Chapter 37: A Cat Grew in the Bed? Do You Like Me in Lingerie…

Chapter 37: A Cat Grew in the Bed? Do You Like Me in Lingerie...

"Brother, what are you up to?" Jiang Fengmian hugged Huo Zong from behind, fiddling with the bouquet early in the morning, nervously as if afraid of brushing off the petals.

"I’m figuring out how to preserve it. We don’t have the materials at home, so I’ve called someone over to help. We’ll set it up once it’s done."

Oh, so he hasn’t given enough gifts—just a bouquet, and now he wants it to last forever.

"Huo Zong, I’ll give you more next holiday."

"Okay."

Huo Zong held Jiang Fengmian’s fingers. What he truly anticipated wasn’t the gift but Jiang Fengmian. As long as it came from Jiang Fengmian, he would cherish it.

"Brother, Xiao Yi wants to invite me out."

Sheng Zhiyi probably saw Huo Zong’s social media post. He had video-called last night, hinting that his uncle was too busy and he was feeling particularly bored, wanting to spend time with Jiang Fengmian.

Huo Zong felt somewhat relieved. Xiao Yi has plenty of friends his age, while Jiang Fengmian had no one to talk to besides him. If they could play together, it would be much better than Jiang Fengmian being lonely and stuck with him at the company.

"Sure, have Xiao Yi’s driver pick you up, and come back early tonight."

"Okay, okay." Jiang Fengmian coughed lightly, his lips pouting slightly as he shyly tugged at Huo Zong’s sleeve. "Huo Zong, remember to miss me, okay?"

"Okay."

Work at the company was hectic. After Sheng Zhiyi arrived to take Jiang Fengmian away, Huo Zong handed the flower arrangement to Aunt Wang and hurried off to the office.

***

Chen Chen seemed to have been waiting for Huo Zong for a while. As soon as he arrived, Chen Chen entered the office and locked the door behind him.

"Mr. Huo, the official from the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau asked if we had caught wind of something in advance. He looked quite serious. I explained that you’ve recently been heavily invested in the Cultural and Tourism Bureau’s project, which is why we’re now considering purchasing land in the southern district."

"The specific plans for the southern district aren’t clear yet. It was only vaguely mentioned once during a meeting, and no internal policies have been finalized. But if development does happen, that land in the southern district will definitely have an advantage."

Huo Zong’s heart was in turmoil, but he remained calm on the surface, nodding slightly.

Jiang Fengmian’s confident demeanor made it seem as if he already knew about the southern district’s plans—as if he could predict the future. Huo Zong didn’t believe such coincidences existed in the world.

"What about the western district? Any news?"

"None. The plans for the western district were finalized long ago, and the requirements remain the same as before."

"Alright, we’ll have the meeting at ten sharp."

Huo Zong took out the chibi character Jiang Fengmian had drawn earlier, his gaze fixed on the little figure of Jiang Fengmian. Emotions swirled in his eyes, but he said nothing more.

"Xiao Yi, where are we going?"

Jiang Fengmian looked out the window at the unfamiliar scenery. He was used to being in Huo Zong’s territory, and being in a new place made him instinctively nervous.

"To buy you some clothes, Auntie. I’ll dress you up, and I guarantee my uncle will be completely smitten."

Jiang Fengmian tugged at the black thin shirt he was wearing, which he had taken from Huo Zong’s closet. His gaze shifted to Sheng Zhiyi, and compared to him, he indeed didn’t look very fashionable.

"Huo Zong has already bought me a lot of beautiful clothes. There’s no need to buy more."

"Uncle is uncle, and I am me. I want to give you a few things. You haven’t been to the Sheng family’s mall yet, have you? Let me take you for a tour."

Sheng Zhiyi led Jiang Fengmian straight to the fifth floor, from west to east, having Jiang Fengmian try on clothes in every store.

"Xiao Yi, why are the clothes torn?"

