Chapter 90: Madness, Did He Touch Here Too?
Jiang Yan walked in front, his pace steady, but it forced Jiang Yunian to slightly quicken his steps to keep up. Stepping on the soft carpet, he lowered his head, staring at the heels of Jiang Yan’s leather shoes. His heart was in turmoil, calculating exactly how much that set of wine glasses would cost to compensate, and whether it would render all his work tonight vain.
Just then, a slightly rushed but perfectly polite voice interjected.
“Young Master.”
The butler bowed slightly. He first gave an amiable nod to Jiang Yunian, then turned to Jiang Yan and said in a low voice, “The Chairman requests your presence.”
Jiang Yan’s footsteps paused. His brows knitted together. He turned his head, his eyes holding a complexity that Jiang Yunian couldn’t understand, and whispered next to his ear:
“Wait for me.”
Jiang Yunian kept his eyes lowered and didn’t respond. He watched Jiang Yan’s tall and straight back turn and walk toward the other side of the banquet hall. Over there, Elder Qi was sitting in a wheelchair, with that outstanding socialite from the Chen family standing beside him. Several business magnates were gathered together, conversing in low voices about something.
His heart sank slightly. That Weibo post speculated that Elder Qi intended to use this banquet to push forward the marriage alliance between the Qi Sheng heir and the Chen family’s daughter, perhaps even announcing it on the spot. If the rumors were true, it would probably be happening right now.
Jiang Yunian recalled the time Elder Qi had met him privately. The scrutiny in his eyes and words all seemed to have an explanation now. He probably wanted to test whether he would pose a threat to Jiang Yan’s future marriage. Thinking back on it now, there was absolutely nothing to fear. In the eyes of these people who could turn clouds into rain with a flip of their hands, an ordinary and unremarkable person like him probably didn’t even count as a dog, so how could he possibly stir up any waves?
Whether out of a lack of interest in what was about to happen next, or perhaps out of fear, Jiang Yunian chose to stay away from the inner hall. He turned around and walked toward the less crowded outer area, gradually distancing himself from that glittering glamor.
“Yunian?”
He hadn’t taken many steps when a gentle voice sounded from behind.
“Xuezhang?” Jiang Yunian was a bit surprised.
Since the day of school registration, he hadn’t seen Xuezhang again. Presumably, he had been soaking in the laboratory, extremely busy.
“What a coincidence,” Jiang Yunian said.
Lu Yuanbai took a few steps closer. The lighting cast onto his well-defined face, adding a touch of refined elegance.
“Not a coincidence. I knew you were here.”
Jiang Yunian froze for a moment, then immediately remembered the “Xuezhang” Xu Zhiyuan had mentioned, and instantly understood.
“So the Xuezhang that Zhiyuan mentioned is…” He paused. Xuezhang’s family background was even more illustrious than he had imagined.
To be able to easily arrange for people to enter Qi Sheng’s banquet, the Lu family was clearly not from an ordinary background.
“Yes,” Lu Yuanbai admitted frankly. His gentle gaze fell on Jiang Yunian’s face, carrying a slight trace of inquiry. “Now, do you feel a little regretful?”
Regret… not choosing him.
Jiang Yunian avoided the deeper meaning in his words, forcing out a smile without replying. Lu Yuanbai was well aware of his evasion and didn’t point it out. He lifted his eyes toward a certain someone in the inner hall, the corners of his lips curling into a self-mocking smile. “It seems you still can’t forget him.”
This sentence was very low, and Jiang Yunian didn’t quite catch it, tilting his head in confusion.
Lu Yuanbai restrained his expression and said calmly, “Have you seen him?”
“Mm.”
Lu Yuanbai hesitated for a moment, seemingly wanting to say something, but looking at his complexion, he swallowed his words back down. Jiang Yan being called away by Elder Qi right now was undoubtedly not a simple matter, and Jiang Yunian’s situation was probably not easy either. So, he stopped adding to his troubles, raised a hand to pat his shoulder, and changed the subject: “Is your part-time job over?”
