Chapter 65: Chengnan Bookstore 12
To avoid disturbing his colleagues, Zhuang Ningyu specifically waited until after work to drop off his things at the research group. However, the moment Yi Ke’s car came to a stop in the parking lot, a large group of new colleagues sprouted up like bamboo shoots after the rain, emerging from who knows which door. The pitiably small number of office supplies in Zhuang Ningyu’s little cardboard box was divided up in the blink of an eye, and he was surrounded and escorted up to the third floor.
On his desk sat a glass of high-end lemonade that cost a full eighteen yuan, along with a large bouquet of beautiful fresh lilies. The treatment was fit for a prince. As the one and only designated mascot of the Order Maintenance Department, the rumor of his transfer back to the department a couple of days ago had immediately sparked a fierce competition to recruit him. The area outside Huo Ting’s office was as bustling as a train station during the Spring Festival travel rush. The only team not in the running was his old home, the action team—it couldn’t be helped, the research institute had not yet issued a report confirming Zhuang Ningyu’s full recovery, so he was theoretically still unfit for physical labor. For this reason, Huang Huihuang had specially called Yi Ke into his office, holding the young man’s hand and earnestly instructing him, “You have the best relationship with Ningyu. You must keep a firm watch on him for us. Don’t let him be deceived by those other wild departments. As soon as his health is restored, he must come back immediately.”
Yi Ke guaranteed it, “Yes, leader. No problem.”
The leader of the research group was named He Mo, who had been on an exchange abroad for the past year and would only return to Jincheng after the New Year. The other two deputy leaders also had their own projects. Thus, the research group had unwittingly collected three joyous occasions: the leaders were away on business, the New Year was approaching, and they had achieved a phased victory in the battle for Captain Zhuang. They immediately decided to splurge on a big meal at the local restaurant on another day!
As for why it had to be “another day,” it was because today’s work wasn’t finished. The replication and reenactment of rule zones was a completely new field, with many details to learn. Furthermore, Ren Bing was a workaholic who had extremely high demands for his team, a stark contrast to He Mo’s carefree work style. Various tasks rained down like snowflakes. Colleague A lowered his voice and said, “The initial work is all physical labor with no technical content. We can handle it. There’s no need for you to participate, Captain Zhuang. Take a good vacation first, and remember, whatever you do, don’t get caught by Team Leader Ren.”
“Knock, knock.” As soon as the words were spoken, the office door was knocked twice. Ren Bing asked, “Don’t get caught by me doing what?”
The office instantly scattered like birds and beasts, everyone getting back to work. Zhuang Ningyu put down the folder in his hand and smoothed things over, “Don’t get caught by you finding flaws in the experiment.”
Ren Bing chuckled and stepped forward, extending a hand. “I didn’t expect you to report in early. Would you like to have a boxed meal in my office?”
“If there isn’t anything work-related, I have other plans,” Zhuang Ningyu shook his hand. “I’m sorry.”
Ren Bing glanced at Yi Ke standing to the side. He had heard about this young master before coming to Jincheng and had originally thought he wouldn’t run into him until the research group and the action team had some overlap after the New Year. He hadn’t expected to see him twice in just two short weeks, and both times, he was with Zhuang Ningyu. And Yi Ke, when facing this law-abiding maniac who was trying every which way to lure his wife a thousand miles away, although he maintained the necessary workplace courtesy, it was clearly very superficial. His greeting was just a slight nod, his dark, choppy bangs covering his brow bone, his thin lips pressed into a line. He was like an unsheathed, cold, hard blade.
“Then please carry on with your work, Team Leader Ren. We’ll be leaving now,” Zhuang Ningyu smiled and tugged Yi Ke’s sleeve, heading out the door. It wasn’t until they were back in the car that the super cool and handsome guy reverted to his original form, whining as he reached out to hug his wife, “When is he going back to the capital?”
“He’ll at least have to wait for a result on the Zeus Grand Hotel rule zone, right? Otherwise, wouldn’t it be a wasted trip?” Zhuang Ningyu pushed him away. “Drive.”
“To my place?” Yi Ke asked.
Zhuang Ningyu fastened his own seatbelt. “Are we going to repeat the same process as last time?”
There was no need to revisit the past. Yi Ke couldn’t bear to hear those words and clamped a hand over Zhuang Ningyu’s mouth.
