Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Jiang Mo was probably planning to avoid him again.

Chen Zui tapped his slender index finger against the cigarette holder, causing the ash to fall into the ashtray with a soft rustle, giving off a rose scent. Yet, the other party’s affection meter had undeniably jumped to 95.

Just because of a kiss, the favorability skyrocketed, almost maxing out.

Chen Zui couldn’t help but find it amusing—was this little pervert just a bit too naive?

Ao Tian: "I’m the King of Impatience. When are you finally going to nail him?"

Chen Zui had his own thoughts on the matter. With the persona of "President Chen," he believed that if he showed even a hint of intention, Jiang Mo—despite any lingering hesitation—would likely let him have his way without thinking.

But where’s the fun in that?

The thought alone bored Chen Zui; it wasn’t what he wanted.

His dangerous eyes narrowed slightly, obscured by smoke, making it impossible to discern what he was plotting. Chen Zui was a man of strong opinions, pretty self-centered—traits shaped by his upbringing and his later years as a mercenary. In such environments, one must have their own ideas and not blindly follow others.

He sent a message to Jiang Mo, posing as the blackmailer.

"You went to a hotel with him."

"But he seems incapable—you were out in under three minutes."

Ao Tian: "Wow, you even diss yourself? Damn, you're ruthless."

Chen Zui was indeed ruthless. Once, on a mission as an undercover agent, he stabbed himself to earn their trust. So, to him, the tasks assigned by the Dark Transmigration Bureau were child’s play.

But it had been a long time since he’d enjoyed a game, and he was willing to play along.

Jiang Mo, who hadn’t replied to President Chen’s messages, responded to this one: "Stop talking nonsense! President Chen and I did nothing at all. President Chen is definitely not a three-minute man!"

?: "If you did nothing, how do you know he’s not a three-minute man?"

Jiang Mo stared at the message, his fingers frozen over the keyboard, unsure which keys to press. He was terrible at arguing. He couldn’t exactly say he’d slept with President Chen—the longest time was at least 13 minutes, and that was when he was drugged. In a normal state, it would definitely be longer.

"I just know," Jiang Mo muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" Wang Liang asked.

Jiang Mo quickly turned off his phone and looked at the computer screen, starting to type. "Nothing."

Wang Liang gave him a once-over. Aside from the bruises on his face, his expression seemed different from usual. Wang Liang thought he must be going crazy—he actually detected a certain glow on Jiang Mo’s face.

Jiang Mo turned his dark eyes toward him. "What’s wrong?"

Wang Liang propped his chin on his hand, speaking thoughtfully. "Are you... in love?"

Jiang Mo: !

His face turned beet red, and President Chen’s image popped into his mind. He stammered, "Wh-what nonsense are you talking? I’m definitely not in love!"

Jiang Mo turned back to the computer screen and typed rapidly, resulting in a mess of garbled code on the screen.

Wang Liang smiled like a knowing auntie. He was definitely in love—or at least crushing hard. It made him curious: what kind of person would someone like Jiang Mo fall for?

He didn’t press further, afraid Jiang Mo might combust from embarrassment and land him with legal liability.

Jiang Mo’s heart raced as images of President Chen flooded his mind—his every smile, the gentle, mesmerizing look in his eyes when he kissed him. Unconsciously, he bit his lip. President Chen’s lips smelled like roses.

Zhou Rui: "Hey, are you okay?"

Jiang Mo looked up. Chen Xiu, leaning on the desk with a flushed face, said to Zhou Rui, "I’m fine, I’m fine. I just stood up too quickly and got a bit dizzy."

"You might be anemic. I have some candy here—have a piece." Zhou Rui opened a drawer to look for sugar.

Jiang Mo thought Chen Xiu’s flushed face looked more like shyness. The way he sat was also strange—only on the edge of the chair, much like... he remembered that night with the Big Pervert...

He, too, could only sit on half the chair.

The sudden memory brought Jiang Mo both shame and anger. Chen Xiu suddenly glanced back, and when their eyes met, Jiang Mo froze for a moment before quickly lowering his gaze.

He had given up on monitoring Chen Xiu. Sometimes he wondered: if he hadn’t done those things to Chen Xiu, he wouldn’t have encountered the Big Pervert, and he wouldn’t be forced to bite his tongue now. If he hadn’t done those things, would he feel more confident around President Chen? If he hadn’t done those things, would Chen Xiu have been driven to... with Xiao Hang?

