Chapter 18

Chapter 18

With Nan Shuyi's help, Jiang Yicen not only tasted different flavors of candy but also learned how to market candy effectively in today's market for maximum profit.

During the day when both were at work, Nan Shuyi had someone come to the house to remove all the ribbons hanging from the lights, put the big wedding quilt back, leaving just the double happiness stickers on the windows.

The guest room was also cleaned out, though Jiang Yicen continued to share a walk-in closet with Nan Shuyi.

Originally, this guest room was meant to be Nan Shuyi's study. So he could easily get back to the bedroom to sleep, he knocked through the walls between the study, walk-in closet, and master bedroom and installed doors. But later he decided the downstairs guest room was brighter and more convenient, so after moving in, he relocated his study downstairs.

Nan Shuyi looked at the bed restored to its original state. Lying down again, he couldn't help thinking of the previous two nights—a fair-skinned person in loose pajamas lying in the bright red quilt, obediently waiting to sleep with him. He felt a weird mix of emotions he couldn't quite explain.

He was lying right where Jiang Yicen had slept those two nights. It was best to sleep alone—sleeping alone, you get better dreams!

He stayed up till two in the morning and still barely felt sleepy. He wondered if Jiang Yicen next door was lying awake too.

But Jiang Yicen next door was the opposite.

He'd shared a room with Nan Shuyi for two nights. The first night he was so tired he didn't even notice the weirdness of having someone next to him. The second night, both felt awkward, and their sleep quality noticeably declined. Since they had to work the next day, Jiang Yicen insisted on staying in the guest room. He didn't mind, but he couldn't let it mess up Nan Shuyi's sleep.

Over the years, he had kept up the Jiang family business and its reputation for show. As the last heir of the Jiang family, he had never shared a bed with anyone.

After coming to this world, he had lived alone on an entire floor without any servants or staff, and actually felt freer.

It was reasonable that he hadn't yet adapted to sharing a bed with someone else.

If Nan Shuyi insisted on them sleeping together, he could try to adjust. Fortunately, Nan Shuyi was a gentleman and didn't force him to share the room. He grew to admire this modern rich guy even more.

He wasn't the type to mess around. He was kind to him, respecting his preferences and willing to help.

With someone like that, it was hard not to start liking him.

Thinking that Nan Shuyi was sleeping in the master bedroom next door, Jiang Yicen felt extremely safe. Living with Nan Shuyi made him eat well and sleep soundly.

Nan Shuyi was like a door god, just like Guan Yu and Qin Shubao—Jiang Yicen cracked himself up at that thought.

Over the next two days, Jiang Yicen was slowly getting the hang of computer skills. He learned to use PowerPoint by watching videos. Since he couldn't make overly complex content in a short time, he stuck to the simple stuff. After all, no matter how fancy it looked, you still need solid content to back it up.

Those two days, he didn't just study alone; he also observed colleagues and learned from them.

Luckily, his boss Jin Huanxin didn't pay him much attention. Originally, Tan Ping was supposed to help him get started with the new work, but Tan Ping seemed to have a major problem with him, clearly treating him as a competitor. He looked at Jiang Yicen coldly, was distant, and even showed disdain.

One day in the break room, Jiang Yicen overheard Tan Ping talking about him with friends from other teams. His words were full of contempt, repeatedly calling him "someone who got in through connections."

Jiang Yicen had indeed joined the company through connections, but it was a private company, not state-owned—each position had its purpose, and he wasn't taking national resources. Tan Ping's hostility was too obvious.

He thought about it; it didn't seem like he had offended the other party in any way, nor had he snatched his job.

In their time, if someone knew that a person had entered through higher-ups, everyone would show some respect—otherwise, who knew when they might offend someone. Perhaps modern people could secure high-paying jobs purely through their abilities, without needing interpersonal relationships, gift-giving, or favors to get a hard-won position. So in handling interpersonal relationships, they could follow their feelings—like if they liked it, they liked it; if they didn't, they could express it clearly.

Jiang Yicen respected the other's choice, as it wouldn't have much impact on him anyway.

The deadline for the new proposal was only three days. Jiang Yicen worked overtime to study others' proposal formats and combined them with his own insights. He had market data and had tasted various flavors, but he still felt something was missing.

