Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Inside the Restroom Stall

Jiang Mo nearly fainted. He had never imagined that those two things could actually have sensation. He had always believed that for men, they served only a decorative purpose. But now, the waves of tingling numbness and itchiness were almost making him open his mouth and let out some inappropriate noises.

Outside the stall, people came and went. Someone stared at the tool bag discarded in the corner on the floor and muttered, "Where’s the maintenance guy?"

The maintenance guy had turned into a photographer, holding up a phone and carefully filming the flushed, blooming flower. On the high-definition screen appeared the most perfect scene: a finger entered the camera frame, slowly reaching out to touch the flower.

Next door, the sound of a lighter flicked on. Someone lit a cigarette, unsure whether they were making a phone call or sending a voice message: "There was a fight at our company today. Yeah, it was pretty serious—blood was shed, and the police even showed up."

He was exaggerating.

"Me? You have no idea, I saw that guy pull out a knife. I thought, 'This won’t do,' so I went to stop it. Ah, don’t worry, your boyfriend here knows how to handle himself."

That was already making it up.

The finger landed on the flower, gently circling. The small blossom was just the right size to accommodate the fingertip.

A beautiful flower deserves its owner’s careful attention.

"Don’t worry, I’m not hurt. This was just a small scene. Back in the day, your boyfriend—"

Another person walked in, hearing this guy bragging, and curled his lip in disdain. He remembered that when he had come to the restroom earlier to sneak off for a break, only the tool bag was here—the maintenance guy was nowhere to be seen. Now he was back for the second time, and the maintenance guy was still missing? This guy was even lazier than he was.

Chen Zui couldn’t quite describe the sensation under his fingertips at that moment. In any case, it was unique and utterly irresistible. He didn’t want to pull his hand away. He even specifically stroked that small mole, which grew redder under his touch, so vivid it made him want to bite it and taste it.

Jiang Mo gritted out, "Enough!"

Chen Zui put away his phone. With one hand now free, he took one of Jiang Mo’s hands and pulled his finger forward, pressing it against the vibrating device. The finger trembled uncontrollably.

This drew a laugh from Chen Zui.

"Do you like my gift?"

"Here’s a hint: you’ll need to answer in a way that satisfies me."

The two of them stared at each other through the sunglasses, in a standoff.

It seemed Jiang Mo had only one safe answer, one humiliating safe answer. But if he didn’t return to his workstation soon, he’d be away for too long. Jiang Mo thought that after he delivered Chen Zui’s gift, he would go explain everything to Chen Xiu. After that, he’d have it out with this big pervert, and after work today, he’d go buy a gift.

Gritting his teeth, he spoke: "I like it."

Chen Zui leaned in and kissed him through the mask: "I knew you’d like it. It’s all yours."

He pulled down Jiang Mo’s shirt hem and even thoughtfully straightened it for him before finally opening the stall door and walking out.

Jiang Mo still needed to wait a bit longer. He roughly yanked the device off at the fastest speed possible, instinctively about to throw it into the trash bin but stopping himself at the last moment. If someone saw this—an item like this in the men’s restroom—it would definitely spread throughout the company.

Breathing heavily, fuming, he stuffed the thing into his pants pocket. By the time he emerged, Chen Zui was nowhere to be seen in the restroom.

He stood in front of the mirror, carefully tidied himself up, and then went back. But he still felt like everyone was looking at him, making him deeply uneasy.

——

On his way out, Chen Zui saw a man at the front desk asking to see Xiao Heng, wanting to thank him for finding a doctor for his father’s surgery and covering the medical expenses.

The receptionist said: "Mr. Wang, please wait a moment."

The surname caught Chen Zui’s attention. He remembered when he first arrived, Ao Tian had provided him with information about Jiang Mo. The phone number used to threaten Chen Xiu had been registered using an elderly man named Wang.

He changed direction and stepped forward: "Brother Wang."

Wang Dong looked at him in confusion.

Chen Zui smiled: "Brother Wang, you don’t remember me? I’m the classmate of the child of your neighbor’s second uncle’s wife’s younger sister. We used to play together back in the day."

Wang Dong thought about it. There did seem to be such a child, though he couldn’t quite recall clearly—it was so long ago. He nodded: "Ah, it’s you…"

Chen Zui: "I heard your father was sick. How is he? Is he better?"

