Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Xiao Hang returned home in a foul mood, only to find Chen Xiu in the living room. A suitcase sat beside him, and unlike usual, Chen Xiu didn't rise to greet him with a warm embrace. He merely sat there, his gaze chillingly indifferent.

This only exacerbated Xiao Hang's already frayed nerves: "Are you still trying to pick a fight with me? Do you even realize Chen Zui played me for a fool?"

Xiao Hang flung himself onto the sofa, his long legs kicking out in anger, slamming against the coffee table. He had expected Chen Xiu to be understanding, but now he felt utterly let down.

Instead of humoring him, Chen Xiu pointed to the contract they had signed, lying on the coffee table: "I want to terminate the agreement."

Xiao Hang glared, disbelieving his ears: "Say that again."

Chen Xiu met his gaze unflinchingly: "I want to terminate the agreement."

Xiao Hang laughed in bitter fury, convinced he had been too lenient with Chen Xiu, allowing him to forget his place.

He scoffed: "Fine, two million."

He tilted his head, his usual gentle demeanor vanishing: "If you can produce the money, I'll agree to end the contract."

A dull ache spread through Chen Xiu's heart. Though he had anticipated this, the reality still stung. He placed an item he had been holding onto the coffee table.

Xiao Hang's expression shifted upon seeing it.

Chen Xiu: "You're the one who breached the contract. You promised you wouldn't be intimate with anyone else during our agreement."

His voice trembled.

Xiao Hang snatched the photos, angrily tore them to shreds, and flung them at Chen Xiu. His true colors exposed, he glared at the pale-faced Chen Xiu like a scoundrel: "Don't be naive. That was just a verbal promise."

He pointed to the contract: "It's not written here."

Chen Xiu visibly agitated, couldn't believe the other's shamelessness!

The smaller man's eyes welled up, bullied to the brink of tears.

Seeing this, Xiao Hang wasn't entirely heartless. But his mood was already sour, and Chen Xiu was only making it worse. His tone softened slightly as he spoke again: "Don't be so childish. Are you really making a fuss over this? I swear to you, even though I went to the hotel, I regretted it. I truly didn't do anything. Do you have so little faith in me?"

He extended a hand to Chen Xiu: "Stop this nonsense. I'm really tired today. Go make me some hangover soup."

Chen Xiu recoiled from his hand and pointed to the contract: "This isn't legally binding. On the contrary, it's proof you paid for sexual services. This behavior is essentially—prostitution."

Chen Xiu's other hand was clenched tight. He was scared, nervous, but he had to do this.

Xiao Hang's face turned utterly cold, his brows furrowing in thought: "Did Chen Zui put you up to this?"

Chen Xiu recalled Mr. Chen's words before he accepted the check: "You can go back and test what kind of person he truly is. If the contract becomes an issue, you can say what I taught you. That way, you can save two million."

Chen Xiu offered no denial, earning him a furious curse from Xiao Hang. In Xiao Hang's eyes, Chen Xiu was now nothing but a treacherous ingrate.

Chen Xiu: "I'm just a small employee. How could someone of your standing, Mr. Xiao, be involved in something like this?"

"Why? I'm the one who's been with you. I'm the one who gave you everything. Why are you siding with Chen Zui?" Xiao Hang grabbed Chen Xiu's shoulders, shaking him angrily as he demanded an answer.

Chen Xiu looked at him, tears welling but stubbornly refusing to fall: "Because Mr. Chen respects me."

His answer was met with Xiao Hang's scornful laughter: "Respect? He's just playing the good guy to get you to let Jiang Mo off the hook. You're such a fool!"

Chen Xiu knew Mr. Chen did all this for Jiang Mo. To him, it was understandable—people naturally make plans for those important to them. But Mr. Chen hadn't used his power to force him; that respect was something he had never received from Xiao Hang.

Chen Xiu didn't want to argue with Xiao Hang any further. He produced another item: "This is my resignation letter. Please sign it, Mr. Xiao."

As Xiao Hang snatched the resignation letter,

Chen Xiu: "If you tear it up, I have more." With that, he pulled a thick stack of resignation letters from his backpack.

Xiao Hang was stunned. Only then did he realize Chen Xiu was dead set on leaving him. This humiliated him—by someone as insignificant as Chen Xiu, of all people.

He smirked mockingly, signed the letter with a flourish, and tossed it to Chen Xiu: "Get out."

