Chapter 127

Chapter 127

The driver called twice more, his voice softer each time.

Yu Chuang noticed Ji Mian's expression darkening and knew the car was probably stuck in traffic and wouldn't be able to make it.

He checked the map on his phone and said, "The subway station is just around the corner..."

"You expect me, the young master, to ride the subway?"

Yu Chuang was surprised, "You've never taken the subway before?"

"I have, but..."

Yu Chuang was speechless. Judging by the tone earlier, he thought Ji Mian had never ridden the subway in his life.

"It's too crowded; I hate it."

Hearing Ji Mian say "I hate it," Yu Chuang inexplicably felt the urge to indulge him.

Realizing his own subconscious thought, he felt a strange sensation and forcefully suppressed the impulse to go along with Ji Mian: "The subway will take us there in twenty minutes."

When he usually went to the Ji Family's place, he alternated between the subway and taxis.

Seeing Ji Mian's brow still furrowed, Yu Chuang added, "I'll accompany you."

Ji Mian reluctantly agreed.

The subway entrance was a short walk away from the restaurant, and the two of them went in and passed through security.

The Friday evening crowd was huge, especially near the university, and there were quite a few people waiting for the train.

Either Ji Mian or Yu Chuang alone would have drawn attention wherever they went, and now standing together waiting for the train, some people mistook them for celebrities or influencers. Especially Ji Mian, with his baseball cap and air of privilege, he had a certain style.

Some even discreetly snapped photos with their phones.

Yu Chuang tugged Ji Mian closer.

The subway finally arrived, and the carriage was jam-packed. As soon as the doors opened, a flood of people poured out, and the waiting crowd ignored them, rushing in instead.

Only then did Yu Chuang realize he'd underestimated the Friday night rush.

Ji Mian frowned, about to feign disdain as he entered, when his wrist was suddenly grabbed.

He turned to see Yu Chuang's lips pressed tightly together.

Ji Mian: "?"

"Why are you pulling me?"

"...I think we should wait for the driver to pick us up."

Ji Mian's eyes widened, doubting his ears.

Two beeps sounded in the station, and the platform doors closed at that moment.

Ji Mian watched the train whiz by in front of him, furious: "Hey, what's wrong with you?"

"I've already come this far with you, and now you want to wait for the driver?"

Yu Chuang apologized immediately, "Sorry."

Ji Mian remained silent: "..."

He noticed that Yu Chuang was becoming increasingly quick to apologize.

Yu Chuang silently observed him.

Ji Mian always cared about his appearance, even in winter, when he insisted on dressing stylishly.

Though he wore multiple layers, his slim, tall frame kept him from looking bulky. His slender, pale neck remained exposed; he thought a scarf would ruin his look.

Yu Chuang wasn’t sure what he was thinking. Just before the subway doors closed, he pictured Ji Mian—who could detect even a hint of cigarette smoke—being squeezed into a crowd, surrounded by all sorts of smells, pleasant or otherwise. Even Ji Mian’s scent would cling to others...

Almost instinctively, he reached out and grabbed him.

Yu Chuang didn’t believe in hierarchy, but looking at Ji Mian, he felt this person shouldn’t suffer any hardships. Everything Ji Mian desired should be effortlessly within his grasp.

He just wanted to cherish him.

Yu Chuang snapped out of it, closing his eyes and pressing his palms hard against his eyelids. He was startled by his own momentary thought.

This idea clashed with the values he’d held for twenty years. It felt absurd, like a betrayal of himself.

"Your eyes…" Ji Mian began.

Hearing Ji Mian’s voice, Yu Chuang lowered his hands and opened his eyes to meet his gaze.

Ji Mian’s expression remained cold, his gaze steady: "Are your eyes bothering you?"

"…No," Yu Chuang replied.

Yu Chuang led Ji Mian out of the subway station and into a warm café to wait for the driver.

Ji Mian removed his hat, carrying a faint whiff of alcohol.

The person beside him touched his hair.

He turned his head sharply, "Did I say you could touch me?"

Yu Chuang explained, "There’s a mark from the hat."

The hat had left a faint mark in Ji Mian’s hair.

Ji Mian didn’t protest further.

Yu Chuang had only meant to fix the hat’s mark, but instead, he ended up tousling Ji Mian’s hair.

"…" He calmly withdrew his hand.

There was no mirror here anyway, so this person couldn’t see.

"What’s so funny?" Ji Mian demanded.

Yu Chuang was confused, "I’m not laughing."

Ji Mian said coldly, "Should I pull up the security footage to prove it?"

"…"

Yu Chuang went quiet and brushed his lips with his fingers.

It turned out skipping the subway was the right call. They didn’t wait long before the Ji Family’s car pulled up.

Yu Chuang walked Ji Mian out, watching the flash of gold vanish as the car door shut.

The haughty, icy voice in his ears faded, replaced by the howl of wind and the rumble of cars. Yu Chuang felt the world around him grow hollow.

