Chapter 26: “Liang Xun Stole My Clothes” part 1
“I’m not…”
Jian Huaiyi remained unmoved, his eyes as still as an old well. He cut him off forcefully, “No, you are, darling.”
“…Fine.”
Liang Xun’s thin lips pressed into a line. He didn’t argue with Jian Huaiyi any further on the topic of whether or not he was homophobic.
Ultimately, he couldn’t even be sure if he was straight himself.
There was no doubt he felt a sense of discomfort seeing two men being intimate. Like that time at the live house, when he saw the two men in front of him kissing, an indescribable unease spread through his entire body, making him frown.
But if the person he was being intimate with was Jian Huaiyi, it suddenly didn’t seem so hard to accept.
This contradiction baffled him. Based on these points alone, he might have been a straight man in the past, but he certainly couldn’t call himself one hundred percent straight now.
Besides, sexuality wasn’t set in stone.
Even if he used to like women, it was possible for his preferences to change due to his environment.
The night was thick as ink as the black G-Wagon cruised down the highway.
Steering with one hand, Liang Xun opened the center console with the other, pulling out a bottle of warm milk and handing it to Jian Huaiyi.
The milk came at the perfect time. Jian Huaiyi hadn’t had a chance to eat at the banquet, and his stomach was already feeling hollow. He pierced the seal with the straw and took a long sip. A wave of warmth flowed into him, soothing his tight stomach.
As he drank, he chatted idly with Liang Xun.
“The banquet was in the main hall. How did you end up out back?”
Jian Huaiyi cradled the milk bottle, subconsciously biting the straw flat as he drank.
“I was bored. Just wandered around and ended up there,” Liang Xun said.
Jian Huaiyi’s eyes lit up, a grin escaping him. “You thought the banquet was boring too?” he asked, as if he’d just found a kindred spirit.
“Yeah, very boring,” Liang Xun agreed.
With the empty milk bottle in hand, Jian Huaiyi leaned back lazily against the seat. There was one more thing he was curious about. He turned, his pupils reflecting Liang Xun’s side profile.
“You already knew I was going back to the Jian residence for the banquet?”
Liang Xun neither confirmed nor denied it. “I knew.”
Jian Huaiyi’s lips curled into a lazy smile.
No wonder he didn’t ask any questions that day.
There was one great perk to having your own big brother as your boss: you could take as many vacation days as you wanted.
As Eldest Brother Jian had promised, Jian Huaiyi’s international trip had been exhausting, so he was specially granted a week off to rest and readjust before returning to work.
Jian Huaiyi was more than happy to accept. He was a quiet person by nature and a total homebody. He spent his days tending to his flowers and plants, occasionally meeting up with Zhao Yanting or Jiang Yue.
Life was comfortable. What pleased him even more was that Liang Xun had been remarkably “well-behaved” these past few days, no longer catching him off guard with unexpected moves.
It felt like they were back in their university dorm days.
Liang Xun saw Jian Huaiyi lazing around at home from morning till night but didn’t ask any questions. He simply worked harder, his efficiency higher than before. Even though he wasn’t spending more time at the company—sometimes even leaving a little early—he never fell behind on his work.
Assistant Qin observed this for a few days. Finally, after finishing a report, he couldn’t help but ask cautiously, “Boss, are you and Young Master Jian…?”
Liang Xun set down the file he had just finished reading, his tone as mild as ever. “We’re doing great.”
A glint of vigilance flashed behind Assistant Qin’s glasses. The corner of his boss’s mouth was a whole degree higher than usual today. What did that mean?!
He just knew the birthday would be the perfect opportunity to nurture their relationship!
Thank goodness he had booked that extra ticket to Vancouver that day.
Assistant Qin smiled with relief. Seeing his boss so radiant and full of life, he felt a bittersweet sense of accomplishment, as if a long hardship had finally paid off.
It wasn’t easy.
He lowered his head to wipe away a nonexistent tear from the corner of his eye, only to look up and meet Liang Xun’s strange gaze.
Assistant Qin: “…”
Clearing his throat, Assistant Qin lowered his hand and asked curiously, “Boss, are you still calling Young Master Jian by his full name?”
At this, Liang Xun’s knuckles flexed unnaturally, his long fingers pressing against the documents beneath them. He remained silent.
Seeing this, Assistant Qin immediately adopted a serious expression. “Boss, quantitative changes lead to qualitative ones. Persistence is victory. You need to get Young Master Jian used to your pet name for him. Only then, over time, will he be able to feel your affection.”
Liang Xun looked thoughtful, glancing up at Assistant Qin.
Ever since he had asked him to book tickets for the live house, Assistant Qin had been constantly giving him advice. Some he adopted, some he rejected.
Assistant Qin had even created a spreadsheet for him.
Some of the suggestions weren’t difficult to implement. For instance, the idea that lovers must have a special pet name only they can use for each other to enhance their bond was one Liang Xun had accepted.
With a serious face, Assistant Qin asserted once more, “Boss, even though I’ve never been in a relationship, I took a course on the psychology of love in university. Trust me.”
“You may leave,” Liang Xun said.
Assistant Qin studied his boss’s expression for a moment, saw that he had taken the advice to heart, and left, satisfied, to get back to work.
Days off always flew by. In the blink of an eye, a week was gone. Right on schedule, Eldest Brother Jian sent a message reminding Jian Huaiyi that he had to be at work the next day.
People are always greedy.
Once the week-long vacation was over, he started fantasizing about why it wasn’t a month.
He didn’t want to go to work. Even more, he didn’t want to wake up early.
He was already financially independent, even excessively so. Why did he still have to suffer the bitterness of waking up early for work?
This intense desire peaked the moment he got out of bed. With a cold expression and his eyelashes drooping lazily, Jian Huaiyi moved like a zombie, taking off his pajamas to change.
He undid the buttons of his sleep shirt. The wine-red silk draped over his shoulders, revealing a large expanse of skin at his collarbone, looking somewhat decadent.
The clothes he needed to wear were on the small sofa nearby. Jian Huaiyi reached for them with his eyes closed, fumbling around for a while but feeling nothing.
He reluctantly opened his eyes. The sofa was empty.
Who took his clothes?
He thought for a slow moment.
Who else could it be? There were only two people in this villa. It had to be Liang Xun.
Why would Liang Xun hide his clothes?
His morning grumpiness hadn’t faded yet, and Jian Huaiyi’s face was exceptionally cold, his mind a foggy mess.
The weather had turned cooler. A breeze slipped through the crack in the window, sending a chill down his spine. He quickly scrambled back under the covers.
The residual warmth in the bed was still there, like lying on a cloud of cotton that was still toasty underneath.
Damn it, now I really don’t want to go to work.
He had to think of an excuse to ask for a day off.
An idea struck him. Jian Huaiyi pulled his phone under the covers and sent a message to his big brother.
The last message in their chat was the one Eldest Brother Jian had sent at midnight, reminding him about work. Without giving it a second look, Jian Huaiyi typed out a few words, then burrowed back under the covers to sleep.
On the other side, Eldest Brother Jian had just sat down in his office when his phone rang with its custom ringtone: “Your Second Brother has a report for the throne.”
Humming a little tune, he casually unlocked his phone, glanced at the message, and tossed it aside.
Hm?
Wait a minute.
He looked again.
[Second Brother Jian: My clothes were stolen by Liang Xun. Can’t go in naked.]
Eldest Brother Jian’s expression instantly turned serious. He picked up the phone, carefully reading every single word, then shot up from his seat.
?!
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