Jiang Mo’s feelings were complicated.

——

Chen Zui accepted Xiao Hang’s invitation and brought his designated assistant to the golf course. Since both sides had deepened their cooperation, as leaders, it was natural for them to engage in more social interactions to maintain relations.

Under the sunshade, Xiao Hang, wearing sunglasses, looked dashingly handsome. "I’ve heard President Chen is a golf pro. I’m looking forward to seeing it today."

He was referring to the original host. As for Chen Zui, he had never played golf—a rich kid’s game. When it came to balls, he’d only ever played with human heads as a mercenary. He smiled modestly. "I’m afraid I’ll only make a fool of myself in front of President Xiao."

"President Chen, don't be so modest. I’d be happy if you didn’t laugh at me."

The group boarded a shuttle cart headed for the course. Chen Zui and Xiao Hang sat facing each other. In many ways, they were similar: both young and accomplished, both exceptionally handsome. However, Xiao Hang’s private life was more "colorful," while the original host was a true workaholic—work was his lover, and achievements were his greatest nourishment.

Chen Zui genuinely didn’t see the appeal of golf, but he had good eyesight and aim. He’d looked up the rules on the way over and now was holding his own.

Ao Tian: "Host, you’re amazing! You don’t seem like a beginner at all."

Chen Zui: "With you backing me up, I can play without worries."

Another day where Ao Tian was so pleased he’d gladly empty his entire bank account.

Xiao Hang had an ulterior motive for inviting Chen Zui today. Behind his sunglasses, his eyes were full of curiosity and gossip. When did he and Jiang Mo get together? Was it during their last collaboration? Or that time in the lounge?

But what did he even see in Jiang Mo?

If he wanted to hire Jiang Mo as an employee, that was one thing—Jiang Mo was an excellent employee, capable and low-maintenance. But playing love games with Jiang Mo? Xiao Hang could only sigh at Chen Zui’s poor taste. Rumor had it he was so straight-laced—was it because his preferences were this unconventional?

While waiting for the ball to roll into the hole, Xiao Hang casually remarked, "Our last collaboration was very successful. My company is considering awarding an Outstanding Employee Award. I personally think President Chen, as a partner, would have valuable insights. Would you mind offering a suggestion?"

The wind ruffled the collar of Chen Zui’s polo shirt, giving him an athletic, elite vibe. "In my opinion, all of President Xiao’s employees are outstanding. It’s quite a dilemma."

He smiled.

Seeing that he wasn’t taking the bait, Xiao Hang pressed on. "Right now, it’s between two employees: one named Chen Xiu and another named Jiang Mo. Do you have any impression of these two?"

Chen Zui: "These two? Both are excellent. I believe, given your company’s employees’ character, even if one doesn’t win this time, they’ll only be motivated by it. President Xiao, you needn’t worry too much—your decision will surely be the fairest."

A lot of words, but all empty pleasantries.

Xiao Hang smiled inwardly, muttering, "Smooth-talking fox." Not one to give up easily, he added, "I thought President Chen would be more favorable toward Jiang Mo. Speaking of Jiang Mo, he seems to be seeing someone lately. But even with romance, it hasn’t affected his work. He really deserves a good reward."

Chen Zui looked at him. "I’m more interested in our ongoing collaboration. President Xiao, how you look out for your employees is truly a blessing for them. It’s your turn, President Xiao."

Xiao Hang got the hint that their partnership was the main thing, and everything else was unrelated. Xiao Hang wasn't the type to dig too deep; since the other didn't want to talk about it, he dropped it. If Chen Zui could secure a long-term deal with the company thanks to Jiang Mo, he’d even be fine with keeping Jiang Mo as the company mascot.

Behind his sunglasses, Chen Zui's eyes narrowed at Xiao Hang. He was digging into his connection with Jiang Mo—just now? It had been days since the incident in the lounge. He must’ve seen something lately. The only connection between him and Jiang Mo lately was when he took him to the hotel.

"Ao Tian, could you check where Xiao Hang was that night at the hotel?"

"No need to check, I already know."

"Proudly, hands on hips!"

"That’s impressive. Where was he?"

"He was cheating."

