Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The meal ended amid laughter and cheerful conversation, and everyone went their separate ways.

Fu Yuze knew Jiang Jining liked to take afternoon naps. After opening the passenger door, he asked, “Want to go to my place?”

Jiang Jining hesitated.

A splash of vibrant color entered his field of vision.

Dazed, he watched as the bouquet drifted gracefully into his arms—exquisitely beautiful, like a painting. He reached out to touch the delicate, dew-damp buds and asked in surprise, “When did you get these?”

“Just now,” Fu Yuze said, closing his door.

Jiang Jining had seen many flowers bestowed by the emperor at home—often arranged in uniform potted displays. The magnolia tree in his courtyard was lovely too. But this was the first time he’d seen such a diverse, artfully composed arrangement, each bloom harmonizing flawlessly with the others. “So beautiful,” he murmured.

To Fu Yuze, the person holding them was even more captivating than the flowers themselves. He started the car. “How about going to Xie Ting for a nap?”

Jiang Jining caught on instantly. “Are you deliberately trying to trick me into going there?”

Fu Yuze chuckled. “The willing are easily hooked.”

“Well, I’m not willing,” Jiang Jining said, turning his head to admire the flowers, feigning petulance. “I want to go back to Bian Han’s place.”

Either way, he’d end up sleeping alone.

But at Bian Han’s place, there were all those sweet, soft, clean little cats.

Fu Yuze turned onto the main road. “Alright, I’ll take you back then.”

Jiang Jining couldn’t quite handle how accommodating he was. He added, “After my nap, I’ll call you—you can come pick me up.”

“Anytime,” Fu Yuze replied, perfectly content.

Jiang Jining realized that even before they parted, he was already looking forward to their next meeting. He averted his eyes, gently brushing his fingers over the flowers in his arms, thinking to himself that dating in this world truly had its charms—if only…

His fair fingers stilled.

Slowly, Jiang Jining turned his gaze toward Fu Yuze’s profile, softly illuminated by sunlight.

In that moment, a selfish wish rose in his heart: *If only I could take this person back with me.*

But that was impossible.

Fu Yuze didn’t belong to his world—just as he himself had once been filled with fear and longing to return home upon first arriving here, utterly unaccustomed to this place.

“Do you know I’m leaving soon?”

Jiang Jining seized the opportunity to test the waters.

Hearing him speak, Fu Yuze waited until the road ahead was clear, then covered one of Jiang Jining’s hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Going where?”

“Nan City,” Jiang Jining replied, judging this reaction appropriate and maintaining it. “Sis-in-law said she’s taking me along.”

Ji Huan hadn’t mentioned it once during dinner.

Nan City wasn’t exactly nearby either. Fu Yuze began to frown—but stopped himself, wary of seeming overly restrictive. He simply said, “You haven’t traveled much, have you?”

Jiang Jining: “Mm.”

Fu Yuze got straight to the point. “When are you going?”

“In three days,” Jiang Jining explained in detail.

Hearing this, Fu Yuze realized his schedule was fully booked for several days—both Shishu and the Fu Group had major meetings lined up, plus numerous social engagements. Accompanying him was out of the question.

“Be sure to listen carefully to Sis-in-law.”

Fu Yuze trusted Ji Huan.

Yet given Jiang Jining’s history—of not even knowing how to get home and learning about relationships solely from television—he stated bluntly, “I’m still worried.”

Seeing his troubled expression, Jiang Jining said, “I’ll stick close to Sis-in-law.”

“If you want to go, then it’s fine.”

Fu Yuze brought Jiang Jining’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “If anything happens, let me know your location.”

“Okay.”

Hearing the same instruction repeated, Jiang Jining withdrew his hand and studied the flowers in his arms intently.

He wanted to arrange them when he got home.

While Jiang Jining went to change into loungewear, Fu Yuze borrowed a white porcelain vase the housekeeper had left unused on the balcony. He unwrapped the flowers, trimmed the stems at an angle, and arranged them neatly in the vase on Jiang Jining’s desk.

“I’ll get going?” Fu Yuze asked for confirmation.

Feeling secure in his own home, Jiang Jining took the initiative and kissed the corner of Fu Yuze’s mouth. “See you this afternoon.”

Basking in his good fortune, Fu Yuze immediately pressed him against the wall—but upon seeing Jiang Jining’s innocent, utterly trusting gaze, he feigned composure and returned only a light, fleeting kiss.

…

And so, July passed.

