Chapter 13: Bridal Carry – Wanting Jiang Fengmian to Touch Him

Chapter 13: Bridal Carry - Wanting Jiang Fengmian to Touch Him

The glaring sunlight streamed through the glass and hit Jiang Fengmian's face. He raised his hand to block it, turned over, and was about to fall back asleep.

The soft sensation underneath him suddenly pulled Jiang Fengmian's groggy thoughts back. He fumbled around under his pillow to grab his phone and saw that the time read 8:17.

Jiang Fengmian rubbed his eyes, confirming that he wasn’t mistaken. It was 8 o'clock, 8 AM the next day.

He jolted upright, looking around the room. It was indeed his familiar bedroom. The question was, how did he get back here?

Jiang Fengmian propped his head up and spaced out. He was still stuck on the moment from the previous night when Huo Zong was putting in his eye drops. He’d been lying in Huo Zong's arms and seemed to have fallen asleep.

Wait, how did I fall asleep?

Now that he was safely back in his bedroom, Huo Zong must have carried him up. It had to have been a bridal carry.

Damn, if only I had pretended to be asleep. I didn’t feel a thing.

In Jiang Fengmian's imagination, the bridal carry involved him shyly circling his arms around Huo Zong's neck, while Huo Zong doted on him with a loving gaze. It was in slow motion, accompanied by the perfect light music, so romantic it made him swoon.

In reality, the bridal carry saw Huo Zong carrying him while he slept like a log, probably drooling, much to Huo Zong's disgust.

Jiang Fengmian lay flat on the bed, like a corpse, already imagining all kinds of stuff. All his energy seemed to drain in an instant. Feeling utterly listless, he dragged himself up, too drained to even brush his teeth.

As usual, there was an extra hundred-yuan bill in his treasure box. Jiang Fengmian touched the money and took a deep breath.

Forget it, next time I’ll pretend to be asleep and wait for Huo Zong to carry me.

Heh, I’m such a little clever ghost.

"Little Master, you’re up. Come and have breakfast."

"Aunt Wang, good morning. Where’s He Zong?"

"Sir left at seven."

Jiang Fengmian responded with an "Oh," and after finishing his meal, he returned to his room to continue drawing comics. This time, however, he set an alarm for himself, standing up to rest every hour.

[Dong Li: Hello, the sketch is roughly like this. Does it meet your requirements?]

[Baojiu Yibei: Wow, really nice! I just have one request, can it be a bit more intimate?]

[Dong Li: Sure.]

[Baojiu Yibei: Hey, Sir, could you handle 18+ content? Money is not an issue; whatever you ask for, I’ll pay. It won’t be shared or used commercially, just for personal appreciation.]

[Dong Li: Sorry, a bit more intimate is fine, but negative distance isn’t acceptable. It’s not about the money; it’s just not something I can do.]

[Baojiu Yibei: Alright then.]

Jiang Fengmian was caught off guard again when he received another payment, 8888, a small red envelope from a customer.

Ah, how he wished he could take on these rich people, considering 8888 as a small red envelope, while in his mind, a small red envelope should be 0.88!

[Dong Li: Thank you for the red envelope. I promise to satisfy you.]

It’s just a bit more intimate, Jiang Fengmian could handle that easily.

In the blink of an eye, it was evening. After updating his work, Jiang Fengmian watched the money in his backend increase bit by bit, feeling extremely satisfied. He hugged his phone, planning to take on more custom orders to save up enough money to buy a watch.

The watch was a limited edition, and Jiang Fengmian feared it would be gone if he waited too long.

Click.

Jiang Fengmian's ears twitched, and he quickly sat up from the sofa, turned on the background music, and picked up a small notebook to jot down some notes.

"Good evening, Huo Zong."

The living room was lit, and soothing light music played in the background. Huo Zong bent down to change his shoes. The glass on the coffee table was filled with warm water, and for a moment, this cold house seemed to come alive with warmth.

Jiang Fengmian's gaze lingered on Huo Zong's neck, where the black silk tie stood out prominently. He suppressed the growing excitement in his heart, and his eyes, which held the stars, subtly lifted.

It was their little secret—Huo Zong had tied the tie he had given him. Did it mean that Huo Zong liked his gift?

"Huo Zong, you're quite late today. I've already refilled my water twice."

Huo Zong glanced at the time, realizing he was only an hour late.

"You were waiting for me."

"Mm-hmm, they said on TV that we should drink more water."

So, Jiang Fengmian had repeatedly calculated his return time, reheating the water when it cooled, and attentively listening for any sounds at the door, waiting for him to come back.

Huo Zong took a sip of water, the temperature just right, soothing his dry throat. A wave of warmth washed over him.

"Thank you."

"Huo Zong, did I sleepwalk yesterday? It was so strange. I don't know what happened—I was on the sofa one moment, and then I woke up in the bedroom."

