As he was thinking this, his phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. Pei Sichen took it out, saw who was calling, and answered.
“Pei Shao, what have you been so busy with lately? Why don’t you ever come out for a drink? I have set up a gathering for you, full of top-tier, new goods. Are you coming?”
The other end of the line was filled with Su Jiachen’s annoying voice, loud music, and the sounds of men and women enjoying themselves.
“Get lost.”
Pei Sichen glanced at Jiang Ruobai, who was lying unconscious on the bed, and hung up with a cold face.
He threw the phone aside and unbuttoned his coat and shirt collar in frustration. The steady sound of breathing from the bed made him pause for a moment. He sat on the edge of the bed with a frown.
He looked at the sleeping person with a dark expression. The moment his hand touched the other person’s body, the icy temperature made Jiang Ruobai shiver and curl deeper into the quilt, leaving only his eyes and forehead exposed. He looked pitiful, as if he had been bullied severely.
Pei Sichen paused, cursed, “F*ck,” and went to the bathroom to shower.
When he returned, the person on the bed was completely hidden under the covers. He lay down, pulled the other person into his arms, and held them tight.
The incense in the room had been changed to the scent of mint. The refreshing aroma drifted into his nose, feeling much more soothing than those expensive, monotonous perfumes. For once, he had a peaceful night’s sleep, only to wake up and find the bed empty.
After a simple wash, he picked up the phone that had been discarded all night, glanced at the 9:37 timestamp on the screen, and threw it back on the floor.
Walking downstairs, he caught the scent of food. He reached the dining table, where two steaming bowls of vegetable and pork noodles were waiting. Jiang Ruobai was wearing yesterday’s gray T-shirt, with a pink apron he had found somewhere tied around his waist. It was the same length as his black shorts, leaving his white legs exposed as he bustled between the living room and the kitchen like a spinning top.
The butler and the maid stood to the side. Seeing Pei Sichen come down, they hurried to greet him.
“Young Master, Mr. Jiang personally prepared breakfast for you. Since you are awake, you can eat now.”
The butler remained expressionless, but Auntie Zhou smiled happily. “Mr. Jiang started working as soon as he woke up. He wouldn’t even let me help. You should try it in a bit.”
Pei Sichen sat at the head of the table. Jiang Ruobai walked out from the kitchen carrying a bowl of greens and four poached eggs.
“Pei Shao.” He stood cautiously by the table, still unsure how to interact with Pei Sichen.
“Sit.”
“Yes.” Jiang Ruobai placed the food on the table and sat next to Pei Sichen. A subtle, awkward atmosphere circulated between them.
Pei Sichen focused on his meal. Used to Western cuisine, this was his first time facing such home-cooked breakfast. However, he wasn’t picky. He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite. The taste was unexpectedly good. The butler retreated, and Auntie Zhou tactfully left the living room to attend to other chores.
“I will have someone take you to the mall later to buy some proper clothes.”
Jiang Ruobai wanted to decline the kindness, but swallowed his words.
“Yes.”
He knew Pei Sichen did not like it when people disobeyed his wishes.
“Do not go back to Darkness again.”
Jiang Ruobai lowered his head and whispered gratefully, “Thank you, Pei Shao.”
“Do not call me Pei Shao anymore.”
“I understand, Mr. Pei.”
Hearing the continued distance in the address, Pei Sichen frowned, wanting to correct him, but was interrupted by a burst of raucous laughter.
“Yo, yo, yo! Pei Shao, keeping a hidden beauty in your golden house? No wonder you were so heartless in hanging up on me yesterday.”
As soon as Su Jiachen entered the living room, he saw the scene of a harmonious little couple. If the person involved wasn’t Pei Sichen, it would have felt quite like a happy, domestic life.
Pei Sichen didn’t even lift his eyelids, continuing to eat his noodles as he asked coldly, “Why are you here?”
“Can’t I miss you and come for a visit? By the way, I wanted to see who managed to captivate the eyes of our Pei Shao.”
