Chapter 15: The Incompetent and Malicious Ex-Boyfriend (15)
[Note: Some readers asked about Zhou Geng. He is a recurring NPC in all my books and worlds. Just treat him as a fresh character for each world; don’t carry over his role from the previous one. To keep everyone immersed, I’ve swapped his persona with Jiang Ningyuan’s and let him be the ‘Mob A’ bystander.]
Ming Yanzhou had to work the next day, so he prepared to leave not long after they started drinking. Jiang Ningyuan and Zhou Geng were both speechless. He was refusing to live as a wealthy young master just to do manual labor. But Ming Yanzhou was stubborn; unless he changed his mind himself, no one could influence his decision.
Once he left, the party naturally broke up. Zhou Geng called a designated driver and took Ming Yanzhou home on the way.
When Ming Yanzhou returned, the house was pitch black. While changing his shoes, he noticed Shen Ci’s slippers were in the shoe rack. Clearly, Shen Ci was out.
He frowned slightly. Where could he be so late?
He glanced at Ye Qi’s slippers next to them. Ye Qi wasn’t back either. An unpleasant suspicion flickered in his heart. Did these two go out together?
Sure enough, only a few minutes after Ming Yanzhou finished his shower, Shen Ci and the other arrived.
When Ye Qi saw Ming Yanzhou sitting on the sofa, he raised an eyebrow unobtrusively. After entering, he fixed his gaze on Ming Yanzhou, a smile playing on his lips.
“I was worried you’d already be asleep…” After saying that, Ye Qi placed a bag on the table. “My company had a team-building event today. Ah Ci came to pick me up, and we grabbed some late-night snacks on the way back. I brought you some skewers; eat them while they’re hot.”
Ming Yanzhou: “…”
Ye Qi was very beautiful, especially when he smiled. But in Ming Yanzhou’s eyes, that smile was disgusting. It was blatant showing off.
“Yeah, I didn’t know what you liked, so I just grabbed a bit of everything.” Shen Ci stepped forward after changing his shoes. “I’m going to my room to shower first.”
Ye Qi looked at Shen Ci, his smile growing even more tender. “Okay, Ah Ci. You worked hard today; go ahead.”
Shen Ci glanced at Ye Qi. Hard work? More like a hard life. I even crashed the car; so unlucky.
However, for the sake of the barbecue Ye Qi treated him to, the bit of resentment in Shen Ci’s heart vanished. “It wasn’t hard. It’s only right.”
Hearing Shen Ci’s words, Ye Qi’s expression became even more bashful. His mind was filled with the thought that Ah Ci really loved him.
After Shen Ci returned to his room, the smile on Ye Qi’s face faded. He sat on the sofa next to Ming Yanzhou and casually hugged a throw pillow, his gaze landing on Ming Yanzhou without any attempt to hide it.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
Eat? Ming Yanzhou’s stomach was so full of jealousy he couldn’t even look at skewers. “I’m not hungry.”
“Is that so? Ah Ci and I really like the skewers from this place. Ah Ci used to take me there often; the taste is quite good.”
Ming Yanzhou: “…”
He really didn’t want to know.
Seeing that Ming Yanzhou wasn’t responding, Ye Qi didn’t get angry. “Xiao Ming is so handsome; have you ever been in a relationship?”
Ming Yanzhou frowned. After two seconds, he replied coldly, “No.”
Ye Qi blinked, his tone carrying a hint of feigned innocent surprise. “No? I thought you’d never lack people who like you.”
His fingertips lightly rubbed the edge of the pillow as his gaze fell on Ming Yanzhou’s tensed profile. A sharp edge was hidden within his smile.
“But then again, feelings are a matter of mutual consent. Forced love isn’t sweet.”
He changed the subject, his voice softening, yet each word was crystal clear.
“Especially when someone already has a stable home. No matter how much an outsider covets them, it’s useless. Instead, it’s easy to get a bad reputation for being a homewrecker who destroys other people’s relationships. It’s just not worth it.”
He paused, adding as if it were an afterthought, “Ah Ci and I have known each other for so long, and our relationship has always been stable. He’s exceptionally good to me; he thinks of me in everything he does. Sometimes, when I see people who don’t know how to keep their distance and always huddle around someone who’s taken, I feel embarrassed for them. After all, one should have a sense of propriety so as not to cause misunderstandings.”
Ming Yanzhou’s face darkened. After a moment, he looked at Ye Qi. Their eyes met, and neither looked away.
Ming Yanzhou suddenly let out a small laugh. “You’re wrong about one thing.”
Ye Qi’s expression turned cold, his beautiful eyes narrowing slightly. “Oh? Which thing?”
“You said that once someone has a stable home, an outsider’s coveting is useless…” Ming Yanzhou paused. “Even married people get divorced, let alone those who are just dating. Who would refuse a better choice?”
“I think if you truly love someone, you should take the initiative to let go and fulfill their happiness if they find a better option. Don’t you agree, Ye Qi?”
Ye Qi’s hand clutched the pillow tightly. He silently cursed Ming Yanzhou as a “bitch” in his heart. He knew it—Ming Yanzhou was lusting after his Ah Ci. From the first moment he saw Ming Yanzhou, he saw a reflection of his own kind.
Recently, he had noticed that Ming Yanzhou was especially attentive to Shen Ci, and the way he looked at Shen Ci wasn’t right. He was pretending to be an innocent little white flower, but in reality, he was a bitch trying to interfere in someone else’s relationship. It was just that Shen Ci hadn’t noticed yet.
After a moment, Ye Qi coldly spat out two words: “Absurd.”
Ming Yanzhou stood up. “Ye Qi, didn’t you say your relationship with Brother Shen was very stable? What are you worried about?”
Ye Qi let out a cold sneer. “I’m worried about shameless people crawling all over Ah Ci.”
Ming Yanzhou shrugged. “Then you’d better keep a close eye on him. It’s late; I’m going to sleep.”
After speaking, Ming Yanzhou curled his lips at Ye Qi. “Goodnight, Ye Qi.”
Once Ming Yanzhou entered his room, Ye Qi sat on the sofa with a dark face. He didn’t snap out of it until Shen Ci finished his shower and came out.
“What are you doing sitting here?” Shen Ci looked at the untouched skewers on the table. “Xiao Ming isn’t eating?”
“He said he isn’t hungry.” Ye Qi stood up and walked toward Shen Ci. “Ah Ci, let me hang those up for you.”
Shen Ci: “…”
He silently gripped his underwear. “I can do it myself.” After saying that, he hurried to the balcony, fearing Ye Qi might snatch his underwear in the next second.
Ye Qi: “…”
Ming Yanzhou never dreamed that while he was plotting to quietly undermine someone’s relationship, his good brother Jiang Ningyuan was already speeding onto the highway.
When he saw Jiang Ningyuan holding a bouquet of roses at the entrance of the residential community, he felt like his brain had slightly shriveled.
Jiang Ningyuan was dressed quite flashily, wearing a floral shirt on top and ripped jeans on the bottom, with a ruby stud in his ear.
The two of them locked eyes, staring at each other in blank surprise.
“Bro, what are you doing here?” Jiang Ningyuan sized Ming Yanzhou up. “Are you… cosplaying as a migrant worker?”
Ming Yanzhou had just come back from unloading goods at the warehouse. His cheap clothes were covered in dust and he was drenched in sweat; he did indeed look a bit disheveled.
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