Chapter 24: Bumped Together

Under the close scrutiny, Jian Mingzhou felt his face heat up.

What are you looking at? Those taboos, 18X?

He couldn’t help but self-reproach: Why does he always get caught up in his own careless reasons?

The pocket brought back from the Doujinshi exhibition was right there.

Jian Mingzhou, enduring the gaze in front of him, pulled out a few relatively normal items from the pile of merchandise.

“These are for you.”

“No need, I can’t take what’s yours…” Xie Jing recalled the words he learned today, “meal.” Then he pushed them back, looking especially considerate, “I’ll just borrow some manga to read.”

What do you mean by “just borrow”?

Jian Mingzhou looked at him in shock. With such a natural and polite tone, anyone would think he was borrowing “Wu San.”

And when did Xie Jing learn to say “meal”?

He still had a manga he absentmindedly took out of his pocket while browsing through it. Xie Jing, seemingly pleased, leaned over,

“Is this the one you picked for me?”

Jian Mingzhou snapped back.

“No.” He took the manga back, firmly and slowly. “Listen to me, Xiaojing, don’t read this one.”

“Why?”

“Xie Chi… your little uncle will shark me.”

“…”

Xie Jing looked at him for a moment, then said softly, “Uncle, reading BL is my choice. No one is forcing me. I’m an adult now; I know what I want.”

Deep and calm eyes focused on him.

Jian Mingzhou, moved and yet unable to express it:

…Is what you want, BL?

Although what he said made sense, he definitely couldn’t share BL manga with someone. Jian Mingzhou turned to put away the manga and handed him a keychain.

“Okay, take this.”

His symmetrical fingers hooked the key ring, and below it hung a chibi figure: a white shirt, soft black hair, and two cute blushes on the face.

Xie Jing, without realizing it, curved his lips and stopped playing with it. He raised his hand to take a look,

“Uncle, which manga is this from?”

Jian Mingzhou simplified it: “From ‘Teacher.'”

Xie Jing looked at it and commented, “It’s quite nice; it looks a bit like Uncle.”

…Where does it look alike? This is the black-haired uke!

Jian Mingzhou frowned slightly. Before he could refute, Xie Jing, seeming to enjoy it, said, “Let me think: should I hang it on my school bag or use it as a keychain?”

“…” Jian Mingzhou took a deep breath.

He felt that Xie Jing was here to challenge his heart.

He pressed Xie Jing down with one hand and said, “Xiaojing, this is the peripheral merchandise of BL manga. It’s not suitable to hang it anywhere.”

Xie Jing seemed completely unconcerned and curved his lips. “Oh, but this is the first gift Uncle gave me. I want to hang it up.”

He stood up after saying, “I’ll take it. Thank you, Uncle.”

Jian Mingzhou opened his mouth and watched as Xie Jing left.

After a while, he came back to his senses. Whether it was due to embarrassment or something else, he touched his face and felt it burning.

—

On Monday, the meeting ended.

A group of people returned to the editorial department in a grand procession.

After crossing the end-of-month deadline, the office returned to a peaceful atmosphere, with birds chirping and flowers blooming, as if bathed in a spring breeze.

Jian Mingzhou had just sat down when a pen stabbed towards him. “Why did you block me on WeChat?”

Xia Ye stood coldly in front of his desk, a chilly wind in this peaceful atmosphere.

“…,” Jian Mingzhou smirked.

The office, in a state of idleness, suddenly burst into activity. Xiao Yu was behind the computer screen. “Did you get blocked?”

Qian Qian was excited. “Then they’ll reconcile!”

Jian Mingzhou ignored these editors with rich imaginations, handed over the report, and said, “Take a look at this first.”

Ignoring the blocking incident, public matters come first.

Xia Ye took it and glanced, “Are all the details confirmed? There’s a business trip this month and a team-building event. If there are no issues, I’ll apply for the budget.”

After saying that, he added, in a somewhat unwilling tone, “Hehe.”

Jian Mingzhou graciously replied, “Confirmed.”

After dealing with several tasks and finishing the manuscripts, both of them had calmed down a bit.

…

“Alright, work is done.”

Xia Ye brought up the blocking incident again, “So, why did you block me?”

Jian Mingzhou fell silent for a moment.

Xia Ye observed his expression, then lifted the corner of his mouth, adjusted his glasses, and decisively chose between “eternal darkness” and “a moment of pleasure.” “Could it be that I’ve gotten into your heart?”

“You’re cohabiting with that kid.”

Jian Mingzhou gasped for breath, almost poking the ballpoint pen at him. He’s definitely spilling the beans!

He refused to admit, lightly brushing it off, “No.”

Xia Ye sneered, “Your face is red.”

Jian Mingzhou pursed his lips and said, “You’re bluffing me.”

In the midst of the stubborn stare-down, Xiao Yu passed by and began another act: “Ah, ah, ah, the chief editor and the deputy editor are discussing something! The deputy editor’s face is all red~~”

Jian Mingzhou: “…”

Xia Ye, calm as ever, said, “About another man.”

The howling suddenly stopped! Xiao Yu retreated a few steps, showing a shocked and melodramatic expression, then touched his chest and floated away. “I’ll go drink some water to calm down.”

