ALCSRB Chapter 86

The night before their trip to Haishi, Jiang Mingyi had been agonizing over packing his luggage for a long time.

“It’s just a few sets of clothes for changing, is there really a need to frown like that?” Shen Xingyan said as he walked over and found that Jiang Mingyi still hadn’t finished packing.

The suitcase on the floor was stuffed full, yet Jiang Mingyi was still holding a plush pillow in his hands, trying to cram its fluffy body into the already overflowing suitcase.

Shen Xingyan raised an eyebrow. Jiang Mingyi turned around with his delicate brows furrowed, his voice lacking confidence. “Can I… bring another suitcase?”

He gently hugged the plush pillow with both hands, his clear, bright eyes staring up at Shen Xingyan, fully prepared to cry if he didn’t get his way.

Shen Xingyan’s gaze lingered on the already squashed pillow for two seconds before meeting Jiang Mingyi’s eyes, which carried a hint of “threat.”

“If I’m not mistaken, I’ve already replaced that pillow lately.”

Jiang Mingyi had always liked sleeping with a pillow in his arms. But by the middle of the night, the pillow often ended up tragically kicked off the bed. Still, it had loyally accompanied him for many years—until recently, when Shen Xingyan successfully climbed into his bed, and the poor pillow found itself unemployed.

Clearly, Jiang Mingyi had also realized that the pillow hadn’t been very useful lately.

After all, he’d been sleeping with Shen Xingyan almost every night, using him as a giant human pillow that took up his entire bed—and all his personal space.

“But once we get to Haishi, we can’t sleep in the same bed anymore, right?”

Shen Xingyan walked up to him in a few strides, eyes lowered to the slight crease between Jiang Mingyi’s brows.

“Why can’t we sleep in the same bed?”

“When we’re out traveling… How am I supposed to tell Mom and Dad we’re sharing a room?”

I mean, he couldn’t exactly say, “Mom, Dad, I’m scared to sleep alone—I want to sleep with my ge.”

Never mind what Su Wanxin and the others might think—he couldn’t even bring himself to say that without feeling mortified. He wasn’t a kid anymore.

Shen Xingyan saw right through him and let out a short laugh.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll explain it to them.”

“Huh?” Jiang Mingyi blinked in surprise. “And how exactly are you planning to explain it?”

He really didn’t think Shen Xingyan would choose this moment to come clean about their relationship.

“I’ll give them a perfectly convincing reason,” Shen Xingyan said with a mysterious wink. “You just follow my lead.”

As he spoke, he casually tossed the pillow back onto the bed. Then he crouched down and reorganized the suitcase on the floor. The once cluttered luggage now looked neat and fresh.

“No need to bring unnecessary things. If we need anything, we’ll just buy it there.”

“Oh.” Jiang Mingyi responded quietly. “Looks like you’ve packed already.”

“I’m not as fussy as you—wanting to bring this, and that.” Shen Xingyan said, grabbing Jiang Mingyi’s hand. “I only need to bring you.”

Jiang Mingyi was annoyed by the first part of that sentence, but after hearing the second half, his ears instantly turned red.

“You really know how to sweet-talk.”

He poked Shen Xingyan’s chest with his free hand. The firm muscles beneath his pajamas were obvious—and every poke made Jiang Mingyi vividly imagine just how alluring that body was.

After three consecutive pokes, his finger was swiftly caught.

A shadow fell over his head, blocking out almost all his view.

Warm, familiar breath brushed against his forehead, and Jiang Mingyi’s heart gave a sudden tremble. Then came Shen Xingyan’s deep, magnetic voice murmuring in his ear:

“I don’t sweet-talk anyone else. Only you.”

—

The next morning, Jiang Mingyi followed Shen Xingyan downstairs. Their luggage was picked up by the driver and loaded into the car.

After breakfast, the four of them got into the car and headed straight to the airport.

During the ride, Jiang Mingyi lowered his head and exchanged a few WeChat messages with Pei Shiqing.