Wang Dong nodded: "He woke up after the surgery. Now he just needs to recuperate."

Chen Zui sighed with relief: "That’s good, that’s good…"

Wang Dong also felt fortunate and spilled the beans about Xiao Heng: "That night he knocked on my door. I thought he was a bad person at first. I really never expected this."

Chen Zui: "It’s all fate. Brother Wang, I have work to attend to. When I have time, I’ll visit your father, and we can catch up."

Wang Dong quickly agreed. Even after Chen Zui walked away, he kept watching. Although he couldn’t remember clearly, this guy seemed like a decent guy.

Chen Zui got into the car, took off his hat, and lit a cigarette.

Ao Tian: "It looks like Jiang Mo is about to be exposed."

Ao Tian: "It’s hard to help him this time."

Chen Zui exhaled smoke: "I’m not planning to help him this time."

Ao Tian was a bit surprised because the previous two times, Chen Zui had risked danger to help Jiang Mo.

Chen Zui: "As a system, you should understand—the progression of the story is hard to change. His identity is destined to be revealed. The only thing that can change is everyone’s feelings."

Ao Tian did know. After all, it was a professional system. But if Chen Zui wanted to help Jiang Mo, it would unconditionally support its host.

Chen Zui was somewhat irritated and smoked aggressively.

At the end of the workday, Chen Xiu appeared beside Jiang Mo. His expression was very complex. Deep down, he really didn’t want it to be Jiang Mo. It would make him feel like he was blind, that the world was a terrifying place, that people could be so wicked. How could Jiang Mo work at the same company with him for so long, acting like everything was normal?

He took a deep breath: "Jiang Mo, come with me."

Such a formal request. Jiang Mo looked at him, clearly sensing the unusual coldness and suppressed anger from Chen Xiu. His heart sank. His hands, which were packing his backpack, paused. After a few seconds of steeling himself, he mumbled "Mm," and continued putting his things into the backpack.

He felt like he should pack everything. He was probably going to get fired.

Jiang Mo slung his backpack over his shoulders and stood up: "Let’s go."

He followed Chen Xiu into the elevator, watching him press the button for the executive floor.

The silence in the elevator was suffocating. The two stood separated, one in front of the other, each lost in complicated thoughts. Just like that, they arrived at Xiao Heng’s office.

That he would be confronted here was no surprise to Jiang Mo. As Chen Xiu walked toward Xiao Heng, he simply stood there with his head bowed.

Xiao Heng looked at him as if he were trash. Last time, they had caught the right person. Who would have thought that someone who usually kept quiet would have such nerve, capable of doing something like this? And he even dared to attack Xiao Heng. The more Xiao Heng thought about it, the angrier he became.

Chen Xiu was the first to speak: "I never thought it would be you."

The sword that had been hanging over Jiang Mo's head finally fell, and he even felt some relief, but the huge sense of shame made him unable to lift his head, with no words to face Chen Xiu.

"I'm sorry."

He had nothing to explain or justify himself with.

Chen Xiu stared at him, had never imagined Jiang Mo would react like this after being exposed. He clenched his fists tightly. "Why did you do this?"

He believed he had never done anything to hurt Jiang Mo.

How could Jiang Mo say it? Say that it was precisely because Chen Xiu was the only one who had helped him that he repaid kindness with enmity.

He had already ruined things for Chen Xiu for so long—how could he destroy Chen Xiu's kind heart as well? He couldn't. All he could do was repeat those meaningless, feeble words: "I'm sorry."

"Not every 'sorry' is useful!" Chen Xiu shouted angrily. He had been driven crazy by that guy during this time—his fear, his helplessness, the despair and constant fear he had endured. None of that could be made up for with a simple "sorry"!

Xiao Heng patted Chen Xiu's back sympathetically, then stood up. Since Chen Zui hadn’t exposed his relationship with Jiang Mo, he could pretend not to know. Besides, he had his reasons. With that in mind, he walked toward Jiang Mo with killer intent.

Jiang Mo still kept his head down. "I'm sorry. I’ve wronged you. Whether you call the police or choose some other way to punish me, I’ll accept it. Also, I’ll compensate you with 300,000 RMB."

300,000 was all his savings.