Jiang Fengmian: What’s going on with Xiao Yi, taking advantage of his ignorance? This is clearly a lingerie store.

Ahem, where is the part about making Huo Zong lose his mind? Jiang Fengmian even wanted to buy a few pieces for Huo Zong.

"It’s not torn, it’s just the style, this year’s trendiest. Come, take a look at these."

The piece Sheng Zhiyi was holding had less fabric, but it still had some. The row they were looking at now was practically see-through.

—Practically wearing nothing.

"Hi, need any help?"

The staff member walked over with a smile. At first, he thought the two were a couple, but as he listened, how did "auntie" come into the conversation?

Tsk, must be some old man’s kept toy.

He felt disdainful and contemptuous inside, but didn’t show it on his face. These two looked like wealthy and gullible customers, so of course, he would sell them the most expensive items.

"No need."

Sheng Zhiyi’s face turned cold. The way this person looked at Jiang Fengmian made him extremely uncomfortable, clearly not a good person.

"Fengmian, let’s change to another store."

"Okay, okay."

Jiang Fengmian had the same thought. If he bought these back, he was afraid Huo Zong would think he was frivolous.

Although he was quite eager for Huo Zong’s body, he still needed to maintain some basic dignity.

"Hey, sorry, could you check if the tag fell off? According to our store’s policy, you have to buy this piece."

Jiang Fengmian glanced at the price tag, 7,300. They hadn’t even touched it, so how did the tag come off? Probably only the person in front of them knew.

Jiang Fengmian and Sheng Zhiyi exchanged a glance. They had encountered a scam.

"What evidence do you have that we pulled the tag off? There are surveillance cameras inside, right? Come on, call the store manager and show us the video."

"Sorry, our store manager is not here today. During this time, only you two were here, so who else could it be?"

Sheng Zhiyi sneered. He looked up at the surveillance camera. The staff member was standing in a blind spot, no wonder he was so confident.

"The store manager is absent during work hours. Is this how your store operates?"

"Sir, no need to get upset. Let’s focus on the facts. It has nothing to do with how we work. It was definitely you who damaged it."

Sheng Zhiyi laughed in anger. He crossed his arms and glared at the person in front of him, completely exasperated. "So, you’re dead set on scamming us today, right? The store manager is not here, and the surveillance is also problematic. How many people have you ripped off with these tricks?"

He lowered his eyes and looked at Sheng Zhiyi, but his demeanor showed no respect. He glanced casually at Jiang Fengmian and said sarcastically, "Customer, you misunderstood. I didn’t mean that. I just think the guy next to you seems a little off. Who knows if he did it?"

"You’re the one who’s not normal. You look shady. Who let you work here? Did you sneak in through the back door? Thinking about it, someone like you would be the first to get the boot during Sheng’s assessment."

The staff member seemed to be provoked by Sheng Zhiyi’s words. His eyes turned bloodshot, and his fists clenched with a creaking sound. He blurted out, "You young folks these days always look for shortcuts. Catering to old men and buying lingerie yourselves, you have no shame at all."

"Do your parents know what you’re doing outside? You don’t look that old, probably still in college. Especially you, you look like a fool. I work hard for my money, not like you, making money the easy way, shameless."

"How much are you guys worth, damn it. Trash."

Sheng Zhiyi had already raised his arm but was stopped by Jiang Fengmian, who smiled at the salesperson and then slapped him hard.

The salesperson’s face turned to the side, instantly marked with finger prints. He touched his cheek, looking at Jiang Fengmian in shock and disbelief, clenching his fist, ready to strike.

"Damn it, why the hell did you hit me? You dare to do it but won’t let others talk about it, huh?"

Jiang Fengmian twisted the salesperson’s wrist gently, hearing a cry of pain. Seizing the moment, he fiercely slapped the other side of his face.

"Little Yi, he cursed, so he deserved it."

"Screw your ancestors, do salespeople have no rights? I’m calling the police, calling the police."