Ho Zhong's arm stiffened; he didn't really want to recall.

It was quite a feat for Jiang Fengmian to sleep so soundly and still remember to hook his neck. Originally, Ho Zhong planned to place Jiang Fengmian on the bed and leave, but Jiang Fengmian used both hands and feet to lock him down.

He was forced to lie tightly against Jiang Fengmian, waiting for him to relax before he could pull him off.

Tossing and turning until midnight, Ho Zhong felt the lingering warmth of Jiang Fengmian on his neck, damp and scorching, like a writhing spirit snake that burrowed straight into his heart, forming an airtight net that enveloped him entirely.

He pinched his fingertips, lying on the bed with restrained breaths, eyes half-closed, and managed to fall asleep in a twisted posture.

When choosing a tie, Ho Zhong inexplicably picked the one given by Jiang Fengmian, as if afraid of regretting it, he quickly tied it and left.

In the rearview mirror, he met Chen Chen's inquisitive gaze, lips pressed together, and said coldly, "Chen Chen, drive well."

"Sure, boss. Should we switch to a different style of tie in the future?"

As a competent special assistant, Chen Chen personally handled everything from the temperature of the coffee to buying new clothes for the season. Now that Ho Zhong's tie style had changed, this wasn't a good sign, indicating that he had failed to understand Ho Zhong's preferences.

"No need."

Ho Zhong closed his eyes to rest, pressing his fingers against his temples, frowning slightly, the itch at the back of his neck growing more intense. He must be crazy; at some point, he even wanted Jiang Fengmian to touch him again.

"Ho Zhong, you're not talking."

Jiang Fengmian hummed softly, shoving a small notebook into Ho Zhong's hands.

"Ho Zhong, my stick figures look good."

The little notebook contained Jiang Fengmian's perspective of Ho Zhong, a few strokes bringing his image vividly to life.

Jiang Fengmian could no longer be described as a stick figure; he was more like a little person in a bun style, slightly shorter than Huo Zong, with every move he made incredibly adorable.

"Hmm, it looks good."

"Huo Zong, you draw too, I like what you draw."

Jiang Fengmian half-forced the pen into Huo Zong's hand, propping his chin up and performing a blooming flower for Huo Zong, his palm quickly sliding away to reveal his cheek, a master at being cute.

Huo Zong drew a small animation of a stick figure whose eyes hurt from looking at a phone for too long, especially highlighting a fruit slicing game, with the central message: "Harmful to Eyes and Body."

"Got it?"

"Got it, play less during the day, miss Huo Zong."

"Jiang Fengmian."

Huo Zong lifted his eyelids, his tone slightly heavier. Facing the obedient and well-behaved Jiang Fengmian, he swallowed his reprimand.

Forget it, Jiang Fengmian doesn't understand anything.

"Uh-huh." Jiang Fengmian looked at Huo Zong expectantly, already picking up his notebook to take notes.

"You can go to my study to read books when you have nothing to do during the day. I'll have someone send over a batch of children's books tomorrow."

Meow meow meow?

Children's books, who, him?

Jiang Fengmian's expression was about to crack. Could it be that his act as a little fool was too convincing, making Huo Zong think he was a primary school student?

No way, children's books are totally unnecessary!

"If it's too deep, you can look at picture books."

Jiang Fengmian took a breath, but the words of rebuttal stuck in his throat.

It doesn't matter, as long as Huo Zong is happy.

"An-anything is fine."

"Mm, let's eat."

Thanks to Huo Zong's silent treatment, Jiang Fengmian completely forgot about the sleepwalking topic. Huo Zong picked up his chopsticks and breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he started eating.

For several days, Jiang Fengmian was immersed in the ocean of drawing.

The client was very pleased with the draft, settling the remaining 150,000 and even adding an extra 10,000 as a bonus for the hard work. He made it clear that when he had new material, he would commission Jiang Fengmian again.

Jiang Fengmian figured this was probably a fan obsession, waiting for new content to commission another fan art.

Tsk, true love.

It's great to be rich.

Jiang Fengmian hummed to himself as he scrolled through his phone, carefully flipping through the picture books in Huo Zong's study. He'd paid for them, so not reading them would be a waste.

Bing bong, bing bong.

Jiang Fengmian warily looked towards the door. He crouched and peeked through the smart lock's eyehole, spotting a familiar face.

Oh, it's Huo Qilin.

What's he doing here?

Jiang Fengmian had been leaning against the wall for a while, and the person outside was getting more and more impatient. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. It rang once, and the call was hung up each time.

Huo Qilin cursed in frustration and slammed his hand on the door.

What's so great about Huo Zong that Grandfather keeps worrying about him? It's such a small matter, yet I had to come all the way here to inform him.

"Grandfather, it seems like no one's home at Uncle Huo's. Every time I call, the line gets hung up."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a click—the sound of Jiang Fengmian leaning against the door.

