Chapter 143

Chapter 143

The following week, Ji Mian returned home very late for several days in a row. Since the apartment in Lishui New Garden was too far from the company, with a round trip taking over an hour, he decided to stay at the place he bought near the company.

On Wednesday evening, Ji Mian got a message from Zhou Ji in their tight-knit group chat, saying the project with Mingsheng was a success and inviting the other two members to go out and celebrate.

Ji Mian knew Zhou Ji well—he was normally pretty laid-back. For him to make such a big announcement in the group, it must have been a big deal for Zhou Corporation.

Of course, Ji Mian wanted to celebrate his friend’s success. Plus, he’d been working nonstop since last week, even through the weekends, so he agreed to go.

Xue Zongguang chimed in with a quick "Okay."

Zhou Ji was the most excited.

First, there was the good news, and second, the three of them had been swamped with their own stuff for the past month—either traveling for work or going to events on weekends. They rarely got the chance to hang out.

Ji Mian used to be the only one living the easy life of a rich heir, but now that he’d been forced to take over the family business, none of them could live as carefree as they used to.

Since they all had to work the next morning, Zhou Ji just picked a spot where they could hang out and talk. He brought a box of treats from a well-known bakery in Ningcheng.

For them, just hanging out and chatting was enough to unwind.

They talked for a while, mostly about Zhou Ji’s Mingsheng project.

"Some of Mingsheng’s big shots in Ningcheng are here too. The official celebration dinner is actually tomorrow night… but I was too pumped and had to get you guys out first."

Ji Mian was mid-bite into a pastry when he heard this, and his mind wandered for a second.

He figured his brother probably wasn’t around. Yu Chuang had said last week he wouldn’t be back in Ningcheng this weekend.

"Since when do you wear a ring?"

Ji Mian turned at the sound. Xue Zongguang’s gaze glanced over from the side, landing on his left hand.

Zhou Ji chuckled, "I was gonna ask the same thing. Since when do you wear bling? And on your ring finger? Are you married?"

"…"

Ji Mian didn’t want to hide it from them, but he really didn’t know how to bring up the fact that he’d married Yu Chuang. He laughed awkwardly and scrambled for the right words.

"It looks a bit plain," Zhou Ji remarked, feeling a bit puzzled. Decorative rings usually weren’t this simple. The longer he stared, the more it looked like a wedding ring…

"Let me see?"

Ji Mian hesitated for a moment, then took off the ring and handed it to Zhou Ji.

Zhou Ji turned the ring over in his hand and realized that the design was more intricate than it appeared from a distance. The diamond setting and craftsmanship on the side were top-notch, and the style was quite rare. Inside the ring, there was an engraved letter "Y."

At this, Zhou Ji suddenly froze, his expression as if he’d been struck by lightning.

"What?" Xue Zongguang, seeing his expression, became curious for once and took the ring from the stunned Zhou Ji. After examining it carefully, the two of them shared the same look.

Ji Mian, afraid that Xue Zongguang might drop his ring, reached out to take it back and put it on himself.

Zhou Ji: "Is this… really a wedding ring!??"

"…Yes."

"Who did you marry? When did you get married? How did you meet? Why haven’t I heard anything about this?"

A series of questions left Ji Mian struggling to keep up. He replied, "We just tied the knot last week..."

But when it came to who he married, he clammed up. How could he explain?

Just as he was about to speak, hesitating to say Yu Chuang's name, his phone suddenly rang.

Seeing the caller ID, Ji Mian froze for a second, letting it ring a few times before picking up.

Zhou Ji and Xue Zongguang exchanged glances, their shock over their friend's marriage still fresh, now mixed with confusion about Ji Mian's phone-answering habits. Why wait when the phone was right there?

And when he answered, his tone was icy: "What is it?"

Ji Mian had rarely acted like his old playboy self in the past two years, and using such a tone was even more unusual. Zhou Ji wondered: Who could be calling?

Yu Chuang's voice was just as cold: "Why aren’t you at home?"

From his question, Ji Mian realized: Yu Chuang was at their place in Li Shui Xin Yuan.

"You... didn’t you say you wouldn’t be back till the weekend?"

Yu Chuang: "...I came back during the week, not the weekend."

Ji Mian was floored. How could he see it that way?

"Where are you right now?" Yu Chuang asked.

"I’m out."

"What’s going on?"

"Just eating and chatting." Ji Mian was getting impatient, "Are you finished?"

Zhou Ji and Xue Zongguang shared another look, hearing Ji Mian, they had a hunch it might be his spouse.

Yu Chuang clearly wasn’t done: "Who’s with you...?"

"Who else? Just friends."

After that, there was silence on the other end for a few seconds.

"Where? When will you finish, I’ll come pick you up."

Ji Mian instinctively wanted to say he had driven here, but before speaking, he suddenly remembered his bankrupt persona and changed his words: "No need, I can get back myself."