His proposal was in a confidential stage and had to be sent to Jin Huanxin by Friday. He felt his proposal was still lacking.

On Thursday afternoon, he reviewed his marketing proposal again. He was unsatisfied, but couldn't pinpoint the problem, having no reference.

If he said too much, he would reveal that he wasn't a marketing major, and it would also increase his colleagues' workload and waste their time.

That day, he didn't work overtime and left on time. After working overtime for two days, he realized it wasn't very meaningful—he could finish at home, where he had more freedom. Nan Shuyi had set aside a room for him as his study, where he had his own little space and could arrange his desk as he liked.

He had never used an electric height-adjustable desk before, and Nan Shuyi also bought him an ergonomic chair that perfectly fit his body curves, making sitting for long periods comfortable.

Jiang Yicen increasingly enjoyed living here. After just a few days, he developed a sense of belonging, something he had never felt while living at the Jiang residence.

Nan Shuyi wasn't free to pick up Jiang Yicen from work every day. Knowing that Jiang Yicen didn't want to drive, he directly arranged a driver for him.

In the morning, he would send him off; in the evening, the driver would bring him home.

Today, Jiang Yicen was also brought home by the driver. The dinner was cooked by a hired auntie—he didn't have time to cook, and Jiang Yicen couldn't. If they ordered from their own restaurant, it would go through several people and processes, and by the time it was delivered, the taste would change. But he couldn't let Jiang Yicen go hungry, so he borrowed an auntie from Nan Anru.

Nan Shuyi had a social engagement and didn't return until nine in the evening.

When living alone, he would usually drink at such events. After drinking, he felt too lazy to move, so he'd just turn on one light, go to his room, shower, and rest.

Today was an exception. The lights in the house were bright, warming his heart.

The big TV that usually gathered dust in the living room finally had a purpose. Even while changing shoes at the entrance, he could hear the sound of the TV.

Jiang Yicen was sitting on the sofa watching TV.

Nan Shuyi thought Jiang Yicen would be lounging on the sofa, holding a fruit or snack bag while eating, but instead, he saw a different scene.

Jiang Yicen sat very upright on the sofa, hands resting on his legs, back straight—like the model student most favored by the teacher in the top class. He sat properly, and one could imagine when he raised his hand to answer a question, one hand flat, the other vertical, forming a perfect right angle.

Perhaps the only thing that broke the atmosphere was his loose pajamas and the square pillow on his lap.

Nan Shuyi thought that Jiang Yicen always gave him little surprises inadvertently. There really were people who had engraved dignity, composure, and gentleness into their bones—not putting on a show in public, but being this way in private.

Nan Shuyi felt like he had spied his own secret garden, wanting to treasure this secret only he knew. So Jiang Yicen had always shown him his truest self. He suppressed the strange feeling in his heart.

Nan Shuyi took off his coat, the strange feeling growing. He made a harmless joke: "Waiting for me on purpose?"

"Mm." Jiang Yicen put the pillow aside and stood up. "I'll get you a glass of hot water."

"Thanks." Nan Shuyi nodded. His eyes followed Jiang Yicen as he went from the living room to the kitchen to get water, then waited for him to come back out.

The loose pajamas wrapped around Jiang Yicen's body, the silk fabric outlining his figure—slightly thin, but there was flesh where it should be, not a bony frame.

Jiang Yicen handed the mug to Nan Shuyi, who was leaning on the sofa. He could smell the alcohol on him, but strangely, while the smell of alcohol on many people was unpleasant, with Nan Shuyi it wasn't. He almost felt the alcohol was like perfume on him. His nose must be broken.

Nan Shuyi knew Jiang Yicen was an early sleeper, practically unable to keep his eyes open past eleven. "Not sleeping yet?"

Jiang Yicen shook his head, hesitant before speaking: "Are you free?"

Nan Shuyi: "What's up?"

Jiang Yicen: "I have something I'd like to ask your advice on."

After much thought, asking Nan Shuyi was his best option. The other was clearly not an incompetent playboy but had been hiding his capabilities. Moreover, he understood what Nanyuan needed better than Jiang Yicen did.

He might have experience running a restaurant, but in marketing planning, his experience was clearly lacking. Even if he had some, it might not suit the current marketing environment.