Jiang Fengmian suddenly let go, and the salesperson fell to the ground. Jiang Fengmian looked down at him innocently, "The police catch bad guys, not good guys."

Now the salesperson was certain—Jiang Fengmian was a fool, beaten by a lunatic. Calling the police would be useless.

The commotion was loud enough that the manager from the next store immediately called the supervisor.

The supervisor hurried over, seeing Sheng Zhiyi leaning against the glass door frame, his heart almost stopped.

The supervisor wiped the sweat from his palms, smiling apologetically, "Little master, why didn’t you let us know you were coming? We could have delivered anything you needed to your home."

Hearing "little master," the salesperson scrambled up from the ground. In this building, the only one who could be called "little master" was Sheng Zhiyi, the treasured grandson of the Sheng family.

"Well, what do you think? I need the surveillance footage from this store, and where’s the manager?"

"Xue Jing, I’m sorry, I didn’t know, I didn’t know."

Jing kept apologizing, "Little master, please don’t be angry. We’ll investigate right away."

The salesperson looked defeated. He had accidentally torn off the tag, and two pieces of fabric sewn together cost seven thousand three hundred. He didn’t have that much money to buy it, nor did he want to deduct his salary. Knowing that the people who came here were either rich or noble, he deliberately picked two soft targets to bully, hoping they would be the scapegoats to buy it. Who would’ve thought he’d hit a brick wall.

The surveillance footage clearly showed the salesperson had done it himself, yet he tried to frame and insult Sheng Zhiyi and Jiang Fengmian. Jing didn’t even dare to listen.

During training, they specifically highlighted the notable figures in the capital. How could he not know, how was he doing his job?

"Little master, this person is not in our staff records. He must be a temporary worker, here to help."

The employee number entered was not for an insured person. Anyone on a one-month contract should be paying social insurance as per regulations. There was no such person, just a temporary worker. Recently, there was no need for additional staff, how did he get in?

"Oh, then call the police. Someone not from the company snuck in with bad intentions."

"Don’t call the police, please don’t call the police."

The salesperson knelt down to Sheng Zhiyi, crying with snot and tears, "I have a sick mother at home, and two children to support. The manager is my relative, I begged him to let me help for a few days. I can’t afford the seven thousand three hundred for the clothes."

"Who told you that full compensation is needed? If the tag is lost, report it to the headquarters. As long as the clothes are fine, they can be re-entered into the inventory following the procedure."

Jing was really exasperated. Everyone has a family to support. He had verified, the manager was hospitalized, following the normal leave procedure. This store usually didn’t have many people, so no additional staff was transferred. Who knew this person would take advantage.

"Little master, what do you think?"

Sheng Zhiyi coldly looked at the salesperson, what a moral blackmail, almost putting him on the fire to roast.

"If your mouth is foul, clean it up. Deduct two days’ pay. If your eyes are dirty, everything looks dirty. Anyone who comes to buy clothes is labeled as being kept, who would dare to buy from Sheng family in the future."

"Sorry, sorry, I was wrong, I know I was wrong."

The clerk kept slapping his own face, and Sheng Zhiyi didn’t speak, so he didn’t stop.

"That’s enough, Manager Jing. From now on, the Sheng family is not allowed to hire him."

"Understood, understood. The young master is magnanimous. Young master, which ones do you like? I’ll wrap them up for you."

Now there were people taking photos and watching. Sheng Zhiyi personally helped the clerk up, signaling the bodyguard who had been following them to pay attention. He didn’t want the videos or photos to spread, leading to accusations that he bullied the clerk and tarnishing the Sheng family’s reputation.

"Aunt, which ones do you like? We’ll take them all."

Manager Jing was also a shrewd person; the only one Sheng Zhiyi would call 'uncle' was Huo Zong. His legs were almost giving way. If he offended Huo Zong’s boyfriend, his years of being a manager would be over.