"That's why he's only the second male lead in the original story. While he was providing for Chen Xiu, he was also stepping out on him—and not just once. Later, when Chen Xiu found out, he couldn't accept it and left him. Eventually, Chen Xiu reunited with a remorseful Jiang Mo and was healed by him. Although Xiao Hang tried to fight to win him back, he didn't succeed."

Chen Zui had nothing to say about such a dramatic storyline.

——

Inside the subway car, Jiang Mo was practically getting squished. It seemed like college students were heading out for some event tonight. He couldn't help but envy their boundless energy, unlike him—an office drone whose mental state on the way home was like calling back the dead, just to scrape together some energy by the time he got back.

He stood in the farthest corner, keeping his head down to prevent awkwardness.

At the next stop, another crowd piled in, and it became even more crowded.

Jiang Mo was pinned so tightly against the wall of the car that he could barely breathe. Just as he tried to wiggle some room for himself, a pair of large hands reached from behind and grabbed his waist.

Was it someone losing their balance? Was it an accident?

As this naive thought crossed his mind, the familiar voice of the creep sounded in his ear: "I have a gift for you."

Jiang Mo whipped his head around. Seeing the mask and sunglasses, he wasn’t even surprised—this guy never showed his face in public. Anger flared, causing Jiang Mo's nostrils to flare slightly. He was sure the pervert was trying to pull the same old threats.

He was done.

His wolf-cub eyes blazed with a desperate, fierce hatred, which only excited Chen Zui. *Go on, resist. Let's see what you can do—how far you'll go.*

"Harassment—"

"This person is harassing me!"

Jiang Mo's face flushed bright red as he shouted, his voice cracking from the strain. For someone of his temperament, this took every ounce of courage he had.

He grabbed Chen Zui's arm in return—this time, he was determined to catch him.

The subway arrived at the station. The college students who had been about to turn and look hurriedly exited in loud groups, while others outside shoved their way on, ignoring the "exit first" rule. In the chaos and crowding, nobody noticed Jiang Mo’s situation.

Beneath his mask, Chen Zui's mouth quirked up. He whispered, "You did good this time."

Jiang Mo's eyes widened in confusion at the sudden praise. His wrist throbbed with pain, forcing him to let go against his will. Chen Zui blended into the crowd like a nimble fish and disappeared in a flash.

Jiang Mo: ...

The now half-empty car left a few people near Jiang Mo staring at him curiously. They had heard him shout, but he was a tall, full-grown man...

One of them asked, "Was that you shouting just now?"

Jiang Mo glanced at him, lowered his head, and said nothing. That one brave moment left him mortified for life.

——

Ao Tian: "Aww, you didn’t deliver the gift."

Its tone was teasing. With the mission's success all but guaranteed, there was no need to stay tense. Teasing its always-cool host was quite entertaining.

Chen Zui took off his mask and tossed it into the trash.

The little rebel’s resistance was rather amusing. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. He looked forward to seeing how Jiang Mo would "bite" him next time.

Chen Zui handled a few work matters on his phone before leisurely heading to the shooting range. He couldn't let his skills as a mercenary go to waste. Putting on his goggles, his coolness level shot up. He stood in position, taking shots at moving targets with a single-handed grip.

The screen displayed one perfect score after another.

The coach watched from the side, clapping with starry eyes.

Gradually, everyone stopped shooting and gathered around to watch Chen Zui.

Applause and cheers broke out intermittently.

——

Jiang Mo never expected to receive the Outstanding Employee bonus. Something like this shouldn’t have gone to him, especially since Xiao Hang suspected him of stalking Chen Xiu.

Still, he was happy about the thirty thousand yuan. He wanted to use the money to buy a gift for President Chen—not for any ulterior motive, just to thank him for his kindness.

"Hey~ Jiang Mo, aren't you gonna treat us to bubble tea?"

Jiang Mo looked at the speaker, a colleague who was always noisy and troublesome—one of the people who often gossiped about him.

Perhaps because it was Jiang Mo, even the colleagues who usually joined in the teasing stayed quiet this time. But that didn't stop the man from walking over to Jiang Mo, leaning against Wang Liang's chair, and slinging an arm over Jiang Mo's shoulder. "You should thank me. I didn't ask for anything expensive."

Jiang Mo replied expressionlessly, "I'm not familiar with you."

The atmosphere turned even more awkward. Those who hadn't been involved now had a front-row seat to the drama. The man's face instantly darkened.

