Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Nan Shuyi had expected Nan Anru to have someone decorate his house, but he never imagined that his room would be transformed into a traditional bridal chamber, even more so than the "temporary bridal chamber" at Yongjiang Hotel, to the point where turning on a yellow light would scare the soul out of a person.

The bedside lampshades had been replaced with big red cloth, and even his black coffee table hadn't been spared—white statues were draped with red ribbons tied into bowknots, tacky to the extreme, almost like that wedding car. He really shouldn't have left his entire wedding to his father; now he was full of regret.

On the coffee table sat a set of wine glasses, identical to the ones downstairs, except that downstairs there were multiple glasses while the room only had a pair.

Nan Shuyi couldn't bear to take a closer look at his room, so he quickly picked up Jiang Yicen's suitcase and carried it into the walk-in closet.

Only after setting it down did he realize how little luggage Jiang Yicen had. Was he not planning to stay here long?

Jiang Yicen followed behind Nan Shuyi, momentarily unsure of what to do.

Nan Shuyi showed him where the bathroom was and got him new toiletries. At first, he thought there weren't any extras at home, but when he opened the bathroom cabinet, it turned out that matching pairs of toiletries had already been prepared. He took them out and also replaced his own with the same style—after all, he'd have to throw away the old ones sooner or later, so he might as well switch to a new set.

He just had a bit of OCD; matching pairs looked more suitable.

Jiang Yicen, unaware of Nan Shuyi's inner thoughts while preparing his toiletries, just wanted to take a hot shower to relieve the day's exhaustion.

Nan Shuyi: "You can shower here. I'll use the bathroom next door. If you want to take a bath, you can turn this faucet, and press the button behind to drain the water automatically."

Jiang Yicen glanced at Nan Shuyi: "No bath today. I just want to wash up and go straight to bed."

"Okay."

Nan Shuyi picked up his usual bathrobe and left the room, closing the bathroom door behind him.

Jiang Yicen stared blankly at the closed door. What was he supposed to do on his wedding night?

He had read novels before, where writers described sex explicitly, and he used to cover his eyes while reading, but that was between a man and a woman, and he had only read it with the mindset of appreciating modern literature. Now it was between two men, and he had no clue about it.

Now he regretted not following his second brother's advice to read more racy books.

After his shower, Jiang Yicen emerged with a flush from the steam, half of it due to his anxiety about the coming wedding night.

When he came out, Nan Shuyi hadn't returned to the room yet.

Jiang Yicen dried his hair absentmindedly. The room was warm, and he had put on a silk pajama set that draped nicely and felt very comfortable.

But no matter how comfortable, it couldn't mask his inner nervousness.

He scanned the bedroom, and amidst all the red, his eyes landed on the wine set on the coffee table. He filled both glasses with wine.

Nan Shuyi finished washing much faster than Jiang Yicen. After drying his hair in the guest area, he returned to the room.

Jiang Yicen bit his lip. There was still one last procedure to complete for the wedding.

He picked up one of the glasses and handed it to Nan Shuyi: "Would you mind having another drink tonight?"

Nan Shuyi was slightly taller than Jiang Yicen, so he looked down and saw the faint flush on his face from the bath. The current Jiang Yicen was tinted pink, like a drooping crabapple blossom in spring, full and about to bloom.

His gaze locked onto Jiang Yicen's similarly pink lips, and he took a quiet breath.

He took the glass he had just disliked: "I don't mind."

Jiang Yicen raised his arm, waiting for Nan Shuyi to lift his.

Nan Shuyi's mind wasn't processing what "having another drink" meant.

After waiting a moment and seeing no reaction, Jiang Yicen took the initiative to grab Nan Shuyi's right hand and loop his own arm around it.

His pajamas were very thin, and Nan Shuyi's were loose. When Nan Shuyi lifted his elbow, his sleeve slid down, and Jiang Yicen could feel the warmth of his skin through the fabric—it was a bit hot.

"We'll drink the crossed-arm wine."

Jiang Yicen didn't dare to look at Nan Shuyi directly. Even though they had held hands during the day and Nan Shuyi had carried him in his arms during his panic attack, now they were facing each other at close range. The distance was too close, so he stared at the blue texture of Nan Shuyi's silk pajamas and downed the wine in one gulp.

Nan Shuyi's mind had stopped working. When Jiang Yicen drank, he drank too. He could have refused, but he wanted to see what other tricks Jiang Yicen had up his sleeve.

Tsk, crossed-arm wine.

Jiang Yicen really had a very traditional mindset. How did he learn these things abroad? Did he live in Chinatown?

Amidst these chaotic thoughts, Nan Shuyi downed the low-alcohol wine as well. Just as he thought Jiang Yicen would do something next, he saw him put both glasses back in their place.

