As the person who had covered up countless reckless stunts for this young master, Qin Shu surveyed the neon-drenched scene with a troubled expression, suddenly feeling rather guilty toward Elder Rong.
“Young Master, you didn’t alert anyone else when you snuck out from home, did you?”
Rong Ning glanced at him sideways. “What do you think?” In front of his family, his “good boy” persona could never be allowed to shatter.
If his eldest brother wasn’t at home, he would still prefer to honestly stay put for the night.
Unfortunately, it was simply too suffocating to stay there any longer.
Qin Shu rubbed his hands anxiously together and forced a dry laugh. “Then please drink a little less, Young Master. Do take care of your health.”
Rong Ning let out a cold “Mn,” but the very next second, he tilted his head back and downed the entire glass of liquor in one go. After finishing, he nodded in satisfaction.
The moment he set the glass down, his phone in his pocket gave a soft buzz. Rong Ning pulled it out and glanced at the screen, it was a message from Jiang Mohai.
[Scumbag]: Me? A scumbag? Scumbag to whom? Where the hell are you?
Rong Ning’s lips curled into a crooked sneer. He let out a light huff, lowered his head to tap out a reply, his dark pupils masking his true emotions.
[Ah-Ning]: Whether I’m a scumbag or not, you should know well enough in your own heart!
[Ah-Ning]: And stop worrying about where I am!
[Scumbag]: Oh? Replying pretty fast. Who are you taking your anger out on now?
Rong Ning was so angry he laughed, helplessly pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose.
People who could infuriate others and remain completely oblivious were simply the most detestable kind!
[Ah-Ning]: Myself, alright?
After firing off that final message, Rong Ning grit his teeth and added Jiang Mohai to his WeChat blacklist. He tossed his phone casually onto the table and went back to drinking by himself.
Two more glasses of alcohol went down. The atmosphere was just right, the slightly tipsy feeling was just right, but he still felt like something was missing.
He patted his pants pocket, empty.
Leaning sideways, he fished a pack of cigarettes out of Qin Shu’s coat, pulled one out, and lit it leisurely.
He took a deep drag, slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke, and leaned back lazily against the sofa, intoxicating himself with the moment. “Now that feels right.”
Qin Shu, standing off to the side watching the entire spectacle, winced and grimaced, wanting to stop him but not daring to.
His young master rarely got in such a foul mood; there was no way he could coax him out of it, and it was best not to go looking for trouble in the line of fire.
Rong Ning curled up in the sofa, his eyes half-closed as he blew smoke rings with carefree abandon.
With a cigarette dangling from his lips and a glass of liquor in his hand, if not for his tender, fair face and exquisite features saving his appearance, he would have looked entirely like a street-corner punk.
Before he had even finished the cigarette, he vaguely felt a shadow cast over his head. The object between his fingers vanished instantly, leaving him inhaling a mouthful of empty air on his final drag.
“Who’s got no eyes!” he cursed aggressively.
“Little brat, you ran all the way out here just to smoke and drink?” Jiang Mohai stood beside Rong Ning, his hands shoved into his pockets and his face expressionless, radiating the heavy presence of an authoritarian patriarch.
He had just come straight from a business banquet, his entire person still carrying the domineering, icy chill of the corporate world.
Rong Ning remained seated, glaring sideways at Qin Shu, who had shrunk into a corner with a guilty, dodging look, before leaning forward to pour himself another glass of wine.
“Since President Jiang is so busy, how do you have the leisure to meddle in my business?” Rong Ning’s tone was dripping with sarcasm, wrapped in faint, sour wisps of resentment.
“Of course I have to meddle. I am”
“Stop!” Rong Ning raised a hand to interrupt, looking somewhat impatient. “I don’t want to hear it.”
Jiang Mohai chuckled softly, entirely unoffended.