Su Jiachen teased, then turned to see Jiang Ruobai, who looked like he wanted to bury his head in his bowl. Jiang Ruobai was covered in the scent of Pei Sichen’s pheromones; one didn’t need to think hard to guess what the two had been doing for the past two days.
“So, it’s Mr. Jiang. Mr. Jiang’s skills are truly impressive. It made me hungry. If you don’t mind, could you make me a bowl as well?”
“Ah? Sure.”
Unable to withstand the intense gaze of the other man, Jiang Ruobai scurried into the kitchen, leaving Pei Sichen and a teasing Su Jiachen behind.
“What is it?”
Su Jiachen sat down, a sly smile on his face. “Looking at your expression, you haven’t had enough after last night. Let me ask curiously: is a beta’s body really better than an Omega’s?”
“Get to the point.”
Su Jiachen pouted, tactfully stopping his questions, and instead pulled out an invitation from behind him.
“Whose is it?” Pei Sichen was curious about an invitation that would warrant a personal delivery by Su Jiachen.
“Are you interested in watching a game of cat and mouse?” Su Jiachen smiled meaningfully.
Pei Sichen took the invitation and, upon seeing the name on it, understood the other man’s intent immediately. Su Jiachen’s smile deepened as he looked toward the kitchen. “It would be a pity to go to such a banquet alone. Why not bring the person by your side as well?”
“Fine.”
Pei Sichen agreed readily.
Su Jiachen had only been testing the waters, but seeing that Pei Sichen actually intended to bring Jiang Ruobai, he was briefly shocked. But he quickly recovered and smiled, “Then, I shall look forward to your arrival, Pei Shao.”
When Jiang Ruobai came out of the kitchen, Su Jiachen was already gone, and Pei Sichen, dressed in a suit, was prepared to leave.
“What time will Mr. Pei be back today?” Jiang Ruobai asked as Pei Sichen reached the door.
Pei Sichen paused and replied, “Eight o’clock.”
Jiang Ruobai nodded, as if calculating the time. “Okay, I will have dinner ready for you around eight.”
Pei Sichen nodded in agreement. Though he remained a cold, expressionless ice block on the outside, he was satisfied on the inside. After taking care of so many people, Jiang Ruobai was the only one who could bring him a sense of rustic, domestic normalcy. Compared to those pretentious and coquettish acts, he didn’t dislike this feeling at all.
“Good.”
Jiang Ruobai stood at the door, waiting until Pei Sichen was out of sight before returning inside. He had a few quick bites of food and then left in a hurry. He had to go to the hospital today; he hadn’t been there for days, and he was deeply worried about his wife’s condition.
It took an hour to get his things in order. As soon as he stepped out, he ran into Su Jiachen, who was parked by the roadside in an eye-catching red supercar, smoking half a cigarette while wearing sunglasses. Seeing him, Su Jiachen pushed his glasses down with long fingers, revealing sharp, fox-like eyes, and greeted him with a grin.
“Good morning, Mr. Jiang. Leaving at this hour—are you going to the hospital to see that sick relative of yours?”
For people like Su Jiachen, investigating information like this was a piece of cake. It didn’t take a month; two days were enough to gather almost all the information on Jiang Ruobai’s household.
Jiang Ruobai didn’t want to play games with Su Jiachen, knowing he couldn’t hide anything and couldn’t win against them. He chose to be honest.
“Yes.”
Jiang Ruobai feigned calmness, but the sensation of being caught in a trap made him clench his fists in anxiety.
“Mr. Jiang, no need to be afraid. I am waiting here to help you.” Su Jiachen smiled, like a patient hunter leading his prey into a trap. “Mr. Jiang, do you know what kind of person Pei Sichen hates the most?”
Su Jiachen flicked the cigarette ash and rubbed his fingers together, extinguishing the burning end.
“What kind?”
“A traitorous idiot.” Su Jiachen gave Jiang Ruobai a brilliant, toothy smile. “Mr. Jiang, why don’t you take a guess? If Pei Sichen found out that you were not only married but were also using his money to save your own wife, given his temperament, do you think he would kill you on the spot?”