Chapter 32

Chapter 32

After the stranger helped grab a pack of diapers, Jiang Linchuan thanked him, and they should have gone their separate ways. So, Jiang Linchuan pushed the stroller toward the deli section, not expecting the man to follow him.

"What are you planning to buy? I see you're injured—would you like some help?" The man spoke with a warm and polite tone.

"Thank you, but no need. I can manage on my own."

Even after Jiang Linchuan refused, the man didn’t leave. Instead, he stayed by Jiang Linchuan’s side, following him wherever he went.

Out of professional habit, Jiang Linchuan assessed him: an ordinary human, with no trace of a supernatural aura.

Every time Jiang Linchuan glanced at him, the man would tilt his head and wink back.

The man’s appearance was undoubtedly exceptional—even such a cheesy gesture as winking carried a strangely captivating charm.

Jiang Linchuan stopped walking, sounding somewhat exasperated. "Sir, is there something you need?"

"I want to pursue you. Can’t you tell?"

The man’s blunt statement made Jiang Linchuan’s eyelids twitch.

It was peak hours, and the supermarket was crowded. Two equally striking men of similar height stood facing each other, a stroller between them. Though both were human, the scene felt oddly surreal.

"What’s your type? What do you think of my face?"

Back in Baigu Town, Jiang Linchuan had felt nothing toward his youthful appearance. But what about this version?

Sooner or later, he would make this man grovel at his feet and pay a heavy price for that night.

Jiang Linchuan was no stranger to being hit on, but this was the first time he’d encountered someone so direct.

"How about I take you to the movies? A 5D immersive experience, private screening," the man continued.

Jiang Linchuan looked him up and down. Was this the enthusiasm of love at first sight, or was the guy just a little unhinged?

Regardless, Jiang Linchuan had to admit he felt an inexplicable fondness for this lunatic—not love at first sight, but an innate liking, as if every cell in his body was stirred by the man. A tingling, slightly painful numbness spread from his left shoulder.

Jiang Linchuan’s gaze gradually deepened.

"What’s this?" Jiang Linchuan pointed at the stroller.

Shen Jin glanced over. "Your son."

"Right, my son," Jiang Linchuan said calmly. "You can clearly see I’m a married man with a son and a partner, can’t you?"

Partner?

Oh, meaning a wife.

Getting involved with someone who had a wife would make him the other man—a role humans despised, hence the term "homewrecker."

Shen Jin had learned this from TV dramas.

"That's alright," Shen Jin stepped around the stroller, moving closer until they were eye to eye. His thin lips curved slightly. "I don’t mind. I’m not afraid of being beaten." After all, no one could lay a hand on him.

And since when did Jiang Linchuan have a partner? The guy was a single, lonely bachelor. Hmph.

Their faces were nearly touching, and a faint, pleasant scent lingered between them—not perfume, but something fresh, like the smell of grass after rain.

Somewhere deep in Jiang Linchuan’s mind, a voice screamed wildly—he was sure he’d smelled this scent before.

Jiang Linchuan coolly extended a finger and pushed him back. "Sorry, but I mind. My partner and son would mind too."

He turned and continued pushing the stroller forward, though his eyes kept flickering toward the man.

The man followed again. "How about I drive you home? I have a sports car—a Lamborghini. Want to try it?"

"Lamborghini?" Jiang Linchuan raised an eyebrow. "You’re quite well-off."

"Sort of. Do you want it? I can give it to you." He didn’t actually have one yet, but if Jiang Linchuan really wanted it, he could always snatch Ji Feiyu’s.

"Never mind. I prefer Maserati and Porsche. Do you have those?" Jiang Linchuan retorted.

Maserati and Porsche?

What were those?

Better not agree to things he didn’t know.

Shen Jin stayed silent.

Jiang Linchuan stopped at the prepared foods counter, tapped his wristwatch twice lightly, then grabbed the man’s wrist and pulled him closer. "Watch out—shopping cart."

The wristwatch showed no reaction.

Both his instincts and the high-tech device confirmed this was an ordinary human.

Shen Jin stared at his grabbed wrist, suddenly irritated. Why would Jiang Linchuan casually touch a man he’d just met?

Jiang Linchuan was far too careless—absolutely infuriating.

Shen Jin’s expression darkened. Without a word, he turned and walked away, slapping his wrist a couple of times where he’d been touched.

Jiang Linchuan pointed to the braised beef on the counter and asked the staff to cut and wrap a portion. When he turned back, the man was gone.

Jiang Linchuan stood there scanning the area but saw no sign of him.

The little one in the stroller waved his tiny hands, babbling anxiously. Jiang Linchuan followed his gaze and spotted only the restroom.

"What, you think he’s good-looking too? Or... are you familiar with him?" Jiang Linchuan narrowed his eyes.

*

All the way home from the supermarket, Jiang Linchuan mulled over the encounter, though his thoughts remained tangled. This man’s appearance also challenged some of his earlier assumptions.

When he opened the door, he saw the teenager sitting on the sofa with a detached, world-weary expression.

"Oh, the young master is back from his outing?" Jiang Linchuan clicked his tongue. "Surprising you still remember the way home. Congratulations."

Shen Jin ignored his sarcasm. "Where did you go? What were you doing? Who said you could leave?"