Some people, when given an inch, take a mile. In Xiao Hang's view, Chen Xiu was exactly that type.

Chen Xiu collected the signed resignation letter, rose, and without a moment's hesitation, pulled his suitcase toward the door.

Xiao Hang stared at him with a dark expression. Just as Chen Xiu opened the door, he suddenly spoke: "Don't you feel cheated? Being used by me for free for so long."

It was a deeply humiliating remark. Chen Xiu's hand gripping the doorknob tightened.

He took a deep breath and turned back to look at Xiao Hang, his gaze even tinged with pity: "Before this, I liked you."

He said this calmly.

Xiao Hang's expression changed instantly. For a moment, regret and remorse were clearly visible in his eyes, but his masculine pride prevented him from backing down.

Chen Xiu decided to get the last word: "One more thing—you're awful in bed."

With firm steps, he walked out of the villa with his suitcase. Once outside, he couldn't help but laugh. He took a deep breath of the outside air—it smelled of freedom and dignity.

He heard the sound of things being smashed inside the house, and his steps away from the villa grew even lighter and more buoyant.

——

Chen Zui knocked on the door.

When the door opened, for a moment, he felt as if he had seen a ghost. Jiang Mo hung his head, his despair seemed to emanate from him.

Chen Zui immediately pulled him into an embrace, his large hand gently stroking Jiang Mo's head from top to bottom: "It's okay, it's okay…"

Jiang Mo stiffened in his arms, unable to comprehend why he, who had done wrong, was receiving such an embrace from Mr. Chen. All he could feel was Mr. Chen's gentle comfort and the rapid, pounding heartbeat against his ear, as if Mr. Chen had rushed to him just to hold him.

His hands, hanging by his sides, curled involuntarily.

Because he felt unworthy.

Chen Zui: "I've heard about what happened. Although there are still some things I don't fully understand, Chen Xiu said you recognized your mistake, apologized to him sincerely, and he forgave you."

His hand continued to stroke Jiang Mo's head: "What matters is that you learned from your mistake."

He spoke as if comforting a child, and indeed, he brought tears to Jiang Mo's eyes. Jiang Mo knew he had no right to cry, but why did his eyes feel so sore?

It took him several attempts to find his voice: "M-Mr. Chen."

Chen Zui pulled back slightly, cupping Jiang Mo's face. When he saw the bruises on his face, his heart ached: "Does it hurt?"

It had only hurt a little before, but after being asked, it suddenly hurt much more. Jiang Mo shook his head, and with that movement, the tears he had been holding back fell.

Chen Zui's heartache was almost overflowing from his eyes. He leaned in slowly, kissing away the tear and then the bruise on Jiang Mo's cheek. Jiang Mo's hands, hanging by his sides, clenched tightly.

Chen Zui lifted his head. Behind his glasses, his eyes—capable of drowning a person in their intensity—were filled with Jiang Mo's stunned face.

He said, "Like this, it doesn't hurt."

Miraculously, Jiang Mo really couldn't feel any pain. He just couldn't keep up with the situation—it was completely different from what he had expected, making him unsure of what to say or do.

Their gazes remained locked together, tangled and inseparable, almost sparking a fire that made his heart race, his blood rush, and his head spin. He felt as if stars were falling behind Chen Zui.

Chen Zui kissed him again, cupping Jiang Mo's face, gentle and lingering. Even his tongue slowly explored, his eyes so close they almost touched the moisture on Jiang Mo's lashes.

Jiang Mo thought he heard fireworks—deafening booms, one after another. His hands, which had been hanging limply at his sides, somehow ended up pressed against Chen Zui's chest, gripping and wrinkling his well-tailored shirt.

Chen Zui controlled the kiss, deciding when to end it. When they parted, it was with reluctance, the desire in his eyes intense enough to ignite someone.

Jiang Mo heard himself call out "Mr. Chen" in a voice he hardly recognized.

It raised goosebumps all over his body.

Chen Zui lowered his head, resting his forehead against Jiang Mo's in an intimate gesture. "Don't you understand yet? Time after time, which Xiao Momo was I coming to see? I'm not drunk now. Don't you understand what this kiss means?"

Jiang Mo couldn't meet Chen Zui's eyes. He avoided the gaze like a coward, his grip tightening. "I… I did something bad. I'm a terrible person…"

"Will you do bad things again in the future?"