“In a bad mood?” He bent his long legs, sitting down right beside Rong Ning, and reached out to pick up the empty crystal glass sitting in the middle of the table. His gaze swept over the teenager’s slightly flushed cheeks. “How do you want to drink? I’ll keep you company.”
Rong Ning cast him a sidelong glance, remaining unmovable.
His confession had been blocked right back by this man yet again, how could his mood possibly be good!
Seeing Rong Ning press his lips into a tight line, his stubborn demeanor showing no signs of backing down, Jiang Mohai loosened his collar, leaned back, and draped his arms casually across the back of the sofa, letting out a few unhurried words: “What will it take to make you happy?”
Rong Ning cast his gaze sideways, his eyes landing on the man’s noble, superior profile. The originally indifferent light in his pupils shifted slightly amidst the ripples of his heart.
Jiang Mohai’s broad arms were like a pair of wings, sturdy and warm.
Yet he only looked for a moment before lowering his gaze, still maintaining his silence.
“Come here.” Jiang Mohai crossed his long legs, looking lazy and relaxed. His tone carried a commanding weight, yet was laced with a trace of coaxing enticement.
The teenager’s eyelashes fluttered lightly. He petulantly turned his face away, his tone carrying a hint of hidden forcefulness. “Say ‘I was wrong.'”
“I was wrong.” Jiang Mohai’s voice was low. Regardless of whether he was actually in the wrong or not, admitting it first was the safest bet.
Rong Ning looked genuinely furious; if a single sentence could coax him into a good mood, why not use it?
Jiang Mohai’s words drifted softly into Rong Ning’s ears.
He pressed his lips into a straight line, his peripheral vision stealing a glance at Jiang Mohai. His body unconsciously leaned backward, right until the back of his neck brushed against the man’s robust, warm arm.
And then, he shamelessly rubbed against it a few times.
Jiang Mohai didn’t pull away either; his palm naturally cupped the teenager’s slender shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as he spoke in a low, soothing voice, “Alright, stop being angry.”
Rong Ning stiffened his neck, refusing to acknowledge him, but the imperceptible smile already gave away that his anger had completely dissipated, he just wanted to play a trick on this old man.
He glanced at the half-bottle of liquor on the table, and a mischievous idea instantly sprouted in his mind. “If you drink the rest of that bottle, I won’t be mad anymore.”
Tsk, quite the little dictator.
“Fine, fine, I’ll drink it!” Jiang Mohai’s brow arched slightly. He used one hand to unbutton the top button of his shirt and straightened up.
Qin Shu watched the dynamic between the two of them, hurriedly standing up to grab the bottle. With a beaming smile, he poured a glass for Jiang Mohai. “President Jiang, let me.”
Rong Ning kicked out at him. “What are you trying to suck up for? President Jiang has hands!”
Qin Shu rubbed his aching calf, handed the bottle back to Jiang Mohai, and smiled awkwardly, at a loss. “Uh, well, I…”
“If you want to dance, go dance. You don’t need to file a report.”
“Got it!” Qin Shu beamed, turning and sprinting straight toward the dance floor.
Earlier, when Rong Ning was drinking alone, he had been somewhat worried. Now that President Jiang was keeping him company, Qin Shu completely let loose, partying with wild abandon.
Jiang Mohai raised an eyebrow, his slender fingers gripping the neck of the bottle as he slowly tilted it. Before long, the liquid in the glass was filled to the absolute brim, looking as though a single extra drop would cause it to spill over.
Jiang Mohai couldn’t help letting out a long sigh.
He had already drank quite a bit while negotiating business earlier, but this young master was notoriously difficult to please, drink he must, regardless of the circumstances.
As he picked up the glass, he glanced sideways at Rong Ning. The teenager’s flushed face still bore a stubborn expression.
Jiang Mohai’s lips curved upward, his pupils as dark as ink, before he tilted his head back and downed half the glass in two huge gulps.
Before the third gulp could even reach his lips, the glass was snatched straight out of his hand by Rong Ning.
“Don’t drink it all, leave me a sip.”