“I probably still have to wait a while.” As part-timers, they had to wait until the guests had mostly dispersed before they could leave.
Lu Yuanbai nodded. “Accompany me to get some fresh air later?”
Just then, a colleague came over to call Jiang Yunian to help pack things up. Jiang Yunian acknowledged it, said “Wait a moment” to him, and turned to leave.
About half an hour later, most of the guests had successively left, and the remaining wrap-up work no longer required the part-timers. Jiang Yunian changed out of his uniform and found Lu Yuanbai, who had been waiting quietly.
“Sorry for the wait.”
Lu Yuanbai stood up from the sofa in the rest area and smiled: “Let’s go, I’ll take you for a ride, we’ll loop around before heading back to school.”
Jiang Yunian subconsciously glanced toward the brightly lit hall behind him, not seeing that familiar figure. He withdrew his gaze, meeting Lu Yuanbai’s quiet, staring eyes. His heart was a bit in disarray, and he whispered an excuse: “The school curfew…”
“Don’t worry,” Lu Yuanbai interrupted him with a certain tone, “I’ll get you back before curfew.”
He naturally took Jiang Yunian’s wrist and walked toward the garage, arriving in front of that familiar motorcycle. Handing over a helmet, he helped him put on the other one, threw a long leg over, and sat on it. Then, he very naturally grabbed Jiang Yunian’s hands and wrapped them around his own waist.
“Hold tight.”
The familiar night reminded him of the feeling of sitting on the back seat of the motorcycle, riding through the cool breeze of a summer night in the past. That unconstrained freedom briefly suppressed the turmoil in his heart. He slowly tightened his grip and, following the instruction, hugged Lu Yuanbai’s waist tightly.
The engine started, and the motorcycle left the hotel. The night wind rushed against their faces, carrying the slight chill unique to urban nights. The phone in his bag kept vibrating, but this slight movement was completely drowned out by the howling wind and the engine noise, temporarily forgotten by its owner.
The motorcycle headed towards the outskirts. The surroundings grew increasingly quiet, and the shadows of the trees stretched out in the night.
Suddenly, glaring high beams shot from behind, followed by the roar of an engine. A black sports car approached at breakneck speed, nearly scraping against the motorcycle, and then, with an extremely dangerous drifting tail flick, slammed to a halt horizontally right in front of the motorcycle.
Lu Yuanbai reacted extremely fast, immediately braking and decelerating, but the distance was too close, and the impact brought by the sports car was too fierce. Despite his utmost efforts to control it, the bike unavoidably tipped over onto the ground.
In the instant they fell, Lu Yuanbai forcefully pushed Jiang Yunian aside. Jiang Yunian stumbled a few steps and fell onto the grassy side of the road; aside from a scare, he was completely unharmed.
“Xuezhang!” Jiang Yunian’s heart pounded wildly. Ignoring himself, he immediately scrambled up and used all his strength to help lift the heavy motorcycle.
Lu Yuanbai, pinned under the bike, let out a muffled groan. Using Jiang Yunian’s leverage, he struggled free, leaned against the motorcycle, and frowned deeply: “I’m fine… just scrapes.”
In the dark night, the exact injuries couldn’t be seen clearly, but hearing his voice sounded relatively calm, he probably hadn’t hurt any bones. Jiang Yunian breathed a slight sigh of relief, supporting him and trying to stand up.
In front of them, the black sports car blocking the middle of the road suddenly flashed its headlights again, beaming directly onto the two of them.
Jiang Yunian squinted from the glaring light, raising a hand to block it. The window of the sports car’s driver seat slowly rolled down, revealing Jiang Yan’s cold and stern profile. He didn’t even turn his head, merely staring straight ahead, yet that terrifying, oppressive aura had already invaded.
Jiang Yunian’s pupils shrank abruptly. That extreme desire for revenge filled him with a long-lost familiarity, chilling him to the bone.
