After The Flower Of The High Mountain Meets The Rough Man Ⅱ Chapter 7

## Chapter 7: Drunken Kiss

The wet heat on his earlobe vanished, and Shen Jixun closed his eyes, saying nothing.

Shen Cong walked ahead.

Behind him, Shen Jixun proactively took Ji Shen’s hand, their fingers intertwined. The two followed Shen Cong, their steps steady.

They reached a secluded corner.

Only the three of them were on the balcony.

Shen Cong decided to drop the pretense. The last vestiges of paternal affection on his face vanished instantly.

He stared at the pair and stated his position bluntly: “I don’t agree.”

Then he looked at Ji Shen and disparaged him without reservation: “You are completely unworthy of him. There is no way I will agree to you two being together.”

Ji Shen felt a slight agreement in his heart; he truly was unworthy of Shen Jixun.

Shen Jixun had anticipated this scene. The forced smile on his face also gradually faded. “Father, your opinion doesn’t count.”

“I will marry A’Ji.”

“Being with a man—I’ve never heard of anything so preposterous!” Shen Cong wasn’t necessarily old-fashioned or feudal, but he simply couldn’t think of any other rhetoric to control Shen Jixun.

Ji Shen couldn’t understand what exactly the two were arguing about.

He only knew that they were currently like water and fire.

And if he spoke another word, he would be caught in the crossfire.

“Are you saying this when the Same-Sex Marriage Law Act is in effect?” Shen Jixun seemed to know exactly how to infuriate Shen Cong.

Shen Cong clenched his fists tightly, his chest heaving violently, clearly enraged.

“I will not allow you to marry,” he stated with absolute rigidity.

Shen Jixun was equally firm: “You don’t get to decide. I didn’t come here to discuss this with you; I came to inform you. Besides, Aunt Yang was right just now—A’Ji and I will dutifully show you filial piety.”

He paused, then continued, “And we will also show filial respect to your wife.”

Shen Cong detected a threat in his words.

He gritted his teeth and said bitterly, “I should have strangled you in the cradle back then.”

Shen Jixun adopted an indifferent attitude: “If time could flow backward, Father, you would only die before me.”

Shen Cong lost all control, grabbing a glass of wine from the nearby glass table and splashing it toward Shen Jixun’s face.

His movement was fast.

Someone else’s movement was faster.

Shen Jixun only saw a broad back suddenly move to shield him.

This back was identical to the one he saw that night at the bar.

Broad, solid, seemingly capable of blocking everything.

The wine splattered entirely onto Ji Shen’s face. His styled hair instantly flattened, and streaks of wine-red liquid slowly ran down his face.

*Click*, *click*…

At the same time, several camera shutter sounds suddenly came from the flower bushes downstairs.

Shen Cong immediately looked down.

Shen Jixun reminded him from the side: “Splashing your son-in-law with red wine the first time you meet him—no matter how the Times writes the report, you won’t gain any advantage, Father.”

Shen Cong immediately realized what was happening. He pointed at Shen Jixun’s nose and cursed, “You did this on purpose!”

Shen Jixun sneered, not bothering to reply.

Shen Cong couldn’t worry about anything else for the moment and quickly left the balcony to go downstairs to find the secretly photographing reporter.

So, only Shen Jixun and a “drenched chicken” remained here.

Shen Jixun looked at Ji Shen’s pitiful appearance and sighed heavily.

He then pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the wine stains from Ji Shen’s face and clothes, asking, “Why did you block it for me?”

Shen Jixun had anticipated Shen Cong losing control to this extent; after all, it was part of his plan.

But he hadn’t expected Ji Shen to go this far for him.

This reminded Shen Jixun of Ji Shen’s “meddling” during their first meeting. Could there truly be people born with such kindness?

Ji Shen blinked. “I don’t know either. I just really didn’t want to see you get splashed…”

Shen Jixun couldn’t help but chuckle, his laugh light and curling. “Idiot. Silly dog.”

He cursed him twice.

