunrise here must be beautiful.”

Duan Zhuxian nodded. “Yes, I know the best spot to watch the sunrise. I’ll take you there in a couple of days.”

As they exited the passage, a car was there to pick them up.

Jiang Yao didn’t ask about the destination, assuming it would be some high-end resort hotel.

Given Duan Zhuxian’s usual lewd tendencies, he probably booked one of those suites perfect for daytime indulgence.

The suite would undoubtedly have a wide panoramic view and a large enough bed to accommodate all the lewd thoughts running through Duan Zhuxian’s mind.

Therefore, when Jiang Yao, pulling his suitcase, and stood in front of an old red-brick house, he was stunned.

“This is my grandparents’ old home. In the early years, when my grandfather’s paintings were not yet famous, he lived here with my grandmother and they had my mother here. Later, they moved to Lingbei, and this place was left empty.”

Pulled back from his thoughts by Duan Zhuxian’s voice, Jiang Yao replied with a stifled “Oh.”

Duan Zhuxian asked, “Are you hot? Why is your face red?”

Jiang Yao quickly turned his face away, making a fanning motion. “Yeah, I wore too much clothes.”

Duan Zhuxian didn’t ask further, and stepped forward to unlock the door with a key.

The key had something attached to it, seemingly a small fox keychain, which looked quite familiar. Jiang Yao leaned in to get a better look, but Duan Zhuxian had already put it back in his pocket.

This was a small house with an independent courtyard, not very large, quietly situated at the end of an alley. It felt like those forgotten days that linger quietly yet persistently in memory.

As the gate opened, even the sunset behind them seemed to slow down.

Walking along the pebble path, wide enough for two people, Jiang Yao looked around. “For a place that hasn’t been lived in for so long, it’s quite clean.”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “Someone comes to clean it regularly every month.”

After entering the house, Duan Zhuxian casually placed their luggage against the wall. He then turned and hugged Jiang Yao from behind.

“Baby, our honeymoon has officially started.”

Jiang Yao was still taking in the furnishings of the house when Duan Zhuxian’s words made him melt.

Thus, in the orange-yellow corner bathed in the sunset’s favor, they stood embracing, sharing a long kiss.

As their lips parted, Jiang Yao’s stomach inconveniently growled twice.

Jiang Yao said, “I’m hungry.”

The kiss had been so passionate that Duan Zhuxian’s breathing was unsteady. In a hoarse voice, he said, “I’ll cook some noodles for you.”

Jiang Yao instantly stepped back three meters. “Get lost!”

From three meters away, Duan Zhuxian stood still, looking at Jiang Yao in confusion. After a moment, it seemed he finally understood what Jiang Yao meant.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I meant cooking noodles, a local specialty of Yuan City.”

Jiang Yao: “…”

Duan Zhuxian smiled and said, “But if you want to eat something else, that’s also not impossible.”