Jiang Mo seemed oblivious. "Coveting someone else's bonus isn't a good habit. Initiating physical contact without permission isn't either. Please don't disturb my work."

Wang Liang could barely hold back his laughter, secretly giving Jiang Mo a thumbs-up.

The man's face looked as if he'd eaten something disgusting. He stiffly removed his hand from Jiang Mo's shoulder, straightened up, and snorted. "My mistake. I overstepped and disturbed our outstanding employee. What can I say? I've never been an outstanding employee, so I wouldn't know. Hope you don't mind."

A tall man in dark blue coveralls, wearing a cap and mask, and carrying a tool bag passed by under an employee's guidance. His eyes, hidden under the shadow of his cap, glanced at the center of attention and overheard the sarcastic remarks.

The man, who exuded a gloomy aura, responded with composure: "I do mind. Are you going to apologize to me?"

A hint of appreciative amusement flickered in his eyes.

Jiang Mo's words thoroughly enraged the man. Everyone knew Jiang Mo was stubborn and unyielding—quiet and unhelpful, like a stinky, hard rock in a latrine, never willing to accommodate others. But no one expected him to be this cold and surprising.

The man glared. "Who do you think you are?"

He swung his hand to hit Jiang Mo, but someone tried to intervene: "Talk it out, don't resort to violence."

In the chaos, the man's swing accidentally struck the person who had stepped in—right in the face. Instantly, everyone stood up to see what was happening.

Jiang Mo stared at the innocent Chen Xiu, his pupils shaking in shock.

The supervisor was called over.

——

"The pipe here is broken. How long will it take to fix it?"

"About two hours."

"Alright, thanks for your help."

After the staff left, Chen Zui leaned against the bathroom sink. Jiang Mo's indifference toward others pleased him. To put it nicely, he had strong possessiveness; to put it bluntly, if he could, he'd mark his belongings by urinating on them.

And he expected his belongings to treat him completely differently from others—only then would he be satisfied.

Ao Tian: "What are we here for today?"

Chen Zui: "To give a gift."

Ao Tian: "You just don't give up, do you?"

——

Chen Xiu chose not to involve the police. The man apologized and paid Chen Xiu 1,000 yuan in compensation. Now, with an ice pack pressed to his face, Chen Xiu said to Jiang Mo, who looked full of guilt, "This has nothing to do with you. You don’t need to apologize."

Jiang Mo felt he didn’t deserve these words. There were many things he needed to apologize to Chen Xiu for. He wasn’t worthy of Chen Xiu’s kindness.

His hands clenched almost hard enough to tear his pants, and he opened his mouth several times, wanting to confess the truth—to admit that he was the one who had been stalking, threatening, and causing trouble for Chen Xiu.

But the matter was too serious. Chen Xiu would never forgive him so easily. He could lose his job, and he could compensate Chen Xiu—he should compensate him. He just didn’t want Mr. Chen to find out. At the very least, after he gave Mr. Chen the gift...

Otherwise, he was afraid he would never have another chance.

Jiang Mo lowered his head, bowing deeply. "I’m sorry. Thank you."

I don't deserve your kindness. I am a terrible person.

Chen Xiu quickly helped him up. "Hey, come on, it's not that big a deal..."

——

Jiang Mo hurried toward the bathroom, not even noticing the person wearing blue. He opened the door to a stall and stepped inside, but as he tried to close the door, something blocked it. Before he could react, the blue figure squeezed in and shut the door behind them.

Jiang Mo blinked in shock. How dare he come to the company!

From Chen Zui’s perspective, he saw teary, dazed eyes staring up at him, making him want to mess with him. He cupped Jiang Mo’s face, his fingers brushing against the reddened corners of his eyes. "Not so tough now, are you?"

Tough on the surface, but secretly crying when no one’s looking.

Kind of ridiculously cute.

Jiang Mo slapped his hand away. "Are you crazy?!"

He lowered his voice. "This is the company. Don't you dare do anything!"

He didn’t expect to have a chance to see this pervert’s face or catch him this time. He just hoped desperately not to attract his colleagues’ attention. Otherwise, he really...

His hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists. Every time he saw this person, he suspected he had violent tendencies—he wanted to pound him to a pulp!

Chen Zui: "If you accept my gift, I’ll leave."

Jiang Mo had no expectations that his gift would be any good. It definitely wouldn’t be anything good—an 80%, no, 90% chance it was something inappropriate!

