Chapter 16: The Incompetent and Malicious Ex-Boyfriend (16)
“I’m at work. What are you doing with a bouquet of flowers?”
“Didn’t I tell you last night that I fell in love with my future wife at first sight? I had Lin-zai check for me, and he works here. Iâve come to confess my love.”
After speaking, Jiang Ningyuan looked a bit distressed. “Iâve walked around here once, but I haven’t seen the company he mentioned…”
He originally wanted to give Shen Ci a surprise, but since he couldn’t find the place, he had no choice but to call Shen Ci. No one picked up. And then, he ran into his good brother.
Ming Yanzhou narrowed his eyes, an unpleasant premonition surfacing in his heart. “Whatâs the companyâs name?”
“Shen Ci Wholesale Beverage and Non-Staple Food Company.” Jiang Ningyuan looked at Ming Yanzhou after speaking. “This is the address I was given; itâs correct. But I just can’t find the company.”
Jiang Ningyuan never imagined in his dreams that a company could be opened inside a residential community; he hadn’t even looked inside.
Ming Yanzhouâs heart sank. “What is the name of the person you like?”
“Shen Ci. Isn’t it a beautiful name?”
Ming Yanzhou: “…”
He looked at the flaming red roses in Jiang Ningyuanâs arms and almost laughed from anger. He would rather Jiang Ningyuan were giving this bouquet to him than to Shen Ci. His own brother was trying to steal his wifeâwhat kind of situation was this?
Seeing Ming Yanzhou stay silent and look at him with a strange expression, Jiang Ningyuan rubbed his chin. “What are you looking at me for? Stunned by my handsomeness?”
“I’m stunned by your stupidity.” Ming Yanzhou glanced at him. “Before I lose my mind and beat you up, get out of here.”
Jiang Ningyuan: “?”
“Are you crazy? Why beat me up?”
Ming Yanzhouâs voice was cold. “Youâre trying to steal my wife. Do you think I won’t beat you?”
Jiang Ningyuanâs brain stalled for a full three seconds. Steal his wife? Stealing his wife?!
“Holy crap, don’t tell me the one you like is also Shen Ci.”
“It’s him.”
The two of them locked eyes. The air solidified for a moment.
Just then, a white Volkswagen suddenly stopped beside them. The window rolled down slowly, revealing Shen Ciâs slightly surprised face.
“Xiao Ming, what are you doing standing here?” After saying that, Shen Ci froze for a second when his gaze swept over Jiang Ningyuan, clearly recognizing the car owner heâd rear-ended the night before.
“Jiang Ningyuan, why are you here?”
His gaze shifted between the two of them and then landed on the flowers in Jiang Ningyuanâs hand… Suddenly, it clicked.
Are these two… in a relationship?
[Uh (=_=) It seems I arrived at the wrong time.]
Hearing Shen Ci call his name and realizing he remembered him, Jiang Ningyuanâs eyes lit up. He instinctively wanted to step forward, but Ming Yanzhou blocked him.
“He came to find me,” Ming Yanzhou said flatly.
Although Shen Ci wondered how Ming Yanzhou could know Jiang Ningyuanâafter all, one couldn’t even afford tuition while the other drove a multi-million yuan sports car, and they weren’t from the same world at allâhe felt like a high-wattage lightbulb right now. This clearly wasn’t the time to ask.
“Oh, oh. Then you guys chat. Thereâs business at the company; Iâm heading back first.”
Without waiting for Jiang Ningyuan to speak, he stepped on the gas, and the car zipped into the community. Jiang Ningyuan stood there holding his flowers, watching Shen Ci leave.
Ming Yanzhou requested half a day off from Shen Ci via WeChat. Shen Ci granted it readily. Young people in loveâShen Ci understood. Although he was surprised to learn Ming Yanzhou was gay, he respected personal sexual orientation.
…
In a coffee shop, Jiang Ningyuan took a sip of his coffee before speaking slowly. “Zhou-zai, what do we do about this?”
“You back out. Don’t set your sights on Shen Ci.” Ming Yanzhouâs tone was crisp and decisive.
Jiang Ningyuan: “…”
“No, bro, why should I back out? I finally found my true love.”
Ming Yanzhou spoke coldly. “I found him first.”
Jiang Ningyuan countered immediately, “By that logic, shouldn’t you back out too? Didn’t you say Shen Ci has a boyfriend?”
Ming Yanzhou choked, his fingers tightening around the handle of his coffee cup. He cursed a national expletive in his heart. After a sip of coffee to suppress the fire in his chest, he spoke.
“I don’t mind being the ‘third’.” He looked up at Jiang Ningyuan. “Youâre different. You have high moral standards. Didn’t you tell me last night that being a third party is immoral? Surely you won’t compete with me, right?”
This sentence was like a boomerang hitting Jiang Ningyuan right between the eyes. He hadn’t known Shen Ci had a boyfriend then; if he had known, he never would have said those words. Right now, he wished he could soul-travel back to last night and slap himself.
Jiang Ningyuan frowned, his mind spinning… While being a third party was indeed immoral, then again… as long as he had no morals, morality couldn’t kidnap him.
He cleared his throat and said righteously, “I’m actually not someone with a strong sense of morality. Iâm strict with others but lenient with myself. Besides, how can morality be more important than a wife?”
Ming Yanzhou: “…” This guy was as shameless as ever.
“So, youâre planning to fight me for him?”
“Bro, don’t make it sound so ugly. What do you mean ‘fight you for him’? Is he yours?” After saying that, Jiang Ningyuan leaned back, returning to his usual playboy manner.
“Look, you like him, and I like him. Weâre currently on the same side. Our primary task is to get rid of his boyfriend, not to engage in internal strife.”
It sounded logical. In fact, it actually made some sense. However, Ming Yanzhou was clear-headed: after dealing with Ye Qi, heâd still have to deal with Jiang Ningyuan. He had to find a way to make Jiang Ningyuan scurry back to Country M. He had no intention of sharing Shen Ci with anyone, not even his best friend.
Of course, Jiang Ningyuan didn’t know his friend’s intentions yet. “Zhou-zai, do you know Ye Qiâs background?” Jiang Ningyuan looked at Ming Yanzhou. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy to win a hundred battles.
“I only know his name is Ye Qi and heâs from the same hometown as Brother Shen. Theyâve been together for a year…” Ming Yanzhou paused, his face darkening slightly. “Their relationship seems decent.”
“What does he do?”
“I don’t know which company he works for.”
Jiang Ningyuanâs fingertips tapped rhythmically on the table, a calculated look in his eyes. “Do you have his phone number? A real-name registered phone number can reveal a lot of useful information.”
“No.”
Jiang Ningyuan: “…”
“Youâve lived in his house for so long and you haven’t infiltrated the enemy’s interior yet?”
Jiang Ningyuanâs “bro, you’re useless” expression made Ming Yanzhou feel inexplicably irritable. Actually, since his intentions were seen through by Ye Qi last night, he had planned to investigate Ye Qiâs history. If all else failed, he would use threats or bribes to make Ye Qi leave Shen Ci. In this world, money could solve many things.
It was just that before he could act, Jiang Ningyuan had meddled.
“Iâll investigate him; you don’t have to.”
Jiang Ningyuan raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing. “What, tired of the hard life? Preparing for the return of the King?”
Ming Yanzhou: “…”
Recommended Reads
