Behind the elevator doors, the enormous abstract Mona Lisa rabbit greeted him once more, but Jiang Jue had no mind to spare it even a glance.
His thoughts were still tangled in the words Jing Nian had just spoken.
A’Nian said he hated him.
The reason he had hesitated to reveal his identity as Gu Yehan was twofold: first, due to constraints from the Heavenly Dao, fearing it would bring unnecessary danger to Jing Nian; second, he worried that Jing Nian would hate him.
Now, having heard the definitive answer with his own ears, Jiang Jue felt a pang of sorrow, yet a faint sense of relief also emerged.
At least his choice to conceal his identity had been the right one.
Jing Nian unlocked the door and stepped aside. “Come in.”
He waved casually, generously sharing his personal space, then bent down to lead Tuan Tuan inside, carefully wiping its paws clean with a wet wipe.
The living room wasn’t exactly tidy, but it was filled with the warmth of everyday life.
A fluffy blanket was casually draped over the sofa, the remote control lying on top. The coffee table was cluttered with various opened snacks—some for the little rabbit, others that Jing Nian had tried but found unappetizing, left there because he couldn’t bear to throw them away.
And there were tissues scattered everywhere, remnants of last night’s mess.
After the little rabbit and Tuan Tuan had finished playing, the cleanup had been incomplete. Jing Nian, in his rush to leave that morning, hadn’t noticed the little rabbit’s laziness.
Jiang Jue’s eyes immediately fell on the gifts he had given Jing Nian the night before, their packaging strewn haphazardly across the room.
As if some underlying code had been triggered, the sight of Jing Nian’s messy clothes stirred an urge in him to tidy up.
In the past, it had often been the child making a mess while he followed behind, cleaning up.
The man walked over, folded the clothes neatly, and gathered the packaging. His gaze lingered on the scarf worth over a hundred thousand yuan. “A’Nian, don’t you like this scarf?”
Today, Jing Nian was dressed from head to toe in clothes Jiang Jue had bought, except for the old, worn scarf around his neck.
“Huh? No, not at all.”
Jing Nian blinked innocently, then reached out to take the scarf, wrapping it around his neck with a serious expression. “I really like it.”
Mostly, he liked the price.
He explained, “I was in a hurry this morning when I left, so I forgot to wear it.”
Jiang Jue’s heart was uneasy. “I’m not very familiar with these things, and I was worried you might not like the gifts I bought. If there’s anything you don’t want, please let me know.”
Their relationship now was even more strained than during Jing Nian’s teenage years. He was afraid that if he accidentally stepped on a landmine, all the goodwill he had built up would vanish.
That shouldn’t be the case. In Jing Nian’s impression, wealthy people like them were usually obsessed with studying luxury brands.
At least, that’s how he had been in the past.
Jing Nian asked casually, “Don’t you usually go online?”
Jiang Jue shook his head, answering honestly, “I only got internet access a few days ago.”
“You didn’t just get out of prison, did you?”
Jing Nian opened the dog food Shi Yi had delivered and poured it into Tuan Tuan’s bowl, making a lighthearted joke.
But after he said it, Jiang Jue fell silent.
The joke instantly lost its humor.
Jing Nian’s breath hitched. Had he guessed correctly?
Was this man an ex-convict?
No wonder he always exuded an old-fashioned aura. And for wealthy people, going to prison over business matters wasn’t exactly uncommon.
Jiang Jue had indeed just been released from prison—though not a human one, but the Heavenly Prison.
When he met Jing Nian’s gaze again, his eyes flickered with unease, worried that Jing Nian might look down on him because of it.
“It’s fine.” Jing Nian waved a small hand dismissively. After all, he had weathered storms and seen it all—what was a reformed convict in comparison?
He patted Jiang Jue’s shoulder with feigned maturity. “Once you’re out, just turn over a new leaf. Besides, if you don’t mention it, no one will know.”