They were going to stay in Haishi for several days, and Jiang Mingyi was still wondering if Pei Mingyue had figured things out. But he couldn’t just ask directly, so every day he tried to subtly pry a few updates about their situation out of Pei Shiqing.

Before long, they arrived at the airport.

As they walked, Shen Xingyan, walking behind, suddenly hooked his pinky around Jiang Mingyi’s.

Jiang Mingyi turned to look at him. “What are you doing?” He also sneaked a glance at Su Wanxin and Shen Jikun up ahead.

“Last time we were at the airport, someone got themselves lost,” Shen Xingyan said with a teasing tone.

Jiang Mingyi’s face instantly flushed with embarrassment as the memory came back to him. He pressed his lips together.

“That was your fault.”

“My fault, huh? That’s why this time, I’m holding onto you.”

And with that, the pinky hook turned into a full interlacing of fingers.

Startled by the bold gesture, Jiang Mingyi tried to pull his hand back—but Shen Xingyan just gripped it tighter.

People bustled around them, too busy with their own business to notice the small, intimate interaction. Not until they reached the boarding gate did Shen Xingyan finally let go of his hand.

As the warmth faded, Jiang Mingyi curled his hand into a fist, missing the heat of that grip already.

“Xiao Yi, hurry up and follow along,” Su Wanxin called from ahead.

They soon boarded the plane. They had booked first class. Su Wanxin and Shen Jili sat in the front row pair of seats. Shen Xingyan stood in the aisle behind them, his deep black eyes gazing at Jiang Mingyi with quiet tenderness.

Jiang Mingyi walked over, his soft hair brushing against Shen Xingyan’s cheek as he took the window seat.

No sooner had he sat down than Su Wanxin’s voice floated over from the front: “We’ve already contacted your great-uncle. Once we arrive in Haishi, someone will pick you up.”

Jiang Mingyi gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment.

“Ah Yan, take good care of Xiao Yi,” Su Wanxin reminded Shen Xingyan again.

Shen Xingyan had just sat down beside him.

“I will,” Shen Xingyan replied.

Only then did Su Wanxin turn back, satisfied.

The plane took off shortly after. The two-hour flight wasn’t particularly long. Once the plane leveled out, Jiang Mingyi rested his head on Shen Xingyan’s shoulder.

Lowering his eyes, Shen Xingyan took in Jiang Mingyi’s completely unguarded expression.

Long, curled eyelashes, a high nose bridge, beautifully shaped lips, and fair cheeks pressed gently against his shoulder—he looked obedient and adorably sweet.

“If you’re bored, just close your eyes and take a nap,” Shen Xingyan said softly.

He asked the flight attendant for a small blanket and draped it over Jiang Mingyi.

Jiang Mingyi didn’t like being covered, and just as he was about to push it off, Shen Xingyan stopped him.

He tucked Jiang Mingyi’s hands under the blanket. “The air conditioning’s a bit low. If you fall asleep, you’ll catch a chill.”

“Then hold my hand,” Jiang Mingyi said, grabbing his hand just as Shen Xingyan tried to pull it away, then tilted his face up and gave him a contented smile.

“Alright.” The voice was soft, but it drifted clearly into Jiang Mingyi’s ears.

With a small smile at the corner of his lips, he slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep, leaning against Shen Xingyan.

…

When the plane landed, the turbulence stirred Jiang Mingyi awake. The small blanket was still properly covering him, and his hand—intertwined with Shen Xingyan’s—had gone a little stiff after two hours.

He turned his head toward Shen Xingyan, his eyes still slightly dazed.

“Ge, have we arrived?”

Shen Xingyan used his other hand to brush aside the strands of hair that had fallen over his forehead. “We’ve arrived.”

Excited, Jiang Mingyi tossed the blanket off. But barely two seconds later, he suddenly sneezed.

Shen Xingyan immediately frowned.

Jiang Mingyi chuckled sheepishly. “My nose is just a little itchy.”

The flight attendant’s voice sounded over the intercom, signaling the end of their journey.

The people arranged by the Meng family were already at the airport to pick them up, leading them to a sleek black business van which drove them away.