Jiang Fengmian casually picked a few items, the kind that seemed to conceal but were full of details upon closer look, combining subtlety and wildness.

"Xiao Yi, I have money. I’ll pay for it myself."

"That won’t do. No, I said I would buy them for you."

Sheng Zhiyi paid first, not embarrassing Manager Jing.

"Manager Jing, I don’t want this incident to escalate, understand?"

"Understood, understood. Young master, take care."

Manager Jing’s face instantly turned grim. He glared at the clerk, gritting his teeth, "If it weren’t for the young master’s leniency, you’d be in jail now. Do you know who the other person you insulted is? He’s Huo Zong’s boyfriend. Even if Huo Zong doesn’t know, the Huo Corporation surely does."

"I don’t care what relation you have with the store manager. He let you in, so a performance deduction is certain. I’ll pay you triple for these days’ wages. In the future, keep a low profile. A foul mouth will get you in trouble sooner or later."

***

"Aunt, you won’t blame me for not reporting it to the police, right?"

Jiang Fengmian shook his head. Not reporting it to the police was the right decision. With so many eyes watching on the Sheng family’s turf, who knows what kind of trouble might arise.

"That’s good, that’s good. Don’t take his insults to heart."

"I won’t. I hit him."

Jiang Fengmian wasn’t a soft-hearted saint who would pretend nothing happened after being insulted to his face.

"Hehe, Aunt, you’re really amazing. If you hadn’t hit him, I would have."

Jiang Fengmian was completely different from what he had imagined. He looked soft but had thorns; not just anyone could bully him.

It was almost two o’clock when they ate. Sheng Zhiyi specially arranged a large table of dishes for Jiang Fengmian, though each portion was small, wanting him to taste everything.

After the meal, Sheng Zhiyi opened a bottle of red wine, not caring if Jiang Fengmian drank it, and started drinking directly from the bottle.

"Jiang Fengmian, actually, I’m very, very happy."

He slumped on the table, his cheeks flushed, clutching the wine bottle, whimpering but not shedding a tear.

"All these years, my uncle finally seems human. He’s been suffering. When my grandmother passed away, everyone said she was also cursed by my uncle. Since then, my uncle rarely returned to the Sheng family. He deliberately stayed away, fearing something might happen to my grandfather."

"He cares deeply. He is aware of all those words, but he has no one to confide in, and he can’t say them. The Huo family wishes him dead, and my uncle seems indifferent to life and death."

"With you here, my uncle finally seems to have some vitality. I bought these things with hidden intentions. You might not know, my uncle has emotional apathy. He might not have much interest in those areas. I just thought you two could add some passion to your life."

"Sigh, I’m afraid if your relationship turns sour, what if you leave my uncle? How will he live alone in the future?"

"My uncle is very introverted. Don’t hold it against him. It’s really not easy for him to find someone he likes. We all thought he would spend his life alone."

Jiang Fengmian stared at Sheng Zhiyi, who was really wasted, even spilling that Huo Zong might have emotional apathy and maybe... other problems.

"Jiang Fengmian, boohoo, I’m so miserable too."

Sheng Zhiyi got more and more worked up, sobbing in Jiang Fengmian's arms, gasping for air, with huge tears streaming down. He started talking about his own troubles and then took swigs from the bottle, which was already empty.

He smacked his lips, confused, "Huh, why doesn’t it taste like anything?"

"Jiang Fengmian, let me tell you, actually I like..."

"Xiao Yi."

The words Sheng Zhiyi was about to say caught in his throat. He gaped at Bao Jiu standing in front of him and cried even harder.

"Uncle Bao."

"Alright, let’s go, I’ll take you home."

Bao Jiu picked up the limp Sheng Zhiyi and said to Jiang Fengmian, "Fengmian, have the driver take you home. Xiao Yi is drunk, I’ll take him back."

"Alright, see you later, Second Brother, see you, Xiao Yi."

