ALCSRB Chapter 94

Red?

A red mark?

Perplexed, Jiang Mingyi lowered his head, following the direction of Shen Jili’s finger. The instant he saw what it was, he froze.

Because with that small movement, his collar slipped lower, exposing a second red mark. The two were like twins—identical in size, color, and shape.

Oh shit! Oh shit!

Jiang Mingyi’s heart clenched.

Damn Shen Xingyan—he’d secretly left hickeys again.

No wonder earlier, when he was getting dressed, Shen Xingyan had been so “considerate” about insisting on helping him put his clothes on.

Jiang Mingyi ground his teeth in anger.

Su Wanxin immediately recognized them for what they were—hickeys. She couldn’t help but glance at her eldest son with amusement.

These two kids really were utterly shameless.

Shen Xingyan calmly withdrew his hand, his expression unruffled.

Just hickeys. Nothing worth making a fuss about.

Each of the three harbored different thoughts, but Shen Jili spoke seriously:

“Aunt Wang, how could there be such vicious mosquitoes in Xiao Yi’s room? Didn’t you notice during the day and put up mosquito repellent?”

“It’s only been a few days since we left, and the mosquitoes at home must be starving. Just look how badly they bit Xiao Yi.” He sighed deeply, instructed Aunt Wang to immediately drive the mosquitoes away, then turned back with concern for his youngest son. “And you—why didn’t you even react when you were bitten? Doesn’t it itch?”

Those marks looked red and swollen. Damn those hateful mosquitoes.

“Uh… now that you mention it, Dad, it does feel a little itchy.” Jiang Mingyi awkwardly and somewhat self-consciously lifted his hand to scratch a few times.

When his gaze met Su Wanxin’s and Shen Xingyan’s, each saw in the other’s eyes the same silent reaction—

All three thought: How clueless can he be?!

Su Wanxin carefully tried to speak: “Jili, don’t you think Xiao Yi…”

Shen Jili cut her off with a raised hand. “I understand. If it’s itchy from the bites, he should put on some ointment. Who knows if these mosquitoes are carrying viruses?”

Acting very much the part, Shen Jili stood up to fetch the ointment. At the table, the remaining three—mother and sons—exchanged helpless looks.

“I think your father’s missing a screw somewhere.” Su Wanxin tapped her temple and sighed.

Jiang Mingyi hesitated. “Mom, maybe it’s better not to expose the truth right now.” Clearly, Dad had already entered full-on doting-father mode.

“Mm, let’s wait for a better chance to bring it up.”

Dinner ended surrounded by “fatherly love.” Jiang Mingyi rushed upstairs, and the moment he entered his room, he dashed into the bathroom. Staring into the mirror, he examined himself again and again.

“These hickeys are so obvious. Is Dad really blind?” Jiang Mingyi grumbled at Shen Xingyan, who had followed him inside. When his fingertip brushed one of the marks, the slight sting made him quickly pull his hand back.

Leaning against the doorframe, Shen Xingyan watched him wash his hands, then handed him a tissue and repeated something he’d said many times before: “Normal people wouldn’t think of it that way.”

“So you’re saying Mom isn’t normal?” Jiang Mingyi immediately caught the implication, raising his brows triumphantly.

“No. Mom’s just smart.”

“Then you mean Dad isn’t smart.” Jiang Mingyi huffed, walked out of the bathroom, opened a drawer, and carefully stuck a band-aid over the marks.

“Better not to see them at all.”

But after sticking one on, he realized it didn’t fully cover both hickeys.

“…”

Shen Xingyan chuckled softly, then thoughtfully handed him a second band-aid. “Here, cover it.”

Meeting his slightly gloating gaze, Jiang Mingyi pursed his lips in frustration, then tore the band-aid off his chest and tossed it heavily into the trash.

“I’m not covering them anymore. If they don’t fade by tomorrow, I’ll just tell Dad these aren’t mosquito bites—they’re hickeys you left.”