Then he added a cutting remark, “Given all the dirty deeds Qiu Huai has done behind the scenes, he deserves to be locked up for eight hundred or a thousand years. You were just unlucky.”
On the surface, Qiu Huai prided himself on being a law-abiding citizen, but in the shadows, he was the law itself. He had never done a good deed, yet he was never short of wicked ones.
Jiang Jue forced a bitter smile.
Jing Nian stood close to him, close enough to catch the faint scent of orange shampoo lingering in his hair.
For two people who weren’t particularly close, this might have seemed somewhat presumptuous.
Jiang Jue admitted he was a hypocrite. When he schemed to touch or hug A’Nian, he never saw any problem with it. But if A’Nian, with his lack of guard, actively approached someone else—that was a different story altogether.
He couldn’t help but wrestle with the thought in his mind: if it weren’t him standing here, but some other suitor, what would Gu Yehan think?
The little cabbage he had raised for himself, now being nibbled by a pig.
Jing Nian had no idea about the man’s tangled thoughts. Just as he was about to offer a few more words of comfort, his phone suddenly vibrated violently.
Almost at the same moment, a frantic and urgent barking erupted from downstairs outside.
Jing Nian quickly glanced out the floor-to-ceiling window. A figure had appeared on the rooftop of the building opposite.
Another anomaly, just like last time.
He was so angry he wanted to scratch someone. That useless thing—how could it still jump? And those idiots in the underworld—their investigation was moving far too slowly!
Jing Nian shot a glance at the oblivious Jiang Jue and made a split-second decision, instantly flying out the window.
The barking downstairs had alarmed many residents. More and more people looked up, spotting the figure on the rooftop preparing to take their own life. Whispers and murmurs spread through the crowd.
Jing Nian couldn’t simply toss the person back onto the rooftop like last time. Instead, under the cover of the dimming sky, he moved with lightning speed. Just as the falling person was about to hit the ground, he flung the unconscious body into a tree in the middle of the greenbelt.
Thus, he fabricated an incident where someone had fallen from the twentieth floor but sustained only minor injuries.
As for whether anyone would believe it, the underworld’s public relations team would naturally provide a reasonable explanation.
Jiang Jue stood on the balcony, witnessing everything.
Beside him, Xiao Tu was hopping anxiously in place when he suddenly sensed a meaningful gaze fall upon him.
Xiao Tu felt awkward. “Um… what if Xiao Tu said you were dreaming? Would you believe that?”
Jiang Jue smiled and nodded. “Yes.”
“Ah…” His straightforward agreement left Xiao Tu at a loss for words. Scratching his head, he clumsily changed the subject. “Well… next time, don’t take Nian Nian to watch horror movies anymore.”
Jiang Jue didn’t show much reaction to Xiao Tu’s ability to speak.
The room felt a bit warm. He took off his jacket and draped it over his arm, his tone casual. “You were the only rabbit who actually paid attention throughout the entire movie.”
Jing Nian was absent-minded the entire time, and his own attention was completely fixated on Jing Nian, so he had no idea what was being performed. As for Tuan Tuan, he slept from start to finish. Only Xiao Tu truly listened to every single terrifying line without missing a word.
If it weren’t for the layer of fluffy fur covering his face, one would definitely see Xiao Tu blushing bright red.
“You’re laughing at Xiao Tu too! I’m going to tell Nian Nian bad things about you!”
Jiang Jue immediately crouched down, sincerely apologizing to Xiao Tu and patting his little head. “Be good, Xiao Tu. I like A’Nian. If you can help me, I’ll give you a truckload of timothy grass once it’s done.”
A truckload?
Xiao Tu was like a reed swaying in the wind, easily swayed to either side.
Not that it was just for the grass, but for Nian Nian’s happiness.
In the end, however, he waved his paw dismissively, putting on an air of indifference. “Forget the grass. Once Nian Nian comes back, you won’t remember any of this anyway. Who would Xiao Tu go to for grass if he’s wronged?”
Taking advantage of the fact that Jiang Jue’s memories would be erased, Xiao Tu opened up and started chatting.