The car door was opened. A long leg stepped out, walking straight toward them. Jiang Yan’s face was dark, his eyes fixed on the hand Jiang Yunian was using to support Lu Yuanbai’s arm, closing in step by step.
Sensing the danger radiating from him, Jiang Yunian instinctively took a step forward, blocking in front of Lu Yuanbai. “What… what do you want to do?”
The other party stopped a step away from him, looking displeased.
“I called you many times.”
Calls?
He had absolutely no idea.
Jiang Yunian retorted in a low voice, carrying a trace of grievance he hadn’t even noticed himself: “I didn’t say I was going to wait for you.”
“So, you just left with him?” Jiang Yan’s voice suddenly dropped, exuding the heavy suppression of an approaching storm.
His gaze swept over Lu Yuanbai, finally landing back on Jiang Yunian’s face. He reminded him, pausing after every word, “Did I or did I not say, I don’t like Ge hanging around with some shady people.”
This voice, full of disparagement and possessiveness, provoked Lu Yuanbai’s nerves. He coldly raised his head and looked straight at the other party, not backing down in the slightest.
Jiang Yan pressed his brows down. “Move.”
Jiang Yunian was scared to death in his heart. The grievance of being treated unreasonably also swelled in his chest. This feeling of losing control made him at a loss for what to do. He didn’t know what Jiang Yan would do in a fit of rage, but hurting the people around him was absolutely unacceptable.
He raised his hand and grabbed Jiang Yan’s sleeve. His soft voice couldn’t sound tough at all, “Xuezhang is my friend… You said you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me again, we have nothing… You can’t do this…”
Perhaps it was this rare initiative, or perhaps that soft and sweet tone, a crack seemed to appear in Jiang Yan’s severe and cold mask. Jiang Yunian keenly caught this sliver of loosening, and this time, directly grabbed his hand. Jiang Yan lowered his head, looking at that frail, bony hand resting on him, while in his ears, he heard him pleading.
“Ah-Yan, let’s take Xuezhang back first… okay?”
Ah-Yan.
Jiang Yan’s entire body stiffened. His Ge was finally willing to call him “Ah-Yan” again.
Not for him, but for another man.
“Yunian, don’t beg him.” Lu Yuanbai endured the pain and stood up.
Jiang Yan sneered, his sharp gaze sweeping over them, mocking: “Why should I save him? Ge is taking him far too seriously.”
So unreasonable.
Jiang Yunian looked up at him, his eye rims a bit red, unsure if from anxiety or grievance: “Xuezhang is injured… shouldn’t you take responsibility?”
This naivety made Jiang Yan want to laugh, but he held it back. He thought, his Ge’s rare show of weakness was still something he needed.
He took out his phone, pressed a few buttons quickly, and said coldly: “Someone will come pick him up shortly.” After saying that, he grabbed Jiang Yunian’s wrist backhand, brooking no argument, “Now, come with me.”
“No, Xuezhang is still…” Jiang Yunian stumbled from his forceful pull, looking back anxiously.
Lu Yuanbai stood up straight, though somewhat unsteadily, his gaze tightly locked onto that retreating figure. “Yunian, are you going with him?”
Jiang Yunian’s heart was filled with dilemma and guilt. Half-coerced away by Jiang Yan, his steps were stumbling and unsteady, and his mind was in even more chaos. Given Jiang Yan’s extreme temper, staying would likely trigger even worse consequences. Getting the person away first, allowing Lu Yuanbai to leave safely, was the only thing he could do. He shook his head at the person behind him, telling him not to worry, that someone would come pick up Xuezhang… His broken voice drifted further and further away, finally turning into an apology scattered in the cold wind.
“I’m sorry…”
Lu Yuanbai forced out an ugly smile, his eye color dimming, turning into a pool of dead silence. His slightly parted lips, not knowing whether he was speaking for Jiang Yunian to hear, or for himself: “I know…”
Jiang Yan dragged the person to the side of the car. Jiang Yunian finally managed to stand firm, but his first reaction was to turn his head and look at Lu Yuanbai leaning against the motorcycle dozens of meters away.