From the open collar, the two vivid red marks stood out clearly in Shen Xingyan’s eyes, only making Jiang Mingyi look even more dazzlingly beautiful.

A faint smile rippled through his dark eyes. “Why don’t I leave a few more? That way, even Dad can’t mistake them.”

Jiang Mingyi: “…”

He had the distinct feeling that if he nodded, he would “die a miserable death” tonight.

Back when they went to Haishi, a lot of work had piled up at the company. Shen Xingyan hadn’t had the time to deal with it then, but now that he finally had a free day, he simply packed Jiang Mingyi along and brought him to the office.

As soon as they arrived, Jiang Mingyi started grumbling. “Summer break doesn’t have many days left. Couldn’t you at least let me lounge around at home a little longer?”

Shen Xingyan turned his head. “Didn’t you say lying around too much makes a person go moldy?”

“That was only because the twins asked me to go out with them the other day and you wouldn’t let me.”

“Go out? What, to another bar to look at male models?”

“…” Jiang Mingyi choked on his words. “That was ages ago. You’re really going to bring that up now?”

What a petty man—still digging up old accounts.

But he was honest enough to add, “Those male models don’t even have as good a body as you. Why would I go look at them?”

“In that case, there’s no need to go out. If you want to look, you can see me anytime.” Shen Xingyan said coolly, already opening up his laptop.

“Tch. Like you’d just strip for me whenever, wherever.” Jiang Mingyi muttered under his breath, his gaze drifting now and then toward the man already absorbed in work.

Not that he minded being at the company—after all, Shen Xingyan focused on work was handsome enough to knock him flat.

But still, seeing it every day, he couldn’t exactly keep drooling like a lovesick fool.

After fiddling with his phone out of boredom, a notification popped up in his class group chat, tagging everyone.

Jiang Mingyi tapped it open, and his eyes immediately lit up. “Ge, our class monitor says they’re organizing a get-together before summer break ends…”

Before he could even finish, Shen Xingyan’s cold rejection cut him off. “No.”

Jiang Mingyi’s finger, poised to type a reply, froze midair.

After a moment of silence, he asked, “Why not?”

“The last time I met your classmates, none of them seemed particularly smart.”

That merciless critique instantly reminded Jiang Mingyi of the class reunion he’d once dragged Shen Xingyan to. Truth be told, he didn’t exactly want to see those people again either.

Thinking of them led his thoughts elsewhere, and he began, “Ge, I want to—”

“No, you can’t.”

“…”

Can you at least let me finish a sentence?

When Shen Xingyan lifted his gaze, he saw Mingyi glaring at him in a pouty huff, eyes wide and sparkling—so unbearably cute he almost couldn’t stop himself from leaning over to kiss him.

Instead, he let a smile curl at the corner of his mouth. “Once school starts again, you and I won’t be able to be together every day.” He had no interest in their little two-person world being disrupted by outsiders.

At those words, Jiang Mingyi’s eyes lit up, all his irritation instantly vanishing. He even sat up straighter, his whole posture brimming with delight.

“So you’re afraid I’ll go play with other people, and then you’ll be left all alone in your empty boudoir?”

“Aiya, you’re so annoying.” His cheeks flushed red, his expression dreamy and teasing. “If you want me to stay by your side, just say so.”

Shen Xingyan: “…”

By noon, after lunch, Jiang Mingyi lazily shuffled into the lounge for a nap.

Lately, his days had been nothing but eat-and-sleep, sleep-and-eat—he was practically being raised like a pig.

Pinching at his stomach, he muttered, “Ge, I think I might be getting fat.”

“Really?” Shen Xingyan turned on his heel, walked over, and gave his waist a squeeze. “Not fat. Just right.”

The soft, supple waist under his palm felt perfect—delightfully touchable.

“Really?” Jiang Mingyi was still standing in front of the mirror, poking at the baby fat on his cheeks. “I don’t know… maybe I should weigh myself?”

