Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Jiang Yicen's face suddenly flushed. He never imagined he would have such an intimate encounter with Nan Shuyi in this situation. He wanted to step back, but behind him were stacked boxes, leaving him no room to retreat. In the end, he ended up stumbling into Nan Shuyi's arms.

The distance between them was unprecedented.

Nan Shuyi also realized he had touched Jiang Yicen's lips, but he didn't feel sorry about it. His mind exploded like fireworks, leaving only one thought: "Jiang Yicen's lips are actually this soft."

He stepped back promptly, not knowing where to look, even though they were in a pitch-black little storage room.

Neither of them spoke. They were so close that after shutting the door, they couldn't even turn around. If Nan Shuyi wanted, he could have pulled Jiang Yicen into his embrace.

Jiang Yicen was almost held in Nan Shuyi's arms. He could feel the warmth of Nan Shuyi's breath brushing against his ear, making him uneasy and feeling like he was burning all over. He was practically wrapped up by Nan Shuyi.

The noise outside grew louder. The intruders were still searching for them.

"I swear I saw someone in here just now, but they disappeared in a blink."

"Maybe your eyes were playing tricks on you. The office is empty. Let's go, there are cameras here!"

"No way, should we look again? What if there's a secret room or something?"

"Doesn't seem like it. Let's go."

Nan Shuyi didn't know if he was spacing out or savoring that chaotic second. After a long pause to collect himself, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Assistant Tang, asking him to find someone to drive those two social media guys out.

Assistant Tang and the store manager happened to be next door. They brought over a tall server and escorted the two social media guys out. The intruders falsely claimed they had taken a wrong turn. The store manager and Assistant Tang could only warn them; since they hadn't caused any real harm to the store, they let them off.

Once it was quiet outside again, Jiang Yicen found his voice: "Brother Shuyi?"

Nan Shuyi felt that being cooped up with Jiang Yicen in the storage room made the air feel thin. He felt lightheaded. Otherwise, why else would his nose be full of Jiang Yicen's scent, and his mind stuck on that soft, warm touch? He even wanted to touch it again, to taste what it was like.

Nan Shuyi regained his composure: "What?"

Jiang Yicen assumed it had just been an accidental touch. Since Nan Shuyi hadn't even spoken, he probably hadn't even noticed. He felt a little disappointed, thinking that in the darkness, Nan Shuyi might not have realized he had touched him.

"Everyone outside is gone. Should we go out?"

"Yeah, let's go." Nan Shuyi nodded and pushed the door open. If he stayed any longer, he might really pass out in there, his whole body burning.

Standing under the light, Jiang Yicen didn't dare look at Nan Shuyi. He could feel his ears still burning.

Nan Shuyi didn't want Jiang Yicen to notice his loss of composure, so he deliberately stood behind him to avoid embarrassing himself. He had thought it was the lack of oxygen that made him want to taste Jiang Yicen's lips, but now that they were out of the cramped space, the thought persisted.

Jiang Yicen looked down at the floor: "Are we going home?"

Flustered, Nan Shuyi pretended to be busy and opened his phone, seeing messages that brought his body temperature down—the restaurant topic was still trending.

Seeing this, Jiang Yicen began to worry about the online situation.

He asked: "Now that we've resolved that girl's issue, what about Liu Dan and Chef Fang? How will they be handled?"

Nan Shuyi: "The restaurant will stay open. It won't have a major impact. There's more than just Chef Fang in the kitchen, and the store manager is keeping an eye on things, so nothing serious will happen. As for the company, the PR department is handling it urgently. They've set up a group chat, and I'm monitoring it closely. It's not a big problem."

The store manager at the Linjiang branch was handling the restaurant situation. Affected customers would receive discounts as compensation, and the restaurant would operate as usual.

Jiang Yicen nodded: "That's good."

Nan Shuyi, thinking about how their lips had just touched, said to Jiang Yicen: "I'll add you to the group. If you have any good suggestions, you can bring them up to me or say them directly in the group."

Jiang Yicen shook his head: "That doesn't seem right. Your employees don't know me."

Nan Shuyi: "No one would dare not recognize you. I'm their boss. If I acknowledge you, they have to."

"Ah?" Jiang Yicen paused, then laughed. He felt warmed by the words; his husband seemed to be protecting him.

When Nan Shuyi spoke to Jiang Yicen, he couldn't help but glance at his thin lips. Thinking about how he had touched them—soft, with that faint lemony scent—the taste between his lips was a sweet lemon fragrance.

Jiang Yicen's lips weren't pale; instead, they were like they had been painted with rouge, always rosy and glossy.

Nan Shuyi almost lost his focus. He looked away awkwardly: "I'll explain your status to them. From now on, you're our company's Consultant Jiang."

Jiang Yicen: "Isn't that a bit hasty?"

Nan Shuyi: "No."

Jiang Yicen: "Then I'll treat it as learning how to handle emergencies."