But the other end simply said: "Send me the address."

Then hung up, as if afraid Ji Mian would refuse.

"..."

Ji Mian looked up, meeting two pairs of eyes filled with intense curiosity, and was momentarily speechless.

He uncomfortably averted his gaze and said, "You’ll know who it is... in a bit."

"In a bit?" Zhou Ji, seeing he wasn’t going to say, thought Ji Mian was still trying to keep them in suspense, and immediately slapped the table, saying, "Let’s end it now, have him come pick you up!"

*

Yu Chuang drove to the location Ji Mian had sent him, expecting Ji Mian to be waiting at a teahouse or restaurant, but upon getting out of the car, he saw three people standing under a roadside plane tree.

Ji Mian was in the middle, with the other two standing beside him like bodyguards, their gazes seemingly searching for something.

Yu Chuang stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and the group.

Zhou Ji, who had been scanning the area for Ji Mian's spouse, was the first to catch sight of Yu Chuang, his expression shifted abruptly.

What’s he doing here?

Seeing Yu Chuang walking towards their direction, Zhou Ji, recalling the various conflicts between Ji Mian and Yu Chuang, felt his heart lurch. Without hesitation, he threw an arm around Ji Mian’s neck and spun him around.

They were now facing the tree.

Ji Mian: ?

Xue Zongguang, initially confused, quickly mirrored the action, turning around at a leisurely pace.

The three of them stood in a neat row facing the roadside plane tree. If not for their bright attire, a passerby might’ve mistaken them for troublemakers, drunk and causing a scene at night.

Ji Mian opened his mouth to speak, when Zhou Ji clamped a hand over his mouth.

"..."

They stood there for a good three or four minutes, Zhou Ji figuring Yu Chuang must’ve moved on by now, and then turned Ji Mian back around.

As soon as they turned, a tall, poised figure suddenly materialized right in front of Ji Mian.

Looking up, it was indeed Yu Chuang, his gaze fixed on Ji Mian’s face, a faint smile in his eyes.

Zhou Ji’s heart sank, thinking: It's over.

Before this encounter, Yu Chuang might’ve let bygones be bygones, barely giving Ji Mian, the so-called villain, a pass.

This time, it was a direct confrontation—was he really going to let this slide?

As his thoughts churned, Zhou Ji jumped in to divert attention: "Hey, isn’t this Mr. Yu?"

Yu Chuang turned his head and greeted: "Senior."

Then, his eyes locked back onto Ji Mian’s face.

Zhou Ji: "..."

"What are you doing standing here?" Yu Chuang asked.

As he spoke, his gaze drifted to Ji Mian’s shoulder, where Zhou Ji's arm was still draped.

Yu Chuang reached out, tugging Ji Mian’s wrist to pull him closer.

Ji Mian, who had been standing on the curb, was about the same height as Yu Chuang, but being pulled down, Zhou Ji had no choice but to drop his arm.

The ring on Yu Chuang’s left hand caught the light. Zhou Ji, who’d only caught a glimpse, froze when he recognized the ring’s design.

Ji Mian turned to him, giving Zhou Ji a look that said it all.

—It's him.

Zhou Ji’s face once again went slack with shock.

"Going back?"

Ji Mian didn't speak, which was as good as a yes.

Yu Chuang greeted the two dazed individuals and just took Ji Mian with him.

*

Yu Chuang was quiet on the way back home with Ji Mian.

After they silently tidied up, it was still early. Yu Chuang casually pulled Ji Mian closer, held him and kissed him for a bit. Then, holding Ji Mian’s left hand, he said, “Good.”

Ji Mian: “?”

“You didn’t take it off.”

Ji Mian didn’t feel like discussing this topic and asked, “What brought you back so suddenly?”

“There was some urgent work in Ningcheng, so I came.”

Yu Chuang wasn’t trying to twist his words; he had intended to keep his promise, but the wait was killing him… Coincidentally, there were also some matters in Ningcheng that needed handling, which originally didn’t require Yu Chuang’s personal presence. But on a whim, he came anyway.

To his team, he just said he came to Ningcheng personally to “show sincerity,” earning their praise and adding it to the boss’s collection of motivational quotes for the company’s future growth.

So, Yu Chuang not only broke his promise but also didn’t wait until the “next weekend” he’d mentioned, flying to Ningcheng during the workweek instead.

When Ji Mian asked, Yu Chuang thought he didn’t want to see him and chuckled, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll stick to my word from now on.”

Ji Mian pressed his lips together and asked, “What about Yu Xing?”

He remembered Yu Xing had health issues. He’d been with Yu Chuang for a while but hadn’t heard him bring up Yu Xing, so he couldn’t help but ask.

Yu Chuang was surprised, “You remember my brother’s name?”

“…” His reaction left Ji Mian at a loss for words.

“He’s doing well. He’s in college now and will be back for the summer.”