After drinking, Jiang Yicen felt a wave of fatigue and drowsiness: "I'm going to sleep. You..."

Nan Shuyi, feeling a sense of loss, was almost caught off guard by this twist. So just a crossed-arm wine, and that's it?

But in his mind, he didn't want to comply with Jiang Yicen's pace, and besides, he still wasn't used to having another person in his bed.

His body didn't move, but his gaze followed Jiang Yicen as he let out a disappointed sigh: "You go to sleep first. I still have some work to deal with."

Jiang Yicen wasn't bold enough yet to invite his new spouse to bed together. He covered his mouth as he yawned, and was about to take off his shoes and climb into bed when he suddenly stopped.

"Okay." He looked at Nan Shuyi, who had pulled out his phone from his pocket. "I forgot to ask, which side do you sleep on?"

Nan Shuyi: "You can sleep on whichever side you like. I usually sleep alone, never shared a bed with anyone."

Jiang Yicen: "Then I'll take the right side." He was a bit sensitive to light when sleeping, and the right side was near the curtains.

He took off his shoes, lifted the blanket, and got into bed. Squinting, he saw Nan Shuyi about to leave the room, and remembered the light was still on. He was about to get up again.

Nan Shuyi stopped him just in time: "Don't get up. I'll turn it off for you."

Jiang Yicen pulled the blanket up to his chin and looked toward the door: "Thanks."

The light was turned off, and Nan Shuyi stood in the shadows. Jiang Yicen saw his figure cast on the floor, giving him an inexplicable sense of security.

Back at the Jiang residence, the curtains were not very transparent, and the windows, designed in a retro style, didn't do a good job of soundproofing. He would often be woken by tree shadows outside the window or bird calls, so his sleep quality wasn't high.

After Nan Shuyi closed the door, Jiang Yicen closed his eyes, too sleepy to keep them open.

Meanwhile, Nan Shuyi was thinking to himself at the bedroom door: Jiang Yicen really likes to say thank you. Is he this polite with everyone?

How come even after marrying him, he's still so polite?

Nan Shuyi did indeed have some work to handle. Jiang Yicen had mentioned Chef Xu to him tonight, and his lack of expertise in Cantonese cuisine was something worth looking into.

He sent a message to the HR director to cancel further contact with Chef Xu.

But now he was in a bind. Originally, there were three candidates: one was a chef specialized in Hong Kong-style cuisine but better at Western pastries; another had returned from abroad with a reputation, having worked at a Michelin restaurant, but his value was only short-term—he could attract foodies at the beginning, but the taste wasn't up to par. This chef's drawbacks outweighed his benefits, so he was also eliminated.

Jiang Yicen was right. Only palatable food could retain customers. He needed to draft a new proposal.

But when he opened his computer and looked at the document, his mind was completely unrelated to the proposal. Instead, it was filled with the image of a bed covered in bright red wedding bedding, a hand that held a glass and encircled his elbow, and a fair face as lovely as a peach blossom.

He closed his laptop, leaned back in his chair, let his mind go blank for three seconds, then straightened his clothes and returned to the bedroom.

Nan Shuyi walked back to the room as quickly as he could, but when he reached the door, he slowed down, moving cautiously, afraid to make the slightest sound.

Carefully, using his phone's flashlight, he slipped back into bed without making a sound.

Jiang Yicen slept very peacefully, with his hands resting on the quilt, lying perfectly still in the exact same spot as before.

Unfortunately, the blackout curtains in the room were too thick to see anything; the only thing in the room was silence. In the extreme quiet, he could hear Jiang Yicen's steady breathing.

No snoring, no teeth grinding, no talking in his sleep—he really slept like an angel.

Nan Shuyi quietly scooted a little closer to Jiang Yicen's pillow. Luckily, he had chosen a firm mattress, so a slight shift wouldn't disturb his companion.

His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he could make out Jiang Yicen's silhouette—a delicate and prominent nose bridge, lips slightly closed. He couldn't see the color, but he remembered that after drinking, his lips would turn red, and his cheeks would flush with a tipsy peachy pink.

Since childhood, Nan Shuyi had never liked sharing a bed with others. On three-day hiking trips with friends, he would pitch his own tent and sleep in his own sleeping bag. If it was too late to go home after a night out, or if Zhou Yi shamelessly tried to barge into his room, he would rather sleep on the sofa or stay awake all night than share a bed with Zhou Yi.

But now, he felt no resistance toward Jiang Yicen. The room temperature wasn't very high, and Jiang Yicen's hands were still outside the covers.

Nan Shuyi gently lifted his hand and tucked it back under the quilt. Sure enough, his wrist was cold; if he slept like that all night, he'd definitely catch a cold.