Jiang Mo shook his head.

Chen Zui let out a soft laugh. "Then I've decided to reward this repentant, good boy."

He lifted Jiang Mo's chin, forcing him to look into his eyes. "The reward is me being your boyfriend—watching over you, keeping you in line."

Jiang Mo: "I…"

Chen Zui kissed him, kissing back whatever he was about to say. Their lips met with every word, each movement another kiss. "Don't say you don't like me. If you didn't, why would you care about my safety? Why would you help me deal with that drug? Why is your heart beating so fast right now? Why is your face so red?"

The man's deep, captivating voice was like a powerful intoxicant, making him dizzy and enchanted.

"If you don't like me, why—"

Chen Zui smirked mischievously, his hand taking hold of Jiang Mo. "Xiao Momo, you're not being good~"

Jiang Mo had no idea how things had developed to this point. In his imagination, Chen Zui should have been deeply disappointed, furious, and left, never having anything to do with him again.

Why was Chen Zui now holding his… giving him…

—

—

At that thought, Jiang Mo's body suddenly stiffened. Chen Zui raised an eyebrow in surprise. One minute?

Warmth fell from between his fingers onto the floor, splattering and dirtying the clean ground.

The man leaning against him didn't have the courage anymore to lift his head.

Just the thought of Chen Zui doing that for him made him…

Jiang Mo's reaction delighted Chen Zui. "You're so adorable."

So adorable it gave him a reaction.

He lifted his other clean hand and placed it on Jiang Mo's shoulder, pressing gently. Jiang Mo slowly sank down under the guidance of that force.

Chen Zui looked down. "If you don't like me, refuse."

He used his dirty hand to stroke Jiang Mo's lips, leaving his mark on those reddened lips.

He said, "The choice is in your hands."

—

—

Ao Tian: "Favorability points are through the roof!"

Ao Tian: "Yes! Just like that! Let's go for it and take him!"

Ao Tian was excited, already preparing for the next world.

But before that, it wanted to see if it had something it could give its host as a surprise to celebrate the successful completion of his first task.

The kitten curiously approached the human, tilting its little head. Its large, emerald-green eyes were full of confusion, unable to understand why his owner was kneeling on the ground, but the kitten could tell his owner was eating something.

The kitten wondered, is this two-legged being's food that delicious? It must be, otherwise why would his owner press his face against it, eating with noisy slurps without stopping?

The kitten stretched its paws out forward, arching its back, trying to catch the human's attention.

"Meow~"

Is there anything that's off-limits for an adorable cat?

Jiang Mo had already made his choice. The first time was unfamiliar, the second time was easier, and by the third time, he had become skilled.

He could feel the gaze focused on him, making him too afraid to look up. He wondered what Chen Zui saw when he looked at him now—did it look bad?

From Chen Zui's perspective, it was like watching a little greedy animal, its mouth stuffed full, unwilling to release even a morsel.

Adorable.

This time, Chen Zui didn't deliberately dirty Jiang Mo's face, just letting him swallow everything.

Jiang Mo let himself be bullied.

Even when Chen Zui said, "Clean it up. No using paper."

He looked up at Chen Zui in confusion, clearly seeing a playful smirk without malice in those eyes, making his face flush and his heart race. It wasn't until Chen Zui tapped his lips with a finger that he realized.

Chen Zui wanted him to…

Jiang Mo hesitated for a few seconds, telling himself with the reasoning that he'd already had a taste anyway.

—

—

Chen Zui watched as the kitten extended its pink tongue to lick the cat snack, first the front, then the base, its little head moving around the snack.

So well-behaved.

"Chen Zui, it's all clean now."

Jiang Mo's words were respectful, absurdly out of place in this situation.

Chen Zui yanked him upright, then hugged him tightly as they collapsed onto the sofa.

“Still saying you don't like me?”

After a dizzy whirl, what Jiang Mo saw was Chen Zui's handsome face. He thought he did like Mr. Chen—it was just that he really wasn't good enough for him.

“Don't say you're not worthy.”

Jiang Mo looked startled, his thoughts read like an open book.

Chen Zui caressed his cheek, then his lips: “Even if you don't believe in yourself, you should trust my taste. Since I like you, it means you're special.”

This reasoning made Jiang Mo stop and think, because he felt Mr. Chen had a point.

