Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 13

Impulse

On Sunday afternoon, Jiang Zhou received a call from Jiang Yue, inviting him to dinner that evening, followed by watching a play directed by her classmate’s mother.

Jiang Zhou agreed.

Jiang Yue was his stepsister. The age difference between them was seventeen years.

Jiang Zhou was somewhat reserved and usually didn’t talk much.

Jiang Yue was the complete opposite—lively and outgoing, articulate in conversation, and naturally charming.

Even a dull and boring person like Jiang Zhou was often left helpless by her antics.

Jiang Yue lived in Yongnan Village for six years until she started elementary school and moved to a boarding school in Haishi. On weekends, Aunt Fang would sometimes come to Haishi to accompany her, or sometimes take her back to Yongnan Village to play.

A certain understanding had developed between them; Jiang Yue would come to see Jiang Zhou about once a month.

By his reckoning, it had been nearly a month since their last meeting.

Jiang Zhou told the driver not to pick up Jiang Yue, and he drove directly from the company to the school.

Having not seen each other for a month, the little girl was delighted to see Jiang Zhou come to pick her up personally. She rushed out of the school gate and gave him a big hug, constantly saying, “Brother, I missed you,” in a very clingy manner.

It wasn’t until they arrived at the restaurant that she finally sat down properly.

Her chatterbox, however, remained open. She recounted every little detail that happened at school this month. Things like Lin Jiajia crying for three whole days because she failed her monthly exam, Xu Cong mistakenly putting a smelly sock in his pocket thinking it was a tissue, and her volunteering to be the desk mate of the new transfer student, and so on…

Jiang Zhou listened to her while peeling shrimp for her.

After dinner, Jiang Yue went to the restroom. When she returned, she brought a handsome boy with her.

“Brother, look who I ran into here. This is Ye Mo, the new desk mate I was just telling you about.”

He glanced at the boy named Ye Mo. The boy was delicate and handsome, especially his large, bright eyes, but his eyebrows were slightly sharp, which balanced the brightness of his features.

This style of features immediately reminded Jiang Zhou of Shen Zhiyu.

If Shen Zhiyu had a child, their appearance would probably resemble Ye Mo somewhat.

“Oh, right, Brother, he’s also going to see Jiajia’s mom’s play tonight. Can we go together?”

Jiang Zhou naturally didn’t mind, but stated that they needed to get Ye Mo’s parents’ permission first.

Seeing Jiang Zhou agree, Ye Mo immediately called his guardian.

Soon after, a man wearing a black woolen coat, a black beanie, and a mask walked up to them.

Shen Zhiyu pulled down his mask. Seeing Jiang Zhou, he looked slightly surprised. “CEO Jiang? What a coincidence.”

—

The four of them set off together for the theater.

Jiang Yue had been a chatterbox since she was little and could talk to anyone. Since meeting Ye Mo at the restaurant, she had dragged him into conversation all the way until they got into the car.

Since the last time he drove Shen Zhiyu and was recognized because of the car, Jiang Zhou had switched vehicles.

He was now driving a black-blue Maybach, a model that was steady and low-key, similar in style to the previous car.

Seeing the car, Shen Zhiyu said meaningfully, “CEO Jiang is generous.”

Jiang Zhou forced a stiff smile and didn’t say anything, wondering inwardly if he should change cars again.

But he was also worried that changing cars too frequently might arouse suspicion.

Jiang Zhou thought for a moment and decided to push the blame onto Yuan Chong.

“Yuan Chong likes cars. I often take his second-hand ones.”

“Oh…” Shen Zhiyu drew out that lingering tone again.

Jiang Zhou’s breathing was involuntarily hitched by that tone, anxiously awaiting his next words.

And the man seemed to be deliberately holding his breath captive. Just as Jiang Zhou was about to suffocate, he slowly uttered the next sentence.

“CEO Jiang and this Mr. Yuan have a very good relationship?”

He emphasized the words ‘very good’.

For some reason, Jiang Zhou detected a hint of displeasure in his tone.

He cleared his throat and explained, “We were college classmates. We’ve known each other for over ten years.”

“By that measure, we’ve also known each other for over ten years.”

Shen Zhiyu suddenly looked at him. “Why are you so unfamiliar with me, CEO Jiang? Or… have you forgotten me?”

Hiss—

The tires rolled over the ground, emitting a sharp screeching sound.

