Chapter 57: Unexpected Guest

Turning around, Jian Mingzhou saw Xie Jing standing behind him, his gaze calmly falling.

Jian Mingzhou felt something was wrong and hurriedly said, “Xiao Jing, let me explain…”

He Lucheng seemed to be surprised as well, but then said, “It’s nothing.” After saying that, he hesitated for a moment and then added vaguely, “It’s just work-related matters.”

Jian Mingzhou side-eyed him: Both siblings from the He family are so good at embellishing things!

Before he could say anything, a voice came from behind: “Work?”

A hand suddenly wrapped around his waist.

Xie Jing leaned on his shoulder and asked casually, “What work-related matters can’t you let me know?”

“…”!!

Jian Mingzhou blushed at being held like this.

He Lucheng, on the other side, suddenly froze!

His entire elegant posture solidified, creating a subtle crackling sound, and he leaned against the Porsche. “You two…?”

Jian Mingzhou felt that even the way he looked at him had changed, and he rushed down the increasingly forbidden road.

He dared not think too deeply and hurriedly stopped. “No! My… boyfriend is Xiao Jing.”

He Lucheng, “…?”

The pressure from behind him increased.

Relaxing his body, Xie Jing lazily draped his arm over Jian Mingzhou’s shoulder and said, “Hmm.”

Jian Mingzhou said, “That day, I went to see him by hitching a ride with Xiao Jing’s dad.”

He Lucheng slowly returned to his senses and stood up straight again.

There was silence for several seconds.

Whether out of sincerity or to save face, he pressed his forehead and let out a soft chuckle. “He… I thought it was much more forbidden.”

After saying that, he shook his head with a smile, turned around, opened the car door, and got into the Porsche. Bang! The car door closed.

“…”

“…”

Jian Mingzhou watched the disappearing figure, then retracted his gaze after a while, lightly patting the hand on his waist and saying, “It’s over.”

Xie Jing blinked and stood up. “Oh.”

The two looked at each other for a few seconds.

“Go home?” “Let’s go home.”

Under the slowly sinking evening sun, their shadows stretched side by side on the wide street.

After walking in silence for a while, Xie Jing spoke up, “Uncle, what are you thinking?”

Jian Mingzhou gazed at the golden sunset ahead, his eyes deep. “The person who wants to shark us has increased again.”

“…?” Xie Jing didn’t understand, but he supported, “Oh.”

–

Returning home in the evening after dinner.

Jian Mingzhou slumped on the lazy sofa while Xie Jing washed the dishes.

The latter stood behind the kitchen counter, his tall figure seeming a bit more silent than usual, lost in thought.

Jian Mingzhou observed him for a while.

He happened to make strawberry soda tonight. After Xie Jing finished washing, he called out, “Xiao Jing, want some drink?”

Xie Jing wiped his hands. “Yeah, in a moment.”

“?”

With those words, he saw Xie Jing walking to the TV cabinet and searching for something. After a while, he wandered into the study.

Jian Mingzhou:???

What is Xie Jing looking for?

Not long after, the movement inside stopped.

Xie Jing came out and walked towards him.

Jian Mingzhou saw his empty hands and picked up the soda from the side. “Xiao Jing, what were you looking for?”

The cup had a straw in it.

Xie Jing bent down and took two sips.

With his fine eyelashes hanging down and his straight nose, the straw stirred up a string of bubbles at the bottom of the cup, “Manga.”

“What manga?”

“The one you brought back last time, is it still here?”

Jian Mingzhou placed the cup aside and said, “I returned it to the editorial department. Why?”

Xie Jing remained silent for two seconds before lowering himself.

Jian Mingzhou asked, “Do you prefer older characters?”

He counted, “Tycoons, empire generals, wild bosses… and [Turns Out to Be Dad].”

“…” How could you remember that?

Jian Mingzhou blushed. “No, I just randomly picked them.”

“Oh.” Xie Jing pressed down the question, his arm embracing Jian Mingzhou’s waist, and he kissed his warm shoulder, lingering on some sensitive areas with a muffled sound.

“I thought you found me too young…”

…Where’s the youth lacking?

Jian Mingzhou was currently being pressed down by this large figure.