Zhuang Ningyu laughed and dodged. “If there are no special arrangements, let’s go back to Fuxing Court. My mom stewed corn and pork ribs. She said you like them and just dropped them off this afternoon.”
There were special arrangements, but they were for the weekend. Yi Ke pretended to be calm and agreed, “No arrangements. Okay, then let’s go back to Fuxing Court for pork ribs.”
It was easy to imagine the traffic situation on a Friday. Every road was clogged, but Yi Ke was very pleased with the congestion. After all, the more congested the roads, the higher the probability of his wife moving in with him in the future. After much stop-and-go, they finally made it back to Fuxing Court, only to find no place to park. As an outsider, it was an almost impossible task for Yi Ke to find a permanent parking spot in the old residential complex. So, they circled the nearby blocks three or four times looking for a spot. With all the objective conditions piling up, by the time they finally got home to have the corn and pork rib soup, it was already nine o’clock at night.
So, after dinner, Yi Ke naturally obtained the right to stay the night. He first washed the dishes, then washed himself, and finally, dressed in 100% cashmere loungewear, he washed the cherries his wife loved to eat. Zhuang Ningyu had also finished his shower and was now lying leisurely on the living room sofa reading a book. The slightly oversized loungewear had ridden up, revealing a sliver of his slender waist.
Yi Ke came out of the kitchen with a bowl of fruit, his gaze uncontrollably falling on that glaze-like, cold white skin. The beautiful groove of his back was like a fissure in an iceberg, his waistline strong and narrow, disappearing into the loose waistband of his pants. The soft cashmere material outlined the curves of his body. Looking further down, one’s eyes met his long Achilles tendons and his toes, which were a pale pink.
A rush of blood went straight to his head. Yi Ke had originally been planning to happily read and eat fruit while holding his wife. But before he could even get a cherry to his lips, he had already turned the same shade as a cherry. He gently placed the bowl on the coffee table and turned to run to the bathroom with a guilty conscience. But Zhuang Ningyu had already sat up and asked, puzzled, “Why are you bending over? Is your stomach upset?”
Yi Ke squatted on the floor, trying to cover it up. “Yeah.”
Zhuang Ningyu put on his slippers and walked over, intending to help him up, but Yi Ke waved his hands repeatedly, declining. His flushed state was so obviously intentional that Zhuang Ningyu even took the initiative to look down and check his own clothes, not understanding what had caused this all of a sudden. Yi Ke held out two fingers and pulled his open collar together slightly. “Button up your collar.”
A hot-blooded young man, it was understandable. Zhuang Ningyu patted his shoulder and buttoned his pajamas up like a formal shirt. “Is this okay?”
It was not. The distance between them was too close, so close that even their breaths intertwined. Yi Ke held his hand, originally wanting to say something, but before his brain could react, his (YK) lips had already pressed against his (ZNY). Zhuang Ningyu wasn’t squatting steadily and was suddenly knocked backward. Yi Ke thought he was trying to leave, so he frowned, bent down, scooped him up horizontally, and pressed him directly onto the bedroom bed. With a certain non-negotiable brute force, he lowered his head and kissed him forcefully again.
Zhuang Ningyu closed his eyes and parted his lips slightly. The tip of his tongue was immediately soaked in the other’s fiery body heat. One of Yi Ke’s hands wrapped around his shoulder, while the other kneaded its way down his smooth waistline, until his cool, damp body became as hot as his own, so soft it was about to melt. Only then did he slightly part their lips and tongues, looking at him without blinking, his eyes filled with a devout and helpless love.
Zhuang Ningyu cupped his face with both hands, his thumbs tracing over those soft lips, then he tilted his head up and kissed him again. Yi Ke held his waist, his lips lingering from his neck to his chest, before finally returning to the sweet, entangled breath between their teeth.
The French restaurant booked for the weekend couldn’t wait. He ran to the living room, and a moment later, ran back. He climbed onto the bed and slipped a beautiful silver ring onto the middle finger of Zhuang Ningyu’s left hand. He preciously brought it to his lips for a kiss and said joyfully, “Mine.”
Zhuang Ningyu smiled at him.