When Jiang Fengmian returned home, he clutched the clothes to his chest. Luckily, Aunt Wang wasn’t around at this time, and neither was Huo Zong.

Ping.

[Huo Zong: I miss you.]

Jiang Fengmian was startled, holding his phone. He’d only casually mentioned it before leaving that morning, but Huo Zong remembered clearly.

[Jiang Fengmian: Brother, I miss you too!]

[Huo Zong: Are you home?]

[Jiang Fengmian: Yeah, Xiao Yi got wasted, so Second Brother took him home.]

[Huo Zong: Did you drink?]

Whether he’d had a drink or not, Jiang Fengmian's gaze shifted to the bulging clothes. His cheeks turned red with embarrassment, um, he wanted to show Huo Zong.

[Jiang Fengmian: I had a drink! I’m not drunk! I’ve got a surprise for you!]

Huo Zong chuckled, he must be totally wasted.

[Huo Zong: Alright, I’ll come home early tonight.]

Jiang Fengmian put down his phone and glanced at the time. It was almost six o’clock. He sneaked a bottle of red wine from Huo Zong’s wine cellar.

Before Huo Zong got back, he stumbled around and got rid of the evidence.

His vision was blurry as he stumbled upstairs, took one of the clothes he bought today, took a shower, and struggled to put it on while looking in the mirror.

The skin on Jiang Fengmian's neck turned a light pink. He pressed his fingertip on the small mole on his collarbone, staring at his reflection. After much thought, he still draped one of Huo Zong's shirts over himself.

The oversized shirt covered down to his thighs, slightly rising and falling with his bending movements.

His nose was filled with Huo Zong's sharp woody scent. He leaned against the cold wall, trying hard to keep his eyes open, and staggered to push open the bedroom door. He carelessly shook out the blanket and burrowed into the soft bedding.

"Jiang Fengmian."

The villa was empty and silent, the living room lights dim. Huo Zong hung his clothes and carried the cotton candy he bought from the street vendor upstairs.

Jiang Fengmian's bedroom was also empty, the bed cold. Huo Zong felt a sudden panic. He hurried anxiously, calling Jiang Fengmian's name, and took out his phone to call him.

Just beyond the wall, Huo Zong suddenly looked up; the sound was coming from his own bedroom.

His heart skipped a beat, and he slowed his pace. He gently pushed open the door to his bedroom, his gaze shifting to see a small mound on his bed.

He walked over slowly; his kitten's cheeks were flushed, curled up obediently in his blanket.

"Jiang Fengmian."

Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Fengmian whimpered softly, struggled to open his eyes. His watery eyes fixed on Huo Zong, and he extended a hand from under the blanket, saying softly, "Huo Zong, I really missed you."

"I missed you too. I got you some cotton candy; want some?"

Jiang Fengmian lazily rolled over and opened his mouth, "Brother, can you feed me?"

Jiang Fengmian nibbled away at the colorful cotton candy. He groaned while trying to sit up, collapsing into Huo Zong's arms, sniffing around like a little detective, his nose finally resting against Huo Zong's neck.

"Did the little kitten detective find anything?"

"It's sweet; I like it."

Huo Zong had a sweet, indescribable scent. Jiang Fengmian sniffed gently, feeling his bones melt.

"Jiang Fengmian, why don't you lie down first? I'll make you some sobering soup."

"I'm not that drunk." Jiang Fengmian rubbed his temples, but under Huo Zong's gaze, he changed his tune, "Okay, I feel dizzy, I want some."

In Jiang Fengmian's plan, he was supposed to be half-drunk, but in reality, he wasn't sure how much he had drunk. He took a sip, paused, and after a few rounds, he finished the entire bottle of red wine.

Lying in bed, it felt like the bed was spinning around him. Jiang Fengmian stretched out a hand, and a few seconds later, it was gently held by Huo Zong, who came up with the sobering soup.

"Jiang Fengmian, sit up and drink this."

"Okay."