Jiang Yicen, still asleep, sensed the movement beside him and murmured, "Mm?"

Nan Shuyi whispered, "Cover yourself properly."

"Thanks, Uncle Yuan. You go to bed too." Jiang Yicen mumbled, pulling the quilt up to his shoulders. He rolled over to continue sleeping, now facing Nan Shuyi.

Nan Shuyi: "..." Uncle? Who?

Had someone else covered him with a blanket before?

Just as he was about to fall asleep, Nan Shuyi was suddenly wide awake.

Who is Uncle Yuan?

--

Jiang Yicen woke up naturally. Opening his eyes, he thought for a moment he had traveled through time again—why wasn't it light out yet?

It took a few seconds for his mind to clear. Oh, right, he had gotten married yesterday and was now living at Nan Shuyi's place—their new home.

He found the curtain control, and the curtains automatically opened. Bright sunlight instantly flooded the bedroom. The light stood out against the bright red duvet cover, making his exposed skin look even fairer.

Spring in Lingcheng was often rainy, but today turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day.

The spot beside him was cold—Nan Shuyi must have gotten up early.

After washing up, he picked out a casual outfit. Nan Shuyi wasn't in the living room on the first floor, but he heard a machine running from the gym.

At that moment, Nan Shuyi was jogging on a treadmill in the morning sunlight.

He didn't disturb him because his phone rang. It was Jiang Yiting.

Jiang Yicen answered, "Brother, what's the matter?"

Jiang Yiting: "I won't beat around the bush. Dad told me to let you know that a position has been arranged for you at the company. Report to headquarters on Monday."

Jiang Yicen knew what kind of people were at the Jiang family headquarters. Jiang Yiting had already built up his own network there. Going to the group would just be clocking in with no real opportunity. He wanted to make money—enough to buy back his family's assets.

He might not be able to buy back Yongjiang Hotel, but there were smaller assets he could try to reclaim.

Since coming to this era, he had been gentle with the Jiang family members. But today, he firmly refused.

"No, I want to be given a company to manage on my own, taking full responsibility for profits and losses."

Jiang Yiting was not expecting this answer. The person who had always been insecure in front of him suddenly became assertive.

Jiang Yiting: "Is this Nan Shuyi's idea?"

Jiang Yicen: "No, it's my own. I'm sure you don't want me in the company either, Brother."

Jiang Yiting didn't respond immediately, because that was exactly how he felt. He would rather financially support his brother Jiang Yicen than see him in the company.

It was obvious who the heir of Jiangda Group was. Even if Jiang Yiting gave up the inheritance, there was still Jiang Yifeng. Jiang Yicen would never get the chance, because Jiangda Group also included half of Jiang Gongming's ex-wife's stake—making it a very complicated company.

Jiang Yiting: "You have no experience managing a company right now."

It's not that he has no experience, but he was unfamiliar with the market in this era. He definitely needed to learn for a while first.

Jiang Yicen: "I can join the company to learn first."

Jiang Yiting: "I'll discuss it with Dad."

Jiang Yicen hung up. He really wasn't used to having a thin phone pressed against his ear; the phone's screen felt hot against his cheek. He still preferred traditional landline receivers.

Without his noticing, the gym equipment had stopped.

Nan Shuyi, drenched with sweat, stood behind Jiang Yicen. He smiled in the sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling window, "I happen to know which companies of the Jiang family would suit you. Want some suggestions?"

Jiang Yicen asked casually, "Really?"

Nan Shuyi said thoughtfully, "But first, you have to make me breakfast."

On the first day of their marriage, he wanted to eat Jiang Yicen's cooking. Since he was such a connoisseur, he must be good at cooking too. He had heard that many of those little overseas students back in China were used to being served, but once abroad, they all became great cooks.

Nan Shuyi was looking forward to Jiang Yicen's culinary skills. He could always talk about flavors with great insight, so his cooking must be excellent.

Jiang Yicen was taken aback—he hadn't expected to face a cooking challenge on the first day of marriage.

He asked slowly, "Do I really have to cook?"

Making a meal for his husband didn't seem like a bad idea, but he wasn't exactly skilled at it.

Nan Shuyi nodded firmly: "Mm-hmm."

Five minutes later, they were in the kitchen.

Jiang Yicen: "Where do I plug this in?"

Jiang Yicen: "How do I turn on the stove?"

Jiang Yicen: "Which button do I press? Like this? It doesn't seem to light up."

Nan Shuyi: "..."

Ten minutes later, Nan Shuyi pushed Jiang Yicen out of the kitchen.

He knew it. Jiang Yicen had only pretended to know about cooking. Yesterday, he must have hired Xu Changnian to put on a show for him to gain his favor.

This little overseas student is nothing but a little liar.