Jiang Jue didn’t disappoint him either, keeping Xiao Tu company as they talked about everything under the sun. Finally, he narrowed his eyes slightly and probed, “Does A’Nian often mention his father?”
Xiao Tu scratched his short ears. “He drags him out to curse repeatedly whenever he’s short on money.”
“Like this.”
“Ahem!” He cleared his throat, imitating Jing Nian by placing both paws on his hips and shouting at the top of his lungs.
“That irresponsible old man! That rotten guy! Didn’t leave me a single cent! Taking all that wealth to be buried with him?! Is he happy starving his precious child to death?!”
“…”
Jiang Jue silently rubbed his forehead.
No.
The reason he didn’t leave any wealth for Jing Nian was because he wanted Jing Nian to cut ties completely with Gu Yehan, who remained in the mortal world.
Jing Nian was Jing Nian, with no further connection to Gu Yehan, so that no matter what mistakes he made, they would never affect this child.
The only mistake was entrusting the child to that miser Qiu Huai, who didn’t even give him a single cent in wages.
Xiao Tu, caught up in his performance, vividly imitated a few more of Jing Nian’s curses, each one rubbing Jiang Jue’s face in the dirt.
Even the habitual smile on his face was barely holding up.
Stop cursing, stop cursing, I really know I was wrong…
Jing Nian soon returned after dealing with the anomaly.
He had hurriedly flown out from the balcony and now entered through the door, panting heavily.
Jiang Jue shifted his gaze away from Xiao Tu, remaining calm and composed, waiting to see what Jing Nian would do to him.
“A’Nian.”
Jing Nian caught his breath and stepped closer, one step at a time, carrying a dangerous aura around him. His eyes had turned cold.
“You saw everything just now.”
It wasn’t a question but a statement.
“Xiao Tu told me a few things.”
Jing Nian glared at Xiao Tu.
Xiao Tu immediately stood at attention, grumbling at Jiang Jue indignantly. “No backbone at all! Betraying your teammate!”
Jing Nian stopped in front of Jiang Jue. The man was much taller than him, forcing him to look up to meet his gaze, which made the scene somewhat comical.
But at this moment, Jing Nian couldn’t care less. Before the other could react, he suddenly reached out with his cool hand and gently covered Jiang Jue’s eyes.
“Sleep. When you wake up, you’ll forget everything.”
Jiang Jue cooperated with him, offering almost no resistance.
Jing Nian felt a sudden weight on his shoulder as the man completely slumped over.
He tossed the man onto the messy sofa, clapped his hands, and let out a long sigh. “All done. Let him sleep it off.”
Just as Jing Nian turned to leave, something tripped him underfoot.
Looking down, he saw Jiang Jue’s overcoat lying on the floor.
After a moment’s hesitation, he picked it up, shook it out, and gently draped it over Jiang Jue.
His gaze involuntarily fell on the man’s peaceful sleeping face. The sharp contours and deep features made it hard for him to look away.
Tsk, how could someone be this good-looking?
His weakness for pretty faces flared up again. He leaned over the edge of the sofa, shamelessly staring at the unconscious man, his intense gaze almost giving away Jiang Jue’s pretense of being asleep.
Fortunately, after just a short while, Jing Nian stood up and headed to the kitchen. He rummaged through the fridge, pulling out all the unused ingredients and neatly arranging them on the cutting board.
“I’ll make him cook when he wakes up.”
After tasting Jiang Jue’s cooking yesterday, Jing Nian couldn’t get it out of his mind. He especially wanted to see the man wearing an apron.
Little Rabbit saw right through him. “Nian Nian, we don’t even have an apron at home! How many meals have you cooked yourself?”
And they were all burnt.
Oh, right. That was true.
Jing Nian pursed his lips, feeling a bit resentful. The brand-new, gleaming kitchen and the ingredients in the fridge—probably left there since last month—were proof enough that he wasn’t much of a cook.
What a shame he wouldn’t get to see Jiang Jue in an apron.