Seeing him smile, Ji Shen couldn’t help but laugh sheepishly twice. Shen Jixun continued to use the handkerchief to wipe the wine stains from his face.

With them so close, Ji Shen stared at his face, swallowed, and then suddenly raised his hand and brushed his thumb across Shen Jixun’s cheek.

Shen Jixun immediately swatted his hand away. “What are you doing?”

Ji Shen’s face instantly flushed red. He gestured clumsily to explain, stuttering, “Wine, wine stain. You got a little on your face too.”

He held up his thumb, showing Shen Jixun the wine stain he had wiped off.

Only then did Shen Jixun realize he had misunderstood Ji Shen.

He used the handkerchief to wipe Ji Shen’s thumb, then raised his hand to straighten Ji Shen’s crooked tie, saying, “I’ll see you to the car later and have Assistant Li take you home first.”

Ji Shen immediately grew anxious.

He quickly grasped Shen Jixun’s hands, which were tying his tie, and said excitedly, “Brother, did I do something wrong? Did I mess something up? Why are you sending me back now?”

Shen Jixun didn’t know what kind of idol drama plots were running through Ji Shen’s mind.

He forcefully pulled his hands back, then raised a hand and tapped Ji Shen’s head, saying:

“Do you intend to continue attending the banquet with me looking like this?”

“There are no suits in your size here.”

That was true. That glass of wine was at least half full, and it had all run down his neck and soaked his undershirt, sticking uncomfortably to his skin. Even if Ji Shen didn’t say anything, Shen Jixun knew it felt awful.

Moreover, with the autumn wind blowing, he would feel bad if Ji Shen caught a cold.

“Is that so…” Ji Shen scratched the spot where Shen Jixun had tapped him, speaking in an understanding tone.

Shen Jixun took Ji Shen down in the elevator, then left the manor through the back door, encountering few people along the way.

After Ji Shen got into the car.

Shen Jixun closed the door for him, but the person inside quickly rolled down the window. “Brother, when are you coming home?”

“Soon.” Shen Jixun said, reaching out to pinch Ji Shen’s earlobe. “You performed very well today. Let’s go out to watch a movie tomorrow. You decide what we watch.”

The light in Ji Shen’s eyes was brighter than the moon above them.

“Okay!”

The car slowly drove away.

Shen Jixun watched the car’s taillights until the vehicle disappeared from sight before slowly withdrawing his gaze.

“Will Brother be okay alone there? Will he get bullied?” The car had just left the manor grounds, but Ji Shen couldn’t help but look back.

Assistant Li’s expression was composed, though he recalled some of Shen Jixun’s past devilish exploits.

A chill immediately ran down his spine, so he calmly said, “Please rest assured, Sir will be fine.”

Hearing Assistant Li say this, Ji Shen felt slightly more at ease.

He was draped in a blanket, but the dampness of his shirt still made him uncomfortable.

He thought to himself that it was a good thing the wine hadn’t splashed onto Shen Jixun; otherwise, he would be feeling awful too.

*

Three o’clock in the morning.

The car stopped in front of the villa.

Assistant Li helped Shen Jixun to the door. Just as he was about to enter the password to open the door, it suddenly opened from the inside.

Ji Shen stood behind the door in his pajamas. He had initially looked excited and happy, but the smile vanished when he saw Shen Jixun was drunk and unsteady.

“Brother, how are you?” Ji Shen reached out to support Shen Jixun.

Shen Jixun wasn’t severely drunk; at least he knew the person supporting him now was Ji Shen. He steadied himself and told Assistant Li by the door, “You’ve worked hard. Go back and rest early. You don’t need to come to the villa tomorrow.”

Assistant Li was somewhat uneasy about leaving Shen Jixun alone with Ji Shen at a time like this.

Shen Jixun might trust Ji Shen, but he trusted no one but Shen Jixun.

Especially not this pretty boy who had only met Shen Jixun once but had already captured his attention.

As if sensing Assistant Li’s concern.

Shen Jixun mustered a bit of sobriety and said again, “Go.”

Assistant Li nodded, backed out of the villa, and helped close the main door.