After answering, Yu Chuang felt a warmth in his chest.

He liked when Ji Mian brought up these things, as if he cared about him and wanted to understand him. Even if it was just in passing.

“Let’s sleep,” Yu Chuang said.

…

In the dead of night, a loud thud echoed through the bedroom.

Ji Mian’s body trembled first, and then his consciousness jolted awake from the dream. He quickly turned on the bedside lamp.

The room instantly brightened. The person who should have been beside him was now missing from the bed.

Yu Chuang wasn’t sleeping next to him, and a few meters away from the bedroom, there was a muffled groan of pain.

Following the sound, Ji Mian saw Yu Chuang on the floor, apparently tripped by the low table placed in the center while getting up in the dark.

Yu Chuang was holding the back of his head, likely having hit the edge of the table.

Ji Mian immediately got out of bed to help him up.

“Where did you hit?”

Yu Chuang clearly hadn’t fully recovered, but his arm was already pushing against the floor to sit up.

Ji Mian helped him sit on the nearby sofa and first checked if Yu Chuang was injured.

Besides a bump on his head, Yu Chuang's right calf was also cut by the sharp edge of the low table. The wound wasn’t large, but it was still bleeding.

Other than that, no other injuries were visible.

Yu Chuang, probably feeling embarrassed, pulled Ji Mian closer and buried his face in his stomach.

Worried about the cut on Yu Chuang's leg, Ji Mian pushed his head away and said, "Let go, I'll get the medicine."

Yu Chuang held on for half a minute before letting go but still didn’t let Ji Mian leave.

"I'm fine," Yu Chuang said, still looking a bit awkward.

Ji Mian's tone turned urgent without him realizing, "What were you doing?"

Yu Chuang looked uneasy, "I was... going to the bathroom."

"Why didn’t you turn on the light when you got up?"

"..."

Because I didn’t want to wake you.

Knowing that his trip to the bathroom wasn’t entirely innocent, Yu Chuang didn’t want to turn on the light and let Ji Mian know.

Ji Mian leaned Yu Chuang's head against him and lifted his hair to check for swelling.

"I'll get the medicine," he said, releasing Yu Chuang and leaving the bedroom.

Yu Chuang watched Ji Mian leave, lost in thought for a moment.

It was strange. Over the years, he’d always lived in the city where he worked, wherever Mingsheng was based.

Yu Chuang had owned his own house since he was young, the house he’d dreamed of as a kid, a place just for him and Yu Xing. He no longer had to live under someone else’s roof or, like in college, scramble with Yu Xing to find cheap rentals in Ningcheng every holiday, only to move back to school in chaos each term, never having a stable home.

But it was strange. He’d lived in that city for seven years but never felt like he belonged.

Yet, after being married to Ji Mian for less than two weeks, returning to Ningcheng felt like coming home.

Living in this house that once felt like a trap, he now felt warmth.

He had a home. If only the other person in it could love him, it’d be perfect.

"Young master..." Yu Chuang whispered to himself, greedily wishing for more.

Could you love me?

*

Yu Chuang’s wound was easy to handle. After Ji Mian returned, he just applied some medicine, and the bleeding stopped in ten minutes.

Yu Chuang didn’t dare to get his hopes up. He knew Ji Mian had a soft heart.

The next morning, Yu Chuang got up early and was about to change when he noticed Ji Mian was awake, sitting up and rubbing his tired eyes.

He stopped, "Did I wake you?"

He should’ve gone to another room to get ready. After last night’s fall, Ji Mian had lost an hour of sleep.

Yu Chuang remembered that when he used to visit the Ji Family, Ji Mian would sleep in, sometimes until noon after a night of drinking.

What time was it? He looked at the clock; it wasn’t even 7:30.

He didn’t realize that Ji Mian woke up early because it was also time for him to go to work.

Yu Chuang said considerately, "Go back to sleep; I’ll use another room to get ready."

Ji Mian stayed silent.

Yu Chuang indeed left but returned ten minutes later.

He had already gotten ready and came back to spend a little more time with his newlywed lover before leaving.

Seeing Yu Chuang in a suit while he was still in pajamas, Ji Mian felt the same urgency as being the last one ready during military training.

As the boss, no one would call him out for being late, but it was better to lead by example.

Ji Mian was anxious, but Yu Chuang kept nuzzling his neck.

Ji Mian couldn’t help but say, "I’m going to be late for work."

Yu Chuang’s eyes sparkled with amusement, brushing off Ji Mian’s urgency: "It’s fine; we’ve got time."

Ji Mian stayed silent. He meant *he* was going to be late.

Yu Chuang lingered until the very last moment, finally pulling away with reluctance.

The moment Yu Chuang left, Ji Mian sprang up, changed quickly, and thought, *I did this to myself.*

"System, how many Affection Points are left?"

"Excluding potential deductions from plot deviations, only 500 Affection Points remain to reach 100,000."

We’re almost there.