At five in the evening, Yao Zhen drove out of the hotel to drop Jiang Mian off at the airport. The socialite had been on the island for nearly a month; she was bored and ready to head back. Yao Zhen, having nothing better to do, decided to see her off personally.
“The scenery here is nice for a short trip, but staying for months? Anyone would go stir-crazy. I truly admire you.”
She spent the whole drive sighing, unable to understand how Yao Zhen could sacrifice this much for “love.” It was practically supernatural.
Yao Zhen ignored her, putting on an air of profound mystery as if he simply couldn’t be bothered to speak to mere mortals.
So what if he was a “love-brain”? There was no way he was going to broadcast to the world that he’d been disowned and exiled by his old man for getting into trouble.
“I’m serious, why don’t you just come to Paris with me?” the young lady suggested loyally. “I bet if you ‘eloped’ with me, your parents might actually be happier. Haven’t they always wanted to set us up? Paris is definitely more fun than this place.”
The young master looked utterly repulsed. “Not going. I told you, don’t go getting ideas about me. I have another love.”
Jiang Mian rolled her eyes. “Can you stop being so narcissistic? I meant bring your sweetheart along with you.”
“Then I’m definitely not going,” Yao Zhen refused, uninterested. “Who knows what you’re up to? You’d probably start getting ideas about him. Forget it.”
Jiang Mian: “…”
Kindness taken for malice; she really shouldn’t have stuck her nose where it didn’t belong.
“Anyway, I’m not going,” Yao Zhen stopped at a red light and wagged his finger. “I’m not going, and neither is my sweetheart. Delete his contact info right now. Hurry up.”
Speechless and under his watchful eye, Jiang Mian reluctantly pulled out her phone and deleted Liang Jiming’s WeChat. “You’ve got a whole list of girls added yourself, yet you have the nerve to say that.”
“That’s different. I don’t have feelings for them,” Yao Zhen said righteously.
“Do you have no shame?” she cursed.
Yao Zhen saw the light turn green and stepped on the gas again, saying leisurely, “Shame isn’t nearly as important as my wife.”
“Fine, fine, I give up,” Jiang Mian was completely defeated. “If I had a precious sweetheart like that, I wouldn’t want anyone else touching him either. But you’re interesting, kid. Didn’t you use to say you liked gentle older sisters like Jinghe Jie? He doesn’t look gentle at all, and the gender is even more off.”
“You don’t know shit,” Yao Zhen was too lazy to explain. Couldn’t he try something new? Oh wait, he was just playing around.
In Jiang Mian’s eyes, he was completely blinded by love. She felt a mix of disdain and envy. “Is he particularly… Good in bed?”
“Shut up. Is that something a young girl should be asking?”
The young master huffed, but inexplicably remembered the size and hardness pressed against his thigh on the yacht last time… He was probably pretty capable.
Seeing his reddened earlobes, Jiang Mian burst into laughter. This was just too entertaining.
Amidst their banter, Yao Zhen’s phone rang. It was Liang Jiming, asking where he was.
“Dropping Jiang Mian off at the airport. I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Alright, I get it. Where could I possibly run off to all by myself?”
“Don’t go getting jealous all the time. Just wait obediently for me to come back and have dinner with you.”
Jiang Mian silently turned her head toward the window, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms.
How could this kid, Yao Zhen, be so… pampered? Does he not realize it himself?
He sounded like he was flirting, but every sentence felt like he was acting spoiled. It was terrifying.
Yao Zhen truly didn’t realize it. He was just running his mouth to tease Liang Jiming.
What was wrong with acting a bit spoiled?
To have a young master like him act spoiled was that dog man’s good fortune.
After hanging up, Liang Jiming walked back into the exhibition hall.
It was the fourth day of the exhibition, and there was a constant stream of visitors. Not only were there tourists, but also jewelry enthusiasts and collectors who had come from all over, causing the hotel’s foot traffic to skyrocket.
The manager had reported the good news a couple of days ago, his face glowing with pride. He mentioned that if they could maintain the current momentum, the hotel’s performance ranking for this quarter would jump significantly, and the future would look bright.
Liang Jiming was glad to see it. Only when the changes here were noticed by the higher-ups would the Young Master have any hope of returning home. He was the Young Master’s man; he would only prosper if the Young Master did.
Liang Jiming went to look at the “Moon Dew” again. He had dismissed Yao Zhen’s half-joking remark that night, but in truth, he had taken it to heart. Some of the jewelry on display would be put up for public sale after the exhibition ended, and this brooch was one of the available pieces. However, the price was indeed a bit of a stretch for the currently penniless Liang Jiming.
Under the lights, the Moon Dew emitted a gentle luster, as if moonlight had been sealed within it, making it impossible to look away. It was truly beautiful; no wonder Yao Zhen liked it. He watched it in silence for a moment before turning away to head to the office building to find the hotel manager.
Liang Jiming got straight to the point: he wanted a six-month salary advance.
“The Young Master doesn’t know about this, so there’s no need to tell him. This is my own idea. I’d appreciate the favor.”
If anyone else who had only been on the job for a little over a month made such an unreasonable request, the manager would have told them to get lost. But the person speaking was Liang Jiming.
The manager looked conflicted. “This isn’t exactly according to the rules. If Young Master Yao were to sign off on it, there wouldn’t be a problem…”
“I don’t want him to know,” Liang Jiming said bluntly. “Just this once. It won’t happen again.”