But the lounge didn’t have a scale. Just as he was about to head out and borrow one from the secretaries, Shen Xingyan pulled him back.

He blinked, silently asking: What are you doing?

“It’s lunchtime. Rest first.”

With that, Shen Xingyan simply steered him to the bed. Jiang Mingyi plopped down, dazed for two seconds before nodding. “Oh, fine.” Weighing himself after the nap would be just as good.

He’d barely lain down when he noticed Shen Xingyan heading out. “Ge, aren’t you going to nap too?”

“Got a bit of work to handle. I’ll be back soon.”

Shen Xingyan closed the lounge door behind him, called over a secretary, and gave a few instructions.

Moments later, the secretary brought an electronic scale. “President Shen, this scale isn’t very accurate. It reads about five jin lighter than the actual weight.”

Shen Xingyan accepted it with a satisfied nod. “I know.”

He carried it back into the office, thought for a moment, then set it just outside the lounge door.

When Jiang Mingyi woke from his nap and opened the door, he immediately spotted the scale on the floor. Excited, he stepped right on.

The number that popped up left him wide-eyed in shock. “Ge, how have I lost weight when I’ve been eating so much?”

It was unbelievable.

Could he really have one of those bodies that just can’t gain weight? Eating nonstop, lazing around, and still losing two jin?

“Happy about losing weight?”

Shen Xingyan glanced up, catching sight of that smug, elated grin spreading across Mingyi’s face.

“Of course I’m happy. Now I don’t have to watch what I eat. I can eat whatever I want!”

That afternoon during work hours, Shen Xingyan focused on his computer while Jiang Mingyi sprawled comfortably on the leather sofa, snacks spread across the coffee table.

Every so often, Shen Xingyan would glance up, catching sight of him scrolling through his phone as he munched away, utterly at ease.

When Pei Mingyue pushed open the office door, the first thing he saw was Jiang Mingyi holding a peeled grape to Shen Xingyan’s lips. His brows lifted ever so slightly.

“Seems I came at a bad time.”

His gaze flicked to Jiang Mingyi’s hand, which quickly withdrew, before his expression turned faintly amused.

Unruffled, Shen Xingyan calmly took out a tissue, wiped the boy’s fingers clean, and only then released his hand.

He stood and turned toward his unexpected guest. “What do you need?”

Pei Mingyue’s tone was solemn. “There’s something I need your help with.”

Jiang Mingyi left the office to give the two some space. He casually pulled over a chair and sat not far away.

He was actually very curious about what the two of them were discussing, but even more curious about the secret he had once told Pei Mingyue.

“I wonder if Pei Mingyue has figured it out yet.”

Resting his cheek on one hand, his clear, bright eyes occasionally drifted toward the tightly shut office door.

Half an hour later, the door finally opened from the inside.

Pei Mingyue’s tall figure stepped out.

Jiang Mingyi quickly stood up, and the moment he lifted his head, his gaze met Pei Mingyue’s.

“Big Brother Pei…” he called softly. The words reached his lips, but after a brief hesitation, he lost the nerve to continue.

Pei Mingyue walked up to him, lowered his gaze, and said, “I think you’d want to know about that matter.”

Hearing him bring it up on his own, Jiang Mingyi suppressed his excitement and nodded firmly.

Pei Mingyue spoke in his usual cool, detached tone, but this time with a trace of gratitude: “I’m very thankful to you.”

After a slight pause, he added, “And I thank you on his behalf as well.”

That “he”—Jiang Mingyi knew—referred to Pei Shiqing.

Though Pei Mingyue hadn’t admitted it outright, Jiang Mingyi understood perfectly. A relieved smile spread across his handsome face.

“I just want him to be happy.”

In the original course of fate, neither he nor Pei Shiqing had a good ending. But now, his life’s trajectory had already changed.

“Mm. I’ll make sure he’s happy,” Pei Mingyue promised.