He repeated, "I'm sorry."

Suddenly, his hair was grabbed, nearly torn from his scalp. Xiao Heng forced his head up. The man’s face was full of violence and disdain. "You think we need your money?"

Chen Xiu shot to his feet. "Xiao Heng…"

He didn’t support solving problems with violence.

Xiao Heng motioned for him to stop with his hand and said to Jiang Mo, "Remember what you did in the parking lot?"

Jiang Mo’s gaze showed no remorse. He didn’t dodge the punch that came at his face, and blood immediately streamed from his nose. Chen Xiu cried out in surprise.

He rushed over, but Xiao Heng hooked a long arm around him and held him back. "This is personal between him and me."

Chen Xiu: "But…"

Jiang Mo frowned impatiently, shoved Chen Xiu farther away. He looked at Jiang Mo's still expressionless face, and threw another punch without hesitation—this one landing in Jiang Mo’s stomach.

Jiang Mo almost threw up stomach acid.

Two.

He counted silently in his heart. That day, he had also hit Xiao Heng twice.

Xiao Heng was still not satisfied. The thought that he had been beaten by someone as lowly and trashy as Jiang Mo was the most disgraceful thing in his life. He grabbed Jiang Mo and lifted his knee to slam into his stomach, but this time Jiang Mo blocked him and threw a punch back at him.

Caught off guard, Xiao Heng was punched back. When Chen Xiu ran to his side, Xiao Heng shoved him away in anger. Jiang Mo glanced at Chen Xiu, then turned his gaze back to Xiao Heng.

"Those two punches were what I owed you. But I only owe you those two."

As for the rest, what he owed was Chen Xiu's. If Chen Xiu were the one hitting him today, he would take it—even if he were beaten half to death. But Xiao Heng had no standing with him.

Xiao Heng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb and yanked his tie loose. Fine. Very well.

The man charged at Jiang Mo in a rage. Jiang Mo didn’t just play punching bag—he fought back fearlessly. The two exchanged blows, and for a while, Jiang Mo didn’t seem to be at a disadvantage. The couch was knocked sideways as Xiao Heng slammed Jiang Mo down on it. Jiang Mo grabbed a pillow and smashed it against Xiao Heng’s head.

Chen Xiu watched the two men fighting like animals, wondering how it had come to this.

The more Xiao Heng struggled to gain the upper hand, the angrier he became. He wanted to take Jiang Mo out on his own. Just as he was about to charge again, his phone rang. It was a good chance to catch his breath without looking too pathetic. He stopped, fished his phone out of his pocket, and shot Jiang Mo a look when he saw the caller ID.

He answered, "Chen Zui."

In an instant, Jiang Mo transformed from a furious wolf into a big dog—all his hackles going down.

Xiao Heng kept his eyes on Jiang Mo, watching his reaction closely.

Fuck! Disgusting!

"Xiao Heng, sorry to bother you. I’d like to talk to you about Jiang Mo."

"Chen Zui, he works for me."

"I’m his boyfriend."

Xiao Heng’s knuckles cracked. By saying this, Chen Zui was boxing him in—it was equivalent to telling him that Chen Zui was dead set on protecting Jiang Mo.

"Please send my boyfriend over unharmed, Xiao Heng. And let’s also discuss business. I hear you’re very interested in Sheng Sheng Technology’s new energy sector."

Xiao Heng stared at Jiang Mo, who was looking eagerly at the phone, wondering how he had managed to win Chen Zui over like this. But you'd be a fool not to make money. He’d already given Jiang Mo a beating, and as for Chen Xiu’s situation, he hadn't suffered any real harm. With some compensation, it could all be handled.

"Then I’ll give you face, Chen Zui. Address?"

Chen Zui gave an address and hung up. He picked up his coffee cup and took a leisurely sip. He would compensate Chen Xiu on Jiang Mo’s behalf. Although Chen Xiu had undoubtedly been wronged, 5 million RMB would make up for it somewhat.

Coupled with Jiang Mo’s sincere apology, he believed Jiang Mo meant his apology.

He was a good boy. After being lectured by him for so long, he must have long since regretted his actions.

—

"You’re saying this is over?" Chen Xiu couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was as if he was meeting Xiao Heng for the first time—otherwise, why did the man before him seem so unfamiliar?