He looked down at the other person, whose physique had nothing to do with “small” anywhere. He breathed out and said, “No, you can’t get any bigger than this…”

Xie Jing chuckled lowly, and his ears seemed a bit warm. “Why can’t I?”

Jian Mingzhou laughed. “You’re already in your twenties; you won’t get any…”

His words stopped abruptly as he suddenly felt something getting bigger.

He was instantly shocked and unable to move. Xie Jing held his hand and raised himself a bit. “Won’t you get any what?”

Jian Mingzhou blushed, surprised. “How did you… suddenly…”

The gaze from above was gentle and warm.

Xie Jing didn’t say anything; he just lightly touched his waistside with one hand, and after looking at him for a moment, he asked, “So, can I?”

Jian Mingzhou’s heart fluttered for a moment.

Thinking again about Xie Jing secretly caring about age, his willpower crumbled. “But not here.”

“Why? Shouldn’t things you like be done in a comfortable place?”

He felt like he had heard this sentence before.

But at the moment, there was no time to think about it in detail; he could only slightly turn his head.

Under the warm-colored floor lamp, Xie Jing’s side profile, moist gaze, and blushing cheeks created a rosy hue.

“If we do it here, I’ll be reminded. After the last kiss, I would often think about it when sitting here, unable to concentrate on reading manga…”

Before he finished speaking, his waist suddenly tightened!

Jian Mingzhou was pulled into an embrace and kissed, “Mm…!”

Xie Jing seemed stimulated, kissing intensely, his tongue entwined, and he mumbled, “Uncle, are you doing this on purpose? Saying such sentimental things.”

Jian Mingzhou widened his eyes slightly, but he didn’t.

Huh… In the midst of the messy breathing, the taste of strawberry soda swirled between lips and tongues, refreshing and sweet.

He was immersed in it, and suddenly, Xie Jing withdrew.

Xie Jing pursed his lips, looking at him. “In the future, whenever you eat something with a strawberry flavor, will you remember how I kissed you?”

Jian Mingzhou suddenly felt embarrassed all over, raising his hand to cover his eyes.

“Okay, don’t say…”

With warmth on his lips, Xie Jing kissed him again.

In the haze of consciousness, a sudden coolness came, quickly followed by a warm sensation.

Fingertips tightened suddenly.

He tilted his neck, and the slightly trembling warmth spread in the warm halo of light.

–

After the fatigue, he slept deeply for a night.

The next day, when he woke up,.

Jian Mingzhou looked at the arm across his waist and the big figure beside him, realizing belatedly:

How did Xie Jing completely take over his bed?

He pulled the person away to wash up.

By the time he finished washing up, Xie Jing had also woken up.

The latter was making the bed, and that big pillow had once again ended up next to his pillow.

Jian Mingzhou collected his thoughts, “Xiao Jing, how come you slept over again last night?”

“Hmm?”

Xie Jing waved the quilt, naturally saying, “Because my pillow is here.”

“…” Wasn’t that brought over by you?

Jian Mingzhou looked at the two distinctly different pillows on the bed, and in the morning light and dancing dust, there was a scent that sparked imagination.

He suppressed the heat in his face and said, “Xiao Jing, move the pillow back during the day, and bring it over at night.”

Xie Jing turned his head. “What’s the difference, uncle? There are only the two of us at home, and no one else is coming.”

He said, smiling again, “Or are you shy?”

“…” Jian Mingzhou pursed his lips, pretending to be calm. “How could that be? Well, just leave it there then.”

Xie Jing raised the corner of his mouth and said, “Alright.”

…

After breakfast, Xie Jing was tidying up.

Jian Mingzhou rushed to go to work. “I’m leaving first, Xiao Jing.”

He opened the door, taking a sip of the soda. Transparent with a hint of light pink, it flickered under the morning light, releasing a string of fine bubbles.

The strawberry flavor seemed to momentarily fill his lips.

Jian Mingzhou’s hand hesitated on the door.

“What’s wrong, uncle?” He turned around, seeing Xie Jing standing in the corridor, watching him leave.

The scenes from last night suddenly floated into his mind.

His fingertips tightened slightly.

Then, in a calm and natural tone, amidst the pounding heartbeat, he opened his mouth and said, “Xiao Jing, I prefer the younger one.”

“Even if you still like others, it’s… only you I like.”

Xie Jing seemed stunned for a moment.