Jiang Linchuan: "..." Well, he’s certainly bold.

Jiang Linchuan headed to the kitchen to cook. The beef was already braised from the supermarket, and the noodles were fresh, but without broth, beef noodles would lack flavor...

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Linchuan dug out two packets of seasoning from instant beef noodles.

Shen Jin walked over and leaned against the doorframe, watching him cook.

Jiang Linchuan was stirring the pasta in the pot with chopsticks, completely unaware of Shen Jin.

"What are you thinking about?" Shen Jin suddenly spoke up.

Thinking about that man?

Jiang Linchuan had been totally mesmerized by him earlier.

Annoying.

He disliked careless people and disloyal ones even more.

Jiang Linchuan snapped out of it and crooked a finger at him. "Come here."

"What for?" Shen Jin stood still.

Jiang Linchuan took two steps forward. The boy was a head shorter than him, with a scrawny build. Jiang Linchuan leaned in and took a deep sniff near his neck—that little brat's baby formula smell, not the smell of grass.

"Where did you go today?" Jiang Linchuan asked.

"Like it's any of your business." Trying to identify by scent? What an idiot, Shen Jin thought.

Shen Jin turned to leave but was blocked by Jiang Linchuan, who grabbed his chin and forced his face up.

Shen Jin knew what he was suspecting and let Jiang inspect him, tilting his face upward.

Jiang Linchuan turned his face left and right.

There was no resemblance whatsoever between the two faces. In fact, looking closely, the teenager’s face bore no similarity to the kid’s either. However, the man he encountered this afternoon had some resemblance to the kid around the eyes and eyebrows.

Jiang Linchuan tilted his face up further, observing the distinct Adam's apple on his throat, studying its shape before letting go and turning back to stir the noodles in the pot.

Shen Jin smirked and leaned closer. "Jiang Linchuan, what’s wrong? Are you unhappy today?" He enjoyed seeing Jiang Linchuan upset.

Oh? His highness actually cared about whether he was happy or not? If the sun hadn’t risen from the west, then something fishy was going on.

Jiang Linchuan lowered his gaze. "I ran into a weirdo at the supermarket earlier with the little one."

"What?" Shen Jin’s expression froze. "A weirdo?"

"Yeah, a man who looked... well," Jiang Linchuan paused for a few seconds before continuing, "no, I should say he was seriously ugly. He said he wanted to ask me out."

"Hah." Jiang Linchuan sneered. "Check out his face! How dare he think he could make a move on me? What a joke."

After saying this, Jiang Linchuan turned to look at Shen Jin, who remained expressionless.

Jiang Linchuan continued casually, "Even though your dad has been single all this time, I have high standards. Anyone who wants to pursue me has to be good-looking and pleasing to the eye. I can’t just let any random dead ringer become a new mom for you and the little one, right, son?"

Every word was like a button designed to push Shen Jin's buttons. Shen Jin stared at him, lips pressed tightly together, his dark eyes seeming to swallow Jiang Linchuan whole.

Jiang Linchuan pretended not to notice, squatting down to take two soup bowls from the cupboard and starting to shovel noodles while continuing, "He even said he was rich, driving a Lamborghini, and offered to give me his car worth millions. But your dad isn’t the kind of person who loses himself over money, right?"

"You don’t like him?" Shen Jin asked slowly.

"Of course not." Jiang Linchuan’s voice suddenly grew louder, and he widened his eyes exaggeratedly at Shen Jin. "How could I possibly like him? Let me tell you, I have standards for my partner. They have to be good-looking, romantic, and one-of-a-kind. That guy was ugly and smelled like money... ‘smelled like money’ means he was rolling in it. I don’t like him."

"Don’t worry, he won't win me over. It’ll still be the three of us living together. No one can break up our trio." Jiang Linchuan patted Shen Jin’s shoulder. "He—is—not—worthy!"

Shen Jin stared at him.

Something was weird about Jiang Linchuan.

He never made such exaggerated expressions, but Shen Jin couldn’t figure out what exactly was wrong. All he heard were the words "he’s very ugly" and "he’s not worthy."

Shen Jin turned and left the kitchen, his face cold as he added +1 to Tu Mi, who helped him buy clothes, and +10 to Ji Feiyu in his memo. Not only were the tactics useless, but the Lamborghini didn’t work either. Utterly useless.

Jiang Linchuan watched the gloomy figure sitting on the sofa through the translucent kitchen glass door and called out, "Shen Jin, dinner’s ready. Come get your bowl."

His highness had returned to his couldn't-be-bothered act.

Jiang Linchuan brought the food to him. "Your Highness, your chow is served. Would you like your lowly servant to feed you?"

Shen Jin took the noodles but refused to speak to Jiang Linchuan.

Jiang Linchuan picked an eyebrow.

After finishing his noodles, Shen Jin watched TV for a while before going to take a shower. Once Jiang Linchuan saw him close the bathroom door, he quickly took out a transparent bottle that looked like perfume from the room.

Jiang Linchuan went to Shen Jin’s bedroom, opened the wardrobe, and sprayed the contents all over his clothes, inside and out.

It was a tracking agent from the Special Ops—colorless and odorless, that shows up on scanners once applied.