Chapter 7: Aren’t You Going to Practice Those Moves You Talked About?
“…Okay.”
Jiang Qing hung up the phone and let out a long sigh of relief. Turning around, he grabbed Shen Zhize by the collar:
“You did that on purpose?”
Shen Zhize let him pull his collar and laughed aloud: “Wasn’t I helping cover for you?”
“Don’t need it!” Jiang Qing let go and irritably ran his fingers through his hair, “I was almost caught by my brother.”
He walked back to the booth and found Su Lin still standing in the same spot.
“Why are you still here?” Jiang Qing raised an eyebrow.
Su Lin raised his eyes, his voice very light: “Do you need me to help call a car? It’s eleven-thirty now.”
Jiang Qing was stunned for a moment, then laughed aloud:
“Kicking me out?”
“No…” Su Lin pursed his lips, standing in place somewhat at a loss.
Shen Zhize strolled over leisurely, holding Jiang Qing’s jacket left on the sofa. Hearing their conversation, he smiled and chimed in:
“The little waiter is quite attentive.” He handed the jacket to Jiang Qing, his eyes sweeping over Su Lin.
“However, you don’t need to trouble yourself with the matter of sending Second Young Master Jiang home.”
Taking the jacket, Jiang Qing smelled a familiar scent—it was the fabric spray Shen Zhize often used. He raised an eyebrow at the other party:
“When did you secretly spray my jacket?”
“Afraid you’d smell like alcohol and get scolded when you get home.” Shen Zhize conveniently adjusted his collar for him. “Let’s go, Young Master. If you dawdle any longer, you really won’t make curfew.”
Before turning around, Jiang Qing cast one last glance at Su Lin.
On the way to the parking lot, Shen Zhize suddenly spoke up: “That kid’s look in his eyes when he looks at you isn’t quite right.”
“What’s not right about it?”
Shen Zhize didn’t speak. Pulling the car door open for him, “Anyway… you better be careful.”
Jiang Qing’s hand, which was fastening the seatbelt, paused.
“I’ve called a designated driver for you. I won’t go back to the maiden home for now, be careful on the road hahahaha…” Shen Zhize smiled and shut the car door for him.
Jiang Qing expressionlessly rolled down the window and gave him the middle finger.
The car drove steadily through the night. Jiang Qing boredly rubbed his pocket, his fingertips touching an unfamiliar hard object.
He suddenly remembered that Shen Zhize seemed to have stuffed a box of Band-Aids into his pocket earlier.
He took it out to look, only to be surprised to find that it wasn’t the box Shen Zhize had given him.
Pinching that unfamiliar box of Band-Aids, Jiang Qing couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
It seemed tonight’s goal had already been achieved.
————————————————
Of course, all this arrogance only remained on the Second Young Master Jiang before he returned home.
Jiang Qing carefully pushed open a crack in the door and peered inside. The lights in the entryway were off, with only the floor lamp in the corner casting a small patch of warm yellow.
He was like a cat sneaking home, terrified of being discovered by its owner, walking on tiptoe and even lightening his breathing.
“Do you need a welcome parade?”
Startled by the sudden voice, Jiang Qing’s hand shook. He braced himself and pushed the door open to enter.
“Ahahahahaha, Brother, what a coincidence ahahahahaha…”
Jiang Yu was sitting on the sofa wearing dark grey loungewear.
“Brother…” Jiang Qing’s eyes darted elsewhere, attempting to muddle his way through.
“You’re not asleep yet?”
Only then did Jiang Yu slowly lift his eyelids.
“What time is it?”
Jiang Qing subconsciously glanced at the wall clock. Eleven fifty-eight. He secretly rejoiced that Shen Zhize had rushed him in time:
“Before twelve, came back right on time.”
“Even two minutes early.”
As he spoke, he shimmied over to the edge of the sofa, hiding his injured hand behind his back. This minute gesture couldn’t escape Jiang Yu’s eyes.
“What happened to your hand?”
“Nothing, accidentally bumped it.” Jiang Qing wanted to change the subject, “Brother, are you still busy with company affairs? Go to rest earlier…”
Jiang Yu didn’t reply, merely holding his hand out towards him.
Jiang Qing hesitated, having no choice but to extend his hand over.
The little yellow duck pattern looked somewhat comical under the light. Jiang Yu’s fingertips were slightly cool, gently supporting his wrist, while his other hand carefully peeled back a corner of the Band-Aid.
Seeing the scratch underneath—not deep but reddened—his brows furrowed slightly.
“How did this happen?” he asked.
“Just… accidentally bumped into the table.”
“It really doesn’t hurt, Brother.”
Jiang Yu released his hand, getting up to fetch the medical kit. He sat back down, dipped a cotton swab in iodophor, and disinfected the wound with practiced and gentle movements. The cold sensation made Jiang Qing flinch, but he was held steadily by Jiang Yu.
“Go to those kinds of places less in the future.” Jiang Yu kept his head down, focused on looking at his wound.
“Got it…” Jiang Qing agreed obediently, secretly observing Jiang Yu’s expression.
Disinfecting, applying medicine, swapping it for a new sterile dressing. Jiang Yu did all of this methodically, finally throwing the used cotton swab into the trash can.
“Go upstairs.” Jiang Yu packed up the medical kit, his tone softening a bit.
“Oh.” Jiang Qing felt as if he had been granted a great pardon. He stood up immediately, but couldn’t help looking back, “Brother, then you…”
“I’ll sleep in a bit.” Jiang Yu picked up his laptop again, but his gaze landed on Jiang Qing’s face, pausing for two seconds.