Chen Zui: “You can take your time to think it over, no rush. What you need now is a good night's sleep.”

After they washed up, Chen Zui ended up staying over. He pulled Jiang Mo—who was pressed against the wall—close. Although he said Jiang Mo could take his time to think, his actions were clearly couple behavior. He could act this way entirely because Jiang Mo never refused him.

In the darkness, Chen Zui gently rubbed Jiang Mo: “Sleep well. Good night.”

Jiang Mo, stiff in his embrace, mumbled, “Good night, Mr. Chen.”

Jiang Mo had thought he would have trouble sleeping, but perhaps Mr. Chen's embrace was too warm, or maybe the day's events had exhausted him too much—he fell asleep before long.

As he slept, Jiang Mo stirred, snuggling deeper into Chen Zui's arms.

Chen Zui studied him in the darkness. The situation and his feelings were something he had never experienced in all these years—like warm water flowing through his heart, making his whole body cozy, as if the world had become a little more beautiful. In that moment, he was feeling generous toward everyone.

His fingers traced Jiang Mo's cheek.

“I look forward to what you'll do.”

——

Jiang Mo quit working for Xiao Hang. Chen Zui told him to rest for a few days first, then start directly at his company.

“Mr. Chen, this…”

“Don't worry, I won't give you special treatment. With your abilities, you'll get the position you deserve and be paid what you deserve. At the company, we'll just be boss and employee.”

Chen Zui said seriously, “I'm very strict about separating personal and professional matters. If you make a mistake, you'll have to face the consequences.”

Jiang Mo nodded and accepted the plan.

But he had to wait until the injuries on his face healed before starting work. While at home, Jiang Mo went over his finances. Chen Xiu had only accepted 100,000 yuan in compensation from him. He felt that, compared to what he had done, the punishment he received was nothing compared to it.

He had met a kind person, so he thought he should do some good himself. He decided to donate 100,000 yuan to a charity fund in Chen Xiu's name. He found Sheng Sheng Technology's charity foundation online.

That's Mr. Chen for you.

Such a good man.

He decided to donate the money to Mr. Chen's foundation.

Another day, Jiang Mo rubbed the kitten's fluffy belly, listening to its purring, and reflected on everything that happened.

“What do you think Mr. Chen likes about me?”

The kitten tilted its head to look at him, then seriously licked its paws and washed its face.

“Mr. Chen said the first time he saw me, he felt as if an arrow pierced his heart.”

Jiang Mo recalled his first glimpse of Mr. Chen—all he remembered was being completely mesmerized by those eyes, so much so it could be described as breathtaking.

He picked up the kitten, and it rubbed against him, getting fur all over him.

“Mr. Chen said my face is good-looking and that I have a nice figure. Is he lying to me? But Mr. Chen never lies, at least not to me. I shouldn't think that way.”

The kitten placed its little paw on his chin and suddenly gave him a display of a hungry cat's roar.

“Meow~”

Jiang Mo ruffled its furry head: “But even if he is lying to me, it's okay.”

The kitten twisted and jumped off his lap. The cat wants to eat; the cat doesn't want to play with a lovesick fool.

Jiang Mo didn't think he was qualified to be Mr. Chen's boyfriend, but he was greedy. He thought that until Mr. Chen got bored with him, he would just do as Mr. Chen said.

Jiang Mo made his decision.

Human nature is weird—when working, they dream of time off, but when there's nothing to do and they're stuck at home, they feel inexplicably guilty. So as soon as Jiang Mo's injuries healed, he rushed back to work.

Starting at a new company in a new environment was a fairly big challenge for Jiang Mo, but the thought that he was working for Mr. Chen, earning money for him, got him fired up!

On the very first day, he threw himself into overtime, just to create more value for Mr. Chen.

The news of Chen Zui and Xiao Hang's fallout made the rounds in their social circle. Everyone speculated about what had happened. There are no secrets that don't eventually come out—soon, rumors spread that the two had fallen out over a man. The gossip got pretty wild.

Chen Zui ignored the gossip. Recently, Xiao Hang had been suppressing his company. They both owned numerous subsidiaries, some of which operated in overlapping industries. Xiao Hang targeted those subsidiaries, slashing prices and snatching his client resources.

Although making more money in this world didn't matter much to Chen Zui, his employees still had to make a living. So, as long as he was in the role, he would do his job well.