Nan Shuyi: "Mm."

Jiang Yicen: "Where are we going now? Not home?"

Nan Shuyi: "We might have to work overtime at the company tonight. I need to go to the office. If you want to go home, I'll have Assistant Tang take you first."

Jiang Yicen made a bolder decision than before. He didn't want to be home alone today.

He asked: "Can I come with you to the company?"

"Sure." Nan Shuyi nodded at once, afraid that a second's hesitation would make Jiang Yicen change his mind.

Liu Dan and his apprentice hadn't left yet. The store manager had people keeping a close eye on those social media guys.

Seeing that Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi were about to leave, Liu Dan asked: "Are you heading back?"

Jiang Yicen: "We're going to the company to handle today's matters."

He wasn't going to accept everything without question. Liu Dan's heroic act was good, but fighting with Chef Fang today was wrong. As a senior figure, initiating behavior that harmed the company meant many people would pay for his mistake.

Liu Dan, now calmer, knew that his mistake had been exploited and used as a pretext for attacking Cuizhu.

He immediately admitted his fault: "President Nan, this time, I admit I wasn't calm enough."

Nan Shuyi didn't pursue it: "Let this be the last time. I hope Chef Liu will be more dedicated to the kitchen in the future."

Liu Dan: "Definitely."

He actually felt a bit guilty. Of course, he was in the right, but he made too much of a scene and fell into someone's trap, causing trouble for Nan Shuyi and the entire company.

Liu Dan: "I made some pastries using the kitchen a moment ago, based on the recipe Mr. Jiang gave me. Take them back to the office and try them. Give me your feedback."

Jiang Yicen accepted the gesture: "I'd be delighted."

He really missed the flavors he used to taste. If he could now eat something with a similar taste, he would be satisfied.

Soon, Jiang Yicen and the others returned to the company with several boxes of pastries. The assistant, who was driving, also got a share.

Assistant Tang drove himself. Since the boss was going back to the office, he naturally followed. He just didn't expect Master Jiang to come along too.

With Master Jiang around, things were different. The boss even brought "boxed lunches" back to the office—a treatment he had never enjoyed before. His boss was always decisive, wrapping up business and leaving, never ordering pastries to go from the restaurant, even when the store manager offered. His boss always refused.

Today was an exception.

Shiyi Catering Management Company was in the opposite direction from Nanyuan, but it was also in a prime location of the city center.

Jiang Yicen came here for the first time. He checked the address, and it was quite a distance from the apartment he shared with Nan Shuyi; the commute would take an hour.

No wonder Nan Shuyi sometimes didn't bother going home if he stayed too late—after the commute, washing up, and sleeping, he'd have less than three hours before heading back to the office.

An hour later, they returned from the branch to the company.

On the way back, Nan Shuyi was handling the trending topic in the newly created group chat. They were discussing a new plan: instead of removing the trending topic, they would use it to promote the new products from Cuizhu, and they also needed to wait for the police's final findings.

The branch deputy manager was a woman who accompanied Xiaolan to the police station; she would report to the company as soon as anything happened.

Nowadays, the self-media accounts spreading rumors about the restaurant were getting more extreme.

When they later issued the announcement, they had to be cautious while also promoting the new products and future menu plans.

Everyone was nervously drafting plans and noticed that Nan Shuyi had added someone to the group, but they didn't have time to ask who it was.

For the first time, Jiang Yicen saw a different work style in the group. Compared to Nanyuan, Nan Shuyi's team worked at a fast pace, with no idle chatter or buck-passing. Whoever made a mistake would admit it voluntarily—it was a team that kept work and personal separate. Jiang Yicen found their conversations very comfortable to read.

So this is what efficient work looks like.

It was far more efficient than traditional companies, and also more efficient than his brother's previous company. Times had changed, people had different ideas, and like-minded individuals were all pulling in the same direction. So this kind of work ethic was possible.

Although Shiyi Catering didn't occupy an entire building like Nanyuan, it still occupied an entire floor in a high-rise. The building was situated by the riverside, with an excellent location. Shiyi was on the twenty-something floor, and the elevator kept ascending.

Jiang Yicen had never ridden an elevator this high before, and he felt a little scared. The ventilation system in the elevator was a bit loud, and his heart was pounding. As the elevator ascended, he couldn't help but move closer to Nan Shuyi until he quietly clutched Nan Shuyi's sleeve.

Nan Shuyi noticed his condition: "Feeling unwell?"

In terms of physical condition, Jiang Yicen wouldn't lie to Nan Shuyi: "A little."

Seeing him clutching his sleeve, looking so pitiful, Nan Shuyi simply grabbed his hand and held it tighter. Jiang Yicen's attention was diverted, and the discomfort eased significantly.

Assistant Tang, being single, really didn't want to see those two tightly clasped hands reflected in the polished elevator walls.

He looked down at the temporary incident handling group chat, where someone was asking.

