Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The traffic light turned green.

Jiang Mo put away his phone with a grim expression and drove off smoothly. What did that pervert mean? Why did he take a photo of Mr. Chen?

Did he think there was something going on between him and Mr. Chen?

What a sicko.

But what if he was just like him? When he noticed Chen Xiu getting close to Xiao Hang, he had the urge to kill Xiao Hang. Would this perverted guy have the same idea?

Jiang Mo grew worried.

“Hmm? Cousin.”

Chen Zui, sitting in the back, answered the call. His already pleasant voice, tinged with alcohol, was even more mellow and intoxicating. Just hearing him speak felt like a tease.

Jiang Mo glanced in the rearview mirror. The man on the phone looked relaxed, his eyes behind the glasses curving into a faint smile: “Cousin, are you trying to set me up with a boyfriend?”

Jiang Mo’s pupils silently dilated, catching the keyword: boyfriend.

Chen Zui chuckled softly: “Cousin, aren’t you afraid Auntie will come after you? I appreciate the sentiment, but I’ve been really busy lately and don’t have extra time for dating.”

Chen Zui glanced at Jiang Mo: “Yeah, I’m out. Let’s talk later.”

He hung up.

Chen Zui said with a hint of helplessness: “Families always have those well-meaning relatives.”

“Do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, Mr. Jiang?”

The question came up naturally and didn’t seem abrupt. Jiang Mo’s grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. He shook his head, then, unsure if Chen Zui had seen it, added: “No.”

“Then does Mr. Jiang have someone you like?” Chen Zui asked casually, intentionally looking into the rearview mirror and meeting Jiang Mo’s gaze. He could sense Jiang Mo’s hesitation.

But in the end, Jiang Mo admitted: “Yes.”

Chen Zui’s lips curved into a smile: “Then I wish Mr. Jiang success in winning your beloved soon.”

Jiang Mo: “Thank you, Mr. Chen.”

The conversation ended there, and Jiang Mo breathed a slight sigh of relief. He really wasn’t good at small talk.

Chen Zui closed his eyes again, appearing to doze off, but in reality, he was asking Ao Tian: “How are things on Chen Xiu’s end?”

Ao Tian: “He’s already made a mistake. Xiao Hang is about to make his move. Jiang Mo missed out tonight.”

Its tone was full of smugness. At the Dark Transmigration Bureau, they were all about stirring up trouble and messing with the male leads!

Ao Tian: “But this way, you also prevented Jiang Mo from getting his leg broken.”

It suddenly realized: “You did it on purpose, ooh la la~ No wonder you have a wife! Already protecting him, huh? But the person he likes must be Chen Xiu. Doesn’t that make you, Chen Zui, sad?”

Chen Zui found the question amusing. How long had he even known Jiang Mo? There was no emotional foundation between them. Why would he care who Jiang Mo liked?

If the other person weren’t his mission target, they wouldn’t even register on his radar.

Chen Zui: “I’m so heartbroken. Can I get a consolation reward?”

Ao Tian: “Hold on, let me check.”

Chen Zui quite liked his system. It wasn’t a hassle, always pitched in without a word, and it felt like they were on the same team.

That was a real partner.

After over 40 minutes, they arrived at the villa area where Chen Zui lived. Jiang Mo had never been here before and found himself thinking: Could one person really live in such a huge house?

If he had a place like this, with near-perfect security and plenty of distance between neighbors, maybe he could kidnap Chen Xiu and keep him locked in the basement.

But his current place wouldn’t work—the walls weren’t soundproof.

As the car stopped, Jiang Mo noticed a middle-aged man in a black suit standing at the entrance. The man immediately stepped forward to open the rear door.

Chen Zui got out of the car and said to Jiang Mo: “Thank you. Sorry for the trouble.”

Jiang Mo: “Not at all.”

Chen Zui instructed his driver: “Take Mr. Jiang home. Come pick me up tomorrow morning.”

Driver Zhang: “Yes, sir.”

Jiang Mo quickly waved his hands in refusal: “No, no, it’s fine. I can just grab a shared bike.”

Chen Zui smiled. With his handsome looks, whenever he chose to, his smile could make people feel like they were basking in a warm spring breeze: “I understand Mr. Jiang’s environmentally conscious attitude, but it’s quite a distance from here to the nearest shared bike spot. It’s late, and you have work tomorrow. Let the driver take you back.”

His words were genuinely comforting. Even Jiang Mo’s frugality was framed as environmentalism, saving the man face.

Jiang Mo felt a bit giddy and nodded along: “Okay, thank you, Mr. Chen.”

Even after getting into the car, Jiang Mo still felt light-headed.

Ao Tian: “Wow! His favorability rating for you has risen to 15! Amazing, amazing!”

Jiang Mo came back to his senses and turned to look out the window. He could still faintly make out the tall figure standing at the entrance—like a pine, a bamboo, or a jade tree. Under the night sky and the lights, he looked stunningly handsome.

Chen Zui stood there, seemingly watching the car drive away but actually asking Ao Tian: “So, is there a consolation reward for me?”

Ao Tian: “Ah! I got too excited and forgot. Wait a bit, let me check again.”

Chen Zui only cared about whether he was getting a reward. Hearing this, and with the car now far away, he headed home. With the driver making sure Jiang Mo was safe, nothing unexpected should happen tonight.