The manager decided to let it slide. Everyone had seen how hard this man worked; he couldn’t be entirely heartless. Besides, once the quarterly settlements were done, the bonuses and commissions he’d earn would likely exceed half a year’s salary anyway.
The manager took him to the finance department and had them give him the money directly. Liang Jiming didn’t have a bank card, so his wages were paid in cash.
Watching him sign the confirmation, the manager suddenly felt a wave of uncertainty. “…You’re not going to take the money and run, are you?”
Liang Jiming looked up. “Manager Huang, you must be joking.”
The manager felt a bit embarrassed. This man was a mysterious person picked up by the Young Master; the more capable he proved to be, the more unreliable he felt. That resume looked fake as could be. Who knew if he’d just remember who he was one day and vanish? The Young Master was playing with fire, and the manager felt sorry for Liang Jiming, though he didn’t dare say it.
Liang Jiming had no idea what Manager Huang was agonizing over. He took the money and left. There had been many inquiries about the price of the Moon Dew lately, so he intended to strike first. He had seen Yao Zhen’s ID before; his birthday was next month. This would be a surprise for the Young Master.
Yao Zhen didn’t return until evening.
Liang Jiming was on the balcony watching the sunset. He had just returned to the room to drop off the cash advance and, remembering Yao Zhen’s mention of dinner over the phone, he decided to wait there.
The Young Master burst through the door, his loud voice echoing from the living room. “Wife, I’m home~”
Liang Jiming didn’t turn around, continuing to smoke on the balcony. Yao Zhen found his way over, poking his head past the glass door and wrinkling his nose. “You chimney, why are you smoking again?”
Liang Jiming tilted his head toward him and said lazily, “This cigarette is different.”
The Young Master muttered “What’s the difference?” but then paused as a sweet scent wafted through the air.
“…Did you sneak some candy?”
Liang Jiming didn’t answer. His gaze was fixed on the other’s face. He took a deep drag and slowly exhaled. As the cool, sweet aroma grew stronger, Yao Zhen found it curious. He leaned in close to catch a whiff. “Where is that smell coming from?”
Liang Jiming looked down, watching the Young Master’s impulsive movements. It felt like being pounced on and nuzzled by a fluffy puppy. He took a step back, falling into the rattan chair behind him. Caught off guard, Yao Zhen was pulled down with him, landing squarely on one of Liang Jiming’s legs.
“Crap—” He struggled to get up but was pinned by the arm wrapped around his waist.
Liang Jiming held him firm, his voice deep and steady. “Don’t move.”
Yao Zhen, his sensitive waist being pressed, glared at him. “What are you doing?”
Liang Jiming ignored the glare. He held the cigarette between his fingers and offered it, looking directly into his eyes. “It’s sweet. Want a taste?”
Yao Zhen hesitated before taking it. He hated the smell of smoke, but this actually smelled quite nice. Even though the “dog man” had bitten it, it wasn’t like they hadn’t kissed before… He mimicked Liang Jiming by putting the cigarette in his mouth but didn’t know what to do next.
“Don’t rush,” Liang Jiming said, leaning in and supporting his hand. “Just take a normal breath first.”
His warm breath brushed against Yao Zhen’s ear, making it itch. Yao Zhen followed the instructions, and a cool minty flavor filled his mouth.
“There’s a bead inside,” Liang Jiming’s finger tapped the back of his hand, teaching him. “Bite down on it.”
Yao Zhen thought it was fun and slowly bit down, his teeth crushing the capsule. After a faint “pop,” a burst of rich peach sweetness exploded, intertwining with the cool mint. The smoke spread across his tongue and through his throat, filling his lungs. It was a true, top-tier “lung hit.”
Wrapped in the cloyingly sweet vapor, Yao Zhen felt like he was floating on air. He tried a few more puffs but couldn’t get the hang of it and nearly choked.
Liang Jiming laughed at his clumsy display. He had bought these flavor-capsule cigarettes on a whim a few days ago, specifically choosing the peach flavor because he knew the Young Master would like it. He was right. In fact, the Young Master himself was a lot like a peach filled with sweet juice—ready to be picked and swallowed whole, yet he remained completely oblivious to it.
“Don’t laugh,” Yao Zhen said, displeased.
Liang Jiming said nothing more. He took the cigarette back and took a deep drag. Yao Zhen watched him and froze.
The setting sun had sunk below the horizon unnoticed, and the sky had turned completely dark. Liang Jiming exhaled slowly, his Adam’s apple moving. The lines from his jaw to his collarbone flickered in and out of view in the intermittent glow of the cigarette. The smoke kissed the bridge of his high nose, his tousled hair, and his slightly trembling eyelashes as he looked down.
…He was actually quite sexy.
Yao Zhen stared blankly, momentarily lost for words. As the last wisp of smoke vanished, Liang Jiming crushed the butt in the ashtray and turned around. Yao Zhen was still staring, unable to pull his gaze away.
“What are you looking at?” Liang Jiming’s eyes still seemed veiled in a layer of mist, hiding emotions that were hard to decipher.
Yao Zhen suddenly seemed to snap out of a dream and lunged up from his lap.
“I’m ignoring you,” the Young Master dropped the line and fled the scene.
Yao Zhen’s back disappeared from view. Liang Jiming looked down, slowly rubbing his fingers together. Feeling the lingering warmth on his fingertips, he let out a soft “Tsk,” the corners of his mouth turning up as he smiled again.