Chapter 14#
Nan Shuyi had expected that Nan Anru would have his room decorated, but he never imagined that he would actually turn it into a traditional-style bridal chamber—even more extravagant than the “temporary bridal room” at Yongjiang Hotel, and even more terrifying. If you turned on the yellow light, it could scare someone out of their wits.#
The bedside lamp shades had been replaced with large red cloth, and even his black coffee table hadn’t been spared. The white sculptures were also draped in red ribbons, tied into bowknots—as tacky as it could get, almost as bad as the wedding car. He really shouldn’t have left the entire wedding planning to his father; now he was full of regret.
On the coffee table sat a set of wine glasses, identical to the set downstairs, except that downstairs there were multiple glasses, while in the room there was only a pair.
Nan Shuyi couldn’t bear to look at his room any longer. He quickly picked up Jiang Yicen’s suitcase and carried it into the walk-in closet.
Only after setting it down did he realize how little luggage Jiang Yicen had brought. Was he not planning to stay here long?
Jiang Yicen followed behind Nan Shuyi, momentarily unsure of what to do.
Nan Shuyi showed him where the bathroom was and got him new toiletries. At first, he thought there weren’t any extras at home, but when he opened the bathroom cabinet, he found that a matching pair of toiletries had already been prepared. He took them out and, on a whim, replaced his own with the same set—since he’d be using them for a while anyway, he might as well switch to new ones.
He just had a bit of OCD; matching pairs looked more appropriate.
Jiang Yicen, unaware of Nan Shuyi’s internal thoughts while preparing the toiletries, just wanted a hot bath to ease the exhaustion of the day.
Nan Shuyi said, “You can wash up here. I’ll use the bathroom next door. If you want to soak in the tub, turn this faucet, and press the button behind it to drain the water automatically.”
Jiang Yicen glanced at Nan Shuyi. “Not going to soak tonight. I just want to shower and go straight to bed.”
“Mm.”
Nan Shuyi picked up his usual bathrobe and left the room, closing the bathroom door behind him.
Jiang Yicen stared blankly at the closed door. What was he supposed to do on the wedding night?
It wasn’t like he had never read novels. Some writers described sex scenes quite explicitly, and he would cover his eyes while reading them, but those were about men and women. He had always approached them with the mindset of appreciating modern literature. Now it was between two men, and he had never studied that.
He kind of regretted not listening to his second brother and reading more erotic novels.
When Jiang Yicen came out of the bathroom, his face was flushed from the steam, and half of that flush was due to his anxiety about the upcoming wedding night.
When he came out, Nan Shuyi hadn’t returned to the room yet.
Jiang Yicen dried his hair absentmindedly. The room was warm enough, and he had changed into a silk pajama set that draped nicely and felt very comfortable.
But no matter how comfortable it was, it couldn’t hide his nervousness.
He looked around the bedroom, his eyes landing on the wine glasses on the coffee table amidst all the red. He filled both glasses with wine.
Nan Shuyi washed up much faster than Jiang Yicen. After drying his hair in the guest area, he returned to the room.
Jiang Yicen pursed his lips. There was still one final step in the wedding ceremony to complete.
He picked up one of the wine glasses and handed it to Nan Shuyi. “Would you mind having another drink tonight?”
Nan Shuyi was slightly taller than Jiang Yicen, so he could clearly see the faint blush on Jiang Yicen’s face from the bath. Right now, Jiang Yicen looked pink, like a drooping crabapple blossom in spring, full and ready to bloom.
His gaze locked onto Jiang Yicen’s similarly colored lips, and he quietly took a breath.
He took the red wine glass he had just been complaining about. “I don’t mind.”
Jiang Yicen raised his arm, waiting for Nan Shuyi to lift his.
Nan Shuyi’s mind wasn’t thinking about what “another drink” meant at all.
After waiting a moment and getting no response, Jiang Yicen took the initiative to grab Nan Shuyi’s right hand and looped his own arm through it.
His pajamas were thin, and Nan Shuyi’s were loose. When Nan Shuyi raised his elbow, the sleeve slipped down, and even through the fabric, Jiang Yicen could feel the warmth of Nan Shuyi’s skin. It was almost hot.
“We’ll drink the cross-cupped wine.”
Jiang Yicen didn’t dare look at Nan Shuyi’s face. Even though they had held hands during the day and Nan Shuyi had carried him in his arms during his stress reaction, this was a close, face-to-face proximity. It was too close. He couldn’t bring himself to look directly at Nan Shuyi, so he stared at the blue patterns on Nan Shuyi’s silk pajamas and downed the wine in one gulp.
Nan Shuyi’s mind had already stopped working. When Jiang Yicen drank, he drank too. He could have refused, but he wanted to see what other tricks Jiang Yicen had up his sleeve.
Tch. Cross-cupped wine.
Jiang Yicen really did have very traditional thoughts. Did he learn these things abroad, living in Chinatown?
Amidst his chaotic thoughts, Nan Shuyi also finished the low-alcohol wine in one go. Just as he expected Jiang Yicen to make the next move, he saw the latter put both of their glasses back on the table.