The handsome face, against the light, widened his eyes a bit.

Jian Mingzhou quickly finished speaking and pushed the door to leave. “I’m going.”

Click! The door closed behind him.

He breathed out in the morning breeze, his face hot.

–

At the company, the department was still bustling.

Qian Qian and others seemed to be discussing something. Jian Mingzhou greeted them and sat down. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, we’re discussing the newly built greenway in the east of the city!”

Qian Qian turned around enthusiastically and said, “We’re planning to go cycling together this weekend. Will you come, Deputy Editor?”

“I should be free this weekend.”

Jian Mingzhou’s gaze turned to Xia Ye, “Is the editor going too?”

Xia Ye pushed his glasses. “Yes, combining work and rest.”

Jian Mingzhou looked at his face and suddenly had a thought, saying seemingly casually, “Can I bring someone?”

Xia Ye suddenly looked over.

Just as Xia Ye was about to say something, he shut his mouth, smiling knowingly.

“Sure, okay.”

The abacus clattered.

Jian Mingzhou smiled back warmly and said, “Great.”

With his calculations in mind, he decided not to engage in a battle with Xia Ye anymore.

Xia Ye, busy with work or not, didn’t come to find fault with him either.

With no one to supervise him, Jian Mingzhou casually exchanged a few messages with Fish and Xie Jing. The latter seemed particularly excited, and a fresh batch of large dog reaction images flooded his messages.

He swiped casually.

…What on earth is “[prprpr] of a large dog”?

So, he worked and played with the dog at the same time.

Approaching five o’clock, he finally finished his tasks. There was still some time before the end of the workday.

Jian Mingzhou thought for a moment and opened Photoshop to start creating an electronic invitation.

He unleashed his lifelong aesthetic skills and even extracted a bunch of roses from the background material to use as borders. Midway through, Xia Ye walked by from behind, took a look, and asked, “What are you doing?”

He didn’t change his expression. “An invitation for a promotional event.”

“…Isn’t it a bit too flashy? It looks like an invitation to a cowboy club.”

Jian Mingzhou shook his head. “Too plain; it feels like a hospital admission application.”

Behind him, Xia Ye choked, turned around, and left.

He added a few more roses on top, revealing a hint of a smile: Xia Ye, hehehe.

…

Jian Mingzhou got lost in his creation and forgot about the time.

When he sent the invitation to his email, he realized it was already past five thirty. He sent a message to Xie Jing.

【Mingzhou】: I’ll be home a bit later today. Going to the supermarket to buy groceries before coming back. ^0^

【Jing】: Got it. ^^ [large dog squatting]

Jian Mingzhou smiled and put away his phone, standing up.

…

On the other end, Xie Jing also put away his phone.

He sat on the sofa and casually grabbed a manga to read.

The scenes from this morning flashed into his mind.

The slanting sunlight entered the living room, dust floating in the halo of light, and his mood became brighter.

Xie Jing lowered his eyelashes, and his lips curled up.

Perhaps because of his good mood, the time waiting for Jian Mingzhou seemed particularly short.

Before long, the doorbell rang.

So fast? Xie Jing put down the manga, stood up, and went to open the door.

Click! The door opened. “Little…”

Two frog costumes suddenly jumped out! They collided in the middle. One held a frog son, and the other held a toy gun.

“Haha!! Surpri—”

Both sides stopped simultaneously.

The scene fell into a dead silence.

After a moment, one frog slowly put down the frog son, “Sorry, wrong address.”

After saying that, they closed the door with a bang!

Xie Jing, “…”

He stood in place for a few seconds, turned around, and walked back to the living room.

The image was too shocking, and Xie Jing sat on the sofa in contemplation for a while. He took out his phone to send a message to Jian Mingzhou.

【Jing】: Uncle, have you arrived home? There seem to be some strange people nearby; I’ll come down to pick you up. ^^

【Mingzhou】: It’s okay; I’ll be there soon.

Xie Jing was about to send another message when the doorbell rang.

It seemed like this “soon” was now.

He felt slightly relieved, stood up, and went to open the door. Click! The door opened. “Little…”

Two frog costumes hopped out!

“Haha!! Surpri—”

“…”

“…”

The open door once again fell into silence.

One frog, supporting his head, took a step back and looked at the doorplate. “…Did we get the wrong place?”