Jiang Mo wondered if he could throw a punch now and make a run for it. The problem was, the guy was blocking the door. He was big, almost completely sealing off the stall. It would take time to unlatch the door—it wasn't likely, but...

Jiang Mo threw a punch. He had to at least try.

And this punch wasn’t aimed at Chen Zui’s head—it was aimed at Chen Zui’s... well, another "head," so to speak. The low blow made Chen Zui raise an eyebrow.

Ao Tian: "Red alert! Red alert—"

Ao Tian: "Protect the family jewels!"

Ao Tian: "Silly boy, you’re going to ruin your own happiness!"

Ao Tian was more agitated and nervous than the two people involved.

Chen Zui genuinely hadn’t expected this. The little weirdo had gotten even weirder. But he reacted quickly, catching Jiang Mo’s wrist at the last moment, preventing him from advancing any further. He chuckled lightly. "Baby, you’re so enthusiastic."

He said it on purpose, pissing Jiang Mo off to the point of seeing stars.

Chen Zui twisted his wrist and pinned him against the door. Just as Jiang Mo was about to speak, someone walked in outside, startling him into silence.

Soon, his other resisting hand was caught too. Chen Zui used one hand to pin both of Jiang Mo’s wrists against the door above his head.

More than one person had entered outside. Jiang Mo didn’t dare struggle too hard, so he could only glare at Chen Zui, though it was clearly useless.

Chen Zui grabbed the hem of Jiang Mo’s shirt and roughly stuffed it into his mouth, leaning close to his ear. "Baby, bite down on your clothes. Otherwise, if I make any noise, your colleagues will come over to watch."

Last time, on the subway, they were strangers—he had the courage to yell for help. But this time, in the company, would he dare?

Chen Zui glanced at the scene before him. He had to admit, lean muscle was incredibly sexually appealing—not too fragile, but just a thin layer that made his skin feel tighter and his body better to touch.

With his free hand, he took out the gift from his pocket.

Jiang Mo stared intently but didn’t recognize what it was. Two small ball-like objects connected by a wire—kind of like wired earphones?

Soon, he realized how naive his guess was.

Chen Zui clipped one of them onto Jiang Mo’s... then picked up the other and clipped it onto the other side.

Jiang Mo: "You..."

"I heard Chen Xiu was called to the CEO’s office."

The voice outside interrupted Jiang Mo’s words. He and Chen Zui exchanged a glance. The other man knew about what he had done to Chen Xiu... He must have been keeping an eye on Chen Xiu too, and probably knew about Chen Xiu and Xiao Hang’s relationship. He must be laughing at him inwardly now.

Chen Zui wasn’t laughing at him inwardly—he was planning how to devour him later.

The two clipped objects looked a little pathetic, making him want to soothe them. Chen Zui chose to flick the switch in his hand.

"Mmm—"

Jiang Mo quickly shut his mouth tightly, staring wide-eyed at Chen Zui. Now he finally knew what kind of "gift" this was!

"What was that sound?" The people outside glanced back at the row of stalls. Clearly, there was someone else in the bathroom. The two exchanged looks and stopped discussing Chen Xiu and Xiao Hang.

The gift, now electrified, sent small but intense vibrations through him.

The two outside washed their hands and left. Jiang Mo listened to their footsteps. "You..."

Someone else walked in.

Jiang Mo was losing his mind, while someone else smiled, brazenly pulling out his phone and starting to record.

Jiang Mo was stunned.

Chen Zui: "Don’t worry, I won’t get your face in the shot."

The camera zoomed in close enough to see details down to the small red mole beside the areola on her chest.

"Baby, you’ve really got big... ambitions."

So lame.

——

In the CEO’s office, Xiao Hang tenderly touched Chen Xiu’s face, his heart aching for him.

He had already decided to fire that guy.

"If there’s nothing else, I’ll go back to work." Chen Xiu wasn’t too keen on coming to his office during work hours; there had been some rumors circulating in the company lately.

Xiao Hang drew him into a hug: "This time, I have good news to share with you."

Chen Xiu looked at him, waiting attentively for what came next.

Xiao Hang: "Wang Fuhai."

At the name, Chen Xiu perked up: "He’s awake?"

To get the answer, Xiao Hang had contacted the top specialists to perform the surgery, and now he’d pulled through.

Chen Xiu: "Is it really him?"

Xiao Hang: "It’s him."