On the day Jiang Jining and Ji Huan departed for Nan City, a light drizzle fell in Jingzhou, pattering softly—as if bidding them farewell.

This was Jiang Jining’s first time on an airplane.

The night before departure, Bian Han had packed his backpack for him, stuffing it with emergency cash, documents, and his phone.

Thanks to VIP treatment in business class and Ji Huan’s attentive care throughout, Jiang Jining was guided so well he never felt out of his depth. He smoothly settled into his exclusive window seat.

He tried to appear composed.

But inwardly, his curiosity ran even deeper than on his first day in this world.

Once the plane stabilized, Jiang Jining stared intently at the vast, fluffy expanse of clouds, leaning in closely to compare them—wondering if there were any differences…

“A Ning.”

Ji Huan sat across the aisle. At her call, Jiang Jining turned. A flight attendant approached, bending down to offer him a cup of warm milk. “I’ll place it here for you. Be careful—it’s still a bit hot.”

Ji Huan said to him, “Xingxing likes this too. Want to give it a try?”

Jiang Jining had promised both Bian Han and Fu Yuze that he would listen to Ji Huan while away having fun. Now, he obediently picked up the cup and took a sip.

Fu Yuze often compared him to Xingxing.

Especially how easily distracted they were during meals, saying anything could catch their attention. At first, Jiang Jining was a bit displeased.

Now, Jiang Jining just let Fu Yuze's words go in one ear and out the other.

Ji Huan was better at handling children than Fu Yuze.

Even the cookies and candies she kept in her bag were delicious, showing how much effort she usually put into dealing with fussy eaters.

“How is it?” Ji Huan asked him.

“It’s good.”

Jiang Jining nodded.

He had already drunk half of the thick milk—rich, creamy, smooth, with no hint of any off-flavor.

Seeing him start to gaze at the clouds again, Ji Huan smiled and began writing on her tablet with a white stylus.

Someone had been worrying for days—calling and texting two or three times, rehearsing all the ways to take care of Jiang Jining and anticipating every possible scenario.

But Fu Yuze was clearly overthinking it.

Ji Huan truly felt Jiang Jining was incredibly easy to take care of.

Nanshi was different from Jingzhou in August after the rain—sunny and mild at around 25–26 degrees Celsius, with gentle breezes and clear skies.

The manager from Yunzhi Dyeing Factory picked them up and took them to their accommodation.

Ji Huan was leading a team of six people this time.

Through her secretary, she had booked an entire villa.

A unique fusion of Chinese and Western architecture typical of the Jiangnan region, it was conveniently located between the factories and scenic spots, with an annex attached.

The villa owner had more than one property and only stayed here occasionally. Fully renovated with smart technology, it was usually rented out to film crews or wealthy tourists—priced at a level ordinary people wouldn’t even glance at.

The villa was at the foot of a mountain.

It was a long way from the airport, so Ji Huan and Jiang Jining were the last to arrive. Seeing that no one had chosen their rooms yet, Ji Huan remarked, “Everyone’s being so polite?”

All of Ji Huan’s traveling companions were old acquaintances. She said she had to go out for a meeting: “The annex on the first floor is for my younger brother. The rest of the rooms are up for grabs.”

“No problem!”

“Thank you, President Ji. We won’t stand on ceremony then.”

“There are three floors in total, with ten rooms to choose from this time. Let’s all go take a look.”

“A Ning.” Ji Huan made a phone gesture by her ear and said to Jiang Jining, “If anything comes up, call me or talk to Assistant Wu.”

“Goodbye, Sister-in-law.”

Jiang Jining was as worry-free as ever.

As soon as Ji Huan left, Assistant Xiao Wu came back to help him with his suitcase. Seeing she was a woman, Jiang Jining politely declined, “This is very light. I can manage it myself.”

Xiao Wu looked at him for a moment and smiled, “The annex is over here.”

Jiang Jining was given the most private room. It was clean and tidy, with a separate bathroom and bathtub. The bedroom window faced a distant mountain view—birds chirping, a gentle breeze, and expansive skies.

Taking a deep breath by the open window felt refreshing.

Jiang Jining liked it here.

The veteran staff from Yunzhi were all very approachable. Although they paid special attention to him, they didn’t pry or overstep.

In the evening, the dinner delivery arrived.

A lavish feast—everyone ate heartily.

Jiang Jining avoided overly greasy dishes at night. Having received a call from Bian Han, he used it as an excuse to stay in his room.