After drinking, coupled with his accumulated fatigue, Jiang Yicen felt a wave of drowsiness. “I’m going to sleep. You…”
Nan Shuyi, who was feeling a wave of disappointment, was almost thrown off by this sudden turn. Drinking cross-cupped wine, and that was it?
But in his heart, he didn’t want to go along with Jiang Yicen. Besides, he still wasn’t used to the idea of sharing his bed with another person.
He didn’t move, but his gaze followed Jiang Yicen. He let out a disappointed sigh. “You go to sleep first. I still have some things to take care of.”
Jiang Yicen wasn’t thick-skinned enough yet to invite his newlywed partner to bed at the same time. He stifled a yawn behind his hand and was about to take off his shoes and climb into bed when he suddenly stopped.
“Okay,” he said, turning to Nan Shuyi, who was pulling out his phone. “I forgot to ask, which side do you sleep on?”
Nan Shuyi said, “You can sleep on whichever side you want. I usually sleep alone. I’ve never slept with anyone else.”
Jiang Yicen said, “I’ll take the right side.” He was a bit sensitive to light when sleeping, and the right side was near the curtains.
He took off his shoes, pulled back the covers, and got into bed. Squinting, he saw Nan Shuyi about to leave the room and remembered the light was still on. He was about to get up again.
Nan Shuyi called out to him. “Don’t get up. I’ll turn it off for you.”
Jiang Yicen pulled the covers up to his chin and looked toward the door. “Thanks.”
The light was turned off. Nan Shuyi stood in the shadows, and Jiang Yicen could see his silhouette cast on the floor, which inexplicably gave him a sense of security.
At the Jiang family home, the curtains he used weren’t very light-blocking. To maintain the vintage design, the windows weren’t very soundproof, and he would often be startled awake by tree shadows outside the window or birdsong. His sleep quality wasn’t very good.
After Nan Shuyi closed the door, Jiang Yicen closed his eyes. He was simply too tired to keep them open.
Meanwhile, Nan Shuyi was standing outside his own room, thinking: Jiang Yicen really likes to say thank you. Is he this polite with everyone?
Even though he’s married to me now, why is he still so polite?
Nan Shuyi did have some work matters to attend to. Jiang Yicen had mentioned Chef Xu tonight, and the fact that he wasn’t skilled in Cantonese cuisine was indeed something worth looking into.
He sent a message to the HR director, canceling further contact with Chef Xu.
But now he had a new dilemma. Originally, there had been three candidates: one chef specializing in Hong Kong-style dishes but better at Western pastries, and one who had returned from abroad, famous and with experience at Michelin restaurants, but his usefulness was limited to the initial phase. He might attract some foodies with his reputation, but the taste wasn’t up to par. That chef’s drawbacks outweighed his benefits, so he had been eliminated as well.
Jiang Yicen was right. Only palatable food could keep customers coming back. He needed to write a new proposal.
But when he opened his computer and looked at the document, his mind was nowhere near the proposal. Instead, it was filled with an image of a bed covered in bright red wedding bedding, a hand holding a wine glass looped around his elbow, and a fair face like a peach blossom.
He closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair. After letting his mind go blank for three seconds, he pulled his robe together and got up to return to the bedroom.
Nan Shuyi’s steps were quick on his way back to the room, but when he reached the door, he became slow and cautious, as if afraid of making any sound.
After being extremely careful, using only the flashlight of his phone, he managed to lie back down on the bed without making a sound.
Jiang Yicen slept very peacefully, his hands resting on the covers, his body lying still in the exact position he had been in when Nan Shuyi left. Very well-behaved.
Unfortunately, his home’s blackout curtains were too thick, and he couldn’t see anything. The room was completely silent. In that extreme quiet, he could hear Jiang Yicen’s steady breathing.
No snoring, no grinding teeth, no talking in his sleep. He really did sleep well-behaved.
Nan Shuyi quietly scooted a little closer to Jiang Yicen’s pillow. Fortunately, he had chosen a firmer mattress, so a slight movement wouldn’t affect the person next to him.
His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he could make out Jiang Yicen’s silhouette: a delicate, straight nose bridge, lips slightly closed. He couldn’t see the color, but he remembered that after drinking, his lips would turn red, and his face would have a tipsy peach-pink flush.
Since he was a child, Nan Shuyi had never liked sharing a bed with anyone. Even when he went on two-day, one-night hiking trips with friends, he would set up his own tent and sleep in his own sleeping bag. If he stayed out too late and it was inconvenient to go home, or if Zhou Yi shamelessly tried to squeeze into his room, he would rather sleep on the sofa, even if it meant staying awake all night, than share a bed with Zhou Yi.
But now, he felt no resistance toward Jiang Yicen at all. The room temperature wasn’t actually that high, and Jiang Yicen’s hands were still outside the covers.
Nan Shuyi gently lifted his hand and placed it back under the blanket. His wrist was already cold. If he slept like that all night, he would definitely catch a cold.