Jiang Mohai gave his head a rough ruffle, the smile in his eyes finally reaching his brow. “Ah-Ning’s learning to care about people now.”
Rong Ning let out a light scoff. “Narcissist! I was just afraid I’d have to take care of you tonight.”
“Did that clear your anger?” Jiang Mohai tilted his head, quietly gazing down at him.
The teenager slowly lowered his head, staring fixedly at the glass in his own hands. His eyelashes fluttered as he muttered a muffled, “Mn.” The sound wasn’t very loud amidst the thumping music, but it was more than enough for Jiang Mohai to hear clearly.
“Then when are you going to take me out of your blacklist?”
“Huh?” Rong Ning froze for a fraction of a second, the corners of his mouth twitching upward slightly as he tossed his phone onto the table. “Unblock me yourself.”
Wait! A sudden thought hitting him, he hurriedly snatched the phone back, quickly edited Jiang Mohai’s WeChat nickname, removed him from the blacklist, and held the screen up to him. “You’re free now.”
Rong Ning leaned back into his original spot, though his body inched a fraction closer to Jiang Mohai. The distance he shifted was subtle, yet just ambiguous enough.
Bathed in the dazzling, hypnotic lights of the bar, the atmosphere hummed with an indescribable, unspoken undertone…
“Did the business negotiations go smoothly today?” Rong Ning softened his breathing, his tone turning serious.
“Mn, alright. There were a few minor twists and turns in the middle, but they’re all resolved.”
Rong Ning suddenly looked up at him, a nameless wave of guilt welling up in his chest. “What kind of twists?”
Lingyue Technology had grown rapidly over the past three years, it was no longer the wobbly little company it used to be.
Yet Rong Ning knew that Jiang Mohai’s ambition extended far beyond this.
If his absence had caused any losses to the company, Rong Ning would have died of regret.
“Well…” Jiang Mohai mused. Fortunately, the outcome hadn’t been botched and the overall impact was minimal. “Nothing much. Your uncle is omnipotent.”
Rong Ning rolled his eyes at him. Clearly a steady, reserved CEO, why was he such a show-off in private!
Still, Rong Ning felt somewhat embarrassed. After all, he had skipped the banquet purely out of a childish fit of temper.
As his mind wandered, his thoughts drifted into chaos, disturbing his state of mind. With his gaze lowered, he remained silent for a long time.
“What is it? So absent-minded.” Jiang Mohai rubbed his slender shoulder, his tone smooth and soothing.
“Hmm? Nothing.” Rong Ning snapped back to reality and let out a soft sigh, the intoxication clearly evident in his eyes as he spoke in a drifting tone. “I’m a bit drunk… I want to go home.”
“Then let’s go home.”
Jiang Mohai waved at Qin Shu, who was still partying wildly in the dance floor.
Qin Shu ran over, sweating profusely and panting heavily. “President Jiang, do… do you have any instructions?”
Jiang Mohai shot him a look of utter disgust, frowning as he waved a hand. “Get further away. Your sweat is stinking up the air.”
“Looks like I won’t need to work out when I get back tonight.” Qin Shu smiled, stepping back a tiny distance and wiping his sweat with a tissue. “Are we leaving?”
“Mn, send President Rong back to his apartment.” Jiang Mohai loosely wrapped an arm around Rong Ning’s slender waist, his gaze falling on the teenager’s pale, pink-tinged face.
Qin Shu looked momentarily stunned. “Then what about you, sir? Aren’t you coming?”
“I brought my driver. You drive President Rong back.”
“Oh, right.” Qin Shu scratched his head in mild confusion. They clearly lived together, yet they were taking two cars, what a waste of resources.
“No!” Rong Ning’s gaze was hazy, likely from the alcohol hitting him harder now. He grabbed onto the hem of Jiang Mohai’s shirt and refused to let go. “I’m riding in President Jiang’s car… Qin, Assistant Qin, you can clock out now.”