"Hey, idiot, is it you at home?"

"Open the door, idiot."

You're the idiot, go away.

Jiang Fengmian took a deep breath, coughed twice, and then dialed Huo Zong's number. It was connected in just a few seconds.

"Huo Zong."

A clear sob could be heard over the line, causing Huo Zong's brows to furrow, leaving the already tense meeting room even quieter.

"What's wrong?"

"There's a bad guy banging on the door, and I'm scared."

Huo Zong checked the door lock connected to his phone and saw that it was Huo Qilin, yelling "idiot" over and over and occasionally banging on the door. He couldn't reach Huo Zong, so now he's throwing a fit, huh?

"Head back to the bedroom."

"Okay."

The people in the meeting exchanged silent glances, making faces at each other. What's going on here? Although Huo Zong only said a few words, they could sense a touch of gentleness.

"Now, the Huo in Huo Corporation is not the same as Huo Qing's Huo. I don't want to see any more two-faced behavior. If you reach too far, you better consider whether you have the ability."

"Chen Chen, handle it."

"Yes, Mr. Huo."

The people in the meeting buzzed with discussion. Everyone knew how Huo Qing retired. If someone wants to retire, they should do it themselves. Dragging so many people into it is disgusting.

Jiang Fengmian crouched down and quickly sketched a few more panels. Huo Qilin seemed to enjoy teasing him, spewing insults.

"To put it bluntly, you're just selling yourself. Huo Zong may think highly of you now, but that might not last. Do you really think he likes you? Keep dreaming. Huo Zong could like anyone but a fool."

"Tsk, how about I point you to a better path? Some people like you just the way you are—a fool who doesn't talk much. Since Huo Zong doesn't care about you, it doesn't matter if you 'sell' yourself at home or outside. Need me to help introduce you?"

"Fool, oh right, I forgot you wouldn't understand. Come on, open the door, let me teach you."

Damn it.

Jiang Fengmian carefully placed the tablet down, his anger surging to the top of his head. He was about to be sick from Huo Qilin's disgusting behavior. What a pure idiot.

Before Jiang Fengmian could figure out how to deal with him, the door lock made a beeping sound.

The cursing suddenly stopped as Jiang Fengmian took a few steps back and found himself staring into Huo Qilin's smirking eyes.

"How did you get in?"

The door was locked with a password, and Huo Zong wouldn't tell it to outsiders.

"Tch, Huo Zong still uses grandma's death anniversary as the password after all these years, isn't that shameful? A butcher, a bringer of death—what qualification does he have? Why didn't he die along with her?"

"Don't you dare speak of Huo Zong." Jiang Fengmian's tone was unusually cold, his gaze on Huo Qilin as cold as if he were looking at a dead man.

Huo Qilin let out a soft sneer, his unabashed gaze fixed on Jiang Fengmian's sunken collarbone.

His eyes darkened. In their previous encounters, he had been too focused on Jiang Fengmian's tantrums to notice. Now, upon closer inspection, Jiang Fengmian did have some charm. Even in a plain T-shirt, his slender waist was quite evident.

He hadn't had the pleasure of someone like him yet. Might be worth trying.

Tsk.

Huo Qilin chuckled softly, but before his hand could even touch Jiang Fengmian's face, he got slapped.

Jiang Fengmian coldly said, "Stay away from me, you're filthy."

"Filthy?"

"Heh, Jiang Fengmian, you have no idea what filthy really is."

Huo Qilin unbuttoned his suit jacket and twisted his wrist, a faint, sinister smile curling on his lips, making him look utterly disgusting.

"Huo Zong isn't home. How about you keep me company?"

Smack.

Huo Qilin was momentarily disoriented, his head tilting to the side, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. He couldn't understand how Jiang Fengmian had hit him so hard.

"Damn it, I think you want to die."

Jiang Fengmian didn't waste words. Seemingly grabbing Huo Qilin's wrist without any technique, he slammed his elbow into Huo Qilin's ribs, then drove his knee upwards. Huo Qilin let out a scream like a slaughtered pig.

"You little bitch, you're tired of living, aren't you? Let me knock some sense into you."

Huo Qilin was in too much pain to stand, a certain part of him indescribably sore, his face turning pale instantly.

Without another word, Jiang Fengmian kicked Huo Qilin in the chest again.

Scum, it's scum that deserves to die.

Huo Qilin staggered to his feet, clenching his fists as he took two steps forward. Before he could reach Jiang Fengmian, the front door suddenly swung open.

Huo Qilin looked up and met Huo Zong's cold, icy stare.

"L-Little Uncle."

Jiang Fengmian instantly changed, as if he'd been deeply wronged. Biting his lip, he fought back tears and buried his head in Huo Zong's chest. Sniffling, he spoke in a pitiful voice, "Brother, it hurts so much, everywhere."