“So happy? When I have time later, I’ll take you too… cough—”

“What’s wrong?”

Jiang Jining was startled by her strained coughing.

Soon, the other end fell completely silent—not a sound. He quickly called out, “A-Han?”

“It’s nothing, nothing.” Bian Han’s voice grew clearer as she approached, coughing lightly several times before saying, “I just choked a moment ago.”

Jiang Jining frowned.

“…Did you stay up late again last night? If you’re coming down with something, don’t let it harm your health.”

Bian Han hadn’t come to see him off this morning.

Before leaving, Jiang Jining, feeling uneasy, had asked the housekeeper to knock on her door and check on her.

Bian Han was usually a light sleeper, but she hadn’t woken up even after being called three times this morning.

She only called when he was almost at the airport.

“You were perfectly fine the day before yesterday.” Jiang Jining added, concerned and convinced, “Don’t stay up late anymore.”

“Okay, I’ll remember.”

Bian Han couldn’t stand her own child nagging her.

Just as the call ended, someone knocked on the door.

Jiang Jining found Xiao Wu bringing him dinner—two dishes and a soup, light and refreshing stir-fried dishes. “The older brothers and sisters made this for you.”

Jiang Jining was surprised, “There was no need to go through such trouble.”

“It’s fine if you can’t finish it.”

Xiao Wu smiled, telling him not to worry about it.

Ji Huan had mentioned that Jiang Jining had a sensitive stomach and couldn’t handle heavy, oily, or salty food at night. When she asked about his meals, several employees volunteered to raid the freshly stocked fridge and cook for the youngest brother.

Jiang Jining still left half of the food uneaten.

After returning the dishes, someone brought a stool and placed it at the edge for him. He sat down and listened to everyone chat for a while.

A large part of the conversation went over his head.

The conversation turned to dating. A twenty-four-year-old male employee had a steady girlfriend and was well-liked, so everyone teased him from time to time. He was happy to share that he was already preparing for a proposal.

Xiao Wu noticed Jiang Jining’s serious expression and said with a smile, "Little brother looks so curious listening to this."

All eyes turned to him.

Jiang Jining blushed slightly. "I don’t really understand."

"So cute…"

"He's still young enough to be in school."

"It’s fine, kids actually love gossip too. When my sister and I were little, we especially loved the New Year because a bunch of aunties and older ladies would gather around taking turns telling family stories, and we’d just eat it up."

"Your memory is so good, no wonder Manager Ji always takes you along for visits and note-taking, haha—"

Everyone laughed.

"What’s everyone up to?" Ji Huan returned at that moment.

Everyone stood up to greet her.

Ji Huan had her assistant distribute the local snacks she brought back, then handed a box to Jiang Jining. "Freshly baked apple pie. Yuze recommended it—this place is especially good."

Jiang Jining smiled and reached out to take it.

If Fu Yuze recommended it, it must taste really good.

"He just contacted me, asking why you didn’t answer his call?" Ji Huan remembered her urgent task.

Jiang Jining immediately glanced at his watch.

Well… it was completely dead, not a shred of battery left.

Fu Yuze was going to be upset again.

Ji Huan asked with a smile, "Where’s your phone?"

"In my bag." Jiang Jining hadn’t put it on his lanyard before leaving, as usual forgetting to take it out. "I'll head off then."

Ji Huan motioned for him to hurry.

He said goodbye to everyone and returned to his room.

Jiang Jining plugged in his watch to charge.

He had just unzipped his backpack, pulled out his phone, and placed it on the bed when a video call came in.

"Alone now?"

Fu Yuze was greeted by the ceiling again. As soon as he got a response, he said slowly, teaching him, "When answering a video call, you need to show your face."

Jiang Jining adjusted the phone, deftly pulled his hair up into a bun by feel, and said casually, "I’m going to take a bath."

"You can go ahead, I'll be fine here."

Fu Yuze raised an eyebrow slightly. "Or I could wait for you to… decide."

Jiang Jining didn’t understand at first.

The next second, even through the camera, his fair face could be seen rapidly flushing red, making the screen spin wildly.

*Click—*

He hung up.

Jiang Jining buried his face in his arms. After a long while, listening to the pinging and chiming of message notifications by his ear, he held down the power button to shut it off, covered his eyes and cheeks with his hands, feeling like he could steam an egg.

"You rogue…"

He muttered softly, his face still red.

How could someone say such things before even getting married!