Jiang Yicen, still half-asleep, sensed movement beside him and murmured, “Hm?”
Nan Shuyi whispered, “Cover yourself up properly.”
“Thanks, Uncle Yuan. You should go to sleep too,” Jiang Yicen mumbled, pulling the blanket up to his shoulders before rolling over to continue sleeping, now facing Nan Shuyi directly.
Nan Shuyi: “…What uncle?”
Had someone else covered him with a blanket before?
Nan Shuyi, who had been feeling sleepy a moment ago, was now completely wide awake.
Who was Uncle Yuan?
·
Jiang Yicen woke up naturally. When he opened his eyes, he thought for a moment that he had traveled somewhere else. Why wasn’t it light yet?
As his mind gradually cleared, he remembered that he had gotten married yesterday and was now living at Nan Shuyi’s house—their bridal chamber.
He found the curtain switch and pressed it. The curtains automatically opened, and the glaring sunlight instantly flooded the bedroom. The light contrasted sharply with the big red bedspread, making the skin exposed outside his clothes look even fairer.
In spring, Lincheng often rained, but today was a fine, sunny day.
The spot next to him was cool. Nan Shuyi must have gotten up early.
After washing up, he found a casual outfit. He didn’t see Nan Shuyi in the living room on the first floor, but he heard the sound of machinery running, coming from the gym.
Nan Shuyi was jogging on a treadmill, bathed in the morning sunlight.
He didn’t disturb him, because his phone rang. It was a call from Jiang Yiting.
Jiang Yicen answered. “Brother, what’s up?”
Jiang Yiting said, “I’ll cut to the chase. Dad told me to let you know that a position has been arranged for you at the company. You’ll start at headquarters on Monday.”
Jiang Yicen knew the kind of people at the Jiang Corporation headquarters. Jiang Yiting had long established his own network in the company. If he went to the group, it would just be meaningless clocking in and out, with no chance to stand out. And he wanted to make money—enough to buy back his family’s business.
He might not be able to buy back Yongjiang Hotel, but he could try for other smaller businesses.
Since arriving in this time period, he had always been gentle with the Jiang family. But today, he adamantly refused.
“No, I’d prefer to be given a company to manage on my own, with full responsibility for profits and losses.”
Jiang Yiting on the other end hadn’t expected this answer. The person who had always been insecure in front of him suddenly grew a backbone.
Jiang Yiting asked, “Is this Nan Shuyi’s idea?”
Jiang Yicen said, “No, it’s my own idea. I’m sure you don’t want me in the company either.”
Jiang Yiting didn’t respond immediately, because that was exactly what he thought. He would rather spend money supporting Jiang Yicen as a dependent than see him in the company.
It was clear who the heir of Dajiang Group was. Even if Jiang Yiting gave up on inheriting the family business, there was still Jiang Yifeng. No matter what, it wouldn’t be Jiang Yicen’s turn, because Dajiang Group also held half of Jiang Gongming’s ex-wife’s share. It was a very complicated company.
Jiang Yiting said, “You have no experience managing a company.”
That was true. It wasn’t that he had no experience; it was that he was unfamiliar with the market in this era. He really did need to study for a while first.
Jiang Yicen said, “I could start by learning inside the company.”
Jiang Yiting said, “I’ll talk to Dad.”
Jiang Yicen hung up. He really wasn’t used to having a thin phone pressed against his ear; the screen felt a bit warm against his cheek. He still preferred using a traditional landline handset.
At some point, the noise from the gym had stopped.
Nan Shuyi, drenched in sweat, stood behind Jiang Yicen, smiling in the sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. “I happen to know which Jiang family companies would suit you. Want me to give you some advice?”
Jiang Yicen didn’t think too much. “Really?”
Nan Shuyi said thoughtfully, “But first, you have to make me breakfast.”
On the first day of their marriage, he wanted to eat breakfast made by Jiang Yicen. He was always a good eater, so he must be a good cook too. He had heard that many overseas students who were used to being waited on hand and foot back in China turned into master chefs once they went abroad.
Nan Shuyi was looking forward to Jiang Yicen’s cooking. He could always talk about the taste of dishes with such expertise—his culinary skills must be decent.
Jiang Yicen hadn’t expected to face a culinary challenge on the first day of marriage.
He slowly asked Nan Shuyi, “Do I really have to cook?”
Cooking for one’s husband didn’t seem unreasonable, but he wasn’t very good at it.
Nan Shuyi nodded without room for argument. “Mm-hmm.”
Five minutes later, in the kitchen.
Jiang Yicen: “Where do I plug this in?”
Jiang Yicen: “How do I turn on the stove?”
Jiang Yicen: “How do I press this button? Like this? It doesn’t seem to light up.”
Nan Shuyi: “…”
Ten minutes later, Nan Shuyi pushed Jiang Yicen out of the kitchen.
He knew it. Jiang Yicen was just pretending to know about cooking. He must have paid Xu Changnian to put on that act in front of him yesterday to win his favor.
This little overseas student was a little liar.