Ji Shen helped Shen Jixun sit down on the sofa.

“Brother, wait a moment. I’ll go pour you some hot water and then brew some hangover soup for you,” Ji Shen quickly ran to the kitchen to get warm water.

Shen Jixun’s alcohol tolerance wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t immune to getting drunk either. Although he hadn’t lost consciousness, the dizziness in his head made him slowly lie down on the sofa.

The sofa felt warm.

He tried to curl up, finding that only this large area beneath him was warm.

Shen Jixun paused, his sobriety returning somewhat. Had Ji Shen been curled up on the sofa waiting for him to return?

He quickly imagined the scene in his mind.

Ji Shen comes out after showering, initially sitting quietly in the corner of the sofa reading, then starting to wonder why he hadn’t returned yet, and slowly curling up on the sofa to wait for him to come home.

That’s why Ji Shen had opened the door so quickly, and why there was no sign of sleepiness on his face. It all seemed to make sense.

“Brother, here’s the water.” Ji Shen helped Shen Jixun sit up, holding the cup and slowly feeding the water to Shen Jixun.

Shen Jixun drank a few sips before pushing Ji Shen’s hand away, frowning and rubbing his temple, saying he didn’t want any more.

Ji Shen let out a soft sound, obediently placed the water cup on the table, and then knelt beside Shen Jixun’s feet. “Brother, let me change your shoes first.”

He reached out and grasped Shen Jixun’s ankle, carefully taking off his shoe.

Shen Jixun’s brow furrowed deeply. He watched Ji Shen’s careful movements, placing his hand on top of the other man’s head and gently pressing down a few times.

Ji Shen smiled gently, reaching out to grasp Shen Jixun’s other ankle, carefully helping him take off the shoe. “Brother, no matter how much you press my head, I won’t get any shorter.”

He finished speaking, smiled, and looked up, taking the hand that was pressing on his head.

Shen Jixun snorted.

He wasn’t short; it was just that Ji Shen was too tall, which was why the height difference between them was so obvious when they stood together.

Ji Shen took the shoes to the shoe cabinet, then brought Shen Jixun’s slippers, and knelt in front of him again to help him put them on.

Shen Jixun looked down at him, then slowly placed his hand on top of his head again.

“Ji Shen,” he called.

Ji Shen looked up at him, confused. “Huh?”

Their eyes met.

Shen Jixun lowered his gaze, scrutinizing him with a languid expression.

Shen Jixun’s eyes were light in color, giving them an inexplicably alluring quality under the light. Ji Shen swallowed, not daring to speak.

After a long moment, Shen Jixun shook his hand away, leaned back onto the sofa, and mumbled before closing his eyes, “Stupid dog.”

Ji Shen blinked in distress, kneeling by the sofa and looking at him. “Brother, how can you call me that…”

Shen Jixun frowned, his tone impatient: “I felt like it.”

Ji Shen truly had nothing to say, but he didn’t need to argue with a drunk person. “Brother, you lie down and rest. I’ll go make you some hangover soup.”

“Otherwise, you’ll definitely have a headache tomorrow morning.”

Shen Jixun closed his eyes and hummed in acknowledgment.

Ji Shen finally felt relieved. Just as he was about to get up and go to the kitchen, his sleeve was grabbed by a hand.

“Brother?” Ji Shen didn’t quite understand the meaning of Shen Jixun’s action.

Shen Jixun slowly opened his eyes. He brushed the long hair away from his face, then crooked his index finger at Ji Shen. “Come closer.”

Ji Shen thought Shen Jixun had something to tell him, so he obediently leaned down and put his ear close to Shen Jixun’s lips. “What is it?”

A warm breath puffed out, stirring the fine hairs on Ji Shen’s earlobe, followed by a soft, moist sensation pressing against his earlobe.

Ji Shen’s pupils suddenly contracted, and a buzzing sound filled his ears.

The sensation was fleeting, lasting only two short seconds on his earlobe before leaving. Shen Jixun closed his eyes again, and before completely falling into a drunken stupor, he slowly uttered two words:

“Reward.”