His frail frame seemed unable to support him. Jiang Fengmian drank the small bowl of sobering soup from Huo Zong's hand, gulping it down.

He bent his legs, resting his elbows on his knees, staring intently at Huo Zong, his eyes filled with overflowing affection.

"Brother, you're so handsome."

This was the person he had longed for, just from reading about him.

"Jiang Fengmian, you're even more handsome."

"Is my surprise just taking care of a drunk kitten?"

Jiang Fengmian shook his head. He shyly hummed, slowly lifting the blanket covering him. The shirt with only one button fastened hung loosely on him. Jiang Fengmian stood up with Huo Zong's support, and under Huo Zong's surprised gaze, he unfastened the last button.

"Huo Zong, this is the surprise."

There was a soft click.

It was the sound of Huo Zong's composure shattering.

He looked at Jiang Fengmian in disbelief; from his angle, the clothes inside seemed almost transparent.

Only that shirt was barely passable.

Jiang Fengmian's head was spinning terribly. He whimpered and knelt on the bed, leaning on Huo Zong's shoulder, acting spoiled.

"Brother, do you like it?"

Like it? Huo Zong didn't even dare to respond.

"Jiang Fengmian, is this all Sheng Zhiyi took you to do today?"

He thought Sheng Zhiyi was looking for trouble, taking Jiang Fengmian to buy such stuff.

"Huo Zong, don't you like it?"

Jiang Fengmian's eyes were teary, as if he would burst into tears if Huo Zong said he didn't like it.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Don't you like it? Do you dislike me?"

"I don't dislike you, Jiang Fengmian, I don't."

Huo Zong's hands didn't know where to rest. The intense heat radiated as he anxiously wiped Jiang Fengmian's tears, feeling completely at a loss.

"I like it, I like it, I like whatever you wear, Jiang Fengmian. Please don't cry."

Jiang Fengmian responded incoherently. He hooked Huo Zong's fingers, slowly guiding them to his collarbone, as if inviting.

"Brother, do you like this mole?"

Huo Zong's Adam's apple bobbed, unconsciously replying, "Mmm, I like it."

"I like it too. Xiao Yi cried, saying you have emotional apathy, that you don't like anything. How could you not like anything? Clearly, you do like things."

Huo Zong's fingertips felt like they were burning. He gently curled them, stroking Jiang Fengmian's hair, holding back all his emotions.

"I like things; it's not that I don't like anything. Jiang Fengmian, don't worry, okay?"

"Okay, Xiao Yi is very worried; he cried for a long time. I want to cry too."

"I don't want you to cry; I want you to be happy. Xiao Yi said such clothes are good, so I thought you would like them too."

"Huo Zong, my surprise—are you happy?"

The grip on Jiang Fengmian's shoulder suddenly tightened. Huo Zong instinctively clenched his grip, seriously staring into Jiang Fengmian's eyes, speaking with great sincerity: "Happy, I like your surprise."

It was a surprise he would never forget for the rest of his life.

"Hehehe, I'm glad you like it. You're happy, so I'm happy too."

Jiang Fengmian even wanted to stand up and twirl around a few more times, but Huo Zong quickly held him. Who knows how much he drank; his mind was foggy.

"Brother, I've already taken a bath. Smell if I'm fragrant."

Huo Zong grabbed Jiang Fengmian's arm and tucked him into the bed, half pressing on him, his deep eyes staring intently at him.

"Fragrant, very fragrant."

"Jiang Fengmian, let's play a game. Close your eyes, and let's see who falls asleep first. The one who falls asleep first will have a big surprise tomorrow, okay?"

Jiang Fengmian's sparkling eyes blinked. His muddled head thought for a moment, and he obediently nodded.

"I want to fall asleep first, brother. You can't fall asleep first."

"Okay, I'll watch you sleep."

Huo Zong's hand covered Jiang Fengmian's eyes until his even breathing came. Huo Zong glanced at himself and, with a cold face, went to the bathroom to take a cold shower.