Liang Jiming’s forearm wound required two stitches. Yao Zhen silently transferred another million in “pocket money” to him.
Liang Jiming glanced at his phone, didn’t accept the transfer, and asked, “What is the meaning of this, Young Master?”
“You got hurt for me. What’s wrong with me giving you money? Just take it.”
The young master knew no other way to show care than throwing money at people.
Liang Jiming frowned. “Does our relationship require such calculations? Since you said I’m your bodyguard, what I did was only what I should have done.”
Yao Zhen’s conscience twinged. He muttered, “I… I feel bad for you…”
Liang Jiming noted his awkward expression, reached out, pulled him close, and gave him another hug.
Yao Zhen: “…”
I’m officially numb to this.
Liang Jiming released him and said seriously, “It’s over now. Thank you for your concern.”
Yao Zhen was speechless. After a long pause, he said dryly, “Don’t be so mushy.”
A faint smile touched the corner of Liang Jiming’s mouth. “Alright.”
Regardless, the farce was resolved. With the “pests” removed, everything else became much easier to handle. Led by the administration department, a refined internal appraisal system was established, prioritizing efficiency and service quality.
The hotel manager’s attitude did a complete 180—from fearing trouble to actively cooperating. While he lacked boldness, his execution was strong; he arranged everything Liang Jiming assigned perfectly, which was enough.
As for Yao Zhen, he might not “manage” things, but he was generous. He approved funds without blinking. Old facilities were replaced, and areas were renovated. Within a short time, while the performance stats hadn’t skyrocketed yet, the hotel’s appearance and morale had been completely revitalized.
Liang Jiming was busy every day. The employees treated him like Yao Zhen’s “eyes and ears” and didn’t dare slack off.
Yao Zhen, meanwhile, either stayed in his room playing games or wandered around aimlessly, his days returning to the boredom of his first two months on the island. The only difference was that when documents came for his signature now, he couldn’t just sign blindly. Liang Jiming would force him to read every detail and understand the implications before letting him put pen to paper.
The young master felt that life was becoming unbearable. He hadn’t just picked up a “wife”; he had brought home a “dictator.”
Liang Jiming remained full of high-sounding arguments, claiming everything was for his own good—to help him grow and improve so that perhaps one day his father would show mercy and let him return. The logic was sound, but having been a lazy, profligate playboy for over twenty years, Yao Zhen found that old habits died hard. It wasn’t that easy to change.
By evening, not wanting to be pestered by this “dictator,” Yao Zhen turned off his phone and went for a stroll alone on the beach. He lay on a lounge chair, staring at the sunset and contemplating the futility of life, when a beautiful lady in a bikini approached to flirt.
She asked with a smile if he was alone. Yao Zhen turned his head slowly, gave her a blank look, and said expressionlessly, “I have a wife. Very fierce.”
The lady: “…” Tsk, a henpecked husband at such a young age.
After she left, Yao Zhen sighed, feeling bored to his core. After sitting a while longer, he stood up to leave when a voice suddenly called out behind him, “Young Master Yao?”
Yao Zhen turned around. The man walking toward him looked delighted. “Young Master Yao, it really is you! What a pleasure. I thought I’d misidentified you—are you here on vacation as well?”
Seeing Yao Zhen’s confusion, the man introduced himself, mentioning he was taking a break with his wife and kids for a few days. Yao Zhen’s sluggish brain finally recalled that this man was the boss of a materials company that did business with his family’s firm. He had seen him once at a business gala he’d attended with his father.
The man chatted enthusiastically. Yao Zhen had no interest in reciprocating, putting on a fake smile as he said, “My dad sent me here to manage the hotel and gain some experience. Mr. Li, just give my name to the front desk later, and I’ll have them give you a discount on your room.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t have,” the man said, clearly not caring about a discount but eager to suck up. “It’s fate that we bumped into each other. How about I treat you to dinner tonight? I’d be honored if you’d join us.”
Yao Zhen had no intention of dining with a calculating businessman. He declined, “No, thanks. I have work later. I should head back now. Enjoy yourselves.”
The man expressed great regret and invited him repeatedly, but Yao Zhen firmly shook his head and walked away. As he approached the hotel, he suddenly froze, a thought striking him.
What was the name of Mr. Li’s company again? Oh, Shengyu.
He remembered now. Not long ago, his mother had been gossiping with him about how Lawyer Shen (Jinghe) had taken on a contract dispute for that company and handed it to Liang Jiming to litigate. A case that was supposed to be a guaranteed loss had been turned around by Great Lawyer Liang, who found a loophole in the contract and cost the plaintiff tens of millions.