The children, who were chatting happily in the back, instinctively leaned backward, startled.

“Brother, what’s wrong?”

“Red light,” Jiang Zhou turned back to reassure them. “It’s nothing.”

Shen Zhiyu looked at him with composure and commented, “CEO Jiang’s driving skills are truly consistent.”

Jiang Zhou struggled to calm his breathing, using all his strength to maintain composure.

He really wanted to ask Shen Zhiyu when he had recognized him.

Was it the first day after leaving the airport, or at the bar?

But Jiang Zhou didn’t have the courage.

No matter the answer, he felt he couldn’t handle it right now.

Shen Zhiyu was skilled at stopping just short of the point.

He didn’t tease Jiang Zhou further this time. He turned his body slightly toward Jiang Zhou, rested his head on the back of the seat, and closed his eyes.

Jiang Zhou collected his thoughts and continued driving.

—

The tickets provided by Jiang Yue’s classmate were based on family units, so their four tickets were not together but separated into two pairs on opposite sides of the middle row.

Jiang Yue insisted on sitting with her new desk mate, giving her tickets to Jiang Zhou and Shen Zhiyu, and taking Ye Mo to the other side.

Just like that, Jiang Zhou suddenly found himself sitting next to Shen Zhiyu.

At seven o’clock, the play started on time.

The theater lights instantly dimmed, with all the illumination focused on the stage.

Jiang Zhou was seated on the aisle seat.

Once the lights went down, Jiang Zhou tried hard to angle his body outward, keeping as much distance from Shen Zhiyu as possible, afraid that he might develop an inappropriate reaction in the darkness.

Shen Zhiyu didn’t seem to notice, his eyes focused intently on the stage.

After adjusting his position, Jiang Zhou tried to use the play to rein in his restless and chaotic thoughts, and he began to watch seriously.

Time passed slowly.

The play was adapted from the love story of the White Snake and Xu Xian.

It was currently at the scene where Xu Xian saw the White Snake reveal her true form under the influence of realgar wine, causing Xu Xian to die of fright.

Watching this, Jiang Zhou couldn’t help but think:

Shen Zhiyu had already recognized him. If he knew about Jiang Zhou’s dirty thoughts toward him, and the things he had done, would he also be as astonished and frightened as Xu Xian?

He probably would be, Jiang Zhou guessed.

The two were worlds apart. Shen Zhiyu was a natural prodigy, like the bright moon. Jiang Zhou came from a poor background, and his family only improved with his financial support.

He harbored sordid intentions toward such a pure and noble person, using despicable and inferior means to spy on him. He couldn’t even face himself, needing to resort to extreme methods to punish himself just to barely balance the internal condemnation.

How much more so would Shen Zhiyu feel?

“I wouldn’t.” A male voice suddenly sounded next to Jiang Zhou’s ear.

The voice was muffled, transmitted through the mask pressed close to his ear.

Jiang Zhou gasped in surprise, nearly jumping up.

The other person seemed to have anticipated his reaction, extending a long arm and grabbing the armrest of Jiang Zhou’s aisle seat.

Jiang Zhou’s partially raised body touched his arm, and he immediately dropped back into his seat.

Jiang Zhou was sitting on the left side. When Shen Zhiyu reached out, his body instinctively leaned slightly toward Jiang Zhou. As his right hand grasped the armrest, it was as if he were embracing Jiang Zhou.

Jiang Zhou could clearly feel Shen Zhiyu’s heat and breath.

He hurriedly covered his mouth, terrified of letting out an inappropriate sound in the quiet theater.

The theater lights were dim, so Shen Zhiyu couldn’t clearly see the change in Jiang Zhou’s complexion, but it wasn’t hard to guess from his movements and expression that his face must be flushed.

His skin seemed to redden easily.

He turned red when drinking, when he had a fever, and when Shen Zhiyu got close to him at the press conference last time…

Shen Zhiyu couldn’t help but think of his clumsy cat that had died.

That clumsy cat didn’t blush, but it liked to puff up. It would puff up if you touched it, if you spoke to it, or if you gave it a snack…

It wasn’t aggressive, but it was quite amusing.

Shen Zhiyu would always feel an irresistible urge to tease the clumsy cat a bit, only stopping after it puffed up.