Nan Shuyi: "Regarding what?"

Jiang Yicen, considering that Nan Shuyi had been drinking—his eyes were a bit red—probably quite a bit—didn't want to trouble him too much.

"Wait a moment."

He quickly walked to the study, and when he returned to the living room, he had a laptop in hand.

Nan Shuyi was not surprised at all, but that didn't stop him from feeling a bit regretful—he could have asked for advice on something else, after all.

Oh no, he seemed a bit drunk—his mind had been wandering ever since he came back.

But when he saw the document Jiang Yicen had opened, the title immediately drove those thoughts out of his mind, leaving him surprisingly clear-headed.

Nan Shuyi placed the laptop on his own lap, his fingers moved faster than his mouth as he casually scrolled the screen. "Let me take a look at your proposal?"

Jiang Yicen sat down beside him. "Mm, I don't know what works and what doesn't—I've never done a proposal for the current domestic market."

Nan Shuyi's fingers paused slightly, and the earlier heat rushed back to his face. Jiang Yicen had showered, and as he sat down, the scent of body wash wafted toward him, gradually filling his nostrils.

The laptop screen was narrow, so Jiang Yicen had to lean closer to Nan Shuyi to see the proposal together.

Nan Shuyi's gaze fell on the document. "Let me read it first."

Jiang Yicen: "Want me to cut you some fruit?"

Nan Shuyi remembered he didn't even know how to turn on the gas stove, so he said, "No need, I already had fruit tonight. You can continue watching TV."

"Okay." Jiang Yicen was very obedient. He turned down the TV volume and continued watching the entertainment show — a dating show. He found it particularly novel; the idea that people nowadays could even film their love lives as a show for the audience seemed so cutting-edge to him.

Nan Shuyi focused on the proposal and quickly had some ideas, adding annotations to the document. When he looked up again, he found that Jiang Yicen was also watching the show with great concentration. When the dating guests on the show had physical contact during a game, Jiang Yicen even opened his mouth slightly in surprise, not at all like someone who'd been studying abroad. These were just actors following a script—why was he so surprised?

Nan Shuyi brought his attention back. "I'm done reading."

Hearing those words, Jiang Yicen felt a sense of familiarity. When he was little and studied with his grandfather, he'd always stand there and wait after finishing an essay, and his grandfather would always say, "I'm done reading." Now, with Nan Shuyi saying the same thing, he tensed up reflexively.

Nan Shuyi was sitting close to him. Jiang Yicen's face was actually quite small, so any change in his expression was very noticeable.

He chuckled. "Are you treating me like a homeroom teacher?"

Jiang Yicen thought of his late grandfather and nodded hesitantly, then shook his head. "Not a homeroom teacher."

Nan Shuyi leaned in a little. "Then who did you think of?"

Jiang Yicen looked at the handsome face approaching his and said softly, "My maternal grandfather."

Nan Shuyi's mischievous streak that had just surfaced instantly dissipated.

He realized that Jiang Yicen always managed to pour cold water on him, and with spot-on accuracy.

The term "maternal grandfather"—it sounded pretty formal. Didn't most people just say "grandpa" or "granddad"?

"...Alright, let me tell you what needs improvement in the proposal. Your idea is good, but it's still missing some details."

Nan Shuyi let out a long breath. Whenever Jiang Yicen got close, he felt a little uneasy, his ears getting hot—it was probably because he had drunk too much.

Jiang Yicen leaned in again, pointing at the first annotation. "Are the holiday benefits not appropriate?"

Nan Shuyi turned his head and caught a whiff of Jiang Yicen's hair fragrance, almost losing his train of thought.

He leaned back a little, collected his thoughts, and continued explaining to Jiang Yicen. "It's appropriate, but not enough. Our target audience isn't just families with kids—it also includes travelers, young white-collar workers, and even corporate benefit purchases can fit into this category..."

Jiang Yicen listened very attentively, his eyes bright and clear. He looked exactly like the kind of diligent student who pays close attention in class.

Under his gaze, Nan Shuyi's mouth felt dry, so he downed the glass of cold water in one gulp.

He really seemed to have drunk too much tonight—he could barely control the urge to kiss him.