He became quite busy all of a sudden, only managing to chat with Jiang Mo a few times over the phone for an entire week.

Ao Tian even remarked, “You're really cut out to be a domineering CEO.”

Jiang Mo got off work a bit earlier today—8:30 PM—because his supervisor kicked him out.

“Xiao Jiang, as a newcomer, don't burn yourself out like this. What are us old-timers supposed to do? Just finish today's work today; leave tomorrow's and the day after's for later. If you push yourself like this and end up sick, it's not worth it.”

But where there's a will, there's a way.

Jiang Mo tightened the straps of his backpack—he took the work home with him!

Since joining Chen Zui's company, he had been full of energy every day. Even the gloomy aura around him had faded a lot. His new colleagues no longer saw him as a gloomy guy but as a born workhorse.

Jiang Mo walked at a brisk pace into his residential complex and glanced at the apartment where Chen Xiu used to live.

He hoped Chen Xiu was doing well now, that he would never meet people like himself or Xiao Hang again, and that he would encounter someone as good as Mr. Chen.

When he reached his door and saw the heavy chain lock, he felt a strong sense of security. He unlocked it, opened the door, and thought that the big pervert hadn't shown up for over ten days.

Maybe he was somewhere else, reformed by some event or someone?

If so, that would be a good thing.

He changed into slippers, turned around, and locked the inner chain with the padlock—this way, he didn't have to worry about the big pervert breaking in at night.

He tossed his backpack onto the sofa, went to the bedroom to get clothes for a shower, and then planned to get to work feeling refreshed. He flipped the switch, and the bedroom instantly filled with light.

The moment the wardrobe was opened, a dark figure burst out. Taken completely by surprise, Jiang Mo was so startled his hair practically stood on end. With almost no chance to resist, he was pinned to the bed.

The impact of two grown men nearly collapsed the bed.

However, the big pervert's hand was cushioning Jiang Mo's fall, so Jiang Mo didn't feel any pain. His wide eyes reflected the figure wearing a mask and sunglasses, giving him no time to wonder how the pervert had gotten in.

"Baby."

"Got you."

Memories of what the big pervert had done to him flashed through Jiang Mo's mind.

No!

Chen Zui said he liked him.

He absolutely couldn't let the big pervert get the better of him again. He couldn't disappoint Chen Zui. This thought mustered all the strength in his body, and he lashed out with a kick at the big pervert. The kick sent the pervert staggering back, slamming hard against the wardrobe.

Jiang Mo's eyes lit up with excitement at finally landing a successful hit.

He took a swing at the big pervert's head. Though he missed, he felt he'd knocked something loose. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw sunglasses fall to the floor. In that instant, Jiang Mo heard his own heart pounding like a drumbeat—he was finally going to see the other's face, or at least half of it!

From his experience, this big pervert must be someone he knew, just as with Chen Xiu.

If he could just see the eyes, he should be able to recognize him.

Jiang Mo's breathing became noticeably excited as the other person, who had dodged his attack, turned their head back.

He finally saw the upper half of the other's face!

All his excitement vanished in an instant. There was no way he could mistake those eyes, brimming with an almost overwhelming, fierce ambition.

The big pervert was… Chen Zui?

Chen Zui is the big pervert?

No!

That's impossible…

Just as Jiang Mo was lost in denial, Chen Zui calmly removed his mask, revealing his face completely.

He looked at the man shocked and confused before him. At this moment, Jiang Mo must be frantically denying what he was seeing.

With a casual smile, Chen Zui said, "Surprise~"

He knew he had said this to Jiang Mo before, and sure enough, the man's reaction grew even more pronounced.

It seemed he still remembered every detail of what happened with his "other self."

"I wanted to give you a nice surprise, but it seems it turned into a scare instead."

Chen Zui's tone carried a hint of apology, his face showing concern. He stepped closer, playfully pinching Jiang Mo's cheek. "What's wrong? Why are you so tense? Did I scare you?"

His eyes fixed on Jiang Mo. "It's me."

Jiang Mo's Adam's apple bobbed as he slowly let out a breath, chuckling at his earlier thoughts.

"Chen Zui."

Chen Zui's arm coiled around Jiang Mo's waist like a cold, sinister snake, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Yes, that's right. I am Chen Zui."

Author's Note:

Chen Zui: Whoever you think I am, that's who I am.