Shen Zhiyu felt the same enjoyment in teasing Jiang Zhou as he did in teasing the cat.

“I was saying that Xu Xian…” Shen Zhiyu didn’t let go. Instead, he leaned in closer to Jiang Zhou, his voice extremely low, almost a whisper right next to Jiang Zhou’s ear. “He was too timid.”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t care if the White Snake was a snake or a human.”

“As long as you like them, that’s enough.”

After speaking, Shen Zhiyu released his hand.

He sat up straight, didn’t look at Jiang Zhou again, and returned his attention to the stage, his eyes instantly focused. It was as if the interlude just now was merely a casual discussion with a friend while watching the play.

Jiang Zhou already had little defense against Shen Zhiyu, and now, being provoked like this, he was sweating profusely and couldn’t hide his embarrassment.

He no longer cared if leaving at this moment was impolite and fled in a panic.

The moment he escaped, the person who had been intently watching the stage turned back and glanced at his retreating figure, a hint of bored amusement curving his lips.

It seemed life after returning to the country wouldn’t be as dull as he had thought.

—

Jiang Zhou finally returned when the play ended.

The theater lights suddenly brightened.

Everyone stood up to applaud. As Shen Zhiyu rose, he subtly glanced at Jiang Zhou. Jiang Zhou’s eyelashes were lowered, only vaguely revealing a faint flush spreading at the corners of his eyes.

Shen Zhiyu inexplicably felt his hands itching again.

The actors took their bows, and people began to leave the venue.

Jiang Yue met up with the other invited students and ran onto the stage to take photos with the actors.

Jiang Zhou took on the role of photographer, taking both pictures and short videos.

Shen Zhiyu watched from the side, finding the sight increasingly familiar.

He seemed to have seen a figure like this somewhere before.

Shen Zhiyu walked toward Jiang Zhou and casually glanced at his phone.

Before he could see the photos taken, Jiang Zhou’s hand trembled, and he immediately locked the phone.

Shen Zhiyu: “?”

Jiang Zhou feigned calmness: “I’ve finished taking them.”

Jiang Yue came over, wanting to see the group photos.

Jiang Zhou didn’t hand it over. “Let’s create a group chat face-to-face. I’ll send them to the group, and everyone can download them.”

After saying this, Jiang Zhou randomly dictated a few numbers.

Everyone joined the group one after another. Jiang Zhou uploaded the photos and videos he had just taken to the group.

Shen Zhiyu also silently joined the group nearby.

As they left the theater, the fully disguised Shen Zhiyu was still recognized by a fan.

Jiang Zhou initially wanted to step forward to shield him, but the fan was very friendly, only excitedly asking if it was really him. After receiving confirmation, she expressed her admiration and best wishes, without asking for photos or autographs.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhou quietly retreated to a distance.

After two years as a trainee at YNK, Shen Zhiyu debuted with the group “LUMEN”.

Their debut song, NEON FLAME, became a massive hit, winning their first number one spot in just seven days, and subsequently winning 27 consecutive number ones, making them the most anticipated new group. Their career trajectory continued to peak, breaking countless records and remaining popular for over a decade.

As the visual and vocal lead of the group, Shen Zhiyu garnered countless fans, and traveling became his biggest problem.

Hats and masks were standard, and his casual clothes were very low-key.

Previously, Jiang Zhou was busy with work and could only arrange time for concerts in advance, with no extra time to follow offline schedules.

He would exclusively purchase high-priced photos taken by fansite masters. It wasn’t until June last year, after the company’s IPO preparations were complete, that Jiang Zhou finally had time to breathe and follow many offline schedules.

After following the offline schedules, Jiang Zhou gained a more genuine understanding of just how popular Shen Zhiyu was.

At the same time, he also became clearer that the gap between them was an insurmountable chasm.

Although the fan hadn’t asked, Shen Zhiyu took the initiative to give her an autograph and a selfie.

After seeing the fan off, Shen Zhiyu looked up and saw Jiang Zhou standing not far away, his figure appearing somewhat lonely.

Shen Zhiyu recalled three years ago when he found that clumsy cat; it was huddled alone with a limp leg in front of his car, meowing softly. Its lonely and pitiful appearance was almost identical to Jiang Zhou’s current state.

Shen Zhiyu didn’t particularly like animals. But at that moment, he really wanted to take the cat home.

Now, he felt the same impulse.