Having scared off Xiao Yu, Jian Mingzhou looked at Xia Ye without saying a word. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

What other man? Xiaojing is still…

Suddenly he paused, remembering that day when Xie Jing was in the study, squatting next to him with an oversized…

Lost in thought, Xia Ye’s voice came again from the side: “After being caught sneaking a peek at BL manga, I…”

Jian Mingzhou snapped back.

His gaze fixed, he retorted, “After seizing the BL manga, I…”

Xia Ye: “?”

Xia Ye: “Why does Helu Cheng want to read BL manga?”

Jian Mingzhou remained silent, looking at him with profound meaning.

In the mutual gaze, Xiao Yu, having finished drinking water, floated back, “Are you still talking about that man from earlier?”

Jian Mingzhou turned his head and said, “No, change to another one.”

Xiao Yu suddenly looked shocked! Dazed and with a horrified expression, he retreated and murmured, “They’ve gone crazy…”

…

This boring farce came to an end with work.

As the new month’s work brought the editorial department back on track, everyone returned to their respective positions. It wasn’t until the end of the workday at five o’clock that Xia Ye waved his hand generously and said,

“Alright, off work.”

“We have a dinner tonight; don’t forget, okay?”

Cheers erupted in the office: Oh, oh, oh!!!

Jian Mingzhou didn’t forget, but he forgot to tell Xie Jing. At this moment, while packing up, he sent a message to him:

【Mingzhou】: Xiaojing, there’s a work dinner tonight; I won’t be going home for dinner. \(＊^^＊)/

The message quickly came back: Okay, have a happy dinner ^^

–

At the edge of the F University playground, just after training.

Xie Jing lowered his head to reply to the message, smiling.

He turned his head, and He Yi saw him. “…What are you smiling at? It’s disgusting.”

Xie Jing turned towards him, his smile fading.

Suddenly, he shivered. “Now it’s normal.”

Putting away his phone, Xie Jing explained casually, “Uncle sent a message, saying he won’t be coming home for dinner tonight.”

“You’re happy he’s not coming back?”

“…”

Suddenly, Zhou Xuyang kicked him. Then, understandingly turning around, he said, “Oh, Uncle Mingzhou must be really close to you. He tells you when he won’t be coming back, but he didn’t tell He Yi!”

Zhou Xuyang felt that the interpersonal relationships were still quite balanced.

The moment the topic couldn’t be settled, He Yi said, “If Mingzhou isn’t coming back tonight, why don’t we go out for dinner? The competition is this weekend, so let’s eat well!”

 He turned his head and called the others, “What do you think?”

Xie Jing shrugged. “Anything is fine; you decide.”

…

The place for the editorial department dinner was chosen by Qian Qian.

It was said to be a newly opened and highly popular fusion restaurant.

As Jian Mingzhou followed them in, he saw a spacious and tidy interior with long tables set up, a good atmosphere, and something suitable for a large group gathering.

They chose a table near the door and took their seats.

As they were all familiar with each other, the atmosphere quickly became lively. People ordered dishes and chatted, and with a few large pitchers of beer, the mood became even more exuberant.

“And there’s the Qixi Festival plan in mid-month!”

Qian Qian pounded the beer glass on the table. “I haven’t even sorted out my own love life! Now I have to plan other people’s love lives!”

“What!” “You’re in a relationship—?”

The topic turned to gossip.

Jian Mingzhou was at this end, peacefully peeling shrimp. Suddenly, the topic shifted to him:

“By the way, how are the Chief Editor and Deputy Editor? Do you have the roles?”

Qian Qian turned her head. “Although we usually tease and joke around, we haven’t asked. Do you guys have a designated role?”

Jian Mingzhou paused, thinking, “Designated role?”

Xiao Yu then said loudly, “I heard today! There are other men between them, one after another!”

The table collectively gasped, “You guys have so many men!”

The topic became more and more absurd, and Jian Mingzhou couldn’t take it anymore and blurted out, “There aren’t that many, just two.”

He finished speaking and held on to his breath for a moment.

A silence fell over the table. Then, it exploded!

Jian Mingzhou trembled silently: …No! No!!!

Xia Ye sat a bit away, indifferent. “I won’t help you clean up this mess.”

They were still questioning, “Who is it? Who is that man?”

Just then, there was a commotion at the restaurant’s entrance.

A familiar voice came through: “Young Master Xie said, Tonight the Young Master Xie will foot the bill for the entire restaurant!”

Immediately, cheers erupted.

Jian Mingzhou’s heart skipped a beat, and he looked up.

A clump of blonde hair entered the door, and a figure followed. Xie Jing had a bag slung over one shoulder, lazily trailing behind.

He slowly opened his eyes. Damn, how did Xie Jing end up here too?

Looking around, Xie Jing seemed to sense something. When his eyes met Jian Mingzhou’s, he seemed to pause. Then he shifted his gaze and looked at the foam sign conspicuously placed by his side:

【BL Manga Editorial Department Gathering】

He Yi said, “Xie Jing, what are you looking at?”

Jian Mingzhou suddenly regained his senses and slapped the sign off the table with a single motion.

At the same time, He Yi turned to see him and excitedly ran over, “Hey! Brother Mingzhou!”

Jian Mingzhou casually flipped the “BL” back onto the seat and said calmly, “Hey.”

Xie Jing, “…”