Xiao Heng hadn’t been spared either in the fight with Jiang Mo, and his temper was flaring. He wasn’t as patient as usual and replied impatiently, "He’s latched onto Chen Zui, and Chen Zui wants to protect him. Our company has many projects with Sheng Sheng Technology now and in the future. We can’t ruin that over this."

Noticing Chen Xiu’s disappointment, he coaxed, "I know you’ve been wronged. I promise I’ll compensate you properly. How about I buy your family a house to move into? I’ll also give you some time off, and we can go abroad together—anywhere you want to go."

He cupped Chen Xiu’s face and kissed him.

Chen Xiu couldn’t accept it at all. From beginning to end, he had done nothing, said nothing. No one had asked for his opinion—everyone had just made decisions for him.

It was humiliating.

He felt ashamed.

This was the treatment of being someone’s kept lover—no dignity, no self, just a puppet on strings.

"I don’t agree."

His voice was so soft that Xiao Heng barely heard him. "What did you say?"

Chen Xiu’s gaze grew determined. "I said I don’t agree."

Xiao Heng’s face instantly turned cold.

Chen Xiu: "This is my matter. It’s between him and me. If you have to bring the two companies into it, then from now on, we’re only boss and employee. You can also fire me. Chen Zui is a businessman—he won’t stop doing business with you over a minor employee like me."

He turned to leave the lounge, but Xiao Heng grabbed his arm. "You’re being naive. Chen Zui isn’t someone you can afford to offend."

Chen Xiu: "Then there's no need for Xiao Heng to worry about it."

He coldly and without hesitation pushed away Xiao Heng's hand. He could live humbly, but he would not live in disgrace.

Chen Xiu's reaction completely took Xiao Heng by surprise. Based on his impression of Chen Xiu—a petite, gentle man who should have been obedient to him—even if wronged, he should have just shed a few tears, acted spoiled, and then been easily coaxed back.

Chen Xiu walked out of the break room and locked eyes with Jiang Mo.

He was furious.

Jiang Mo took a step toward him. Although he didn’t know what they had discussed inside that made Chen Xiu look so upset, he had used this time to compose himself.

Jiang Mo: "Let's go to the police station."

Chen Xiu looked confused.

This time, Jiang Mo didn't look down: "I did something terrible to you. That time must have been terrifying for you. Though you might not believe me, I truly understand how terrifying and frightening it was—so much so that the only way to feel safe was to see you get justice."

"I'm sorry for giving you such a horrible experience."

He lowered his head.

He was so sincere it was almost moving. Chen Xiu’s clenched fists revealed his inner conflict. Looking at the deeply bowing man, he asked again: "Why did you do such a thing in the first place?"

Jiang Mo was silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Perhaps it was because I wanted to get closer to the sunlight, but the sunlight was too warm. Someone like me couldn’t get too close."

So, like a rat in the gutter, he tried to tie the sun down with a string, selfishly believing that the sun could belong to him.

Chen Xiu was lost in thought.

Xiao Heng came out and looked back and forth between the two.

Chen Xiu remembered Xiao Heng’s words: "Why did you stop texting me later?"

Jiang Mo hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully: "I’m sorry, I met someone. A very good person."

"Then would you do the same things to him?"

Jiang Mo, who had been keeping his head down, shook it: "I’m sorry, I won’t do such things to anyone again. I’m sorry."

Chen Xiu was starting to soften. Mainly, if he reported this, Jiang Mo would get a criminal record—a mark that would follow him for life, affecting his future and his descendants.

"Can I trust you?"

Jiang Mo took out his phone and handed it over: "This is my phone. It has all the messages I sent you. Keep it. Whenever you want, you can report me to the police."

Having gone this far, Chen Xiu believed he was genuinely repentant. In the end, he took the phone and gave Jiang Mo a chance to turn over a new leaf.

Chen Xiu: "Then I won’t report it this time, but remember—"

Jiang Mo looked at him.

Chen Xiu was also looking at him and said: "I’ll be watching you."

—

Only Xiao Heng arrived at the restaurant. Although the matter between Chen Xiu and Jiang Mo was resolved, Chen Xiu wasn't ready to immediately fix his relationship with Xiao Heng. He felt he needed to carefully reconsider things.