Jiang Qing thought Jiang Yu wanted to say something, so he obediently stood there waiting.
Jiang Yu hesitated for a moment, ultimately opening his mouth:
“Didn’t you say you wanted to care for me… Aren’t you going to practice those moves you learned?” Jiang Yu said, turning his head away, a suspicious flush of red climbing up the tips of his ears.
Jiang Qing froze in place, almost choking on his own saliva.
Why was his brother’s mental state also becoming abnormal along with them????
Looking at Jiang Yu’s shy appearance, he couldn’t help but think:
His brother needed to be prescribed vitamins too.
It had to be three bottles.
——————————————
Jiang Qing finished his shower and lay on the bed playing with his phone.
[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: How was it, your brother didn’t scold you, right?]
[Ordinary and Simple is True: Yo, now you know how to care about me, Hubby? Who was it that abandoned me so decisively and left?]
[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: ? Then I’ll come over?]
[Ordinary and Simple is True: Do you want me to get scolded?][My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: …….][My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: (Elegant Person: Why is it always raining in my world.gif)][Ordinary and Simple is True: (Elegant Person: No obligation to inform.jpg)]
[Ordinary and Simple is True: (Elegant Person: Get lost.gif)]
[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: (Trading a sincere heart for a freezing heart.jpg)]
Jiang Qing was just about to exit the chat interface when he suddenly remembered certain things.[Ordinary and Simple is True: How much do you know about that boy at the bar tonight?][My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: Not much, why?]
[Ordinary and Simple is True: …I feel like you right now are exactly like when I passed you a note during an exam asking if you knew the answer to a question, and you wrote down “I know” on the note.]
[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: (Yellow Bean disappointment.jpg)]
[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: He’s a newcomer from the past few days, you probably didn’t know since you haven’t been around recently. I don’t know the specifics either. I heard the boss mention once that it seems he’s the only one in his family.][Ordinary and Simple is True: What do you think of his personality?]
[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: Pretty quiet, doesn’t talk much.]
Jiang Qing frowned.
He also felt it was a bit strange.
In the original book, Su Lin was clearly a little manipulative green tea who would feel uncomfortable all over if he didn’t act up for a day. But after interacting tonight, he found that didn’t seem to be the case at all.
The other party indeed didn’t talk much, and had a great sense of boundaries. He even secretly stuffed a box of Band-Aids to him.[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: Why are you suddenly so interested in him? Don’t tell me you really fancy him?][Ordinary and Simple is True: (Elegant Person: Get lost.gif)]
Jiang Qing tossed his phone aside, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
The Su Lin tonight indeed wasn’t quite the same as described in the book. The Su Lin in the book was a typical green tea, relying on his appearance and meticulously designed little actions to navigate among various men, ultimately leaving his brother completely infatuated.
But the one tonight—with red-tipped ears under the dim light, looking lost, who even subconsciously held his breath when approached, the visible nervousness and greenness of his entire person freezing in place—really didn’t match the words “green tea” at all.
Could it be that Su Lin’s green tea tier is this high now?
Or is it because the story has just begun, and Su Lin hasn’t completely “evolved” into that form from the book?
Jiang Qing rolled over, burying his face into the pillow.
Whatever.
Anyway, Jiang Qing’s purpose after awakening his consciousness was to avoid their family’s tragic ending. As long as he kept a close eye on Su Lin and didn’t give him the chance to ruin his older brother, that would be enough.
As for what kind of person Su Lin actually is… it’s not important.
And he himself was too lazy to play that kind of redeeming character trope, nor did he want to deliberately build a good relationship with Su Lin.
He had only one goal.
As long as Su Lin’s “plotline” didn’t deviate onto his older brother Jiang Yu, then whether Su Lin was pure or murky, sincere or fake, had nothing to do with him, Jiang Qing.
He yawned, preparing to sleep.
The phone vibrated again.
[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: By the way, forgot to mention. You looked really handsome tonight.]
[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: I don’t just want to kiss you anymore.]
[Ordinary and Simple is True: Falling in love with me is human nature, but I’m sorry, the queue right now reaches all the way to France.][My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: (Screenshot—Flight Ticket)]
[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: Exactly planning to go to France to play the day after tomorrow, give me a chance?]
[Ordinary and Simple is True: (The lady is extremely outstanding, this humble scholar admires.jpg)]
[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: …….][Ordinary and Simple is True: My heart belongs to world peace; temporarily abstaining from personal romantic affairs.]
Jiang Qing scoffed. He locked his phone, walked to the bedside, and turned off the light.
In the darkness, he subconsciously touched the newly applied sterile dressing on his finger.
For some reason, he suddenly thought of that white nape when Su Lin lowered his head, and that exceptionally clear mole by the corner of his mouth.
He rolled over and closed his eyes.
————Mini Theater————
[Shen Zhize: The little waiter is quite attentive. However, you don’t need to trouble yourself with the matter of sending Second Young Master Jiang home, I will personally bring the person back to my own home.]
[Su Lin: ……..]
[Jiang Qing: …….. Are you sick in the head?]
Translator’s Note:
- Maiden Home (娘家): A joke from Shen Zhize calling Jiang Qing’s home his “maiden home,” implying that they are a married couple.
- Green Tea Tier: Comparing manipulation to a video game rank. Jiang Qing suspects Su Lin’s “innocent” act is just an incredibly high-level manipulation technique.
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