"Colleague A: Hey, who is Consultant Jiang?"

Assistant Tang: Who else? The boss's husband!

But the boss's husband was keeping a low profile and hadn't revealed his identity even after joining the group. Such a rich young master—it wouldn't hurt to have a few more like him.

When he was hired, Assistant Tang was thrilled and told his friends that he would work for the young master of the Nan family. Everyone envied him, thinking it would be great to work for a playboy—easy money and slacking off. But who knew? Everyone thought Nan Shuyi was a playboy, but only Assistant Tang, who worked closely with him, knew that if Nan Shuyi was a playboy, then "playboy" was definitely a compliment. Which playboy would work overtime more than the employees, diving into work without caring, like a workaholic?

Since Master Nan took over Shiyi, many new plans had been introduced, and the company, which had been losing money for years, saw its cash flow increase. The organizational structure underwent major changes. Incompetent leaders and cronies were all dismissed, and Nan Shuyi rehired management talent. Everyone who came in was full of energy and drive, instantly transforming the lifeless Shiyi into a vibrant place. Moreover, these people seemed to know Master Nan, and they all got along like friends.

While Assistant Tang was lost in thought, they arrived at the twenty-fifth floor.

Jiang Yicen was holding Nan Shuyi's hand as they left the elevator, and they only let go when they saw people around. He maintained a cool and aloof persona in front of the employees.

Nan Shuyi, worried he might have another stress reaction, asked, "Feeling better?"

Jiang Yicen shook his head. "I'm fine." He just wasn't used to riding such a high-floor elevator and hadn't fully adapted mentally.

Nan Shuyi said, "Go rest in my office for a while. I'll get you some hot water."

Jiang Yicen nodded. "Okay."

Assistant Tang entered the company first and distributed the boxes of pastries. He wouldn't disturb the newlywed couple.

Nan Shuyi led Jiang Yicen toward his office.

The work area for Shiyi employees was not too separated; it was an open office space, with each area clearly corresponding to a department.

As Nan Shuyi and Jiang Yicen walked through, everyone noticed the young and handsome man beside him.

Assistant Tang was handing out pastries, and a manager friend of his asked curiously.

"I've never seen the boss bring a friend to the company. Who is this?"

Assistant Tang was also a cold, emotionless work machine in front of others.

He was brief: "Consultant Jiang."

The manager: "He's the Consultant Jiang that the boss added to the group? Such a young consultant. What's his field—product development or something else?"

Assistant Tang: "Can't you eat with your mouth shut? After you finish, fill out the survey as usual."

The manager clicked his tongue. "Fine, as expected, free things are the most expensive."

Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi were unaware of the private speculation and gossip among the employees outside.

At that moment, Jiang Yicen was captivated by the river view from the floor-to-ceiling windows in Nan Shuyi's office, unable to tear himself away.

When he looked down, he felt no fear of heights, only admiration for the river scenery and the long cherry blossom path not far away. It was the season for cherry blossoms, dreamlike and enchanting, which reminded him of the plum trees planted in front of Yongjiang Hotel. He wondered where they had gone.

Nan Shuyi asked him, "Shall I make you some tea? Pastries go well with tea to cut the grease."

Jiang Yicen shook his head. "Why don't you handle the work, and I'll make the tea? Want to taste my tea-making skills?"

Nan Shuyi: "Consultant Jiang is truly talented."

Jiang Yicen: "You flatter me, President Nan."

Nan Shuyi indeed had to continue dealing with matters, so Jiang Yicen figured out how to use modern tools to brew tea, enjoying the environment.

In the pleasant afternoon, Jiang Yicen sat leisurely on a single sofa, savoring the fragrant tea and snacks, watching the cargo ships sailing side by side on the river. He couldn't remember when he last saw such a magnificent scene on the river.

What a peaceful world.

Listening to the sound of Nan Shuyi's keyboard typing, Jiang Yicen unknowingly fell asleep.

As the sun set, the sky quickly darkened, and the landscape lights on both sides of the river lit up.

Nan Shuyi felt the office was a bit dim and thought about getting up to turn on the light, only to find Jiang Yicen, who had been brewing tea by the window, asleep in the chair.

The faint light from the landscape outside illuminated his fair face, accentuating his handsome features, as if he were a person who had traveled from another time.

Nan Shuyi walked toward him quietly, his gaze involuntarily falling on the curve of his lips.

As if enchanted, he slowly leaned forward, holding the armrest, bending down inch by inch, moving closer to Jiang Yicen, then slightly toward his lips.

Suddenly, a large light flashed outside the window, startling Jiang Yicen awake. His eyelids fluttered, and Nan Shuyi was jolted out of the trance.

Nan Shuyi regained his senses, his fingertips almost digging into the leather sofa.

He seemed to have truly gone mad. He actually wanted very badly to kiss Jiang Yicen, and this thought kept surging uncontrollably in his mind, as if he had been poisoned.