If a broken foot didn’t heal properly and affected his ability to stand, it would really get in the way when taking care of business. He preferred to do it standing up—though he’d never done it before, he imagined…

Doing it from behind would be incredible.

—

By the time Jiang Mo arrived home safely, the lights were already on in Chen Xiu’s apartment. He gave up on the idea of lurking around the bar where he worked part-time. What he didn’t expect was that Chen Xiu wasn’t alone in that apartment right now.

Chen Xiu was looking over the contract Xiao Hang had given him, chewing on his pen fretfully.

Truth be told, aside from rental agreements and his company’s employment contract, he’d never really looked through a contract. Despite his serious demeanor, the densely packed terms and conditions made his vision blur.

Xiao Hang, meanwhile, was sizing up Chen Xiu’s place. It could only be described as “small but complete.” Neatly tidied with a light, pleasant scent, it felt cozy—a totally different atmosphere from his own place.

Meanwhile, Jiang Mo was carefully washing the shirt. He’d specially bought a new basin and a new bar of artisanal soap—the priciest one they had at the supermarket. That tiny bar set him back over a hundred bucks.

But he didn’t mind. He worked the soap into a careful lather.

While Jiang Mo was washing Chen Zui's shirt, Chen Zui was passing the time in a private theater watching a recently released movie, with a frosted glass cup containing half a glass of whiskey by his side.

Compared to his past missions as a mercenary, where he had to operate amid a hail of bullets, his current task was almost too easy and relaxing.

It felt like a game.

Jiang Mo gave the shirt a few shakes, hung it on a hanger, and carefully smoothed out all the wrinkles before placing it in the middle of the balcony. He then glanced at Chen Xiu's room opposite him—the lights were still on at this hour, even though he usually would be asleep by now.

Just as Chen Xiu was about to sign the contract, his phone buzzed. It was placed on the coffee table next to the contract, and Xiao Hang almost instinctively glanced toward the sound. In the next moment, the phone was swiftly snatched away by Chen Xiu, who looked tense, as if there was something he wanted to hide in his phone.

This caught Xiao Hang's attention, but he didn’t ask any questions.

Chen Xiu took a moment to sneak a peek at his phone.

"Why aren't you asleep?"

"Don’t do anything unnecessary."

"I’ve been watching you."

Xiao Hang noticed Chen Xiu’s pale face: "What’s wrong?"

Chen Xiu looked at him: "I agree to move in with you."

After sending that message, Jiang Mo suddenly remembered the information he had received. Crap, he forgot to remind President Chen to be careful lately. Although he had President Chen’s contact information, would it be appropriate to call him without permission?

Jiang Mo began pacing anxiously around the living room, torn over what to do.

Chen Zui, growing drowsy during the movie, had only one question throughout: Is money in this world so hard to launder that they have to produce such terrible movies to feed audiences garbage? Yet, driven by a curiosity about how bad it was, he had kept watching until now.

His phone, placed nearby, lit up.

He picked it up.

Jiang Mo: "President Chen, sorry to disturb you, but it seems the city hasn’t been very peaceful lately. I hope you’ll take extra care for your safety."

Chen Zui chuckled. Was this message, so vague and out of the blue, really sent just like that?

Should he call him naive, foolish, or adorable?

Chen Zui put his phone down.

Ao Tian: "Aren’t you going to reply?"

Chen Zui: "President Chen is very busy~"

——

Late into the night, the "very busy" President Chen, dressed entirely in black with a baseball cap and a windbreaker hood pulled over it, appeared at Jiang Mo’s doorstep.

With just a stretch of his arm, the man effortlessly reached the camera above.

He covered it with a piece of paper.

Then he opened the door and swaggered inside.

Ao Tian: "What are you doing? We didn’t drug him this time."

Jiang Mo, woken by the noise, looked warily toward the door while reaching for the fruit knife on the bedside table—its blade had been specially sharpened.

Clutching the knife, he got out of bed.

After waiting for a while with no further sound, he stared at the door for a long time. Had he misheard?

He didn’t turn on the light, afraid of drawing attention if someone had indeed entered.

Tiptoeing cautiously to the door, he held his breath and pressed the handle. The door slowly opened a crack.

His eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, saw no one.

Bending slightly, he remained alert as he took small steps forward, still holding the door handle and pushing it wider open. The tall figure pressed flat against the wall behind the door was gradually concealed.

Jiang Mo let go of the handle and slowly turned toward the living room.

Behind him, the door was silently pushed shut, revealing a tall figure. Only a pair of eyes glowed in the dark like a wild beast’s.

Chen Zui glanced at the knife in Jiang Mo’s hand.

Beneath his mask, the corners of his lips turned up in a smirk.

He stepped forward, reached out a long arm from behind, and seized Jiang Mo’s knife-wielding wrist while his other hand swept over Jiang Mo’s shoulder, forcefully gripping his chin to prevent him from turning around.

No matter how hard Jiang Mo struggled, the arm holding him didn’t budge an inch—the other’s strength was immense.

His chin felt as if it were about to be crushed.

A low, lingering voice drifted into his ear: "Surprise~"

Warm breath brushed against his ear, raising goosebumps.

Chen Zui raised his index finger, pressed it against Jiang Mo’s lips, and traced their shape. The other man opened his mouth and bit down.

Inside, it was warm and moist, the tongue he touched slick and soft.