Feeling disappointed, Jing Nian turned and saw Little Rabbit wiggling its butt as it tapped away at his phone.
He walked over and flicked the rabbit’s round head with his finger. “What are you up to now?”
Little Rabbit moved aside, showing him the phone screen. “I rejected a friend request from someone who actually sells tea. That way, we won’t accidentally delete Jiang Jue again like last time.”
Jing Nian glanced down—AAA Tea Gift Box Wholesale. A real tea seller.
“Jiang Jue probably still thinks I was the one who deleted him.”
Little Rabbit huffed indignantly. “Well, whose fault is it that he registered a chat account that looked like a fake one? Who else would we delete?”
“He did say he just got out. Who knows how many years he spent inside?”
As the two chatted, they completely failed to notice the “unconscious” man on the sofa, whose breathing hitched slightly.
So that night was just a misunderstanding. He had thought Jing Nian deleted him because of a bad first impression and had even taken it out on Qiu Huai.
Turns out it was this little rabbit—who looked dumb and actually was pretty dumb—who caused the trouble.
Jing Nian noticed Jiang Jue’s arm hanging off the sofa, his hand nearly touching the floor. He walked over and tucked the arm back under the overcoat.
A heavy scent of sandalwood drifted into his nostrils.
Staring at the man’s “deeply asleep” face, Jing Nian murmured under his breath, “Weird. Do older people like using sandalwood?”
He vaguely remembered the last person who liked sandalwood was Gu Yehan—his study was filled with the scent, and it seemed to seep into his very being.
Jing Nian crouched in front of the sofa, resting his chin in his hands, when he suddenly recalled how Jiang Jue had poked his cheek earlier.
Narrowing his eyes, he stretched out a pale finger and mischievously poked the man’s cheek.
He kept poking until two faint red marks appeared, then stopped with a smug hum.
A little cat causing trouble.
When Jiang Jue woke up later, he’d just tell him he must have slept on his face!
The phone buzzed twice with notifications from the residential property group chat. Finally, someone had come forward with an explanation about the German Shepherd downstairs that had lost its owner.
The dog indeed belonged to a resident in the community, and Jing Nian recognized the owner—it was Leng Yinan, the same person who had jumped off a building twice and committed murder in a hotel.
According to the property management, Leng Yinan suffered from a mental illness and came from a wealthy and influential family. That was why, despite having just killed someone yesterday, he was bailed out today and immediately made his way to the rooftop.
The German Shepherd was indeed raised by Leng Yinan.
Leng Yinan’s episodes occurred frequently, and for some reason, he lived alone. During his episodes, he would leave the door wide open and run out, often not returning for days.
With the door left open, the dog naturally slipped out without a leash.
Frowning, Jing Nian opened the work group chat and unleashed a torrent of criticism on the inefficient and sluggish underworld officials below, adding a stern warning:
If they couldn’t handle this properly, they’d all be sent to Qiu Huai’s place.
Whoever wanted to deal with it could do so—he certainly wasn’t going to.
He closed the chaotic discussions in the property group chat, all centered around Leng Yinan’s rooftop incident. The residents were chattering away, each with their own opinion. People, after all, loved a spectacle.
When he looked up, he saw Jiang Jue slowly opening his eyes on the sofa.
The man rubbed his temples wearily, his voice slightly hoarse. “A’Nian… what happened to me…?”
“Ah, you accidentally stepped on Tuan Tuan’s toy ball and knocked yourself out,” Jing Nian hurried over to help him up, lying without batting an eye.
He gave Jiang Jue no chance to doubt him, blinking innocently and pointing toward the kitchen where ingredients were already prepared. “You’ve been asleep for a long time. It’s already dark outside. Why not stay for dinner?”
“A long time?” Jiang Jue couldn’t help but curve his lips slightly. “I remember it was almost dark when we got back.”
“Would I lie to you?” Jing Nian insisted, pushing the man to sit up and nudging him toward the kitchen.