His fingers twitched stiffly.

*

Ji Mian’s birthday fell in January, celebrated at one of the Ji Family’s rarely used villas. It was far from downtown, so Ji Mian and his father seldom went there.

For Master Ji’s birthday, Ningcheng’s elite sent over gifts to mark the occasion.

The villa was decked out with bright flower arrangements and trays of fancy pastries. Ji Mian’s father even cracked open his prized wine collection for Ji Mian to share with friends—each bottle worth a small fortune.

Presents of every size piled up, taking over half the room.

Still, Zhou Ji quipped, "This year’s birthday’s pretty low-key, huh? Just at your family’s villa?"

Ji Mian redefined 'low-key' in his mind but just shrugged, "Yeah, couldn’t be bothered to throw a big thing."

Zhou Ji gave him a pat.

The villa buzzed with laughter, Ji Mian at its heart, swarmed by sycophants, his face wearing an arrogance that wasn’t his own.

By nightfall, the guests had finally cleared out.

Ji Mian headed back to the city from the villa, reeking of booze, which made him cringe.

He stumbled into his bedroom, and as the door clicked shut, his strength gave out. He slumped to the floor—he’d meant to hit the bed but didn’t want the booze stink on the sheets.

The system chimed in, "You put in the work today."

Ji Mian pushed himself up, his tense face finally easing. "Not bad—racked up a decent number of points today."

They were small, but they added up to a few hundred.

"..." Just tap your brother’s nose, and they’re yours.

After sitting on the carpet for a bit, Ji Mian dragged himself up to shower. He hated the stench of smoke and couldn’t stomach the reek of booze. Now that it was on him, it was even worse.

Half an hour later, Ji Mian stepped out of the bathroom in a robe. His hair was half-dry and would finish drying in the warm bedroom air.

His face was blank, and when he spotted the man lounging on the sofa, long legs stretched out, Ji Mian’s dazed look didn’t fade, unsure if it was a boozy hallucination.

Until the man spoke: "Master."

Ji Mian snapped back to reality, his brow furrowing in displeasure. "Why didn’t you knock before coming in?"

Yu Chuang answered, "Butler Li told me I could come in whenever."

"..." Ji Mian was speechless.

He had tacitly agreed to this before.

"Why are you here so late?"

"It’s the holidays, I have nothing to do, so I came over."

"What do you mean, using me for entertainment?"

Yu Chuang seemed to realize his words were inappropriate and fell silent.

When his gaze dropped, he saw Ji Mian's delicate ankles, the skin slightly red from the hot water, still warm.

"If there's nothing else, you can leave. I'm heading to bed," Ji Mian started to usher him out.

Otherwise, given the role he was playing, it would be odd if Yu Chuang stayed overnight without anything happening. But Yu Chuang clearly wasn't interested.

Yu Chuang stood up, as if to leave, but then asked, "You look really tired today, huh?"

He hadn't missed Ji Mian's expression when he first came out of the bathroom, his eyes dull and tired.

Ji Mian was puzzled: "Huh?"

Yu Chuang walked over, leaned in, and hugged him. With a quick motion, he lifted Ji Mian off his feet.

In just a few seconds, before Ji Mian could react, he was already gently laid on the bed.

"..." It took him a while to realize what had happened, and he awkwardly pulled his legs back, "Alright, alright, you can go back now."

Yu Chuang still didn't move, uneasily looking at a handbag by the bed.

Ji Mian then noticed that there was something there and frowned, asking, "What's this?"

"A gift."

Ji Mian realized.

His brother was quite the professional, even thinking to give a gift to his patron?

The handbag contained only a black velvet box. Inside was a watch.

The deep blue enamel dial was stunning.

Ji Mian thought the watch looked familiar. After recalling, he realized he had seen it in a magazine before.

A new model released this year. He had bookmarked the page because he thought it was quite beautiful.

Yu Chuang must have noticed and decided to buy it.

But this watch had an official price of 630,000, and it wasn't something money alone could buy. Even Ji Mian would have to place an order to get it. How did Yu Chuang manage it?

Moreover, a birthday gift for a patron was just a token of goodwill, why go to such lengths? It was almost as if he was sacrificing himself...

Ji Mian felt a pang of sadness, not understanding what Yu Chuang was thinking.

Getting it had been quite a hassle.

Yu Chuang had never bought luxury items before and didn't know that some things couldn't be bought even with money. He had spent almost double the price to get this watch.

He couldn't quite grasp his own motives. Perhaps it was because he didn't want to have any connection with Ji Mian, nor with the money Ji Mian gave him. So, he returned everything Ji Mian had given him in other ways.

Ji Mian looked at Yu Chuang. Up until now, he had only paid Yu Chuang for three months. After deducting the expenses for Yu Xing's medical treatment, the remaining money wasn't much more than the price of this watch.

"Did you win the lottery?"

Yu Chuang: "...No."

If he had won the lottery, the first thing he would do was spend ten million to buy his freedom.