The Meng family was a well-established and prominent clan in Haishi, with a large and sprawling lineage.

Madam Meng’s marriage to the Meng family’s old master had once made headlines, but unfortunately, he passed away in an accident early on, leaving her to raise several children on her own.

Thankfully, the Meng family had always been united. Under her leadership, their vast enterprise not only stayed afloat—it flourished.

However, once her children each inherited their own branches of the family business, Madam Meng’s health started to decline.

Jiang Mingyi sat next to Shen Xingyan in the back row, curiously peering out the window as the car entered a massive European-style estate.

“This time, the birthday banquet will be held right here in the estate. All the guests will be staying on the property,” came a voice from the front—one of the Meng family’s house stewards.

“Will there be a lot of people?” Jiang Mingyi glanced at the steward who was talking with Shen Jikun and quietly asked Shen Xingyan.

Shen Xingyan told him, “The Meng family has a lot of descendants. Just stick with me and I’ll help you figure out who’s who.”

“Ge, do you know them all?”

Jiang Mingyi had never visited the Meng family before, and only heard a few things about them from Su Wanxin.

“Most of them,” Shen Xingyan replied.

“What if you run into someone you don’t recognize? Wouldn’t that be awkward?” Jiang Mingyi suddenly thought of the possibility and covered his mouth as he laughed quietly.

Some of the people in front turned around when they heard the sound, and Jiang Mingyi immediately stopped laughing, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Once they turned back, Shen Xingyan raised his hand and lightly tapped his nose. “Then I just won’t call them anything.”

Jiang Mingyi wrinkled his nose and dodged his hand. “You’re so bad.”

“Bad? How?” Shen Xingyan raised an eyebrow, gazing at him with a playful smirk.

Jiang Mingyi grabbed the hand he hadn’t pulled back yet and said cheekily, “Bad from head to toe.”

Suddenly, Shen Xingyan leaned in close, lowering his voice right beside his ear: “I’m this bad… and you still like me.”

The warm breath brushing his ear sent a small shiver through Jiang Mingyi. Without thinking, he shoved Shen Xingyan away. “Don’t get so close!”

He darted a glance at the people in front and shot Shen Xingyan a meaningful look: Watch yourself.

Shen Xingyan sat back leisurely, but his gaze landed on Jiang Mingyi’s ear, now bright red. His eyes were full of amusement.

Finally, the van stopped in the courtyard of the estate.

Everyone got out one by one. Jiang Mingyi was the last, and as he stepped out, he nearly lost his balance—Shen Xingyan caught him just in time.

Su Wanxin noticed out of the corner of her eye and was startled.

Just as she was about to say something, a familiar voice interrupted her.

“Jili, Wanxin, you’ve finally arrived.”

The voice belonged to Meng Deqing, the current head of the Meng family and Madam Meng’s eldest son. Upon hearing they’d arrived, he had come out to greet them personally.

Seeing Su Wanxin and the others already walking over, Jiang Mingyi rubbed his forehead. “That was close—I almost embarrassed myself.”

After all, stumbling the moment he stepped onto someone else’s turf would’ve been pretty humiliating.

“is your foot okay?” Shen Xingyan glanced down at it.

“Oh, it’s fine.”

The two trailed behind the group as they entered the estate.

Just then, a young man came running out from inside. Meng Deqing scolded him, “What kind of manners is that, rushing around like that?”

He then turned to introduce him to Su Wanxin and the others, “My youngest son, Meng Yan. Go on, greet everyone.” That last part was directed at the young man.

Meng Yan obediently greeted Su Wanxin and Shen Jili, then looked toward the two standing behind them. “Gege, didi,” he said.

Jiang Mingyi: “…”

Why am I the little brother?

The guy looked about the same age as him!

Meng Yan stared at Jiang Mingyi, his smile a little shy. “Dad, can I take Xiao di to play with me? He looks so pretty.”

The elders around them all burst into laughter at that, except for Shen Xingyan—whose face had gone dark as thunderclouds.