It might sound foolish, but at the time, he truly thought he had found love.

But according to the contract he signed, if he terminated early, he would have to compensate Xiao Heng two million. He didn’t have that much money. Even with the 100,000 Jiang Mo compensated him—he hadn't taken the 300,000, feeling that would be asking for too much—it wasn’t enough.

Perhaps he could discuss it with Xiao Heng. It wasn’t as if Xiao Heng needed to be with only him.

Jiang Mo sent a message to Chen Zui: "Chen Zui, this is Jiang Mo. When you’re free, I’ll be waiting for you at home."

Xiao Heng went to the restaurant but didn’t see Chen Zui—only Chen Zui’s secretary, who stood up and said: "Chen Zui is busy. Please forgive him."

Xiao Heng immediately guessed where Chen Zui had gone but wasn’t too bothered.

Chen Xiu entered the café, looked around, and spotted the man inside. He walked over: "Chen Zui."

Chen Zui turned around with a friendly smile: "Please have a seat, Mr. Chen."

Chen Xiu wasn't quite sure why Chen Zui had asked to meet him. If it was about Jiang Mo, that matter was already settled. He sat down a bit nervously: "May I ask why you wanted to see me?"

Chen Zui gestured to the coffee he'd ordered: "The coffee here is quite good. Mr. Chen, please try it."

Chen Xiu picked up the coffee cup and took a small sip: "It is delicious."

"I asked to meet you mainly to thank you for your generosity in not pressing charges against Jiang Mo." Chen Zui bowed slightly to him, then took a check out of his pocket and placed it in front of Chen Xiu.

"This is a token of compensation. I hope you will accept it."

Chen Xiu didn’t even look at it and immediately tried to refuse: "There’s no need. Jiang Mo already—"

"Mr. Chen, there’s no need to refuse right away. This money will be useful to you." Chen Zui said this with such certainty that it sparked curiosity. Chen Xiu waited for him to continue.

Chen Zui took out something else—this time, a few photographs: "These are prints from security camera footage. The timestamps are visible. I believe if Mr. Chen had a choice, he wouldn’t choose to stay with the person he's with now."

Chen Xiu’s eyes stung at the sight of the photos showing Xiao Heng being intimate with someone else.

When they signed the contract, Xiao Heng had promised—during the contract period, he would only be with him and absolutely would not mess around outside.

"I’m very grateful that you let Jiang Mo off this time. The money just now is an apology. Consider this information a token of gratitude. With this money, Mr. Chen can terminate the contract and regain your freedom."

Chen Xiu was surprised he even knew about the contract: "How did you know?"

The man across from him smiled faintly, yet it made him seem all-powerful.

Chen Zui: "Someone like you will surely be rewarded."

Chen Xiu finally accepted the money: "Thank you. Please keep a close eye on Jiang Mo and make sure he doesn’t repeat his mistakes."

"Don’t worry, Mr. Chen. He is genuinely repentant."

—

Chen Zui left the café. Next, he was heading to see Jiang Mo. Unless something unexpected happens, it would be a confession session.

Of course, Jiang Mo would be the one confessing. As for him—

"What do you think Jiang Mo’s reaction will be if he finds out I was the one who threatened him?"

"What!"

"He’d probably go crazy!"

"Host, what are you planning to do?!"

What Chen Zui wants to do is crazy, and he is eager to see if Jiang Mo will meet his expectations.

"Host, do we really have to go after thrills?"

"Ao Tian, the process matters more than the outcome."

"That's not something a mercenary like you should say."

Chen Zui: Hmm, why is he suddenly not so easy to fool?

—

"Terminate the partnership?" Xiao Heng couldn't believe his ears and even began to doubt the secretary standing before him.

"Yes, Mr. Chen wants to cut ties with your company. There will be no further collaboration as you mentioned, President Xiao."

Xiao Heng immediately called Chen Zui, and the other end picked up the phone: "Chen Zui, what do you mean by this?"

"President Xiao, I'm someone who protects my own."

"Aren't you afraid I'll go to the police..."

"As far as I know, President Xiao isn't exactly the victim here. Please discuss work-related matters with Secretary Zhang instead of bothering me. Wishing you the best in your future endeavors, President Xiao."

He hung up.