His mother had told him this to marvel at what a capable partner Jinghe had found. At the time, Yao Zhen just thought Liang Jiming was a “litigation stick”—a shady lawyer specialized in helping the rich cheat and bully people.
But that wasn’t the point. The point was: Mr. Li definitely knew Liang Jiming.
Yao Zhen smacked his forehead. What are the odds! If those two ran into each other, wouldn’t his whole charade be exposed?
The young master’s mind raced, trying to think of a way to prevent disaster, when he saw Liang Jiming emerging from the hotel’s side door specifically to find him. He hurried forward, grabbed Liang Jiming’s arm, and subtly pulled him around so his back was turned to the beach, blocking any potential line of sight.
“What are you doing?” he snapped.
Liang Jiming wanted to ask what the young master was being so weird about. “Slacking off again? Why is your phone off?”
“Out of battery. And what do you mean slacking?” Yao Zhen argued defiantly. “I just went to see the sunset. Staying in this hotel every day makes me feel like I’m rotting.”
Liang Jiming didn’t immediately scold him to get back to work. He checked the time and suggested, “Let’s go have dinner.”
Yao Zhen said immediately, “Let’s eat in the room.”
Liang Jiming disagreed. “Let’s go to the Garden Restaurant. They updated the menu today; we should go for a tasting.”
Yao Zhen was reluctant. What if Mr. Li went there too? “Tastings can be sent to the room…”
“I also want to see where their service can be improved,” Liang Jiming said. “Let’s go. It’s just a meal; it won’t interfere with your nightly ‘fun’.”
Unable to win the argument, Yao Zhen was dragged to the restaurant. Of the hotel’s four dining venues, this one specialized in Southeast Asian cuisine and was buffet-style. From the moment he sat down, Yao Zhen acted like a thief, his eyes darting around the room constantly. When Liang Jiming stood up to get food, he followed like a shadow. Wherever Liang Jiming went, he went; whatever Liang Jiming took, he took.
Sensing the young master’s abnormality, Liang Jiming stopped at the beverage station and poured a cup of pitch-black, bitter coffee. The boy, completely oblivious, poured himself an identical cup. Liang Jiming glanced at him but said nothing as they returned to the table.
Once seated, Yao Zhen took a sip and nearly spat it out. He swallowed with great effort and set the cup down in disgust. “Did you do that on purpose?”
Liang Jiming handed him some milk and sugar. “If you can’t drink it, why did you take the same thing I did?”
Yao Zhen snapped, “You’re just messing with me.”
Liang Jiming asked, “What was on your mind just now?”
Yao Zhen gave a dry laugh. “Nothing. Just eat your food. Why do you ask so many questions?”
The quality of the food and service had visibly improved, while costs had actually decreased—all thanks to Liang Jiming’s efforts.
The young master’s compliment was half-hearted at best: “It’s a pity my old man doesn’t know how to spot quality. He missed out on such a capable son-in-law like you.”
Speaking of which, it suddenly occurred to him that both his father and mother seemed to admire this man immensely. Their only regret was that Jinghe wasn’t their biological daughter, meaning the “perfect son-in-law” belonged to someone else’s family.
“…”
Is he really that great?
Yao Zhen looked up, unconsciously sizing up the “dog of a man” in front of him. He was certainly handsome in a dignified way, and he definitely had the physical capital to back it up… but no. Yao Zhen wasn’t into men; he wasn’t about to let himself fall under this guy’s spell.
Liang Jiming, who was busy slicing a chicken cutlet, suddenly looked up. “Why do you keep staring at me?”
Yao Zhen took another sip of his coffee—now filled with milk and sugar—to suppress a strange flicker in his chest. “Because you’re good-looking.”
Liang Jiming replied flatly, “You’d be better off going back and looking in a mirror.”
…You really don’t know how to take a compliment, do you?
Dinner finally ended, and half the weight on Yao Zhen’s heart lifted. As they left the restaurant, they entered a shaded path dense with greenery. The sky was darkening, and there were fewer diners than before.
Yao Zhen was about to speak when his sharp eyes caught sight of Mr. Li’s family approaching from ahead. Alarm bells instantly shrieked in his head. Without a word, he spun around, slammed Liang Jiming against a tree trunk in the shadows away from the path lights, and threw his arms around him.
Liang Jiming was startled for a split second. Sensing something, he instinctively moved to look past Yao Zhen’s shoulder.
Yao Zhen panicked. He forgot that it was Mr. Li who recognized Liang Jiming—Liang Jiming had no idea who Mr. Li was. Desperate to keep Liang Jiming’s face hidden, he grabbed the man’s collar, yanked his head down, and kissed him recklessly.