The passenger side door was pulled open by the other party.
Jiang Yunian pursed his lips and got in, letting the other party buckle his seatbelt. As the car started, his heart grew increasingly uneasy. He was worried about Lu Yuanbai’s injuries. After a while, he still couldn’t help but ask: “Will the person you mentioned really come? Xuezhang is injured, can we not…”
Screech—
The harsh sound of braking rang out as the sports car stopped on the empty, deserted roadside. The massive inertia made half of Jiang Yunian’s body pitch forward, only to be yanked back into the seat by the seatbelt. Jiang Yan stared straight ahead, his jawline pulled taut, and gritted out three words: “Go to the back.”
Jiang Yunian was baffled by his sudden maneuver, and also felt a bit angry in his heart, thinking he was simply being unreasonable. But looking at the gloomy profile, he chickened out again.
Sulkily, he unbuckled the seatbelt, pushed open the car door, and sat in the back seat.
Who knew that the moment he sat steady, Jiang Yan followed closely behind, bending down and slipping in as well.
The spacious back seat suddenly became cramped because of his intrusion. Jiang Yunian shrank back, pressing against the car door. “What… what are you going to do?”
Jiang Yan leaned in, his arm reaching past him. With a click, he locked the door, propped his hand on the window next to his ear, and clamped his other hand on his chin.
“Tell me,” Jiang Yan’s eyes harbored a calmness suppressed to the absolute extreme, causing heart palpitations, “in this past half year, has he touched you?”
For some reason, thinking of the sensation of Xuezhang grabbing his hands and placing them on his waist… this brief hesitation was taken in entirely by the person in front of him.
Jiang Yan narrowed his eyes, their color terrifyingly dark. “He touched you?”
The tightening fingers made Jiang Yunian’s chin ache slightly. “Where did he touch?” As he spoke, his free hand actually went straight to rip open the top two buttons of his shirt. His cool fingertips traced just beneath his collarbone. “Here… did he touch here too?”
That pair of sinful hands even tried to go further down.
Slap!
A crisp sound pierced the enclosed car cabin, so sharp that even Jiang Yunian himself was stunned. He looked at his slightly numb palm, then at the rapidly rising red mark on the other party’s face, his brain going blank.
“I…”
Jiang Yan’s head was knocked to the side by this sudden slap. Instead of flying into a rage, he actually gave a low chuckle, a laugh that carried a chilling sickliness. He slowly turned his head back, grabbed the hand that had hit him, pulled it, and slapped it lightly twice against his other cheek.
Frighteningly paranoid.
“Answer me, did he touch you or not?”
Looking at the obvious finger marks on his face, Jiang Yunian felt a myriad of mixed emotions in his heart. He forcefully pulled his hand back, hiding it behind him, his voice laced with a sob, “No! Xuezhang wouldn’t be like you…”
Jiang Yan gave a faint pull of his lips. “Endless, is it?”
Leaning down, he viciously sealed Jiang Yunian’s lips.
This was not a gentle kiss; rather, it was more like a punishment, pouring out heavy anger and possessiveness. Jiang Yunian struggled in panic, his hands pressing against his chest to push him away, like a mayfly trying to shake a tree.
“Mmph… let… ugh…” A sharp pain came from his lips, seemingly bitten open, and the faint metallic taste of blood spread in his mouth. Jiang Yunian’s eye rims reddened, his grievance reaching its peak. What did he do wrong again, why did he have to bite him?
As the kiss ended, Jiang Yan pulled back slightly, his breathing a bit ragged. His thumb forcefully wiped across the bitten corner of his lips.
“Still going to shout?”
Jiang Yunian was frightened by the lingering madness in the depths of his eyes, as well as the ambiguous and dangerous posture at this moment. Reacting belatedly, his shoulders shrank back in fear, not forgetting to shake his head.
“Don’t give him any more chances. My patience is limited.”
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