Happiness hadn’t come too suddenly, really. If you counted the failed PLAN A with the sea of roses, it was even a few days late. But Yi Ke was still caught off guard and drowned in overwhelming joy. In the dead of night, he held his wife and they exchanged another light, mint-and-jasmine-flavored kiss. “Good night.”
Zhuang Ningyu said, “That’s the fifth time.”
Yi Ke asked pitifully, “Are you sleepy then?”
Zhuang Ningyu: “I am.”
Yi Ke didn’t believe him. You’ve evolved, you’re not sleepy!
Zhuang Ningyu squeezed his face. “Are you going to sleep or not? If not, I’m going to do some work.”
Yi Ke hugged him tight. Sleep, sleep, sleep.
An hour later, another “mwah” on the cheek. “Good night, wifey!”
Zhuang Ningyu: “…”
The consequence of fooling around until the wee hours was that Yi Ke didn’t wake up until past noon the next day. On the dining table was a takeout container of Qiaojiao Beef, while Zhuang Ningyu was in the kitchen studying a box of instant pasta. Yi Ke ran out with a toothbrush in his mouth. “I’ll cook, I’ll cook.”
“What are you cooking? Toothpaste is flying everywhere.” Zhuang Ningyu slapped his face. “Go brush your teeth properly.”
Yi Ke quickly washed up and took the pot from his hands. “I’ve booked a French restaurant for tonight.”
Zhuang Ningyu had no particular interest in French cuisine, but eating it once in a while was fine, especially since it could also satisfy Yi Ke’s love for rituals.
The restaurant was located in the old town. The owner and Yi Ke were very familiar with each other. As soon as they met, he threw an arm around his shoulder and personally escorted them to the reserved VIP seat. Then he immediately turned around and started typing furiously on his phone—
AAA Professional Angler Xiao Wang: I can testify, Xiao Yi really got Brother Zhuang!
AAA Professional Angler Xiao Wang: He did it!
The “Super Perfect Human Hype Group” chat instantly exploded. How dare he! How did he manage to get him so quickly!
The house band gave a heartfelt performance, playing “When People Have No Flowers to See in Winter, Brother Zhuang Should Be in the Garden.” The Viennese master’s touch was extraordinary, opening with a long, low note, then gradually introducing a rising sense of nobility amidst a heart-pounding tremor. Brilliant light poured down from the dome, and every note radiated an inviolable sanctity in the Greek temple. Although Zhuang Ningyu didn’t understand music very well, he stopped eating and listened for a long time, finally asking, puzzled, “Why are they playing this kind of religious music in a French restaurant?”
Yi Ke: Change the song!
AAA Professional Angler Xiao Wang: Why, does Brother Zhuang not like it?!
AAA Professional Angler Xiao Wang: Lately, our entire restaurant has been obsessed with this solemn melody. The head chef even listens to it while prepping food. He cuts meat with a sense of grand compassion. How about I have them play it again?
Yi Ke: He suspects you’ve joined a cult.
AAA Professional Angler Xiao Wang: [Heartbroken]
To clear their name from any association with a cult, the next songs were indeed much more normal.
The two were seated in the far corner, so other diners couldn’t see them. Yi Ke moved his chair a little closer, held his hand, and ate with him.
AAA Professional Angler Xiao Wang: Brother Zhuang just fed Xiao Yi a piece of grilled Wagyu fillet with white truffle and sweet peas!
The group members were once again baffled, asking their daily question: how on earth did he manage to win him over!
Zhuang Ningyu asked, “Why does your friend keep looking over here?”
Yi Ke held his hand. “Because I won you over.”
Zhuang Ningyu was amused. “Did you tell them?”
Yi Ke delightedly wiped his mouth for him. “Haven’t gotten around to it yet. Let them wait a bit.”
During the long dining time of a French meal, the two did not waste a single second. When they weren’t eating, they would lean in and whisper to each other. The side of Zhuang Ningyu’s face was illuminated by a layer of golden light, which, compared to the battle-damaged mechanical photo circulating on the internet, was incredibly gentle.
AAA Professional Angler Xiao Wang was forced to watch several hours of their public displays of affection, and in the end, angrily charged them triple for the meal.
Yi Ke generously paid the bill with his card and tipped all the waiters, including the band.
I have a wife now. I hope the whole world knows and can be happy with me.
